cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interstitial brachytherapy and hyperthermia for malignant gliomas

Interstitial brachytherapy has well-known radiobiological and radiophysical advantages that has made delivery of high doses of radiation to malignant brain tumors a possibility [1]. Over the past 10 years a great deal of clinical information attesting to the usefulness of brachytherapy in the treatment of malignant gliomas has been accrued.
Endotracheal Intubation Confirmation Based on Video Image Classification Using a Parallel GMMs Framework: A Preliminary Evaluation

In this paper, the problem of endotracheal intubation confirmation is addressed. Endotracheal intubation is a complex procedure which requires high skills and the use of secondary confirmation devices to ensure correct positioning of the tube. A novel confirmation approach, based on video images classification, is introduced. The approach is based on identification of specific anatomical landmarks, including esophagus, upper trachea and main bifurcation of the trachea into the two primary bronchi ("carina"), as indicators of correct or incorrect tube insertion and positioning. Classification of the images is performed using a parallel Gaussian mixture models (GMMs) framework, which is composed of several GMMs, schematically connected in parallel, where each GMM represents a different imaging angle. The performance of the proposed approach was evaluated using a dataset of cow-intubation videos and a dataset of human-intubation videos. Each one of the video images was manually (visually) classified by a medical expert into one of three categories: upper-tracheal intubation, correct (carina) intubation, and esophageal intubation. The image classification algorithm was applied off-line using a leave-one-case-out method. The results show that the system correctly classified 1517 out of 1600 (94.8%) of the cow-intubation images, and 340 out of the 358 human images (95.0%). The classification results compared favorably with a "standard" GMM approach utilizing textural based features, as well as with a state-of-the-art classification method, tested on the cow-intubation dataset.
New observations on microarchitecture of corpora cavernosa in man and possible relationship to mechanism of erection.

Abstract Controversies and insufficient anatomic information on the microarchitecture of the corpora cavernosa and their role in the mechanism of erection still persist. A total of 2,690 serial cross sections of the corpora cavernosa of ten men were studied. The observations made seem to support the hypothesis of an intrinsic-mechanism of erection rather than a pure vascular one. Unpublished preliminary physiologic studies also support the existence of such a mechanism.
Can Infants and Toddlers Learn Words from Repeat Exposure to an Infant Directed DVD

The current experiment employed a mixed design to assess word learning in 70 infants under the age of 2. Infants (4–24 months) were randomly assigned to watch 1 of 2 educational DVDs in their homes, 6 times over a 2-week period. The 2 DVDs were identical except that each contained 3 different low frequency words (e.g., lens). In addition, participants were randomly assigned to a mediation condition, where parents were told to watch with their child and call attention to the DVD and the words being taught; controls were instructed to allow their child to watch alone. The stimulus DVDs were designed to mimic a commercially available DVD such as Baby Einstein. Following the 2-week exposure period, participants were brought to the testing location and tested on all 6 words, both those that were included in the DVD they were exposed to and those that appeared in the other DVD. Results suggested that infants 17 months and older benefitted from repeat exposure to the DVD; whereas younger infants did not. In addi...
Discrepant effects of acute cocaine on impulsive choice (delay discounting) in female rats during an increasing- and adjusting-delay procedure

The relationship between impulsive choice and cocaine use in humans has been well established, although the causal role between these variables is complex. To disentangle this relationship, studies using rats have focused on how acute or chronic cocaine alters impulsive choice. A predominance of studies has focused on chronic cocaine regimens, but few have assessed acute cocaine’s effects on impulsive choice. The current study assessed if acute cocaine administrations alter delay discounting of rats in two common impulsive choice procedures. Baseline delay discounting rates were determined in female rats using both an increasing- and adjusting-delay procedure. Once stable, a range of acute cocaine injections (2, 5, and 15 mg/kg i.p.) was administered prior to both procedures. Baseline delay discounting rates were positively correlated between the increasing- and adjusting-delay procedures. Acute administrations of cocaine produced a dose-dependent decrease in preference for the large alternative in the increasing-delay procedure but had no effect in the adjusting-delay procedure. The concordance of delay discounting rates across the two choice procedures suggests that both quantify the same underlying components of impulsive choice. However, manipulations that disrupt large alternative preference may not be readily detected under the adjusting-delay procedure unless control conditions are employed.
Albert Hirschman: a celebration

The article is the opening address at the Conference “Albert Hirschman scienziato sociale” held in Rome on the 6th May 2014 at the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei and at the presence of the President of Italian Republic, Sen. Giorgio Napolitano. A previous version of this article was published in Italian and available on line on Moneta e Credito, 2014, vol. 67, issue 266, pages 159–165 (http://ojs.uniroma1.it/index.php/monetaecredito/index). In this article the author traces the cultural and political environment of Hirschman stating that he "was a formidable enemy of the narrow lines of reasoning called 'the economic approach', which had—and still has—much following among many economists and some sociologists, who celebrate economics as a 'conquering discipline'. Rather than having social studies influenced by the emaciated understanding of economics that has weakened economics itself, Hirschman was keen on enriching economics by incorporating social, political and cultural considerations".
Interests, Norms and Advocacy: Explaining the Emergence of the Roma onto the EU's Agenda

This article investigates a least likely case of non-governmental organization (NGO) influence on an intergovernmental organization (IGO). Specifically, it explores the puzzle of how the Roma (Gypsies)—a relatively poor, marginalized and unmobilized minority group—suddenly gained international attention and policy responses by the European Union. Based on field research and document analysis, this article connects the national, international and transnational to explain the role of NGOs, IGOs and the Roma themselves in bringing attention to the situation of the Roma in Central and Eastern Europe. The author finds that a small transnational advocacy network played a critical role, and provides both normative and practical explanations for the EU's response.
Geldanamycin promotes premature mitotic entry and micronucleation in irradiated p53/p21 deficient colon carcinoma cells

P53 wild-type and p53-null or mutant cells undergo a G(2)-phase cell-cycle arrest in response to ionizing radiation (IR). In this study we examined the effect of heat-shock protein 90 (HSP90) inhibitor, geldanamycin (GA), on IR-induced G(2) arrest in human colon adenocarcinoma cells with different p53 status. We show that GA treatment abrogates IR-induced G(2)-phase arrest in cells null or mutant for p53. Specifically, GA treatment pushed irradiated p53 signaling-defective cells into a premature mitosis characterized by aberrant mitotic figures, increased gammaH2AX expression and formation of micronucleated cells. Cells expressing wild-type p53 were resistant to GA-induced G(2) checkpoint abrogation. Notably, GA treatment decreased levels of G(2) regulatory proteins Wee1 and Chk1, and inhibitory phosphorylation of Cdc2, independent of p53 status. Further investigation identified p21 as the potential downstream effector of p53 that mediates resistance to G(2) checkpoint abrogation. Clonogenic survival studies demonstrated higher sensitivity to GA alone or combination IR plus GA treatment in p53 and p21-null cells. Collectively, these data demonstrate potential mechanisms through which HSP90 inhibition can enhance the effects of ionizing radiation in p53-compromised cancer cells. Combination IR plus HSP90 inhibitor therapies may be particularly useful in treating cancers that lack wild-type p53.
The effect of demand shocks on firm-financed R&D

Abstract Some economists have suggested that firms have an incentive to clump inventive activity into recessions because the opportunity cost of inventive activity is low when the price of output is low. Other economists, emphasizing cash-flow constraints, argue that inventive activity should fall during recessions. This paper tests these competing hypotheses using firm-level R&D efforts as the measure of inventive activity. We measure demand for a firm's product as a weighted average of industry shipments and test whether shocks to this measure of demand stimulate or retard firm-level R&D. The results suggest that an opportunity-cost effect may exist for firms with the largest R&D budgets.
Disruptive effects of prefeeding and haloperidol administration on multiple measures of food-maintained behavior in rats

Four rats responded under a choice reaction-time procedure. At the beginning of each trial, the rats were required to hold down a center lever for a variable duration, release it following a high- or low-pitched tone, and press either a left or right lever, conditionally on the tone. Correct choices were reinforced with a probability of .95 or .05 under blinking or static houselights, respectively. After performance stabilized, disruptive effects of free access to food pellets prior to sessions (prefeeding) and intraperitoneal injection of haloperidol were examined on multiple behavioral measures (i.e., the number of trials completed, percent of correct responses, and reaction time). Resistance to prefeeding depended on the probability of food delivery for the number of trials completed and reaction time. Resistance to haloperidol, on the other hand, was not systematically affected by the probability of food delivery for all dependent measures.
The diffusive conductance of slits between endothelial cells in muscle capillaries

Abstract A computerized random-walk method was developed to simulate three-dimensional diffusion through intercellular slits in capillary walls. This method was employed to analyze a population of 25 such slits in the dog gastrocnemius. Each slit consisted of three distinct segments, whose dimensions were obtained from Casley-Smith et al. [(1975) Microvasc. Res. 10 , 43–64]. From the computer simulations a diffusive conductance factor ( G D ) was calculated for each slit segment and for each complete slit. By using the Faxen formula for the wall drag effect, the analysis was extended to spherical solute molecules with diameters up to 30 A. For any solute within this range, the logarithm of the slit conductance was found to display an approximately normal distribution. For molecules of zero diameter, the coefficient of variation of the slit conductance was 0.34. These three-dimensional estimates of slit conductance and resistance were compared with one-dimensional approximations computed by the method of Perl (1971) . In this set of slits, the 1-D method yielded a mean slit resistance that was 60% too high and a mean slit conductance that was 22% too low. An approximate concordance between experimental [Pappenheimer et al. , (1951) Amer. J. Physiol. 167 , 13–46] and theoretical (3-D conductance) values of the capillary diffusion capacity supports the hypothesis that small hydrophilic solutes traverse muscle capillary walls by restricted diffusion through water-filled slits between endothelial cells.
Arithmetic on Groups of Positive Rationals

Abstract In this paper we develop a theory of unique factorization for subgroups of the positive rationals. We show that this theory is strong enough to include arithmetic progressions and the theory of genera in algebraic number fields. We establish generalizations of both Dirichlet's theorem on primes in arithmetic progressions and the theory of genera for Abelian extensions of the rationals.
The solvent extraction equilibria of some cobalt(II) chelates

Abstract Solvent extraction studies of 10−6 to 10−7 M radiolabelled cobalt(II) from aqueous solutions containing 0·1 M sodium perchlorate into 1-octanol containing octanoic acid, 1-hexanol containing hexanoic acid, and benzene containing thenoyltrifluoroacetone have been made. In each system the species were identified, and relevant partition and association constants were determined. Although the literature(1–3) indicates that cobalt(II) can be extracted into benzene containing thenoyltrifluoroacetone, the species and pertinent equilibria have not been completely elucidated. With the exception of some extractions with mixed aliphatic acids into mixed hydrocarbons,(4) no studies appear to have been made concerning the equilibria or use of either octanoic or hexanoic acid in the extraction of cobalt(II). The purpose of the present study is to identify the species, and to develop the theoretical distribution equations which would completely describe the experimental data for these systems.
National Surveillance for the Human Ehrlichioses in the United States, 1997–2001, and Proposed Methods for Evaluation of Data Quality

This report describes the data accumulated during the first 5 years of national surveillance for the human ehrlichioses in the United States and territories, from its initiation in 1997 through 2001. Reported cases of human monocytic and granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HME and HGE) and cases of "other ehrlichiosis" (OE), where the agent was unspecified, originated from 30 states. As anticipated, most HME cases were from the south-central and southeastern United States, while HGE was most commonly reported from the northeastern and upper-Midwestern region. State-level incident reports of 487 HME, 1,091 HGE, and 11 OE cases were evaluated. The average annual incidences of HME, HGE, and OE per million persons residing in states reporting disease were 0.7, 1.6, and 0.2, respectively. The median ages of HME (53 yr) and HGE cases (51 yr) were consistent with published patient series. Most (> 57%) ehrlichiosis patients were male. The results suggest that national surveillance for the ehrlichioses, although imperfect in coverage, will help define endemic regions and may be useful for monitoring long-term trends. Although the data appear representative of the demographic profiles established for HME and HGE, rigorous evaluation of the system is required. Methods are proposed for evaluating the quality and representativeness of HME and HGE surveillance data, using well-established surveillance systems for Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease.
Design And Performance Of A 10 MIP Optoelectronic Central Processing Unit

A description of a massively parallel optoelectronic CPU is presented. Integral to the design of the device is a complex fiberoptic interconnection pattern that serves as a portion of a programmable logic array. A rudimentary instruction set for this CPU is presented, and a corresponding interconnection pattern is derived. The system architecture is examined, and a physical realization of the CPU is presented. Operating characteristics at ten million instructions per second are detailed.
Effects of cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus on diapausing Heliothis virescens

Abstract Laboratory studies were conducted to determine effects of cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus on diapausing Heliothis virescens . Most virus-infected individuals died in the larval stage. Infected pupae yielded as many moths as healthy. Females from surviving virus-infected larvae produced fewer eggs than those from healthy larvae, but there was no statistical difference in longevity of adults between healthy and infected groups. Infected moths yielded lower than normal quantities of extracted fatty acids.
Energy flow analysis and design sensitivity of structural problems at high frequencies

The design sensitivity formulation of an energy finite element method is presented using the direct differentiation and adjoint variable methods. The continuum method is used to derive the design sensitivity equation of the energy flow equation, whereas the discrete method is used to calculate the variation of the coupling relation. For design variables, material property, panel thickness, and structural shape are taken into account, in addition to the structural damping factor. The design variable's effect on the power transfer coefficient is discussed in detail. Even if the system matrix equation is not symmetric, the adjoint problem is solved using the same factorized matrix from response analysis. Design sensitivity results calculated from the proposed method are compared to the finite difference sensitivity results with a good agreement.
Replacing abdominally implanted defibrillators: effect of procedure setting on cost.

Although most ICDs are currently placed using a pectoral approach, there exists a large population of patients with abdominally implanted ICDs who will require device replacement due to a depleted battery. The purpose of this study was to compare the cost, convalescence, and complication rate of replacing abdominally implanted ICDs in the OR versus the EP laboratory. Between August 1993 and September 1994, we prospectively enlisted nine consecutive patients who presented for their second ICD generator replacement and who had a prior generator replacement in the OR 3-4 years earlier. The mean age of the patients was 63 +/- 17 years and their mean ejection fraction was 37% +/- 15%. ICD replacement was performed in the EP laboratory and consisted of explanting the old device, electronic interrogation of the lead system, and confirmation of defibrillation thresholds prior to implanting a new device. Local anesthesia was provided by lidocaine infiltration and sedation was achieved with intravenous (i.v.) midazolam and fentanyl. Following the procedure, the patients were returned to an outpatient monitored setting for 4 hours and were then discharged. Comparisons of the health care charges for the same procedure performed in the two different settings revealed a significant reduction in physician fees (from $3,621 +/- $556 to $2,179 +/- $577, P < 0.05), in hospital charges (from $5,811 +/- $1,102 to $2,306 +/- 696, P < 0.05), and in total charges (from $9,431 +/- $1,375 to $4,541 +/- $1,010, P < 0.05), exclusive of ICD cost, when the procedure was performed on an outpatient basis in the EP laboratory. Inpatient days averaged 3.0 +/- 0.3 when the procedure was performed in the OR. On long-term follow-up there were no complications following abdominal ICD generator replacement in the OR (mean follow-up, 39 +/- 2 months) or in the EP laboratory (mean follow-up, 42 +/- 4 months). Thus, ICD replacements in the EP laboratory cost less than in the OR due to significantly lower physician fees, hospital charges, and a shorter postprocedural convalescence.
Asymmetries in the Normal Short-wavelength Visual Field: Implications for Short-wavelength Automated Perimetry

Purpose To quantify short-wavelength sensitivity in normal eyes by hemifield location, eccentricity, and age. Methods We measured achromatic and short-wavelength thresholds across visual fields covering a radius of 21 degrees of visual angle in 115 normal eyes in subjects aged 17 to 77 years and out to 30 degrees of eccentricity in an additional 57 eyes in subjects aged 22 to 80 years. Results Results indicated significantly greater sensitivity for the inferior visual field compared with the superior field ( P = .001). The amount of asymmetry increased with eccentricity ( P = .001) but not with age ( P = .357). A temporonasal field asymmetry was noted at the most eccentric points of the 30-degree field ( P = .001) but not at 21 degrees ( P = .821). Conclusions In addition to increasing our understanding of normal retinal function, these results have implications for basic research in comparison with results of studies using different retinal locations to assess short-wavelength sensitivity and for clinical practice, where short-wavelength sensitivity is used to diagnose and manage a number of diseases, including glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)–related vision loss.
CREWS: A DISTINCT TYPE OF WORK TEAM

Distinctions among different types of work teams have been emerging in the theoretical literature as a key to understanding important work team processes. This has been precipitated by an increased appreciation of the importance of a work team's operating environment on such processes. Moreover, such distinctions are felt to be useful to practice in such areas as team staffing, training, and establishing leadership requirements. The present study investigates the concept of “crews” and contrasts it with other types of work teams by empirically assessing “crewness,” the extent to which a work team can be classified as a crew. A new scale of “crewness” was developed and administered to various collectives of workers including fire fighter crew members and project team members in order to establish the unique qualities of crews to show that they are a distinct type of work team. Construct and discriminant validity evidence is offered in support of the crewness scale. Approaches for further investigation of this distinction are also provided in order to guide both research and practice in this area.
New optoelectronic methodology for nondestructive evaluation of MEMS at the wafer level

One of the approaches to fabrication of MEMS involves surface micromachining to define dies on single crystal silicon wafers, dicing of the wafers to separate the dies, and electronic packaging of the individual dies. Dicing and packaging of MEMS accounts for a large fraction of the fabrication costs, therefore, nondestructive evaluation at the wafer level, before dicing, can have significant implications on improving production yield and costs. In this paper, advances in development of optoelectronic holography (OEH) techniques for nondestructive, noninvasive, full-field of view evaluation of MEMS at the wafer level are described. With OEH techniques, quantitative measurements of shape and deformation of MEMS, as related to their performance and integrity, are obtained with sub-micrometer spatial resolution and nanometer measuring accuracy. To inspect an entire wafer with OEH methodologies, measurements of overlapping regions of interest (ROI) on a wafer are recorded and adjacent ROIs are stitched together through efficient 3D correlation analysis algorithms. Capabilities of the OEH techniques are illustrated with representative applications, including determination of optimal inspection conditions to minimize inspection time while achieving sufficient levels of accuracy and resolution.
Geophysics and NIH Image

Abstract It is possible to interpret 2D and 3D seismic data using NIH Image, a free medical imaging software product developed by the US National Institutes of Health. Using Image, or one of several developing spin-offs, the basic flow of seismic interpretation can be accomplished. It is also capable of some advanced methods such as volume visualization, amplitude calibration to well control, cube displays and reservoir area/volume estimates. All figures in this paper were generated using this free product. At the least, Image is a marvelous data viewer which compliments workstation class systems. However, for many users, it may be sufficient for the entire interpretation process.
SEM Studies of Gastric Cell Surface Epithelium: An Evaluation of Various Methods of Preparation

Observation of gastric surface epithelial cells using scanning electron microscopy is usually hampered by the presence of an opaque material coating the stomach mucosa. In the present report, we describe the results obtained with 3 different techniques of preparations. Enzymatic digestion followed by a mechanical action permitted effective and consistent removal of the opaque coating without apparent damage to the cellular epithelium.
N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptor NR1 subunit mRNA level was decreased in rat brain during pentobarbital withdrawal.

We examined the effect of continuous intracerebroventricular (i.c.v. ) administration of pentobarbital on the level of N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptor NR1 subunit mRNAs in different regions of rat brain by in situ hybridization histochemistry. Animals were rendered tolerant to pentobarbital by continuous i.c.v. infusion (300 microgram/10 microliter/h for 6 days) through pre-implanted cannulae connected to osmotic mini-pumps, and dependent, by abrupt withdrawal from pentobarbital. NR1 subunit mRNA level was significantly decreased in the entorhinal cortex, cingulate, caudate-putamen, septum, and the CA1 of hippocampus in pentobarbital withdrawal rats. The level of NR1 mRNAs was decreased in only CA1 of hippocampus in pentobarbital tolerant rats. These results indicate that withdrawal from i.c.v. infusion with pentobarbital decreases in NR1 subunit expression in the rat brain, suggesting that changes in expression of NR1 subunit may contribute to the development of withdrawal from pentobarbital.
Local discriminant bases

We describe an extension to the `best-basis' method to construct an orthonormal basis which maximizes a class separability for signal classification problems. This algorithm reduces the dimensionality of these problems by using basis functions which are well localized in time- frequency plane as feature extractors. We tested our method using two synthetic datasets: extracted features (expansion coefficients of input signals in these basis functions), supplied them to the conventional pattern classifiers, then computed the misclassification rates. These examples show the superiority of our method over the direct application of these classifiers on the input signals. As a further application, we also describe a method to extract signal component from data consisting of signal and textured background.
Stem cell aging and autoimmunity in rheumatoid arthritis

We propose a novel disease model for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an autoimmune syndrome that is assumed to be caused by the recognition of arthritogenic antigens in the synovium. Support for antigen selection and recognition as crucial events in rheumatoid synovitis has come from the strong association of the disease with HLA-DRB1 genes. However, recent results demonstrate a novel function for the RA-associated HLA-DR4 haplotype, regulating the biology of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Healthy HLA-DR4 + individuals have premature aging of HSCs, a defect they acquire during the second decade of life, and accumulate pre-aged T cells. In patients with RA, premature HSC aging is combined with additional restrictions in thymic T-cell output, leading to senescence in the T-cell pool. Senescent T cells are functionally altered, express novel immunoregulatory receptors, are prone to autoimmunity and might directly drive synovitis. Premature aging of stem cells might have implications for other cell lineages, providing the basis for immune-mediated tissue damage and the breakdown of self-tolerance.
5'-Alkyl-substituted analogs of 5'-methylthioadenosine as trypanocides.

Abstract 5'-Deoxy-5'-(methylthio)adenosine (MTA) is a by-product of polyamine metabolism and is phosphoryolytically cleaved to adenine and 5-deoxy-5-(methylthio)ribose-1-phosphate (MTR-1-P) by MTA phosphorylase. In eukaryotes, adenine is subsequently salvaged and converted to nucleotides, while MTR-1-P is converted to methionine. We examined 5'-deoxy-5'-substituted analogs of MTA for trypanocidal activity in vitro and in vivo. 5'-Deoxy-5'-(hydroxyethyl)thioadenosine (HETA) and its 5'-bromo,5'-chloro and 5'-fluoro derivatives were cleaved by extracts of the African trypanosome Trypanosoma brucei brucei (Km for MTA, 11.5 microM; Km for HETA, 13.2 microM) in a phosphate-dependent reaction. HETA and the three halo analogs were 50% inhibitory to growth at 0.5 to 5.0 microM in vitro. Inhibition of growth was reversible by exogenous methionine and 2-keto-4-methylthiobutyric acid, an intermediate in methionine synthesis from MTR-1-P. HETA was selected for further study in vivo. When administered by miniosmotic pump (25 to 150 mg/kg/day for 7 days) to mice infected with T. brucei brucei, HETA effected 70 to 90% cure rates. Results of this study indicate that these analogs of MTA are converted to trypanocidal MTR-1-P analogs and that this approach deserves further consideration in the development of novel chemotherapy of trypanosomiasis.
The cartesian square of the horocycle flow is not loosely Bernoulli

We give an example of an algebraic non-loosely Bernoulli flow. Namely, we prove that the cartesian square of the classical horocycle flow is not loosely Bernoulli.
Genital herpes beliefs: implications for sexual health.

Abstract Study Objective Genital herpes (HSV) is exceedingly common in the United States and women are disproportionally affected. This study aims to describe young women's beliefs about HSV and examine the correlates of those beliefs. Design A 40-item Herpes Representation measure (HSV-RoSTD) and a demographic questionnaire were administered to a convenience sample of young women. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, t-tests and Pearson's correlations. Setting Four women's health clinics and one large state university. Participants 302 women aged 18-24 years. Interventions None. Main Outcome Measures Four dimensions of HSV representations (cause, identity, future perspective, and psychosocial consequences), age and STD testing history. Results Nearly all (98%) believed that HSV would result in genital sores and 68% believed they could tell if their sexual partner had HSV. Most (89%) understood the longevity of HSV; however, 30% believed that they could take a pill to get rid of the infection, and 15% indicated that it was likely they would die from HSV. Negative beliefs about the psychosocial impact of HSV were common as 95% indicated they would be depressed and 90% indicated concern about sex and partner notification. Those who were younger and those who had never been tested for STDs believed a genital herpes infection is highly symptomatic. Finally, negative beliefs about the psychosocial consequences of HSV were associated with beliefs about HSV being symptomatic, having a negative impact on future health, and being associated with sexual risk behaviors. Conclusions Young women have misconceptions about HSV, particularly regarding the symptomatology and the role of HSV medication. Noteworthy concerns about the negative psychosocial consequences of an HSV diagnosis were also raised, all of which have implications for young women's sexual health.
Pediatric Liver MR Elastography

Many chronic pediatric liver disorders are complicated by the development of fibrosis and ultimately cirrhosis. Although hepatic fibrogenesis progresses along a common pathway irrespective of the specific etiology, fibrosis in pediatric liver diseases has different histopathological patterns than in adults. In pediatric liver disease, as in adults, management choices may depend upon the stage of fibrosis at diagnosis. With early intervention, the progression of hepatic fibrosis can be slowed or halted, and in some situations, reversed. While liver biopsy is the gold standard for diagnosing and assessing the presence and degree of fibrosis, it has several disadvantages including the potential for sampling error, the risk of complications, the relatively high cost, and general poor acceptance by pediatric patients and their parents. MR elastography (MRE) is a relatively new imaging technique with the potential for allowing a safe, rapid, cost-effective, and non-invasive evaluation of a wide variety of hepatic diseases by quantitatively evaluating the stiffness of the liver parenchyma. The purpose of this article is to present our initial clinical experience and illustrate our modified technique for the application of liver MRE in pediatric patients at our medical center. Pediatric MRE techniques were developed and applied to over 45 patients scanned with our new protocol. Liver MRE is a safe, non-invasive method for assessing hepatic fibrosis in pediatric patients.
Abundance, size distribution, and stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions of marine organic matter isolated by tangential-flow ultrafiltration

Tangential-flow ultrafiltration was used to isolate particulate and high-molecular-weight dissolved material from seawater collected at various depths and geographic regions of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Ultrafiltration proved to be a relatively fast and efficient method for the isolation of hundreds of milligrams of material. Optical and electron microscopy of the isolated materials revealed that relatively fragile materials were recovered intact. Depth-weighted results of the size distribution of organic matter in seawater indicated that ~ 75% of marine organic carbon was low-molecular-weight (LMW) dissolved organic carbon ( 100 nm). The distribution of carbon in surface water was shifted to greater relative abundances of larger size fractions, suggesting a diagenetic sequence from macromolecular material to small refractory molecules. The average C:N ratios of particulate organic matter (POM) and HMW dissolved organic matter (DOM) were 7.7 and 16.7, respectively. Differences in C:N ratios between POM and HMW DOM were large and invariant with depth and geographic region, indicating that the aggregation of HMW DOM to form POM must be of minor significance to overall carbon dynamics. The stable carbon isotope composition (δ13C) of POM averaged −22.7%. in surface water and −25.2%. in subsurface water. Several possible explanations for the observed isotopic shift with depth were explored, but we were unable to discern the cause. The δ13C of HMW DOM samples was relatively constant and averaged −21.7%., indicating a predominantly marine origin for this material. The δ15N values of POM were highly variable (5.8–15.4%.), and the availability of nitrate in surface waters appeared to be the major factor influencing δ15N values in the equatorial Pacific. In the upwelling region nitrate concentrations were relatively high and δ15N values of POM were low, whereas to the north and south of the upwelling nitrate concentrations were low and δ15N values were high. The δ15N values of HMW DOM reflected the same trends observed in the POM fraction and provided the first such evidence for biological cycling of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON). Using the observed δ15N values and an estimate of meridional advection velocity, we estimated a turnover time of 0.3 to 0.5% day−1 for HMW DON. These results suggest a major role for DON in the upper ocean nitrogen cycle.
Attributions in Explanations of Risk Estimates

In the spring of 1993, nearly 40 percent of Milwaukee-area residents experienced a nationally publicized outbreak of cryptosporidium, a parasite that infested the metropolitan drinking water supply. Using open-ended survey data gathered from 610 adult residents in the wake of that outbreak, this study looks at factors related to the ways in which people make sense of their quantitative personal risk estimates. The concepts of informal reasoning and attribution aided this endeavor. Analysis of open-ended comments about the risk of getting ill from a waterborne parasite indicated that explanations of personal risk were consistent with predictions made by attribution theory. Good outcomes, which included having remained healthy during the outbreak, were associated with a greater likelihood that respondents would attribute causation to themselves, while one specific bad outcome, having experienced the illness, was associated with a greater likelihood that respondents would attribute causation externally. This...
Mutual and unrequited love in adolescence and young adulthood

The purpose of the study was to examine the frequency of experiencing passionate love during adolescence and young adulthood as recalled by young adults, and to examine gender differences in this frequency. Female and male US. introductory psychology students, several of whom were of nontraditional age, responded to a questionnaire that asked about the frequency of their mutual and unrequited love experiences. Respondents provided information for four age periods ranging from childhood to age 25 years. Although the frequency of recalled mutual love experiences increased for both genders from childhood through the 16-to-20-year-age period, men reported more episodes or unrequited love during the 16-to-20-year-age period compared to (a) other age periods, (b) their reports of mutual love during that age period, and (c) the reports of unrequited love for 16-to-20-year-old women.
A Better Confidence Interval for Kappa (κ) on Measuring Agreement between Two Raters with Binary Outcomes

Abstract Although the kappa statistic is widely used in measuring interrater agreement, it is known that the standard confidence interval estimation behaves poorly in small samples and for nonzero kappas. Efforts have been made to improve the estimation through transformation and Edgeworth expansion (Flack 1987). The results remain unsatisfactory when kappa is far from 0, however, even with the sample size as large as 100. In this article we reparameterize the kappa statistic to reveal its relationship with the marginal probability of agreement. The reparameterization not only gives a more meaningful interpretation of kappa but also clearly demonstrates that the range of kappa depends on the marginal probabilities. Various two- and three-dimensional plots are shown to illustrate the relationship among these parameters. The immediate application is to construct a new confidence interval based on the profile variance and reparameterization. Extensive simulation studies show that the new confidence interval ...
Synthesis and characterization of homo- and heteronuclear molecular Al3+ and Th4+ species chelated by the ethylenediaminetetraacetate (edta) ligand.

Four molecular species chelated by edta have been synthesized from aqueous solutions and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. [Th(H2O)4(edta)] (Th1) crystallized in monoclinic space group P21/c with unit cell parameters of a = 8.5275(5) A, b = 12.0635(7) A, c = 15.8825(9) A, and β = 105.340(2)°. Monoclinic space group C2 was identified for [Al2(edta)(OH)2(H2O)2] (Al2) with a = 11.1089(10) A, b = 9.4830(8) A, c = 7.6116(7) A, and β = 112.026(3)°. [Th4(H2O)4Al10(H2O)8(OH)28(edta)4]·Cl2(H2O)29 (Th4Al10) formed the triclinic space group P with a = 9.3172(8) A, b = 16.6099(14) A, c = 19.5080(14) A, α = 102.314(3)°, β = 95.615(3)°, and γ = 92.473(3)°. [Th2(H2O)2Al6(H2O)10(OH)14(edta)2]·(NO3)4(H2O)18 (Th2Al6) also crystallized in triclinic space group P with unit cell parameters a = 10.9899(12) A, b = 11.6107(12) A, c = 14.3350(17) A, α = 73.012(4)°, β = 87.411(4)°, and γ = 75.717(4)°. Small molecular species are observed in the Th1 and Al2 compounds, while the metal cations hydrolyze to create nanometer-sized heterometallic clusters in the Th4Al10 and Th2Al6 materials. The topological characteristics of each species are described and related to aqueous speciation in Th4+, Al3+-edta systems.
Light scattering by neutron irradiated silica

Abstract The intensity of light scattered by fast neutron irradiated fused silica indicates that the damaged volume per primary struck atom is about (67 A) 3 . There is dissymmetry of scattering showing that this small volume is strung out in a long thin, or rodlike, region in order to give interference effects. The angular dependence of scattering for the H h and V v components is different and can be accounted for by assuming that strain surrounds the damaged region. Theories of the strain scattering effect are developed to give a quantitative account of the scattering. These indicate how the angular dependence of scattering may be interpreted to discriminate between the effect of strain and the effect of the length of the rodlike regions. The length is found to be approximately 1800 A.
Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty of chronic total occlusions. Primary success, restenosis, and long-term clinical follow-up.

BACKGROUNDAngioplasty of chronically totally occluded vessels has been associated with a success rate well below and restenosis rate well above that for angioplasty of stenosed segments. However, long-term clinical outcome after successful revascularization of a chronically totally occluded vessel has not been reported in detail.METHODS AND RESULTSAccordingly, data for 480 patients undergoing angioplasty for chronic total occlusion at Emory University Hospital, Atlanta, Ga., from 1980 to 1988 were analyzed for predictors of in-hospital procedural and clinical (procedural success and absence of in-hospital complications) success, restenosis, and 4-year clinical follow-up. The study population was grouped by procedural and clinical success and failure. The groups were then compared for outcome, both in hospital and long term. The initial clinical success rate was 66% (317 of 480 patients). Independent correlates of failure were the number of vessels diseased (p less than 0.001), vessel location of the lesio...
Improved estimation of a multinormal precision matrix

Abstract Stein's technique is used to obtain improved estimators of the multinormal precision matrix under quadratic loss. The technique is to obtain a certain differential inequality involving the eigenvalues of the sample covariance matrix. Several improved estimators are obtained by solving the differential inequality.
Regulation of cardiac excitation-contraction coupling by sorcin, a novel modulator of ryanodine receptors.

Activation of Ca2+ release channels/ryanodine receptors (RyR) by the inward Ca2+ current (ICa) gives rise to Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release (CICR), the amplifying Ca2+ signaling mechanism that triggers contraction of the heart. CICR, in theory, is a high-gain, self-regenerating process, but an unidentified mechanism stabilizes it in vivo. Sorcin, a 21.6 kDa Ca2+-binding protein, binds to cardiac RyRs with high affinity and completely inhibits channel activity. Sorcin significantly inhibits both the spontaneous activity of RyRs in quiescent cells (visualized as Ca2+ sparks) and the ICa-triggered activity of RyRs that gives rise to [Ca2+]i transients. Since sorcin decreases the amplitude of the [Ca2+]i transient without affecting the amplitude of ICa, the overall effect of sorcin is to reduce the "gain" of excitation-contraction coupling. Immunocytochemical staining shows that sorcin localizes to the dyadic space of ventricular cardiac myocytes. Ca2+ induces conformational changes and promotes translocation of sorcin between soluble and membranous compartments, but the [Ca2+] required for the latter process (ED50 = ~200 mM) appears to be reached only within the dyadic space. Thus, sorcin is a potent inhibitor of both spontaneous and ICa-triggered RyR activity and may play a role in helping terminate the positive feedback loop of CICR.
Modified Transient Infrared Methodology for Leading Edge Impingement Measurements

Modifications to the energy balance based transient IR methodology for measuring heat transfer coefficients (HTCs) are presented in this work. Improvements are shown to increase the accuracy of the method and to allow quantitative testing of complex and/or highly curved geometries. Thin-walled test articles are manufactured via rapid prototyping processes, allowing for rapid quantitative concept screening. The methodology is demonstrated with a transient heating test for two distinct leading edge impingement configurations. The gage repeatability and reproducibility is shown to be approximately 2%, providing a strong ability to resolve trends in the data. This is demonstrated with a measurement of the impact of altered gill flows and relatively small variations in the jet Reynolds number on the leading edge HTC fields. Detailed uncertainty quantification of the method is shown and uncertainty mitigation techniques are discussed. The impact of un-corrected conduction effects is also demonstrated via a comparison of corrected and uncorrected results.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Polarity and velocity of sliding filaments: control of direction by actin and of speed by myosin

Myosin filaments, which are responsible for a large repertoire of motile activities in muscle and nonmuscle cells, can translocate actin filaments both toward and away from their central bare zone. This bidirectional movement suggests that there is enough flexibility in the head portion of the tightly packed myosin molecules in the native myosin filaments to move actin filaments not only in the expected direction, but also in the direction opposite to that predicted by the regular structure of muscle--away from the center of the myosin filament.
The Two-Photon Bazooka: A New Way of Optically Screening Randomly Mutagenized Libraries of Fluorescent Proteins

Two-photon (2P) microscopy is the preferred method for imaging fluorescent proteins and biosensors in living, thick tissues. Over the past decade, many groups have worked to improve single photon (1P) properties of fluorescent proteins, but little has been done to improve their 2P properties. This is important because 2P properties can be quite different from the 1P properties. Our goal was to create a system for screening libraries of randomly mutagenized fluorescent proteins for better 2P properties. We created an optical system for collecting 1- and 2-photon induced fluorescence images from entire petri dishes of E. coli colonies. Libraries of randomly mutagenized eGFP were screened for improved 2P/1P fluorescence ratios. Screening the first round of evolution showed a slightly larger ratio spread outside the range of parent eGFP. One hundred of these clones were subjected to a second round of screening. Colonies that showed reproducible 2P/1P ratios greater than the parent eGFP were selected to move forward. A selective pool of the best 18 clones (library A), and a more inclusive pool of the best 59 clones (library B), were used for a new round of gene shuffling and random mutagenesis. After only two rounds of evolution, libraries A and B contained at least 5 distinct mutant populations with significantly increased 2P/1P ratios. Sequence analysis of 96 clones from these libraries revealed that every clone harbored at least one mutation. Eleven unique mutants were used for a third round of evolution. Screening and sequence analysis of the third library, reveals thirteen mutations that either individually (V68M, S72G, V163A, T203I) or in combination (E6G, T65S, Q80R, N105S, D117G, N121S, Q184R, S202N, V219I) significantly shift the 2P/1P fluorescence ratios.