cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The moderating effect of dispositional forgiveness on perceived racial discrimination and depression for African American adults.

OBJECTIVES Perceived racial discrimination is associated with depressive symptoms for African American adults; however, insight to protective factors for racism and depression in African Americans is limited. While current research suggests that dispositional forgiveness is an important factor in how people perceive and cope with interpersonal transgressions, few studies have examined its role in the context of racial discrimination. The purpose of this study was to examine the moderating effect of forgiveness (beyond broader internalized religiosity) on the association between perceived racial discrimination and depressive symptoms in African American adults. METHOD Sample included 101 African American adults (60.2% female; Mage = 21.90 years, SD = 4.93 years) who endorsed experiences of racial discrimination. Participants completed a questionnaire battery consisting of self-report measures of perceived experiences of racial discrimination, depression, dispositional forgiveness, and intrinsic religiosity. RESULTS Regression analyses showed dispositional forgiveness moderated the association between perceived racial discrimination and symptoms of depression above and beyond intrinsic religiosity (β = -.05, 95% CI [-.10, -.05], p < .05), such that the racial discrimination-depression association was significant for participants who reported low levels of dispositional forgiveness, but not for individuals who reported higher levels of dispositional forgiveness. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide insight into the role of dispositional forgiveness in experiences of racial discrimination and suggest that cognitive flexibility serves as an adaptive coping strategy to experiencing discrimination. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
MRI Brain Templates of the Male Yucatan Minipig

Abstract The pig is growing in popularity as an experimental animal because its gyrencephalic brain is similar to humans. Currently, however, there is a lack of appropriate brain templates to support functional and structural neuroimaging pipelines. The primary contribution of this work is an average volume from an iterative, non-linear registration of 70 male Yucatan minipig subjects whose ages ranged from five to seven months. In addition, several aspects of this study are unique, including the comparison of linear and non-linear template generation, the characterization of a large and homogeneous cohort, an analysis of effective resolution after averaging, and the evaluation of potential within template bias as well as a comparison with a template from another minipig species using a “left-out” validation set. We found that within our highly homogeneous co-hort, non-linear registration produced better templates, but only marginally so. Although our T1-weighted data were resolution limited, we preserved effective resolution across the multi-subject average, produced templates that have high gray-white matter contrast, and demonstrated superior registration accuracy compared to the only known alternative minipig template.
Eastern Orthodox Perspectives on Nostra Aetate and Muslim–Christian Relations

In the light of the ongoing development of the relations and the cooperation between the Roman Catholic and the Orthodox Churches through the initiatives of the primates of the two Churches Pope Francis and the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, this paper analyses the Ecumenical significance of the Second Vatican Council under an Orthodox perspective. Undoubtedly, the convocation of Vatican II was not only a significant religious internal event for the Catholic Church. The Council and especially the “Decree on Ecumenism” and the “Declaration on Religious Freedom” placed the foundation for the beginning of the dialogue between the Catholic Church and the other Christian denominations and religious communities. The analysis of the present paper is based on these two important documents for two reasons. First, the “Decree on Ecumenism” makes a special consideration to the relations and the dialogue between the Catholic and the Eastern Churches, acknowledging that from the beginning, the Churches of the East have had a treasury from which the Western Church has drawn, and the fact that the Ecumenical Councils, which held in the East, defined the basic Doctrines of the Christian faith. Secondly, the “Declaration on Religious Freedom” is directly related to the challenging circumstances that the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople is still facing in terms of Church administration and religious freedom based on the legislation of the Turkish Republic.
Disrupting polycystin-2 EF hand Ca2+ affinity does not alter channel function or contribute to polycystic kidney disease.

ABSTRACT Approximately 15% of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is caused by variants in PKD2. PKD2 encodes polycystin-2, which forms an ion channel in primary cilia and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes of renal collecting duct cells. Elevated internal Ca2+ modulates polycystin-2 voltage-dependent gating and subsequent desensitization – two biophysical regulatory mechanisms that control its function at physiological membrane potentials. Here, we refute the hypothesis that Ca2+ occupancy of the polycystin-2 intracellular EF hand is responsible for these forms of channel regulation, and, if disrupted, results in ADPKD. We identify and introduce mutations that attenuate Ca2+-EF hand affinity but find channel function is unaltered in the primary cilia and ER membranes. We generated two new mouse strains that harbor distinct mutations that abolish Ca2+-EF hand association but do not result in a PKD phenotype. Our findings suggest that additional Ca2+-binding sites within polycystin-2 or Ca2+-dependent modifiers are responsible for regulating channel activity.
Effect of Hydroxychloroquine on Clinical Status at 14 Days in Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance Data on the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are needed. Objective To determine whether hydroxychloroquine is an efficacious treatment for adults hospitalized with COVID-19. Design, Setting, and Participants This was a multicenter, blinded, placebo-controlled randomized trial conducted at 34 hospitals in the US. Adults hospitalized with respiratory symptoms from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection were enrolled between April 2 and June 19, 2020, with the last outcome assessment on July 17, 2020. The planned sample size was 510 patients, with interim analyses planned after every 102 patients were enrolled. The trial was stopped at the fourth interim analysis for futility with a sample size of 479 patients. Interventions Patients were randomly assigned to hydroxychloroquine (400 mg twice daily for 2 doses, then 200 mg twice daily for 8 doses) (n = 242) or placebo (n = 237). Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was clinical status 14 days after randomization as assessed with a 7-category ordinal scale ranging from 1 (death) to 7 (discharged from the hospital and able to perform normal activities). The primary outcome was analyzed with a multivariable proportional odds model, with an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) greater than 1.0 indicating more favorable outcomes with hydroxychloroquine than placebo. The trial included 12 secondary outcomes, including 28-day mortality. Results Among 479 patients who were randomized (median age, 57 years; 44.3% female; 37.2% Hispanic/Latinx; 23.4% Black; 20.1% in the intensive care unit; 46.8% receiving supplemental oxygen without positive pressure; 11.5% receiving noninvasive ventilation or nasal high-flow oxygen; and 6.7% receiving invasive mechanical ventilation or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), 433 (90.4%) completed the primary outcome assessment at 14 days and the remainder had clinical status imputed. The median duration of symptoms prior to randomization was 5 days (interquartile range [IQR], 3 to 7 days). Clinical status on the ordinal outcome scale at 14 days did not significantly differ between the hydroxychloroquine and placebo groups (median [IQR] score, 6 [4-7] vs 6 [4-7]; aOR, 1.02 [95% CI, 0.73 to 1.42]). None of the 12 secondary outcomes were significantly different between groups. At 28 days after randomization, 25 of 241 patients (10.4%) in the hydroxychloroquine group and 25 of 236 (10.6%) in the placebo group had died (absolute difference, −0.2% [95% CI, −5.7% to 5.3%]; aOR, 1.07 [95% CI, 0.54 to 2.09]). Conclusions and Relevance Among adults hospitalized with respiratory illness from COVID-19, treatment with hydroxychloroquine, compared with placebo, did not significantly improve clinical status at day 14. These findings do not support the use of hydroxychloroquine for treatment of COVID-19 among hospitalized adults. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov:NCT04332991
Sentiment mapping: point pattern analysis of sentiment classified Twitter data

Detecting and monitoring collective public opinion via social media platforms can provide real-time information to researchers and policymakers. Human emotions, culture, and opinions can be tracked...
Simulations of Nb3Sn Layer RF Field Limits Due to Thermal Impedance

$Nb_{3}Sn$ performance in RF fields is limited to fields far below its superheating critical field. Poor thermal conductivity of $Nb_{3}Sn$ has been speculated to be the reason behind this limit. In order to better understand the contribution of $Nb_{3}Sn$ thermal conductivity to its RF performance, we simulated numerically with Matlab program*(based on SRIMP and HEAT codes) the limiting fields under different realistic conditions. Our simulations indicate that limiting fields observed presently in the experiments with RF fields cannot be explained by the thermal impedance of $Nb_{3}Sn$ alone. The results change significantly in the presence of higher losses due to extrinsic mechanisms.
Information disclosure and attitude towards privacy on Facebook among undergraduates: A survey at the Eastern University, Sri Lanka

Users of Facebook has been increasing exponentially in the last two decades, allowing millions of people to expose their profiles to the public and with no or little privacy for individuals. Facebook, in today's context has created a concern regarding privacy of its users and the consequences of information disclosure. Based on current reports regarding negative consequences of disclosure of information on social network sites, students seem to be unconcerned about the potential negative impacts of the same. The objectives of the study are to analyze the pattern of information disclosure on Facebook, examine the relationship between information disclosure and gender, determine the methods used for making friends on Facebook and its association with gender and, measure the attitudes towards privacy on social networking sites. A quantitative research approach was employed using a self-administrated questionnaire to gather responses from undergraduates of the Eastern University, Sri Lanka. The results revealed that the majority of undergraduates disclose their real name (82.3%), hometown (63.2%), e-mail address (60.53%) and, education (62.13%), and rarely share the relationship status (32%). Education is the highest criteria which both gender use to select friends (Male-56.12% & Female-55.89%). Moreover, the results revealed that females seldom share this information than males (p<0.05). Further, there was a tendency, to share different information with different groups of people which was statistically significant. The favourite, events, and location are associated with friends, while location and opinions are associated with the public. However, political views, and photos are appearing towards not sharing category. Relatively 41.1% of respondents were satisfied with the privacy setting of SNS. It gives evidence that privacy settings are still neglected, and it stresses the need for awareness programmes on privacy concerns on SNS for undergraduates.
Prototyping for Social Wellbeing with Early Social Media Users: Belonging, Experimentation, and Self-Care

Many 10-14 year olds are at the early stages of using social media, habits they develop on popular platforms can have lasting effects on their socio-emotional wellbeing. We led a remote innovation workshop with 23 middle schoolers on digital wellbeing, identity exploration, and computational concepts related to social computing. This workshop was a unique opportunity to reflect on emergent habits, discuss them with peers, and imagine oneself as an ICT innovator. Resulting themes related to participants’ social wellbeing online included a) sense of belonging to communities of interest, friends, and family, b) self-care and social support strategies involving managing risks, control, and empathy, and c) experimentation while building self-confidence and bravely exploring audience reactions. Participants iteratively designed and tested a sandbox social network website, resulting in Social Sketch. Reflecting on our study, we describe the process for conceptualizing Social Sketch, and challenges in social media innovation with teenagers.
Dynamic Vehicle Routing

This article provides an introduction to dynamic vehicle routing. Dynamic vehicle routing has grown in importance in the last decade as computing and mobile information technology have made it possible for companies to improve routing through real-time information. Despite these advances, dynamic routing still poses significant computational challenges. This article focuses on the methods that researches have devised to overcome these computational challenges. Three common solution structures are identified: a priori, insertion, and unrestricted. Solutions methodologies are also distinguished by whether or not they incorporate information about future events. Keywords: vehicle routing; dynamic; stochastic
Rewiring the keyboard: evolvability of the genetic code

The genetic code evolved in two distinct phases. First, the 'canonical' code emerged before the last universal ancestor; subsequently, this code diverged in numerous nuclear and organelle lineages. Here, we examine the distribution and causes of these secondary deviations from the canonical genetic code. The majority of non-standard codes arise from alterations in the tRNA, with most occurring by post-transcriptional modifications, such as base modification or RNA editing, rather than by substitutions within tRNA anticodons.
The divIVB region of the Bacillus subtilis chromosome encodes homologs of Escherichia coli septum placement (minCD) and cell shape (mreBCD) determinants.

Abstract Mutation of the divIVB locus in Bacillus subtilis causes frequent misplacement of the division septum, resulting in circular minicells, short rods, and filaments of various sizes. The divIVB1 mutant allele maps to a region of the chromosome also known to encode sporulation (spo0B, spoIVF, spoIIB) and cell shape (rodB) determinants. This study reports the cloning and sequence analysis of 4.4 kb of the B. subtilis chromosome encompassing the divIVB locus. This region contains five open reading frames (ORFs) arranged in two functionally distinct gene clusters (mre and min) and transcribed colinearly with the direction of replication. Although sequence analysis reveals potential promoters preceding each gene cluster, studies with integrational plasmids suggest that all five ORFs are part of a single transcription unit. The first gene cluster contains three ORFs (mreBCD) homologous to the mre genes of Escherichia coli. We show that rodB1 is allelic to mreD and identify the rodB1 mutation. The second gene cluster contains two ORFs (minCD) homologous to minC and minD of E. coli but lacks a minE homolog. We show that divIVB1 is allelic to minD and identify two mutations in the divIVB1 allele. Insertional inactivation of either minC or minD or the presence of the divIVB region on plasmids produces a severe minicell phenotype in wild-type cells. Moreover, E. coli cells carrying the divIVB region on a low-copy-number plasmid produce minicells, suggesting that a product of this locus may retain some function across species boundaries.
Oxidative stress and multi-organ failure in hospitalized elderly people.

To the Editor: Free radicals induce oxidative stress when overproduced, leading to injury and dysfunction of vital organs. Oxidative stress has also been implicated in normal aging. The measurement of isoprostanes has been found to be a reliable marker of oxidative stress. Whether this is due to overproduction of free radicals or impaired antioxidant defenses remains to be established. Isoprostanes are oxidation products that result from oxidative stress and are readily measured in plasma.1 They correlate highly with markers of inflammation, cytokines, and vasoconstrictive molecules. It was hypothesized that oxidative stress may be related to multi-organ failure in elderly people.
Photonic A/D converters

Summary form only given. Optical pulses from mode-locked lasers have long been recognized as having nearly ideal timing properties for sampling microwave signals. The pulses are short, and the pulse-to-pulse timing jitter can be held to sub-femtosecond levels. The primary difficulty in this sampling approach has been maintaining linearity in encoding the electrical signal on the optical pulse. A new technique has been developed which views the encoding process in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer as phase modulation, and maintains this treatment of the signal through the measurement, quantization, and processing of the signal. Such an approach has demonstrated third order intermodulation distortion of less than -80 dBc.
Wind Tunnels in Engineering Education

The subject of fluid mechanics is filled with abstract concepts, mathematical methods, and results. Historically, it has been a challenging subject for students, undergraduate and graduate. In most institutions, the introductory course in fluid mechanics is accompanied by a laboratory course. While institutional philosophy and orientation vary around the world, the goal of that laboratory is to strengthen students’ understanding of fluid mechanics using a variety of laboratory exercises (Feisel & Rosa, 2005). The literature has identified six basic functions of experimental work. Indeed, the report of the Laboratory Development Committee of the Commission on Engineering Education identified six key functions and objectives of the instructional laboratory (Ernest, 1983): a. Familiarization b. Model identification c. Validation of assumptions d. Prediction of the performance of complex systems e. Testing for compliance with specifications f. And exploration for new fundamental information. The report states that “The role of the undergraduate instructional laboratory is to teach student engineers to perform these six functions. Hence the primary goal of undergraduate laboratories is to inculcate into the student the theory and practice of experimentation. This includes instrumentation and measurement theory.” (Ernst, 1983). The wind tunnel is one such instrument. This chapter focuses on the measurement theory on which the wind tunnel is based and presents examples of its use in the undergraduate fluid mechanics laboratory at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA. The remainder of the chapter is organized in the following manner: 1. Basic concepts discuss definitions, classifications, and various uses of wind tunnels. 2. Fundamental Equations present the equations that are used as foundations for the theory and application of wind tunnels. 3. Applications of wind tunnels in teaching fluid mechanics present nine different examples that are used in our laboratory to teach various aspects of fluid mechanics and its uses in design, testing, model verification, and research. 4. References list all cited works in alphabetical order.
Dietary Amino Acids Are the Preferential Source of Hepatic Protein Synthesis in Piglets

To investigate the utilization of dietary amino acids for hepatic protein synthesis, seven female pigs ( 28 d old, 7.5 kg) were implanted with catheters in a carotid artery, the jugular and portal veins, and the stomach. A portal flow probe was also implanted. The pigs were fed a high protein diet once hourly and infused intragastrically with [U-13C]algal protein for 6 h. Amino acid labeling was measured in arterial and portal blood, in the hepatic free and protein-bound pools and in apolipoprotein B-100 (apoB-100), albumin and fibrinogen. The isotopic enrichments of apoB-100-bound [U-13C]threonine, leucine, lysine and phenylalanine were 33, 100, 194 and 230% higher than those of their respective hepatic free amino acid pools (P < 0.01). Using the labeling of apoB-100 to estimate that of the protein synthetic precursor, the fractional rate of hepatic protein synthesis was 42 +/- 2%/d. Between 5 and 8% of the dietary tracer amino acids was used for hepatic protein synthesis. In contrast to the small intestinal mucosa, in which the majority of the metabolized amino acids were apparently catabolized, protein synthesis utilized from 48% (threonine) to 90% (lysine) of the hepatic uptake of tracer amino acids. It appears that hepatic protein synthesis consumes nutritionally significant quantities of dietary essential amino acids in first pass and that extracellular, especially portal, essential amino acids are channeled to hepatic protein synthesis in the fed state.
Abstract 4663: Genetic variation in the p38 signaling pathway as markers for postoperative pulmonary complications in lung cancer patients

Surgical resection is the primary treatment for patients with localized non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although often a successful treatment option, a portion of these individuals will experience postoperative pulmonary complications, such as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and atelectasis. These complications are difficult to predict and often characterized by a hyper-inflammatory response. The p38 signaling pathway is activated following stress stimuli and in response to inflammatory signals. Because of this important role, we hypothesized that genetic polymorphisms within the core components of this pathway may result in dysregulated response to inflammation following surgery causing unforeseen complications. Therefore, in this study we genotyped 242 common, germline genetic variants from 19 p38 pathway genes in 275 Caucasian NSCLC patients who underwent a lobectomy at MD Anderson. After controlling for clinical risk factors, twenty-three significant associations with any pulmonary complication were observed (P Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4663. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-4663
Hypothermic circulatory arrest for the surgical treatment of complicated adult coarctation of the aorta.

OBJECTIVES This study was designed to evaluate the surgical treatment of recurrent coarctation by a new technique. BACKGROUND Recurrent coarctation either from aneurysm or recurrent constriction is a difficult problem in the adult because of the possible interruption of important collateral circulation. METHODS We reviewed four patients who underwent recurrent coarctation surgery with the use of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA). RESULTS All four patients survived. Deep HCA facilitated precise surgical resection and there was no postoperative paraplegia, stroke, or myocardial infarction. CONCLUSIONS Deep HCA and resection and grafting of the coarctation is indicated for complicated adult coarctations, particularly when the collateral circulation is in doubt.
Descriptors and perception of dyspnea in African-American asthmatics

Objective. This study explores self-reported perception of asthma symptoms in African-Americans. Methods. Qualitative methodology was used to analyze the responses from African-Americans within focus groups from Nashville, Tennessee. Results. Common symptoms were chest tightness, “breathing problems,” and wheeze. Less commonly reported symptoms included cough, chest pain, dizziness, sweating, and “short of breath.” A single participant reported nocturnal wheezing. Conclusions. This study provides insight into the descriptors and perception of asthma symptoms in African-Americans. Understanding the descriptors of symptoms and disease severity in African-American patients may lead to more accurate diagnosis, treatment, and reduced mortality within this high-risk population.
The prevalence of nitric oxide in apoptotic chondrocytes of osteoarthritis.

Abstract Objective Apoptosis appears to be a significant mechanism of chondrocyte death in osteoarthritis (OA). There is increasing evidence that nitric oxide (NO) may be the inducing signal for apoptosis, but no study has definitively shown an association between the two in vivo . In this study, sections of osteoarthritic cartilage were double stained for the presence of apoptosis and NO to test the hypothesis that NO is the inducer of apoptosis in arthritis. Design Sections of osteoarthritic cartilage obtained during total knee arthroplasty were stained for apoptosis with terminal transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL). The sections were then stained for nitrotyrosine (a marker of NO production) by immunohistochemistry. The prevalence of NO in cells positive for apoptosis and in cells negative for apoptosis was determined by fluorescent microscopy. Results The prevalence of NO in apoptotic cells was no different than in non-apoptotic cells, suggesting NO is not the initiating signal for apoptosis in vivo . Conclusions The precipitating cause for apoptosis in arthritic chondrocytes has not yet been determined. The data from this study fail to support NO as the direct initiating signal. NO synthase inhibitors may still be useful in the treatment of OA by blocking the catabolic activities of NO.
Measuring and Understanding Diversity Is Not So Simple: How Characteristics of Personal Identity Can Improve Museum Audience Studies

ABSTRACTFor decades, museums have been seeking diversity in their audiences, for reasons including equity, vitality, community relations, and audience development. The initial emphasis on diversity was about race, and although museum initiatives and programming forged ahead with evolving definitions of diversity, the visitor studies field has a mixed record of participating in that evolution. The usefulness of visitor demographics in representing diversity has been debated and, although the field has exploded simple conceptions such as “the typical visitor,” visitor research professionals have not thoroughly applied our skills to help museums understand how to define, encourage, and monitor diversity, or to document its benefits. This article suggests that more thoughtful measures of audience diversity can be created by expanding demographics with characteristics of personal identity. Pragmatic examples of such measures in visitor research are presented.
Customizing the mass and geometric stiffness of plane beam elements by Fourier methods

Teaches by example the application of finite element templates in constructing high performance elements. The example discusses the improvement of the mass and geometric stiffness matrices of a Bernoulli‐Euler plane beam. This process interweaves classical techniques (Fourier analysis and weighted orthogonal polynomials) with newer tools (finite element templates and computer algebra systems). Templates are parameterized algebraic forms that uniquely characterize an element population by a “genetic signature” defined by the set of free parameters. Specific elements are obtained by assigning numeric values to the parameters. This freedom of choice can be used to design “custom” elements. For this example weighted orthogonal polynomials are used to construct templates for the beam material stiffness, geometric stiffness and mass matrices. Fourier analysis carried out through symbolic computation searches for template signatures of mass and geometric stiffness that deliver matrices with desirable properties when used in conjunction with the well‐known Hermitian beam material stiffness. For mass‐stiffness combinations, three objectives are noted: high accuracy for vibration analysis, wide separation of acoustic and optical branches, and low sensitivity to mesh distortion and boundary conditions. Only the first objective is examined in detail.
Improving facial expression analysis using histograms of Log-Transformed Nonnegative Sparse Representation with a Spatial Pyramid Structure

Facial activity is the most direct signal for perceiving emotional states in people. Emotion analysis from facial displays has been attracted an increasing attention because of its wide applications from human-centered computing to neuropsychiatry. Recently, image representation based on sparse coding has shown promising results in facial expression recognition. In this paper, we introduce a novel image representation for facial expression analysis. Specifically, we propose to use the histograms of nonnegative sparse coded image features to represent a facial image. In order to capture fine appearance variations caused by facial expression, logarithmic transformation is further employed on each nonnegative sparse coded feature. In addition, the proposed Histograms of Log-Transformed Nonnegative Sparse Coding (HLNNSC) features are calculated and organized in a pyramid-like structure such that the spatial relationships among the features are captured and utilized to enhance the performance of facial expression recognition. Extensive experiments on the Cohn-Kanade database show that the proposed approach yields a significant improvement in facial expression recognition and outperforms the other sparse coding based baseline approaches. Furthermore, experimental results on the GEMEP-FERA2011 dataset demonstrate that the proposed approach is promising for recognition under less controlled and thus more challenging environment.
Initial experience with endobronchial ultrasound in an academic thoracic surgery program.

Abstract Background Mediastinoscopy is considered the gold standard for evaluating mediastinal lymph nodes. However, endobronchial ultrasound–guided transbronchial needle aspiration has lately offered a less invasive alternative, with the ability to obtain nodal samples under direct visualization. Recent literature found an early learning curve for this technique. We present the initial experience of 4 thoracic surgeons with the procedure. Materials and Methods A retrospective chart review was performed on the first 51 patients on whom an endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration was performed from January 5, 2007, to July 24, 2008. This group included 43 patients with a history or known diagnosis of malignancy as well as 8 patients with a presumed sarcoidosis diagnosis. All negative results were confirmed with mediastinoscopy. The technique's sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy were assessed. Results A total of 73 lymph nodes underwent biopsy in 51 patients. These individuals included 34 men and 17 women, with an average age of 62 years (range, 21-89 years). No surgical or postoperative complications were noted. Overall, a correct diagnosis was established in 88% of the patients (45 of 51). After the first 25 cases (a mean of 6 cases per surgeon), a technique modification was adapted to increase diagnostic yield. The first 25 cases had a 72.22% sensitivity and 80% accuracy, whereas the last 26 cases had a 95.45% sensitivity and 96.15% accuracy ( P = .07). Conclusion Endobronchial ultrasound–guided transbronchial needle aspiration is a quickly mastered technique that offers a safe, minimally invasive, and accurate means to evaluate mediastinal lymph nodes.
Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy of human brain function.

The techniques of in vivo magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and spectroscopy have been established over the past two decades. Recent applications of these methods to study human brain function have become a rapidly growing area of research. The development of methods using standard MR contrast agents within the cerebral vasculature has allowed measurements of regional cerebral blood volume (rCBV), which are activity dependent. Subsequent investigations linked the MR relaxation properties of brain tissue to blood oxygenation levels which are also modulated by consumption and blood flow (rCBF). These methods have allowed mapping of brain activity in human visual and motor cortex as well as in areas of the frontal lobe involved in language. The methods have high enough spatial and temporal sensitivity to be used in individual subjects. MR spectroscopy of proton and carbon-13 nuclei has been used to measure rates of glucose transport and metabolism in the human brain. The steady-state measurements of brain glucose concentrations can be used to monitor the glycolytic flux, whereas subsequent glucose metabolism--i.e., the flux into the cerebral glutamate pool--can be used to measure tricarboxylic acid cycle flux. Under visual stimulation the concentration of lactate in the visual cortex has been shown to increase by MR spectroscopy. This increase is compatible with an increase of anaerobic glycolysis under these conditions as earlier proposed from positron emission tomography studies. It is shown how MR spectroscopy can extend this understanding of brain metabolism.
Functional Doppler optical coherence tomography for cortical blood flow imaging

Optical methods have been widely used in basic neuroscience research to study the cerebral blood flow dynamics in order to overcome the low spatial resolution associated with magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography. Although laser Doppler imaging and laser speckle imaging can map out en face cortical hemodynamics and columns, depth resolution is not available. Two-photon microscopy has been used for mapping cortical activity. However, flow measurement requires fluorescent dye injection, which can be problematic. The noninvasive and high resolution tomographic capabilities of optical coherence tomography make it a promising technique for mapping depth resolved cortical blood flow. Here, we present a functional Doppler optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging modality for quantitative evaluation of cortical blood flow in a mouse model. Fast, repeated, Doppler OCT scans across a vessel of interest were performed to record flow dynamic information with a high temporal resolution of the cardiac cycles. Spectral Doppler analysis of continuous Doppler images demonstrates how the velocity components and longitudinally projected flow-volume-rate change over time, thereby providing complementary temporal flow information to the spatially distributed flow information of Doppler OCT. The proposed functional Doppler OCT imaging modality can be used to diagnose vessel stenosis/blockage or monitor blood flow changes due to pharmacological agents/neuronal activities. Non-invasive in-vivo mice experiments were performed to verify the capabilities of function Doppler OCT.
Immunologic tolerance of ABO incompatibleerythrocytes in human neonates

Three infants who received ABO incompatible blood for treatment of Rh hemolyticdisease exhibited no adaptive immunologic response to these foreign cells. The available evidence indicates that human beings are normally capable of specific immunologic response to these antigens during this age period. Therefore, these observations are interpreted as evidence of complete immunologic tolerance. Prolongation of an in utero immunologic adaptation to maternal antigens is favored as a possible explanation of the observed phenomenon.
Lack of benefit of preoperative antimicrobial prophylaxis in children with acute appendicitis: a prospective cohort study

Background Preoperative antimicrobial prophylaxis is widely used in pediatric patients undergoing appendectomy, but evidence showing a reduction of postoperative infectious complications is lacking.
Quantum beats in two-photon resonance fluorescence

The two-photon resonance fluorescence spectrum of a three-level atom is shown to consist of the low frequency modes in addition to the high frequency ones in the limit of high photon densities. The spectral function for the low frequency modes consists of two lorentzian lines describing: the peak occuring at the renormalized beat frequency Δ+ and that of the zero-photon excitation at the frequency Δ-, where Δ±=Δ-3Ω2/2ωa±Ω2u/2ωa, u2=1+(2Δωa/Ω 2)2. Here, 2Δ is the energy splitting between the two excited states, ωa is the photon energy of the pump field and Ω is the Rabi frequency. The peak at the renormalized beat frequency Δ+ occurs provided that the condition (2Δωa/Ω2)2 > 1 is satisfied. The two-photon laser spectroscopy is expected to be a useful tool for the observation of the low frequency modes in question.
The local structure of adsorbed methyl thiolate: the reactions of methanethiol on Mo(110)

Abstract The reactions of methanethiol were studied on Mo(110) using temperature-programmed reaction. X-ray photoelectron, and high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopies. The SH bond in methanethiol is broken upon adsorption to form a methyl thiolate intermediate at 100 K. The CS bond of the intermediate is oriented along the surface normal based on vibrational data which indicates C3v symmetry since only one methyl rock mode is observed at 905 cm−1. Electron energy loss spectra also indicate that the CS bond is weakened in the methyl thiolate intermediate compared to methanethiol. Methane is formed via CS bond hydrogenolysis of the thiolate in a peak centered at 315 K; nonselective decomposition to atomic carbon and sulfur with gaseous dihydrogen is a competing process. Approximately 40% of the thiolate produces methane and the remaining 60% nonselectively decomposes. The kinetics and selectivity are related to the CS bond strength in the thiolate and the lack of a stable gas-phase dehydrogenation product. The reactivity and structure of the thiolate is compared on Mo(110) and other metals.
Performance testing of lidar components subjected to exposure in space via MISSE 7 mission

.The objective of the Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) is to study the performance of novel materials when subjected to the synergistic effects of the harsh space environment for several months. MISSE missions provide an opportunity for developing space qualifiable materials. Several laser and lidar components were sent by NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) as a part of the MISSE 7 mission. The MISSE 7 module was transported to the international space station (ISS) via STS 129 mission that was launched on Nov 16, 2009. Later, the MISSE 7 module was brought back to the earth via the STS 134 that landed on June 1, 2011. The MISSE 7 module that was subjected to exposure in space environment for more than one and a half year included fiber laser, solid-state laser gain materials, detectors, and semiconductor laser diode. Performance testing of these components is now progressing. In this paper, the current progress on post-flight performance testing of a high-speed photodetector and a balanced receiver is discussed. Preliminary findings show that detector characteristics did not undergo any significant degradation.
Purification and characterization of collagenase from guinea pig skin

Abstract Guinea pig skin collagenase, isolated from culture medium of whole skin, was separated into two enzymatically active fractions. These two fractions have been purified extensively. Peak II fraction has been purified to homogeneity as examined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Their molecular weights are approximately 130 000 (peak I) and 40 000 (peak II). Both guinea pig skin collagenase fractions are capabe of degrading the native collagen fibrils and are inhibited by serum, cysteine and EDTA. They appear to be glycoproteins. Guinea pig skin (peak II) and human skin collagenase were compared. They are both glycoproteins and have similar molecular size ( M r = 40 000). Immunodiffusion assay showed that no cross-reactivity was seen between the enzymes, indicating species specificity among collagenases.
Spectrum management and power allocation in MIMO cognitive networks

We consider the problem of maximizing the throughput of a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) cognitive radio (CR) network. CR users are assumed to share the available spectrum without disturbing primary radio (PR) transmissions. With spatial multiplexing performed over each frequency band, a multi-antenna CR node controls its antenna radiation patterns and allocates power for each data stream by appropriately adjusting its precoding matrix. Our objective is to design a set of precoding matrices (one for each band) at each CR node so that power and spectrum are optimally allocated for that node (in terms of throughput) and its interference is steered away from other CR and PR transmissions. In other words, the problems of power, spectrum and interference management are jointly investigated. We formulate a multi-carrier MIMO network throughput optimization problem subject to frequency-dependent power constraints. The problem is non-convex, with the number of variables growing quadratically with the number of antenna elements. Such a problem is difficult to solve, even in a centralized manner. To tackle it, we translate it into a noncooperative game and derive an optimal pricing policy for each node, which adapts to the node's neighboring conditions and drives the game to a Nash-Equilibrium (NE). The network throughput under this NE is at least equal to that of a locally optimal solution of the non-convex centralized problem. To find the set of precoding matrices at each node (the best response), a low-complexity distributed algorithm is developed by exploiting the strong duality of the per-user convex optimization problem. The number of variables in the distributed algorithm is independent of the number of antenna elements. A centralized (cooperative) algorithm is also developed, serving as a performance benchmark. Simulations show that the network throughput under the distributed algorithm converges rapidly to that of the centralized one. The fast convergence of the game facilitates MAC design, which we briefly discuss in the paper. The application of our results is not limited to CR systems, but extends to multi-carrier (e.g., OFDM) MIMO systems.
Social Activities Related to Rhesus Monkey Consort Behavior

The dominant male and six adult female rhesus monkeys within a larger group were studied to determine behavioral correlates of the estrus cycle. Consort behavior was expressed primarily in increased proximity scores and consequent increases in all types of social interaction. Estrus females enjoy greater toleration by the male, but may be attacked too, and show no change in dominance rank relative to other group members. Some females remain in proximity with the dominant male whenever tolerated regardless of sexual status and others avoid him even when in estrus.
MEDECS, a simulator for mediterranean ecosystems:

MEDECS, the mediterranean ecosystem simulator, was developed to model the dynamics of mediterranean- type vegetation in southern California and central Chile. MEDECS is a difference/differential-equation model which simulates the seasonal patterns of resource use and plant response in one-day time steps. It uses submodels of plant growth, decompo sition, and inorganic nutrient release to describe the effects of physiological processes, nutrient availability, and environmental parameters. MEDECS is a compartmental model of the producer-decomposer system. In use, it simulates the seasonal progres sion of changes in each of the compartments. It is being used in on-going research to examine hypotheses about single-species and multiple-species (competi tive) communities of plants.
Copper jacketed bullets in the central nervous system.

Bullets fired from hand guns are often partially or fully jacketed with copper — a fact that can usually be recognized on radiographs. The copper content of the metallic foreign body (MFB) appears to be more toxic than unjacketed lead and sometimes leads to migration of the MFB through brain tissue. Therefore, it appears wise to attempt to recognize and remove copper containing MFBs when they lie in contact with the central nervous system. Plan lead missiles and those partially clad with copper often leave traces of lead along their paths, while those that are completely copper clad do not. Partially clad missiles tend to show some separation of lead and copper — revealing two differing metallic densities on the radiographs.
Comparative effects of liver and tumour ribonucleic acids on the normal liver and the Novikoff hepatoma cells of the rat.

Comparative Effects of Liver and Tumour Ribonucleic Acids on the Normal Liver and the Novikoff Hepatoma Cells of the Rat
Nonparametric analysis of truncated survival data, with application to AIDS

SUMMARY One source of data for the induction distribution of AIDS arises from persons infected by the AIDS virus from contaminated blood transfusions. Analyses of these data are complicated because the number of individuals infected by transfusion is unknown; information is available only for those who are infected and develop AIDS within a certain chronologic time interval. The statistical problem is one of making inferences about a stochastic process of infection and disease for which realizations are right truncated in chronologic time. By considering the process in reverse time, we transform the problem to one of analysing survival data that are left truncated in internal time. We develop nonparametric methods for estimating and comparing the identifiable aspects of the induction distributions of several groups. An important feature of the natural history and population dynamics of AIDS is the induction period between infection with the AIDS virus and the onset of clinical AIDS. This time is sometimes referred to as the latency period or incubation period. Follow-up studies of individuals at risk of being infected will provide direct observations from the induction distribution, but most of these studies will not be completed for several years. One alternative source of information arises from persons infected with the AIDS virus from a contaminated blood transfusion. Of persons infected in this way, only those who develop AIDS by a certain date can be identified. The total number who are infected is not known. A similar sampling distribution arises in the study of pediatric AIDS: children who contract AIDS as a result of being infected in utero or at birth can be identified, but the total number infected in this way is unknown. The statistical problem is one of making inferences about a stochastic process of infection and subsequent disease in which realizations are right truncated in chronologic time. By considering the process in reverse time, the problem can be transformed to one of survival data that are left truncated in internal time. We use this relationship to develop nonparametric methods for estimating and comparing the identifiable aspects of the induction distributions for
Exercise activation of myocardial lipoprotein lipase in male and estrogen-treated female rats☆

Abstract Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the utilization of plasma triglycerides by extrahepatic tissues. The present study examined the effect of estrogen upon the circadian rhythm of rat myocardial LPL and upon the endothelial-bound and tissue components of rat myocardial LPL immediately after exhaustive exercise. Female rats were ovariectomized at 28 days. Estrogen replaced female rats (ER) received 17-β-estradiol in sunflower oil ( 200 μ g 100 g body weight/week for 4 weeks). Oil-injected female rats (OI) received sunflower oil ( 0.1 mL 100 g body weight/week for 4 weeks). Normal male rats (M) were studied for comparison. ER, OI, and M animals were killed every four hours starting at 8 am . Estrogen treatment did not alter the circadian rhythm of LPL activity. A second group of animals were run to exhaustion on a motorized treadmill, starting at 9 am . ER animals performed significantly more work (P