cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Malunions of the Proximal Tibia and Tibial Plateau

Malunions of the proximal tibia can occur despite modern techniques of fracture fixation. These can be intra-articular, extra-articular, or a combination of both. It can result from inadequate reduction of the joint, loss of joint reduction, and/or loss of the tibial plateau fracture reduction and fixation. This can occur due to various reasons attributable to the surgery and the patient or can be implant related. The best treatment for a malunion still remains prevention, but factors out of the surgeon’s control can contribute to the development of a malunion. Oftentimes, premature weight bearing can lead to a loss of articular reduction and/or loss of fixation of the buttress component of the plateau fracture. In proximal fractures with extensive metadiaphyseal involvement requiring long plate constructs, hardware failure can occur leading to loss of fixation with development of malalignment, depending on patient compliance with follow-up, which could proceed to union resulting in a malunion or may fail to unite altogether resulting in a nonunion. Malunion of the proximal tibia alters the limb alignment and can lead to post-traumatic arthritis (PTOA). Treatment of a proximal tibia malunion is geared toward realignment of the mechanical axis of the limb so as to reduce or hopefully prevent the development of PTOA. If the patient presents with PTOA initially, correction of the deformity may alleviate some of the pain and prolong retention of the native knee prior to arthroplasty or may be needed prior to arthroplasty depending on the severity of the deformity which may prevent a successful arthroplasty. A thorough evaluation of patients presenting with deformities is required including a history of the previous injury to include surgeries and any complications which may have occurred. A frank discussion with the patient should be carried out to understand the patient’s desires and expectations. The technique of operative management for the malunion depends on the severity of the deformity itself, number of planes involved, severity of existing post-traumatic arthritis that has developed, and of course most importantly patient factors such as age, occupation, comorbidities, and existing local biology. Options can range from correction of the deformity with osteotomies and fixation to total knee arthroplasty. Correction can be done all internally or via external fixation methods.
Tics and TikTok: Functional Tics Spread Through Social Media.

Background Functional movement disorder is a subtype of functional neurologic symptom disorder a syndrome of involuntary physical, neurologic-type symptoms that are incongruous with "organic" disease. Throughout history, there have been outbreaks of functional symptoms in communities; until recently, spread had been confined to groups of people who shared a physical location. However, in the era of social media, a new mode of dissemination may have arisen. Cases We describe six teenage girls, each with the explosive onset of tic-like movements. Mean age of onset was 14.2 years. The presence of features incongruous with Tourette syndrome on history and examination prompted the diagnosis of functional tics. All patients reported exposure to a specific social media personality before symptom onset. Conclusions Our series suggests that social media may contribute to the spread of functional neurologic symptom disorder, in a way previously requiring physical proximity.
Digital Technologies for Emotion-Regulation Assessment and Intervention: A Conceptual Review

The ability to regulate emotions in response to stress is central to healthy development. Whereas early research in emotion regulation predominantly employed static, self-report measurement, the pa...
Customary Tenure Trusteeships and Land Governance Reforms: A Necessary Convergence

Issues surrounding customary land governance reforms remain at the forefront of policy reforms in many African countries because of concern over discriminatory rules of access, exchange, and inheritance, corruption, elite capture, and illegal land occupations, (Arko Adjei, 2009). The shortcomings in customary land governance extend to the unfettered authority of customary land trustees , usually, traditional leaders (chiefs and family heads) who retain autonomous control over land as defined by customary norms and practices. Although trustees play a central role in how the rules of land tenure are applied and made operational, not many analytical studies to date have focused directly on the culture of trusteeship to explain the fiduciary responsibilities associated with the management of community land. Breach of fiduciary duty occurs when a trustee acts in their self-interest, rather than the best interest of the beneficiary community. Unfortunately, as evidence of self-dealing by customary land trustees become more pervasive, legislative action to ensure trustees are fiducially accountable to their communities is urgently needed. This paper draws attention to some of the unique differences between the fiducial duties of trustees under customary tenure and common law. The research hypothesizes that good land governance reforms require customary land trustees to manage land and natural resource assets to achieve the highest livelihood sustaining benefit for their communities.
CBT-I for patients with orthosomnia

Abstract Orthosomnia is defined as a preoccupation with having perfect or “right sleep.” The use of consumer sleep technology has led to a portion of patients becoming focused on their sleep data. This can pose multiple challenges to the treatment of insomnia, such as rigidly held beliefs about the validity of sleep tracker data and anxiety over engaging in elements of treatment that affect the sleep tracking data. This chapter will review considerations for patients who are using wearable devices in CBT-I, including those with orthosomnia and also patients who are interested in including their sleep tracker in CBT-I treatment. The inclusion of education about the pros and cons of tracking sleep should be reviewed with all patients who are interested in using a sleep tracker during CBT-I. Examining whether anxiety about the data interferes or promotes treatment adherence can be discussed with the patient and evaluated in behavioral experiments. Given the popularity of consumer sleep trackers, it is important for CBT-I practitioners to be aware of how these devices may interfere or promote adherence and outcomes in CBT-I.
Single Particle Combustion Analysis of Wood

Rising energy costs have prompted many industries, and particularly wood-related industries, to examine biomass fuel sources as replacements for oil and gas. Several studies1–4 have indicated a considerable resource in unused wood and wood waste. One factor limiting the efficient use of this resource is a lack of basic combustion data. This limitation has made industrial boiler design empirical and subject to much guesswork. Trajectory analysis of burning fuel particles in the furnace or boiler should be an important design tool; however, much of the basic data have not been available. The average fuel particle size is on the order of centimeters but may range as high as 0–3 m and as small as 100 μm.3 Fuel particle moisture content may also vary widely. Hence, one can see that, without knowledge of mass burning, heat release rate and burn-out times under specific operating conditions, it is very difficult to size and design an efficient boiler.
The Cambridge Companion to Berkeley

George Berkeley is one of the greatest and most influential modern philosophers. In defending the immaterialism for which he is most famous, he redirected modern thinking about the nature of objectivity and the mind's capacity to come to terms with it. Along the way, he made striking and influential proposals concerning the psychology of the senses, the workings of language, the aims of science, and the scope of mathematics. In this Companion volume a team of distinguished authors not only examines Berkeley's achievements but also his neglected contributions to moral and political philosophy, his writings on economics and development, and his defense of religious commitment and religious life. The volume places Berkeley's achievements in the context of the many social and intellectual traditions - philosophical, scientific, ethical, and religious - to which he fashioned a distinctive response.
Youths’ socialization to work and school within the family

We tested a model of socialization to work in the family context and its implications as a lever for school engagement using a sample of 154 parent–youth dyads living in the United States. A path model was fitted to data. Findings revealed that parents’ reported work experiences was aligned to youths’ perception of their parents’ success in the work domain. Also, a significant association was found between youth’s perception of their parents’ family success and youth’s emotional and experiential conceptualizations of work. Furthermore, youth who viewed work as a positive experience were more likely to be engaged in schoolwork, both emotionally and cognitively. Implications for vocational guidance are discussed.
Living Large: What Mouse Models Reveal about Growth Hormone and Obesity

Growth hormone (GH) regulates a broad spectrum of biological processes in addition to promoting longitudinal growth. As such, GH influences most organ and cellular systems in the body with adipose tissue being one of its well-established targets. This chapter will describe mouse lines with specific alteration in GH action. Mice with increased, decreased, and absence of GH action have a unique phenotype for which clinical equivalents exist (acromegaly, GH deficiency, and Laron syndrome, respectively). Interestingly, these mouse lines demonstrate adiposity profiles that are counterintuitive to health and longevity. That is, mice with excess GH action are lean but insulin resistant, prone to cancer, and short-lived (or “unhealthy lean”). On the other hand, mice with no GH action are obese but insulin sensitive, resistant to cancer, and long-lived (or “healthy obesity”). These extremes in GH action provide fascinating mouse strains with which to study the features of fat that are responsible for metabolic dysfunction and to explore traits that are obligatory for cancer or lifespan.
Towards an Extended Evolutionary Game Theory with Survival Analysis and Agreement Algorithms for Modeling Uncertainty, Vulnerability, and Deception

Competition , cooperation and communication are the three fundamental relationships upon which natural selection acts in the evolution of life. Evolutionary game theory (EGT) is a 'marriage' between game theory and Darwin's evolution theory; it gains additional modeling power and flexibility by adopting population dynamics theory. In EGT, natural selection acts as optimization agents and produces inherent strategies, which eliminates some essential assumptions in traditional game theory such as rationality and allows more realistic modeling of many problems. Prisoner's Dilemma (PD) and Sir Philip Sidney (SPS) games are two well-known examples of EGT, which are formulated to study cooperation and communication , respectively. Despite its huge success, EGT exposes a certain degree of weakness in dealing with time-, space- and covariate-dependent (i.e., dynamic ) uncertainty , vulnerability and deception . In this paper, I propose to extend EGT in two ways to overcome the weakness. First, I introduce survival analysis modeling to describe the lifetime or fitness of game players . This extension allows more flexible and powerful modeling of the dynamic uncertainty and vulnerability (collectively equivalent to the dynamic frailty in survival analysis). Secondly, I introduce agreement algorithms , which can be the Agreement algorithms in distributed computing (e.g., Byzantine Generals Problem [6][8], Dynamic Hybrid Fault Models [12]) or any algorithms that set and enforce the rules for players to determine their consensus. The second extension is particularly useful for modeling dynamic deception (e.g., asymmetric faults in fault tolerance and deception in animal communication). From a computational perspective, the extended evolutionary game theory (EEGT) modeling, when implemented in simulation, is equivalent to an optimization methodology that is similar to evolutionary computing approaches such as Genetic algorithms with dynamic populations [15][17].
Significant increases of pituitary tumors and resections from 1993 to 2011

Background Pituitary tumors comprise 10% to 15% of all diagnosed intracranial tumors; 90% are adenomas. Though benign, significant morbidity via compression of surrounding structures or aberrant hormone secretion can occur. This study investigated rates of pituitary tumor diagnoses and treatment trends from 1993 to 2011. Methods This study was a retrospective review of the 1993 to 2011 Nationwide Inpatient Sample for patients diagnosed with pituitary tumor as well as those patients who underwent pituitary tumor resection. Incidences of pituitary lesions, surgical approaches, and clinical and economic outcomes were evaluated. Results The rate of primary and secondary diagnoses of pituitary tumor per 100,000 persons significantly grew over the study period (correlation coefficient = 0.934 and 0.987, respectively, p < 0.001); a significant increase in the number of pituitary resections performed annually (correlation coefficient = 0.942, p < 0.001) were also seen. Admissions with a primary diagnosis of pituitary neoplasm experienced significant decreases in length of stay over time (correlation coefficient = −0.913, p < 0.001) and mortality (correlation coefficient = −0.697, p = 0.001). Interestingly, hospital charges more than triple over the same time span (correlation coefficient = 0.970, p < 0.001). Transfrontal resections decreased linearly with time. Conclusion Pituitary tumor diagnoses and resections have grown significantly over the past 20 years. Transsphenoidal surgical resection among this patient population has increased significantly, whereas transfrontal resections have decreased.
Capacity of DS-CDMA networks on frequency selective fading channels with open-loop power control

Presents the coded bit error performance for the reverse link of a direct sequence code division multiple access (DS-CDMA) network employing an open-loop power control scheme over a frequency selective Rayleigh fading channel. A quasi-analytical approach has been adopted, where in the uncoded bit error performance is evaluated through simulation and the coded performance is arrived at through analytical bounds. A rate-1/3 convolutional code of constraint length 9, with hard decision Viterbi decoding is considered. The system capacity degradation due to open-loop power control error, which is approximated by a log-normally distributed random variable, is estimated. It is found that, for typical voice applications, the capacity degradation compared to perfect power control remains less than 3% as long as the standard deviation of the power control error (/spl alpha//sub /spl delta//) is less than 1 dB, and increases to 17% when /spl sigma//sub /spl delta// is 2 dB. The study is of interest in cellular networks.
On Multi-way Spatial Joins with Direction Predicates

Spatial joins are fundamental in spatial databases. Over the last decade, the primary focus of research has been on joins with the predicate "region intersection." In modern database applications involving geospatial data such as GIS, efficient evaluation of joins with other spatial predicates is yet to be fully explored. In addition, most existing join algorithms were developed for two-way joins. Traditionally, a multi-way join is treated as a sequence of two-way joins. The goal of this paper is to study evaluation of multi-way spatial joins with direction predicates: complexity bounds and efficient algorithms. We first give I/O efficient plane sweeping based algorithms for 2-way direction joins and show that by combining the plane sweeping technique with external priority search trees, a 2-way direction join of N-tuple relations can be evaluated in O(N logbN/M + k) I/Os in the worst case, where M is the size of the memory, b is the page size and k is the result size. The algorithms are then extended to perform a subclass of multi-way direction joins called "star joins". We show that the I/O complexity of evaluating an m-way star join of N-tuple relations is O(mN logb N/M +K+k), where K ? mN2 is the size of the intermediate result, M, b and k (? Nm) are the same as above. We also apply the algorithm for star joins to evaluate a more general case of multi-way joins, which are star connections of star joins and show that this can be done in polynomial time. In the general case, we show that testing emptiness of a multi-way direction join is NP-complete. This lower bound holds even when in the join predicate (1) only one attribute for each relation is involved, and (2) each spatial attribute occurs a bounded number of times. It implies that join evaluation in these cases is NP-hard.
State Prices Implicit in Valuation Formulae for Derivative Securities

A derivative asset is a security whose payoff is entirely determined by the prices of one or more underlying securities. Call and put options on stocks are simple examples. Since 1973, when Black and Scholes published their path-breaking option price formula, a rapidly growing literature has dealt with the valuation of derivatives for various models of the underlying price processes. Some researchers have studied the converse problem. They seek to infer properties of the underlying asset price from given prices of derivatives. The properties of the underlying price which are relevant for valuation purposes can be summarised in what are referred to as Arrow-Debreu state prices. These are the prices of elementary securities that pay one unit if the realisation of the underlying price path belongs to some specified set, and nothing otherwise. Breeden and Litzenberger showed in 1978 that a subset of these state prices can indeed be inferred from a sufficiently large collection of option prices. In a similar spirit, the present paper investigates the restrictions which a pricing formula for a derivative asset imposes on the underlying price processes. The valuation formulae considered satisfy a partial differential equation which is common in the literature on derivatives. It is shown that such formulae uniquely determine the full set of state prices. In contrast to Breeden and Litzenberger's work, the approach chosen does not rely on the particular payoff profiles of standard options, but allows for arbitrary derivative assets. In the last part of the paper, the general result is used to analyse two types of valuation formulae for options on pure discount bonds. The analysis yields a characterisation of the interest rate behaviour implicit in the valuation formulae and highlights the shortcomings of either type of formula
Deformation textures in hot-worked polyphase ceramics

Abstract In ceramic composites the differential deformation rates between matrix, reinforcement and grain boundary phases provide a diverse spectrum of mechanical response. In addition to texture development from high temperature plastic deformation via slip or recrystallization, textures in ceramics can result from grain rotation of anisometric grains or reinforcements. Preferred orientation of anisometric grains can also result in orientation-based strengthening. Examples of high temperature deformation textures in ceramics based on alumina, silicon nitride and ceramic composites reinforced with whiskers or platelets are discussed. Each viable mechanism for texture development is considered with comparison of current models to experimental results. The results demonstrate that current dislocation slip and rigid body rotation models may provide only qualitative results.
Monte-Carlo-type techniques for processing interval uncertainty, and their potential engineering applications

In engineering applications, we need to make decisions under uncertainty. Traditionally, in engineering, statistical methods are used, methods assuming that we know the probability distribution of different uncertain parameters. Usually, we can safely linearize the dependence of the desired quantities y (e.g., stress at different structural points) on the uncertain parameters x i–thus enabling sensitivity analysis. Often, the number n of uncertain parameters is huge, so sensitivity analysis leads to a lot of computation time. To speed up the processing, we propose to use special Monte-Carlo-type simulations.
On the Practicality of Integrity Attacks on Document-Level Sentiment Analysis

Sentiment analysis plays an important role in the way companies, organizations, or political campaigns are run, making it an attractive target for attacks. In integrity attacks an attacker influences the data used to train the sentiment analysis classification model in order to decrease its accuracy. Previous work did not consider practical constraints dictated by the characteristics of data generated by a sentiment analysis application and relied on synthetic or pre-processed datasets inspired by spam, intrusion detection, or handwritten digit recognition. We identify and demonstrate integrity attacks against document-level sentiment analysis that take into account such practical constraints. Our attacks, while inspired by existing work, require novel improvements to function in a realistic environment where a victim performs typical steps such as data cleaning, labeling, and feature extraction prior to training the classification model. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the attacks on three datasets -- two Twitter datasets and an Android dataset.
On ionospheric trough conductance and subauroral polarization streams: Simulation results

[1] Subauroral polarization streams (SAPS) are usually associated with geomagnetically disturbed times and considered a manifestation of magnetosphere and ionosphere coupling. Previous research results using radar and satellite measurements have revealed many features of the SAPS events. In this paper we focus on the effects of subauroral trough conductance on the attributes of SAPS and the evolution of the coupled magnetosphere and ionosphere system through the comprehensive ring current model, which includes the coupled electrodynamics of the inner magnetosphere and ionosphere with a self-consistent description of the electric field. Our numerical analysis indicates that low conductance at the subauroral latitudes (due to midlatitude trough) is critical to the large amplitude of SAPS. The model results are generally in good agreement with common characteristics of SAPS and are consistent with their existing generation mechanism.
Affordances, motivation, and the design of user interfaces

People use tools to achieve desired results. Goal-directed behavior is a human characteristic. While in rare instances someone might speak of being "guided" by tools, we do not generally think of tools as having goals. We would like our tools to be able to suggest what they are for (in the words of Norman [3], to offer affordances), but we do not expect them to control what we do. We hope to provide craftsmen with tools that enable them to engage in conversations with their materials. In an ideal world, the mantra for our tools would be "My purpose is to serve you." Every tool should feel like it was custom designed for you, the user in your context.
Sagnac effect observation in flat and curved spacetime by interference of the opposite topological charge optical vortices

A new interference approach for the Sagnac effect observation is proposed. An interference of the opposite topological charge optical vortices (OVs) in flat and curved spacetime is discussed. We calculate the Sagnac time delay and phase shift for the helical metric in Minkowski spacetime. It is shown that the effective area for interference of the opposite topological charge OVs is proportional to the square of the helical beams propagation distance which leads to an unprecedented interferometer sensitivity. We modified corresponding solutions for the helical metric in the curved spacetime as well.
Mechanism of BMP-2 stimulated adhesion of osteoblastic cells to titanium alloy.

Cell adhesion is dependent on many factors, including the repertoire of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and their receptors, eg integrins, synthesized by the cell, the composition of the ECM adsorbed to the surface, and the intrinsic chemistry of the surface. Factors that govern bone cell, ie osteoblast, adhesion and ECM elaboration significantly influence its re-modeling into mature bone, and ultimately its ability to integrate with biomaterials used for orthopedic prostheses. In this study, we have investigated how treatment with bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), a member of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily that promotes ectopic bone formation, modulates the organization and expression of osteoblastic cell proteins. Specifically, we analyzed how BMP-2 treatment affects cytoskeletal components, ECM, and α5, and β1 integrin receptor subunits in osteoblastic cells plated on Ti6A14V, a titanium alloy widely used for orthopedic implants that interacts with bone cells in vitro and in vivo. Osteoblastic cells were pre-treated with BMP-2 for 12 h prior to plating; BMP-2 treatment stimulated adhesion and proliferation of osteoblastic cells and this adhesive advantage was reflected in enhanced long-term matrix mineralization in the BMP-2 pre-treated cultures. Confocal laser scanning microscopic analysis of BMP-2 treated cells showed that enhanced cytoskeletal organization and focal contact formation occurred. These changes were accompanied by a concomitant increase in the spatial organization of fibronectin, whereas vitronectin, collagen type I, osteopontin, and osteocalcin showed little change. The changes in ECM organization correlated with increased fibronectin, α5 and β1 integrin subunit, and focal adhesion kinase (p125FAK) expression, as well as increased p125FAK phosphorylation. By confocal microscopy, the α5 integrin subunit was more concentrated in lamellipodia after BMP-2 treatment. These results demonstrate that BMP-2 significantly altered osteoblastic cytoskeletal and ECM organization and enhanced expression of fibronectin and of specific integrin receptor subunits, with concomitant changes in the levels and phosphorylation of p125FAK. These effects may contribute to downstream cellular responses important for bone cell function, and growth.
Discrete approximations related to nonlinear theories of solids

Abstract Interpolation and extrapolation are employed to approximate the fields in a nonlinear theory of solid bodies. Nodal points are employed in the space of position and load, and the continuous fields are essentially replaced by nodal values. Interpolation between nodes (extrapolation in load) defines a continuous approximation. The differential equations of the continuum are replaced by algebraic equations of the discrete system. Nonlinear equations are replaced by a succession of linear equations, as a nonlinear path is approximated by linear segments. Variational theorems are used as the bases of the algebraic formulations which govern the discrete approximation. The algebraic equations are related to their differential counterparts. A generalized arc-length is introduced in the configuration-load space in order to facilitate the incremental computations near limit points. The arc-length is used as the loading parameter in some illustrative problems. An appendix describes the viewpoint of finite elements and the continuity conditions which insure the equivalence of the methods.
The Dual Effect of Mimosine on DNA Replication

Abstract The plant amino acid, mimosine, is an extremely effective inhibitor of DNA replication in mammalian cells, but the mechanism by which this inhibition is achieved is unknown. The drug has been proposed either to inhibit initiation at origins of replication or to inhibit chain elongation by lowering nucleotide pool levels. In an attempt to determine which mode of action is correct, we have analyzed its effects on SV40 DNA replication. Using a two-dimensional gel replicon mapping technique, we show that mimosine completely inhibits incorporation of [ 3 H]thymidine into viral DNA, but only after ∼4 h. Qualitative analysis of replication intermediates during this interval suggests that the drug partially inhibits both initiation and elongation, and pulse–chase experiments support this contention. The drug has no effect when added directly to an SV40 in vitro replication extract. However, extracts prepared from cells pretreated with mimosine are compromised in their ability to support replication in vitro in the presence of a full complement of nucleotides. Thus, although mimosine may alter nucleotide pool levels in vivo, it also appears to affect one or more essential replication proteins.
Hydrogen diffusion in amorphous LaNi2Hx thin films

Abstract Hydrogen diffusivity in an amorphous LaNi2Hx thin film was measured by an electrochemical method. The diffusivity strongly decreased with decreasing hydrogen concentration. The small hydrogen diffusivities in the low hydrogen concentration range retarded the electrochemical discharge of the hydride electrode.
An evaluation of mer -specified reduction of ionic mercury as a remedial tool of a mercury-contaminated freshwater pond

The potential former-mediated reduction/volatilization of ionic mercury as a tool in the decontamination of a freshwater pond was evaluated using laboratory incubations and a microcosm simulation. In flask assays inoculations with ionic mercury-resistant bacteria (105−107 cells ml−1) isolated from the pond, significantly increased the rate of mercury loss (MANOVA,P≤0.05) relative to uninoculated controls. The effects of cell density, mercuric mercury concentration, addition of nutrients and supplementation with the sulfhydryl reagent β-mercaptoethanol on the rate of mercury loss, were investigated. Inoculation (by 105 cells ml−1) of a flow-through microcosm that simulated the cycling of mercury in the contaminated pond, stimulated by more than 4-fold the formation of volatile elemental mercury. Thus, biological formation of volatile mercury may hold a promise as a remedial tool of contaminated natural waters.
Absurdly Ambitious? Teenagers’ Expectations for the Future and the Realities of Social Structure

Expectations for achievement in the US border on the unrealistic. High school students expect to obtain better jobs and more education than current cohorts have achieved. Many youth also seem unaware of how to realize their ambitions. These findings lead to several questions about the causes and consequences of ambition. First, how do American youths’ ambitions compare with those of past cohorts and what consequences stem from rising ambitions? Second, how likely is it that youth will achieve their ambitions? What structural forces hinder or assist the goal attainment process? Finally, what cultural and institutional forces shape ambition in the United States? We review available evidence for these questions. Experts agree that the youth are overly ambitious, but debate the consequences of over-ambition. Furthermore, youth privileged by their race, class, and gender status are more likely to achieve their ambitions than less privileged youth, confirming the key sociological premise that broader social structures play an important role in whether individuals realize their dreams.
Outcomes of depressed patients undergoing inpatient pulmonary rehabilitation.

Objective Approximately 30% of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) experience depression. Pulmonary rehabilitation for COPD focuses on physical conditioning, but includes behavioral interventions that may address depressive symptoms. This study tested the hypothesis that brief inpatient pulmonary rehabilitation is followed by improvement in both depressive symptoms and function in patients with COPD with major depression. Methods The subjects, who were recruited from the pulmonary rehabilitation unit of the Burke Rehabilitation Hospital in White Plains, NY, who had COPD and major depression were consecutively admitted patients to a pulmonary rehabilitation unit. Symptoms of depression, disability, medical burden, the experience of support, and satisfaction with treatment were systematically ascertained on admission and before discharge. Results Three hundred sixty-one patients were screened and 63 met criteria for COPD and major depression. Depressive symptoms improved by discharge (z = −6.785, p Conclusions Acute inpatient rehabilitation is followed by improvement of depressive symptoms and disability in older patients with COPD and major depression. Improvement of depression may be the result of behavioral interventions rather than the use of antidepressant drugs.
Peripheral augmentation index as a biomarker of vascular aging: an invasive hemodynamics approach

We compared two measures of vascular function obtained from digital volume waveforms with measures of target organ damage and novel invasive measures of vascular function as they relate to vascular aging. Aortic pulse pressure amplification, pulsatility, form factor and extent of coronary atherosclerosis (modified Gensini score) were obtained invasively in 59 patients undergoing left heart catheterization. Digital volume waveforms were captured via peripheral arterial tone (PAT) and used to derive augmentation index (AIx) and the pulse wave amplitude-reactive hyperemia index (PWA-RHI). AIx was associated with age (r = 0.50, p < 0.05) and aortic pulsatility (r = 0.45, p < 0.05) and inversely associated with estimated glomerular filtration rate (−0.29, p < 0.05) aortic pulse pressure amplification (r = −0.28, p < 0.05) and aortic form factor (r = −0.38, p < 0.05). AIx was slightly higher in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) versus those without left ventricular hypertrophy (30 vs. 14%, p = 0.058). There was no association between AIx and Gensini score. PWA-RHI was not associated with age, estimated glomerular filtration rate or invasive vascular parameters and did not differ in patients with versus without LVH (p = ns). PWA-RHI was inversely associated with Gensini score (r = −0.32, p < 0.05). AIx derived from PAT is correlated with age-associated changes in vascular function and target organ damage but not coronary atherosclerotic burden. PWA-RHI is associated with coronary atherosclerotic burden but is not associated with target organ damage or other measures of vascular aging assessed in this study. Each parameter provides distinct insight into systemic vascular aging and target organ damage.
The neuropsychology of Huntington's disease

Abstract The neuropsychological features of Huntington's disease (HD) include defects in concentration, egocentric spatial orientation, visuomotor integration, memory, manipulation of knowledge, and conceptual reasoning. The memory disorder of HD is prominent, but unlike that seen in amnesic syndromes. It is characterized by faulty retrieval strategies and possibly by deficits in skill learning. The qualitative features of the dementia of HD suggest that the caudate nucleus plays a major role in the spatial representation of information, the formation of plans of action, and the initiation of appropriate retrieval processes for searching working and long-term memory. As a group, individuals at risk for HD often display mild impairments similar to those affected, but these deficits have not yet been shown to be useful predictors of disease in individual cases.
Blood flow in colon anastomotic stricture formation

PURPOSE: The influence of both blood flow and anastomotic technique on the development of anastomotic stricture formation was studied using a dog model. METHODS: Fifty-three dogs underwent distal colocolonic anastomosis with either an EEATM (U. S. Surgical Corp., Norwalk, CT) circular stapler or a Czerny-Lembert two-layered, handsewn anastomosis. Blood flow was measured by Laser Doppler Velocimetry using the Laserflo BPM2 TM (Vasamedics Inc., St. Paul, MN). The animals were separated into three blood flow groups: greater than or equal to 62.5 percent of normal blood flow, between 37.5 percent and 62.5 percent of normal blood flow, and less than or equal to 37.5 percent of normal blood flow. Each blood flow group had an anastomosis performed by either stapling or by hand sewing techniques. At six weeks, the anastomoses were opened longitudinally and fixed to determine the anastomotic index (AI). AI is defined as two times the anastomotic circumference over the proximal circumference plus the distal circumference. Blood flow groups and anastomotic technique groups were compared with an interaction variable for the outcome, AI using a two-way analysis of variance. RESULTS: The AI of the stapled anastomoses was found to be significantly higher than handsewn anastomoses (P<0.006). There was no difference in AI between different blood flow groups and no correlation of observed histologic findings with AI. CONCLUSION: Clinically relevant ischemia does not directly influence stricture formation in either handsewn or stapled distal colonic anastomoses.
Index of refraction and its temperature dependence of calcium fluoride near 157 nm

ABSTRACT We have made accurate measurements near 157 nm of the relative index of refraction, its dispersion, and its temperaturedependence for two grades of calcium fluoride in N2 gas. Accurate measurements of these quantities are needed for thedesign of lens systems for 157 nm F2 excimer-laser-based exposure tools for photolithography. These optical properties weremeasured with precision goniometers on prisms of the materials in a N2 atmosphere using the minimum deviation method.The dispersion was determined using line emission radiation from a deuterium lamp at several wavelengths near 157 nm.Values of the relative refractive index for two grades of calcium fluoride in N2 gas corrected to a temperature of 20 °C and apressure of one standard atmosphere are well within our 7 ppm estimated uncertainty for the measurements. The temperatureof the samples and the surrounding medium were controlled to 0.05 °C, which enabled accurate measurements of thetemperature dependencies of the indices around room temperature near 157 nm.Keywords: index of refraction, refractive index, calcium fluoride, CaF2, 157 nm
Purification, characterization, gene sequence, and significance of a bacterioferritin from Mycobacterium leprae.

The study of tissue-derived Mycobacterium leprae provides insights to the immunopathology of leprosy and helps identify broad molecular features necessary for mycobacterial parasitism. A major membrane protein (MMP-II) of in vivo-derived M. leprae previously recognized (Hunter, S.W., B. Rivoire, V. Mehra, B.R. Bloom, and P.J. Brennan. 1990. J. Biol. Chem. 265:14065) was purified from extracts of the organism and partial amino acid sequence obtained. This information allowed recognition, within one of the cosmids that encompass the entire M. leprae genome, of a complete gene, bfr, encoding a protein of subunit size 18.2 kD. The amino acid sequence deduced from the major membrane protein II (MMP-II) gene revealed considerable homology to several bacterioferritins. Analysis of the native protein demonstrated the iron content, absorption spectrum, and large native molecular mass (380 kD) of several known bacterioferritins. The ferroxidase-center residues typical of ferritins were conserved in the M. leprae product. Oligonucleotides derived from the amino acid sequence of M. leprae bacterioferritin enabled amplification of much of the MMP-II gene and the detection of homologous sequences in Mycobacterium paratuberculosis, Mycobacterium avium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium intracellulare, and Mycobacterium scrofulaceum. The role of this iron-rich protein in the virulence of M. leprae is discussed.
Parallel, iterative solution of sparse linear systems: Models and architectures

A model of a general class of asynchronous, iterative solution methods for linear systems is developed. In the model, the system is solved by creating several cooperating tasks that each compute a portion of the solution vector. A data transfer model predicting both the probability that data must be transferred between two tasks and the amount of data to be transferred is presented. This model is used to derive an execution time model for predicting parallel execution time and an optimal number of tasks given the dimension and sparsity of the coefficient matrix and the costs of computation, synchronization, and communication. The suitability of different parallel architectures for solving randomly sparse linear systems is discussed. Based on the complexity of task scheduling, one parallel architecture, based on a broadcast bus, is presented and analyzed.
Coronary calcium scanning adds incremental value to patients with positive stress tests

Abstract Background The sensitivity of coronary calcification by electron beam tomography (EBT) for the detection of coronary atherosclerosis is well-established. Combining the anatomic information of EBT with the functional information of stress testing might reduce the high false-positive result rate seen with treadmill stress test (TMST) alone. No studies have reported the additive value of a negative EBT result (no coronary calcium) for excluding obstructive coronary artery disease (OCAD) in patients with a positive TMST result. This study evaluated the negative predictive value and potential clinical utility of EBT to identify patients with a falsely abnormal TMST. Methods A coronary calcium score was determined by EBT for 153 symptomatic patients who underwent coronary angiography because of a positive TMST. The sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of EBT were determined. A multiple logistic regression analysis compared conventional cardiac risk factors with coronary calcification by EBT for predicting OCAD. A receiver operating characteristic curve was generated plotting sensitivity versus false-positive rate. Results The false-positive rate of the TMST compared with angiography was 27% (41 of 153). The sensitivity of a nonzero coronary calcium score for OCAD was 98% (110 of 112), with a negative predictive value of 93%. According to multiple logistic regression, coronary calcification by EBT was a stronger predictor of OCAD than any conventional cardiac risk factor. EBT calcium added incremental value to the results of the TMST. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis found an area under the curve of 0.91 ( P Conclusions The absence of coronary calcification by EBT reliably identified patients with a false-positive TMST result. The combination of EBT with TMST is a potentially useful diagnostic strategy to reduce the number of false-positive test results. (Am Heart J 2002;143:861-7.)
Influence of Plant Density on Cotton Response to Mepiquat Chloride Application

Increased yield potential associated with full-season cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) varieties can be offset by excessive vegetative growth that leads to undesirable fruit shed and boll rot Producers often make multiple mepiquat chloride (1,1-dimethyl-piperidinium chloride) applications with excessive seasonal use rates to combat this problem, often with inconsistent results. Field studies were conducted in 2004 and 2005 to evaluate reduced plant populations as a potential management tool to be used in conjunction with mepiquat chloride application strategies for managing plant height. Plant populations of 152883, 101929, and 50958 plants ha -1 received a single application at 12 nodes (15.2 g a.i. ha -1 ) or early bloom (45.8 g a.i. ha -1 ), sequential applications at 12 nodes (15.2 g a.i. ha -1 ) and early bloom (30.6 g a.i. ha -1 ), or the modified early bloom schedule (a plant growth regulator application decision aid that recommends rates and timing based on plant growth parameters). Mepiquat chloride application reduced final plant height at least 15 cm compared with the nontreated in both years but also reduced the number of main stem nodes in 2005. In 2005, lint yield was inversely related to plant population, and a significant yield response occurred with the modified early bloom mepiquat chloride application strategy. Mepiquat chloride application increased lint yield in 1 of 2 yr but was useful for reducing plant height regardless of population. Reducing plant population had no adverse effects on lint yield or fiber properties and may be valuable in achieving a desired plant stature with less intensive plant growth regulator management.
Theoretical and Experimental Investigations of N2-selective Membranes

Abstract Coupled theoretical and experimental investigations on the feasibility of N2 permeation through dense metallic membranes comprised of vanadium have been carried out. Due to the strong-binding nature of vanadium, electronic structure calculations have shown that the material is soluble to atomic N following catalytic dissociation. Bench- scale flux experiments followed by material characterization validate a solution-diffusion transport mechanism. Applications of a N2-selective membrane include CO2 capture from coal or natural gas-fired power plants, natural gas purification, and ammonia synthesis.
Inverse optimal control for deterministic continuous-time nonlinear systems

Inverse optimal control is the problem of computing a cost function with respect to which observed state and input trajectories are optimal. We present a new method of inverse optimal control based on minimizing the extent to which observed trajectories violate first-order necessary conditions for optimality. We consider continuous-time deterministic optimal control systems with a cost function that is a linear combination of known basis functions. We compare our approach with three prior methods of inverse optimal control. We demonstrate the performance of these methods by performing simulation experiments using a collection of nominal system models. We compare the robustness of these methods by analysing how they perform under perturbations to the system. To this purpose, we consider two scenarios: one in which we exactly know the set of basis functions in the cost function, and another in which the true cost function contains an unknown perturbation. Results from simulation experiments show that our new method is more computationally efficient than prior methods, performs similarly to prior approaches under large perturbations to the system, and better learns the true cost function under small perturbations.
Drones and the digital panopticon

The XRDS blog highlights a range of topics from conference overviews to privacy and security, from HCI to cryptography. Selected blog posts, edited for print, will be featured in every issue. Please visit xrds.acm.org/blog to read each post in its entirety.
Surfactant Self-Assemblies Near Contact Lines and their Effect on Wetting by Surfactant Solutions

Surfactant self-assembly at the liquid-vapor, solid-liquid, and solid-vapor interfaces controls the wetting behavior of advancing surfactant solutions. While different surfactants exhibit different static and dynamic wetting properties, we show that these behaviors can be understood through an examination of microscopic structures driven by surfactant-surface interactions. We examine surfactant solutions exhibiting complete and partial static wetting as well as spreading by dendritic pattern formation and unsteady, stick-jump behavior. In each case, the observed behavior is related to the structure of the surfactant assemblies in the vicinity of the contact line.