cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry in Clinical Chemistry

Automated spectrophotometric, electrochemical, and immunochemical analyses have become the mainstays of clinical chemistry and toxicology laboratory services, but their scope is limited. A wide array of clinically relevant analytes demand more sophisticated analytical techniques to provide sensitive and specific assays for diagnostic purposes. Gas chromatography (GC) and mass spectrometry (MS) are becoming cost-effective alternatives for many of these challenging assays. GC is a robust technique that offers the ability to resolve volatile components of a complex mixture. MS provides structural information that can unambiguously identify a compound. In combination, these two techniques provide qualitative and quantitative answers to many difficult analytical problems. GC and MS applications have been developed for a variety of clinical analytes, and the use of these methods has created new and exciting frontiers for clinical laboratory medicine. Several clinical applications of these analytical techniques will be discussed in this chapter.
Total Correctness of Logic Programs: A Formal Approach

This paper presents a deductive system in which one can prove total correctness of pure Prolog programs with negation. Total correctness of logic programs means two things: termination and partial correctness with respect to a specification. The deductive system we use is a Clark-like completion augmented with induction. It is called the inductive extension of a logic program. The connections between Clark's completion and Prolog have been doubted before, since Prolog uses a special literal selection rule and a special search strategy. Also the possibility of using first-order predicate logic with induction for proving termination has rarely been used. We demonstrate the usefulness of the deductive system by giving a complete, fully formalized correctness proof of a program for TAUT. The example program uses negation as failure and backtracking in a non-trivial way and is therefore a typical Prolog program.
A thermal-driven floorplanning algorithm for 3D ICs

As the technology progresses, interconnect delays have become bottlenecks of chip performance. 3D integrated circuits are proposed as one way to address this problem. However, thermal problem is a critical challenge for 3D IC circuit design. We propose a thermal-driven 3D floorplanning algorithm. Our contributions include: (1) a new 3D floorplan representation, CBA and new interlayer local operations to more efficiently exploit the solution space; (2) an efficient thermal-driven 3D floorplanning algorithm with an integrated compact resistive network thermal model (CBA-T); (3) two fast thermal-driven 3D floorplanning algorithms using two different thermal models with different runtime and quality (CBA-T-Fast and CBA-T-Hybrid). Our experiments show that the proposed 3D floorplan algorithm with CBA representation can reduce the wirelength by 29% compared with a recent published result from (Hsiu et al., 2004). In addition, compared to a nonthermal-driven 3D floorplanning algorithm, the thermal-driven 3D floorplanning algorithm can reduce the maximum on-chip temperature by 56%.
When the Golden Arches Gang Aft Agley: Incorporating Software Engineering into Computer Science

The incorporation of software engineering into an existing university computer science curriculum involves major cultural and content changes. Considerable persistence is required (note the golden arches), yet even the best laid plans do not always suffice (note quotation from famous poem by Burns). This is particularly true for those departments which have a strong mathematics emphasis — a common phenomenon in many comprehensive universities (M.S. granting) today. Despite the major challenges involved in such change, the rewards are many. The beneficiaries include: current students, graduates, employers, computer science faculty, the university, and society.
Steroid maintenance in repeat kidney transplantation: Influence of induction agents on outcomes

The influence of steroid maintenance on the outcomes of repeat kidney transplant (RKT) recipients with respect to induction type is unclear. Using the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network/United Network of Organ Sharing (OPTN/UNOS) database, we identified patients (≥18 years) who underwent deceased donor RKT from January 2000 to December 2008 after receiving induction with rabbit-antithymocyte globulin (r-ATG), alemtuzumab or an IL-2 receptor blocker (IL-2B) and were discharged on a calcineurin inhibitor/mycophenolate mofetil regimen with or without steroids. Of 5634 patients, 3643 received r-ATG (steroid = 3157, no-steroid = 486), 448 alemtuzumab (steroid = 196, no-steroid = 252) and 1543 an IL-2B (steroid = 1465, no-steroid = 78). Unadjusted graft survivals were similar for the no-steroid versus steroid groups for induction with r-ATG [hazard ratio (HR) 0.85 and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.70-1.03, P = 0.10], alemtuzumab (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.51-1.14, P = 0.18) and IL-2B (HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.56-1.70, P = 0.23). In the adjusted model, steroid use improved graft survival in alem­tuzumab (HR 0.44, 95% CI 0.25-0.76, P = 0.003) but not in the r-ATG (HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.68-1.09, P = 0.21) or IL-2B (HR 0.98, 95% CI 0.56-1.70, P = 0.94) groups. Steroid use was asso­ciated with inferior patient survival in unadjusted (HR 1.30, 95% CI 1.17-1.44, P <0.001) and adjusted (HR 1.29, 95% CI 1.14-1.45, P <0.001) models for r-ATG induction, whereas this was not observed with alemtuzumab (unadjusted HR 1.11, 95% CI 0.89-1.37, P = 0.36; adjusted HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.68-1.20, P = 0.49) or IL-2B (unadjusted HR 1.01, 95% CI 0.87-1.18, P = 0.87; adjusted HR 1.15, 95% CI 0.97-1.38, P = 0.12) inductions. Our study showed a graft survival benefit in the alemtuzumab- and patient death risk in the r-ATG-induced RKT recipients discharged on steroids.
Anti-Motion Sickness Medications in Dyslexia

The experimental attempt to treat dyslexic individuals with anti-motion sickness medications was based on the following reasoning: (1) If, indeed, the sensory-motor dysmetria underlying dyslexia is of a primary c-v origin; and (2) if the cerebellum modulates the motion input in a manner analogous to its demonstrated role in modulating the visual, acoustic, proprioceptive and tactile input; and (3) if the anti-motion sickness medications improve the functional capacity of the cerebellum (and vestibular circuits) to process and modulate motion input and autonomic motion-sickness reflexes; then perhaps these very same “motion” medications may similarly improve the cerebellum’s capacity to modulate and harmonize the non-motion sensory-motor organismic dysmetria characterizing and underlying dyslexia. Furthermore, if these hypotheses are correct, any and all pharmacologically induced therapeutic responses in dyslexia may be viewed as neurophysiologic indicators suggesting that subclinically impaired c-v functional patterns were being compensated for by chemically improved c-v modulating and sensory-motor processing capacity. In addition, the chemically triggered and clinically observed conversion of “dyslexic” to improved or “normal” functioning may be utilized to highlight, and thus explore, the specific c-v neurodynamic role in dyslexic functioning, and to test the c-v potency of specific chemical agents.
Belinostat for the treatment of relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma

The prognosis of patients with relapsed/refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) remains poor and current treatments are typically of limited benefit. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors have proven effective for the treatment of relapsed/refractory PTCL. To date approved HDAC inhibitors for patients with T-cell lymphoma are vorinostat, romidepsin and, recently, belinostat. Here we review the pharmacology and the clinical activity of belinostat. Belinostat is a well-tolerated HDAC inhibitor that has shown activity in heavily pretreated patients with relapsed/refractory PTCL. Several clinical trials are currently investigating the use of belinostat in different cancers and in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents.
BHRF1 of Epstein-Barr virus, which is homologous to human proto-oncogene bcl2, is not essential for transformation of B cells or for virus replication in vitro.

Abstract The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genome contains an open reading frame, BHRF1, that encodes a presumptive membrane protein with sequence similarity to the proto-oncogene bcl2, which is linked to human B-cell follicular lymphoma. Potential roles for BHRF1 in EBV's ability to growth transform human B cells and to replicate in B cells in culture were investigated by generating EBV mutants that lack most of the open reading frame. This was accomplished by recombination of plasmids carrying mutations in BHRF1 with the transformation-defective EBV strain P3HR1. Because BHRF1 resides close to the deletion in P3HR1 that renders this strain transformation defective, B-cell transformation could be used to select for recombination events in the region. B-cell clones were established by recombinants which lacked most of the BHRF1 open reading frame, although most of these initial B-cell transformants also carried nonrecombinant (BHRF1+) P3HR1 genomes, at levels ranging from a fraction of a copy to four copies per cell. Secondary B-cell transformants that lacked BHRF1+ EBV at detectable levels were found to release transforming, BHRF1-deficient EBV at levels that were within the normal range for EBV-immortalized B-cell clones. These studies demonstrate that BHRF1 is nonessential for growth transformation of B cells and for virus replication and release from these cells in culture.
Use of Diet Crossover to Determine the Effects of β‐glucan Supplementation on Immunity and Growth of Nile Tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus

Juvenile Nile tilapia were fed either a basal (control) diet (n = 6 aquaria) or a diet supplemented with 1 g/kg β-glucan (n = 24 aquaria) for 4 wk. At the end of this period, fish receiving β-glucan were continued on the same diet (n = 12 aquaria) or switched to the control diet (n = 12 aquaria) for 2 wk. After 6 wk, tilapia continuously fed the β-glucan supplemented diets had improved weight gain and feed efficiency than those fed the control diet uninterrupted or switched from the β-glucan diet to the control after 4 wk. Feeding tilapia β-glucan for 4 wk and then switching to the basal diet for 2 wk caused a significant increase in the respiratory burst of polymorphonuclear lymphocytes (17.77 × 103 units/1000 white blood cells [WBC]) compared to catfish fed the control diet (13.50 × 103 units/1000 WBC) or the β-glucan diet continuously (13.57 × 103 units/1000 WBC), but other immune parameters were unaffected. Tilapia were then challenged with Streptococcus iniae. The two groups were divided again (n = 6 aquaria) postchallenge and continued on the same diet or switched to the other diet (β-glucan or control) for another 3 wk. No differences in survival to S. iniae infection occurred between dietary groups.
Abstract 2445: Estrogen promotes tumorigenesis by ADP-ribosyl-acceptor hydrolase 1 (ARH1)-deficient cells and mice

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA ADP-ribosylation, a post-translational modification in which the ADP-ribose of NAD is transferred to specific acceptors, is used by bacterial toxins to disrupt host cell biosynthetic, regulatory and metabolic pathways. Mammalian cells also use ADP-ribosylation reactions to regulate protein activity. The content of ADP-ribosylated acceptors is tightly regulated by enzymes that transfer ADP-ribose to acceptors i.e., ADP-ribosyltransferases (ARTs), and those that cleave the ADP-ribose acceptor bond, i.e., ADP-ribose-acceptor hydrolases (e.g., ARHs). ADP-ribosyl-acceptor hydrolase 1 (ARH1) is responsible for the hydrolysis of the α-ADP-ribosylarginine(protein) bond. We reported previously that ARH1-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) had greater proliferation rates, and formed more colonies in soft agar and tumors in nude mice than their wild-type (WT) counterparts. Consistent with these results with MEFs, ARH1-deficient (ARH1-/-) and heterozygous (ARH1+/-) mice developed tumors more frequently than their WT counterparts (Kato et al, 2011 Cancer Res.). Furthermore, the ARH1 gene from tumors isolated from ARH1+/- MEFs, and from tumors isolated from ARH1+/- mice contained mutations that affected function. Because loss of the functioning allele in ARH1+/- MEFs and mice resulted in tumorigenesis, we infer that ARH1 is a tumor suppressor gene. Female ARH1-/- and ARH1+/- mice developed tumors and metastasis more frequently than male mice (e.g., adenocarcinomas, lymphomas), and developed tumors at a younger age than male mice. Consistent with the gender effect on incidence of tumors in ARH1-/- mice, tumor growth by ARH1-/- MEFs injected subcutaneously in an “estrogen group” (i.e., female, female ovariectomized [FO] supplemented with 17-β-estradiol [E2], male supplemented with E2) of nude mice was significantly faster than that seen in a “non-estrogen group” (i.e., male, FO) of mice. Pulmonary metastasis following intravenous injection of ARH1-/- MEFs in an “estrogen group” of nude mice were larger in size than those in a “non-estrogen group”. Further, estrogen promoted the survival of ARH1-/- MEFs in the circulation and thus enhanced metastatic potential. Our data demonstrate that control of protein-ADP-ribosylation by ARH1 is important for cell proliferation and tumorigenesis. Estrogen enhanced pulmonary metastasis, tumor growth and survival of circulating tumor cells. Funding: Intramural Research Program, NIH, NHLBI. Citation Format: Jiro Kato, Xiangning Bu, Joel Moss. Estrogen promotes tumorigenesis by ADP-ribosyl-acceptor hydrolase 1 (ARH1)-deficient cells and mice. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 2445. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-2445
Multifunctional nanoparticles as simulants for a gravimetric immunoassay

Immunoassays are important tools for the rapid detection and identification of pathogens, both clinically and in the research laboratory. An immunoassay with the potential for the detection of influenza was developed and tested using hemagglutinin (HA), a commonly studied glycoprotein found on the surface of influenza virions. Gold nanoparticles were synthesized, which present multiple peptide epitopes, including the HA epitope, in order to increase the gravimetric response achieved with the use of a QCM immunosensor for influenza. Specifically, epitopes associated with HA and FLAG peptides were affixed to gold nanoparticles by a six-mer PEG spacer between the epitope and the terminal cysteine. The PEG spacer was shown to enhance the probability for interaction with antibodies by increasing the distance the epitope extends from the gold surface. These nanoparticles were characterized using thermogravimetric analysis, transmission electron microscopy, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight, and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance analysis. Anti-FLAG and anti-HA antibodies were adhered to the surface of a QCM, and the response of each antibody upon exposure to HA, FLAG, and dual functionalized nanoparticles was compared with binding of Au–tiopronin nanoparticles and H5 HA proteins from influenza virus (H5N1). Results demonstrate that the immunoassay was capable of differentiating between nanoparticles presenting orthogonal epitopes in real-time with minimal nonspecific binding. The detection of H5 HA protein demonstrates the logical extension of using these nanoparticle mimics as a safe positive control in the detection of influenza, making this a vital step in improving influenza detection methodology.
Molecular beam epitaxy of metamorphic InyGa1−yP solar cells on mixed anion GaAsxP1−x/GaAs graded buffers

The authors have grown metamorphic InyGa1−yP on optimized GaAsxP1−x/GaAs graded buffers via solid source molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) for multijunction solar cell applications. In this work, the authors show that a previously developed kinetic growth model can be used to predict the composition of mixed anion GaAsxP1−x alloys on GaAs as a function of substrate temperature and group-V flux. The advantages of using a high growth temperature of 700 °C are then described, including the minimized dependence of composition on small temperature variations, a linear dependence of film composition on incident group-V flux ratio, and the ability to attain low threading dislocation densities of ≤106 cm−2. The authors then discuss the effect of faceted trenches, a morphological defect specific to tensile strain relaxation, on minority carrier properties, as well as strategies to eliminate them. Growth temperature effects, phase separation, and difficulties encountered in n-type doping of InAlP:Si are then described i...
Physiological and neuropsychological correlates of hostility

This experiment tested two hypotheses linking right cerebral arousal to hostility and physiological arousal. A replication of previous research supporting heightened physiological (systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and heart rate) reactivity among high-hostility subjects was partially successful. Hemispheric lateralization of cerebral activity in response to stress was also measured. Low- and high-hostility subjects were identified using the Cook-Medley Hostility Scale (CMHS). Physiological measures (systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and heart rate) were recorded and dichotic listening procedures were administered before and after administration of the cold-pressor paradigm. The primary finding of this research was greater right cerebral activation to stress among high-hostility subjects, as indicated by their enhanced ability to identify syllables presented to the left ear. Data further supported previous findings of heightened physiological reactivity to stress among high-hostility subjects and suggest a positive relationship between right cerebral activity and cardiovascular arousal.
Cloning and molecular characterization of the Chinese hamster ERCC2 nucleotide excision repair gene

The Chinese hamster ERCC2 nucleotide excision repair gene, encoding a presumed ATP-dependent DNA helicase, was cloned from the V79 cell line, and its nucleotide sequence was determined. The {approximately}15-kb gene comprises 23 exons with a 2283-base open reading frame. The predicted 760-amino-acid protein is 98% identical to the human ERCC2/EXP (760 amino acids), 51% identical to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae RAD3 (778 amino acids), and 54% identical to the Schizosaccharomyces pombe rad15 (772 amino acids) proteins. The promoter region of the hamster ERCC2 gene contains a pyrimidine-rich stretch (42 nucleotides, 88% C+T) similar to sequences found in the promoter regions of two other nucleotide excision repair genes, a GC box, a putative {alpha}-Pal transcription factor binding site, and two CAAT boxes. There is no apparent TAATA box. No consensus polyadenylation sequence (AATAAA or its variants) was found with 663 bases 3{prime} of the translation termination codon. 54 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs.
Memory for forms: common memory formats for verbal and visual stimulus presentations.

Numerous experiments have attempted to show that people use a visuospatial representation to remember pictures and objects by demonstrating that perceptual variables affect memory perlormance. One problem with such experiments is that perceptual differences in the stimuli could cause differences in a verbal representation as well (i.e., could lead to different descriptions). The three experiments reported here use as stimuli a set of geometric forms designed to have identical verbal descriptions, yet to differ in visual complexity. Results showed that recall differences could be predicted on the basis of visual complexity whether’ the stimuli were described or presented visually. Furthermore, this result cannot be attributed to a response bias in reproducing the stimuli. Various models of memory for forms are considered in the light of these results, as well as the “tacit knowledge” explanation for mental imagery phenomena.
Concordance of risk behavior reporting within HCV serodiscordant injecting partnerships of young injection drug users in San Francisco, CA

Introduction Young injection drug users (IDU, under age 30) often inject with other IDU, creating an environment for risk of blood-borne disease transmission through sharing of needles and drug preparation equipment. Epidemiologic studies rely on self reported injection behavior data for measures of transmission risk, therefore we sought to quantify the degree of concordance of reported injecting risk behaviors between injecting dyads.
Regulation of phosphoinositide hydrolysis in cultured astrocytes by sphingosine and psychosine.

Abstract The effects of sphingosine and psychosine on phosphoinositide hydrolysis in primary cultured astrocytes were determined. Exposure to sphingosine produced a dose-dependent stimulation of phosphoinositide hydrolysis requiring the presence of external Ca ++ for optimal activity. The addition of 10 μM norepinephrine resulted in a stimulation additional to that with sphingosine. The α 1 -antagonist prazosin completely inhibited norepinephrine-induced phosphoinositide hydrolysis but had no effect on that produced by sphingosine. Psychosine (108 μM), when co-incubated with sphingosine, produced complete inhibition of sphingosine-induced phosphoinositide hydrolysis at all doses of sphingosine tested (33–668 μM). Likewise, psychosine totally inhibited norepinephrine-induced phosphoinositide hydrolysis. The protein kinase C inhibitor staurosporine (1 μM) had no effect on sphingosine-induced phosphoinositide hydrolysis. These findings suggest that lysosphingolipids such as sphingosine and psychosine may play an important role in the regulation of phosphoinositide turnover in astrocytes by a mechanism dependent on extracellular Ca ++ and independent of the α 1 -adrenergic receptor and protein kinase C.
Utility of Stewart's strong ion difference as a predictor of major injury after trauma in the ED.

Abstract Introduction Base deficit (BD) is a validated surrogate for lactate in injured patients and correlates with trauma severity. Stewart proposed a more comprehensive measure of acidosis based on the strong ion difference (SID) (SID = Na + K + Mg + Ca − CL − lactate [mEq/L]). We compared operating characteristics of BD, anion gap (AG), and SID in identifying major injury in emergency department (ED) trauma patients. Methods This was a retrospective review. Major injury was defined as Injury Severity Score ≥15, blood transfusions, or significant drop in hematocrit. Receiver operating characteristic curves compared BD, AG, and SID in differentiating major from minor injuries. Results The study included 1181 patients. Both BD and SID were significantly ( P = .0001) different after major vs minor injury (mean difference, 3.40; 95% confidence interval, 2.70-4.00 and mean difference, 2.50; 95% confidence interval, 1.90-3.10, respectively). Receiver operating characteristic curves were minimally different from one another ( P = .0035). Conclusion Stewart's SID can identify major injury in the ED.
Organized Skepticism, Naïve Methodism, and Other -ISMS

The Science Wars have pitted defenders of science against those accused of attacking it with the weapons of constructivism and relativism. I argue that this defensive stance is in large part a consequence of two other -isms, organized skepticism and naive methodism, that play a significant, if mostly unconscious, role in how scientists tend to think about science, and suggest that increased awareness of these -isms may help dissipate the perceptions of hostility.
PHASE-ONLY JOINT-TRANSFORM CORRELATOR : ANALYSIS AND EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

An analysis of the popular joint-transform optical correlator is presented for architectures employing spatial light modulators that operate only on the phase of the coherent light. Experimental results are also presented, for simple scenes that produce analytic solutions, which support the analysis.
Introduction to the Market Microstructure Symposium

The Market Microstructure Symposium in this issue of the Review of Financial Studies illustrates the diverse types of research being undertaken by scholars in this area of finance. The excitement and activity level reflect the overlap of a number of important ingredients, which in turn are helping to shape this subfield. The rational expectations paradigm provides a strong conceptual foundation for the theoretical analysis of problems. The development of the very powerful and tractable frameworks of Grossman and Stiglitz (1980), Glosten and Milgrom (1985), and Kyle (1985), and its extension by Admati and Pfleiderer (1988), has greatly spurred theoretical work in this area. In fact, the symposium includes the important extension of the Kyle framework to incorporate risk aversion in the Subrahmanyam (1991) article. The influence of these theoretical models of adverse selection has been enhanced by the broad recognition of the importance of adverse selection in actual security trading. The development of empirically tractable approaches for examining adverse selection [e.g., Glosten and Harris (1988)] has heightened the impact of the development of the theory. Admati (1991) provides a recent, more detailed overview of the theoretical literature on rational expectations and market microstructure. The interest in market microstructure also has been enhanced by the availability of a variety of transactional datasets in diverse market settings (and the related substantial reductions in computation and
Translation of multipoles for a 1/r potential

We outline an analytic method for calculating inner and outer multipoles of a $1/r$ potential about an arbitrary point in terms of known multipoles about a given point.
New Evidence on Price Anomalies in Sequential Auctions: Used Cars in New Jersey

In this paper, the sequence of winning bids in the public auction of used cars in New Jersey is examined for the presence of price anomalies. Unlike many studies of heterogeneous objects where the effect of the order of sale on the price may not be credibly identified, the effect of the order is identified here because the items are randomly selected for sale. In a further contrast to many other studies, these data indicate that the prices tend to increase as the auction proceeds. The data also indicate that once several items have been sold, there is no change in the bidding behavior or further increase in prices.
Mechanical stiffness of segmental versus nonsegmental pedicle screw constructs: the effect of cross-links.

STUDY DESIGN: A biomechanical study in porcine spines of the construct stiffness effects of segmental pedicle screws. Stiffness effects of supplementation of nonsegmental screw constructs with cross-links was also evaluated. OBJECTIVE: To assess the biomechanical differences between constructs using segmental versus nonsegmental pedicle screw-based instrumentation as well as the effect of cross-links. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: An in vitro biomechanical comparison of segmental versus nonsegmental pedicle screw constructs with and without cross-links using porcine lumbar vertebrae was performed. Mechanical trade-offs of reducing the number of pedicle screws in a given construct and substituting a cross-link for a pair of screws are not well understood. METHODS: Three, 4, and 5-vertebral segments from 18 porcine spines were instrumented with segmental and nonsegmental pedicle screw constructs, and with nonsegmental screws augmented with cross-links. Unconstrained biomechanical testing in flexion, extension, and axial rotation with 6 degree-of-freedom motion tracking was performed. Statistical comparisons of stiffness data were conducted using 2-tailed paired t tests. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant increase in stiffness between models with segmental pedicle screws compared to nonsegmental pedicle screws in 6 of the 9 mechanical tests. The remaining 3 tests approached but did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.087, 0.062, and 0.078). When cross-links were added to the nonsegmental models, differences in stiffness compared to segmental pedicle screws were largely eliminated, decreasing well below statistical significance in 8 of 9 tests. The highest difference in nonsegmental models with cross-links and segmental pedicle screw models was observed for the 5-vertebrae fusion models, for which axial rotation testing maintained statistically significant differences (P = 0.006), and flexion testing approached significance (P = 0.062). CONCLUSIONS: Segmental pedicle screw constructs increased mechanical stiffness compared to nonsegmental constructs in our fusion models. Placement of a single cross-link with nonsegmental screws eliminated statistical differences for 3 and 4-vertebral level constructs, and may be a satisfactory alternative in this clinical setting. Caution in applying these results inlonger constructs is recommended, given persistent increased stiffness found for the segmental 5-vertebral level models.
An investigation of the factor structure of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scales in a health promotion program

The Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC) Scales have been used both to evaluate program effects and to assign subjects to optimal treatment modalities. The MHLC Scales were designed to measure three theoretical dimensions of health locus of control, as represented by the scale names: (a) Chance, (b) Internal, and (c) Powerful Others. The construct validity of scores from the scales when the measure is used with adults was explored using factor analytic methods. Subjects were 692 adults seeking voluntary health promotion services. Overall, the results supported the hypothesized three-factor structure of the measure.
Major Accomplishments in 2010 on Optical Fiber Communications

Optical fiber communications continued to advance at a rapid pace in 2010. This paper presents a brief overview of the most exciting technological advances of 2010, eking out record capacity out of optical fiber through enhancing spectral efficiency and shrinking power consumption using modern optical fiber communication system designs.
Appendiceal goblet cell metaplasia and benign obstructive mucus retention in children: report of eight cases and review of the literature.

ABSTRACT We report the clinical-pathologic study of 8 cases of pediatric benign, postobstructive, appendiceal mucus retention in patients 3–15 years of age. The appendices showed very limited acute inflammation. Their most significant change consisted of minimal to mild dilatation of the distal lumen, which was filled with mucus and lined by an epithelium showing often dramatic increase in mucus cells devoid of atypia and without any of the villous proliferation reported in instances of “mucosal hyperplasia” observed in adult patients. In all 8 cases, there was seepage of mucus through the appendiceal wall into the surrounding tissue, eliciting a macrophagic reaction. Proximal to the zones of mucus retention, the lumen of 2 of the appendices was obstructed by a fecalith, and 2 exhibited fibrous obliteration of the lumen at that site. We believe the condition results from obstruction and focal inflammation, which isolate the distal portion of the appendix and elicit goblet cell metaplasia, the secretion of...
How to design low bandgap polymers for highly efficient organic solar cells

Organic photovoltaic cells are promising in terms of their light weight, mechanically flexibility, ease of processing and low cost. Establishing a predictive understanding between the chemical structures and physical properties of polymers is still challenging, and continuous effort is needed to progress toward full commercialization. In this review, recent progress in polymer/fullerene systems is highlighted and four synthetic principles are summarized to engineer the bandgap and tune the energy levels and the solubility of the targeted polymers.
Time-resolved dual-station calf-foot three-dimensional bolus chase MR angiography with fluoroscopic tracking.

Purpose: To refine, adapt, and evaluate the technical aspects of fluoroscopic tracking for generating dual-station high-spatial-resolution MR angiograms of the calves and feet using a single injection of contrast material. Materials and Methods: Nine subjects (seven healthy volunteers followed by two patients) were imaged using a two-station calf–foot three-dimensional time-resolved bolus chase MR angiography protocol which provided <1.0 mm3 spatial resolution throughout and 2.5- and 6.6-s frame times at the calf and foot stations, respectively. Real-time reconstruction of calf station time frames allowed visually guided triggering of table advance to the foot station. The studies were independently read and scored by two radiologists in six image quality categories. Results: On average, overall diagnostic quality at the calf and foot stations was good-to-excellent, the calf arteries and all but the smallest foot arteries had good-to-excellent signal and sharpness, artifact and venous contamination were minor, and signal continuity across the inter-station interface was good. Conclusion: The feasibility of fluoroscopic tracking has been demonstrated as an efficient approach for high spatiotemporal imaging of the arteries of the calves and feet with good-to-excellent diagnostic quality and low degrading venous contamination. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012;36:1168–1178. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
CD44 expression positively correlates with Foxp3 expression and suppressive function of CD4+ Treg cells

Background CD4+CD25+ regulatory T (Treg) cells develop in the thymus and can suppress T cell proliferation, modulated by Foxp3 and cytokines; however, the relevance of CD44 in Treg cell development is less clear. To address this issue, we analyzed Foxp3 expression in CD44+ Treg cells by using multiple parameters, measured the levels of the immunoregulatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-10 in various thymocyte subsets, and determined the suppressor activity in different splenic Treg cell populations.
Accounting for dynamic speed limit control in a stochastic traffic environment: a reinforcement learning approach

This paper proposes a novel dynamic speed limit control model accounting for uncertain traffic demand and supply in a stochastic traffic network. First, a link based dynamic network loading model is developed to simulate the traffic flow propagation allowing the change of speed limits. Shockwave propagation is well defined and captured by checking the difference between the queue forming end and the dissipation end. Second, the dynamic speed limit problem is formulated as a Markov Decision Process (MDP) problem and solved by a real time control mechanism. The speed limit controller is modeled as an intelligent agent interacting with the stochastic network environment stochastic network environment to assign time dependent link based speed limits. Based on different metrics, e.g. total network throughput, delay time, vehicular emissions are optimized in the modeling framework, the optimal speed limit scheme is obtained by applying the R-Markov Average Reward Technique (R-MART) based reinforcement learning algorithm. A case study of the Sioux Falls network is constructed to test the performance of the model. Results show that the total travel time and emissions (in terms of CO) are reduced by around 18% and 20% compared with the base case of non-speed limit control.
A novel signal detection technique based on generalized scale transforms

We are presenting an extension to the classic multiple signal classification method (MUSIC) developed by Schmidt and Bienvenu in 1979. While the classic MUSIC algorithm is limited to the detection of constant frequency sinusoids in white noise, the proposed new method is capable of detecting signals with a continuously varying instantaneous frequency. The method is based on the development of a discrete-time version of the generalized scale transform (GST) which was introduced by Nickel and Williams in 1999. As a byproduct we obtain techniques for discrete-time warp-shift invariant filtering which can be used in addition to the signal detection to separate signals with different instantaneous frequency contours.
The influence of myocardial perfusion imaging and chest pain on treatment of patients with ischemic heart failure

Abstract Background: Although current treatment guidelines for patients with ischemic heart failure (IHF) specify that only those with chest pain (CP) be revascularized, controversy exists regarding the efficacy of medical treatment for those with inducible ischemia. The Surgical Treatment for Ischemic Heart Failure (STICH) trial is designed to address this issue. In the interim, we assessed how patients with IHF and inducible ischemia on myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) are managed at our institution. Methods: The medical records of 300 consecutive patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) Results: Of the136 eligible patients, 67 (49%) had CP. There was no difference in LVEF (30 ± 8% vs. 30 ± 8%), but IB was slightly greater in patients with than in those without CP (7.8 ± 4.9 vs. 6.0 ± 3.7; p * . Patients with Ischemia and CP Patients with Ischemia without CP Revascularized G1 (n = 17) Medical Rx G2 (n = 50) Revascularized G3 (n = 10) Medical Rx G4 (n = 59) Age (years) 62 ± 12 66 ± 11 64 ± 10 68 ± 12 Gender (M/F) 12/5 38/12 10/0 43/16 LVEF (%) 30 ± 7 30 ± 8 31 ± 7 30 ± 8 Mean IB 9.1 ± 5.8 7.4 ± 4.5 4.7 ± 2.5 * 6.2 ± 3.8 * Number with IB ≥9 10 (59%) 21 (42%) 2 (20%) 20 (34%) Number with MVD 11 (65%) 27 (54%) 6 (60%) 24 (41%) * p Conclusion: Revascularization is infrequently performed in patients with IHF and is not influenced by symptoms, age, gender, LVEF or IB, as assessed with MPI. Patients with CP have a slightly greater IB than those without CP, but this does not seem to influence their treatment. The STICH trial will undoubtedly assess the soundness of this approach.
Restenosis and symptom recurrence after endovascular therapy for claudication: does duplex ultrasound correlate with recurrent claudication?

After endovascular therapy, duplex ultrasound surveillance to detect restenosis guides clinical decisions and defines treatment failure. However, the correlation between duplex ultrasound and symptom recurrence remains unclear. We reviewed our institutional experience (2007-2010) to identify patients undergoing endovascular therapy for claudication. The association between post-intervention systolic velocity ratio and patient-reported symptom recurrence was determined. We analyzed 183 follow-up visits following treatment in 88 limbs (femoropopliteal (56%) or iliac (44%) arteries). After femoropopliteal intervention, median systolic velocity ratio was higher in patients with symptom recurrence (2.99 symptomatic vs. 1.69 asymptomatic; p 2.5 was 71% sensitive and 72% specific for symptom recurrence. After femoropopliteal endovascular therapy for claudication, duplex ultrasound-detected restenosis is highly associated with clinical deterioration. This validates objective criteria for treatment failure in claudicants and suggests that symptom status can serve as a primary indicator of anatomic restenosis.
Method for Determining Age Structure of Adult Populations of the Lesser Cornstalk Borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Laboratory experiments were conducted to develop methods for determining age structure of Elasmopalpus lignosellus (Zeller) adults. Oocyte development in the ovaries was used to establish five female classes:(1) no mature oocytes; (2) ca. 25% of oocytes mature; (3) ca. 50% of oocytes mature; (4) >75% of oocytes mature, >30 mature oocytes; and (5) >75% of oocytes mature, 75% depleted. At 26.7°C, 90.9% of the adult males in age classes 1, 2, and 3 were within the age intervals of ca. 0 to 4, 6 to 8, and 8 to 10 days of adult age, respectively. These physiologically based, female and male classification systems appear suitable for determining chronological age structure of feral populations.
Reduction in water permeability of the rabbit conjunctival epithelium by hypotonicity

Abstract The effects of unilateral exposure to hypotonic media on the diffusional water permeability of the isolated rabbit conjunctiva were determined. For these experiments, a segment of the bulbar-palpebral conjunctiva was mounted between Ussing-type hemichambers under short-circuited conditions. Unidirectional diffusional water fluxes ( J dw ) were measured in either direction by adding 3 H 2 O to one hemichamber and sampling from the other. Electrical parameters were measured simultaneously. J dw were determined in control isosmotic conditions and after dilution of one of the bathing solutions from 290 to 108 mOsMolar. This hypotonic condition reduced J dw by 25–30% ( n =17) when applied basolaterally and by 25% ( n =6) apically. The effects were reversible and were also obtained when the opposite bathing solution contained amphotericin B, selectively permeabilizing the contralateral cell surface. From concomitant changes in transepithelial electrical resistance as well as 14 C-mannitol fluxes completed under identical conditions, arguments are presented that the above effect is best explained as a cell regulated reduction in membrane water permeability. Presumably both apical and basolateral membranes can down-regulate their water permeabilities. This response, suggesting a protective mechanism to help maintain cell volume from hypotonicity, was also seen in other studies using the amphibian bladder and the frog cornea, in which the effect was only obtained basolaterally. Thus, regulation of epithelial water permeability appears to be a basic trait common to both amphibians and mammals, although tissue differences exist.
Strategic Planning for Capacity in Power Distribution Grids

ABSTRACT Utility planners strive to develop a distribution network which provides economic, reliable, and safe electric energy to the end users. Since the power demand has a tendency to grow, utility companies must cope with the increasing load by continuously upgrading the existing substations and power lines in the grid, or by adding new ones. An alternative solution is to add energy storage and generation sources that are located closer to the customers. This article presents a summary of a research conducted at the Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering at WVU pertaining to capacity planning in a deregulated environment. In this research, an integrated approach to the grid planning was considered, where distributed generation (DG) sources and energy storages (ES) are incorporated into the expansion plan together with traditional options. The objective is to minimize the present worth of installation, upgrade, operation and maintenance, customer interruption, and fuel costs during ...
Computer implementation of the added-step differential linearization technique

Abstract The added-step differential linearization technique can be simply implemented on computer interfaced ADCs. A minimum of additional hardware and only a short program are required.
Juvenile diversion and the constitution

The juvenile justice system has been a product of interaction between legal and socio-medical forces since its inauguration near the end of the last century. While the socio-medical forces have, for the most part, been dominant over the years, concern for minimum legal standards has been a conspicuous part of the picture since the years 1966 to 1967. The result is serious attention to due process and fundamental fairness in court processing, and low tolerance for abridgement of such rights in the interests of attaining the social goal of rehabilitation. The question arises as to how early in the procedural chain for juveniles various due process rights should enter. Some have argued that important due process rights should be components in the process leading to probation, and even police, diversion. The central argument of this article is that broad directives regarding due process in diversion are inappropriate. Indeed, analysis of actual and potential losses of freedom associated with diversion decisions leads to the general conclusion that very few diversion programs require usual procedural rights. Moreover, a survey of case law indicates that there is little reason to expect that the procedural protections enunciated by the U.S. Supreme Court so strongly in the 1960s will be extended by the courts to police (or probation) decisions on diversion in the 1980s.
Pores and Hausdorff dimension in fractal site-percolation systems

Abstract Site-percolation systems have been generated to simulate fractal structures. In d = 2, after removal of all finite clusters, the voids between the percolating clusters are considered to represent pores of various areas. We show that the pore size can be expressed in terms of the Hausdorff dimension D of the percolating clusters. The scaling of the pore size distribution is shown to lead to an excellent determination of D, even when the fractal persistence length ξ is rather short. This determination of D is compared those obtained by box counting, by finite size scaling, or via the pair correlation function g(r). The crossover to the homogeneous regime for systems of finite Ornstein-Zernike ξ is sharp and occurs at a pore size of order 4ξ2. Granularity effects at large q are more important for q-space methods than in real space. Comparing systems of different sizes clearly separates the three regimes where granularity, scaling, or homogeneity dominate.
Quantifying connectivity in the coastal ocean with application to the Southern California Bight

[1] The quantification of coastal connectivity is important for a wide range of real-world applications ranging from assessment of pollutant risk to nearshore fisheries management. For these purposes, coastal connectivity can be defined as the probability that water parcels from one location have advected to another site over a given time interval. Here we demonstrate how to quantify connectivity using Lagrangian probability-density functions (PDFs) based on numerical solutions of the coastal circulation of the Southern California Bight (SCB). Ensemble mean dispersal patterns from a single release site show strong dependencies on particle-release location, season, and year, reflecting annual and interannual circulation patterns in the SCB. Mean connectivity patterns are heterogeneous for the advection time of 30 days or less, due to local circulation patterns, and they become more homogeneous for longer advection times. However, connectivity patterns for a single realization are highly variable because of intrinsic eddy-driven transport and synoptic wind-forcing variability. In the long term, mainland sites are good sources while both Northern and Southern Channel Islands are poor sources, although they receive substantial fluxes of water parcels from the mainland. The predicted connectivity gives useful information to ecological and other applications for the SCB (e.g., designing marine protected areas and predicting the impact of a pollution event) and demonstrates how high-resolution numerical solutions of coastal ocean circulations can be used to quantify nearshore connectivity.
Visions for the future in osteoporosis research.

An ideal therapeutic agent for osteoporosis — one that both inhibits osteoclastic bone resorption and stimulates new bone formation — is not currently available. Currently available resorption inhibitors (estrogen, bisphosphonates, and calcitonin) prevent further bone loss and stabilize bone mass. However, they have a negligible to very modest effect on bone formation over prolonged periods, and do not cause prolonged increases in bone mass. A universally acceptable bone formation stimulator is not currently available. Future research is likely to focus on the use of peptide growth factors to stimulate appositional bone growth, or on the use of low molecular weight compounds that may selectively stimulate bone cells to produce these factors in the local bone remodeling microenvironment.