cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of clinical characteristics, diagnostic test results, and outcome in horses with internal infection caused by Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis: 30 cases (1995-2003).

Objective—To determine clinical signs, results of diagnostic testing, and outcome in horses with internal Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infection. Design—Retrospective study. Animals—30 horses. Procedure—Information pertaining to clinical data, results of diagnostic tests, and costs of hospitalization and treatment was extracted from medical records of affected horses. Results—Internal C pseudotuberculosis infection was diagnosed on the basis of clinical signs, diagnostic imaging, and clinicopathologic data, including results of serologic tests and bacterial culture. The most common clinical signs were concurrent external abscesses, anorexia, fever, lethargy, weight loss, and signs of respiratory tract disease or abdominal pain. Clinicopathologic abnormalities included a geometric mean reciprocal serum synergistic hemolysin inhibition titer ≥ 512, leukocytosis with neutrophilia, hyperglobulinemia, hyperfibrinogenemia, and anemia. Specific organ involvement was diagnosed in 27 of 30 horses. Affected o...
Work-up of patients with malignancy after an intermediate-probability ventilation-perfusion scan: why don't physicians pursue a definitive diagnosis?

Rationale and Objectives. The authors determined whether there are specific patient characteristics associated with the clinical decision to eschew further diagnostic testing in patients in whom a ventilation-perfusion (V-P) scan indicates intermediate probability of pulmonary embolism (PE). Materials and Methods. The authors reviewed all intermediate-probability V-P scans obtained in a 12-month period. Patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 comprised patients in whom a definitive diagnosis of PE was not obtained and who were not treated for PE ( n = 57); group 2 comprised patients in whom the diagnosis of PE was confirmed or excluded and who, if PE was confirmed, received appropriate treatment ( n = 14). Age, gender, frequency of malignancy, and survival of patients in groups 1 and 2 were compared. Results. The frequency of malignancy was significantly greater in group 1 than in group 2 ( P = .012). Although the estimated 2-year survival of group 1 patients was significantly less than that of group 2 patients ( P = .039), this difference is likely due to confounding by age and malignancy. Conclusion. When an intermediate-probability V-P scan is obtained, physicians are significantly less likely to pursue a definitive diagnosis of PE in patients with malignancy.
Oocyte Donation and In Vitro Fertilization: The Nurse's Role With Ethical and Legal Issues

Oocyte donation has made pregnancy a realistic option for women who want to become pregnant yet are unable to produce viable, healthy eggs. This article reviews oocyte donation technology, discusses ways that donor programs can deal effectively with the legal and ethical issues involved, and describes the role of the in vitro fertilization nurse.
Orienting cognitive science to evolution and development.

Contemporary work in the cognitive sciences frequently suffers from a myopic view of cognition that fails to benefit from the breadth and diversity of work in human evolution and development. Often the goal is to uncover what is basic to information processing and learning across individual minds and situations, to identify micro-level processes that reflect basic cognitive functions in animal as well as human brains. The question remains whether the emergence of human cultural achievements can be adequately explained by looking at the cognitive capacities of individuals. To understand how basic cognitive processes yield complex cultural and uniquely human products requires contributions from both evolutionary anthropology and dynamic systems approaches to human development. As an example, consider the question of the relationship between brain size and cognitive capacities, such as processing speed and working memory capacity. Whereas evolutionary and cognitive psychologists tend to focus on selection for increased capacities (Vaesen, 2012), fossil evidence suggests an opposite direction of causality—linking changes in pelvic anatomy (bipedalism) to prolonged postnatal growth and development, to changes in brain volume, which potentially yielded faster, more efficient information processing (Striedter, 2006). Evolutionary anthropology also points to a discrepancy between the timing of the presumably critical tripling of brain volume, which took place about 500,000 years ago (Rightmire, 2009), and the distinctive expansion of modern human technology, which took place only in the last 100,000–150,000 years (Gamble, 2012). Understanding the emergence of complex human institutions, including tool making and language, requires an understanding of development as fundamentally contextualized (Gamble, 2012). Studies of self-organization in complex cultural systems suggest that
Pediatric Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease in the pediatric population. Increased recognition of this form of liver disease parallels the dramatic rise in childhood and adolescent obesity over the past 2 decades. Like adults, most children with NAFLD are obese, and comorbidities include insulin resistance, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Unfortunately, pediatric NAFLD is not always a benign condition, with some children progressing to hepatic fibrosis and even cirrhosis in severe cases. The etiology of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis is not yet fully understood; however, hepatic steatosis in the context of insulin resistance and increased oxidative stress may lead to progressive disease. Although physical examination, laboratory evaluation, and radiographic findings provide clues to the potential presence of fatty liver disease, liver biopsy remains the gold standard for diagnosis. Lifestyle modification, including slow and steady weight loss, improved dietary habits, and increased daily, aerobic physical activity, remains the first-line approach in treating pediatric fatty liver disease. Antioxidant pharmacologic therapy such as use of vitamin E has shown some benefit in patients with biopsy-proven steatohepatitis. Nutrition plays an essential role not only in the development of fatty liver disease but also potentially in the treatment and prevention of progression to more severe disease.
Maintaining shared mental models in anesthesia crisis care with nurse tablet input and large-screen displays

In an effort to reduce medical errors, doctors are beginning to embrace cognitive aids, such as paper-based checklists. We describe the early stage design process of an interactive cognitive aid for crisis care teams. This process included collaboration with anesthesia professors in the school of medicine and observation of medical students practicing in simulated scenarios. Based on these insights, we identify opportunities to employ large-screen displays and coordinated tablets to support team performance. We also propose a system design for interactive cognitive aids intended to encourage a shared mental model amongst crisis care staff.
Method for determining the dynamic mechanical behavior of gels and solids at audio-frequencies; comparison of mechanical and electrical properties

A method is described for measurements of complex shear modulus or compliance on samples ranging from soft gels to stiff solids at −50 to +150°C. over the frequency range 25 to 5000 cycles/sec. By a proper choice of sample dimensions a precision of ±2% is obtained for values of compliance varying from about 10−5 to 10−10 cm.2/dyne although a single sample cannot be measured with this precision over the entire frequency-temperature range. Results are given for a sample of polyisobutylene from the National Bureau of Standards at 25.0°C., for a polyvinyl chloride-dimethylthianthrene gel (10% polymer by volume) at ten temperatures between −25 and 25°C., arid for polyvinyl chloride plasticized with dimethylthianthrene (40% polymer by volume) at ten temperatures between 5 and 60°C. Comparison of the dynamic mechanical results with measurements of complex dielectric constant previously reported for the polyvinyl chloride-dimethylthianthrene compositions shows that the dielectric constant and compliance give roughly the same type of temperature-frequency dispersion. While the frequency of maximum electrical loss tangent (ϵ″/ϵ′) and that of maximum mechanical loss tangent (J″/J′) are not the same at a given temperature, these maxima do appear to shift the same amount with temperature. Thus for each concentration the slopes of curves obtained by plotting the logarithm of the frequency of maximum loss tangent against the reciprocal of the absolute temperature are identical for the electrical and mechanical cases. This indicates that the activation energies for electrical and mechanical responses are the same. The maximum loss tangent for the mechanical case is much larger than the electrical maximum for both the 10 and 40% polyvinyl chloride concentrations.
Electroconvulsive therapy versus transcranial magnetic stimulation for major depression: a review with recommendations for future research.

Objective: To review the literature comparing electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for major depression. Methods: Data from the six randomised, prospective studies were agglutinated into one data set. Special attention was given to the methods of both TMS and ECT as well as data pertaining to differential outcomes in subgroups such as psychotic depressives and the elderly. Results: There is a highly significant advantage for ECT in the prospective, randomised trials. The two non-randomised, retrospective comparative trials found the treatments to be equal in one study and superior for ECT in another. However, sample sizes are small in these studies, and both TMS and ECT may have been used suboptimally. Furthermore, the possibilities of differential efficacy of ECT or TMS for psychotic depressives or as a function of age have yet to be fully explored. Conclusions: The data to date do not support the contention that TMS is equivalent in efficacy to ECT. It is recommended that a large-scale trial be undertaken using aggressive forms of both TMS and ECT with sample sizes sufficiently large to detect effects of moderating variables such as age and psychosis status.
Cytoreduction with iodine-131-anti-CD33 antibodies before bone marrow transplantation for advanced myeloid leukemias

The monoclonal antibodies M195 and HuM195 target CD33, a glycoprotein found on myeloid leukemia cells. When labeled with iodine-131 (131I), these antibodies can eliminate large disease burdens and produce prolonged myelosuppression. We studied whether 131I-labeled M195 and HuM195 could be combined safely with busulfan and cyclophosphamide (BuCy) as conditioning for allogeneic BMT. A total of 31 patients with relapsed/refractory acute myeloloid leukemia (AML) (n=16), accelerated/myeloblastic chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) (n=14), or advanced myelodysplastic syndrome (n=1) received 131I-M195 or 131I-HuM195 (122–437 mCi) plus busulfan (16 mg/kg) and cyclophosphamide (90–120 mg/kg) followed by infusion of related-donor bone marrow (27 first BMT; four second BMT). Hyperbilirubinemia was the most common extramedullary toxicity, occurring in 69% of patients during the first 28 days after BMT. Gamma camera imaging showed targeting of the radioisotope to the bone marrow, liver, and spleen, with absorbed radiation doses to the marrow of 272–1470 cGy. The median survival was 4.9 months (range 0.3–90+ months). Three patients with relapsed AML remain in complete remission 59+, 87+, and 90+ months following bone marrow transplantation (BMT). These studies show the feasibility of adding CD33-targeted radioimmunotherapy to a standard BMT preparative regimen; however, randomized trials will be needed to prove a benefit to intensified conditioning with radioimmunotherapy.
Precursor-type insect repellents: kinetics of hydrolysis.

The rates of ester hydrolysis of representative dihydroxyacetone monoesters were determined by titrimetric analysis. The esters were designed to elicit prolonged insect repellency by gradual hydrolysis in dermal tissue. No correlation was found between the agents' repellent activity and their susceptibility to hydrolysis. The repellency elicited by the esters appears to be due to the intact molecules rather than a hydrolytic product.
Phase I and pharmacokinetic study of docetaxel, irinotecan, and celecoxib in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Purpose: We studied the toxicities, potential pharmacokinetic interactions, and preliminary antitumor activity of the combination of docetaxel and irinotecan with celecoxib, a selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor. Patients and methods: Eligible patients had advanced non-small lung cancer (NSCLC) with measurable disease, good performance status, and adequate end organ function. Docetaxel and irinotecan were administered intravenously on days 1 and 8, every 21 days, and their doses were escalated on successive patient cohorts at three dose levels: 30/50, 30/60, and 35/60 (doses in mg/m2). Celecoxib was administered at a starting dose of 400 mg orally twice daily without interruption, beginning on day 2 of cycle 1. Pharmacokinetic studies were performed on day 1 of cycle 1 and day 1 of cycle 2. Results: Seventeen patients with advanced NSCLC were enrolled and collectively received 78 cycles of therapy. Diarrhea was the most common toxicity; it was noted in 13 patients (76%). Dose-limiting toxicities occurred at dose level 1 (myocardial infarction in a patient with multiple coronary artery disease risk factors) and dose level 3 (grade 4 neutropenia with fatal urosepsis). Other major toxicities were: grade 3 neutropenia (2 patients); grade 3/4 diarrhea (3/1); grade 3 nausea (2); grade 2 rash (1); and grade 3 pneumonitis (1). The maximum tolerated dose was at dose level 3, i.e., docetaxel 35 mg/m2 and irinotecan 60 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8, plus celecoxib 400 mg twice daily, repeated every 21 days. Five of 15 evaluable patients achieved an objective response. The pharmacokinetics of docetaxel were not altered by celecoxib. However, we observed an 18% increase in the average elimination clearance of irinotecan coincident with the addition of celecoxib. Conclusions: The addition of celecoxib to docetaxel and irinotecan was generally well tolerated but unpredictable fatal toxicity occurred. Diarrhea was the most common toxicity. Antitumor activity was promising. The alteration of irinotecan pharmacokinetic parameters observed may not be clinically relevant.
Regulation of type 1 iodothyronine deiodinase in health and disease.

The major physiologic function of type 1 iodothyronine deiodinase (D1) is to produce triiodothyronine (T3) for the plasma. D1 activity is regulated by numerous factors, perhaps the most important o...
Electroslag Remelted Superalloys for Gas Turbine Engines

At the present time, virtually all superalloys used in Soviet gas turbine engines have been electroslag remelted. The use of this process in the United States has been at a virtual standstill since its inception by Hopkins in 1935. This paper will cover recent development effort on the process and what it offers to the industry. The process itself will be described in detail. Included also will be its advantages, both in metalworking and resultant mechanical properties obtained on actual gas turbine engine components fabricated from electroslag remelted superalloys.Copyright © 1968 by ASME
An Algorithm to Automate Yeast Segmentation and Tracking

Our understanding of dynamic cellular processes has been greatly enhanced by rapid advances in quantitative fluorescence microscopy. Imaging single cells has emphasized the prevalence of phenomena that can be difficult to infer from population measurements, such as all-or-none cellular decisions, cell-to-cell variability, and oscillations. Examination of these phenomena requires segmenting and tracking individual cells over long periods of time. However, accurate segmentation and tracking of cells is difficult and is often the rate-limiting step in an experimental pipeline. Here, we present an algorithm that accomplishes fully automated segmentation and tracking of budding yeast cells within growing colonies. The algorithm incorporates prior information of yeast-specific traits, such as immobility and growth rate, to segment an image using a set of threshold values rather than one specific optimized threshold. Results from the entire set of thresholds are then used to perform a robust final segmentation.
Action spectra of the light-growth response in three behavioral mutants of Phycomyces.

Null-point action spectra of the light-growth response were measured for three mutants of Phycomyces blakesleeanus (Burgeff) and compared with the action spectrum of the wild type (WT). The action spectrum for L150, a recently isolated “night-blind” mutant, differs from the WT spectrum. The L150 action spectrum has a depression near 450 nm and small alterations in its long-wavelength cutoff, the same spectral regions where its photogravitropism action spectrum is altered. This indicates that the affected gene product influences both phototropism and the light-growth response. For L85, a “hypertropic” (madH) mutant, the light-growth-response action spectrum is very similar to that of WT even though the photogravitropism action spectrum of L85 has been shown previously to be altered in the near-UV region. The affected gene product in this mutant appears to affect phototropic transduction but not light-growth-response transduction. The action spectrum of C110, a “stiff” (madE) mutant, differs significantly from the WT spectrum near 500 nm, the same spectral region where sporangiophores of madE mutants have been shown to have small alterations in second-derivative absorption spectra. This indicates that the madE gene product may be physically associated with a photoreceptor complex, as predicted by system-analysis studies.
THE ROLE OF GENDER IN DETENTION DISPOSITIONING OF JUVENILE PROBATION VIOLATORS

ABSTRACT Although youth detention facilities were originally intended for the temporary care and custody of minors awaiting court adjudication, they have become settings for punishing juvenile prob...
Integrated hybrid silicon DFB laser-EAM array using quantum well intermixing

We demonstrate multiple bandgap integration on the hybrid silicon platform using quantum well intermixing. A broadband DFB laser array and a DFB-EAM array are realized on a single chip using four bandgaps defined by ion implantation enhanced disordering. The broadband laser array uses two bandgaps with 17 nm blue shift to compensate for gain roll-off while the integrated DFB-EAMs use the as-grown bandgap for optical gain and a 30 nm blue shifted bandgap for modulation. The multi-channel DFB array includes 13 lasers with >90 nm gain-bandwidth. The transponder includes four DFB-EAMs with 14 dB DC extinction at 4 V bias.
Hume's Aesthetics: The Literature and Directions for Research

While there is hardly an aspect of Hume's work that has not produced controversy of one sort or another, deciphering and evaluating his views on aesthetics involves overcoming interpretive barriers of a particular sort. In addition to what is generally taken as the anachronistic attribution of "aesthetic theories" to any thinker of the eighteenth century, Hume presents the added difficulty that unlike the other founding-fathers of modern philosophical aesthetics, he produced no systematic work on the subject, and certainly nothing comparable to his efforts in epistemology, morals, politics, history, and religion.1 Even interpreting Hume's most definitive expression of his views on aesthetic questionsÂ—the famous essay "Of the Standard of Taste"Â—is fraught with difficulties and, as the diversity of views on the piece demonstrates, only the most confident reader would take it as an unambiguous statement of Hume's position.2 Some have also emphasized Hume's relative neglect of phenomena to which one would expect an aesthetician to be drawn. The Treatise, in Peter Kivy's estimation, for instance, reveals an "almost total lack of interest... in works of art"Â—the examples being confined to the beauty of nature and artifactsÂ—and Peter Jones writes that with the exception of literature, Hume's "references to the arts ... are infrequent and fleeting. He almost never refers to music or to sculpture,
Low-temperature induction of ripening capacity in ‘Comice’ and ‘Bosc’ pears as influenced by fruit maturity

Abstract The relationship between fruit maturity at harvest and the duration of postharvest exposure to −1 °C required to induce ripening capacity was studied in ‘Comice’ and ‘Bosc’ pears. As fruit of both cultivars were harvested progressively later, shorter durations of exposure to −1 °C were required to induce ripening capacity. The relationship between the duration of conditioning at −1 °C and the fruit flesh firmness after 7 d at 20 °C was well-described by second-order polynomial equations. These equations were used to determine the number of days at −1 °C required to induce ripening capacity for each harvest date. A linear relationship was observed between the number of days after fruit in the orchard reached maturity that fruit were harvested and the number of days of low-temperature conditioning needed to induce ripening capacity. This relationship may be used to predictively estimate the duration of low-temperature conditioning required to induce ripening based on harvest date.
Particle size and drug interactions of injectable corticosteroids used in ophthalmic practice

Purpose: The aim of this study is to compare the particle sizes of commercially available corticosteroids for intralesional injection to manufacturers' specifications and to evaluate changes in size when mixed with other steroids and other commonly used solutions. Methods: The particle sizes of dexamethasone sodium phosphate, methylprednisolone acetate, triamcinolone acetonide, and betamethasone sodium phosphate and betamethasone acetate were measured with the Coulter counter. Each steroid was mixed with each of the others, lidocaine, and lidocaine with epinephrine, then measured immediately and after 1 hour to determine the effect on particle size. Results: All steroids showed accurate manufacturer specifications. Dexamethasone showed an increase in particle size when mixed with lidocaine alone, immediately and after 1 hour. Triamcinolone showed an increase in particle size only after 1 hour after mixture with lidocaine alone. Triamcinolone, dexamethasone, and methylprednisolone particles increased in size when mixed with lidocaine and epinephrine. Dexamethasone and triamcinolone showed an additional increase in size when allowed to sit for 1 hour after mixture with lidocaine and epinephrine. Mixing steroids caused no increase in particle size. Conclusion: Because an increase in the number of particles greater than 20 µm in a solution also increases the likelihood of vascular occlusion, the authors urge care in the mixing of these drugs, especially with lidocaine and epinephrine. If mixture is necessary, the authors recommend that injection take place immediately subsequent.
The reactivity of cyclopentadienylcarbonyliron acetylides with electrophiles: the isolation of a 1,3-dimetallo-stabilized cyclobutenium ion and a cationic “vinylidene”

Abstract The reactions of cyclopentadienylcarbonyliron acetylides with protic acids generate cationic “vinylidene” intermediates. These intermediates can be trapped with nucleophiles and, in one case, isolated as a tetrafluoroborate salt.
Boundary-layer transition-detection in a cryogenic wind tunnel using infrared imaging

Cryogenic wind tunnels are currently the only option available to test models of medium to large transport airplanes at high Reynolds numbers identical to those encountered in flight. This matching in Reynolds numbers is required for reproducing the flow viscous effects, most notably the laminar to turbulent boundary-layer transition. Infrared imaging is particularly attractive for transition detection in cryogenic wind tunnels because it is nonintrusive, fast, and provides a global view of the boundary-layer status on the model. An experimental method using a commercial 8- to 12-p infrared imaging system was developed for transition detection in cryogenic wind tunnels. So far, transition has been detected at temperatures down to 170 K. At this temperature, tunnels with a pressurization capability of only a few atmospheres can generate transonic flows at Reynolds numbers beyond 3 X108 per meter. Nomenclature M = Mach number Pt = total pressure R/m = Reynolds number per meter Rc = chord Reynolds number Tt = total temperature a = angle of attack ATt = total temperature step set in the wind-tunnel flow
NextGen aircraft mixed equipage and capabilities

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) leverages aircraft avionics to deliver beneficial communications, navigation, and surveillance capabilities. The avionics and enabled capabilities vary among aircraft and the resulting mixed capability environment presents challenges to air traffic control operations and, by extension, NextGen planning and implementation. The MITRE Corporation's Center for Advanced Aviation System Development (MITRE/CAASD) applies a data-driven approach to understanding the mixed capability environment, both current and forecast. While all aircraft are important to the success of NextGen and understanding the mixed capability environment, this paper focuses on the fleet of aircraft operated under Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 121 authorization and the specific capabilities defined in the NextGen Implementation Plan, Appendix A. This paper describes the avionics and capabilities of this fleet and discusses the expected impact of the mixed capability environment on the National Airspace System (NAS).
Brane gas cosmology in M theory: Late time behavior

We investigate the late-time behavior of a universe containing a supergravity gas and wrapped 2-branes in the context of M theory compactified on ${T}^{10}.$ The supergravity gas tends to drive uniform expansion, while the branes impede the expansion of the directions about which they are wrapped. Assuming spatial homogeneity, we study the dynamics both numerically and analytically. At late times the radii obey power laws which are determined by the brane wrapping numbers, leading to interesting hierarchies of scale between the wrapped and unwrapped dimensions. The biggest hierarchy that could evolve from an initial thermal fluctuation produces three large unwrapped dimensions. We also study configurations corresponding to string winding, in which the M2-branes are all wrapped around the (small) 11th dimension, and show that this recovers the scenario discussed by Brandenberger and Vafa.
Factors modulating the epithelial response to toxicants in tracheobronchial airways

As one of the principal interfaces between the organism and the environment, the respiratory system is a target for a wide variety of toxicants and carcinogens. The cellular and architectural complexity of the respiratory system appears to play a major role in defining the focal nature of the pulmonary response to environmental stressors. This review will address the biological factors that modulate the response of one of the major target compartments within the respiratory system, the tracheobronchial airway tree. Individual airway segments respond uniquely to toxic stress and this response involves not only the target cell population, e.g. epithelium, but also other components of the airway wall suggesting a trophic interaction within all components of the airway wall in maintaining steady state and responding to injury. A number of biological factors modulate the nature of the response, including: (1) metabolic potential at specific sites for activation and detoxification; (2) the nature of the local inflammatory response; (3) age of the organism at the time of exposure; (4) gender of the exposed organism; (5) history of previous exposure; and (6) species and strain of the organism exposed.
SU‐E‐J‐14: A Novel, Fast, Variable Step Size Gradient Method for Solving Simultaneous Algebraic Reconstruction Technique (SART)‐Type Reconstructions: An Example Application to CBCT

Purpose: To develop a fast‐converging SART‐type algorithm and show clinical feasibility in CBCTreconstructions by combining the algorithmic enhancements with a parallel computing hardware (GPU). Methods: SART reconstructs a volumetric image by iteratively conducting volume projection and correction backprojection. However, this reconstruction problem can also be cast as a least squares problem for minimizing the volume projection errors with respect to the scanner projection data. This way, SART can be viewed as equivalent to a gradient method for minimizing the quadratic objective function f(x), with a fixed step‐size. Novelty in this work is that we implemented a simple yet much faster algorithm by computing a unique step‐size at each iteration. We applied this variable step‐size (VS)‐SART algorithm to numerical and physical phantoms for reconstruction. Furthermore, we accelerated the reconstruction by implementing the algorithm on NVIDIA GTX 295 GPU card. CBCT projections of CatPhan phantom were acquired from the Varian TrueBeam system. Results: We first compared SART and VS‐SART using Shepp‐Logan numerical phantom with 180 parallel‐beam projections. As the iterations progress, f(x) is asymptotically minimized for both algorithms but VS‐SART is found to converge much faster. Therefore, for a fixed number of iterations, VS‐SART commands superior image quality. In addition, compared with the FDK algorithm with 364 projections, our VS‐SART algorithm produces visibly equivalent quality CBCTimage for CatPhan phantom with only 120 projections, in 12 iterations completed in 33 seconds. This is a factor of three dose reduction while maintaining the reconstruction time acceptable. Conclusions: By approaching SART reconstruction problem from a gradient method perspective, we enhanced the reconstruction speed significantly (i.e., less number of iterations). In addition, with GPU acceleration, the overall reconstruction time is achieved within a clinically viable range. We anticipate that the VS‐SART algorithm can be applied to CT,PET, and SPECT also.
«Metallisation» of oxide surfaces observed by in situ-high-resolution electron microscopy

Abstract Intense irradiation (25–40 A/cm 2 ) at intermediate energy (400 keV) has been found to cause “metallisation” of tungsten oxide and titanium niobate crystal surfaces. The possible mechanisms and the likely consequences for high-resolution imaging of clean oxide surfaces are briefly discussed.
Open-source fiber laser and amplifier design toolbox using custom FDTD simulation engine

We introduce an open-source fiber laser and amplifier design toolbox written in Matlab. A graphical user in-terface provides access to analysis functions for both core- and cladding-pumped, erbium- and ytterbium-dopedber lasers and amplifiers. These functions use a combination of analytical calculations and numerical simulation to predict performance and generate output plots. The finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) numerical simu-lator used implements a Lax-Wendro approach that is second-order accurate in both time and space for fast convergence. The simulator solves general active fiber wave propagation and rate equations, allowing modeling of other dopants, other system configurations, and dynamic signals. The toolbox calculations show good agreement with published results and with our own experiments.
Viral MicroRNA Targetome of KSHV-Infected Primary Effusion Lymphoma Cell Lines

Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is caused by Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) and frequently also harbors Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The expression of KSHV- and EBV-encoded microRNAs (miRNAs) in PELs suggests a role for these miRNAs in latency and lymphomagenesis. Using PAR-CLIP, a technology which allows the direct and transcriptome-wide identification of miRNA targets, we delineate the target sites for all viral and cellular miRNAs expressed in PEL cell lines. The resulting data set revealed that KSHV miRNAs directly target more than 2000 cellular mRNAs, including many involved in pathways relevant to KSHV pathogenesis. Moreover, 58% of these mRNAs are also targeted by EBV miRNAs, via distinct binding sites. In addition to a known viral analog of cellular miR-155, we show that KSHV encodes a viral miRNA that mimics cellular miR-142-3p function. In summary, this study identifies an extensive list of KSHV miRNA targets, which are likely to influence viral replication and pathogenesis.
On acoustic scattering by a shell-covered seafloor

Acoustic scattering by the seafloor is sometimes influenced, if not dominated, by the presence of discrete volumetric objects such as shells. A series of measurements of target strength of a type of benthic shelled animal and associated scattering modeling have recently been completed (Stanton et al., “Acoustic scattering by benthic and planktonic shelled animals,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am., this issue). The results of that study are used herein to estimate the scattering by the seafloor with a covering of shells at high acoustic frequencies. A simple formulation is derived that expresses the area scattering strength of the seafloor in terms of the average reduced target strength or material properties of the discrete scatterers and their packing factor (where the reduced target strength is the target strength normalized by the geometric cross section of the scatterers and the averaging is done over orientation and/or a narrow range of size or frequency). The formula shows that, to first order, the backscattering at high acoustic frequencies by a layer of shells (or other discrete bodies such as rocks) depends principally upon material properties of the objects and packing factor and is independent of size and acoustic frequency. Estimates of area scattering strength using this formula and measured values of the target strength of shelled bodies from Stanton et al. (this issue) are close to or consistent with observed area scattering strengths due to shell-covered seafloors published in other papers.
Limit Theorems for Combinatorial Structures via Discrete Process Approximations

Discrete functional limit theorems, which give independent process approximations for the joint distribution of the component structure of combinatorial objects such as permutations and mappings, have recently become available. In this article, we demonstrate the power of these theorems to provide elementary proofs of a variety of new and old limit theorems, including results previously proved by complicated analytical methods. Among the examples we treat are Brownian motion limit theorems for the cycle counts of a random permutation or the component counts of a random mapping, a Poisson limit law for the core of a random mapping, a generalization of the Erdos-Turin Law for the log-order of a random permutation and the smallest component size of a random permutation, approximations to the joint laws of the smallest cycle sizes of a random mapping, and a limit distribution for the difference between the total number of cycles and the number of distinct cycle sizes in a random permutation. @ 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A self-discrepancy reduction model of religious coping

It was proposed that effectiveness of a religious response to personal crisis is related to type and amount of self-discrepancy. Fifty subjects were administered a questionnaire to assess the following two types of self-discrepancies: (1) discrepancy between perceived actual self and perceived ideal self and (2) discrepancy between perceived actual self and perceived ought-to-be self. Subjects also were asked to choose types of religious responses to a personal crisis. Religious responses were behaviorally, cognitively, and affectively loaded. Subjects with an actual/ought discrepancy chose behavioral and affective religious responses more frequently than did those without this discrepancy. No effects were found for the actual/ideal discrepancy. Implications of these results for revision and extension of the model are discussed.
Pectus excavatum imaging: enough but not too much.

Background Pectus excavatum (pectus) is a common congenital deformity of the chest wall resulting in a diminished anterior-posterior dimension. Chest CT has become a common study for preoperative assessment. CT evaluation was initially described using a single CT image; it is now common to perform a CT of the entire chest to evaluate pectus.
Direct sequence spread-spectrum multiple access system performance in an indoor milieu characterized by a Rician channel

The performance of a direct-sequence spread-spectrum multiple-access (DS/SS-MA) system operating in an indoor milieu characterized by a Rician fading multipath channel is evaluated. The system uses selection diversity and differential phase shift keying as the modulation. The performance of the system is presented for Rician channels with parameters derived from reported actual channel measurements at data rates of 32, 64, and 144 kb/s. It is found that the performance of these systems can be enhanced by exploiting the frequency diversity characteristic inherent in DS/SS signals. It is shown that the improvement in system performance is greatest when space diversity reception operates in tandem with DS/SS modulation. >
Physicians' norms and health care decisions of elderly Medicare recipients.

Using theory and methods from cognitive anthropology, this article examines, in a two-step analysis, the degree to which health care decisions made by elderly Medicare recipients coincide with the norms of physicians. First, consensus theory (Romney et al. 1986) was used to establish that physicians specializing in geriatrics agreed which among many symptoms experienced by elderly patients should receive medical attention. By asking 22 physicians to rate the medical necessity of physician visits for 106 symptoms, a key was developed to assess which patient treatment decisions were deemed "biomedically appropriate" by physicians. Second, a comparison was made between the treatment decisions deemed biomedically appropriate by physicians and 2,091 actual decisions reported by 885 elderly study participants. This comparison showed, in the aggregate, that the treatment decisions made by the elderly study participants are congruent with the norms ofthe physicians. Rationales given by the elders for their treatment decisions are discussed using an ethnographic decision modeling framework in an effort to understand the patterning of criteria they used to arrive at biomedically appropriate and inappropriate decisions. [biomedical culture, consensus analysis, decision making, elderly, illness episodes] Asignificant proportion of discretionary physician visits in the United States are made by the community-dwelling elderly. Concern over the equitable allocation of scarce medical resources makes it particularly important for health policy makers and planners to understand the criteria used by the elderly in deciding whether to seek the services of a physician when dealing with acute symptoms or acute flare-ups of chronic conditions. Gladwin (1989) has illustrated the use of ethnographic decision tree models
General and specific predictors of nicotine and alcohol dependence in early adulthood: genetic and environmental influences.

Objective:This study builds on previous work delineating a hierarchical model of family environmental risk in relation to a hierarchical model of externalizing disorders (EXTs) by evaluating for gene–environment interplay in these relationships. The associations between parent–child relationship quality (conflict, bonding, and management) and substance-specific adolescent family environments (parental/sibling tobacco/alcohol use) in relation to young adult EXTs (age ∼22 years nicotine, alcohol, and other drug dependence; antisocial and risky sexual behavior) were evaluated.Method:The sample included 533 adopted offspring and 323 biological offspring. Because adopted youth do not share genes with their parents, a significant association between parent–child relationship quality and EXTs would provide evidence against passive gene–environment correlation (rGE). Significant associations between parental tobacco/alcohol use in relation to offspring nicotine/alcohol dependence in the adopted offspring support ...
The chemical-gas dynamic mechanisms of pulsating detonation wave instability

The chemical–gas dynamic mechanisms behind the instability and failure of a one–dimensional pulsating detonation wave driven by a three–step chain–branching reaction are revealed by direct numerical simulation. Two types of pulsating instability observed experimentally are explained. The first involves regular oscillations of the detonation front, where the instability is driven by low–frequency finite–amplitude compression and expansion waves in the chain–branching induction zone between the main reaction layer and the detonation shock. For irregular oscillations of the front, the instability mechanism first involves a decoupling between the shock and main reaction layer. Subsequently, the main reaction layer accelerates, drives a compression wave ahead of it, and undergoes a transition to detonation. This internal detonation wave overtakes the lead detonation shock, generating a new high–pressure detonation, which rapidly decays. A smaller–amplitude pressure oscillation occurs during the decay with a mechanism reminiscent of that observed for the previous regular oscillation, before the detonation and main reaction layer once again decouple and the instability cycle is repeated. For failure scenarios, the shock temperature is observed to drop to the cross–over temperature for the chain–branching reaction, causing the main reaction layer to decouple and retreat indefinitely from the detonation shock.
Physiological and Morphological Correlation of Rhizopus stolonifer Spore Germination

Sporangiospores of Rhizopus stolonifer were examined at various stages of germination by scanning electron and phase-contrast microscopy. These observations were correlated with changes in spore dry weight, spore volume, respiration, and syntheses of ribonucleic acid, deoxyribonucleic acid, and protein during germination.
Diversity trumps acidification: Lack of evidence for carbon dioxide enhancement of Trichodesmium community nitrogen or carbon fixation at Station ALOHA

We conducted 11 independent short-term carbon dioxide (CO2) manipulation experiments using colonies of the filamentous cyanobacteria Trichodesmium isolated on three cruises in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG). Dinitrogen (N2) and carbon (C) fixation rates of these colonies were compared over CO2 conditions ranging from , 18 Pa (equivalent to last glacial maximum atmospheric PCO2 )t o, 160 Pa (predicted for , year 2200). Our results indicate that elevated PCO2 has no consistent significant effect on rates of N2 or C fixation by Trichodesmium colonies in the NPSG under present environmental conditions. Differences between PCO2 treatments were not modulated by phosphorus amendments, iron amendments, or light level. Sequencing the hetR, nifH, 16S, and internal transcribed spacer genes of Trichodesmium colonies revealed a highly diverse community of Trichodesmium and other N2-fixing colony-associated organisms. The species composition of Trichodesmium demonstrated spatiotemporal variability, but over half of total sequences were phylogenetically closely related (. 99% hetR sequence similarity) to isolate H9-4 of T. erythraeum, which showed no response to elevated PCO2 in previous laboratory experiments. Our handpicked Trichodesmium colonies included a substantial number of organisms other than Trichodesmium with the metabolic capacity for N2 and C fixation. We suggest that the diverse assemblage of Trichodesmium species and coexisting microorganisms within the colonies can explain the lack of an observed CO2 enhancement of N2 or C fixation rates, because different species are known to have different specific affinities for CO2.
New Targets for Atherothrombosis

Atherosclerotic plaques contain a variety of highly thrombogenic material, such as the platelet activator collagen and the procoagulant protein tissue factor. Atherothrombosis describes the formation of a thrombus after rupture or erosion of an atherosclerotic plaque. An occlusive thrombus in coronary and carotid arteries induces myocardial infarction and stroke, respectively. Arterial clots are platelet rich, so patients with cardiovascular disease are treated prophylactically with antiplatelets drugs, such as aspirin and clopidogrel. Importantly, the recent clinical trial (ATLAS ACS 2-TIMI 51 [The Anti-Xa Therapy to Lower Cardiovascular Events in Addition to Standard Therapy in Subjects with Acute Coronary Syndrome]) showed that addition of low doses of the direct oral antifactor Xa drug rivaroxaban to standard antiplatelet therapy in patients with recent acute coronary syndrome reduced death from cardiovascular causes, myocardial infarction, or stroke.1 However, the addition of the anticoagulant was associated with increased rates of major bleeding and intracranial hemorrhage. An earlier trial (APPRAISE-2 [The Apixaban for Prevention of Acute Ischemic Events 2]) with the factor Xa inhibitor apixaban was terminated prematurely because of an increase in major bleeding events.2 Therefore, there is a need for a safer anticoagulant that reduces atherothrombosis without increasing bleeding. See accompanying articles on pages 1668 and 1674 Anticoagulant drugs that are used to treat …
High speed I/O and thermal effect characterization of 3D stacked ICs

This work focuses on characterizing the performance of the 3D TSVs under high speed transient simulation, which could potentially evaluate and verify the electrical models for these vertical connections. A Gunning Transceiver Logic (GTL) I/O on-chip test IC and a CML/Thermal test IC has been designed and sent for fabrication using the 3D FDSOI CMOS technology. The GTL I/O circuits are used to inject different data patterns at different frequencies across different tiers. A control MUX with Tri-state buffers and control logic can be used to switch between different I/O GTL drivers at different tiers. The GTL I/O test IC is dedicated to measure the NEXT/FEXT crosstalk between vertical connections by firing high speed signals from different tiers. The data-dependent-Jitter (DDJ) will be characterized by observing the eye diagram for a random and different data patterns. CML I/O circuits were designed to characterize high speed differential transmission, especially, the performance of high current buffers in the three tiered-system implementation. Differential signals were used to test the performance of through—silicon vias (TSV) and interconnect as the signals transmit from IC tier-to-tier. In addition, temperature sensors were integrated in order to model the 3D thermal performance as affected by the I/O drivers.
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy associated with anesthesia: three case reports

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a form of transient, reversible left ventricular dysfunction that can mimic an acute coronary event. However, cardiac catheterization often reveals normal coronary arteries. Patients are often postmenopausal women who experience acute physical or emotional distress. The prognosis for this entity is quite favorable. In this report, we present three cases of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy in patients having procedures involving anesthesia. Each case illustrates a different etiology for the syndrome: Patient, procedure, and anesthetic management.