cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using acoustic telemetry for high-resolution sablefish movement informing potential interactions with a tidal turbine

As the MHK industry moves forward to the commercial phase, knowledge of potential environmental effects need to be documented and established. At present, the potential for fish interactions and subsequent injury or mortality are a significant concern with instream turbines. Sensors, methodologies, and analyses need to be developed to detect strike or near-miss events. These data will reduce uncertainty of the likelihood of such events and provide information to regulators to make informed decisions on permitting and possible mitigation measures if needed. Acoustic telemetry is a primary method for studying fine-scale fish movements because it can remotely track fish in three dimensions with accuracy. The Juvenile Salmon Acoustic Telemetry System (JSATS) developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has proven effective for fish passage estimates and fine-scale movement in river impoundments and near dams. Leveraging the success of previous JSATS applications and applying it to the marine environment, juvenile sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) were tagged and tracked using a fixed-position receiver array in a marine tidal channel for the first time. Applying this technology to future installations of MHK turbines will provide information on fish avoidance and evasion behavior as well as blade strike and potential injury and mortality.
Early contributions by Otolaryngologists in head and neck reconstructive surgery.

Examination of contributions of Otolaryngologists to head and neck reconstructive surgery. Historical Evaluation. Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery as a surgical specialty has come to dominate the related fields of head and neck cancer ablative surgery as well as reconstruction as a result of those leaders who established our profession. While some otolaryngologists have always been at the forefront of head and neck surgery and reconstruction; as surgery has become more specialized in the past century, that expertise has been increasingly consolidated within specific academic institutions and training programs. An examination of the various academic trends, world events, and scientific breakthroughs which allowed the advancement of head and neck reconstruction reveals a fascinating history of our specialty.
Value Theory, Beneficence, and Medical Decision-Making.

Johan Bester’s target article (2020) explores conceptions of well-being before proposing a hybrid objective-subjective approach in an effort to illuminate beneficence in medicine. Bester is entirel...
Safety and Efficacy of Colchicine in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract Background Given current evidence, the use of colchicine for the prevention of adverse cardiovascular events in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) remains controversial. Methods Multiple databases were queried to identify studies comparing the safety and efficacy of colchicine in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or stable angina. The relative risk (RR) of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and gastrointestinal (GI) adverse events were calculated using a random-effect model. Results Six clinical trials comprising a total of 5820 patients were identified. The pooled RR of MACE (0.64, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.36–1.14, p = 0.13), ACS (0.62, 95% CI 0.27–1.41, p = 0.25), cardiac arrest (0.74, 95% CI 0.26–2.14, p = 0.58), stent restenosis (0.71, 95% CI 0.41–1.23, p = 0.22) and mortality (0.95, 95% CI 0.63–1.42, p = 0.79) with colchicine was not significantly different from placebo or control groups. The overall RR of revascularization (0.53, 95% CI 0.34–0.83, p = 0.005) and stroke (0.26, 95% CI 0.11–0.62, p = 0.002) was significantly lower while the net RR of GI adverse events was significantly higher (HR 2.66, 95% CI 1.21–5.87, p = 0.02) in the colchicine group. Propensity matched cohort, sensitivity and subgroup analysis based on adjusted MACE and dosages of colchicine all mirrored the overall results. Conclusion In patients with CAD presenting with an acute coronary syndrome or stable angina, colchicine might offer no significant reduction in MACE and could potentially be harmful due to a significantly higher risk of GI-related adverse events.
Chronic Kidney Disease and Pregnancy.

Women with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at high risk for adverse outcomes in pregnancy. In the United States, pregnancy rates in women with risk factors for CKD such as obesity and advanced maternal age are increasing; thus, more pregnancies are likely to be affected by CKD. Strategies that involve coordinated multidisciplinary care to optimize preconception health, perform meticulous antenatal monitoring, and provide continued care in the postpartum "fourth trimester" appear to be most beneficial for both the mother and baby. Discussions surrounding preconception risk stratification should be individualized based on CKD stage/serum creatinine level, degree of hypertension and proteinuria, and comorbid conditions. Preparation for pregnancy should include optimization of comorbidities and medication adjustments to those compatible with pregnancy. Unless contraindicated, all women with CKD should be prescribed low-dose aspirin in pregnancy to reduce risk of preeclampsia. After delivery, women with CKD may benefit from an early postpartum visit (within 7-10 days) for blood pressure check and may require serial monitoring of serum creatinine and proteinuria as appropriate. Breastfeeding is safe and can be recommended for most women with CKD. A contraceptive plan that includes patients' preferences, feasibility, medical eligibility, duration, and effectiveness of the contraceptive method should be implemented.
Predicting modular functions and neural coding of behavior from a synaptic wiring diagram

Abstract How much can connectomes with synaptic resolution help us understand brain function? An optimistic view is that a connectome is a major determinant of brain function and a key substrate for simulating a brain. Here we investigate the explanatory power of connectomics using a wiring diagram reconstructed from a larval zebrafish brainstem. We identify modules of strongly connected neurons that turn out to be specialized for different behavioral functions, the control of eye and body movements. We then build a neural network model using a synaptic weight matrix based on the reconstructed wiring diagram. This leads to predictions that statistically match the neural coding of eye position as observed by calcium imaging. Our work shows the promise of connectome-based brain modeling to yield experimentally testable predictions of neural activity and behavior, as well as mechanistic explanations of low-dimensional neural dynamics, a widely observed phenomenon in nervous systems.
Use of an electronic pillbox to increase number of methadone take-home doses during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract This study describes use of the commercially available Medminder electronic pillbox at a community substance use disorder treatment program to safely increase the number of methadone take-home doses administered during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pillbox contains 28 cells that lock independently and can be opened only during preprogrammed time windows. This study provided patients (n = 42) deemed vulnerable to take-home mismanagement or more severe symptoms from COVID-19 infection the pillbox and observed them for 11 weeks. A telephone support line was staffed daily to manage technical issues. Overall, patients received about 14 more take-home doses per month after receiving the pillbox. Most medication was dispensed within scheduled windows. The study observed few incidents of suspected tampering, though five patients had their pillbox rescinded to allow more intensive on-site clinical monitoring. The study supports use of an electronic pillbox with a telephone support line to help vulnerable patients to better observe stay-at-home guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pillbox may offer public health and clinical benefits that extend beyond the pandemic by increasing program treatment capacity and patient satisfaction.
A novel approach for the treatment of hypertension with the soluble guanylate cyclase stimulating drug.

Despite the significant progress in the development of safe and effective antihypertensive drugs, the control of blood pressure (BP) is still not satisfactory. The current antihypertensive drugs re...
The use of telemedicine to support interventional pain care: case series and commentary.

Incorporating indicated interventions in a multimodal approach to manage musculoskeletal pain has become standard of care. For example, in patients with radicular pain associated with intervertebral disc herniation or lumbar spinal stenosis, epidural steroid injections (ESI) are commonly used and often improve pain and function while avoiding more invasive surgical approaches. Recently, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has allowed remote evaluations to mitigate COVID-19 transmission using telemedicine. In this article, we review our experience in using telemedicine for interventional pain care and current literature, providing a framework for current practice and future study. During restrictive periods of COVID-19 mitigation, patients were referred for ESI, evaluated by telemedicine, and then seen in-person for a physical exam and possible ESI. After a chart review of these patients, we found that telemedicine evaluation was successfully used to support decision making about the ESI. The majority of patients referred received an ESI. During the interval between telemedicine evaluation and ESI, there was no evidence of progression of disease or neurologic deterioration. There were no emergency room visits due to pain complaints. In our literature review, similar case series supported the use of telemedicine in planning and supporting procedural care in several clinical specialties, including interventional pain management. Future research in larger cohorts will help rigorously evaluate safety and query satisfaction for both patients and providers. In conclusion, we suggest that using telemedicine to support procedural care requires more research but shows promise in increasing access to interventional pain care. The use of telemedicine has recently seen a sharp increase in frequency due to the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic. According to the World Health Organization, telemedicine represents "healing at a distance"1 . They define telemedicine as "the delivery of healthcare services…by health care professionals using information and communication technologies for the exchange of valid information for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease and injuries." Telemedicine has become an important and effective option for providing patient care. However, the use of telemedicine in the context of procedural therapies for pain management is new and rapidly evolving. In this commentary, we aimed to review literature and share our experience in integrating telemedicine in procedural care.
Convolutional Neural Network-based Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) A-scan Segmentation and Tracking Platform using Advanced Monte Carlo Simulation

We reported a parallel Monte Carlo simulation platform for generating OCT cornea images and training the convolutional neural network. The trained network showed improved segmentation results when applied to the ex-vivo cornea A-scan images.
A case series highlighting a common approach to identifying anti-Jk3

The Kidd-null phenotype, Jk(a-b-), is rare, and a patient with this phenotype may develop anti-Jk3, a red blood cell (RBC) antibody reactive with a domain common to both Jka and Jkb. Like other antibodies to high-prevalence antigens, the presence of this antibody poses challenges in the immunohematologic evaluation of these patients. Thoughtful laboratory testing is necessary to resolve the antibody specificity and to reveal other underlying antibodies. Moreover, the rarity of the Kidd-null phenotype makes finding blood donors difficult for those who need transfusion and have developed anti-Jk3. This review describes methods used in identifying anti-Jk3 in four pregnant patients. Blood bank records were retrospectively reviewed to illustrate the common approach in anti-Jk3 identification. In all cases, pertinent blood bank history was gathered, and extended RBC phenotyping was performed, followed by adsorption studies and testing of selected RBCs. Underlying antibodies were found in two of the cases. This review also reiterates some common challenges encountered with Kidd antibody analysis and highlights the importance of patient ethnic ancestry and obtaining accurate patient transfusion history.The Kidd-null phenotype, Jk(a–b–), is rare, and a patient with this phenotype may develop anti-Jk3, a red blood cell (RBC) antibody reactive with a domain common to both Jka and Jkb. Like other antibodies to high-prevalence antigens, the presence of this antibody poses challenges in the immunohematologic evaluation of these patients. Thoughtful laboratory testing is necessary to resolve the antibody specificity and to reveal other underlying antibodies. Moreover, the rarity of the Kidd-null phenotype makes finding blood donors difficult for those who need transfusion and have developed anti-Jk3. This review describes methods used in identifying anti-Jk3 in four pregnant patients. Blood bank records were retrospectively reviewed to illustrate the common approach in anti-Jk3 identification. In all cases, pertinent blood bank history was gathered, and extended RBC phenotyping was performed, followed by adsorption studies and testing of selected RBCs. Underlying antibodies were found in two of the cases. This review also reiterates some common challenges encountered with Kidd antibody analysis and highlights the importance of patient ethnic ancestry and obtaining accurate patient transfusion history.
“Only in theaters” in an on-demand culture: Event movies as media events

What is so eventful about an event movie’s arrival to the multiplex, and how does this eventfulness function as both an industry strategy and audience experience? Synthesizing an analysis of trade ...
Speaking in other voices

Linking actual instances of language use with structures of social power in francophone Belgium, Gross outlines the history and contemporary configuration of rod puppetry in Liege. The analysis of this working class performance art moves between what occurs on and off stage. As puppeteers speak in other voices, sometimes in Walloon and sometimes in French, they create a sociolinguistic model based on 19th century renditions of medieval texts, the voices of past puppeteers, and the language that surrounds them. The high level of linguistic reflexivity created by the regional language movement has led to frequent metalinguistic and metapragmatic commentaries within the puppet shows. This complex speech genre embedded in social context shows the influence of identity struggles: from local class oppositions to imperial designs abroad. Keeping a tight focus on language, Speaking in Other Voices examines the process of entextualization and recontextualization as stories of war and religion are transmitted to succeeding generations.
Chapter 13 Antibodies to Intermediate Filament Proteins as Probes for Multiparameter Flow Cytometry of Human Cancers

Publisher Summary Cytokeratins represent the major intermediate filament protein found in all cells of epidermal origin, which include adenocarcinomas. Vimentin, the intermediate filament expressed by nonmuscle cells of mesenchymal origin, is found in many malignant hematopoietic cells (lymphomas), many sarcomas, and other tumors. Antibodies to cytokeratins have found increasing use in flow cytometric analysis of breast, bladder, endocervical, and squamous cell tumors. This chapter discusses intermediate filament proteins as markers for multiparameter flow cytometric analysis. Tumor-related antigens such as intermediate filaments provide a means to identify relatively minor populations of DNA aneuploid cells and could have a significant impact on tumor-specific S phase estimates for DNA diploid tumors. In addition, these markers stain both the tumor and its normal cellular counterpart, providing an internal diploid DNA content control for that sample. With the use of the “no wash” staining technique, samples can be processed in significantly less time, with lower cell loss and lower reagent co of human tumors.
CALORIMETRIC DETERMINATION OF RELATIVE GAMMA HEATING IN MATERIALS OF VARIOUS THICKNESSES AND ATOMIC NUMBERS.

Calorimetric determination of reactor gamma source heating as function of specimens thickness and atomic number, discussing slab and cylindrical geometrical effects
The Treadmill of Destruction and the Environmental Impacts of Militaries1

This brief article considers the environmental impacts of militaries from a sociological perspective. The authors begin with an overview of treadmill of destruction theory, which highlights the expansionary tendencies and concomitant environmental consequences of militarism. This discussion is followed by a narrative assessment of military developments and expenditures, with a particular focus on the US military over the past century. Next, the authors detail the increasing environmental impacts associated with the growth and structure of militarization, and conclude by calling for future sociological research to seriously consider the environmental impacts of the world’s militaries.
Electronic document management: challenges and opportunities for information systems managers

Harnessing information technology to manage documents is one of the most important challenges facing I/S managers in this decade. It is important because most of the valuable information in organizations is in the form of documents such as business forms, reports, letters, memos, policy statements, contracts, agreements, etc. Moreover, most of the important business processes in organizations are based on, or driven by, document flows. Electronic Document management (EDM) promises major productivity and performance increases by applying new technology to documents and document processing.The purposes of this paper are to show the value of new technology for managing Documents, to illustrate the variety of ways this value can be realized, to develop some structure for understanding this rapidly evolving field, and to suggest some actions I/S managers can take now to prepare for this revolution in information management. The paper argues that the I/S Department, as the developers and managers of the technical infrastructure for EDM, will be in a position to lead this evolution as major change agents as they did in the EDP and MIS eras, but some specific actions will be needed to assume this leadership role.This paper explores the scope and importance of EDM in more detail, and illustrates how it expands our view' of information management. It is designed to help structure the field by approaching it from three perspectives: technologies that are making EDM possible, the application areas in which business value are being realized, and the roles and responsibilities of several departments that will be involved in developing EDM. The paper suggests what I/S managers can do now to begin preparing for this major advancement in information management.
On the Mechanism of Inactivation of Xanthine Oxidase by Cyanide

Abstract The inactivation of xanthine oxidase by cyanide is accompanied by the extraction of sulfur from the protein which is eliminated as thiocyanate. When the cyanide inactivation is carried out under anaerobic conditions, partial reduction of the enzyme occurs, equivalent to approximately a 2-electron uptake per eq of thiocyanate released. Cyanide-inactivated enzyme can be largely reactivated by incubation with Na2S. Experiments with 35S-labeled Na2S reveal that the reactivation is accompanied by the reincorporation of sulfur into the protein. Treatment of such 35S-labeled enzyme with cyanide results in inactivation again and the elimination of 35S-labeled thiocyanate.
The ² ∂-method, weak Lefschetz theorems, and the topology of Kähler manifolds

In [No], Nori studied the fundamental group of complements of nodal curves with ample normal bundle in smooth projective surfaces. The main tool was the following weak Lefschetz theorem: Theorem (Nori). Suppose Φ : U → X is a local biholomorphism from a connected complex manifold U into a connected smooth projective variety X of dimension at least 2, and U contains a connected effective divisor Y with compact support and ample normal bundle. Then, for every Zariski open subset Z of X, the image of π1(Φ −1(Z)) in π1(Z) is of finite index.
Changing Pre-Service Elementary Teachers' Beliefs about Mathematical Knowledge.

Studies have reported that pre-service teachers often enter teacher preparation programs with beliefs and attitudes not conducive to teaching the subject conceptually. In the USA, the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics have brought a renewed focus on procedural and conceptual understanding. However, many U.S. pre-service teachers have developed a procedural focus from their own schooling experience. This study investigated the effect of a mathematics and pedagogy course focused on conceptual understanding on one class of U.S. preservice elementary teachers' beliefs about mathematical knowledge. The course used the Lesh Translation Model (Lesh, 1979) to build conceptual understanding through multiple representations. While the change in beliefs from the beginning to the end of the course was investigated, this study also specifically investigated the change in beliefs arising from session activities concerning division by fractions. The course combined difficulties that students can have when taught procedurally, shown with example video, and conceptual understanding that students can display when taught with well-structured activities. This proved to be a useful combination for changing pre-service teachers' beliefs by showing the need to learn fraction division differently and then providing conceptual ways to think about this concept.
Chemiionization and chemilumenescence reactions of metastable argon and neon atoms with Fe(CO)5

Abstract Crossed beam studies confirm that excited iron atoms are produced from primary collisions of metastable argon with Fe(CO)5. Penning ionization occurs with a much larger cross section than dissociative fluorescence, and all the energeticaly accessible fragment ions are observed from ionization by metastable argon and neon.
Long memory and nonlinear mean reversion in Japanese yen-based real exchange rates

Abstract The extraordinary difficulty in uncovering parity reversion in yen-based real exchange rates has often been ascribed to a missing trend variable. This study identifies an alternative explanation and shows that the puzzling behavior of real yen rates may stem from long-memory dynamics, which undermine unit-root tests in their ability to detect mean reversion. The long-memory findings are consistent with the long swings in yen exchange rates during the current float. Further analysis also reveals evidence of non-monotonic reversion toward parity.
Influence of larval dietary supply on the food consumption, food utilization efficiency, growth and development of the lacewing Chrysoperla carnea

Larvae of the common green lacewing, Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens)(Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), were fed either an optimal or a suboptimal number of eggs of the moth Anagasta kuehniella (Zeller) in the first and/or second larval instar, or in all three larval instars. Parameters for the duration, growth, and the efficiency of conversion of ingested food to body substance (ECI) of each instar were established for seven different dietary regimes. Larvae that had a suboptimal food supply in the first instar had a significantly longer developmental time, gained significantly less weight, and had a slightly lower ECI in that instar larvae. Suboptimally-fed second less, but remained only slightly longer in that instar and had a similar ECI to optimally-fed second instar larvae. The developmental time of suboptimally-fed third instar larvae was similar to that of optimally-fed larvae of that stage. Whereas the growth of the former was significantly less than that of larvae optimally fed in that instar, the ECI of the former was significantly higher. Despite the relatively smaller size of larvae fed suboptimally in the first and/or second instar, when such larvae were subsequently supplied with an overabundance of prey eggs, they consumed approximately the same number of eggs during the remainder of their larval life as did larvae whose food supply had not been restricted previously. When larvae were allowed to consume different numbers of eggs in their third instar, their gain in weight and therefore the weights attained by the resulting adults (based on the weights of 3-day-old cocoons) had a highly significant positive correlation with the number of eggs consumed in this instar.
The Effects of Socioeconomic Status, Perceived Discrimination and Mastery on Health Status in a Youth Cohort

This study examined the influence of socioeconomic status, perceived discrimination, and sense of mastery over one's life on the health status of a sub-sample of a US cohort of youth (N = 969). When controlling for a variety of social characteristics and personal attributes, only sense of mastery over one's life, measured by the Pearlin Mastery Scale, affected physical and mental health statuses. Perceived discrimination affected only mental health status, while SES over the life course affected only physical health. Findings affirmed the efforts of professions like social work that stress self-determination and empowerment enabling individuals to enhance their own social functioning and improve conditions in their communities and in society at large. They also suggested that in regard to mental health advocacy efforts to decrease health disparities can find social justice related grounds based on gender.
Site Distance, Gender, and Knowledge of Geographic Sites

The primary purpose of the experiments presented in this report was to study systematically the geographic site-name, associative memory of male and female college students (predominantly White and middle class) for locations that varied in distance: local, national, and international sites. In the first experiment, participants were to match listed names of campus buildings and local cities with their marked locations on maps. In the second experiment, under a site-name memory, a site-name/map-aid memory, and a map-aid/name-aid memory (site-name associative memory) condition, participants were to recall or match as many of the 50 US states and the 25 largest US cities as they could. In the third experiment, the participants were to match a listed grouping of the world’s largest bodies of water and continents, a set of countries, and the world’s largest cities, with their marked locations on maps. In the first experiment, men matched significantly more local cities than did women; in the second experiment, men recalled significantly more of the cities under the site-name/map-aid and the map-aid/name-aid memory conditions than did women; and in the third experiment, men matched significantly more sites on all three maps than did women. The absence of gender differences for campus buildings and states may have been a product of the participants having had extensive opportunities to learn these sites. That men displayed greater knowledge of cities and international sites suggests that they have a greater interest in geography than do women. Because of the limitations of the methodology used, the gender differences favoring men could not be interpreted as primarily a product of nature or of nurture, and thus it was concluded that they were a joint product of nature and nurture.
6: Hyperparathyroidism in children with endemic fluorosis

Dental fluorosis was found in nearly 80% of 520 children aged 12 to 18 years who lived permanently in two Greek villages Kolchikon and Lavrion where the water supply contains 3, 6 and 2, 7 ppm of fluoride. Detailed radiological, ophthalmological and biochemical studies in 52 children with marked dental fluorosis revealed that 29 had bone changes in the mandible consisting of erosion or loss of the lamina dura, cystic rarefaction and sclerosis; opacities of the lens were seen in 57% of the patients. Serum Ca was found to be in the normal range in the majority of patients. Serum P,Mg and creatitine as well as blood urea and urinalysis were normal. Serum alkaline phosphatase was generally high in the presence of bone changes. Serum parathyroid hormone was elevated in 10 children (685, 980, 1200, 1280,2450, 2600, 3000, 3100, 6200, 7200 pg/ml) with increased serum alkaline phosphatase and with skeletal changes resembling hyperparathyroidism and normal in four children (185, 280, 420, 630 pg/ml) who had normal serum alkaline phosphatase and no bone changes. It is suggested that fluorosis can cause secondary hyperparathyroidism.
Dietary Antioxidants Protect Hematopoietic Cells and Improve Animal Survival after Total-Body Irradiation

Abstract Wambi, C., Sanzari, J., Wan, X. S., Nuth, M., Davis, J., Ko, Y. H., Sayers, C. M., Baran, M., Ware, J. H. and Kennedy, A. R. Dietary Antioxidants Protect Hematopoietic Cells and Improve Animal Survival after Total-Body Irradiation. Radiat. Res. 169, 384–396 (2008). The purpose of this study was to determine whether a dietary supplement consisting of l-selenomethionine, vitamin C, vitamin E succinate, α-lipoic acid and N-acetyl cysteine could improve the survival of mice after total-body irradiation. Antioxidants significantly increased the 30-day survival of mice after exposure to a potentially lethal dose of X rays when given prior to or after animal irradiation. Pretreatment of animals with antioxidants resulted in significantly higher total white blood cell and neutrophil counts in peripheral blood at 4 and 24 h after 1 Gy and 8 Gy. Antioxidants were effective in preventing peripheral lymphopenia only after low-dose irradiation. Antioxidant supplementation was also associated with increased bo...
Financial Policy and Efficiency of Resource Utilization in Developing Countries

This study examines the effects of selected policies on economic efficiency in 81 developing countries by pooling cross-country data over various subperids between 1961–90. An incremental output-capital ratio is the measure of economic efficiency, while the policy variables include: export orientation, size of the public sector, directed credit program through development bank lendings, financial depth (computed as the ratio of the flow of real value of monetary liabilities to real GDP), inflation rate, real interest rate, and real exchange rate distortion. The export-orientation, financial depth, and real interest rate are found to promote economic efficiency, while other policy variables are found to hinder it.
A rate-distortion theory for permutation spaces

We investigate the lossy compression of the permutation space by analyzing the trade-off between the size of a source code and the distortion with respect to either Kendall tau distance or l1 distance of the inversion vectors. For both distortion measures, we characterize the rate-distortion functions and provide explicit code designs that achieve them. Finally, we provide bounds on the higher order terms in the codebook size when the distortion levels lead to degenerate code rates (0 or 1).
A Microassembled Low-Profile Three-Dimensional Microelectrode Array for Neural Prosthesis Applications

This paper describes the design and micro- assembly process of a low-profile 3-D microelectrode array for mapping the functional organization of targeted areas of the central nervous system and for possible application in neural prostheses. The array consists of multiple planar complimentary metal-oxide-semiconductor stimulating probes and 3-D assembly components. Parylene-encapsulated gold beams supported by etch-stopped silicon braces allow the backends of the probes to be folded over to reduce the height of the array above the cortical surface. A process permitting parylene to be used at wafer level with bulk-silicon wet release has been reported. Spacers are used to fix the microassembled probes in position and are equipped with interlocking structures to facilitate the assembly process and increase yield. Four-probe 256-site 3-D arrays operate from plusmn5 V with an average per-channel power dissipation of 97 muW at full range stimulation with pulse widths of 100 mus at 500-Hz frequency. Thirty-two sites can be stimulated simultaneously with maximum currents of plusmn127 muA and a current resolution of plusmn1 muA. The microassembly techniques allow a variety of 3-D microstructures to be created from planar components.
An investigation into the effect of porosities on the adsorption of rhodamine B using titania–silica mixed oxide xerogels

abstract Aperiodic mesoporous titaniaesilica (TiO 2 $SiO 2 ) xerogels with varying silica contents were synthesizedunder ambient conditions. The physico-chemical properties of the xerogels were examined by a varietyof techniques that include powder X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption, Fourier Transform-Infra-Red spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopies (SEM and TEM),Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), zeta potential, and Diffuse Reﬂectance Spectroscopic (DRS) studies.The adsorption of a model dye molecule, rhodamine B (RhB) was studied over the titaniaesilica xerogelsand compared with titania and silica. It was determined that the pore volume of the xerogels mainlyinﬂuences the adsorption of RhB. The xerogels exhibited good adsorption capacity with more than 90%dye removal at low dye concentrations. Our results suggest that low cost approaches to the synthesis ofxerogels with tailored properties such as large pore volume could provide cost-effective solutions tomitigate environmental problems related to removal of water based toxic pollutants such as dyes bysimple adsorption processes.2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Dependence of the Electronic Properties of Hot-Wire CVD Amorphous Silicon-Germanium Alloys on Oxygen Impurity Levels

We report the effects of intentionally introducing up to ∼ 5×1020/cm3 oxygen impurities into hydrogenated amorphous silicon-germanium alloys (of roughly 30at.% Ge) grown by the hot-wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD) method. Deep defect densities determined by drive-level capacitance profiling (DLCP) indicated a modest increase with increasing oxygen content (up to a factor of 3 at the highest oxygen level). Transient photocapacitance (TPC) spectra indicated a clear spectral signature for an optical transition between the valence band and an additional defect level which is attributed to oxygen impurities. The oxygen impurity related defect transition has an optical threshold around 1.4eV above the valence band and also results in a negative contribution to the TPC signal. This initially led us to believe that the bandtail for the higher oxygen samples was much narrower than it actually is. Surprisingly, this additional oxygen related defect level appears to have only a very minor effect upon the estimated minority carrier collection fraction. The effects of light-induced degradation upon some of these oxygen contaminated samples were also examined. We infer the existence of a significant thermal barrier to explain the observed spectral signatures of this oxygen impurity defect.
Development of multi-level compaction for powder metal synchronizer hub

Abstract Multi-level compaction is a key technology for manufacturing PM parts. It requires the development of tool-adaptors, presses, tool materials and construction methods. PM tools made from high speed steel with multi-platen adaptors combined with a large capacity hydraulic press can produce near-net-shape, multi-level PM synchronizer hubs from high strength materials.
Sialylation of prion protein controls the rate of prion amplification, the cross-species barrier, the ratio of PrPSc glycoform and prion infectivity.

The central event underlying prion diseases involves conformational change of the cellular form of the prion protein (PrPC) into the disease-associated, transmissible form (PrPSc). PrPC is a sialoglycoprotein that contains two conserved N-glycosylation sites. Among the key parameters that control prion replication identified over the years are amino acid sequence of host PrPC and the strain-specific structure of PrPSc. The current work highlights the previously unappreciated role of sialylation of PrPC glycans in prion pathogenesis, including its role in controlling prion replication rate, infectivity, cross-species barrier and PrPSc glycoform ratio. The current study demonstrates that undersialylated PrPC is selected during prion amplification in Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification (PMCAb) at the expense of oversialylated PrPC. As a result, PMCAb-derived PrPSc was less sialylated than brain-derived PrPSc. A decrease in PrPSc sialylation correlated with a drop in infectivity of PMCAb-derived material. Nevertheless, enzymatic de-sialylation of PrPC using sialidase was found to increase the rate of PrPSc amplification in PMCAb from 10- to 10,000-fold in a strain-dependent manner. Moreover, de-sialylation of PrPC reduced or eliminated a species barrier of for prion amplification in PMCAb. These results suggest that the negative charge of sialic acid controls the energy barrier of homologous and heterologous prion replication. Surprisingly, the sialylation status of PrPC was also found to control PrPSc glycoform ratio. A decrease in PrPC sialylation levels resulted in a higher percentage of the diglycosylated glycoform in PrPSc. 2D analysis of charge distribution revealed that the sialylation status of brain-derived PrPC differed from that of spleen-derived PrPC. Knocking out lysosomal sialidase Neu1 did not change the sialylation status of brain-derived PrPC, suggesting that Neu1 is not responsible for desialylation of PrPC. The current work highlights previously unappreciated role of PrPC sialylation in prion diseases and opens multiple new research directions, including development of new therapeutic approaches.
Positive harmonic functions on Abelian covers

Abstract We prove the existence of positive harmonic functions and Green's functions on certain Abelian covers of non-compact, finite volume Riemann surfaces. These results are obtained by studying the asymptotic distribution of the lattice in hyperbolic space generated by the fundamental group of the covering surface.
Dietary soy protein and isoflavones: no effect on the reproductive tract and minimal positive effect on bone resorption in the intact female Fischer 344 rat

Our previous study evaluating 3 months of feeding soy protein or isoflavones (IF) to intact adult Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats showed no change in bone and the vagina but occasional extensive squamous metaplasia of the uterine glandular epithelium was observed. The current study was designed to characterize further these effects of soy protein or IF on the uterus using the Fischer 344 (F344) rat, a known high responder strain to estrogenic stimuli. Three-month-old intact F344 rats were divided into five groups and fed diets containing either casein, low or high amount of soy protein or casein with low or high amount of IF extract. Body weight, urinary deoxypyridinoline (Dpyr), bone mineral density (BMD) of the femur and lumbar, uterine wet weight and histology of the reproductive tract were evaluated. No significant difference was seen in bone parameters between control and treatment groups except for a lower Dpyr in the high soy and a higher lumbar BMD in the low soy groups. No alteration was seen in the reproductive tract of all treatment groups. Contrary to our hypothesis, the present results suggest that the uterus of the F344 strain is less sensitive to dietary soy protein and IF than that of the SD strain.
Array two's-complement multiplier and square function

A two's-complement array multiplier and an array for the square function are presented. The negative elements present in the partial product matrix due to the two's-complement representation have been eliminated by encoding. No additional rows have been added, and the regularity and repeatability of the matrices have been retained.
Variation Among Aging Alcoholic Patients in Treatment

The authors compared demographic and clinical features of two groups of older patients with alcohol use disorders (n = 205 and 124) selected before and after major program changes took place at a clinic designed specifically to treat aging alcoholic patients. Program changes (admission criteria, case-finding practices, treatments offered), significantly altered case-mix and treatment adherence. Results demonstrate variability among older alcoholic patients as well as the impact of program policies and practices on patient profiles and treatment responses.
Nonadiabatic Chemical-to-Electrical Energy Conversion in Catalytic Schottky Junction Nanostructures

Nonadiabatic energy dissipation by electron subsystem of nanostructured solids unveil interesting opportunities for the solid-state energy conversion and sensor applications. We found that planar Pd/n-SiC, Pt/n-GaP and Pd/n-GaP Schottky structures with nanometer thickness metallization demonstrates a nonadiabatic channel for the conversion into electricity the energy of a catalytic hydrogen-to-water oxidation process on the metal layer surface. The observed abovethermal current greatly complements the usual thermionic emission current, and its magnitude is linearly proportional to the rate of formation and desorption of product water molecules from the nanostructure surface. The possibilities and advantages of utilizing the nonadiabatic functionality in a novel class of chemical-to-electrical energy conversion devices are discussed. The technology has a potential for a very high volumetric energy density due to the intrinsically planar device architecture.
Formal differential operators, vertex operator algebras and zeta-values, II

Abstract We introduce certain correlation functions (graded q -traces) associated to vertex operator algebras and superalgebras which we refer to as n -point functions. These naturally arise in the studies of representations of Lie algebras of differential operators on the circle (J. Lepowsky, to appear, J. Lepowsky, In: Recent Developments in Quantum Affine Algebras and Related Topics (Raleigh, NC, 1998), Amer. Math. Soc., Providence, RI, 1999, p. 327, A. Milas, Formal Differential Operators, Vertex Operator Algebras and Zeta-values, I, to appear). We investigate their properties and consider the corresponding graded q -traces in parallel with the passage from genus 0 to genus 1 conformal field theory. By using the vertex operator algebra theory we analyze in detail correlation functions in some particular cases. We obtain elliptic transformation properties for q -traces and the corresponding q -difference equations. In particular, our construction leads to certain correlation functions and q -difference equations investigated by Bloch and Okounkov (Adv. Math. 149 (2000), 1).
Provider approaches to palliative dyspnea assessment: implications for informatics-based clinical tools.

Aim:To understand provider practices around dyspnea assessment to inform the development of an electronic medical record (EMR)-based dyspnea assessment module in an inpatient palliative care consul...
Value of information in remanufacturing complex products

Remanufacturing facilities usually face a trade-off between limited information about remanufacturing yields and potentially long supplier lead times. To improve production performance, these firms may attempt to acquire more timely and accurate information about remanufacturing yields or alternatively, to reduce the lead times of purchased parts. We develop four decision-making models to evaluate the impact of yield information and supplier lead time on manufacturing costs. We identify the operating conditions under which these capabilities are valuable, along with their relative impact on facility performance. Each model is formulated as an infinite horizon, stochastic dynamic program (Markov decision process). Our results indicate that the yield information is generally quite valuable, while investments in supplier responsiveness provide trivial returns to products with few parts. However, as product complexity increases with large number of target parts, the value of short lead times increases.
Cell encapsulation as a potential nondietary therapy for maternal phenylketonuria.

Objective The objective of this work was to determine whether cells overexpressing phenylalanine (Phe) hydroxylase (PAH) can significantly reduce Phe in vitro for potential use as a therapy for preventing maternal phenylketonuria. Study Design Human 293T and WRL68 cell lines were transiently and stably transfected to overexpress PAH. Cells were encapsulated within microspheres of sodium alginate. Timed measurements of Phe in media were performed using tandem mass spectrometry. Results Both nonencapsulated and encapsulated transiently transfected cells overexpressing PAH significantly reduced the Phe concentration in media by approximately 50% in comparison to mock-transfected cells. Cell line clones stably expressing PAH significantly decreased the Phe concentration in the media by up to 85% compared with media alone. Conclusion Both unencapsulated and encapsulated cells overexpressing PAH significantly reduce Phe in vitro. Studies using phenylketonuria model mice will be important in determining the ability of our therapy to prevent the teratogenic effects of elevated maternal Phe in maternal phenylketonuria.
Reduced density of calbindin immunoreactive GABAergic neurons in the occipital cortex in major depression: relevance to neuroimaging studies.

Background Several lines of evidence suggest dysfunction of the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic system in major depressive disorder. Neuroimaging studies report reduced levels of GABA in the dorsolateral prefrontal and occipital cortex of depressed patients. Our previous postmortem study revealed a reduction in the density and size of calbindin-immunoreactive (CB-IR) GABAergic neurons in the prefrontal cortex in major depressive disorder. The goal of this study was to test whether the changes in CB-IR neurons can also be detected in the occipital cortex, where neuroimaging studies report a prominent GABA decrease. Methods A three-dimensional cell counting probe was used to assess the cell-packing density and size of CB-IR neurons in layer II of the occipital cortex in 10 major depressive disorder subjects and 10 psychiatrically healthy control subjects. Results The density of CB-IR neurons was significantly decreased by 28% in major depressive disorder subjects compared with the control group. The size of CB-IR neurons was unchanged in major depressive disorder subjects when compared with control subjects. Conclusions The reduction in the density of CB-IR GABAergic neurons in the occipital cortex in depression is similar to that observed previously in the prefrontal cortex. Deficit in cortical GABAergic interneurons may contribute to the low GABA levels detected in neuroimaging studies in major depressive disorder patients.
HIV interactions and the perils of epithelial thinning in the female reproductive tract

Background Currently, there is much debate on whether epithelial thinning from hormonal contraceptives can increase HIV acquisition. Previously, we illustrated that HIV can penetrate to depths in squamous epithelium where it can interact with target cells, such as CD4+ T-cells and macrophages. Using a similar approach, we show that epithelial thinning affects virus penetration, along with target cell and cellular junction distribution.
A highly parallel computing system for information retrieval

The tremendous expansion in the volume of recorded knowledge and the desirability of more sophisticated retrieval techniques have resulted in a need for automated information retrieval systems. However, the high cost, in programming and running time, implied by such systems has prevented their widespread use. This high cost stems from a mismatch between the problem to be solved and the conventional architecture of digital computers, optimized for performing serial operations on fixed-size arrays of data.