cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Boosting Cardiac Contractility with Genes

The failing heart is a challenge to clinicians, scientists, and those who grapple with the problems of economics and equity in the provision of medical services. Numerically, the problem is enormous: 400,000 new cases and $10.2 billion in direct medical costs in the United States annually. Current forms of treatment are reasonable but have a limited impact on the overall human and monetary costs of this condition. Cardiac transplantation provides definitive therapy with acceptable risks, but the costs are high and donor hearts are available for only a tiny fraction of the patients in need. Medical therapy for heart failure . . .
Salt Additions Alter Short-term Nitrogen and Carbon Mobilization in a Coastal Oregon Andisol

Deposition of sea salts is commonly elevated along the coast relative to inland areas, yet little is known about the effects on terrestrial ecosystem biogeochemistry. We examined the influence of NaCl concentrations on N, C, and P leaching from a coastal Oregon forest Andisol in two laboratory studies: a rapid batch extraction (approximately 1 d) and a month-long incubation using microlysimeters. In the rapid extractions, salt additions immediately mobilized significant amounts of ammonium and phosphate but not nitrate. In the month-long incubations, salt additions at concentrations in the range of coastal precipitation increased nitrate leaching from the microcosms by nearly 50% and reduced the mobility of dissolved organic carbon. Our findings suggest that coupled abiotic-biotic effects increase nitrate mobility in these soils: exchange of sodium for ammonium, then net nitrification. Changes in sea salt deposition to land and the interactions with coastal soils could alter the delivery of N and C to sensitive coastal waters.
Prenatal viral infection of mice at E16 causes changes in gene expression in hippocampi of the offspring

The hippocampus governs memory formation and emotional regulation, and there is widespread evidence of hippocampal dysfunction in psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and autism. There is abundant evidence that prenatal viral infection may play a role in the development of these two disorders. In the current study, we have examined gene expression and structural changes of the hippocampi of exposed neonates following maternal infection at embryonic day (E) 16 (middle second trimester). We observed significant changes in gene expression in the offspring at postnatal day (P) 0 (birth), P14 (childhood), and P56 (adulthood), including a number of candidate genes for autism and schizophrenia. qRT-PCR verified the direction and magnitude of change for 5 of the genes from the microarray data set and revealed mRNA changes for additional genes associated with schizophrenia and autism. MRI revealed a decrease in hippocampal volume at P35 (adolescence). Our results demonstrate altered gene expression and reduced hippocampal volume in the offspring following prenatal viral infection at E16.
The duration of visual persistence

Abstract Transient influence of low-pass spatial-filtering on the duration of visual persistence is reported. A separate, stable influence of viewing eccentricity on persistence is also reported.
Cowpea Mosaic Virus as a Scaffold for 3-D Patterning of Gold Nanoparticles

Different mutants of Cowpea Mosaic Virus (CPMV) have been used as scaffolds to bind 2 and 5 nm gold nanoparticles through gold−sulfur bond formation at specific locations on the virus to produce patterns of specific interparticle distances. TEM images confirm that the bound gold particles produce patterns of gold nanoparticles that correlate well with models built from the known locations of the inserted cysteine groups on the capsid. These results demonstrate that it is possible to use CPMV mutants as nanoscale scaffolds to place gold nanoparticles at fixed interparticle distances.
NEW IS10 TRANSPOSITION VECTORS BASED ON A GRAM-POSITIVE REPLICATION ORIGIN

Abstract We describe below a set of plasmid-based vehicles which can be used for delivery of IS10-derived transposons into Gram− bacteria. These vehicles replicate via a Gram+ plasmid origin that is inactive in Escherichia coli; they are easily maintained in Bacillus subtilis. Transposons are introduced by electroporation or transformation with the plasmid, and as in previous delivery systems, transpositions are selected with the appropriate antibiotic. This system should be particularly useful in situations where the standard delivery vehicles, based on bacteriophage λ, are inappropriate. The system described incorporates a number of useful features: a variety of antibiotic markers (Er, Cm, Km or Tc), a polylinker containing restriction sites for rare-cutting endonucleases to facilitate physical mapping of chromosomal insertions, a mutant transposase that confers a relaxation in insertion specificity and positioning of the transposase-encoding gene outside of the transposing segment to ensure the stability of insertions once isolated.
Domino-Type Microwave and Millimeter-Wave Systems

A new concept is described which facilitates assembling microwave components without connectors and flanges. The new approach which is particularly well suited for millimeter waves is based on a modified H-guide. It allows interconnecting circuits by simply placing them in a row close to each other like domino pieces. The basic concept, the modified H-guide, fields and waves at a junction and domino components are described. Component-design data and a comparative assessment of the characteristics of domino circuits are presented.
A Mathematical Model of the Oxygen‐Recombination Lead‐Acid Cell

A one-dimensional mathematical model of the oxygen-recombination lead-acid cell is developed. The model is applied to investigate mechanisms associated with oxygen recombination and species transport during charge. The conditions for rapid transport rates of gaseous oxygen through the separator and dissolved oxygen through the liquid film within the Pb electrodes are considered, and these rates are rapid for the conditions investigated. Model predictions show that during charge gas volume increases in the Pb electrode and decreases in the PbO{sub 2} electrode. At the onset of oxygen recombination during constant-current charge, the polarization of the Pb electrode is reduced, which results in the prediction of a maximum in cell voltage. This voltage behavior is demonstrated experimentally. The prediction of a voltage maximum by the mathematical model occurs when the recombination mechanism is the direct electrochemical reduction of oxygen at the Pb electrode. Model simulation with another recombination mechanism in which oxygen reacts chemically with lead to form lead sulfate does not produce a voltage maximum. A decrease in the amount of gas space surrounding the cell results in predictions of increased Pb-electrode depolarization.
Interpretation of transport coefficients in Nafion using a parallel pore model

Abstract Onsager coupling coefficients for 0.1-1.0 M NaCl transport in a perfluorosulfonate membrane (Nafion 120) were predicted to within 20% of experimentally determined values by a charged pore model. The pore solution properties were assumed to be constant and equal to the bulk solution properties. The model parameters (pore radius, fixed charge concentration, and a tortuosity factor) were determined from the measured ion exchange capacity, membrane water absorption, and two of the Onsager coefficients (membrane conductivity and permeability). These values for the membrane parameters also gave accurate predictions of the negative ion partition coefficient if some nonuniformity of the surface change distribution among the pores was assumed. This nonuniformity did not significantly change the predictions of the transport coefficients. A pore model which allowed for a variable dielectric constant in the pore due to ion solvation and alignment of solvent dipoles in the high electric field near the pore wall could not accurately predict all of the transport coefficients using a single value for the tortuosity factor. This failure occurred when the solution viscosity and ion diffusivity in the pore were assumed constant and when these properties were asumed to decrease in a stepwise manner in the region near the pore wall. The simpler model which assumes constant solution properties in the pore provides an adequate means of predicting the transport coefficients in a Nafion membrane.
Numerical Modeling of a Lifted Laminar Coflow Methane Diffusion Jet Flames Using Detailed Chemistry and Non-Grey Gas Radiation Models

Two lifted laminar coflow non-sooting methane diffusion jet flames, one diluted by nitrogen and the other diluted by carbon dioxide, at atmospheric pressure were calculated using detailed chemistry and complex thermal and transport properties. Chemical reactions were modeled using the GRI-Mech 3.0 mechanism with species and reactions related to NOx formation removed. Radiation heat transfer by CO, CO2 , and H2 O was calculated using the discrete-ordinates method coupled with a statistical narrow-band correlated-k based band model. Calculations of each flame were performed with and without radiation absorption term in the radiative transfer equation in order to provide a quantitative evaluation of the importance of radiation absorption in these two lifted flames. Numerical results show that radiation absorption is relatively unimportant in the nitrogen diluted flame but becomes important in the carbon dioxide diluted flame.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Cavitation erosion size scale effects

Size scaling in cavitation erosion is a major problem confronting the design engineers of modern high speed machinery. An overview and erosion data analysis presented in this paper indicate that the size scale exponent n in the erosion rate relationship as a function of the size or diameter can vary from 1.7 to 4.9 depending on the type of device used. There is, however, a general agreement as to the values of n if the correlations are made with constant cavitation number.
Data Selector Group Sequencer Interface

A CAMAC-based module for high rate data selection and transfer to Tracor Northern TN-1700 multichannel analysis system is described. The module can select any group of 4096 consecutive addresses of events, in the range of 24 bits. This module solves the problem of connecting a number of time digitizing systems to the memory of a multichannel analyzer. Continuous processing rate up to 200,000 events per second along with the live display make the testing of the above systems very efficient and relatively inexpensive. The module also can be programmed for storing the preset group of addresses into more than one section of the inemory. The events are analyzed in each section of the memory during the preset time. Multiple spectra can thus be taken automatically in a sequence.
The effect of light intensity during growth of Sinapis alba on the electron-transport components

Summary Sinapis alba (white mustard) plants were grown under high light (2 × 105 erg/cm2 · sec) and low light (2 × 103 erg/cm2 · sec) conditions, and the effect of light intensity during growth on the electron-transport components and the photochemical activities of the chloroplasts were studied. The P700 content in plants grown at both high and low light is quite high; the Chl/P700 ratio is about 210 in the chloroplasts from both types of plants. The P700 content in these plants shows no correlation with their maximum photosynthetic efficiency. In high-light plants, the concentrations of P700, ferredoxin and cytochrome f are comparable, namely, one of each of these components is present in each electron-transport pathway. In low-light plants, the P700 concentration is about three times higher than that of cytochrome f or ferredoxin. It is therefore suggested that most of the P700 in low-light plants is involved in a cyclic electron flow which is coupled to phosphorylation. The D-1 and D-10 fragments from the high-light-plant chloroplasts show a substantially higher photosystem-II activity than the corresponding fragments from the low-light plants. This is consistent with our previous finding that the plastoquinone concentration in high-light plants is twice as high as in low-light plants. The higher plastoquinone concentration and the higher photosystem-II activity in the high-light plants may be related to a higher concentration of photosystem-II reaction-center chlorophyll or a larger plastoquinone pool in these plants.
Neuroscience: Toward Unbinding the Binding Problem

How the brain 'binds' information to create a coherent perceptual experience is an enduring question. Recent research in the psychophysics of perceptual binding and developments in fMRI analysis techniques are bringing us closer to an understanding of how the brain solves the binding problem.
The role of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis and management of patients with vascular malformations.

Objective Vascular malformations are uncommon but may confer significant morbidity. Limitations in diagnosis and treatment result from inadequate classification schema and diagnostic algorithms. The crucial distinction is between high-flow and low-flow lesions because this informs prognosis and treatment. This study assessed the utility of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (dceMRI) in distinguishing high-flow from low-flow lesions, a technique that has previously not been widely applied or evaluated in this patient population. Methods A prospective database of all patients referred to the multidisciplinary vascular malformation team at our institution was reviewed from January 2006 to June 2010. dceMRI was obtained on each patient to determine flow characteristics and lesion extent. Additional studies were used as indicated. Catheter-based arteriography was performed when high-flow lesions were identified with the intention of intervening or to distinguish between high-flow and low-flow lesions when MRI was indeterminate. A triage algorithm was used to stratify patients and formulate therapeutic goals. We analyzed the accuracy of dceMRI in identifying high-flow and low-flow lesions. Results The study included 122 patients (aged Conclusions Using a diagnostic tool designed to identify key clinical characteristics, we were able to successfully distinguish between high-flow and low-flow vascular malformations using dceMRI alone in 83.8% of patients, minimizing the need for unnecessary invasive catheter-based procedures.
Design of Power-Split Hybrid Vehicles With a Single Planetary Gear

This paper presents a systematic design methodology for split hybrid vehicles using a single planetary gearset (PG) as the transmission. The design methodology consists of four steps: 1) analyze clutch locations on the PG and operation modes, 2) generate dynamic models, 3) evaluate drivability (acceleration performance) via forward simulations, and 4) optimize the fuel economy using the dynamic programming technique. The 1-PG split hybrid transmission can have 12 configurations, and each configuration can have four operation modes when three clutches are added. This methodology systematically evaluates all configuration candidates and identifies the optimal design, and we demonstrate how it helps to identify a simplified design based in the output-split configuration used by the Chevy Volt. The simplified design, named the Volt−, has only two of the four operation modes of the original Volt. The Volt− achieves the same fuel economy as the original Volt in the FUDS cycle, and has only slightly reduced drivability and fuel economy in the HWFET cycle. In addition, an improved design based on the input-split configuration used by the Toyota Prius is also identified, named the Prius+, which has one additional mode than the original Prius. The Prius+ outperforms the Prius in both drivability and fuel economy.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Maternal and fetal cardiovascular response to exercise during pregnancy

With the two-dimensional Doppler echocardiogram and M-mode echocardiogram, one can study maternal and fetal cardiovascular physiology during rest and exercise. Using such noninvasive techniques, studies indicate that left ventricular function is maintained even during vigorous bicycle exercise in healthy pregnant subjects during the second half of pregnancy. In early pregnancy, the left ventricle adapts to strenuous bicycle exercise by increasing its contractile reserve, enhancing ventricular emptying, whereas in late pregnancy, the left ventricle increases its preload reserve without significantly increasing its contractile reserve. Thus, women are “cardiovascularly” disadvantated early in pregnancy. Using Doppler signals, early (E-passive) flow and late peak (A-active) flow reflect left ventricular diastolic filling properties. Using such techniques, we found that diastolic filling patterns are significantly influenced by pregnancy and that each trimester influences these diastolic filling patterns during upright bicycle exercise. Doppler studies of uteroplacental circulation during or after exercise have yielded conflicting results. Some have described an increase in “the vascular resistance” of this pelvic bed during strenuous exercise, whereas others have not. It seems safe to conclude that more studies are needed to elucidate this problem. Exercise does not seem to influence the resistivity index of the umbilical artery in either singleton or twins, and may even cause it to decrease. Ventricular diastolic filling properties of the fetal heart do not seem to be influenced by maternal bicycle exercise. Further studies are needed to determine if less active pregnant subjects, women with chronic hypertensive disorders, women with sickle cell anemia, or women with insulindependent diabetes adapt to exercise as well as their “normal” counterparts.
Indirect Human Computer Interaction-Based Biometrics for Intrusion Detection Systems

The indirect HCI-based biometrics are events that can be obtained by monitoring users' HCI behavior indirectly via observable low-level actions of computer software, those include records in audit logs, call-stack data, GUI interaction events, network traffic, registry access data, storage activity, and system calls. These low-level events are produced unintentionally by the user during interaction with different software applications during pursuit of some, potentially mischievous, high level goals. This paper concentrates on the review and analysis of indirect human computer interaction-based biometrics frequently used in intrusion detection systems. We conclude with an experimental demonstration of an intrusion detection system based on network traffic analysis as an example of application of indirect human computer interaction-based behavioral biometrics.
Not All Transfers Are Created Equal: Towards a Framework Relating Transfer Connectivity to Travel Behaviour

Abstract Walking from origins to transit stops, transferring between transit lines and walking from transit stops to destinations—all add to the burden of transit travel, sometimes to a very large degree. Transfers in particular can be stressful and/or time‐consuming for travellers, discouraging transit use. As such, transit facilities that reduce the burdens of walking, waiting and transferring can substantially increase transit system efficacy and use. In this paper, we argue that transit planning research on transit stops and stations, and transit planning practice frequently lack a clear conceptual framework relating transit waits and transfers with what we know about travel behaviour. Therefore, we draw on the concepts of transfer penalties and value of time in the travel behaviour/economics literature to develop a framework that situates transfer penalties within the total travel generalized costs of a transit trip. For example, value of time is important in relating actual time of waiting and walki...
Computed tomographic diagnosis of splenic trauma presenting with kehr's sign (referred left shoulder pain)

Acute, posttraumatic shoulder pain is most often due to direct injury to the shoulder girdle. Occasionally, it can be due to pain referred from injury elsewhere, such as in the diaphragmatic region. In the setting of left-sided thoracoabdominal trauma, left upper quadrant tenderness, and left shoulder pain, splenic injury should be strongly suspected. Kehr's sign, or referred left shoulder pain from splenic injury, is well described in the surgery literature but has not received similar attention in the radiology literature. This communication describes a patient injured in a bicycling accident whose chief complaint was severe left shoulder pain. Negative shoulder radiographs and an unremarkable shoulder physical examination sparked concern for a splenic injury referring pain to the left shoulder, and this was confirmed on abdominopelvic computed tomography.
Working-memory capacity predicts the executive control of visual search among distractors: The influences of sustained and selective attention

Variation in working-memory capacity (WMC) predicts individual differences in only some attention-control capabilities. Whereas higher WMC subjects outperform lower WMC subjects in tasks requiring the restraint of prepotent but inappropriate responses, and the constraint of attentional focus to target stimuli against distractors, they do not differ in prototypical visual-search tasks, even those that yield steep search slopes and engender top-down control. The present three experiments tested whether WMC, as measured by complex memory span tasks, would predict search latencies when the 1–8 target locations to be searched appeared alone, versus appearing among distractor locations to be ignored, with the latter requiring selective attentional focus. Subjects viewed target-location cues and then fixated on those locations over either long (1,500–1,550 ms) or short (300 ms) delays. Higher WMC subjects identified targets faster than did lower WMC subjects only in the presence of distractors and only over long...
Simulation: pushing a dead mouse through a maze?

Simulation has been defined in various ways, depending upon the particular biases of the definer. As an example, simulation has been defined, albeit facetiously, as “pushing a dead mouse through a maze”. The definition is examined in the paper. Special emphasis is given to the recent changes that have occurred in user acceptance and consideration is given to trends in the field. The need for increased accessibility to simulation is the primary focus of the paper.
The Effects of Distractible Child Behavior on Adults in a Problem-Solving Setting

Twenty-four women enrolled in undergraduate special education classes interacted with a child confederate while solving three tasks in one of two conditions. In one condition, the child exhibited distractible behavior; in the other the child exhibited similar skill levels but remained on task. Based on videotapes of the sessions, eleven categories of adult behavior and five categories of child behavior were coded. Analysis of the data using multivariate analysis of variance techniques supported the hypothesis that adults respond differently to particular characteristics of child behavior. Adults Interacting with the confederate in the distractible condition made significantly more demands on the child's attention, provided more Instruction, and more often asked the child about his performance and the demands of the task. Educational implications of the effects of child behavior on adults are discussed.
Synthesis of Some α,β-Unsaturated β,δ-Disubstituted δ-Lactones

A series of 18 new α - β -unsaturated β , δ -disubstituted δ -lactones was synthesized as possible therapeutic agents. The majority of the compounds described contain an aryloxy group in the β -position of the lactone ring, while those naturally occurring in Piper methysticum all contain an alkoxy group in this position. Some of the lactones were hydrogenated by means of palladium-on-charcoal to the corresponding dihydro derivatives. The infrared absorption spectra of most of the synthesized compounds were also studied.
Integral Parallel Architecture & Berkeley's Motifs

The Integral Parallel Architecture (IPA) developed and actually implemented by BrightScale is a low-power(133 GOPS/Watt) & low-area (8 GOPS/mm^2) one-chip solution to solve intense computational problems using data-parallel, time-parallel and speculative-parallel mechanisms. BrightScale technology is presented from the point of view of each of the 13 motifs proposed in The Berkeley's View. IPA emerges from Kleene's computational model of the partial recursive functions as the simplest parallel architecture, a good starting point for a true science of parallel computation. We briefly investigate how such an elementary parallel architecture performs, for the main computational motifs, in solving the problems of programmability, portability, flexibility, data movement between computational cells, and between cells and the main memory.
On the application of uniform linear array bearing estimation techniques to uniform circular arrays

The problem of estimating the directions of arrival of narrowband plane waves impinging on a uniform circular array with M identical sensors uniformly distributed around a circle is considered. Specifically, the authors study a transformed data sequence that is equal to a reordering of the inverse discrete Fourier transform sequence corresponding to the outputs of a circular array with M elements uniformly distributed around the array circumference. It is shown that the transformed sequence may be processed using a ROOT MUSIC based approach to estimate the elevations and azimuths of the observed sources. Any root estimated via ROOT MUSIC which is on or close to the unit circle indicates the presence of a source at the elevation under consideration and an azimuth equal to the phase of the root. Experimental results are provided to demonstrate the advantages of processing the transformed data. >
Scare Tactics: The Politics of International Rivalry

Scare Tactics: The Politics of International Rivalry. By Michael P. Colaresi. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2005. 232p. $34.95. The emerging research program of international rivalries is an important branch of study within the international relations subfield. Rather than focus on rare events such as war, this research program seeks to understand the dynamics at work for what many scholars perceive to be the most dangerous pairs of interstate enemies in the system. Those enemies are historical rivals, typically coded as strategic or enduring rivals. In a rivalry, hatred is endemic and cooperation may be rare. These actors clearly are of a different sort than the rest of the system and need to be studied in their historical context.
High Throughput BAC DNA Isolation for Physical Map Construction of Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor)

With the aim of constructing a physical map of sorghum, we developed a rapid, high throughput approach for isolating BAC DNA suitable for restriction endonuclease digestion fingerprinting, PCR- based STS-content mapping, and BAC-end sequencing. The system utilizes a programmable 96 channel liquid handling system and associated accessories that permit bacterial cultivation and DNA isolation in 96-well plate format. This protocol details culture conditions that optimize bacterial growth in deep-well plates and criteria for BAC DNA isolation to obtain high yields of quality BAC DNA. The system is robust, accurate, and relatively cost-effective. The BAC DNA isolation system has been tested during efforts to construct a physical map of sorghum.
Measurement of Total Cerebral Blood Flow in the Monkey by External Monitoring of Cesium-131

A modification of the 42K fractionation technique has been developed which permits rapid, repeated measurement of cerebral blood flow by external isotope monitoring without jugular or carotid puncture. 131Cs, an isotope with distribution characteristics similar to those of 42K, has been used in this study. Cerebral blood flow measurement involves determination of the peak cephalic activity of an intravenously injected bolus of 131Cs by digital rate counting in a well-scintillation crystal that encloses the head. If the entire fraction of the isotopic bolus entering the head appears in the cerebral circulation before significant venous loss of 131Cs begins, the ratio of peak cephalic activity to total injected activity will represent the cephalic portion of the cardiac output. Since cerebral capillaries are not very permeable to 131Cs, activity remaining in the head after decay of peak cephalic activity will represent uptake by noncerebral cephalic tissue, and the peak activity can be corrected to yield only the cerebral cardiac output fraction. Total cerebral blood flow calculated from 131Cs injection was compared with measured bilateral internal jugular flow obtained by cannulation of the jugular veins. In anesthetized rhesus monkeys, the average ratio (calculated flow/measured flow) was 1.05±0.06.
Analyzing Team Decision-Making in Tactical Scenarios

Team decision-making is a bundle of interdependent activities that involve gathering, interpreting and exchanging information; creating and identifying alternative courses of action; choosing among alternatives by integrating the often different perspectives of team members and implementing a choice and monitoring its consequences. To accomplish joint tasks, human team members often assume distinctive roles in task completion. We believe that to design and build software agents that can assist human teams, we need develop automated techniques to identify the roles of the human decision-makers. If the supporting agents are insensitive to shifts in the team's roles, they cannot effectively monitor the team's activities. This article addresses the problem of doing offline role analysis of battle scenarios from multi-player team games. The ability to identify team roles from observations is important for a wide range of applications including automated commentary generation, game coaching and opponent modeling. We define a role as a preference model over possible actions based on the game state. This article explores two promising approaches for automated role analysis: (1) a model-based system for combining evidence from observed events using the Dempster–Shafer theory and (2) a data-driven discriminative classifier using support vector machines.
Perspectives on Learning History: A Case Study

The purpose of this case study was to generate a description of the elements that supported students' performance in a university history course. Throughout the study, the researchers were guided by a phenomen-ographic theoretical framework. Taking the role of observers, the researchers collected data over a 10-week period in the form of lecture notes, fieldnotes, and documents. In addition, multiple interviews from both the history professor and the 10 informants, who were chosen in a purposive manner, were transcribed. Data were subjected to a qualitative content analysis. Three categories that emerged as salient were students' belief systems, students' strategic knowledge, and students' ability to be flexible. Informants differed on these beliefs depending on whether they were in the high-performance, low-performance, or improved-performance group. One of the major conclusions drawn from this case study was that students who were flexible in their belief systems about learning and history, perceptions ...
Counselling women about choice

Abstract Patient choice—informed consent and informed refusal—is an important ethical and legal principle in medicine. In pregnancy this issue is not straightforward: should a pregnant woman's autonomous choice be respected when she may cause fetal harm by declining recommended caesarean section? Should a pregnant women be free to choose elective caesarean section as an alternative to labour and vaginal delivery? This chapter reviews cases of court-ordered caesarean, and the ethical and legal paradigms for informed refusal in pregnancy. In general, clinicians should not seek court authority to support medical recommendations. This chapter also reviews arguments for and against offering women elective caesarean without strict medical indication. Although compelling arguments in favour of caesarean on demand can be made, clear evidence showing adequate safety and advantages of elective caesarean over vaginal delivery does not yet exist. Ethics, law, politics and history all inform the issue of choice with respect to caesarean in important ways.
The proactive security toolkit and applications

Existing security mechanisms focus on prevention of penetrations, detection of a penetration and (manual) recovery tools Indeed attackers focus their penetration efforts on breaking into critical modules, and on avoiding detection of the attack. As a result, security tools and procedures may cause the attackers to lose control over a specific module (computer, account), since the attacker would rather lose control than risk detection of the attack. While controlling the module, attacker may learn critical secret information or modify the module that make it much easier for the attacker to regain control over that module later. Recent results in cryptography give some hope of improving this situation; they show that many fundamental security tasks can be achieved with proactive security. Proactive security does not assume that there is any module completely secure against penetration Instead, we assume that at any given time period (day, week,.), a sufficient number of the modules in the system are secure (not penetrated). The results obtained so far include some of the most important cryptographic primitives such as signatures, secret sharing, and secure communication However, there was no usable implementation, and several critical issues (for actual use) were not addressedIn this work we report on a practical toolkit implementing the key proactive security mechanisms The toolkit provides secure interfaces to make it easy for applications to recover from penetrations. The toolkit also addresses other critical implementation issues, such as the initialization of the proactive secure system.We describe the toolkit and discuss some of the potential applications. Some applications require minimal enhancements to the existing implementations - e.g. for secure logging (especially for intrusion detection), secure end-to-end communication and timestamping. Other applications require more significant enhancements, mainly distribution over multiple servers, examples are certification authority, key recovery, and secure file system or archive
Liver transplantation for primary sclerosing cholangitis : timing, outcome, impact of inflammatory bowel disease and recurrence of disease

Over the past decade, the outcome of liver transplantation in primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) patients with end-stage liver disease has improved significantly with many centres reporting 1-year patient and graft survival of 90-97% and 85-88%, respectively. Based on these results, liver transplantation has emerged as the treatment of choice for PSC patients. Specific complications related to PSC remain problematical. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) occurs in 70% of patients, and there is a distinctly increased risk of colorectal neoplasia both pre- and post-transplantation. Furthermore, symptoms related to IBD post-transplantation can become severe and lead to the need for proctocolectomy. Cholangiocarcinoma remains a major risk facing the PSC patient and develops in 15-30% of patients. Markers to detect the early neoplastic changes of cholangiocarcinoma are not available. To date, outcome following liver transplantation in PSC patients who have associated cholangiocarcinoma has been dismal. However, those patients who are found to have an incidental cholangiocarcinoma have an acceptable low incidence of recurrence of disease. To assess optimal timing of liver transplantation, natural history risk scores have been developed and utilized. Utilizing such risk scores, estimated survival for the individual PSC patient can be obtained. Finally, there is an increased incidence of both acute and chronic rejection, hepatic artery thrombosis and biliary stricturing in PSC patients undergoing liver transplantation. A late rise in serum alkaline phosphatase level is almost always indicative of biliary stricturing and recurrence of disease. Approximately 20% of patients followed for 5 years or more will have recurrence of PSC documented both on cholangiography and histology.
Contralateral eye-to-eye comparison of wavefront-guided and wavefront-optimized photorefractive keratectomy: a randomized clinical trial.

Importance Wavefront-guided (WFG) and wavefront-optimized (WFO) platforms for refractive surgery are designed for improved visual outcomes. It is unclear which treatment profile is superior for patients undergoing photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). Objective To compare the safety, efficacy, predictability, stability, and higher-order aberrations in eyes undergoing WFG and WFO PRK. Design, Setting, and Participants A prospective, randomized, fellow-eye–controlled clinical trial was conducted at the Byers Eye Institute at Stanford with enrollment between April 2009 and March 2011; 1 year of follow-up was included. Of 90 patients screened, 71 patients (142 eyes) with less than 12.00 diopters (D) of spherical myopia and less than 3.00 D of astigmatism were enrolled consecutively. Interventions One eye was randomized to undergo WFG PRK treatment (Visx CustomVue Star S4 IR excimer laser system; Abbott Medical Optics), and the fellow eye received WFO PRK treatment (WaveLight Allegretto Wave Eye-Q 400 Hz excimer laser system; Alcon Surgical). Main Outcomes and Measures Data on the manifest refraction, uncorrected visual acuity, best-corrected visual acuity, 5% and 25% contrast best-corrected visual acuity, and higher-order aberrations were collected preoperatively and at the 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up visits. Results Eyes undergoing both treatments had improved best-corrected visual acuity (WFG: mean, 0.05 [95% CI, 0.03-0.07]; WFO: mean, 0.04 [95% CI, 0.02-0.06]) and less sphere (WFG: mean, −4.79 [95% CI, −5.31 to −4.26]; WFO: mean, −4.61 [95% CI, −5.18 to −4.03]), cylinder (WFG: mean, 0.66 [95% CI, 0.49-0.82]; WFO: mean, 0.52 [95% CI, 0.35-0.69]), and spherical equivalents (WFG: mean, −4.45 [95% CI, −4.99 to −3.91]; WFO: mean, −4.34 [95% CI, −4.92 to −3.76]) (P Conclusions and Relevance A difference in uncorrected visual acuity or contrast acuity between eyes undergoing WFG or WFO treatment at 3 months and beyond could not be identified. This lack of difference suggests that both systems can be used to provide excellent improvement in vision for persons with myopia. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT01135719
Aharonov-Bohm radiation

A solenoid oscillating in vacuum will pair produce charged particles due to the Aharonov-Bohm (AB) interaction. We calculate the radiation pattern and power emitted for charged scalar particles. We extend the solenoid analysis to cosmic strings and find enhanced radiation from cusps and kinks on loops. We argue by analogy with the electromagnetic AB interaction that cosmic strings should emit photons due to the gravitational AB interaction of fields in the conical spacetime of a cosmic string. We calculate the emission from a kink and find that it is of similar order as emission from a cusp, but kinks are vastly more numerous than cusps and may provide a more interesting observational signature.
Increased susceptibility of aging gastric mucosa to injury: the mechanisms and clinical implications.

This review updates the current views on aging gastric mucosa and the mechanisms of its increased susceptibility to injury. Experimental and clinical studies indicate that gastric mucosa of aging individuals-“aging gastropathy”-has prominent structural and functional abnormalities vs young gastric mucosa. Some of these abnormalities include a partial atrophy of gastric glands, impaired mucosal defense (reduced bicarbonate and prostaglandin generation, decreased sensory innervation), increased susceptibility to injury by a variety of damaging agents such as ethanol, aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), impaired healing of injury and reduced therapeutic efficacy of ulcer-healing drugs. Detailed analysis of the above changes indicates that the following events occur in aging gastric mucosa: reduced mucosal blood flow and impaired oxygen delivery cause hypoxia, which leads to activation of the early growth response-1 (egr-1) transcription factor. Activation of egr-1, in turn, upregulates the dual specificity phosphatase, phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) resulting in activation of pro-apoptotic caspase-3 and caspase-9 and reduced expression of the anti-apoptosis protein, survivin. The imbalance between pro- and anti-apoptosis mediators results in increased apoptosis and increased susceptibility to injury. This paradigm has human relevance since increased expression of PTEN and reduced expression of survivin were demonstrated in gastric mucosa of aging individuals. Other potential mechanisms operating in aging gastric mucosa include reduced telomerase activity, increase in replicative cellular senescence, and reduced expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and importin-α-a nuclear transport protein essential for transport of transcription factors to nucleus. Aging gastropathy is an important and clinically relevant issue because of: (1) an aging world population due to prolonged life span; (2) older patients have much greater risk of gastroduodenal ulcers and gastrointestinal complications (e.g., NSAIDs-induced gastric injury) than younger patients; and (3) increased susceptibility of aging gastric mucosa to injury can be potentially reduced or reversed pharmacologically.
HRP2 determines the efficiency and specificity of HIV-1 integration in LEDGF/p75 knockout cells but does not contribute to the antiviral activity of a potent LEDGF/p75-binding site integrase inhibitor

The binding of integrase (IN) to lens epitheliumderived growth factor (LEDGF)/p75 in large part determines the efficiency and specificity of HIV-1 integration. However, a significant residual preference for integration into active genes persists in Psip1 (the gene that encodes for LEDGF/p75) knockout (KO) cells. One other cellular protein, HRP2, harbors both the PWWP and IN-binding domains that are important for LEDGF/p75 co-factor function. To assess the role of HRP2 in HIV-1 integration, cells generated from Hdgfrp2 (the gene that encodes for HRP2) and Psip1/ Hdgfrp2 KO mice were infected alongside matched control cells. HRP2 depleted cells supported normal infection, while disruption of Hdgfrp2 in Psip1 KO cells yielded additional defects in the efficiency and specificity of integration. These deficits were largely restored by ectopic expression of either LEDGF/p75 or HRP2. The double-KO cells nevertheless supported residual integration into genes, indicating that IN and/or other host factors contribute to integration specificity in the absence of LEDGF/p75 and HRP2. Psip1 KO significantly increased the potency of an allosteric inhibitor that binds the LEDGF/p75 binding site on IN, a result that was not significantly altered by Hdgfrp2 disruption. These findings help to rule out the host factor-IN interactions as the primary antiviral targets of LEDGF/p75-binding site IN inhibitors.
Consistency based error evaluation for deep sea bathymetric mapping with robotic vehicles

This paper presents a method to evaluate the mapping error present in point cloud terrain maps created using robotic vehicles and range sensors. This work focuses on mapping environments where no a priori ground truth is available and self consistency is the only available check against false artifacts and errors. The proposed error measure is based on a disparity measurement between common sections of the environment that have been imaged multiple times. This disparity measure highlights inconsistency in the terrain map by showing regions where multiple overlapping point clouds do not fit together well. This error measure provides the map interpreter with a localized error measurement to help judge the validity of the final point cloud or gridded surface. It is shown that the proposed method highlights mapping errors more clearly than a principle component based measure used in the 3D modelling community. Results are presented for bathymetric mapping over natural terrain in the deep ocean using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) outfitted with navigation sensors and a multibeam sonar system
High efficiency 40 watt PsHEMT S-band MIC power amplifiers

High-efficiency 40 W pseudomorphic HEMT (PsHEMT) power amplifiers at S-band have been developed. The amplifiers are single-stage designs combining four prematched PsHEMT devices, utilizing 1/8-wavelength four-way combiners with integral bias circuitry. Two amplifiers were assembled using devices from two different Raytheon processes. The first amplifier combined four 24 mm devices and the measured performance over a 2.3-2.6 GHz bandwidth achieved a peak output power at 2 dB gain-compression point of 41.4 W, with an associated gain of 14.2 dB and 52.6% power-added efficiency (PAE). The second amplifier utilized four 19.2 mm devices and achieved a peak output power at 2 dB gain-compression point of 43 W, with an associated gain of 13.43 dB and 57% PAE. Both amplifiers were biased at 8 V. >
Time to treatment of cauda equina syndrome: a time to reevaluate our clinical decision.

lthough cauda equina syndrome (CES) is considered to be one of the few operative emergencies in the field of A spine surgery, the association between time to treatment and patient outcomes has not been fully established. In 1934, Mixter and Barr fist described CES following an intervertebral disc rupture (5). In 1956, Shepard identified urgent surgical decompression as a predictor of favorable outcomes (6). Almost 50 years later, Ahn et al. calculated time to surgery as a function of patient outcomes in a landmark meta-analysis (1). In that study, the authors found that patients presenting with acute CES had a 48-hour window of opportunity for the decompression of nerve roots; beyond this time period, neurologic function was unlikely to recover. In 2004, Kohles et al. refuted this conclusion because of the lack of study controls (internal validity) (4). Upon reevaluating the results from the Ahn et al. meta-analysis published in 2000, Kohles et al. asserted that the threshold for time to surgery should in fact be decreased to 24 hours from symptom onset. Likewise, Todd et al. conducted an independent meta-analysis, reporting odds ratios with referent controls in order to strengthen the internal validity (7). The authors concluded that the odds of bladder function recovery were 3.89 times higher following surgery within 24 hours compared to after 24 hours.
Noise-domain reflectometry for locating wiring faults

Reflectometry is commonly used to determine the integrity of cables and wiring. This work describes a new family of reflectometers, the noise-domain reflectometers (NDR), that uses existing data signals on wiring and does not need to generate any signals of their own. There are two types of NDR, type I (where incident and reflected signals are separated) and type II (where they are superimposed). NDR is totally "quiet" and passive to other signals on the media. Especially for NDR II, detection can be done totally nonintrusively. In this paper, the working principles of NDR are described. Simulation results and examples for location of faults to within 3 inches on wiring up to 180 feet are provided.