cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automatic detection of axillary lymphadenopathy on CT scans of untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients

Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) have an increased frequency of axillary lymphadenopathy. Pretreatment CT scans can be used to upstage patients at the time of presentation and post-treatment CT scans can reduce the number of complete responses. In the current clinical workflow, the detection and diagnosis of lymph nodes is usually performed manually by examining all slices of CT images, which can be time consuming and highly dependent on the observer's experience. A system for automatic lymph node detection and measurement is desired. We propose a computer aided detection (CAD) system for axillary lymph nodes on CT scans in CLL patients. The lung is first automatically segmented and the patient's body in lung region is extracted to set the search region for lymph nodes. Multi-scale Hessian based blob detection is then applied to detect potential lymph nodes within the search region. Next, the detected potential candidates are segmented by fast level set method. Finally, features are calculated from the segmented candidates and support vector machine (SVM) classification is utilized for false positive reduction. Two blobness features, Frangi's and Li's, are tested and their free-response receiver operating characteristic (FROC) curves are generated to assess system performance. We applied our detection system to 12 patients with 168 axillary lymph nodes measuring greater than 10 mm. All lymph nodes are manually labeled as ground truth. The system achieved sensitivities of 81% and 85% at 2 false positives per patient for Frangi's and Li's blobness, respectively.
Integrated coherent receiver for linear optical phase demodulation

An ultracompact coherent receiver with negative feedback was developed for highly linear phase demodulation.The receiver demonstrates a spur-free dynamic range of 122 dB Hz2/3 at a signal frequency of 300 MHz. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:2343–2345, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26236
Ground-state reconstruction of the Si(0 0 1) surface: symmetric versus buckled dimers

An extensive computational study is presented with the quest to investigate the nature of the ground-state geometry of the Si(0 0 1) surface, a subject of recent experimental controversy. We analyze for the first time in detail the possible sources of errors which would arise in any correlated calculation for a system size of interest here. For this purpose, we present a detailed analysis of the cluster model of the surface at the DFT and MCSCF level of theory. Estimates of errors arising from the use of pseudopotential, finite cluster size, and biased (method dependent) choice of ground-state geometry are given. The resulting error is estimated to be comparable to the energy scale of interest. On the other hand, the energy variation due to negative thermal expansion at low temperature is found to be qualitatively consistent with dimer symmetrization.
Reframing Practice: Identifying a Framework for Social Impact Design

Increasingly, the urban landscape is being influenced by people creating or remaking spaces, revealing new uses and opportunities to designers trained to shape the city. As a result, they are also shaping how designers practice, what they design and who they design for. With the professional design community increasingly tackling projects within these environments, a growing challenge has been to define this work: its theory of change, its activities, and its outcomes. This paper explores possibilities of definition through articulating a working framework of a deliberate process. It examines three projects that have recently emerged in this area of design practice. In particular, the paper focuses on four common strategy areas (process, milieu, boundaries, practice) consistently deployed in all three projects.
IT Footprinting - Groundwork for Future Smart Cities

The goals for developing smart cities are clear and convincing, and the technology is promising and exciting, but achieving these goals requires a massive IT footprinting process.
Relationships between organic loading and zone settling velocity in the activated sludge process

Abstract The performance of the activated sludge process is functionally dependent on the settling and compaction properties of the activated sludge. The settling properties of activated sludges vary markedly depending on the presence or absence of filamentous organisms and on the process operating conditions. In this study the process was operated to minimize the presence of filamentous organisms and to investigate the effects of operating process variables, mainly organic loading. It was found that over the range of organic loadings tested, the ZSV increased with organic loading due to the size of the sludge floc which was also directly proportional to the organic loading. The ZSV in aerobically digested sludge was found to decrease with sludge age.
Performance analysis and terrain classification for a legged robot over rough terrain

Minimally actuated millirobotic crawlers navigate unreliably over uneven terrain-even when designed with inherent stability-mostly because of manufacturing variabilities and a lack of good models for ground interaction. In this paper, we investigate the performance of a legged robot as it traverses three distinct rough terrains: tile, carpet, and gravel. Furthermore, we present an accurate, robust, low-lag, and efficient algorithm for terrain classification that uses vibration data from the on-board inertial measurement unit and motor control data from back-EMF sensing and magnetic encoders.
The distribution of dorsal root fibres on motor cells in the lumbosacral spinal cord of the cat, and the site of excitatory and inhibitory terminals in monosynaptic pathways.

The degeneration of cut, lumbosacral dorsal roots was traced by means of a silver method to the various sites of termination in the spinal cord of the cat. Particular attention was given to the pattern and distribution of dorsal root fibres terminating on motor cells. An attempt was made to correlate the synaptic organization of these monosynaptic pathways with the presence and distribution of short latency, direct excitation and inhibition (measured on the ventral roots) in comparable segments of the cord. Short latency excitation was found in the lower sacral segments to be correlated with dorsal root fibres terminating on cell bodies and dendrites of the motoneurons. Direct inhibition, largely or entirely uncontaminated by excitation, was identified in lower lumbar and upper and lower sacral segments. In these sites the terminal degeneration of the responsible dorsal root was limited to the dendrites and did not reach the cell bodies of the motoneurons. This consistent correlation between the spatial distribution of direct inhibition and terminals on motor dendrites suggests that this inhibition is monosynaptically and dendritically mediated, at least in part. Certain other interpretations are considered and relevant evidence obtained from intracellular microelectrodes placed in lower sacral motoneurones which were excited by ipsilateral and inhibited by contralateral dorsal root stimulation is discussed. Here, uncontaminated, monosynaptic excitation could be correlated with synaptic terminals on both cell bodies and dendrites of motoneurones.
Infection at the site of implanted materials with and without preadhered bacteria

A study was undertaken to examine the role of bacterial adherence in the development of infection at the site of an implant. The amount of in vitro adherence of Staphylococcus epidermidis was greatest for stainless steel, followed by polymethylmethacrylate and commercially pure titanium, and was least for polymethylmethacrylate with gentamicin. These materials then were preincubated with S. epidermidis and implanted. The number of organisms that were isolated and the rate of infection followed the same pattern as that in the in vitro studies. Materials that were not preincubated with bacteria also were implanted and bacteria were injected into the site. The number of organisms isolated from the site and the rate of infection were lower than those for the preincubated materials, but the trend was the same as in both the in vitro and the in vivo studies. The rates of infection and colonization correlated with the propensity for the organisms to adhere to a given material. Materials colonized with S. epidermidis at the time of implantation caused a high rate of infection. The ability of organisms to adhere to a material in vitro is correlated with their propensity to cause biomaterial-based infection.
Effects of milrinone versus epinephrine on left ventricular relaxation after cardiopulmonary bypass following myocardial revascularization: assessment by color m-mode and tissue Doppler.

Objective : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the left ventricular lusitropic effects of epinephrine versus milrinone after cardiopulmonary bypass. Design : Prospective randomized study. Setting : Single institution, university teaching hospital. Participants : Adult patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting under cardiopulmonary bypass. Interventions : After separation from cardiopulmonary bypass, patients were randomized to receive intravenous epinephrine by continuous infusion (0.03 μg/kg/min) or milrinone (50 μg/kg followed by 0.5 μg/kg/min). Transesophageal echocardiographic evaluation of left ventricular diastolic function, with emphasis on relaxation, was performed before and after bypass and after the administration of either epinephrine or milrinone. Measurements and Main Results : Measurements included pulse-wave Doppler analysis of mitral inflow and pulmonary vein and left ventricular outflow tract velocities. Left ventricular inflow velocity of propagation measured with color M-mode and tissue Doppler assessment of early mitral annulus velocity were used to evaluate left ventricular relaxation. Values of velocity of propagation and mitral annulus velocity improved significantly after bypass, suggesting improved relaxation. The administration of either epinephrine or milrinone did not result in further improvement in left ventricular relaxation. Conclusions : After cardiopulmonary bypass, left ventricular relaxation was significantly improved. Neither epinephrine nor milrinone exhibited favorable lusitropic effects after bypass.
Science fiction: Verne and beyond

Daniele Chatelain and George Slusser explore how French science fiction grapples with Cartesian duality.
Four‐factor response surface optimization of the enzymatic modification of triolein to structured lipids

The ability of an immobilized lipase to modify the fatty acid composition of (88.8% C18:1, 4.3% C16:0, 3.1% C18:0, and 3.8% C18:2 as determined by gas chromatography, and approximately 90% triolein) in hexane by incorporation of a medium-chain fatty acid, capric acid (C10), to form structured triacylglycerol was studied. Response surface methodology was used to evaluate the effect of synthesis variables, such as reaction time (12–36 h), temperature (25–65°C), molar substrate ratio of capric acid to triolein (2:1–6:1), and enzyme amount (10–30% wt% of triacylglycerol), on the yield of structured lipid. Optimization of the transesterification was attempted to obtain maximum yield of structured lipid while using the minimum molar substrate ratio and enzyme amount as much as possible. Computer-generated contour plot interpretation revealed that a relatively high molar substrate ratio (6:1) combined with low enzyme amount (10%) after 30 h of reaction at 25°C gave optimum incorporation of capric acid. A total yield for combined monoand dicaproolein of up to 100% was obtained.
Acetylene Transport In Shallow Groundwater for Denitrification Rate Measurement

Nitrate (NO 3 ) concentrations frequently diminish in shallow groundwater (<3 m) when laterally transported through the soils of riparian zones and intermittent wetlands. Denitrification may be the major mechanism for this loss, but lack of suitable methods for direct measurement of denitrification rates in shallow groundwater limit the ability of field studies to verify this. The objective of this study was to determine if adequate acetylene (C 2 H 2 ) concentrations can be maintained in the intermittently saturated, near surface soils found in riparian areas to temporarily block nitrous oxide reductase in denitrifying bacteria. Accomplishing this would allow use of the acetylene block method for denitrification rate assessment in the soils of riparian areas that are periodically saturated and with high potential for large denitrification rates. Method development and testing was conducted in the laboratory, using a 1.4 m 3 mesocosm filled with sandy subsoil with continuous forced-gradient radial flow. Movement of Br tracer and C 2 H 2 injected into a central well was monitored by sampling from 25 and 50 cm distant radial wells. Both the tracer and aqueous C 2 H 2 showed relatively uniform flow rates to the 25 cm wells, and then varied by a factor of two to the 50 cm wells. Acetylene concentrations exceeded those recommended to block NO x reduction by denitrifiers at the N 2 O stage. In situ denitrification rates were derived from monitored N 2 O concentrations. An initial field test provided additional evidence that the procedure may be useful for direct measurement of denitrification losses in a variety of natural, shallow groundwater systems.
Solute segregation at [001] tilt boundaries in dilute f.c.c. alloys

Abstract Solute segregation has been studied at [001] symmetrical tilt grain boundaries, of the type ∑ = 5/(310)/θ = 53.13° (|C| structure), in dilute AuPt and NiPt alloys at T = 850 K. The computational method is Monte Carlo simulation in conjunction with embedded atom method (EAM) potentials. The results demonstrate that, similar to the previously studied (002) symmetrical twist grain boundaries, segregation occurs differently in the two alloy systems. In AuPt the solute is enhanced on the Pt-rich side and depleted on the Au-rich side of the phase diagram. Alternatively, in NiPt the solute is enhanced on both sides of the phase diagram. The distributions of solute atoms at grain boundaries and the implications for interpreting experimental data are discussed in detail. It is demonstrated that it is difficult to deconvolute macroscopic data to obtain microscopic information on the scale of the MC simulations.
Changes in membrane lipid structure of illuminated chloroplasts— Studies with spin-labeled and freeze-fractured membranes

A spin-labeled hydrocarbon molecule having a lipid-water solubility such that both polar and apolar signals could be observed in chloroplast suspensions was used to monitor effects of light excitation. In glutaraldehyde-fixed chloroplasts, effects of light-induced swelling and shrinking were ascribed to a lipid structural change comparable to a temperature shift of 2°C. Under similar conditions freeze-fracture electron microscopy revealed changes in average sizes and clustering of membrane particles. Hence, the particle-free areas of the membrane interior, presumed to be the lipid domains, undergo changes in organization when chloroplasts are illuminated.
Pain-related deactivation of medial prefrontal cortical neurons involves mGluR1 and GABAA receptors

Pain-related hyperactivity in the amygdala leads to deactivation of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and decision-making deficits. The mechanisms of pain-related inhibition of the mPFC are not y...
Combat identification system for the dismounted soldier

Dismounted soldier combat identification presents unique operational requirements and challenges that must be met in order to provide reliable and highly accurate point-of- engagement identification. This paper describes the significant design decisions made on the Combat Identification for Dismounted Soldier (CIDDS) program that address these issues. Also presented are results of various tests performed on the CIDDS system. The CIDDS system consists of an AN/PSX-1 Interrogator Set and an AN/PSC-12 Transponder Set which are mounted to the soldier's individual weapon and helmet, respectively. The CID function is a digitized, encoded laser interrogation with a digitized, encrypted TDMA RF friend response. Several features were architected into the laser/RF protocol to add the robustness needed in a dismounted soldier environment to provide up to 97.5% probability of correct ID at ranges up to 1100 meters. These include: selection of an eyesafe laser wavelength and power that propagates well through battlefield obscurants; laser and RF messaging protocols that provide robust communication links for the dismounted soldier environment; antenna design and placement; data error correction; frequency diversity. The presentation will also discuss how the CIDDS architecture supports command and control by other digitized systems, including Battlefield Combat Identification System (BCIS), Land Warrior, the Objective Individual Combat Weapon (OICW) and the Objective Crew Served Weapon (OCSW).© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Overview and summary: Workshop on the Chernoff/Kavlock preliminary developmental toxicity test

The Chernoff/Kavlock assay, proposed as a preliminary screen for teratogenic potential, was the subject of a 2-day workshop sponsored by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Data from three large testing programs were presented, representing tests of 165 chemicals, of which 33 were tested at least twice. Applications of the test in industrial laboratories and product development, hazard identification, and risk assessment were discussed. Workshop participants recognized the assay as one of several valid ways to preliminarily evaluate chemicals with unknown developmental toxicity. Other preliminary tests were also discussed in terms of their relationship to this test, which was seen as having the advantage of providing information on neonatal viability. Other techniques, particularly an abbreviated conventional teratology study, were also recognized as appropriate screens. The preferred test in a particular laboratory will be dependent upon the particular skills and objectives of that laboratory. Standardized protocols were suggested, but flexibility in experimental design was considered necessary, and many variations on the basic test could be appropriate. This preliminary test has been used most often as a single-dose test in mice, but might provide more generally useful data if conducted in rats using two dose levels. Workshop participants viewed the test as highly reliable in correctly identifying developmentally toxic chemicals and suggested that a negative finding in a properly conducted Chernoff/Kavlock test could be a sufficient basis for regulatory agencies to determine that conventional teratology tests in the same species are not warranted.
Lensless scanning telescope

A lensless scanning telescope composed of two circular apertures and having good response with minimum aliasing is described. By analogy with an arrangement of two slits, the modulation transfer function (MTF) of this telescope is derived. The MTF of a lensless telescope scanning the earth's surface from 500-km orbit is developed for both the scan and cross-scan directions. Response of 48% or better at 100-km wavelength in both directions is shown with aliasing errors due to sampling of 1% or less.
Plant metabolic engineering.

Metabolic engineering is generally defined as the redirection of one or more enzymatic reactions to produce new compounds in an organism, improve the production of existing compounds, or mediate the degradation of compounds. In highlighting progress in plant metabolic engineering over the past 25
Similarity solutions for the orientation distribution function and rheological properties of suspensions of axisymmetric particles with external couples

Abstract We consider the effect of an external field on dilute suspensions of dipolar axisymmetric Brownian particles in a Newtonian solvent. A family of similarity solutions is derived for the orientation distribution of particles after inception of steady two-dimensional flow in the plane normal to the field. It is assumed that the particles are initially aligned by the field. The solution is uniformly valid for small times, but if the field is strong enough to overcome diffusion, the solution remains valid at all time, correctly predicting the steady state distribution. The rheological properties are obtained in closed form from the similarity solution and the role of the external field is demonstrated. First and second normal stress differences are obtained. The solutions are presented for particles with fixed dipoles, although they apply equally to particles with dipoles induced by the external field.
Dilemmatic conversations: Some challenges of culturally responsive discourse in a high school English classroom

Abstract This paper reports findings derived from a qualitative research study focused on seven English teachers at a hyperdiverse high school as they learned to analyze their classroom talk for moments of conflict. Using methods derived from interactional ethnography and systemic functional linguistics, the author analyzes the ways that one teacher uses a “heroic White teacher” text, LouAnne Johnson's autobiographical novel Dangerous Minds , to talk about the societal significance of “the n -word” with her students, attempting to navigating ideological dilemmas of race and difference in her discourse. The study ends by calling for further description, analysis, and careful consideration of the culturally responsive discourse and interaction of teachers from all backgrounds, which can be useful for helping researchers, teacher educators, and policymakers understand how identities and social subjectivities are negotiated in and through talk and action.
A New Classification for Complex Lumbosacral Injuries

Abstract Background context The optimal classification and treatment algorithm for complex lumbosacral injuries, in particular high-energy sacral fractures and lumbosacral dissociation (LSD) injuries, remains controversial. Currently used classification systems are largely descriptive, lacking validity, reproducibility, treatment considerations, and prognostic information. Purpose We set out to develop a comprehensive, yet practical, classification system for complex lumbosacral injuries that assists in clinical decision making. Study design We developed a new classification system for complex lumbosacral injuries derived through literature review, expert opinion, and our clinical experience treating combat casualties over the past 10 years. We have seen an increased incidence of complex sacral fractures and LSD injuries after high-energy blast trauma, motor vehicle collisions, and aircraft crashes. Methods We performed an extensive literature review and discussed the proposed classification with spinal trauma surgeons from a variety of institutions familiar with the treatment of complex high-energy sacral fractures and LSD injuries. We identified the significant clinical and radiographic variables encountered in the decision-making process for the treatment of complex lumbosacral injuries. Existing classification systems were reviewed in light of these essential characteristics, and their limitations were defined and addressed with the new system. Results A new classification system called lumbosacral injury classification system (LSICS) was devised based on three injury characteristics: injury morphology, posterior ligamentous complex integrity, and neurologic status. A composite injury severity score was calculated by summing a weighted score from each category, allowing patients to be stratified into surgical and nonsurgical treatment groups based on threshold values. Modifiers to determining appropriate selection for operative treatment include systemic injury load and physiological status of the polytraumatized patient, soft-tissue status, and expected time to mobility. Finally, an algorithm was developed to determine the optimum operative technique based on the previously outlined injury characteristics. Conclusions The LSICS provides a comprehensive and practical approach for evaluating injury severity and guiding clinical decision making. This system provides common language for surgeons to communicate various injury patterns and formulate treatment modalities. Further studies are necessary to determine the reliability and validity of this new classification system.
Theory of orientational modes at a nematic-solid interface When do surface modes appear?

Abstract Orientational modes at a solid-nematic interface with Rapini-Papoular boundary conditions are analysed in the framework of continuum nematodynamics, including the coupling of the director and fluid velocity. In the case of planar orientation, a surface mode appears in addition to the ordinary bulk modes, if the coupling between the director and fluid velocity, governed by the Leslie coefficient μ2, is large enough. The dispersion relation for the surface mode exhibits two distinctive regimes as μ2 increases. In a realistic situation, the relaxation rate of the surface mode is several times slower than that of the corresponding bulk mode.
Mechanism of Action of (−)-Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate: Auto-oxidation–Dependent Inactivation of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and Direct Effects on Growth Inhibition in Human Esophageal Cancer KYSE 150 Cells

(-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the principal polyphenol in green tea, has been shown to inhibit the growth of many cancer cell lines and to suppress the phosphorylation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). We observed similar effects of EGCG in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma KYSE 150 cells and epidermoid squamous cell carcinoma A431 cells. Pretreatment of KYSE 150 cells with EGCG (20 micromol/L) for 0.5 to 24 hours in HAM's F12 and RPMI 1640 mixed medium at 37 degrees C, before the addition of EGF, resulted in a decreased level of phosphorylated EGFR (by 32-85%). Prolonged treatment with EGCG (8 or 24 hours) also decreased EGFR protein level (both by 80%). EGCG treatment for 24 hours also caused decreased signals of HER-2/neu in esophageal adenocarcinoma OE19 cells. These effects of EGCG were prevented or diminished by the addition of superoxide dismutase (SOD, 5 units/mL), or SOD plus catalase (30 units/mL), to the cell culture medium. A similar phenomenon on inactivation of EGFR was observed in A431 cells as well. Under culture conditions for KYSE 150 cells, EGCG was unstable, with a half-life of approximately 30 minutes; EGCG dimers and other oxidative products were formed. The presence of SOD in the culture medium stabilized EGCG and increased its half-life to longer than 24 hours and some EGCG epimerized to (+)-gallocatechin-3-gallate. A mechanism of superoxide radical-mediated dimerization of EGCG and H2O2 formation is proposed. The stabilization of EGCG by SOD in the culture medium potentiated the activity of EGCG in inhibiting KYSE 150 cell growth. The results suggest that in cell culture conditions, the auto-oxidation of EGCG leads to EGFR inactivation, but the inhibition of cell growth is due to other mechanisms. It remains to be determined whether the presently observed auto-oxidation of EGCG occurs in vivo. In future studies of EGCG and other polyphenolic compounds in cell culture, SOD may be added to stabilize EGCG and to avoid possible artifacts.
Computing the propagation characteristics of radially stratified fibers: an efficient method.

An efficient method is introduced in this paper to compute the dispersion characteristics as well as the Poynting flux distribution of radially stratified fibers. Only 4 × 4 matrix operations were needed. Detailed results are given for several representative radially inhomogeneous fibers of practical interest.
Multiple-beam fiber-optic beamformer with binary array of delay lines

A multibeam optical beamformer capable of controlling a phased-array antenna in receive/transmit mode is proposed. The processor can be programmed to sweep the antenna aperture following an independent angular sequence for each radio-frequency (RF) beam. A two-beam two-channel 3-bit version of the beamformer has been experimentally demonstrated. The optical beamformer processes two independent RF beams, for eight different angular directions, and it is based on a binary array of three delay lines. Each delay line is composed of four fiber Bragg gratings whose center wavelengths are channels 30 to 33 of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) grid. Measurements are performed for both receive and transmit modes and for RF values between 0.5 and 1.5 GHz. We present beam-pattern results showing the squint-free performance of the beamformer within this frequency range. In the transmit mode, two RF beams are steered and characterized for a broadside target position. In the receive mode, the beamformer performance is characterized by detecting two simultaneous RF beams.
Cross-correlation technique for single-shot measurements of weak light pulses.

We have developed and demonstrated a simple, single-shot method to measure the duration of a weak ultrafast pulse. The density of free electrons in a semiconductor is changed by a pump beam, causing a time-dependent variation of the refractive index, which in turn determines the spatial distribution of the reflected probe-beam intensity. The derivative of the spatial distribution in the transition region is a cross correlation of the pump and probe pulses. This technique is suitable for measuring weak pulses such as low-level synchrotron light in the mid-infrared-to-far-infrared range.
Taste Panel Studies of Flavor Levels in Sour Cream

Abstract The detection of and preference for cultured flavor levels in sour cream were studied using the triangular and paired preference tests. A total of 4,320 observations was made. The threshold for flavor in sour cream was determined by comparing control acidified cream with sour cream, cultured acidified cream, or acidified cream containing acetic acid and flavor concentrate. The apparent threshold for flavor perception in sour cream was 1.2 ml (milliliters of 0.1 n NaOH to titrate volatile acids from 50 g of samples) volatile acidity and 1 ppm diacetyl. Below these concentrations the panel could not differentiate between samples in the triangular test and above these concentrations the panel could identify the odd sample in the triangular test. The panel could not distinguish between different volatile acidity levels normally present in commercial sour cream (4 to 8 ml). When the difference in volatile acid content between samples was larger than 4 ml, significant triangular test results were obtained. Volatile acidity was considered to be a better indicator of total flavor in sour cream than was diacetyl. Preference was shown by the consumer panel for samples containing diacetyl, volatile acidity, and associated flavor compounds over a bland flavored acidified cream (P
Computer Description of Curved Objects

A ranging system, consisting of a laser, computer-controlled optical deflection assembly, and TV camera, obtains three-dimensional images of curved solid objects. The object is segmented into parts by grouping parallel traces obtained from the ranging system. Making use of the property of generalized translational invariance, the parts are described in terms of generalized cylinders, consisting of a space curve, or axis, and a circular cross section function on this axis.
Integrating Museum and GIS Data to Identify Changes in Species Distributions Driven by a Disturbance-Induced Invasion

Two topics of great importance to conservation biologists and managers are the impact of habitat degradation on species' distributions and the effects of invasive species on the decline of other species. I evaluate the interaction of these threats by comparing the impact of a native invasive amphibian species on a formerly allotopic amphibian species in disturbed versus undisturbed habitat. Fowler's Toad (Anaxyrus fowleri) historically thrived in a range of habitats including urban and suburban areas in the mid-twentieth century, but has recently undergone a range contraction concurrent with the spread of the Coastal Plain Toad (Incilius nebulifer) into recently disturbed habitat. Contemporary surveys of historical collection sites obtained from museum records of vouchered specimens were used to document changes in the distribution of both species over the past half-century. Temporal changes in habitat disturbance at collection sites were detected by comparing historical aerial photographs with current re...
Combined reflection and transmission microscope for telemedicine applications in field settings

We demonstrate a field-portable upright and inverted microscope that can image specimens in both reflection and transmission modes. This compact and cost-effective dual-mode microscope weighs only ∼135 grams (<4.8 ounces) and utilizes a simple light emitting diode (LED) to illuminate the sample of interest using a beam-splitter cube that is positioned above the object plane. This LED illumination is then partially reflected from the sample to be collected by two lenses, creating a reflection image of the specimen onto an opto-electronic sensor-array that is positioned above the beam-splitter cube. In addition to this, the illumination beam is also partially transmitted through the same specimen, which then casts lensfree in-line holograms of the same objects onto a second opto-electronic sensor-array that is positioned underneath the beam-splitter cube. By rapid digital reconstruction of the acquired lensfree holograms, transmission images (both phase and amplitude) of the same specimen are also created. We tested the performance of this field-portable microscope by imaging various micro-particles, blood smears as well as a histopathology slide corresponding to skin tissue. Being compact, light-weight and cost-effective, this combined reflection and transmission microscope might especially be useful for telemedicine applications in resource limited settings.
Signal-to-Crosstalk Power Radio in Smoothly Limited Multichannel FDM Signals

The passage of multichannel frequency division multiplexed (FDM) signals through an amplitude limiting nonlinear device produces crosstalk in each channel output due to intermodulations among signals in all channels. The signal power S 0 to crosstalk power N c ratio in any particular channel determines signal degradation. This paper considers multichannel FDM signals passing through a saturated bandpass amplifier with transfer characteristic of smoothly limiting error function curve, and determines a lower bound of S_{0}/N_{c} as a function of q , which is related to the limiting level. By invoking the central limit theorem, the FDM signals are represented by a Gaussian noise, excepting the signal in the channel where S_{0}/N_{c} is to be determined. The signal in the channel under consideration is represented by a constant amplitude sine wave. When an assumption that the input noise power spectral density is symmetric about the center band is made, such as a Gaussian power spectrum considered in the analysis, the computation of a lower bound for S_{0}/N_{c} was equivalent to the consideration of the center channel, where the crosstalk power is maximum. The problem is an extension of an earlier work by Cahn, who considered an idealized saturation amplifier. The result is presented in a graph where it is seen that an infinite clipping case of the present analysis agrees with that of Cahn.
Cryomilled aluminum alloy and boron carbide nano-composite plate

Abstract The addition of ceramic particulate reinforcement via cryomilling can significantly increase the physical and mechanical properties of Al alloys. In the present study, boron carbide (B 4 C) was cryomilled with Al 5083 to form a nano-grained metal matrix powder. This powder was blended with unmilled Al 5083 to increase ductility and was then consolidated into plates by three methods: (1) hot isostatic pressing (HIPping) followed by high strain rate forging (HSRF), (2) HIPping followed by two-step quasi-isostatic forging (QIF), and (3) three-step QIF. The effects of process method on microstructure and mechanical behavior for the final consolidated nano-composite plates were investigated.
Anti-Immunoglobulin E Therapy with Omalizumab for Asthma

Objective:To evaluate data on anti-immunoglobulin E (anti-IgE) therapy for asthma.Data Sources:Information was selected from PubMed from 1989 to May 2007 using the search term omalizumab and included randomized, controlled trials. These studies evaluated asthma treatment with omalizumab and focused on its efficacy, tolerability, and cost-effectiveness in this population.Study Selection and Data Extraction:All randomized clinical trials were reviewed (23 were identified and 19 were included; 3 were not relevant and 1 contained duplicative data). Other articles using the search words anti-IgE therapy and cost-effectiveness were evaluated; relevant information was extracted.Data Synthesis:IgE-dependent mechanisms play an important role in the development and maintenance of airway inflammation in asthma. Omalizumab is a subcutaneously administered monoclonal anti-IgE antibody that reduces unbound IgE concentrations and promotes down-regulation of IgE receptors. Results from clinical trials in adults, adolesce...
Interactive detection and visualization of breast lesions from dynamic contrast enhanced MRI volumes

Mammography is currently regarded as the most effective and widely used method for early detection of breast cancer, but recently its sensitivity in certain high risk cases has been less than desired. The use of Dynamic Contrast Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DCE-MRI) has gained considerable attention in the past 10 years, especially for high risk cases, for smaller multi-focal lesions, or very sparsely distributed lesions. In this work, we present an interactive visualization system to identify, process, visualize and quantify lesions from DCE-MRI volumes. Our approach has the following key features: (1) we determine a confidence measure for each voxel, representing the probability that the voxel is part of the tumor, using a rough goodness-of-fit for the shape of the intensity-time curves, (2) our system takes advantage of low-cost, readily available 3D texture mapping hardware to produce both 2D and 3D visualizations of the segmented MRI volume in near real-time, enabling improved spatial perception of the tumor location, shape, size, distribution, and other characteristics useful in staging and treatment courses, and (3) our system permits interactive manipulation of the signal‐time curves, adapts to different tumor types and morphology, thus making it a powerful tool for radiologists/physicians to rapidly assess probable malignant volumes. We illustrate the application of our system with four case studies: invasive ductal cancer, benign fibroadenoma, ductal carcinoma in situ and lobular carcinoma. q 2004 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
The national coal-resources data system of the U.S. geological survey

Abstract The National Coal Resources Data System (NCRDS) was designed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to meet the increasing demands for rapid retrieval of information on coal location, quantity, quality, and accessibility. An interactive conversational query system devised by the USGS retrieves information from the data bank through a standard computer terminal. The system is being developed in two phases. Phase I, which currently is available on a limited basis, contains published areal resource and chemical data. The primary objective of this phase is to retrieve, calculate, and tabulate coal-resource data by area on a local, regional, or national scale. Factors available for retrieval include: state, county, quadrangle, township, coal field, coal bed, formation, geologic age, source and reliability of data, and coal-bed rank, thickness, overburden, and tonnage, or any combinations of variables. In addition, the chemical data items include individual values for proximate and ultimate analyses, BTU value, and several other physical and chemical tests. Information will be validated and deleted or updated as needed. Phase II is being developed to store, retrieve, and manipulate basic point source coal data (e.g., field observations, drill-hole logs), including geodetic location; bed thickness; depth of burial; moisture; ash; sulfur; major-, minor-, and trace-element content; heat value; and characteristics of overburden, roof rocks, and floor rocks. The computer system may be used to generate interactively structure-contour or isoline maps of the physical and chemical characteristics of a coal bed or to calculate coal resources.
Resident-to-resident violence triggers in nursing homes.

Certified nurses’ assistants (CNAs) employed by a rural nursing home in Northeast Arkansas described their perceptions of resident-to-resident violence in order to provide insight on factors, including unmet needs, that may trigger the phenomenon. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 11 CNAs. Data were analyzed using content analysis and constant comparison. Two categories of triggers emerged from the data—active and passive. Active triggers involved the actions of other residents that were intrusive in nature, such as wandering into a residents’ personal space, taking a resident’s belongings, and so forth. Passive triggers did not involve the actions of residents but related to the internal and external environment of the residents. Examples were factors such as boredom, competition for attention and communication difficulties. Results indicate that there are factors, including unmet needs within the nursing home environment that may be identified and altered to prevent violence between residents.
Targeting the TGF-β1 Pathway to Prevent Normal Tissue Injury After Cancer Therapy

With >10,000,000 cancer survivors in the U.S. alone, the late effects of cancer treatment are a significant public health issue. Over the past 15 years, much work has been done that has led to an improvement in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of normal tissue injury after cancer therapy. In many cases, these injuries are characterized at the histologic level by loss of parenchymal cells, excessive fibrosis, and tissue atrophy. Among the many cytokines involved in this process, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 is thought to play a pivotal role. TGF-β1 has a multitude of functions, including both promoting the formation and inhibiting the breakdown of connective tissue. It also inhibits epithelial cell proliferation. TGF-β1 is overexpressed at sites of injury after radiation and chemotherapy. Thus, TGF-β1 represents a logical target for molecular therapies designed to prevent or reduce normal tissue injury after cancer therapy. Herein, the evidence supporting the critical role of TGF-s1 in the development of normal tissue injury after cancer therapy is reviewed and the results of recent research aimed at preventing normal tissue injury by targeting the TGF-s1 pathway are presented.
The Impact of Cobedding on Sleep Patterns in Preterm Twins

Interest in cobedding multiple-gestation infants has grown as focus has increased on the developmental approach to the care of the neonate. Little data, however, exist on the infants' response to cobedding. It is important to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and physiologic impact of this practice. Cobedding was offered to parents of twin infants 10 seconds, central apnea), bradycardia (a decline in heart rate to 3 pauses in respiration of > 3 seconds with < 20 seconds of breathing between pa...
Platelet-derived growth factor A-chain expression in developing and mature human kidneys and in Wilms' tumor

Platelet-derived growth factor A-chain expression in developing and mature human kidneys and in Wilms' tumor. Regulated expression of PDGF A-chain may be important in kidney development. We employed two polyclonal antisera to detect expression of PDGF A-chain in fetal and normal adult kidneys by immunohistochemistry. Specificity of the antisera was demonstrated by Western blots of fetal and adult kidneys, demonstrating monospecific bands at 10 to 15 kD, and by absorption studies with PDGF-A peptide. PDGF A-chain is uniformly expressed by visceral glomerular epithelial cells and the epithelial cells of the distal nephron, including collecting ducts and contiguous urothelium lining the renal pelvis, in both fetal and adult kidneys. Fetal kidneys also demonstrate expression of PDGF A-chain at the earliest stages of vesicle formation from the metanephric blastema; this expression is then only intermittently detectable in developing glomeruli until differentiation of visceral epithelial cells occurs. Fetal and mature arterial smooth muscle cells, and some neointimal smooth muscle cells in sclerotic arteries in adult kidneys also express PDGF A-chain. In situ hybridization with a riboprobe made from PDGF A-chain cDNA showed close correlation of mRNA expression with protein immunohistochemistry. PDGF A-chain expression was also identified in epithelial elements of 5/6 Wilms' tumors studied. These are the first studies to localize PDGF A-chain expression in human kidney and suggest sites of activity for PDGF A-chain in development, neoplasia, and in the renal arterial sclerosis of aging.
CHANGING PERCEPTIONS OF WOMEN'S RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS IN EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY BOLOGNA

Eighteenth-century convents are little studied, and women's third order houses even less so, despite the growing numbers of the latter. Through a case-study, this article explores the origins and functions of one eighteenth-century third order house in an Italian urban community. Relying on the rich meeting minutes of Santa Maria Egiziaca in Bologna, the article analyses the everyday realities and the changing perceptions of women's religious institutions among the urban elites connected to the house. Santa Maria Egiziaca emerges as neither only a convent nor a shelter, the two institutional types recognized in current scholarship, but rather as both. The diverse goals of the house's administrators and benefactors suggest why third order houses thrived in the eighteenth century when more traditional convents came under increasing criticism and declined.
Day Care Differences and the Reproduction of Social Class

Drawing on ethnographic research conducted in two day care centers—the Green Mountain Child Care Center in College Town, Vermont, and the Rocky Mountain Christian Day Care in Coalville, Wyoming—the authors demonstrate differences between centers serving different segments of the population. The authors rely on Annette Lareau's (2003) concepts of “concerted cultivation” and the “accomplishment of natural growth” as a way to describe these differences. The authors then reflect on the potential consequences of different styles of child care for the skills, attitudes, and orientations developed by young children.
LATERAL DISLOCATION OF THE RADIO-HUMERAL JOINT WITH GREENSTICK FRACTURE OF THE UPPER END OF THE ULNA

1. Two cases of lateral dislocation of the radio-humeral joint with greenstick fracture of the upper end of the ulna are described. 2. One case was complicated by a radial nerve lesion. 3. Treatment was by reduction under general anaesthesia and resting the elbow in a collar and cuff sling. Full recovery was present in six weeks.
AB42. Metabolic evaluation for urinary stone disease

Urinary stone disease affects up to 15% of people globally. The etiology of stones may range from nutrition to behavior to genetics. After a first time occurence of a sympomatic stone, up to 50% of patients may experience another stone within 5 years. Thus, metabolic evaluation for the prevention of stone recurrence can play a major role in reducing the morbidity associated with urinary stones. This session will focus on the means by which we evaluate our nephrolithiasis patients and counsel them based on these results.