cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predictive Risk Management for Dynamic Tree Trimming Scheduling for Distribution Networks

This paper introduces a predictive method for distribution feeder vegetation management based on a risk framework. The state of risk is calculated for each feeder section using a variety of factors extracted from network parameters and historical outage data, historical weather data and weather forecasts, and a variety of vegetation indices. The framework implements the spatiotemporal correlation of all the collected data. The prediction model used is the Gaussian conditional random field, which takes into account spatial interdependencies between different feeder sections. This enables better prediction accuracy, and also offers the capability to deal with missing and bad data. Based on the calculated risk, the dynamic optimal tree trimming schedule, which minimizes the overall risk for the system under a given predetermined budget, is developed. Results obtained on a real utility network show that optimal tree trimming based on the developed risk framework for vegetation management could significantly decrease the overall risk of the feeder outages without increasing the budget.
CHAPTER 21 The Neuropathology of Autism

The multitude of neuropathological results in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) should be critically assessed taking into consideration the use of medications, comorbidities, and the agonal/preagonal condition of the patients. The often-quoted Purkinje cell loss, in many cases, may be a reactive phenomenon to seizures and/or usage of anticonvulsant medications. There is, however, a convergence of clinical and neuropathological evidence that indicates developmental abnormalities of the cerebral cortex in ASD. The presence of heterotopias, laminar effacement, and a minicolumnopathy suggest irregularities both of germinal cell divisions and in the subsequent migration of daughter cells. Clinical heterogeneity may be dictated by variability in the interplay between exogenous factors, genetic vulnerability, and the timing during brain development that frame the action of the multifactorial components. Keywords: autism; cerebral cortex; gliosis; neurons; neuropathology
The 10-year outcomes of a regional abdominal aortic aneurysm screening program.

Abstract Objective In 2007, Medicare established ultrasound screening guidelines to identify patients at risk for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). The purpose of this study was to evaluate AAA diagnosis rates and compliance with screening during 10 years (2007-2016) of the Screen for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Very Efficiently Act implementation within a regional health care system. Methods A retrospective chart review of all patients screened for AAA from 2007 to 2016 within a regional Veterans Affairs health care system was conducted. Screening criteria were men 65 to 75 years of age who smoked a minimum of 100 cigarettes in their lifetime. An AAA was defined as a maximum aortic diameter ≥3 cm. A comparison was made of the AAA diagnosis rate and clinical adherence rate of screening criteria between the first 5 years and total years evaluated. AAA-related mortality was identified by using terminal diagnosis notes or autopsy reports. All data were recorded by August 31, 2017. Results A total of 19,649 patients (70.7 ± 4.8 years of age, mean ± standard deviation) were screened from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2016. There were 9916 new patients screened from 2012 to 2016. A total of 1232 aneurysms (6.3% total patients) were identified during the 10-year period. The overall AAA diagnosis rate has declined from 7.2% in the first 5 years to 6.3% in 10 years (13.5% decrease; P 75 years of age, and 59 patients were women. This rate has declined from 28.2% within the first 5 years to 18.7% overall in 10 years (33.7% decrease; P Conclusions The overall 10-year rate of AAA diagnosis is 6.3%. There are more smaller aneurysms (3.0-4.4 cm) detected and fewer large AAAs ≥5.5 cm in the last 5 years compared with the first 5 years of the screening program. The overall AAA-related mortality rate of all screened patients is 0.03%. There were 54 patients with AAA ≥5.5 cm who underwent successful elective repair resulting from the AAA screening program. The overall compliance of screened patients using screening criteria improved significantly from 61.7% in 2007 to 81.3% since implementation of the screening program during the past 10 years.
Surface chemistry and composition-induced variation of laser interference-based surface treatment of Al alloys

Abstract A key limitation for the use of aluminum alloys in multi-material structural components is effective surface cleaning and texturing techniques to improve the quality of structural joints. In this study, the surface and sub-surface chemistries are investigated for a novel surface treatment method using laser interferometry produced by two beams of a pulsed Nd:YAG laser. Surfaces of AA 5128 aluminum alloy were treated using a two-beam laser interference setup, enabling the structuring of the surface at length scales much less than that of the laser beam. Periodic and patterned surface structures were created by the interference power profile through ablation of deposits and debris and melting and re-solidification of the near-surface region during laser-treatment. Chemical changes to the Al alloy surface induced by laser treatment were examined in detail in this study using both x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning Auger microanalysis (SAM) as a function of number of interfering laser shots. XPS surface analysis indicates that this laser technique is effective at cleaning aluminum surfaces. Moreover, SAM data indicated that there is a compositional-induced variation of Mg due to laser-interference as Mg-rich areas were found in periodic interference-structured ridges. Notice: The United States Government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the United States Government retains a non-exclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, world-wide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for United States Government purposes. The Department of Energy will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan ( http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan ).
Wideband Balanced Photoreceivers With InP-Based Photodiodes and 65 nm CMOS TIAs for Use in Optical Frequency Synthesis Systems

Two photoreceivers, each comprised of a set of InP balanced photodiodes (PD) and one of two CMOS transimpedance amplifiers (TIA) fabricated in a 65 nm general-purpose process, are demonstrated in this paper. The balanced photodiodes achieve a responsivity of 0.65 A/W and a bandwidth of 12 GHz while driving a 50 $\bf \Omega$ load. The first photoreceiver uses a 9 GHz bandwidth regulated cascode (RGC) TIA with 59 dB $\bf \Omega$ transimpedance, achieving a maximum conversion gain of 1289 V/W and a minimum noise equivalent power (NEP) of 13 pW/ $\bf \sqrt{Hz}$ . The second photoreceiver utilizes an 11 GHz bandwidth modified current-reuse regulated cascode (CRRGC) TIA with 63 dB $\bf \Omega$ transimpedance gain, resulting in a maximum conversion gain of 2083 V/W and minimum NEP of 13 pW/ $\bf \sqrt{Hz}$ .
Teacher implementation profiles for integrating computational thinking into elementary mathematics and science instruction

Incorporating computational thinking (CT) ideas into core subjects, such as mathematics and science, is one way of bringing early computer science (CS) education into elementary school. Minimal research has explored how teachers can translate their knowledge of CT into practice to create opportunities for their students to engage in CT during their math and science lessons. Such information can support the creation of quality professional development experiences for teachers. We analyzed how eight elementary teachers created opportunities for their students to engage in four CT practices (abstraction, decomposition, debugging, and patterns) during unplugged mathematics and science activities. We identified three strategies used by these teachers to create CT opportunities for their students: framing, prompting, and inviting reflection. Further, we grouped teachers into four profiles of implementation according to how they used these three strategies. We call the four profiles (1) presenting CT as general problem-solving strategies, (2) using CT to structure lessons, (3) highlighting CT through prompting, and (4) using CT to guide teacher planning. We discuss the implications of these results for professional development and student experiences.
Benefits of cause-related marketing for companies and nonprofits: focusing on the roles of self-corporate congruity and issue involvement

This experimental study aims to examine how cause-related marketing (CRM) can bring a win-win outcome to a company and its nonprofit partner. Specifically, this study investigates the extent to which consumers perceive image-congruity between self and corporation (self-corporate congruity) plays a key role in achieving business and social gains in the domain of CRM. The finding demonstrates that self-corporate congruity positively affects consumer intentions to not only buy the cause-related products, but also support the cause-related issues. Further, it shows that issue-supporting intentions partially mediate the effect of self-corporate congruity on product-buying intentions, and this mediating role is also moderated by the degree of issue involvement. That is, when consumers have low involvement in cause-related issues, self-corporate congruity positively influences product-buying intentions through a psychological mediator of issue-supporting intentions. However, this event disappears when consumers have high involvement in the issues. Theoretical and practical implications for companies, nonprofits, and consumer researchers are discussed with specific reference to CRM.
Ewing’s sarcoma

In 1921, James Ewing1 described a primary malignant tumour of bone in which he emphasized the perivascular arrangement of the tumour cells. A wide age range is affected but the neoplasm predominates in the second decade. It is the second most common malignant tumour of bone in children. The most common affected sites are the pelvis and femur and there is a modest male predominance. Babies and toddlers are affected in 2% of cases2.The most frequent symptoms are pain and swelling.
Bariatric and metabolic endoscopy: impact on obesity and related comorbidities.

The global obesity pandemic is among the most significant public health crises today. Furthermore, obesity remains a major risk factor for many weight-related comorbid conditions including cardiova...
Conditional Survival, Cause-Specific Mortality, and Risk Factors of Late Mortality after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

Background: Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT) is an established curative treatment for many hematologic diseases. The number of long-term survivors grows. Conditional survival rates, accounting for time already survived, are relevant for optimal delivery of survivorship care. Methods: We estimated conditional survival rates, and overall and cause-specific mortality risk in a retrospective cohort study of 4485 patients who underwent alloHCT for hematologic diseases during 1976-2014. Findings: The 5-year survival rate from HCT for the cohort was 48%. After surviving 1, 2, 5, 10, and 15 years, the subsequent 5-year survival rates were 71%, 79%, 87%, 94%, and 86%, respectively. The standardized mortality ratio (SMR) was 30·3 (95% confidence interval [CI], 29·2-35·5). Although the SMR declined in longer surviving patients, it was still elevated by 3·6-fold in ≥15-year survivors (95% CI, 3·0-4·1)· Primary disease accounted for 50% of deaths in the overall cohort, and only 10% in ≥15-year survivors; the leading causes of non-disease-related mortality were subsequent malignancy (26·1%) and cardiopulmonary diseases (20·2%)· The risk factors for non-disease-related mortality were male sex, older age at HCT, having an unrelated donor, graft-versus-host disease within one-year of HCT, total body irradiation conditioning, and undergoing HCT in an earlier transplantation era. Interpretation: Survival probability improves the longer patients survive. However, HCT recipients surviving ≥15 years remain at elevated mortality risk, largely due to health conditions other than their primary disease. Our study findings inform preventive and interventional strategies to improve long-term outcomes after HCT. Funding Statement: Lymphoma & Leukemia Society Scholar Award (Armenian). Declaration of Interests: None of the authors have any financial or personal conflict of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: The LTFU protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board at COH; written informed consent was obtained from all participants in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.
Doing Business in the Middle East: Politics and Economic Crisis in Jordan and Kuwait

1. Summers of discontent: business-state politics in the Middle East 2. Organizing first: business and political authority during state formation 3. Politics and profits 4. Crises at century's end 5. Is business the solution?
Metaphysics and Method in Plato's Statesman

At the beginning of his Metaphysics, Aristotle attributed several strange-sounding theses to Plato. Generations of Plato scholars have assumed that these could not be found in the dialogues. In heated arguments, they have debated the significance of these claims, some arguing that they constituted an 'unwritten teaching' and others maintaining that Aristotle was mistaken in attributing them to Plato. In a prior book-length study on Plato's late ontology, Kenneth M. Sayre demonstrated that, despite differences in terminology, these claims correspond to themes developed by Plato in the Parmenides and the Philebus. In this book, he shows how this correspondence can be extended to key, but previously obscure, passages in the Statesman. He also examines the interpretative consequences for other sections of that dialogue, particularly those concerned with the practice of dialectical inquiry.
HAUERWAS AMONG THE VIRTUES

Despite the fact that Stanley Hauerwas has not taken up many of the topics normally associated with virtue ethics, has explicitly distanced himself from the enterprise known as “virtue ethics,” and throughout his career has preferred other categories of analysis, ranging from character and agency to practices and liturgy, it is nevertheless clear that his work has had a deep and transformative impact on the recovery of virtue within Christian ethics, and that this impact has largely to do with the ways in which his thought resists normalization. This essay traces the evolution of Hauerwas's reflections on virtue and the virtues over the course of his career, with special attention to how this has been bound up with an increasingly emphatic theological particularism that has remained ambivalent between what I term “comprehensive” versus “exclusive” particularism. I argue that it is important to distinguish between these, and suggest that grasping the destructive tendencies of “exclusive” particularism should cement our commitment to shouldering the responsibilities associated with comprehensive particularism.
The Experience of Children in Perón's Argentina: Recent Interventions and Future Directions

Peronism, a populist movement headed by Juan Domingo Peron that swept through Argentina in late 1940s and early 1950s, has emerged as one of the more heavily studied and contentious periods in both the English- and Spanish-language historiography. Studies of the populist movement, the controversial president, and his First Lady Eva Duarte de Peron, began in the early 1950s while Peron was still in power. These earlier studies, however, focused almost exclusively on the agency of Juan Peron, and to a lesser extent Eva, and obscured many of the nation's more marginalized actors. Although more recent scholarship (since the 1980s) has incorporated more actors and groups into the historical spotlight, the experience of children in Peron's Argentina is a currently expanding historiography. Scholars have begun investigating the role of children during the Peronist era through a variety of individual case studies. It is the aim of this paper to underscore this emerging subfield within the study of Peronism, bring these case studies into conversation with one another, and place this emerging scholarship into a larger discussion regarding the experience of children across the 20th-century world.
Linezolid Versus Vancomycin in the Empiric Treatment of Nosocomial Pneumonia: A Cost-Utility Analysis Incorporating Results from the ZEPHyR Trial ☆

Abstract Objective To examine the cost-effectiveness of vancomycin versus linezolid in the empiric treatment of nosocomial pneumonias incorporating results from a recent prospective, double-blind, multicenter, controlled trial in adults with suspected methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) nosocomial pneumonia. Methods A decision-analytic model examining the cost-effectiveness of linezolid versus vancomycin for the empiric treatment of nosocomial pneumonia was created. Publicly available cost, efficacy, and utility data populated relevant model variables. A probabilistic sensitivity analysis varied parameters in 10,000 Monte-Carlo simulations, and univariate sensitivity analyses assessed the impact of model uncertainties and the robustness of our conclusions. Results Results indicated that the cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) increased 6% ($22,594 vs. $23,860) by using linezolid versus vancomycin for nosocomial pneumonia. The incremental cost per QALY gained by using linezolid over vancomycin was $6,089, and the incremental cost per life saved was $68,615 with the use of linezolid. Vancomycin dominated linezolid in the subset of patients with documented MRSA. The incremental cost per QALY gained using linezolid if no mortality benefit exists between agents or a 60-day time horizon was analyzed was $19,608,688 and $443,662, respectively. Conclusions Linezolid may be a cost-effective alternative to vancomycin in the empiric treatment of patients with suspected MRSA nosocomial pneumonia; however, results of our model were highly variable on a number of important variables and assumptions including mortality differences and time frame analyzed.
Pade approximation of large-scale dynamic systems with Lanczos methods

The utility of Lanczos methods (1950) for the approximation of large-scale dynamical systems is considered. In particular, it is shown that the Lanczos method is a technique for yielding Pade approximants which has several advantages over more traditional explicit moment matching approaches. An extension of the Lanczos algorithm is developed for computing multipoint Pade approximations of descriptor systems. >
On the vasopressor and antidiuretic activities of synthetic oxytocin

Synthetisches Oxytozin hat auch vasopressorische und antidiuretische Wirkungen, die etwa 1/30 und 1/15 der oxytozischen Aktivitat ausmachen. (Hochgereinigte naturliche Oxytozin-Praparate haben nachLawler unddu Vigneaud kaum solche Eigenschaften.) Die Differenz zwischen synthetischem und hochgereinigtem Oxytozin weist in dieser Hinsicht darauf hin, dass diese nicht identisch waren.
New Existence Theorems and Evaluation Formulas for Sequential Feynman Integrals

On etablit l'existence de l'integrale de Feynmann sequentielle pour des classes plus grandes de fonctionnelles contenant l'algebre de Banach SM On donne des formules pour evaluer les integrales de ces fonctionnelles. On presente un theoreme de Fubini et un theoreme de sommation pour manipuler ces integrales
Parenting Interventions for Children with Autism Spectrum and Disruptive Behavior Disorders: Opportunities for Cross-Fertilization.

Empirical support exists for parent training/education (PT/PE) interventions for children with disruptive behavior disorders (DBD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). While the models share common roots, current approaches have largely developed independently and the research findings have been disseminated in two different literature traditions: mental health and developmental disabilities. Given that these populations often have overlapping clinical needs and are likely to receive services in similar settings, efforts to integrate the knowledge gained in the disparate literature may be beneficial. This article provides a systematic overview of the current (1995–2005) empirical research on PT/PE for children with DBD and ASD; attending to factors for cross-fertilization. Twenty-two ASD and 38 DBD studies were coded for review. Literature was compared in three main areas: (1) research methodology, (2) focus of PT/PE intervention, and (3) PT/PE procedures. There was no overlap in publication outlets between the studies for the two populations. Results indicate that there are opportunities for cross-fertilization in the areas of (1) research methodology, (2) intervention targets, and (3) format of parenting interventions. The practical implications of integrating these two highly related areas of research are identified and discussed.
Reconsidering the Jefferson–Hemings Relationship Nationalist Historiography without Nationalist Heroes, Racial Sexuality without Racial Significance

This essay examines how two Jefferson biographies represented the Thomas Jefferson–Sally Hemings relationship in the post–civil rights movement era: Fawn Brodie’s Thomas Jefferson (1974), a controversial publication that claimed that Hemings and Jefferson loved each other, and Joseph Ellis’s American Sphinx (1996), one of the last mainstream biographies to deny that they had any children together. The story in both cases serves as an allegory of founding authority and national membership. The author finds that Ellis and Brodie characterize Jefferson as a fallible founder to affirm that founding ideals can accommodate and overcome racial differences and injustices.
Understanding the neostriatal microcircuitry: high-voltage electron microscopy.

High voltage electron microscopy (HVEM) and HVEM tomography of selectively stained cell processes in the neostriatum have offered an alternative to serial thin section reconstruction for accurate 3-D visualization and measurement of axons, dendrites, and dendritic spines. Tissue preparation is simple and rapid, allowing examination of large numbers of specimens required for quantitation of neuronal morphology. The resolution of the images exceeds that available from any light microscopic technique and is appropriate for measurement of the finest axons and dendritic spine necks. HVEM tomography allows the direct measurement of dendritic surface area, required for computational modeling of synaptic integration. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Effects of Salts on the Lower Consolute Boundary of a Nonionic Micellar Solution

Abstract A molecular model based in statistical thermodynamics is used to study salt effects on the lower consolute boundary of the aqueous non-ionic surfactant C8E5. The C8E5micelles are modeled as hard spheres interacting via a temperature-dependent Yukawa attraction and the salt ions are modeled as positively and negatively charged hard spheres interacting via a Coulombic potential. The excess thermodynamic properties due to the Coulombic and Yukawa potentials are evaluated using the analytical solutions to the Ornstein–Zernike equation obtained for the mean spherical approximation closure. The Yukawa parameters for the micelle–micelle attractions are determined by fitting the theoretical phase diagram for a pure Yukawa fluid to the experimental lower consolute boundary for a salt-free C8E5micelle–water solution. Ion–solvent interactions are indirectly accounted for by using previously determined adjusted values for the cation size and the dielectric constant of the medium. We evaluate theoretical coexistence curves for the C8E5micelle–salt–water mixtures in the temperature–micelle volume fraction and temperature–salt molarity planes. We calculate the changes in the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) for the C8E5micelle–salt–water mixture as a function of salt concentration for the salts NaF, NaCl, NaBr, NaI, and Na2SO4and compare the trends seen with experiments. When ion–solvent interactions are indirectly accounted for, the theory correctly predicts the salting-out trends exhibited by NaF, NaCl, and NaBr. For the 1:2 salt (Na2SO4), charge effects resulting from the higher charge on the ions play a more important role in salting-out than ion–solvent interactions do. The theory, however, cannot predict the salting-in phenomena exhibited by NaI, thus indicating that salting-in is the result of variations in the intermicellar attraction as a function of the salt type and salt concentration. The theoretical results also indicate that excluded-volume forces resulting from the different sizes of the salt ions cannot alone account for the salting-in and salting-out phenomena seen in aqueous nonionic micellar solutions.
Salvage therapy for recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer

There are no comparative prospective trials to support dogmatic statements concerning the sequence and duration of therapy in the salvage setting. Although the literature offers many examples of chemotherapy studies conducted in the salvage setting, these studies typically involve relatively small numbers of younger patients whose disease shows good performance. The extrapolation of these observations to the practice setting, compounded by the clinical and molecular heterogeneity of epithelial ovarian cancer, further exacerbates the difficulties encountered in individual treatment recommendations.
Maximum mass and radius of neutron stars, and the nuclear symmetry energy

We calculate the equation of state of neutron matter with realistic two- and three-nucleon interactions using quantum Monte Carlo techniques and illustrate that the short-range three-neutron interaction determines the correlation between neutron matter energy at nuclear saturation density and higher densities relevant to neutron stars. Our model also makes an experimentally testable prediction for the correlation between the nuclear symmetry energy and its density dependence---determined solely by the strength of the short-range terms in the three-neutron force. The same force provides a significant constraint on the maximum mass and radius of neutron stars.
Student-Made Academic Predictions1

Three prediction perspectives are clinical, actuarial, and student. The student self-made prediction would seem to be the most relevant to the development of short term therapeutic programs designed for underachievers. Indeed, the concept of student-made academic predictions can be particularly useful in trying to ascertain those identifiable characteristics that contribute to underachievement. The first objective of this study was to describe a measure of student-made academic predictions. The second objective was to examine the relationships between these predictions and measures of college aptitude and of college freshman grades. Student-made academic predictions were measured using the College Opinion Survey (COS), an adaptation of the Michigan State General Self Concept of Ability to Learn Scale (SCOA). COS is an 8-item inventory including both academic self-acceptance and academic self-evaluation ratings. Individuals are to respond in terms of various academic reference groups. (Information was collected on two samples of college freshman students and on a sample of college sophomore students.) The findings indicate that student-made predictions as measured by the COS are related to college achievement even when differences in college aptitude are controlled.
Nonlinear filtering: The exact dynamical equations satisfied by the conditional mode

The signal x t is a stochastic process satisfying the stochastic differential equation dx = f(x)dt+dz . Observations \dot{y} =g(x) +\xi are taken, where \xi is white noise. The exact dynamical equation for the mode of the conditional density of x t is derived and discussed.
Estimating summary statistics in the spike-train space

Estimating sample averages and sample variability is important in analyzing neural spike trains data in computational neuroscience. Current approaches have focused on advancing the use of parametric or semiparametric probability models of the underlying stochastic process, where the probabilistic distribution is characterized at each time point with basic statistics such as mean and variance. To directly capture and analyze the average and variability in the observation space of the spike trains, we focus on a data-driven approach where statistics are defined and computed in a function space in which the spike trains are viewed as individual points. Based on the definition of a "Euclidean" metric, a recent paper introduced the notion of the mean of a set of spike trains and developed an efficient algorithm to compute it under some restrictive conditions. Here we extend this study by: (1) developing a novel algorithm for mean computation that is quite general, and (2) introducing a notion of covariance of a set of spike trains. Specifically, we estimate the covariance matrix using the geometry of the warping functions that map the mean spike train to each of the spike trains in the dataset. Results from simulations as well as a neural recording in primate motor cortex indicate that the proposed mean and covariance successfully capture the observed variability in spike trains. In addition, a "Gaussian-type" probability model (defined using the estimated mean and covariance) reasonably characterizes the distribution of the spike trains and achieves a desirable performance in the classification of the spike trains.
Correction of Severe Foot and Ankle Contracture Due to CRPS Using External Fixation and Pain Management: Report of a Pediatric Case

Complex regional pain syndrome–induced dystonia is a severe deformity that can affect the lower extremities and hinder ambulation. Although a number of conservative treatments have been described for this condition, we are not aware of any publications describing the use of surgical intervention for the treatment of this condition. In this report, we describe the case of a pediatric patient with a severe lower extremity deformity in conjunction with chronic pain syndrome. A concerted, interdisciplinary treatment approach was undertaken for the management of this patient, and this included contributions from a foot and ankle surgeon, a pain specialist, an internist, a physical therapist, and a psychiatrist. The primary goal of the treatment strategy was to recreate a plantigrade, weight-bearing lower extremity, while controlling pain. To this end, gradual correction of deformity was achieved using an external fixator and, by 6 months after the surgery, the patient was for the first time in years ambulating on the realigned lower extremity. After 3 years of follow-up, she maintained an activity level that was equal to that which she enjoyed before the injury. Level of Clinical Evidence: 4
Vectorized simulation of groundwater flow and streamline transport

We describe a modeling suite of Matlab functions for simulating nonpoint source (NPS) pollution in groundwater aquifers. The NPS model simulates groundwater flow and contaminant transport from a large array (order of 102 - 107) of spatially distributed sources with time-varying pollution strength to a similarly large array of spatially distributed production wells (receptors) using the streamline transport approach. The code solves three equations: steady-state groundwater flow, particle tracking, and transient advection dispersion contaminant transport. The code performs convolution integration in its predictive step. Written in highly efficient vectorized form to avoid time consuming "for/while" loops, the code is also suitable for other groundwater flow and transport problems. The code is verified against analytical solutions and finite element software Comsol. An application illustrates 200 years of transient nitrate transport in the 2000Â?km2 Tule River aquifer sub-basin of the Central Valley, California, with 9000 individual nitrate sources and 1920 wells. We develop an efficient numerical code for the simulation of non-point source contamination in groundwater basins.The code simulates 3D steady state groundwater flow, particle tracking and 1D transient contaminant transport.It is suitable for large scale applications.
Sri Lankan Theater in a Time of Terror: Political Satire in a Permitted Space

This book deals with the role of theater in Sri Lanka during the decade of the 1980s, a period of intense political violence and anomie which was known locally as bhisana kalaya, or the "time of terror." Yet even as an authoritarian government and antigovernment terrorist groups held the civilian population to ransom, theater was paradoxically permitted a great degree of freedom. Audiences flocked to theaters to see and hear satire, political innuendo, and open criticism of what was going on in society. In trying to understand this tolerance of criticism in the theater as opposed to other arenas, Ranjini Obeyesekere links it to the long tradition of satire in folk and ritual performances. She also explores the impact of Buddhism on the larger culture, which resulted in the rapid and early spread of literacy. This, together with the Buddhist tradition of skepticism and its space for questioning, created a critical attitude towards authority figures. In conclusion, the author sees today's highly politicized Sri Lankan society as a natural development of sociocultural forces that have a long history. A most unusual and absorbing book.
Surficial evidence of fluid expulsion from the Costa Rica Accretionary Prism

The nature and distribution of authigenic carbonates, chemosynthetic bacterial mats, and unique macrobenthic chemosynthetic communities of bivalves and tube worms are important for evaluating and reconstructing present and past fluid venting of accretionary complexes. This paper describes the authigenic carbonates, chemosynthetic fauna, and fluid venting observed at the four tectonic regions of the Costa Rica accretionary wedge in February 1994 during an ALVIN diving program of 20 submersible dives. We found no surficial evidence of highly focused fluid venting at the toe of the prism (outermost 3 km), as implied by the absence of authigenic carbonates and chemosynthetic fauna. The absence of vent communities on the lower 3 km of the prism and the relatively elevated heat flow with respect to the adjacent, incoming Cocos plate (Langseth and Silver, this issue), suggests diffuse, rather than focused flow through the toe of the prism. Twelve active and relict vent sites marked by small clusters of live vesicomyid clams are localized at the bases and tops of out-of-sequence-thrusts, implicating fracture permeability as the fluid conduit in the lower slope region (but upslope from the toe). Vast authigenic carbonates and seven active and relict vent sites marked by large, dense clusters of chemosynthetic organisms predominate the largest mud diapir in the mid-slope region. Fluid expulsion appears to be more restricted on the upper slope, with only 2 small but dense vents marked by chemosynthetic fauna observed at one wall of one canyon.
Effects of inorganic nitrogen on the response of Lemna carbon dioxide output to light quality and timing.

—The effects of various light/dark schedules on the time course of CO2 output by axenic cultures of the short-day plant Lemna perpusilla 6746 differ substantially depending on whether the medium is N-less or contains NH4 or NO3 as the sole N source. The steady-state pattern achieved with a daily 1/4 h light pulse in N-less medium is essentially the same whether the light is red or far-red; on NO3 or NH4, however, the red and far-red patterns differ in form and suggest the action of a ‘Pfr-hourglass’ timer. In darkness, following either continuous light or entrainment to kh red light daily, CO2 output oscillates for three or more circadian cycles on NH4 medium and for at least two on N-less, but damps after a single cycle on NO3. A schedule of 1/4 h red light every 12 h elicits a 24 h periodicity on NO3 or NH4 media and a 12 h periodicity on N-less medium, while a similar far-red schedule elicits a 12 h periodicity on all three. CO2 output patterns on each of the media respond differently to varying the daily span of light from 1/4 to 6 to 12 h. These results are probably due to differential effects of changing N status on the proportion of total C O2 arising from various metabolic reactions. They suggest that, rather than being a simple, unitary indicator, CO2 output can be made to reflect different processes on different media, increasing its value as a real-time indicator of events underlying photoperiodism.
An overview of the proposed american national standard for local distributed data interfaces

The Local Distributed Data Interface (LDDI) Project of X3 Technical Committee X3T9 has resulted in three draft proposed American National Standards for a high performance local area network. The proposed standards are organized in accordance with the ISO Reference Model for Open Systems Interconnection and encompass the lowest two protocol layers (data link and physical) of the model, plus a serial broadband coaxial bus interface. The intended application of the LDDI is as a backend network for the interconnection of high performance CPUs and block transfer peripherals such as magnetic disk and tapes. A carrier-sense multiple access with collision prevention (CSMA-CP) distributed bus arbitration protocol is employed. The cable interface supports the attachment of up to 28 ports over a cable distance of 0.5 km (8 ports may be attached to a 1 km cable) at a transfer rate of 50 Mbit/s.
The fundamentality of sets of ridge functions

We investigate the fundamentality of the set of all continuous ridge functions in the spaceC(ℝ n ) as well as inC(X) for a general Banach space,X. Both positive and negative results are obtained. Necessary and sufficient conditions for the fundamentality are given for certain sets of ridge functions inC(ℝ n ).
Effect of pesticide administration upon esterase activities in serum and tissues of rats fed variable casein diets

Abstract Rats were fed diets containing varying casein levels for 30- and 60-day periods. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in serum and AChE and aliesterase (AliE) activities in liver microsomes were higher at the 15%-casein level and above than at lower levels. Brain microsomal AChE and AliE and serum AliE activities were approximately the same at all casein levels. Single doses of Banol and of parathion inhibited liver and brain AChE to a greater extent at the 0%-casein level than at the higher levels; Banol had the same effect on serum AChE. Parathion-induced inhibition of serum and of liver microsomal AliE was not markedly altered by variations in the casein levels. Inhibition of brain and serum AliE by Banol was negligible at all casein levels except for a 53% inhibition of brain AliE at the 0%-casein level. Liver AliE activity was inhibited by Banol to the same degree at all casein levels. Chlordane increased serum AliE less and increased liver AliE more below the 15%-casein level than at higher levels, but did not markedly affect brain AChE and AliE at any level. At all casein levels, administration of chlordane resulted in an average reduction of 35% in liver AChE activity. Changes in the variables studied were similar at the 30- and 60-day periods. Rats on the protein-free diet were more susceptible to pesticide poisoning.
The cranial osteology and hyolaryngeal apparatus of Rhinophrynus dorsalis (Anura: Rhinophrynidae) with comparisons to recent pipid frogs

The cranial osteology (including the hyolaryngeal apparatus) of Rhinophrynus dorsalis (Anura: Rhinophrynidae) is described from whole skeletons and serial cross sections. Some unique features of the extensively ossified skull include the enlarged and protracted olfactory region, for which the nasals form part of the septum nasi; the relatively short maxillaries and broad premaxillaries, and the immense quadratojugal; the extreme forward position of the quadrate; the lack of a firm articulation of the pterygoid and quadrate with the neurocranium and crista parotica; the quadrate lacking the distinct processes typical of other frogs; a single foramen for Nn. II–VII; a large, distinct operculum; and a bipartite hyale. Rhinophrynus shares other unusual cranial characteristics with the other pipoid frogs, Xenopus, Pipa, Hemipipa, and Hymenochirus. Among these features are the presence of a single frontoparietal in the adult, and the absence of parasphenoid alae, palatines, and mentomeckelian bones. Rhinophrynus differs from the pipids in the lack of a columella and a palatine process on the premaxilla, and in the possession of a quadratojugal, parahyoid bone, paired prevomers, olfactory eminence, massive quadrate that lacks distinguishable processes, a modified squamosal, and a bipartite hyale. Although the cranium of Rhinophrynus is distinctive, the evolutionary significance of its unusual features will remain obscure until comparable data are gathered from other closely related groups, the Discoglossoidea and the Pelobatoidea.
Phosphatidylinositol-stimulated phosphorylation of an inhibitory subunit of cGMP phosphodiesterase in vertebrate rod photoreceptors.

Abstract An inhibitory subunit (P gamma) of cGMP phosphodiesterase from vertebrate rod photoreceptors (frog, toad, and bovine) was phosphorylated by cytosolic protein kinase(s) derived from intact frog rod outer segments. The phosphorylation of frog P gamma was stimulated by phosphatidylinositol but not by cAMP or cGMP. One- and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis revealed that 70-80% of P gamma was phosphorylated with 1 mol of phosphate per frog P gamma under optimal conditions. A peptide that derived from an active domain of bovine P gamma was also phosphorylated. Phosphorylation of frog P gamma was inhibited by addition of the peptide to the reaction mixture. Phosphorylation of frog P gamma was also inhibited by addition of transducin subunits or active (P gamma-less) cGMP phosphodiesterase. Okadaic acid, on the other hand, enhanced P gamma phosphorylation, suggesting the presence of protein phosphatase(s) in the cytosolic fraction. These data suggest another mechanism for the regulation of cGMP phosphodiesterase in vertebrate rod photoreceptors.
Murine Leukemia Virus Infection in Immunocompetent Adult Mice

The course of infection of a chronic murine leukemia virus (MuLV), E-55+, which induces thymic lymphoma/leukemia in 100% of mice infected as adults, was followed after inoculation of virus into adult mice which generate both cytotoxic T cell and neutralizing antibody responses (Blank 1976). DNA from the tissues of these infected mice was analyzed using a polymerase chain reaction assay to detect integrated provirus. Infection in adult immunocompetent BALB.K mice results in an acute phase characterized by a high number of cells containing provirus DNA followed by a period in which provirus DNA in most tissues reaches background levels until the development of thymic lymphoma/leukemia at 4-7 months. This pattern of infection is different from what has been observed in immunosuppressed mice in which levels of virus-infected cells remain high throughout the preleukemic and leukemic phases.
Insulin-like growth factor-1, insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3, and body mass index: clinical correlates of prostate volume among Black men.

Abstract Objectives. To examine the relationship between insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), and body mass index and prostate volume, as a surrogate marker for benign prostatic hyperplasia, in a community-based sample of black men. Epidemiologic studies examining the role of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 suggest that increased levels of serum IGF-1 and decreased levels of serum IGFBP-3 are associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. Few studies have examined these factors with respect to benign prostatic hyperplasia, and these have been limited to white men. Methods. The study population consisted of a sample of 364 black men, 40 to 79 years of age, residing in Genesee County, Michigan. Men with prostate cancer or prior prostate surgery were excluded. All subjects completed a clinical examination, which included a complete urologic examination with transrectal ultrasonography, anthropometric measurements, and serum assays for IGF-1 and IGFBP-3. Results. Multivariable regression models demonstrated that prostate volume increased with increasing age (P Conclusions. This is the largest study describing the relationships between IGF-1, IGFBP-3, and body mass index and prostate volume, and the only study in black men. Although earlier studies demonstrated an association between IGF-1 and prostate cancer risk, our findings indicate that IGFBP-3 is more relevant for prostate enlargement, suggesting that IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 may play different pathophysiologic roles in benign and malignant prostatic conditions.
Contact damage in an yttria stabilized zirconia: implications.

This paper presents the results of a combined experimental and computational study of contact damage in a 3 mole% yttria partially stabilized zirconia (3-YSZ) that is relevant to hip implants and dental restorations. Contact-induced loading in real applications is idealized using Hertzian contact model to explain plasticity phenomena and failure mechanisms observed under monotonic and cyclic loading. Under monotonic loading, the elastic moduli increase with increasing loading levels. Under cyclic loading, the ceramic specimens fail with progressive cone cracking. X-ray analyses reveal that stress-induced phase transformation (from tetragonal to monoclinic phases) occurs under cyclic contact loading above the critical load levels (~8.5 kN). Furthermore, when the cyclic loading level (5.0 kN) is less than a critical load levels (7.5 kN) that is required to induce surface cone cracks, significant plastic damage is observed in the subsurface zone underneath the contact area. These suggest that the cyclic contact loading induce both plastic damage and tetragonalto-monoclinic phase transformation in the 3-YSZ, leading to significant degradation in long-term strength. The implications of the results are discussed for the design of zirconia femoral heads in total hip replacements and zirconia crowns in dental restoration.
The rate of decline of joint space width in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials of chondroitin sulfate .

ABSTRACTBackground: Chondroitin sulfate has been shown to relieve pain and improve functional limitation in patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee in numerous clinical trials and meta-analyses. Its role as a potential structure-modifying drug for knee OA, however, remains controversial.Objective: To perform a meta-analysis of randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trials to assess the efficacy of chondroitin sulfate as a structure-modifying drug for knee OA.Research design and methods: A Medline search was conducted from 1996 through 2007 and five articles that reported results from three trials were identified; one additional trial was identified through review of presentations at annual rheumatology meetings. There was no evidence of heterogeneity across the trials and results were pooled using a fixed effects meta-analysis.Results: Pooled results demonstrated a small significant effect of chondroitin sulfate on the reduction in rate of decline in minimum joint space width of 0.07 mm...
Finite bandwidth effect of double optical resonance with two kinds of homogeneous broadening

Abstract We study the absorption spectrum of a probe field in a two-level atomic system excited by a strong laser field in the presence of both collisional and laser dephasing processes with finite bandwidth. We compare the absorption spectrum in lorenzian limit and gaussian limit.