cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neurosurgical Treatment of Intractable Tourette’s Syndrome: A Scientific Clinical Review of Literatures

Background Tourette’s syndrome (TS) is an inherited neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by fluctuating motor and vocal tics that starts in childhood. Diagnostic criteria for TS include the presence of multiple motor tics and one or more vocal tics, both of which must exceed a year’s duration. Pharmacotherapy has been the mainstay of the treatment. However, some TS patients will not respond to conventional medications. They might develop residual debilitating symptoms. The current article examines the reported experience with neurosurgical treatment of intractable Tourette’s syndrome. Design/Method All articles and textbooks containing descriptions of Tourette’s syndrome and its surgical treatment were reviewed. All related articles in PubMed were searched using these words: Tourette’s syndrome, TS, Tourette, Gilles de la Tourette, tic, tics, surgical treatment of tic disorders, surgical intervention of Tourrete’s syndrome, ablative surgery in Tourette’s syndrome, stereotactic surgery of Tourette’s syndrome. Only articles published in English were reviewed. In total, 11 articles and 2 textbooks were found describing the experimental surgery of refractory Tourette’s syndrome. All data about patient’s history, surgical treatment, outcome and side effects were collected and reviewed. Results Intractable Tourette’s syndrome may represent a special subgroup of the tic range. A variety of experimental procedures have been performed in an attempt to treat intractable Tourette’s syndrome, including: 1) frontal lobe operation (i.e., frontal lobotomy and bimedial frontal leucotomy), 2) limbic system operation (i.e., anterior cingulotomy, limbic leucotomy), 3) a novel multisite operation (i.e., anterior cingulotomy combined with infrathalamic lesions), 4) thalamic operation (i.e., bilateral coagulation of rostral infrathalamic and medial thalamic nuclei), and 5) a cerebellar operation (i.e., bilateral cerebellar dentatomy). There are serious uncertainties regarding any experimental neurosurgical procedures. However, in the case of severe, intractable Tourette’s syndrome, these appropriate concerns must be weighed against the risks of conventional therapies, including tardive dyskinesia. Patients who suffer from severe Tourette’s syndrome, and are debilitated by their symptoms, and have failed an exhaustive range of conventional pharmacologic therapies could be candidates for an experimental treatment. Conclusion Case reports in the literature provide only anecdotal evidence supporting the efficacy and safety of neurosurgical treatment of Tourette’s syndrome. There is no convincing evidence showing that any particular neurosurgical procedure is best for Tourette’s syndrome. If experimental neurosurgery for Tourette’s syndrome is to continue, then guidelines should be developed regarding patient and operation selection. Also, accurate clinical measurement should be applied preoperatively and postoperatively to monitor long-term outcome.
Use of Novel Periodic Multi-Layers for Highly Accurate Etch Depth Control of Ridge-Waveguide Directional Couplers

Fabrication of large-area photonic integrated circuits (PICs) in III-V compound semiconductors presents many fabrication complexities. One difficulty is precise and reproducible etching of ridge waveguides for accurate control of optical mode shape and coupling length (distance required for full power transfer) of optical directional couplers. Directional couplers are an important element in PICs due to their utility as power taps, splitters, and combiners. However, the exponential relationship between the depth of the etched-rib waveguide and coupling length makes these structures very difficult to fabricate with precise control of coupling. This inability to precisely control the coupling purely through tight process control has led to the use of electrically biased couplers' where an electric field is applied across the waveguide to force the coupler into the desired switch state. Although biased couplers have proven successful, they are not desirable for large PICs due to the requirement of electrical contact to each coupler and careful custom tuning of the bias voltage across each coupler. In this talk, we disclose a new technique for fabrication of directional couplers with precisely controlled coupling lengths that no longer require bias-tuning after fabrication.
Adductor canal compression syndrome.

• Adductor canal syndrome is an unusual cause of acute arterial occlusion in younger men. It is the result of arterial compression by an abnormal musculotendinous band arising from the adductor magnus muscle and lying adjacent and superior to the adductor tendon. The pathogenetic mechanism of this syndrome resembles that of popliteal fossa entrapment and can become manifest after exercise. Since this syndrome occurs in younger men in whom acute arterial occlusion can lead to limb loss, recognition of the presence of apparent ischemic symptoms after exercise in an otherwise healthy young man is important. The treatment consists of the division of the abnormal band and restoration of arterial continuity by appropriate means. A search for bilateral lesions can help avoid future problems even when the symptoms are unilateral. ( Arch Surg 1984;119:345-346)
Late Glacial Climate Record of Midwestern United States from the Hydrogen Isotope Ratio of Lake Organic Matter

A hydrogen isotope time series obtained from an analysis of organic matter extracted from a lake core in Kalamazoo, southwestern Michigan, reveals four distinct isotope stages within the last 12,000 years that can be interpreted in terms of oscillations between cold and warm, dry climates. The most dramatic are a cold phase between 12,000 and 9000 years before present (B.P.), a warm, dry period between 8500 and 2000 years B.P., a cold period between 2000 and 1000 years B.P., and a warming trend since 1000 years B.P. The warming trend of the last 1000 years is comparable in magnitude to the mid-Holocene warm phase.
Use of large data arrays in sorting coincidence events

Abstract Projection from a large two-dimensional array offers substantial advantages in speed and convenience over conventional methods of sorting two-parameter coincidence data. Computer requirements, techniques involving square, rectangular and folded arrays, energy calibrations, and performance results are discussed.
Polarity and cell fate specification in the control of Caenorhabditis elegans gastrulation.

Gastrulation is a time during development when cells destined to produce internal tissues and organs move from the surface of the embryo into the interior. It is critical that the cell movements of gastrulation be precisely controlled, and coordinated with cell specification, in order for the embryo to develop normally. Caenorhabditis elegans gastrulation is relatively simple, can be observed easily in the transparent embryo, and can be manipulated genetically to uncover important regulatory mechanisms. Many of these cellular and molecular mechanisms, including cell shape, cytoskeletal, and cell cycle changes, appear to be conserved from flies to vertebrates. Here we review gastrulation in C. elegans, with an emphasis on recent data linking contact-induced cell polarity, PAR proteins, and cell fate specification to gastrulation control. Developmental Dynamics 238:789–796, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Isl1 and Ldb Co‐regulators of transcription are essential early determinants of mouse limb development

Background: The developing limb has served as an excellent model for studying pattern formation and signal transduction in mammalians. Many of the crucial genes that regulate growth and patterning of the limb following limb bud formation are now well known. However, details regarding the control of limb initiation and early stages of outgrowth remain to be defined. This report is focused on genetic events that pave the way for the establishment of a hindlimb bud. Results: Fgf10 and Tbx are crucial for early phases of limb bud initiation. Here we show that in the absence of Isl1 or of Ldb1/2, there is no hindlimb bud development. Fgf10 expression in the bud mesenchyme is dependent on Isl1 and its Ldb co-regulators. Conclusions: Thus, Isl1 and the Ldb co-regulators of transcription are essential early determinants of mouse limb development. Isl1/Ldb complexes regulate Fgf10 to orchestrate the earliest stages of hindlimb formation. Developmental Dynamics 241:787–791, 2012. Published 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Symbolic computation using L-systems II: extensions

Abstract An approach, based on Lindenmayer systems (L-systems), to symbolic computation presented earlier [1] is extended to allow differentiation and integration of various functions and solution of simultaneous linear equations. All the rules presented earlier and the new ones are incorporated in a symbolic L-system software (SLMATH) which is implemented on a UNIX based system. Sample results are presented.
Assessing the phylogeny of Frankia-actinorhizal plant nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbioses with Frankia 16S rRNA and glutamine synthetase gene sequences

Actinomycetes from the genus Frankia induce nitrogen-fixing root nodules on actinorhizal plants in the "core rosid" clade of eudicots. Reported here are nine partial Frankia 16S rRNA gene sequences including the first from host plants of the rosaceous genera Cercocarpus and Chamaebatia, 24 partial glutamine synthetase (GSI; glnA) sequences from Frankia in nodules of 17 of the 23 actinorhizal genera, and the partial glnA sequence of Acidothermus cellulolyticus. Phylogenetic analyses of combined Frankia 16S rDNA and glnA sequences indicate that infective strains belong to three major clades (I-III) and that Clade I strains consisting of unisolated symbionts from the Coriariaceae, Datiscaceae, Rosaceae, and Ceanothus of the Rhamnaceae are basal to the other clades. Clock-like mutation rates in glnA sequence alignments indicate that all three major Frankia clades diverged early during the emergence of eudicots in the Cretaceous period, and suggest that present-day symbioses are the result of an ancestral symbiosis that emerged before the divergence of extant actinorhizal plants.
Matching non-synchronous observations in derivative markets: choosing windows and efficient estimators

Equilibrium and arbitrage-based option pricing models are based on the assumption that the derivative and its underlying asset are simultaneously observable. However, empirical testing with transactions data must deal with less than perfect synchronicity and windows defining a ‘match’ between the derivative and its underlying must be specified. A narrow window minimizes measurement error at the expense of a smaller sample size. The analysis in this paper assumes Poisson transaction arrivals and smooth diffusion price processes. Optimal windows and efficient estimators are derived and further evaluated by simulation. Benchmarks options are chosen using data from pit-traded S&P 500 futures options and Globex traded Euro options.
Design of an IR non-lens, or how I buried 100 mm of germanium

At the International Lens Design Conference (ILDC) in Monterey, California, one of the design problems posed was to create a `non-lens' (a lens which did nothing) to within the diffraction limit of any ray which passed through the system, but which used exactly 100 mm of glass. The lens has an entrance and exit aperture which are separated by 250 mm, the aperture of which is to be made as large as possible, such that any ray which enters the first hole and exits the second does so as it would have if the lens were removed to within the diffraction limit (<0.07 waves RMS wavefront error.) In short, use 100 mm of glass and do nothing to the light which goes through it. The author, along with several colleagues at the design conference who also work primarily in the long-wave infrared (LWIR) waveband, reposed the problem in terms of IR materials and wavelengths. The design problem was studied in the IR. Instead of glass, Germanium (n equals 4.00) was used, and instead of designing for the visible diffraction limit of 0.588 micrometers , a diffraction limit at 10 micrometers was used. This paper documents the results of that study, with particular attention paid to the differences between the visible and IR solutions. By no means have all of the solutions to the problem been found, but the higher index and much higher diffraction limit result in some fascinating solutions.
The effect of delay between heat and X-irradiation on the survival response of plateau phase V-79 cells.

Abstract The effect of delay between hyperthermia (41°C for 1 hr) and irradiation was studied in plateau phase V-79 Chinese hamster cells. For irradiation preceeding hyperthermia, a delay of 2 hr resulted in a complete loss of potentiation. In contrast, no significant loss of potentiation was seen for delay times of 1–2 hr for hyperthermia prior to irradiation. In this sequence, complete loss of potentiation was seen in 6 hr. These results suggest that the repair of sublethal heat damage is slower than that for radiation damage. For the clinical application of combined hyperthermia and irradiation, no loss of X-ray potentiation would be expected for delay times of 1–2 hr when heat is delivered first; it may not be necessary to heat tumor volumes during X-ray treatments.
Parental behavior in pythons is responsive to both the hydric and thermal dynamics of the nest

Parental behavior contributes to the success of a diverse array of taxa, and female-only nest attendance is particularly widespread. Python egg-brooding behavior is an intriguing example of female-only nest attendance because it significantly influences several critical developmental variables, namely embryonic predation, hydration, respiration and temperature. During brooding, females predominately adopt a tightly coiled posture that reduces the exchange of heat, water vapor, O(2) and CO(2) between the nest and clutch environment, which benefits egg water balance at the cost of respiration. To determine the plasticity of this important behavior, we manipulated nest temperature and humidity while monitoring nest-clutch thermal, hydric and respiratory relationships to test the hypothesis that female Children's pythons (Antaresia childreni) modify their egg-brooding behavior due to an interaction between environmental thermal and hydric conditions. During moderate and high nest humidity treatments (23 and 32 g m(-3) H(2)O, respectively), females spent more time coiling tightly when the nest was cooling than when it was warming, which benefited clutch temperature. However, brooding females in low-humidity nest environments (13 g m(-3) H(2)O) showed a high frequency of tight coiling even when the nest was warming; thus, nest temperature and humidity had an interactive effect on egg-brooding behavior in support of our hypothesis. Our results also suggest that certain egg-brooding behaviors (i.e. postural adjustments) are more energetically costly to females than other behaviors (i.e. tight coiling). In sum, we provide empirical support for the adaptive plasticity of python egg-brooding behavior, which offers insight into the general significance of female-only nest attendance in animals.
Pentacene organic thin-film transistors on flexible paper and glass substrates.

Pentacene-based organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) were fabricated on several types of flexible substrate: commercial photo paper, ultra-smooth specialty paper and ultra-thin (100 μM) flexible glass. The transistors were fabricated entirely through dry-step processing. The transconductance and field-effect mobility of OTFTs on photo paper reached values of ∼0.52 mS m−1 and ∼0.1 cm2 V −1 s−1, respectively. Preliminary results on the lifetime of OTFTs on photo paper yielded stable transconductance and mobility values over a period of more than 250 h. The comparable characteristics of OTFTs fabricated on widely available, low cost paper and high quality expensive liquid crystal display glass indicate the potential importance of cellulose-based electronic devices.
CHALLENGING THE CIVIC/ETHNIC AND WEST/EAST DICHOTOMIES IN THE STUDY OF NATIONALISM

This article challenges the widespread notion that civic nationalism is dominant in Western Europe and North America, whereas ethnic nationalism is dominant in Central and Eastern Europe. After laying out the civic-West/ethnic-East argument, it refines the civic/ethnic dichotomy and deduces the state policies that flow from ethnic, cultural, and civic conceptions of national identity. It then employs survey data from 15 countries to measure mass conceptions of national identity by analyzing attitudes on criteria for national membership and state policy toward assimilation and immigration. The article finds that the civic-West/ethnic-East stereotype, when true, is only weakly true, and according to several measures is false. Finally, several explanations for strong cultural national identities in the West and strong civic national identities in Eastern Europe are given.
Complex yet translucent: the optical properties of sea ice

Sea ice is a naturally occurring material with an intricate and highly variable structure consisting of ice platelets, brine pockets, air bubbles, and precipitated salt crystals. The optical properties of sea ice are directly dependent on this ice structure. Because sea ice is a material that exists at its salinity determined freezing point, its structure and optical properties are significantly affected by small changes in temperature. Understanding the interaction of sunlight with sea ice is important to a diverse array of scientific problems, including those in polar climatology. A key optical parameter for climatological studies is the albedo, the fraction of the incident sunlight that is reflected. The albedo of sea ice is quite sensitive to surface conditions. The presence of a snow cover enhances the albedo, while surface meltwater reduces the albedo. Radiative transfer in sea ice is a combination of absorption and scattering. Differences in the magnitude of sea ice optical properties are ascribable primarily to differences in scattering, while spectral variations are mainly a result of absorption. Physical changes that enhance scattering, such as the formation of air bubbles due to brine drainage, result in more light reflection and less transmission.
Suppression of spin relaxation in submicron InGaAs wires.

We investigate electron-spin dynamics in narrow two-dimensional $n$-InGaAs channels as a function of the channel width. The spin relaxation times increase with decreasing channel width, in accordance with recent theoretical predictions based on the dimensionally constrained D'yakonov-Perel' mechanism. Surprisingly, the suppression of the relaxation rate, which is anticipated for the one-dimensional limit, is observed for widths that are an order of magnitude larger than the electron mean free path. We find the spin precession length and the channel width to be the relevant length scales for interpreting these results.
Thermal ablation therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Thermal ablation strategies, including the use of radiofrequency, microwaves, lasers, and high-intensity focused ultrasound, are gaining increasing attention as an alternative to standard surgical therapies in the treatment of primary hepatocellular carcinoma. Benefits over surgical resection include the anticipated reduction in morbidity and mortality, low cost, suitability for real-time imaging guidance, ability to perform ablative procedures on an outpatient basis, and the potential application in a wider spectrum of patients—including those who are not surgical candidates. In this review, the authors examine the reported clinical success of each of these four therapies, potential complications, current limitations, and future directions of development.
Does dose matter in reducing gestational weight gain in exercise interventions? A systematic review of literature.

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this review was to examine the relationship between exercise dose and reductions in weight gain during pregnancy in exercise interventions. Design Systematic literature review. Methods Four electronic research databases (PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Academic Search Premiere) were used to identify exercise interventions conducted with pregnant women. Eligible articles must have satisfied the following criteria: inclusion of a control condition, exercise as a major intervention component, weight gain measured and reported for each experimental condition, description of exercise dose (frequency, intensity and duration), and utilized an adequate number of control conditions to assess independent effects of exercise on weight gain. Results The literature search identified 4837 articles. Of these, 174 abstracts were screened and 21 intervention studies (18 exercise-only, 3 exercise/diet) were eligible for review. Only 38% of the interventions achieved statistically significant reductions in gestational weight gain. Successful interventions possessed higher adherence and lower attrition rates and were predominantly conducted among normal weight populations. No clear patterns or consistencies of exercise dose and reductions in weight gain were evident. Conclusions An exercise dose associated with reductions in weight gain was unquantifiable among these interventions. Adherence and retention rates were strong contributors to the success of exercise interventions on gestational weight gain. It is strongly suggested that future researchers investigate methods to increase adherence and compliance, especially among overweight and obese women, and utilize objective measurement tools to accurately evaluate exercise dose performed by the participants and the impact on body composition and weight gain.
Ma'adim Vallis Evolution: Geometry and Models of Discharge Rate

Abstract Episodes of confined flows in Ma'adim Vallis are reconstructed by surveying the terraces in the valley. Three major levels and their associated tributary systems are identified and mapped. This study points out the evidence of the cessation of the valley activity between the formation of levels 1 and 2, characterized by degraded and large perched valleys, which floor are not adjusted to the following flow episode level. A strong asymmetry in the tributary distribution points toward a groundwater-supplied water origin of the valley. Potential source areas are demonstrated to be in volcano-tectonic regions, implying a hydrothermal origin of the water, that may include melted permafrost. Calculation of hydraulic radii, valley sections, and models of discharge rates associated with the morphologic and geologic survey shows that Ma'adim Vallis was an episodic channel, the lifetime of which spanned between the Noachian and Amazonian.
Computer drafting of stones, wood, plant and ground materials

Architectural presentation drawings frequently require the drafting of stones, wood patterns, plants and ground materials, which, contrary to the majority of drafting tasks, cannot rely on repetitious procedures. This paper discusses and illustrates computer implemented algorithms which generate graphic representations of the above materials.Simulating a process known to be applied in practice is certainly a sound approach, and one such algorithm, applicable for the derivation of stone walls, is presented, But the majority of the algorithms discussed are based on a technique which introduces randomly generated disturbances on initially regular patterns. The latter algorithms in particular have produced highly satisfactory graphic representations, which include frequently hand-made qualities.
A Translation Model for Sentence Retrieval

In this work we propose a translation model for monolingual sentence retrieval. We propose four methods for constructing a parallel corpus. Of the four methods proposed, a lexicon learned from a bilingual Arabic-English corpus aligned at the sentence level performs best, significantly improving results over the query likelihood baseline. Further, we demonstrate that smoothing from the local context of the sentence improves retrieval over the query likelihood baseline.
Toward a pragmatist theory of action

L'A. examine de facon critique l'ouvrage d'Hans Joas : The Creativity of Action. Il montre que ce dernier propose une theorie pragmatiste de l'action. Il souligne que, pour Joas, toute action suppose un individu en situation. Il considere que la perspective d'orientation pragmatiste developpee par Joas permet de comprendre la nature pre-rationnelle des habitudes mais qu'elle ne permet pas de saisir leur construction dans le temps. Il affirme que la notion de rationalite situee mise en avant par Joas rend intelligible les comportements des individus places dans une situation particuliere. Il met en lumiere une certaine faiblesse de la theorie de Joas. Celui-ci semble ignorer le fait que les situations sont structurees par des relations d'ordre systemique non percues par les agents.
A comparison of inoculation techniques for inducing aflatoxin contamination andAspergillus flavus kernel infection on corn hybrids in the field

Aspergillus flavus inoculation techniques were compared on aflatoxin-resistant and -susceptible corn hybrids for inducing aflatoxin contamination andA. flavus kernel infection. A dry carrier technique was comparable to the standard inoculation techniques (the side-needle and a spray technique) in differentiating between the resistant and the susceptible hybrids in the first year of the study. However, only hybrids inoculated with the side-needle technique had statistically different levels of aflatoxin andA. flavus kernel infection in the second year of the study. In a second study, a modified pinbar technique with inoculations near the tip or base of the ear was compared with the side-needle technique. When developing ears were inoculated near the base with the modified pinbar, adequate levels of aflatoxin were induced both years to distinguish between the resistant and susceptible corn hybrids. The modified pinbar technique has the potential of being a useful tool in evaluating corn germplasm for aflatoxin resistance.
Prostatic microcarcinomas in relation to cancer origin and the evolution to clinical cancer

Background. In the prostate there is a uniquely high prevalence of microcarcinomas relative to larger cancers. The probability of metastasis has been found to correlate closely with increasing cancer volume. It is important to explore the relationship of microcarcinomas to these larger clinically significant cancers by comparing their histologic features and to trace their relationship to dysplasia, a proposed precursor lesion. Methods. The histologic features of 107 microcarcinomas were related to associated dysplasia lesions
Upper GI 04

Introduction: Management of resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma remains controversial with recent randomized trials suggesting a role for adjuvant therapies. Patient selection for adjuvant therapy is currently based on models that define discrete risk groups for recurrence. However, no information exists which combines clinicopathological factors to predict an individual's probability of disease recurrence. Aim: The aim was to develop a prognostic model for disease-specific survival (DSS) following resection using clinicopathological parameters. Methods: A prospective database established in 1983 was used to identify patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma resected between October 1993 and April 2000. Clinicopathological/operative details were recorded. Follow-up was obtained as of October 2001. By using an accelerated failure time regression model, a nomogram was developed to predict median and 3-year DSS. The nomogram was validated internally using bootstrapping. Results: A total of 546 patients underwent resection for pancreatic adenocarcinoma and included. Sex distribution was equal with the pancreatic head being the predominant site of disease (n = 492, 90 per cent). The median DSS of the entire group was 17 months (95 per cent CI: 15.6–18.7 months). In multivariate analysis, size, differentiation, number of positive nodes, margin status, and concomitant splenectomy were significant survival variables (P < 0.05) and included in the nomogram. Calibration plots suggested that the nomogram was well calibrated for all predictions. Conclusions: This nomogram predicts better than chance and discriminates better than simply providing all patients with an average survival estimate (P < 0.05). It can be used to predict the 3-year DSS for an individual patient following resection. We believe that this nomogram gives novel information allowing for accurate assessment of prognosis, treatment selection, and clinical trial design.
Semiautomatic Testing of Weapon System Re-Entry Vehicles

This paper presents a philosophy of semiautomatic checkout, along with a description of the Mark 6 (Titan II) Re-entry Vehicle Test Set. This test set is used for testing both R&D and Operational Re-entry Vehicles. Included is a discussion of checkout philosophy as it affects the test set, circuit concepts, operation, trouble-shooting, packaging and maintenance concepts. This checkout philosophy was used as a basis for testing medium complexity vehicles where the checkout time is not extremely critical.
Inhibition of RNA directed DNA polymerase of murine leukemia virus by 2′-O-alkylated polyadenylic acids†

Summary Poly(2′-O-alkyl)adenylic acids strongly inhibit the RNA-directed DNA polymerase of Moloney murine leukemia virus (MLV) but have no significant effect on the activity of E. coli and murine spleen DNA polymerase. Poly(2′-O-methyl A) and poly(2′-O-ethyl A) show an apparent competitive inhibition of poly(A):oligo(dT)-directed MLV polymerase. Poly(A), poly(2′-O-methyl A), poly(2′-O-ethyl A), and poly(dA) yield kinetics of inhibition of poly(C):oligo(dG)-directed MLV polymerase which are inconsistent with a simple competitive inhibition with respect to the template. The following order of strength of inhibition is observed: poly(I) > poly(2′-O-ethyl A) > poly(2′-O-methyl A) for the poly(A): oligo(dT)-directed reaction, and poly(2′-O-ethyl A) > poly(2′-O-methyl A) > poly(A)≫ poly(dA) for the poly (C):oligo(dG)-directed reaction.
Reference dependence in iterative choices

Abstract Valuation of goods often proceeds from a series of hypothetical pairwise choices. We examine reference dependence on the outcome of such evaluations in a large-scale study in which respondents make a series of choices between areas that differ on cost of living and the quality of lakes and rivers. We uncover three substantial reference effects. First, we find that respondents’ choices are altered by being told the national value of water quality. For these people, consistent with prospect theory, changes in water quality below the 65% referenced national standard are treated as losses and given more weight while identical changes above 65% are treated as gains and given less weight. Second, we find that the sequence of iterative choices matters in a surprising way. The iterations proceed by encouraging switching either by degrading the chosen alternative or improving the item chosen. We show that improving the item not chosen produces the greatest switching, a result consistent with prospect theory, but only if the item changed in the iteration becomes the reference alternative. Finally, we find a strong starting reference effect. That is, we show that the trade-off in the first choice reflected in the change in cost of living divided by the change in water quality has a substantial impact on the final valuation. We assess the relative impact of these three reference effects and suggest ways of dealing with them for valuation of non-market goods.
Shocking Histoire(s): Godard, Surrealism, and Historical Montage

In the closing seconds of Histoire(s) du cinema (1988–1998), Jean Luc-Godard's eight-part, four-and-a-half-hour videographic collage, we encounter the most celebrated image in Surrealist cinema: th...
Growth potential of the cells of permanent lines (HeLa, BHK/21, NRK)

A variety of culture parameters was tested to determine optimum growth conditions for the permanent cell lines HeLa, BHK/21 and NRK. Although the lines grew as well at clonal density as in mass culture, clonal analysis of cells transferred on coverslip fragments showed that only 71%–85% were able to produce permanent sublines. Kinetic analysis of the growth of individual clones showed that they varied widely in growth rate, despite continuous low density propagation designed to select out slowly growing cells. In addition, cytopathology was frequently evident in all lines studied, either when cultured at clonal density or under “ideal” conditions at moderate density. The results indicate that defective cells are continuously produced and that they exist in stable proportion in equilibrium cultures. These findings are at variance with claims that some permanent lines (i.e., HeLa) plate with 100% efficiency. Results are discussed in terms of the methodology used to determine plating efficiency, and also in terms of stochastic theories of cell kinetics, which predict the occurrence of cell death in permanent lines and explain the interconversion of permanent and limited cell lines observed in other systems.
Methylated genes in breast cancer: Associations with clinical and histopathological features in a familial breast cancer cohort

Background: Hundreds of hypermethylated genes have been described in breast cancer, yet the nature and contribution of these genes in their methylated state to overall risk and prognosis is under-characterized in non-sporadic breast cancers. We therefore compared associations of DNA methylation with tumor stage, hormone/growth receptor status, and clinical outcomes in a familial breast cancer cohort. Because few previous methylation studies have considered the oncogenic or tumor suppressor properties of their gene sets, this functional status was included as part of our correlative analysis. Results: We found methylation of oncogenes was associated with better prognostic indicators, whereas tumor suppressor gene methylation was associated with a more severe phenotype in women that were either HER2+ or lymph node positive at diagnosis, and/or tended to recur or develop distant metastases. For example, the methylation of the tumor suppressor gene APC was strongly associated with a specific subset of tumors ...
On the use of repeated measures designs in psychopharmacology

A popular paradigm in psychopharmacology is the repeated measures design. Unfortunately the test of equal means across the repeated trials requires an assumption that is often untenable and which can lead to erroneous interpretations. In order to minimize this bias three approaches have been suggested. The authors discuss the three approaches in the context of a psychopharmacologic example.
Carpometacarpal and Scaphotrapeziotrapezoid Arthritis: Arthroscopy, Arthroplasty, and Arthrodesis

Osteoarthritis of the first carpometacarpal joint is the second most common site of osteoarthritis in humans. Symptomatic isolated scaphotrapeziotrapezoid joint arthritis, though less common overall, is also frequently observed by the hand surgeon. Investigations on the etiology, pathophysiology, natural history, outcomes of traditional treatments, and new forms of surgical techniques have been attracting more interest in the field of hand surgery. The goal of this article is to sort through the current prevailing ideas using recently available literature and to offer a concise, updated guide to further enhance the understanding of thumb carpometacarpal and scaphotrapeziotrapezoid arthritis.
Stimulus-response with reciprocal kernels: The rise and fall of sensation

Abstract The paper presents a theory for constructing response scales based on the reciprocal property of paired comparisons of stimuli from the same sensory continuum. Reciprocal paired comparisons define the pair estimator function K ( s , t ), the kernel of a Fredholm integral equation of the second kind. The solution of this equation yields a response scale of the form s α e − βs , where s is the stimulus scale. The response scale provides a basis for a theory to describe how images and sensation patterns are formed from stimuli.
Effect of KOH treatment on the schottky barrier height and reverse leakage current in Pt/n-GaN

The effect of potassium hydroxide (KOH) treatment was investigated for Pt/n-GaN Schottky diodes using current-voltage (I-V) and capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) showed that the surface profile did not change significantly as a result of KOH treatment. The Schottky barrier height increased for both I-V and C-V measurements. The reverse leakage current was also reduced by KOH treatment. By fitting these data to the reverse current based on the thermionic field emission (TFE) model, it was shown that the experimental results are consistent with the presence of high densities of surface states, which were reduced appreciably by KOH treatment. The similar behavior of Pt/n-GaN samples grown by hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) suggests that the KOH treatment is effective in improving the rectifying characteristics of Schottky barriers to n-GaN grown by both organometallic vapor phase epitaxy (OMVPE) and HVPE.
Crest factor reduction in MC-CDMA employing carrier interferometry codes

This paper addresses signal compactness issues in MC-CDMA employing carrier interferometry codes using the measure of crest factor (CF). Carrier interferometry codes, applied to N-carrier MC-CDMA systems, enable 2N users to simultaneously share the system bandwidth with minimal degradation in performance (relative to the N-orthogonal-user case). First, for a fully loaded (K = N and K = 2N users) MC-CDMA system with practical values of N, it is shown that the CF in downlink transmission demonstrates desirable properties of low mean and low variance. The downlink CF degrades when the number of users in the system decreases. Next, the high CF observed in the uplink is characterized and the poor CF in a partially loaded downlink as well as uplink is effectively combated using Schroeder's analytical CF reduction techniques.
Evidence of excitotoxicity in the brain of the ornithine carbamoyltransferase deficient sparse fur mouse

Ornithine carbamoyltransferase deficiency (OCTD) is the most common inborn error of urea synthesis. An X-linked disorder, OCTD males commonly present with hyperammonemic coma in the newborn period. There is a high rate of mortality and morbidity, with most survivors sustaining severe brain damage and resultant developmental disabilities. Although ammonia is presumed to be the principal neurotoxin, there is evidence that other neurochemical alterations may also be involved. The OCTD sparse fur (spf/Y) mouse has proven to be a useful model of this disease with similar metabolic and neurochemical alterations to those found in the human disease. In this study, the levels of the tryptophan derived excitotoxin quinolinic acid were examined in the brains of spf/Y mice. In addition, the neuropathology was examined using both light and electron microscopic approaches. Consistent with reports in children with urea cycle disorders, the levels of tryptophan and quinolinic acid were increased two-fold in various brain regions of the spf/Y mouse. Quinolinic acid, an agonist at the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, is known to produce selective cell loss in the striatum. We found a significant loss of medium spiny neurons and increased numbers of reactive oligodendroglia and microglia in the striatum of spf/Y mice. These neurochemical and neuropathological observations are consistent with an excitotoxic influence on brain injury in OCTD. It leads us to suggest that administration of NMDA receptor antagonists may ameliorate brain damage in children with inborn errors of urea synthesis.
Synthesis and reactions of meso-(p-nitrophenyl)porphyrins

Abstract An improved methodology is reported for the regioselective nitration of the phenyl groups of meso-tetraphenylporphyrin 1 , using NaNO2 and TFA. The degree of nitration is easily controlled by the equivalent amount of NaNO2 used and the reaction time. The nitroporphyrins are reduced to the corresponding aminoporphyrins under standard SnCl2/HCl conditions. Reaction of tri-aminoporphyrin 9 with 1-formyl-o-carborane followed by reduction using NaBH4 gave a novel tri-carboranylporphyrin bearing amine linkages between the porphyrin and the carborane groups.
A Comparative Study of Different Reconstruction Schemes for a Reconstructed Discontinuous Galerkin Method on Arbitrary Grids

A comparative study of different reconstruction schemes for a reconstruction-based discontinuous Galerkin, termed RDG(P1P2) method is performed for compressible flow problems on arbitrary grids. The RDG method is designed to enhance the accuracy of the discontinuous Galerkin method by increasing the order of the underlying polynomial solution via a reconstruction scheme commonly used in the finite volume method. Both Green-Gauss and least-squares reconstruction methods and a least-squares recovery method are implemented to obtain a quadratic polynomial representation of the underlying discontinuous Galerkin linear polynomial solution on each cell. These three reconstruction/recovery methods are compared for a variety of compressible flow problems on arbitrary meshes to access their accuracy and robustness. The numerical results demonstrate that all three reconstruction methods can significantly improve the accuracy of the underlying second-order DG method, although the least-squares reconstruction method provides the best performance in terms of both accuracy and robustness.
Learning to recognize three-dimensional objects

A learning account for the problem of object recognition is developed within the probably approximately correct (PAC) model of learnability. The key assumption underlying this work is that objects can be recognized (or discriminated) using simple representations in terms of syntactically simple relations over the raw image. Although the potential number of these simple relations could be huge, only a few of them are actually present in each observed image, and a fairly small number of those observed are relevant to discriminating an object.We show that these properties can be exploited to yield an efficient learning approach in terms of sample and computational complexity within the PAC model. No assumptions are needed on the distribution of the observed objects, and the learning performance is quantified relative to its experience. Most important, the success of learning an object representation is naturally tied to the ability to represent it as a function of some intermediate representations extracted from the image.We evaluate this approach in a large-scale experimental study in which the SNoW learning architecture is used to learn representations for the 100 objects in the Columbia Object Image Library. Experimental results exhibit good generalization and robustness properties of the SNoW-based method relative to other approaches. SNoW's recognition rate degrades more gracefully when the training data contains fewer views, and it shows similar behavior in some preliminary experiments with partially occluded objects.
On radio resource sharing in multi-antenna virtualized wireless networks

Virtualizing wireless networks has the potential to improve resource usage efficiency (system capacity) through spectrum sharing while allowing for isolation between users and customization of applications {9}. In most work related to wireless network virtualization, the sharing of spectrum is considered at the level of chunks of frequency that do not interfere. Such spectrum sharing, where service provider SPA can use the spectrum allocated to SPB when SPB does not use it, results in multiplexing gains improving the resource usage (see for example, [12]). We argue that sharing radio resources that are a function of geography and signal strength, rather than slices of spectrum is also possible. When we consider sharing of radio resources, the transmit power, the interference, and the usage scenario (capabilities/needs of devices) become important in determining what can be shared. In this paper, the potential gain from sharing such radio resources while using MIMO for combating interference and exploiting spatial degrees of freedom is investigated in a two service provider collaboration scenario. The metric used is the capacity of the system (with a large cell and a small cell) as a function of separation distance, transmit power, cell range, and various MIMO settings. We show that radio resource sharing is feasible, but it has implications on isolation between users of different SPs and MIMO settings are an important factor.
Evolution of a virtual community: understanding design issues through a longitudinal study

Although the potential impacts of virtual communities have been widely recognized in business and academia, little research has been done to provide guidelines for design of such communities and to improve the understanding of critical events and interaction patterns that arise during their evolution. This paper reports the results of two years of participative longitudinal study that led to the creation of a leading web site that has attracted more than 300,000 visitors since its inception. The patterns of interaction which led to growth and stabilization of the site are described, the impact of design choices are discussed, and typical events which occur during the gradual formation of community are analyzed. The site is dedicated to football at one of the major academic institutions in the United States. It consists of several interactive fora as well as over 50 pages pertaining to different aspects of the football program. The community was studied through initiation, adoption, and successive design changes. Issues and conflicts that arise in the course of life of a virtual community are traced. Among others, the study found that interactive fora entail a trade-off between “participation” and “signal-to-noise” ratio. Based on this study, implications for communities of practice found in organizational settings are developed.
Toddlers Infer Higher-Order Relational Principles in Causal Learning

Children make inductive inferences about the causal properties of individual objects from a very young age. When can they infer higher-order relational properties? In three experiments, we examined 18- to 30-month-olds' relational inferences in a causal task. Results suggest that at this age, children are able to infer a higher-order relational causal principle from just a few observations and use this inference to guide their own subsequent actions and bring about a novel causal outcome. Moreover, the children passed a revised version of the relational match-to-sample task that has proven very difficult for nonhuman primates. The findings are considered in light of their implications for understanding the nature of relational and causal reasoning, and their evolutionary origins.
Difference of convex solution of quadratically constrained optimization problems

Abstract Recently, global optimization algorithms have been proposed for solving nonconvex programs whose objective and constraint functions are expressed as the difference of two convex functions. A surprisingly large class of functions can be decomposed in this way, so these algorithms can be viewed as general procedures for global optimization. Often, a given problem can have more than one difference of convex (d.c.) formulation. This paper investigates the impact of alternative d.c. formulations of a nonconvex program. In particular, we investigate the computational performance of two d.c. programming algorithms when applied to two d.c. formulations of quadratically constrained quadratic optimization models. Computational results suggest that the performance of d.c. techniques can be significantly influenced by the nature of the d.c. decomposition.