cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Large Diameter Heads Can Be Anatomically Contoured for Soft-Tissue Relief Without Affecting Their Contact Area

Introduction Large diameter femoral heads provide increased range-of-motion and reduced dislocation rates compared to smaller diameter femoral heads. However, several recent studies have reported that contemporary large head prostheses can directly impinge against the local soft tissues leading to anterior hip pain. To address this we developed a novel Anatomically Contoured large diameter femoral Head (ACH) that maintains the profile of a large diameter femoral head over a hemispherical portion and then contours inward the distal profile of the head for soft-tissue relief. We hypothesized that the distal contouring of the ACH articular surface would not affect contact area. The impact of component placement, femoral head to acetabular liner radial clearance, and joint loading during different activities was investigated. Methods A finite element model was used to assess the femoroacetabular contact area of a 36 mm diameter conventional head and a 36 mm ACH (Fig. 1). It included a rigid acetabular shell, plastically deformable UHMWPE acetabular liner, rigid femoral head and rigid femoral stem. The femoral stem was placed at 0°, 10° and 20° of anteversion. The acetabular shell and liner were placed in 20°, 40° and 60° of abduction and 0°, 20° and 40° of anteversion. The femoral head to acetabular liner radial clearances modeled were 0.06 mm, 0.13 mm and 0.5 mm. Three loading cases corresponding to peak in vivo loads during walking, chair sit and deep-knee bend were analyzed (Fig. 2). This allowed a range of component positions and maximum joint loads to be studied. Results Under all tested conditions there was no difference between the two implants (Fig. 3). The contact area for both prosthesis depended on the radial clearance between the head and liner. The conventional head contact area (standard deviation) in mm 2 for 0.5 mm, 0.13 mm and 0.06 mm of radial clearance was 230.5 (70.2), 419.8 (48.7) and 575.4 (60.1) respectively. Similarly, for the ACH these were 230.5 (70.4), 420.1 (48.7) and 575.9 (59.4). The average data for a head and radial clearance combination included all component placements and load conditions completed. A student T-Test (p = 0.05) confirmed that the ACH had the same contact area as the conventional head for all radial clearances. Conclusion This study showed that, as intended, an anatomically contoured large diameter femoral head designed to provide soft-tissue relief maintained the load bearing articular contact area of a conventional implant. The novel ACH prosthesis could mitigate the risk of soft-tissue impingement with contemporary large head implants while retaining their benefits of additional stability and range-of-motion.
Nickel-Catalyzed Enantioselective Reductive Cross-Coupling of Styrenyl Aziridines

A Ni-catalyzed reductive cross-coupling of styrenyl aziridines with aryl iodides is reported. This reaction proceeds by a stereoconvergent mechanism and is thus amenable to asymmetric catalysis using a chiral bioxazoline ligand for Ni. The process allows facile access to highly enantioenriched 2-arylphenethylamines from racemic aziridines. Multivariate analysis revealed that ligand polarizability, among other features, influences the observed enantioselectivity, shedding light on the success of this emerging ligand class for enantioselective Ni catalysis.
Ambrisentan: a review of its use in pulmonary arterial hypertension:

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disease defined by an elevation in pulmonary arterial pressure that can lead to right heart failure and death. Ambrisentan is a selective endothelin receptor antagonist approved for the treatment of idiopathic, heritable PAH and connective tissue disease-associated PAH. Ambrisentan has been shown to improve exercise capacity and hemodynamics with an acceptable side-effect profile. It has also proven to be safely used in combination with other PAH-specific medications, especially with phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors. In the recent randomized trial, AMBITION, it was shown that upfront combination therapy of ambrisentan and tadalafil significantly decreased the risk of clinical failure compared with monotherapy. This review describes the drug profile of ambrisentan and its safety and efficacy in the treatment of PAH.
Synthesis, characterization and solution behavior of a systematic series of pentapyridyl-supported RuII complexes: comparison to bimetallic analogs

A series of RuII complexes stabilized with the pentapyridyl ligand Py5Me2 (Py5Me2 = 2,6-bis(1,1-bis(2-pyridyl)ethyl)pyridine) and with an axial X ligand (X = Cl-, H2O, N3-, MeCN) were prepared and characterized in the solid state and in non-aqueous solution. The cyclic voltammograms of these complexes in MeCN reflect a reversible substitution of the axial X ligand with MeCN. Irreversible ligand substitution of [(Py5Me2)RuN3]+ is also observed in propylene carbonate, but only at oxidizing potentials that decompose the azide ligand. The monometallic chloride and azide species are compared with analogous Ru2 metal-metal bonded complexes, which have been reported to undergo irreversible chloride dissociation upon reduction.
Human Factor Engineering: The Best of All Alternatives

In this chapter is the presentation of the overall concluding remarks for this book. The leader is guided in order to gain a deeper understanding of what human factor engineering implies and why it is globally the best of all alternatives available toward the enhancement of any company’s global competitiveness, increased productivity, greater profitability, and longevity. The presentation and discussions in this chapter touch on the best available options to company personnel to apply toward continuing improvements upon, and the ongoing development of, the positive human factor qualities required for the company’s long-term competitiveness, profitability, and survival.
Composite Floquet scattering matrix for the analysis of time-modulated systems

We present a rigorous and efficient semi-analytical method for the analysis of complex periodically time-varying linear systems using generalized Floquet scattering matrices (FSMs). Our approach can be applied to linear networks with an arbitrary number of periodically time-varying multi-port elements. As an example, this method is applied to an angular-momentum biased magnet-less circulator, showing excellent agreement with other numerical approaches.
Economic Incentives in Disability Insurance and Behavioral Responses

This paper reviews evidence that economic incentives affect the behavior of workers and their health care providers. Prior models of disability behavior have been incomplete either because these incentive responses were ignored (as in the biomedical model of disability), or they focused exclusively on the workers' incentives (the insurance model) or the providers' incentives (the managed-care model). This paper calls for the use of the more expansive, integrated approach to disability management.
Developmental Therapy: A Program Model for Providing Individual Services in the Community

In this paper we discuss some of the problems of bringing therapeutic services to children. It is by now clear that our understanding of both normal development and developmental abnormalities is seriously incomplete. We have neither a coherent body of knowledge nor a comprehensive theory, and most treatments available for an abnormally developing child do not adequately utilize what knowledge we do have. In the first part of this paper some basic reasons for the lack of adequate services will be explored, with special reference to the problems of autistic and other severely deviant children. The purpose of this exploration is to identify issues that have interfered with the development of adequate care, and to suggest some essential elements for the provision of appropriate services for children and their families. In this discussion, autism and psychosis are used interchangeably, both referring to rating systems (Reichler and Schopler, 1971) based on the Creak (1964) criteria.
Identification of FeMoco domains within the nitrogenase MoFe protein

During nitrogenase turnover, the Fe protein (a homodimer, Mr ≈ 60,000) sequentially delivers single electrons to the MoFe protein (an α2β2 tetramer, Mr ≈ 220,000) upon which is located the substrate-reduction site (for a review, see Smith et al., this volume). Because the Fe protein is a single electron donor yet multiple electrons are required for substrate reduction, the MoFe protein must be able to accept and store multiple electrons. Very little is known about where and how these electrons are accumulated within the MoFe protein nor is anything known about their intramolecular delivery to the substrate-reduction site. The MoFe protein is known to contain redox centers of two distinct types; two iron-molybdenum cofactors, called FeMoco, and four proposed [4Fe-4S] centers, called P clusters. There is compelling biochemical and genetic evidence that FeMoco is the redox center which is, contains or is part of the substrate-reduction site. In its semi-reduced state, FeMoco exhibits a characteristic S = 3/2 electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) signal that is unique to metallobiomolecules. This EPR signal can be recognized in whole cells, purified MoFe protein, and in FeMoco extracted from its polypeptide matrix.
Position sense in the lateral funiculus

In recent years the traditional pathway for position sense in the lower extremities has been challenged and it has been proposed that in the upper spinal cord the relevant fibres ascend not in fasciculus gracilis but in the dorsolateral part of the lateral funiculus with the dorsal spinocerebellar tract. To determine whether this premise is correct we have re-examined the clinical findings of five patients with spinal cord lesions and 62 patients who had undergone medullary tractotomy at a level where the dorsal spinocerebellar tract overlies the spinal tract of V. Of the five patients with spinal cord lesions, four had interrupted dorsal columns but intact dorsal spinocerebellar tracts. They had a loss of position sense, vibratory sense and tactile discrimination. Another patient with a severed dorsal spinocerebellar tract and an incomplete lesion of the dorsal columns had no loss of position or vibratory sense but possibly some tactile impairment. None of the 62 medullary tractotomy patients had any los...
Calcium and vitamin D for the reproductive female

The importance of calcium as well as its interdependence upon vitamin D is well established. Vitamin D acts via the vitamin D receptor, which is found in 37 different human tissues. Because of its rather ubiquitous localization, vitamin D is the topic of a great deal of associative research. However, caution must be exercised in interpreting these initial studies until clear evidence for causality becomes available. The purpose of this article is to review some of the known vitamin D and calcium associations as well as the current guidelines for calcium and vitamin D supplementation in the reproductive female.
A principle of contamination in best polynomial approximation

We discuss the qualitative behavior of the polynomials p*n(z) of best uniform approximation to a function f that is continuous on a compact set E of the z-plane, analytic in the interior of E, but not analytic at some point of the boundary of E. Particularly, we survey results on the asymptotic behavior of the zeros of the p*n(z) and the extreme points for the error f(z) - p*n(z). The theorems and examples presented support a "principle of contamination," which roughly states that the existence of one or more singularities of f on the boundary of E adversely affects the behavior over the whole boundary of E of a subsequence of the best approximants p*n(z).
Film and Fashion amidst the Ruins of Berlin: From Nazism to the Cold War

This book steers attention toward two key aspects of German culture - film and fashion - that shared similar trajectories and multiple connections, looking at them not only in the immediate postwar years but as far back as 1939. They formed spectacular sites of the postwar recovery processes in both East and West Germany. Viewed against the background of the abundant fashion discourses in the Berlin-based press, the films discussed include classics such as The Murderers Are among Us, Street Acquaintances, and Destinies of Women as well as neglected works such as The Heaven Above Us, Martina, Modell Bianka , and Ingrid . These films' treatments of fashion during times of crisis offer subtle reflections on the everyday lives, desires, careers, and self-perceptions of the women who made up a large majority of the postwar public. Costume-in films produced both by DEFA and by West German studios-is a productive site to explore the intersections between realism and escapism and between film and fashion. With its focus on costumes within the context of the films' production, distribution, and reception, this book opens up wider discussions about the role of the costume designer, the ways film costumes can be read as intertexts, and the impact on audiences' behaviors and looks. The book reveals multiple connections between film and fashion, both across the temporal dividing line of 1945 and the Cold War split between East and West.Mila Ganeva is Professor of German at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.
Learning to Beat the Shock Clock: A Low-Fidelity Simulation Board Game for Pediatric and Emergency Medicine Residents.

Introduction Resident physicians may have difficulty with identifying and managing pediatric septic shock due to limited patient encounters. Simulation-based interventions can enhance competency. W...
Investigation of On-Body Wave Propagations Using an Arm-Swinging Phantom Model and Motion Capture Technique

A modular arm-swinging human body phantom model is developed to facilitate the investigation of on-body wave propagation mechanisms. Transmission data between antennas are collected over the phantom model, and compared with computer simulations and human volunteer measurements. The motion capture technique is applied to correlate measured transmission data with body motion characteristics. A parametric study of various body antenna parameters is also performed.
Ergonomic Impact of Multi-rotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Noise in Warehouse Environments

Small multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are poised to revolutionize commercial and logistics sectors through their versatility, maneuverability, and rapidly increasing sophistication and decreasing costs. However, these robotic systems also produce a substantial and overpowering level of acoustic noise that can potentially distract or harm humans who are working in close proximity to these UAVs. The aim of this study is to investigate the acoustic signature of quadcopter UAVs under various operating conditions, and its impact on human communication and psychological well-being. A unique design of experiments is developed allowing efficient usage of space and reducing the number of sessions required to complete the experiment. The human study has been conducted with popular UAV platforms in a workshop environment. Participants completed various listening tasks and their scores were compared with the noise signature of the UAV to identify operating factors with significant impact on human hearing and perceived annoyance.
Disparities in SARS-CoV-2 Positivity Rates: Associations with Race and Ethnicity.

Numerous reports indicate that African Americans and Latinos are being affected disproportionately by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Positivity rates have not been analyzed on scale because o...
DNA-Nanotube-Enabled NMR Structure Determination of Membrane Proteins

One of the most fundamental questions in cell biology concerns how membrane proteins can perform or contribute to cell communication. Over the last few decades, we have seen major advances in understanding the structural mechanisms of membrane proteins. This chapter describes the emergence of DNA nanotechnology as a powerful tool for the structural characterization of membrane-associated protein using solution-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Solution-state NMR is currently one of the best known methods for studying membrane protein structure, and a residual dipolar coupling-based refinement approach can be used to solve the structure of membrane proteins up to 40 kDa in size. However, a weak-alignment medium that is detergent-resistant is required. Previously, availability of media suitable for inducing weak alignment of membrane proteins was severely limited. Recently, in the William Shih’s group, we introduced a large-scale synthesis of detergent-resistant DNA nanotubes that can be assembled into dilute liquid crystals for application as weak-alignment media in solution NMR structure determination of membrane proteins. Nanotube-based alignment of membrane proteins represents a fine example of the productive interface between DNA nanotechnology and structural biology.
Using Close Reading as a Method for Evaluating Visualizations

Visualization research and practice that incorporates the arts make claims to being more effective in connecting with users on a human level. However, these claims are difficult to measure quantitatively. In this paper, we present a follow-on study to use close reading, a humanities method from literary studies, to evaluate visualizations created using artistic processes [Bares 2020]. Close reading is a method in literary studies that we’ve previously explored as a method for evaluating visualizations. To use close reading as an evaluation method, we guide participants through a series of steps designed to prompt them to interpret the visualization’s formal, informational, and contextual features. Here we elaborate on our motivations for using close reading as a method to evaluate visualizations, and enumerate the procedures we used in the study to evaluate a 2D visualization, including modifications made because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Key findings of this study include that close reading is an effective formative method to elicit information related to interpretation and critique; user subject position; and suspicion or skepticism. Information gained through close reading is valuable in the visualization design and iteration processes, both related to designing features and other formal elements more effectively, as well as in considering larger questions of context and framing.
Stemless Total Shoulder Arthroplasty for a 4-Part Proximal Humerus Malunion and Post-traumatic Arthritis: A Case Report.

Case We present a 62-year-old left-hand-dominant woman with history of renal failure, osteoporosis, and 4-part proximal humerus fracture malunion with subsequent post-traumatic arthritis of the left glenohumeral joint. After conservative treatments failed to relieve her symptoms, the patient underwent stemless total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) because of concerns that her proximal humerus could not accommodate a stemmed implant. At 2 and a half-years postoperative, the patient demonstrated significant improvement of symptoms without signs of radiographic loosening. Conclusion In the setting of proximal humerus malunion with post-traumatic arthritis, clinical improvement without implant loosening can be achieved with stemless TSA, even in the setting of compromised bone quality.
Acute Hepatitis A Causing Severe Hemolysis and Renal Failure in Undiagnosed Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficient Patient: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Infection with hepatitis A virus is usually a self-limited illness that rarely results in fulminant liver failure. Severe hemolysis is an uncommon complication but has been reported in patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency. Here, we report a case with undiagnosed G6PD deficiency who presented with hyperbilirubinemia, severe hemolysis, and acute renal failure precipitated by acute hepatitis A infection.
Novel Therapeutic Approaches in Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasm (BPDCN): Era of Targeted Therapy

Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a rare hematologic malignancy arising from the aberrant transformation of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) and involving skin, bone marrow, lymph nodes, and central nervous system. Characteristically unique from other myeloid neoplasms, BPDCN cells express CD4, CD56, and CD123 as well as TCL-1 and TCF4 in almost all cases. Historically, this malignancy has exhibited a poor prognosis, with median survival of less than 2 years. Traditional treatment approaches have involved conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy followed by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; however, patients frequently relapse with chemotherapy-resistant disease. We have recently entered a modern era of therapy with targeting of CD123, with first-in-class agent tagraxofusp, a CD123- targeted agent approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for therapy of patients with BPDCN ages 2 and older. Relapsed and refractory BPDCN remains an elusive therapeutic challenge, but better understanding of the underlying pathophysiology has led to the development of other CD123-targeted agents and combination therapy, as well as agents targeting beyond CD123. Specifically, the use of venetoclax in targeting BCL2 has been promising in BPDCN treatment. This review will focus on the underlying diagnostic markers of BPDCN which have led to novel targeted treatment strategies, as well as future directions in therapy we can expect in coming years.
Learning together: Collaboration and community in PK–12 computing education

In PK–12 computing education, researchers and practitioners have often focused on supporting individual learning gains, instead of considering opportunities for structures that may foster collective flourishing. In this three-article dissertation, I employ both quantitative and qualitative methods to explore the concept of learning together, considering the design and implementation of a new creative computing design studio model for 4th–6th grade classrooms learning Scratch. This model creates opportunities for students and teachers to explore, create, share, and reflect on their self-directed and open-ended programming projects together. By participating in the design studio, students and teachers can collaboratively develop both their creative and conceptual fluency with computer programming, which can support broader aspirations of inclusive and equitable computational participation.
FDJD: RNA-Seq Based Fusion Transcript Detection Using Jaccard Distance

Gene fusions events, which are the result of two genes fused together to create a hybrid gene, were first described in cancer cells in the early 1980s. These events are relatively common in many cancers including prostate, lymphoid, soft tissue, and breast. Recent advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) provide a high volume of genomic data, including cancer genomes. The detection of possible gene fusions requires fast and accurate methods. However, current methods suffer from inefficiency, lack of sufficient accuracy, and a high false-positive rate. We present an RNA-Seq fusion detection method that uses dimensionality reduction and parallel computing to speed up the computation. We convert the RNA categorical space into a compact binary array called binary fingerprints, which enables us to reduce the memory usage and increase efficiency. The search and detection of fusion candidates are done using the Jaccard distance. The detection of candidates is followed by refinement. We benchmarked our fusion prediction accuracy using both simulated and genuine RNA-Seq datasets. Paired-end Illumina RNA-Seq genuine data were obtained from 60 publicly available cancer cell line data sets. The results are compared against the state-of-the-art-methods such as STAR-Fusion, InFusion, and TopHat-Fusion. Our results show that FDJD exhibits superior accuracy compared to popular alternative fusion detection methods. We achieved 90% accuracy on simulated fusion transcript inputs, which is the highest among the compared methods while maintaining comparable run time.
Assertiveness, Fears, and Preferred Reinforcements of Patients and Staff in a Therapeutic Community for Drug Abusers

Clinical descriptions (e.g., MacKinnon and Michels, 1971) of drug addicts portray them as impulsive, passive, dependent, having low tolerance for frustration and discomfort including anxiety, and reduced pleasure in living, with especially impoverished interpersonal relationships. Many drug addicts are often indentified as sociopathic, borderline, or narcissistic characters (e.g., Kernberg, 1975; Vaillant, 1975). These clinical descriptions are generally more consistent than the results of standardized measuring instruments. Beyond finding that addicts are clearly more maladjusted than normals, there has been little evidence for a single addictive personality or even for specific personality traits that are characteristic across all populations of drug abusers (Platt and Labate, 1976). Furthermore, the manifest personality of drug addicts may change dramatically when seen in an inpatient rather than an outpatient setting (Vaillant, 1975). In any case, the common stereotype of the drug addict depicts him as a socially undesirable character.
Entropy theory for movement of moisture in soils

[1] An entropy theory is formulated for one-dimensional movement of moisture in unsaturated soils in the vertically downward direction. The theory is composed of five parts: (1) Tsallis entropy, (2) principle of maximum entropy, (3) specification of information on soil moisture in terms of constraints, (4) maximization of the Tsallis entropy, and (5) derivation of the probability distributions of soil moisture. The theory is applied to determine the soil moisture profile under three conditions: (1) the moisture is maximum at the soil surface and decreases downward to a minimum value at the bottom of the soil column (it may be near the water table); (2) the moisture is minimum at the soil surface and increases downward to a maximum value at the end of the soil column (this case is the opposite of case 1); and (3) the moisture at the soil surface is low and increases downward up to a distance and then decreases up to the bottom (this case combines case 2 and case 1). The entropy-based soil moisture profiles are tested using experimental observations reported in the literature, and properties of these profiles are enumerated.
Autosomal recessive pigmented hypomaturation amelogenesis imperfecta. Report of a kindred.

Abstract A kindred of amelogenesis imperfecta of the pigmented hypomaturation type confirms the observation that hypomaturation amelogenesis imperfecta occurs both as an autosomal recessively inherited trait and as an X-linked disorder. Histologic sections of enamel show defects in rod structure and voids in enamel rod sheaths which are either empty, filled with an eosinophilic material resembling the thixotropic gel of ameloblasts, or contain a brown pigment. SEM photomicrographs show a fibrous pattern of structureless enamel rods and interprismatic voids. It is suggested that the inability of the ameloblasts to hydrolyze or resorb products of thixotropic gel results in a calcification defect in the enamel rod with accumulation of material at the periphery of Tomes' process, resulting in defects of enamel rod sheath.
From pragmatics to grammar: Diachronic reflections on complex pasts and futures in romance

This paper reexamines in diachronic perspective two complex verb structures in Romance and English, the so-called ‘perfect’ (Fr. j'ai fait, Eng. I have done) and the ‘go-future’ (Fr. je vais faire, Eng. I'm going to do), with a view toward demonstrating the striking parallelism in their development from exponents of ASPECT, whose principal function was to identify the situation described by the verb as being of ‘present relevance’, to exponents of TENSE. In the process, the complex structures both moved into the functional territory of existing simplex tense forms, which in certain dialects they ultimately supplanted or are in the process of so doing. These developments in the verbal system are ultimately brought to bear on the topical question of the pragmatic origins of grammar.
Remodeling of the transmembrane segment in human glycophorin by aberrant RNA splicing.

Abstract This paper describes the identification in S-s-U-erythrocytes of a novel glycophorin (GP), He(P2), with structural variations in both its extracellular and transmembrane domains. In the exon II-intron 2 region, a sequence transfer from GPA to GPB, probably via the mechanism of gene conversion, was associated with the induction of multiple untemplated nucleotide replacements. These changes defined the sequence for the He epitope while concomitantly abolishing GPB-associated N antigenicity. Moreover, the GPHe(P2) gene carries two splice site mutations that coordinately affect the processing of exon V coding for the transmembrane segment. The C-->G transversion at the 3' end of exon V created a cryptic acceptor splice site, whereas the G-->T transversion at the +5 position of intron 5 altered the consensus of the donor splice site. Transcript sequencing revealed that neither site was utilized in the splicing of GPHe(P2) pre-mRNA. Rather, complete skipping of exon V and subsequent joining of exon IV to exon VI caused a shift in the open reading frame, which remodeled GPHe(P2) with an elongated new hydrophobic sequence for membrane anchoring. As a result, GPHe(P2) does not display the S and U epitopes although it still contains an intact linear sequence for the two antigens. These findings illustrate how exon and intron sequences concertedly determine the specificity of in vivo splice site selection. In addition, they pinpoint the conformational dependence of the S, s, and U antigens and the importance of the hinge region for their presentation.
Facing our fears

In Anxious , renowned neuroscientist Joseph LeDoux tackles the neural origins of fear and anxiety with an eye to developing empirically informed treatments for anxiety disorders. In a significant departure from his earlier views on the neural underpinnings of fear, LeDoux carves the emotional brain into two parts: an evolutionarily old threat detection system, centered in the amygdala, and a new system that underlies the conscious feeling of fear, centered in the prefrontal cortex. Though controversial, reviewer Stephen Maren finds LeDoux9s arguments compelling, and applauds Anxious as a "novel roadmap for future work in both the laboratory and the clinic."
Efficient Computation of Precedence Information in Parallel Programs

For any two statements in a parallel program, S i and S j , S i is said to precede S j if the execution of S j implies that S i must have already executed across all possible execution orders. There are many uses for precedence information for parallel programs, including program debugging and program optimization. The problem of finding exact precedence information is Co-NP-Hard [5]. Existing approaches to compute a conservative approximation to the precedence information at compile time are very expensive. In this paper, we present a more efficient algorithm to compute precedence that exploits known properties of sequential and parallel programs. In sequential programs, the precedence relation is the same as the dominance relation. We use this, and other information, to develop a more efficient algorithm.
Doxycycline-regulated gene expression in the opportunistic fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus

Although Aspergillus fumigatus is an important human fungal pathogen there are few expression systems available to study the contribution of specific genes to the growth and virulence of this opportunistic mould. Regulatable promoter systems based upon prokaryotic regulatory elements in the E. coli tetracycline-resistance operon have been successfully used to manipulate gene expression in several organisms, including mice, flies, plants, and yeast. However, the system has not yet been adapted for Aspergillus spp. Here we describe the construction of plasmid vectors that can be used to regulate gene expression in A. fumigatus using a simple co-transfection approach. Vectors were generated in which the tetracycline transactivator (tTA) or the reverse tetracycline transactivator (rtTA2s-M2) are controlled by the A. nidulans gpdA promoter. Dominant selectable cassettes were introduced into each plasmid, allowing for selection following gene transfer into A. fumigatus by incorporating phleomycin or hygromycin into the medium. To model an essential gene under tetracycline regulation, the E. coli hygromycin resistance gene, hph, was placed under the control of seven copies of the TetR binding site (tetO7) in a plasmid vector and co-transfected into A. fumigatus protoplasts together with one of the two transactivator plasmids. Since the hph gene is essential to A. fumigatus in the presence of hygromycin, resistance to hygromycin was used as a marker of hph reporter gene expression. Transformants were identified in which the expression of tTA conferred hygromycin resistance by activating expression of the tetO7-hph reporter gene, and the addition of doxycycline to the medium suppressed hygromycin resistance in a dose-dependent manner. Similarly, transformants were identified in which expression of rtTA2s-M2 conferred hygromycin resistance only in the presence of doxycycline. The levels of doxycycline required to regulate expression of the tetO7-hph reporter gene were within non-toxic ranges for this organism, and low-iron medium was shown to reduce the amount of doxycycline required to accomplish regulation. The vectors described in this report provide a new set of options to experimentally manipulate the level of specific gene products in A. fumigatus
Treatment in Residential Settings

Geriatric behavioral disturbances present numerous difficulties for both the staff and the residents of nursing homes and other geriatric long-term care settings. Examples of these problematic behaviors include behavioral excesses, such as agitation, wandering, disruptive vocalization (DV) and physical aggression, and various behavioral deficits. Behavioral deficits, also referred to by geriatric health care professionals as “excess deficits” (Brody, Kleban, Lawton, & Silver-man, 1971), are symptoms of functional incapacity greater than that warranted by actual organic impairment. Such deficits can range from an absence of ambulation when the capability exists to urinary incontinence with no identifiable medical cause. Estimates of the prevalence of disruptive behaviors in nursing homes vary, depending on method of reporting and presence of dementia, but studies have found that between 64% (Zimmer, Watson, & Treat, 1984) and 83% of nursing home residents exhibit disruptive behaviors (Swearer, Drachman, O’Donnell, & Mitchell, 1988). It is further estimated that 73% of demented nursing home residents display at least one, if not several, aberrant behaviors (Cohen-Mansfield, 1986). Consequently, there is great interest among geriatric health care professionals in developing interventions for managing these behaviors.
Platelet‐Blood Vessel Interactions

The sections in this article are: 1 Morphological Models of Capillary Endothelium 2 Transport Across Endothelium 3 Cell Turnover 4 Endothelial Cell Culture 5 Endothelial Function 6 Endothelial Injury 7 Platelets 7.1 Morphology and Content 7.2 Platelet Function 7.3 Platelet-Derived Growth Factor 8 Endothelium-Smooth Muscle Interactions 9 Platelet-Endothelial Cell Interactions 10 Summary
Biological Augmentation of Meniscus Repair and Restoration

Meniscus tears in the knee lead to significant pain and disability. The ability of meniscus tears to heal after repair is limited, particularly within the avascular zone. While meniscectomy is a commonly performed and a relatively straightforward treatment option, it is less desirable compared to repair as meniscus deficiency is a predisposing factor for the development of osteoarthritis. Most efforts to augment meniscal repairs in human studies have centered on the use of mechanical stimulation, fibrin clot, and platelet-rich plasma (PRP). When meniscal replacement is needed, allograft transplantation is currently the most viable treatment option. Stem cell and growth factor augmentation remain promising alternatives but require further research prior to use in humans.
Some Jacobi matrices with decaying potential and dense point spectrum

We discuss doubly infinite matrices of the formM ij=δ i,j+1+δ i,j−1+V iδ ij as operators on l2. We present for each ɛ>0, examples of potentialsV n with |V n|=O(n −1/2+ɛ) and whereM has only point spectrum. Our discussion should be viewed as a remark on the recent work of Delyon, Kunz, and Souillard.
Λ doublet propensities in Ar-NO rotationally inelastic scattering at 212 meV

Collisions between argon and nitric oxide were studied in crossed supersonic beams. Resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization was used to determine post collision relative populations of many rotational, spin-orbit, and (Lambda) doublet states. A preference for the production of the II(A'') (Lambda) doublet component in the collisions was observed.
Intrinsic dosimetry of glass containers used to transport nuclear materials: Potential implications to the fields of waste management and nuclear forensics

Abstract Thermoluminescence (TL) and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) dosimetry were used to measure dose effects in borosilicate glass with time, from 10 min to ∼60 days following exposure to a dose of up to 100 Gy. TL and EPR results were consistent and performed similarly, with both techniques capable of achieving an estimated limit of detection of between 0.5 and 1 Gy. Three peaks were identified in the TL glow curve at roughly 110 °C, 205 °C, and 225 °C. The intensity of the 205 °C peak was the dominant peak over the time period of this study. The stability of all of the peaks with time since irradiation increased with their corresponding temperature and no significant variation was observed in the glow curve response to a specified total dose attained at different dose rates. The intensity of the 205 °C peak decreased logarithmically with time regardless of total dose. Based upon a conservative limit of detection of 3.3 Gy, a 100 Gy dose would still be detected 2.7E3 years after exposure. Here, we introduce the concept of intrinsic dosimetry, the measurement of the total absorbed dose received by the walls of a container containing radioactive material. The foreseen advantage of intrinsic dosimetry comes from considering the measured absorbed dose received by containers in concert with the characteristics (amount, type) of the source of that dose, the radioactive material contained within the walls of the container, in order to provide enhanced information about the history of an unknown sample in question. Three hypothetical scenarios are presented to introduce this method and to illustrate how intrinsic dosimetry might benefit the fields of nuclear forensics and waste management.
Reviewer's comment concerning "The effect of intraoperative skeletal (skull-femoral) traction in apical vertebral rotation" by St Lewis et al. (MS-no: ESJO-D-08-00312R1).

This paper by Lewis et al. sets out to quantify the effects of skull-femoral traction on apical vertebral rotations of significant scoliotic curves undergoing surgical intervention. As noted in the paper, there has evolved to be a greater appreciation for the rotational aspect of scoliosis over time. Achieving correction of the Cobb angle and apical rotational aspects of a curvature prior to initiating surgical intervention would be expected to facilitate exposure, instrumentation, and possibly correction of a deformity. Skull-femoral traction is evaluated for this purpose in the current study. The paper did find a significant reduction in Cobb angle and apical vertebral rotation after the application of skull-femoral traction relative to preoperative film measurements. The authors conclude that there are significant potential advantages to this technique. My primary concern with this paper is that the effect of skull-femoral traction is not evaluated as in independent variable as the comparison radiographs were upright preoperative films as opposed to films taken immediately before applying traction. The authors note that there was greater correction than would have been expected with lying the anesthetized patient prone on a surgical frame, but the relative effects of these factors is not evaluated. Clearly, this information is important if the effect of the skull-femoral traction is to be defined. Further, an empirically chosen weight was chosen for the traction. The authors describe approximately 50% of body weight applied through the limbs and 20–25% of body weight applied through the skull as counter-traction. However, there is no suggestion of how these weights were selected. Overall, this paper describes a cohort of patients with significant scoliotic curves for whom skull-femoral traction was used. This is shown to be a technique with significant potential advantages in selected patients. I would suggest that this could be further investigated with the relative effect of graded, skull-femoral traction as an independent variable if the indications and specifics of this technique are to be defined.
Cross-Cultural Issues in Forensic Psychiatry Training

Objective: Forensic psychiatry was officially recognized as a subspecialty by the American Board of Medical Specialties in the 1990’s. In 1994, the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) gave its first written examination to certify forensic psychiatrists. In 1996, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) began to officially accredit one-year residency experiences in forensic psychiatry, which follow a 4-year residency in general psychiatry. The extra year of training, colloquially known as a fellowship, is required for candidates who wish to receive certification in the subspecialty of forensic psychiatry; since 2001, completion of a year of training in a program accredited by ACGME has been required for candidates wishing to take the ABPN forensic psychiatry subspecialty examination. With the formal recognition of the subspecialty of forensic psychiatry comes the need to examine special issues of cultural importance which apply specifically to forensic psychiatry training. Methods: This paper examines the current literature on cross-cultural issues in forensic psychiatry, sets out several of the societal reasons for the importance of emphasizing those issues in forensic psychiatric training, and discusses how those issues are addressed in the curriculum of one forensic psychiatry fellowship at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW). Conclusion: While much has been written about cross-cultural issues in general psychiatry, very little has appeared in the literature on the topic of cross-cultural issues in forensic psychiatry.
Isolation of a Fastidious Bergeyella Species Associated with Cellulitis after a Cat Bite and a Phylogenetic Comparison with Bergeyella zoohelcum Strains

Bergeyella zoohelcum is an uncommon zoonotic pathogen typically associated with cat or dog bites. Previously, only five cases of B. zoohelcum infection have been reported. We report the isolation and characterization of a fastidious Bergeyella species from acute cellulitis in the upper extremity of a 60-year-old woman. The organism was too fastidious for identification and susceptibility testing with traditional culture methods. The isolate was characterized further by PCR amplification and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene with broad-range eubacterial primers. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S ribosomal DNA sequence indicated that this isolate was a member of the species B. zoohelcum (previously Weeksella zoohelcum), a gram-negative bacillus that is rarely associated with infections in humans. Despite sharing a close genetic relationship with other B. zoohelcum strains, this isolate was extremely fastidious in nature, raising the possibility that similar strains from cat or dog bite wound infections have been underreported.
Dynamic Analysis and Design of Laminated Composite Beams with Multiple Damping Layers

This paper describes the formulation of a theory for the prediction of damping and natural frequencies of laminated composite beams with multiple viscoelastic damping layers. The damping layers are constrained (or sandwiched) by anisotropic laminates. The in-plane shear strains of the damping layers and the constraining layers are included in the model. Closed-form solutions for the resonance frequencies and modal loss factors of the composite beam system under simple supports are derived using the energy and Ritz method. A parametric study has been conducted to study the variation of dynamic stiffness and modal loss factor of the system with structural parameters (e.g., the ply orientations of laminas, thickness of the damping layers and the laminates), operating temperature, and damping material properties. The design of composite beams for maximizing the damping capacity is also presented in this paper which includes the determination of operating temperature range corresponding to given structural parameters and finding optimal structural parameters corresponding to given temperature range. Finally, some experimental results are compared with theory for the cases of single and double damping layer beam systems that show good agreement between predicted and measured natural frequencies.
Benefits of cluster tool architecture for implementation of evolutionary equipment improvements and applications

Cluster tool processing offers the semiconductor manufacturer solutions to some of the most significant problems of complex device manufacturing, primarily that of achieving high device yields at a competitive cost. Integrated processing, lower particulates, better wafer to wafer uniformity, precise control over each wafer, excellent small lot economics, and capability of simple expansion are benefits inherent with clustered architecture. Cluster tool architecture has proven to enable evolution of process and equipment to meet increasingly difficult device requirements. Process modules can be developed to address new applications, and subsequently installed on an existing platform, at a much lower cost than developing a totally new tool. Evolutionary enhancements can be simply made to the platform which benefit multiple process applications, and platform improvements required for new process applications can be easily transferred to existing process applications, often without any application specific re-design. Clustering promotes a synergy among available applications; for example, several features designed for a new Metal Etch/Photoresist Strip application were easily transferred to other processes that are available on the cluster, allowing multiple processes to benefit from development work on a single process. This inherent flexibility allows the equipment manufacturer to provide a tool capable of evolving to meet the user's changing needs; a tool with a longer life cycle, which can reduce the semiconductor manufacturers capital equipment expenditures.
On Bandwagons and the Education of the Severely and Profoundly Retarded: A Response to Reger.

The authors take issue with Reger's (1978) response to their position on alternatives for the education of the severely and profoundly retarded. Their position continues to be that only through seeking alternatives other than the dispersal of this population in the public schools can an appropriate education be provided.