cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
3D MRI in Musculoskeletal Imaging: Current and Future Applications

This article addresses current clinical applications, recent literature, and potential future applications of 3-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (3D MRI) for musculoskeletal (MSK) applications. The main advantage of 3D MRI over standard 2-dimensional MRI is its ability to reduce partial volume averaging artifacts and create multiplanar reconstruction (MPRs) in any plane with any slice thickness from a single high-resolution isotropic acquisition. 3D MRI acquisitions are particularly useful for the evaluation of articular cartilage, which is prone to volume averaging artifacts, and for the assessment of longitudinally coursing structures such as peripheral nerves and tendons, which are better visualized with non-orthogonal MPRs. 3D MRI is also useful for surface and volumetric analysis of bone and cartilage for preoperative and longitudinal assessments. Current research is focused on decreasing acquisition times and automating segmentation through machine learning, thus overcoming some of the current limitations of 3D MRI and providing new applications for this technique. 3D MRI is widely used in MSK imaging today, and its use is likely to continue to increase in the future, with recent advancements focused on accelerated acquisition techniques and quantitative imaging.
OPTIMIZATION OF WELD STRENGTH PROPERTIES OF TUNGSTEN INERT GAS MILD STEEL WELDS USING THE RESPONSE SURFACE METHODOLOGY

The rise in the failure of mechanical components, some of which are attributable to poor weld joints has given rise to research study on the optimization of weld joint strengths. The quality of welds is highly dependent on the right combination of input process parameters. Irrespective of the welding process, the need for the right combination of input process parameters cannot be over emphasized. To achieve a desired weld quality, the weld features such bead geometry and the mechanical properties were examined and related to the weld input parameters. The Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used to predict and optimize the weld strength properties (tensile strength and hardness) of a Gas Tungsten Arc Welded 10mm thick mild steel plate. Model adequacy checks, was done using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and found to be adequate. The ANOVA showed that current and gas flow rate had the most significant effect on the tensile strength, but on the Hardness, the gas flow rate and filler rod had the most significant effect. The model F-value of 12.69 at a P value of 0.0001 for the tensile strength and F-value of 8.51 at a P value of 0.0001 for the hardness, showed the significance of the model employed. The optimal tensile strength of 497.555N/mm 2 and Hardness of 192.556BHN was observed at a current of 170.12 amp, voltage of 19.84 volt, gas flow rate of 23.92 l/min and filler rod diameter of 2.4mm. Keywords: welding, gas tungten arc welding, tensile strength, hardness, response surface methodology
Primary renal diffuse large B-Cell lymphoma causing haemodialysis-dependent nephromegaly in a child.

A 4-year-old boy presented with fatigue and was found to have severe kidney injury requiring haemodialysis. A renal ultrasound demonstrated bilateral nephromegaly with mild loss of corticomedullary differentiation but preserved echogenicity. He had a persistent isolated monocytosis. Renal biopsy revealed extensive infiltration by primary renal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. He required haemodialysis for 18 days and received chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone, rituximab and intrathecal methotrexate. He achieved remission with an estimated glomerular filtration rate of 50 mL/min/1.73 m2, and his kidneys returned to normal size. Nephromegaly due to renal-limited haematolymphoid disease is extremely rare, especially in children.
Abstract TP357: BP Management on the Mobile Stroke Unit for Ultra-Early Treatment of ICH and Acute Ischemic Stroke

Background: Lowering of blood pressure (BP) is discouraged in current ASA guidelines for emergency medical service (EMS) personnel. However, ultra-early treatment with IVtPA and BP lowering in ICH ...
Incorporating biometric data in models of consumer choice

The use of neuro-physiological data in models of consumer choice is gaining popularity. This article presents some of the benefits of using psycho-physiological data in analyzing consumer valuation...
Failure of an engineered system: The gastrointestinal endoscope

Abstract Advances in endoscopic technology continue to expand the field of gastrointestinal endoscopy. However, there have been no parallel advances in general endoscope design, and gastroenterologists are at risk for musculoskeletal repetitive strain injury due to the repetition, high forces and prolonged, awkward postures required to perform endoscopy. The current endoscope design lacks a consideration of human factors, and due to the high risk of injury, represents a failure of an engineered system. This review will focus on a risk assessment and management strategy for the gastrointestinal endoscope. Risk assessment is the identification of potential flaws in the system. Risk management describes the steps taken to mitigate these flaws. Three different approaches to risk assessment and management, proactive, reactive, and interactive risk assessment and management, will be reviewed as they apply to the performance of gastrointestinal endoscopy.
Studying the impact of comorbidity on post radical cystectomy survival: have we come a full circle?

The importance of comorbidity on the survival outcomes of any major surgery cannot be understated. Furthermore, the impact of one or more significant medical comorbidities on an inherently morbid procedure such as radical cystectomy is all but obvious.
Abstract LB-089: Direct BAX activation effectively induces apoptosis in anaplastic thyroid cancer cells

Despite recent advancements in chemotherapy and radiation, anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) remains an almost invariably lethal disease with an average life expectancy of 2-6 months. Current interventions, including surgery are palliative, underlining the urgent need for novel, effective approaches. Targeting the apoptosis pathway using BH3 mimetics is effective in hematologic malignancies. However, in solid tumors, the response to these compounds is usually limited and short-lived. In addition, most ATCs have lost p53, resulting in a significant dampening of the pro-apoptotic signals deriving from chemotherapy or radiation. We hypothesized that a small molecule that directly binds to and activates BAX, bypassing the need for upstream activating signals, might effectively induce apoptosis in ATC cells. We used a novel activator, EGAV1, that is derived from the previously described BTSA1 molecule, and a panel of 10 ATC cell lines, representing the entire mutation spectrum observed in patients. We generated dose-response profiles of these cell lines both in traditional 2D cell cultures and in 3D spheroid cultures, and found that EGAV1 induces prompt apoptosis in all cell lines. However, co-immunoprecipitation assays showed that EGAV1-activated BAX can still be sequestered by BCL-XL, which may reduce its efficacy. Thus, we tested the ability of the BH3 mimetic Navitoclax (ABT-263) to increase EGAV1 efficacy by inhibiting BCL-XL and BCL2. In fact, we found a dramatic decrease in the EGAV1 IC50 in the presence of a low dose of Navitoclax that has no effect as single agent. Also, we found that the efficacy of Navitoclax was equally amplified by a low dose of EGAV1. Time-course analysis of caspase 3/7 activity confirmed that these compounds induce prompt apoptosis, peaking between four and eight hours after treatment. Taken together these data suggest that there is an important therapeutic opportunity in targeting the apoptosis pathway in ATC with a BAX activator accompanied by a BH3 mimetic. Citation Format: Xhesika Shanja-Grabarz, Francesca Di Cristofano, Evripidis Gavathiotis, Antonio Di Cristofano. Direct BAX activation effectively induces apoptosis in anaplastic thyroid cancer cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-089.
Measuring Uncertainty Intolerance in Surgical Residents Using Standardized Assessments.

Abstract Background Physicians are frequently called on to make medical decisions despite being uncertain about the outcomes of these choices. The psychological stress associated with these dilemmas, known as “Uncertainty Intolerance” (UI), can significantly impact the quality of a physician's practice as well as their own mental health. Coping with uncertainty is an important competency that all residents must master, and some residency programs are introducing new education initiatives aimed at improving UI. However, currently there is no standard protocol for measuring UI or the effectiveness of such interventions and there are no established methods for identifying the residents who would most benefit from the training. In this study, we aim to use the Physician Reaction to Uncertainty (PRU) and Physician Risk Attitude (PRA) scales as assessments for UI in surgical residents, and to determine if Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality factors are associated with PRU and PRA scores and can be used to identify residents who are more likely to have higher UI. Materials and methods The PRU and PRA scales, and the MBTI assessment were administered to a total pool of 71 general surgery residents. In addition to the survey questions, residents provided information regarding their gender (male or female), and stage of training (junior or senior). Results In total, 45 male residents and 25 female residents completed the PRA and PRU scales (98.6%). There were no statistically significant differences when comparisons were made between junior and senior residents or male and female residents. Thirty seven male residents and 18 female residents also completed the MBTI assessment (80.4% and 72%, respectively). PRU and PRA scores were analyzed with respect to personality factors to determine if certain dichotomies are associated with increased UI. There was a trend toward higher UI in individuals identifying with Judging. Conclusions In this study, we have conducted a pilot study using the PRU and PRA scales to measuring the success of our new education initiatives aimed at improving uncertainty tolerance. We found that the PRU and PRA assessments were simple to administer and had a high completion rate. Our findings also suggest that individuals who identify with Judging may better tolerate the uncertainties associated with surgical practice, although larger studies will be required to determine if MBTI factors are linked to UI in surgical residents.
Denitrification Potential In Three Saturated Riparian Buffers

Abstract Denitrification is an anaerobic process that converts nitrate to predominantly either nitrous oxide or dinitrogen gas while using nitrate as a terminal electron acceptor. The requirements for denitrification include available nitrate and organic carbon, an anaerobic environment, and the appropriate microbial communities. The edge-of-field nitrate removal practice of saturated riparian buffers (SRBs) looks to maximize soil denitrification by saturating carbon-rich alluvial soils with nitrate-rich tile water. Our initial in situ denitrification study showed the possibility of a carbon limitation for BC-2, the youngest of our study’s SRBs. The current study looked to test this hypothesis using a denitrification potential experimental design by adding nitrate and carbon both individually and combined to portions of soil cores. BC-2 did seem to have a carbon limitation from 20 to 100 cm when assessing the nitrate and carbon separate additions against both the control and the combined nitrate and carbon maximum denitrification potential rate. Temperature also seemed to affect each SRB’s maximum denitrification potential, but to varying degrees. The highest subsurface maximum denitrification potential rate, achieved by adding both nitrate and carbon, at each temperature was achieved by BC-1, the oldest SRB with the highest in situ denitrification rates. Conversely, BC-2, the youngest SRB, had the lowest rate. Thus indicating a potential riparian age effect on denitrification beyond elevated increased labile carbon additions, hypothesized to be an increased soil aggregation effect on denitrification communities.
Automated standard dilution analysis

Standard dilution analysis (SDA) is a recently described calibration method that combines internal standardization and standard additions to improve accuracy and precision. By combining these two traditional methods, SDA offers corrections for sample matrix effects while also minimizing signal fluctuations due to changes in the excitation source and the sampling process. In its most basic form, SDA is performed by introducing a constant amount of sample into an instrument while varying the amount of standard solution added to the sample. The procedure is simple to perform by hand, but automation of the process is challenging because the dilution of the standard solution by a blank occurs on-line while the measurement is taking place. The experiments presented here are aimed at improving the automation of the SDA process. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) is used as a model for SDA applications, although the calibration method is applicable to any technique that accepts samples as a liquid flow. The end goal of automation is for successive samples to be analyzed quickly by using an automatic sampler to switch from sample to sample, as it is the case in routine analytical methods. The required dilution of the standard by a blank mixture is achieved through the use of a two-channel pinch valve, with dilution occurring by diffusion as the solution is pulled from the valve toward the plasma by a second channel in the instrument's peristaltic pump. The proposed automated SDA method is effective, with analyte recoveries within a few percent of 100 for the elements evaluated (i.e. Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni and Pb) and nine different sample matrices. The method also provides promising results when analyzing real-world samples. The limits of detection obtained with the automated SDA method are similar to those typically found for external standard calibration and ICP OES, falling within the single-digit μg L−1 range.
Longitudinal effects of homework expectancy, value, effort, and achievement: An empirical investigation

Abstract The current investigation investigated longitudinal relations among homework expectancy, value, effort, and achievement, based on 702 Chinese middle school students. Data revealed that there were reciprocal influences of (a) expectancy and achievement, and (b) effort and achievement. Furthermore, data revealed that prior achievement positively influenced subsequent value. On the other hand, prior value did not have a significant influence on subsequent achievement. Finally, the latent expectancy × value interaction had a positive influence on later achievement. Our results are discussed in relation to expectancy-value theory and cultural influences.
Normal Pulmonary Vasculature

The chest x-ray is more than just about lungs. In fact, one of the most important organs in the body located right in the center of the study is the heart and its vasculature. It is easy to forget to evaluate the characteristics of the heart and the vasculature surrounding the mediastinum; however, spending the few extra minutes to evaluate these crucial organs can make the difference between finding the diagnosis and accidentally calling a subtly abnormal film normal.
Strategies of retrenchment: rethinking America’s commitments to the Middle East

Beginning with the post-2003 Iraq War and accelerating with the Great Recession of 2007, many scholars and pundits have concluded that the United States is in a state of relative material decline a...
Ultrasound-guided bilateral rectus sheath block with and without dexmedetomidine in pediatric umbilical hernia repairs: a retrospective interrupted time series analysis

Bilateral rectus sheath block (RSB) is frequently used to provide analgesia following umbilical hernia repair in pediatrics.[1][1] Dexmedetomidine use in pediatric truncal nerve blocks has increased despite limited evidence of its efficacy and safety,[2][2] with no studies evaluating its effect in
School Use and Normative Perceptions of Electronic Nicotine Product Use Among Middle and High School Students—November 2018

Abstract Purpose This study examined U.S. middle and high school student observations of electronic nicotine product (ENP) use in and around the school building and students’ normative perceptions of use among peers. Methods Adolescents and young adult participants enrolled in middle (n = 672) or high school (n = 962) were recruited from an online nationally representative panel and surveyed from November 2 to 15, 2018. They answered questions on observed ENP use in and around the school building as well as perceptions of use among peers. Results Nearly one in five U.S. middle and high school students believed that at least half of their peers used ENPs. Confirming anecdotal reports, nearly six in 10 reported ever seeing someone use ENPs in or around their school, most often outside the school building and in bathrooms or locker rooms. Conclusions The findings of this study underscore the importance of targeted prevention strategies and education efforts to prevent and combat adolescent ENP use in and around schools.
Modeling the Impact of PrEP Programs for Adolescent Sexual Minority Males Based on Empirical Estimates for the PrEP Continuum of Care

Abstract Purpose Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)—an effective and safe intervention to prevent HIV transmission—was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use by adolescents. Informed by studies of sexual behavior and PrEP adherence, retention, and promotion, we model the potential impact of PrEP use among at-risk adolescent sexual minority males. Methods We simulate an HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men (MSM) aged 13–39. We assume adult MSM ages 19–39 have had PrEP available for 3 years with 20% coverage among eligible MSM based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. PrEP interventions for ages 16–18 are then simulated using adherence and retention profiles drawn from the ATN113 and Enhancing Preexposure Prophylaxis in Community studies across a range of uptake parameters (10%–100%). Partnerships across age groups were modeled using parameterizations from the RADAR study. We compare the percent of incident infections averted (impact), person-years on PrEP per infection averted (efficiency), and changes in prevalence over 10 years. Results As compared to no PrEP use, baseline PrEP adherence and retention among adolescent sexual minority males drawn from the ATN113 and Enhancing Preexposure Prophylaxis in Community studies averted from 2.8% to 41.0% of HIV infections depending on the fraction of eligible adolescent sexual minority males that initiated PrEP at their annual health-care visit. Improved adherence and retention achieved with an array of focused interventions from real-world settings increased the percent of infections averted by as much as 26%–70%. Conclusions Empirically demonstrated improvements in the PrEP continuum of care in response to existing interventions can substantially reduce incident HIV infections among adolescent sexual minority males.
Acoustics in Biology and Medicine

Sounds originate from vibrational waves traveling in a material. Animals take advantage of sounds to get and send notice of opportunities and impending dangers. Within the science of acoustics, we have applied mechanical principles to study how life forms detect and generate sounds, how these sounds carry information and energy, and how life utilizes sound, including for communication. Covered are acoustical analysis, biogeneration, biodetection, music and acoustical dosimetry.
Is a Classical Language Adequate in Assessing the Detectability of the Redshifted 21cm Signal from the Early Universe

The classical radiometer equation is commonly used to calculate the detectability of the 21cm emission by diffuse cosmic hydrogen at high redshifts. However, the classical description is only valid in the regime where the occupation number of the photons in phase space is much larger than unity and they collectively behave as a classical electromagnetic field. At redshifts z<20, the spin temperature of the intergalactic gas is dictated by the radiation from galaxies and the brightness temperature of the emitting gas is in the range of mK, independently from the existence of the cosmic microwave background. In regions where the observed brightness temperature of the 21cm signal is smaller than the observed photon energy, of 68/(1+z) mK, the occupation number of the signal photons is smaller than unity. Neverethless, the radiometer equation can still be used in this regime because the weak signal is accompanied by a flood of foreground photons with a high occupation number (involving the synchrotron Galactic emission and the cosmic microwave background). As the signal photons are not individually distinguishable, the combined signal+foreground population of photons has a high occupation number, thus justifying the use of the radiometer equation.
Using BERT to Extract Topic-Independent Sentiment Features for Social Media Bot Detection

Millions of online posts about different topics and products are shared on popular social media platforms. One use of this content is to provide crowd-sourced information about a specific topic, event, or product. However, this use raises an important question: what percentage of the information available through these services is trustworthy? In particular, might some of this information be generated by a machine, i.e., a "bot" instead of a human? Bots can be, and often are, purposely designed to generate enough volume to skew an apparent trend or position on a topic, yet the consumer of such content cannot easily distinguish a bot post from a human post. This paper introduces a new model that uses Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (Google Bert) for sentiment classification of tweets to identify topic-independent features for the social media bot detection model. Using a Natural Language Processing approach to derive topic-independent features for the new bot detection model distinguishes this work from previous bot detection models. We achieve 94% accuracy classifying the contents of Cresci data set [1] as generated by a bot or a human, where the most accurate prior work achieved an accuracy of 92%.
What Can the FTC's §6(B) Pae Study Teach Us? A Practical Review of the Study's Methodology, Results, and Policy Recommendations

On October 6, 2016, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released its survey of patent assertion entities (PAEs) and certain licensing and manufacturing firms. The study, conducted under authority of section 6(b) of the FTC Act, aimed to move past the limited information that can be gleaned from litigation records – an important goal given that over 90% of patent enforcement activity occurs outside the courtroom. By compiling and publishing nonpublic data on licensing agreements and patent acquisition practices from 2009 through 2013 the study provides new insight into how certain PAEs operate. The empirical approach the FTC took, however, does impose constraints on the study’s reported results. And importantly, the report presents case studies that cannot be generalized, calling into question the policy recommendations that would apply to all patent infringement suits. This article summarizes the key findings reported by the FTC and explains how the study’s methodology limits its conclusions and is disconnected from its policy recommendations. The study provides interesting case studies of certain PAE practices, particularly in terms of litigation. In regards to licensing practices, the study’s design restricts its ability to provide definitive information, but does offer some intriguing hints at different types of PAEs and should inspire additional empirical research. The study results, however, do not provide empirical support for the stated policy proposals, and moreover the proposals would impact more than PAEs.
Uncertainty quantification and estimation of closed curves based on noisy data

Estimating closed curves based on noisy data has been a popular and yet a challenging problem in many fields of applications. Yet, uncertainty quantification of such estimation methods has received much less attention in the literature. The primary challenge stems from the fact that the parametrization of a closed curve is not generally unique and hence popular curve fitting methods (e.g., weighted least squares based on known parametrization) does not work well due to initialization instabilities leading to larger uncertainties. First, an initial set of cluster points are obtained by means of a constrained fuzzy c-means algorithm and an initial curve is constructed by fitting a B-spline curve based on the cluster centers. Second, a novel tuning parameter selection procedure is proposed to obtain optimal number of knots for the B-spline curve. Experimental results with simulated noisy data show that the proposed method works well for a variety of unknown closed curves with sharp changes of slopes and complex curvatures, even when moderate to large noises are added with heteroskedastic errors. Finally, a new curvature preserving uncertainty quantification method is proposed based on an adaptation of bootstrap method that provides confidence band around the fitted curve, an aspect that is rarely provided by popular curve fitting methods.
Joint Stochastic Modeling and Statistical Analysis of Recurrent Competing Risks, Longitudinal Marker, and Health Status

Consider a subject or unit being monitored over a period of random duration in a longitudinal time-to-event study in a biomedical, public health, or engineering setting. As time moves forward, this unit experiences recurrent events of several types and a longitudinal marker transitions over a discrete state-space. In addition, its "health" status also transitions over a discrete state-space containing at least one absorbing state. A vector of covariates will also be associated with this unit. Of major interest for this unit is the time-to-absorption of its health status process, which represents this unit's lifetime. Aside from being affected by the covariate vector, there is a synergy among the recurrent competing risks processes, the longitudinal marker process, and the health status process in the sense that the time-evolution of each process is affected by the other processes. To exploit this synergy in order to obtain more realistic models and enhance inferential performance, a joint stochastic model for these components is proposed and the proper statistical inference methods for this model are developed. This joint model has the potential of facilitating precision interventions, thereby enhancing precision or personalized medicine. A stochastic process approach, using counting processes and continuous-time Markov chains, is utilized, which allows for modeling the dynamicity arising from the synergy among the model components and the impact of performed interventions after event occurrences and the increasing number of event occurrences. Likelihood-based inferential methods are developed based on observing a sample of these units. Properties of the inferential procedures are examined through simulations and illustrated using some real data sets.
Stakeholders’ Views on Mobile Applications to Deliver Infant and Toddler Feeding Education to Latina Mothers of Low Socioeconomic Status

Infant- and toddler-feeding (ITF) practices are critical to long-term health and chronic disease prevention. Using mobile applications (apps) to promote desirable ITF practices shows promise for overcoming challenges of in-person education. However, the viability of ITF apps for Latina mothers of low-socioeconomic status (SES) remains unclear. The objective of this study was to characterize stakeholders' views on Latina mothers' capability, motivation, and barriers to using ITF apps. New York City-based health professionals who frequently engage with Latina mothers of low SES completed in-depth interviews. Directed content analysis was used to identify themes through theoretical and inductive codes. Participants included dietitians, nutrition educators, and physicians (n = 17). The following themes were identified: (1) Most Latina mothers of low-SES are tech-savvy (i.e., high capability and experience using smartphones and apps); (2) Apps are an appealing way to deliver ITF education; (3) There are challenges to using apps that must be carefully considered for ITF education development. Overall, ITF apps are a viable option as skills and use appear high among Latina mothers. Key considerations for app development include targeted app promotion; detailed instructions for obtaining and using app; more visuals, less text for low literacy and multiple dialects; making key features available offline.
Abstract T MP26: Progression Of Asymptomatic Carotid Stenosis: Incidence Of Symptoms And Predictive Factors

Background: Given the uncertainty regarding clinical applicability of early treatment trials and lack of data on long-term disease progression, we evaluated the progression of stenosis and development of symptoms on patients with asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis (ACAS) treated with contemporary medical therapy over a prolonged follow up. Methods: Retrospective review of bilateral carotid arteries from consecutive patients diagnosed with moderate or severe ACAS, at our institution between 2000 and 2001. Patient vascular risk factors and treatments, cerebrovascular imaging, ipsilateral symptoms, and revascularization were recorded. Progression of stenosis was defined by change category of stenosis. Factors associated with symptomatic carotid disease were sought using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: We identified 214 patients (58.8% men; median age 70 years) and collected data on 349 vessels. Severe stenosis (>70%) upon diagnosis was present in 92(26.4%) vessels. All pa...
Analysis of the mammalian gadd45 gene and its response to DNA damage

The gadd45 gene is transcriptionally activated through at least two different mechanisms; one following treatment with base-damaging agents such as methylmethane sulfonate and UV radiation and the other following ionizing radiation. To investigate the sequences involved in induction of gadd45 by agents producing high levels of base damage, the hamster, human, and mouse genes were sequenced. Comparison of these sequences revealed a high level of conservation between species of 1500 base pairs of the proximal promoter and 700 base pairs within the third intron. However, in the promoter regions, there was no conservation between species of any transcription factor binding sites known to confer DNA damage responsiveness. The promoter of the hamster gene was inducible by base-damaging agents in both rodent and human cell lines and the human gene was inducible in a rodent cell line. This indicates that both sequence elements in the gadd45 promoter and factors binding to these sites are conserved in mammalian cells. Deletion analysis of the hamster promoter did not reveal any specific sequence which conferred damage inducibility and the maximal response required a large portion of the promoter. The hamster promoter was not inducible by ionizing radiation, suggesting that sequences outside the promoter region used, such as a p53 binding site in the third intron, are necessary. The human GADD45 gene was mapped to chromosome 1p31.1-31.2.
The Fucik spectrum and critical groups

We compute critical groups of zero for variational functionals arising from semilinear elliptic boundary value problems with jumping nonlinearities when the asymptotic limits of the nonlinearity fall in certain parts of Type (II) regions between curves of the Fucik spectrum.
Metal semi-conductor shottky barrier diodes

This is a review presentation on metal-semiconductor Schottky barriers and devices. Three main areas will be dealt with in some detail: (a) the characteristics and underlying physics of barriers as currently understood, (b) the state of the art of barrier and device fabrication technologies, and (c) device applications, capabilities and limitations, present and future. The following specific topics will be discussed: 1. Barrier heights and their relations to work functions, electron affinities, electronegativity, and surface states. 2. Barrier characteristics: capacity-voltage including contributions of majority and minority carriers; current-voltage and underlying mechanisms; noise characteristics. 3. High frequency and high current density capabilities and limitations. 4. Status of fabrication technologies and device reliability. 5. Device applications: microwave detection and mixing, switching and limiting, optical and higher energy particle detection.
Influence of Nanometer-Scale Topography of Surfaces on the Orientational Response of Liquid Crystals to Proteins Specifically Bound to Surface-Immobilized Receptors

We report procedures based on oblique deposition of gold that lead to the preparation of ultrathin, semitransparent films of gold that possess systematic differences in their nanometer-scale topography. The nanometer-scale topography of these surfaces is controlled by the angle of incidence of the gold during the oblique deposition of each film. The topography is quantified by using atomic force microscopy (AFM) in terms of the azimuthal dependence of the contour length and local curvature of the surface. We use these surfaces to test our hypothesis that control of nanometer-scale topography permits manipulation of the orientational response of liquid crystal to proteins bound to receptors immobilized on surfaces. We measure the orientational response of nematic phases of 5CB to anti-biotin immunoglobulin G (IgG) bound to biotin-terminated self-assembled monolayers to depend strongly on the nanometer-scale topography of the surfaces. The response of the liquid crystal correlates closely with quantitative ...
Surgery for thyroglossal duct and branchial cleft anomalies

A retrospective review was carried out of 338 patients with thyroglossal duct remnants and 274 patients with branchial cleft anomalies who had undergone surgery at the Mayo Clinic from 1954 to 1975. Attention was directed to the preoperative history of these lesions, their clinical presentation, the nature of surgery performed, the complications of surgery, and the incidence of recurrence. The recurrence rate after the Sistrunk procedure for thyroglossal duct remnants was 2.6 per cent, whereas the recurrence rate after surgery for branchial cleft anomalies was 5.8 per cent. The findings suggested that these lesions are a significant source of morbidity and that surgery should be performed before infection occurs and should be radical in the first instance if the recurrence rate is to be minimized.
Deflationism and gaps: untying ‘not’s in the debate

supposed to show that there is something wrong or bad with their agency, something that should be different. If we continue to insist that our marital couple is somewhat practically irrational for wanting to have sex despite believing that they shouldn’t, we take the sting out of violating canons of practical reason, once we also acknowledge that they believe, desire, and do exactly what they have reason to believe, desire, and do. If one is believing/desiring/doing as well as one can – and remember that the ‘ought’ of practical rationality is usually thought to imply ‘can’ – then to press the charge of practical irrationality anyway is to drain the charge of any normative force. So, despite the aforementioned temptation to do otherwise, I want to insist either that the practicality requirement is false, or that it fails to criticize the agent who has incongruent practical beliefs and desires.2
Genetic engineering and aminoglycoside antibiotics

Abstract Since actinomycetes are the source of the majority of antibiotics and DNA cloning systems have recently been established for these organisms 1–3 we are now in a position to devise approaches for increasing yields or combining the beneficial properties of two (or more) antibiotics in one molecule. Here we assess the capabilities of the available technology to improve the production of aminoglycoside antibiotics.
Sediment Monitoring Bias by Automatic Sampler in Comparison with Large Volume Sampling for Parking Lot Runoff

A field study was conducted to assess biases of suspended sediment concentration (SSC) analyses (ASTM Standard D3977-97) performed on discrete samples obtained by automatic sampler in comparison with actual sediment concentrations from large volume sam- pling. Research results indicate that the biases attributed to the monitoring of sediment event mean concentration (EMC) and median particle size in parking lot runoff by automated samplers (nonisokinetic) were minimal. Large volume samples (∼15;000 L) of the first-flush event runoff were taken from a storm-water sewer system for eighteen storm events over two years. The intent was to obtain a complete portion of a storm to accurately determine EMCs and particle size distributions (PSDs). Concurrently, flow-weighted discrete samples were obtained by automatic samplers for the same portion of the events. Thus, characteristics of sediments from a whole-storm sample were compared with those of subsamples obtained by an automatic sampler using nonisokinetic sampling. SSCs and PSDs were compared for the two respective field sampling methods. The two methods showed a strong correlation for median sediment EMCs (R 2 ¼ 0:98, n ¼ 18). Biases to particle size distributions were found to be both for the large particles (> 75-150 μm) and smaller fines (< 25 μm). Specific sediment size fractions captured by the large volume sampling and automatic sampler were not significantly different (α ¼ 0:05) for D50, which = 58 and 46 μm, respectively. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)IR.1943-4774.0000168. © 2011 American Society of Civil Engineers.
Two-Stage Hedonic Price Model for Light-Duty Vehicles: Consumer Valuations of Automotive Fuel Economy in Maine

Consumers' marginal willingness to pay for a unit change of automotive fuel economy was estimated through development of a hedonic regression of new automobiles sales. The research combined national data on vehicle attributes with a unique data set that contains demographic information on all new vehicles registered in Maine in 2007. The research estimates the impact of demographic factors on consumer demands for fuel economy by generating a function for fuel economy demand in a second-stage hedonic model. Results show that consumers undervalue the long-run fuel savings of vehicle ownership, but they significantly value short-run fuel savings. Age and education are positively correlated with fuel economy demand, whereas income is statistically insignificant. Car consumers' net benefits from an increase in fuel economy from 25 to 35 mpg are computed from the fuel economy demand curve and are approximately $2,232. Strengthening corporate average fuel economy standards is reasonable because consumers can rec...
Paradoxical Arterial Emboli Causing Acute Limb Ischemia in a Patient with Essential Thrombocytosis

Acute arterial occlusion can be the result of acute thrombosis or systemic embolism. Paradoxical embolism of a venous thrombosis through a right-to-left shunt is an important cause of acute limb ischemia. We describe a young patient with acute limb ischemia who was found to have multiple deep venous thromboses causing arterial embolization through a patent foramen ovale. Essential thrombocytosis was found to be the risk factor for venous thromboses in this patient. The patient was managed with embolectomy and anticoagulation along with chemotherapeutic cytoreduction of platelet count. This case illustrates the importance of considering the systemic embolism as a cause of acute arterial occlusion. The presence of a hypercoagulable status such as chronic myeloproliferative disorder does not eliminate the possibility of systemic embolism in the event of acute arterial occlusion. Patients presenting with acute limb ischemia should be evaluated for embolic sources. The presence of deep venous thrombosis in such a patient should prompt the evaluation for a patent foramen ovale.
Surface elements and landing strategies for small bodies missions – Philae and beyond

Abstract The investigation of small bodies, comets and asteroids, can contribute substantially to our understanding of the formation and history of the Solar System. In-situ observations by Landers play a prominent role in this field. The Rosetta Lander – Philae – is currently on its way to comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. It will land in November 2014 and perform numerous experiments with a suite of 10 scientific instruments. Philae has been designed to cope with a wide range of possible comet properties. The considerations taken during its development are relevant for future Lander missions to small bodies in the Solar System. In addition the paper provides a review of alternative concepts, studied or developed for various missions like Phobos, Hayabusa/Minerva or Geocroiseur/Leonard. Various missions to small bodies in the Solar System, including Landers, are currently studied (e.g., Marco Polo). The paper will address the mission options and compare applicable technologies with the solutions chosen for Philae.
Rejoinder to Kathryn Paxton George

In “Use and Abuse Revisited: Response to Pluhar and Varner,” Kathryn Paxton George misunderstands the point of my essay, “In Defense of the Vegan Ideal: Rhetoric and Bias in the Nutrition Literature.” I did not claim that the nutrition literature unambiguously confirms that vegans are not at significantly greater risk of deficiencies than omnivores. Rather than settling any empirical controversy, my aim was to show how the literature can give the casual reader a skewed impression of what is known about the risks of a vegan diet. In this brief rejoinder, I illustrate how two essays by nutritionists in the same volume as George's and my essays, and a referee's report on my manuscript which was authored by a nutritionist, confirm the soundness of this basic insight.
Is the president's plan dead even before arrival?

Bush9s proposed health reforms would do little for the millions of low income, uninsured Americans
Appearance of type B avian Pneumovirus in great Britain

A survey in Britain in 1994/95 has shown that in all cases where avian pneumovirus (APV), was detected in turkeys of over 4 weeks of age, the virus was of type B. Oesophageal swabs were collected twice-weekly for up to 14 weeks in seven longitudinal surveys. RNA was extracted and analysed by reverse transcription-nested polymerase chain reaction designed to discriminate between type A and B APV. Virus of the same type as the vaccinal strain applied (type A or B) was detected from 7 and up to 35 days post-vaccination. Subsequently, type B virus only was detected when the poults were 32 to 67 days old, although in any one growing unit the period of detection was maximally one week. Episodes of increased mortality were usually associated with the detection of this type B virus a few days previously. In a single experiment inoculation of poults with virulent type A or B APV induced cross-protection although that protection was incomplete. Our results confirm that outbreaks of respiratory disease in turkeys in Britain during 1994 to 1995 were still associated with APV and that the virus was type B. In contrast, between 1985 and 1990 only APV antigenically similar to type A and B strains had been detected in Britain and in continental Europe respectively.
Improving Seawater Barrier Operation with Simulation Optimization in Southern California

A calibrated simulation model is linked with two optimization models to investigate alternatives for enhancing seawater intrusion barrier operations for the Alamitos Barrier Project in Los Angeles. Two types of management problems are analyzed, the optimal scheduling problem (OSP) and the optimal well location problem. The OSP objective is to minimize the total injected water subject to constraints on the state variables: Hydraulic head and chloride concentration at target locations. Two OSP formulations are considered, a pure hydraulic gradient formulation, and a combined hydraulic and transport formulation. When considering all 43 injection wells over a five-year planning horizon, the simulation-optimization model could not significantly improve upon the assigned initial injection rates. However, if a subset of the injection wells is exclusively considered, more favorable injection policies are obtained where less water is injected, compared with either the mean or annual mean derived from the historica...
Effects of trichostatin A on neuronal mu-opioid receptor gene expression

In this study, we determined the effects of a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, trichostatin A (TSA), on neuronal mu-opioid receptor (MOR) gene expression using human neuronal NMB cells, endogenously expressing MOR. Recruitment of two classes of HDAC, HDAC1 and HDAC2, to MOR promoter region in situ was detected via chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analysis with NMB cells. Functional analysis using the luciferase reporter gene system showed that TSA induced an approximately 3-fold increase of the promoter activity as compared to the vehicle treated group. Mutation analysis demonstrated that TSA response was mediated by both dsDNA (Sp1/Sp3 binding site) and ssDNA (PolyC binding protein1, PCBP, binding site) elements located in mouse MOR proximal core promoter region, further suggesting the functional importance of this cis-element, which shows high sequence homology between human and mouse MOR genes. ChIP analysis further suggested that TSA enhanced the recruitment of Sp1/Sp3 and PCBP to the promoter region, whereas no significant changes of total proteins were observed in response to TSA using Western blot analysis. Moreover, confocal images showed TSA-induced nuclear hot spots of endogenous PCBP in neuronal cells, whereas no obvious nuclear PCBP hotspot was observed in vehicle treated cells. Taken together, these results suggested that TSA enhanced neuronal MOR gene expression at the transcriptional level. RT-PCR analysis further revealed that TSA also decreased the steady-state level of MOR mRNA in a time-dependent manner by enhancing its instability. Thus, data suggest that TSA, an epigenetic regulator, affects neuronal MOR gene expression at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels.
BUSTBELT TO BOOMTOWN: REGIME SUCCESSION AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF DOWNTOWN INDIANAPOLIS

The reconstruction of the built environment in downtown Indianapolis over the past 25 years demonstrates the impact of powerful individuals constituting a potent urban regime in an archetypal middle-American city. Change began on January 1, 1970, with the establishment of a new unified city-county government that targeted creating a new image for this essentially one-party, one-economy city. The rise and demise of the governing coalition determined the trajectory of development across time, as realized in the changing utilization of central-city land. Macroeconomic national scale elements provided challenges and opportunities, but individuals acting within the contextual rules and resources of their particular locale proved decisive in determining spatial outcomes. The significance of this research lies in its reassertion of the power of agents to anticipate and adapt successfully to changing political-economic circumstances by reconfiguring the built environment. [Key words: urban regime theory, growth c...