cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Speech based emotion classification framework for driver assistance system

Automated analysis of human affective behavior has attracted increasing attention in recent years. Driver's emotion often influences driving performance which can be improved if the car actively responds to the emotional state of the driver. It is important for an intelligent driver support system to accurately monitor the driver's state in an unobtrusive and robust manner. Ever changing environment while driving poses a serious challenge to existing techniques for speech emotion recognition. In this paper, we utilize contextual information of the outside environment as well as inside car user to improve the emotion recognition accuracy. In particular, a noise cancellation technique is used to suppress the noise adaptively based on the driving context and a gender based context information is analyzed for developing the classifier. Experimental analyses show promising results.
Live attenuated Salmonella vaccines against Mycobacterium tuberculosis with antigen delivery via the type III secretion system.

Tuberculosis remains a global health threat, and there is dire need to develop a vaccine that is safe and efficacious and confers long-lasting protection. In this study, we constructed recombinant attenuated Salmonella vaccine (RASV) strains with plasmids expressing fusion proteins consisting of the 80 amino-terminal amino acids of the type 3 secretion system effector SopE of Salmonella and the Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens early secreted antigenic target 6-kDa (ESAT-6) protein and culture filtrate protein 10 (CFP-10). We demonstrated that the SopE-mycobacterial antigen fusion proteins were translocated into the cytoplasm of INT-407 cells in cell culture assays. Oral immunization of mice with RASV strains synthesizing SopE-ESAT-6-CFP-10 fusion proteins resulted in significant protection of the mice against aerosol challenge with M. tuberculosis H37Rv that was similar to the protection afforded by immunization with Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) administered subcutaneously. In addition, oral immunization with the RASV strains specifying these mycobacterial antigens elicited production of significant antibody titers to ESAT-6 and production of ESAT-6- or CFP-10-specific gamma interferon (IFN-γ)-secreting and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)-secreting splenocytes.
Osseous Hodgkin disease

BACKGROUND Hodgkin disease rarely presents as an osseous lesion, and the majority of patients are found at staging to have concurrent disease in lymph nodes. Many cases of osseous Hodgkin disease have been misdiagnosed on initial biopsy. METHODS All cases of Hodgkin disease diagnosed by open bone biopsy at the Mayo Clinic were identified. These included patients with primary osseous tumors, those presenting with multiple sites of involvement (with osseous lesions), and those with recurrence in bone. Recut sections were subjected to immunohistochemical stains to confirm the diagnosis. Clinical data and follow-up information were obtained from patients' charts. RESULTS Twenty-five patients (15 males and 10 females with an average age of 37 years) with osseous Hodgkin disease were identified during the years 1927–1996. Three patients had solitary, osseous tumors and two had primary, multifocal, osseous Hodgkin disease without involvement of nonosseous sites. Twelve patients who presented with lesions in osseous sites also had nonosseous tumors detected at staging, and 8 patients had recurrent Hodgkin disease that presented in bone. The majority of patients with primary and recurrent tumors presented only with bone pain; >50% of patients with concurrent osseous and nonosseous disease also had B-type symptoms. Nearly all lesions were in the axial and proximal appendicular skeleton. Radiographic features included osteosclerotic, osteolytic, and mixed lytic/sclerotic patterns. Cortical destruction, periosteal new bone formation, and soft tissue masses were present in 50% of cases. The histologic diagnosis of osseous Hodgkin disease occasionally was problematic; osteomyelitis was the most frequent misdiagnosis. Immunohistochemical stains revealed expression of CD15 and CD30 in neoplastic cells (which were negative for CD45 and B-cell and T-cell antigens) in all but two cases. Involved lymph nodes typically exhibited nodular sclerosis Hodgkin disease. Three patients with primary solitary osseous Hodgkin disease received radiation treatment only; at last follow-up 2 patients were alive at 22 months and 10 years, respectively. Patients with concurrent osseous and nonosseous tumors exhibited a 60% overall survival rate, but at last follow-up all 4 patients diagnosed after 1986 still were alive; those with Hodgkin disease that recurred as osseous lesions had a 60% survival rate at 8 years, but only 1 of the 5 patients diagnosed since 1984 had died of disease. CONCLUSIONS Osseous Hodgkin disease typically presents with bone pain, and the majority of patients have concurrent nonosseous lesions detected at staging. Radiographic features of osseous Hodgkin disease vary but indicate an aggressive malignant process. The histologic diagnosis may be problematic; immunohistochemical stains aid in establishing the diagnosis of Hodgkin disease in bone. Survival of patients with osseous Hodgkin disease has been found to be good for the last 10 years. Cancer 1999;85:1166–78. © 1999 American Cancer Society.
S-Oxalylglutathione is a substrate for γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT). Implications for the role of GGT in cell proliferation

Abstract With glycylglycine or water as acceptor, bovine kidney γ-glutamyltransferase catalyzes reactions of the known mammalian metabolite, S-oxalylglutathione, at rates comparable to those of L-γ-glutamyl-p-nitroanilide, a known good substrate. N-Oxalylcysteinylglycine is the eventual product of the former reaction. Since oxalyl thiolesters are implicated as important cell proliferation inhibitors, it is proposed that this reaction plays a major role in controlling cell proliferation.
Application of pseudo random binary sequence input to identification of respiratory control dynamics

A new method for studying the chemical control of breathing in man is described which uses a Pseudo Random Binary Sequence (PRBS) inhalation of CO2. Impulse responses of endtidal CO2, minute ventilation, tidal volume, inspiratory and expiratory durations were estimated by cross-correlating outputs with the PRBS input. Data collected in seven normal men suggest that impulse responses may be useful in isolating the contribution of peripheral chemoreceptors. Estimates of peripheral sensitivity to CO2 based on PRBS show significantly smaller intrasubject variability than those based on sinusoidal test inputs. Application of a Nelder-Mead parameter estimation procedure demonstrated that a third order model is sufficient to explain impulse response dynamics.
Association of smoking with wound complications after cesarean delivery

Objective: To determine whether smoking is an independent risk factor for wound dehiscence after cesarean delivery. Methods: In this case–control study, medical records were reviewed for all patients with wound dehiscence after cesarean delivery during a 7-month period. Wound dehiscence was defined as separation of wound edges requiring treatment. Three control patients without such complications were randomly selected for each case patient. Univariate associations were assessed using t test or Fisher’s exact test; univariate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated with logistic regression. Multivariate associations were assessed with logistic regression on variables with a univariate association significant at p ≤ 0.10. Results: Of 597 cesarean deliveries, 30 cases (5 %) with wound dehiscence were identified. As individual variables, smoking (46.7 vs. 21.1%, p < 0.01, cases vs. controls), histological chorioamnionitis (27.6 vs. 6.7%, p < 0.01) and preoperative hematocrit (34.0 ...
A Time Domain Method for Estimating Forces Applied to an Unrestrained Structure

A new method for the estimation of forces applied to a structure is presented. This time domain technique uses the structures response time history and returns an estimate of the applied force time history. This technique allows near-real-time estimation of input forces for non-collocated sensor/actuator pairs for multi-input/multi-output systems. Two examples are presented. The first is a single-input/single-output one-dimensional spring/ mass chain in which a remote accelerometer is used to estimate an input force at one end. In the second example, the technique is used to estimate six docking forces and moments between the Space Shuttle and the Russian MIR Space Station during a numerical simulation of a docking event.
Abdul Njai: Ally and Enemy of the Portuguese in Guinea-Bissau, 1895–1919

The protracted subjugation by the Portuguese of Guinea-Bissau was made possible by Abdul Njai and his army of auxiliary troops. Njai became an ally of the Portuguese in the mid-1890s and continued his support for the Portuguese conquest until about 1915. He provided logistical support, and served both as a commander in the Portuguese army and as a recruiter of African troops. Oral as well as written sources indicate that Njai was directly responsible for the successful campaigns fought against the strongholds of resistance to Portuguese authority. As a reward for his services, the Portuguese granted Njai political authority over Oio province. Thus Njai became a kind of ‘warrant chief’ in an area where his only legitimacy was based on force rather than traditional affiliation. Portuguese control remained limited even after 1915 and Njai governed his region as he pleased. African communities in Oio and elsewhere in Guinea-Bissau feared and respected this warlord more than the Portuguese. He thus became a threat to Portuguese colonial officials in Guinea-Bissau as well as their French counterparts in neighbouring Senegal. The Portuguese therefore turned on their erstwhile ally and, after unsuccessful attempts to bring him to heel through negotiation, mounted an expedition which resulted in his capture and deportation in 1919.
Fluoroethylene carbonate electrolyte and its use in lithium ion batteries with graphite anodes

The electrolyte decomposition during the first lithiation of graphite is reduced to 85 mA h/g in an electrolyte containing equal volumes of fluoroethylene carbonate (Fluoro-EC) and of a co-solvent propylene carbonate (PC). The volume fraction of Fluoro-EC can be further reduced to 0.05 in a tri-solvent system with a co-solvent containing equal volumes of ethylene carbonate (EC) and PC. A lithium ion cell containing Fluoro-EC PC and EC shows a long cycle life. The capacity decreases by 37% from the initial value in over 200 cycles. Cell current efficiency is 100%, thus solving the poor cell current efficiency when chloroethylene carbonate (Chloro-EC) is used in place of Fluoro-EC.
Effect of Coulombic Interactions on Rotational Mobility of Guests in Sol−Gel Silicate Thin Films

We investigate the effect of Coulombic interactions on the mobility of rhodamine 6G (R6G) and Oregon Green 514 (ORG) in sol−gel silicates by measuring their mobility distributions using single molecule polarization measurements. While R6G is a cationic dye, ORG (pKa = 3.69 ± 0.08) is an anionic dye at neutral pH. The presence of more tumbling ORG molecules in sol−gel silicates indicates that R6G and ORG experience opposite Coulombic interactions with a predominately anionic silica sol−gel surface. On the other hand, the fact that tumbling ORG only represents a minor portion of ORG investigated, even at pH 7, clearly illustrates that Coulombic interaction alone does not control the mobility of an encapsulated guest molecule in sol−gel silicates.
American Indian Treaties and the Presidents: A Guide to the Treaties Proclaimed by Each Administration

(2002). American Indian Treaties and the Presidents: A Guide to the Treaties Proclaimed by Each Administration. The Social Studies: Vol. 93, No. 5, pp. 218-227.
TRAVEL DISTANCE THROUGH TRANSPORTATION TERMINALS ON A RECTANGULAR GRID

The number of terminals used in a transportation network affects inventory, transportation and overhead costs. With few terminals, overhead and inventory costs tend to be small, but average travel distance through terminals is large. With many terminals, overhead and inventory costs are large, but average travel distance is small. As a first step toward analyzing this trade-off, this paper develops equations that quantify the relation between number of terminals and average travel distance. These equations are verified by applying them to an example involving the 37 largest cities in the United States. Average travel distance is shown to decrease slowly as the number of terminals increases, declining by no more than one third. Although adding terminals decreases travel distance somewhat, the marginal travel distance reduction quickly becomes quite small.
Tensile Properties of Cold‐formable Aluminium‐Plastics Laminate Films

The work was based on the need to develop a horizontal form/fill/seal pouch machine to produce retortable meal-and-ready-to-eat pouches for the military. The pouch-forming process can be considered as cold-forming involving non-uniform biaxial stretching of the film. Tensile properties are well-established characteristics of films, which can be used to describe their deformation ability. An Instron Universal Testing Machine was used to measure the tensile properties of ten cold-formable aluminium-plastics laminate films, with structure of PET/AI/PP or OPP/AI/PP, in which the aluminium foil thickness ranged from 10 to 51 μ. The data showed that elongation of the films was not affected significantly by separation speed. All the films failed at or very close to maximum peaks of the load-elongation curves. Because of the orientation of the OPP layer, the tensile properties were found to depend on whether the films containing OPP were stretched in the machine direction or in the transverse direction. The aluminium layer was the most critical factor in determining the maximum elongation of the entire laminate film, and the elongation-at-break of the films ranged from 25 to 45%. The load-at-break values of the films increased linearly with increasing aluminium thickness, and values of the tensile properties versus aluminium thickness curves extrapolated at zero thickness provided a measure of the strength of the plastic layers in the lamination. There was synergism between the laminate layers allowing the aluminium layer to stretch more than the normal elongation.
Blood Lipid Effects of Antihypertensive Therapy: A Double-Blind Comparison of the Effects of Methyldopa and Propranolol

: Thirty-two middle-aged men with essential hypertension completed a double-blind randomly allocated comparison of the effects of methyldopa versus propranolol on blood lipid levels. After a four-week period on a placebo for each drug, subjects were titrated for the next six weeks with either methyldopa from 500 to 2000 mg/day or propranolol from 80 to 320 mg/day plus a placebo for the other drug until supine diastolic blood pressure was below 90 mm Hg or the ceiling dose was reached. Subjects were then maintained on the achieved drug dose for an additional six weeks and finally switched back to a placebo for each drug for four more weeks. Blood lipid levels were measured twice during each study period and the values averaged and compared. Neither drug significantly affected levels of total plasma cholesterol. However, both drugs reduced high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels about 10 per cent and increased the total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol ratio. In addition, propranolol significantly increased plasma triglyceride levels (28.3 per cent). The changes in lipid levels were not dose related. Whether or not these blood lipid changes persist and their possible clinical implications during prolonged therapy remain to be elucidated.
Jaundiced Gunn rats have increased synaptic delays in the ventral cochlear nucleus

Recordings were made in vitro from cochlear nuclei of Gunn rats, a strain with a recessive mutation that predisposes rats to hyperbilirubinemia at birth. Delays between shocks to the auditory nerve and earliest synaptic responses of the cochlear nuclear neurons were on average longer in Gunn rats than in heterozygotes. Injections of sulfonamide further increased average synaptic delays in jaundiced rats. Responses to injected current in rats were like those in mice.
Afferent response parameters derived from postmasker probe-detection thresholds: 'the decay of sensation' revisited.

The classical model of forward masking postulates that the detection threshold for a tone probe that follows a stimulus of similar frequency content is elevated relative to the quiet threshold because the probe must evoke a just-detectable increment in a decaying postmasker sensation. That postmasker decay is charted by probe-detection thresholds if the sensation increment is small and constant. This model was examined for a 2-kHz Gaussian-shaped probe and a 2-kHz forward masker, based on the model's assumption that a just-detectable increment in sensation results from a just-detectable increment in level. Psychometric functions for detection were obtained at 2.5-30 ms postmasker. Their means and standard deviations generally decreased with delay. It was assumed that standard deviation is related to the putative just-detectable level increment by a simple monotonic transformation. Thus, if the standard deviation of the psychometric function for probe detection is neither small nor constant, then the corresponding just-detectable increment in level is neither small nor constant, and the just-detectable increment in sensation is neither small nor constant. The classical model also fails to allow for the variability of internal events. The concept of detection threshold as a sensation increment was preserved in a Signal Detection model, that does allow for internal variability. In this model the postmasker residual is the input to a probe detector. The new model produces an equation for the just-detectable level increment as a function of probe delay. Comparison data were generated by again assuming some relation between the standard deviation of the psychometric function for detection, and the just-detectable increment in level. The fit of equation to data yields robust values for the probe detector's maximum firing rate, dynamic range, and spike-counting time. All that is required to account for the decay of sensation, for a pure tone, is a single neuron operating at some higher center.
Affective communication differences between distressed and nondistressed mother-adolescent dyads

An assessment technique of having mothers and young adolescents describe in brief written form what they like and dislike about each other was evaluated. Distressed dyads (N=38) produced responses that were rated significantly more negative (Demanding, Personal Attack, Anger and Hostility, Complaining About Unfairness or Disrespect) and less positive (Good Relationship, Appreciation of Other, Complimentary, and Enjoyment) than nondistressed dyads (N=40). Evidence of reliability was reported. Ratings of the written responses correlated significantly with independently obtained codings of taperecorded interactions, thus offering support for validity of the method.
Evaluation of impact of energy storage on Effective Load Carrying Capability of wind energy

Wind energy is variable and intermittent in nature. The variations in wind speed results in a stochastic output for wind turbines. Therefore, the peak generation of wind farms and peak load demand typically do not occur at the same time. This paper studies a wind farm integrated with an energy storage device at turbine level in order to shift the wind power generation to the peak demand periods. A model of system including practical utility level battery integrated with wind farm is developed and presented. In order to measure the effect of this integration, actual profiles of load, wind energy, and other power sources is studied and the Effective Load Carrying Capability (ELCC) for wind energy, after and before adding the battery, is calculated. Results show that the battery can make significant improvements in the ELCC of wind energy.
Protective role of ceruloplasmin in inflammation

Experimental inflammation in copper Cu)-deficient rats is greater than that induced in controls eating normal diet. Cu-supplementation of the Cu-deficient diet results in a reduced swelling, down to normal levels. Injection of the naturally occurring acute phase reactant, ceruloplasmin (Cp) a Cu-bearing serum protein, also results in reduction of experimental inflammation. Since a rise in serum Cp occurs in normal pregnancy this protective anti-inflammatory action in normal pregnancy this protective anti-inflammatory action of Cp is proposed as an explanation for the widely-observed phenomenon of spontaneous control of rheumatoid arthritis in pregnancy.
THE TOTAL-TIME HYPOTHESIS AND THE ACQUISITION OF CONNECTED DISCOURSE AS A FUNCTION OF MODE OF PRESENTATION, PRESENTATION RATE, AND INTELLIGENCE

This study investigated the applicability of the total-time hypothesis in learning connected discourse as a function of two separate modes of presentation, two different presentation rates, and two significantly different level of adult intelligence. The eight paragraphs of the Nelson-Denny Reading Test (Form A) served as the connected discourse. Statistical analyses showed the total-time hypothesis to be definitely applicable to the learning of the connected discourse Substantial doubt regarding the wisdom of using compressed speech technology as an educational panacea was evident.
Cooperative enhancement of two- and three-photon absorption in dendrimers and their underlying coherent domain structure

At present a special attention is concentrated on increasing of the efficiency of multi-photon absorption of organic systems because of new emerging applications based on this effect. In our experiments we use strong two-photon absorbing chromophore, 4,4'-bis(diphenylamino)stilbene (BDPAS), to design new dendrimer molecules, in such a way that the branching center allows for π-electronic conjugation between branches. Here we present, for the first time, unambiguous spectroscopic evidence of strong cooperative enhancement of two-photon and three-photon absorption in a series of these dendritic macromolecules. Maximum two-photon cross section increases in proportion to N 2 , where N = 2, 4, 6 is the number of constituent identical chromophore units in the parent BDPAS and lowest, G-0 dendrimer generation. Almost the same scaling law is observed for three-photon absorption. For higher generations, G-1 and G-2, comprising N = 14 and 30 chromophores, respectively, the cooperativity in multiphoton response starts to saturate. We show that three-photon absorption provides important complementary information, which we use for evaluation of the size of domains where chromophores are coherently coupled.
Site-directed Mutations in the vnd/NK-2 Homeodomain BASIS OF VARIATIONS IN STRUCTURE AND SEQUENCE-SPECIFIC DNA BINDING

Secondary structures, DNA binding properties, and thermal denaturation behavior of six site-directed mutant homeodomains encoded by the vnd/NK-2 gene from Drosophila melanogaster are described. Three single site H52R, Y54M, and T56W mutations, two double site H52R/T56W and Y54M/T56W mutations, and one triple site H52R/Y54M/T56W mutation were investigated. These positions were chosen based on their variability across homeodomains displaying differences in secondary structure and DNA binding specificity. Multidimensional NMR, electrophoretic mobility shift assays, and circular dichroism spectropolarimetry studies were carried out on recombinant 80-amino acid residue proteins containing the homeodomain. Position 56, but more importantly position 56 in combination with position 52, plays an important role in determining the length of the recognition helix. The H52R mutation alone does not affect the length of this helix but does increase the thermal stability. Introduction of site mutations at positions 52 and 56 in vnd/NK-2 does not modify their high affinity binding to the 18-base pair DNA fragment containing the vnd/NK-2 consensus binding sequence, CAAGTG. Site mutations involving position 54 (Y54M, Y54M/T56W, and H52R/Y54M/T56W) all show a decrease of 1 order of magnitude in their binding affinity. The roles in structure and sequence specificity of individual atom-atom interactions are described.
Expression of a TGFβ regulated, brain-specific mRNA in serum-free mouse embryo (SFME) cells

The serum-free mouse embryo (SFME) cell line was isolated from 16-day-old Balb/c mouse embryos in medium in which the usual serum supplement to the culture medium was replaced by purified growth factors and other components. SFME is an unusual line that does not undergo senescence in vitro, maintains an apparently normal karyotype, and is growth inhibited by serum. Transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta) or calf serum induces expression of the astrocyte marker glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in these cells, and similar cells can be isolated directly from brain. By differential screening of a cDNA library derived from SFME cells, a calf serum- and TGF beta-regulated 8.5 kb mRNA was identified in SFME cells and the cDNA partially sequenced. This mRNA was detected only in RNA preparations from brain among a number of tissues examined, and may provide an additional marker of TGF beta-regulated differentiation in these cells.
Why Do Open Economies Have Bigger Governments

This paper demonstrates that there is a robust empirical association between the extent to which an economy is exposed to trade and the size of its government sector. This association holds for a large cross-section of countries, in low- as well as high-income samples, and is robust to the inclusion of a wide range of controls. The explanation appears to be that government consumption plays a risk-reducing role in economies exposed to a significant amount of external risk. When openness is interacted with explicit measures of external risk, such as terms-of-trade uncertainty and product concentration of exports, it is the interaction terms that enter significantly, and the openness term loses its significance (or turns negative). The paper also demonstrates that government consumption is the majority of countries.
Effect of Tree Species and End Seal on Attractiveness and Utility of Cut Bolts to the Redbay Ambrosia Beetle and Granulate Ambrosia Beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae)

The redbay ambrosia beetle, Xyleborus glabratus Eichhoff, is a non-native invasive pest and vector of the fungus that causes laurel wilt disease in certain trees of the family Lauraceae. This study assessed the relative attractiveness and suitability of cut bolts of several tree species to X. glabratus. In 2009, female X. glabratus were equally attracted to traps baited with swampbay (Persea palustris (Rafinesque) Sargent) and camphortree (Cinnamomum camphora (L.) J. Presl), which were more attractive than avocado (Persea americana Miller), lancewood (Ocotea coriacea (Swartz) Britton), and sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana L.). These species were more attractive than loblolly bay (Gordonia lasianthus (L.) J. Ellis). X. glabratus entrance hole density and emergence from caged bolts were highest on swampbay and camphortree. In 2010, swampbay was significantly more attractive to X. glabratus than sassafras (Sassafras albidum (Nuttall) Nees), yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.), and eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis L.). Sassafras bolts end sealed with a liquid wax-and-water emulsion were more attractive to X. glabratus than end-sealed bolts of yellow poplar and redbud. Relative to unsealed bolts, end seal decreased X. glabratus entrance hole density on swampbay and decreased granulate ambrosia beetle (Xylosandrus crassiusculus (Motschulsky)) trap catch, entrance hole density, and adult emergence from swampbay. X. crassiusculus was not attracted to sassafras, yellow poplar, and redbud and was not more attracted to manuka oil than to unbaited traps. Sassafras was more attractive to X. glabratus than previously reported and supported reproducing populations of the insect. End sealing bolts with a wax-and-water emulsion may not be optimal for attracting and rearing ambrosia beetles in small logs.
Unilateral vs. bilateral supraglottoplasty for severe laryngomalacia in children.

Objectives: To study the efficacy of unilateral supraglottoplasty in comparison with bilateral supraglottoplasty for the treatment of severe laryngomalacia in children and to study factors that may be predictive of major complications or the need for a subsequent contralateral or revision procedure. Design: Retrospective medical record review. Setting: University tertiary care pediatric hospital. Patients: One hundred six consecutive pediatric patients, aged 9 days to 18 years, who had undergone unilateral or bilateral supraglottoplasty for severe laryngomalacia. Main Outcome Measures: Resolution of clinically significant laryngomalacia, development of major complications (supraglottic stenosis or aspiration), and an association between study variables (demographics, medical comorbidities, synchronous airway abnormalities, sites of excision, and techniques of excision) and the need for subsequent contralateral or revision supraglottoplasty. Results: We achieved a high success rate (95.7%), a low complication rate (8.5%), and observed the need for a contralateral procedure in 7 (14.9%) of the 47 patients who underwent initial unilateral supraglottoplasty. Two patients who underwent initial bilateral supraglottoplasty developed supraglottic stenosis. No significant association existed between our study variables and the development of complications or the need for contralateral or revision supraglottoplasty. Conclusions: Unilateral supraglottoplasty was associated with a high success rate, low complication rate, and the avoidance of supraglottic stenosis in our study population. The percentage of patients requiring a subsequent contralateral procedure was comparable to that reported in the literature, and no major complications were associated with the second operation in these patients. Therefore, unilateral supraglottoplasty seems to be a reasonable option for initial surgical management of pediatric patients with severe laryngomalacia.
Regulation of dendritic cell survival and cytokine production by osteoprotegerin.

The TNF family ligand, RANKL, and its two TNFR family receptors, RANK and OPG, enable coordinated regulation between the skeletal and immune systems. Relatively little is known about how OPG influences RANKL-RANK interactions for the regulation of DCs. Here, we show that OPG KO bone marrow-derived DCs survive better and produce more TNF-α, IL-12p40, and IL-23 in response to Escherichia coli LPS than WT DCs. RANKL is induced on DCs within 24 h after LPS stimulation. OPG limits RANKL-RANK interactions between DCs, which can promote DC survival and elevated expression of proinflammatory cytokines. Survival of and cytokine production by OPG KO DCs are inhibited by soluble OPG; conversely, anti-OPG enhances survival and cytokine production by WT DCs. Bim KO DCs, like OPG KO, also survive longer and produce more TNF-α than WT DCs; however, unlike OPG KO, Bim KO DCs do not produce more IL-23. In addition, after inoculation with LPS, OPG KO mice produce more TNF-α and IL-12p40 than WT mice but not more IL-6. Thus, OPG regulates not only DC survival but also the nature of DC-dependent inflammatory responses.
Response to Letter Regarding Article, “Off-Pump Versus On-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: Differences in Short-Term Outcomes and in Long-Term Mortality and Need for Subsequent Revascularization”

To the Editor: We read with great interest the recent report by Hannan et al1 on the short-term benefits of off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery compared with the standard on-pump approach on in-hospital/30-day mortality and perioperative complication rates. The 3-year follow-up proved comparable outcomes, excluding a lower rate of freedom from revascularization for the off-pump surgery group. The topic is certainly extremely interesting, especially nowadays, when less invasive approaches, such as off-pump coronary surgery and percutaneous coronary interventions, are acquiring dominant roles in the treatment of ischemic heart disease.2 However, we believe that this …
Use of a lighted stylet for guided orotracheal intubation in the prehospital setting

Management of the airway in acutely injured patients demands special skills of the emergency physician. A technique of light-guided orotracheal intubation has been described in the literature and was performed under protocol by resident physicians in an urban mobile intensive care system. The method utilizes a flexible lighted stylet to provide a guide to correct placement through transillumination of the soft tissues of the neck. During the 12-month period of the study, 24 intubations were attempted in 21 patients using this technique. Twenty-one attempts (88%) were successful. The average time for intubation was 20 seconds, with none requiring more than 45 seconds. Fourteen intubations (67%) were successful on the first attemp. Of the three unsuccessful procedures, two were attempted in brigh sunlight, and all three patients had vomited prior to the attempts. Trauma to the soft tissues in one successfully intubated patient was the only complication reported with the technique. The advantages of this method, including rapidity of intubation, ability to intubate without manipulation of the head or neck, and the apparently few complications, make it particularly attractive to emergency personnel. We conclude that guided orotracheal intubation using a lighted stylet is an effective and safe method of emergency intubation, even in the adverse prehospital environment.
An architecture for parallel search of large, full-text databases

A novel signature approach is introduced for retrieval of documents from large text databases. The structure of the signature files under this approach lends itself to a highly parallel hardware implementation. The signature files are generated by software and loaded into RAM. Upon a user query, the signature files are searched in parallel by a special-purpose search module for identification of relevant documents. The search module is implemented in hardware with a parallel architecture. Experimental results and the design of the search module are presented. Experiments have shown that this technique is quite efficient in terms of storage overhead and the number of false drops. Perhaps the most attractive feature of this system is the hardware cost. The signature files are designed so that they can be saved, accessed, and compared using inexpensive memory chips. Another feature of this system is the capability for simple manipulation of the 'don't care characters,' which is not provided by other signature methods. >
High-Bandwidth Protein Analysis Using Solid-State Nanopores

High-bandwidth measurements of the ion current through hafnium oxide and silicon nitride nanopores allow the analysis of sub-30 kD protein molecules with unprecedented time resolution and detection efficiency. Measured capture rates suggest that at moderate transmembrane bias values, a substantial fraction of protein translocation events are detected. Our dwell-time resolution of 2.5 μs enables translocation time distributions to be fit to a first-passage time distribution derived from a 1D diffusion-drift model. The fits yield drift velocities that scale linearly with voltage, consistent with an electrophoretic process. Further, protein diffusion constants (D) are lower than the bulk diffusion constants (D0) by a factor of ∼50, and are voltage-independent in the regime tested. We reason that deviations of D from D0 are a result of confinement-driven pore/protein interactions, previously observed in porous systems. A straightforward Kramers model for this inhibited diffusion points to 9- to 12-kJ/mol interactions of the proteins with the nanopore. Reduction of μ and D are found to be material-dependent. Comparison of current-blockage levels of each protein yields volumetric information for the two proteins that is in good agreement with dynamic light scattering measurements. Finally, detection of a protein-protein complex is achieved.
IBANA - Insulating buildings against noise from aircraft

IBANA is a new research project to develop a computer-based procedure for designing the sound insulation of a building against aircraft noise. Work in the 1970s led to a design guide that has been widely used in Canada to design the sound insulation of residential buildings against aircraft noise. Unfortunately it is now very much out of date. Aircraft noise has changed, construction techniques have changed and it is now possible to produce a more accurate and a more convenient computer based procedure. This paper is a status report of this ongoing new project.
fMRI Studies of Stroop Tasks Reveal Unique Roles of Anterior and Posterior Brain Systems in Attentional Selection

The brain's attentional system identifies and selects information that is task-relevant while ignoring information that is task-irrelevant. In two experiments using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we examined the effects of varying task-relevant information compared to task-irrelevant information. In the first experiment, we compared patterns of activation as attentional demands were increased for two Stroop tasks that differed in the task-relevant information, but not the task-irrelevant information: a color–word task and a spatial–word task. Distinct subdivisions of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the precuneus became activated for each task, indicating differential sensitivity of these regions to task-relevant information (e.g., spatial information vs. color). In the second experiment, we compared patterns of activation with increased attentional demands for two Stroop tasks that differed in task-irrelevant information, but not task-relevant information: a color–word task and color–object task. Little differentiation in activation for dorsolateral prefrontal and precuneus regions was observed, indicating a relative insensitivity of these regions to task-irrelevant information. However, we observed a differentiation in the pattern of activity for posterior regions. There were unique areas of activation in parietal regions for the color–word task and in occipitotemporal regions for the color–object task. No increase in activation was observed in regions responsible for processing the perceptual attribute of color. The results of this second experiment indicate that attentional selection in tasks such as the Stroop task, which contain multiple potential sources of relevant information (e.g., the word vs. its ink color), acts more by modulating the processing of task-irrelevant information than by modulating processing of task-relevant information.
Efficient and scalable scaffolding using optical restriction maps

In the next generation sequencing techniques millions of short reads are produced from a genomic sequence at a single run. The chances of low read coverage to some regions of the sequence are very high. The reads are short and very large in number. Due to erroneous base calling, there could be errors in the reads. As a consequence, sequence assemblers often fail to sequence an entire DNA molecule and instead output a set of overlapping segments that together represent a consensus region of the DNA. This set of overlapping segments are collectively called contigs in the literature. The final step of the sequencing process, called scaffolding, is to assemble the contigs into a correct order. Scaffolding techniques typically exploit additional information such as mate-pairs, pair-ends, or optical restriction maps. In this paper we introduce a series of novel algorithms for scaffolding that exploit optical restriction maps (ORMs). Simulation results show that our algorithms are indeed reliable, scalable, and efficient compared to the best known algorithms in the literature.
Intravascular lipoma of the renal vein

Lipomas are benign neoplasms composed of adipocytes encased in a fibrous capsule. Intravascular lipomas are rare and almost always incidental findings. In the published literature, the majority are described within the inferior vena cava (IVC) and less frequently reported in the superior vena cava, brachiocephalic vein, subclavian vein, internal jugular vein, external iliac vein and common femoral vein. We present the case of a 59-year-old male who presented with a symptomatic ureteral calculus and was found to have an intravascular lipoma of the right renal vein with extension into the IVC. To our knowledge, this is the first ever report of an intravascular lipoma in the renal vein. We discuss the imaging characteristics of intravascular lipomas and the differential diagnosis that should be considered.
Working Side by Side: The Important Relationship Between Anesthesiologists and Otolaryngologists

The relationship between anesthesiologists and otolaryngologists dates back to the beginnings of modern anesthetic practice. Indeed, the earliest use of inhaled anesthetics was for head and neck and intraoral procedures. The first public demonstration of ether anesthesia in 1846 was administered for the excision of a vascular neck lesion. This monumental event was later memorialized (the Bullfinch amphitheater of the Massachusetts General Hospital was renamed the “Ether Dome”) and recognized as America’s greatest contribution to nineteenth century medicine.
Behaviors and motivations for weight loss in children and adolescents.

Objectives To examine the association between weight loss behaviors and motivations for weight loss in children and adolescents and the association of weight status with these behaviors and motivations in a nationally representative sample. Methods Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) was examined, focusing on children in the United States aged 8-15 years, in repeated cross-sections from 2005 to 2011. Results Half of participants (N = 6,117) reported attempting to lose weight, and children with obesity attempted to lose weight more frequently (76%) than children who were a healthy weight (15%). Children reported attempting to lose weight by both healthy and unhealthy means: “exercising” (92%), “eating less sweets or fatty foods” (84%), “skipping meals” (35%), and “starving” (18%). The motivation to be better at sports was more likely to be associated with attempting weight loss through healthy behaviors, whereas children motivated by teasing were more likely to engage in unhealthy behaviors. Motivations for losing weight differed by weight status. Conclusions Many children and adolescents attempt to lose weight, using either or both healthy and unhealthy behaviors, and behaviors differed based on motivations for weight loss. Future research should examine how physicians, parents, and teachers can inspire healthy behavior changes.
Chemistry and environmental fate of fenoxycarb.

Pharmaceuticals from a wide spectrum of therapeutic classes are used in human medicine worldwide. Pharmaceutically active compounds are defined as substances used for prevention, diagnosis or treatment of a disease and for restoring, correcting or modifying organic functions (Daughton and Ternes 1999). Pharmaceuticals include more than 4000 molecules with different physico-chemical and biological properties and distinct modes of biochemical action (Beausse 2004). Most medical substances are administrated orally. After administration, some drugs are metabolised, while others remain intact before being excreted. Therefore, a mixture of pharmaceuticals and their metabolites will enter municipal sewage and sewage treatment plants (STP; Kummerer 2004).
Supporting Collaborative Innovation at Scale

Emerging online innovation platforms have enabled large groups of people to collaborate and generate ideas together in ways that were not possible before. However, these platforms also introduce new challenges in finding inspiration from a large number of ideas, and coordinating the collective effort. In my dissertation, I address the challenges of large scale idea generation platforms by developing methods and systems for helping people make effective use of each other's ideas, and for orchestrating collective effort to reduce redundancy and increase the quality and breadth of generated ideas.
Bierce’s an Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

(1984). Bierce’s an Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. The Explicator: Vol. 43, No. 1, pp. 45-47.
Cyclophilin D inhibitor NIM811 Ameliorates Clinical Disease Severity in Experimental Allergic Encephalomyelitis (EAE) (P2.191)

OBJECTIVE: To test the effect of non-immunosuppressive cyclophilin D inhibitor N-methyl-4-isoleucine-cyclosporin (NIM811) on the course and severity of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis, an animal model of central nervous system (CNS) inflammatory demyelination. BACKGROUND: Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated as a key mechanism contributing to inflammatory axonal degeneration in multiple sclerosis, which remains a leading cause of chronic neurologic disability affecting young adults. A critical feature of the mitochondrial dysfunction is thought to be the release of calcium ions through an open mitochondrial permeability transition pore, which aggravates intra-axonal calcium overload. Consistent with this idea, mice lacking cyclophilin D, a component of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore, showed reduced clinical disease and axonal loss during EAE, suggesting a beneficial role for cyclophilin D inhibition in CNS inflammatory diseases such as multiple sclerosis. DESIGN/METHODS: Groups of C57BL/6 mice, actively induced to undergo EAE, were administered daily intraperitoneal injections of the cyclophilin D inhibitor NIM811 or vehicle starting at day 5 post induction (prior to onset of clinical disease) or day 10 post induction (at onset of clinical disease). RESULTS: Dose escalation study showed no clinical dose limiting toxicity up to 100 mg/kg of NIM811 daily intraperitoneal injections in healthy mice. EAE mice treated with NIM811 showed significant reduction (p = 0.0348, Mann-Whitney) in mean cumulative EAE scores (9.8 ± 7.0) compared to vehicle treated EAE mice (19.2 ± 8.5). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate a beneficial effect of pharmacologic inhibition of cyclophilin D in the context of immune-mediated CNS inflammation. Study Supported by: National MS Society (PP2054) Disclosure: Dr. Oh has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ajam Oughli has nothing to disclose.