cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The combined endonasal and transoral approach for the management of skull base and nasopharyngeal pathology: a case series

The posterior skull base and the nasopharynx have historically represented technically difficult regions to approach surgically given their central anatomical locations. Through continued improvements in endoscopic instrumentation and technology, the expanded endonasal approach (EEA) has introduced a new array of surgical options in the management of pathology involving these anatomically complex areas. Similarly, the transoral robotic surgical (TORS) approach was introduced as a minimally invasive surgical option to approach tongue base, nasopharyngeal, parapharyngeal, and laryngeal lesions. Although both the EEA and the TORS approach have been extensively described as viable surgical options in managing nasopharyngeal and centrally located head and neck pathology, both endonasal and transoral techniques have inherent limitations. Given these limitations, several institutions have published feasibility studies with the combined EEA and TORS approaches for a variety of skull base and nasopharyngeal pathologies. In this article, the authors present their clinical experience with the combined endonasal and transoral approach through a case series presentation, and discuss advantages and limitations of this approach for surgical management of the middle and posterior skull base and nasopharynx. In addition, a presentation is included of a unique, simultaneous endonasal and transoral dissection of the nasopharynx through an innovative intraoperative setup.
Fetal uptake of intra-amniotically delivered dendrimers in a mouse model of intrauterine inflammation and preterm birth

Abstract Intrauterine inflammation is associated with preterm birth and can lead to fetal neuroinflammation and neurobehavioral disorders in newborns. Dendrimers can intrinsically target and deliver drugs for the treatment of neuroinflammation. We explore whether hydroxyl polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer (G4-OH)-based nanomedicines can be delivered to the fetus by intra-amniotic administration, in a mouse model of intrauterine inflammation. The time-dependent accumulation of G4-OH-fluorophore conjugate was quantified by fluorescence. These studies suggest that, after intra-amniotic administration, there is significant accumulation of dendrimer in the fetus gut and brain. In addition, there is some fetal–maternal transport of the dendrimer. Confocal microscopy confirmed the presence of G4-OH in the fetal brain, with a large accumulation in the brain blood vessels and the brain parenchyma, and some microglial uptake. We believe that intra-amniotic administration of G4-OH-drug nanomedicines may enable the treatment of diseases related to intrauterine inflammation and fetal neuroinflammation. From the Clinical Editor Using a mouse model of intrauterin inflammation leading to neuroinflammation in the fetus, these investigators demonstrate that intra-amniotic delivery of hydroxyl polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer (G4-OH)-based nanomedicines may provide an effective method in preventing this complication.
The adequacy and cost effectiveness of routine resuscitation-area cervical-spine radiographs

Portable resuscitation-area cervical-spine radiographs (PCS) frequently constitute a routine part of the emergency evaluation of patients suffering from blunt trauma. Their adequacy and cost were evaluated by reviewing the records of 92 consecutive trauma patients. Forty-seven of 74 patients (63.5%) had adequate PCS in that all seven cervical vertebrae were visualized. In 27 patients (36.5), all seven cervical vertebrae were not adequately visualized. Inadequate studies were most likely to occur in patients with abnormal vital signs on admission (56%) (P less than .01) and in those subsequently requiring general anesthesia (34.5%). Fifteen patients were intubated without difficulty by maintaining neck immobilization because of uncertainty regarding cervical-spine injuries. The annual cost of inadequate cervical-spine studies was estimated to be $31,000.00. Although the four cervical-spine injuries were diagnosed by the portable technique, routine PCS were frequently inadequate in visualizing all seven cervical vertebrae. Major decisions concerning intubation and surgery frequently had to be made before adequate radiographic evaluation could be completed. It is suggested that time and money are lost by routinely doing a single lateral portable cervical radiograph. It is more appropriate to obtain complete radiographic studies after life-threatening injuries are addressed while patients are treated using the standard techniques of neck immobilization.
Ghost constraints on modified gravity

Abstract We show that general infrared modifications of the Einstein–Hilbert action obtained by addition of curvature invariants are not viable. These modifications contain either ghosts or light gravity scalars. A very specific fine-tuning might solve the problem of ghosts, but the resulting theory is still equivalent to a scalar–tensor gravity and thus gives a corrupted picture of gravity at the solar system scale. The only known loophole is that the theory becomes higher-dimensional at large distances. The infinite number of degrees of freedom introduced in this way is not reducible to the addition of an arbitrary function of curvature invariants.
Evaluation of academic and community surgery clerkships at a Midwestern medical school

Abstract Introduction The equivalency of surgical clerkship experience between academic and community sites is an issue that is assessed with difficulty. We examined the objective performance of 222 medical students after completion of the 8-week surgical clerkship. Six different consecutive semesters were analyzed. There were two objective examinations reviewed, the National Board of Medical Examiners’ subject examination and the surgical subportion of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) given at the end of the third year. Methods Medical students were classified into three separate groups based on the site of their surgical clerkship. The medical students were in either academic (100), community (79), or combined (academic and community) (43) locations. Medical student performance on the subject examination and OSCE was examined after completion of the general surgical clerkship. Single-factor analysis of variance testing was done to compare each of the three groups with respect to subject examination test score, or OSCE score. Significance was defined as P Results The combined group scored highest on the subject examination (73.6%). The community group scored highest on the OSCE (80.7%). However, no statistical significance exists between the three groups with regard to subject examination ( P = NS) or OSCE ( P = NS). Subject examination scores did not correlate with OSCE scores ( r = 0.095). Objective measurements of surgical subject examination and OSCE were not statistically different between academic, community, and academic and community surgical clerkship participants. Conclusions No statistically significant differences exist between the three groups with regards to OSCE failure rates, but the small amount of failures may have caused Type 2 error. Surgical clinical skills as tested by an OSCE and surgical knowledge as tested by a subject examination are equally attained by an academic or community surgical clerkship.
Catalytic Oxidation in Supercritical Water

Recently, catalytic oxidation in supercritical water (SCW) has received considerable research attention. The major thrust of this current research effort is attributable to the rapid development of supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) as an innovative wastewater treatment technology. The incentives of catalyst-enhanced processes may include increased reaction rates, reduced residence times and temperatures, and optimized reaction pathways that are otherwise difficult to achieve through noncatalytic processes. However, the databases associated with the use of catalysts in SCWO are limited. The purpose of this paper is to (1) review catalytic enhancement and technology as related to SCWO; (2) analyze effects of SCW on catalysts and catalytic SCWO processes; and (3) present a catalyst development strategy for SCWO-related applications. Catalyst activity and stability (in terms of reaction kinetics, surface phenomena, and phase behavior of catalysts in SCW) are emphasized. The paper presents a useful database...
Neuropeptide proctolin (H‐Arg‐Try‐Leu‐Pro‐Thr‐Oh): Immunocytochemical mapping of neurons in the central nervous system of the cockroach

Proctolinlike immunoreactivity was mapped in the central nervous system of the cockroach, Periplaneta americana, by using whole-ganglion immunoreacted preparations. The procedure for this immunohistochemical staining of whole-mounts is described. Immunoreactivity was confined to neuronal cell bodies and processes. These were found in all ganglia of the CNS. The cells varied in the consistency and intensity of their staining. The occurrence and variability of staining is described in detail. Cell bodies were found in the dorsal, ventral, and lateral regions of the ganglia. The highest number of cell bodies was found in the terminal ganglion and the lowest number in the cerebral ganglion. Those in the cerebral ganglion occurred mainly in the tritocrebral lobes. The distribution of immunoreactive cell bodies correlated with results previously obtained by radioimmunoassay. Immunoreactive processes were detected in all interganglionic connectives and many ganglionic nerve roots. Dense ramifications of immunoreactive processes and variocosities were detected in many of the ganglia. The widespread presence of immunoreactivity suggests that proctolin has diverse central and peripheral functions. The mapping of immunoreactive neuronal somata provides a valuable step in the identification of putative proctolin-containing neurons suitable for further biochemical, anatomical, and physiological analysis.
Evolution of interfacial voids around a cylindrical inclusion

The formation and evolution of interfacial cavities is predicted for compression flows of a viscous solid around a rigid cylindrical inclusion. The resulting free-boundary problem is solved by the finite element method with boundary-fitted mesh motion. The matrix-inclusion interface is perfectly weak and separates at a dynamic contact line. For a fixed set of geometric parameters, increasing the external pressure causes smaller interfacial voids and slower growth rates. The size of the stagnant voids found is affected by the applied pressure. The profiles of interfacial voids change from convex to convex-concave as the strain increases. This can lead to unstable cusps at low enough external pressures. The numerical predictions compare well with the experiments ofKao and Kuhn (1990) for void size as a function of strain in viscoplastic model materials.
AUTOACTIVATION OF PORCINE TRYPSINOGEN IN THE PRESENCE AND ABSENCE OF CALCIUM.

Abstract A quantitative study was made of the distribution of nitrogen, protein, and activity in the dialyzable and non-dialyzable fractions derived from porcine trypsinogen which had undergone autoactivation in the presence and absence of Ca 2+ . In the presence of Ca 2+ , about one-fifth of the protein became dialyzable, and the remaining four-fifths was non-dialyzable and consisted almost wholly of trypsin (EC 3·4·4·4) In the absence of Ca 2+ , a similar proportion of dialyzable and non-dialyzable fractions was obtained. In this instance, however, only two-thirds of the non-dialyzable fraction could be attributed to trypsin. All inactive components were shown by paper electrophoresis to be composed of a complex mixture of ninhydrinpositive material. That the trypsins produced in the presence or absence of Ca 2+ were identical was established by disc electrophoresis, ultracentrifuge analysis, and end-group studies.
Ultra sensitive in-situ acoustic characterization system for HDD head disc interface defectoscopy

An ultra sensitive drive level acoustic characterization system has been developed for in-situ Head Disc Interface defectoscopy. Multimode acoustic emission (AE) sensor installed on the drive cover is designed for tracking air bearing (AB) and slider modes. Monitored modal changes at the AB and slider bandwidth correlate to the weak head disc interface (HDI) interactions such as lubricant modulation and particles induced defects. Two or three orders of magnitude increase in sensitivity can be achieved by a combination of advanced sensors, data acquisition hardware and digital signal processing algorithms. Continuous and Discrete Wavelet Transform and Joint Time-Frequency analyses are implemented for the AB modal data mining process. Performance of the newly developed technology is demonstrated on a normally operating hard disc drive (HDD).
Studies on seeds. I. Fixation of seeds.

Several fixation procedures were studied to determine those most suitable for preservation of seeds during late stages of development and early stages of germination. These are the periods when the tissues are partially dehydrated and are most difficult to fix for electron microscopy. It was found that a prefixation with a mixture of glutaraldehyde, reconstituted formaldehyde (i.e. paraformaldehyde), and acrolein, followed by a postfixation in OsO4 or KMnO4, gives very acceptable images. The results also indicate that glutaraldehyde is necessary for preservation of cell shape, paraformaldehyde for stabilization of reserve proteins, and acrolein for rapid penetration of tissues. Phosphate, cacodylate, and collidine are all acceptable buffers, although collidine gives the most consistent results.
Novel observations of currents and drag generated by a tsunami

Tsunamis cause damage even after they have traveled thousands of kilometers from their sources, and much of the damage is through the generation of local strong currents. Even though wave heights of tsunamis that have traveled long distances are no greater than those of local tides or waves, tsunamis modify currents, resulting in unusually strong pulses of mixing, transport, and seiching (standing waves in enclosed water bodies). Seiching is common and is the most destructive hazard, particularly along narrow bays and harbors. In a new description of currents and sediment transport associated with a tsunami, Lacy et al. studied water height, currents, and suspended sediment concentrations in Monterey Bay, California, where a tsunami set off by a magnitude 8.8 earthquake off the coast of Chile on 27 February 2010 arrived approximately 14 hours later, causing strong seiching. Studying vertical velocity profiles of the tsunami waves reaching the inner shelf at Monterey Bay, the authors show that the friction from the shelf bed vastly affected the tsunami currents, and the bed drag coefficient varied with time. The observation is contrary to assumptions behind the common practice of using depth-averaged models to simulate tsunamis in the near-shore region.
Nitrous oxide emissions and isotopic composition in urban and agricultural systems in southern California

[1] Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a powerful greenhouse gas increasing in atmospheric mixing ratio and linked to increasing amounts of reactive N in the environment, particularly fertilizer use in agriculture. The consequences of urbanization of agricultural land for global and regional N2O emissions are unclear, due to high spatial and temporal variability of fluxes from different ecosystems and relatively few studies of urban ecosystems. We measured fluxes and the stable isotope composition (δ15N and δ18O) of N2O over 1 year in urban (ornamental lawns and athletic fields) and agricultural (corn and vegetable fields) ecosystems near Los Angeles, California, United States. We found that urban landscapes (lawns and athletic fields) have annual N2O fluxes equal to or greater than agricultural fields. Fertilization rates of urban landscapes were equal to or greater than agricultural fields, with comparable N2O emissions factors. δ15N and δ18O of N2O varied widely in all ecosystems, and were not consistent with ecosystem type, season, soil moisture, or temperature. There was, however, a consistent response of δ15N-N2O to pulses of N2O emission following fertilization, with an initial depletion in δ15N relative to prefertilization values, then gradual enrichment to background values within about 1 week. Preliminary scaling calculations indicated that N2O emissions from urban landscapes are approximately equal to or greater than agricultural emissions in urbanized areas of southern California, which further implies that current estimates of regional N2O emissions (based on agricultural land area) may be too low.
Outcomes of macular hole surgery in severely myopic eyes: a case-control study.

Abstract PURPOSE: To evaluate the outcomes of macular hole surgery in highly myopic eyes and to compare these outcomes with a control group of eyes that were not severely myopic. METHODS: The study design was a matched, case-control, retrospective chart review. The participants included 26 eyes of 24 patients who had vitreous surgery for macular holes. The eyes were divided into two groups: 13 consecutive eyes with severe myopia (defined as −6.00 diopters of refractive error or greater) and 13 control eyes without severe myopia that were operated on immediately before or after each study eye, with the most recently operated eye chosen. The main outcome parameters were preoperative and final follow-up visual acuity, macular hole closure rates, reoperation rates, duration of preoperative symptoms, and follow-up time. RESULTS: Using the Snellen equivalent of logarithm of minimal angle of resolution (logMAR) units, visual acuity improved after macular hole surgery in severely myopic eyes from 20/152 to 20/89 ( P = .041) and in control eyes from 20/152 to 20/47 ( P P = .048). Macular hole closure rates, reoperation rates, duration of pre-operative symptoms, and follow-up intervals were not significantly different statistically between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Macular hole surgery results in anatomical and visual improvements in severely myopic eyes but generally yields poorer visual acuity outcomes compared with eyes that are not severely myopic.
Permanent Pipe Lines for Dairy Plants

Summary A permanent sanitary pipe line consisting of four polishes of stainless steel and pyrex glass was installed at the University Dairy. Study was made to determine if such a line could be satisfactorily cleaned by rapid circulation of acid and alkaline detergents and sanitized by the circulation of 180° F. water. Milk samples were taken from the inlet and outlet of the pipe line and examined for mesophils, psychrophils and coliform organisms. Measurements were also made of the pH of the milk. Similar samples were stored at 40° F. for 7 days and again examined as before. Sections of the tubing were swabbed regularly to determine the presence of mesophils remaining on the surface of the pipe line after sanitization. Visual inspection of the line was made weekly. Comparison of sections which had been in service was made with a control consisting of a brush-washed section of stainless steel. A further test was made by vigorously rubbing a clean, white flannel within the pipe to pick up any loose deposits. There was no measurable pick-up of organisms resulting from the use of the permanent pipe line. Samples of milk that had passed through the pipe line were held at 40° F. for 7 days. These samples showed no marked growth of mesophils and only slight increases in psychrophils. Only slight changes in pH occurred during the storage period. There were nearly as many changes to a higher pH as to a lower pH. Swab counts on the pipe line were low. While sterility was not attained the results would be judged excellent by the standards recommended for restaurant utensils. Bacteriologically speaking there was no choice between the four polishes of stainless steel and the pyrex glass. Under the conditions of this study, a permanently installed pipe line of either stainless steel or glass was found to be satisfactory from a sanitary point of view.
Short and simple synthesis of chelating bis-ethers and bis-amines in the bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane series

A remarkably simple process for the synthesis of a series of rigid bicyclic diethers and diamines is described.
A-site substitution of SrRuO 3 using La, K and Pb

We have investigated Sr1−xLax/2Kx/2RuO3 and Sr1−xPbxRuO3, which have a larger average size of the A-site cations. They manifest a gradual loss of ferromagnetism in a similar way as their counterparts with smaller A-site cations. There is also evidence for a magnetism-suppressing disorder effect similar to that observed in Sr1−xLax/2Nax/2RuO3. Therefore, the Stoner ferromagnetism in SrRuO3 is rather unique and cannot be easily tuned by lattice distortion to yield a higher Curie temperature.
Exponentially Accelerating Jet in Crossflow

Effects of exponential acceleration on penetration and mixing characteristics of a jet in crosseow have been investigated experimentallyinawatermodel. To imposean exponential acceleration on the eow, both the injection speed and the nozzle width of the jet increased exponentially in the downstream direction of the crosseow. An acceleration parameter ® is dee ned as the ratio of the revolution time of the longitudinal vortex pair to the e-folding time of the acceleration. Theoretically, a signiecant reduction in turbulent entrainment and mixing of the jet with the crosseow is expected as ® nears unity or as the revolution time of the longitudinal vortex pair in the jet becomes comparable to the characteristic time of acceleration. It was found that the diameter of each vortex in the near-eeld jet cross section is reduced more than a factor of three as ® is increased from 0 to 2.5. In the same ® range, the jet eame or reaction length increased up to 50%, revealing a strong effect of the near-e eld forcing on the far-e eld molecular scale mixing. Furthermore, the experiments have shown up to a 50% increase in the penetration of the jet into the crosseow as a result of the acceleration, when compared with a conventional transverse jet. These results demonstrate clearly that, in a free-shear eow, imposing a new timescale by means of an external acceleration ine uences the entrainment and mixing characteristics dramatically, thus providing a new possibility of controlling the eow characteristics.
Child abuse: The limits of sociobiology

Abstract A review of five population based studies indicates that rates of child abuse tend to be highest among young male children from poor families. Children from very large families, children from families with a history of marital disruption, and defective children are also at a high risk of abuse. Perpetrators are more apt to be fathers or stepparents than would be expected on the basis of their representation in families of abused children. Biological mothers are least apt to abuse their children. Although these data are consistent with an evolutionary model of child abuse, many of these findings are also consistent with alternative (especially economic) models for abuse. An attempt is made to develop testable predictions for child abuse that are consistent with evolutionary theory and inconsistent with more conventional models.
Floristic affinities of North Carolina inshore benthic marine algae

Comparative phenological studies and cross-gradient light-temperature experiments on selected Ceramiales from North Carolina demonstrated the presence of three biogeographic components in this taxo...
Focal epithelial hyperplasia.

Abstract A 12-year-old Indian boy from Managua, Nicaragua, had asymptomatic, multiple, nodular lesions of the buccal mucosa, lips, and tongue. These lesions had been present for 5 years. No family member exhibited similar lesions. Analysis of a biopsy specimen removed from a representative area confirmed the presumptive diagnosis of focal epithelial hyperplasia.
Nitric oxide reduction with hydrogen on copper--nickel and chromium--nickel catalysts

The reduction of NO with H/sub 2/ on copper-nickel and chromium-nickel catalysts has been investigated. Both CuNi and CrNi catalysts were prepared by impregnation on Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ pellets. Dry-pressed catalysts, CrNi with Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ powder, were formed with several catalysts containing the NiCr/sub 2/O/sub 4/ spinel. A pressed nickel oxide catalyst was highly active for the reduction of NO while impregnated nickel oxide was much less active. Copper oxide and chromium oxide were relatively inactive. Addition of small amounts of copper to impregnated nickel oxide improved the activity of the latter catalyst, but above about 24 atomic percent copper, activity decreased with increase in copper content. The activity of the pressed chromium-nickel catalysts increased with increase in nickel content. Production of NH/sub 3/ maximized at intermediate Ni content for the impregnated CuNi catalysts, and, in general, decreased with increase in Ni content for the impregnated CrNi catalysts and increased with Ni content for the pressed CrNi catalysts.
Narcissism and resistance to doubts about romantic partners

It was hypothesized that narcissism would be associated with resistance to doubts concerning the commitment of romantic partners. Furthermore, this resistance might buffer against relationship dysfunction that sometimes follows such doubts. In support of our predictions, narcissism was associated with greater reported difficulty completing a task that involved listing reasons why current romantic partners might be less committed. Following the task, narcissism was associated with less relationship dysfunction, defined as lack of commitment, desire to accept an extra-partner dating invitation, and the desire to adopt a more game-playing (ludus) love style. The opposite pattern emerged in a second condition where participants were asked to list reasons why their current romantic partners might be more committed (i.e., narcissism associated with less difficulty and higher relationship dysfunction). Though narcissism is generally associated with lower relationship functioning, the present results illuminate a situation where narcissism may be beneficial particularly in the short-term.
Measurement of Microprocessor Die Stress due to Thermal Cycling, Power Cycling, and Second Level Assembly

In the current work, we have extended our past studies on Flip Chip Ceramic Ball Grid Array (FC-BGA) microprocessor packaging configurations to investigate in-situ die stress variation during thermal and power cycling. The utilized (111) silicon sensor rosettes were able to measure the complete three-dimensional stress state (all 6 stress components) at each sensor site being monitored by the data acquisition hardware. The test chips had dimensions of 20 × 20 mm, and 3600 lead free solder interconnects (full area array) were used to connect the chips to high CTE ceramic chip carriers. A unique package carrier was developed to allow measurement of the die stresses in the FC-CBGA components under thermal and power cycling loads without inducing any additional mechanical loadings.Initial experiments consisted of measuring the die stress levels while the components were subjected to a slow (quasi-static) temperature changes from 0 to 100 C. In later testing, long term thermal cycling of selected parts was performed from 0 to 100 C (40 minute cycle, 10 minute ramps and dwells). After various durations of cycling, the sensor resistances at critical locations on the die device surface (e.g. die center and die corners) were recorded. From the resistance data, the stresses at each site were calculated and plotted versus time. Finally, thermal and power cycling of selected parts was performed, and in-situ measurements of the transient die stress variations were performed. Power cycling was implemented by exciting the on-chip heaters on the test chips with various power levels. During the thermal/power cycling, sensor resistances at critical locations on the die device surface (e.g. die center and die corners) were recorded continuously. From the resistance data, the stresses at each site were calculated and plotted versus time.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
10 Channel, 100Gbit/s per channel, dual polarization, coherent QPSK, monolithic InP receiver photonic integrated circuit

A 10 channel, dual polarization, monolithically integrated, coherent QPSK receiver on InP operating at 100Gbit/s per channel is demonstrated.
Stepwise uptake of water vapour by ground thorium oxide

The adsorption of water vapour and nitrogen has been measured on thorium oxide ground for 500 h. The thorium oxide appeared crystalline in character with nitrogen adsorption showing mesopores but not micropores. Stepped isotherms of water and hysteresis extending to low relative pressure were found after outgassing at 200 °C. However, after outgassing at 400°C, the step structure was lost together with a reduction in adsorptive capacity close to the step height. Of the two possible explanations for the step structure, restructuring at the water—oxide interface and intercalation, the latter is favoured. A pseudo-lamellar structure involving traces of worn porcelain separating thorium oxide crystals is suggested with entry of water molecules permitted at a critical threshold pressure.
Expressed Emotion and Language Disturbances in Parents of Stable Schizophrenia Patients

Nineteen healthy parents of long-term schizophrenia outpatients were assessed for levels of expressed emotion (EE) and for characteristics of communication style which are putative markers of vulnerability to schizophrenia. We administered measures of communication deviance, linguistic reference performance, global disorganization, and positive formal thought disorder. Parents high in EE showed significantly poorer linguistic reference performance and greater disorganization in their speech than parents low in EE. These findings support the idea that high EE in some individuals may be associated with cognitive characteristics indicative of a vulnerability to schizophrenia, and this may account in part for the well-established association between EE level in parents and prognosis in patients.
Children's Interpretation of Ambiguous Behavior: Evidence for a "Boys Are Bad" Bias.

Possible gender-related evaluative biases were investigated among a group of 64 second and third graders (ages 6 y 11 m to 9 y 7 m). Participants were shown photographs of 8 unfamiliar children, and were told that each had performed a particular behavior. Each of the behaviors was consistent with multiple interpretations, including a positive interpretation and a negative interpretation. When the unfamiliar peers were male, participants were more likely to remember behaviors in unfavorable ways and to select more negative attributions for the behavior. This pattern of results held even among male participants, who reported greater expectations of liking the male peers.
Using ecological-niche modeling to predict Barred Owl invasions with implications for Spotted Owl conservation

Abstract: The Spotted Owl ( Strix occidentalis ) is the focus of intense concern as a species threatened by the destruction and fragmentation of primary forest in the Pacific Northwest ( U.S.A. ). Aside from habitat concerns, an additional peril exists for the species: the larger and more aggressive Barred Owl ( S. varia ) is invading the Pacific Northwest and has the potential to overrun much of the range of the endangered species. We evaluated the dimensions of this potential invasion by using ecological niche models based on point-occurrence data. With these tools, we developed models with significant predictions for the native distributions of both Spotted and Barred owls ( tested via independent occurrence data ) and for the invasive range of Barred Owls. Overlap between the models for the two species suggests that most of the northern portion of the Spotted Owl's distribution ( south to about lat. 38°N ) is vulnerable to Barred Owl invasion. We present an example of the potential effects of species invasions on endangered species conservation.
Secondary Tracheoesophageal Puncture In-Office Using Seldinger Technique

ObjectiveEvaluate the safety and efficacy of in-office secondary tracheoesophageal puncture (TEP) technique using transnasal esophagoscopy (TNE) and the Seldinger technique in conjunction with a cr...
Increased frequency of chromosome translocations in airline pilots with long-term flying experience

Background: Translocations, the most stable form of chromosome aberrations, are an established biomarker of cumulative exposure to external ionizing radiation. Airline pilots are exposed to varying levels of cosmic ionizing radiation, but to date, there have been few flight crew studies that have examined translocations in relation to flight experience. Methods: We determined the frequency of translocations in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of 83 airline pilots and 50 comparison subjects (mean age = 47 and 46 years, respectively). Translocations were scored in an average of 1039 cell equivalents (CE) per subject using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) whole chromosome painting and expressed per 100 CE. Negative binomial regression models were used to assess the relationship between translocation frequency and exposure status and flight years, adjusting for age, self-reported personal diagnostic x-ray procedures, and military flying. Results: There was no significant difference in the adjusted mean translocation frequency of pilots and the comparison group (0.37 ± 0.04 vs. 0.38 ± 0.06 translocations/100 CE, respectively). However, among the pilots, the adjusted translocation frequency was significantly associated with flight years (P = 0.01) with rate ratios of 1.06 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.11) and 1.81 (95% CI 1.16 to 2.82) for a 1- and 10-year incremental increase in flight years, respectively. The adjusted rate ratio for pilots in the highest compared to those in the lowest quartile of flight years was 2.59 (95% CI 1.26 to 5.33). Conclusions: Our data suggest that pilots with long-term flying experience may be exposed to biologically significant doses of ionizing radiation. Epidemiologic studies with longer follow-up of larger cohorts of pilots with a wide range of radiation exposure levels are needed to clarify the relationship between cosmic radiation exposure and cancer risk.
Angiographic Validation of the American College of Cardiology Foundation–The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Collaboration on the Comparative Effectiveness of Revascularization Strategies Study

Background—The goal of this study was to compare angiographic interpretation of coronary arteriograms by sites in community practice versus those made by a centralized angiographic core laboratory. Methods and Results—The study population consisted of 2013 American College of Cardiology–National Cardiovascular Data Registry (ACC–NCDR) records with 2- and 3- vessel coronary disease from 54 sites in 2004 to 2007. The primary analysis compared Registry (NCDR)-defined 2- and 3-vessel disease versus those from an angiographic core laboratory analysis. Vessel-level kappa coefficients suggested moderate agreement between NCDR and core laboratory analysis, ranging from kappa=0.39 (95% confidence intervals, 0.32–0.45) for the left anterior descending artery to kappa=0.59 (95% confidence intervals, 0.55–0.64) for the right coronary artery. Overall, 6.3% (n=127 out of 2013) of those patients identified with multivessel disease at NCDR sites had had 0- or 1-vessel disease by core laboratory reading. There was no dire...
Oxidation instability of SiC and Si3N4 following thermal excursions

The effect of thermal excursion and thermal cycling on the oxidation stability of chemical vapor-deposited (CVD) SiC and Si3N4 was studied at 1350 C. Thermal cycling alone produced no noticeable change in oxidation kinetics. However, TEM showed that oxide scales grown in cycles consist of alternating layers of SiO2 and Si2N2O. When the oxidation of CVD SiC or Si3N4 at 1350 C was interrupted with a 1.5-h annealing in Ar at 1500 C, the kinetics of reoxidation at 1350 C were found to be drastically increased. The SiC and Si3N4 then oxidized essentially at the same rate, which is over 50 times the preannealing rate, and comparable to the expected oxidation rate of these materials at 1500 C.
Premorbid functioning of patients with first-episode nonaffective psychosis: A comparison of deterioration in academic and social performance, and clinical correlates of Premorbid Adjustment Scale scores

Abstract Background Motivated by a previous study among male veterans [Allen, D.N., Frantom, L.V., Strauss, G.P., van Kammen, D.P., 2005. Differential patterns of premorbid academic and social deterioration in patients with schizophrenia. Schizophr. Res. 75, 389–397], the present analysis examined: (1) patterns of premorbid academic and social functioning during childhood, early adolescence, and late adolescence, and (2) associations between these premorbid functioning dimensions and a number of clinical variables. Methods Data on premorbid functioning were collected using the Premorbid Adjustment Scale (PAS) in 95 hospitalized first-episode patients. Analyses were similar to those conducted by Allen and colleagues (2005). Results Deterioration was evident in both academic and social functioning from childhood to early adolescence, along with a pronounced/accelerated deterioration in academic functioning from early adolescence to late adolescence, occurring in both male and female patients. Age at onset of prodromal symptoms was predicted by childhood/early adolescent/late adolescent academic functioning scores, and age at onset of psychotic symptoms was significantly associated only with childhood academic functioning. Severity of negative symptoms was predicted by childhood and late adolescent social functioning scores, and severity of general psychopathology symptoms was predicted by late adolescent academic functioning, as well as childhood and late adolescent social functioning scores. Conclusions Consistent with prior findings, deterioration in premorbid functioning appears to be more pronounced in the academic than social dimension of the PAS. Some PAS scores are predictive of ages at onset of prodrome/psychosis and severity of psychotic symptoms. Ongoing research on premorbid adjustment in schizophrenia may have implications for future prevention goals.
Vision-Based Recursive Estimation of Rotorcraft Obstacle Locations

Development of an onboard obstacle detection and estimation scheme for low altitude rotorcraft fight is necessary both for the development of pilot warning system and as a step toward achiving fully autonomous flight. Vision sensors provide passive sensing of obstacles, and allow a wide field of view and nearly infinite range with relatively low cat. We consider the problem of estimating the relative location of identifiable features on nearby obstacles, assuming a sequence of noisy camera images and imperfect measurements of the camera's translation and rotation. An iterated extended Kalman filter is used to provide recursive range estimation; the correspondence problem is simplified by predicting and tracking each feature's image within the Kalman filter framework. Simulation results are presented which show convergent estimates and generally successful feature point tracking. Estimation performance degrades for features near the optical axis and for accelerating motions; image tracking is also sensitive to angular rate. Our approach is also applicable to other vision-based obstacle detection and estimation problems.
Modifying entrepreneurial design by utilising case study analysis

This paper augments existing knowledge about the influence of instructional methods for case study methodology available to improve students' learning outcomes. The employment of case study analysis as a teaching tool is respected in the management community. A case study sets the stage in a factual manner, the events and organisational circumstances surrounding a particular managerial or leadership situation. Management practices, financial and economic direction as well as company's experiences provide a rich avenue of information. In most management courses students use case studies about specific companies to practice strategic analysis and to gain some experience in the tasks of crafting and implementing strategy to lead their organisation to economic success. The purpose of this paper is to look at how case studies are utilised in an educational atmosphere and present specific directives for using them.
An Overview of Deep Dielectric Charging

Measurements on the CRRES satellite have revealed that most discharge pulses experienced in the radiation belts correlated with high fluencies of energetic electrons but not with surface potentials. This fact highlights the importance of deep dielectric charging. In this overview, we start with the Bethe-Bloch equation, which describes the basic mechanism of charged particle penetration into matter. Depending on the charged species and material properties, the penetration distance can be calculated. At MeV energies, electrons penetrate deeper than ions into satellite surface dielectrics by two orders of magnitude, leaving an excess of electron charge inside and generating a high electric field. After the passage of the peak of a typical killer storm, low energy ambient ions arrive forming a double layer with the excess electrons. Overall charge neutrality renders the surface potential to be low despite a high electric field inside the double layer, explaining the CRRES results. Physical mechanisms are discussed for explaining the critical electric field that may cause a sudden discharge. We point out a deficiency in using daily electron fluencies for predicting spacecraft anomalies.
lincRNA-RoR and miR-145 Regulate Invasion in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer via Targeting ARF6

Triple-negative (ER−, HER2−, PR−) breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive disease with a poor prognosis with no available molecularly targeted therapy. Silencing of microRNA-145 (miR-145) may be a defining marker of TNBC based on molecular profiling and deep sequencing. Therefore, the molecular mechanism behind miR-145 downregulation in TNBC was examined. Overexpression of the long intergenic noncoding RNA regulator of reprogramming, lincRNA-RoR, functions as a competitive endogenous RNA sponge in TNBC. Interestingly, lincRNA-RoR is dramatically upregulated in TNBC and in metastatic disease and knockdown restores miR-145 expression. Previous reports suggest that miR-145 has growth-suppressive activity in some breast cancers; however, these data in TNBC indicate that miR-145 does not affect proliferation or apoptosis but instead, miR-145 regulates tumor cell invasion. Investigation of miR-145-regulated pathways involved in tumor invasion revealed a novel target, the small GTPase ADP-ribosylation factor 6 (Arf6). Subsequent analysis demonstrated that ARF6, a known regulator of breast tumor cell invasion, is dramatically upregulated in TNBC and in breast tumor metastasis. Mechanistically, ARF6 regulates E-cadherin localization and affects cell–cell adhesion. These results reveal a lincRNA-RoR/miR-145/ARF6 pathway that regulates invasion in TNBCs. Implications: The lincRNA-RoR/miR-145/ARF6 pathway is critical to TNBC metastasis and could serve as biomarkers or therapeutic targets for improving survival. Mol Cancer Res; 13(2); 330–8. ©2014 AACR.
SampleBoost: Improving boosting performance by destabilizing weak learners based on weighted error analysis

Learning from large, multi-class data sets poses great challenges to ensemble methods. The weak learner condition makes the conventional method inappropriate to handle multi-class classification, which leads to early termination of the training process. Also, elongated training time makes learning from large data set infeasible. To circumvent these issues, we present a novel method that integrates a sampling strategy and an error parameter that alters weighted error. Experiments were conducted with ten data sets from real-world applications. It is evident that our proposed method achieves greater performance and avoids early termination. In addition, our method significantly improves training efficiency and accommodates training with large data set.
Histomorphometric evaluation of a nanothickness bioceramic deposition on endosseous implants: a study in dogs.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate the bone response to a nanothickness bioceramic ion beam-assisted deposition (IBAD) on endosteal implants in a canine model. Materials and Methods: Alumina-blasted/acid-etched (control) and IBAD-modified (test) implants were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy + ion beam milling, thin-film mode X-ray diffraction, and atomic force microscope. The implants were surgically placed in four dogs' proximal tibiae and remained for 2 and 4 weeks in vivo. Oxytetracycline (10 mg/kg) was administered for bone labeling 48 hours prior to euthanization. Following euthanization, nondecalcified thin sections were prepared for UV and transmitted light microscopy. The amount of bone labeling was evaluated along the length and away from the implant surface by means of a computer software. The % bone-to-implant contact (BIC) was determined for each specimen. One-way analysis of variance at 95% level of significance along with Tukey's post hoc multiple comparisons were utilized for statistical evaluation. The characterization showed Ca- and P-based amorphous coatings with a 20- to 50-nm thickness. Results: In vivo results showed a significant increase in general and site-specific (to 0.5 mm from the implant surface) bone activity for the 4-week test implants compared with the control implants. Bone activity levels decreased as a function of distance from the implant surface for all groups. No significant differences in BIC were observed between groups. Conclusions: This study showed that both surfaces were biocompatible and osteoconductive and that a time-dependent increase in osteoactivity occurred around the test implants.