cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microsurgical Clipping and Bypass for Fusiform Middle Cerebral Artery Aneurysm: 2-Dimensional Operative Video.

Fusiform middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysms that require treatment can often necessitate complex endovascular or microsurgical treatment. We present a case of a 25-yr-old female with an incidentally discovered left 14-mm fusiform MCA aneurysm incorporating the frontal MCA trunk origin in its dome. The location and anatomy were not favorable for endovascular treatment with flow diversion. The patient was offered continued observation or microsurgical treatment. Direct clipping of this aneurysm was not possible. After a thorough discussion of the risks, benefits, indications, and natural history of the lesion, the patient desired to have the aneurysm treated given her young age, location, size of the aneurysm, and the significant clinical experience of the treating team in bypass surgery. The patient underwent superficial temporal artery to frontal M2 (STA-FM2) direct bypass for flow replacement followed by microsurgical trapping and clip ligation. The patient was maintained on antiplatelet therapy preoperatively and postoperatively. The patient had a transient aphasia and mild right upper extremity weakness (4/5) in the immediate postoperative period, which fully recovered by the time of patient discharge. The case presentation, surgical anatomy, technique, and postoperative course and outcome are reviewed. The different strategies for bypass and clip ligation are reviewed with particular focus on the anatomic constraints for each bypass configuration. The outcomes of bypass surgery for MCA aneurysms are reviewed.1-7 The patient gave verbal consent for participating in the procedure, surgical video, and publication of their image.
A Girl with Limp and Rash on the Palms and Soles

1. Susamita Kesh, MD* 2. Jacob S. Ward, DO* 3. Ashley M. Cooper, MD† 1. *Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO 2. †Department of Pediatrics, Division of Rheumatology, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO A previously healthy 5-year-old white girl presents to her pediatrician’s office with a 2-day history of limp. She has no preceding trauma, fever, viral, or constitutional symptoms. At the primary care office, she walks with an antalgic gait, appearing to favor her left leg but has no localizable source of pain, visible swelling, or joint limitation. Radiographs of the pelvis and lower extremities are obtained and demonstrate a lucency of the left proximal tibial metaphysis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with intravenous contrast reveals hyperintense metaphyseal lesions of the bilateral proximal tibiae and right distal tibia concerning for infection (Fig 1). Figure 1. Magnetic resonance imaging of the lower extremities with contrast. Bilateral proximal tibial and right distal tibial lesions with associated marrow edema (arrows) and right subtalar joint effusion (arrowheads). She is admitted to the hospital for additional evaluation. During the initial evaluation and treatment, she develops a nonpainful, nonpruritic rash on her palms and soles. Physical examination reveals erythematous plaques of 3 to 5 cm in diameter with overlying scale and few central pustules (Fig 2). Figure 2. Erythematous plaques with overlying scale and rare pustules on the palms and soles. Complete blood cell count is normal with the exception of a mildly elevated platelet count of 456 × 103/mcL. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate is 44 mm/h, C-reactive protein less than 0.5 mg/dL. Bone biopsies from the tibial lesions reveal focal marrow fibrosis and no evidence of malignancy or inflammation. Aerobic, anaerobic, and fungal cultures sent from bone biopsy are negative. Echocardiogram shows no vegetations. Additional infectious studies, including testing for Blastomyces, tuberculosis, and Bartonella, are negative. Whole-body MRI strongly supports the presumed diagnosis. The patient’s limp improves after starting scheduled naproxen. The care team’s initial differential included infectious osteomyelitis, malignancy, Langerhans cell histiocytosis, and chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO). …
Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema and Shoulder Impairments: Physical Therapy and Plastic Surgery

Lymphedema of the arm and/or breast and shoulder impairments are common sequelae of medical and surgical interventions for breast cancer. It is important to identify these impairments early in their progression to improve outcomes with various management options – conservative and surgical. The advancements in imaging technology have helped to improve early diagnosis and surgical interventions. Diagnostic approaches for lymphedema of the arm and breast provide a framework for addressing these pathologies. Without effective diagnosis and treatment, ongoing lymphedema and shoulder impairment can cause chronic, debilitating problems that impede quality of life.
Compositional and Scalable Object SLAM

We present a fast, scalable, and accurate Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) system that represents indoor scenes as a graph of objects. Leveraging the observation that artificial environments are structured and occupied by recognizable objects, we show that a compositional and scalable object mapping formulation is amenable to a robust SLAM solution for drift-free large-scale indoor reconstruction. To achieve this, we propose a novel semantically assisted data association strategy that results in unambiguous persistent object landmarks and a 2.5D compositional rendering method that enables reliable frame-to-model RGB-D tracking. Consequently, we deliver an optimized online implementation that can run at near frame rate with a single graphics card, and provide a comprehensive evaluation against state-of-the-art baselines. An open-source implementation will be provided at https://github.com/rpl-cmu/object-slam.
Changes in management and outcomes for children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes over the last 50 years.

Over the 50 years from 1964 to 2014, outcomes for children with type 1diabetes have improved significantly, because of both technological advancements and changes in management philosophy. For the child with type 1 diabetes in 2014, intensive management with multiple daily injections or insulin pump therapy and the support of a specialist multidisciplinary team is now standard care. The main treatment goal is no longer the avoidance of hypoglycaemia, but the minimisation of hyperglycaemia and glucose variability, thereby reducing the risk of microvascular complications. However, the inherent burden of care and diligence required by patients and families, if they are to maintain optimal diabetes control, have not changed and may even have increased. While the long sought-after cure for diabetes remains elusive, artificial pancreas or closed-loop systems hold the most promise for improving the burden of care in the near term for children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes.
What We Share

Under the ADA, an employer may not act based on generalized fears about the risk of violence by persons with mental disorders. The ADA's direct threat provision prohibits reliance on such 'common sense' fears, which are often erroneous assessments of risk. Instead, Congress imposed a standard requiring a direct threat determination based on an individualized inquiry into the actual, current risks posed by the individual applicant or employee. Following this assessment, the employer may exclude or restrict the individual only if the risk is 'significant,' rather than remote or speculative. Moreover, if that risk can be sufficiently reduced or eliminated by reasonable accommodations, including modifications to workplace practices, then the employer may not exclude the employee. This article examines current scientific literature about the link between mental disorders and violence and assesses that evidence under the rigorous standards of the direct threat defense. It then explores two important implications of that assessment for employers. First, employers may not determine categorically that persons diagnosed with mental disorders present a significant risk of workplace violence and therefore must be excluded from the workplace or restricted in their job duties. The direct threat defense is specifically designed to replace such generalized fears with individualized inquiries. Second, under the ADA employers must assess the risk of violence in the workplace, not in a vacuum, and in light of reasonable accommodations to reduce that risk. Here the implications of the social science research are considered, including the emerging consensus that violence arises out of situations and relationships rather than solely from an individual's disposition. Thus, the employer's duty to reduce or eliminate risks through reasonable workplace accommodations may open the door to demands that an employer undertake measures to change workplace dynamics to reduce the risks of violent confrontations.
Open community authoring of worked example problems

Open collaborative authoring systems such as Wikipedia are growing in use and impact. This research examines how to create a collaborative authoring community for educational resources. We describe and evaluate a novel tool for community authoring of worked examples, in the task of making instruction for a specific math skill. Participants were professional teachers (math and non-math) and amateurs. We find that while there are differences by teaching status, all three groups made contributions of worth.
Achieving Multi-level Parallelization

Many modern machine architectures feature parallel processing at both the fine-grain and coarse-grain level. In order to efficiently utilize these multiple levels; a parallelizing compiler must orchestrate the interactions of fine-grain and coarse-grain transformations. The goal of the PROMIS compiler project is to develop a multi-source, multitarget parallelizing compiler in which the front-end and back-end are integrated via a single unified intermediate representation. In this paper, we examine the appropriateness of the Hierarchical Task Graph as that representation.
Self-Organized Continuous Speech Recognition

Current efforts to recognize continuous (or “connected”) speech are aimed at constructing a voice-excited “typewriter” that automatically transcribes natural speech into ordinary (e.g. English) written form. So far, however, only very restricted speech has been recognized. The sentences that are spoken must either be prescribed a priori by an artificial grammar which the experimenter has designed, or else limited by a vocabulary and a restricted area of discourse such as that used in business letters, book reviews, or airline reservation systems. These latter so-called natural tasks are generally much more difficult than the artificial ones (given a fixed vocabulary).
X-ray, visible and electron spectroscopy with the NIST EBIT

An overview is given of recent activities at the NIST electron beam ion trap (EBIT) facility. The machine has been operational for almost three years. Important characteristics and demonstrated capabilities of our EBIT are presented. Selected results include experiments with trapped highly charged ions (X-ray and visible spectroscopy), and with extracted ions (ion-surface collision studies).
Novel Behavioral Paradigm Reveals Lower Temporal Limits on Mouse Olfactory Decisions.

Temporal limits on perceptual decisions set strict boundaries on the possible underlying neural computations. How odor information is encoded in the olfactory system is still poorly understood. Here, we sought to define the limit on the speed of olfactory processing. To achieve this, we trained mice to discriminate different odor concentrations in a novel behavioral setup with precise odor delivery synchronized to the sniffing cycle. Mice reported their choice by moving a horizontal treadmill with their front limbs. We found that mice reported discriminations of 75% accuracy in 70–90 ms after odor inhalation. For a low concentration and nontrigeminal odorant, this time was 90–140 ms, showing that mice process odor information rapidly even in the absence of trigeminal stimulation. These response times establish, after accounting for odor transduction and motor delays, that olfactory processing can take tens of milliseconds. This study puts a strong limit on the underlying neural computations and suggests that the action potentials forming the neural basis for these decisions are fired in a few tens of milliseconds. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Understanding how sensory information is processed requires different approaches that span multiple levels of investigation from genes to neurons to behavior. Limits on behavioral performance constrain the possible neural mechanisms responsible for specific computations. Using a novel behavioral paradigm, we established that mice can make decisions about odor intensity surprisingly fast. After accounting for sensory and motor delays, the limit on some olfactory neural computations can be as low as a few tens of milliseconds, which suggests that only the first action potentials across a population of neurons contribute to these computations.
A survey of methods for system-level fault diagnosis

With the increasing need for efficient means of automatic fault diagnosis in large distributed computing systems, system-level fault diagnosis has been a fertile research area for the last few years. There are two types of system-level fault diagnosis methods: classical and adaptive. The classical methods select a set of tests, find results of all these tests, and then process the results to identify the faulty units. The adaptive methods first identify just one fault-free unit and then use it to identify all faulty units. Each of these types of diagnostic methods can assume so called symmetric or asymmetric test invalidation. The former states that tests performed by good units always give correct results, while tests performed by faulty units can produce any results. The latter states that a faulty unit always fails a test, even if the units that influence the test result are faulty. We survey a number of diagnosis methods for each of the two types under both invalidation assumptions. Each of the methods is considered in the context of a certain diagnostic model (such as, e.g., the Boolean n-cube model where processors are represented by nodes and links are represented by edges of a graph). Finally, a comparison of the two types of methods shows that the classical methods are faster (require fewer steps for diagnosis) but less efficient (may misdiagnose more fault-free units as faulty) than the adaptive methods.
Differential impact of Web site content: Exploring the influence of source (public relations versus news), modality, and participation on college students’ perceptions

Abstract This experiment examined the impact of source, modality, and participation on perceptions of credibility, salience, attitudes, and general Web site evaluation. The data showed no significant differences between online stories coming from either public relations or news sources on any of the study's dependent variables. However, significant differences did emerge for the effects of multimedia and audience engagement.
Meaning and attachment in mothers and toddlers

This research explored if a mother's view of her attachment experience with her own mother was associated with sensitivity to her toddler's attachment related signals. Thirty mother-child dyads were videotaped and maternal sensitivity to toddler signals was coded. Mothers were interviwed and completed questionnaires regarding their experiences with their own mothers. Based on the subjects' responses to the questionnaires and the content and organization of their interview narrations, subjects were divided into two groups based on the security of their internal working model of attachment with their own mothers. Mothers with a secure working model of attachment were significantly more sensitive to toddler signals than those mothers with an insecure working model of attachment (p=.028) and differed in their style of narrating their lifespan attachment experiences.
Direct ionization and electron capture in M-shell x-ray production by fluorine ions

This article discusses direct ionization and electron capture in M-shell x-ray production by fluorine ions.
Engineering-economic systems: a new profession

Technological advances in computers and automation over the last 20 years have far outstripped our ability to use them effectively. Profound changes in industry, government, and business will emerge as the new technology unfolds. As an example: the whole concept of a ``big'' operation or company will have to be reshaped in terms of our new ability to organize and operate a system efficiently. To exploit the possibilities of this new technology rationally, broad interties between the academic and practical worlds are indispensable. The academic world contributes a philosophical structure providing vital breadth and flexibility, while the real world offers a simplifying practicality that insures workability and early realization. In the initial stages, planning for the use of the new technology must be done as a joint research and development effort between both worlds. As this joint effort grows, a more complete and integrated structure will undoubtedly evolve. A prototype form of the engineering?economic systems profession is being evolved in a program at Stanford University.
Effect of anti-hyaluronidase compounds upon the response of the rat to pituitary trophic hormones.

SummaryAnti-hyaluronidase agents, i.e. phosphorylated hesperidin, d-alphatocopherol phosphate, and chrondroitin sulfate were shown to be capable of increasing the effectiveness of administered pituitary trophic hormones such as follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and corticotrophin. A four-fold increase in effectiveness of FSH was attained when the hormone was administered together with the anti-hyaluronidase agents as compared to the injection of the gonadotrophin alone. A similar degree of enhancement was obtained with corticotrophin. The augmentation induced by the anti-hyaluronidase compounds is attributed to the decreased rate of absorption of the hormone from the site of injection.
Reexamination of the Age Limit for Defining When Puberty Is Precocious in Girls in the United States: Implications for Evaluation and Treatment

In 1997 a study from the Pediatric Research in Office Settings network, based on pubertal staging of >17 000 girls between 3 and 12 years of age, indicated that breast and pubic hair development are occurring significantly earlier than suggested by our current guidelines, especially in African-American girls. In response to this article, the Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society undertook a comprehensive review of this topic. The primary conclusions of this review are: 1. The current recommendation that breast development before age 8 is precocious is based on outdated studies. Until 1997, no data were available on pubertal staging in US girls that could have documented a trend to earlier maturation. 2. The 1997 study indicates that stage 2 of breast and pubic hair development is being achieved ∼1 year earlier in white girls and 2 years earlier in African-American girls than previous studies have shown. 3. Concerns that girls with moderately precocious puberty will be significantly short adults are overstated; most have adult height within the normal range. 4. Therapy with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists has not been proven to have a substantial effect on adult height in most girls whose puberty starts between 6 and 8 years of age. 5. New guidelines propose that girls with either breast development or pubic hair should be evaluated if this occurs before age 7 in white girls and before age 6 in African-American girls. No changes in the current guidelines for evaluating boys (signs of puberty at younger than 9 years) can be made at this time. normal puberty, breast development, pubic hair.
Total synthesis of aeruginosin 298-A analogs containing ring oxygenated variants of 2-carboxy-6-hydroxyoctahydroindole

Abstract Aeruginosins are a family of naturally occurring oligopeptides sharing a common perhydroindole-2-carboxylic acid ( l -Choi) core structure. Many aeruginosins exhibit inhibitory activity against serine proteases including thrombin. Aeruginosin 298-A is a tetrapeptide containing the l -Choi core structure and three other unusual amino acids or their derivatives; it is a thrombin and trypsin inhibitor. As part of our effort in finding effective thrombin inhibitors from natural product analogs and to understand the influence of the rigid bicyclic amino acid to the thrombin inhibition activities, we synthesized two aeruginosin 298-A analogs in which the l -Choi is replaced with ring oxygenated perhydroindole-2-carboxylic acids. The Choi variants are enantiomers synthesized from d - and l -glucose, respectively. The preparation of the aeruginosin 298-A analogs containing the ring oxygenated Choi variants and their inhibition activities toward thrombin and trypsin are reported.
A comparative study of discrimination methods for credit scoring

Credit scoring has become an important management science issue as the credit industry has been experiencing enormous growth during the past few decades. Numerous popular classification methods (e.g. linear discriminant analysis, quadratic discriminant analysis, and logistic regression) have been applied in credit scoring for years. Recently researchers proposed several sophisticated and highly effective data mining techniques, such as Skew-normal discriminant analysis (SNDA), Skew-t discriminant analysis (STDA), Stepwise discriminant analysis (SDA), Sparse discriminant analysis (Sparse DA), Flexible discriminant analysis (FDA), and Mixture discriminant analysis (MDA). The objective of this study is to examine these recently proposed discrimination methods for screening credit applicants. The performance of various credit scoring models is evaluated by one real-world credit scoring dataset. The predictive ability of each credit scoring model is accessed by the total percentage of correctly classified cases (total PCC) and the bad rate among accepts (BRA). The results show that SNDA, STDA, and SDA are outperforming techniques for implementing credit scoring models.
Some Measurements of the Longitudinal Elastic Frequencies of Cylinders Using a Magnetostriction Oscillator

Cylindrical rods cut from two samples of stainless steel are excited to longitudinal vibration in a magnetostriction oscillator and the resonant frequencies at which the rods control the oscillator are measured by beating with a crystal oscillator of known frequency. Many rods of each material are measured in order to test the theoretical relation given by Lord Rayleigh between the natural longitudinal frequency and the dimensions, in particular the effect of the diameter of the rod on its frequency.Evidence is presented to show that, in general, the frequency measurements are good to 0.01 percent or better. The lengths of the rods are known to 0.02 percent or better and the diameters to from 0.05 percent to 0.5 percent according to the size of the rod.A very brief theoretical discussion is given to show that if Rayleigh's frequency equation for the "free-free" longitudinal vibration is sound then the theory of G. W. Pierce for the magnetostriction oscillator leads to approximate frequency equation of the same form but with slightly different constants for the case where the cylinder is driven in a magnetostriction oscillator at resonance.The relation between the measured frequencies and the dimensions is shown graphically for each of the two kinds of stainless steel. On the same graphs are plotted curves for the theoretical formula with constants chosen to give the best fit with the experimental points. Agreement of 0.2 percent or better is obtained for one of the samples and 0.1 percent or better for the other. It is pointed out that in all probability a large part of this deviation from the theoretical curves is due to the lack of uniformity of consistancy in the alloys used.
Collusion-free protocols

Consider the clever cheating that occurred during an FCC spectrum auction in 1995 (see Cramton and J. Schwartz '02 for a history). Auction rules forbade companies from openly colluding to divide the spectrum cheaply; nonetheless, the major players circumvented the rules by using the least significant digits of their public messages to coordinate their overall bidding strategies. In other words, these parties used the auction protocol itself to cheat.Standard notions of security for cryptographic protocols do not prevent this type of cheating. In this talk, we propose the idea of collusion-free protocols. Such protocols do not create any new opportunities---such as using the protocol messages and headers themselves---for malicious participants to coordinate their cheating during the execution of the protocol. We discuss both positive and negative results regarding this notion by showing that it is possible to construct such protocols but special communication assumptions are provably necessary. The conceptual barrier to achieving this novel security property is captured in the following paradox: it is widely acknowledged that players must use randomness to pick their messages in any secure protocol, but the presence of randomized messages also enables perfect steganography and thus perfect collusion.We give an overview of two conceptually different approaches to overcome this paradox. The first method is based on the concept of verifiable determinism. This is a way to organize communication so that a player's next message is unpredictable, but once the message has been sent, everyone can verify that it was the one-and-only such message that an honest player could have sent. As a result, steganography becomes impossible. The second method takes an opposite approach: players generate arbitrary messages but send them to each other via a mediator who "re-randomizes"' the messages to eliminate steganographic channels. The goal is to design protocols where collusion-freeness is guaranteed as long as the mediator is honest, while standard security guarantees hold if the mediator is dishonest. This new approach enables us to use a less exotic communication channel to construct protocols that achieve a strong collusion-free property.This talk is based on 4 papers with the following set of coauthors: Matt Lepinski and Silvio Micali, Joel Alwen and Ivan Visconti, and Alwen, Jonathan Katz, Yehuda Lindell, Giuseppe Persiano, and Visconti.
Pattern transformation for two-dimensional separation of concerns

Design patterns are applied in software development to decouple individual concerns, so that a change in a design decision is isolated to one location of the code base. However, multi-dimensional concerns exist in software development and some concerns are even mutually exclusive. Therefore, no single design pattern offers a panacea toward addressing problems of change evolution. By analyzing the matrix of concerns during the software development process, this abstract describes a paradigm for two-dimensional separation of concerns based on pattern transformation. In particular, it shows an example to transform code back and forth between an object-oriented implementation of the Inheritance pattern and an aspect-oriented implementation of the Visitor pattern. The approach allows the same software to be evolved along different dimensions, enabling developers to choose the most appropriate dimension for a given task.
Merkel Cell Carcinoma: 30-Year Experience from a Single Institution

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare cutaneous malignancy. Few single-institution series have been reported. Review of MCC patients treated at our institution between 1980 and 2010. Patient, tumor, and treatment variables were analyzed to determine MCC-specific outcomes. We identified 161 patients with MCC. There was a 2.5-fold increase in cases over the last decade. Median length of follow-up was 36 months. Stage at diagnosis was I in 35 %, II in 21 %, IIIa in 12 %, IIIb in 23 %, and IV in 9 %. The 5-year MCC-specific survival rates were 87, 63, 42, and 0 % for stages I, II, III, and IV, respectively. Death from the disease occurred in 10 % of patients with T1 and in 50 % with larger lesions. One-third of patients presented with nodal disease. Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) identified micrometastases in 9 out of 27 (33 %) early-stage patients. Recurrence developed in 56 % of SLNB-positive and 39 % of SLNB-negative patients. Half of patients recurred after a median time of 9 months. Proportions of first recurrence location were distant (52 %), nodal (27 %), and local (21 %). Adjuvant treatments did not improve recurrence or survival rates. One-third of patients died of the disease. SLNB identifies micrometastasis in one-third of early-stage patients. Negative SLNB may predict for improved but not necessarily favorable outcome. Initial tumor size and clinical nodal disease predict for poor outcome. High recurrence rates warrant the development of more effective adjuvant therapies, and better markers of recurrence and treatment response for MCC are needed.
Choice in Extensive Reading in Spanish

1 Perez Gald6s Dofa Perfecta 62 2 Alarc6n El sombrero de tres picos 61 3 Blasco Ibfiez La barraca 52 4 Palacio Valdes Jose 47 5 P6rez Gald6s Marianela 46 6 Palacio Vald6s Marta y Maria 36 7 Valera Pepita Jimtnez 32 8 Blasco Ibdfiez Los cuatro jinetes del A pocalipsis 31 9 Martinez Sierra Canci6n de cuna 21 10 Blasco Ibfiez Mare Nostrum 19 11 Moratin El sA de las nifas 18 12 Benavente Los intereses creados 17 13 Blasco Ibfiez Sangre y arena 17 14 Garcia Guti6rrez El Trovador 17 15 Echegaray 0 locura o santidad 16 16 Alarc6n El Capitdn Veneno 15 17 Echegaray El gran Galeoto 15 18 Hartzenbusch Los amantes de Teruel 14 19 Palacio Valdes La Hermana San Sulpicio 14 20 Alarc6n El niio de la bola 13 21 Fernn Caballero La familia de Alvareda 13 22 Pio Baroja Paradox, rey 12 23 Valle-Inclhn Sonata de primavera 12 24 Gorostiza Contigo pan y cebolla 11 25 Tamayo y Baus Un drama nuevo 10
The Extreme C Terminus of the ABC Protein DrrA Contains Unique Motifs Involved in Function and Assembly of the DrrAB Complex

Two novel regulatory motifs, LDEVFL and C-terminal regulatory Glu (E)-rich motif (CREEM), are identified in the extreme C terminus of the ABC protein DrrA, which is involved in direct interaction with the N-terminal cytoplasmic tail of the membrane protein DrrB and in homodimerization of DrrA. Disulfide cross-linking analysis showed that the CREEM and the region immediately upstream of CREEM participate directly in forming an interaction interface with the N terminus of DrrB. A series of mutations created in the LDEVFL and CREEM motifs drastically affected overall function of the DrrAB transporter. Mutations in the LDEVFL motif also significantly impaired interaction between the C terminus of DrrA and the N terminus of DrrB as well as the ability of DrrA and DrrB to co-purify, therefore suggesting that the LDEVFL motif regulates CREEM-mediated interaction between DrrA and DrrB and plays a key role in biogenesis of the DrrAB complex. Modeling analysis indicated that the LDEVFL motif is critical for conformational integrity of the C-terminal domain of DrrA and confirmed that the C terminus of DrrA forms an independent domain. This is the first report which describes the presence of an assembly domain in an ABC protein and uncovers a novel mechanism whereby the ABC component facilitates the assembly of the membrane component. Homology sequence comparisons showed the presence of the LDEVFL and CREEM motifs in close prokaryotic and eukaryotic homologs of DrrA, suggesting that these motifs may play a similar role in other homologous drug and lipid export systems.
Implementations Of Neural Networks Using Photoactivated Conducting Biological Materials

A new implementation of the Hopfield model for neural networks using photoactivated electrically-conducting biological materials is introduced. This implementation allows rapid electrical reprogramming of the network. These neural networks show exciting promise for content addressable memories, image processing, and constrained optimization problems.
Microstructure Changes in Wheat Flour Tortillas During Baking

The texture of tortillas depends upon the retention of gases by the gluten matrix. Raw and hot-pressed tortilla dough was dense, with few air cells. Intact starch granules were embedded in a gluten matrix. Hot-pressing sealed the surface and edges. The tortilla passed through three tiers of a gas oven and expanded due to steam and carbon dioxide formation during baking. The edges and surface remained sealed, allowing the tortilla to expand ; the center of the tortilla was split apart. Surface starch granules were dehydrated and ungelatinized throughout baking. The combined use of SEM and ESEM facilitated efforts to discern the internal structure.
Electrical studies of reactively sputtered Fe-doped VO2 thin films

Thin films of V1−xFexO2 (O<-x≤0.12) were prepared by r.f. reactive sputtering, and the resistivity of these films was measured from 25°C to 100°C. The semiconductor-metal transition temperature decreases as the iron content is increased at a rate of −6C°/at %Fe up to 1.4 %Fe. Beyond this concentration, the transition temperature then begins to increase slowly, remaining unchanged beyond 3% Fe. The apparent activation energy increases rapidly from 0.23 eV to a plateau of 0.33 eV, which then remains independent of the Fe concentration. This overall behavior is in contrast to previous reports and suggests that the iron has been incorporated into the VO2 lattice in a fashion previously unobserved.
Computational simulation of high temperature metal matrix composites cyclic behavior

A procedure was developed and is described which can be used to computationally simulate the cyclic behavior of high temperature metal matrix composites (HTMMC) and its degradation effects on the structural response. This procedure consists of HTMMC mechanics coupled with a multifactor interaction constituent material relationship and with an incremental iterative nonlinear analysis. The procedure is implemented in a computer code that can be used to computationally simulate the thermomechanical behavior of HTMMC starting from the fabrication process and proceeding through thermomechanical cycling, accounting for the interface/interphase region. Results show that combined thermal/mechanical cycling, the interphase, and in situ matrix properties have significant effects on the structural integrity of HTMMC.
Region-of-interest image reconstruction in circular cone-beam microCT

Cone-beam microcomputed tomography (microCT) is one of the most popular choices for small animal imaging which is becoming an important tool for studying animal models with transplanted diseases. Region-of-interest (ROI) imaging techniques in CT, which can reconstruct an ROI image from the projection data set of the ROI, can be used not only for reducing imaging-radiation exposure to the subject and scatters to the detector but also for potentially increasing spatial resolution of the reconstructed images. Increasing spatial resolution in microCT images can facilitate improved accuracy in many assessment tasks. A method proposed previously for increasing CT image spatial resolution entails the exploitation of the geometric magnification in cone-beam CT. Due to finite detector size, however, this method can lead to data truncation for a large geometric magnification. The Feldkamp-Davis-Kress (FDK) algorithm yields images with artifacts when truncated data are used, whereas the recently developed backprojection filtration (BPF) algorithm is capable of reconstructing ROI images without truncation artifacts from truncated cone-beam data. We apply the BPF algorithm to reconstructing ROI images from truncated data of three different objects acquired by our circular cone-beam microCT system. Reconstructed images by use of the FDK and BPF algorithms from both truncated and nontruncated cone-beam data are compared. The results of the experimental studies demonstrate that, from certain truncated data, the BPF algorithm can reconstruct ROI images with quality comparable to that reconstructed from nontruncated data. In contrast, the FDK algorithm yields ROI images with truncation artifacts. Therefore, an implication of the studies is that, when truncated data are acquired with a configuration of a large geometric magnification, the BPF algorithm can be used for effective enhancement of the spatial resolution of a ROI image.
Mapping the Substrate Binding Sites of the Integral Membrane Methyltransferase ICMT by Mutational Analysis

The eukaryotic enzyme isoprenylcysteine carboxylmethyltransferase (ICMT) catalyzes the attachment of a methyl group onto the carboxylate of a lipid-modified cysteine at the C-terminus of its protein substrates. This is the final processing step for proteins that contain a 'CAAX' motif, including Ras. Because inhibition of ICMT limits Ras-induced oncogenic transformation, ICMT is a potential target for cancer therapy. Human ICMT is predicted to have eight transmembrane helices and has no discernable homology with soluble methyltransferases. An outstanding question in understanding the mechanism of this enzyme is how both its water-soluble substrate (AdoMet) and lipophilic substrate (a prenylated cysteine) are recognized in the active site. A crystal structure of an integral membrane methyltransferase from a prokaryotic organism was recently determined. The prokaryotic methyltransferase has sequence similarity with ICMT in the region that binds AdoMet, but methylates different substrates, which are currently unknown. In order to identify regions of ICMT that are important for catalytic activity and delineate the CAAX binding site, we combined scanning mutagenesis with methyltransferase assays and interpreted the results with regard to the available structure. Of the 153 mutated positions, 61 reduced catalytic activity by > 50%. Mutation of the conserved residues lining the AdoMet binding site reduced or eliminated catalytic activity, suggesting a similar mode of AdoMet recognition in the prokaryotic methyltransferase and ICMT. In addition, our studies have identified several residues, primarily aromatics, that may line the CAAX binding site. When substituted to alanine, the mutant enzyme is inhibited by higher concentrations of the lipophilic substrate. We propose that substrate inhibition results because these mutations alter the shape of the lipid-binding tunnel causing the substrate to bind nonproductively. Our results offer novel insights into the substrate binding sites of this unique enzyme.
A comment on the estimation of times required for the attainment of equilibrium by noncooperative, single site ligand-receptor systems

A table presents the number of hours required for binding to reach 80% and 95% of the equilibrium value for a noncooperative, single site ligand binding system. A 2nd table provides the fraction of binding sites occupied and the fraction of the total ligand bound at equilibrium under the same conditions.
Recovery of jaw muscle function following injection of a myotoxic agent (lidocaine-epinephrine)

Intramuscular injection of 2% lidocaine hydrochloride with epinephrine (1:100,000) bilaterally into the masseter muscles of growing rats resulted in a 30% to 40% decrease in maximal stimulated bite force at 3 days following injection. By 6 days postinjection, bite force had begun to increase, but significant differences from control bite force levels were still present 15 days postinjection. By 25 days postinjection, recovery to control values was complete. These data are consistent with previously documented fiber destruction and subsequent regeneration following exposure to this and other local anesthetic agents. It is suggested that local myotoxic effects produced by the administration of such drugs may result in a transient functional deficit in the injected muscle(s) that may persist for up to 2 weeks.
A Triple-Doppler Radar Analysis of a Discretely Propagating Multicell Convective Storm

Abstract A triple-Doppler radar case study of a regularly propagating multicell convective storm has been performed. The motion of the storm, observed on 7 June 1978 during Project NIMROD, was somewhat unusual with cell translation and propagation directed opposite to one another. New cell formation is believed to have been caused by a directional outflow from existing cells which created a zone of low-level convergence favorable for convective growth. The unidirectional low to midlevel vertical shear of the growth environment, oriented roughly normal to the direction of cell translation, was found to strongly influence storm dynamics and structure.
On the origin of induced pancreatic islet tumors: a radioautographic study.

Endocrine tumors of the pancreas are induced in a high percentage of young rats by injections of streptozotocin and nicotinamide (SZ/NA). Benign tumors first appear 20 to 36 weeks after drug injections. To determine the possible site of their origin, the incorporation of (/sup 3/H)thymidine into islets, ducts, acini, microtumors, and gross tumors was examined by radioautography of histologic sections at 1 to 36 weeks after drug injection. Drug treatment led to early (1- to 6-week) increases in nuclear /sup 3/H labeling of exocrine pancreatic structures (ductal and acinar cells), which may involve DNA repair processes. A secondary increase in labeling of duct cells during the period of tumor emergence supports the assumption that SZ/NA-induced tumors are of ductal origin. Microtumors and gross tumors also exhibited markedly elevated rates of (/sup 3/H)thymidine incorporation compared to control islets. Nontumorous islet tissue, which exhibited a gradual decrease in volume due to B-cell destruction by the drug injection, showed about 10-fold higher /sup 3/H labeling than islets of controls at all time points. The results suggest that in addition to ductal precursors, islets that survive SZ/NA-induced injury may also provide sites of focal endocrine cell differentiation to tumor tissue. Once established, both microtumorsmore » and gross tumors continue to grow by accelerated cell division.« less
Meta-learning genetic programming

In computational intelligence, the term 'memetic algorithm' has come to be associated with the algorithmic pairing of a global search method with a local search method. In a sociological context, a 'meme' has been loosely defined as a unit of cultural information, the social analog of genes for individuals. Both of these definitions are inadequate, as 'memetic algorithm' is too specific, and ultimately a misnomer, as much as a 'meme' is defined too generally to be of scientific use. In this paper, we extend the notion of memes from a computational viewpoint and explore the purpose, definitions, design guidelines and architecture for effective memetic computing. Utilizing two genetic programming test-beds (the even-parity problem and the Pac-Man video game), we demonstrate the power of high-order meme-based learning, known as meta-learning. With applications ranging from cognitive science to machine learning, meta-learning has the potential to provide much-needed stimulation to the field of computational intelligence by providing a framework for higher order learning.
Asymmetrical dendritic fields of retinal ganglion cells.

By use of Golgi chrome—silver impregnation, studies were made of the dendritic branchings of feline and frog ganglion cells. It was shown that besides the known varieties of ganglion cells there were asymmetrical neurones whose dendrites lay all to one side. Essential differences distinguished these ganglion cells in the cat from those in the frog, differences depending upon the architectonics of the inner plexiform layer, which is broad and subdivided into layers in the frog, and narrow in the cat. We discuss the possible role of neurones with a unilateral arrangement of dendrites in relation to know electrophysiological data on retinal detectors and the receptive fields of ganglion cells.
Abiotic stress and plant responses from the whole vine to the genes.

Drought, salinity and extreme temperatures significantly limit the distribution of grapes around the world. In this review, the literature of grape responses to abiotic stress with particular reference to whole plant and molecular responses observed in recent studies is discussed. A number of short-term and long-term studies on grapevine shoots and berries have been conducted using a systems biology approach. Transcripts, proteins and metabolites were profiled. Water deficit, salinity and chilling altered the steady-state abundance of a large number of transcripts. Common responses to these stresses included changes in hormone metabolism, particularly abscisic acid (ABA), photosynthesis, growth, transcription, protein synthesis, signalling and cellular defences. Some of the transcriptional changes induced by stress were confirmed by proteomic and metabolomic analyses. More than 2000 genes were identified whose transcript abundance was altered by both water deficit and ABA. Different gene sets were used to map molecular pathways regulated by ABA, water deficit, salinity and chilling in grapevine. This work supports the hypothesis that ABA is a central regulator of abiotic stress tolerance mechanisms. ABA affects signalling pathways that trigger important molecular activities involving metabolism, transcription, protein synthesis, and cellular defence and also regulates important physiological responses such as stomatal conductance, photoprotection and growth. Systems biology approaches are providing more comprehensive understanding of the complex plant responses to abiotic stress. The molecular sets generated from mapping the ABA-inducible stress responses provide numerous targets for genetic and cultural manipulation for improved plant protection and grape quality.
Decolonisation and development in Burma

(1967). Decolonisation and development in Burma. The Journal of Development Studies: Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 97-108.
Hippocratic Economics (the Physician’s Dilemma)

The nature of the medical profession puts physicians in an unusual position. Patients seek out physicians' help because of their expertise in dealing with illnesses, possibly even life-threatening ones. The asymmetry of knowledge in this relationship, the expert physician and the inexpert patient, creates an ethical dilemma for physicians regarding the delivery of care. Physicians determine how much care to offer while receiving remuneration for this care. Here, acting as patients' agents, physicians have immense discretionary power not only with patients' health but also with their pocketbooks. Known as the principal-agency problem, this type of relationship is part and parcel of what business scholars refer to as moral hazard. This article explains the problem of moral hazard and how it affects radiologists and places it in the context of professional and ethical behavior. Its causes and relationship to human nature are explored. The consequences of falling prey to moral hazard in the practice of radiology are discussed.
Prediction of the Solubility in Supercritical Fluids Based on Supercritical Fluid Chromatography Retention Times

An improved method for the rapid prediction of solubilities of solutes in supercritical fluids is proposed. The method is based on the measured retention times of solutes eluting from packed and capillary supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) columns. The solubilities in CO2 of four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were estimated with an average error of about ±30% using retention data obtained by packed column SFC. For more polar compounds, which may interact strongly with the stationary phase in packed columns, capillary column SFC gave better results. Agreement to better than 35% was found between the solubilities obtained by this method and those obtained gravimetrically for compounds with a variety of functionalities. Several factors have been investigated, including the relationship between solubility and the reciprocal of the capacity factor, the effect of temperature, and the effect of the stationary phase.