cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rehabilitation of a Young Athlete With Extension-Based Low Back Pain Addressing Motor-Control Impairments and Central Sensitization

Objective: To describe the conservative management of a young athlete with extension-based (EB) low back pain (LBP). Background: We present the case of a 15-year-old female high school gymnast with a 4-year history of EB LBP. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a healed spondylolysis and significant atrophy with fatty infiltrate of the lumbar multifidi muscles (LMM). She had several courses of outpatient orthopaedic rehabilitation that focused on core muscle strengthening (improving activation and strength of the LMM and transversus abdominus muscle in a neutral pelvic position) without long-lasting improvement. She was unable to tolerate higher levels of training or compete. Differential Diagnosis: The LMM are rich in muscle spindles and provide continuous feedback to the central nervous system about body position. Atrophy and fatty infiltrate of the LMM can compromise neuromuscular function and contribute to dysfunctional movement patterns that place a greater demand on lumbar spine structures. Ongoi...
Retour à saint-fons ou la violence et la honte de naître dans une famille d'immigrés portugais en France dans L'Enfance de la chanteuse Catherine Ribeiro.

Abstract. Published during Nicolas Sarkozy’s presidency, L’Enfance (Childhood) is an autobiographical and pamphletary text in which French-Portuguese singer, Catherine Ribeiro, reflects on the links between her (artistic) freedom, her political activism and the lack of personal, national, and professional recognition. In this article, I argue that, like other writers of working class origins inspired by sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, such as Annie Ernaux (recently in Retour a Yvetot) or Didier Eribon in Retour a Reims, Ribeiro returns to her childhood in Saint-Fons, not so much to make a critique of her abusive mother and absent father, but rather to do an “auto-socio-[ethno-] analysis” of her Portuguese immigrant upbringing in the suburbs of Lyon in the forties and fifties. Her original autobiography, mixed with excerpts of her protest songs, allows the reader to better understand the roots of her politically engaged life and career. Ultimately, she argues for a recognition of Portuguese immigrants and their descendants’ contributions in France, including her own. Resume. Publie pendant la presidence de Nicolas Sarkozy, L’Enfance est un texte autobiographique de style pamphletaire dans lequel la chanteuse francaise d’origine portugaise, Catherine Ribeiro, reflechit sur les liens entre sa liberte (artistique), son activisme politique et le manque de reconnaissance personnel, national et professionnel. Dans cet article, je montre qu’a l’instar d’autres ecrivains issus de la classe ouvriere inspires par Pierre Bourdieu, comme Annie Ernaux (recemment dans Retour a Yvetot) ou Didier Eribon dans Retour a Reims, Ribeiro retourne a son enfance a Saint-Fons, non pas tant pour faire une critique de sa mere violente ou de son pere absent, mais plutot pour faire une sorte d’« auto-socio-[ethno-] analyse » de son enfance dans une famille immigree portugaise dans la banlieue de Lyon dans les annees 40 et 50. Son autobiographie originale, melant des extraits de ses chansons contestataires, permet au lecteur de mieux comprendre les racines de sa vie et de sa carriere engagees. Son but ultime est la reconnaissance de la contribution des immigres portugais et de leurs descendants en France, y compris la sienne.
Comparison of several single and multiple instance learning methods for detecting buried explosive objects using GPR data

For the past 2 decades, detection of buried explosive hazard has been studied extensively and several machine learning algorithms have been developed and adapted to this application. First, a pre-screener is used to identify areas of interest or alarms. Each alarm consists of a 3D data cube that corresponds to spatial down-track, crosstrack, and time respectively. Ground truth information is then used to label each alarm and generate labeled data to train a classifier to discriminate between targets and clutter objects. One of the main challenges in this approach is localizing the true depth of the alarm. On one hand, the buried object signature is not expected to cover all the depth values and extracting one global feature from all depth bins may not discriminate between object and clutter signatures effectively. On the other hand, depth ground truth is not available as this depends on the target type and size, soil properties, and other environmental conditions. Moreover, visually inspecting each alarm to select the optimal depth location is tedious, ambiguous, and not practical for very large training data. Two different approaches have been considered to train learning algorithms. The first one uses simple rules and machine learning algorithms to automate the selection of the optimal depth(s) for each alarm. The second approach avoids the labeling at the depth level and uses multiple instance learning (MIL) algorithms. In this context, each alarm is represented by a bag of multiple instances. Each instance corresponds to a feature extracted at a different depth. Since labels are needed at the bag level and not at the instance level, MIL does not require true depth information. In this paper, we propose a large-scale evaluation of the two approaches. For the first approach, we consider three methods to identify optimal depth locations and analyze their effect on the KNN and SVM classifiers. For the second approach, we consider four MIL algorithms that do not require depth information. For our analysis, we use large data collections accumulated across multiple dates and multiple test sites by a vehicle mounted downward looking ground penetrating radar (GPR) sensor. The data include a diverse set of buried explosive objects of varying shapes, metal content, and underground burial depths. Performance of all algorithms is analyzed using receiver operating characteristics (ROC).
Effects of bird community dynamics on the seasonal distribution of cultural ecosystem services

Biodiversity-based cultural ecosystem services (CES), such as birdwatching, are strongly influenced by biotic community dynamics. However, CES models are largely static, relying on single estimates of species richness or land-use/land-cover proxies, and may be inadequate for landscape management of CES supply. Using bird survey data from the Appalachian Mountains (USA), we developed spatial-temporal models of five CES indicators (total bird species richness, and richness of migratory, infrequent, synanthrope, and resident species), reflecting variation in birdwatcher preferences. We analyzed seasonal shifts in birdwatching supply and how those shifts impacted public access to projected birdwatching hotspots. Landscape patterns of CES supply differed substantially among indicators, leading to opposing conclusions about locations of highest birdwatching supply. Total species richness hotspots seldom overlapped with hotspots of migratory or infrequent species. Public access to CES hotspots varied seasonally. Our study suggests that simple, static biodiversity metrics may overlook spatial dynamics important to CES users.
Productivity, morphology, phenology, and physiology of a desert-adapted Native American maize (Zea mays L.) cultivar

Water is the single most limiting resource for crop production. Native Americans of the arid southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico have developed agricultural systems that for centuries provided viable levels of production within environmental constraints. This research was conducted to identify biological attributes contributing to the reputed drought resistance of a traditional maize cultivar and to determine the effects of production practice on maize productivity under arid conditions. The study examined dry matter production and partitioning responses of a maize cultivar, native to the Sonoran Desert, and a modem hybrid, adapted to the semihumid to humid North Central U.S., to five irrigation regimes. Responses were evaluated in the contexts of traditional indigenous and modem commercial planting patterns and depths. Relative to the hybrid, the native maize had lower, but more stable, grain yields and produced greater harvest indices and more grain per unit leaf area. The effects of planting pattern and depth on yield responses differed between the native and hybrid maize and between years. Enduring agroecosystems may provide suitable cultivars and suggest ecologically-sound practices for arid and drought-prone environments. Deborah A. Muenchrath and Ricardo J. Salvador, Dep. of Agronomy, Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA 50011-1010. This study was conducted in cooperation with the New Mexico State Univ. Agric. Sci. Center at Los Lunas, NM. This material is based on work supported, in part, by a Grant-in-Aid of Research from Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society. * Corresponding author.
Allo-HCT Outcomes in Patients with High Comorbidity Index Based on Pulmonary Function Status: A Quality Initiative

Background The HCT-CI was developed as a tool to predict survival and non-relapse mortality in patients by assessing comorbidities more associated with mortality in HCT patients. This tool has been validated and used globally to assess prognosis in patients pre-transplant based on comorbidities. Pulmonary function based on pulmonary function tests (PFT) is one parameter used in the calculation of the comorbidity index (CI) and poor pre-HCT pulmonary function is associated with increased mortality. Methods Our BMT program conducted a QI retrospective analysis of all Allogeneic HCTs at our institution from 2012 forward to assess outcomes in patients with HCT-CI >6 (175 patients who underwent first time allogeneic-HCT with CIs from 0 to 9). Charts were reviewed to confirm CI, pulmonary function based on PFTs, mortality, 2-year mortality, and cause of death. Results Based on our preliminary analysis, patients transplanted w/ CI >6 (N=21) trended to a high mortality of 66.7% compared to 55.8% in the lower CI group (N=154). Although statistical significance was not achieved (p = 0.34) this may be due to small sample size. A major driving factor for high CI scores in our group was "severe pulmonary disease", defined as DLCO and/or FEV1 2 year survival had moderate pulmonary disease while 92% of those with early mortality had severe disease. Discussion Based on this preliminary analysis of patients at our institution, we suggest greater caution be taken when offering transplantation for patients with a high CI score with severe pulmonary disease. With more data and a larger patient population, further analysis will be made and more strict guidelines will be developed based on comorbidities.
Career fields

This paper defines the concept of career fields and recommends it as a means of motivating undergraduates, who are majoring in computer science, computer engineering, or computer information systems, to persist in the attainment of a bachelor's degree. The paper illustrates the importance of career fields with scenarios where undergraduates might apply their computing knowledge in the context of a particular career field. Finally, it suggests how faculty might nurture the concept in students throughout the student's entire course of academic studies.
Early Desert Archaic

Relative Time Period: Follows the Late Paleoindian tradition, precedes the Middle Archaic tradition.
Magnetic calorimeter option for the Lynx x-ray microcalorimeter

One option for the detector technology to implement the Lynx x-ray microcalorimeter (LXM) focal plane arrays is the metallic magnetic calorimeter (MMC). Two-dimensional imaging arrays of MMCs measure the energy of x-ray photons by using a paramagnetic sensor to detect the temperature rise in a microfabricated x-ray absorber. While small arrays of MMCs have previously been demonstrated that have energy resolution better than the 3 eV requirement for LXM, we describe LXM prototype MMC arrays that have 55,800 x-ray pixels, thermally linked to 5688 sensors in “hydra” configurations, and that have sensor inductance increased to avoid signal loss from the stray inductance in the large-scale arrays when the detectors are read out with microwave superconducting quantum interference device multiplexers, and that use multilevel planarized superconducting wiring to provide low-inductance, low-crosstalk connections to each pixel. We describe the features of recently tested MMC prototype devices and simulations of expected performance in designs opti- mized for the three subarray types in LXM.
Judgments of effort for magical violations of intuitive physics.

People spend much of their time in imaginary worlds, and have beliefs about the events that are likely in those worlds, and the laws that govern them. Such beliefs are likely affected by people’s intuitive theories of the real world. In three studies, people judged the effort required to cast spells that cause physical violations. People ranked the actions of spells congruently with intuitive physics. For example, people judge that it requires more effort to conjure up a frog than to levitate it one foot off the ground. A second study manipulated the target and extent of the spells, and demonstrated with a continuous measure that people are sensitive to this manipulation even between participants. A pre-registered third study replicated the results of Study 2. These results suggest that people’s intuitive theories partly account for how they think about imaginary worlds.
Ultrafast measurements of polarization switching dynamics on ferroelectric and anti-ferroelectric hafnium zirconium oxide

The ultrafast measurements of polarization switching dynamics on ferroelectric (FE) and antiferroelectric (AFE) hafnium zirconium oxide (HZO) are studied. The transient current during the polarization switching process is probed directly on the nanosecond scale. The switching time is determined to be as fast as 10 ns to reach fully switched polarization with characteristic switching times of 5.4 ns for FE HZO and 4.5 ns for AFE HZO by the nucleation limited switching model. The limitation by the parasitic effect on capacitor charging is found to be critical in the correct and accurate measurements of intrinsic polarization switching speed of HZO.
Long-Lasting Input-Specific Experience-Dependent Changes of Hippocampus Synaptic Function Measured in the Anesthetized Rat

How experience causes long-lasting changes in the brain is a central question in neuroscience. The common view is that synaptic function is altered by experience to change brain circuit functions that underlie conditioned behavior. We examined hippocampus synaptic circuit function in vivo, in three groups of animals, to assess the impact of experience on hippocampus function in rats. The "conditioned" group acquired a shock-conditioned place response during a cognitively-challenging, hippocampus synaptic plasticity-dependent task. The no-shock group had similar exposure to the environmental conditions but no conditioning. The home-cage group was experimentally naive. After the one-week retention test, under anesthesia, we stimulated the perforant path inputs to CA1, which terminate in stratum lacunosum moleculare (slm), and to the dentate gyrus (DG), which terminate in the molecular layer. We find synaptic compartment specific changes that differ amongst the groups. The evoked field EPSP (fEPSP) and pre-spike field response are enhanced only at the DG input layer and only in conditioned animals. The DG responses, measured by the population spiking activity and post-spike responses, are enhanced in both the conditioned and no-shock groups compared to home-cage animals. These changes are pathway specific because no differences are observed in slm of CA1. These findings demonstrate long-term, experience-dependent, pathway-specific alterations to synaptic circuit function of the hippocampus.
The Effect of Transitive Closure on the Calibration of Logistic Regression for Entity Resolution

This paper describes a series of experiments in using logistic regression machine learning as a method for entity resolution. From these experiments the authors concluded that when a supervised ML algorithm is trained to classify a pair of entity references as linked or not linked pair, the evaluation of the model’s performance should take into account the transitive closure of its pairwise linking decisions, not just the pairwise classifications alone. Part of the problem is that the measures of precision and recall as calculated in data mining classification algorithms such as logistic regression is different from applying these measures to entity resolution (ER) results.. As a classifier, logistic regression precision and recall measure the algorithm’s pairwise decision performance. When applied to ER, precision and recall measure how accurately the set of input references were partitioned into subsets (clusters) referencing the same entity. When applied to datasets containing more than two references, ER is a two-step process. Step One is to classify pairs of records as linked or not linked. Step Two applies transitive closure to these linked pairs to find the maximally connected subsets (clusters) of equivalent references. The precision and recall of the final ER result will generally be different from the precision and recall measures of the pairwise classifier used to power the ER process. The experiments described in the paper were performed using a well-tested set of synthetic customer data for which the correct linking is known. The best F-measure of precision and recall for the final ER result was obtained by substantially increasing the threshold of the logistic regression pairwise classifier.
Abstract 237: Identifying the Transcriptome Signature of Calcium Channel Blocker in Human iPSC-Derived Cardiomyocytes

Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) are important in treating cardiovascular diseases and the acute pharmacological actions of CCBs in the hearts have been extensively studied. However, we lack the kno...
Polymer-Derived Ceramics: A Novel Inorganic Thermoelectric Material System

Ever-increasing global energy consumption and its resultant impact on climate change have pushed researchers toward the development of multiple novel sustainable technologies. Among these technologies, utilization of waste heat energy via use of thermoelectric generators (TEGs) has gained credence over the past few years, especially given the vast improvement in TEGs conversion efficiency through innovative and unique thermoelectric (TE) materials. However, these improvements have been marked by concerns regarding poor thermal and mechanical stability at higher (operational) temperatures, as well as toxicity and high cost of specific elements used in such TEGs, thereby rendering TEGs unfit for commercial purposes. Polymer-derived ceramics (PDCs) offer a possible solution to this unsolved conundrum, given the excellent mechanical and thermal stability of PDCs (till as high as 2000 °C), along with the relatively low toxicity and abundance of elements used in such systems. PDCs also provide the opportunity for tuning of microstructure to achieve the desired properties via control of polymeric precursor and processing parameters. This chapter provides an overview of PDCs, focusing on TE properties of PDCs in detail, especially with regard to changes in operational temperature, as well as the underlying electrical conduction mechanism observed in these PDCs. Finally, a succinct summary of the existing literature, as well as the desired direction of work for truly harnessing potential as commercial thermoelectrics, has also been provided.
PLATYPNEA-ORTHODEOXIA SYNDROME AFTER NISSEN FUNDOPLICATION

Platypnea-Orthodeoxia syndrome as a complication of Nissen fundoplication can be a challenging case to diagnosis due to rarity of the presentation. A 78-year-old female underwent hiatal hernia repair surgery via laparoscopy using Nissen Fundoplication technique. Her postoperative course was
Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) blockade improves natural killer cell (NK) activation, hypertension, and mitochondrial oxidative stress in a preclinical rat model of preeclampsia

The RUPP rat model of Preeclampsia exhibits hypertension (MAP), cytolytic natural killer (cNK) cells, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species (mt ROS). Object...
Los Angeles: Measuring Its Ambition to Achieve the SDGs

In 2018, Mayor Eric Garcetti publicly committed the city of Los Angeles to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), positioning the city as a global leader in pursuing sustainable development. The explicit and public commitment was unusual for an American city at that time, and its scope went beyond SDG 11 – focused on making inclusive, resilient, and sustainable cities – to all the goals and targets of the SDGs. This case study explores the key elements and events that led to this commitment and charts the steps that Los Angeles took in its first year to adopt the SDGs and make them meaningful and measurable for its residents, offering a model to other cities that are considering a similar commitment.
Learning From the Experiences of COVID-19 Survivors: Web-Based Survey Study.

Background: There are still many unanswered questions about the novel coronavirus; however, a largely underutilized source of knowledge is the millions of people who have recovered after contracting the virus. This includes a majority of undocumented cases of COVID-19, which were classified as mild or moderate and received little to no clinical care during the course of illness. Objective: This study aims to document and glean insights from the experiences of individuals with a first-hand experience in dealing with COVID-19, especially the so-called mild-to-moderate cases that self-resolved while in isolation. Methods: This web-based survey study called C19 Insider Scoop recruited adult participants aged 18 years or older who reside in the United States and had tested positive for COVID-19 or antibodies. Participants were recruited through various methods, including online support groups for COVID-19 survivors, advertisement in local news outlets, as well as through professional and other networks. The main outcomes measured in this study included knowledge of contraction or transmission of the virus, symptoms, and personal experiences on the road to recovery. Results: A total of 72 participants (female, n=53; male, n=19; age range: 18-73 years; mean age: 41 [SD 14] years) from 22 US states were enrolled in this study. The top known source of how people contracted SARS-CoV-2, the virus known to cause COVID-19, was through a family or household member (26/72, 35%). This was followed by essential workers contracting the virus through the workplace (13/72, 18%). Participants reported up to 27 less-documented symptoms that they experienced during their illness, such as brain or memory fog, palpitations, ear pain or discomfort, and neurological problems. In addition, 47 of 72 (65%) participants reported that their symptoms lasted longer than the commonly cited 2-week period even for mild cases of COVID-19. The mean recovery time of the study participants was 4.5 weeks, and exactly one-half of participants (50%) still experienced lingering symptoms of COVID-19 after an average of 65 days following illness onset. Additionally, 37 (51%) participants reported that they experienced stigma associated with contracting COVID-19. Conclusions: This study presents preliminary findings suggesting that emphasis on family or household spread of COVID-19 may be lacking and that there is a general underestimation of the recovery time even for mild cases of illness with the virus. Although a larger study is needed to validate these results, it is important to note that as more people experience COVID-19, insights from COVID-19 survivors can enable a more informed public, pave the way for others who may be affected by the virus, and guide further research.
Evaluation of the Post-COVID Patient Prior to Elective Plastic Surgery: Developing an Evidence-Based Framework.

Preoperative assessment of a potential surgical patient has long been a cornerstone of patient safety. As more patients get, and recover from, COVID-19, plastic surgeons will be faced with the challenge of evaluating the health status and operative risk of convalescent COVID patients who now desire elective surgery. A significant fraction of these patients, however, can have new or persistent health issues as a result of COVID-19, which can affect surgical safety. This paper briefly examines the current relevant literature regarding the post-COVID patient, reviews the waiting period for adequate recovery, and suggests an evidence-based framework for preoperative assessment, based on the severity of the prior COVID-19 episode, ongoing symptoms, and basic screening tests.
Becoming Rasta: Origins of Rastafari Identity in Jamaica – By Charles Price

Popular images of Rastafarians usually underscore their distinctive, matted hair, their nonchalant reggae lyrics, and/or their casual use of marijuana, which are cultural styles that endeared them ...
Adaptive capacities of state IT departments: perceptions of CIOs coping with change

The purpose of this article is to ascertain how state IT departments, specifically Chief Technology or Information Officers (CTOs/CIOs) view changes in their external environment and their departments' ability to adopt and implement new information technologies. The research is based on a recently completed national survey of state IT departments in the US. Employees at three levels in the organization were surveyed: CIOs, managers and employees. This article only focuses on the CIO responses. It contributes to the scant systematic empirical research of state IT departments and their capacities to adapt to and manage technological change. Preliminary findings suggest that CIOs generally perceive their external environments as relatively stable and rich in opportunities. They see their offices as central in the formation, implementation, and evaluation of IT policy and practices throughout their state governments. They perceive their IT employees as actively scanning the external environment for relevant information and as being capable of importing, adapting, and utilizing new technology-related information. Interesting correlations emerged in that CIOs who described their environment as relatively stable and rich in opportunities also indicated their employees were actively engaged in knowledge scanning, their department had a high absorptive capacity, and their office is more central in IT policy formation. Future research will include information regarding the states' economic conditions, strategic and management environment as well as the states' policy innovativeness considering the adoption of various technologies.
Students' Use of Web-based Tutorial Materials and Their Understanding of Chemistry Concepts.

This paper reports the findings of the initial phase of our study of student use of Web-based tutorial materials for general chemistry and student understanding of chemistry concepts. We found that students who use the Web site value this source of help and the visualization that the Web site offers. Some questions showed a tendency among women to be more positive than men toward use of the Web site, which may suggest value to using the Web to help female students learn chemistry. Our analysis of student understanding of chemistry concepts via concept maps indicated that students who used the Web site did not have as good an understanding of chemistry as the students who did not use it, but that Web users attempted to make more statements about the relevant chemistry concepts. Overall, most students thought that the Web was a good way to get help learning chemistry.
Timing Plasmodium Gene Expression with PfBDP1

Malaria parasites must express a large contingent of invasion-related genes to propagate within host red blood cells. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Josling et al. (2015) identify a bromodomain protein that serves as a transcriptional activator required to coordinate expression of these genes and enable parasite proliferation.
Preservice Teachers of High School Mathematics: Success, Failure, and Persistence in the Face of Mathematical Challenges.

The goal of this study was to identify variables related to success and resilience in an undergraduate, high school mathematics teacher education program. Over a five-year period, we tracked the academic performance and achievement motivation goals of multiple cohorts of students. Students who successfully completed their degrees had higher grade point average (GPAs) upon entering the program, earned higher grades in their first college mathematics course, and failed fewer courses than students who left the program or university. Learning and performance motivational goals did not predict success in the program. Performance goals decreased over time. Nearly half the successful students repeated one or more mathematics courses. Ten students completed their degrees, obtained a teaching license, and are teaching despite the need for multiple repetitions of the same mathematics courses. These persistent students did not differ from their peers in motivational goals. Our results suggest that although students with higher GPAs and initial mathematics grades were more likely to complete the program, students who experienced challenges in mathematics courses were able to succeed. We discuss the implications of these results for recruiting, advising, and retention of students in mathematics education programs.
Osmotically induced electrical signals from actin filaments.

Actin filaments, F-actin, a major component of the cortical cytoskeleton, play an important role in a variety of cell functions. In this report we have assessed the role of osmotic stress on the electrochemical properties of F-actin. The spontaneous Donnan potential of a polymerized actin solution (5 mg/ml) was -3.93 +/- 1.84 mV, which was linearly reduced by osmotic stress on the order of 1–20 mOsm (0.28 +/- 0.06 mV/mM). Calculated surface charge density was reduced and eventually reversed by increasing the osmotic stress as expected for a phase transition behavior. The electro-osmotic behavior of F-actin disappeared at pH 5.5 and was dependent on its filamentous nature. Furthermore, osmotically stressed F-actin displayed a nonlinear electric response upon application of electric fields on the order of 500–2,000 V/cm. These data indicate that F-actin in solution may display nonideal electro-osmotic properties consistent with ionic "cable" behavior which may be of biological significance in the processing and conduction of electrical signals within the cellular compartment.
Application of different transformation methods to whole heart region segmentation

This study presents the results of whole heart region segmentation and enhancement by using several transformation methods in cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A Gaussian filter-based method, Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT), Laplacian of Gaussian (LoG), Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT), and Hadamard transformation are tested in order to analyze and overcome some of the problems that are faced during the heart segmentation. The first part of the study deals with the segmentation while the second part applies different transformation methods for analysis. Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the world over the last decade. To reduce the mortality, early diagnosis is very important. Automatic segmentation and enhancement of cardiac structures can help physicians in various states of treatment of heart diseases. Manual tracing of heart region from cardiac MRI images is very difficult. Some of the methods proposed by previous studies include thresholding, probability theory, and deformable models. Thresholding based methods are not practical due to the existence of smooth boundaries in the cardiac images. Probability based methods require relatively large image database since it needs to adapt itself with the pathology. Deformable models are widely used for the segmentation problems; however they tend to fail in case of artifacts, diffused boundaries, and they do not use priori information which can be helpful for getting better segmentation results. Our work combines the deformable model with a traditional segmentation method. At first, the deformable model is used to locate the boundaries to avoid the complex process for locating the boundaries manually. Then, the edge information detected by Canny filter is used to modify diffused boundaries. Different transformation methods are applied to the segmented region to enhance and analyze the details.
Atypical GLUT1 deficiency with prominent movement disorder responsive to ketogenic diet

Glucose transport protein deficiency due to mutation in the GLUT1 gene is characterized by infantile onset and chronic seizure disorder, microcephaly, global developmental delays, and hypoglycorrhachia. We describe a 10-year-old normocephalic male with prominent ataxia, dystonia, choreoathetosis, and GLUT1 deficiency whose motor abnormalities improved with a ketogenic diet. We illustrate the motor abnormalities, at baseline and after ketogenic diet, that characterize this unusual case. This case broadens the phenotype of GLUT1 deficiency and illustrates the importance of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) evaluation in detecting potentially treatable conditions in children with undiagnosed movement disorders.
Perceptions of highly regarded doctoral programs in selected areas of speech communication: 1982

A survey of perceived quality of doctoral programs was conducted among two samples of speech communication professionals—one randomly selected from the SCA and the other composed of authors in the field. The survey was a replication of previous surveys conducted in 1976 and 1978. Results are presented according to various specializations in communication.
Design of a "microbicide" for prevention of sexually transmitted diseases using "inactive" pharmaceutical excipients.

Abstract The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) pandemic has been driven primarily by the sexual transmission of the virus, and facilitated by prior infections with other sexually transmitted disease (STD) pathogens. Although treatment of these STDs has been proposed as a means to decrease the rate of HIV-1 sexual transmission, preventive measures effective against both HIV-1 and other STD pathogens are expected to have a larger impact. These measures include topically applied mechanical and chemical (i.e. microbicidal) barriers. Microbicides of preference should have a broad specificity against diverse STD pathogens and a well established safety record, considering their repeated use over decades. Here, we report that cellulose acetate phthalate (CAP), an “inactive” pharmaceutical excipient, commonly used in the production of enteric tablets and capsules: (1) has antiviral activity against HIV-1 and several herpesviruses (HSV); and (2) when appropriately formulated, in micronized form, inactivates HIV-1, HSV-1, HSV-2, cytomegalovirus, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Trichomonas vaginalis, Haemophilus ducreyi and Chlamydia trachomatis but does not affect Lactobacilli , components of the natural vaginal flora contributing to resistance against STDs. Thus, the CAP formulations meet the criteria for preferred microbicides and warrant further evaluation in vivo in humans.
EPA: How it fights pollution

Steps required include the extensive application of integrated electronic circuits for engine control The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) mobile source air pollution control program has one main objective — to protect health. The Clean Air Act charges the EPA with establishing and enforcing emission standards for automobiles to control emissions that cause or contribute to air pollution, which endangers the public welfare, as well as the public health. However, public welfare (or protection against economic losses caused by air pollution) is necessarily a secondary goal. The United States is so far from achieving the levels of clean air needed to protect health that it will not be meaningful to talk about emission control to protect welfare for some years to come.
Classical scattering theory of waves from the viewpoint of an eigenvalue problem and application to target identification

The Helmholtz-Poincare Wave Equation (H-PWE) arises in many areas of classical wave scattering theory. In particular it can be found for the cases of acoustical scattering from submerged bounded objects and electromagnetic scattering from objects. The extended boundary integral equations (EBIE) method is derived from considering both the exterior and interior solutions of the H-PWEs. This coupled set of expressions has the advantage of not only offering a prescription for obtaining a solution for the exterior scattering problem, but it also obviates the problem of irregular values corresponding to fictitious interior eigenvalues. Once the coupled equations are derived, they can be obtained in matrix form by expanding all relevant terms in partial wave expansions, including a biorthogonal expansion of the Green function. However some freedom of choice in the choice of the surface expansion is available since the unknown surface quantities may be expanded in a variety of ways so long as closure is obtained. Out of many possible choices, we develop an optimal method to obtain such expansions which is based on the optimum eigenfunctions related to the surface of the object. In effect, we convert part of the problem (that associated with the Fredholms integral equation of the first kind) an eigenvalue problem of a related Hermition operator. The methodology is explained in detail and examples are presented.
TRIALS ON THE ANTIBACTERIAL EFFECT OF GLUCOSE OXIDASE ON CHICKEN BREAST SKIN AND MUSCLE

Use of glucose oxidase as a possible means to inhibit microbial growth on processed poultry was evaluated. Muscle and skin sections of chicken breast were inoculated with Pseudomonas spp. or Salmonella typhimurium and subjected to either: (1) 60 s dip in 2 units of glucose oxidase without glucose supplementation or (2) 60 s dip in 2 units of glucose oxidase with 4% glucose supplementation. Control groups were dipped in sterilized, distilled water. The Pseudomonas and Salmonella populations were determined for each section. Neither enzyme treatment reduced the initial Pseudomonas or Salmonella populations nor did the treatments inhibit the growth of Pseudomonas during the storage period. Salmonella was inhibited by the low temperature. Therefore, a glucose oxidase enzyme treatment has little potential for extending the shelf-life of chicken.
Syntheses and crystal structures of [M(NO3)2(tpen)][NO3]·3H2O (M=La, Tb), rare earth complexes with strong M–N bonds

Abstract The compounds [M(NO3)2(tpen)][NO3]·3H2O with M=La, Nd, Eu, Tb and Y have been synthesized. Single crystals have been grown of the compounds with M=La and Tb from water–ethanol solution. Their crystal structures have been determined. The compounds are isostructural; the metals are ten-fold coordinated, with six nitrogens from one tpen ligand and four oxygens from two nitrates. Growth of crystals with nitrogen coordinated to rare earths in water-containing solution is unusual and indicates that tpen is a good nitrogen donor even with hard cations.
Hypertension and renal cardiovascular pathology in adrenalectomized salt-loaded rats.

Abstract Male and female adrenalectomized and uninephrectomized rats were kept on diets containing 4 and 12 per cent salt for 6 months and on a diet containing 4 per cent added salt for 1 year. Hypertension, increased heart weight, and microscopic lesions in the kidney consistent with early “malignant” nephrosclerosis were observed in male rats after 6 months on a 12 per cent salt diet, and in male rats after 1 year on a 4 per cent salt diet. These data reveal that hypertension and early nephrosclerosis can be induced by salt loading in the absence of the adrenal glands. It is also concluded that mineralosteroids of the adrenal cortex are not the primary pathogenic agents in inducing these conditions. It is probable that they merely potentiate the primary damaging effect of a high salt load.
Security implications of Android: a closed system, open software mobile platform

Smartphones blur the boundaries between the traditional feature phone and a general purpose computer such as a laptop. The Android OS, from Google, was created to be an open alternative to fully closed platforms such as Apple's iOS or Microsoft's Windows Phone OS. However, upon closer inspection, there are closed elements in the Android OS platform. First, there are closed portions to Google's Android code (e.g., manufacturer drivers). Second, users are closed off from accessing and modifying core elements of the OS such as the kernel and system daemons through both software and policy controls. These controls are enacted by Google, cellular carriers, and smartphone manufactures.We aim to open a broad and inclusive debate about the issues of openness in the mobile environment. The goal of this panel is to discuss if a mobile platform can both be fully open and secure for all stakeholders involved. The panel will only discuss Android as it the most widely researched smartphone OS, with leading market share, and highly targeted by malware. We plan to discuss the gains, losses, and conflicts surrounding the Android's open, in source, yet closed, in the system, platform.
An experimental investigation of satisfaction and commitment in marketing channels: The role of trust and dependence

This article was published in the Journal of Retailing [©1996 Published by Elsevier Inc.] and the definite version is available at: http://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-4359(96)90006-8 The Journal's website is at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022435996900068
External field produced by an arbitrary slot on a ribbon coated with a penetrable sheath

Expressions are derived for the external electromagnetic field produced by an arbitrary slot on the conducting surface of a dielectric coated ribbon. It is assumed that the electric field tangential to the slot is a prescribed function. Boundary conditions are satisfied using the orthogonality characteristics of Mathieu functions. The integrals in the formal solution are evaluated by the saddle point method for the far zone fields. These far zone field solutions are then specialized to thin circumferential and axial slots. Illustrative numerical computations for the far zone field of a thin axial slot are carried out.
Distribution of plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor in human platelet membranes

Abstract Human platelet plasma membranes were prepared by the glycerol lysis method of Harmon et al. [Harmon JT. Greco NJ. Jamieson GA. (1992) Isolation of human platelet plasma membranes by glycerol lysis. Meth. Enzymol., 215, 32–36]. The membranes were observed to contain a Ca 2+ -ATPase with different properties than those of internal membranes. The specific activity of Ca 2+ -ATPase was lower in plasma membranes (10–40 nmol ATP hydrolyzed/min/mg), but the ATPase was less sensitive to thapsigargin (41% inhibition at 500 nM) and more sensitive to vanadate (50% inhibition at 4 μM) than the Ca 2+ -ATPase in internal platelet membranes. The plasma membranes contained a Ca 2+ -ATPase detectable by monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies against erythrocyte Ca 2+ -ATPase that had a molecular mass of 144 kD. However, an anti-peptide antibody against an N-terminal sequence of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor recognized this protein in internal membranes, but not plasma membranes.
Specific detection of prostate cancer cells in urine by multiplex immunofluorescence cytology

Prostate cancer biomarkers are enriched in urine after prostatic manipulation, suggesting that whole cells might also be detectable for diagnosis. We tested multiplex staining of urinary sediments as a minimally invasive method to detect prostate cancer. Urine samples were collected from 35 men who had prostatic massage (attentive digital rectal examination) in a urology clinic and from 15 control men without urologic disease and without massage, for a total of 50 specimens (27 cancer-positive cases and 23 cancer-negative cases). LNCaP prostate cancer cells spiked into urine were used for initial marker optimization. Urine sediments were cytospun onto glass slides and stained. Multiplex urine cytology was compared with conventional urine cytology for cancer detection; anti-alpha-methylacyl-CoA racemase antibody was used as a marker of prostate cancer cells, anti-Nkx3.1 as a marker of prostate epithelial cells, anti-nucleolin as a marker of nucleoli, and 4'-6-diamidino-2-phenylindole to highlight nuclei. Prostate cancer cells were successfully visualized by combined staining for alpha-methylacyl-CoA racemase, Nkx3.1, and nucleolin. Of the 25 informative cases with biopsy-proven prostate cancer, 9 were diagnosed as suspicious or positive by multiplex immunofluorescence urine cytology, but only 4 were similarly judged by conventional cytology. All cases without cancer were read as negative by both methods. The multiplex cytology sensitivity for cancer detection in informative cases was 36% (9/25), and specificity was 100% (8/8). In conclusion, we have successfully achieved multiple staining for alpha-methylacyl-CoA racemase, Nkx3.1, nucleolin, and 4'-6-diamidino-2-phenylindole to detect prostate cancer cells in urine. Further refinements in marker selection and technique may increase sensitivity and applicability for prostate cancer diagnosis.
Free classification of American English dialects by native and non-native listeners

Most second language acquisition research focuses on linguistic structures, and less research has examined the acquisition of sociolinguistic patterns. The current study explored the perceptual classification of regional dialects of American English by native and non-native listeners using a free classification task. Results revealed similar classification strategies for the native and non-native listeners. However, the native listeners were more accurate overall than the non-native listeners. In addition, the non-native listeners were less able to make use of constellations of cues to accurately classify the talkers by dialect. However, the non-native listeners were able to attend to cues that were either phonologically or sociolinguistically relevant in their native language. These results suggest that non-native listeners can use information in the speech signal to classify talkers by regional dialect, but that their lack of signal-independent cultural knowledge about variation in the second language leads to less accurate classification performance.
STRESS AND MENTAL HEALTH: A BIOBEHAVIORAL PERSPECTIVE

The influence of stress on all aspects of health and the importance of understanding the complex interaction of the mind and body has increasingly become an issue of worldwide concern. This article offers an overview of the stress response, emphasizing the interdependence of the neurobiological components--neurologic, neuroendocrine, and endocrine axes--with emotional, behavioral, and cognitive responses. Common measurements of stress are presented, including instruments that assess stressors, cognitive/affective dimensions, biological systems, and allostatic load. Understanding the role of perceived stress and the relationship between biological and psychosocial dimensions of stress and mental disorders expands the potential for effective interventions by mental health nurses.
Model for photo-induced long-term drain current transients in GaAs MESFETs

A simple model is presented for the negative drain current transients observed in GaAs MESFETs when subjected to ionizing radiation. The two dominant mechanisms are proposed to be electron trapping under the Schottky gate and in the neutral semi-insulating substrate. The model is suitable for the design and evaluation of radiation-resistant GaAs MESFET integrated circuits using common electrical simulators such as SPICE3.