cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Treatment of chronic glenoid defects in the setting of recurrent anterior shoulder instability: A systematic review

Objective The purpose is to systematically evaluate the literature regarding treatment of chronic glenoid bone defects in the setting of recurrent anterior shoulder instability to determine if, from an evidence-based outcomes approach, one technique may be recommended over the other. Methods PubMed 1966-2009, Embase 1980-2009, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases were searched for human studies in English. Keywords were osseous glenoid defects, glenoid bone grafting, Latarjet procedure, iliac crest and glenoid defects, and glenoid rim fractures. Inclusion criteria were all articles evaluating chronic glenoid deficiency in the setting of recurrent anterior glenohumeral instability. Exclusion criteria were surgical techniques not reporting follow-up, glenoid rim fractures treated by open reduction internal fixation, and investigations not quantifying glenoid deficiency assessments. Results Six articles met all inclusion and exclusion criteria. All articles were level IV (case series), most (5/6) were retrospective. Multiple techniques involving coracoid transfer and allograft or autograft reconstruction have been described for management of chronic glenoid deficiency. Lack of high level evidence in the form of prospective randomized trials limits our ability to recommend one technique over another. The 6 techniques reviewed here were all effective at preventing recurrent instability. Conclusions Chronic glenoid deficiency in the setting of recurrent anterior instability is an extremely challenging problem. There remains a lack of strong evidence guiding the surgeon in the decision-making process. Additional research is needed to optimize the preoperative glenoid defect assessment, further evaluate the reconstruction techniques, and follow the long-term effects of reconstruction on the development of glenohumeral arthrosis.
Proximal row carpectomy: minimum 20-year follow-up.

Purpose Proximal row carpectomy (PRC) is a motion-sparing procedure for degenerative disorders of the proximal carpal row. Reported results at a minimum 10-year follow-up consistently show maintenance of strength, motion, and satisfaction with an average conversion rate to radiocarpal arthrodesis of 12%. We hypothesized that PRC would continue to provide a high level of satisfaction and function at a minimum of 20 years. Methods Seventeen wrists in 16 patients, including 7 laborers, underwent PRC for symptomatic degenerative disorders of the proximal carpal row at an average age of 36 years. Patients returned for radiographic and clinical evaluation, and the Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) questionnaire and Patient-Related Wrist Evaluation were used for subjective assessment. Follow-up was a minimum of 20 years (average, 24 y). Results Eleven wrists (65%) underwent no further surgery at a minimum 20-year follow-up. The average time to failure of PRC, defined as the time from PRC to radiocarpal arthrodesis, was 11 years (range, 8 mo to 20 y). Ten of 11 patients who did not undergo radiocarpal arthrodesis continued to be satisfied, with minimal decrease in motion and grip strength compared with the uninvolved side. Average score for QuickDASH was 16 and for Patient-Related Wrist Evaluation was 26. The flexion-extension arc was 68°, and grip strength was 72% of the contralateral side. All patients returned to their original employment. There was no correlation between degenerative radiographic changes and satisfaction level. The predicted probability of failure revealed a higher risk in patients who underwent PRC at a younger age, which leveled off at age 40 years. Conclusions PRC provides satisfaction at a minimum of 20 years with a survival rate of 65%. Whereas we recommend a minimum age for PRC between 35 and 40 years, young patients should not be excluded as PRC candidates; these patients should undergo appropriate preoperative counseling of their increased failure risk secondary to their young age. Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic IV.
The role of valence and frequency in the emotional Stroop task.

People are generally slower to name the color of emotion-laden words than they are to name that of emotionally neutral words. However, an analysis of this emotional Stroop effect (Larsen, Mercer, & Balota, 2006) indicates that the emotion-laden words used are sometimes longer, have lower frequencies, and have smaller orthographic neighborhoods than the emotionally neutral words. This difference in word characteristics raises the possibility that the emotional Stroop effect is partly caused by lexical rather than by emotional aspects of the stimuli—a conclusion supported by the finding that reaction times to name the color of low-frequency words are longer than those for high-frequency words (Burt, 2002). To examine the relative contributions of valence and frequency in color naming, we had 64 participants complete an experiment in which each of these variables was manipulated in a 3 ? 2 factorial design; length, orthographic neighborhood density, and arousal were balanced. The data indicate that valence and word frequency interact in contributing to the emotional Stroop effect.
Non-linear flux-pinning energies versus current densities in high-Tc superconductors: Implications for Uo's derived from magnetic relaxation experiments

Abstract Magnetic relaxation rate measurements of high-T c superconductors in the critical state are often used to determine the characteristic flux-pinning energies of these materials. The relaxation-rate equations used to obtain flux-pinning energies usually assume a linear U vs. J dependence. Recent studies of the flux pinning properties of high-T c materials, however, show that the U vs. J relation is highly non-linear, the relation being more accurately described by a power-law or logarithmic function than a linear one. It is shown here that for a power-law U vs. J dependence, the U o derived from a magnetic relaxation experiment is a closer measure of U( J = J c ) than of U(J≈0). As a result, for a power-law U vs. J dependence U o is not an accurate measure of the absolute depth of the flux-pinning potential, as is commonly assumed.
Utilisation d’endoconduits internes pour traitement endovasculaire d’anévrysmes de l’aorte abdominale en cas d’anatomie aorto-iliaque difficile

La combinaison de lesions aorto-iliaques classees D selon le consensus de la societe transatlantique (TASC) et d’un anevrysme de l’aorte abdominal symptomatique (AAA) n’est pas frequente. La maladie atherosclerotique avec calcifications extensives, les occlusions, et les segments ilio-femoraux de petit calibre sont des situations ou l’acces transfemoral pour traitement endovasculaire d’un anevrysme aortique (EVAR) est difficile, voir impossible. Nous presentons un cas ou la « rupture controlee » de l’artere iliaque externe avec un stent couvert a permis la mise en place d’une endoprothese aorto-uniiliaque par voie femorale avec realisation d’un pontage croise femorofemoral. Le patients, âge de 60 ans, presentait un AAA symptomatique de 5.3 cm de diametre avec une claudication serree du membre inferieur droit. Un angioscanner preoperatoire a revele l’existence d’une occlusion de l’artere iliaque commune droite, des lesions calcifiees stenosantes des segments aorto-iliaques, et une artere iliaque externe gauche de petit calibre, mesurant 4,5 mm de diametre dans sont segment le plus reduit. Malgre une discussion sur le probleme pose par les axes iliaques pour un traitement endovasculaire, le patient a insiste sur cette option, pour reduire les risques de dysfonction sexuelle postoperatoire ainsi que la duree d’hospitalisation. Les arteres femorales ont ete exposees par incisions des deux Scarpas, et des tentatives de dilatation de l’artere iliaque gauche en utilisant un dilatateur de 16-French ont ete realisees mais sans succes. Un stent couvert auto-expandable de 8 mm × 5 cm a ete deploye dans l’artere iliaque externe gauche pathologique de 4.5 cm de diametre, suivi d’une angioplastie avec un ballon non compliant de 8 mm pour afin de rouvrir la lumiere vasculaire. Cet endoconduit a permis la mise en place d’un introducteur de 18-French pour la mise en place d’une endoprothese. L’intervention a ete completee par la realisation d’un pontage femorofemoral. Le flux dans les deux arteres hypogastriques a pu etre preserve. Nous pensons que l’utilisation de cette technique va permettre d’accroitre le nombre de patients eligibles et d’eviter des complications graves liees a l’acces vasculaire.
Histamine utilizes JAK-STAT pathway in regulating cytokine production.

Abstract Histamine shifts TH1/TH2 cytokine balance from TH1 to TH2 cytokines. The phosphorylation of STAT factors and their translocation to nucleus are important steps in the regulation of TH1/TH2 cytokine balance. This study was designed to investigate the effects of histamine on Janus kinases–signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK–STAT) pathway. The splenocytes were treated with histamine in the presence or absence of JAK–STAT inhibitor, tyrphostin, activated with IFNγ for 30 min, and phosphorylated STAT1 was detected by immunoblotting. We found that histamine up-regulated the phosphorylation of STAT1 and tyrphostin prevented this phosphorylation. We then studied the effects of tyrphostin on histamine-mediated inhibition of IFNγ production and histamine-mediated stimulation of IL-5 and IL-10 production. Tyrphostin dose-dependently reversed the effects of histamine on IFNγ, IL-5 and IL-10 production, as evident by ELISA. These observations suggest that histamine regulated JAK–STAT signal transduction, which is involved in cytokine secretion.
Optical properties of the protochlorophyll pigments I. Isolation, characterization, and infrared spectra

A method for the large-scale preparation of the protochlorophyll pigments from pumpkin seed coats is described. Use is made of polyethylene and sugar chromatographies, currently employed for the preparation of the chlorophyll pigments. The procedure permits the isolation of pure solid samples, in relatively large amounts (20–50 mg from 2 kg of seeds) and with good yields (higher than 40%). In confirmation of other reports, two protochlorophyll pigments are obtained. One is the true protochlorophyll a and the other one is 4-vinyl protochlorophyll a, also called the “bacterial” protochlorophyll or Mg-2,4-divinylpheoporphyrin a5, esterified with phytol. The pigments were characterized as regards their chromatographic sequence compared to the chlorophylls, their purity, the presence of the phytol, and by their visible and infrared absorption spectra. Protochlorophyll a and 4-vinyl protochlorophyll a show clear differences in their visible absorption spectra. The small differences observed in their infrared spectra can be ascribed to the presence of the additional vinyl substituent in 4-vinyl protochlorophyll a. The infrared spectra present several distinguishing features. The absence of the skeletal (C=C) vibrations indicates a much higher symmetry of the macrocycle in these molecules compared to the chlorophylls. In carbon tetrachloride, the “aggregated” ketone carbonyl band was observed for protochlorophyll a and 4-vinyl protochlorophyll a at 1668 cm−1, indicating that this molecule aggregates in a similar way to that of the chlorophyll pigments.
Convective heat transfer in a composite trapezoidal microchannel during magnetic heating

Abstract The analysis of conjugate heat transfer in a composite channel of trapezoidal cross-section is presented. The channel is formed by etching a silicon wafer and bonding that with a slab of gadolinium. Gadolinium is a magnetic material that exhibits high temperature rise during adiabatic magnetization around its transition temperature of 295 K. Heat is generated in the substrate by the application of a magnetic field. A thorough investigation of heat transfer coefficient at the solid–fluid interface is performed by varying the channel aspect ratio, the thickness of gadolinium slab, spacing between channels in the heat exchanger, Reynolds number, and the magnetic field strength. The results are validated by comparing with existing results for single material channels.
The hyperventilation of cirrhosis: Progesterone and estradiol effects

Progesterone and estradiol are metabolized in the liver and are elevated in patients with cirrhosis. Progesterone stimulates ventilation by activating progesterone receptors in the central nervous system; estradiol may facilitate progesterone's actions by increasing progesterone receptors. This study evaluated whether progesterone and estradiol contribute to the respiratory alkalosis common in cirrhotic patients. Arterial blood gases and progesterone and estradiol levels were obtained in 50 patients with cirrhosis. Multiple linear regression revealed a statistically significant correlation between PaCO2 and progesterone and estradiol (r = .54, P 35) (P < .05). Although the progesterone levels were two orders of magnitude lower than those associated with hyperventilation in pregnant patients, the increased ventilatory effect may be because of the altered blood-brain barrier (BBB) present in cirrhotic patients. Progesterone and estradiol appear to contribute to the hyperventilation in cirrhotic patients.
Correlation of hindbrain CSF flow and outcome after surgical decompression for Chiari I malformation

Many patients with symptomatic Chiari I malformation experience symptom recurrence after surgical decompression. Improved radiographic predictors of outcome are needed to better select patients most likely to benefit from surgical intervention. We examined whether ventral or dorsal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow dynamics assessed by cine phase-contrast MRI scans could predict response to posterior fossa decompression for Chiari I malformation. Forty-four consecutive pediatric patients undergoing pre-operative cine phase-contrast MRI followed by posterior fossa decompression for Chiari I malformation were retrospectively reviewed. The association of pre-operative ventral or dorsal CSF flow abnormalities at the foramen magnum with symptom-free survival after surgical decompression was assessed via Kaplan–Meier plots and log-rank analysis. Mean ± SD age at time of surgery was 8 ± 6 years. Sixteen (36%) patients demonstrated decreased CSF flow dorsal to the cervico-medullary brainstem alone. Fourteen (32%) patients demonstrated abnormal CSF flow both ventral and dorsal to the cervico-medullary brainstem. Fourteen (32%) had normal hindbrain CSF flow. Overall, 13 (30%) patients experienced some degree of symptom recurrence by last follow-up (mean of 27 ± 16 months post-operatively). Symptom recurrence did not differ as a function of degree of tonsilar ectopia (p = 0.55). Abnormal CSF flow dorsal to the cervico-medullary brainstem was not associated with symptom recurrence after surgical decompression (p = 0.10). However, combined pre-operative ventral and dorsal CSF flow abnormality was associated with a significant reduction (2.6-fold) in the risk of post-operative symptom recurrence (p < 0.05). Only one patient (7%) with pre-operative ventral and dorsal CSF flow pathology experienced symptom recurrence 3.5 years after surgery versus 12 (40%) patients without ventral CSF flow pathology. There were otherwise no differences in baseline clinical, radiological, or operative variables between patients with abnormal versus normal ventral CSF flow. The presence of decreased CSF flow both ventral and dorsal to the cervico-medullary brainstem was associated with improved response to hindbrain decompression for Chiari I malformation in children. Cine phase-contrast MRI may be a useful tool for surgical risk stratification and identifying patients that may be optimal surgical candidates. Combined ventral and dorsal hindbrain CSF flow pathology may better predict response to posterior fossa decompression compared to dorsal CSF flow pathology alone.
Reactions of n-type (reduced) polyacetylene with alkyl halides

Les films alkyles ont des proprietes (gonflement, elasticite) qui dependent de la structure du groupe alkyl
Abstract 5327: Upregulation of the expression of nonclassical MHC class I HLA-G antigen in human breast cancer cell lines and tissue

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC HLA-G is a nonclassical MHC class I molecule with immunotolerant properties. HLA-G is normally expressed by trophoblastic cells during pregnancy and protects the fetus from the maternal immune system. HLA-G is also overexpressed in tumors and plays a role in immune evasion of cancer. In this study, we used RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry (IHC) to examine HLA-G expression in normal mammary epithelial and breast cancer cell lines, normal breast tissue, and human breast cancer tissue. RT-PCR showed that normal epithelial MCF-12A cells had no HLA-G mRNA expression, while the breast cancer cell lines MCF-7, T47D and MDA-MB-231, and drug-resistant cell line NCI/Adr-Res had various levels of HLA-G mRNA expression. Furthermore, three mRNA isoforms were expressed in breast cancer cell lines. Twelve normal breast tissues from plastic surgery and 38 breast cancer tissues from mastectomy were examined by IHC. While 60.5% (23 of 38 samples) of breast cancers had medium to strong staining to HLA-G, only 33% (4 of 12 samples) of normal breast tissues had weak staining, the difference was significant (p<0.05). HLA-G staining was diffusely distributed in the membrane and cytoplasm of the cancer cells and mammary epithelia. Rare staining was found in fibroblasts, vascular endothelia or inflammatory cells. In conclusion, breast cancer cells over-express HLA-G mRNA and protein in cell lines and tumors. The role of HLA-G over-expression in breast cancer-related immune evasion remains to be determined. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5327.
A case of cicatricial pemphigoid or cicatricial linear IgA bullous dermatosis.

A case has been described with clinical features of cicatricial pemphigoid, but immunofluorescent (IF) biopsy findings are suggestive of linear IgA bullous dermatosis (LABD), i.e., the presence of IgA deposits with a linear pattern at the basement membrane zone. The patient failed to respond to sulfones and gave a limited response to corticosteroid. These findings suggest that therapy of the type found to be effective in cutaneous forms of LABD, i.e., combinations of low doses of sulfones and corticosteroids, may be indicated in such cases.
Estimation of a composite hazard rate model

Abstract The increasing hazard rate model is widely used in estimating reliability of mechanical items. The common life distributions such as Weibul, normal, and log-normal allow for strictly increasing hazard rates. In this paper we propose a composite hazard rate model which is constant over a period of unknown duration, and then strictly increases after the threshold value. In reliability engineering graphical regression methods are used to estimate unknown parameters. We investigate the performance of two such estimators. Comparisons are made using Monte Carlo simulation. Applications of some real world problems are given.
Nanomechanical testing for fracture of oxide films

The mechanical properties of thermally grown oxide films on various aluminum substrates were tested using nanoindentation. A sudden discontinuity, indicative of film fracture, was observed upon loading portion of the load–depth curve. The 63-nm-thick films were determined to have ultimate strengths between 4.8 and 8.9 GPa. The ultimate stress is a superposition of the bending and membrane stress. The stress intensity at fracture for each of the films was developed by approximating the resulting bending moment and various cracks sizes. At a constant ratio of crack size to oxide thickness of 0.3, the applied stress intensity at fracture of these aluminum oxide films were between 0.46 and 1.20 MPa m 1/2 . The residual stress in the film was assumed to be negligible in the stress intensity calculation.
RESONANCE RAMAN STUDIES OF BACTERIORHODOPSIN ANALOGUES

— We present the results of resonance Raman measurements on a series of bacteriorhodopsin (bR) analogues formed from synthetic retinals which have replaced the native chromophore in the active site. Specifically, 5,6-dihydro-bR, 13-desmethyl-bR, 10-methyl-bR, 14-methyl-bR, and 10.14-dimethyl-bR have been studied. All five analogues bind and form Schiff base retinal-apoprotein linkages. While the Schiff base linkages of 5,6-dihydro-bR, 13-desmethyl-bR, and 10-methyl-bR are protonated, like the native chromophore, the 14-methyl-bR, and 10,14-dimethyl-bR Schiff bases are unprotonated. These results suggest that the binding site of bacteriorhodopsin near the Schiff base moiety is different from that of rhodopsin. The protonated Schiff base -C=NH- stretching frequency of 5.6-dihydro-bR lies at 1660 cm-1 which is unusually high for a bacteriorhodopsin based pigment. The downward shift upon deuteration is 16 cm-1, essentially identical to that measured for bacteriorhodopsin. This and the other analogue results strongly reinforce our previous arguments that the Schiff base stretching frequency is determined in large part by two factors, the C=N force constant and the stretch interaction with C=N-H bend. On the other hand, the deuterium isotope effect is determined primarily by the stretch-bend interaction.
Effects of protamine administration after cardiopulmonary bypass on complement, blood elements, and the hemodynamic state

Nineteen patients were prospectively selected and studied before and after the administration of protamine sulfate following cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). After protamine administration, C3a, C4a, and C4d were elevated; the peak levels of C3a and C4a were in samples taken 10 minutes after protamine administration while those of C4d were in those obtained at 5 hours. Only C3a was elevated after CPB and before protamine administration. In vitro, only the combination of protamine sulfate and heparin, and neither alone, resulted in increased C3a and C4a. Administration of protamine was associated with small and transient decreases in total white blood cells, granulocytes, and platelets, and with small and transient reductions in systemic and pulmonary arterial and left and right atrial pressures. Systemic vascular resistance fell (p = 0.07), and pulmonary vascular resistance rose but the change could be due to chance (p = 0.29). These data and those reported by others support the inference that complement activation occurs during CPB by the alternative pathway and again during protamine administration by the classic pathway; and that this accompanies a whole-body inflammatory reaction with blood cell and hemodynamic changes which, when extreme, could result in a severe hemodynamic derangement.
Differentiation of adrenomedullary catecholamine synthesizing enzyme responses to repeated immobilization in hybrid rats

Abstract The response of adrenomedullary catecholamine synthesizing enzymes to repeated immobilization was studied in hybrid (F 1 ) offspring of 2 inbred rat strains (LEW and F344). Immobilization-induced increases in tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH) and phenylethanolamine-N-methyl-transferase (PNMT) activities in one of the parental strains (F344) previously were shown to be dependent upon intact adrenal gland innervation but independent of the pituitary gland, while responses in the other parental strain (LEW) were independent of adrenal innervation but dependent upon pituitary function. Factors determining immobilization-induced increases in adrenal enzymes of F 1 offspring were enzyme-specific. Increased PNMT activity was pituitary dependent in F 1 rats, whereas increased TH and DBH activities after immobilization were dependent upon an intact adrenal gland innervation. These results suggest that the factor(s) regulating PNMT responses are differentiable from those regulating TH and DBH responses. The results also indicate that analysis of PNMT responses to immobilization in backcross populations is feasible, and could indicate whether strain-specific response mechanisms are heritable.
Resident evaluation of surgical faculty.

Abstract This study examines the association between resident evaluations of surgical faculty and measures of teaching activity and practice characteristics. Twenty-three of 33 general surgery residents, anonymously and voluntarily rated 62 faculty surgeons in 10 areas of performance. This was repeated 1 year later with 24 of 28 residents and 64 surgeons. Ratings were reliable (test-retest on overall mean rating, r = 0.91, P P P P n = 35), ratings of interpersonal skill by PGY 5 residents correlated inversely with complication rate ( r = −0.41, P r = −0.44, P P
The measurement of plasma aldosterone in patients post-myocardial infarction.

Aldosterone blockade, or more correctly mineralocorticoid receptor blockade (MRB), when administered between days 3 and 14 in patients with heart failure (HF) and left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) post-myocardial infarction (MI) has been shown to reduce all-cause mortality as well as hospitalizations for HF (EPHESUS).1 Of note, all-cause mortality was reduced by 31% at 30 days post-randomization.2 These benefits on mortality were seen in patients with an ST-segment elevation (STE) MI and in those with a non-ST-segment elevation (NST) MI, as well as in patients treated with ‘optimal’ medical therapy including an aspirin, statin, reperfusion, a diuretic, a β-adrenergic receptor blocker, and an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or an angiotensin receptor blocking agent (ARB). This strategy has been adopted by both the European Society of Cardiology and the AHA/ACC guidelines. Unfortunately, aldosterone levels were not routinely measured in EPHESUS, thereby precluding further detailed insight into the pathophysiological role of aldosterone and risk stratification. Fortunately, this void has been filled by Begui et al. 3 who showed that patients with a STEMI in whom plasma aldosterone levels were measured on admission and were in the highest quartile had an increased risk of death compared with those in the lowest quartile. Palmer et al. 4 provide further insight into the prognostic value of plasma aldosterone levels in patients with a STEMI or NSTEMI in the absence of clinical evidence of HF. They found that plasma aldosterone levels in the highest tertile (>141 pmol/L) measured early (24–96 h) after admission for an MI were an independent predictor of survival … *Corresponding author. Tel:+1 734 936-5260, Fax: +1 734 936 5256. Email: bpitt{at}umich.edu
Coronary Artery Imaging With Flat-Panel Computed Tomography

With the recent introduction of multirow detector systems, helical computed tomography (CT) imaging of the heart has gained renewed interest. A major benefit of such systems is that the entire human heart can be depicted in thin tomographic slices within a single breath-hold. The advent of flat-panel radiographic detectors has opened a new avenue of imaging technology research, including use of such detectors for x-ray CT. With a prototype flat-panel CT system (VCT, GE Global Research), an entire …
A discrete-sectional model for particulate production by gas-phase chemical reaction and aerosol coagulation in the free-molecular regime

Abstract A universal correlation (self-preserving map) for gas-phase production of powders is derived from first principles. A dimensionless discrete-sectional model for free-molecular aerosol coagulation is developed and systematically validated by examining the effects of section spacing and numerically conserved aerosol property (particle number, volume, and volume squared concentration) used in computing the evolution of the particle size distribution. Discrete-sectional models that numerically conserve the highest moment of the distribution (here, volume squared) most accurately predict the particle size distribution. This υ 2 -based model is used to develop a self-preserving map in the process parameter space of dimensionless time for chemical reaction, θ, and dimensionless process residence time, X . The self-preserving map defines a priori conditions for generation of powders having their asymptotic self-preserving size distribution. If the reaction is nearly instantaneous (θ ⩽ 0.25), the time required for the distribution to become self-preserving is four times the characteristic time for monomer coagulation ( X ≈ 4); however, as the reaction becomes slower (θ ⩾ 0.25), the time for the distribution to become self-preserving is approximately 15 times the characteristic time for chemical reaction ( X ≈ 15 θ ). The predictions of the present discrete-sectional model are compared against moment models for aerosol coagulation that assume that the particle size distribution remains monodisperse, self-preserving, or lognormally shaped throughout the process.
Mode softening in the far-infrared excitation of quantum-wire arrays.

We have studied the far-infrared response of GaAs/Al x Ga 1-x As quantum-wire arrays of 200- and 300-nm periods, realized by biasing a periodic surface-grating gate structure below the two-dimensional electron-gas conduction threshold. We find that in our samples, which have substantially smaller periods than those in previous work, the resonance is observed at a frequency ω r much smaller than that of the depolarization-shifted subband resonance and that the 200-nm-period wires have a smaller ω r than the 300-nm-period wires of the same carrier densities. The experiment demonstrates mode softening in coupled quantum wires
Esophageal Cancer: A Case for Aggressive Staging and a Tailored Treatment Plan

A 57-year-old man with dysphagia was found to have a distal esophageal cancer. The tumor was staged radiographically (with endoesophageal ultrasonography) and operatively. The latter consisted of a thoracoscopic examination of the thoracic esophagus and surrounding lymph nodes, as well as a limited laparotomy to evaluate the stomach and the perigastric and celiac lymph nodes. It was determined that the patient had a high-risk lesion (locally advanced, T3-4 or Nl). Induction chemotherapy with concurrent radiation therapy was administered. Following neoadjuvant treatment, the patient underwent an uneventful esophagectomy. No residual tumor was identified in the specimen. The patient was doing well 6 months following his surgery. This case demonstrates the use of staging to guide therapy in esophageal cancer.
Pyogranulomatous panophthalmitis with systemic coronavirus disease in a domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo)

A 15-month-old spayed female ferret (Mustela putorius furo) presented for lethargy and weight loss of 2 weeks duration. Upon physical examination, a 2-mm-diameter focal area of opacity was noted in the left cornea. In addition, the ferret was quiet, in poor body condition, and dehydrated. A complete blood count and plasma biochemistry revealed a severe nonregenerative anemia, azotemia, hyperproteinemia, hypoalbuminemia, and mild hyperphosphatemia and hyperchloremia. Urinalysis revealed hyposthenuria. Whole body radiographs showed multifocal thoracic nodular disease, splenomegaly, and renomegaly. Abdominal ultrasonography confirmed bilaterally enlarged kidneys, hypoechoic liver and spleen, and a caudal abdominal hypoechoic mobile nodule. The ferret was humanely euthanized, and a postmortem examination with subsequent histopathology showed multifocal necrotizing pyogranulomas in the lung, spleen, kidneys, mesenteric lymph nodes, and serosa of the duodenum. Pyogranulomatous panophthalmitis was diagnosed in the left eye. The multisystemic granulomatous lesions were suggestive of ferret systemic coronavirus (FRSCV). The presence of coronavirus in the left eye was confirmed by positive immunohistochemistry. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue from the lung, spleen, and kidney was negative for FRSCV and positive for ferret enteric coronavirus (FRECV). Systemic coronavirus disease in ferrets closely resembles feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) in domestic cats, which can manifest with anterior uveitis, chorioretinitis, optic neuritis, and retinal detachment. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of ocular lesions in a ferret with systemic coronavirus disease, suggesting that ferrets presented with similar ocular lesions should also be evaluated for evidence of coronavirus infection.
Polymorphism, band-structure, band-lineup, and alloy energetics of the group II oxides and sulfides MgO, ZnO, CdO, MgS, ZnS, CdS

The group II chalcogenides are an important class of functional semiconductor materials exhibiting a remarkable diversity in terms of structure and properties. In order to aid the materials design, a consistent set of electronic structure calculations is presented, including data on the polymorphic energy ordering, the band-structures, the band-lineups relative to the vacuum level, surface energies, as well as on the alloy energetics. To this end, current state-of-the-art electronic structure tools are employed, which, besides standard density functional theory (DFT), include totalenergy calculation in the random phase approximation and GW quasiparticle energy calculations. The ionization potentials and electron affinities are obtained by combining the results of bulk GW and surface DFT calculations. Considering both octahedral and tetrahedral coordination symmetries, exemplified by the rock-salt and zinc-blende lattices, respectively, this data reveals both the chemical and structural trends within this materials family.
Palestinians in Lebanon: Refugees Living with Long‐Term Displacement

A review of the book "Palestinians in Lebanon: Refugees Living with Long-Term Displacement," by Rebecca Roberts is presented.
Two prominence eruptions and the problem of emission.

Two flare unconnected eruptions on January 15 and 29, 1968, are discussed. The first is a filament which turns bright and erupts upward, reappearing an hour later. The second is a large eruptive arch seen against the disk. The arch is bright at the top of its trajectory, turns dark, but produces chromospheric emission at the point of impact. The emission at the top of the arch is ascribed to the velocity shift of the illuminating chromospheric Ha line. It is shown that such emission will occur only if the motion is transverse to the line of sight and the prominence is optically thin.
The Transformation of the Republican and Democratic Party Coalitions in the U.S.

Because the space of policies is two-dimensional, parties in the United States are coalitions of opposed interests. The Republican Party contains both socially conservative and socially liberal groups, though both tend to be pro-business. The increasing dominance of the social conservatives has angered some prominent Republicans, even causing a number of them to change party allegiance. Over time, the decreasing significance of the economic axis may cause the Republican Party to adopt policies that are analogous to those proposed by William Jennings Bryan in 1896: populist and anti-business. In parallel, the Democratic Party will increasingly appeal to pro-business, social liberals, so the party takes on the mantel of Lincoln.
Foliar δ15N patterns along successional gradients at plant community and species levels

[1] Relationships to 15N abundances have been found in aridity, rainfall, soil age and latitudinal gradients across large spatial and temporal scales and patterns at intermediate spatial and temporal scale remain unclear. An investigation on 15N abundances at intermediate spatial and temporal scale was conducted in a series of successional fields (Blandy Experimental Farm) in northern Virginia. Foliar and soil samples were collected from these fields in mid-summer 2004 and 2005. The results showed that foliar δ15N signatures decreased as successional age increased at both the plant community and species levels. There were also significant decreases in soil δ15N as succession proceeded. These results provide a clear example that δ15N signatures in certain ecosystems, like an early successional field, could change significantly at time scales within human lifespans and such dynamics should be considered when modeling δ15N spatial patterns.
Public affairs, issue management and political strategy: methodological issues that count — a different view

In the preceding article, Doug Schuler makes two challenges to scholars in the areas of public affairs, issues management and corporate political strategies to advance the state of empirical knowledge: (1) to make use of more sophisticated methodology, and (2) to adopt a grand theory to guide our empirical efforts. This paper is a commentary on these challenges. In it, I agree that our field of inquiry requires additional sophistication in methods, measures and statistical tools. However, I disagree that a grand theory would aid us in advancing our field. Instead, I propose that advancement is more likely to occur with the acceptance of a common dependent variable to guide our efforts. I propose that until we agree why we study what we do, we will have difficulty building a coherent stream of knowledge that speaks to the managerial audience. I advocate adopting firm performance as our ultimate dependent variable and defining our area of inquiry as ‘What makes some firms outperform others in the nonmarket environment?’ and ultimately, ‘How does non-market performance affect overall firm performance?’ Copyright © 2001 Henry Stewart Publications
Deterrence of drunk driving in Massachusetts: criminal justice system impacts.

This paper examines the extent to which a “toughened” drunk driving law in Massachusetts has deterred drunk driving and the law's impact on criminal justice system operations. Included are analyses of pre- to postlaw trends in: alcohol-related highway fatalities and arrests, drunk driving arraignments and convictions, and jail sentences served by drunk driving offenders. Many of the positive trends found since the implementation of the law (increased arrests, reduced fatalities, and increased conviction rates) actually began before the law took effect. Moreover, the law has exacerbated existing problems in the criminal justice system such as overcrowded jails.
Nonclassical Contact Symmetries and Charpit's Method of Compatibility

Charpit’s method of compatibility and the method of nonclassical contact symmetries for first order partial differential equation are considered. It is shown that these two methods are equivalent as Charpit’s method leads to the determining equations arising from the method of nonclassical contact symmetries. Several examples are considered illustrating how Charpit’s method leads quickly and easily to nonclassical contact symmetries.
Social Networks, Privacy, and Freedom of Association: Data Empowerment vs. Data Protection

This article examines the tension between social networks as enablers of political mobilization (sharing information is good) and as threats to privacy (sharing information is bad). A central theme is that social networks are platforms to create associations. Linguistically, “networks” and “associations” are close synonyms; they both depend on “links” and “relationships.” This article introduces the idea that limits on such networks can deeply implicate the freedom of association. Part I sets forth the facts of the tension between mobilization and association (Arab Spring, 2008 Obama campaign) and privacy (enforcement actions against social networks in Europe and the U.S.). Part II introduces the doctrinal structure in the U.S. for addressing the tension. If and when state action limits information sharing in social networks, individual users, political associations, and the networks themselves may have valid claims for violation of First Amendment freedom of association rights. Part III applies the proposed doctrine to three concrete examples of possible state action, including “privacy by design” and “do not track” proposals that have featured in recent privacy debates. Part IV moves beyond doctrine to examine more generally the tension between “data empowerment,” which relies on sharing of information, and “data protection,” which relies on limits to such sharing. As illustrated by our eagerness to use social networks, access to the personal data of others is often a benefit to individuals, rather than the threat assumed by the data protection approach. These benefits notably include our right to associate, to reach out to people to effect political change and realize ourselves as individuals. The old paradigm for debates about personal information was rights vs. utility; the discussion here shows that data empowerment increasingly makes the debate one of rights vs. rights.
Politics in Argentina, 1890-1930: The Rise and Fall of Radicalism

1. The components of Argentine society, 189-1914 2. The oligarchy and institutional reform, 1880-1916 3. The rise of Radicalism, 1891-1916 4. The workers and their politics in Buenos Aires, 1890-1916 5. The first Radical government, 1916-22 6. The strikes, 1916-18 7. The Semana Tragica 8. 1919 9. Postscript to the first presidency, 1920-2 10. The Alvear interlude, 1922-8 11. Yrigoyen's second presidency, 1928-30 12. Perspectives.
Manufacturing Decline and Technology Lags in Nonmetropolitan Illinois

Numerous studies have focused on national and regional manufacturing decline in the U.S., but far less attention has been placed on decline in substate areas. This oversight is troublesome because manufacturing decline in substate areas, particularly in the Midwest, has been severe and prolonged. This paper, therefore, examines the causes of manufacturing decline at the substate level. Specifically, I evaluate whether the impact of factors influencing decline varies according to the size and location of medium- and small-sized cities in Illinois. Survey data and loglinear modeling methods are used for the empirical analysis. The results indicate that the impact of technology lags in substate areas varies significantly by the size of cities. The effects of technology, the regional shift of manufacturing, and federal trade policies are influenced by the relative location of cities.
Meerkat Mafia: Multilingual and Cross-Level Semantic Textual Similarity Systems

We describe UMBC’s systems developed for the SemEval 2014 tasks on Multilingual Semantic Textual Similarity (Task 10) and Cross-Level Semantic Similarity (Task 3). Our best submission in the Multilingual task ranked second in both English and Spanish subtasks using an unsupervised approach. Our best systems for Cross-Level task ranked second in Paragraph-Sentence and first in both Sentence-Phrase and Word-Sense subtask. The system ranked first for the PhraseWord subtask but was not included in the official results due to a late submission.
Measurement: The Data Base

Undoubtedly, many researchers have sought to analyze the complexities of industry dynamics, but in many cases have been hindered by the lack of comprehensive data which track firms and corresponding wages over a significant time period. In fact, data sets which track new firms, employment and wages have only become more available to researchers in the past several years.19 Since these data quite often contain confidential information such as social security numbers and employer sensitive non-public information, public officials are sometimes reluctant to release them. For this reason, the data used here for the empirical analysis, namely the Unemployment Insurance or ES-202 data from the state of Georgia, are quite unique and virtually unexploited in a dynamic context where the unit of observation is the average wage paid by a firm. Rather than give a complete and full description of all of the data sets used, this chapter focuses predominantly on the ES-202 data. The other data sets used for this study are briefly described in Table 4–1 along with a short description of the ES-202 data.20
Objective Assessment of Minimally Invasive Surgical Skills

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is known to be a difficult procedure to master due to its complexity, compared to traditional open surgery. Therefore, an objective and quantitative assessment tool is highly required in MIS, which can be used for determining surgeon’s skills, evaluating educational programs and providing subjects with unbiased feedback. The goal of this paper is to review various assessment methods, summarize capabilities of the methods, and suggest future possible improvements. Specifically, this paper categorize existing methods into two groups: the first and the most well known group focuses on the analysis of surgical motions, and the other group uses force and torque as a key metric. Specifically, motion analysis includes tracking the body, tool, or hand motions of a surgeon, either from teleoperated robotic systems or surgical simulators using different sensors like wireless or electromagnetic motion tracking sensors, video-glove-based input devices, optical tracking system, or magnetic tracking technologies. Sometimes data explored form this method is synchronized with eye-gaze data (what a surgeon looks at while operating), or videographic data. Using motion analysis actually the number of movements, rate of movements, total path length, movement variability, time taken to complete the operation, average or peak velocity are considered for assessing surgical skills. On the other hand, the methods in the second group assess the skills based on force and toque data that surgeons apply through surgical instruments. More specifically, these methods use different kind of sensors placed on the grasper. Different force and torque measurement systems, hidden-Markov-model-based analysis, simulated models with criteria, and Virtual reality have been developed, allowing for the quantification of the performance of surgeons.Although, each method has its own advantageous, and according to the kind of surgical task and evaluation, these methods can be used successfully to assess surgical skills, to provide predictive validity for each of these methods more study is needed. Also, future works should improve the efficiency of each method and move toward automated, low-cost and real time assessment methods.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Studies on the purification of antibodies. III. Certain methods for the precipitation of pneumococcus protective antibody.

We have tried to apply the principles developed in our work on typhoid agglutinin to the purification of pneumococcus protective antibodies. The task has turned out to be particularly difficult. The great solubility of the pneumococcus makes it impossible to get the primary extracts of sensitized bacteria as free from bacterial substances as in the case of typhoid. The variability in the resistance of mice to pneumococcus infection, and the variable virulence of pneumococcus under culture, make quantitative observations impractical. For these reasons, we have been unable to get consistent results which could be repeated with regularity. Nevertheless, we did succeed many times in precipitating the pneumococcus protective body in a way which leaves no doubt that the same methods can be applied as were used in the purification of typhoid antibody.Our primary material was the protective body obtained in alkaline solution by the method of Huntoon, or by a modification which consisted in extracting in N/500 NaO...