cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ventriculoperitoneal shunt malfunction presenting as acute paraparesis in an infant.

402 J Neurosurg: Pediatrics / Volume 5 / April 2010 Ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt surgery is a common treatment for congenital hydrocephalus. Patients with VP shunt malfunctions typically present with headache, nausea, vomiting, increased head circumference, or altered mental status. Syringomyelia with concomitant paraparesis has been reported as a complication of VP shunt malfunction1–3 but only in the setting of Chiari Type II malformation.4 This 23-month-old girl, with surgical history of myelomeningocele repair on her 1st day of life and VP shunt placement, presented to the emergency department with inability to ambulate. Her mother stated she was able to walk without difficulty until a few days prior to presentation when the child expressed reluctance to bear weight on her lower limbs. The mother specifically denied signs of nausea and vomiting, drowsiness, or headache. Neurological examination at this time was notable for lower-extremity hyperreflexia with clonus and an inability to move both lower limbs spontaneously. Otherwise her neurological status was normal. Head CT scanning revealed ventricular enlargement (Fig. 1A) compared with a previous study (Fig. 1B). Spinal MR imaging revealed a holocord syrinx (Fig. 1C). The patient was taken to the operating room for shunt revision, where her shunt tubing was found to be obstructed proximally. A third ventriculostomy was not considered because the patient had communicating hydrocephalus. In the recovery room following surgery, the patient was able to move her legs spontaneously, without hyperreflexia, and the next day she could ambulate regularly. Six weeks after revision surgery, spinal MR imaging revealed significant reduction in the holocord syrinx (Fig. 1D). This case illustrates that syringomyelia should be included in the differential diagnosis of previously shunt-treated patients presenting with acute paraparesis. Prompt shunt revision is indicated and can result in excellent clinical outcome for these patients. (DOI: 10.3171/2009.10.PEDS09191)
MIN-MAX: A Counter-Based Algorithm for Regular Expression Matching

We propose an NFA-based algorithm called MIN-MAX to support matching of regular expressions (regexp) composed of Character Classes with Constraint Repetitions (CCR). MIN-MAX is well suited for massive parallel processing architectures, such as FPGAs, yet it is effective on any other computing platform. In MIN-MAX, each active CCR engine (to implement one CCR term) evaluates input characters, updates (MIN, MAX) counters, and asserts control signals, and all the CCR engines implemented in the FPGA run simultaneously. Unlike traditional designs, (MIN, MAX) counters contain dynamically updated lower and upper bounds of possible matching counts, instead of actual matching counts, so that feasible matching lengths are compactly enclosed in the counter value. The counter-based design can support constraint repetitions of n using O({\rm log} n) memory bits rather than that of O(n) in existing solutions. MIN-MAX can resolve character class ambiguity between adjacent CCR terms and support overlapped matching when matching collisions are absent. We developed a set of heuristic rules to assess the absence of collision for CCR-based regexps, and tested them on Snort and SpamAssassin rule sets. The results show that the vast majority of rules are immune from collisions, so that MIN-MAX can cost effectively support overlapped matching. As a bonus, the new architecture also supports fast reconfiguration via ordinary memory writes rather than resynthesis of the entire design, which is critical for time-sensitive regexp deployment scenarios.
Coupled thermal–mechanical modeling of carbon fibers reinforced polymer composites for damage detection

Abstract An analytical solution is derived to describe the correlation between the thermal resistance change and fiber damage evolution in unidirectional composites under loading conditions. A key parameter, thermal characteristic length, is obtained, which represents the sensitivity of the thermal property change to mechanical damage. A coupled thermal–mechanical model is also developed to predict the failure stress, internal fiber breakage and thermal resistance change as a function of applied strain. The results show that the number of fiber breaks is proportional to thermal resistance change during loading while the thermal resistance change increases exponentially with increasing the applied strain. The analytical solution is in good agreement with the numerical results. Finite element models are developed to verify the coupled thermal–mechanical models. The present study shows that longitudinal thermal resistance change is sensitive to damage in a predictable manner and can be used together to improve the reliability of damage assessment during loading of carbon fiber reinforced polymer.
Sulpiride antagonizes the biphasic locomotor effects of quinpirole in weanling rats

Low doses of dopamine (DA) agonists such as the D2 receptor subfamily agonist quinpirole are thought to stimulate DA autoreceptors selectively, thereby inhibiting locomotor activity. High doses of quinpirole initially suppress and later activate locomotion during a single test session; the activation is presumably due to stimulation of postsynaptic receptors. The aim of this study was to investigate whether pretreatment with a selective DA D2 receptor antagonist, sulpiride, could block the putative autoreceptor-mediated inhibition at a lower dose than was required to block the postsynaptically mediated activation. Male and female 30-day-old rats were injected SC with one of eight doses of sulpiride (0.313–40 mg/kg) or the vehicle. Sixty minutes later, rats were injected SC with 0.2 mg/kg quinpirole or the vehicle. Five minutes after the second injection, rats were placed in automated activity monitors which recorded locomotor behavior for 60 min at 5-min intervals. Quinpirole at this dose first suppressed and later increased locomotor activity. Sulpiride pretreatment dose-dependently reversed both the early inhibition and later activation of quinpirole-induced locomotion. However, sulpiride did not block the quinpirole-induced early suppression at a lower dose than was required to block the later activation. Thus, there was no evidence that the locomotor suppression elicited by quinpirole is mediated by a more sensitive subset of DA receptors.
Upper eyelid blepharoplasty. A technical comparative analysis.

The purpose of this study was to compare the results of subcuticular closure with a 5-0 polypropylene suture (Prolene) with those of closure with a running 6-0 fast-absorbing catgut approximation in upper eyelid blepharoplasty. A prospective, double-blind study was designed to compare the results of these closures in patients who presented to the Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Facial Plastic Surgery Clinic, University Hospitals of Cleveland (Ohio). Thirty consecutive patients voluntarily agreed to participate in the study, and all of them had both types of closure performed on their upper eyelids. Twenty of the 30 patients who were originally enrolled in the study complied with our follow-up recommendations, completed the study, and were the basis for this report. At the time of the procedure, a random selection of closure type was made and a variety of outcome measures were recorded, including operative time, minor complications, senior author and patient aesthetic preferences, and postoperative discomfort levels. Based on the aesthetic preferences, we are of the opinion that a running 6-0 fast-absorbing catgut suture may offer some surgeons slightly better results than a subcuticular permanent suture for closure of the upper eyelid blepharoplasty incision. Comparable morbidity was seen with both techniques. No significant differences in postoperative discomfort levels were identified. (Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1994;120:827-830)
Cold-induced urticaria and angioedema : diagnosis and management

The physical urticarias compromise a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by their propensity to form urticarial lesions after exposure to certain physical stimuli, such as heat, vibration, or cold. Although generally benign, systemic hypotension and angioedematous airway compromise are known life-threatening complications. We present the case of a man who experienced benign angioedematous changes in response to cold exposure, and discuss the clinical course, diagnosis, and management of cold urticaria.
Recombination oscillations in double-injection devices

Abstract High-frequency oscillations which occur in the low-injection regime of double-injection devices with deep traps are shown to be due to the propagation of “recombination waves”. Threshold conditions, which must be satisfied by both the semiconducting material and the device, are obtained and explained in terms of the model for recombination waves.
Robust design with imprecise random variables and its application in hydrokinetic turbine optimization

In robust design, uncertainty is commonly modelled with precise probability distributions. In reality, the distribution types and distribution parameters may not always be available owing to limited data. This research develops a robust design methodology to accommodate the mixture of both precise and imprecise random variables. By incorporating the Taguchi quality loss function and the minimax regret criterion, the methodology mitigates the effects of not only uncertain parameters but also uncertainties in the models of the uncertain parameters. Hydrokinetic turbine systems are a relatively new alternative energy technology, and both precise and imprecise random variables exist in the design of such systems. The developed methodology is applied to the robust design optimization of a hydrokinetic turbine system. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.
A prospective study of erectile function after transrectal ultrasonography-guided prostate biopsy.

Objective To prospectively evaluate the effect of transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS)-guided prostate biopsy on erectile and voiding function at multiple time-points after biopsy. Patients and Methods All men who underwent TRUS-guided prostate biopsy completed a five-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) and the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) before and at 1, 4 and 12 weeks after TRUS-guided biopsy. Statistical analyses used were a general descriptive analysis, continuous variables using a t-test and categorical data using chi-square analysis. A paired t-test was used to compare each patient's baseline score to their own follow-up survey scores. Results In all, 220 patients were enrolled with a mean age of 64.1 years and PSA level of 6.7 ng/dL. At initial presentation, 38.6% reported no erectile dysfunction (ED), 22.3% mild ED, 15.5% mild-to-moderate ED, 10% moderate ED, and 13.6% severe ED. On paired t-test there was a statistically significant reduction in IIEF-5 score at 1 week after biopsy compared with before biopsy (18.2 vs 15.5; P < 0.001). This remained significantly reduced at 4 (18.4 vs 17.3; P = 0.008) and 12 weeks (18.4 vs 16.9, P = 0.004) after biopsy. Conclusions The effects of TRUS-guided prostate biopsy on erectile function have probably been underestimated. It is important to be aware of these transient effects so patients can be appropriately counselled. The exact cause of this effect is yet to be determined.
Heart rate and skin conductance in anticipation of shocks with varying probability of occurrence.

In Experiment I,Ss in each of four groups were given 8 shocks in either 8, 11, 16, or 32 trials, confounding probability with number of trials. Each trial was a countdown period of 30 sec, with an ITI of 30 sec. There were no shock probability effects using either heart rate (HR) or skin conductance (SC), with respect either to average within trial changes or to average pre-shock levels relative to rest. In every group after a large acceleration in Trial 1, HR subsided and stabilized; SC rose steadily throughout the session. In Experiment II, Ss in each of four groups were given either 5, 10, 15, or 20 shocks in 20 trials, confounding probability with number of shocks. In addition to the large HR acceleration in the first trial, there were in this case between-group differences in HR, which were a direct function of number and probability of shocks. Skin conductance did not discriminate the groups, though it rose in all groups both within and across trials. Experiment III, a partial replication of Experiment II, showed that the HR differences in Experiment II failed to repeat when the shock intensity was reduced; and SC no longer increased over trials.
Adjuvant chemotherapy prior to postoperative concurrent chemoradiotherapy for locoregionally advanced head and neck cancer

Abstract Background and purpose Induction chemotherapy prior to definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) is a promising treatment option for unresectable head and neck cancer (HNC). In the postoperative setting, the efficacy of such an approach with adjuvant chemotherapy (AdjCT) followed by postoperative CCRT is unclear. Materials and methods Forty-one postoperative patients with stage III–IV (M0) HNC enrolled on 3 consecutive phase II clinical trials were retrospectively analyzed. Twenty-five of the patients were treated on a protocol which included AdjCT with carboplatin and paclitaxel prior to postoperative CCRT (AdjCT group). Sixteen were treated on protocols with similar postoperative CCRT but without AdjCT (control group). CCRT consisted of paclitaxel, 5-fluorouracil, hydroxyurea, and twice-daily radiotherapy. Results After a median follow-up of 72 months, there were no locoregional failures (LRF) or distant metastases (DM) in the AdjCT group. In the control group, there were 2 LRF and 2 DM. The 5-year risk of disease recurrence was 0% in the AdjCT group, compared to 28.9% in the control group ( p = 0.0074). No patients had disease progression during AdjCT, and all proceeded to postoperative CCRT without delay. Conclusions Adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery followed by CCRT may be a treatment strategy associated with favorable disease outcomes in locoregionally advanced HNC. These results pose a hypothesis which warrants further investigation.
Modulation of apoptotic and inflammatory genes by bioflavonoids and angiotensin II inhibition in ureteral obstruction

Abstract Objectives. Ureteral obstruction results in an injury response that can progress to irreversible renal fibrosis and tubular atrophy by apoptosis. The molecular events leading to apoptosis from obstruction are not well understood. We investigated the effect of bioflavonoids and angiotensin II inhibition on apoptotic and inflammatory gene expression in a model of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). Methods. Complete UUO was produced in rats by ureteral ligation. The rats were treated with dimethyl sulfoxide (control), enalapril, losartan, curcumin, or quercetin. The animals were killed on day 7 and both obstructed and contralateral unobstructed kidneys were harvested. Expression of the inflammatory chemokine monocyte chemotactic protein-1, apoptosis effector genes Fas and Fas ligand, and oxidative stress gene HO-1 was evaluated by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Results. Ureteral obstruction was associated with a 6.3-fold increase in monocyte chemotactic protein-1 expression compared with sham-operated rats ( P = 0.01). Monocyte chemotactic protein-1 expression was severely attenuated in all other treatment groups ( P P P P Conclusions. The expression of apoptotic and chemokine genes is significantly upregulated in UUO. Bioflavonoids and angiotensin inhibitors are able to attenuate the expression of these genes and thus may be beneficial in renal protection.
Venous malformation of the pediatric airway

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the management of venous malformations of the pediatric airway, including diagnostic criteria and response to sclerotherapy and laser photocoagulation. Design: Case series analysis of eight patients diagnosed with venous malformations of the upper airway. Setting: Academic, tertiary care, children's hospital. Patients: Eight patients (3 female, 5 male) with congenital venous malformations of the upper airway. Intervention: Each patient underwent an individualized treatment regimen of sclerotherapy, laser photocoagulation and/or surgery. Results: The combination of sclerotherapy and laser photocoagulation appears to cause gradual regression of the malformation. Five of the eight patients will require further therapy; two patients remain tracheotomy dependent. Conclusions: Extensive venous malformations of the pediatric airway require staged therapy, with a combination of sclerotherapy and photocoagulation. Long-term follow-up is essential because of the natural history of these lesions.
Surface contamination control with uranium rolling operations.

The problems encountered during uranium rolling were found to be more of a technical nature than one of great health hazard. The considerations for enriched uranium were found to be essentially the same as for normal uranium except for the magnification of specific activity levels. Strip heating of uranium and rollers resulted in the least amount of contamination spread, with the exception of wiper blades. Heating uranium in an oil bath prior to rolling resulted in the second least contamination spread, and salt bath and furnace heat methods resulted in the greatest amount of contamination spread. Work clothing issue and change room facilities reduce contamination to personnel as well as confining contamination activity within the plant. Personnel must be monitored for contamination as they leave the area both as a health check and also to indicate a trend on operating controls. It has been found that waste water from such areas has not exceeded the drinking water tolerance providing it has been properly filtered. Contaminated clothing must be processed by laundry facilities segregated from those handling ordinary clothes. Shearing operations created more problems than rolling since the materiall had to be handled longer while it was being sheared. This opcrationmore » results in the greatest external radiation to the body, in addition to creating high airborne contamination, unless adequate ventilation is provided directly at the shears. Contaminated residue had to be placed in containers and disposed of in accordance with AEC and local requirements. Frequent surface monitoring was the key to contamination control. With the exercise of proper contamination and fire control, the hazard encountered by personnel was nil. (auth)« less
Technique of selective intubation of the left bronchus in newborn infants.

2. Fisher DA, Dussault JH, Hobel CJ, et al: Serum and thyroid gland triiodothyronine in the human fetus, J Clin Endocrinol Metab 36:397, 1973. 3. Larsen PR: Direct immunoassay of triiodothyronine in human serum, J Clin Invest 51:1939, 1972. 4. Oddie TH, Fisher DA, Bernard B, et al: Thyroid function at birth in infants of 30 to 45 weeks gestation, J PEDIATR 90:803, 1977. 5. Fisher DA, Hobel CJ, Garza R, et al: Thyroid function in the preterm fetus, Pediatrics 46:208, 1970. 6. Chopra I J, Williams DE, Orgiazzi J, et al: Opposite effects of dexamethasone on serum concentrations of 3,Y,5'triiodothyronine (reverse T3) and 3,3',5'-triiodothyronine (T3), J Clin Endocrinol Metab 41:911, 1975. 7. Ballard JL, Kasmaier K, and Driver M: A simplified assessment of gestational age, Pediatr Res 11:374, 1977.
DMSO effects on synaptic facilitation and calcium dependence in bullfrog sympathetic ganglion.

Abstract Synaptic transmission in the bullfrog sympathetic ganglion was studied by means of extra- and intracellular recordings. DMSO (3–10%) caused a single orthodromic stimulus to generate a brief burst of repetitive postganglionic discharges. DMSO also partially reversed a preexisting transmission failure in low Ca 2+ medium. Ganglia were exposed to gradual reductions in extracellular Ca 2+ , in the absence and in the presence of DMSO. The recorded amplitude of the postganglionic compound action potential (CAP) was plotted as a function of Ca 2+ concentration. In the absence of DMSO transmission failed progressively as Ca 2+ was reduced from 1.8 to 0.47 mM but DMSO (3% and 10%) shifted the curve of transmission failure to the left (lower Ca 2+ concentration). DMSO inhibits ganglion cholinesterase activity, but this is not the mechanism of its facilitatory effect on Ca 2+ entry, since physostigmine did not shift the curve of transmission failure in low Ca 2+ to the left. The data suggest that DMSO maintained transmitter release in low Ca 2+ by a direct, nonspecific enhancement of Ca 2+ influx into the presynaptic nerve terminal.
Boundary Layer Theory and the Zero-Viscosity Limit of the Navier-Stokes Equation

A central problem in the mathematical analysis of fluid dynamics is the asymptotic limit of the fluid flow as viscosity goes to zero. This is particularly important when boundaries are present since vorticity is typically generated at the boundary as a result of boundary layer separation. The boundary layer theory, developed by Prandtl about a hundred years ago, has become a standard tool in addressing these questions. Yet at the mathematical level, there is still a lack of fundamental understanding of these questions and the validity of the boundary layer theory. In this article, we review recent progresses on the analysis of Prandtl's equation and the related issue of the zero-viscosity limit for the solutions of the Navier-Stokes equation. We also discuss some directions where progress is expected in the near future.
On the measurements of cloud condensation nuclei at palmer station, Antarctica

This article presents and discusses the predominant characteristics associated with a first dataset of daily daylight period (i.e. ≃13-15 h long) averaged cloud condensation nuclei spectral measurements at a remote region of the globe, namely Palmer Station, Antartica.
The College Librarian's Guide to Accessing the Internet

Until a few years ago, the Internet was available only to institutions that could afford the high cost of an Internet node. Now many companies are making access affordable, and smaller libraries can set up individual accounts to secure full service.
Fast ion confinement in the three-dimensional helical reversed-field pinch

Fast ions are well confined in the stochastic magnetic field of the multiple-helicity (MH) reversed-field pinch (RFP), with fast ion confinement times routinely a factor of 5 to 10 higher than thermal confinement time. Recent experiments have examined the behavior and confinement of beam-born fast ions in the three-dimensional (3D) helical RFP state. In lower current discharges, where the onset of the helical state is uncertain, high power neutral beam injection (NBI) tends to suppress the transition to the single helicity mode. In high current discharges (Ip ~ 0.5 MA), where the onset of n = 5 single helicity is quite robust, a short blip of NBI is used to probe the confinement of fast ions with minimal perturbation to the 3D equilibrium. The fast ion confinement time is measured to be substantially lower than fast ions in comparable MH RFP states, and there is a strong dependence on the strength of the helical perturbation. The established helical equilibrium is stationary in the laboratory frame but the locking occurs over the entire range of possible phase with respect to the Madison Symmetric Torus vessel. This effectively scans both the location of the NBI with respect to the helical structure and the pitch of the NBI-born fast ions. Fast ion confinement is observed to be insensitive to this angle, and in fact counter-NB injection into quasi-single helicity discharges shows fast ion confinement times similar to co-injection cases, in contrast to the MH RFP, where counter-injected fast ion confinement time is substantially lower.
Long-Term Forest Dynamics of the Temperate Zone

In a recent summary volume, Huntley and Birks (1983) reviewed the late-Quaternary paleoecological literature from the region of continental Europe situated between the Mediterranean Sea and Fennoscandia, and including the British Isles. This region spans from approximately 10°W to 25°E longitude and from 35°N to 70°N latitude, a geographic sector roughly equal to that in eastern North America for which we have synthesized the literature concerning vegetational changes in the past 20,000 years (Chapters 4 and 5). Together, the summaries available from Europe (including Birks 1986) and from eastern North America cover a substantial portion of the northern Temperate Zone and provide a useful comparison of long-term dynamics of temperate forests.
Evaluation of a questionnaire to measure dietary fibre intake.

Abstract Sixty-eight subjects completed a dietary questionnaire designed to estimate fibre intake using the original factors from, Barasi et al. (1983) and factors derived independently. Thirty-two of the subjects (14 males and 18 females) kept seven-day weighed dietary records and thirty-six subjects (18 males and 18 females) kept three-day weighed dietary records. The mean daily intake of total fibre from three-day weighed records was 26.7g (n=68) and from seven-day records was 25.8g (n=32). The original questionnaire calculated daily fibre mean for all subjects was 25.1g and for the thirty two subjects who kept seven-day weighed records, was 26.8g. Correlations with the weighed records gave values of 0.66 and 0.71, respectively. Mean daily fibre intakes calculated from the questionnaires using the new factors, was 23.8g (r=0.69) and for the thirty-two subjects was 24.8g (r=0.77). Mean daily fibre intake derived from cereals calculated from three-day weighed records was 15.5g and from seven-day weighed records was 14.7g while that derived from fruit and vegetables was 11.2g and 11.1g for the three-day and seven-day weighed records, respectively. These correlated well with both the questionnaire estimates of cereal and fruit and vegetable fibre intakes. There was no significant difference between the mean daily fibre intakes for the three-day and the seven-day weighed records. It is concluded that questionnaires used to estimate fibre intake are sufficiently accurate, even when used with small samples of thirty subjects, and that fibre intake is relatively constant.
Effect of processing on buckwheat phenolics and antioxidant activity

Abstract The effect of processing on functional compounds in buckwheat was investigated. Extractions of buckwheat flour were carried out before and after roasting or extrusion. Folin–Ciocalteu assays indicated that processing did not cause any change in total phenolic content in buckwheat flour. Roasted (200 °C, 10 min) dark buckwheat flour exhibited an increase in non-polar compounds as well as polar compounds whereas extrusion exhibited increase only in polar compounds. Antioxidant activity test (DPPH) showed that roasting at 200 °C for 10 min decreased the antioxidant activity slightly whereas extrusion (170 °C) did not cause any change. The results suggest that processing conditions can be optimized to retain the health promoting compounds in buckwheat products.
Signaling the Arrest of Pollen Tube Development in Self-Incompatible Plants

Self-incompatibility (SI), the cellular recognition system that limits inbreeding, has served as a paradigm for the study of cell-to-cell communication in plants since the phenomenon was first described by Darwin. Recent studies indicate that SI is achieved by diverse molecular mechanisms in different plant species. In the mustard family, the mechanism of SI shows parallels to the signaling systems found in animals that are mediated by cell-surface receptors with signal-transducing protein kinase activity.
Redox redux: the control of oxidative stress responses.

Bruce Demple and Carlos F. Amb Greenberg and Demple, 1988). A sepa- rate adaptive response mitigates cell killing by superox- ide-generating agents (compounds such as paraquat or quinones) that divert single electrons from NAD(P)H to molecular oxygen in a process called redox cycling (Greenberg et al., 1990). In E. coli, these adaptive resistances correspond to two “sbmulons”-one for H202 and one for 02:, Each consists of ~40 inducible proteins (Greenberg and Demple, 1989; Walkup and Kogoma, 1989), most of which are of unknown fuoction or control. However, two sets of the inducible proteins are the products of coordinately controlled genes thit constitute regulons. The oxyR gene mediates the H&--indbcible expression of eight proteins in E. coli (dhristman et al., 1985; Greenberg and Demple, 1989). A two-gene locus, soitf?S, controls the induction of nine other pfdteins i,n respdnse to, superoxide generators but not H802 (Greenberg,et al., 1990; Tsaneva and Weiss, 1990). The oxyR,and the:soxRS gene products exert positive tran- scription@ contrdl of the regulon genes. How do these s)istems sense the’, specific redox signals that activate them? WRat mecha’nisms transduce this signal into tran- sdiiption$activation? OjiyR: A jWdox-Sensitive Gene Activator
Smooth and Vertical Facet Formation for AlGaN-Based Deep-UV Laser Diodes

Using a two-step method of plasma and wet chemical etching, we demonstrate smooth, vertical facets for use in AlxGa1−xN-based deep-ultraviolet laser-diode heterostructures where x = 0 to 0.5. Optimization of plasma-etching conditions included increasing both temperature and radiofrequency (RF) power to achieve a facet angle of 5 deg from vertical. Subsequent etching in AZ400K developer was investigated to reduce the facet surface roughness and improve facet verticality. The resulting combined processes produced improved facet sidewalls with an average angle of 0.7 deg from vertical and less than 2-nm root-mean-square (RMS) roughness, yielding an estimated reflectivity greater than 95% of that of a perfectly smooth and vertical facet.
Adaptive Cross-Correlation Algorithm and Experiment of Extended Scene Shack-Hartmann Wavefront Sensing

We have developed a new, adaptive cross-correlation (ACC) algorithm to estimate with high accuracy the shift as large as several pixels in two extended-scene images captured by a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor (SH-WFS). It determines the positions of all extended-scene image cells relative to a reference cell using an FFT-based iterative image-shifting algorithm. It works with both point-source spot images as well as extended scene images. We have also set up a testbed for extended-scene SH-WFS, and tested the ACC algorithm with the measured data of both point-source and extended-scene images. In this paper we describe our algorithm and present our experimental results.
J/Ψ and heavy-quark production in E866/FNAL and PHENIX

The production of heavy quarks in nuclei is modified from that for a free nucleon by a number of nuclear effects including shadowing of the nuclear gluon distributions, energy loss of the incident gluon, and, in the case of the J/Ψ, disassociation of the c \(\bar c\) pair (absorption) as it exits the nucleus. Measurements in the E866/NuSea 800 GeV fixed target experiment show a large suppression of the closed-charm yield with strong kinematical dependencies and with a slightly stronger suppression for the Ψ’ than for the J/Ψ near X F = 0. On the other hand, a measurement of the D meson nuclear dependence near X F = 0 shows no suppression. At RHIC the J/Ψ is thought to be a key signature for the creation of a quark-gluon plasma (QGP) in heavy-ion collisions, but the non-QGP suppression already seen in p-A collisions at lower energies shows that we must first understand these non-QGP effects on the J/Psi in order to gain a clear understanding of its production in nucleus-nucleus collisions. The most recent run at RHIC included deuteron-gold collisions and will serve as a baseline for these cold nuclear matter effects at RHIC energy. Here I report on the first results for the J/Ψ and for open-charm at PHENIX including the d-Au results. The present knowledge of gluon shadowing is very uncertain, especially in the large rapidity region of the PHENIX muon arms, and these measurements should help us determine how strong it is and perhaps even its dependence on impact parameter.
On the variation of G and scale invariant gravitation - A reply

In 1977 Canuto et al. proposed a formalism to deal with the possible difference between gravitational and atomic clocks (or times). The formalism was incomplete since the authors only dealt with the gravitational Lagrangian LG, leaving the specific form of the matter Lagrangian Lm for a later study. Kembhavi and Pollock (1981) have proposed a matter Lagrangian which they define as 'the only possible one' or 'the inescapable form of Lm'. Adding this Lm to Lg, they claim that the theory does not allow for a variable G. The present paper gives a mathematical proof that the proposed matter Lagrangian, far from being 'the only one' or 'the inescapable form', is actually a very special case which already contains imprinted all the conclusions Kembhavi and Pollock claim to have discovered. Their results are therefore erroneous.
Improving the Robustness of Time-of-Flight Based Shear Wave Speed Reconstruction Methods Using RANSAC in Human Liver in vivo

Abstract The stiffness of tissue can be quantified by measuring the shear wave speed (SWS) within the medium. Ultrasound is a real-time imaging modality capable of tracking the propagation of shear waves in soft tissue. Time-of-flight (TOF) methods have previously been shown to be effective for quantifying SWS from ultrasonically tracked displacements. However, the application of these methods to in vivo data is challenging due to the presence of additional sources of error, such as physiologic motion or spatial inhomogeneities in tissue. This article introduces the use of random sample consensus (RANSAC), a model fitting paradigm robust to the presence of gross outlier data, for estimating the SWS from ultrasonically tracked tissue displacements in vivo . SWS reconstruction is posed as a parameter estimation problem and the RANSAC solution to this problem is described. Simulations using synthetic TOF data show that RANSAC is capable of good stiffness reconstruction accuracy (mean error 0.5 kPa) and precision (standard deviation 0.6 kPa) over a range of shear stiffness (0.6–10 kPa) and proportion of inlier data (50%–95%). As with all TOF SWS estimation methods, the accuracy and precision of the RANSAC reconstructed shear modulus decreases with increasing tissue stiffness. The RANSAC SWS estimator was applied to radiation force induced shear wave data from 123 human patient livers acquired with a modified SONOLINE Antares ultrasound system (Siemens Healthcare, Ultrasound Business Unit, Mountain View, CA, USA) in a clinical setting before liver biopsy was performed. Stiffness measurements were not possible in 19 patients due to the absence of shear wave propagation inside the liver. The mean liver stiffness for the remaining 104 patients ranged from 1.3 to 24.2 kPa and the proportion of inliers for the successful reconstructions ranged between 42% to 99%. Using RANSAC for SWS estimation improved the diagnostic accuracy of liver stiffness for delineating fibrosis stage compared with ordinary least squares (OLS) without outlier removal (AUROC = 0.94 for F ≥ 3 and AUROC = 0.98 for F = 4). These results show that RANSAC is a suitable method for estimating the SWS from noisy in vivo shear wave displacements tracked by ultrasound. (E-mail: michael.h.wang@duke.edu )
COMPARING THE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENTIAL REINFORCEMENT OF OTHER BEHAVIOR AND RESPONSE-COST CONTINGENCIES ON TICS IN YOUTH WITH TOURETTE SYNDROME

Tics are rapid, repetitive, stereotyped movements or vocalizations that arise from neurobiological dysfunction and are influenced by environmental factors. Although persons with tic disorders often experience aversive social reactions in response to tics, little is known about the behavioral effects of such consequences. Along several dimensions, the present study compared the effects of two treatments on tics: response cost (RC) and differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO). Four children with Tourette syndrome were exposed to free-to-tic baseline, DRO, RC, and quasibaseline rebound evaluation conditions using an alternating treatments design. Both DRO and RC produced substantial decreases in tics from baseline levels. No differential effects of DRO and RC contingencies were seen on self-reported stress or in the strength of the reflexive motivating operation (i.e., premonitory urge) believed to trigger tics, and neither condition produced tic-rebound effects. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.
Design strategy for a formally verified reliable computing platform

A high-level design is given for a reliable computing platform for real-time control applications. The design tradeoffs and analysis related to the development of a formally verified reliable computing platform are discussed. The design strategy advocated requires the use of techniques that can be completely characterized mathematically as opposed to more powerful or more flexible algorithms whose performance properties can only by analyzed by simulation and testing. The need for accurate reliability models that can be related to the behavior models is also stressed. Tradeoffs between reliability and voting complexity are explored. In particular, the transient recovery properties of the system are found to be fundamental to both the reliability analysis and the correctness models. >
A Global View of Martian Surface Compositions from MGS-TES

Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) data from the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) are used to determine compositions and distributions of martian low-albedo regions. Two surface spectral signatures are identified from low-albedo regions. Comparisons with spectra of terrestrial rock samples and deconvolution results indicate that the two compositions are a basaltic composition dominated by plagioclase feldspar and clinopyroxene and an andesitic composition dominated by plagioclase feldspar and volcanic glass. The distribution of the two compositions is split roughly along the planetary dichotomy. The basaltic composition is confined to older surfaces, and the more silicic composition is concentrated in the younger northern plains.
Enteropathogenic E. coli-induced barrier function alteration is not a consequence of host cell apoptosis

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is a diarrheagenic pathogen that perturbs intestinal epithelial function. Many of the alterations in the host cells are mediated by effector molecules that ...
Detailed comparison of two popular variant calling packages for exome and targeted exon studies

The Genome Analysis Toolkit (GATK) is commonly used for variant calling of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and small insertions and deletions (indels) from short-read sequencing data aligned against a reference genome. There have been a number of variant calling comparisons against GATK, but an equally comprehensive comparison for VarScan not yet been performed. More specifically, we compare (1) the effects of different pre-processing steps prior to variant calling with both GATK and VarScan, (2) VarScan variants called with increasingly conservative parameters, and (3) filtered and unfiltered GATK variant calls (for both the UnifiedGenotyper and the HaplotypeCaller). Variant calling was performed on three datasets (1 targeted exon dataset and 2 exome datasets), each with approximately a dozen subjects. In most cases, pre-processing steps (e.g., indel realignment and quality score base recalibration using GATK) had only a modest impact on the variant calls, but the importance of the pre-processing steps varied between datasets and variant callers. Based upon concordance statistics presented in this study, we recommend GATK users focus on "high-quality" GATK variants by filtering out variants flagged as low-quality. We also found that running VarScan with a conservative set of parameters (referred to as "VarScan-Cons") resulted in a reproducible list of variants, with high concordance (>97%) to high-quality variants called by the GATK UnifiedGenotyper and HaplotypeCaller. These conservative parameters result in decreased sensitivity, but the VarScan-Cons variant list could still recover 84-88% of the high-quality GATK SNPs in the exome datasets. This study also provides limited evidence that VarScan-Cons has a decreased false positive rate among novel variants (relative to high-quality GATK SNPs) and that the GATK HaplotypeCaller has an increased false positive rate for indels (relative to VarScan-Cons and high-quality GATK UnifiedGenotyper indels). More broadly, we believe the metrics used for comparison in this study can be useful in assessing the quality of variant calls in the context of a specific experimental design. As an example, a limited number of variant calling comparisons are also performed on two additional variant callers.
Varicella Vaccine Studies in Healthy Children and Adults

Immunization of normal children and adults with Oka strain live varicella vaccine from several manufacturers has been studied in our laboratory and elsewhere. This paper summarizes clinical trials designed to obtain information on minimum dose immunogenicity pre- and postexposure prophylaxis, immunization of various age groups, and booster immunizations for seropositive individuals. These studies documented a 94% to 100% seroconversion rate with 95% to 100% persistence of antibodies at 3 to 4 years. Protective efficacy was more than 90%, and the vaccine was successful in preventing varicella when a high dose was given postexposure. Clinical reactions were limited to temperature elevations and minor papulovesicular rashes that occurred in 5% to 10% of vaccinees. Herpes zoster has been absent in vaccinated healthy individuals.
Political Jurisprudence, the “New Institutionalism,” and the Future of Public Law

For the last quarter century public-law studies have been dominated by “political jurisprudence,” which tries to understand law as a product of political forces. Critics claim this outlook, as now articulated, has generated fragmented empirical work disconnected from larger normative issues. This essay uses recent “institutionalist” or “structuralist” perspectives, based on critiques of pluralist political science and both Marxist and functionalist sociology, to propose a political approach to public law studies that can avoid such criticisms. If both empirical and normative public-law scholars took as their central concern the “dialectic of meaningful actions and structural determinants” and recast their research in several specified ways, they might be better able to describe the role of normative ideas in law and to achieve a broader empirical agenda that could ground and inform normative debates.
Pharmaceutical considerations in aerosol drug delivery

Aerosolized drug delivery has been used for over 50 years, but its quality and scope continue to increase. Three factors affect this form of drug delivery: the nebulizer, the compressor, and the actual drug preparation. As technology and knowledge improve, this delivery system also improves. Patients with cystic fibrosis, in particular, can benefit significantly from this form of therapy.
Noncovalent interaction energies in covalent complexes: TEM-1 beta-lactamase and beta-lactams.

The class A {beta}-lactamase TEM-1 is a key bacterial resistance enzyme against {beta}-lactam antibiotics, but little is known about the energetic bases for complementarity between TEM-1 and its inhibitors. Most inhibitors form a covalent adduct with the catalytic Ser70, making the measurement of equilibriumconstants, and hence interaction energies, technically difficult. This study evaluates noncovalent interactions withincovalent complexes by examining the differential stability of TEM-1 and its inhibitor adducts. The thermal denaturation of TEM-1 follows a two-state, reversible model with a melting temperature (T{sub m}) of 51.6 C and a van't Hoff enthalpy of unfolding ({Delta}H{sub VH}) of 146.2 kcal/mol at pH 7.0. The stability of the enzyme changes on forming an inhibitor adduct. As expected, some inhibitors stabilize TEM-1; transition-state analogues increase the T{sub m} by up to 3.7 C(1.7 kcal/mol). Surprisingly, all {beta}-lactam covalent acyl-enzyme complexes tested destabilize TEM-1 significantly relative to the apoenzyme. For instance, the clinically used inhibitor clavulanic acid and the {beta}-lactamase-resistant {beta}-lactams moxalactam and imipenem destabilize TEM-1 by over 2.6 C (1.2 kcal/mol) in their covalent adducts. Based on the structure of the TEM-1/imipenem complex (Maveyraud et al., J Am Chem Soc 1998;120:9748-52), destabilization by moxalactam and imipenem is thought to be caused by amore » steric clash between the side-chain of Asn132 and the 6(7)-{alpha} group of these {beta}-lactams. To test this hypothesis, the mutant enzyme N132A was made. In contrast with wild-type, the covalent complexes between N132A and both imipenem and moxalactam stabilize the enzyme, consistent with the hypothesis. To investigate the structural bases of this dramatic change instability, the structure of N132A/imipenem was determined by X-ray crystallography. In the complex with N132A, imipenemadopts a very different conformation from that observed in the wild-type complex, and the putative destabilizing interaction with residue 132 is relieved. Studies of several enzymes suggest that {beta}-lactams, andcovalent inhibitors in general, can have either net favorable or net unfavorable noncovalent interaction energies within the covalent complex. In the case of TEM-1, such unfavorable interactions convert substrate analogues into very effective inhibitors.« less
Atrial Fibrillation Diagnosed through Sensory Complaints

Taste and smell disorders have multiple causes. We describe a patient in whom atrial fibrillation and subsequent embolic stroke was discovered because of complaints of decreased smell and taste. These deficits ultimately improved after treatment of the atrial fibrillation along with anticoagulation medication for stroke prevention.
Marginal Value of Quality Attributes for Natural and Organic Beef

The objective of this research is to determine the marginal value of attributes to consumers with respect to nat~~ral beef or beef producecl with org:unic grains. A hedonic tnodel is used to value atlributes of I I different pritnal cuts. Results suggest that producers under this particular naturallimplant-free marketing alliance should market high-yielding animals rather than high-quality grading animals. Consumers of this beef value taste, as measured by dry aging, and leanness, as measured by USDA Select grade. The economic nlag~iitudes of the v;u-iables under a producer's control were s~n~~ll relative to those that coi~ld be controlled by a processor.
Sex Role Identity among College Students: A Cross-Cultural Analysis.

This study compared sex role identity of male andfemale college students (N = 763) from four ethnicdracial groups: 203 Puerto Ricans in Puerto Rico (PR-PR) (F = 126; M = 77); 197 Puerto Ricans in t...