cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Determinants of midterm functional outcomes, wound healing, and resources used in a hospital-based limb preservation program

Abstract Objective The objective of this study was to assess midterm functional status, wound healing, and in-hospital resource use among a prospective cohort of patients treated in a tertiary hospital, multidisciplinary Center for Limb Preservation. Methods Data were prospectively gathered on all consecutive admissions to the Center for Limb Preservation from July 2013 to October 2014 with follow-up data collection through January 2016. Limbs were staged using the Society for Vascular Surgery Wound, Ischemia, and foot Infection (WIfI) threatened limb classification scheme at the time of hospital admission. Patients with nonatherosclerotic vascular disorders, acute limb ischemia, and trauma were excluded. Results The cohort included 128 patients with 157 threatened limbs; 8 limbs with unstageable disease were excluded. Mean age (±standard deviation [SD]) was 66 (±13) years, and median follow-up duration (interquartile range) was 395 (80-635) days. Fifty percent (n = 64/128) of patients were readmitted at least once, with a readmission rate of 20% within 30 days of the index admission. Mean total number of admissions per patient (±SD) was 1.9 ± 1.2, with mean (±SD) cumulative length of stay (cLOS) of 17.1 (±17.9) days. During follow-up, 25% of limbs required a vascular reintervention, and 45% developed recurrent wounds. There was no difference in the rate of readmission, vascular reintervention, or wound recurrence by initial WIfI stage ( P > .05). At the end of the study period, 23 (26%) were alive and nonambulatory; in 20%, functional status was missing. On both univariate and multivariate analysis, end-stage renal disease and prior functional status predicted ability to ambulate independently ( P P = .01) and cLOS ( P = .002) but not with time to wound healing. Direct hospital (inpatient) cost per limb saved was significantly higher in stage 4 patients ( P Conclusions Among a population of patients admitted to a tertiary hospital limb preservation service, WIfI stage was predictive of midterm freedom from amputation, cLOS, and hospital costs but not of ambulatory functional status, time to wound healing, or wound recurrence. Patients presenting with limb-threatening conditions require significant inpatient care, have a high frequency of repeated hospitalizations, and are at significant risk for recurrent wounds and leg symptoms at later times. Stage 4 patients require the most intensive care and have the highest initial and aggregate hospital costs per limb saved. However, limb salvage can be achieved in these patients with a dedicated multidisciplinary team approach.
Insight into factors controlling formation rates of pedogenic carbonates: A combined geochemical and isotopic approach in dryland soils of the US Southwest

Abstract Natural accumulation of pedogenic carbonates has been well documented but few studies have focused on carbonate formation in agricultural drylands. This study aims to determine accumulation rates of pedogenic carbonates in intensively irrigated soils, and to define key linkages between flood irrigation, salt loading and soil-atmosphere CO 2 exchange in cultivated drylands of the southwestern United States. We used a combination of elemental chemistry (CaO, soil organic and inorganic carbon contents), mineralogy, and U-series ( 238 U- 234 U- 230 Th) disequilibrium dating technique to investigate calcium sources, ages and formation rates of pedogenic carbonates. Study sites include an irrigated alfalfa field near El Paso in western Texas and a non-irrigated natural dryland site on the USDA Jornada Experimental Range of southern New Mexico. Our results showed that large amounts of dissolved calcium and inorganic carbon along with other soluble elements were loaded onto agricultural fields through irrigation waters in El Paso, TX while dust and rainfall were important for salt loading in natural soils of the Jornada. U-series activity ratios, ( 234 U/ 238 U) and ( 230 Th/ 238 U), in bulk soils suggested eolian deposits added U and modified U isotopes in shallow soils at both the irrigated and natural sites. Mobility of 234 U within the soil profile is related to leaching of U (and by inference other soluble ions) and carbonate accumulation at depth. The U-series dating technique in pedogenic carbonates revealed the presence of much younger carbonates at the irrigated site compared to the natural site. Pedogenic carbonate formation rates in the irrigated soils were also much higher than those in the non-irrigated soils, likely a result of influxes from dissolved Ca and inorganic carbon in water used for irrigation. This study demonstrates the potential for agricultural expansion and land use change in drylands to increase rate of pedogenic carbonate accumulation. Such changes may have important implications to global carbon cycling since drylands are forecast to become the most expansive terrestrial biome by mid-century and dryland agriculture is expanding quickly.
Permian Phosphorites: A Paradox of Phosphogenesis

For several hundred years the existence of enriched phosphatic sediment (phosphorite) has been recognized. In turn, for slightly more than 150 years, a contentious argument has existed about its origin. For a historical summary and background of studies on the origins and temporal and spatial distribution of phosphorite deposits see, especially, Bentor (1980), Cook (1984), Cook et al. (1990), and references therein. In part, much of the controversy surrounding the origin of phosphorite deposits exists because of various explanations for the existence of a single, giant phosphorite deposit in the Permian Phosphoria Formation of the western USA. Moreover, for about the past decade, the extremely uneven distribution of phosphorites in the sedimentary record, with one of the largest accumulations in the Permian, has been noted. The Permian commonly is stated to be among the few notable periods of phosphorite accumulation in the Phanerozoic; hence, it must represent a major change in the global phosphate cycle.
Cybersecurity of SCADA within Substations

The cybersecurity of modern substations is becoming increasingly important as they continue to integrate more digital control and communication technologies. This chapter will explore the cybersecurity threats to substations and will then discuss various mechanisms to protect them. The chapter will demonstrate how the security protections, such as encryption, authentication, access control, and intrusion detection, should be applied to substation systems. The chapter will then discuss the emerging cybersecurity requirements for both product vendors and utilities. Keywords: substations; power grid; protocol; encryption; authentication
Physiological and cognitive performance of exposure to biophilic indoor environment

Abstract Biophilic design, which incorporates natural elements into the built environment, has received increasing attention in both the design and health fields. But research quantifying physiological and cognitive benefits of indoor biophilic features is sparse. This randomized crossover study examines the physiological and cognitive responses to natural elements in an office building. Twenty-eight participants spent time in an indoor environment featuring biophilic design elements and one without, with the order of the visit randomized. In each visit, they experienced the environment for 5-min in reality and virtually by using virtual reality (VR). Wearable sensors were used to measure blood pressure, galvanic skin response and heart rate. Cognitive tests were administrated after each exposure. The indoor biophilic environment was associated with a decrease in participants' blood pressure. The overall differential effects for participants experiencing an indoor environment with biophilic elements versus none was 8.6 mmHg lower systolic and 3.6 mmHg lower diastolic blood pressure. In addition, their skin conductance decreased 0.18 μS greater than when they experienced the non-biophilic setting. Short-term memory improved by 14%. Participants reported a decrease in negative emotions and an increase in positive emotions after experiencing the biophilic setting. Moreover, our findings indicate that participants experiencing biophilic environment virtually had similar physiological and cognitive responses as when experiencing the actual environment. This gives rise to the possibility of reducing stress and improving cognition by using virtual reality to provide exposures to natural elements in a variety of indoor settings where access to nature may not be possible.
Transnational Iconography in the Spanish-Speaking World

The idea for a special issue of Symposium on transnational iconography stemmed from evolving ideas within the field of Spanish Peninsular studies that challenge traditional categories of study limi...
Early Childhood Learning and the Pediatrician: A Qualitative Study Among Diverse, Low-Income Caregivers.

ABSTRACT:Objective:School readiness by kindergarten entry is associated with increased high school graduation, decreased juvenile arrest, and better long-term health. Inadequate early childhood learning (ECL) disproportionately affects low-income children. Pediatricians have near-universal access to
The New US “Conscience and Religious Freedom Division”: Imposing Religious Beliefs on Others

An editorial is presented which addresses U.S. President Donald Trump's administration and the creation of America's Conscience and Religious Freedom Division (CRFD) within the nation's Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights, and it mentions how the CRFD accepts complaints from health care providers regarding participation in medical procedures that violate their religious values. The imposition of religious beliefs on others is assessed, along with LGBT patients.
Hepatocellular Carcinoma Tumor Dose Response After 90Y-radioembolization With Glass Microspheres Using 90Y-SPECT/CT-Based Voxel Dosimetry.

Purpose To investigate hepatocellular carcinoma tumor dose-response characteristics based on voxel-level absorbed doses (D) and biological effective doses (BED) using quantitative 90Y-single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/computed tomography (CT) after 90Y-radioembilization with glass microspheres. We also investigated the relationship between normal liver D and toxicities. Methods and Materials 90Y-radioembolization activity distributions for 34 patients were based on quantitative 90Y-bremsstrahlung SPECT/CT. D maps were generated using a local-deposition algorithm. Contrast-enhanced CT or magnetic resonance imaging scans of the liver were registered to 90Y-SPECT/CT, and all tumors larger than 2.5 cm diameter (53 tumors) were segmented. Tumor mean D and BED (Dmean and BEDmean) and dose volume coverage from 0% to 100% in 10% steps (D0-D100 and BED0-BED100) were extracted. Tumor response was evaluated on follow-up using World Health Organization (WHO), Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST), and modified RECIST (mRECIST) criteria. Differences in dose metrics for responders and nonresponders were assessed using the Mann-Whitney U test. A univariate logistic regression model was used to determine tumor dose metrics that correlated with tumor response. Correlations among tumor size, tumor Dmean, and tumor dose heterogeneity (defined as the coefficient of variation) were assessed. Results The objective response rates were 14 of 53, 15 of 53, and 30 of 53 for WHO, RECIST, and mRECIST criteria, respectively. WHO and RECIST response statuses did not correlate with D or BED. For mRECIST responders and nonresponders, D and BED were significantly different for Dmean, D20 to D80, BEDmean, and BED0 to BED80. Threshold doses (and the 95% confidence interval) for 50% probability of mRECIST response (D50%) were 160 Gy (123-196 Gy) for Dmean and 214 Gy (146-280 Gy) for BEDmean. Tumor dose heterogeneity significantly correlated with tumor volume. No statistically significant association between Dmean to normal liver and complications related to bilirubin, albumin, or ascites was observed. Conclusions Hepatocellular carcinoma tumor dose-response curves after 90Y-radioembolization with glass microspheres showed Dmean of 160 Gy and BEDmean of 214 Gy for D50% with a positive predictive value of ∼70% and a negative predictive value of ∼62%. No complications were observed in our patient cohort for normal liver Dmean less than 44 Gy.
Spatiotemporal Event Detection and Analysis over Multiple Granularities

Granularity in time and space has a fundamental role in our perception and understanding of various phenomena. Currently applied analysis methods are based on a single level of granularity that is user-driven, leaving the user with the difficult task of determining the level of spatiotemporal abstraction at which processing will take place. Without a priori knowledge about the nature of the phenomenon at hand this is often a difficult task that may have a substantial impact on the processing results. In light of this, this paper introduces a spatiotemporal data analysis and knowledge discovery framework, which is based on two primary components: the spatiotemporal helix and scale-space analysis. While the spatiotemporal helix offers the ability to model and summarize spatiotemporal data, the scale space analysis offers the ability to simultaneously process the data at multiple scales, thus allowing processing without a priori knowledge. In particular, this paper discusses how scale space representation and the derived deep structure can be used for the detection of events (and processes) in spatiotemporal data, and demonstrates the robustness of our framework in the presence of noise.
Catalyst: Imagine Doing Chemistry at No Cost … to the Environment!

Bruce H. Lipshutz is currently a professor of chemistry at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His research program has, for decades, focused mainly on the development of new reagents and methodologies that are especially general and useful for the synthetic community. Of late, his group pays special attention to synthetic chemistry that is environmentally responsible. That is, the goals now focus on getting organic solvents out of organic chemistry, minimizing the input of energy into reactions, and developing new reagents that enable transition-metal catalysis at the ppm level, thereby extending our access to endangered metals.
The Actor’s Real Role on the Production Team

The primary purpose of this chapter is to show how the actor’s job of bringing the scripted events of a drama to vibrant life onstage is necessarily a creative endeavor. A detailed analysis of the acting process will reveal that, from the first reading to the final public performance, an actor must create the “live” aspect of the play in terms of amplifying and communicating the deep meaning he or she finds behind the literal words. This communication is accomplished by the actor’s emotional conviction, vocal inflection, body language, and all other channels of communication. The training methods used in higher education, designed to produce this ability, are herein described along with some methodological variations. A secondary purpose of this chapter is to review some theories of creativity offered by a number of prominent researchers and to show how precisely these theories can be applied to the main elements of the acting process.
The Aftermath of Cyberstalking: School, Work, Social, and Health Costs of Victimization

The harms crime victims experience extend far beyond the initial victimization and can have severe negative impacts on daily life. Using data collected via a self-report survey from 477 cyberstalking victims, the current study explores the consequences associated with being cyberstalked. Specifically, we seek to identify which characteristics of the victimization incident, cyberstalker, and victim impact the likelihood of experiencing four types of consequences – those that are school-, work-, social-, and health-related. Findings revealed that dimensions of the incident, along with offender and victim characteristics, were significantly related to experiencing consequences as a result of being cyberstalked. A discussion of these findings and suggestions for future research are provided.
Generalized Treatment of Surface Deformation for High-Speed Computational Fluid Dynamic Surrogates

A new surrogate modeling approach is developed that augments the loads from an analysis over an undeformed surface in order to account for the effects of static surface deformations in high-speed f...
Evaluation of Fracture Toughness of Sandstone and Shale Using Digital Image Correlation

Success of a hydraulic fracturing operation depends on the height and width of the induced fractures. One of the critical components controlling fracture size is fracture toughness of the formation. In this work, mode I fracture toughness of Berea Sandstone and Mancos Shale is measured by combining semi-circular bend test (SCB) and digital image correlation (DIC). Experiments were carried out in different notch orientations with respect to bedding. DIC is used to measure full-field displacements and to visualize and quantify fracture process zone (FPZ). Full-field displacements from DIC are utilized in Williams’ series solution to extract critical stress intensity factor, or fracture toughness. Accuracy of measuring fracture toughness using DIC displacements depends on area of interest (AOI), field of view (FOV), and the number of terms of solution (N). A parametric study is conducted, allowing to choose an optimal set of these parameters for evaluation of fracture toughness in rock specimens. It is known that fracture toughness values obtained directly from the SCB test, using conventional maximum load method, are underestimated due to the effect of nonlinear behavior caused by the fracture process zone. FPZ length is considered as an increase in the effective crack length. Irwin’s correction for effective crack length is utilized to measure fracture toughness values obtained directly from the SCB test that account for the fracture process zone. Fracture toughness values measured using DIC method and Irwin’s correction method are in a good match for both Berea Sandstone and Mancos Shale. Both methods show higher fracture toughness for samples in arrester orientation. In addition, the results show that FPZ length in Berea Sandstone is much larger than in Mancos Shale.
PET and SPECT Imaging in Atypical Parkinsonian Syndromes

Parkinson’s disease and parkinsonian disorders can present with a variety of symptoms, and there is often a significant overlap between the different disorders. Diagnosis typically relies on clinical examination, especially at follow-up visits, which has limitations. Neuroimaging has played a major role in the elucidation of anatomical and functional abnormalities in different parkinsonian disorders. Various imaging techniques have been investigated for their potential to aid in diagnosis during routine clinical practice. In this chapter, we describe the use of functional imaging with PET and SPECT in the research of atypical parkinsonian syndromes (APS), including multiple system atrophy, progressive supranuclear palsy, and corticobasal degeneration. We focus on the utility of these imaging techniques to facilitate differential diagnosis and assess disease progression in patients with APS, especially in the early stages of disease.
Dietary intake and diet quality by weight category among a racially diverse sample of women in Birmingham, Alabama, USA

Diet is a modifiable contributor to health. The lack of adherence to recommended dietary guidelines may contribute to the disproportionate burden of obesity and other chronic conditions observed in the Deep South region of the United States. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to describe food group intake and diet quality by race and weight status of women in the Deep South. Study participants were eighty-nine healthy female volunteers (56 % black, 44 % white, mean age 39⋅7 ± 1⋅4 years) recruited from Birmingham, AL, USA. Body Mass Index (BMI) determined weight status (non-obese/obese). Healthy Eating Index-2010 (HEI-2010) calculated from dietary recalls assessed diet quality. Wilcoxon sum-rank test compared HEI-2010 scores by race and weight status. χ 2 analysis compared the percentage of women who achieved maximum points for HEI-2010 index food components by subgroup. Caloric and macronutrient intake did not differ by race or weight status (mean kcal 1863⋅0 ± 62⋅0). Median Total HEI-2010 Score for the sample was 51⋅9 (IQR: 39⋅1-63⋅4). Although there was no statistical difference in diet quality by race, more whites achieved the maximum score for vegetable intake compared to blacks, while blacks reported higher total fruit intake. Non-obese women reported better diet quality (56⋅9 v. 46⋅1; P = 0⋅04) and eating more whole fruits, and more achieved the maximum score for protein from plant and seafood sources. In summary, differences in diet quality were observed by weight status, but not race among this sample. These results point to tailored dietary interventions for women in metropolitan areas of Alabama, USA.
Large scale geospatial data conflation: A feature matching framework based on optimization and divide-and-conquer

Abstract Geospatial data conflation is the process of combining two datasets to create a better one. It has received increased research attention due to the emergence of new data sources and the need to combine information from these sources in spatial analyses. Many conflation methods exist to date, ranging from simple ones based on spatial join, to sophisticated methods based on statistics and optimization models. This paper focuses on the optimization-based conflation approach. It treats feature-matching in conflation as an optimization problem of finding a plan to match features in two datasets that minimizes the total discrepancy. Optimization based conflation methods may overcome some limitations of conventional methods, such as sub-optimality and greediness. However, they have often been deemed impractical in day-to-day analysis because they induce high computational costs (especially in combining large geospatial data). In this paper, we demonstrate the feasibility of performing optimization-based conflation for large geographic data in Geographic Information Systems. This is accomplished by utilizing efficient network flow-based conflation models and a divide-and-conquer strategy that allows the conflation models to scale to large data. Experiments show that the network-flow based model achieves average recall and precision rates of 97.7% and 90.8%, respectively in small test areas, and outperforms the traditional assignment problem by about 9% each. For larger data, it took the original network-flow model (without divide-and-conquer) nearly two days to conflate the road network in a portion of Los Angeles area near the LAX international airport. By contrast, the same model can be used to conflate the road networks of the entire Los Angeles County, CA in under 3 h with the divide and conquer strategy.
Food for the Dogs: Consumption and Wealth Inequality in Bong Joon-Ho's Parasite

Bong Joon-Ho’s film Parasite was remarkable for being a foreign film that took home multiple Academy Awards in February of 2020, making waves for its potent message about class divide and wealth inequality in South Korea. Bong Joon-Ho makes a very clear point throughout the film of emphasizing this class inequality, especially through the production and consumption of food by either party. In this essay, I analyze the ways in which food throughout the film symbolizes the divide between rich and poor, then take these scenes and use contemporary research to further build on how food is a signifier of class and wealth universally. From the Kim family sitting around a small kitchen table eating what looks like food from a vending machine, to using a fruit someone is allergic to as a weapon against them, there is a clear indication consistently throughout the film of food as a signifier of status and class. From this point, I will take this divide and analyze its significance to the modern culture and society of South Korea, then further apply this to its relevancy in a modern United States wherein this current wealth gap is also increasingly apparent. Parasite was a foreign film that flourished in American society—both are countries wherein a capitalist ‘meritocracy’ rules for the most part, and an analysis of the culture around the film will show the ways in which the cultures that consumed this media are similar in their class divides.
Rheological characterization of complex dynamics in Na–Zn metaphosphate glass-forming liquids

The viscoelastic behavior and shear relaxation in supercooled [NaPO3]x[Zn(PO3)2]1−x metaphosphate liquids with 0.2 ≤ x ≤ 1.0 are investigated using a combination of small amplitude oscillatory and steady shear parallel plate rheometry, resonant ultrasound spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. The results demonstrate that these liquids are thermorheologically complex with the coexistence of a fast and a slow relaxation process, which could be attributed to the segmental motion of the phosphate chains and the Zn–O bond scission/renewal dynamics, respectively. The segmental motion of the phosphate chains is found to be the dominant process associated with the shear relaxation for all metaphosphate liquids. The compositional evolution of the calorimetric fragility of these liquids is shown to be related to the conformational entropy of the constituent phosphate chains, which is manifested by the width of the relaxation time distribution for the segmental chain motion. This entropy decreases and the temporal coupling between the chain dynamics and Zn–O bond scission-renewal increases with the increasing Zn content as the higher field strength Zn modifier ions provide more effective cross-linking between the phosphate chains.
People Take More Risk When Their Prospects are Tied to Future States of The World

We propose that decisions under risk often generate a consequential outcome that has been overlooked in the literature – error. Specifically, when prospects are tied to future states of the world (e.g. win $5 if horse #6 wins the race), risky decisions necessitate selecting a future state of the world. As a result, choosing among prospects generates error – the difference between the chosen and realized future state of the world. In 7 studies (N = 5,187), we find that people systematically value error and that they take more risk when their decisions generate error. These results suggest that error is a missing component in current theories of decision making under risk and that failing to account for error can result in biases in these theories. We believe people’s sensitivity to error has especially important implications for our understanding of real-world risk preferences because prospects in real-world decisions under risk are almost always tied to future states of the world.
Worthy Practice: An interview with Darrell L. Guder

Worthy Practice: An interview with Darrell L. Guder Darrell L. Guder & Melissa Martin Sells on Monday, January 12, 2015
Stimulating attitudes of inquiry (100.1)

Much of contemporary science education focuses on what we know, but neglects the evidence supporting the conclusions that fill textbooks. Students thus often learn information as abstractions disco...
Secondary bladder cancer after upper tract urothelial carcinoma in the US population.

Study Type – Prognosis (cohort) Level of Evidence 2a What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? It is known that a certain percentage of patients treated for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) will go on to develop a secondary bladder cancer; however, the risk factors for developing a secondary bladder tumour have not been studied in a population-based setting. Given the large changes in how UTUC has been diagnosed and managed in recent years, this study aimed to evaluate the natural history of UTUC in the US population over a 30-year period, with a particular emphasis on the development of secondary bladder cancer. OBJECTIVE • To assess the natural history of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) and the development of lower tract secondary cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS • Patients diagnosed with UTUC between 1975 and 2005 were identified within nine Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registries. • Baseline characteristics of patients with and without secondary bladder cancer were compared. • A multivariate logistic regression model was fitted to test if the year of diagnosis predicted the likelihood of developing a secondary bladder cancer. RESULTS • Of the 5212 patients with UTUC, 242 (4.6%) had a secondary bladder cancer (range: 1.7–8.2%). • There was a mean interval of 26.5 (95% CI: 22.2–30.8) months between cancer diagnoses. • Compared with those without secondary tumours, patients with secondary bladder malignancy were more likely to present with larger tumours (4.2 vs 3.1 cm, P < 0.001) and with tumours located in the ureter (P < 0.001). • Year of diagnosis was not a predictor of the likelihood of having a secondary bladder malignancy in a multivariate analysis controlling for demographic and tumour characteristics (odds ratio: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.95–1.03) CONCLUSIONS • Patients with larger urothelial tumours located in the ureter were those most likely to develop a secondary lower tract tumour. • No longitudinal changes in the rate of secondary bladder cancer were noted among patients with UTUC over the 30-year study period.
Dense nuclei segmentation based on graph cut and convexity-concavity analysis.

Summary With the rapid advancement of 3D confocal imaging technology, more and more 3D cellular images will be available. However, robust and automatic extraction of nuclei shape may be hindered by a highly cluttered environment, as for example, in fly eye tissues. In this paper, we present a novel and efficient nuclei segmentation algorithm based on the combination of graph cut and convex shape assumption. The main characteristic of the algorithm is that it segments nuclei foreground using a graph-cut algorithm with our proposed new initialization method and splits overlapping or touching cell nuclei by simple convexity and concavity analysis. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can segment complicated nuclei clumps effectively in our fluorescent fruit fly eye images. Evaluation on a public hand-labelled 2D benchmark demonstrates substantial quantitative improvement over other methods. For example, the proposed method achieves a 3.2 Hausdorff distance decrease and a 1.8 decrease in the merged nuclei error per slice.
Crimson Chaos: Sports Team Trademarks In Artwork And The Functionality Doctrine

Alabama University has sued artist Daniel Moore for trademark infringement over his use of the university's team colors and other indicia in his artwork. The Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit will be releasing a decision soon. This paper asserts that the inclusion of sports team trademarks in artwork is a functional use. Therefore, in addition to fair use and 1st amendment defenses, the functionality doctrine of trademark law protects such artists from being held liable for trademark infringement.
Ultra-high-Q small mode volume toroid microcavities on a chip

We present microfabrication of ultra-high-Q microcavities on a chip. These toroidal microcavities possess Q-factors in excess of 400 million and furthermore achieve a Q-factor to mode volume ratio of more than 106(n/lambda)3
Regulation of aromatic amino acid biosynthesis in higher plants. Properties of an aromatic amino acid-sensitive chorismate mutase (CM-1) from mung bean.

Abstract Chorismate mutase CM-1, an isozyme that is inhibited by phenylalanine and tyrosine and activated by tryptophan was purified 1200-fold from etiolated mung bean seedlings with a final yield of 18–20%. Loss of activity was rapid in highly purified preparations but was reduced by the addition of bovine serum albumin. Enzyme activity was unaffected by thiol-alkylating agents, reducing agents, EDTA, or divalent cations. The enzyme displayed pH-sensitive, positive homotrophic cooperativity toward chorismate with greatest cooperativity at the pH optimum of the tryptophan-free enzyme (pH 7.2–7.4) and least cooperativity at the pH optimum of the enzyme fully activated with tryptophan (pH 7.0). Activation by tryptophan reduced the Km for the enzyme, and modified the sigmoid substrate saturation kinetics to a rectangular hyperbola. Feedback inhibition by the end product amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine was not additive but revealed heterotrophic cooperativity with chorismate. Tyrosine (Ki = 31 μM) was a slightly more effective inhibitor than phenylalanine (Ki = 37 μM) at 1 m m chorismate. Tryptophan at equimolar concentration antagonized the feedback inhibition by phenylalanine and tyrosine. The latter two, however, at higher concentrations reversed the tryptophan activation in a noncompetitive fashion with respect to either tryptophan or chorismate. The enzyme was responsive only to the l -isomers of the amino acids. The results indicate a primary role for chorismate mutase CM-1 from mung bean in the regulation of the synthesis of phenylalanine and tyrosine for protein synthesis.
Interpreting Hypernymic Propositions in an Online Medical Encyclopedia

Interpretation of semantic propositions from biomedical texts documents would provide valuable support to natural language processing (NLP) applications. We are developing a methodology to interpret a kind of semantic proposition, the hypernymic proposition, in MEDLINE abstracts. In this paper, we expanded the system to identify these structures in a different discourse domain: the Medical Encyclopedia from the National Library of Medicine’s MEDLINEplus ® Website.
A Non-Technical History of the Generalized Theory of Gravitation Dedicated to the Albert Einstein Centennial

When I was a graduate student in Cambridge (1949–1952) there were only five or six elementary particles and they were sufficient to construct all known forms of matter, from nuclei, atoms, molecules, and macromolecules to the solar system, stars, galaxies, universe and ultimately life itself. The famous Cavendish Laboratory was then a great center of scientific research in almost all areas including theoretical and experimental physics, chemistry, biochemistry, biology and a host of allied fields. In fact it was only in 1962 that I learned that Crick and Watson were at that very time divining the double-helix structure of the DNA molecule in a room adjacent to the Arts building where most of the activities in theoretical physics were taking place.
Title: In-depth analysis to identify process related defects causing Electrical Overstress on Clip bonded Schottky power rectifiers: A case study

Identifying process related defects that can trigger Electrical Overstress (EOS) is very important in order to address the real root cause of failure. This paper presents case study where in-depth analysis performed on Clip-bonded Schottky rectifiers found with EOS damage identified potential assembly and wafer fabrication defects, leading to effective corrective actions.
Response to Change Is Facilitated by a Three-Neuron Disinhibitory Pathway in the Tiger Salamander Retina

Most retinal ganglion cells respond only transiently, for ∼150 msec at the onset and termination of a light flash. The responses are transient because it has been shown that bipolar-to-ganglion cell transmission is truncated after 150 msec by a feedback inhibition to bipolar cell terminals. The feedback inhibition itself must be delayed by ∼150 msec to allow the initial bipolar–ganglion cell transmission. This study identifies a three-component serial synaptic pathway from glycinergic amacrine cells to GABAergic amacrine cells to bipolar cell terminals as one source of this delay. We used perforated and whole-cell patch-clamp recordings to measure the timing of light responses in amacrine, bipolar, and ganglion cells under control and glycine and GABA receptor-blocked conditions. Our results suggest that, after a light flash, a population of glycinergic amacrine cells responds first, inhibiting a population of GABAergic amacrine cells for ∼150 msec. The GABAergic amacrine cells feed back to bipolar terminals, but only after the 150 msec delay, allowing the bipolar terminals to excite ganglion cells for the first 150 msec. Blocking the glycinergic amacrine cell activity with strychnine allows the GABAergic system to become active earlier. GABAergic amacrine cells then inhibit release from bipolar cells earlier. Under these conditions, the ganglion cell response to change would be decreased.
State-of-the-art IV-VI Semiconductor Light-Emitting Devices in Mid-Infrared Opto-Electronic Applications

AbstractThis paper presents recent developments in the field of lead-salt light-emitting devices, having enormous applications in mid-infrared (MIR) opto-electronics. For the first time, achievement of an electrically excited edge-emitting QW laser on PbSnSe substrate is described. Novel fabrications of freestanding microstructures in the form of rod, tube and pillar, having vast applications in MEMS and NEMS, are reported.
The Role of the Liver in Theophylline Elimination

Theophylline is believed to be largely eliminated from the body by biotransformation in the liver. Using a hepatectomized dog model, we quantitatively assessed the role of the liver in theophylline elimination. The elimination half-life (t½(β)) increased 348% from 9.82±2.39 h in the control group to 43.99±43.53 h in the hepatectomized group of dogs. The serum clearance (Cl(S)) decreased 70% from 0.060±0.017 l/kg/h in the control group to 0.018±0.009 l/kg/h in the hepatectomized group. The volume of distribution (Vd(β)) decreased 10% from 0.81±0.09 l/kg in the control group to 0.73±0.07 l/kg in the hepatectomy group. The mean protein binding of theophylline in dog serum of 9% is low compared to 53–65% in man. In man and the dog, the serum clearance of theophylline is a reasonable reflection of hepatic clearance. Despite the absence of hepatic clearance in the hepatectomized dog, elimination of theophylline continues to a degree.
Physical activity and sexual functioning after radiotherapy for prostate cancer : Beneficial effects for patients undergoing external beam radiotherapy

Abstract Objectives To evaluate, in a cross-sectional study, the relationships among physical activity, sexual functioning, and treatment type for 111 men who had undergone radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer within the past 18 months. Physical activity preserves the sexual functioning capacity of older men. However, little information exists regarding the association of physical activity with sexual functioning after treatment for localized prostate cancer. Methods We tested the main effects of physical activity and treatment procedure, as well as their interaction, using hierarchical regression analysis. We hypothesized that greater physical activity would relate to better reported sexual functioning and that this relationship would be moderated by the type of medical treatment. Results After controlling for age, medical comorbidity, fatigue, and urinary and bowel functioning, more physical activity was significantly associated with better sexual functioning, and the interaction of physical activity and treatment procedure added a significant amount of explained variance. Overall, 35% of the variance in sexual functioning was accounted for by the model. Post hoc tests of moderation revealed that men who underwent external beam radiotherapy had significantly greater sexual functioning scores as physical activity increased but the effect of physical activity on sexual function after brachytherapy and combination therapy was nonsignificant. Conclusions Physical activity was positively correlated with sexual functioning for those who underwent external beam radiotherapy. These relationships should be replicated and explored in a larger, longitudinal sample to ascertain whether the effects of physical activity in this at-risk population extend over time and protect men from treatment-related decrements in sexual functioning.
Measuring and modeling flare in optical lithography

Flare, unwanted scattered light arriving at the wafer, is caused by anything that forces the light to travel in a “non-ray trace” direction. The amount of flare experienced by any given feature is a function of both the local environment around that feature (short range flare) and the total amount of energy going through the lens (long range flare). This paper discusses the various sources of flare and reviews the many techniques used to measure flare in lithographic imaging tools. Flare will described by a new “DC” or low frequency model based on a scattering mechanism that properly accounts for conservation of energy and which improves upon existing DC flare models.
Specificity of bovine enterokinase toward protein substrates

We examined the potential use of bovine enterokinase for the limited proteolysis of proteins containing sequences of one or more acidic residues preceding a basic residue. Proteolysis was followed by observing the appearance of fragments by sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis. The susceptible peptide bond was identified from a knowledge of the size of the fragment and the amino acid sequence of the protein. Bovine serum albumin was resistant to proteolysis in its native state, was somewhat susceptible as the S-carboxyamidomethyl derivative, and was highly susceptible as the S-carboxymethyl derivative. S-Alkylated soybean trypsin inhibitor and hen egg white lysozyme were both susceptible to limited hydrolysis, but only in the presence of deoxycholate. All susceptible bonds were either lysine or arginine. The preceding acidic residues could be either aspartic acid, glutamic acid, or carboxymethyl cysteine. If a single acidic residue immediately preceded the basic residue, the rate of hydrolysis was slow. The rate of hydrolysis was also slow if a carboxymethyl cysteine was introduced at the position following the basic residue. In addition to better defining the specificity of enterokinase, these results indicate that enterokinase may be useful in amino acid sequence studies for the production of large fragments. The enzyme may also be useful in DNA-recombinant studies in releasing the desired polypeptide chain from neighboring sequences.
Peptides Mimicking Sialyl‐Lewis A Isolated from a Random Peptide Library and Peptide Array

Cell surface carbohydrate structures are an important class of tumor antigens. SA-Lea and its structural isomer SA-LeX have been identified as carbohydrate determinants expressed on many carcinomas,1 and both have been shown to represent functional ligands of selectins. The crucial role of selectin-dependent neutrophil adhesion in their recruitment process and metastasis was confirmed by in vivo blockage of E-selectin–dependent interaction.2 These data imply that analogous molecular mechanisms do indeed underlie inflammation and metastasis and that similar therapeutic approaches can be used to intervene with both processes. Highly diverse peptide libraries offer many distinct advantages over difficult chemical or enzymatic synthesis of complex carbohydrates, providing notably inexpensive and rapid identification and optimization of novel ligands. The peptides described here provide excellent leads for the development of potent antagonists of carbohydrate-protein interaction and in particular antimetastatic and antiinflammatory therapeutic agents.
Literature Survey on Diffusivities of Oxygen, Aluminum, and Vanadium in Alpha Titanium, Beta Titanium, and in Rutile

A survey of diffusion data of interstitial oxygen and of the substitutional elements aluminum and vanadium is presented for alpha and beta titanium. It is based on a survey of literature. Oxygen is an important interstitial element in titanium alloys. Oxygen’s large chemical affinity to titanium is indicated by Ti—O bond energy of 2.12 eV,1 comparable to the Ti—Ti bond energy of 2.56 eV.2 Oxygen is difficult to eliminate completely from titanium, and commercial titanium alloys usually contain from 0.10 to 0.20 wt pct oxygen. Oxygen significantly affects the mechanical properties of titanium alloys1,3 and is sometimes used as an alloying element. The effects of oxygen on phase transformation ,4,5,6 Youngs modulus,7,8 hardness,9,10 fracture toughness,11 and other mechanical properties12 have been amply documented. Aluminum and vanadium are the most frequently used substitutional alloying elements. Aluminum is an alpha stabilizer and vanadium is a beta stabilizer.
Low Speed Aerodynamics of Drogue System Refueling of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Refueling aircraft has become a significant aspect of military strategy for air forces to work at further distances from safe shores. This paper will address the aerodynamics of the drogue refueling system and in particular its characteristics at low speeds, including head and tail winds. Data from wind tunnel experiments are used to show how the docking when refueling is affected by the lower speeds, position behind the supply aircraft and weather conditions. Possibilities of design improvements and implications are related to the task of refueling Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in-flight
A Retinoic Acid Receptor-Specific Element Controls the Retinoic Acid Receptor-β Promoter

The morphogen retinoic acid (RA) regulates gene transcription by interacting with specific nuclear receptors that recognize DNA sequences near responsive promoters. While much has recently been learned about the nuclear receptor proteins, little is known about the genes that are directly regulated by RA and their cis-acting response elements recognized by these receptors. Here we have analyzed the RA receptor-β (RARβ) gene promoter that is controlled by RA. We find that a RA-responsive element (RARE) is located adjacent to the TATA box. The RARE shows a direct repeat symmetry which is essential for its function. While thyroid hormone-responsive elements can also function as RAR response elements, we show here that this RARE is activated by endogenous RARs and RARβ, but cannot be regulated by thyroid hormone receptors and other known nuclear receptors. In addition, we find that RARγ is a poor activator of this RARE. However, the response element is bound with high affinity by both RARβ and RARγ as well as ...
In vitro rearing of Bracon mellitor and Catolaccus grandis with artificial diets devoid of insect components

Bracon mellitor Say (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), and Catolaccus grandis Burks (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), ectoparasitoids of the boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis Boheman, were reared in vitro for the first time on artificial diets devoid of insect components. The duration of the life cycles from egg to adult when these parasitoids were reared in vivo on boll weevil larvae, on semi-artificial diets retained with cotton fabric pads, or on diets with low agar concentrations (0.7%) were ca. 15.5, 16.5, and 15.0 days, for B. mellitor and 16.0, 17.5, and 15.5 days, respectively, for C. grandis. Percent adult emergence obtained with the same treatments was 58, 25, and 65 percent, for B. mellitor and 50, 28, and 60 percent, respectively, for C. grandis. Adult morphological characteristics and mating appeared normal. Male to female sex ratios were ca. 45:55 for both species.
Ordinal regression methodology for ROC curves derived from correlated data

We present an approach for the analysis of correlated ROC data, using ordinal regression models in conjunction with generalized estimating equations. The approach applies to the analysis of degree-of-suspicion data derived from multiple interpretations of the same diagnostic study and from the examination of the same patients with multiple diagnostic modalities. The regression models make it possible to incorporate patient and reader characteristics into the analysis, without having to resort to stratification. We illustrate the potential of the approach with analysis of data from two studies in diagnostic oncology.