cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Magnetic Field Sensors for Magnetic Position Sensing in Automotive Applications

Magnetic position sensors are transducers whose output is an electrical signal that is a function of a mechanical motion. They consist of a permanent magnet, a magnetic field sensor, and a moving magnetic circuit. Being contactless, they do not wear out. Unlike optical systems, they are impervious to contamination. With the proliferation of microprocessor control in many on-board automotive applications, magnetic position sensing becomes a crucial function, found e.g. in cam and crankshaft sensors used for ignition timing and engine misfire detection, in brushless electrical motors, in wheel speed sensors and in other applications. This paper first reviews the requirements put on the magnetic field sensors in these applications. Five main types of field sensors are used: Si Hall sensors with integrated amplifiers, GaAs Hall sensors, InSb-based magnetoresistors, anisotropie magnetoresistors (AMR), and metal-multilayer magnetoresistors (GMR). Magnetoresistors are almost always used as differential pairs, either in Wheatstone bridges or with matched constant current sources. The two characteristics of each type of field sensors that matter most are their sensitivity to magnetic field, and the smallest amount of field modulation they can detect, i.e. their resolution, which is mainly limited by the drift of the outputs with temperature. These parameters are measured and reported here on the 5 types of sensors; the work is an update of a 1993 review by the author.
Transformations of unconscious fantasy in art

Unconscious fantasy is conceptualized as a representation for drive-related, conflict-laden, wish-fulfilling views of human experience. These are usually related to sexuality, and refer to birth, intrauterine existence, primal scene, castration, and seduction. Unconscious fantasy may be transformed into works of art through a variety of artistic means. The employment of formal means for the representation of fantasy may be the product of an endopsychic perception. Thus, structural attributes of the psyche may also find representation. An example is used from the creative process in the construction of a novel by Henry James, The Spoils of Poynton. In the process of fulfilling artistic purposes in the construction of his plot, the author made use of derivatives of unconscious fantasy which surface in the process of creation. The work of art is the integration of unconscious derivatives which become transformed into artistic structure.
Time series prediction by a neural network model based on the bi-directional computation style

A number of neural network models and training procedures for time series prediction have been proposed in the technical literature. These models typically used uni-directional computation flow or its modifications. In this study a novel concept of bi-directional computation style is proposed and applied to prediction tasks. Since the coupling effects between the future prediction system and the past prediction system help the proposed model improve its performance, it is found that the prediction score is better than with the traditional uni-directional method. The bi-directional predicting architecture has been found to perform better than the conventional one when tested with standard benchmark sunspots data.
Inference of segmented, volumetric shape from three intensity images

We present a method to infer segmented and full volumetric descriptions of objects from intensity images. We use three weakly calibrated images from closely spaced viewpoints as input. Deriving full volumetric descriptions requires the development of robust inference rules. The inference rules are based on local properties of generalized cylinders (GCs). We first detect groups in each image based on proximity, parallelism and symmetry. The groups in the three images are matched and their contours are labelled as "true" and "limb" edges. We use the information about groups and the label associated with their contours to recover visible surfaces and their surface axes. To extract the complete volume in terms of a GC, we need to infer the GC axis, its cross section and the scaling function. The properties of straight and curved axis generalized cylinders are used locally on the visible surfaces to obtain the GC axis. The cross section is recovered if seen in the images, else it is inferred using the visible surfaces and GC properties. We consider groups with true edges, limb edges or a combination of both. The final descriptions are volumetric and in terms of parts. Sometimes, when not enough information is present to make volumetric inferences, the descriptions remain at the surface level. We demonstrate results on real images of moderately complex objects with texture and shadows.
Lowest ever CD4 lymphocyte count (CD4 nadir) as a predictor of current cognitive and neurological status in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection--The Hawaii Aging with HIV Cohort.

Low CD4 lymphocyte count was a marker for neurological disease in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1); but is now less common among patients with access to highly active antiretroviral therapy. In this study, the authors determine the reliability of self-reported CD4 nadir and its predictive value for neurological status. The authors identify a high degree of reliability (r = .90). After adjusting for age, current CD4 count, and duration of HIV-1, CD4 nadir relates to a current diagnosis of HIV-associated dimentia (HAD) (odds ratio [OR]: 1.395 (1.106–1.761), P = .005) and distal symmetric polyneuropathy (DSPN) (OR: 1.479 (1.221–1.769, P < .001).
Cognitive, endocrine and mechanistic perspectives on non-linear relationships between arousal and brain function.

It has been almost a century since the first paper describing a non-linear relationship between arousal and behavioral performance was published (Yerkes and Dodson 1908). This study, an analysis of the influence of task difficulty and stress on discrimination learning in the dancing mouse, stands apart from all others. The paper was published without statistical analyses (statistics had not yet been conceived) and with sample sizes as small as 2 mice per group (an unacceptably low level of power by modern standards). Despite the limitations of their study, the findings of Yerkes and Dodson were subsequently replicated in cats (Dodson, 1915), rats (Broadhurst, 1957; Telegdy and Cohen 1971) and people (Dickman, 2002; Bregman and McAllister 1982; Anderson, 1994), and became part of the lexicon of the field of psychology as the “Yerkes-Dodson Law” (Young, 1936; Eysenk, 1955). In brief, Yerkes and Dodson found that when mice were given a simple discrimination task their performance improved linearly with increases in arousal. With more difficult tasks, the performance of the mice improved with moderate with increases in arousal, but at the highest levels of arousal their performance was impaired, forming an overall non-linear (inverted-U) shaped relationship between arousal and performance. This task-dependent influence on the shape of arousal-performance curves is illustrated in Figure 1. The Yerkes-Dodson Law has served as a continuous influence on cognitive research, with decades of debate involving both support and criticism of its heuristic value (Broadhurst, 1957; Broadhurst, 1959; Brown, 1965; Deffenbacher, 1982; Christianson, 1992; Baumler, 1994; Teigen, 1994; Watters et al., 1997; Dutton and Carroll 2001; Hanoch and Vitouch 2004). Thus, the original work of Yerkes and Dodson and the “Law” it spawned provided the foundation for decades of research into why behavioral performance can be either enhanced or impaired when subjects are under strong pressure (high arousal).
Tandem Promoters and Developmentally Regulated 5′- and 3′-mRNA Untranslated Regions of the Mouse Scn5a Cardiac Sodium Channel

The SCN5A gene encodes a voltage-sensitive sodium channel expressed in cardiac and skeletal muscle. Coding region mutations cause cardiac sudden death syndromes and conduction system failure. Polymorphisms in the 5′-sequence adjacent to the SCN5A gene have been linked to cardiac arrhythmias. We identified three alternative 5′-splice variants (1A, 1B, and 1C) of the untranslated exon 1 and two 3′-variants in the murine Scn5a mRNA. Two of the exon 1 isoforms (1B and 1C) were novel when compared with the published human and rat SCN5A sequences. Quantitative real time PCR results showed that the abundance of the isoforms varied during cardiac development. The 1A, 1B, and 1C mRNA splice variants increased 7.8 ± 1.7-fold (E1A), 6.0 ± 1.0-fold (E1B), and 20.6 ± 3.7-fold (E1C) from fetal to adult heart, respectively. Promoter deletion and luciferase reporter gene analysis using cardiac and skeletal muscle cell lines demonstrated a pattern of distinct cardiac-specific enhancer elements associated with exons 1A and 1C. In the case of exon 1C, the enhancer element appeared to be within the exon. A 5′-repressor preceded each cardiac enhancer element. We concluded that the murine Na+ channel has both 5′- and 3′-untranslated region mRNA variants that are developmentally regulated and that the promoter region contains two distinct cardiac-specific enhancer regions. The presence of homologous human splicing suggests that that these regions may be fruitful new areas of study in understanding cardiac sodium channel regulation and the genetic susceptibility to sudden death.
Calcium : silver bullet in signaling

Accumulating evidence suggests that Ca(2+) serves as a messenger in many normal growth and developmental process and in plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. Numerous signals have been shown to induce transient elevation of [Ca(2+)](cyt) in plants. Genetic, biochemical, molecular and cell biological approaches in recent years have resulted in significant progress in identifying several Ca(2+)-sensing proteins in plants and in understanding the function of some of these Ca(2+)-regulated proteins at the cellular and whole plant level. As more and more Ca(2+)-sensing proteins are identified it is becoming apparent that plants have several unique Ca(2+)-sensing proteins and that the downstream components of Ca(2+) signaling in plants have novel features and regulatory mechanisms. Although the mechanisms by which Ca(2+) regulates diverse biochemical and molecular processes and eventually physiological processes in response to diverse signals are beginning to be understood, recent studies have raised many interesting questions. Despite the fact that Ca(2+) sensing proteins are being identified at a rapid pace, progress on the function(s) of many of them is limited. Studies on plant 'signalome' - the identification of all signaling components in all messengers mediated transduction pathways, analysis of their function and regulation, and cross talk among these components - should help in understanding the inner workings of plant cell responses to diverse signals. New functional genomics approaches such as reverse genetics, microarray analyses coupled with in vivo protein-protein interaction studies and proteomics should not only permit functional analysis of various components in Ca(2+) signaling but also enable identification of a complex network of interactions.
A Finite-Differences Derivative-Descent Approach for Estimating Form Error in Precision-Manufactured Parts

Background: Form-error measurement is mandatory for the quality assurance of manufactured parts and plays a critical role in precision engineering. There is now a significant literature on analytical methods of form-error measurement, which either use mathematical properties of the relevant objective function or develop a surrogate for the objective function that is more suitable in optimization. On the other hand, computational or numerical methods, which only require the numeric values of the objective function, are less studied in the literature on form-error metrology. Method of Approach: In this paper, we develop a methodology based on the theory of finite-differences derivative descent, which is of a computational nature, for measuring form error in a wide spectrum of features, including straightness, flatness, circularity, sphericity, and cylindricity. For measuring form-error in cylindricity, we also develop a mathematical model that can be used suitably in any computational technique. A goal of this research is to critically evaluate the performance of two computational methods, namely finite-differences and Nelder-Mead, in form-error metrology. Results: Empirically, we find encouraging evidence with the finite-differences approach. Many of the data sets used in experimentation are from the literature. We show that the finite-differences approach outperforms the Nelder-Mead technique in sphericity and cylindricity. Conclusions: Our encouraging empirical evidence with computational methods (like finite differences) indicates that these methods may require closer research attention in the future as the need for more accurate methods increases. A general conclusion from our work is that when analytical methods are unavailable, computational techniques form an efficient route for solving these problems.
Temporal dynamics reveal atypical brain response to social exclusion in autism

Despite significant social difficulties, children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are vulnerable to the effects of social exclusion. We recorded EEG while children with ASD and typical peers played a computerized game involving peer rejection. Children with ASD reported ostracism-related distress comparable to typically developing children. Event-related potentials (ERPs) indicated a distinct pattern of temporal processing of rejection events in children with ASD. While typically developing children showed enhanced response to rejection at a late slow wave indexing emotional arousal and regulation, those with autism showed attenuation at an early component, suggesting reduced engagement of attentional resources in the aversive social context. Results emphasize the importance of studying the time course of social information processing in ASD; they suggest distinct mechanisms subserving similar overt behavior and yield insights relevant to development and implementation of targeted treatment approaches and objective measures of response to treatment.
Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma of the Bronchus: A Review

Although mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the salivary gland is relatively common, mucoepidermoid carcinoma arising from the mucous glands of the bronchus is rare. Bronchial mucoepidermoid carcinoma usually presents as an intraluminal mass producing luminal occlusion. Symptoms are airway obstruction and recurrent pneumonia. Macroscopically, mucoepidermoid carcinoma appears as an exophytic intrabronchial mass with intact or ulcerated bronchial mucosa. Microscopically, the tumors are located in the submucosa of the large bronchi. The tumors are usually well differentiated and contain a combination of mucus-secreting, squamous, and intermediate cells. The increased frequency of this tumor in the pediatric population suggests a genetic abnormality. Recent genetic studies have demonstrated reciprocal chromosomal translocations including t(1;11)(p22;q13), t(11;19)(q14-21;p12), and t(11; 19)(q21;p13). Chromosome 11 in the first translocation appears to have been altered resulting in up-regulation of the cyclin D1 gene and overexpression of cyclin D1. The t(11;19)(q21;p13) encodes a novel fusion product capable of disrupting the Notch signaling pathway.
Photochemical and biological implications of the atmospheric reactions of amines and benzo(a)pyrene

The discovery of direct mutagenic activity, as determined by the Ames Salmonella typhimurium reversion assay, in the organic fractions of ambient aerosols collected throughout Southern California, led us to investigate the reactions of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) deposited on glass fibre filters with ambient photochemical smog, as well as with O$\_{3}$, NO$\_{2}$, and peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) in simulated atmospheres. A variety of products are readily formed, including phenols, diphenols, dihydrodiols, etc. Directly mutagenic nitroderivatives are formed upon exposure of BaP (a carcinogen and pro-mutagen) and of perylene and pyrene (non-mutagens) to 1 part/10$^{6}$ of NO$\_{2}$ and a trace of HNO$\_{3}$ in air. If such reactions occur in urban atmospheres they may account in part for the 'excess' carcinogenicity (over BaP and certain other polycyclics) observed in organic particulates collected from smog and exhausts of spark ignition and diesel engines. However, such gas-solid interface processes may also have occurred on the filters commonly used in particulate sampling. Thus the possibility of 'filter artefacts' must be recognized. Carcinogenic N-nitrosamines have been detected in air at or near several industrial plants. Therefore, reactions of their possible precursors, e.g. secondary and tertiary methyl and ethylamines with NO$\_{x}$-HONO were studied both at levels of less than 1 part/10$^{6}$ in air in a 50 m$^{3}$ outdoor chamber and at levels around 4 parts/10$^{6}$ in a long path (720 m) outdoor infrared cell with the use of Fourier transform spectroscopic techniques. At concentrations less than 1 part/10$^{6}$ diethyl and triethylamine readily form photochemical smog (O$\_{3}$, PAN, aerosols, etc.). Additionally, small but significant amounts of diethylnitrosamine (C$\_{2}$H$\_{5}$)$\_{2}$NNO are formed in the dark from diethylamine (DEA) but destroyed in sunlight. In contrast, (C$\_{2}$H$\_{5}$)$\_{2}$NNO is initially formed on irradiation of triethylamine (TEA)-NO$\_{x}$ mixtures, then photodecomposed. Other significant nitrogenous compounds formed in sunlight include dialkylnitramines (R$\_{2}$NNO$\_{2}$, a major product) and substituted amides; small amounts of acetamide are present in the particulate phase from DEA and TEA. Both (CH$\_{3}$)$\_{2}$NNO$\_{2}$ and CH$\_{3}$CONH$\_{2}$ are carcinogens in animals, though less potent than nitrosamines; the activity of (C$\_{2}$H$\_{5}$)$\_{2}$NNO$\_{2}$ is not known. Environmental implications of both systems are discussed.
Multimodality Neuromonitoring for Neurocardiology

Neurophysiologic monitoring, including quantitative EEG, transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound and transcranial near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), can be of diagnostic value in neurocardiology—the study of dysfunctional brain-heart relationships. A new multivariate EEG technique bispectral analysis, enables the cardiologist to objectively and precisely document transient episodes of syncope and seizure. TCD permits precise determination of the nature and extent of cerebral hemodynamic irregularities, while NIRS detects frontal lobe imbalance in the delivery and consumption of oxygen. These powerful new neurophysiologic tools, coupled with traditional systemic hemodynamic and electrocardiographic measures, will undoubtedly improve the diagnostic yield in the complex determination of the causes of syncope and cardiac-based confusional states.
Multi-Detector Coronary CT Imaging for the Identification of Coronary Artery Stenoses in a “Real-World” Population

Background: Multi-detector computed tomography (CT) has emerged as a modality for the non-invasive assessment of coronary artery disease (CAD). Prior studies have selected patients for evaluation and have excluded many of the “real-world” patients commonly encountered in daily practice. We compared 64-detector-CT (64-CT) to conventional coronary angiography (CA) to investigate the accuracy of 64-CT in determining significant coronary stenoses in a “real-world” clinical population. Methods: A total of 1,818 consecutive patients referred for 64-CT were evaluated. CT angiography was performed using the GE LightSpeed VCT (GE® Healthcare). Forty-one patients in whom 64-CT results prompted CA investigation were further evaluated, and results of the two diagnostic modalities were compared. Results: A total of 164 coronary arteries and 410 coronary segments were evaluated in 41 patients (30 men, 11 women, age 39–85 years) who were identified by 64-CT to have significant coronary stenoses and who thereafter underwent CA. The overall per-vessel sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy at the 50% stenosis level were 86%, 84%, 65%, 95%, and 85%, respectively, and 77%, 93%, 61%, 97%, and 91%, respectively, in the per-segment analysis at the 50% stenosis level. Conclusion: 64-CT is an accurate imaging tool that allows a non-invasive assessment of significant CAD with a high diagnostic accuracy in a “real-world” population of patients. The sensitivity and specificity that we noted are not as high as those in prior reports, but we evaluated a population of patients that is typically encountered in clinical practice and therefore see more “real-world” results.
Prostate cancer risk from occupational exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons interacting with the GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism

Abstract Background : Variation in the glutathione S -transferase ( GSTP1 ) gene and occupational polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) exposure are putative prostate cancer risk factors. An Ile / Val polymorphism in codon 105 of GSTP1 affects its enzymatic activity toward PAH detoxification, a possible mechanism in prostate carcinogenesis. Methods : To determine whether the GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism modifies prostate cancer risk associated with occupational PAH exposure, we studied 637 prostate cancer cases and 244 controls of White and African-American race from the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, Michigan. Occupational exposure to PAH from wood, petroleum, coal or other sources through respiratory and cutaneous routes was retrospectively assessed by expert review of job histories. The association of occupational PAH exposure and GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism with prostate cancer was tested in multiple logistic regression models adjusting for potential confounders. Cases were over sampled compared with controls to evaluate gene–environment interaction with the statistically efficient case-only analytic approach. Results : Neither carriage of the GSTP1 Val 105 variant allele nor occupational PAH exposure was significantly associated with prostate cancer. However, case-only analyses revealed that carriage of the GSTP1 Val 105 variant allele was associated with increasing levels of occupational respiratory PAH exposures from any source and from petroleum (trend test p =0.01 for both). The GSTP1 Val 105 allele was observed most frequently in cases in the highest quartile of occupational respiratory PAH exposures from petroleum (OR=1.74; 95% CI=1.11–2.72) or from any source (OR=1.85; 95% CI=1.19–2.89). The gene–environment risk estimate in the highest PAH petroleum exposure quartile was greatest in men under age 60 (OR=4.52; 95% CI=1.96–10.41) or with a positive family history of prostate cancer (OR=3.02; 95% CI=1.15–7.92). Conclusions : Our results suggest men who carry the GSTP1 Val 105 variant and are exposed at high levels to occupational PAH have increased risk for prostate cancer. This increased risk is more pronounced in men under age 60 or with a family history of prostate cancer.
Relationships among nursing care requirements, selected patient factors, selected nurse factors, and nursing resource consumption in home health care

Nursing care requirements and nursing resource consumption are essential data for programming and staffing decisions made by nurse administrators in home health care. However, it is not known how nursing needs of home health care patients relate to the amount of nursing care consumed. This retrospective exploratory study examined nursing care requirements and nursing resource consumption within a systems framework in the home health setting. The input variable of interest was nurse expertise. Throughout was the identification of nursing care requirements and was assessed using two measures: (a) patient classification, and (b) patient factors that do not produce a classification. The output measure was hours of direct care provided by the nurse and the home health aide. The findings indicate that nursing care requirements explained a significant but limited amount of variation in hours of direct nursing care but not in hours of direct care by the home health aide. Nursing diagnosis as a patient factor explained a significant amount of variation in hours of direct nursing care provided. The patient factors referral source and initial payment source did not add to the variation explained. The test of whether patient factors explain variatio n in hours of home health aide care was not significant but lacked sufficient power to be an adequate test. Nursing diagnosis explained a significant amount of variation in the nursing care requirements. The nurse factor expertise did not relate significantly to either nursing care requirements or nursing resource consumption. The findings support the importance of the nurse-patient interaction in home health care but indicate that further study is needed to refine measures of nursing care requirements. The use of nursing diagnosis holds promise as a means for predicting nursing resource consumption, with further work needed to develop techniques for grouping and weighting the various diagnoses. Additional work is needed in defining measures of resource consumption both for use in agency management and for reimbursement. Further work is also needed to understand what nurse factors influence the nurse-patient interaction in regard to nursing care requirements and nursing resource consumption.
Cheating evolution: engineering gene drives to manipulate the fate of wild populations

Engineered gene drives - the process of stimulating the biased inheritance of specific genes - have the potential to enable the spread of desirable genes throughout wild populations or to suppress harmful species, and may be particularly useful for the control of vector-borne diseases such as malaria. Although several types of selfish genetic elements exist in nature, few have been successfully engineered in the laboratory thus far. With the discovery of RNA-guided CRISPR-Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-CRISPR-associated 9) nucleases, which can be utilized to create, streamline and improve synthetic gene drives, this is rapidly changing. Here, we discuss the different types of engineered gene drives and their potential applications, as well as current policies regarding the safety and regulation of gene drives for the manipulation of wild populations.
Of Ordinariness and Excuse: Heat-of-Passion and the Seven Deadly Sins

This article examines the underlying rationale for the heat-of-passion partial defense and the circumstances in which it should operate. The first part briefly addresses the justification-or-excuse debate and resolves the matter in favor of heat-of-passion as a partial excuse. The second part explores the heat-of-passion partial defense as a ‘concession to human frailty’ by utilizing the Seven Deadly Sins as exemplars of common human frailties. The final part of the article finds the 'concession to human frailty’ rationale for the heat-of-passion partial defense to be unsatisfactory in an aspirational criminal law system. Thus, the article concludes that the heat-of-passion partial defense should only be available to partial losses of control for which the actor is blameless regardless of whether the loss of control is 'ordinary'.
Interfacial Relationships in Microelectronic Devices

The continued shrink of interconnect structures is requiring new materials to be introduced into back-end of the line (BEOL) devices at an increasing rate. These new materials must provide a performance benefit from the previous generation with the recent focus on reducing the effective dielectric constant of the integrated structures. This reduction may occur not only by changing the intralevel dielectric but also by changing the capping layer/diffusion barrier on the chemicalmechanically polished (CMP’d) Cu surface. However, changing this material may alter the reliability of the device structure due to a change in the Cu/cap interface bonding. Another consequence of the decrease in minimum feature size in interconnects is that commonly practiced techniques, such as sputtered liner and Cu seed, may not be extendable to future generations. Accordingly, the focus of this paper is on identifying basic relationships between interfacial chemistry and interfacial adhesion and illustrating how those relationships can be used to address some of the issues that may pose problems in future technologies.
Five Reforms for Perfect Future Interests

Future interests are essential to the Anglo-American law of property. They permit ownership to be shared among generations, hence giving our property transactions a degree of flexibility historically unavailable to the countries rooted in Roman law. Yet the current law of future interests still carries much of its late-medieval baggage: it revels in unhelpful complexity, elevates form over substance, and frustrates the very transactions it should facilitiate. This Article proposes a medieval solution: simplification. It is one of history's ironies that as the English courts were laying the foundation for our complicated structure of future interests, an English philosopher was preaching the virtues of conceptual simplicity. His name was William of Ockham, his lasting contribution the principle "pluritas non est ponenda sine necessitas": plurality should not be posited without necessity. The principle is known as Ockham's Razor, its blade ready to cut away purposeless complexity. The law of future interests needs Ockham's Razor. The system of future interests is built on unhelpful and unnecessary classifications and burdened with outmoded rules of substantive law. Part I of this Article proposes five fundamental reforms to future interest law. These eliminate the classificatory superstructure and the outdated substantive rules while retaining the temporal division of ownership that is at the heart of modern family property transactions. Part II codifies these reforms in a proposed Uniform Future Interests Act, with accompanying commentary. The Article concludes by urging the Uniform Act's promulgation by NCCUSL and its adoption by state legislatures.
Use of a retinal sponge for silicone tube fixation after bicanalicular lacrimal intubation or dacryocystorhinostomy.

Many existing methods for securing the silicone tube after bicanalicular intubation of the lacrimal system have significant limitations. Fixation by tying knots in the tubing can unravel, resulting...
Point of maximum width: a new measure for anthropometric outcomes in patients with sagittal synostosis.

AbstractThe esthetic success of sagittal synostosis reconstruction is measured by cephalic index (CI). This limited measure does not fully account for the abnormal head shape in sagittal synostosis. In this retrospective study, we investigate a new objective measure, point of maximum width (PMW) of
Adrenocortical Activation by 5-Fluorouracil and its Possible Reversal by Thymidine

5-Fluorouracil (FU) provokes a long lasting and dose-related increase of plasma corticosterone in the rat which may be considered a stress reaction involving CRH-ACTH release. Thymidine (TdR) believed to act as a specific and effective antidote against FU toxicity, administered i.m. or i.p. at different times before or after the i.p. or i.v. injection of 100 mg/kg FU on a molar basis 0.1 : 1–10.7 : 1 does not antagonize or, at the highest dosage seem to increase the FU induced adrenocortical activation. Thus, the FU adrenal activation is modulated by a mechanism not involving the block of the de novo thymidilate synthesis.
The subclavian steal syndrome. Cause of symptoms in the arm.

Description of the subclavian steal syndrome is presented, along with a review of the literature and the addition of eleven new cases. It is felt that orthopaedic surgeons should be alerted to this syndrome because of the frequency with which it is associated with symptoms referred to the upper extremity.
Infectious diseases and human population history

rom the plagues of biblical times to the HIV pandemic of today, infectious diseases have played an indisputably major role in human history. The continual expansion of human populations since prehistoric times has led to successive invasions of the human population by increasing numbers of different pathogens. Today many people's worries about emerging pathogens have been sharply focused by the Ebola virus outbreak in Kikwit, Zaire, and by Lyme disease and hantavirus outbreaks throughout the United States (Garrett 1994, Levins et al. 1994). In this article, we examine the infectious diseases of humans from an ecological perspective. Understanding pathogens at the population level is as important in disease prevention and control as understanding pathogens at the microscopic or molecular level. Three ecological processes are crucial in determining the impact, persistence, and spread of pathogens and parasites: the size and spatial distribution of the host population, the movement of infected and susceptible hosts and vectors, and the nutritional status of the human host population. Although medical ad-
Syncope in older adults.

Syncope, defined as a self-limited transient loss of consciousness and postural tone due to global cerebral hypoperfusion, is a common reason for emergency room visits, with a third of these visits leading to an inpatient admission.[1] Syncope carries an estimated 2-year mortality rate of over 25% and is strongly associated with falls, a potentially devastating contributor to morbidity and mortality among the elderly. Given this association, it is not surprising that up to 35% of syncopal episodes result in injury.[2] Dizziness is similarly associated with poor outcomes in the elderly,[3] overlapping substantially with syncope and falls through commonly shared pathophysiologic mechanisms.[4] To optimize care of this vulnerable patient population, it is imperative to recognize the etiologies and associated risk factors for syncope in older adults, as well as appreciate their influence on diagnosis and management.
Making the Invisible Visible: Shining a Light on Gender and Sexuality in Courses Primarily Focused on Other Topics

Instructors often wish to address gender and sexuality in a wide variety of courses. Yet concerns regarding how to productively intertwine these topics with other class material while remaining attentive to feminist and queer concerns may lead to hesitation. We discuss two of the most frequent challenges that arise when discussing gender and sexuality in courses primarily focused on other topics. These challenges are related to (1) class materials that reinforce a gender binary and (2) students’ denial of gender and sexual privilege. We then demonstrate how highlighting exceptions to predominant social patterns and incorporating intersectionality in class readings and discussions can address these stumbling blocks. We conclude with a discussion of the proposed solutions help instructors present gender and sexual disparities in a critical and complex manner without being defeatist.
Common genomic elements promote transcriptional and DNA replication roadblocks

RNA polymerase II (Pol II) transcription termination by the Nrd1p-Nab3p-Sen1p (NNS) pathway is critical for the production of stable noncoding RNAs and the control of pervasive transcription in Saccharomyces cerevisiae To uncover determinants of NNS termination, we mapped the 3'-ends of NNS-terminated transcripts genome-wide. We found that nucleosomes and specific DNA-binding proteins, including the general regulatory factors (GRFs) Reb1p, Rap1p, and Abf1p, and Pol III transcription factors enhance the efficiency of NNS termination by physically blocking Pol II progression. The same DNA-bound factors that promote NNS termination were shown previously to define the 3'-ends of Okazaki fragments synthesized by Pol δ during DNA replication. Reduced binding of these factors results in defective NNS termination and Pol II readthrough. Furthermore, inactivating NNS enables Pol II elongation through these roadblocks, demonstrating that effective Pol II termination depends on a synergy between the NNS machinery and obstacles in chromatin. Consistent with this finding, loci exhibiting Pol II readthrough at GRF binding sites are depleted for upstream NNS signals. Overall, these results underscore how RNA termination signals influence the behavior of Pol II at chromatin obstacles, and establish that common genomic elements define boundaries for both DNA and RNA synthesis machineries.
Review Of Synthetic Discriminant Function Algorithms

A critical review of training-image correlation-based optical pattern recognition algorithms is provided. An assessment of the advantages and limitations of these algorithms is given.
Maladaptive Cardiac Autonomic Control during a Stress Reactivity Assessment Among Primary Care Patients with Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) comprises a constellation of metabolic abnormalities that substantially increase risk for chronic illnesses. Autonomic dysregulation is closely linked to MetS, and while pathophysiological models often address chronic stress exposure, none have examined how such physiological contributions operate situationally, in a clinical setting. We used ambulatory impedance cardiography to examine indicators of cardiac autonomic control (CAC) in a sample of 50 adult primary care patients with and without MetS. Indices of independent sympathetic and parasympathetic cardiovascular control in primary care outpatients were measured during a brief stress reactivity assessment. We compared interdependent CAC features, including cardiac autonomic balance (i.e., sympathovagal reciprocity) and cardiac autonomic regulation (i.e., sympathovagal coactivation) and found significant differences among MetS participants as compared to healthy controls. In particular, cardiac autonomic regulation scores were higher among MetS patients when discussing medication concerns, and cardiac autonomic balance scores were lower among MetS patients when discussing daily stressors. These results suggest that patients meeting criteria for MetS demonstrate momentary variations in CAC depending on personally relevant health topics. The potential for future research is discussed with a focus on prospective data collection to enhance diagnostic procedures and treatment monitoring.
A critique of the Department of Energy's environmental programme for the proposed high–level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, USA

Legislative standards, regulatory provisions, and US Department of Energy (DOE) policies have defined the environmental programme to study the planned high–level nuclear waste repository site at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The DOE has limited environmental data collection for purposes of monitoring and mitigating impacts of proposed characterisation activities and repository development. Most of the plans are procedural and do not provide for the gathering of baseline data prior to site characterisation activities. The absence of baseline data prior to site characterisation activities reduces the chances of developing a comprehensive and integrated environmental programme to detect and remedy disturbed areas critical to the performance of the repository as well as to assess repository performance properly. The lack of long–term ecological studies means also that interactions between the geohydrologic setting of the repository and the biosphere will not be understood fully.
International Students Negotiating Higher Education: Critical Perspectives

International Students Negotiating Higher Education: Critical Perspectives is an excellent resource for higher education personnel and administrators in admissions and student affairs. Educational practitioners and policy makers may take advantages of this book. The volume goes beyond simply describing a profile of who international students are, by providing more information about their holistic experiences. The book highlights the interactions of the international students with curricula, tutors, administrators, and college and university personnel serving international students. Editors and authors showcase the complexities in the academic, personal, and social experiences of international students resulting from the challenges of language proficiency, cultural and social backgrounds and identities.
Remittances as diplomatic leverage?: The precedent for Trump’s threat to restrict remittances to Mexico:

As a presidential candidate, Donald J. Trump argued that he could compel Mexico to pay for a border wall by threatening to restrict the flow of remittances sent by Mexicans living in the United Sta...
Genistein: mechanisms of action for a pleiotropic neuroprotective agent in stroke

Genistein is a plant estrogen promoted as an alternative to post-menopausal hormone therapy because of a good safety profile and its promotion as a natural product. Several preclinical studies of cerebral ischemia and other models of brain injury support a beneficial role for genistein in protecting the brain from injury whether administered chronically or acutely. Like estrogen, genistein is a pleiotropic molecule that engages several different mechanisms to enhance brain health, including reduction of oxidative stress, promotion of growth factor signaling, and immune suppression. These actions occur in endothelial, glial, and neuronal cells to provide a coordinated beneficial action to ischemic challenge. Though many of these protective actions are associated with estrogen-like actions of genistein, additional activities on other receptors and intracellular targets suggest that genistein is more than a mere estrogen-mimic. Importantly, genistein lacks some of the detrimental effects associated with post...
Metabolic Syndrome and Cardiovascular Risk Factors after Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in Severe Mucopolysaccharidosis Type I (Hurler Syndrome)

Abstract Hematopoietic cell transplantation is a life-saving procedure, but one associated with increasing long-term cardiovascular risk requiring frequent long-term follow-up. This therapy has significantly lengthened survival in mucopolysaccharidosis type IH (Hurler syndrome), a disease with known coronary artery involvement. Metabolic syndrome—a constellation of central obesity, high blood pressure, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, elevated triglycerides, and fasting blood glucose—is associated with increased cardiovascular risk, and occurs when any 3 or more of these 5 components is present within a single individual. The incidence of metabolic syndrome and its components is poorly defined after transplantation for Hurler syndrome. Chart review of all long-term survivors of hematopoietic cell transplantation for Hurler syndrome ≥9 years of age for factors comprising the metabolic syndrome: obesity, high blood pressure, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, elevated triglycerides, and fasting blood glucose. Sixty-three patients were evaluated, 20 of whom had components of the metabolic syndrome available for review. There was no significant difference in age at transplantation, sex, number of transplants, pretransplant radiation, or percent engraftment between those with and without these data. Median follow-up after transplantation for the 20 patients with data was 14.3 years. Only 1 (5%) patient of this group fulfilled the criteria for metabolic syndrome. Fifty-three percent of the patients had 1 or more components of metabolic syndrome: the most common was high blood pressure occurring in 40%. Metabolic syndrome is uncommon in this cohort of long-term survivors of hematopoietic cell transplantation for Hurler syndrome but almost half of the patients had 1 or more components of the syndrome, with high blood pressure being the most common. Further studies are needed to develop guidelines in this diagnosis as well as other nonmalignant diseases of children.
Intra-abdominal applications of hematoporphyrin photoradiation therapy.

At Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI), long experience in the management of tumors with hematoporphyrin derivative (HPD) photoradiation therapy (PRT) has documented the destruction of a wide range of neoplasms with remarkable regularity (1,2). The surrounding inflammatory response and eschar that formed at the site of the tumor nodule indicated that some damage to normal adjacent tissue occurred. In an attempt to evaluate the potential for HPD PRT in the abdomen, we carried out preclinical trial of the tolerance of normal intra-abdominal viscera, and of that containing an implanted Brown-Pearce tumor, in rabbits. For an assay in a primate system, three baboons were studied. Lessons learned from animal trials have recently been applied toward the management of intra-abdominal human neoplasia.
Gamma oscillations in cognitive disorders

Gamma oscillations (∼25–100 Hz) are believed to play a role in cognition. Accordingly, aberrant gamma oscillations have been observed in several cognitive disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease and Fragile X syndrome. Here, we review how recent results showing abnormal gamma rhythms in Alzheimer’s disease and Fragile X syndrome help reveal links between cellular disturbances and cognitive impairments. We also discuss how gamma results from rodent models of Alzheimer’s disease and Fragile X syndrome may provide insights about unique functions of distinct slow (∼25–50 Hz) and fast gamma (∼55–100 Hz) subtypes. Finally, we consider studies employing brain stimulation paradigms in Alzheimer’s disease and discuss how such studies may reveal causal relationships between gamma impairments and memory disturbances.
“A Promise to Support Us:” Undocumented Experiences on a Sanctuary Campus

This exploratory study examines the experiences of undocumented students at Hawthorne College, an elite, liberal arts institution with sanctuary status. Drawing primarily on a questionnaire and qualitative interviews, it considers 1) whether undocumented and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students on a sanctuary campus experience the characteristic psychosocial difficulties that mark the lives of undocumented students elsewhere and 2) the extent to which institutional policies mitigate these challenges. The research reveals that sanctuary is neither a panacea for undocumented students’ concerns nor is it a meaningless symbol. Students are protected from some typical barriers to college success, experience other barriers in classic ways, and face still other constraints quite differently in a privileged, high-pressure educational environment. The study adds to emerging research on the undocumented experience in higher education and offers preliminary insights into the promises and limits of the sanctuary campus movement.