cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Chronic Daily Headache—Comparison to Criteria for Chronic Tension-Type Headache:

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the adequacy of the International Headache Society (IHS) criteria for chronic tension-type headache and, if appropriate, suggest modifications of the IHS classification. We evaluated 100 consecutive patients with chronic daily headache. Approximately two-thirds of our patients fulfilled the criteria for chronic tension-type headache. Most of the patients who failed to meet the criteria did so because they had more than one migrainous feature. Approximately 50% of patients took excessive amounts of analgesic medication. We conclude that the IHS criteria should be modified to include chronic daily headache evolving from migraine; subtypes with and without medication overuse should be distinguished.
Intellectual Property Rights in Agriculture and the Interests of Asian-Pacific Economies

This paper describes recent and ongoing processes of technological change in agriculture, which has become a highly R&D-intensive sector in many countries of the Asia-Pacific region. It also considers the role of various forms of intellectual property rights (IPRs) in promoting such technological changes and in affecting their diffusion through the region. A central part of the discussion is a review of how these various IPRs operate and are protected in major economies of the region. There is an assessment of the economic interests of key countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, China, Japan and the Republic of Korea, in global and regional policy evolution in agricultural IPRs. These interests are a mix of comparative advantage in farming, which is quite distinctive among these countries, and the technological basis of production, which is more convergent. A review of available measures of innovation in the region suggests that all of these economies are active in developing new agricultural technologies, although there is considerable specialisation in the types of processes developed. Given this mix of divergence in comparative costs and convergence in technology interests, it is difficult to describe sharply the preferences these economies may have in continued globalisation of agricultural IPRs. However, the analysis points to some areas in which countries may continue to specialise – thereby retaining the ability to remain in specific areas of farming – and other fields in which international collaboration may be sensible.
Three distinct forms of atrial natriuretic factor receptors: kidney tubular epithelium cells and vascular smooth muscle cells contain different types of receptors.

Summary Three distinct ANF receptor subtypes have been identified and characterized from cultured canine kidney tubular (MDCK) cells and rat thoracic aortic smooth muscle (RTASM) cells. These three ANF receptor subtypes include; (1) a disulfide-linked 140 kDa protein found in RTASM cells which was reduced by sulfhydryl reagent dithiothreitol (DTT) to a 70 kDa band, (2) a disulfide-unlinked 120 kDa protein, specific to MDCK cells whose Mr was not reduced by DTT and (3) a 68–70 kDa protein prevalent in both RTASM and MDCK cells whose Mr was not reduced by DTT. The non-reducible 68–70 kDa and the reducible 140 kDa proteins showed strong affinities to the full-length ANF 99–126) and truncated ANF (103–123) peptides, however, non-reducible 120 kDa protein showed strong affinity only to the full length ANF (99–126) but negligible or very weak affinity to truncated ANF (103–123) . These findings suggest that distinct ANF receptor subtypes are present in renal and vascular cells which might be linked to diverse physiological functions of ANF such as natriuresis and diuresis in kidney and vasorelaxation in vascular smooth muscle cells.
Signalized intersection queuing theory and central business district auto congestion

Abstract Central city auto congestion has been modelled by urban economists as flow congestion and by traffic engineers as signalized intersection congestion. This note demonstrates that both classes of models have similar economic properties, and argues that neither provides a satisfactory treatment of downtown auto congestion.
The Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale: Analysis of Reliability and Validity1

Development of the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS) is described. In Study 1, a set of 17 items was selected on the basis of responses by 125 postpartum women. Analyses of the reliability and validity were then conducted. In Study 2, these analyses were replicated using data from an independent sample of 130 postpartum women. Study 3 involved an analysis of the ability of scores on the IIFAS to predict duration of breast-feeding among a sample of 725 women who had initiated that method of feeding their babies while in the hospital. Limitations of this research and possible future uses of the IIFAS in studies addressing the determinants and consequences of infant-feeding attitudes are discussed.
Dynamically tunable optical bottles from an optical fiber

Optical fibers have long been used to impose spatial coherence to shape free-space optical beams. Recent work has shown that one can use higher order fiber modes to create more exotic beam profiles. We experimentally generate optical bottles from Talbot imaging in the coherent superposition of two fiber modes excited with long period gratings, and obtain a 28 μm × 6 μm bottle with controlled contrast up to 10.13 dB. Our geometry allows for phase tuning of one mode with respect to the other, which enables us to dynamically move the bottle in free space.
Sports medicine pearls and pitfalls: Pearls on the power of placebo

Placebo Wars: Sham Acupuncture Beats Sugar Pills A recent study suggests that different placebo treatments can produce different results. A total of 270 adults with persistent arm pain from repetitive use were studied. The study was a duel between two placebos: sham acupuncture versus inert pills. The main outcome measure was pain self-reported on a 10-point scale. During the first 2 weeks, little difference was seen, but over the next 4 weeks, pain scores decreased significantly more in the sham acupuncture group than in the pill group. The sham acupuncture group also improved more on the Levine symptom severity scale. Sham acupuncture also was the more credible placebo: three quarters of participants on it thought they were getting active treatment, compared with less than half of participants on the placebo pill. Another point: reported side effects were different in each group and mirrored what they were told to expect. This study, like all studies, has limitations and confounders, but it suggests that placebo effects are malleable and depend on behaviors embedded in medical rituals [1]. Sham Arthroscopy Surgery itself can be a placebo. In a controlled trial of arthroscopic surgery for the pain and stiffness of osteoarthritis of the knee, 180 men were randomized (about 60 in each group) to lavage, debridement, or sham surgery. Most men reported some improvement over the next 1 to 2 years, but at no point did either of the intervention groups report less pain or better function than the placebo group [2]. In fact, if anything, the sham surgery group did slightly better in terms of the major outcomes. This study sparked criticism and controversy, but it is not the first study to suggest that surgery can have a strong placebo effect.
Primitive fossil flatworm from Alaska: New evidence bearing on ancestry of the Metazoa

A well-preserved microscopic fossil flatworm, Brabbinthes churkini (new genus, new species), has recently been found in a siliceous shale in the Tindir Group in eastern Alaska. This tissue-grade metazoan fossil is of unusual interest because of the apparent late Precambrian age of the rock and because flatworms are thought to represent an important stage in the development of other metazoan groups. Morphologic features in Brabbinthes suggest ancestry among the medusoid cnidarians.
Sjögren syndrome in a child: favorable response of the arthritis to TNFα blockade

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) blockade has recently been found to be ineffective in treating glandular and extraglandular manifestations of adult Sjogren syndrome (SS), including arthralgia and arthritis. We report a girl who developed purpura, polyarthritis, uveitis, and severe dental caries in the first year of life and optic neuritis by age three. SS was diagnosed at 11 years of age, when severe hypokalemic renal tubular acidosis developed during infliximab treatment for arthritis. In contrast to her other disease manifestations, the arthritis responded remarkably well to TNFalpha blockade, suggesting that TNFalpha blockers may have a role in the treatment of arthritis with pediatric SS.
Experimental search for excitonic superconductivity

A search for excitonic superconductivity in a thin-film structure of the type proposed by Ginsberg and Allender, Bray, and Bardeen was undertaken. Ultrathin layers of Pb, In, and Tl were deposited on PbTe, and layers of Pb and In were deposited on Te. Substrate preparation and film deposition were accomplished in an ultrahigh-vacuum system with integral cryostat, and were monitored by low-energy electron diffraction and Auger electron spectroscopy. In situ measurement of crystalline, epitaxial Pb films as thin as 10-15 \AA{} deposited on PbTe showed a strong film-substrate interaction; however, no excitonic enhancement of ${T}_{c}$ was observed. A simple proximity-effect model is presented to explain the observed decrease in ${T}_{c}$ for the thinner films, and the influence of the substrate on the superconductivity of ultrathin films is discussed. Several aspects of these experiments involving the transition temperatures of In and Tl films are unexplained.
Overproduction and purification of the M·HhaII methyltransferase from Haemophilus haemolyticus

Abstract The Hha II methyltransferase gene from Haemophilus haemolyticus was subcloned in an expression vector under control of the hybrid trp-lac promoter. Induction with isopropyl-β- d -thiogalactopyranoside results in overproduction of the methyltransferase to about 3% of total cellular protein. The methyltransferase was purified to near electrophoretic homogeneity by phosphocellulose, DEAE, and gel chromatography. Its monomer M r by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis is 25 kDa, in good agreement with that predicted from the nucleotide sequence. Crystals of the methyltransferase were obtained in the presence of a two-fold molar excess of the duplex oligodeoxynucleotide substrate 5′d- GGACTCC CCTGAGG .
Mapping knowledge domains

The term “mapping knowledge domains” was chosen to describe a newly evolving interdisciplinary area of science aimed at the process of charting, mining, analyzing, sorting, enabling navigation of, and displaying knowledge. This field is aimed at easing information access, making evident the structure of knowledge, and allowing seekers of knowledge to succeed in their endeavors. Although thousands of years old, this area has undergone a sea change in the last 15 years, a change fostered by an explosion of the amount of information available, the accessibility of that information due to electronic storage, and the new techniques of analysis, retrieval, and visualization that are made possible by vast increases in computational storage capacity and processing speed and power. Many of us are so involved in the new ways of accessing knowledge that we have forgotten how recent is the change to computerized knowledge retrieval with search engines operating on the World Wide Web. Remarkable as these changes are to date, they are only a hint of the transformation to come. The Arthur M. Sackler Colloquium on Mapping Knowledge Domains, held at the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center of the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering in Irvine, CA, May 9-11, 2003, was designed to showcase the ongoing developments in this transformation and provide pointers toward the directions it will move. The changes that are taking place profoundly affect the way we access and use information. Scientists, academics, and librarians have historically worked hard to codify, classify, and organize knowledge, thereby making it useful and accessible. The day is fast approaching when all this knowledge will be coded electronically, but mixed in a vast and largely disorganized and often unreliable sea of mostly recent information. Fishing this sea for desired information is presently no easy task and will continue to increase …
Life-threatening, delayed epistaxis after surgically assisted rapid palatal expansion: A case report

Lutcavage GJ: Traumatic facial artery aneurysm and arteriovenous fistula: Case report. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 50:402, 1992 Wineland PL, Topazian RG, Marble HB Jr: False aneurysm of the facial artery. J Oral Surg 34:642, 1976 Akker HP van den, Lijn F van der: A false aneurysm of the facial artery as a complication of circumferential wiring. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Path01 37:514,1974 Schwartz SH, Blankenship BJ, Stout RA: False aneurysm of the facial artery: Report of case. J Oral Surg 29:672,1971 Bresner M, Brekke J, Dubit J, et al: False aneurysm of the facial region. J Oral Surg 30:307, 1972 Cohen SM: Vascular surgery and reticuloendothelium system, in Rob C, Smith R (eds): Clinical Surgery, vol 14. Philadelphia, PA, Lippincott, 1967, pp 140-141 Schwartz HC, Kendrick RW, Pogrel BS: False aneurysm of the matiary artery: An unusual complication of closed facial trauma. Arch Otolaryngol109:616, 1983 Cohen MA: False (traumatic) aneurysm of the facial artery caused by a foreign body. Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg 15:336, 1986 Kennedy JW, Kent JN: False aneurysm and a partial facial paralysis secondary to mandibuiar fracture: Report of case. J Oral Surg 28:854, 1970 Taylor DV: Traumatic aneurysm and facial palsy as complication of a mandibular fracture. Br J Oral Surg 4:202, 1967 Calem WS: Traumatic (false) aneurysm of the terminal portion of the external carotid artery. Am J Surg 106:522, 1963 Wagner M: Pseudoaneurysm. A complication of percutaneous angiography and angiocardiography. JAMA 186:427, 1963 Derdeyn CP, Moran CJ, Cross DT, et al: Intraoperative digital subtraction angiography: a review of 112 consecutive examinations. AJNR 16:307, 1995 Heiserman JE, Dean BL, Hodak JA, et al: Neurologic complications of cerebral angiography. AJNR 15:1401, 1994
NGG-triplet repeats form similar intrastrand structures: implications for the triplet expansion diseases

Tandem repeats of certain trinucleotides show extensive intergenerational instability in humans that is associated with a class of genetic disorders known as the Triplet Expansion Diseases. This instability is thought to be a consequence of the formation of intrastrand structures, including hairpins, triplexes and tetraplexes, by the tandem repeats. I show here that CGG-repeats which are associated with this group of diseases, and AGG- and TGG-repeats which are not currently known to be, form several intrastrand structures including tetraplexes. In all cases the tetraplexes have the same overall conformation in which all the G residues are involved in G4-tetrads. CGG-repeats also form stable hairpins, but AGG- and TGG-repeats do not form hairpins of comparable stability. However, since tetraplexes can be thought of as folded hairpins, many of the properties ascribed to disease-associated triplets that form hairpins, may apply to these sequences as well. The fact that AGG- and TGG-repeats are not currently associated with any triplet expansion disease suggests either that the ability to adopt an intrastrand folded structure is not sufficient for expansion, or that other diseases associated with such triplets might remain to be identified.
Volcanic Twilights from the Fuego Eruption

Striated twilight glows have been observed since 26 November 1974 in New England, indicating the spread of stratospheric dust earlier observed over Arizona. Similar photometric results were obtained from New Mexico and Florida, and twilights in Puerto Rico showed features not hitherto measured. Letters and verbal reports indicate the source to be eruptions of Fuego Volcano in Guatemala between 13 and 23 October 1974.
Three cheers for logrolling--the demise of the SGR.

Thanks to old-fashioned vote trading, Congress has finally scrapped the sustainable growth rate formula for calculating Medicare's physician fees, replacing it with new but promising incentives that could catalyze increased efficiency and greater cost control.
Associations of elevated nonesterified fatty acids and β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations with early lactation reproductive performance and milk production in transition dairy cattle in the northeastern United States

The objectives were to evaluate the effects of elevated pre- and postpartum nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) and beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) concentrations during the transition period on reproductive performance and milk production in dairy cattle. In a prospective cohort study of 91 freestall, total mixed ration-fed herds in the northeastern United States, blood samples were collected from approximately 15 prepartum and 15 different postpartum transition animals in each herd. All samples were stratified based on pre- or postpartum status at the time of sample collection, and 2,259 and 2,290 animals were used to evaluate reproductive and milk production performance, respectively. Reproductive performance was assessed by time to conception within 70 d post-voluntary waiting period (VWP) and milk production was assessed using mature-equivalent 305-d (ME305) milk yield estimated at 120 d in milk. While controlling for body condition score (BCS), calving season, median ME305 milk production, and parity, NEFA and BHBA concentrations were evaluated with time to event analysis to investigate reproductive performance. These same predictor variables were used to determine the effects of elevated NEFA and BHBA concentrations on ME305 milk yield with herd as a random effect. Heifers and cows were grouped in the final analyses if the results between groups were similar. In all animals sampled prepartum, the risk of pregnancy within 70 d post-VWP was reduced by 19% when NEFA concentrations were >or=0.27 mEq/L. In all animals sampled postpartum, those with NEFA concentrations >or=0.72 mEq/L had a 16% decrease in risk of pregnancy and those with BHBA concentrations >or=10mg/dL had a 13% decrease in risk. In cows and heifers, ME305 milk yield was decreased by 683 kg when prepartum NEFA concentrations were >or=0.33 mEq/L. In heifers sampled postpartum, ME305 milk yield was increased by 488 kg when NEFA concentrations were >or=0.57 mEq/L and increased by 403 kg when BHBA concentrations were >or=9 mg/dL. In cows sampled postpartum, ME305 milk yield was decreased by 647 kg when NEFA concentrations were >or=0.72 mEq/L and decreased by 393 kg when BHBA concentrations were >or=10mg/dL. With the exception of milk production in heifers, this study indicates that increased concentrations of serum NEFA and BHBA had a detrimental effect on reproductive performance and milk production.
The surface chemistry of aluminum nitride MOCVD on alumina using trimethylaluminum and ammonia as precursors

Abstract The reactions of trimethylaluminum (TMAl) and ammonia (NH3) on γ-alumina were studied by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to explore their role in the MOCVD growth of AIN. FTIR and XPS assignments of surface species were directly correlated based on data taken within the same high-vacuum system. The observed N(1s) binding energies of NH2, NH3, TMAl:NH3 adduct, nitride, dinitrogen complexes correlate well with the vibrational data. Coadsorption of TMAl and NH3 at room temperature leads to the formation of AlN covalent bonds, as indicated by the presence of bridge-bonded NH2 species. Upon heating to ∼600 K and above, the appearance of vibrational bands corresponding to AlN indicate the emergence of extended AlN networks on the surface; AlNN and HAlNN contaminants are also formed. A reaction model for AlN film formation is proposed.
Study on performance management and application behavior in virtualized environment

Control theory has been utilized in recent years to manage the resources in virtualized environment for applications with time-varying resource demand. The systems under control, including the servers and the applications, are taken as black-boxes, and the controllers are generally expected to be adaptive to the underline systems. However, little attention has been paid to the behaviors of the applications themselves, and most of time, single performance target such as the mean response time threshold has been tracked. In this paper, we experimentally show that more than one performance metrics have to be considered to characterize the quality of service that the end users receive when the performance is managed through dynamic resource allocation. Moreover, the behavior of the applications, especially that of the workload generators has significant effect on the quality of the service. Our study provides insights and guidance for end-to-end performance management problem in virtualized environment.
Evidence-based practices to reduce maternal mortality: a systematic review.

Background To achieve the World Health Organization’s Millennium Development Goal of reducing maternal mortality by three-quarters by 2015, a strong global commitment is needed to address this issue in sub-Saharan Africa where the risk to women is greatest. A comprehensive international effort must include both clinical and community-based interventions. In sub-Saharan Africa where the majority of women deliver babies at home without a trained attendant, the national plans must rely predominantly on community-level interventions. Methods and results This study compiles the Cochrane reviews whose outcome measure is maternal mortality. Nine reviews documented the effectiveness of specific drugs given during pregnancy while six reviews demonstrated that particular drug regimens and procedures actually increase maternal death. Two of the Cochrane reviews found no significant difference in maternal mortality risk due to antioxidant use or in training traditional births attendants.
Cost of Wash Houses and Comfort Stations at Recreation Areas

: The cost of sanitary facilities is a major cost item in recreation areas at water resources projects. Often planners wish to analyze the tradeoffs in providing different levels of service at these areas. Cost functions are presented in this paper to enable the planner to make quick comparisons between different types of buildings, sizes, exterior treatments, and number of fixtures.
TESTICULAR HEALTH AWARENESS IN PUBERTAL MALES

Purpose: We examined the knowledge and understanding of male teenagers of the necessity for genital examination, and signs and symptoms of serious testicular pathology. Furthermore, current national guidelines for health education were reviewed to understand better the curriculum used by the educational system and to assess its effectiveness.Materials and Methods: In 1998, a 5-question survey was administered privately and confidentially to male athletes before a sports physical examination. The athletes were 12 to 18 years old, attended middle or high school, and were sampled randomly. The National Health Education Standards benchmark for grades 9 through 11 was examined with specific attention to male self-health education standards.Results: A total of 318 athletes responded revealing that 54% did not know why the genitals were examined on a sports physical examination, 45% did not use appropriate testicular protection and the majority did not respond appropriately to symptoms of serious testicular path...
Performance of the transport layer protocol for diversity communication over the clear turbulent atmospheric optical channel

Optical communications provides a means of high data rate communication over the clear atmosphere provided the communication system is designed properly. This paper examines the performance of TCP and similar protocols when operated over atmospheric optical channels. We first develop a simple stochastic channel model, and use this to derive approximate transport layer protocol throughput. We found that the throughput over short atmospheric paths is nearly optimal and the throughput over medium range atmospheric paths can be made fairly efficient with the use of diversity and/or link margin. However, its throughput at high data rates (>1 Gb/s) over long paths such as from one location on earth to a geosynchronous satellite is poor even with 10 dB of link margin and 16 diversity transmitters/receivers. This points to the necessity of a new transport layer protocol without a window closing feature.
New evidence for the age of the Quantico Formation of Virginia

A new fossil locality within the Quantico Formation of the Virginia Piedmont in Dale City, Virginia, about 40 km south of Washington, D.C., has yielded crinoids and a cephalopod that re-establishes an age younger than Cambrian for this formation. On the basis of regional considerations and the work of investigators in the early 1900s, an Ordovician age for the Quantico seems likely. Also, the Dale City pluton is not intrusive into the Quantico but is unconformable beneath it. Hence, the 560-m.y. zircon age for the Dale City pluton is no longer inconsistent with the temporal and stratigraphic relationships established for the stratigraphic units in the area.
Radiographic survival in total shoulder arthroplasty

Background Glenoid component loosening is thought to be a major cause of failure. This study assesses radiographic and clinical failure in shoulder arthroplasty, identifying factors predictive of loosening. Methods Three-hundred two shoulder arthroplasties were implanted utilizing a cemented, keeled glenoid component, mean clinical follow-up 8.6 years. One-hundred fifty one shoulders had preoperative, early postoperative, and most recent radiographs, mean radiographic follow-up 8.0 years, minimum 4 years or less if revision was performed (2 cases). Results Fifty-two of 151 glenoid components (34%) showed a shift in position or a complete lucent line ≥1.5 mm. Four humeral components (3%) shifted or showed a 2-mm lucency in 3 zones. Component survival (Kaplan-Meier) free from radiographic failure at 5 and 10 years were 99% (95% CI) (98-100%) and 67% (95% CI) (58-78%). Glenoid components with lines at the keel on initial radiographs were at risk for radiographic failure, hazard ratio 4.6 95% CI 1.2-17.2, P = .02. No associations were found between radiographic survival and age, gender, diagnosis, glenoid erosion, and preoperative or early subluxation. Late subluxation superiorly was associated with the glenoid at risk for radiographic failure ( P = .006). Glenoid component survivals free from revision at 5 and 10 years for the 302 shoulders were 99% (95% CI) (97-100%) and 93% (95% CI) (90-97%). Conclusion Glenoid radiolucencies are seldom seen early, except beneath the faceplate. Glenoid radiolucencies develop, with notable changes 5 or more years following surgery. Humeral components seldom loosen. Revision rates remain low. The high frequency of late radiographic changes dictates the need for innovation.
Water availability and genetic effects on wood properties of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda)

We studied the effect of water availability on basal area growth and wood properties of 11-year-old loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) trees from contrasting Florida (FL) (a mix of half-sib families) and South Carolina coastal plain (SC) (a single, half-sib family) genetic material. Increasing soil water availability via irrigation increased average whole- core specific gravity (SG) and latewood percentage (LW%) by 0.036 and 6.93%, respectively. Irrigation did not affect late- wood SG or wood stiffness, but irrigated FL and SC trees had more latewood due to a 29 day longer growing season. Irri- gation did not affect the length of corewood production, but irrigated trees had earlier transition ages, producing outerwood ~3 years before rainfed trees. The increase in whole-core SG and LW% was moderate because irrigation pro- moted earlywood growth in corewood formed before canopy closure, but after year 7, rain-fed and irrigated trees had simi- lar earlywood growth but irrigated trees had more latewood growth, increasing ring SG and LW%. The SC half-sib family had higher SG and greater LW% than trees from FL independent of irrigation due to greater yearly latewood growth. Thus, absence of soil water stress extended seasonal diameter cessation date but did not change latewood SG or wood stiffness.
Algebraic decision trees and Euler characteristics

Abstract For any set S ⊆ R n , let χ(S) denote its Euler characteristic. In this paper, we show that any algebraic computation tree or fixed-degree algebraic decision tree must have height Ω(log¦χ(S)¦ − cn) for deciding the membership question of a compact semi-algebraic set S. This extends a result in Bjorner et al. (1992), where it was shown that any linear decision tree for deciding the membership question of a closed polyhedron S must have height greater than or equal to log 3 ¦χ(S)¦ .
Modulational Instability, Mode Conversion, and Radio Emission in the Magnetized Pair Plasma of Pulsars

A theoretical analysis of coupled mode equations describes the evolution of plasma wave turbulence in the strongly magnetized pair plasma of the pulsar polar cap. The onset of turbulence is a modulational instability of a large-amplitude electrostatic wave. Numerical solution follows the nonlinear evolution toward a strongly turbulent state characterized by the multidimensional collapse of wave packets. The turbulence generates electromagnetic modes that can escape the plasma. The modulational conversion process provides a fairly simple scenario for pulsar emission: an electrostatic plasma wave instability and the subsequent modulational mode coupling to escaping radiation.
Principles and approaches to pharmacoeconomics : the perspective of higher education

The emergence of pharmacoeconomics as a vital and evolving discipline presents a unique challenge and opportunity to researchers in university settings. Although pharmacoeconomics offers the academician a fertile area for research, teaching, and service endeavors, several barriers exist which impact growth in this area. These include the ability of higher education to respond rapidly to funding opportunities, the lack of trained individuals to develop research programs, competition with other entities for these scarce human resources, problematic collaborative relationships with these same organizations, and the ability to initiate and conduct research in an unbiased arena. This paper outlines opportunities available to academic pharmacoeconomic researchers, challenges which may inhibit the maturation of this discipline, and potential strategies for addressing these challenges.
Evaluation of past, present and future tools for radar-based flash-flood prediction in the USA

AbstractThe societal impacts of flash floods are more significant than any other weather-related hazard. They are often manifested in the form of damage to infrastructure, flooding of roadways and bridges, creating deadly hazards to motorists and inundation of crops and pasture. Some of these hazards can be anticipated and thus mitigated given effective warning systems. This study describes the tools proposed over recent decades in the USA to predict flash flooding and evaluates them using a common observational data set. Design recommendations for flash-flood forecasting systems are provided, taking into account today's availability of high-resolution rainfall data at scales commensurate with flash flooding, their archives, spatial data sets to describe physiographic properties, and ever-increasing computational resources. Editor D. Koutsoyiannis; Guest editor R.J. MooreCitation Gourley, J.J., Flamig, Z.L., Hong, Y., and Howard, K.W., 2014. Evaluation of past, present and future tools for radar-based fla...
Evolutionary bangs and whimpers: methodological advances and conceptual frameworks for studying exceptional diversification.

1Department of Integrative Biology and Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley CA 94720 USA; and 2Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California at Los Angeles, 651 Charles Young Dr. South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; *Correspondence to be sent to: Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley CA 94720, USA; Email: drabosky@berkeley.edu.
Synthetic Cognitive Agent Situational Awareness Components

Synthetic cognitive agents often require an understanding of the environment’s state and the ability to predict the effects of actions on the environment and self. Bestowing agents with situational awareness may increase understanding of domain dynamism, action selection, and action execution. While contemporary architectures have made considerable strides, present architectures have yet to achieve human levels of situational awareness. If future architectures are to realize high levels of situational awareness, agent designs may necessitate certain features. This paper presents an initial exploration into the features and design components required to realize cognitive agent situational awareness.
Laser light scattering spectroscopic immunoassay for mouse IgA.

Abstract A laser light scattering immunoassay was used to measure serim concentrations of IgA in various mouse strains. Also, these measurements of IgA concentrations were compared with the results of a radioimmunoassay performed on the same samples. The new assay technique does not involve the use of radioisotopes. In this assay quasi-elastic light scattering spectroscopy is used to detect the very early stages of agglutination of antibody-coated carrier particles by antigen. The laser light scattering immunoassay exhibits a very high sensitivity of between 5 and 10 ng/ml in the investigated antigen-antibody system in sample volumes conceivably as small as 1 μl; thus it theoretically permits the detection of as few as 4 × 10 7 IgA molecules. With both assay methods it was found that the Fl hydrids A/J × Balb/cJ have serum IgA levels a factor 5–10 higher than the parents. In addition, a simple quantitative model describing the agglutination process due to antigen-antibody interaction is presented. This model agrees well with the experimental results and permits one to determine from the experimental data the average number of active antibody sites per latex sphere and the equilibrium constants governing the agglutination process. Furthermore, this model shows how the sensitivity of the assay depends on the system parameters. At the end of the paper we present a qaulitative analysis of the roles of Coulomb repulsion and van der Waals attraction of the latex particles in specific and non-specific agglutination.
Trisomy 18 with unilateral atypical ectrodactyly

Becerra et al. recently reported on an infant with multiple congenital anomalies who had trisomy 18. This preterm infant presented with bilateral ectrodactyly of feet, small cleft palate, esophageal atresia with associated tracheoesophageal fistula, congenital heart disease and other anomalies. The authors referenced article by Castle and Bernstein, in which they reported a male with trisomy 18 and cleft foot as well as a review of the literature which showed 2 other infants with trisomy 18 and ectrodactyly of the feet. An additional case of trisomy 18 associated with multiple congenital anomalies, including unilaterial, atypical ectrodactyly of the left foot.
Reversible and irreversible elongation of ischemic, infarcted, and healed myocardium in response to increases in preload and afterload.

BACKGROUND Left ventricular aneurysm formation after myocardial infarction (MI) has been associated with elongation of infarcted tissue in response to wall stress. Such elongation most commonly occurs in acutely infarcted or partially healed regions during the early post-MI period; however, recent reports have indicated that mature (15-week-old) healed infarct regions also undergo elongation after stress. METHODS AND RESULTS To assess factors contributing to post-MI left ventricular aneurysm formation, we subjected isolated strips (n = 50) of rabbit myocardial tissue from acutely ischemic (noninfarcted left ventricular), acutely infarcted (24 hours after MI), and healed infarct (3 and 15 weeks after MI) regions to a range of loading conditions and measured the reversible and irreversible length changes that occurred. The isolated strips were repetitively stretched for 1 hour at 4 Hz to impose cyclical physiological peak and resting stresses of 2.0 and 0.2 g/mm2. During a second hour, either peak stress ("afterload") or resting stress ("preload") was tripled, and the increase in strip length (strain) was measured. During a third hour, peak and resting stresses were returned to the initial values to assess the reversibility of length changes occurring during increased load. Elongation was expressed as the increase in natural strain from the first hour. Increasing afterload caused similar irreversible length increases of 4-5%/hr in acutely infarcted and 3- and 15-week-old healed infarct strips; acutely ischemic tissue length increased by 7.4%/hr (p less than 0.05 versus acutely infarcted tissue and scars). Increasing preload in acutely ischemic and acutely infarcted tissue caused a reversible length increase of less than 1%/hr. (Scar strips were not tested for the effect of preload.) CONCLUSIONS Since an irreversible length increase may represent an early event in aneurysm formation, our results suggest that 1) afterload increases are more likely to lead to aneurysm development than preload increases, 2) acutely ischemic tissue is the most vulnerable to increased afterload, and 3) for a given wall stress level, healing scar tissue is as susceptible to irreversible length changes as is acutely infarcted tissue. The observation that even mature post-MI scar elongated in response to increases in afterload implies that long-term pharmacological management of afterload in post-MI patients may be beneficial in preventing tissue elongation and aneurysm formation and that factors that increase wall stress (e.g., hypertension and exercise stress) have the potential to promote aneurysm formation in healed infarct scars.
Probabilistic crisscross error correction

The crisscross error model in data arrays is considered, where the corrupted symbols are confined to a prescribed number of rows or columns (or both). Under the additional assumption that the corrupted entries are uniformly distributed over the channel alphabet, and by allowing a small decoding error probability, a coding scheme is presented where the redundancy can get close to one half the redundancy required in minimum-distance decoding of crisscross errors.
A new technique for multi-dimensional performance optimization of switched reluctance motors for vehicle propulsion

This paper presents a new and simple search technique to determine the optimum control parameters, such as turn-on and turn-off angles, current set level, etc., of a switched reluctance drive. Thanks to this new technique, several drive performance quantities such as efficiencies, torque ripple, energy consumption, torque per ampere, etc., can be optimized simultaneously over the entire torque- or power-speed operation range of the drive. In prior work, these performance quantities were sequentially optimized, one at a time, this despite reported evidence that improving one performance quantity, such as efficiency, can have a negative impact on others, such as torque ripple. The technique was successfully used offline to determine the optimum firing angles for achieving highest drive efficiency with lower torque ripple in a 102-kW switched reluctance motor drive intended for electric vehicle propulsion. The performance prediction and test results are found in good correlation.
Localized External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT) to the Pelvis Induces Systemic IL-1Beta and TNF-Alpha Production: Role of the TNF-Alpha Signaling in EBRT-Induced Fatigue

Prostate cancer patients undergoing localized external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) can experience a progressive increase in fatigue, which can affect physical functioning and quality of life. The purpose of this study was to develop a mouse EBRT prostate cancer treatment model with which to determine the role of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the genesis of EBRT-related fatigue. We assessed voluntary wheel-running activity (VWRA) as a proxy for fatigue, food intake and body weight in male C57BL/6 mice undergoing EBRT to the pelvis. In the first experiment, anesthetized male C57BL/6 mice underwent fractionated EBRT to the pelvis for a total dose of 68.2 Gy, thereby mimicking a clinically relevant therapeutic dose and frequency. The day after the last treatment, levels of IL-1β and TNF-α in plasma along with mRNA levels in liver, colon and whole brain were measured. EBRT-induced fatigue resulted in reduced body weight, diminished food intake, and increased plasma and tissue levels of IL-1β and TNF-α. In a follow-up experiment, we used TNF-α-deficient mice to further delineate the role of TNF-α signaling in EBRT-induced sickness behavior. EBRT-induced changes in fatigue, food intake and body weight were no different between TNF-α deficient mice and their wild-type counterparts. Taken together our data demonstrate that a clinically relevant localized irradiation of the pelvis induces a systemic IL-1β and TNF-α response and sickness behavior in mice, but the TNF-α signaling pathway alone does not independently mediate these effects.
Carotid Endarterectomy Is Safe, Effective, and Durable, but Can We Make It Better?

The first known carotid endarterectomy (CEA) was likely performed by Dr. Michael DeBakey in 1953. Since that time, the operation has gained widespread approval because it not only effectively reduces the rate of ischemic stroke but also has a relatively low rate of complications. Both the North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET) 1 and the Endarterectomy for Asymptomatic Carotid Artery Stenosis (ACAS) trial 2 demonstrated a significant benefit of endarterectomy over medical therapy alone. Both trials showed durable results with reduced rates of stroke at least 5 years after the operation. The article by Rong et al. recently published in WORLD NEUROSURGERY, “Risk Factors Associated with Ipsilateral Ischemic Events Following Carotid Endarterectomy for Carotid Artery Stenosis,” continues to add to the body of literature demonstrating the efficacy, safety, and durability of CEA. In their study cohort of more than 240 patients with a mean follow-up of more than 50 months, the 5-year risk of ischemic symptom recurrence was approximately 10%. When the authors identified risk factors associated with new ipsilateral ischemic events in these patients, they found that cigarette-smoking, family history of stroke, and atrial fibrillation were all associated with a greater risk of new ischemic events after CEA. Interestingly, symptomatic carotid stenosis was not significantly associated with new ischemic events, although there was a trend toward significance. Only one-third of the ischemic events happened within 30 days of the operation.
Optic disc changes after pan-retinal photocoagulation for proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

OPTIC DISC CHANGES AFTER PAN‐RETINAL PHOTOCOAGULATION FOR PROLIFERATIVE DIABETIC RETINOPATHY David J. Jeng, M. Bruce Shields, Ron A. Adelman. Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT. This study aims to examine the possible effect that pan‐retinal photocoagulation (PRP) performed as treatment for proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) has on the optic disc. In a retrospective study, photographs of the optic disc before and after PRP, as well as photographs of untreated eyes for the control group, were evaluated for cup‐to‐disc ratio and optic disc pallor as gross measures of optic nerve health. A 5‐grade scheme for optic color was devised for this study by selecting representative photographs for each grade, where 5 indicated the healthiest‐appearing color. Kappa statistics indicated strong intra‐ and inter‐observer consistency of observations for both cup‐to‐disc ratio and optic color (0.61 and 0.79, respectively). A paired t‐test showed that change in optic pallor was significant after treatment with PRP (p = 0.0004). However, when comparing to the change in the control group using a Student’s t‐test, no significance was found (p = 0.387). No significant change was found in cup‐to‐disc ratio.
Frequency of Deletional α-Thalassemia Genotypes in a Predominantly Asian-American Population

alpha-Thalassemia is prevalent among Asian-Americans. Most cases involve deletions of one or more alpha-globin genes. Parents with two-gene cis deletions can have offspring with hemoglobin Bart's hydrops fetalis or hemoglobin H disease. The diversity of deletions poses special challenges to laboratories that offer DNA-based testing for alpha-thalassemia. The purpose of this study was to determine both the frequency of alpha-thalassemia genotypes in a predominantly Asian-American population (n = 78) and the mutation detection rate of a comprehensive Southern blot method. The ethnic composition of the study population was similar to the major Asian-American groups that reside in the United States as a whole. Three mutations (the Southeast Asian type, --SEA; -alpha3.7; and the Filipino type, --FIL) accounted for all mutant alleles present in the Asian-American patients tested for reproductive reasons. The relative frequencies of these three mutations were 62%, 27%, and 11%, respectively. The mutation detection rate was 100%. Laboratories that perform DNA-based alpha-thalassemia testing in populations similar to the one residing in Washington State should use a testing system that allows for the unequivocal identification of the haplotypes detected in the study population, namely --SEA, -alpha3.7, and --FIL.
Story of Muscarinic Receptors, Alkaloids with Muscarinic Significance and of Muscarinic Functions and Behaviors

This review of the studies of the muscarinic receptors, their synaptic activities and their functional and behavioral roles will begin with the history of the research of the autonomic and central nervous systems and their transmitters, the development of the notion of the receptor, and the tale of the significance of muscarine and other alkaloids as well as of organophosphorus (OP) anticholinesterases for these studies; we will then segue into the modern status of muscarinic receptors and of their functional and behavioral expression
Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., Zechariah Chafee, Jr., and the Clear and Present Danger Test for Free Speech: The First Year, 1919

TH near unanimity, historians have maintained that Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., formulated a libertarian test for free speech in Schenck v. United States, decided by the Supreme Court on March 3, 1919. This case tested the constitutionality of the 1917 Espionage Act and provided the Court with an opportunity to voice its opinion regarding suppression of dissident anti-war opinions. In rendering the decision, Holmes promulgated the clear and present danger test for speech. His often quoted criterion was "whether the words used are used in such circumstances and are of such a nature as to create a clear and present danger that they will bring about the substantive evils that Congress has a right to prevent." It was a matter of "proximity and degree," Holmes continued, for the First Amendment to the Constitution protected no "man in falsely shouting fire in a theatre and causing a panic."' According to the commonly accepted view, the liberal-minded Holmes struggled during 1919 to limit suppression of free speech by employing this danger test. His ability to restrain recalcitrant colleagues, however, proved unsuccessful. Soon the Court's majority abandoned Holmes' libertarian test, substituting in its place a "bad tendency" or "remotely injurious tendency" test. At that juncture, Holmes, joined by Justice Louis Brandeis, reverted to a familiar position, Holmes dissenting.2