cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Partition chromatography of homologous saccharides on cellulose columns.

Abstract 1. 1. By extension of paper chromatographic techniques to cellulose columns, oligo- and megalosaccharides (D.P. > 10) have been isolated up to a D.P. of 18. 2. 2. Attempts to isolate homologous saccharides by partition chromatography on Celite columns and attempts to separate the cellodextrins failed. 3. 3. The preparation of megalosaccharides was made possible by the use of high temperature (53 °C.), periodic increases in the water content of the solvent as the carbohydrates are eluted, and evenly packed cellulose columns.
Multiple chromosome aberrations in an infant with acute monoblastic leukemia

A male infant was diagnosed at age 16 months with acute monoblastic leukemia. At diagnosis, studies of bone marrow revealed multiple chromosome aberrations: 48,XY,+8,+19,t(4;11). Chromosome studies have been repeated at remission and relapse over the course of his disease. To our knowledge, this combination of chromosome abnormalities has not been previously reported.
Multicolor holographic recording in DuPont holographic recording film: determination of exposure conditions for color balance

A technique is described for determining three-color exposure energies to achieve a specific color balance in multicolor holographic recordings. The technique relies on the application of multivariable analysis to a series of exposures in which the intensity of the three recording colors is varied. Modeling required for the technique is discussed, followed by examples of three-color holographic mirrors exposed simultaneously in experimental full-color photopolymer film.
Magnetic resonance imaging of a third trimester abdominal pregnancy

Abstract Abdominal pregnancies are rare, representing 1% of all ectopic pregnancies. Early and accurate diagnosis is essential in order to avoid the serious complications associated with the condition, including catastrophic hemorrhage secondary to placental separation. The clinical presentation of abdominal pregnancy is extremely variable and physical examination by itself may be insufficient for diagnosis. Ultrasound (US) is currently the imaging method of choice for establishing gestational location, but sonographic interpretation may be difficult due to gas within the gastrointestinal tract and distorted pelvic anatomy. The use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in obstetric diagnosis, including abdominal pregnancy, has been described. We report a case of an abdominal pregnancy of 32 wk gestation diagnosed by MRI.
Clinical use of antimicrobial pharmacodynamic profiles to optimise treatment outcomes in community-acquired bacterial respiratory tract infections: application to telithromycin.

Despite the revolutionary introduction of antibiotic therapy in the post-World War II era, primary care physicians continue to struggle with the issue of optimal treatment strategies for bacterial infection and the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance. The aggressive use of potent agents as first-line therapy maximises the potential for successful eradication of bacterial pathogens and slowing of the development of drug-resistant strains. Therapeutic drug monitoring and quantitative assessment of antibacterial potency are not always feasible in daily practice, but the pharmacodynamic profiles of antibacterials – which integrate pharmacokinetic profiles and microbiological properties – can be used to predict clinical success. Telithromycin possesses pharmacodynamic characteristics that make this novel ketolide an optimal choice for the empirical management of community-acquired respiratory tract infections.
The apparent size of entoptic after-images

Thirty-four male Ss made size and distance estimates of an after-image observed with closed eyes. Size estimates showed small variability, but distance estimates were highly inconsistent. To account for the consistent size estimates it is tentatively proposed that although the subjective impression is of boundless space, with eyes closed the sensory system acts as if the eyes are fixated at a finite rather than infinite distance.
The effect of protein malnutrition on toxic porphyria.

The aim of the study was to determine whether protein depletion or repletion influences the chemical induction and clinical signs of hepatocutaneous porphyria. Weanling pigs, aged 21 days, were divided into 3 groups according to diet. Group 1 was depleted on a 3% casein diet plus 25% corn oil for 8 weeks, group 2 received the control diet containing 24% casein and 3% corn oil for a similar period and group 3 was given the depletion diet for 6 weeks and the control diet for 2 weeks. Half the animals in each group received the collidine derivative diethyl 1, 4-dihydro-2,4, 6-trimethylpyridine-3,5-dicarboxylate (DDC) (200 mg/kg or 400 mg/kg) for the last 7-10 days of the study. Hypoproteinemia was directly related to the diet schedule and independent of DDC intake. Erythrocyte protoporphyrin levels fell with protein depletion, increased with protein repletion, but were not influenced by the porphyrogenic agent. Increased biliary excretion of protoporphyrin occurred in all pigs on DDC. Hepatic deposition of protoporphyrin was minimal in protein deprived animals which showed fatty infiltration of the liver. Phototoxic skin reactions evoked in the animals on high protein diets were unobtainable in the protein depleted groups. Decreased plasma transport of protoporphyrin occurred as a direct result of protein malnutrition and was correlated with hypoalbummemia. Protein depletion inhibited the clinical and biochemical evidences of chemical porphyria due to the failure of protoporphyrin to accumulate in the damaged liver and also because transport of this porphyrin to the skin was restricted.
A phenomenological picture of P-wave meson multiplet inversion

Abstract We use the observed mass patterns for well-established P-wave multiplets to predict the behavior of heavy-light states. A P-wave sum rule establishes the progression toward multiplet inversion as one quark becomes very massive.
Host Traits Influencing Severity of White Mold of Potatoes in a Rainfed Environment

Differences among cultivars of Solanum tuberosum L. in susceptibility to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary have been noted through observation and research. Traits hypothesized as having a potential effect upon susceptibility included, flower propensity, time to 50 % flowering, flowering duration, canopy density, oxalic acid sensitivity, and maturity. Field plots were planted using seven cultivars in which these variables were quantified and analyzed. Identification of those factors providing the greatest amount of information towards disease severity were identified using multiple linear regression, and parameter selection using Akaike’s Information Criterion. The factors of maturity (R2 = 0.77), time to 50 % flower (R2 = 0.64), and oxalic acid sensitivity (R2 = 0.57) were identified as providing the greatest predictive indices of white mold severity in potatoes.
A geometric characterization of the groups Suz and HS

Buekenhout and Hubaut [BH] studied finite connected c.C,-geometries (more generally, c.C,,-geometries) r whose point-residues are classical quadrangles, admitting a flag-transitive group G whose point stabilizer induces an automorphism group containing the corresponding classical simple group. In their Lemma 7.3, however, they overlooked the group M,, as a transitive extension of M,, acting on the 10 points of a line in a U,(3)quadrangle H,(3’). There is, in fact, an interesting c.C,-geometry associated with the sporadic Suzuki group Suz with such point residues (see [BF], [Bu]). This is a 3-local geometry; it was described in [St]; [Ro, 7.2, pp,326-3271. The set 9 is a certain conjugacy class of subgroups of order 3 in SUZ, and the sets 9 and 9 consist of pairs and maximal sets of mutually commuting subgroups in 9”, respectively. Recently, A. Del Fra, D. Ghinelli, T. Meixner, and A. Pasini [FGMP] studied c.C,-geometries whose point-residues are classical thick quadrangles, admitting a flag-transitive group G. They succeeded in classifying these geometries, except in the case where point-residues are again isomorphic to the U,(3)-quadrangle H,(3’).
Biochemical, molecular, and phylogenetic analysis of pyruvate carboxylase in the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti

Pyruvate carboxylase (PC, pyruvate: carbon dioxide ligase [ADP-forming], EC 6.4.1.1) was purified from the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti. The purified PC showed two polypeptides of similar M(r) (133 and 128 k). The N-terminal sequences of both polypeptides were shown to be very similar, if not identical. A polyclonal antiserum against the 133 kDa polypeptide cross-reacted strongly with the 128 kDa polypeptide. PC was found in all tissues examined. Using a semi-quantitative Western blot assay, PC was shown to be concentrated in the indirect flight muscles and fat body preparations. The ratios of the 133 to 128 kDa polypeptides were shown to differ in various tissues and an Aedes albopictus cell line. The indirect flight muscle was the only tissue in which the 128 kDa polypeptide was more abundant, while both the midgut and the cell line showed almost exclusively the 133 kDa polypeptide. Both peptides were present in varying amounts in brain, malpighian tubule, ovary and fat body preparation. The two isoforms of PC could play different roles in the flight muscle and other tissues. Clones covering a complete cDNA of PC of A. aegypti were obtained using a directional approach. The 3952 bp nucleotide sequence, including a 3585 bp coding region, was determined from these cDNA clones. The deduced 1195 amino acid sequence has a calculated M(r) of 132,200. A putative mitochondrial targeting sequence was determined by comparing the deduced amino acid sequence to the N-terminal sequences of the mature protein. The presence of a mitochondrial targeting sequence indicates that the mosquito PC encoded by the cloned cDNA may be localized in the mitochondria. After the targeting sequence, three functional domains were identified in the following order; biotin carboxylase (BC), carboxyltransferase (CT) and biotin carboxyl carrier protein (BCCP). The mosquito PC showed very high similarity to PCs from other sources (55.1-75.2% identity). Genomic Southern analysis indicated that there could be two similar PC genes or a single PC gene with allelic polymorphism in the A. aegypti genome. The evolutionary relationship of PCs among different organisms was consistent with the accepted evolutionary relationship of their host organisms. The evolution of the domain structures of the biotin-dependent carboxylases including PC was also investigated. This analysis indicates that biotin-dependent carboxylases evolved from a common origin. The analysis also provides evidence for early gene duplication events that shaped the family of biotin-dependent carboxylases. Clear evidence for the coevolution of BC and BCCP domains is presented, although they are associated with very different CT domains and the relative position of the three functional domains varies between members of the biotin-dependent carboxylases.
Analytical Trends in Asbestos Analysis: New York State's Bulk Sample Proficiency-Testing Program

Several analytical trends have been observed during the last 8 years of the New York State Department of Health's Environmental Laboratory Approval Program proficiency-testing program for analysis of asbestos in bulk samples. Wollastonite was the most commonly misclassified nonasbestos mineral fiber, with approximately 3–5% of participating laboratories misidentifying it as various amphibole asbestos species in any given round. Most laboratories made this mistake only once. A bias toward reporting percentages higher than formulation was noted for asbestos. This was particularly true of samples with low (<10% by weight) asbestos concentrations. Amosite asbestos consistently produced the highest bias, with the less common types (other amphiboles) yielding the most accurate results. When presumptive results for visual estimation were compared with presumptive results for point counting, point-counting results were significantly more accurate than visual-estimation results. Experience with point counting tend...
Understanding How Latino Parents Choose Beverages to Serve to Infants and Toddlers

To determine Latino parents’ beliefs on the health effects of beverages on infants and toddlers, their sources of information on beverages and perceived barriers to following guidelines for healthy beverage consumption by children. We conducted 29 interviews with parents of Latino children ages 6–36 months. Parents were recruited in three community health centers in Northern California. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed using standard qualitative methods. The following dominant themes emerged. Parents believed that water and milk were healthy beverages for children and that sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) were unhealthy. Views on 100 % fruit juice were mixed. Parents distinguished between homemade beverages such as “agua fresca” which they considered healthy, despite containing added sugar, and beverages from stores which were viewed as unhealthy. Participants’ main source of information on beverages was the federal nutrition program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Parents were confused, however, as to why WIC provides juice yet counseled parents to avoid giving their children juice. Parents preferred to receive information on beverages from experts. Differing practices among family members regarding which beverages they provide to children was the most important barrier to following beverage guidelines. Our study suggests that Latino parents are receptive to counseling on beverages from expert sources. Such counseling should address both store-bought and homemade beverages. The WIC program is a key source of information on beverages for Latino parents; thus counseling offered by WIC should be evidence-based and avoid mixed messages.
Overexpression of Human Fatty Acid Transport Protein 2/Very Long Chain Acyl-CoA Synthetase 1 (FATP2/Acsvl1) Reveals Distinct Patterns of Trafficking of Exogenous Fatty Acids

Abstract In mammals, the fatty acid transport proteins (FATP1 through FATP6) are members of a highly conserved family of proteins, which function in fatty acid transport proceeding through vectorial acylation and in the activation of very long chain fatty acids, branched chain fatty acids and secondary bile acids. FATP1, 2 and 4, for example directly function in fatty acid transport and very long chain fatty acids activation while FATP5 does not function in fatty acid transport but activates secondary bile acids. In the present work, we have used stable isotopically labeled fatty acids differing in carbon length and saturation in cells expressing FATP2 to gain further insights into how this protein functions in fatty acid transport and intracellular fatty acid trafficking. Our previous studies showed the expression of FATP2 modestly increased C16:0-CoA and C20:4-CoA and significantly increased C18:3-CoA and C22:6-CoA after 4 h. The increases in C16:0-CoA and C18:3-CoA suggest FATP2 must necessarily partner with a long chain acyl CoA synthetase (Acsl) to generate C16:0-CoA and C18:3-CoA through vectorial acylation. The very long chain acyl CoA synthetase activity of FATP2 is consistent in the generation of C20:4-CoA and C22:6-CoA coincident with transport from their respective exogenous fatty acids. The trafficking of exogenous fatty acids into phosphatidic acid (PA) and into the major classes of phospholipids (phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylinositol (PI), and phosphatidyserine (PS)) resulted in distinctive profiles, which changed with the expression of FATP2. The trafficking of exogenous C16:0 and C22:6 into PA was significant where there was 6.9- and 5.3-fold increased incorporation, respectively, over the control; C18:3 and C20:4 also trended to increase in the PA pool while there were no changes for C18:1 and C18:2. The trafficking of C18:3 into PC and PI trended higher and approached significance. In the case of C20:4, expression of FATP2 resulted in increases in all four classes of phospholipid, indicating little selectivity. In the case of C22:6, there were significant increases of this exogenous fatty acids being trafficking into PC and PI. Collectively, these data support the conclusion that FATP2 has a dual function in the pathways linking the transport and activation of exogenous fatty acids. We discuss the differential roles of FATP2 and its role in both fatty acid transport and fatty acid activation in the context of lipid homeostasis.
The Responses of VIP Neurons Are Sufficiently Sensitive to Support Heading Judgments

The ventral intraparietal area (VIP) of the macaque monkey is thought to be involved in judging heading direction based on optic flow. We recorded neuronal discharges in VIP while monkeys were performing a two-alternative, forced-choice heading discrimination task to relate quantitatively the activity of VIP neurons to monkeys' perceptual choices. Most VIP neurons were responsive to simulated heading stimuli and were tuned such that their responses changed across a range of forward trajectories. Using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, we found that most VIP neurons were less sensitive to small heading changes than was the monkey, although a minority of neurons were equally sensitive. Pursuit eye movements modestly yet significantly increased both neuronal and behavioral thresholds by approximately the same amount. Our results support the view that VIP activity is involved in self-motion judgments.
Displays and displacement of circulation

Studies of displays have, in the main, been limited to examining the effect of the display phenomenon on the items on display. An experiment involving eight small public libraries in one Illinois library system tested the broader effect of displays on tumover rate and total circulation. Results found that displaying books from the adult circulating collection did not significantly increase overall library circulation or circulation of adult books. While books on display may circulate more often, there is evidence that this circulation is displaced from other areas of the collection.
Controlled Compositional Disorder in Er3+:Y2SiO5 Provides a Wide-Bandwidth Spectral Hole Burning Material at 1.5mum

The subgigahertz spectral bandwidth of the lowest energy $1.5\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$ ${\mathrm{Er}}^{3+}$ $^{4}I_{15∕2}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}^{4}I_{13∕2}$ optical transition in ${\mathrm{Er}}^{3+}:{\mathrm{Y}}_{2}\mathrm{Si}{\mathrm{O}}_{5}$ has been increased to $\ensuremath{\sim}22\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{GHz}$ by intentionally introducing compositional disorder through codoping with ${\mathrm{Eu}}^{3+}$ impurity ions. This illustrates a general bandwidth control technique for spectral hole burning device applications including spatial-spectral holography and quantum computing. Coherence measurements by stimulated photon echoes demonstrated that the increased disorder does not perturb the dynamical properties of the ${\mathrm{Er}}^{3+}$ transition and, thus, gives the desired bandwidth enhancement without penalty in other properties. The echo measurements and model analysis also show that phonon-driven spin flips of ${\mathrm{Er}}^{3+}$ ions in the ground state are responsible for the spectral diffusion that was observed for the optical transition. These results collectively give a better understanding of both the nature of disorder and of the ion-ion interactions in doped materials, and they also enable the high bandwidths required for signal processing and memory applications at $1.5\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$ based on spectral hole burning.
All-printed smart structures: a viable option?

The last two decades have seen evolution of smart materials and structures technologies from theoretical concepts to physical realization in many engineering fields. These include smart sensors and actuators, active damping and vibration control, biomimetics, and structural health monitoring. Recently, additive manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing and printed electronics have received attention as methods to produce 3D objects or electronic components for prototyping or distributed manufacturing purposes. In this paper, the viability of manufacturing all-printed smart structures, with embedded sensors and actuators, will be investigated. To this end, the current 3D printing and printed electronics technologies will be reviewed first. Then, the plausibility of combining these two different additive manufacturing technologies to create all-printed smart structures will be discussed. Potential applications for this type of all-printed smart structures include most of the traditional smart structures where sensors and actuators are embedded or bonded to the structures to measure structural response and cause desired static and dynamic changes in the structure.
Greetings from the Interim Editor

It is always interesting to see a journal issue come together. Inevitably, I find there to be a thread running through—even when the issue is not a special issue focused on a particular topic. Such...
Bayes minimax estimators of a multivariate normal mean, with application to generalized ridge regression

Let be a p-variate (p≥ 3) normal vector with unknown mean and covariance matrix of the form σ2A, whereσ2>0 is unknown and A is a known pxp positive definite matrix. Consider the problem of estimating relative to the loss function where Q is a known pxp positive definite matrix. In this paper we generalize a result of Strawderman [Ann. Statist. 1(1973), 1189-1194] to obtain a class of Bayes estimators for and show that a subclass of the Bayes estimators is minimax. An application of this result to a generalized ridge regression yields optimal values for the biasing constants.
Improving epidemiological surveys of sexual behaviour conducted by telephone

Background This study assesses the impact of Telephone Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interviewing (T-ACASI) on the reporting of sensitive (mainly heterosexual) behaviours. Methods A randomized experiment was embedded in a telephone survey that drew probability samples of the populations of the USA (N = 1543) and Baltimore city (N = 744). Respondents were randomly assigned to have questions asked either by a T-ACASI computer or by a human telephone interviewer. Results Compared with interviewer-administered telephone surveys, T-ACASI obtained more frequent reporting of a range of mainly heterosexual behaviours that were presumed to be sensitive, including recency of anal sex [adjusted odds ratio (A-OR) = 2.00, P < 0.001), sex during menstrual period (A-OR = 1.49, P < 0.001), giving oral sex (A-OR = 1.40, P = 0.001) and receiving oral sex (A-OR = 1.36, P = 0.002), and sexual difficulties for the respondent (A-OR = 1.45, P = 0.034) and their main sex partner (A-OR = 1.48, P = 0.0). T-ACASI also obtained less frequent reporting that respondent had a ‘main sex partner’ (A-OR = 0.56, P = 0.011) and discussed contraception prior to first sex with that sex partner (A-OR = 0.82, P = 0.094). For both males and females, T-ACASI obtained more frequent reports of first vaginal sex occurring at early ages (before ages 12 through 15). ‘For males only’, T-ACASI also elicited more frequent reports that first vaginal sex had ‘not’ occurred at later ages (i.e. by ages 20 through 24). Conclusion T-ACASI increases the likelihood that survey respondents will report sensitive heterosexual behaviours.
Phylogenetic comparisons of a coastal bacterioplankton community with its counterparts in open ocean and freshwater systems.

In order to extend previous comparisons between coastal marine bacterioplankton communities and their open ocean and freshwater counterparts, here we summarize and provide new data on a clone library of 105 SSU rRNA genes recovered from seawater collected over the western continental shelf of the USA in the Pacific Ocean. Comparisons to previously published data revealed that this coastal bacterioplankton clone library was dominated by SSU rRNA gene phylotypes originally described from surface waters of the open ocean, but also revealed unique SSU rRNA gene lineages of β Proteobacteria related to those found in clone libraries from freshwater habitats. β Proteobacteria lineages common to coastal and freshwater samples included members of a clade of obligately methylotrophic bacteria, SSU rRNA genes affiliated with Xylophilus ampelinus, and a clade related to the genus Duganella. In addition, SSU rRNA genes were recovered from such previously recognized marine bacterioplankton SSU rRNA gene clone clusters as the SAR86, SAR11, and SAR116 clusters within the class Proteobacteria, the Roseobacter clade of the α subclass of the Proteobacteria, the marine group A/SAR406 cluster, and the marine Actinobacteria clade. Overall, these results support and extend previous observations concerning the global distribution of several marine planktonic prokaryote SSU rRNA gene phylotypes, but also show that coastal bacterioplankton communities contain SSU rRNA gene lineages (and presumably bacterioplankton) shown previously to be prevalent in freshwater habitats.
Component synthesis from functional descriptions

The authors point out that in functional modeling, the functionalities of one or more components, like arithmetic/logic units, memories, and counters, are described as separate concurrent blocks. An algorithm, called the functional synthesis algorithm (FSA), for synthesis from these functional descriptions is presented. The algorithm automatically synthesizes components needed to implement a functional description while minimizing hardware costs and performance. Since a functional description uses standard operators in the hardware description language, a mismatch between the operators of the language and the functionalities provided by library components arises. FSA solves this functionality mismatch problem by pattern matching between the description and a library of function patterns. In addition, FSA clusters functions to maximally match components from a given library. Experimental results show that automated functional synthesis produces designs that are comparable to those produced by human designers. >
Inhibition of germ tube development of Aspergillus fumigatus in cell-free transudate produced in subcutaneous chambers in rabbits

The interaction of Aspergillus fumigatus conidia with host factors produced in rabbits was studied by means of subcutaneous, perforated plastic chambers. Transudate fluid from sporefree chambers, sampled 30 days after implantation, supported germ tube development and rapid hyphal growth of A. fumigatus in an assay in vitro. Inoculation of spores into chambers implanted 30 days previously produced a rapid infiltration of leukocytes, predominately neutrophils, into the chamber fluid. Cell-free supernatants, prepared from transudates collected 5–6 days after inoculation, inhibited germ tube development in vitro. This inhibition was also demonstrated using lysates derived from 3·6 × 106 leukocytes obtained from chambers 5 days after inoculation with 1 × 107 spores. However, lysates derived from > 107 leukocytes obtained from pre-inoculated chambers as well as peritoneal exudate cells did not inhibit germ tube development in vitro. The inhibitory activity of cell free supernatants was not altered by heating at...
EVIDENCE FOR A SYNDEMIC IN AGING HIV‐POSITIVE GAY, BISEXUAL, AND OTHER MSM: IMPLICATIONS FOR A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO PREVENTION AND HEALTH CARE

The theory of syndemics has been widely applied in HIV-prevention studies of gay, bisexual, and other MSM (men who have sex with men) over the last decade. Our investigation is the first to consider the applicability of the theory in a sample of aging (ages 50 and over) HIV-positive MSM, which is a growing population in the United States. A sample of 199 men were actively recruited and assessed in terms of mental health and drug-use burden, as well as sexual risk behaviors. Bivariate and multivariable analyses indicate a high level of association between psychosocial burdens (i.e., drug use and mental health) and same-sex unprotected sexual behaviors, providing initial support for the applicability of the theory of syndemics to this population. Further support can be seen in participants’ narratives. Findings suggest the mutually reinforcing nature of drug use, psychiatric disorders, and unprotected sexual behavior in older, HIV-positive, gay, bisexual, and other MSM, highlighting the need for holistic strategies to prevention and care among this population of older and sexually active individuals. In short, the generation of gay men who came of age in the late 1970s and 1980s, “the AIDS Generation,” are continuing to mature such that further efforts must be enacted to meet the multidimensional nature of these men's physical, mental, and sexual health needs.
Echocardiographic Features of Cardiac Angiosarcomas: The Mayo Clinic Experience (1976-2013).

Objective Cardiac angiosarcoma is the most common primary malignant cardiac tumor. The dismal prognosis and nonspecific symptomatology underscore the need for an accurate and cost-effective approach to the identification and characterization of this rare tumor. Methods Mayo Clinic tissue registry archives were queried for all histologically confirmed cases of cardiac angiosarcoma (1976–2013) with available imaging data. Echocardiograms were retrospectively reviewed. Results Thirty-three cases of cardiac angiosarcoma were identified; of these, 17 had echocardiograms available (mean age, 46 years; six men). Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) as the initial diagnostic test had 75% sensitivity for visualizing primary cardiac angiosarcoma (9/12 patients). Tumor extension into the pericardium was common and pericardial effusion was present in 15 patients (88%); however, pericardial fluid cytology was negative for malignancy in all tested patients (n = 15). Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was preserved in 16 patients (94%) (average LVEF, 62%). Right ventricular function was mildly reduced in two patients (12%) at initial presentation. Tricuspid valve obstruction was present in three patients (18%; mean diastolic gradient, 6.3 mmHg [range, 3–11 mmHg]). Conclusion The sensitivity of TTE as the first diagnostic imaging modality compared favorably with computed tomography. Pericardial effusion was common, but pericardial fluid cytology was negative in all patients who underwent pericardiocentesis. The absence of a stalk was a universal finding that may help distinguish angiosarcoma from benign, primarily pedunculated tumors such as myxoma and papillary fibroelastoma.
Welcome to the Journal of Medical Imaging.

I am extremely pleased to welcome you to the inaugural issue of the SPIE Journal of Medical Imaging (JMI). The medical imaging community, especially attendees of the SPIE Medical Imaging (MI) conference, have repeatedly voiced the need for a peer-reviewed avenue for the research they present at the conference. The over 1200 attendees to MI come from academia, industry, government labs, and medical institutions, with varying publication needs. Having both the proceedings of the conference and now this peer-reviewed Journal of Medical Imaging will fulfill these multiple needs, as well as introduce an effective mechanism for the dissemination and archiving of scientific research and developments in medical imaging from proceedings to peer-reviewed journal.
Cerebrospinal Fluid Diffusion of Kanamycin in Newborn Infants

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diffusion of kanamycin was studied in 35 newborn infants. Five infants had bacterial meningitis and two had viral meningitis. One-half of the infants received an intramuscular injection of 7.5 mg of kanamycin per kg, whereas the other half received 12.5 mg/kg. Serum and CSF specimens were obtained 3 to 6 hr and 11 to 12 hr after injection. No significant difference was observed between serum levels of kanamycin after the 7.5 and 12.5 mg/kg doses at either sampling time. However, at 3 to 6 hr, in those infants without meningitis, there was a significantly higher concentration of kanamycin in the CSF after the larger 12.5 mg/kg dose. CSF levels of kanamycin did not rise to the desirable therapeutic range with either dose. We were unable to draw a definite conclusion regarding the CSF diffusion of kanamycin in bacterial meningitis, but our data suggest that complete confidence in intramuscular kanamycin in the treatment of gram-negative neonatal meningitis may not be justified, even in those cases with a brisk inflammatory response.
Application of adaptive block matching in the extraction of temporal motor activity signals from video recordings of neonatal seizures

The paper presents a procedure developed to extract quantitative information from video recordings of neonatal seizures in the form of temporal motor activity signals. The motor activity signals are extracted by tracking selected anatomical sites during the seizure using adaptive block matching. The motion of a block of pixels is quantified by searching for the most similar block of pixels in subsequent frames; this search is facilitated by employing various update strategies to account for the changing appearance of the block. Experiments indicate that the temporal motor activity signals extracted by the proposed procedure constitute an effective representation of videotaped clinical events and can be used for seizure recognition and characterization.
Minority Influence in Virtual Groups: A Comparison of Four Theories of Minority Influence

This study examined minority influence within virtual groups and how members’ geographic dispersion and argument consistency affect group decisions. Competing predictions were derived from several theories that were applicable but untested in the domain of online interaction: a double minority effect, the black sheep effect, congruity theory applied to groups, and the minority leniency contract framework. Online groups were created that had 4 collocated members or 4 geographically distributed members, or 2 collocated and 2 isolated members. Group members were provided biased distributions of information resembling a hidden profile to facilitate majority and minority positions resulting in 24 groups with a minority opinion holder geographically isolated or in proximity with one or more other members. The patterns of minority members’ influence on majority members’ decisions lent greatest support to the black sheep effect, congruity, and minority leniency approaches, depending on the respective location of ...
Hyperbolic behaviour of geodesic flows on manifolds with no focal points

We consider a Riemannian manifold M with no focal points such that the universal cover contains a geodesic which does not bound a flat totally geodesically embedded half plane. It is shown that (i) If the non-wandering set of the geodesic flow is the whole of SM , then the closed orbits are dense in SM . (ii) If M is compact then the geodesic flow is ergodic and Bernoulli with respect to the Liouville measure on SM.
Theory of wavelet transform over finite fields

We develop the theory of the wavelet transform over Galois fields. To avoid the limitations inherent in the number theoretic Fourier transform over finite fields, our wavelet transform relies on a basis decomposition in the time domain rather than in the frequency domain. First, we characterize the infinite dimensional vector spaces for which an orthonormal basis expansion of any sequence in the space can be obtained using a symmetric bilinear form. Then, by employing a symmetric, non-degenerate, canonical bilinear form we derive the necessary and sufficient condition that basis functions over finite fields must satisfy in order to construct an orthogonal wavelet transform. Finally, we give a design methodology to generate the mother wavelet and scaling function over Galois fields by relating the wavelet transform to a two channel paraunitary filter bank.
Phenotypic Value of Corrective Matings In Holstein Cattle. 1. First Generation

Abstract One hundred seventy-six Holstein cows were assigned to be used for foundation matings to determine effects of corrective mating for type on type traits, production, and longevity of first generation daughters. At parturition, cows were paired by age within two herds and assigned randomly to corrective or control (random mating) groups. A sire pool in each herd was based on minimum levels for production and type. Each sire selected for the corrected member of the pair also was assigned to the random member. Animals continued in the same group for the duration of the experiment, and all subsequent daughters were considered to be first generation offspring. Data were collected from January 1982 to January 1991. The final data set contained 430 first generation daughters. Variables studied to determine effects of corrective mating on first generation daughters were first classification and linear type trait scores, first lactation twice daily milking 305-d mature equivalent milk and fat, lifetime production of milk and fat, sire PTA for milk, percentage of survival, percentage of daughters showing improvement over dam's worst trait, and phenotypic variation between groups. No significant group differences existed for any of the calculated measures. Results suggests that, once careful selection of a sire pool has been implemented, specific assignment of mates of those sires is of little importance.
Plasma concentration of cross-linked fibrin degradation product (D-dimer) and the risk of future myocardial infarction among apparently healthy men

BACKGROUNDPlasma levels of D-dimer, the primary degradation product of cross-linked fibrin, are elevated in several acute thrombotic disorders. However, whether elevated D-dimer levels among healthy individuals are associated with future coronary thrombosis is unknown.METHODS AND RESULTSTo evaluate whether levels of D-dimer are associated with the occurrence of future myocardial infarction (MI) among apparently healthy men, levels were measured in plasma samples collected at baseline from 296 participants in the Physicians' Health Study who later developed a first MI and from an equal number of age- and smoking status-matched control subjects who remained free of vascular disease during a mean follow-up period of 60.2 months. In univariate analyses, baseline plasma concentrations of D-dimer in the upper ranges of normal were associated with elevated risks of MI. Specifically, the relative risk of future MI for individuals with baseline D-dimer concentration exceeding the 95th percentile of the control dis...
High-efficiency polycrystalline CdTe thin-film solar cells with an oxygenated amorphous cds (a-CdS:O) window layer

In the conventional CdS/CdTe device structure, the poly-CdS window layer has a bandgap of /spl sim/2.4 eV, which causes absorption in the short-wavelength region. Higher short-circuit current densities (J/sub sc/) can be achieved by reducing the CdS thickness, but this can adversely impact device open-circuit voltage (V/sub oc/) and fill factor (FF). Also, poly-CdS film has about 10% lattice mismatch related to the CdTe film, which limits the improvement of device V/sub oc/ and FF. In this paper, we report a novel window material: oxygenated amorphous CdS film (a-CdS:O) prepared at room temperature by rf sputtering. The a-CdS:O film has a higher optical bandgap (2.5-3.1 eV) than the poly-CdS film and an amorphous structure. The preliminary device results have demonstrated that J/sub sc/ of the CdTe device can be greatly improved while maintaining higher V/sub oc/ and FF. We have fabricated a CdTe cell demonstrating an NREL-confirmed J/sub sc/ of 25.85 mA/cm/sup 2/ and a total-area efficiency of 15.4%.
Inositol phosphate kinase 2 is required for imaginal disc development in Drosophila

Inositol phosphate kinase 2 (Ipk2), also known as IP multikinase IPMK, is an evolutionarily conserved protein that initiates production of inositol phosphate intracellular messengers (IPs), which are critical for regulating nuclear and cytoplasmic processes. Here we report that Ipk2 kinase activity is required for the development of the adult fruit fly epidermis. Ipk2 mutants show impaired development of their imaginal discs, the primordial tissues that form the adult epidermis. Although disk tissue seems to specify normally during early embryogenesis, loss of Ipk2 activity results in increased apoptosis and impairment of proliferation during larval and pupal development. The proliferation defect is in part attributed to a reduction in JAK/STAT signaling, possibly by controlling production or secretion of the pathway’s activating ligand, Unpaired. Constitutive activation of the JAK/STAT pathway downstream of Unpaired partially rescues the disk growth defects in Ipk2 mutants. Thus, IP production is essential for proliferation of the imaginal discs, in part, by regulating JAK/STAT signaling. Our work demonstrates an essential role for Ipk2 in producing inositide messengers required for imaginal disk tissue maturation and subsequent formation of adult body structures and provides molecular insights to signaling pathways involved in tissue growth and stability during development.
Stratigraphy in phylogeny reconstruction—comment on Smith (2000)

We welcome Andrew Smith's (2000) commentary on attempts to make the best use of incomplete morphologic and stratigraphic data to understand the history of life. However, he misrepresents several recent studies that have encouraged use of stratigraphic data in phylogenetic inference. We focus here on issues relating directly to stratocladistics. Smith's critique begins with the issue of how finely to divide time when coding data on stratigraphic order. He notes that a highly resolved temporal record has greater potential to refute morphologically based inferences of relationship than does the same pattern of stratigraphic occurrence, coded at lower resolution. However, the sensitivity of stratocladistics to the coding resolution of stratigraphic data is a well known property of the method (Fisher, 1992, p. 126) and has been discussed in detail (Clyde and Fisher, 1997, p. 4, 5, and 8). In Smith's (2000, p. 764) caricature of stratocladistics, “no objective threshold … exists” for picking the appropriate level of resolution, but the method actually gives no leave to overstate resolution, let alone adjust it until a desired result is achieved. The fundamental principle is that stratigraphic data should not be coded with a precision greater than can be supported by stratigraphic/biochronologic correlation. Global analyses tend to be limited to a coarse rendering of the temporal record (Bloch et al., 2001; Bodenbender and Fisher, 2001). Studies with a more restricted temporal and geographic focus may permit greater resolution, but are warranted only when knowledge of paleobiology and biogeography suggest that relevant observations are not being excluded. The threshold for judging how much resolution is “too much” is thus determined by stratigraphic and biochronologic relations among the data, augmented by factors such as patterns of occurrence of taphonomic controls. Smith next turns to the simulation study of Fox et …
Giant gain enhancement in photonic crystals with a degenerate band edge

We propose a new approach leading to giant gain enhancement. It is based on unconventional slow-wave resonance associated with a degenerate band edge (DBE) in the dispersion diagram for a special class of photonic crystals supporting four modes at each frequency. We show that the gain enhancement in a Fabry-P\'erot cavity (FPC) when operating at the DBE is several orders of magnitude stronger when compared to a cavity of the same length made of a standard photonic crystal with a regular band edge (RBE). The giant gain condition is explained by a significant increase in the photon lifetime and in the local density of states. We have demonstrated the existence of DBE operated special cavities that provide for superior gain conditions for solid-state lasers, quantum cascade lasers, traveling wave tubes, and distributed solid-state amplifiers. We also report the possibility to achieve low-threshold lasing in FPC with DBE compared to RBE-based lasers.
Personnel to Serve the Aging in the Field of Social Work: Implications for Educating Professionals

This survey of 476 members of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) was conducted to better describe their characteristics, educational background, and perceptions of the field of aging. The findings indicated that although 26 percent (29,650) of NASW members currently work with older people, 62 percent of those who do not work with older people reported that gerontology knowledge was required in their current jobs. Respondents perceived that the area of aging would be much larger and more important in the future, and they recommended increased gerontological preparation for all social work students.
Covariant noether identities in covariant field theories

In covariant field theories such as general relativity the application of Noether’s theorem results in a set of identities which are satisfied regardless of whether the field equations are satisfied or not (so-called strong-conservation laws). In the conventional formulation these identities contain nontensorial quantities and nontensorial operations. Thus, for example, the energy-momentum pseudotensor of general relativity is obtained from such formulations. In this paper the identities arising from Noether’s theorem are written in an obviously covariant form containing only tensors and covariant derivatives. As an example we give these identities for general relativity.
Distance library services for doctor of pharmacy students: A case study

SUMMARY Doctor of Pharmacy students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison spend their final year of study working side-by-side with pharmacists throughout Wisconsin. Clerkship rotations often take place outside of Madison, away from familiar and dependable library resources and services. To make the transition from campus to community as smooth as possible, librarians have developed a focused orientation and a detailed field guide to provide students with the tools for a productive and successful year working and studying at a distance. This article will outline the library's orientation program, describe the elements included in the distance services field guide, and highlight the pre- and post-clerkship assessment tools to be used in measuring satisfaction with the program in the future.
Instrumented-Indentation for Mechanical Characterization of Boron Carbide Nano-Composite Coatings

Boron carbide (BC) is well known as a coating material that is important for a wide range of technological applications. The applicability of boron carbide stems from the fact that it is a very hard material with high lubricity, high elastic modulus, low specific gravity, and good chemical stability. Disadvantages, however, include extreme brittleness and sometimes poor adhesion. Recently, a reactive sputtering involving boron carbide targets and hydrocarbon gases has been used to produce novel nano-composite boron carbide thin films comprised of BC nano-crystals embedded in a matrix of hydrogenated amorphous carbon (DLC). The microstructure of these thin films is similar to that of other metal carbide/DLC nano-composite films. The present paper discusses the results of Vickers indentation experiments carried out on four different samples of boron carbide/DLC coatings that were sputtered deposited onto 52100 steel disks. The four different samples resulted from four different levels of hydrocarbon gas flow during processing. Acoustic emission data was recorded simultaneously with the indentation experiments. The indentations and the associated crack patterns were observed using scanning electron microscopy.
Stimulated Backscattering and Six-wave Mixing in a Series of LiNbO3:Fe Crystals

The conditions for the stimulated backscatter in LiNbO3:Fe are correlated with the concentration of Fe and surface coatings. The degree of spatial coherence in the stimulated backscatter is determined by interferometry.