cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computer-aided detection of renal calculi from noncontrast CT images using TV-flow and MSER features.

Purpose: Renal calculi are common extracolonic incidental findings on computed tomographic colonography (CTC). This work aims to develop a fully automated computer-aided diagnosis system to accurately detect renal calculi on CTC images. Methods: The authors developed a total variation (TV) flow method to reduce image noise within the kidneys while maintaining the characteristic appearance of renal calculi. Maximally stable extremal region (MSER) features were then calculated to robustly identify calculi candidates. Finally, the authors computed texture and shape features that were imported to support vector machines for calculus classification. The method was validated on a dataset of 192 patients and compared to a baseline approach that detects calculi by thresholding. The authors also compared their method with the detection approaches using anisotropic diffusion and nonsmoothing. Results: At a false positive rate of 8 per patient, the sensitivities of the new method and the baseline thresholding approach were 69% and 35% (p < 1e − 3) on all calculi from 1 to 433 mm3 in the testing dataset. The sensitivities of the detection methods using anisotropic diffusion and nonsmoothing were 36% and 0%, respectively. The sensitivity of the new method increased to 90% if only larger and more clinically relevant calculi were considered. Conclusions: Experimental results demonstrated that TV-flow and MSER features are efficient means to robustly and accurately detect renal calculi on low-dose, high noise CTC images. Thus, the proposed method can potentially improve diagnosis.
Gene expression in euploid human hybrid cells: Ouabain resistance is codominant

Single-step mutations to ouabain resistance have been induced in Lesch-Nyhan diploid fibroblasts carrying a variant G6PD isozyme (OuaR/HGPRT-/G6PDA).Two of these mutant strains, differing in the degree of ouabain resistance, were fused with wildtype human diploid fibroblasts (Ouas/HGPRT+/G6PDB)and hybrids isolated in doubly selective medium, ouabain + HAT (HOT). Four hybrids, identified by G6PD heteropolymers and stable tetraploid karyotypes, expressed ouabain resistance intermediate to that of the parents. The degree of ouabain resistance was influenced by the specific mutant allele of the OuaRparent, indicating both mutant and wildtype alleles are simultaneously expressed in hybrid cells. Intraspecific hybrids of this kind are especially suited to studies of gene regulation because all relevant genes are present and the number of alleles at each locus is known.
Prevention of immune complex disease (Serum Sickness) by antagonists of vasoactive amines

Antagonists of vasocative amines prevent localization of circulating immune complexes in rabbits, thereby preventing acute or chronic serum sickness (S.S.) and causing amelioration of chronic complex-induced glomerulonephritis. The opportunity to apply these observations to the human has been afforded by a recent epidemic of diphtheria. We have studied 119 hospitalized individuals who each received 20–100,000 u of equine diphtheria antitoxin. Every patient was randomly selected to receive either placebo or one of two antagonists of histamine and serotonin, cyproheptadine (Periactin) or hydroxyzine HCI (Atarax). The oral medications were taken from the 4th through 16th day after antitoxin, in doses adequate to maintain continuous therapeutic blood levels of drug. Data on 100 cases are complete. None of 15 placebo or 27 drug-treated children under age 10 had S.S. Six of 23 (26.1%) older placebo-treated patients developed S.S., lasting 2–5 days. Of the 29 Periactin and 6 Atarax patients over age 9, only 2 (5.7%) manifested definite S.S. Serum hemolytic complement activity was lowered in most of the cases with S.S., but was low in many individuals without S.S. in the second week after antitoxin. Studies of horse globulin elimination and serum immune complexes should clarify the pathogenetic mechanisms. These preliminary findings suggest that S.S. in humans can be prevented by antagonists of permeability factors required for the passive deposition of circulating immune complexes, and that this approach deserves evaluation in the management of chronic immune complex diseases.
Rhetoric resituated at the end of philosophy

The central claim of this essay is that philosophy and rhetoric need to be disseminated as autonomous and self‐regulating bodies of knowledge through a deconstruction of their formalized methodologies and categorical schemes. The end result is a reunion of philosophy and rhetoric as complementing voices in the conversation of mankind, sharing a common origin in a hermeneutical space of discourse and action.
Listening or telling? Thoughts on responsiblity in clinical ethics consultation

This article reviews the historical and current controversies about the nature of clinical ethics consultation, as a way to focus on the place and responsibility of ethics consultants within the context of clinical conversation — interpreted as a form of dialogue. These matters are approached through a particularly compelling instance of the controversy that involves several major figures in the field. The analysis serves to highlight very significant questions of the nature and constraints of clinical situations, and the moral responsibility and legal accountability that are especially important for clinical ethics consultants.
SANS, FRET, and ESR Reveal <6nm Domains in Brain Sphingomyelin-Containing Membrane Models

Membrane raft size measurements are crucial to understanding the stability and functionality of rafts in cells. The challenge of accurately measuring raft size is evidenced by the disparate nanometer-to-micron sizes of coexisting liquid domains that have been reported for the biologically relevant model membrane system SM (sphingomyelin)/POPC (1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn -glycero-3-phosphocholine)/Chol (cholesterol). By combining three techniques with different spatial sensitivities, electron spin resonance (ESR), Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET), and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), we have significantly narrowed the uncertainty in domain size estimates for bSM (porcine brain SM)/POPC/Chol mixtures. Compositional trends in ESR and FRET data indicate domains, while SANS reports complete miscibility, consistent with the presence of domains no larger than approx. 6 nm radius at 25C in bSM/POPC/Chol. Upon replacing the natural SM mixture with synthetic palmitoyl SM, SANS reports coexisting liquid domains. As shown in the figure, PSM/POPC/Chol = 39/39/22 exhibits enhanced scattering indicative of coexisting domains at 15 and 25C (circles, triangles). Minimal scattering at high temperature (squares, diamonds) indicates nearly random mixing at 45 and 55C.View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint Slide
Digestibility and energy values of intact, disrupted and extracts from brewer's dried yeast fed to rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Abstract Although fish meal has historically been used as the primary source of protein in fish feeds, brewer's dried yeast (BDY) is presently being investigated as a primary replacement for fish meal. As little is known about the ability of fish to utilize BDY, studies were conducted to study bioavailability of intact BDY as well as several fractions derived from the disrupted yeast to rainbow trout. Dried BDY was fed to rainbow trout and digestibility and energy values were determined. When the yeast cells were fully disrupted, the absorption of nitrogen increased by more than 20% and the metabolizable energy of the yeast by more than 10%. Energy and nitrogen digestibility were further increased after the removal of all wall material and separation of nitrogen into amino acid and nucleic acid fractions. Disruption of the cell wall significantly increased the nutritional value of BDY for salmonid fishes. The findings suggest that further research be conducted on the use and economy of BDY as a primary nitrogen source in fish feeds.
The fruits of occupation: food and Germany's occupation of Romania in the First World War

This article explores the multiple fashions in which food and the pursuit of food structured the policy and experience of occupation in Romania during the First World War. It compares the occupation regime to systems of grain acquisition before the war and during the period of Romanian neutrality to emphasize the depth of state intervention in the economy during occupation. It also emphasizes the impact of this regime on the behaviour of German and Habsburg soldiers and the costs for Romanian civilians.
Effects of gender difference on cardiac myocyte dysfunction in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

The main characteristics of type 1 diabetic cardiomyopathy include depressed contractility and altered electrophysiological properties in ventricular myocytes. The goal of the present study was to determine the potential influence of gender in the diabetes-induced pathogenesis of ventricular myocyte function. Diabetes in both male and female rats was induced by a single intravenous injection of streptozotocin (STZ). Diabetic rats exhibited hyperglycemia and reduced body weight gain in both male and female groups. Neither contractile profiles nor activity of three types of K+ channels of ventricular myocytes was significantly different between nondiabetic male and female rats. Ventricular myocytes isolated from diabetic rats exhibited significant depression in cell contraction and relaxation, which was associated with depression of intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) transient. The degrees of contractile depression were comparable in ventricular myocytes obtained from both male and female diabetic rats. Similarly, diabetes depressed three types of outward K+ currents (Ito, Ik, and Iss) to the same extent in both gender myocytes. These data demonstrate that in this animal model of diabetes, gender difference in cardiac myocyte functions was eliminated.
MAP fusion method for superresolution of images with locally varying pixel quality

Superresolution is a procedure that produces a high-resolution image from a set of low-resolution images. Many of superresolution techniques are designed for optical cameras, which produce pixel values of well-defined uncertainty, while there are still various imaging modalities for which the uncertainty of the images is difficult to control. To construct a superresolution image from low-resolution images with varying uncertainty, one needs to keep track of the uncertainty values in addition to the pixel values. In this paper, we develop a probabilistic approach to superresolution to address the problem of varying uncertainty. As direct computation of the analytic solution for the superresolution problem is difficult, we suggest a novel algorithm for computing the approximate solution. As this algorithm is a noniterative method based on Kalman filter-like recursion relations, there is a potential for real-time implementation of the algorithm. To show the efficiency of our method, we apply this algorithm to a video sequence acquired by a forward looking sonar system. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 18, 242–250, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com).
Photoinduced Reduction of Nootkatone

SUMMARY: Photolysis of the principal flavoring constituent of grapefruit, nootkatone, in methanol gave rise to a number of compounds. One of them has been isolated and shown to be 1,10-dihydronootkatone.
Medical device processing development based on rheology and thermal analysis

Abstract A case history for the process development of an injection molded polyester alloy medical device was presented. It was determined that traditional molecular weight determinations was difficult and not easily correlated with performance. However, a rheological parameter, the steady shear viscosity was found to control the failure rate with good predictive power. In the course of the investigation, it was also found that moisture level much lower than what was called for was required to insure good molecular weight retention and prevent failures. A modified ASTM melt flow procedure was developed that facilitated date comparison between multiple sites along the production path for `defect free' production.
A reliable approach to automatic assessment of short answer free responses

This paper discusses an innovative approach to the computer assisted scoring of student responses in WebLAS (web-based language assessment system)- a language assessment system delivered entirely over the web. Expected student responses are limited production free response questions.The portions of WebLAS with which we are concerned are the task creation and scoring modules. Within the task creation module, instructors and language experts do not only provide the task input and prompt. More importantly, they interactively inform the system how and how much to score student responses. This interaction consists of WebLAS' natural language processing (NLP) modules searching for alternatives of the provided "gold standard" (Hirschman et al, 2000) answer and asking for confirmation of score assignment. WebLAS processes and stores all this information within its database, to be used in the task delivery and scoring phases.
Content based file type detection algorithms

Identifying the true type of a computer file can be a difficult problem. Previous methods of file type recognition include fixed file extensions, fixed "magic numbers" stored with the files, and proprietary descriptive file wrappers. All of these methods have significant limitations. This paper proposes algorithms for automatically generating "fingerprints" of file types based on a set of known input files, then using the fingerprints to recognize the true type of unknown files based on their content, rather than metadata associated with them. Recognition is performed by three different algorithms based on: byte frequency analysis, byte frequency cross-correlation analysis, and file header/trailer analysis. Tests were run to measure the accuracy of these algorithms. The accuracy varied from 23% to 96% depending upon which algorithm was used. These algorithms could be used by virus scanning packages, firewalls, intrusion detection systems, forensic analyses of computer hard drives, Web browsers, or any other program that needs to identify the types of files for proper operation. File type detection is also important to the operating systems for correct identification and handling of files regardless of file extension.
Thermochromic VO2 sputtered by control of a vanadium-oxygen emission ratio

Abstract The objective of this work is to deposit and characterize coatings containing primarily the VO 2 phase. This phase has a thermochromic semiconductor to metal transition at 68°C. The VO 2 thus becomes more reflective and conductive above the transition temperature. One application uses the change in infrared optical properties for thermal switches near room temperature. Precise stoichiometry is required to deposit VO 2 coatings because of competition from other oxide phases. To achieve this stoichiometric control we deposited VO 2 by controlling a plasma emission ratio of vanadium and oxygen. The emission ratio was processed in real time for feedback control. The feedback involved increasing or decreasing the oxygen flow to maintain a desired ratio. Direct current reactive magnetron sputtering was used with a constant current power supply. We varied the deposition temperature between 350 and 650°C and the amount of oxygen injected into the system from 3.0–3.8 sccm. X-Ray, resistance and reflectance measurements verified that the majority phase of the coatings was VO 2 . The resistance results showed a change of about three orders of magnitude due to the semiconductor to metal transition. The reflectance results showed emittance changes in the infrared between 61.2 and 90%, so this is an excellent material for a thermal switch. Space simulation exposures showed that these films could withstand between 3.7 and 37.2 years in space without forming other phases but that their emittance would degrade during this time.
Reduced mitogenicity of sera following weight loss in premenopausal women

We investigated whether serum from normal weight women is less mitogenic and more apoptotic than sera from the same women in the overweight state. Sera from premenopausal women, age (mean ± SEE) 34.6 ± 0.53 years, who were randomized to caloric restriction (CR) (n = 13), CR + aerobic exercise (AE) (n = 14), or CR + resistance training (RT) (n = 20) were used to culture endometrial cancer cells. Phases of the cell cycle were determined, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) positivity was used to assess proliferation and apoptosis was assessed by determining cleaved caspase-3 and poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP). Analyses showed that overall, cells grown in sera from the weight-reduced state had significantly more cells in G0/G1 and significantly fewer cells in the S and G2/M phases of the cell cycle than cells grown in sera from the overweight state. PCNA staining confirmed that cells grown in sera from the weight-reduced state had fewer proliferating cells. Cleaved caspase-3 and PARP were not different in cells grown in sera from the weight-reduced state compared to the overweight state. We conclude that weight loss with or without exercise could lower the risk for cancer through changes in serum that result in reduced cellular mitogenicity.
How Anthrax Kills

It was with great interest that I read the report “Proteolytic inactivation of MAP-kinase-kinase by anthrax lethal factor ” by Nicholas S. Duesbery et al . (1 May, [p. 734][1]) and Evelyn Strauss's excellent accompanying Research News article “New clue to how anthrax kills” (1 May, [p. 676][
Falling in love with a book

(1990). Falling in love with a book. Journal of Criminal Justice Education: Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 245-254.
Removing user fees for basic health services: a pilot study and national roll-out in Afghanistan

Background User fees for primary care tend to suppress utilization, and many countries are experimenting with fee removal. Studies show that additional inputs are needed after removing fees, although well-documented experiences are lacking. This study presents data on the effects of fee removal on facility quality and utilization in Afghanistan, based on a pilot experiment and subsequent nationwide ban on fees. Methods Data on utilization and observed structural and perceived overall quality of health care were compared from before-and-after facility assessments, patient exit interviews and catchment area household surveys from eight facilities where fees were removed and 14 facilities where fee levels remained constant, as part of a larger health financing pilot study from 2005 to 2007. After a national user fee ban was instituted in 2008, health facility administrative data were analysed to assess subsequent changes in utilization and quality. Results The pilot study analysis indicated that observed and perceived quality increased across facilities but did not differ by fee removal status. Difference-in-difference analysis showed that utilization at facilities previously charging both service and drug fees increased by 400% more after fee removal, prompting additional inputs from service providers, compared with facilities that previously only charged service fees or had no change in fees (P = 0.001). Following the national fee ban, visits for curative care increased significantly (P < 0.001), but institutional deliveries did not. Services typically free before the ban—immunization and antenatal care—had immediate increases in utilization but these were not sustained. Conclusion Both pilot and nationwide data indicated that curative care utilization increased following fee removal, without differential changes in quality. Concerns raised by non-governmental organizations, health workers and community leaders over the effects of lost revenue and increased utilization require continued effort to raise revenues, monitor health worker and patient perceptions, and carefully manage health facility performance.
Genetic network analysis by quasi-bayesian method.

Genetic network analysis provides an important statistical strategy for the study of gene–gene interactions. Although existing methods work well in practice, several opportunities for improvement remain. For example, the regulation coefficients of some of the existing methods are not easy to solve, nor are the solutions they provide unique. Also, as genetic network analysis are typically applied to small datasets with large number of parameters, having prior knowledge about the parameters is valuable and should be incorporated into the analysis. The uniqueness of the parameter estimate and computational simplicity are also desirable in practice. To address these problems, we considered a quasi-Bayesian method for the analysis of gene regulatory networks by a multivariate linear model in which the data distribution is a quasi-likelihood, and the inference is Bayesian. This method incorporates prior information on the regulatory relationships; the set of regulation coefficients has a unique closed-form solution, and is very simple to compute. The model is evaluated by simulation and illustrated using a real dataset. This method is simple to use, permits information updating, is flexible to incorporate desired features, and has closed-form solution. Simulation studies show that the model fits the data quite well.
Echocardographic features of papillary fibroelastoma and their consequences and management

Thirty-five percent of patients (5 of 15) were diagnosed with ischemic stroke from left-sided papillary fibroelastomas by diagnosis of exclusion, whereas 40% of patients (6 of 15) did not have ischemic stroke.
The μ-opioid receptor down-regulates differently from the δ-opioid receptor: Requirement of a high affinity receptor/G protein complex formation

Chronic opioid treatment of Neuro2A cells stably expressing either delta-opioid receptor (DOR) or mu-opioid receptor (MOR) resulted in agonist-dependent receptor down-regulation. Although there is high homology in the DOR and MOR amino acid sequences, there is an apparent difference in the regulation of the cellular levels of these two receptors. The ability of 24-hr [D-Pen2,D-Pen5]enkephalin (DPDPE) treatment to internalize and down-regulate DORs expressed in Neuro2A remained intact after pertussis toxin (PTX) pretreatment, which uncouples the receptor from G proteins. In contrast, the ability of [D-Ala2,N-MePhe4,Gly-ol5]enkephalin (DAMGO) to internalize and down-regulate MORs in Neuro2A cells was completely abolished by PTX pretreatment. The requirement of functional MOR but not DOR in agonist-induced receptor down-regulation was further demonstrated by site-directed mutagenesis of the receptors. When Asp114 in transmembrane 2 of MOR was converted to alanine, the ability was abolished of DAMGO or morphine to inhibit forskolin-stimulated [3H]cAMP production in Neuro2A cells stably expressing this mutant receptor. There was a parallel decrease in agonist affinity and elimination of the agonist-induced receptor down-regulation. On the other hand, although the equivalent mutation of Asp95 to alanine in DOR likewise resulted in the inability of DPDPE to inhibit [3H]cAMP production, the ability of DPDPE to down-regulate this mutant receptor after 24-hr treatment was unaffected. This difference in MOR and DOR down-regulation could be caused by the differences in the ability of these two receptors to form high affinity complexes with G proteins. DOR retained the ability to form high affinity complexes even after PTX pretreatment or after mutation of Asp95 in transmembrane 2. In contrast, MOR existed only in the low affinity, uncoupled state after PTX pretreatment or after conversion of Asp114 to alanine. Therefore, in Neuro2A cells, agonist-induced opioid receptor down-regulation seems to depend directly on the formation of the high affinity receptor complexes and not on the activation of the receptors and subsequent transduction of the signals.
ADMISSIBILITY OF VISCOUS-DISPERSIVE SYSTEMS

We consider the class of viscous-dispersive and higher-order conservation laws. We generalize the work of Kawashima and Shizuta, and others, by extending to higher-order the notions of symmetrizability, strict dissipativity, and genuine coupling. We prove, for symmetrizable systems, that strict dissipativity is equivalent to both (i) genuine coupling and (ii) the existence of a skew-symmetric compensating function.
GPU-based Real-Time Execution of Vehicular Mobility Models in Large-Scale Road Network Scenarios

A methodology and its associated algorithms are presented for mapping a novel, field-based vehicular mobility model onto graphical processing unit computational platform for simulating mobility in large-scale road networks. Of particular focus is the achievement of real-time execution, on desktop platforms, of vehicular mobility on road networks comprised of millions of nodes and links, and multi-million counts of simultaneously active vehicles. The methodology is realized in a system called GARFIELD, whose implementation details and performance study are described. The runtime characteristics of a prototype implementation are presented that show real-time performance in simulations of networks at the scale of a few states of the US road networks.
Micro-Spec: an ultracompact, high-sensitivity spectrometer for far-infrared and submillimeter astronomy

High-performance, integrated spectrometers operating in the far-infrared and sub-millimeter promise to be powerful tools for the exploration of the epochs of reionization and initial galaxy formation. These devices, using high-efficiency superconducting transmission lines, can achieve the performance of a meter-scale grating spectrometer in an instrument implemented on a four-inch silicon wafer. Such a device, when combined with a cryogenic telescope in space, provides an enabling capability for studies of the early universe. Here, the optical design process for Micro-Spec (mu-Spec) is presented, with particular attention given to its two-dimensional diffractive region, where the light of different wavelengths is focused on the different detectors. The method is based on the stigmatization and minimization of the light path function in this bounded region, which results in an optimized geometrical configuration. A point design with an efficiency of approx. 90% has been developed for initial demonstration, and can serve as the basis for future instruments. Design variations on this implementation are also discussed, which can lead to lower efficiencies due to diffractive losses in the multimode region.
Risk factors for bleeding in pediatric post-cardiotomy patients requiring ECLS.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE There is limited literature documenting bleeding patterns in pediatric post-cardiotomy patients on extracorporeal life support (ECLS). This retrospective review details bleeding complications and identifies risk factors for bleeding in these patients. METHODS Records from 145 patients were reviewed. Patients were divided into excessive (E) and non-excessive (NE) bleeding groups based on blood loss. RESULTS Excessive bleeding occurred predominantly from 0-6h. Longer CPB duration (NE=174+/-8 min; E=212+/-16; p=0.02) and lower platelet counts (NE=104.8+/-50K; E=84.3+/-41K; p=0.01) were associated with excessive bleeding during the first 6h (p=0.005). Use of intraoperative protamine with normal platelets was associated with decreased bleeding from 7-12 h post-ECLS (p=0.002). Most mediastinal exploration occurred > 49 h post-ECLS, with decreased bleeding post-exploration in E patients. CONCLUSIONS The majority of pediatric post-cardiotomy ECLS bleeding occurs early after support initiation. Longer CPB time and thrombocytopenia increased bleeding 0-6h post-ECLS. Since early bleeding may be coagulopathic in origin, an approach to minimize bleeding includes protamine administration and aggressive blood product replacement with target platelet counts of 100-120K. Surgical exploration should follow if additional hemostasis is necessary.
Kinematics and Host-Galaxy Properties Suggest a Nuclear Origin for Calcium-Rich Supernova Progenitors

Calcium-rich supernovae (Ca-rich SNe) are peculiar low-luminosity SNe Ib with relatively strong Ca spectral lines at ~2 months after peak brightness. This class also has an extended projected offset distribution, with several members of the class offset from their host galaxies by 30 - 150 kpc. There is no indication of any stellar population at the SN positions. Using a sample of 13 Ca-rich SNe, we present kinematic evidence that the progenitors of Ca-rich SNe originate near the centers of their host galaxies and are kicked to the locations of the SN explosions. Specifically, SNe with small projected offsets have large line-of-sight velocity shifts as determined by nebular lines, while those with large projected offsets have no significant velocity shifts. Therefore, the velocity shifts must not be primarily the result of the SN explosion. There is an excess of SNe with blueshifted velocity shifts within two isophotal radii (5/6 SNe), indicating that the SNe are moving away from their host galaxies and redshifted SNe on the far sides of their galaxies are selectively missed in SN surveys. Additionally, nearly every Ca-rich SN is hosted by a galaxy with indications of a recent merger and/or is in a dense environment. We propose a progenitor model which fits all current data: The progenitor system for a Ca-rich SN is a double white dwarf (WD) system where at least one WD has a significant He abundance. This system, through an interaction with a super-massive black hole (SMBH) is ejected from its host galaxy and the binary is hardened, significantly reducing the merger time. After 10 - 100 Myr (on average), the system explodes with a large physical offset. The rate for such events is significantly enhanced for galaxies which have undergone recent mergers, potentially making Ca-rich SNe new probes of both the galaxy merger rate and (binary) SMBH population. (abridged)
Denosumab: Second Chapter in Controlling Bone Metastases or a New Book?

Boney involvement develops in approximately 73% of patients with metastatic breast carcinoma, 68% of patients with prostate can- cer, and in nearly all patients with multiple myeloma. 1 Before the introduction of bisphosphonates, patients with carcinoma that had metastasized to bones were often hospitalized for skeletal-related events (SREs) such as pain, hypercalcemia, spinal cord compromise, andpathologicfractures,whichledtosignificantmorbidityandmor- tality, reduced quality of life, and high cost of care. Randomized trials show that bisphosphonates, including pamidronate and zoledronic acid,significantlydecreasetheincidenceofSREsinpatientswithbone metastases. 2-4 TheUSFoodandDrugAdministrationapprovedthese compoundsforthetreatmentofmetastaticbonediseaseintheUnited States, and both agents were quickly adopted in clinical practice. Two other bisphosphonates, clodronate and ibandronate, have been ap- provedoutsideoftheUnitedStatesfortreatmentofpatientswithbone metastases (Table 1). Metastatic bone lesions can be osteolytic (bone destruction that results from increased bone resorption), osteoblastic (increased bone formation), or both. Metastatic bone disease associated with breast cancer is often predominantly osteolytic, whereas lesions from pros- tatecancerarepredominantlyosteoblastic.However,bonemetastases
Binary-black-hole initial data with nearly extremal spins

There is a significant possibility that astrophysical black holes with nearly extremal spins exist. Numerical simulations of such systems require suitable initial data. In this paper, we examine three methods of constructing binary-black-hole initial data, focusing on their ability to generate black holes with nearly extremal spins: (i) Bowen-York initial data, including standard puncture data (based on conformal flatness and Bowen-York extrinsic curvature), (ii) standard quasiequilibrium initial data (based on the extended-conformal-thin-sandwich equations, conformal flatness, and maximal slicing), and (iii) quasiequilibrium data based on the superposition of Kerr-Schild metrics. We find that the two conformally flat methods (i) and (ii) perform similarly, with spins up to about 0.99 obtainable at the initial time. However, in an evolution, we expect the spin to quickly relax to a significantly smaller value around 0.93 as the initial geometry relaxes. For quasiequilibrium superposed Kerr-Schild data [method (iii)], we construct initial data with initial spins as large as 0.9997. We evolve superposed Kerr-Schild data sets with spins of 0.93 and 0.97 and find that the spin drops by only a few parts in 10^4 during the initial relaxation; therefore, we expect that superposed Kerr-Schild initial data will allow evolutions of binary black holes with relaxed spins above 0.99. Along the way to these conclusions, we also present several secondary results: the power-law coefficients with which the spin of puncture initial data approaches its maximal possible value; approximate analytic solutions for large spin puncture data; embedding diagrams for single spinning black holes in methods (i) and (ii); nonunique solutions for method (ii). All of the initial-data sets that we construct contain subextremal black holes, and when we are able to push the spin of the excision boundary surface into the superextremal regime, the excision surface is always enclosed by a second, subextremal apparent horizon. The quasilocal spin is measured by using approximate rotational Killing vectors, and the spin is also inferred from the extrema of the intrinsic scalar curvature of the apparent horizon. Both approaches are found to give consistent results, with the approximate-Killing-vector spin showing the least variation during the initial relaxation.
An optimal control approach for deformable registration

This paper addresses large-displacement-diffeomorphic mapping registration from an optimal control perspective. This viewpoint leads to two complementary formulations. One approach requires the explicit computation of coordinate maps, whereas the other is formulated strictly in the image domain (thus making it also applicable to manifolds which require multiple coordinate charts). We discuss their intrinsic relation as well as the advantages and disadvantages of the two approaches. Further, we propose a novel formulation for unbiased image registration, which naturally extends to the case of time-series of images. We discuss numerical implementation details and carefully evaluate the properties of the alternative algorithms.
Friend or Freund: Social Media and Transnational Connections in Berlin

Transnational social media have become entwined in daily life in places like Berlin, articulating and facilitating social relationships at different geographic levels. As media technologies circulate transnationally, the relationship is changing between online communication practices and everyday experiences of place. This article contributes to transnational studies of HCI by rethinking how online practices shape geographic connections in contemporary Europe, especially regional German affiliations, local friendships, and translocal communities of interest. Drawing on ethnographic research with clusters of friends in Berlin and online, I examine how users participated in multiple networks in ways that transformed the meaning and experience of the local, regional, or transnational as spatial scales. This approach to transnational HCI calls attention to the uneven ways in which social media circulate according to implicitly American notions of friendship and sociality. German and other European users contended with Facebook categories that reflected culturally specific American interaction norms, often eliding or overlooking German language distinctions and understandings. The findings highlight how social media encode dominant cultural norms and reshape the experience of the local, global, and transnational in everyday life.
LS-SNP: large-scale annotation of coding non-synonymous SNPs based on multiple information sources

Motivation: The NCBI dbSNP database lists over 9 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the human genome, but currently contains limited annotation information. SNPs that result in amino acid residue changes (nsSNPs) are of critical importance in variation between individuals, including disease and drug sensitivity. Results: We have developed LS-SNP, a genomic scale software pipeline to annotate nsSNPs. LS-SNP comprehensively maps nsSNPs onto protein sequences, functional pathways and comparative protein structure models, and predicts positions where nsSNPs destabilize proteins, interfere with the formation of domain--domain interfaces, have an effect on protein--ligand binding or severely impact human health. It currently annotates 28 043 validated SNPs that produce amino acid residue substitutions in human proteins from the SwissProt/TrEMBL database. Annotations can be viewed via a web interface either in the context of a genomic region or by selecting sets of SNPs, genes, proteins or pathways. These results are useful for identifying candidate functional SNPs within a gene, haplotype or pathway and in probing molecular mechanisms responsible for functional impacts of nsSNPs. Availability: http://www.salilab.org/LS-SNP Contact: rachelk@salilab.org Supplementary information: http://salilab.org/LS-SNP/supp-info.pdf
Diagnostic Accuracy of Ureteroscopic Biopsy in Upper Tract Transitional Cell Carcinoma

ABSTRACTPurpose: Our aim was to determine the accuracy of ureteroscopic biopsies and cytological techniques compared to open surgical specimens of upper tract transitional cell carcinoma.Materials and Methods: From 1985 to 1995, 51 cases of upper tract transitional cell carcinoma were diagnosed ureteroscopically and distal ureterectomy or nephroureterectomy was performed. Each patient underwent direct ureteroscopic inspection and biopsy. Fresh samples were delivered to the cytopathology laboratory, where they were examined using cytospin and smear. A cell block was prepared when visible tissue was present. Grades of ureteroscopic biopsies were compared to grades and stages of surgical specimens in 42 cases.Results: Cytological evaluation was positive for malignancy in 48 of the 51 cases (94.1%). Grading of ureteroscopic specimens was possible in 42 cases (82.4%). Transitional cell carcinoma grade on ureteroscopy accurately predicted tumor grade and stage in the surgical specimens. Of 30 low or moderate gr...
Inverter light triggered thyristor with unique arm-structure amplifying gate

A 1200-V 200-A directly light triggered thyristor suitable for inverter application has been developed. A new amplifying gate design with a second amplifying stage was used in achieving a factor of 15 to 50 increase in gate sensitivity without any loss in dV/dt capability and only a small (less than a factor of two) reduction in device di/dt rating, despite a ten times smaller initial turn-on line length. In all, three versions were made with gate threshold currents down to 1 mA and dV/dt capabilities to 1000 V/µs. All three types had 60-Hz di/dt capabilitLes of about 250 A/µs at 125 deg T J and turn-off times of approximately 25 µs. The new light sensitive amplifying gate stage design features a gate thyristor region with extending arms for high gate sensitivity, the inner portion of which is just large enough to accommodate initial on-region spreading duriag the short on-time of the gate stage. The arms increase gate sensitivity while contributing very little to the overall dV/dt current. The turn-on speed can be accounted for by most of the inner region being turned on by the photogate pulse. Like regular electrically fired thyristors, a gate overdrive factor is important. With these devices an overdrive factor of about 3 to 5 is needed for high di/dt turn-on whereas in an electrically triggered device this factor is closer to 10.
Speedups of ergodic group extensions of -actions

We define what it means to ‘speed up’ a-measure-preserving dynamical system, and prove that given any ergodic extension Tσ of a -measure-preserving action by a locally compact, second countable group G, and given any second G-extension Sσ of an aperiodic -measure-preserving action, there is a relative speedup of Tσ, which is relatively isomorphic to Sσ. Furthermore, we show that given any neighbourhood of the identity element of G, the aforementioned speedup can be constructed so that the transfer function associated with the isomorphism between the speedup and Sσ almost surely takes values only in that neighbourhood.
An electrophysiological index of stimulus unfamiliarity

This study investigated the functional significance of the N2 response to novel stimuli. In one condition, background, target, and deviant stimuli were simple geometric figures. In a second condition, all stimulus types were unfamiliar/unusual figures. In a third condition, background and target stimuli were unusual figures and deviant stimuli were simple shapes. Unusual figures, whether they were deviant, target, or background stimuli, evoked larger N2 responses than their simple, familiar counterparts. N2 elicited by an unusual background stimulus was larger than that evoked by simple, deviant stimuli, a pattern opposite that exhibited by the subsequent P3. Deviance from immediate context had limited influence over N2 amplitude. The results suggest that novelty N2 and novelty P3 reflect the processing of different aspects of "novel" visual stimuli. The novelty P3 is particularly sensitive to deviation from immediate context. In contrast, the novelty N2 is sensitive to deviation from long-term context that renders a stimulus unfamiliar and difficult to encode.
Unusual structural features in the parallel beta-helix in pectate lyases.

Abstract Background: A new type of domain structure, an all parallel β class, has recently been observed in two pectate lyases, PelC and PelE. The atomic models have been analyzed to determine whether the new tertiary fold exhibits unusual structural features. Results: The polypeptide backbone exhibits no new types of secondary structural elements. However, novel features occur in the amino acid side chain interactions. The side chain atoms form linear stacks that include asparagine ladders, serine stacks, aliphatic stacks, and ringed-residue stacks. A new type of β-sandwich between parallel β-sheets is observed with properties that are more characteristic of antiparallel β-sheets. Conclusion: An analysis of the PelC and PelE structures, belonging to an all parallel β structural class, reveals novel amino acid side chain interactions, a new type of β-sandwich and an atypical amino acid composition of parallel β-sheets. The findings are relevant to three-dimensional structural predictions.
LAMPF Transition-Region Mechanical Fabrication

The new Transition Region (TR-II) optimizes phase matching of H+ and H- beams during simultaneous transport between the drift-tube linac and side-coupled linac at LAMPF. Improvements include larger aperture, a straight beam track, greater beam path length adjustments, and better utility routing. Hardware density required innovative designs for magnets, mounting, vacuum, and utilities. Dipoles are powered by one constant current and one variable current supply which cause the fields to add or buck providing ± 20-mm path length variation for phase matching. Alignment was done using two digital theodolites coupled to a computer to give real-time three-dimensional data. Production beams up to 950 ?A at 100 MeV have been routinely transported since September 1983.
Challenges in reliability, security, efficiency, and resilience of energy infrastructure: Toward smart self-healing electric power grid

This article deals with the challenges in reliability, security, efficiency, and resilience of energy infrastructure for a smart self-healing electric power grid. The electricity grid faces three looming challenges: its organization, its technical ability to meet 25 year and 50 year electricity needs, and its ability to increase its efficiency without diminishing its reliability and security. These three are not unrelated, as the grid's present organization reflects an earlier time when electrification was developing, objectives and needs were simpler, and today's technology was still over the horizon. Given economic, societal, and quality-of-life issues and the ever-increasing interdependencies among infrastructures, a key challenge before us is whether the electricity infrastructure will evolve to become the primary support for the 21st century's digital society a smart grid with self-healing capabilities or be left behind as an 20th century industrial relic.
Effect of age and physical or fence-line boar exposure on estrus and ovulation response in prepubertal gilts administered PG600

Boar exposure has been used for estrus induction of prepubertal gilts, but has limited effect on estrus synchronization within 7 d of introduction. In contrast, PG600 (400 IU of PMSG and 200 IU of hCG; Intervet, Millsboro, DE) is effective for induction of synchronized estrus, but the response is often variable. It is unknown whether boar exposure before PG600 administration might improve the efficiency of estrus induction of prepubertal gilts. In Exp. 1, physical or fence-line boar contact for 19 d was evaluated for inducing puberty in gilts before administration of i.m. PG600. Exp. 2 investigated whether 4-d boar exposure and gilt age influenced response to PG600. In Exp. 1, 150-d-old prepubertal gilts were randomly allotted to receive fence-line (n = 27, FBE) or physical (n = 29, PBE) boar exposure. Gilts were provided exposure to a mature boar for 30 min daily. All gilts received PG600 at 169 d of age. Estrous detection continued for 20 d after injection. In Exp. 2, prepubertal gilts were allotted by age group (160 or 180 d) to receive no boar exposure (NBE) or 4 d of fence-line boar exposure (BE) for 30 min daily before receiving PG600 either i.m. or s.c. Following PG600 administration, detection for estrus occurred twice-daily using fence-line boar exposure for 7 d. Results of Exp. 1 indicated no differences between FBE and PBE on estrus (77%), age at puberty (170 d), interval from PG600 to estrus (4 d), gilts ovulating (67%), or ovulation rate (12 corpora lutea, CL). Results from Exp. 2 indicated no effect of age group on estrus (55%) and days from PG600 to estrus (4 d). A greater (P < 0.05) proportion of BE gilts expressed estrus (65 vs. 47%), had a shorter (P < 0.05) interval from PG600 to estrus (3.6 vs. 4.3 d), and had decreased (P < 0.05) age at estrus (174 vs. 189 d) compared with NBE. Ovulation rate was greater (P < 0.05) in the BE group for the 180-d-old gilts (12.7 vs. 11.9 CL) compared with the NBE group. However, age group had no effect on ovulation (77%) or ovulation rate (12 CL). Collectively, these results indicate that physical boar contact may not be necessary when used in conjunction with PG600 to induce early puberty. The administration of PG600 to 180-d-old gilts in conjunction with 4 d prior fence-line boar exposure may improve induction of estrus, ovulation, and decrease age at puberty.