cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of push-in versus pull-out tests on bone-implant interfaces of rabbit tibia dental implant healing model.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate whether push-in and pull-out tests measure mechanical properties of the bone–implant interface differently, and which test is more sensitive to changes over the healing period. Materials and Methods: Two identical self-threading dental implants (3.3 × 8.5 mm) were placed in medial surface of the proximal condyles of left and right tibias of 20 rabbits (40 implants total). Five rabbits each were sacrificed after 1, 4, 8, and 12 weeks of healing. Push-in test was performed on one side's tibia implant and pull-out on the other side's implant, at a rate of 6 mm/min. Primary and secondary implant stabilities and tibia weight were measured on all implants. Results: The push-in test generated significantly higher failure load (p = .0001; 530 N vs 279 N), lower displacement at failure (p = .0003; 0.436 mm vs 0.680 mm), and higher interface stiffness (p < .0001; 1,641 N/mm vs 619 N/mm) than pull-out test. Failure load, stiffness, and secondary implant stability were significantly higher for longer compared with shorter healing periods, while displacement, tibia weight, and primary stability were not. Failure load and stiffness differed significantly for four healing times for the push-in but not for the pull-out test. Failure load was significantly correlated with secondary implant stability for both push-in (r = 0.66) and pull-out (r = 0.48) tests, but stiffness was significantly correlated with secondary stability only for the push-in test (r = 0.72; pull-out test r = 0.40). Conclusion: The push-in test appeared more sensitive than pull-out to changes in mechanical properties at bone–implant interfaces during healing in rabbit tibia model.
Multistage Radiative Coolers for Spacecraft Sensors

Spaceborne infrared imaging systems and infrared spectrometers are finding new applications in the fields of earth resources, worldwide meteorological data gathering, and air and water pollution monitoring. These space sensors utilize a detector/cooler assembly which is usually designed to be sensitive in the mid-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Imaging systems that employ photoconductive detectors require cooling to the range of 60 to 80 K for sensitivity in the 8 to 14 μm spectrum. Multichannel radiometers and spectrometers which are sensitive at shorter wavelengths require detectors to be cooled to temperatures of 100 to 200 K. This presentation outlines several design aspects of one type of cooler that shows considerable promise in satisfying most of the future space infrared sensor requirements-the multistage radiative cooler.
The U.S. commercial remote sensing policy and regulatory framework: history, current status, and future directions

Addresses the historical evolution of U.S. commercial remote sensing policy. This paper describes the current legal, regulatory, and policymaking environment, and places it within an international and comparative context. It addresses the status of U.S. industry. It provides information on NOAA-supported policy and market studies, which have been done to better characterize the remote sensing industry for informed regulatory decision-making. Finally, the paper describes current issues to be addressed and possible future directions for U.S. policy and the industry as a whole.
Co-existence of vascular disease in different arterial beds: Peripheral artery disease and carotid artery stenosis – Data from Life Line Screening®

Abstract Background Atherosclerosis is a systemic vascular disorder, involving multiple arterial territories. This project sought to investigate the relationship between lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD) and carotid artery stenosis (CAS) in a large self-referred population. Methods Data from the ankle brachial index (ABI) and carotid duplex ultrasound were analyzed from 3.67 million US subjects in the Life Line Screening program between 2004 and 2008. PAD was defined by ABI Results Mean age of the population was 63.7 ± 10.6 years and 64% were women. The prevalence of PAD and CAS was 4.1% and 3.9%, respectively. Subjects with PAD had a higher prevalence of CAS than those without PAD (18.8% vs. 3.3%, P Conclusion Presence and severity of PAD was associated with prevalence of CAS in the large self-referred and self-paying Life Line cohort, regardless of lower extremity symptoms.
Resonating torque microbalance for in situ measurements of ferromagnetic films

Abstract We describe an instrument for in situ monitoring of the magnetic moment of a thin film during deposition with sub-monolayer sensitivity. The instrument measures the magnetic torque on a film as it is being deposited onto a micro-cantilever excited near its mechanical resonance. Dynamic feedback is used to balance the magnetic torque by applying a mechanical force at the base of the cantilever.
Efficient and robust estimation of blood oxygenation levels in single cerebral veins

Blood oxygenation level is an important measure that can be used alongside functional magnetic resonance imaging data in order to obtain closer correlates of neuronal activation. A robust estimate of this measure has thus far not been demonstrated. This is mainly due to the lack of knowledge of the underlying parameters which influence the numerical estimates of blood oxygenation. In this paper, we present a systematic analysis of the estimation performance of venous hemoglobin oxygen saturation [Formula: see text] as a function of noise, physiologic and geometric parameters. Furthermore, we present a novel algorithm for estimating [Formula: see text] from the temporal decay of an MR signal. The proposed algorithm incorporates prior information about the functional dependence between [Formula: see text] and relaxation rates. We compare our algorithm to an existing method in the literature and analyze the estimation performance. We show that our proposed algorithm is more efficient, achieving gains in performance as high as 92 %. We also show how our estimation algorithm takes advantage of signal features that are specific to the underlying physiology and geometry. We argue that optimal acquisition sequences, and corresponding estimation methods, should take into account such features in order to obtain robust estimates of blood oxygenation.
The effect of pore size and magnetic susceptibility on the surface NMR relaxation parameter T 2

Surface nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a non-invasive geophysical method that can provide valuable information about aquifer properties related to groundwater flow and storage. Our ability to extract such information from surface NMR data, however, is limited by an insufficient understanding of the relaxation parameter T 2 * governing the decay rate of the surface NMR signal in Earth’s magnetic field. In this study, we use a combination of numerical and laboratory experiments to systematically explore the effect of two key geologic properties, pore size and magnetic susceptibility, on the T 2 * relaxation process. A one-dimensional numerical model is developed and parametrized to simulate the surface NMR response for a wide range of geologic materials. These simulations illuminate the processes controlling T 2 * relaxation and identify conditions under which T 2 * exhibits varied sensitivity to pore size. For materials with low magnetic susceptibility, T 2 * is highly sensitive to pore size; however, as susceptibility increases, this sensitivity diminishes and T 2 * becomes dominated by complex dephasing effects, particularly when pores are large. Laboratory Earth’s field NMR experiments complement the numerical simulations. Measurements on water-saturated quartz sands show that for weakly magnetic materials, T 2 * can be sensitive to pore size and thus could provide useful information about aquifer properties.
Laparotomy Attenuates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Gastric Bleeding in the Rat

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) increases systemic inflammation and causes duodenogastric reflux of bile and gastric bleeding. Laparotomy prevents gastric injury from the luminal irritant bile, but its effects on LPS-induced gastric injury are unknown. We hypothesized that laparotomy would diminish inflammation and attenuate gastric bleeding caused by LPS. In the rat, laparotomy, done either before or after administration of LPS, attenuated LPS-induced bile reflux, gastric bleeding, and cyclooxygenase-2, but not inducible nitric oxide synthase, expression when compared to controls given LPS. Laparotomy also blunted LPS-induced changes in serum cytokine production. These data suggest that laparotomy has gastroprotective effects by preventing LPS-induced bile reflux and gastric bleeding and by a mechanism mediated, at least in part by cyclooxygenase-2.
RELATIVE FACTOR PRICES IN THE PERIPHERY DURING THE FIRST GLOBAL CENTURY: ANY LESSONS FOR TODAY?

Globalisation before 1939 had profound effects on factor prices and income distribution, especially between the industrialising core economies and the economies of periphery. Jeffrey Williamson reflects briefly on: the impact of globalisation on relative factor price convergence; the interaction between commodity market convergence and convergence in labour and capital markets; and whether the nineteenth history of the periphery was a different history from that of the industrialising European core. Williamson concludes with observations on why the blacklash against globalisation is less severe today than it was during the first global century.
libMesh: a C++ library for parallel adaptive mesh refinement/coarsening simulations

In this paper we describe the libMesh (http://libmesh.sourceforge.net) framework for parallel adaptive finite element applications. libMesh is an open-source software library that has been developed to facilitate serial and parallel simulation of multiscale, multiphysics applications using adaptive mesh refinement and coarsening strategies. The main software development is being carried out in the CFDLab (http://cfdlab.ae.utexas.edu) at the University of Texas, but as with other open-source software projects; contributions are being made elsewhere in the US and abroad. The main goals of this article are: (1) to provide a basic reference source that describes libMesh and the underlying philosophy and software design approach; (2) to give sufficient detail and references on the adaptive mesh refinement and coarsening (AMR/C) scheme for applications analysts and developers; and (3) to describe the parallel implementation and data structures with supporting discussion of domain decomposition, message passing, and details related to dynamic repartitioning for parallel AMR/C. Other aspects related to C++ programming paradigms, reusability for diverse applications, adaptive modeling, physics-independent error indicators, and similar concepts are briefly discussed. Finally, results from some applications using the library are presented and areas of future research are discussed.
Computational investigation of DNA detection using graphene nanopores.

Nanopore-based single-molecule detection and analysis have been pursued intensively over the past decade. One of the most promising applications in this regard is DNA sequencing achieved through DNA translocation-induced blockades in ionic current. Recently, nanopores fabricated in graphene sheets were used to detect double-stranded DNA. Due to its subnanometer thickness, graphene nanopores show great potential to realize DNA sequencing at single-base resolution. Resolving at the atomic level electric field-driven DNA translocation through graphene nanopores is crucial to guide the design of graphene-based sequencing devices. Molecular dynamics simulations, in principle, can achieve such resolution and are employed here to investigate the effects of applied voltage, DNA conformation, and sequence as well as pore charge on the translocation characteristics of DNA. We demonstrate that such simulations yield current characteristics consistent with recent measurements and suggest that under suitable bias cond...
Use of a wire wheel lathe attachment in the dental laboratory.

VOLUME 86 NUMBER 1 Soft lining materials have been shown to increase patient comfort and retention, and they may decrease residual ridge resorption.1 One of the major disadvantages of soft liners is the need to continually replace them. Even “permanent” liners need to be replaced before the denture is unserviceable.2,3 A 2-in. wire wheel mounted on a lathe can serve as a useful tool for removing soft liners. The wheel quickly removes soft reline materials from dentures with minimal damage to the acrylic resin. The wire wheel is also useful for removing impression materials from custom acrylic trays in the event that an initial impression attempt is unsuccessful. The “fine” wire size is recommended and can be found in most hardware stores. It is also recommended that the wheel be blunted (by pressing a blunt metal object against the wheel as it is spun on the lathe) to reduce its cutting action (Figs. 1 and 2).
Artifact-Free Quantification of Free 3-Chlorotyrosine, 3-Bromotyrosine, and 3-Nitrotyrosine in Human Plasma by Electron Capture–Negative Chemical Ionization Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry and Liquid Chromatography–Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Halogenation and nitration of biomolecules have been proposed as key mechanisms of host defense against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Reactive oxidants also have the potential to damage host tissue, and they have been implicated in disease. In the current studies, we describe specific, sensitive, and quantitative methods for detecting three stable markers of oxidative damage: 3-chlorotyrosine, 3-bromotyrosine, and 3-nitrotyrosine. Our results indicate that electron capture-negative chemical ionization-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (EC-NCI GC/MS) is 100-fold more sensitive than liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for analyzing authentic 3-chlorotyrosine, 3-bromotyrosine, and 3-nitrotyrosine. Using an isotopomer of tyrosine to evaluate artifactual production of the analytes during sample preparation and analysis, we found that artifact generation was negligible with either technique. However, LC-MS/MS proved cumbersome for analyzing multiple samples because it required 1.5 h of run and equilibration time per analysis. In contrast, EC-NCI GC/MS required only 5 min of run time per analysis. Using EC-NCI GC/MS, we were able to detect and quantify attomole levels of free 3-chlorotyrosine, 3-bromotyrosine, and 3-nitrotyrosine in human plasma. Our results indicate that EC-NCI GC/MS is a sensitive and specific method for quantifying free 3-chlorotyrosine, 3-bromotyrosine, and 3-nitrotyrosine in biological fluids in a single, rapid analysis and that it avoids generating any of the analytes ex vivo.
Strong Photoluminescence at 1540 nm from Er-doped Amorphous Silicon Oxycarbide : A Novel Silicon Material for Photonic Applications

The present investigators have previously reported on strong room-temperature luminescence at 1540 nm from erbium-doped amorphous silicon oxycarbide (a-SiC x O y :Er) thin films. An enhancement of ~20 times was found for asgrown SiC 0.5 O 1.0 :Er compared to SiO 2 :Er control samples under continuous wavelength (cw) pumping at 496.5 nm. Here, we report the effects of post-deposition annealing on the photoluminescence (PL) properties of Er-doped silicon oxycarbide. The amorphous SiC x O y films were grown by thermal chemical vapor deposition (TCVD) at 800°C and postdeposition annealing was conducted in the temperature range 500-1100°C. The thin films were then implanted with 260keV Er ions and subsequently annealed at 900°C. Strong room-temperature photoluminescence around 1540 nm was observed, with efficient Er +3 ion excitation occurring for pumping wavelengths ranging from 460 nm to 600 nm. Modeling of the power dependence of Er luminescence yielded an effective Er excitation cross-section about four orders of magnitude larger than that for a direct optical excitation of Er +3 ions. Additionally, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) studies of post-deposition annealed samples revealed a strong correlation between the Er PL intensity and the C-O bond concentration in the materials. The work suggests a novel method for achieving efficient Er luminescence in Si-based materials through controlled engineering of the Si-C-O system.
Morphology of organometallic CVD grown GaAs epitaxial layers

Abstract Growth conditions and resulting epitaxial layer morphology are presented for atmospheric pressure OM-CVD layers of GaAs, grown at 700°C on (100), (100) + 3° → 〈110〉, (110), (111)Ga, and (111)As oriented substrates. The substrate orientation found most favorable for useable devices is either the (100) or misoriented (100). For these substrates, the epitaxial layer morphology is largely independent of reactant flux, in contrast to the results found for the other orientations. A simple model is presented to explain the morphology of layers grown on the (111)As and (111)Ga faces. Finally, impact of the morphology study on the electrical characteristics of the layers, and on the growth of polycrystalline layers, is discussed in this paper.
Patterns of inguinal groin metastases in squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva

Abstract Objectives. Assess the pattern of groin node metastases in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the vulva in relation to the site of the primary lesion. Assess whether the identified pattern of lymphatic spread supports the current surgical practice of assessing contralateral nodes for lateral lesions with ipsilateral nodal involvement. Methods. A retrospective study of surgically staged patients with primary SCC of the vulva between 1955 and 1990 was conducted. This cohort of patients was divided in 4 subgroups by location of primary lesion: unilateral, bilateral, midline, and patients with mediolateral lesions. All clinical and pathological data were reviewed and updated to the 1988 TNM vulvar classification. Results. 320 patients met the inclusion criteria, and almost all of them (>95%) underwent bilateral groin assessment. Of the 108 patients with positive groin lymph-node (LN) involvement, 77 presented with unilateral and 24 with bilateral inguinofemoral involvement. Of the 163 patients presenting with only unilateral vulvar lesions, 48 had inguinofemoral node involvement: 37 with ipsilateral-only nodal metastases, 8 with bilateral LN invasion, and only 3 (1.8%) had isolated contralateral nodal metastases. None of these patients with unilateral vulvar lesion that was either ≤2 cm in biggest diameter or with invasion ≤5 mm had bilateral groin LN involvement at diagnosis. Conclusions. Ipsilateral lymphadenectomy is suitable for patients with unilateral lesions, distant from the midline, and either negative ipsilateral nodes, or with positive ipsilateral LN with lesions smaller than 2 cm.
Dependence of adaptability on environmental structure in a simple evolutionary model

This article concerns the relationship between the detectable and useful structure in an environment and the degree to which a population can adapt to that environment. We explore the hypothesis that adaptability will depend unimodally on environmental variety, and we measure this component of environmental structure using the information-theoretical uncertainty (Shannon entropy) of detectable environmental conditions. We define adaptability as the degree to which a certain kind of population successfully adapts to a certain kind of environment, and we measure adaptability by comparing a population's size to the size of a nonadapting, but otherwise comparable, population in the same environment. We study the relationship between adaptability and environmental structure in an evolving artificial population of sensorimotor agents that live, reproduce, and die in a variety of environments. We find that adaptability does not show a unimodal dependence on environmental variety alone, although there is justific...
Product of tracking experts for visual tracking of surgical tools

This paper proposes a novel tool detection and tracking approach using uncalibrated monocular surgical videos for computer-aided surgical interventions. We hypothesize surgical tool end-effector to be the most distinguishable part of a tool and employ state-of-the-art object detection methods to learn the shape and localize the tool in images. For tracking, we propose a Product of Tracking Experts (PoTE) based generalized object tracking framework by probabilistically-merging tracking outputs (probabilistic/non-probabilistic) from time-varying numbers of trackers. In the current implementation of PoTE, we use three tracking experts - point-feature-based, region-based and object detection-based. A novel point feature-based tracker is also proposed in the form of a voting based bounding box geometry estimation technique building upon point-feature correspondences. Our tracker is causal which makes it suitable for real-time applications. This framework has been tested on real surgical videos and is shown to significantly improve upon the baseline results.
ISSN for Serials Available on e-Readers and Other Mobile Devices: Issues and Challenges

Serials of all kinds including popular magazines, scholarly journals, and series of e-books are becoming increasingly available in formats designed for use on mobile devices. A provisional policy regarding assignment of ISSN to these resources was approved by ISSN directors in October 2011. This article describes the new policy along with the issues and challenges the ISSN Network faces in creating ISSN assignments and metadata for these new kinds of publications. This paper will present 1) an overview of the landscape of serials for mobile devices as seen from the perspective of the U.S. ISSN Center, 2) the provisional ISSN policy for assigning ISSN to serials available on mobile devices and issues raised by the policy, 3) an examination of some of the metadata issues, and 4) examples of records and screen shots of a sample publication.
Pathogenesis of papular urticaria

The presence of immunoglobulin and complement deposits in the skin of three patients with papular urticaria suggests that these lesions may be due to a cutaneous vasculitis. These deposits were most frequently found in biopsy specimens taken from lesions within 24 hours of their development. The presence of granular deposits of C1q, C3, and IgM in the walls of the superficial dermal blood vessels suggests that immune complexes (IgM aggregates) may be primarily involved in the pathogenesis of these lesions, with complement activation initiated by C1q through the classical pathway.
Property Rights and Pollution: Their Implications for Long Island Sound and the Oyster Industry

In neoclassical economics thinking, property rights are an important tool in managing natural and environmental resources where there is great potential for market failure. Assignment of these rights leads to efficient resource allocation, enhances productivity, and promotes environmental quality. In Long Island Sound, the Connecticut state authority in charge of aquaculture has introduced property rights to allocate oyster producing areas. This is achieved through lease-hold arrangements and has led to better management, increased productivity and profitability, production of good quality oysters, and an unanticipated (indirect) pollution reduction. We make suggestions for a direct-property-rights regulatory approach for economically efficient pollution reduction in the Sound.
Life and Liberty in the Pursuit of Housing: Rethinking Renting and Owning in Post-Crisis America

The recent housing crisis's devastating effects on U.S. households’ economic situations provides reason to examine the risks, pitfalls and assumptions underlying contemporary housing policy. This paper examines issues associated with renting and owning housing in America. It argues that housing operates as (1) a dimension of the U.S. system of stratification, (2) a method for the unfair distribution of resources in metropolitan space, and (3) a mechanism for the construction of the “other” and as a vehicle for social exclusion. Homeownership restricts people to homogeneous neighborhoods, renders low-income families and renters of all types unacceptable, makes neighborhoods fertile ground for learning who is socially undesirable, breeds class-based distinctions, and puts people in financially risky situations. Rethinking questions about renting and owning may allow consideration of how housing can play a more constructive role in pursing economic opportunities, redistribution and social and economic justic...
Imploded bilirubins: synthesis and properties of 10-nor-mesobilirubin-XIIIα and analogs

Six 10-nor-bilirubin analogs have been synthesized and investigated. Lacking the C(10) CH2 group, these linear tetrapyrroles have a bipyrrole core rather than a dipyrrylmethane core and thus a different shape. Whereas the propionic acid groups of bilirubin are well engaged in intramolecular hydrogen bonding to the dipyrrinones, molecular modeling studies of the 10-nor-rubins predict that propionic acid chains are too short to engage the CO2H hydrogen fully in intramolecular hydrogen bonding with the dipyrrinones. Butyric acid chains, however, can and do lead to a stabilized conformation with a bipyrrole dihedral angle of approximately 115°. Spectroscopic studies verify the predictions and vapor pressure osmometry indicates that the 10-nor-rubins with butyric acids are monomeric in CHCl3.
Microwave start-up of tokamak plasmas near electron cyclotron and upper hybrid resonances

The scenario of toroidal plasma start-up with microwave initiation and heating near the electron cyclotron frequency is suggested and examined in this paper. Microwave irradiation from the high-field side and an anomalously large absorption of the extraordinary waves near the upper hybrid resonance are assumed. The dominant electron energy losses are assumed to be due to magnetic-field curvature and parallel drifts, ionization of neutrals, cooling by ions, and radiation by low-Z impurities. It is shown by particle and energy balance considerations that electron temperatures around 250 eV and densities of 1012-1013 cm−3 can be maintained, at least in a narrow region near the upper hybrid resonance, with modest microwave powers in the Impurity Study Experiment (ISX) (120 kW at 28 GHz) and The Next Step (TNS) (0.57 MW at 120 GHz). The loop voltages required for start-up from these initial plasmas are also estimated. It is shown that the loop voltage can be reduced by a factor of five to ten from that for unassisted start-up without an increase in the resistive loss in volt-seconds. If this reduction in loop voltage is verified in the ISX experiments, substantial savings in the cost of power supplies for the Ohmic heating (OH) and equilibrium field (EF) coils can be realized in future large tokamaks.
THE MEASUREMENT OF FISSION FRAGMENT TIMES OF FLIGHT

Abstract In the course of assembling and testing a fission fragment double time-of-flight apparatus at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Research Reactor, a number of measurement problems of a fundamental nature appeared. It was found, for example, that an amplitude-rise-time (ART) effect exists and gives rise to timing errors, in some cases up to 20% in magnitude; that the apparatus is capable of measuring fission fragment velocities with a resolution of ∼ 1%; and that the detectors provide the largest source of dispersion in timing measurement exclusive of prompt neutron emission from the fission fragments. Details are presented on the techniques involved in delay cable timing calibration, on the determination of source-backing thickness from timing spectra and on the experimental criteria which must be satisfied in order to measure fission fragment times of flight with high precision.
InsertionMapper: a pipeline tool for the identification of targeted sequences from multidimensional high throughput sequencing data

The advent of next-generation high-throughput technologies has revolutionized whole genome sequencing, yet some experiments require sequencing only of targeted regions of the genome from a very large number of samples. These regions can be amplified by PCR and sequenced by next-generation methods using a multidimensional pooling strategy. However, there is at present no available generalized tool for the computational analysis of target-enriched NGS data from multidimensional pools. Here we present InsertionMapper, a pipeline tool for the identification of targeted sequences from multidimensional high throughput sequencing data. InsertionMapper consists of four independently working modules: Data Preprocessing, Database Modeling, Dimension Deconvolution and Element Mapping. We illustrate InsertionMapper with an example from our project 'New reverse genetics resources for maize’, which aims to sequence-index a collection of 15,000 independent insertion sites of the transposon Ds in maize. Identified sequences are validated by PCR assays. This pipeline tool is applicable to similar scenarios requiring analysis of the tremendous output of short reads produced in NGS sequencing experiments of targeted genome sequences. InsertionMapper is proven efficacious for the identification of target-enriched sequences from multidimensional high throughput sequencing data. With adjustable parameters and experiment configurations, this tool can save great computational effort to biologists interested in identifying their sequences of interest within the huge output of modern DNA sequencers. InsertionMapper is freely accessible at https://sourceforge.net/p/insertionmapper and http://bo.csam.montclair.edu/du/insertionmapper .
Management of burn injuries – recent developments in resuscitation, infection control and outcomes research

Burn injury and its subsequent multisystem effects are commonly encountered by acute care practitioners. Resuscitation is the major component of initial burn care and must be managed to restore and preserve remote organ function. Later complications of burn injury are dominated by infection. Burn centers are often called to manage soft tissue problems outside thermal injury including soft tissue infection and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis. A selected review of recent reports published by the American Burn Association is provided. The burn-injured patient is easily and frequently over resuscitated with complications including delayed wound healing and respiratory compromise. A feedback protocol is designed to limit the occurrence of excessive resuscitation has been proposed but no new "gold standard" for resuscitation has replaced the Parkland formula. Significant additional work has been included in recent guidelines identifying specific infectious complications and criteria for these diagnoses in the burn-injured patient. While new medical therapies have been proposed for patients sustaining inhalation injury, a new standard of medical therapy has not emerged. Renal failure as a contributor to adverse outcome in burns has been reinforced by recent data generated in Scandinavia. Of special problems addressed in burn centers, soft tissue infections and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis have been reviewed but new treatment strategies have not been identified. The value of burn centers in management of burns and other soft tissue problems is supported in several recent reports. Recent reports emphasize the dangers of over resuscitation in the setting of burn injury. No new medical therapy for inhalation injury exists but new standards for description of burn-related infections have been presented. The value of the burn center in care of soft tissue problems including Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis and soft tissue infections is supported in recent papers.
Gender orientation and the Bem Sex Role Inventory: A psychological construct revisited

In 1973, Constantinople revolutionized the conceptualization of male and female sex roles when she advanced that masculinity and femininity were not opposite ends of a unidimensional continuum but rather independent constructs. This gave rise to androgyny theory, which advanced that individuals could be both masculine and feminine, and that in fact, the most healthy gender orientation was one containing elements of both. Nearly two decades after the development of the androgyny theory and the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI), one of its most popular measures, it seems prudent to reexamine the androgyny construct and its measurement. This paper does just that. Within the context of a predominantly middle-class, Caucasian population, this study uses factor analysis, reliability estimates, and measures of population agreement to assess the continuing validity and reliability of the BSRI and androgyny theory. While reinforcing the reliability of the BSRI, results raise both methodological and conceptual questions regarding the BSRI and the operationalization of androgyny.
Studies on the amino acid sequence content of proteins specified by the gag and pol genes of avian sarcoma virus B77

Abstract The amino acid sequence contents of polypeptides coded by the gag and pol genes of the avian sarcoma virus B77 were compared by examining their peptide profiles in SDS-polyacrylamide gradient gels after digesting them with staphylococcal V8 protease. The following results were obtained. 1. 1. Extracts of duck embryo fibroblasts transformed by B77 virus contained two large polypeptides, designated Pr180 and Pr190, that were precipitated by antisera to both p27 and RNA-dependent DNA polymerase. Their peptide compositions were very similar, if not identical. Preliminary evidence indicated that PR180 may be glycosylated. Neither was phosphorylated. 2. 2. Almost all, if not all, peptides present in Pr76 and the β polymerase polypeptide, which are the polypeptides coded by the gag and pot genes, respectively, were present in Pr180. 3. 3. The α polymerase polypeptide was shown to be β cleavage product of the f3 polypeptide by comparison of the peptide profiles not only of these two polypeptides labeled with 125 I in vitro , which has already been shown by others, but also of these two polypeptides labeled with [ 35 S]methionine in vivo . 4. 4. One of the peptides in digests of Pr76 migrated at the same rate as β peptide present in digests of the β polymerase polypeptide. When these two peptides, pep28 gag and pep28 pol , were further digested with chymotrypsin, three peptides were produced in each case. Two pairs migrated at exactly the same rate, while the third pair migrated at slightly different rates. 5. 5. The αβ form of B77 DNA polymerase was immunoprecipitated by antiserum to p12. The α and β polypeptides of B77 DNA polymerase, isolated separately from SDS-polyacrylamide gels, were precipitated by antiserum to p12 as well as by antiserum to p15. Antiserum to p15 precipitated equal amounts of β and β polypeptide, while antiserum to p15 precipitated only one-half as much β polypeptide as β polypeptide. These findings suggest that Pr76 and the β polymerase polypeptide share an amino acid sequence that is 250–300 amino acids long. The common sequence is postulated to contain the sequence corresponding to p15 and most, if not all, of the sequence corresponding to p12 (which would therefore be located between p27 and p15). Furthermore, the findings suggest that the sequence that is common to the α and β polymerase polypeptides is located at, or near, their amino terminal end.
A Leg to Stand On: Sir William Osler and Wilder Penfield's “Neuroethics”

If ever I summon before me my highest ideals of men and medicine, I find them sprung from the spirit of Osler. —Wilder Penfield, M.D. Neuroethics is a recently coined term that is shaping our cultu...
Developmental sex differences in resting state functional connectivity of amygdala sub-regions

During adolescence, considerable social and biological changes occur that interact with functional brain maturation, some of which are sex-specific. The amygdala is one brain area that has displayed sexual dimorphism, specifically in socio-affective (superficial amygdala [SFA]), stress (centromedial amygdala [CMA]), and learning and memory (basolateral amygdala [BLA]) processing. The amygdala has also been implicated in mood and anxiety disorders which display sex-specific features, most prominently observed during adolescence. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the present study examined the interaction of age and sex on resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) of amygdala sub-regions, BLA and SFA, in a sample of healthy adolescents between the ages 10 and 16 years (n = 122, 71 boys). Whole-brain, voxel-wise partial correlation analyses were conducted to determine RSFC of bilateral BLA and SFA seed regions, created using the Eickhoff-Zilles maximum probability maps based on cytoarchitectonic mapping and FMRIB's Integrated Registration and Segmentation Tool (FIRST). Monte Carlo simulation was implemented to correct for multiple comparisons (threshold of 53 contiguous voxels with a z-value ≥ 2.25). Results indicated that with increasing age, there was a corresponding decrease in RSFC between both amygdala sub-regions and parieto-occipital cortices, with a concurrent increase in RSFC with medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Specifically, boys and girls demonstrated increased coupling of mPFC and left and right SFA with age, respectively; however, neither sex showed increased connectivity between mPFC and BLA, which could indicate relative immaturity of fronto-limbic networks that is similar across sex. A dissociation in connectivity between BLA- and SFA-parieto-occipital RSFC emerged, in which girls had weaker negative RSFC between SFA and parieto-occipital regions and boys had weaker negative RSFC of BLA and parieto-occipital regions with increased age, both standing in contrast to adult patterns of amygdala sub-regional RSFC. The present findings suggest relative immaturity of amygdala sub-regional RSFC with parieto-occipital cortices during adolescence, with unique patterns in both sexes that may support memory and socio-affective processing in boys and girls, respectively. Understanding the underlying normative functional architecture of brain networks associated with the amygdala during adolescence may better inform future research of the neural features associated with increased risk for internalizing psychopathology.
Current Trends and New Frontiers in Focal Therapy for Localized Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer (PCa) care is an ever-evolving field. Research and technological developments continue to refine our definitions and management of this disease. Now, with a greater understanding of the natural history of PCa, the prevention of overtreatment has shaped a new era with the adoption of active surveillance (AS) and advancement of focal therapy (FT). Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) allows us to define, locate, and monitor cancers in a way never before possible. These capabilities combined with promising results from current prospective studies have changed the face of FT. This review presents the latest developments, current trends, and next steps in FT.
Vacuum window optical power induced by temperature gradients

The Advanced Land Imager (ALI) of the EO-1 satellite has been calibrated under its normal operating conditions in a thermal vacuum chamber. The optical equipment for the calibrations had to be placed outside the chamber. The effects on the calibrating beam of the vacuum chamber window are described here. Since the instrument senses the reflected solar spectrum, the existing fused-silica window was found to have adequate spectral transmission properties. It also was measured to cause little wavefront error by itself. When the chamber is under vacuum, and the interior cold shroud is cooled to approximately 100 K, the window develops significant optical power. This is a result of radiational cooling of the window, coupled with change of its index of refraction with temperature. Such an effect seriously compromises the spatial calibrations of the instrument, particularly MTF measurements. This effect was overcome in two ways: A heating plate placed outside the window was used to alter the temperature distribution until its effect on the wavefront was negligible. The more practical solution was to measure the window power with an interferometer, and compensate for it by shifting the target reticle of the collimator.
Characteristics and Frequency of Weak Stellar Impulses of the Oort Cloud

Abstract We have developed a model of the response of the outer Oort cloud of comets to simultaneous tidal perturbations of the adiabatic galactic force and a stellar impulse. The six-dimensional phase space of near-parabolic comet orbital elements has been subdivided into cells. A mapping of the evolution of these elements from beyond the loss cylinder boundary into the inner planetary region over the course of a single orbit is possible. This is done by treating each perturbation separately, and in combination, during a time interval of 5 Myr. We then obtain the time dependence of a wide range of observable comet flux characteristics, which provides a fingerprint of the dynamics. These include the flux distributions of energy, perihelion distance, major axis orientation, and angular momentum orientation. Correlations between these variables are also determined. We show that substantive errors occur if one superposes the separately obtained flux results of the galactic tide and the stellar impulse rather than superposing the tidal and impulsive perturbations in a single analysis. Detailed illustrations are given for an example case where the stellar mass and relative velocity have the ratio M∗/Vrel=0.043 M⊙/km s−1 and the solar impact parameter is 45,000 AU. This case has features similar to the impending Gliese 710 impulse with the impact parameter selected to be close to the low end of the predicted range. We find that the peak in the observable comet flux exceeds that due to the galactic tide alone by ≈41%. We also present results for the time dependence of the flux enhancements and for the mean encounter frequency of weak stellar impulse events as functions of M∗/Vrel and solar impact parameter.
Observation of the energy transfer sequence in an organic host–guest system of a luminescent polymer and a phosphorescent molecule

Abstract We used steady state optical spectroscopies such as photoluminescence and photoinduced absorption (PA), and magnetic-field PA (MPA) for studying the energy transfer dynamics in films and organic light emitting diodes (OLED) based on host–guest blends with different guest concentrations of the fluorescent polymer poly-[2-methoxy, 5-(2′-ethyl-hexyloxy)phenylene vinylene] (MEHPPV-host), and phosphorescent molecule PtII-tetraphenyltetrabenzoporphyrin [Pt(tpbp); guest]. We show that the energy transfer process between the excited states of the host polymer and guest molecule takes a ‘ping-pong’ type sequence, because the lowest guest triplet exciton energy, E T (guest), lies higher than that of the host, E T (host). Upon photon excitation the photogenerated singlet excitons in the host polymer chains first undergo a Forster resonant energy transfer process to the guest singlet manifold, which subsequently reaches E T (guest) by intersystem crossing. Because E T (guest)>E T (host) there is a subsequent Dexter type energy transfer from E T (guest) to E T (host). This energy transfer sequence has profound influence on the photoluminescence and electroluminescence emission spectra in both films and OLED devices based on the MEHPPV-Pt(tpbp) system.
The Tourniquet in Surgery A Review

The tourniquet can be a valuable tool during surgery on extremities. However, its use is not without clanger. Tourniquet ischemia causes profound changes in tissue and venous pH, PO2, and PCO2 concentrations. An increased bleeding tendency has been noted in dogs after 4 hours of tourniquet ischemia. Muscular damage and nerve palsies are also important complicating factors. The inflation pressure should be the minimum that provides a bloodless field, and pressures greater than 300 mm Hg should be avoided. Duration of use should be minimized, and probably should not exceed 3 hours. A pneumatic tourniquet should be used. An Esmarch bandage should be used only to expel venous blood from the limb and not as a tourniquet device. The inflation and deflation time should be recorded. Previous planning of the operation will allow the surgeon to maximize usefulness of the ischemic period. The surgeon must ensure that the tourniquet has been removed after an operation.
A retraction problem in graph theory

Abstract Given two graphs G = ( X , E ), H = ( Y , F ); If A ⊂ X and if f is a function from A to Y , we pose the problem of deciding if f can be extended into a homomorphism from G to H . We know how to solve this problem when H is, for instance, a tree, or a chordal graph. We give here a solution to this problem when g is a planar graph and H is a cycle of G ; The solution involves homotopy techniques.
The Influence of Salinity on Seagrass Growth, Survivorship, and Distribution within Biscayne Bay, Florida: Field, Experimental, and Modeling Studies

We evaluate if the distribution and abundance ofThalassia testudinum, Syringodium filiforme, andHalodule wrightii within Biscayne Bay, Florida, are influenced by salinity regimes using, a combination of field surveys, salinity exposure experiments, and a seagrass simulation model. Surveys conducted in June 2001 revealed that whileT. testudinum is found throughout Biscayne Bay (84% of sites surveyed),S. filiforme andH wrightii have distributions limited mainly to the Key Biscayne area.H. wrightii can also be found in areas influenced by canal discharge. The exposure of seagrasses to short-term salinity pulses (14 d, 5–45‰) within microcosms showed species-specific susceptibility to the salinity treatments. Maximum growth rates forT testudinum were observed near oceanic salinity values (30–40‰) and lowest growth rates at extreme values (5‰ and 45‰).S. filiforme was the most susceptible seagrass species; maximum growth rates for this species were observed at 25‰ and dropped dramatically at higher and lower salinity.H. wrightii was the most tolerant, growing well at all salinity levels. Establishing the relationship between seagrass abundance and distribution and salinity is especially relevant in South Florida where freshwater deliveries into coastal bays are influenced by water management practices. The seagrass model developed by Fong and Harwell (1994) and modified here to include a shortterm salinity response function suggests that freshwater inputs and associated decreases in salinity in nearshore areas influence the distribution and growth of single species as well as modify competitive interactions so that species replacements may occur. Our simulations indicate that although growth rates ofT. testudinum decrease when salinity is lowered, this species can still be a dominant component of nearshore communities as confirmed by our surveys. Only when mean salinity values are drastically lowered in a hypothetical restoration scenario isH. wrightii able to outcompeteT. testudinum.