cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relief of phantom limb pain after EMG biofeedback-assisted relaxation : a case report

Abstract Both EEG and EMG biofeedback were used to treat severe, chronic phantom limb pain in a 54 yr-old man. Although EEG biofeedback was ineffective, EMG biofeedback-assisted relaxation of the muscles in the stump allowed the patient to greatly reduce the frequency and intensity of the pain after about 4 h of practice. Both somatic and cognitive variables may have contributed to the effectiveness of the procedure.
Using K-12 STEM education and outreach to inspire student-driven leadership initiatives in Singapore

In 2010, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) began a collaboration with the Singapore Ministry of Education to develop the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), a new engineering-oriented university in Singapore with programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. As a component of this collaboration, MIT staff members sought to "transfuse" MIT's cultural norms of student leadership, creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship to the new university in Singapore. To this end, MIT-SUTD Collaboration staff initiated two exchange programs to introduce and promote student leadership within the SUTD community. In conjunction with MIT's efforts, SUTD launched the Design Opportunity Program (DOP) in 2013. Through this program, SUTD students had the opportunity to initiate, design, and execute the first student-run science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) outreach workshop at SUTD, forge relationships with local high school students, and support the Singapore Ministry of Education's broader goals to reform and enhance pre-college STEM education. This paper presents an overview of the theory tying K-12 outreach with student leadership, the design and implementation of the inaugural student-run component of the DOP initiative, and the challenges SUTD students and staff faced in developing and implementing this project.
Detection and identification of microorganisms in wine: a review of molecular techniques

The microbial ecology of wine is complex. Microbes can play both positive and negative roles in the quality of the final product. Due to this impact, the microbial ecology of wine has been well studied. Traditional indirect methods, such as plating, have largely been replaced by a number of molecular methods. These methods are typically either indirect methods used for identification of cultured organisms, or direct methods used to profile whole populations or identify specific microbes in a mixed population. These molecular methods offer a number of advantages over traditional methods including speed and precision. This review will examine both direct and indirect molecular methods, provide examples of their impact on the study of the microbial ecology of wine, and also discuss their strengths and limitations.
Two homologues encoding human UDP-glucose:glycoprotein glucosyltransferase differ in mRNA expression and enzymatic activity.

UDP-glucose:glycoprotein glucosyltransferase (UGT) is a soluble protein of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) that operates as a gatekeeper for quality control by preventing transport of improperly fol...
Optimal control in limit pricing under uncertain entry

The limit pricing theory (Friedman 1979, Gaskins 1971, Kamien and Schwartz 1971) proposes a control theory model of determination of an optimal entry preventing price by a supplier of a market when potential entrants exist and it may not be optimal to maximize immediate or short term profits. The supplier here may be a firm or a cartel comprising a group of tacitly cooperating firms. This is often referred to as a dominant firm, since the potential entrants, sometimes appearing as a composite rival, have in general a smaller share of the total industry market. For the dominant firm or cartel, the optimal policy must balance high short term profits associated with the pursuit of monopoly pricing against the loss of long term profits due to entry of additional suppliers attracted by the high price.
Scanning differential interferometer to measure index heterogeneity

The index heterogeneity of rectangular glass samples is measured to a repeatability of 2 × 10−8 by a scanning differential interferometer. The noise-limited instrument resolution is 2 nm of optical path length. The surface figure is decoupled from bulk inhomogeneity by a thin film of index-matching liquid, which is located by surface tension between the interferometer cavity and the test sample. An algorithm based on Poisson’s equation reconstructs the integrated optical path length profile from data in differential form with a minimal integration of noise.
Moral Stress, Moral Practice, and Ethical Climate in Community-Based Drug-Use Research: Views From the Front Line

Background: The role of front-line researchers, those whose responsibilities include face-to-face contact with participants, is critical to ensuring the responsible conduct of community-based drug use research. To date, there has been little empirical examination of how front-line researchers perceive the effectiveness of ethical procedures in their real-world application and the moral stress they may experience when adherence to scientific procedures appears to conflict with participant protections. Methods: This study represents a first step in applying psychological science to examine the work-related attitudes, ethics climate, and moral dilemmas experienced by a national sample of 275 front-line staff members whose responsibilities include face-to-face interaction with participants in community-based drug-use research. Using an anonymous Web-based survey we psychometrically evaluated and examined relationships among six new scales tapping moral stress (frustration in response to perceived barriers to ...
Phosphorylation of Tristetraprolin, a Potential Zinc Finger Transcription Factor, by Mitogen Stimulation in Intact Cells and by Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase in Vitro

Tristetraprolin (TTP) is a potential transcription factor that contains three PPPPG repeats and two putative CCCH zinc fingers. TTP is encoded by the early response gene Zfp-36, which is highly expressed in response to growth factors and in several hematopoietic cell lines. In the present studies, we investigated the possibility that TTP is phosphorylated in intact cells. In NIH/3T3 cells that were made to overexpress TTP constitutively, we found that the protein was phosphorylated on serine residues, and that this phosphorylation was rapidly (within 10 min) stimulated by several mitogens. In cell-free assays, recombinant mouse TTP was a substrate for the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase. By a combination of protease digestion experiments and site-directed mutagenesis strategies, we found that serine 220 was phosphorylated by p42 MAP kinase in vitro. Expression of mutant TTP in fibroblasts confirmed that serine 220 was one of the major, mitogen-stimulated phosphorylation sites on the protein in intact cells. These results suggest that TTP may be phosphorylated by MAP kinases in vivo and that this phosphorylation may regulate its function.
Effects of conjugated linoleic acid supplementation on blood lipids and adiposity of rats fed diets rich in saturated versus unsaturated fat

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) may decrease adiposity and improve blood lipid profiles under some conditions. The goal of this study was to determine the effects of CLA supplementation on blood lipid profiles and adiposity of rats fed a diet containing a primarily saturated fat versus a diet containing a primarily unsaturated fat. Twenty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to one of four diets containing coconut oil, coconut oil with CLA, corn oil or corn oil with CLA. After 28 days, blood was collected and serum concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), and triacylglycerols (TG) were assessed. Food intake, body weights, and epididymal fat pads were measured. No significant differences (p>0.05) were noted among groups for amount of food consumed, weight gained, food efficiency ratio or serum TG concentrations. TC concentrations were lower (p 0.05) for CLA supplemented groups. Epididymal fat pads weighed significantly more (p 0.05) between the corn oil and coconut oil + CLA group. Overall, this study suggests that CLA is more beneficial for control of blood lipids and adiposity when supplemented to a diet rich in saturated versus unsaturated fat.
Single-channel properties of native and cloned rat vanilloid receptors.

The responses of single-channel currents to capsaicin were recorded using the giga-seal patch-clamp technique in cell-attached and excised (inside-out/outside-out) patches from embryonic rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurones in culture and in Xenopus oocytes heterologously expressing the rat vanilloid receptor (rVR1). Native and cloned vanilloid receptor (VR)-mediated currents exhibited outward rectification. In both the DRG neurones and oocytes expressing VR1, the chord conductances at −60 and +60 mV were ≈50 and ≈100 pS, respectively. At positive potentials, the channel exhibited a single conductance state. In contrast, at negative potentials, brief sojourns to subconductance states were apparent. The probability of the channel being open (Po) was dependent on the transmembrane voltage and the patch configuration (i.e. cell-attached vs. excised). In both DRG neurones and oocytes, the Po was greater at positive (+60 mV) than at negative (-60 mV) potentials. In cell-attached patches, the Po was approximately twofold higher, regardless of the applied potential. Most likely, the outward rectification observed in whole-cell currents is due to the voltage dependence of single-channel conductance and Po. The open-time distributions of single-channel currents recorded from native and cloned VRs in the presence of low agonist concentrations (0.01-0.03 μm) were best fitted with three exponential components. The closed-time distributions were best fitted by five exponential components. At higher concentrations (0.5-1 μm), an additional component was required to fit the open-time distribution, and the number of exponential components needed to fit the closed-time distributions was reduced to two. The overall mean open time at +60 mV was ≈4 ms, compared to ≈1.2 ms at −60 mV. However, the overall mean closed time was not voltage dependent. There were no significant differences between the native and cloned receptors. A comparison of single-channel properties of native and heterologously expressed VR channels indicates that expression of the rVR1 subunit alone can account for the single-channel behaviour of the majority of the native VRs. These results suggest that either native VRs are made up of VR1 subunits, or the incorporation of subunits other than VR1 does not influence the functional properties.
Graphite crystal film preparation by cleavage

SUMMARY Graphite films which are free of adhesive contamination are prepared by glueing a crystal to an adhesive coated grid and then cleaving away the top graphite layers with adhesive tape. The final graphite films in the centres of the grid openings do not come into contact with the adhesive at any time during the preparation process. Graphite crystal films a few tens of nanometres or less in thickness with large areas of uniform thickness are easily produced.
G.T.D. solution of slot admittance on a cone or cylinder

The input admittance of an elemental radiator on a curved surface, e.g. a slot on a cone, plays an important role in the design of conformal arrays. A search through the literature reveals that, at present, there is no reliable theoretical method available for computing this admittance. The objective of this paper is to provide a solution to this problem using a surface-ray approach?within the framework of g.t.d. The solution is verified for the limiting case where the cone degenerates into a cylinder, and it is shown that the g.t.d. results compare extremely well with the exact modal solution to the cylinder problem. Extensive numerical results are presented in the paper for the input admittance of a cone as a function of various design parameters.
Design of externally pressurized gas bearings for stiffness and damping

A design method for flat, circular thrust bearings is presented in this paper. The design method is based upon a new dynamic model of the bearing and permits the selection of stiffness and damping for applications of bearings in vibrating environments. Application of the design method to the tuning of bearing dynamics is emphasized here, while the development of the dynamic model is discussed in other references. Design constraints are considered in the iterative design procedure and are illustrated in a bearing design example.
An Analogue to Fieller's Theorem Using Scheffé's Solution to the Fisher-Behrens Problem

Suppose xi and X2 are random variables and E(xl)/ E(x2) = /u. We shall consider here the problem of estimating a confidence interval for ,i under -normality assumptions. Should it happen that log xi and log X2 are normally distributed with the same variance, as occurs for example in the case of a dilution bioassay, it is a simple matter to find confidence limits for ,u (Finney, 1952, section 2.10). We shall here, however, assume x1 and X2 are normally distributed, and not necessarily with the same variance. Finney (1952, section 2.7) shows how in this case, fiducial limits can be obtained by using the Sukhatme d-statistic and the Fisher-Behrens distribution. In this particular case, the fiducial limits obtained are not at the same time confidence limits, and do not have the property that the assertion as to the parameter lying within the given limits will be true in a preassigned proportion of cases; furthermore, the procedure is computationally laborious since an iterative solution is necessary. It does not seem to have been pointed out that confidence limits can be obtained for this particular problem, and so various methods of doing so are presented here; it will be seen that a particular method, which is due to Scheff6 (1943), not only gives an exact confidence interval but also does not require iteration for its solution. This method involves randomization, so that two statisticians using it on the same set of data would not necessarily arrive at the same limits. The method can be modified to lessen or completely eliminate the effects of randomization, however, if this is considered desirable; the intervals then obtained will not on an average differ greatly from that obtained using Scheff6's method unmodified.
No change in DNA damage or repair of single- and double-strand breaks as human diploid fibroblasts age in vitro

Using the in vitro human diploid fibroblast model, we tested theories of aging which hypothesize that either accumulation of DNA damage or decreased DNA repair capacity is causally related to cellular senescence. Between population doubling level (PDL) 32 and 71, fetal lung-derived normal diploid human fibroblasts (IMR 90) were assayed for both DNA single-strand breaks (SSBs, spontaneous and induced by 6 Gy) and DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs, spontaneous and induced by 100 Gy). After gamma-irradiation cells were kept on ice unless undergoing repair incubation at 37 degrees C for 7.5-120 min or 18-24 h. To assay DNA strand breaks we used the filter elution technique in conjunction with a fluorometric determination of DNA which is not biased in favor of proliferating aging cells as are radioactive labelling methods. We found no change with in vitro age in the accumulation of spontaneous SSBs or DSBs, nor in the kinetics or completeness of DNA strand rejoining after gamma-irradiation. Cells at varying PDLs rejoined approx. 90% of SSBs and DSBs after 60 min repair incubation and 100% after 18-24 h repair incubation. We conclude that aging and senescence as measured by proliferative lifespan in IMR 90 cells are neither accompanied nor caused by accumulation of DNA strand breaks or by diminished capacity to rejoin gamma-radiation-induced SSBs or DSBs in DNA.
Infertility induced in male house flies by sterilant-bearing females.

Female house flies, Musca domestica L., bearing treated pads or treated directly on the dorsum with N, N' -tetramethylenebis (1-aziridine carboxamide) caused sterility in male flies that were subsequently caged with them.
Intelligent road sign detection using 3D scene geometry

This paper proposes a new framework for fast and reliable traffic sign detection using images obtained from a single front-facing road vehicle camera. Our focus is on a methodology for reducing the computational requirements and increasing the performance of existing detection methods by refining the image space search using 3D scene geometry. Information concerning physical traffic sign dimensions and vehicle camera parameters is integrated into a model that predicts the image scales and locations at which traffic signs are likely to appear. We apply our framework to a Haar-feature-based detection method trained on a collection of stop signs. Experimental results show that the refined image search space results in much less computation time while retaining the same true positive detection performance as existing methods that search all image scales and locations. In addition, false positives at physically implausible traffic sign locations are eliminated.
Waiting algorithms for synchronization in large-scale multiprocessors

Through analysis and experiments, this paper investigates two-phase waiting algorithms to minimize the cost of waiting for synchronization in large-scale multiprocessors. In a two-phase algorithm, a thread first waits by polling a synchronization variable. If the cost of polling reaches a limit Lpoll and further waiting is necessary, the thread is blocked, incurring an additional fixed cost, B. The choice of Lpoll is a critical determinant of the performance of two-phase algorithms. We focus on methods for statically determining Lpoll because the run-time overhead of dynamically determining Lpoll can be comparable to the cost of blocking in large-scale multiprocessor systems with lightweight threads.Our experiments show that always-block (Lpoll = 0) is a good waiting algorithm with performance that is usually close to the best of the algorithms compared. We show that even better performance can be achieved with a static choice of Lpoll based on knowledge of likely wait-time distributions. Motivated by the observation that different synchronization types exhibit different wait-time distributions, we prove that a static choice of Lpoll can yield close to optimal on-line performance against an adversary that is restricted to choosing wait times from a fixed family of probability distributions. This result allows us to make an optimal static choice of Lpoll based on synchronization type. For exponentially distributed wait times, we prove that setting Lpoll = 1n(e-1)B results in a waiting cost that is no more than e/(e-1) times the cost of an optimal off-line algorithm. For uniformly distributed wait times, we prove that setting Lpoll=1/2(square root of 5 -1)B results in a waiting cost that is no more than (square root of 5 + 1)/2 (the golden ratio) times the cost of an optimal off-line algorithm. Experimental measurements of several parallel applications on the Alewife multiprocessor simulator corroborate our theoretical findings.
Array-based optical nanolithography using optically trapped microlenses

Current demands on optical nanolithography require the ability to rapidly and cost-effectively write arbitrary patterns over large areas with sub-diffraction limit feature sizes. The challenge in accomplishing this with arrays of near-field probes is maintaining equal separations between the substrate and each probe, even over non-planar substrates. Here we demonstrate array-based laser nanolithography where each probe is a microsphere capable of fabricating 100 nm structures using 355 nm light when self-positioned near a surface by Bessel beam optical trapping. We achieve both a feature size uniformity and relative positioning accuracy better than 15 nm, which agrees well with our model. Further improvements are possible using higher power and/or narrower Bessel beam optical traps.
The viral oncoprotein tax sequesters DNA damage response factors by tethering MDC1 to chromatin.

Infection with human T-cell leukemia virus induces cellular genomic instability mediated through the viral oncoprotein Tax. Here we present evidence that Tax undermines the cellular DNA damage response by sequestration of damage response factors. We show by confocal microscopy that Tax forms damage-independent nuclear foci that contain DNA-PK, BRCA1, and MDC1. Tax sequesters MDC1 to chromatin sites distinct from classic ionizing radiation-induced foci. The recruitment of MDC1 is competitive between the two foci. The N-terminal region of Tax is sufficient for foci localization, and the C-terminal half is critical for binding to MDC1 and recruitment of additional response factors. Tax expression and DNA damage response factor recruitment repressed the formation of ionizing radiation-induced Nbs1-containing foci. The Tax-induced “pseudo” DNA damage response results in phosphorylation and monoubiquitylation of H2AX, which is ablated by siRNA suppression of MDC1. These data support a model for virus-induced genomic instability in which viral oncogene-induced damage-independent foci compete with normal cellular DNA damage response.
Which sex controls the duration of postcopulatory courtship and to what effect in the parasitoid wasp Spalangia endius.

Resistance by females during a reproductive interaction is thought to reflect conflict between the sexes over the optimal outcome. In the parasitoid wasp, Spalangia endius, the female attempts to brush the male off her back with her hind legs after a few seconds of postcopulatory courtship. Although males do not dismount immediately, this signal is effective. Removal of female hind legs resulted in postcopulatory courtship that was longer, although a normal duration was sufficient to turn off a female's receptivity permanently. Responding immediately to the signal was not advantageous to males. When postcopulatory courtship was experimentally terminated as soon as females began signalling, they sometimes remained attractive and receptive to subsequent males. However, earlier studies suggest that for most if not all females, mating a second time would not increase the production of daughters or of total offspring, and being mounted interferes with oviposition. Thus, the normal duration of postcopulatory courtship is determined by the behaviour of both the male and the female, and currently this may usually be better for both partners than a duration determined by just one partner. Coevolution between the sexes may have mitigated previous conflict, and remaining resistance may reflect the ghost of conflict past.
Neural Network Modeling of Highway Construction Costs

The objective of this research was to develop a procedure that estimates the escalation of highway construction costs over time. An artificial neural network model was developed which relates overall highway construction costs, described in terms of a highway construction cost index, to the cost of construction material, labor, and equipment, the characteristics of the contract and the contracting environment prevailing at the time the contract was let. Results demonstrate that the model is able to replicate past highway construction cost trends in Louisiana with reasonable accuracy. Future construction input costs are estimated from commercially available forecasts of indicator variables closely associated with the price of construction labor, construction equipment, and a representative set of highway construction materials. Future contract characteristics and the contracting environment that is likely to exist in the future are estimated from past trends or stipulated to be consistent with policy decisions in the future. The predictions produced by the model estimate that highway construction costs in Louisiana will double between 1998 and 2015.
Understanding the effect of adsorption on activated processes using molecular theory and simulation

Most chemical reactions of practical interest are catalysed by porous materials, which can improve reaction rates and equilibrium yields through various interactions with the reacting mixture. Nucl...
Induction of type-c retrovirus by the tumor promoter tpa.

The tumor promotor 12-0-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) induced endogenous murine xenotropic type-C retrovirus from A1-2 cells, derived from the BALB/c mouse, as determined by infectious center focus-forming assay on permissive normal rat kidney (NRK) cells. Kinetic dose-response studies showed that the number of cells induced to release virus was dependent on TPA concentration and the time of assay following TPA exposure. Maximal induction occurred when cells were treated with 80 ng/ml of TPA for 24 h and assayed at 24 or 48 h. A 30-min pulsed TPA exposure and 200 ng/ml induced virus levels approximating those observed after a continuous 24-h exposure to 80 ng/ml. The combination of TPA at concentrations of 10 and 20 ng/ml and a suboptimal level of 5-iodo-2-deoxyuridine (IdUrd) enhanced retrovirus induction threefold above that seen by the optimum IdUrd concentration alone. The protease inhibitors, antipain and leupeptin, decreased virus induction by TPA, a protease inducer. The capacity of TPA to induce type-C retrovirus complements results demonstrating the enhancement of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and murine mammary tumor virus (MMTV) synthesis by TPA.
Numerical modeling of three dimensional scattering in conductive media

The authors present an approach to the numerical modeling of three-dimensional scattering in conductive media. The particular class of problems of interest is that for which the conduction current is large enough that the displacement current may be neglected. The scattering objects of interest are those which are on the order of a skin depth in size. The approach is based on the unimoment method extended to scattering from arbitrary three-dimensional objects and conductive media. A flow diagram of the computational tasks which must be performed in order to generate a solution is presented. >
Managing white clover living mulch for sweet corn production with partial rototilling.

Living mulch is a cover crop which is intercropped with a cash crop to protect against soil erosion and structural deterioration without taking land out of production. To avoid interference which reduces cash crop yield, the mulch requires management techniques which minimize resource utilization during the critical period of crop development without killing the mulch outright. The experiments reported here examine non-chemical management innovations in a sweet corn-white clover intercrop system which allow for clover regrowth and also contribute to the N requirement of the corn. In 1986 clover was suppressed by mowing or partial rototilling. Yields of corn in plots where clover was rototilled were comparable to yields of clean cultivated corn and superior to yields from plots where clover was mowed or unsuppressed. In 1987 rototilling was compared at 3 timings after corn emergence. Highest corn yields were obtained by rototilling the well-established clover at 2 rather than 4 or 6 weeks after emergence. Yields from rototilled plots in 1987 exceeded those from clean cultivated plots or plots where clover was unsuppressed. After rototilling, the clover reestablished via stoloniferous growth emanating from a narrow strip of roots which passed between the tiller tines. In both years corn leaf N concentrations were highest in the rototilled plots. In 1987 clean cultivated corn appeared N deficient and had a greater incidence of corn smut than corn from the rototilled clover plots. Multiple corn row arrangements which facilitate access to the mulch were compared at a constant plant population to conventional single rows on 76 cm centers. There were no differences in yield between single and double rows (152 cm centers) in either year, while the triple-row arrangement (228 cm centers) reduced yield in 1987 due to the low productivity of the plants in the middle row of the 3 rows.
Absorption, Transport, and Deposition in Chickens of Lutein Diester, a Carotenoid Extracted from Marigold (Tagetes erecta) Petals,

Young broiler chickens were fed from hatching until 3 weeks of age with a white corn-soy diet amended with varying amounts of lutein diester to supply 0, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 micrograms free lutein/g diet. The lutein diester was added as a stabilized, microencapsulated extract of marigold (Tagetes erecta) petals. The concentrations of lutein diester, lutein monoester, and lutein in the contents of the jejunum and large intestine and in serum, liver, and toe web from these birds were measured by high pressure liquid chromatography. The contents of the jejunum and large intestine contained a mixture of lutein diester, lutein monoester, and lutein. The serum contained lutein (approximately 90%), lutein monoester (approximately 10%), and traces of lutein diester. The liver contained the three carotenoid classes in ratios reflecting the serum ratios. The ratios in toe web, an integumentary depot site, were reversed with lutein diester much greater than lutein monoester greater than lutein. The concentrations of each class in each tissue bore a linear relationship to the concentration of lutein diester in the diet. A simple explanation for these data is that the dietary lutein diester was hydrolyzed mainly to lutein, which was absorbed through the intestinal wall into the blood stream where it was transported to the liver, a storage site, and to the integumentary sites where it is esterified to lutein diester which is the main depot form.
Research and Training on White Dialectics: Some Next Steps:

This article reviews and extends the contribution of Todd and Abrams (2011). Paradigmatic and methodological strengths of their study are highlighted, and future directions for research, training, and practice are presented. Counseling research anchored in critical theory and incorporating diverse methodologies is encouraged.
Density-gradient theory: a macroscopic approach to quantum confinement and tunneling in semiconductor devices

Density-gradient theory provides a macroscopic approach to modeling quantum transport that is particularly well adapted to semiconductor device analysis and engineering. After some introductory observations, the basis of the theory in macroscopic and microscopic physics is summarized, and its scattering-dominated and scattering-free versions are introduced. Remarks are also given about the underlying mathematics and numerics. A variety of applications of the theory to both quantum confinement and quantum tunneling situations are then reviewed. In doing so, particular emphasis is put on understanding the range of validity of the theory and on its unexpected power as a phenomenology. The article closes with a few comments about the future.
Longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging features of glioblastoma multiforme treated with radiotherapy with or without brachytherapy.

Purpose To compare temporal patterns of recurrent contrast enhancement in patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) treated with brachytherapy plus external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) vs. EBRT alone. Methods and Materials We evaluated serial MRI scans for 15 patients who received brachytherapy followed by EBRT (6000 cGy) and 20 patients who received standard EBRT alone (5940–6000 cGy). Brachytherapy consisted of permanent, low-activity 125 I seeds placed around the resection cavity at the time of initial gross total resection. Contrast enhancement (linear, nodular, feathery, or solid), serial progression, and location of contrast enhancement were described. Results In the EBRT group, 14 patients demonstrated focal nodular contrast enhancement along the resection cavity within 4 months. The 6 remaining EBRT patients developed either transient linear enhancement or no abnormal enhancement. In the brachytherapy plus EBRT group, 7 patients initially developed linear rim enhancement within 4 months that progressed to feathery contrast enhancement over the course of 1 to 2 years. Histopathology confirmed radiation necrosis in all 7 patients. The remaining 8 brachytherapy patients eventually developed focal nodular contrast enhancement along the resection cavity and tumor recurrence. Conclusions Our data suggest that longitudinal MRI features differ between GBM patients treated with EBRT vs. brachytherapy plus EBRT. In both groups, nodular enhancement adjacent to or remote from the resection cavity strongly suggested tumor recurrence. Feathery enhancement, which progressed from linear rim enhancement immediately adjacent to the cavity, seen only in brachytherapy patients, strongly indicated radiation necrosis.
Conditional Neural Fields

Conditional random fields (CRF) are widely used for sequence labeling such as natural language processing and biological sequence analysis. Most CRF models use a linear potential function to represent the relationship between input features and output. However, in many real-world applications such as protein structure prediction and handwriting recognition, the relationship between input features and output is highly complex and nonlinear, which cannot be accurately modeled by a linear function. To model the nonlinear relationship between input and output we propose a new conditional probabilistic graphical model, Conditional Neural Fields (CNF), for sequence labeling. CNF extends CRF by adding one (or possibly more) middle layer between input and output. The middle layer consists of a number of gate functions, each acting as a local neuron or feature extractor to capture the nonlinear relationship between input and output. Therefore, conceptually CNF is much more expressive than CRF. Experiments on two widely-used benchmarks indicate that CNF performs significantly better than a number of popular methods. In particular, CNF is the best among approximately 10 machine learning methods for protein secondary structure prediction and also among a few of the best methods for handwriting recognition.
Poro-Viscoelastic Behavior of Gelatin Hydrogels Under Compression-Implications for Bioelasticity Imaging

Ultrasonic elasticity imaging enables visualization of soft tissue deformation for medical diagnosis. Our aim is to understand the role of flow-dependent and flow-independent viscoelastic mechanisms in the response of biphasic polymeric media, including biological tissues and hydrogels, to low-frequency forces. Combining the results of confined and unconfined compression experiments on gelatin hydrogels with finite element analysis (FEA) simulations of the experiments, we explore the role of polymer structure, loading, and boundary conditions in generating contrast for viscoelastic features. Feature estimation is based on comparisons between the biphasic poro-elastic and biphasic poro-viscoelastic (BPVE) material models, where the latter adds the viscoelastic response of the solid polymer matrix. The approach is to develop a consistent FEA material model (BPVE) from confined compression-stress relaxation measurements to extract the strain dependent hydraulic permeability variation and cone-plate rheometer measurements to obtain the flow-independent viscoelastic constants for the solid-matrix phase. The model is then applied to simulate the unconfined compression experiment to explore the mechanics of hydropolymers under conditions of quasi-static elasticity imaging. The spatiotemporal distributions of fluid and solid-matrix behavior within the hydrogel are studied to propose explanations for strain patterns that arise during the elasticity imaging of heterogeneous media.
Primary Pulmonary Synovial Sarcoma: A Case Report and Review of Current Diagnostic and Therapeutic Standards

A 30-year-old female presented with hemoptysis, chest pain, and a rapidly enlarging pleural-based mass, and was found to have primary synovial sarcoma of the lung. Primary pulmonary sarcomas comprise <1% of all primary lung malignancies. They present clinically in young adults with cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, or hemoptysis, with a mass on x-ray and computerized tomography scan. Diagnosis is made by histology and immunohistochemistry. Histologic diagnosis has recently been supplemented by cytogenetic analysis, which offers important prognostic information. The mainstay of treatment remains complete surgical excision. Prognosis is poor, with an overall 5-year survival rate of 50%.
Heterogeneous Chemistry and Kinetics

The importance of heterogeneous processes in the chemical balance of the stratosphere has been dramatically illustrated by the annual appearance of the ozone hole during the Antarctic spring (Solomon et al. 1986, Solomon 1988). Heterogeneous reactions on particle surfaces in the polar stratospheric clouds convert chlorine reservoir molecules into easily photolyzed active chlorine species which lead to ozone destruction. In addition, heterogeneous reactions remove odd nitrogen which would normally sequester active chlorine in stable reservoir molecules. There is increasing speculation that similar heterogeneous chemistry on the background stratospheric sulfate aerosol may be contributing to global ozone depletion (Arnold et al. 1990, Hofmann and Solomon 1989, Rodriguez et al. 1991). In this chapter, we discuss laboratory experiments aimed at measuring uptake and reaction rates of atmospherically important molecules on relevant surfaces under conditions of stratospheric composition and temperature.
Synthesis and dna crosslinking ability of a dimeric anthramycin analog

Abstract Linked analogs of the DNA binding antibiotic anthramycin are made via nucleophilic aromatic substitution followed by reduction-cyclization. The linked compounds protect DNA from restriction endonucleases and reversibly crosslink DNA.
DNA-Binding Activity of Amino-Terminal Domains of the Bacillus subtilis AbrB Protein

Two truncated variants of AbrB, comprising either its first 53 (AbrBN53) or first 55 (AbrBN55) amino acid residues, were constructed and purified. Noncovalently linked homodimers of the truncated variants exhibited very weak DNA-binding activity. Cross-linking AbrBN55 dimers into tetramers and higher-order multimers (via disulfide bonding between penultimate cysteine residues) resulted in proteins having DNA-binding affinity comparable to and DNA-binding specificity identical to those of intact, wild-type AbrB. These results indicate that the DNA recognition and specificity determinants of AbrB binding lie solely within its N-terminal amino acid sequence.
Risk of beryllium sensitization in a low-exposed former nuclear weapons cohort from the Cold War era.

Methods A total of 1,004 former workers from a nuclear weapons assembly site in the Midwest were screened for sensitization to beryllium (BeS). The screenings were part of the Department of Energy (DOE) Former Worker Program established in 1996. Results Twenty-three (2.3%) workers were found sensitized to beryllium and this prevalence was comparable to other DOE sites. Occasional, direct exposure to beryllium through machining and grinding of copper–beryllium (Cu–Be) 2% alloy tools was found to increase the risk of sensitization compared to background exposure (OR ¼ 3.83; 95% CI: 1.04–14.03) with a statistically significant trend (P ¼ 0.03) revealing that particular jobs are associated with sensitization. Exposure potential in this study was estimated based on job titles and not personal exposure information. Conclusions These results confirm the need to screen workers using beryllium alloy tools in other industries and for consideration of altering work practices. Am. J. Ind. Med. 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Visual memory augmentation: using eye gaze as an attention filter

We present two early prototype systems that leverage computer memory to augment human memory in everyday situations. Both experiments investigate the role of eye tracking as a way to detect a person's attention and use this knowledge to affect short and long term memory processes. This work is part of a larger effort underway at the MIT Media Laboratory to develop systems that work symbiotically with humans, leading to increased performance along numerous cognitive and physical dimensions [D. Roy].
In vivo 1H NMR spectroscopy of the human brain at high magnetic fields: metabolite quantification at 4T vs. 7T.

A comprehensive comparative study of metabolite quantification from the human brain was performed on the same 10 subjects at 4T and 7T using MR scanners with identical consoles, the same type of RF coils, and identical pulse sequences and data analysis. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was increased by a factor of 2 at 7T relative to 4T in a volume of interest selected in the occipital cortex using half-volume quadrature radio frequency (RF) coils. Spectral linewidth was increased by 50% at 7T, which resulted in a 14% increase in spectral resolution at 7T relative to 4T. Seventeen brain metabolites were reliably quantified at both field strengths. Metabolite quantification at 7T was less sensitive to reduced SNR than at 4T. The precision of metabolite quantification and detectability of weakly represented metabolites were substantially increased at 7T relative to 4T. Because of the increased spectral resolution at 7T, only one-half of the SNR of a 4T spectrum was required to obtain the same quantification precision. The Cramer-Rao lower bounds (CRLB), a measure of quantification precision, of several metabolites were lower at both field strengths than the intersubject variation in metabolite concentrations, which resulted in a strong correlation between metabolite concentrations of individual subjects measured at 4T and 7T.
A methodology for architectural-level risk assessment using dynamic metrics

Risk assessment is an essential process of every software risk management plan. Several risk assessment techniques are based on the subjective judgement of domain experts. Subjective risk assessment techniques are human-intensive and error-prone. Risk assessment should be based on product attributes that we can quantitatively measure using product metrics. This paper presents a methodology for risk assessment at the early stages of the development lifecycle, namely the architecture level. We describe a heuristic risk assessment methodology that is based on dynamic metrics obtained from UML specifications. The methodology uses dynamic complexity and dynamic coupling metrics to define complexity factors for the architecture elements (components and connectors). Severity analysis is performed using FMEA (failure mode and effect analysis), as applied to architecture simulation models. We combine severity and complexity factors to develop heuristic risk factors for the architecture components and connectors. Based on component dependency graphs that were developed earlier for reliability analysis, and using analysis scenarios, we develop a risk assessment model and a risk analysis algorithm that aggregates the risk factors of components and connectors to the architectural level. We show how to analyze the overall risk factor of the architecture as the function of the risk factors of its constituting components and connectors. A case study of a pacemaker is used to illustrate the application of the methodology.
Organizational Hiring Practices Of Persons With Disabilities: A Study And Review Of Corporations, Small Businesses, Non-Profit Organizations, Foundations, And The US Government

This paper presents findings from research conducted to identify organizational hiring practices of people with disabilities. Despite the passage of the American with Disabilities Act in 1990, employment rates for people with disabilities remain far lower than for people of any other minority group. Further, this paper will offer best practices in hiring people with disabilities and resources available through federal, state and private sectors.
Abortion in a Mediterranean miniature donkey (Equus asinus) associated with a gammaherpesvirus similar to Equid herpesvirus 7

Fetal tissues and placenta from a third trimester Mediterranean miniature donkey (Equus asinus) abortion were submitted to the Washington State University, Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory for abortion diagnosis. Microscopic examination of formalin-fixed tissues revealed multifocal necrotizing placentitis. Several cells within the necrotic foci contained large, eosinophilic, intranuclear inclusions. Virus isolation from fresh, frozen placenta identified a cytopathic, syncytia-forming virus. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from the cultured virus using degenerate universal herpesvirus primers amplified a 699-base pair portion of the DNA polymerase gene. The PCR amplicon had 96.7% nucleotide identity with the DNA polymerase gene of Equid herpesvirus 7 (EHV-7; asinine herpesvirus 2), a gammaherpesvirus. An identical sequence was obtained when the same degenerate herpesvirus primers were used for PCR on the formalin-fixed placenta. Additionally, the amplicon had complete identity with short sequences of asinine herpesviruses that have been published in association with interstitial pneumonia in donkeys. EHV-7 has previously been isolated from nasal secretions of normal donkeys and mules. Our report describes a case of abortion associated with EHV-7 or a similar virus.
The Effect of Geometry on the Performance of Structural Finger-Joints

The author reviewed and compared the results of several studies in which the geometry of a finger-joint was related to its performance.
Heat transfer mechanism across few-layer graphene by molecular dynamics

We use nonequilibrium molecular dynamics to study heat transfer across structures consisting of a few layers of graphene sandwiched between silicon crystals. We find that when heat transfers from a silicon lead on one side across the graphene layers to a silicon lead on the other side, the interfacial conductance is essentially independent of the number of layers, in agreement with recent experimental findings. By contrast, wave-packet simulations show that the transmission coefficient of individual vibrational modes depends strongly on frequency and the number of graphene layers, indicating significant interference effects. This apparent contradiction is resolved by a theoretical calculation, which shows that the integrated contribution of the phonons to the interfacial thermal conductance is essentially independent of the number of layers. When one atomic layer of graphene is heated directly, the effective interfacial conductance associated with heat dissipation to the silicon substrate is much smaller. We attribute this to the resistance associated with heat transfer between high and low frequency modes within heated graphene.
The Chick Feeding Value of Meals Prepared from Glandless Cottonseed

Abstract INTRODUCTION HOPI cotton, classified as Gossypium hirustum race punctatum, was first reported by Lewton (1912) and later by Fulton (1938) to have a variable number of pigment glands in the boll. McMichael (1959) in studying the possibility that Hopi cotton might be used as a commercial source of gland-free cottonseed, found by selecting for low gland content of the leaves and seed, the gossypol content of the seeds could be reduced nearly to zero with the other seed characteristics not materially being affected. Gossypol analysis of glanded and gland-free cottonseed meals (Mattson, 1960) indicated that the seed is essentially “free” of gossypol, giving “free” gossypol values, as compared to gland-containing cottonseed, of 0.002 percent and 0.40 percent, respectively. This work alsoindicated that the oil from the two groups of seed was similar in composition except for gossypol. Rat growth data (Smart et al., 1960) showed no detectable nutritional difference between…