cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automatic Differentiation of Grade I and II Meningioma on Magnetic Resonance Image Using an Asymmetric Convolutional Neural Network.

Purpose/Objective(s) The grade of meningioma has significant implications on the selection of treatment regimens ranging from observation to surgical resection with adjuvant radiation. For most patients, meningiomas are diagnosed radiologically and grade is not determined unless a surgical procedure is completed. We hypothesize that the use of a 3D convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture with two encoding paths will provide auto-classification of grade I and II meningioma using T1-contrast enhancing (T1-CE) and T2-Fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) magnetic resonance (MR) images. Materials/Methods Ninety-six consecutive treatment naive patients with pre-operative T1-CE and T2-FLAIR MR images from 2010 to 2019 were evaluated. The patients underwent surgical resection resulting in a diagnosis of grade I or II meningioma. Histopathology was confirmed by a neuropathologist and neuropathology fellow based on current classification guidelines described in the 2016 World Health Organization (WHO) Bluebook. The delineation of meningiomas was completed on both T1-CE and T2-FLAIR MR with the inclusion of surrounding T2-FLAIR hyperintensity. A novel asymmetric 3D CNN architecture was constructed with two encoding paths based on T1-CE and T2-FLAIR MR. Each path used the same 3 × 3 × 3 kernel with different filters to weight the spatial features of each sequence separately. Final model performance was assessed by 10-fold cross-validation. Results Of the 96 patients, 55 (57%) were pathologically classified as grade I and 41 (43%) as grade II meningiomas. Optimization of our model led to a filter weighting of 18:2 between the T1-CE and T2-FLAIR MR image paths with alternative weighting shown in Table 1. Eighty-six (90%) patients were classified correctly and 10 (10%) were misclassified based on their pre-operative MRs with a model sensitivity of 0.85 and specificity of 0.93. Among the misclassified, 4 were grade I, and 6 were grade II. The model was robust to tumor locations and sizes. Conclusion A novel asymmetric CNN with two differently weighted encoding paths was developed for successful automated meningioma grade classification. Our model outperforms CNN using a single path for single or multimodal MR-based classification.
Optimizing ACRT to reduce inclusion formation during the VGF growth of cadmium zinc telluride: II. Application to experiments

Abstract Two different accelerated crucible rotation technique (ACRT) rotation schedules are assessed, via theoretical computations and growth experiments, according to their ability to reduce tellurium-rich inclusions during the vertical gradient freeze (VGF) of cadmium zinc telluride (CZT). A vigorous rotation schedule based on classical ACRT guidelines produces a well-mixed melt that is expected to reduce tellurium inclusions compared to growth without crucible rotation. In contrast, a new ACRT schedule, derived from model-based optimization for interface stability, employs slower rotation with longer periods and is predicted to further reduce inclusions. Growth experiments corroborate these expectations. Namely, both ACRT schedules result in crystals with inclusion size and volume significantly decreased from levels found in material grown with no rotation, and material grown using the computationally optimized ACRT parameters exhibits a median inclusion size that is smaller and with a sharper distribution than in material grown via classical ACRT.
Management of Mid-Atlantic Offshore Development Risks

Careful attention must be given to identification, evaluation, and control of risks associated with development of mid-Atlantic offshore oil and gas if environmental damage and development delays are to avoided. A number of approaches to safety, or risk management, are possible, but all seek to answer the central management question, "Am I safe enough?" System safety methods are now available which can assist us in making intelligent decisions on safety measures to be incorporated in offshore development plans. Development of offshore oil and gas resources has brought new risks to exploratory and development drilling, production, and transportation operations. Concern over these risks prompted a number of studies. After a brief review of these studies, the authors describes investigations in two areas: oil discharges in the Gulf of Mexico and worldwide accidents involving mobile offshore drilling units. A number of measures to reduce risks are being considered or have already been taken by government and industry. Greater application of system safety procedures offers new potential for reducing the risks in offshore development.
Safety and Efficacy of Panitumumab in the Treatment of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Therapies targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are a promising recent development in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Panitumumab is a fully human anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody that competitively inhibits the binding of all known EGFR ligands, including epidermal growth factor and transforming growth factor alpha, to cells expressing EGFR. In patients with mCRC, panitumumab monotherapy has resulted in favorable clinical responses, including increases in objective response rate, stable disease rate, and progression-free survival. Panitumumab has also shown promising antitumor activity in combination with selected chemotherapy regimens. Responses and improvements in progression-free survival associated with panitumumab monotherapy in patients with mCRC appear to be confined to patients whose tumors express wild-type KRAS. Therapy with panitumumab is generally well tolerated; the most common adverse events observed include skin-related toxicities, gastrointestinal toxicities, and hypomagnesemia. Infusion reactions are rare, and the agent has low immunogenicity.
Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (Hurler syndrome) and anesthesia: the impact of bone marrow transplantation, enzyme replacement therapy, and fiberoptic intubation on airway management.

Summary Aim: To assess the effect of bone marrow transplantation (BMT), enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), and a fiberoptic endotracheal intubation technique in patients with mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I, Hurler syndrome). Background: The mucopolysaccharidoses are inherited metabolic conditions with a well-documented association with difficult airway management. We present the largest series to date of patients with Hurler syndrome (MPS I) and look at the impact of new treatments, such as BMT and ERT, on anesthesia and airway management. Methods/Materials: We carried out a retrospective chart review of patients with MPSI undergoing anesthesia over 9 years at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. Data were collected on incidence of difficult and failed intubation and airway difficulties under anesthesia. Results: There were 39 patients identified, of which 20 had the attenuated form of MPS I and received ERT, 18 were treated by BMT and one patient received neither treatment. These patients had a total of 114 general anesthetics for 141 procedures. The incidence of airway complications overall is lower than previously reported at 31%. Patients with the attenuated form of the disease on ERT still have a high incidence of airway problems at 57% and a failed intubation rate of 3%. BMT patients on the other hand have a much lower incidence of airway complications at 14%, and there were no failed intubations in this group. Conclusions: Managing the MPS1 patient continues to be a challenge but with treatment and newer forms of airway management it is improving.
Prairie voles as a novel model of socially-facilitated excessive drinking

Social relationships strongly affect alcohol drinking in humans. Traditional laboratory rodents do not exhibit social affiliations with specific peers, and cannot adequately model how such relationships impact drinking. The prairie vole is a socially monogamous rodent used to study social bonds. The present study tested the prairie vole as a potential model for the effects of social affiliations on alcohol drinking. Same-sex adult sibling prairie voles were paired for five days, and then either separated into individual cages, or housed in pairs. Starting at the time of separation, the voles received unlimited access to alcohol in a two-bottle choice test versus water. Pair-housed siblings exhibited higher preference for alcohol, but not saccharin, than singly housed voles. There was a significant correlation between the amount of alcohol consumed by each member of a pair when they were housed together (r = 0.79), but not when housed apart (r = 0.20). Following automated analysis of circadian patterns of fluid consumption indicating peak fluid intake before and after the dark phase, a limited access two-hour two-bottle choice procedure was established. Drinking in this procedure resulted in physiologically relevant blood ethanol concentrations and increased Fos immunoreactivity in perioculomotor urocortin containing neurons (but not in nucleus accumbens or central nucleus of the amygdala). The high ethanol preference and sensitivity to social manipulation indicate that prairie voles can serve to model social influences on excessive drinking.
Comparison of Schaedler Agar and Trypticase Soy-Yeast Extract Agar for the Cultivation of Anaerobic Bacteria

Schaedler agar (SA) and Trypticase soy-yeast extract agar (TSYEA), both supplemented with rabbit blood (5%, v/v) and menadione (0.5 mg/liter), were compared with respect to quantitative recovery, quality of growth, and rapidity of growth of selected anaerobic bacteria. The media were stored for 2 to 4 days prior to use in an anaerobic glove box, where all subsequent bacteriological procedures were performed. After 24 hr of incubation, colonies of Clostridium cadaveris (C. capitovale), C. haemolyticum, C. novyi A, and C. perfringens were larger on SA than on TSYEA, and the appearance of C. novyi B colonies on SA at 24 hr antedated their appearance on TSYEA. Quantitative recovery of C. novyi B was improved on SA; recovery of the other clostridia tested was comparable on the two media (inconclusive results were obtained with C. novyi A). Rough colonial types of some of the clostridia emerged on SA. No appreciable differences in results with the two media were noted for Bacteroides fragilis, B. melaninogenicus, or Fusobacterium fusiforme.
Analysis of a railgun capacitor-muzzle-shunt energy recovery scheme

A large fraction of the energy initially stored in a railgun pulsed power system normally remains in the circuit when the projectile exits. This residual energy, much of it stored in the barrel inductance, can be close to 50% of the initially stored energy. This is the result of significant current flowing in the projectile armature when the projectile exits the barrel. Muzzle shunts are designed to manage this residual current and energy, and as a result reduce or eliminate muzzle flash. To date, resistive and inductive muzzle shunts have been proposed and implemented. Resistive shunts can dissipate a majority of the residual energy in addition to preventing muzzle flash. Inductive-shunt schemes have been proposed as a means to recover the residual energy in a pulsed-alternator pulsed-power system. This paper describes a different muzzle-shunt approach; a capacitor shunt that is used to recover a large portion of the residual energy. This muzzle shunt is used in conjunction with a capacitor-based pulsed-power system, where one of the capacitor bank sections is used both as the shunt element as well as the recovered-energy storage element. Results are presented of an analysis of this scheme using a transient circuit model of a representative railgun circuit.
EXCESS POLYMORPHISM AT THE Adh LOCUS IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

The evolutionary history of a region of DNA encompassing the Adh locus is studied by comparing patterns of variation in Drosophila melanogaster and its sibling species, D. simulans. An unexpectedly high level of silent polymorphism in the Adh coding region relative to the 5' and 3' flanking regions in D. melanogaster is revealed by a populational survey of restriction polymorphism using a four-cutter filter hybridization technique as well as by direct sequence comparisons. In both of these studies, a region of the Adh gene encompassing the three coding exons exhibits a frequency of polymorphism equal to that of a 4-kb 5' flanking region. In contrast, an interspecific sequence comparison shows a two-fold higher level of divergence in the 5' flanking sequence compared to the structural locus. Analysis of the patterns of variation suggest an excess of polymorphism within the D. melanogaster Adh locus, rather than lack of polymorphism in the 5' flanking region. An approach is outlined for testing neutral theory predictions about patterns of variation within and between species. This approach indicates that the observed patterns of variation are incompatible with an infinite site neutral model.
Trans Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Have More Adverse Effects than Saturated Fatty Acids on the Concentration and Composition of Lipoproteins Secreted by Human Hepatoma HepG2 Cells

The objective of this study was to assess the relative long-term effects of linoleic (cis, cis 18:2), linolelaidic (trans, trans 18:2), and palmitic (16:0) acids on hepatic lipoprotein production in HepG2 cells. All fatty acids increased the mass of triglycerides (TG) in the medium and the incorporation of [(3)H]-glycerol into secreted TG; the increase was more pronounced with linoleic acid than with linolelaidic and palmitic acids. The net accumulation in the medium of apolipoprotein (apo) A-I was not affected by the fatty acids tested and moderate changes in that of apoB resulted in apoB/apoA-I mass ratios of 1.05, 1.27 and 0.86 with linoleic, linolelaidic and palmitic acids, respectively. The incorporation of [(14)C]-acetate into cellular plus secreted total sterols was 9.1%, 33.6% and 17.4% of total [(14)C]-labeled lipids with linoleic, linolelaidic and palmitic acids, respectively. Relative to linoleic acid, palmitic acid, and to a greater extent (P 0.1) and did not affect HDL-C. The LDL-C to HDL-C ratios were 0.70, 1.18 and 0.96 with linoleic, linolelaidic and palmitic acids, respectively. These differences were not due to altered LDL receptor activity. The PL to C ratios of HDL particles were 1.61, 0.40 and 0.77 with linoleic acid, linolelaidic acid and palmitic acid, respectively. These results suggest that relative to cis polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids, trans PUFA more adversely affect the concentration and composition of apoA-I- and apoB-containing lipoproteins secreted by HepG2 cells.
Philanthromentality: celebrity parables as technologies of transfer

The way in which individualised acts of attention-seeking by celebrities become entertaining scripts of subjectivity for a population that is increasingly aware of an overall decline in well-being offers a lens into the ways in which excessive celebrity selves and their philanthropic temperance have become ascetic cues directed at the stability of a global governing regime. In this essay I argue that modern-day parables of philanthropic celebrities powerfully govern the oppositional impulse as they impart as sense of ‘benevolence’ in the form of an individualised disposition towards well-being and entitlement. I begin by considering how celebrated parables are continuous with previous governing practices aimed at the management of sense of well-being. I then observe the role of contemporary neoliberal parables of philanthromentality in the construction of a new asceticism of global capitalism, to which celebrities contribute. I conclude that these parables represent technologies of governing that operate ...
Electrical Characterization of Defects in p-Type SiC Using Recombination Induced Conductivity Inversion

Recombination-induced passivation (RIP) experiments were conducted on p-type SiC after plasma treatment in deuterium. Higher sensitivity of SIMS to deuterium allowed us to confirm that recombination-induced athermal migration of hydrogen is indeed a driving mechanism for the RIP phenomenon. Hydrogen (or deuterium) athermally migrates from the plasma-induced hydrogen- or deuterium-reach near-surface layer down to more than a micron in depth, which under certain conditions creates a sufficiently thick layer of the n-type conductivity in the originally ptype epilayer. Thermal admittance spectroscopy was applied to investigate the defect levels in the top portion of the bandgap of the RIP-induced n-type layer. A few different levels located close to the conduction band of the originally p-type material were investigated.
Gyronympha, Prosnyderella and Criconympha, three new genera of calonymphids (Parabasalia: Trichomonadida) from wood-eating termites

Three new genera of calonymphids (multinucleate trichomonads) are described from the Harold Kirby collection of termite symbionts. From both Rugitermes kirbyi and R. panamae, Gyronymphais an oval protist with a cluster of 20–30 karyomastigonts arranged as a tuft that fills the anterior one-quarter to one-third of the cell. Prosnyderella, from the same termites, is pyriform with over 20 nuclei in karyomastigonts. The karyomastigonts are interspersed with akaryomastigonts. Criconympha, an oval trichomonad with a loose ring or slight spiral array of 20–30 karyomastigonts, slightly posterior to a nonmastigont anterior portion of the cell, is found in Proneotermes perezi and Neotermes holmgreni.
Effects of limb mass distribution on mechanical power outputs during quadrupedalism

Many researchers have suggested that cursorial mammals concentrate limb muscle mass proximally to reduce energy costs during locomotion. Although supported by experiments where mass is added to an individual's limbs, mammals with naturally occurring distally heavy limbs such as primates have similar energy costs compared with other mammals. This study presents a new hypothesis to explain how animals with distally heavy limbs maintain low energy costs. Since distal mass should increase energy costs due to higher amounts of muscular power outputs, this hypothesis is based on the divergent effects of stride frequency on internal and external power outputs (the power output to move the limbs and the body center of mass, respectively). The use of low stride frequencies reduces limb velocities and therefore decreases internal power, while associated long strides increase the vertical displacement of the body center of mass and therefore increase external power. Total power (the sum of internal and external power) may therefore not differ among mammals with different limb mass distributions. To test this hypothesis, I examined a sample of infant baboons (Papio cynocephalus) during ontogeny and compared them with more cursorial mammals. Limb mass distribution changes with age (from distal to more proximally concentrated) in baboons, and the infants used shorter strides and higher stride frequencies when limb mass was most proximally concentrated. Compared with non-primates who have more proximally concentrated limb mass, the infants used longer strides and lower stride frequencies. Relatively low internal power was associated with low stride frequencies in both the intra- and inter-specific samples. However, only in the inter-specific comparison were relatively long strides associated with high external power outputs. In both the intra-specific and the inter-specific samples, total power did not differ between groups who differed in limb mass distribution. The results of this study suggest that a trade-off mechanism is available to quadrupeds with distally heavy limbs allowing them to maintain similar total power outputs (and likely similar energy costs) compared with mammals with more proximally concentrated limb mass.
Natural Helping and Resilience in a Diné (Navajo) Community

This article presents findings of a pilot study on natural helping conducted in the southwestern region of the Dine (commonly referred to as Navajo) Nation in Arizona. The sample included 25 individuals identified by community members as natural helpers. Researchers used the same procedures and interview instrument utilized in previous studies of large samples of European American natural helpers in the Northeast and Midwest. Overall, findings support earlier results with respect to how help was initiated, problem type, and helping style. Helpers generally offered help before it was requested and gave instrumental help with environmental problems. Dine natural helping differed from natural helping in other populations studied in the extent to which helping one's relations emerged as a central aspect of individual and community identity. Relationships between helpers and recipients were long-standing, as in earlier studies, but were characterized by a greater degree of closeness and a stronger sense of com...
ALS: Swinburne to William Michael Rossetti

Lang investigates the famous relationship between Algernon Charles Swinburne and William Michael Rossetti as revealed in Swinburne's ninety letters to Rossetti, spanning the period from 1862 to 1908, found in the Symington Collection.
QUALITATIVE COMPARATIVE STATICS AND AUDITS OF MODEL PERFORMANCE

Abstract It is often difficult to determine if large, computer based models actually conform to the mathematical descriptions given in their documentation. One way to study this problem is through a sensitivity, or comparative statics, analysis of the model. At issue is the degree to which characteristics of the Jacobian matrix associated with a solution to the model can be shown to imply characteristics of the inverse Jacobian matrix. Any necessary characteristics of the inverse Jacobian can be tested for via comparative statics. Sign nonsingularity of the Jacobian provides an opportunity to audit a model's mathematical documentation through a comparative statics analysis. Prototype software was developed that tested for sign nonsingularity and applied to the Jacobian matrix corresponding to the U.S. Department of Energy's Oil Market Simulation Model. It was found that the signs of all of the elements of the inverse Jacobian matrix could be found. This
Verbal hallucinations in normals, I: People who hear ‘voices’

Two studies are reported that describe the phenomena of verbal hallucinations in the general population and test two explanations of those reports. Subjects were 198 male and 387 female college students who completed a verbal hallucination questionnaire plus one or more additional questionnaires. We found that a large minority reported hallucinations and that nearly half reported having them at least once a month. The present data indicated that these reports were not related to four measures of social conformity. Neither were they related to measures of overt, or incipient, symptoms of psychopathology. We have concluded that the majority of these reports are generally veridical accounts of conscious experience in normal individuals.
Genetic ablation of Bcl-x attenuates invasiveness without affecting apoptosis or tumor growth in a mouse model of pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer.

Tumor cell death is modulated by an intrinsic cell death pathway controlled by the pro- and anti-apoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family. Up-regulation of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members has been shown to suppress cell death in pre-clinical models of human cancer and is implicated in human tumor progression. Previous gain-of-function studies in the RIP1-Tag2 model of pancreatic islet carcinogenesis, involving uniform or focal/temporal over-expression of Bcl-xL, demonstrated accelerated tumor formation and growth. To specifically assess the role of endogenous Bcl-x in regulating apoptosis and tumor progression in this model, we engineered a pancreatic β-cell-specific knockout of both alleles of Bcl-x using the Cre-LoxP system of homologous recombination. Surprisingly, there was no appreciable effect on tumor cell apoptosis rates or on tumor growth in the Bcl-x knockout mice. Other anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members were expressed but not substantively altered at the mRNA level in the Bcl-x-null tumors, suggestive of redundancy without compensatory transcriptional up-regulation. Interestingly, the incidence of invasive carcinomas was reduced, and tumor cells lacking Bcl-x were impaired in invasion in a two-chamber trans-well assay under conditions mimicking hypoxia. Thus, while the function of Bcl-x in suppressing apoptosis and thereby promoting tumor growth is evidently redundant, genetic ablation implicates Bcl-x in selectively facilitating invasion, consistent with a recent report documenting a pro-invasive capability of Bcl-xL upon exogenous over-expression.
Directional coronary atherectomy: How much lumen enlargement is optimal?

Until recently, it has not been clear how much of the effect of directional coronary atherectomy is due to tissue removal per se, and whether the long-term results of the procedure are helped or harmed when the operator attempts to obtain the "near zero percent" residual stenosis of which this technique is capable. This article summarizes the findings of a series of studies that have addressed these important questions and proposes a prescription for the optimal performance of directional atherectomy. Analysis of retrieved tissue weights compared with measured increases in luminal volume shows that about half of the improvement seen after directional atherectomy results from mechanical dilation. Because this "facilitated" dilation appears to take place within the bases of the trenches created by atherectomy cuts (rather than being randomly distributed in fractures throughout the plaque substance), a larger and smoother lumen is possible compared with that seen after conventional balloon dilation. Although the recovery of deep vessel wall components (media and even adventitia) is common, it generally does not cause either acute complications (i.e., perforation) or increase the probability of subsequent restenosis. Rather, reduction in the probability of late restenosis appears to be most directly related to the ability of directional atherectomy to provide the largest acute luminal diameter safely possible, thus providing better tolerance of subsequent intimal hyperplasia before hemodynamically significant renarrowing results at the treatment site.
Developing Interdepartmental Integration: An Evaluation of Three Strategic Approaches for Performance Improvement

Interdepartmental integration, the melding together of disparate functional areas within an organization, is believed to be associated with superior firm performance. However, the particular approach that human resource development practitioners should focus on to improve performance is not well-understood. Our research assesses three alternative approaches to interdepartmental integration: the interaction, collaboration, and combination views. The interaction view suggests that successful interdepartmental integration is achieved primarily by increasing the volume of meetings and documented information exchange; the collaboration view prescribes teamwork, sharing, and the achievement of collective goals. The third view suggests that Successful integration involves a combination of interaction and collaboration. The results of a recent survey of functional managers are presented. The findings indicate that interaction and collaboration are both positively associated with performance and extendi previous empirical work by suggesting that, when viewed collectively, collaboration mediates the relationship between interaction and performance. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
Moment closure model for nitrogen oxide formation in pulverized coal combustion furnaces

This paper reports on a moment closure model developed to model fuel-bound NO formation in a turbulent pulverized coal flame in a furnace. The effect of turbulence on combustion is accounted for by solving transport equations of fluctuating species correlations arising due to turbulent fluctuations. Correlation between fluctuating species concentration and fluctuating temperature is neglected. The predicted results show reasonable overall agreement with experimental data.
Ras and Cancer

Publisher Summary Ras is the name given to a family of related proteins found inside cells, including human cells. All Ras protein family members belong to a class of protein called small GTPase, and are involved in transmitting signals within cells (cellularsignal transduction). Ras is the prototypical member of the Ras superfamily of proteins, which are all related in three-dimensional structure and regulate diverse cell behaviors. Rates of mutation in H-Ras, N-Ras, and K-Ras have been measured in most types of human cancers. A striking result of this comprehensive survey is the considerable variation in frequency in Ras mutation between different types of cancer. The precise molecular basis of synergy between effector pathways is not fully understood. However, there are multiple elements of these pathways that intersect and could contribute to synergistic interaction. Mouse models of cancer provide important clues relating to the role of Ras in cancer. An interesting aspect of these models is the sustained requirement for Ras expression even in advanced cancers: withdrawal of Ras expression causes complete regression of such tumors. More recent approaches to blocking Ras activity have targeted enzymes downstream of Ras. A Raf kinase inhibitor entered clinical trials recently, and a MEK inhibitor followed soon afterwards. Attempts to block other enzymes downstream of Ras are also under way.
Does Global Context Modulate Cerebral Asymmetries? A Review and New Evidence on Word Imageability Effects

In this article we examine whether the distribution of function across the right and left cerebral hemispheres for lexical processing is influenced by the global context within which words are presented. A review of previously published studies indicates that the ubiquitous right visual field (RVF)/left hemisphere advantage for word recognition may be reduced or eliminated for nouns, content words, or high image words, but only when such items are presented along with verbs, function words, or low image words. However, paradoxically, when the former items are presented in more homogeneous contexts, the RVF advantage is uniformly observed. We propose that the processing efficiency of a hemisphere for a given stimulus depends on that item's relation to the other stimuli provided, that is, the global context. This was examined in a visual half-field experiment that varied whether high and low image nouns were presented in homogeneous (blocked lists) or heterogeneous (mixed lists) contexts. An unvarying RVF advantage was observed for high image words in homogeneous contexts, but this advantage was eliminated when the same items were presented in heterogeneous contexts. We suggest that stimulus heterogeneity maximizes reliance on differing, but complementary, computational biases across hemispheres. Hence, the extent to which the left and right hemispheres are recruited for the recognition of individual word types can vary dynamically with variation in the stimulus environment.
Ultrafast intramolecular charge transfer of formyl perylene observed using femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy.

The excited-state photophysics of formylperylene (FPe) have been investigated in a series of nonpolar, polar aprotic, and polar protic solvents. A variety of experimental and theoretical methods were employed including femtosecond transient absorption (fs-TA) spectroscopy with 130 fs temporal resolution. We report that the ultrafast intramolecular charge transfer from the perylene unit to the formyl (CHO) group can be facilitated drastically by hydrogen-bonding interactions between the carbonyl group oxygen of FPe and hydrogen-donating solvents in the electronically excited state. The excited-state absorption of FPe in methanol (MeOH) is close to the reported perylene radical cation produced by bimolecular quenching by an electron acceptor. This is a strong indication for a substantial charge transfer in the S1 state in protic solvents. The larger increase of the dipole moment change in the protic solvents than that in aprotic ones strongly supports this observation. Relaxation mechanisms including vibrational cooling and solvation coupled to the charge-transfer state are also discussed.
Jerusalem's zions

ABSTRACTThe human desire to embody the sacred, to give it a physical place and a material form, is nowhere better demonstrated than in Jerusalem. As one of the world's oldest continuously occupied, politically contested and religiously invested cities, Jerusalem's natural and architectural landscape has been overlaid with scripture and interpreted to death. This paper examines one site of this phenomenon: Mount Zion. “Zion” is often used synecdochically, as a part of Jerusalem standing in for the whole of the city. But “Zion” has also acted as a toponym for the ancient citadel of David. This specific piece of real estate shifted its location in antiquity in order to retain its biblical associations, inciting innocent and not-so-innocent claims of holiness where holiness may not belong.
Effects of hyperglycemia and continuous intravenous insulin on outcomes of surgical patients

Background Hyperglycemia in critically ill patients has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality. It is unclear to what degree hyperglycemia should be regulated in a mixed surgical population. Study Design A retrospective chart review of 210 surgical patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) was performed. All patients were placed on an intravenous insulin protocol targeted to a blood glucose (BG) of 80–140 mg/dL. Outcomes were compared between surgical patients with controlled BG levels (80–140 mg/dL) versus uncontrolled levels (>140 mg/dL). Results The mortality rate of this population was 12%, 5% in the controlled BG group compared with 18% in the uncontrolled BG group ( P P = 0.02). The overall hypoglycemic rate was P = 0.60. A greater mortality rate was associated with patients who spent a greater time with blood glucose values >181 mg/dL (OR = 1.3, 95% CI 1.1–1.6; P = 0.01). Conclusions Increased mortality was associated with surgical patients in the uncontrolled blood glucose group compared with patients who were well controlled with insulin therapy. These results are comparable to previous studies and indicate that surgical patients are a population who may benefit from tighter glycemic control. Further investigations through prospective randomized studies are needed to fully evaluate the effects of hyperglycemia in a diverse surgical population as well as specific surgical subspecialties.
Genomic Signatures of Pregnancy-Associated Breast Cancer Epithelia and Stroma and their Regulation by Estrogens and Progesterone

Pregnancy-associated breast cancers (PABC) generally present at advanced stages and have a poor prognosis. The reasons are unclear but we hypothesized that the continuous high levels of estrogens and progesterone were involved. We have now carried out a detailed analysis of PABC compared to tumors of age-matched nonpregnant (non-PABC) women. Malignant epithelia and tumor-associated stroma of PABC and non-PABC were isolated by laser capture microdissection and gene expression profiled. Additionally, normal breast epithelia and stroma adjacent to the two tumor types were analyzed. Lastly, subsets of previously identified E- and P-regulated genes were defined in all tissues. We find that PABC signatures cluster with established breast cancer subtypes. Major hormone-regulated genes whose expression correlated with epithelia of PABC dealt with regulation of cell proliferation, metabolism, and tumor aggressiveness, including genes used to predict tumor recurrence. Compared to normal epithelia, a significant number of genes associated with cell cycle processes were enriched in PABC, many of which are hormone regulated. Thus, compared to normal epithelia, many of the genes that were differentially expressed in epithelia of PABC were distinct from those differentially expressed in non-PABC. With regard to the tumor microenvironment, immune-related genes were enriched in tumor-associated stroma of PABC. Compared to normal stroma, PABC-associated stroma overexpressed immune response genes, while genes involved in angiogenesis and extracellular matrix deposition were more commonly downregulated. This suggests that the heightened aggressiveness of PABC may involve a predisposition to metastasis through extracellular matrix degradation, plus angiogenesis independence. Moreover, genes encoding cell proliferative factors, signaling, immunomodulators and cell death, were hormone regulated in stroma. In sum, these analyses demonstrate complex patterns of enrichment and hormonal regulation of genes in PABC and suggest that it may have a distinct biological nature.
Blased Tests of Association: Comparisons of Allele Frequencies when Departing from Hardy-Weinberg Proportions

Association studies of genetic markers or candidate genes with disease are often conducted using the traditional case-control design. Cases and controls are sampled from genetically unrelated subjects, and allele frequencies compared between cases and controls using Pearson's chi-square statistic. An assumption of this analysis method is that the two alleles within each subject are statistically independent, at least when no association exists. This is equivalent to assuming that the frequencies of the genotypes in the general population comply with Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium proportions, which may not always be the case. However, deviations from Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium can inflate the chance of a false-positive association. These results demonstrate that when comparing the frequencies of two alleles between cases and controls, the chance of a false-positive association can be substantially increased if homozygotes for the putative high-risk allele are more common in the general population than predicted by Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium. In contrast, Pearson's chi-square statistic can be conservative if the frequency of homozygotes for the high-risk allele is less than that predicted. A statistically valid method that corrects for deviations from Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium is presented, so that the chance of a false-positive association is not greater than the acceptable level.
Clinical practice. Occupational exposure to HIV in health care settings.

While obtaining a peripheral venous blood sample from a patient with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, a 35-year-old phlebotomist is injured by a bloody 18-gauge needle attached to a syringe. The patient has been taking didanosine and stavudine for more than six months, but her quantitative plasma human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) RNA titer and CD4 T-lymphocyte count have not been measured for many weeks. What is the appropriate postexposure treatment for the phlebotomist?
Worst of the bad: Violent white supremacist groups and lethality

This study uses Social Network Analysis (SNA) to examine a network of domestic white supremacist groups associated with one or more ideologically motivated homicides between 1990 and 2008. SNA has rarely been used to study domestic extremist and/or terrorist organizations. Prior research using SNA has focused on foreign individual members of terrorist networks like Al Qaeda. This project begins to fill gaps in the literature by analyzing whether group role/location within this white supremacist group network is associated with greater levels of lethality. We find that the network is decentralized but ideologically integrated. Groups centrally located in the network are associated with more deaths. The study provides a foundation for future research investigating the connection between network location and lethality, the evolution of dangerous networks over time, and lone-wolf ties to the larger white supremacist movement.
Scapulothoracic muscle fatigue associated with alterations in scapulohumeral rhythm kinematics during maximum resistive shoulder elevation

Clinical examinations and biomechanical analysis of the shoulder often include an assessment of the scapulohumeral rhythm. It is important to understand factors which may affect the scapulohumeral rhythm so that optimal diagnostic and therapeutic strategies can be devised. The purpose of this study was to determine if the scapulohumeral rhythm, when assessed under dynamic conditions, is altered as a result of a fatigue-inducing exercise. Twenty-five subjects were required to elevate their arm against maximum resistance until they were no longer able to completely elevate their arm. Three-dimensional kinematics were measured using an electromagnetic tracking system. Electromyographic activity was recorded from the upper trapezius, lower trapezius, serratus anterior, and the middle deltoid muscles. Power frequency spectrum using the Fast Fourier Transform and the root mean square signal amplitudes were determined for each muscle. The scapulohumeral rhythm was determined using least squares regressions of humeral elevation to scapular upward rotation for 20% intervals (phases) of elevation for each subject. The results showed that during the midrange of elevation to maximum elevation [phases 3-5 (60-150 degrees)], the scapulohumeral rhythm decreased with fatigue, and that the decrease in the scapulohumeral rhythm was associated with myoelectric indicators of fatigue (median power frequency). The study suggests that shoulder fatigue affects the way in which the scapula moves concomitantly with the humerus. Fatigue tends to result in increased motion of the scapula, which alters the scapulohumeral rhythm.
The separation and direct detection of ceramides and sphingoid bases by normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and evaporative light-scattering detection.

Sphingolipids are an important class of lipids due to their role as biologically active molecules and as intracellular second messengers. Sphingolipid metabolites are involved in a wide variety of important biological processes including signal transduction and growth regulation. Simple, quantitative analytical methods are needed to assay these complex lipids, in order to study their biological functions. The current methods used to quantify ceramides and long-chain sphingoid bases are primarily based on derivatization with uv or fluorescent tags and with radioactive-based enzymatic assays. A method was developed to separate ceramides and sphingoid bases by normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and detect them directly with evaporative light-scattering detection. Ceramides and the sphingoid bases phytosphingosine, dihydrosphingosine, sphingosine, and sphingosine 1-phosphate were resolved with a rapid and quantitative assay in the nanomole range. Yeast extracts grown to various time points were assayed for ceramide and sphingoid bases using a simple, isocratic HPLC system. Both ceramide and phytosphingosine, the primary sphingoid base present in yeast cell extracts, were detected in yeast cell extracts. Phytosphingosine was resolved as a sharp peak with the addition of triethylamine and formic acid modifiers to a chloroform/ethanol mobile phase. This method demonstrates the first direct assay of both ceramides and sphingoid bases.
Addressing the Shortage of Rural School Psychologists via Technology: Using Candidate Qualitative Interviews to Inform Practice

For decades Colorado, USA, has had a shortage of school psychologists, especially in rural areas. The program ‘Giving Rural Areas Access to School Psychologist’ (GRAASP) was developed to meet this need by offering a technology based distance education program that trained candidates from remote sites across the state. Through the use of in-depth interviews the authors sought to answer the following question: What are the student-candidate perceptions of the GRAASP program? Students’ perceptions of their experiences added significantly to our understanding of the effectiveness of the GRAASP program. This article offers insight to educators of school psychologists and others who are considering the use of technology to train learners in remote areas to meet current shortages of qualified personnel in education and related areas.
Trends in hypertension-related death in the United States: 1980-1998.

Trends in hypertension-related mortality for groups by race/ethnicity, sex, and age have not been examined previously. National multiple-cause mortality files for 1980–1998 were analyzed for adult decedents with hypertension listed as one of 20 conditions causing death. Racial/ethnic comparisons of hypertension-related death were performed using age-standardized and age-specific rates in years (per 100,000). Age-standardized rate increased from 183.1 in 1980 to 243.7 in 1998, a relative increase of 33% and an average annual increase of 1.5% (p 85 years (average annual increase of 10.4% for blacks, 7.9% for whites), 75–84 years (5.9% for blacks, 3.6% for whites), and 65–74 years (3.2% for blacks, 1.4% for whites). By 1997–1998, blacks had greater death rates compared with whites at all ages. Over the past two decades, there has been a step-by-step increase in hypertension-related mortality, which has continued to show a male over female and black over white predominance. Prevention and control of hypertension must continue to be pursued as a strategy to reduce cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality.
Erodibility of cohesive streambeds in the loess area of the midwestern USA

Excess stress parameters, critical shear stress (τ c ) and erodibility coefficient (k d ), for degrading channels in the loess areas of the midwestern USA are presented based on in situ jet-testing measurements. Critical shear stress and k d are used to define the erosion resistance of the streambed, The jet-testing apparatus applies hydraulic stresses to the bed and the resulting scour due to the impinging jet is related to the excess stress parameters. Streams tested were primarily silt-bedded in texture with low densities, which is typical of loess soils. Results indicate that there is a wide variation in the erosion resistance of streambeds, spanning six orders of magnitude for τ c and four orders of magnitude for k d . Erosion resistance was observed to vary within a streambed, from streambed to streambed, and from region to region. An example of the diversity of materials within a river system is the Yalobusha River Basin in Mississippi. The median value of τ c for the two primary bed materials, Naheola and Porters Creek Clay Formations, was 1.31 and 256 Pa, respectively. Streambeds composed of the Naheola Formation are readily eroded over the entire range of shear stresses, whereas only the deepest flows generate boundary stresses great enough to erode streambeds composed of the Porters Creek Clay Formation. Therefore, assessing material resistance and location is essential in classifying and modelling streambed erosion processes of these streams.
Numerical and Experimental Investigations of an Orifice Type Cryogenic Pulse Tube Refrigerator

A helium filled orifice type pulse tube refrigerator (OPTR) was designed, built and operated to provide cryogenic cooling. The OTPR is a travelling wave thermoacoustic refrigerator that operates on a modified reverse Stirling cycle. The experimental studies are carried out at various values of the mean pressure of helium (0.35 MPa – 2.2 MPa), amplitudes of pressure oscillations, frequencies of operation and sizes of orifice opening. The experimental results are compared with the predictions from a detailed time-dependent numerical model. In the CFD model, the compressible forms of the continuity, momentum and energy equations are solved for both the refrigerant gas (helium) and the porous media regions (the regenerator and the three heat-exchangers) in the OPTR. An improved representation of heat transfer in the porous media is achieved by employing a thermal non-equilibrium model to couple the gas and solid (porous media) energy equations. The model predictions show better comparisons with the experimental results when the effects of wall thicknesses of the various components of the OPTR are included in the model.Copyright © 2012 by ASME