cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prehabilitation for patient positioning: pelvic exercises assist in minimizing inter-fraction sacral slope variability during radiation therapy

Reproducible patient positioning is essential for precision in radiation therapy (RT) delivery. We tested the hypothesis that a structured daily pre-treatment stretching regimen is both feasible and effective for minimizing variability in positioning, as measured by sacral slope angles (SSA). Eight female subjects undergoing pelvic radiotherapy performed a structured daily hip exercise regimen (extension and external rotation) immediately prior to both simulation imaging and daily treatment, throughout their RT course. This exercising cohort was compared to a retrospective review of 20 subjects (17 women and 3 men) undergoing RT, who had usual care. SSA measurements from daily pre-treatment imaging were compared to SSA measurements from the simulation CT. The average variation in SSA among the intervention subjects was 0.91° (± 0.58°), with a range among subjects of 0.57°–1.27°. The average variation for the control subjects was 2.27° (± 1.43°), ranging 1.22°–5.09°. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (p = 0.0001). There was a statistically significant SSA variation between groups at each week of treatment. There was no significant variation among the intervention subjects between week 1 and later weeks, whereas subjects in the control group demonstrated significant SSA variation between week 1 and later weeks. We demonstrated a significant decrease in the variability of SSA by implementing a simple pre-treatment exercise program, while control subjects exhibited increasing variation in SSA over the course of treatment. We conclude that there is a potential benefit of prehabilitation during pelvic RT; however, a larger randomized control trial is required to confirm the findings. Clinical Trial: This research project was approved by the University of Massachusetts Medical School IRB (IRB ID H00012353) on January 21, 2017. The study is listed on ClinicalTrials.gov, provided by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, found with identifier NCT03242538.
Multi-year, three-dimensional landslide surface deformation from repeat lidar and response to precipitation: Mill Gulch earthflow, California

Slow-moving landslides are often the dominant process that shapes hillslopes and delivers sediment to channels in weak lithologies. Understanding what controls their velocities is therefore essential for deciphering their role in landscape evolution and estimating hazards. In this study, we used four sequential airborne lidar data sets to derive the three-dimensional (3D), 1-m spatial resolution surface velocity field of the Mill Gulch earthflow, northern California, for three periods of time spanning a decade. Phase correlation, an image processing technique, applied to the precisely aligned lidar digital elevation models confidently resolved horizontal velocities from 0.2 to 5 m year−1. The velocity field defined three distinct kinematic zones of the landslide with different sensitivities to precipitation, such that the head moved slowly at 0.3–0.5 m year−1, the transport zone moved fastest at 2–5 m year−1, and a forked toe moved intermittently at 0–4 m year−1. Inverting the 3D surface velocity field to infer landslide thickness suggested that the head was underlain by a 6-m-deep, concave-up slip surface, while the transport zone likely had a 1–2.5-m-deep translational slip surface. We hypothesized that velocity in the head was least sensitive to changing precipitation because of its greater inferred depth, which likely dampened the amplitude of pore pressure fluctuations. A lack of major head scarp retrogressions also may have contributed to the relatively steady velocity in the head, while buttressing and debuttressing interactions between the landslide’s toes and the creek running in Mill Gulch may have contributed to the more dramatic changes in velocity in the transport zone and toes. Although predicting landslide velocity from precipitation data alone may therefore be challenging, producing detailed 3D deformation fields from repeat topographic data can be an important tool for deciphering interactions between internal controls, such as changes to landslide geometry, and external controls, such as climate, on landslide motion.
Environmental Change and Human Migration: Stylized Facts from Puerto Rico and Honduras

Prior to Hurricane Mitch at the end of the 20th century, migration from Honduras to the United States was confined to a few sending and receiving areas linking, for example, the Caribbean coast of ...
Microbial RNAs Pressure Piezo1 to Respond

Serotonin production by enterochromaffin cells (ECs) is microbiota-dependent, but the mechanism of this is unknown. In this issue of Cell, Sugisawa et al. demonstrate that Piezo1 in ECs senses single-strand RNA (ssRNA) from intestinal microbiota to promote serotonin production. Deletion of Piezo1 in intestinal epithelium promotes bone formation, decreases peristalsis, and protects from colitis because of decreased serotonin.
“It’ll make my brother’s education better than mine. We need that.”: Youth of Color Activating Their Community Cultural Wealth for Transformative Change

This research presents a counterstory to traditional views of leadership by demonstrating how two groups of youth of color were able to draw on their community cultural wealth to engage in transfor...
THE ORIGIN OF SERUM ENZYMES AND THE BASIS FOR THEIR VARIATION

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the origin of serum enzymes and the basis for their variation. Enzymes, like other proteins, are synthesized intracellularly from amino acids. Enzymes may be classified according to several different functions, but the scheme of Schmidt in which classification is made with respect to biological function has been suggested to be most appropriate for clinical chemistry. Strenuous exercise increases the activity of enzymes in serum especially the activity of lactic dehydrogenase and creatine phosphokinase, both of which are present in large amounts in skeletal muscle. Other factors that may influence the observed activity of enzymes in serum include diurnal variation, the effect of meals, the use of a tourniquet, and the comparison of values obtained on serum and plasma on different days.
Using Case Studies to Develop Equity-Driven Professional Learning for Gifted Educators:

Carefully crafted professional learning has the potential to positively impact teacher perceptions of culturally diverse gifted learners. Case studies provide an opportunity to objectively examine ...
Immune Dysfunction in Mendelian Disorders of POLA1 Deficiency

POLA1 encodes the catalytic unit of DNA polymerase α, which together with the Primase complex launches the DNA replication process. While complete deficiency of this essential gene is presumed to be lethal, at least two conditions due to partial POLA1 deficiency have been described. The first genetic syndrome to be mapped to POLA1 was X-linked reticulate pigmentary disorder (XLPDR, MIM #301220), a rare syndrome characterized by skin hyperpigmentation, sterile multiorgan inflammation, recurrent infections, and distinct facial features. XLPDR has been shown to be accompanied by profound activation of type I interferon signaling, but unlike other interferonopathies, it is not associated with autoantibodies or classical autoimmunity. Rather, it is accompanied by marked Natural Killer (NK) cell dysfunction, which may explain the recurrent infections seen in this syndrome. To date, all XLPDR cases are caused by the same recurrent intronic mutation, which results in gene missplicing. Several hypomorphic mutations in POLA1, distinct from the XLPDR intronic mutation, have been recently reported and these mutations associate with a separate condition, van Esch-O'Driscoll syndrome (VEODS, MIM #301030). This condition results in growth retardation, microcephaly, hypogonadism, and in some cases, overlapping immunological features to those seen in XLPDR. This review summarizes our current understanding of the clinical manifestations of POLA1 gene mutations with an emphasis on its immunological consequences, as well as recent advances in understanding of its pathophysiologic basis and potential therapeutic options.
Competing on Price and Quality: Theory and Evidence from Trade Data

Import competition induces firms either to reduce their markup, upgrade their quality, or both. Modern models of international trade typically consider one margin of adjustment to explain the consequences of import competition. However, examining U.S. import data suggests that firms actively respond by adjusting both quality and markup. This paper develops and calibrates a Ricardian model of trade which incorporates the endogenous response of quality and markup to import competition. Countries are heterogeneous both in physical efficiency and quality capability. Firms engage in a two-dimensional Bertrand competition in which they simultaneously choose the price and quality of output. Estimation results indicate that developed countries are more productive both in physical and quality production. Moreover, in response to import competition, developed countries mainly upgrade quality, while developing countries mainly reduce the markup. Ignoring the quality channel would underestimate the gains from trade that the U.S. derives with developed countries and overestimate the gains from trade with developing countries. The counterfactual experiment indicates as the U.S. economy grows, it benefits more from free trade with quality-capable countries than with countries which are less capable.
Alpha-tocopherol does not protect against prostate cancer but promotes mammary cancer in male NBL rats treated with testosterone and estradiol-17-beta

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 3934 The notion that vitamin E can prevent prostate cancer is primarily derived from the ABCT study where a low (50 mg/day) dose of α-tocopherol reduced prostate cancer risk in smokers. This study forms the basis for the ongoing SELECT study in which the effect of a 400 mg/day dose of α-tocopherol is being tested. Most epidemiologic studies in non-smokers do not support a preventive effect of vitamin E against prostate cancer. In previous animal studies, no preventive effects were found, but these used models not involving oxidative stress, which is the likely target of antioxidants like vitamin E. Here, we tested the efficacy of DL-α-tocopherol acetate at the same doses used in our previous studies (2,000 & 4,000 mg/kg diet). NIH-07-based diets containing the tocopherol dissolved in corn oil (38 g/kg diet) were prepared every 2 weeks, stored at 4oC, and provided 3 times/week. Control animals received diet with corn oil not containing additional tocopherol. Diet intervention was begun 7 days after s.c. implantation of hormone containing Silastic tubing implants (ID 0.078 in; OD 0.125 in). Each animal in 3 groups of 30 male NBL/CrCrlBR rats age 9-10 weeks received 2 implants tightly filled with crystalline testosterone over 2 cm and one implant containing crystalline estradiol-17-β over 1 cm; implants were replaced every 26 weeks. This treatment is known to cause a high incidence of adenocarcinomas of the periurethral ducts of the anterior and dorsolateral prostate. At study termination after 54 weeks of hormone treatment, accessory sex glands were harvested from all animals; cancer incidence was determined by histopathologic evaluation of interrupted step sections. Food intake, body weight, and mortality (mean survival was 41-45 weeks) were not significantly affected by the tocopherol intervention. Tocopherol significantly reduced the incidence of dysplasia not associated with inflammation in the lateral prostate (LP) in a dose-related manner (P = 0.0001 for trend) and, at the highest dose, tended to reduce the extent of LP inflammation. However, the incidence of periurethral duct carcinomas (67-83%) was not significantly affected. Surprisingly, these male rats developed mammary cancer when fed tocopherol, but these tumors did not occur in the concurrent or historic controls. The incidence was 27% in the low dose group (P = 0.0237) and 20% in high dose rats (P = 0.0046). In line with our previous negative observations, these data do not support the hypothesis that α-tocopherol is an inhibitor of prostate carcinogenesis in a model that involves oxidative stress, but reduces LP inflammation and dysplasia. These data raise the possibility that α-tocopherol increases risk of male breast cancer. Although there is evidence to suggest that α-tocopherol does not increase risk of female breast cancer, there are no studies in male populations. (Supported by NIH Grant CA104334)
Uncovering category specificity of genital sexual arousal in women: The critical role of analytic technique

Based on analytic techniques that collapse data into a single average value, it has been reported that women lack category specificity and show genital sexual arousal to a large range of sexual stimuli including those that both match and do not match their self-reported sexual interests. These findings may be a methodological artifact of the way in which data are analyzed. This study examined whether using an analytic technique that models data over time would yield different results. Across two studies, heterosexual (N = 19) and lesbian (N = 14) women viewed erotic films featuring heterosexual, lesbian, and gay male couples, respectively, as their physiological sexual arousal was assessed with vaginal photoplethysmography. Data analysis with traditional methods comparing average genital arousal between films failed to detect specificity of genital arousal for either group. When data were analyzed with smoothing regression splines and a within-subjects approach, both heterosexual and lesbian women demonstrated different patterns of genital sexual arousal to the different types of erotic films, suggesting that sophisticated statistical techniques may be necessary to more fully understand women's genital sexual arousal response. Heterosexual women showed category-specific genital sexual arousal. Lesbian women showed higher arousal to the heterosexual film than the other films. However, within subjects, lesbian women showed significantly different arousal responses suggesting that lesbian women's genital arousal discriminates between different categories of stimuli at the individual level. Implications for the future use of vaginal photoplethysmography as a diagnostic tool of sexual preferences in clinical and forensic settings are discussed.
Issues in the application of H/sup infinity / control to large space structures

An H/sup infinity / controller is designed for a subsystem of a large, flexible space structure. Issues concerning the incorporation of robustness and performance criteria as frequency-dependent weights are addressed. Simulation results and closed-loop frequency responses are included. In addition, an analysis of the singular-value frequency response of the controller raises questions regarding the robustness of H/sup infinity / designs when faced with uncertainty in plant modal frequencies. >
The Requirement that a Capital Expenditure Create or Enchance an Asset

s themselves) may be viewed as having continued utility in the taxpayer's business throughout the period when a competitor could have used the records. Had the taxpayer achieved its goal by paying the original owner to destroy his records, the necessary asset might be found in the owner's contractual agreement. A similar problem arises in connection with payments to release the taxpayer from an onerous contract. Such payments have generally been held deductible as ordinary and necessary business expenses. See, e.g., Capitol Indem. Ins. Co. v. Commissioner, 237 F.2d 901 (7th Cir. 1956); Cleveland Allerton Hotel, Inc. v. Commissioner, 166 F.2d 805 (6th Cir. 1948) (lessee purchased fee to be rid of onerous lease; excess of purchase price over value of property deductible); Helvering v. Community Bond & Mortgage Corp., 74 F.2d 727 (2d Cir. 1935) (purchase of stock); Metropolitan Co. v. United States, 176 F. Supp. 195 (S.D. Ohio 1959); Montana Power Co. v. United States, 171 F. Supp. 943 (Ct. Cl. 1959); Olympia Harbor Lumber Co., 30 B.T.A. 114 (1934), affd on other issues, 79 F.2d 394 (9th Cir. 1935); Denholm & McKay Co., 2 B.T.A. 444, acquiesced in, IV-2 Cum. Bull. 2 (1925); Pressed Steel Car Co., 20 T.C. 198 (1953), acquiesced in, 1956-2 Cum. Bull. 8 (purchase of stock); Stuart Co., 9 CCH Tax Ct. Mem. 585 (1950), aff'd, 195 F.2d 176 (9th Cir. 1952). But in the similar situation where a corporation pays a call premium to retire stock in order to obtain new financing at better terms, the call premium is a capital expenditure. See H. & G. Indus., Inc., T.C. No. 20 (April 30, 1973). In Darlington-Hartsville Coca-Cola Bottling Co. v. United States, 393 F.2d 494 (4th Cir.), cert. denied, 393 U.S. 962 (1968), the taxpayer made payments to its supplier (Coca-Cola) to induce the supplier to purchase and dissolve a company (Croswell) through which the taxpayer's dealings with CoCa-Cola had been conducted. After the dissolution o(Croswell, the taxpayer entered into contracts of indefinite duration with CoCa-Cola. The court rejected the district court's ruling that payments to be relieved of an onerous contract are per as capital expenditures, but required capitalization because the taxpayer received a "positive business benefit" in the form of its contracts with Coca-Cola. The distinction thus drawn between Darlington-Hartsville and the other cases cited above does not seem particularly desirable as a matter of policy, but it is consistent with the limitation of capital expenditures to costs that produce or enhance an asset. Another expenditure related to future years' business activities but not productive of an asset is the cost of a management survey. See, e.g., Goodwyn Crockery Co., 37 T.C. 355 (1961), afrd, 315 F.2d 110 (6th Cir. 1963) (deductible). 219 See, e.g., Vermont Transit Co. v. Commissioner, 218 F.2d 468 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 349 U.S. 945 (1955) (franchise to operate bus line);' Hampton Pontiac, Inc. v. United
Methyl transfer in chemotaxis toward sugars by Bacillus subtilis.

Like amino acids, the sugars glucose and the nonmetabolizable 2-deoxyglucose caused a turnover of methyl groups on the methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins. These sugars also caused methanol formation on addition. Thus, in contrast to chemotaxis in Escherichia coli, taxis to phosphotransferase sugars by Bacillus subtilis utilizes the methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins. Images
Influence-based policy abstraction for weakly-coupled Dec-POMDPs

Decentralized POMDPs are powerful theoretical models for coordinating agents' decisions in uncertain environments, but the generally-intractable complexity of optimal joint policy construction presents a significant obstacle in applying Dec-POMDPs to problems where many agents face many policy choices. Here, we argue that when most agent choices are independent of other agents' choices, much of this complexity can be avoided: instead of coordinating full policies, agents need only coordinate policy abstractions that explicitly convey the essential interaction influences. To this end, we develop a novel framework for influence-based policy abstraction for weakly-coupled transition-dependent Dec-POMDP problems that subsumes several existing approaches. In addition to formally characterizing the space of transition-dependent influences, we provide a method for computing optimal and approximately-optimal joint policies. We present an initial empirical analysis, over problems with commonly-studied flavors of transition-dependent influences, that demonstrates the potential computational benefits of influence-based abstraction over state-of-the-art optimal policy search methods.
Anonymizing Unstructured Data

In this paper we consider the problem of anonymizing datasets in which each individual is associated with a set of items that constitute private information about the individual. Illustrative datasets include market-basket datasets and search engine query logs. We formalize the notion of k-anonymity for set-valued data as a variant of the k-anonymity model for traditional relational datasets. We define an optimization problem that arises from this definition of anonymity and provide O(klogk) and O(1)-approximation algorithms for the same. We demonstrate applicability of our algorithms to the America Online query log dataset.
Information Disclosure and Fundamental Disagreement: Implications for Financial and Non-Financial Firms

This paper develops a theory of information disclosure with disagreement, and then examines its implications for financial and non-financial firms. I build a model in which managers of firms are voluntarily communicating objective and subjective information, and prior beliefs about the strategy to maximize project value are rational but heterogeneous, creating the possibility of fundamental disagreement. Four main sets of results are derived. First, not all firms disclose (subjective) information about strategy that can potentially increase disagreement with investors. This lack of disclosure occurs even though there are no exogenous communication costs, and 'proprietary signaling costs' are precluded because the model has no spillover effects related to the firm’s product-market competitors. Second, more valuable firms voluntarily disclose less information in equilibrium. Third, information disclosure has real consequences because it interacts with project values, investor relations and corporate governance. Thus, this paper provides an economic rationale for higher-quality firms to withhold more strategic information, and this has pervasive consequences. Fourth, banks, facing greater withdrawal risk than non-financial firms, optimally disclose less strategic information than non-financial firms. Regulations that compel banks to increase information disclosure have the unintended consequence of making banks more fragile. Hence, the analysis exposes a potential tension between information transparency and greater fragility in banking. Improvements in corporate governance will lead banks to voluntarily disclose less strategic information, become less fragile, keep less on-balance-sheet liquidity, and make longer-maturing loans.
Lack of relationship between eosinophil cationic protein and eosinophil protein X in nasal lavage and urine and the severity of childhood asthma in a 6-month follow-up study.

Background Recent studies suggest that eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and eosinophil protein X (EPX) may be valuable markers of airway inflammation in various body fluids of asthmatic children. Most of these studies have relied on a single measure of inflammatory markers. Objective We measured ECP and EPX in nasal lavage fluids (NALF) and urine samples in children with asthma over a 6-month period to study the relationship between inflammatory markers and clinical severity. Methods Fourteen children with mild persisting asthma (mean age 11.7 years, sd 2.2) were recruited. All patients were on therapy including inhaled steroids. For a 6-month period asthma severity was monitored by at least monthly physical examination and pulmonary function tests. Daily morning and evening PEF, asthma symptoms and medication were recorded in diaries for the whole study period. Telephone interviews were performed between visits and additional visits were done in case of an increase in asthmatic symptoms or drop of PEF values under 80% of best value. An exacerbation was defined by a fall of FEV1 > 10% and an increase in asthma symptoms and additional need of β2-agonist. NALF and urine samples were obtained at each visit and analysed for ECP (NALF only) and EPX. Results Mean observation time was 186.4 days ( sd 19.8). Thirteen patients completed the study. During the study period 11 exacerbations were observed in six patients. No significant associations between PEF, PEF variability (amplitude % of mean), daily symptoms, additional β2-agonist, FEV1 and MEF50 and nasal ECP, nasal EPX and urinary EPX were found. However, at exacerbations an average increase of nasal ECP (9.3 vs 50.3 μg/L) and EPX (nasal EPX 36.4 vs 141.7 μg/L, urinary EPX 46.4 vs 74.1 μg/mmol creatinine) was observed. Conclusion Serial measurements of ECP and EPX in NALF and urine samples do not provide additional information for the practical management in monitoring childhood asthma.
A curriculum on medical ignorance.

The information and technology explosions in medicine have exposed the vast realm of ignorance in human biology as well as the transiency of accepted knowledge and shortcomings of instructional methods which foster rote memorization, excessive reliance on conflicting data bases, and short-answer testing. To circumvent this serious deficiency in medical education, we have initiated a multifaceted Curriculum on Medical Ignorance consisting of 'questioning' seminars and hands-on clinical and laboratory experiences. This teaching programme not only emphasizes medicine's current deficiencies and limited insight into disease processes (i.e. ignorance) but also assists students in developing attitudes and behaviours to investigate basic biologic and clinical unknowns while rendering sound everyday clinical decisions in the face of fragmentary understanding. Based on evaluative feedback over the past 3 years, participants have made substantial progress towards recognizing and dealing constructively with medical ignorance and the limitations of 'knowledge of the day', thereby preparing them for the certain uncertainty of future medical practice.
Scoring difficulties on the Wechsler intelligence scales gary

Several studies concerning scoring difficulties on the Wechsler intelligence scales were reviewed. Since the scoring of responses on the comprehension, similarities and vocabulary subtests of the Wechsler scales demands judgements by the examiner, the possibility of poor interscorer reliability is increased. In fact, research on the scoring of ambiguous responses on these subtests has demonstrated a high percentage of disagreement among scorers. More thorough scoring standards and revision of test items which lend themselves to ambiguous replies are needed.
Experiments in software reliability estimation

Abstract There is an urgent need for manufacturers and users of programmable electronic systems to be able to quantify the risk of system failure due to design faults in software. The reliability of the hardware components of such systems can be assessed using well-tried techniques. By contrast, software reliability is still a ‘grey area’, with no generally accepted methods of assessment. This paper describes the results of using the Littlewood Stochastic Reliability Growth Model with maximum likelihood parameter estimation to forecast the behaviour of sets of simulated failure data, generated on the assumptions of the model and using a variety of parameter values. The forecasts are long-term, such as would be made for large software products whose reliability is important from the support cost point of view, but not critical as regards safety. The data is of the ‘grouped’ variety: counts of faults found in successive intervals. The predictions are generally of low accuracy. They are particularly bad for extreme parameter values, corresponding to very many, very infrequently manifest faults, and to few frequently manifest faults. The length of the period of observation relative to the average rate of fault manifestation is also crucial. Possible reasons for this poor performance and improvements to the estimation methods are discussed.
Chronic pain patient-partner interactions: Further support for a behavioral model of chronic pain *

This study tested hypotheses derived from behavioral theory concerning relationships between patient pain behaviors and partner responses. Before beginning a multidisciplinary pain treatment program, 121 patients (67 women, 54 men) with chronic musculoskeletal pain and their spouses or partners completed self-report measures of pain, pain behaviors, partner responses, physical disability, depression, and relationship satisfaction, and were videotaped while participating together in seven household activities. The videotapes were coded by trained observers for patient verbal and nonverbal pain behaviors and partner solicitous and negative behaviors using the Living in Family Environments (LIFE) coding system. As predicted, partner solicitous and negative behaviors were associated significantly with the rate of patient pain behaviors, after controlling for patient age, gender, and pain intensity. The findings provide further support for behavioral models of chronic pain.
Schema-free structured querying of DBpedia data

We need better ways to query large linked data collections such as DBpedia. Using the SPARQL query language requires not only mastering its syntax but also understanding the RDF data model, large ontology vocabularies and URIs for denoting entities. Natural language interface systems address the problem, but are still subjects of research. We describe a compromise in which non-experts specify a graphical query "skeleton" and annotate it with freely chosen words, phrases and entity names. The combination reduces ambiguity and allows the generation of an interpretation that can be translated into SPARQL. Key research contributions are the robust methods that combine statistical association and semantic similarity to map user terms to the most appropriate classes and properties in the underlying ontology.
Combining stereo-electroencephalography and subdural electrodes in the diagnosis and treatment of medically intractable epilepsy

Stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG) has advantages for exploring deeper epileptic foci. Nevertheless, SEEG can only sample isolated cortical areas and its spatial limitation, with the inability to record contiguous cortical regions, may cause difficulties in interpretation. In light of these limitations, the authors describe the hybrid technique of SEEG and subdural strip electrode placement. The hybrid technique was used for a presurgical evaluation in four patients with intractable epilepsy. Initially, the depth electrodes were inserted with a robotic stereotactic system. Thereafter, a skin incision and a small craniectomy were performed at the entry point of the strip electrode trajectory. The dura was opened and, under live fluoroscopic guidance, strip electrodes were slid into the subdural space. In these patients, the additional subdural strip electrodes provided (1) information regarding the precise description of seizure spread in the cortical surface adjacent to the subdural space, (2) identification of epileptogenic zones located near the crown, (3) more precise definition of functional cortex and (4) a better delineation of the interface between epileptogenic zones and functional cortex. This hybrid technique provides additional data compared to either technique alone, offering superior understanding of the dynamics of the epileptic activity and its interaction with functional cortical areas.
Aspirin Causes Tissue Insensitivity to Insulin In Normal Man

The effect of aspirin on glucose and insulin metabolism was examined with the hyperglycemic clamp technique in 8 normal volunteers. When the plasma glucose concentration was acutely raised and maintained at 125 mg/dl above the basal level after treatment with aspirin (3 g daily for 3 days), acute (0-10 min) and sustained (20-120 min) insulin release were 70% and 45% greater than before treatment. Despite the increased plasma insulin level, the glucose infusion rate remained unchanged (8 +/- 0.9 to 9.1 +/- 1.2 mg/kg X min). Consequently, the ratio of the glucose infusion rate to the plasma insulin level, an index of tissue sensitivity to endogenous insulin, decreased by 30%, indicative of impaired insulin action. Aspirin did not alter fasting levels of FFA. When ibuprofen, another prostaglandin synthesis inhibitor, was given to 10 normal volunteers, only an effect on acute insulin release could be demonstrated. These results demonstrate that aspirin not only enhances beta-cell sensitivity to glucose, but also impairs glucose metabolism in insulin-sensitive tissues. It is not clear whether these effects are related to aspirin's ability to inhibit prostaglandin synthesis.
Electrical resistance of three low temperature antiferromagnets near their neel temperatures

Abstract As recently predicted by Marcelja, three low temperature antiferromagnets show qualitative agreement with the Fisher-Langer theory and appear to be qualitatively inconsistent with the theory of Suezaki and Mori.
In-Home Injury Prevention Practices for Infants and Toddlers: The Role of Parental Beliefs, Barriers, and Housing Quality

The present research was designed to contribute to the empirical literature on the scope and determinants of parents' injury prevention practices among families living in disadvantaged, urban areas. One hundred fifty mothers were interviewed about their living environment when they brought their children (ages 6-36 months) to a hospital-based, pediatric primary care clinic. Only 37% of respondents reported that they knew their hot water temperature was 125 degrees or less. A majority (59%) of families reported that they did not use stair gates. More than one fourth (27%) of respondents said they did not have smoke detectors. Mothers uniformly reported very favorable attitudes and beliefs and strong support from others for in-home injury prevention practices. Factors significantly associated with the number of injury prevention practices implemented were family income, housing quality, and environmental barriers. Instead of attempting solely to persuade parents about the value of injury prevention practices, skill-based interventions are needed to help parents overcome specific barriers that result from living in substandard housing and having very limited financial resources.
Relation of age and fat reserves in swine ascarid eggs to infectivity in the hamster

Abstract Hamsters were inoculated with Ascaris lumbricoides var. suum eggs of ages varying between one and 48 months. Larvae hatched from eggs of comparable ages had reduced fat deposits correlated with advancing age. Infectivity for the hamster appeared also to be related to age of the egg.
The thermal phase of a large solar flare

EUV and X-ray observations are used to derive the differential emission measures, temperatures, densities, radiative and conductive cooling rates, and thermal energy content of a class 2B flare that occurred on September 7, 1973. The results of the analysis indicate that (1) most of the flare plasma was at temperatures between 3 and 10 million degrees; (2) the peak temperature decreased with time from about 8 million K to 5 million K over a period of 3.5 hours; (3) the differential emission measure steadily decreased with time at nearly all temperatures; (4) both radiation and conduction were important cooling mechanisms for the plasma at temperatures above 100,000 K; and (5) a substantial amount of energy, of the order of 3 x 10 to the 31st power ergs, was deposited in the flare loops after flare maximum. The empirically determined flare parameters are compared with similar parameters derived from a simple theoretical loop model.
Smooth Muscle Myosin Phosphatase-associated Kinase Induces Ca2+ Sensitization via Myosin Phosphatase Inhibition

Abstract Smooth muscle calcium sensitization reflects an inhibition of myosin light chain phosphatase (SMPP-1m) activity; however, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. SMPP-1m activity can be modulated through phosphorylation of the myosin targeting subunit (MYPT1) by the endogenous myosin phosphatase-associated kinase, MYPT1 kinase (MacDonald, J. A., Borman, M. A., Muranyi, A., Somlyo, A. V., Hartshorne, D. J., and Haystead, T. A. (2001)Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 98, 2419–2424). Recombinant chicken gizzard MYPT1 (M130) was phosphorylated in vitro by a recombinant MYPT1 kinase, and the sites of phosphorylation were identified as Thr654, Ser808, and Thr675. Introduction of recombinant MYPT1 kinase elicited a calcium-independent contraction in β-escin-permeabilized rabbit ileal smooth muscle. Using an antibody that specifically recognizes MYPT1 phosphorylated at Thr654(M130 numbering), we determined that this calcium-independent contraction was correlated with an increase in MYPT1 phosphorylation. These results indicate that SMPP-1m phosphorylation by MYPT1 kinase is a mechanism of smooth muscle calcium sensitization.
Fibre orientation effects on the thermoelastic properties of short-fibre composites

Abstract This paper examines the effects of fibre orientation on the effective elastic moduli, thermal conductivities and thermoelastic constants of short-fibre composites. The short fibres are assumed to be ellipsoidal in shape and uniformly distributed in the matrix. Both two- and three-dimensional fibre distributions are considered. Numerical results and their comparisons with some experimental data are presented. The special case of random fibre distribution is also examined.
Trapping of Payne rearrangement intermediates with arylselenide anions

The intermediate epoxy alcohols prepared via a Payne rearrangement can be trapped with arylselenide anions, giving mixtures of ring-opened products. The 1-arylseleno-2,3-diols are generally favored over the 3-arylseleno-1,2-diols in this process although the reaction of trisubstituted epoxyalcohols, for example, 17, differs from those of disubstituted epoxyalcohols, for example, 21.
Surface measurement by space-encoded projected beam systems

Abstract A wide variety of techniques have been used to measure automatically the surface geometry of objects. The computational and mathematical techniques associated with one recently developed laser shutter/space encoding system are presented. Analysis indicates that such a system is capable of directly measuring several thousand surface points in real time.
Effect of stage of diestrus and number of cloprostenol (ICI 80, 996) injections on intervals to estrus, LH peak and ovulation in heifers

Intervals to the onset of estrus, luteinizing hormone (LH) peak and ovulation were compared in diestrous heifers after each of two cloprostenol treatments. Diestrous heifers were grouped at the first treatment (T1) according to day of the cycle, with heifers on days 5 through 8 designated as early diestrus and heifers on days 9 through 17 designated as late diestrus. Cloprostenol treatment was repeated (T2) 11 days after T1, at which time heifers in both groups were at similar stages of the estrous cycle. Visual observation, identification of the preovulatory LH peak, and rectal palpation were utilized to estimate data parameters. Split-plot analysis of variance showed a significant treatment x group interaction (P < .05). Time from prostaglandin treatment to the onset of estrus was similar for the early diestrous group after T1 (x = 53.1 hours ) and the early and late diestrous groups after T2 (x = 49.4 hours and 45.4 hours respectively). This interval was longer (P < .05) for the late diestrous group after T1 (x = 60.8 hours ) than for either group after T2, but not different from that for the early diestrous group after T1. Serum progesterone concentrations were higher (P < .05) at the time of T1 in the late diestrous group (x = 5.8 ng/ml ) than in the early diestrous group (x = 3.0 ng/ml ) or in either group at the time of T2 (x = 2.8 and 3.2 ng/ml respectively). Over all heifers, the synchrony of the onset of estrus was more precise (P < .05) after T2 than T1. Intervals from the onset of estrus to ovulation were not affected by group or treatment (overall mean = 24.4 +/- 1.0 hours, n = 42). We conclude that different recommendations for appointment artificial insemination (AI) may be indicated depending on the number of prostaglandin injections which are used in a prostaglandin synchronization program prior to insemination.
The oceans and the physics of the Earth

Abstract The Earth is the only terrestrial planet to have seas, by which it is covered to the extent of seventy percent. The oceans determine the climate of the Earth and it is through them that life and civilization have evolved, but they also have major influence on physical processes in the solid Earth. Tidal friction leads to the Earth's spin slowing down with a consequent recession of the Moon from the Earth, while the presence of the oceans controls the tectonic evolution of the Earth through the formation of oceanic crust, the erosion of land and the accumulation of sediment, the formation of mountains and the establishment of isostatic balance.
3-Hydroxyacyl-CoA epimerase is a peroxisomal enzyme and therefore not involved in mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation

The subcellular location of 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA epimerase (EC 5.1.2.3) was studied by differential centrifugation and Percoll density gradient centrifugation of a rat liver homogenate. The enzyme was found to be associated with peroxisomes but not with mitochondria. This observation proves that 3-hydroxy-acyl-CoA epimerase does not function in mitochondrial β-oxidation ofpolyunsaturated fatty acids which are degraded by a modified pathway.
Foregrounding Public Cinema and Rural Audiences: The USDA Motion Picture Service as Cinematic Modernism, 1908–38

Abstract There are multiple “modernities” in the context of early cinema in the United States. While there has been a great deal of scholarship on the “modern” commercial film culture of early-twentieth-century urban America, historians have paid less attention to patterns of rural audiences from that period who viewed many noncommercial films by U.S. federal agencies, especially the Department of Agriculture. This article draws on Marx and Engels' German Ideology, which argues that “the rural” and “the urban” are to be understood dialectically, to posit that one way to grasp “modernity” is through an examination of the USDA film agency.
Plasma nitridation of metal oxides

Three binary nitride materials (TiN, AlN, and GaN) were prepared by reaction of a microwave generated nitrogen/hydrogen plasma with TiO2, Al(OH)3, and Ga2O3, respectively. Using this plasma, even l...
Soft tissue chordomas: a clinicopathologic analysis of 11 cases

Soft tissue chordomas (STCs) have never been systematically studied because of their rarity and the difficulty in separating them from similar-appearing lesions. Using brachyury to confirm the diagnosis, we have analyzed our experience with 11 cases. Cases coded as "chordoma" or "parachordoma" were retrieved from institutional and consultation files (1989 to 2011) and were excluded from further analysis if they arose from the bone or in a patient with previous axial chordoma. Eleven of 27 cases met inclusion criteria. Patients (8 male; 3 female) ranged in age from 13 to 71 years (mean 44 y). Tumors were located on the buttock (n=2), wrist (n=2), leg (n=2), toe (n=1), thumb (n=1), ankle (n=1), shoulder (n=1), and chest wall (n=1), ranged in size from 0.5 to 10.9 cm (mean 5.3 cm), and consisted of cords and syncytia of spindled/epithelioid cells with vacuolated eosinophilic cytoplasm and a partially myxoid background. Tumors expressed brachyury (10/10), 1 or more cytokeratins (11/11), and S100 protein (10/11). Follow-up information was available for 10 patients (69 mo; range, 2 to 212 mo). Most (n=6) were alive without disease, 2 developed local recurrence and lung metastases, and 1 developed lung metastasis only. One died with unknown disease status. STCs are histologically identical to osseous ones, but differ in their greater tendency to occur in distal locations where small size and surgical resectability result in better disease control. The existence of STC implies that notochordal remnants are not a prerequisite for chordoma development.
Field Portable HgCdTe MWIR Staring Array Imaging System

A field portable IR Imager has been developed at Missile Systems Division of Rockwell International. The Imager is capable of extracting 128 X 128 and 256 X 256 images at 60 Hz rate. The system has been successfully demonstrated against a variety of ground and airborne tactical targets. Staring array used is MWIR HgCaTe hybrid operating in the 4.4-4.85 um region. The muliplexer is processed on silicon and is a CMOS switched FET device. The array is housed in a laboratory dewar and operated at 80K. A MRTD of .01K was measured with noise equivalent temperature difference (NEDT) of .03K. The array has been cycled between room temperature and 80K in excess of 40 times. The optics for the system consist of an F/2 8" lens giving it an IFOV resolution of .29 MRAD for 128 X 128 and .2 MRAD for 256 X 256 array. The Imager has the capability of varying its integration time between a minimum of .1626 msec. and maximum of 3.252 msec.
Statistical quantification of the microstructural homogeneity of size and orientation distributions

Methodologies to quantify the microstructural homogeneity, or uniformity, have been developed based on the proposed statistical homogeneity theory. Two kinds of homogeneities are considered, for the size and orientation distributions, respectively. In the case of size distribution, the homogeneity is quantified using two parameters, H 0.1 and H 0.2, which are defined as the probabilities falling into the ranges of μ ± 0.1μ and μ ± 0.2μ, respectively, where μ is the mean size. Whereas in the case of orientation distribution, three parameters are used to quantify the homogeneity: H R, the mean resultant length that is a simple measure of the angular data concentration, and H 0.1 and H 0.2, which are the probabilities in particular angular ranges of the circular or spherical data. These homogeneity quantities are formularized using the common statistical models, and typical examples are demonstrated.
Innovative Clinical Trial Design in Cardiac Surgery

C m g C l p v The landscape of cardiac surgery is continually and rapidly transformed by a high rate of innovation. Today, cardiac surgery represents a surgical specialty with a significant number of actively enrolling clinical trials, which are driven in part by the prevalence of cardiovascular disease, the culture of those who treat it, and the need to provide an evidence base for innovative procedures and devices. Clinical trials, however, represent a significant investment in resources and, for surgical trials in particular, are fraught with challenges in design, execution, and analysis. In this perspective, we briefly highlight some of these challenges, drawing examples from trials that span the spectrum of early phase to confirmatory to comparative effectiveness trials.
A two-tiered self-powered wireless monitoring system architecture for bridge health management

Bridges are an important societal resource used to carry vehicular traffic within a transportation network. As such, the economic impact of the failure of a bridge is high; the recent failure of the I-35W Bridge in Minnesota (2007) serves as a poignant example. Structural health monitoring (SHM) systems can be adopted to detect and quantify structural degradation and damage in an affordable and real-time manner. This paper presents a detailed overview of a multi-tiered architecture for the design of a low power wireless monitoring system for large and complex infrastructure systems. The monitoring system architecture employs two wireless sensor nodes, each with unique functional features and varying power demand. At the lowest tier of the system architecture is the ultra-low power Phoenix wireless sensor node whose design has been optimized to draw minimal power during standby. These ultra low-power nodes are configured to communicate their measurements to a more functionally-rich wireless sensor node residing on the second-tier of the monitoring system architecture. While the Narada wireless sensor node offers more memory, greater processing power and longer communication ranges, it also consumes more power during operation. Radio frequency (RF) and mechanical vibration power harvesting is integrated with the wireless sensor nodes to allow them to operate freely for long periods of time (e.g., years). Elements of the proposed two-tiered monitoring system architecture are validated upon an operational long-span suspension bridge.