cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Superficial Femoral-Popliteal Vein Graft: A Reliable Conduit for Large-Caliber Arterial and Venous Reconstructions

Vascular surgeons are increasingly called upon to perform arterial reconstructions in patients who have unusable or absent saphenous veins forcing consideration of alternative conduits. Although prosthetic grafts have excellent performance when used as bypasses involving the aorta and its branches, there are clearly circumstances in which autogenous conduits are preferable. The superficial femoral popliteal vein (SFPV) has proven to be an outstanding alternative in these situations. Although the SFPV was originally used at our institution for the treatment of aortic graft infections, the success of reconstructions for this indication has led us to utilize the SFPV conduit in many other situations. The SFPV has proven to be superior to prosthetic grafts for infrainguinal limb salvage procedures and for hemodialysis access in certain situations. In addition, the SFPV appears to be the conduit of choice for use in infected fields of all types and for large caliber venous reconstructions. The purpose of this article is to review the use of the SFPV conduit in creation of the neoaortoiliac system (NAIS), update our results, and survey alternative uses for this versatile conduit. We also address the technical details of its harvest and implantation technique.
Fish growth: Bertalanffy k is proportional to reproductive effort

By comparing the Bertalanffy descriptive growth equation (BG) with a reproductive-allocation growth (RAG) equation, I show that the BG k parameter is approximately equal to about 0.55 times the proportion of an adult body mass given to reproduction per unit of time, the reproductive effort; thus, k may be useful in predicting average fecundity. This also means that the Beverton–Holt k/M dimensionless number is really a lifetime reproductive allocation since the average adult life span is about 1/M years.
Two-Wave Mixing Photorefractive Diffraction Efficiency

In this paper, a new figure of merit for steady-state diffraction efficiency for two-wave mixing in photorefractive materials is presented which includes total incident energy and absorption losses. The parameter is appropriate for use in systems where the reading and writing beams are the same and where efficient use of a fixed light budget is a design requirement. Design relationships between the exponential gain, I', the beam ratio, m , energy coupling, absorption, and Fresnel reflectance and transmittance are explored. Experimental results using BaTiO3 at X = 514.5 nm bear out analysis. The results provide a straightforward guide to the optical designer who wishes to use the coupling capabilities of photorefractive media in an optical system or subsystem.
Helicobacter pylori infection in elderly patients

Sir—Hoda Malaty and colleagues (March 16, p 931) do not recognise that Helicobacter pylori infection poses a great risk to elderly patients with previous peptic ulcer disease. Their conclusion that eradication should be targeted at children will direct focus away from this already neglected group. Although H pylori is associated with gastric cancer and lymphoma, the incidence of these diseases is in decline, and in developed-country populations particularly the absolute risk is small. The major burden on health-care resources from H pylori infection results from peptic ulcer disease and its complications. Older patients are most at risk, since mortality rates for peptic ulcers rise from around one per million at age 20 years, towards 200 per million at age 70 years. Elderly people with previous peptic ulcer disease benefit from eradication therapy. There is no consensus to date about how best to identify these patients, but primary-care screening is ineffective. We have found a simple hospital-based strategy for screening by history and serology to be effective, showing 85% seropositivity for H pylori in patients with a history of peptic ulcer disease. We reviewed the histories of consecutive patients who we saw for non-ulcer-related medical disorders. All those with previous peptic ulcers underwent serological testing for H pylori IgG, and we recorded details of date and method of diagnosis, current symptoms, and ulcer risk factors. With an assumed infection prevalence of 75% among cases, we calculated that audit of the first 20 patients would provide sufficient clinical information to assess the usefulness of the proposed strategy (95% CI 56–94). The table shows the diagnoses, estimated duration of disease, and proportion of patients with current risk factors for ulcer disease. The mean age of patients was 67 years (range 48–88) and seven were men. 85% (95% CI 69–100) of patients with a history of ulcer disease were H pylori positive. No patient gave a history of H pylori eradication. If current guidelines were followed, all patients should have negative serology for H pylori. Around 80% (62–98) were still symptomatic or requiring acid suppression treatment, and 50% (28–72) were current smokers or taking ulcerogenic medication. Research shows synergism, with H pylori infection increasing the risk of peptic-ulcer disease in patients taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs up to 3·53 times higher than the risk associated with NSAID use alone. Eradication treatment lowers the risk of recurrent ulcer disease, complications, and drug costs. A hospital-based approach to screen for H pylori in patients with documented peptic ulcer disease involves little investment in time and money. Compared with children, adults admitted to hospital are in a higher risk group, and eradication efforts should be directed at them. *J Younger, A Duggan
Long-term follow-up of nonoperatively treated thoracolumbar spine fractures.

SummaryLittle information is available regarding the long-term results of nonoperative treatment for fractures of the thoracolumbar spine. One thousand six hundred ninety-one fractures of the spine seen at the University of Iowa from 1935 to 1975 were reviewed; 83 fractures met strict inclusion crit
Structure and in Vitro Digestibility of Normal Corn Starch: Effect of Acid Treatment, Autoclaving, and β-Amylolysis

The goal of this study was to explore a new strategy to reduce the digestibility of normal corn starch (NCS). NCS was treated using 1.0% hydrogen chloride at 55 °C. After neutralization and desalting, starches were adjusted to 35% moisture content and subjected to autoclaving. Thereafter, starches were subjected to β-amylolysis. At different stages, starches were characterized for chain length distribution, ordered structure including the crystalline pattern, and in vitro digestibility. The results showed that acid treatment reduced amylose molecular weight and increased the thermal resistance of A-type crystallites. V-type crystallites promoted by autoclaving were increased by acid treatment, suggesting the beneficial effect of reduced amylose molecular weight on crystallization. β-Amylolysis had minor impact on the crystalline pattern; however, it significantly reduced the in vitro digestibility of starch by enriching linear chains. At higher levels of acid treatment, the effect of β-amylolysis was more...
Re-access complication with a Starclose device.

Diagnostic cardiac catheterizations are predominantly performed using access through the femoral artery. To improve patient comfort and early mobilization, a number of percutaneous closure devices have been developed. One such device using the nitinol clip was developed by Abbott Vascular Devices and was approved for use on the basis of the results of the Clip Closure In Percutaneous Procedures (CLIP) study. The safety of repuncture through a previously deployed device has not been established in humans. We present the case of a patient who had an arterial line placed for post-operative monitoring after cardiac surgery at the site of a previous arteriotomy closed with the Starclose device. The catheter traversed through the central portion, tethered to the periphery of the ninitol clip, and required surgery for extraction. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The effects of crowding on larvae of the meal moth, Ephestia kühniella†

Ephestia larvae of strain BII (inbred for 140 generations) were obtained at late first or early second instar, and subjected to progressively more crowded conditions. Population sets of 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 larvae were confined together. In this experiment crowding caused a diminution of body size, an apparent delay in development, and increased mortality. Experiments were also performed with sets of 64 larvae in containers with progressively greater surface area. Areas of 12.6 cm,2 and 144 cm 2 were employed. In some cases weight of food remained constant, in others, the depth. These experiments suggested that the crowding effect was not unimodal. Inhibition of body size remained, while the inhibition of development rate and mortality decreased with increased surface area. A third set of experiments measured the pO2 and pCO2 at weekly intervals in 12.6 cm 2 jars containing 4, 16, 32, and 64 larvae each, and 28.2 cm2 jars containing 64 larvae. A decrease in pO2 was found only at 14 days after isolation in the 32, 64, and 64/28.2 cm 2 jars. When jars of 64 larvae each were flushed continually with air, inhibition was not reduced. Thus the differences in pO2 were judged to be insignificant to the inhibition, and the inhibitor was judged to be non-volatile. Mortality in the crowded populations was found to result from failure to complete eclosion by pupae behaviorally “trapped” beneath the cocoons of other larvae.
Effects of acute lead ingestion and diet on antibody and T-cell-mediated immunity in Japanese quail.

This study investigated the interacting effects of acute lead exposure and different diets on antibody and T-cell-mediated immunity in Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix). Nine quail (nine week old males) were assigned randomly to each group in a factorial experiment with four treatments and two diets. The treatments were 1) a positive control group fed 20 μg/g corticosterone, 2) a negative control group given no lead or corticosterone, 3) a low-lead group, and 4) a high-lead group. The low and high lead groups received 100 and 400 μg/ml lead as lead acetate in drinking water for 7 d. The two diets were poultry feed and ground corn. Control quail fed corn lost 13–14% of initial body mass, but lead-dosed quail fed corn lost 23–24%. All quail fed poultry feed gained body mass. On the corn diet, three high-lead and one low-lead quail died of lead poisoning. Corn increased the percentage of heterophils in white blood cells (P=0.0018) and decreased lymphocytes (P=0.019) and monocytes (P=0.0073). There was marginal evidence that lead increased the heterophil/lymphocyte ratio in corn-fed quail (P=0.064). Corn decreased the T-cell-mediated response to an intradermal injection of phytohemagglutinin (P=0.0001). Corticosterone suppressed this response more than lead. In corn-fed quail, lead suppressed the primary total antibody response to immunization with chukar partridge (Alectoris graeca) erythrocytes (P<0.05). Lead reduced the secondary total antibody and IgG responses in the low lead, corn group (P<0.05). Lead suppressed antibody-mediated immunity only at dosages that also caused clinical lead poisoning.
The inf–sup condition and its evaluation for mixed finite element methods

Abstract The objective of this paper is to review the general inf–sup condition for mixed finite element methods and summarize numerical procedures (inf–sup tests) for the evaluation of the inf–sup expressions specific to various problem areas. The inf–sup testing of a given mixed finite element discretization is most important in order to assess its reliability and solution effectiveness. The problem areas considered are (almost) incompressible analysis of solids and fluids, acoustic fluids, the analysis of plates and shells, and the solution of convection-dominated flows.
Genomic structure of a Y-specific ribonucleic acid binding motif-containing gene: a putative candidate for a subset of male infertility.

The genetic basis of infertility remains unclear in a majority of infertile men. Deletion mapping studies suggest that genes on the long arm of the Y-chromosome (Yq) may be important in the spermatogenic process and may play a pathogenetic role in a subset of infertile men. Complementary DNA sequences of two Y-specific genes that contain ribonucleic acid binding motifs and, therefore, referred to as RBM genes (previously named YRRM) were published recently. To develop a PCR-single strand conformation polymorphism strategy for detection of point mutations in the RBM gene(s) in infertile men, we determined the genomic structure and flanking sequences at the intron-exon junctions. Two separate strategies were used in parallel to isolate the genomic fragment bearing the RBM gene. The first strategy employed screening of a P1 genomic library using PCR primers corresponding to the sequences in the 5'- and 3'-ends of the published RBM-1 complementary DNA sequence. The second strategy used subcloning of the YAC c...
Sexual and hormonal influences on eating, taste preferences, and body weight of hamsters

Abstract Endocrine influences on eating, body weight and taste preferences were studied in the golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus). Adult gonadectomized hamsters eat more and rapidly gain weight during daily treatment with 5 mg of progesterone (Prog); females are more responsive than males to these effects of Prog. The appetite and weight-promoting effects of Prog are completely absent in ovariectomized and hypophysectomized female hamsters prior to 46 days of age. The dose-response relation for progesterone effects on eating was established in adult females. The failure of moderate progesterone dosages to increase food consumption, considered together with the minimal changes in eating recorded in pregnant hamsters during conditions of elevated progesterone secretion, suggest that progesterone effects on eating are of pharmacological rather than physiological significance. Testosterone propionate (TP) treatment decreases food intake in adult male hamsters but not in females. Young castrated males are about as responsive as older animals to these effects of TP. Female hamsters drink greater amounts of saccharin solution than do males in two bottle preference tests with water. Saccharin intake is decreased by ovariectomy and unaffected by castration. Hamsters consume only minimal amounts of a 1% NaCl solution when it is offered in two bottle preference tests with water. Salt intake is not increased following adrenalectomy and animals die within 7 days. Progesterone-treated adrenalectomized hamsters survive, although they too do not increase their consumption of NaCl. These findings on hamsters are generally in sharp contrast to results from similar experiments performed on other species. They emphasize the species specificity of endocrine mechanisms underlying eating, taste preferences and weight regulation.
Coplanar grid CdZnTe detectors for space science applications

The characteristics and performance for two of the latest coplanar grid CdZnTe detectors, which use the third-generation coplanar grid design, will be discussed. These detectors, with dimensions of 1.5x1.5x0.9 cm 3 and 1.5x1.5x0.95 cm 3 , were fabricated by Baltic Scientific Instruments, Ltd., using crystals from Yinnel Tech, Inc. The high electron mobility-lifetime product measured for these crystals will lead to improved charge collection efficiency and better energy resolution. The spectroscopic performance obtained from the detectors, employing various methods such as depth sensing, radial sensing, and relative gain compensation, will be reported. Results from these measurements will give us insight into the material properties as well as the charge induction uniformity of the detector.
Asking questions about vices really does increase vice behavior

In a commentary in the previous issue of Social Influence, Schneider, Tahk, and Krosnick raise concerns about the analytical techniques and conclusions drawn in Williams, Block, and Fitzsimons (2006). In this response, we address a number of issues raised by their comment. We discuss their thorough reanalysis of our data, what we believe it implies, and what conclusions should be drawn. We also briefly present a number of replications of the Williams et al. experiment and discuss what the collective implications of this work are. Ultimately, we conclude that the original warning cast by Williams et al. still stands: when we ask questions about vice behaviors we should do so with great care as we may unintentionally be increasing the behavior we are asking about.
Effects of plasmapheresis on peripheral blood mononuclear cell populations from patients with macroglobulinemia.

Effects of plasmapheresis on peripheral blood T-cell, B-cell, monocyte, and natural-killer-cell populations were studied in ten macroglobulinemia patients with hyperviscosity syndrome. Following plasmapheresis, there was a transient decrease in the number of T4+ helper cells and a longer-lasting decrease in the number of Leu-7+ natural killer cells and Mo2+ monocytes. In addition, there was a greater than 50% decrease in the in vitro ingestion capacity of monocytes. Although no significant changes in the numbers of IgM+, B1+, B4+, or PCA+ B cells (P greater than .05) were detected, there was a highly significant (P less than .01) increase in I2 antigen density on the surface of IgM+ B cells and in the bromodeoxyuridine uptake by these cells 7-9 days after plasmapheresis. These findings suggest that following plasmapheresis, IgM+ B cells are activated. Using flow cytometry to determine when maximum IgM+ B cell activation occurs by measuring I2 antigen density on the cell surface may be useful in determining the postplasmapheresis timing of chemotherapy in macroglobulinemia patients with hyperviscosity syndrome who require more aggressive treatment.
Tetraploid induction in Oreochromis spp.

Abstract The use of tetrapoloid broodstock in tetraploid × diploid matings has been suggested as a method of circumventing de novo triploid induction. Eggs from female tetraploids may also correct inherent developmental imbalances created by inducing polyploidy in diploid derived eggs. Tetraploid induction, using a combination of pressure and cold treatments, was attempted on two species of tilapia, O. niloticus and O. mossambicus , and their hybrid. The three genotypes were used in a full-factorial mating design under different induction regimes. Results indicated that allotetraploids were markedly more viable than autotetraploids in early development, yet both tetraploid types were subvital when compared to their diploid counterparts.
Comparison of linear and nonlinear overstory-understory models for ponderosa pine

Abstract Linear and nonlinear regression models of total understory biomass in relation to overstory canopy cover and several abiotic site factors were tested using data from 31 ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl.) sites along the Front Range of Colorado and Wyoming. At the forest level, site factors were insignificant in explaining understory biomass. Canopy cover, however, was a significant predictor. The relationship between canopy cover (X) and grass production (Y) was best expressed by the nonlinear model, Y = A B X . Total understory production could be predicted with equal precision using simple linear and nonlinear regressions with canopy cover. In this case, the simple linear model captured the interaction of the nonlinear grass response and a suspected quadratic relationship between shrub production and overstory cover as well as any other model.
Phorbol esters stimulate in vitro GnRH release from the hypothalamus of the estrogen-primed, ovariectomized rat: inhibitory effects of cocaine.

The purpose of this study was (1) to characterize more fully the effects of phorbol esters to stimulate GnRH release in vitro and (2) to determine whether cocaine (which disrupts estrous cyclicity in rats) affected phorbol ester stimulation of GnRH release in vitro. Hypothalami were collected from ovariectomized rats injected subcutaneously with 50 µg/kg of 17β-estradiol benzoate the two previous mornings. Sagittal sections of this block of CNS tissue comprising the preoptic area/anterior hypothalamus and mediobasal hypothalamus/median eminence were perfused at a rate of 6.2 ml/h with a modified Krebs-Ringer buffer (pH 7.4) using a programmable perfusion system. Perfusion results showed that 10-min pulses of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate or phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu) increased GnRH release in dose-dependent fashion (10–10 to 10–6M) but had no effect on aminergic transmitter release. The biologically inactive α-phorbol was without effect on GnRH release. PDBu-stimulated GnRH release was blocked by both tetrodotoxin and cocaine, known inhibitors of Na+ influx. These results suggest a role for protein kinase C in regulating the release of GnRH. Our results that cocaine and tetrodotoxin attenuated phorbol ester stimulation of GnRH, presumably through inhibition of Na+ influx, suggest a direct biochemical mechanism for cocaine disruption of hypothalamic GnRH secretion and, consequently, cyclic reproductive function.
Characterization of monoclonal antibodies to the IGF-I receptor that inhibit IGF-I binding to human cells

A mouse monoclonal antibody directed against the human placental IGF-I receptor is shown to completely inhibit IGF-I binding to both human placental membranes and circulating human mononuclear leukocytes. Insulin binding is unaffected. Studies with 125I-labelled anti-receptor antibody indicate that the antibody reacts with an epitope distinct from the IGF-I binding site. These antibodies will be powerful probes of IGF-I binding and action in human cells.
Electrodeposition Characteristics of Bismuth-Telluride Films

Abstract : This work is a part of an on-going research effort to develop an array of micro thermoelectric coolers (TECs) for highly localized control of temperature at the cellular level. Prefabrication experimentation and modeling were carried out to understand the behavior of the proposed device. Mathematical models were used to identify important device parameters and optimal device dimensions. Preliminary experiments have shown that it is feasible to produce the TECs through electrodeposition of bismuth and telluride on modules produced using a modified multi-step LIGA (Lithographie, Galvanoformung and Abformung) technique. The development and characterization of the proposed TECS would enable the bioengineer highly localized control of temperature in a native or artificial tissue system. Thus enabling further usage of low temperatures in biological systems for both destructive (cryosurgical) and beneficial (cryopreservation) procedures.
Interferences in chemiluminescent measurement of NO and NO2 emissions from combustion systems

Two factors that may affect the quantification of NO and NO2 concentrations when using chemiluminescent analysis are investigated. The first is the dependence of the chemiluminescent intensity on competing third body quenching reactions. Relative quenching efficiencies are determined as a function of third body concentration for six different species that are common products of combustion. A mathematical expression is derived that allows calculation of the actual concentration of NO, given the indicated concentration of NO and the concentrations of the important third bodies. An example calculation is presented. The second factor investigated involves the conversion to NO of low molecular weight nitrogen-containing species, other than NO2, in commercial NOx converters. Conversion efficiencies for six species are determined using a commercial stainless steel catalyst at 920 K.
Surgical education in the new millennium: the military perspective

Throughout history, war has claimed the lives of countless individuals. Advances in medical (especially surgical) care and understanding of the physiology of traumatic injuries have occurred with each successive conflict. There has been a tremendous peacetime benefit, which has contributed greatly to modern medical and surgical care. It is not an exaggeration to state that modern-day surgical care has many of its roots in lessons learned from military conflict. Thus it seems only natural that the training of surgeons might benefit from the lessons learned in the military, and that military residency programs might take advantage of that expertise. This article addresses the history of military surgical residencies, their differences from civilian programs, their current status, and the future challenges that must be addressed to maintain their viability in the new millennium.
Using knowledge to optimally achieve coordination in distributed systems

Abstract A distributed computing system consists of a set of individual processors that communicate through some medium. Coordinating the actions of such processors is essential in distributed computing. Researchers have long endeavored to find efficient solutions to a variety of coordination problems. Recently, processor knowledge has been used to characterize such solutions and to derive more efficient ones. Most of this work has concentrated on the relationship between common knowledge and simultaneous coordination. This paper considers non-simultaneous coordination problems. The results of this paper add to our understanding of the relationship between knowledge and the different requirements of coordination problems. This paper considers the ideas of optimal and optimum solutions to a coordination problem and precisely characterizes the problems for which optimum solutions exist. This characterization is based on combinations of eventual common knowledge and continual common knowledge . The paper then considers more general problems, for which optimal, but no optimum, solutions exist. It defines a new form of knowledge, called extended knowledge , which combines eventual and continual knowledge, and shows how extended knowledge can be used to both characterize and construct optimal protocols for coordination.
Influence of recombinant bovine gamma interferon on neutrophil function

The effect of recombinant bovine gamma-interferon (rboIFN-gamma) on neutrophil functions was investigated and compared to the effects of an unpurified lymphokine preparation. Incubation of purified bovine neutrophils with rboIFN-gamma or antigen-induced lymphokine for 2.5 hours at 37°C resulted in impairment of the ability of neutrophils to migrate under agarose/ and an enhancement of their ability to mediate antibodydependent and antibody-independent cell-mediated cytotoxicity against chicken erythrocytes (CRBC). Neither the lymphokine preparation nor the rboIFN-gamma had any influence on Staphylococcus aureus ingestion, or iodination by neutrophils. The lymphokine preparation enhanced cytochrome C reduction by neutrophils and was weakly chemotactic, whereas the rboIFN-gamma had neither of these effects. Only five minutes of rboIFN-gamma preincubation with neutrophils were needed to trigger protein synthesis by the neutrophils resulting in inhibition of random migration. Therefore/ recombinant gamma-interferon acts as a neutrophil migration inhibition factor and a neutrophil activation factor resulting in enhanced neutrophil mediated antibody-dependent and -independent cellmediated cytotoxicity. Many, but not all/ of the in vitro effects of an unpurified lymphokine preparation on neutrophil function can be attributed to the gamma interferon contained in the lymphokine.
Effects of changes in the periphery on development of the corticospinal motor system in the rat.

Effects of changes in the periphery on development of the corticospinal (CS) motor system were studied in the rat. Unilateral forelimb restraint between ages 5 and 30 days resulted in an increase in the number of CS neurons which persisted in the adult. The effect was most marked ipsilateral to limb restraint where both crossed and uncrossed CS connections were increased, but it also occurred to a lesser extent on the contralateral side. Animals with limb restraint had enlargement of the areas of cerebral cortex in which CS neurons occurred. The enlargement of motor cortex regions and increase in CS neurons closely resembled the changes found in the remaining cerebral hemisphere after neonatal hemispherectomy. The findings in animals with forelimb restraint differed markedly from those after forelimb amputation, where little change occurred in either number or location of CS neurons. Limb restraint initiated at the time of postnatal hemispherectomy had no effects on location or number of CS neurons beyond those of hemispherectomy alone. It is proposed that transient CS axons that occur normally in the postnatal rat may be recruited for formation of permanent connections under very diverse conditions, i.e. hemispherectomy and limb restraint. Failure to observe an additional effect of limb restraint in hemispherectomized animals may be due to the fact that after hemispherectomy all available transient fibers in the remaining hemisphere are recruited for innervation of the side of the spinal cord that has lost its cortical input.
Relating Whole-Genome Expression Data with Protein-Protein Interactions

We investigate the relationship of protein-protein interactions with mRNA expression levels, by integrating a variety of data sources for yeast. We focus on known protein complexes that have clearly defined interactions between their subunits. We find that subunits of the same protein complex show significant coexpression, both in terms of similarities of absolute mRNA levels and expression profiles, e.g., we can often see subunits of a complex having correlated patterns of expression over a time course. We classify the yeast protein complexes as either permanent or transient, with permanent ones being maintained through most cellular conditions. We find that, generally, permanent complexes, such as the ribosome and proteasome, have a particularly strong relationship with expression, while transient ones do not. However, we note that several transient complexes, such as the RNA polymerase II holoenzyme and the replication complex, can be subdivided into smaller permanent ones, which do have a strong relationship to gene expression. We also investigated the interactions in aggregated, genome-wide data sets, such as the comprehensive yeast two-hybrid experiments, and found them to have only a weak relationship with gene expression, similar to that of transient complexes. (Further details on genecensus.org/expression/interactions and bioinfo.mbb.yale.edu/expression/interactions.)
Delineation and geometric modeling of road networks

Abstract In this work we present a novel vision-based system for automatic detection and extraction of complex road networks from various sensor resources such as aerial photographs, satellite images, and LiDAR. Uniquely, the proposed system is an integrated solution that merges the power of perceptual grouping theory (Gabor filtering, tensor voting) and optimized segmentation techniques (global optimization using graph-cuts) into a unified framework to address the challenging problems of geospatial feature detection and classification. Firstly, the local precision of the Gabor filters is combined with the global context of the tensor voting to produce accurate classification of the geospatial features. In addition, the tensorial representation used for the encoding of the data eliminates the need for any thresholds, therefore removing any data dependencies. Secondly, a novel orientation-based segmentation is presented which incorporates the classification of the perceptual grouping, and results in segmentations with better defined boundaries and continuous linear segments. Finally, a set of gaussian-based filters are applied to automatically extract centerline information (magnitude, width and orientation). This information is then used for creating road segments and transforming them to their polygonal representations.
Adjuvant Treatment and Predictors of Response in Colon Cancer

Although most newly diagnosed cases of colon cancer present as potentially curable tumors, disease recurrence after curative surgery remains a major health burden. Colon cancer is a heterogeneous disease in clinical behavior and response to treatment even within the same stage. Our emergent understanding of the complexity of cancer biology has led us to strive towards individualize therapy on the basis of relevant molecular markers. In colorectal cancer, individualized treatment is being evaluated as identification of various clinical and molecular factors have been established as prognostic or predictive of response. On the basis of these clinical and molecular markers, colon cancer should not be managed as a single disease, and the future of therapy will be to tailor treatment. In this report, we will review the role of adjuvant chemotherapy in early and locally advanced colon cancer and the role of clinical and molecular prognostic and predictive factors with a particular focus on hereditary colorectal cancer.
Importance of the project Train‐ISS for LFR

This paper puts into perspective the importance of the European project Train‐ISS, taking into account the experience gained by one of the contractors INETI/CITI (Instituto Nacional de Investigacao e Tecnologia Industrial/Centro de Informacao Tecnica para a Industria) in developing the information market in Portugal. The most important landmarks of the development of the information market in Portugal are outlined. One of the factors restricting this development has been the shortage of trained information professionals. Two projects developed by INETI/CITI, in collaboration with the University of Sheffield, Department of Information Studies, to counteract this shortage are outlined. These are the Postgraduate Course for Information Intermediaries, an intensive six‐month training course which ran for three consecutive years, 1987–1990, and the MSc in Information Management from the University of Sheffield delivered at INETI. The paper concludes by addressing the skills of the professional information Specialists trained by INETI and potentially by the Train‐ISS advanced training programme in Information Management. It indicates the main parts of the contents of the programme leading to a Diploma in Electronic Information Management. Those who wish to continue and submit a dissertation within one year of obtaining the diploma would be awarded the MSc in Electronic Information Management.
Enforcement of data consistency in database systems

The absolute correctness of a database is an ideal goal and can not be guaranteed. Only a lower level of database consistency can be enforced in practice. We discuss the issue of database consistency beginning with identification of correctness criteria for database systems. A taxonomy of methods for verification and restoration of database consistency is used to identify classes of methods with a practical significance. We discuss how fault tolerance (using both general and application-specific system properties) allows us to maintain database consistency in the presence of faults and errors in a database system and how database consistency can be restored after site crashes and network partitionings. A database system can ensure the semantic integrity of a database via verification of a set of integrity assertions. We show how to efficiently verify the integrity of a database state. Finally, batch verification of integrity assertions is presented as one of the promising approaches that use parallelism to speed up the verification.
On the germanium-strontium phase diagram

Abstract The germanium-strontium phase diagram was determined by differential thermal analysis and metallographic analysis. Ge 2 Sr, GeSr, and GeSr 2 are the only compounds in the system. Ge 2 Sr and GeSr 2 form by peritectic reactions at 1015 °C and 972 °C, respectively. The peritectic reaction for Ge 2 Sr extends from 28.3 at.% Sr to the 50-50 compound; the peritectic reaction for GeSr 2 extends from the 50-50 compound to 77.6 at.% Sr. The compound GeSr melts congruently at about 1165 °C (determined by the extrapolation of the liquidus to the 50-50 compound). Between Ge and Ge 2 Sr, and between GeSr 2 and Sr there are eutectic reactions at 755 °C and 19.3 at.% Sr, and at 714 °C and 96.4 at.% Sr, respectively.
Adolescent Boys in an Extended Day Treatment Program for Behavior Problems and Their Reflections About Relationships with Women and Girls

ABSTRACT Adolescent boys with behavioral problems commonly have disturbances in their relationships with women and girls. Previous studies suggest that the causes include conflicts with their mothers and separations from them during childhood. Vignettes about relationships between adolescent boys and mothers and other women/girls were used to study how these adolescents view personal relationships with females. Twenty-seven boys in an urban publicly funded extended day treatment program depicted relationships with women and girls as conflict ridden. With probing, many of the boys became aware that if a boy feels angry with his mother, he may take it out on another woman or girl. The use of vignettes enabled these adolescent boys to reflect on their relationships with girls and women.
Prediction of Novel Bag-1 Homologs Based on Structure/Function Analysis Identifies Snl1p as an Hsp70 Co-chaperone in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Polypeptide binding by the chaperone Hsp70 is regulated by its ATPase activity, which is itself regulated by co-chaperones including the Bag domain nucleotide exchange factors. Here, we tested the functional contribution of residues in the Bag domain of Bag-1M that contact Hsp70. Two point mutations, E212A and E219A, partially reduced co-chaperone activity, whereas the point mutation R237A completely abolished activity in vitro. Based on the strict positional conservation of the Arg-237 residue, several Bag domain proteins were predicted from various eukaryotic genomes. One candidate, Snl1p from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was confirmed as a Bag domain co-chaperone. Snl1p bound specifically to the Ssa and Ssb forms of yeast cytosolic Hsp70, as revealed by two-hybrid screening and co-precipitations from yeast lysate. In vitro, Snl1p also recognized mammalian Hsp70 and regulated the Hsp70 ATPase activity identically to Bag-1M. Point mutations in Snl1p that disrupted the conserved residues Glu-112 and Arg-141, equivalent to Glu-212 and Arg-237 in Bag-1M, abolished the interaction with Hsp70 proteins. In live yeast, mutated Snl1p could not substitute for wild-type Snl1p in suppressing the lethal defect caused by truncation of the Nup116p nuclear pore component. Thus, Snl1p is the first Bag domain protein identified in S. cerevisiae, and its interaction with Hsp70 is essential for biological activity.
Effect of Post-Sulfurization Annealing and Gallium Grading on Thinner CuIn 1-X Ga x S 2 Absorbers

Thinner CuIn 1-x Ga x S 2 (CIGS2) solar cells are being prepared with an aim to reduce the consumption of indium and gallium. Post-sulfurization annealing is being used to enhance the grain size in order to overcome the problem of very small grains that tend to form in thinner films that are not desirable for device quality solar cells. Based on the fact that gallium gradient that is typically found in CIGS and CIGS2 solar cells has beneficial effect on preventing back contact recombination of minority carriers, an attempt to determine the optimum regime for post-sulfurization annealing is made to derive the benefits from larger grains and gallium gradient. An initial set of experiments carried out at PV materials laboratory at FSEC has shown encouraging results with cell efficiencies of 9-10% for thinner (1.2-1.6 μm) films.
Total and Acylated Ghrelin Levels in Children With Poor Growth

Ghrelin, an enteric hormone with potent appetite stimulating effects, also stimulates growth hormone release. We hypothesized that altered levels of total ghrelin (TG) or acylated ghrelin (AG) could affect growth by altering growth hormone secretion, subsequently affecting insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) generation or by altering appetite and food intake. After institutional review board approval, 52 children presenting for evaluation of chronic gastrointestinal symptoms (group 1), poor weight gain (group 2), or poor linear growth (group 3) were evaluated for fasting TG and AG levels in addition to their regular evaluation. Serum ghrelin, IGF-1, and prealbumin were compared between groups. No difference was observed for mean fasting TG between groups. However, mean fasting AG was highest in patients in group 2 (465 ± 128 pg/mL) versus group 1 (176 ± 37 pg/mL) and group 3 (190 ± 34 pg/mL). IGF-1 was lowest in patients in group 2 despite similar prealbumin levels among the three groups. We conclude that serum AG levels are highest in children with isolated poor weight gain compared with children with short stature or chronic gastrointestinal symptoms, suggesting the possibility of resistance to AG in underweight children. Additional studies are needed to further clarify ghrelin's role in growth and appetite.
Enzymatic S-methylation of 6-n-propyl-2-thiouracil and other antithyroid drugs.

Abstract Mouse kidney thiol transmethylase and S -adenosylmethionine were incubated with the radioactive antithyroid drugs, 2-thiouracil (TU), 6-propyl-2-thiouracil (PTU), methimazole (MMI). 6-methyl-2-thiouracil (6-methyl TU) or thiourea. Radioactive metabolites were produced with TU, PTU and 6-methyl TU and, in each case. were identified as the corresponding S -methyl derivatives. No measurable metabolism of MMI or thiourea was observed. Kinetic studies with the partially purified enzyme demonstrated K m values for TU, PTU and 6-methyl TU of 1 × 10 −3 M, 2.5 × 10 −3 M and 1.54 × 10 −3 M respectively. Extensive investigation with PTU demonstrated that methylation was to the sulfur rather than the nitrogen of the thiopyrimidine and that the pH optimum for PTU was 8.0. Methylation of PTU was proportional to enzyme concentration, with little spontaneous methylation occurring, and was not reversible. TU and 6-methyl TU inhibited PTU metabolism and were apparently competitive substrates. Thiouracil nucleoside and thiouracil nucleotide were not substrates for the enzyme. Studies with porcine thyroid peroxidase demonstrated that S -methylation of PTU. TU and MMI abolished the antiperoxidase activity observed with the parent compound. The results obtained demonstrate that S -methylation is a general pathway of metabolism for thiopyrimidine antithyroid drugs, but not for thiourea or MMI, which markedly decreases the antiperoxidase activity of the parent compound.
Role of student pharmacists in the identification and prevention of medication-related problems

Abstract Objectives To measure the total rate of attending physician, medical resident, and medical student acceptance of interventions recommended by third-year student pharmacists supervised by a licensed pharmacist and to determine the type of health care provider group that accepted the most interventions, type of interventions provided, and number of patients counseled on medication use. Methods This prospective unblinded pilot study followed single interventions documented by nine third-year student pharmacists enrolled at the University of Louisiana at Monroe College of Pharmacy. Success rates of suggested interventions made to family medicine attending physicians, pharmacists, medical residents, and medical students in three Louisiana outpatient clinics were documented. Student pharmacists performed medication histories, identified potential medication-related problems, discussed interventions with health care providers, and counseled patients on medication use. Outcomes assessed were intervention type and number, intervention acceptance rate, and number of patients counseled. Results Student pharmacists communicated with attending physicians, medical residents, and/or medical students regarding 32 patients. A total of 48 interventions were documented. Of these interventions, 34 were potential medication-related problems, 8 were pharmacotherapeutic recommendations for a new problem, 4 were responses to a health care provider's drug information requests, and 2 were referrals to a diabetes education class. The acceptance rate of student pharmacists’ recommendations was 86%. Attending physicians accepted 93.8% of recommended interventions, medical residents 70%, and medical students 87.5%, Student pharmacists counseled 29 patients on medication use. Conclusion Student pharmacists were able to recommend new drug regimens and discuss changes in therapy with health care providers. Attending physicians, medical residents, and medical students accepted the majority of students’ recommendations. Third-year student pharmacists have the potential to serve an important role in the identification and prevention of medication-related problems by suggesting interventions to health care providers.
SU-FF-J-122: Deformable Image Registration Using FDG-PET/MRI for Metastatic Breast Cancer Detection

Introduction: Diagnostic imaging techniques using fluoro‐deoxy‐glucose (FDG) — positron emission tomography(PET) and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) offer tumor‐specific imaging capabilities for breast cancerimaging. Combining PET‐MRI systems may provide synergistic information on abnormal soft tissue processes useful for discriminating tumor from other soft tissue abnormalities that may mimic tumor. We propose a deformable image registration method able to align MRI series over an FDG‐PET dataset which may improve metastatic for breast cancerimaging.Method: To more precisely replicate presentation of FDG‐PET when analyzing FDG‐PET/MRI, a deformable registration method was devised to correct locally defined posture changes. To mathematically represent the deformations, we use a BSpline model whose coefficients are iteratively calculated in small steps using a gradient‐based optimization algorithm under the guidance of a mutual information metric. The deformable BSpline approach technique was evaluated using checkerboard views and compared to a rigid body registration. Results: Comparison of rigid versus deformable registration of checkerboard FDG‐PET and MRIimages revealed superior results for deformable registration. The deformable registration was feasible and showed exact anatomical correlation between FDG‐PET and MRimages in a checkerboard. Increased activity from the FDG‐PET scan clearly corresponded to anatomical structures on the MRimages. Clinically, the deformable registration of FDG‐PET and MRI revealed the complimentary information. Regions of increased FDG activity on PET‐CT, which was initially rated as possible tumor disease, were evaluated based on the additional soft tissue information available from the MRI. In one patient case, MRI revealed a benign uterine fibroid which was not definitive on PET‐CT. Conclusion: Deformable image registration of PET‐CT and MRI using a BSpline algorithm is feasible for metastatic breast cancer detection.
Goal Gradient in Locomotor Behavior: Field Studies:

Three studies compared walking speeds of subjects approaching a location assumed to contain a reward with walking speeds of subjects who passed by the reward location. Rewarded subjects were studen...
Effect of Vertical Misalignment of Optical Images on Depth Judgments

Sensitivity of the visual function to vertical misalignment in the making of depth judgments was demonstrated for values of vertical prism of 0.5 and 1 diopter when an observer alternated from “normal” viewing to viewing with vertical misalignment. The variables of exposure time and alternation rate were not shown to be significant. The failure to show an expected significance of alternation rate is attributed to the over-all variability of the data and insensitivity of the experimental design. The data are intergrated with those of Ogle on “Stereopsis and vertical disparity,” and Ogle and Prangen on “Vertical divergence and hyperphoria.” Compensatory movements of the eyes and the pressure to respond rapidly are felt to have removed the experimental task from the class of depth tasks studied by Ogle and also to account for the demonstrated sensitivity of the eye to vertical misalignment of the presented images in the making of depth judgments.