cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is there a correlation between duration of presenting symptoms and stage of medulloblastoma at the time of diagnosis

BACKGROUND Does a “delay in diagnosis” lead to a child being diagnosed with advanced stage as opposed to early stage medulloblastoma? Correlation between the duration of a patient's presenting symptoms and stage at diagnosis was examined. METHODS The population consisted of 72 consecutive patients with histologically proven medulloblastoma diagnosed between July 1, 1983 and July 31, 1995. A standard history and physical examination format was used to record the nature and duration of presenting symptoms. Patients were staged by use of the operative findings, pre- and postoperative cranial computed tomography (CT) scans and, later in the series, cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies and, for determination of the M stage, myelography, spinal MRI, and postoperative cerebrospinal fluid cytology. RESULTS There were 40 males (56%) and 32 females (44%) with a mean age of 11.8 years. The most common presenting symptoms were vomiting (67%), headache (60%), ataxia (40%), and nausea (39%). By the Chang-Harisiadis (CH) system, 39 patients (54%) were found to have high stage medulloblastoma (T3b-4M0 or any TM1-4), 27 (38%) had low stage disease (T1-3aM0), and in 6 (8%) the stage could not be fully determined. By the Langston modification of the Chang-Harisiadis system (LCH) 38 patients (54%) had high stage, 24 (32%) had low stage, and in 10 (14%) the stage could not be fully determined. Fifty of the 66 patients for whom the duration of symptoms was known (76%) had; cc3 months of symptoms prior to stage. High CH stage patients had a mean duration of symptoms of 7.4 ± 6.9 weeks versus 19.5 ± 22.5 weeks for low stage patients. (P < 0.001). High LCH stage patients had a mean duration of symptoms of 7 ± 6.6 weeks versus 15.4 ± 16.4 weeks for low stage patients (P < 0.01). Patients ultimately found to have MO disease were diagnosed more slowly (16.1 ± 20 weeks) than those with M1 (7.3 ± 5.3 weeks), M2 (6 ± 5.3 weeks), or M3 disease (6.8 ± 5.9 weeks) (M0 vs. M1-3, P < 0.02). No patients had M4 disease. Using an alternative definition of high versus low stage (T4M0 or any TM1-4 vs. T1-3bM0) currently under consideration by pediatric oncologists, the duration of symptoms remained significantly longer for low stage disease in the CH system (high vs. low, 7.2 ± 5.8 weeks vs. 17.5 ± 19.1 weeks, P < 0.01) but not in the LH system (high vs. low, 10.6 ± 16.1 weeks vs. 13.9 ± 15.9 weeks, P not significant). CONCLUSIONS A short duration of symptoms is associated with the diagnosis of more advanced medulloblastoma. This finding has significant potential implications for the identification of prognostic groups in medulloblastoma as well as medical-legal claims of “delay in diagnosis” and capitated health care issues. Cancer 1996;78:874-80.
The medically indigent mentally ill: approaches to financing.

Dr. Sharfstein's Introduction: Most mentally ill individuals do not have adequate insurance coverage for necessary treatment either in a hospital or in an outpatient setting. This problem has reached crisis proportions in the United States with the scaling down of public mental health systems and strong efforts by all payers to moderate overall medical costs. This month's column argues for an aggressive, revitalized public role in securing mental illness benefits, enforcing quality standards, and encouraging the most severely mentally ill to participate in treatment programs. Treatment for the mentally ill poor must be a major issue for the new Congress and administration.
High-Ti continental tholeiites from the Aznam trough, northwestern Saudi Arabia: evidence of “abortive” rifting in the “embryonic” stage of Red Sea opening

Abstract The Aznam trough is a NW-trending, asymmetric graben on the northern Saudi Arabian coast of the Red Sea. Miocene or younger, high-Ti, tholeiitic basalts are exposed In the northern part of the trough. These (Aznam) basalts contain microphenocrysts of altered olivine, calcic plagioclase and clinopyroxene with subordinate amounts of ilmenite and orthopyroxene in a cryptocrystalline groundmass. A minor xenocryst/xenolith assemblage consists of quartz, sieve-textured plagioclase and a variety of crustal rock fragments. The Aznam basalts have TiO2 contents > 3.0%, elevated 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.70486–0.70546), FeO∗/MgO ratios > 2.0, and Mg-numbers between 47 and 50. They are compositionally and isotopically more evolved than tholeiites (MORB) from the Red Sea trough. Minor crustal contamination of the initial basaltic magmas is shown by the elevated Sr isotopic composition and enrichment in some LIL components. Major-element modeling indicates that the Aznam basalts can be generated by fractionation of the major phenocryst phases out of typical Red Sea MORB. Trace-element distributions are mostly consistent with this conclusion. With the exception of minor crustal contamination at Aznam, the Aznam basalts are compositionally almost identical with high-Ti basalts formed in “abortive,” volcanically dormant, rifts in Iceland. Apparently the same process of magmatism and rift jumping that occurred in Iceland also occurred (and may still be occurring) in the northern Red Sea region as a short-lived embryonic rifting that is a precursor to sea-floor spreading in the Red Sea trough.
Antitumor agents. 234. Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel 4β-[(4-benzamido)-amino]-4'-O-demethyl-epipodophyllotoxin derivatives

A series of 4beta-[(4' '-benzamido)-amino]-4'-O-demethyl-epipodophyllotoxin derivatives (11-23) were designed to enhance DNA topoisomerase II inhibition, overcome drug resistance, and modulate water solubility of etoposide (1) analogues. The target compounds were synthesized and evaluated for their effects against DNA topoisomerase II and KB or 1-resistant KB-7d tumor cells in tissue culture. As compared with 1, most compounds showed superior inhibition against both KB and KB-7d cells. Nine compounds (13-18, 20-22) induced higher levels of cellular protein-linked DNA breaks than did 1. Ten compounds selected from these and related derivatives were further examined for their antitumor spectra and drug-resistance profiles. Like 1, these compounds selectively inhibited the growth of KB (nasopharyngeal) and 1A9 (ovarian) tumor cells. More notably, they retained inhibitory activity against etoposide-, camptothecin-, and paclitaxel-resistant KB or 1A9 subclones. In general, these C(4)-modified new derivatives exhibited superior activity profiles, particularly against drug-resistant cell lines, to those of 1. Preliminary metabolism studies on compounds 16 and 20 revealed that 20 was relatively resistant to metabolism by rat serum and liver enzymes, while 16 was metabolically unstable.
Relationship between plethysmographic waveform changes and hemodynamic variables in anesthetized, mechanically ventilated patients undergoing continuous cardiac output monitoring.

Objective To assess the relation between photoplethysmographically-derived parameters and invasively-determined hemodynamic variables. Design After induction of anesthesia and placement of a Swan-Ganz CCOmbo catheter, a Nonin OEM III probe was placed on each patient's earlobe. Photoplethysmographic signals were recorded in conjunction with cardiac output. Photoplethysmographic metrics (amplitude of absorbance waveform, maximal slope of absorbance waveform, area under the curve, and width) were calculated offline and compared with invasively determined hemodynamic variables. Subject-specific associations between each dependent and independent variable pair were summarized on a per-subject basis by the nonparametric Spearman rank correlation coefficient. The bias-corrected accelerated bootstrap resampling procedure of Efron and Tibshirani was used to obtain a 95% confidence interval for the median subject-specific correlation coefficient, and Wilcoxon sign-rank tests were conducted to test the null hypothesis that the median of the subject-specific correlation coefficients were equal to 0. Setting University hospital. Participants Eighteen patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Interventions Placement of a Swan-Ganz CCOmbo catheter and a Nonin OEM III pulse oximetry probe. Measurements and main results There was a positive, statistically significant correlation between stroke volume and width (median correlation coefficient, 0.29; confidence interval, 0.01-0.46; p = 0.034). The concordance between changes in stroke volume and changes in width was 53%. No other correlations achieved statistical significance. Conclusions This study was unable to reproduce the results of prior studies. Only stroke volume and photoplethysmographic width were correlated in this study; however, the correlation and concordance (based on analysis of a 4-quadrant plot) were too weak to be clinically useful. Future studies in patients undergoing low-to-moderate risk surgery may result in improved correlations and clinical utility.
The evolution of spin bags from small to large U: Implications for spectroscopies

Abstract The parent compounds of high temperature oxide superconductors are antiferromagnetic. The nature of hole excitations in the parent compounds is discussed in both the weak coupling or spin density wave (SDW) regime and the strong coupling, or t-J model limit. One finds that the hole becomes dressed by a cloud of antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations which describe the reduction of the staggered antiferromagnetic order parameter in the vicinity of the hole. In addition a twist of the spin quantization axis occurs near the hole. As the hole concentration x increases, long range antiferromagnetic order is suppressed with finite range spin fluctuations occuring in the superconducting phase. The nature of the hole-like excitations in this regime is discussed. One finds that as in the ordered antiferromagnetic regime, the one particle spectral function is dominated by two peaks centered near the SDW or Mott Hubbard upper and lower bands. In addition, there appears a third peak of fundamental importance in understanding the position of the chemical potential as a function of doping. This peak located between the upper and lower bands corresponds to a fully dressed quasi particle with very small weight z k . which is populated by doping and can be probed by photoemission spectroscopy. This split off band removes spectral weight from both the lower and upper bands and leads to a foot on the photoemission intensity versus binding energy curve as seen experimentally. For increased doping the spin fluctuations are reduced in amplitude as the spin-spin correlation length becomes of order the atomic spacing. In this regime the Landau quasiparticle scheme is restored. It is argued that the spin bags or polarons evolve smoothly from the weak coupling SDW to the strong coupling large U regime as do the corresponding spectra.
Mammalian Genetic Galactosylceramidase Deficiencies

Genetic deficiency of galactosylceramidase is known to occur in man (globoid cell leukodystrophy, Krabbe disease), sheep, dog and mouse (twitcher). As expected from the same underlying cause, the clinical, pathological and biochemical manifestations are fundamentally similar in all species. Since the human disease is rare and since ethical considerations severely restrict the nature of studies feasible with the human disease, these genetically authentic animal models provide invaluable tools for research on globoid cell leukodystrophy. On the other hand, manifestations of the disease are not identical in all species despite the same genetic cause. Such species differences must be carefully taken into consideration when experimental results on the animal models are extrapolated to the human disease.
Computation of supersonic viscous flows over ogive-cylinders at angle of attack

The parabolic Navier-Stokes (PNS) marching finite-difference method is applied to 3-D viscous flow over pointed ogive-cylinders, and to turbulent flow over a cone. Ogive computations were performed using the new technique recently reported by Vigneron, Rakich, and Tannehill. Comparison is made with experiment and inviscid computations. The present results show that this method, which neglects part of the pressure gradient in the x-momentum equation, is nevertheless valid for flows with a strong favorable pressure gradient. In addition, turbulent separated flow over a cone has been computed using the older PNS code due to Lubard and Helliwell. It is found that one must freeze the turbulent eddy-viscosity model upstream of 3-D separation to get agreement with experiment.
Transitions in Energy Systems: The Mitigation–Adaptation Relationship

The study of large technological systems from a social science perspective assumes that it is possible to build up a systematic knowledge of the transitions of those systems through comparative ana...
Application of artificial neural network (ANN)-self-organizing map (SOM) for the categorization of water, soil and sediment quality in petrochemical regions

The utilization of mathematical and computational tools for pollutant assessment frameworks has become increasingly valuable due to the capability to interpret integrated variable measurements. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are considered as dependable and inexpensive techniques for data interpretation and prediction. The self-organizing map (SOM) is an unsupervised ANN used for data training to classify and effectively recognize patterns embedded in the input data space. Application of SOM-ANN is useful for recognizing spatial patterns in contaminated zones by integrating chemical, physical, ecotoxicological and toxicokinetic variables in the identification of pollution sources and similarities in the quality of the samples. Water (n=11), soil (n=38) and sediment (n=54) samples from four areas in the Niger Delta (Nigeria) were classified based on their chemical, toxicological and physical variables applying the SOM. The results obtained in this study provided valuable assessment using the SOM visualization capabilities and highlighted zones of priority that might require additional investigations and also provide productive pathway for effective decision making and remedial actions.
Mapping of conformational autoantibody epitopes in ZNT8.

Background Identification of the major humoral epitopes in zinc transporter 8 (ZnT8) will expand the range of biomarkers for human type 1 diabetes and may provide clues to the mechanisms governing disease progression. Our initial studies suggested that most ZnT8-reactive sera recognize conformational epitopes in the final 100aa region of the molecule. Subsequently we identified residue 325 as a major determinant in two epitopes linked to a genetic polymorphism with high minor allele frequency (rs13266634). The goal of the current study was to extend this analysis to identify non-polymorphic epitopes in ZnT8. Methods Although the carboxy-terminal domains of human and mouse ZnT8 are ∼80% identical, the mouse probe is not precipitated by the majority of human type 1 diabetes sera. Thus to identify key residues we systematically ‘humanized’ the mouse probe at each position that differs and evaluated the probes in radio-immunoassays. Results As previously reported, only the alteration of Q > R325 by itself showed any restoration of binding to human sera. However, when clusters of structurally adjacent variant residues were also changed an additional region of antigenicity was revealed that depended on residues R332, E333, K336, and K340. Using a panel of 112 sera from recent onset subjects tested with the hC325Q and m-R325R332E333K336K340 probes, 39.3% of the subjects were ZnT8(Q)A+, of which 38.6% (17/44) also recognized the mouse probe. Conclusions We conclude that the mR-REKK probe identifies a third major epitope in ZnT8 that may add to the diagnostic utility of measuring autoantibodies to this molecule. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
PIV measurements of flow-field downstream of a cylinder in uniform flow and comparisons with CFD

This paper examines the ability of two-dimensional CFD models to predict flow downstream of a cylinder in uniform flow. PIV measurements of the flow-field downstream of the cylinder in uniform flow are first presented. “Slices” of the flow at several locations along the cylinder are compared to show the variation of the flow in the cross-stream direction. Then the PIV flow is compared with RANS and LES simulations of the flow. Hydrodynamic coefficients and velocities are compared. In a general sense, two-dimensional CFD can give a functional approximation of the unsteady flow field downstream of the cylinder.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Normal and shear strain imaging using 2D deformation tracking on beam steered linear array datasets

Purpose: Previous publications have reported on the use of one-dimensional cross-correlation analysis with beam-steered echo signals. However, this approach fails to accurately track displacements at larger depths (>4.5 cm) due to lower signal-to-noise. In this paper, the authors present the use of adaptive parallelogram shaped two-dimensional processing blocks for deformation tracking. Methods: Beam-steered datasets were acquired using a VFX 9L4 linear array transducer operated at a 6 MHz center frequency for steered angles from −15 to 15° in increments of 1°, on both uniformly elastic and single-inclusion tissue-mimicking phantoms. Echo signals were acquired to a depth of 65 mm with the focus set at 40 mm corresponding to the center of phantom. Estimated angular displacements along and perpendicular to the beam direction are used to compute axial and lateral displacement vectors using a least-squares approach. Normal and shear strain tensor component are then estimated based on these displacement vectors. Results: Their results demonstrate that parallelogram shaped two-dimensional deformation tracking significantly improves spatial resolution (factor of 7.79 along the beam direction), signal-to-noise (5 dB improvement), and contrast-to-noise (8–14 dB improvement) associated with strain imaging using beam steering on linear array transducers. Conclusions: Parallelogram shaped two-dimensional deformation tracking is demonstrated in beam-steered radiofrequency data, enabling its use in the estimation of normal and shear strain components.
Effect of fetal thyroid hormone (RT3) on sarcoma cells in culture

Fetal thyroid hormone (RT3) is considered metabolically inactive and is present in high concentration in fetuses and in some patients with end-stage malignant disease. In a virus-induced erythroleukemia cell model, RT3 was found to stimulate the growth of the erythroleukemia cells in culture. The focus of this research was to test the effect of RT3, at several concentrations, on the growth of naturally occurring human sarcomas in cell culture. Cloned cell lines of Ewing sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, and osteogenic sarcoma were grown in multiple flasks of serum-free medium containing varying concentrations of RT3, ranging from 10(-8)-10(-5) M. Cells grown in serum-free medium containing no RT3 were used as a control. RT3 significantly increased the growth (total protein) of the rhabdomyosarcoma cell line in culture at concentrations between 10(-8) and 10(-6) M, with the maximum effect at 10(-7) M. The growth of one cell line of Ewing sarcoma was not affected by RT3 for any of the concentrations tested. The growth of two Ewing sarcomas and one osteogenic sarcoma was significantly stimulated by RT3 but only at the highest concentration of 10(-5) M. The growth of the other osteogenic sarcoma cell line was significantly increased at concentrations of 10(-6) and 10(-7) M. The stimulatory effect of RT3 on several sarcoma cell lines in culture suggests the presence of a specific receptor in the neoplastic cells and the possibility that RT3 may be useful as a model for new chemotherapeutic agents.
A systolic image difference algorithm for RLE-compressed images

A new systolic algorithm which computes image differences in run-length encoded (RLE) format is described. The binary image difference operation is commonly used in many image processing applications including automated inspection systems, character recognition, fingerprint analysis, and motion detection. The efficiency of these operations can be improved significantly with the availability of a fast systolic system that computes the image difference as described in this paper. It is shown that for images with a high similarity measure, the time complexity of the systolic algorithm is small and, in some cases, constant with respect to the image size. A formal proof of correctness for the algorithm is also given.
Role of peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor β/δ (PPARβ/δ) in gastrointestinal tract function and disease

PPARβ/δ (peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor β/δ) is one of three PPARs in the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily that are collectively involved in the control of lipid homoeostasis among other functions. PPARβ/δ not only acts as a ligand-activated transcription factor, but also affects signal transduction by interacting with other transcription factors such as NF-κB (nuclear factor κB). Constitutive expression of PPARβ/δ in the gastrointestinal tract is very high compared with other tissues and its potential physiological roles in this tissue include homoeostatic regulation of intestinal cell proliferation/differentiation and modulation of inflammation associated with inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer. Analysis of mouse epithelial cells in the intestine and colon has clearly demonstrated that ligand activation of PPARβ/δ induces terminal differentiation. The PPARβ/δ target genes mediating this effect are currently unknown. Emerging evidence suggests that PPARβ/δ can suppress inflammatory bowel disease through PPARβ/δ-dependent and ligand-independent down-regulation of inflammatory signalling. However, the role of PPARβ/δ in colon carcinogenesis remains controversial, as conflicting evidence suggests that ligand activation of PPARβ/δ can either potentiate or attenuate this disease. In the present review, we summarize the role of PPARβ/δ in gastrointestinal physiology and disease with an emphasis on findings in experimental models using both high-affinity ligands and null-mouse models.
Consumer control of carcinoma of the cervix

Abstract A study was carried out to determine the extent of compliance of women with recommendations of physicians for annual Papanicolaou examinations. Eighty-six of 22,464 clinic patients seen at a teaching hospital returned for five successive annual examinations. The average annual rate of return was approximately 25 per cent. Review of office records from the practice of two groups of specialists providing care for upper-middle-class women demonstrated that in one practice 34 per cent of patients returned for an annual Papanicolaou smear. In the other, where letters were written to remind patients that they were due for such an examination, 48 per cent returned. Interviews conducted with a random sample of women seen by the private practitioners revealed no differences between compliant and noncompliant groups with reference to knowledge of the procedure, opinions about the value of test, personal experience with cancer, exposure to health education on cancer prevention, and attitudes regarding the prevention of cancer. Compliant patients more often admitted they were afraid of hearing the results of the examination.
Commentary on “Marketing Mix Reactions to Entry”

Commentary on Robinson, W. T. 1988. Marketing mix reactions to entry. Marketing Sci.7 368--385.
Asymmetrization of first cleavage by transient disassembly of one spindle pole aster in the leech Helobdella robusta

Unequal first cleavage is characteristic of a diverse group of protostome animals. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, unequal first cleavage is achieved through the interaction of an apparently symmetric mitotic spindle apparatus with a clearly polarized cell cortex. In the clitellate annelid Tubifex tubifex, by contrast, the spindle is monastral and contains only one gamma-tubulin-reactive centrosome; this monastral spindle is inherently asymmetric throughout mitosis. Here, we have used immunostaining for beta- and gamma-tubulin to follow spindle dynamics during the unequal first cleavage in another clitellate annelid, the leech Helobdella robusta. We find that the mitotic spindle is diastral and symmetric through early metaphase, then becomes asymmetric following the transient down-regulation of one centrosome, as judged by gamma-tubulin immunofluorescence. Low levels of drugs that affect microtubule dynamics can symmetrize the first cleavage without affecting the gamma-tubulin dynamics. Our results provide a striking example of the evolvability of cellular mechanisms underlying an unambiguously homologous developmental process.
Annotation evolution: how Web 2.0 technologies are enabling a change in annotation practice

Are Web 2.0 tools and technologies changing how and why scholars annotate their research sources? We begin to answer this question by assessing current technology and tools that support new functions for one of the most common scholarly research activity: taking notes. The results suggest a new approach to personalized information retrieval.
Simple Integer Risk Score to Determine Prognosis of Patients With Hypertension and Chronic Stable Coronary Artery Disease

Methods and Results-—Patients with hypertension and chronic stable CAD enrolled in the INternational VErapamil-SR/Trandolapril STudy (INVEST) comprised the study cohort. Candidate predictor variables were obtained from patients with at least 1 postbaseline visit. Patients were divided into development (n=18 484) and validation cohorts (n=2054). Cox regression model identified predictors of the primary outcome: all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, or stroke at a mean follow-up of 2.3 years. The hazard ratio of each variable was rounded to the nearest integer to construct score weights. A score 0 to 4 defined low-risk, 5 to 6 intermediate-risk and ≥7 high-risk. The following variables were retained in the final model: age, residence, body mass index, on-treatment heart rate and BP, prior myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke/transient ischemic attack, smoking, diabetes, peripheral arterial disease, and chronic kidney disease. The primary outcome occurred in 2.9% of the low-risk group, 6.5% of the intermediate-risk group, and 18.0% of the high-risk group (P for trend <0.0001). The model was good at discriminating those who had an event versus those who did not (C-statistic=0.75). The model performed well in a validation cohort (C-statistic=0.77). Conclusion-—Readily available clinical variables can rapidly stratify patients with hypertension and chronic stable CAD into useful risk categories. (J Am Heart Assoc. 2013;2:e000205 doi: 10.1161/JAHA.113.000205)
The Union as a Monopoly

Introduction, 671. — I. The Tactic of Union Monopoly, 674. — II. The Inadequacy of Limits on Union Monopoly, 679. — A. Competitive Checks through Unemployment, 680. — B. Price Increases as a Restraint on Union Monopoly, 689. — C. Employer Resistance as a Check on Union Monopoly, 691. — III. Non-wage Elements in Labor Costs, 693. — IV. Union Power and the Power of Enterprise Monopoly, 694. — V. Other Factors in Union Power, 695. — VI. Conclusion, 696.
Shear-mode contact splitting for a microtextured elastomer film.

Texturing the surface of a PDMS ﬁ lm with microscale pillars has been shown to enhance shear adhesion to a rigid substrate by an order of magnitude when compared to untextured con-trol ﬁ lms. In this study, it is shown that shear load is distrib-uted uniformly among the contacts rather than concentrated on the contacts nearest the edge of the ﬁ lm-substrate interface, which is in contrast to the Kendall peel model for shearing sub-strates. The total shear strength of adhesion is thus estimated as the combined shear strength of each individual micro-contact. Shear-mode contact splitting is conﬁ rmed optically with experiments in which shear failure is observed through a glass coverslip. Recent literature has suggested that texturing the surface of an elastic ﬁ lm may enhance adhesion to a rigid substrate. Theoretical studies have shown that introducing surface micro-structures allows interfacial stress to be distributed to the edge of every feature, rather than concentrated at the blunt edge of the ﬁ lm-substrate interface.
Input-output linearization of an automobile model with 2-D LuGre friction

An automobile model is developed through application of LuGre friction. The two-dimensional LuGre friction model is extended to account for an effect of rotational motion. An algebraic solution for normal force distribution is described, eliminating the need for a dynamic suspension model. The relative velocity norm is approximated to produce a sufficiently smooth design model for input-output linearization. Relative degree is evaluated and singularities lead to reduction from three to two outputs. Well defined relative degree for the two output case is shown to require small friction forces. A control design is presented as well as the zero dynamics of the system. Finally, the controller is simulated and results are presented.
The audio abacus: representing numerical values with nonspeech sound for the visually impaired

Point estimation is a relatively unexplored facet of sonification. We present a new computer application, the Audio Abacus, designed to transform numbers into tones following the analogy of an abacus. As this is an entirely novel approach to sonifying exact data values, we have begun a systematic line of investigation into the application settings that work most effectively. Results are presented for an initial study. Users were able to perform relatively well with very little practice or training, boding well for this type of display. Further investigations are planned. This could prove to be very useful for visually impaired individuals given the common nature of numerical data in everyday settings.
The application of the FDTD method to millimeter-wave filter circuits including the design and analysis of a compact coplanar strip filter for THz frequencies

The finite difference time domain (FDTD) method is applied to the analysis of microwave, millimeter-wave and submillimeter-wave filter circuits. In each case, the validity of this method is confirmed by comparison with measured data. In addition, the FDTD calculations are used to design a new ultra-thin coplanar-strip filter for feeding a THz planar-antenna mixer. In this instance, the FDTD analysis is confirmed by microwave scale model measurements and by simulations performed with Hewlett Packard's Microwave Design System (MDS). >
Localization of the human 64kD autoantigen D1 to myofibrils in a subset of extraocular muscle fibers

PURPOSE. To evaluate the tissue-specific expression pattern of the 64kD human autoantigen D1, a tropomodulin-related protein that may be involved in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy. METHODS. Recombinant 64kD human autoantigen D1 was generated in a bacterial expression system and used to immunize rabbits. Specific antibodies were affinity-purified and used for Western blots on normal and hyperthyroid rat and rabbit tissue, and immunofluorescence localization on cryosections of rat tissue. RESULTS. Anti-64kD human autoantigen D1 antibodies recognize specifically a approximately 70kD polypeptide in western blots of extraocular muscle, sternothyroid muscle, and smooth muscle. Immunofluorescence staining demonstrates that the 64kD human autoantigen D1 localizes to myofibrils in slow fibers from rat extraocular and sternothyroid muscle. The level of this protein is not altered in extraocular muscles from hyperthyroid rabbits. CONCLUSIONS. The 64kD human autoantigen D1 is expressed in slow fibers of extraocular and sternothyroid muscles as a component of myofibrils, and is not upregulated in conditions of hyperthyroidism.
Characterization of the HEFT CdZnTe pixel detectors

We have developed large format CdZnTe pixel detectors optimized for astrophysical applications. The detectors, designed for the High Energy Focusing Telescope (HEFT) balloon experiment, each consists of an array of 24x44 pixels, on a 498 μm pitch. Each of the anode segments on a CdZnTe sensor is bonded to a custom, low-noise application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)optimized to achieve low threshold and good energy resolution. We have studied detectors fabricated by two different bonding methods and corresponding anode plane designs---the first detector has a steering electrode grid, and is bonded to the ASIC with indium bumps; the second detector has no grid but a narrower gap between anode contacts, and is bonded to the ASIC with conductive epoxy bumps and gold stud bumps in series. In this paper, we present results from detailed X-ray testing of the HEFT pixel detectors. This includes measurements of the energy resolution for both single-pixel and split-pixel events, and characterization of the effects of charge trapping, electrode biases and temperature on the spectral performance. Detectors from the two bonding methods are contrasted.
Brief announcement: the theory of network tracing

A widely used mechanism for computing the topology of any network in the Internet is Traceroute. Using Traceroute, one simply needs to choose any two nodes in a network and then obtain the sequence of nodes that occur between these two nodes, as specified by the routing tables in these nodes. Thus, each use of Traceroute in a network produces a trace of nodes that constitute a simple path in this network. In every trace that is produced by Traceroute, each node occurs either by its unique identifier or by the anonymous identifier "*". In this paper, we introduce the first theory aimed at answering the following important question. Is there an algorithm to compute the topology of a network N from a trace set T that is produced by using Traceroute in N, assuming that each edge in N occurs in at least one trace in T, and that each node in N occurs by its unique identifier in at least one trace in T? Our theory shows that the answer to this question is "No" in general. But if N is a tree, or is an odd ring, then the answer is "Yes". On the other hand, if N is an even ring, the answer is "No", but if N is a "mostly regular" even ring, then the answer is "Yes".
Climate capitalism and the global corporate elite network

This article explores the political involvement of transnational corporations and their directors in elaborating the project of ‘climate capitalism’ advanced to address climate change. Climate capitalism seeks to redirect investments from fossil energy to renewable energy generation so as to foster an ecological modernization of production and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. I use social network analysis to assess the potential for climate capitalism, as a project of a section of the corporate elite, to replace the current ‘carboniferous capitalist’ regime. Corporate-funded climate and environmental policy groups (CEPGs) constitute major venues for the corporate elite to assemble and plan their response to the climate crisis. By mapping out the network of board-level interlocks between CEPGs and the largest transnational corporations, I first find that certain CEPGs are centrally located among the global intercorporate network, and thus well positioned to promote climate capitalism among the corpor...
Molecular and immune heterogeneity in synchronous melanoma metastases

Meeting abstracts Despite recent advances in the treatment of metastatic melanoma through targeted and immunotherapy, the majority of patients do not achieve a durable response. Research efforts to better understand responses are underway, and numerous molecular mechanisms of resistance to targeted
Blood Gas Sampling

Critically ill patients require intensive monitoring during their care, both to detect and access acute changes that might occur and to determine the response to a therapeutic intervention. Blood gas sampling, which includes both arterial and mixed venous blood, is a modality that provides important information on a patient’s metabolic status as well as their overall oxygenation (Table 3-1). Clinical decision making based on the analysis of the blood gas data often leads to changes in patient care, which may have a significant effect on their survival. This chapter discusses both arterial and mixed venous blood gas analysis and the implications.
Women in Cardiology: Fellows’ Perspective

Women in cardiology—are we a rare species? Current data show that 50% of medical students are women, with a similar ratio applying to internal medicine residency. However, this number precipitously drops in cardiology, with 12% of women choosing cardiology as a career. Of these, only 10% of
Responsiveness and Representation a Preliminary Analysis of Wave 4 CSES Data

This paper provides an introduction to and some initial analyses of responses to questions about government spending in the CSES 4 module. Thus far, we have data for just 11 countries – the possibilities where analysis is concerned are rather limited. Even so, we aim here to describe the initial justification for the questions, and then to review the data gathered thus far. Our analyses will then focus on (a) basic country-level descriptives, (b) evidence of (cross-sectional) thermostatic responsiveness to government spending, and (c) differences in spending preferences across income cohorts.
Fertility Preservation in Patients With Breast Cancer: Necessity, Methods, and Safety

As treatment paradigms improve and young women live longer after a breast cancer diagnosis, there is an increasing need to define the fertility-related problems that premenopausal women with breast cancer face, and, more importantly, to find solutions. This article discusses what is known regarding fertility risks associated with standard breast cancer treatment regimens and limitations of that information. We outline established and emerging techniques for fertility preservation, including recent developments surrounding the controversial utility of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists through chemotherapy, and review available data on the safety of pregnancy in breast cancer survivors. We highlight opportunities for further investigation, and contextualize fertility-related concerns in the modern treatment landscape. Above all, we stress the importance of this topic in a patient-centered approach to breast cancer care for young women.
Growth of III-Nitrides by RF-Assisted Molecular Beam Epitaxy

GaN, AlGaN, AIN were grown on (0001) A1203 substrates by MBE using a RF plasma source and employing an AIN buffer layer. The films were characterized by RHEED, AFM, and x-ray diffraction, and electrical properties were measured by Hall technique. RHEED observations indicate that the polarity of the films is likely predominantly N-face, although Ga-face inversion domains can be observed in some films by AFM. Symmetric x-ray rocking curve widths as low as 39 arcseconds are achieved for some layers, while asymmetric peaks show widths of 240–300 arcsec. Control of Si doping over a wide range is demonstrated, which is important for design of high power device structures. Gold Schottky barrier m-v-n+diodes were fabricated which achieve high reverse electric fields before edge breakdown.
The Effects of Emphysema of the Lungs on the Cerebral and Coronary Circulation

Factors in pulmonary emphysema are discussed, which give rise to impairment of cerebral or coronary circulation. These are (1) increased alveolar air pressure as in paroxysms of coughing, (2) bronchial constriction, (3) pulmonic hypertension and sclerosis, (4) impaired reciprocal pressure changes between abdomen and thorax and (5) increased intracranial pressure and carbon dioxide acidosis induced by oxygen administration.
Introducing DDEC6 atomic population analysis: part 1. Charge partitioning theory and methodology

Net atomic charges (NACs) are widely used in all chemical sciences to concisely summarize key information about the partitioning of electrons among atoms in materials. The objective of this article is to develop an atomic population analysis method that is suitable to be used as a default method in quantum chemistry programs irrespective of the kind of basis sets employed. To address this challenge, we introduce a new atoms-in-materials method with the following nine properties: (1) exactly one electron distribution is assigned to each atom, (2) core electrons are assigned to the correct host atom, (3) NACs are formally independent of the basis set type because they are functionals of the total electron distribution, (4) the assigned atomic electron distributions give an efficiently converging polyatomic multipole expansion, (5) the assigned NACs usually follow Pauling scale electronegativity trends, (6) NACs for a particular element have good transferability among different conformations that are equivalently bonded, (7) the assigned NACs are chemically consistent with the assigned atomic spin moments, (8) the method has predictably rapid and robust convergence to a unique solution, and (9) the computational cost of charge partitioning scales linearly with increasing system size. We study numerous materials as examples: (a) a series of endohedral C60 complexes, (b) high-pressure compressed sodium chloride crystals with unusual stoichiometries, (c) metal–organic frameworks, (d) large and small molecules, (e) organometallic complexes, (f) various solids, and (g) solid surfaces. Due to non-nuclear attractors, Bader's quantum chemical topology could not assign NACs for some of these materials. We show for the first time that the Iterative Hirshfeld and DDEC3 methods do not always converge to a unique solution independent of the initial guess, and this sometimes causes those methods to assign dramatically different NACs on symmetry-equivalent atoms. By using a fixed number of charge partitioning steps with well-defined reference ion charges, the DDEC6 method avoids this problem by always converging to a unique solution. These characteristics make the DDEC6 method ideally suited for use as a default charge assignment method in quantum chemistry programs.
A global review of freshwater crayfish temperature tolerance, preference, and optimal growth

Conservation efforts, environmental planning, and management must account for ongoing ecosystem alteration due to a changing climate, introduced species, and shifting land use. This type of management can be facilitated by an understanding of the thermal ecology of aquatic organisms. However, information on thermal ecology for entire taxonomic groups is rarely compiled or summarized, and reviews of the science can facilitate its advancement. Crayfish are one of the most globally threatened taxa, and ongoing declines and extirpation could have serious consequences on aquatic ecosystem function due to their significant biomass and ecosystem roles. Our goal was to review the literature on thermal ecology for freshwater crayfish worldwide, with emphasis on studies that estimated temperature tolerance, temperature preference, or optimal growth. We also explored relationships between temperature metrics and species distributions. We located 56 studies containing information for at least one of those three metrics, which covered approximately 6 % of extant crayfish species worldwide. Information on one or more metrics existed for all 3 genera of Astacidae, 4 of the 12 genera of Cambaridae, and 3 of the 15 genera of Parastacidae. Investigations employed numerous methodological approaches for estimating these parameters, which restricts comparisons among and within species. The only statistically significant relationship we observed between a temperature metric and species range was a negative linear relationship between absolute latitude and optimal growth temperature. We recommend expansion of studies examining the thermal ecology of freshwater crayfish and identify and discuss methodological approaches that can improve standardization and comparability among studies.
A systematic overview of anomalous coronary anatomy and an examination of the association with sudden cardiac death

Coronary artery anomalies are a frequently neglected topic in cardiology. However, they are an important cause of cardiac ischemia and sudden death. Anomalous pulmonary artery and anomalous aortic origins of the coronaries are 2 major types of coronary artery anomalies. This article will examine the occurrence of these anomalies in the absence of associated congenital defects. A review of the literature reveals that the anomaly most commonly associated with sudden death is a left main coronary artery arising from the right aortic sinus of Valsalva with an interarterial course. The increased risk of sudden death with this anomaly has been associated with any of 4 high-risk features: slit-like ostium, acute-angle take-off, intramural aortic segment, and interarterial course.
Autogenous Arterial Grafts in the Treatment of Renal Artery Stenosis

AbstractΤwenty-three patients who underwent renal revascularization with autogenous arterial bypass grafts for renovascular hypertension are reviewed. The arterial autograft consisted of the hypogastric artery in 19 cases and a free splenic artery graft in 4. Eighteen patients were cured (78 per cent), 4 improved (18 per cent) and there was 1 failure (4 per cent). There were no cases of graft stenosis or occlusion. Postoperative morbidity was minimal and there was no operative mortality. When such grafts are available they provide an excellent means to achieve successful long-term renal revascularization.
Chemotherapy for Advanced Testicular Cancer

Testis cancer has become one of the most curable of all solid malignancies. More than 95% of patients should be cured with appropriate treatment and should have few long-term treatment-related side effects. Current chemotherapy for advanced testis cancer has resulted from an orderly sequence of chemotherapy trials that serves as a model for cancer chemotherapy development. Recent studies have defined the least therapy required to minimize toxicity while maintaining a high cure rate in "low-risk" patients. Further improvements are necessary in "high-risk" patients; evaluation of new regimens by means of randomized trials is essential.
Cardiac and Renovascular Complications in Type 2 Diabetes — Is There Hope?

According to the current posting on the website of the World Health Organization, the worldwide prevalence of diabetes mellitus among persons 18 years of age or older is 8.5% and increasing. Most of those affected have type 2 diabetes, which has been epidemic for several decades and is associated with many complications, including premature macrovascular and microvascular diseases affecting the eyes, heart, kidneys, and the circulation. We know that diabetes is associated with major morbidity and mortality, with an estimated 1.5 million deaths in 2012 being directly due to diabetes.1 Various approaches in the treatment of type 2 diabetes have . . .
Case studies in co-benefits approaches to climate change mitigation and adaptation

Attempts to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions or manage the effects of climate change traditionally focus on management or policy options that promote single outcomes (e.g., either benefiting ecosystems or human health and well-being). In contrast, co-benefits approaches to climate change mitigation and adaptation address climate change impacts on human and ecological health in tandem and on a variety of spatial and temporal scales. The article engages the concept of co-benefits through four case studies. The case studies emphasize co-benefits approaches that are accessible and tractable in countries with human populations that are particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts. They illustrate the potential of co-benefits approaches and provide a platform for further discussion of several interdependent principles relevant to the implementation of co-benefits strategies. These principles include providing incentives across multiple scales and time frames, promoting long-term integrated impact assessme...