cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
INTERRELATION BETWEEN SLEEP AND TEMPERATURE REGULATION

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the interrelation between sleep and temperature regulation. The possibility of interaction between the thermoregulatory system and arousal state controlling systems requires a new look at studies on the involvement of the hypothalamus on the control of arousal states. The effects of hypothalamic lesions and electrical stimulation have led to the postulation that the preoptic nuclei and anterior hypothalamus (POAH) are involved in producing cortical synchrony and sleep whereas the posterior hypothalamic areas are involved in producing cortical desynchrony and arousal. One criticism of the lesion and stimulation studies of putative hypothalamic sleep centers is that the effects may be a cause of disruption or stimulation of fibers of passage rather than to hypothalamic nuclei. For example, the lateral hypothalamus includes the medial forebrain bundle that includes descending pathways from septal and olfactory nuclei plus olfactory, hippocampal, and orbitofrontal cortices to the midbrain and possibly lower brainstem. Ascending fibers in the median forebrain bundle include those from several brainstem nuclei. The medial forebrain bundle also contains axons from various hypothalamic nuclei.
Nicander, Thêriaka , and Alexipharmaka : Venoms, Poisons, and Literature

Abstract The Theriaka and Alexipharmaka, by the Greek writer Nicander of Colophon (who might have lived in the 2nd century BC), are about venoms and poisons, respectively. They are intriguing pieces, as they treat toxicology as a poetic matter and are written in Homeric verse, with the same epic sense of grandiose fighting. In spite of the many questions that this treatment of toxicology raises, the two poems have played an extraordinary role in Western scholarship. A close examination of the poems and a comparison to the toxicological literature of antiquity help us better understand the two works. It appears that they might be better classified as literature (possibly in the gory genre) rather than toxicological treatises in their own right, and that they might be somewhat related to the toxicological experiments of Attalus III, the king of Pergamum in the late 2nd century, to whom Nicander dedicated another of his works.
Succession Planning in Non-Profit Healthcare Organizations

For the most part, succession planning in healthcare organizations was outsourced to the American College of Healthcare Executives for the non-clinical tract and for the American Organization of Nurse Executives for the nursing tract to the executive level. Many organizations conduct leadership training for first-time managers promoted to a managerial position. These training programs often run for one year, where the topics covered include regulatory and accreditation topics germane to management positions in hospitals. Other topics include capital and operating budgeting, human resource guidance, and risk management. These leadership programs provide an opportunity to meet other managers and leaders in the organizations, including the individuals responsible for these functions.
Stress proteins as molecular biomarkers for environmental toxicology

Biomarkers are increasingly being used in environmental monitoring to provide evidence that organisms have been exposed to, or affected by, xenobiotic chemicals. Usually, these biomarkers rely on biochemical, histological, morphological, and physiological changes in whole organisms; however, changes at the cellular and molecular levels of organization, especially in nucleic acids and proteins, are increasingly being used to supplement these more traditional biomarkers. This chapter starts by giving a brief overview of biomarkers and some of the basic requirements for their effective use. Then stress-inducible proteins that are potentially useful as environmental biomarkers are explored, and some examples of their application as biomarkers and methods of detecting them are presented.
Ferritin, Biomineralization, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging

The remarkable technological advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), combined with the increasing utility of MRI as a clinical diagnostic modality, have generated a renewed interest in paramagnetic ions and their macromolecular complexes in vivo. The connection should be rather clear: contrast in MRI depends in the main on the relaxation rates of the protons of mobile water molecules of tissue, and these rates can be altered significantly by the introduction of tracer amounts of paramagnetic centers. Indeed, Bloch and collaborators, in their discovery of proton magnetic resonance in liquids over four decades ago (Bloch, 1946; Bloch et al., 1946), added Fe3+ ions to water to increase the proton relaxation rate to a convenient value.
Chapter Four - Development of LRRK2 Kinase Inhibitors for Parkinson's Disease

Abstract Parkinson's disease (PD) is the most common movement disorder and the second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer's disease. The etiology of PD is complex but the most common phenotype is the loss of dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra leading to the clinical symptoms of bradykinesia, resting tremors, rigidity, and postural instability. The most common genetic cause of autosomal dominant PD is mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) which accounts for 1% of sporadic and 4% of familial cases. The G2019S mutation is the most common in LRRK2 and occurs in the DYG motif of the kinase domain, where it appears to increase its kinase activity. Consequently, a great deal of effort has been directed toward identifying potent LRRK2 kinase inhibitors with a biopharmaceutical profile congruent with clinical evaluation and this report summarizes efforts in this regard.
Cold War Environmentalism

A survey of the growth of the environmental movement in the second half of the twentieth century suggests that the spike in scientific research during the Cold War decades was essential to improving our understanding of the Earth and its climate. Although massive investment in earth science research and space exploration during the Cold War inadvertently helped to launch the global environmental movement, the military application of that research also threatened to cause a global catastrophe. A focused and deliberate effort to understand and cope with the threat of climate change, if organized under the aegis of a supranational democracy, could provide a more sustainable foundation for scientific research in this century.
Atomic processes in antiproton-matter interactions

Atomic processes dominate antiproton stopping in matter at nearly all energies of interest. They significantly influence or determine the antiproton annihilation rate at all energies around or below several MeV. This article discusses what is known about the atomic processes which, through their effect on stopping and annihilation, significantly influence the spatial distribution of antiproton annihilations in a material. For stopping above about 10 eV the processes are antiproton-electron collisions, effective at medium keV through high MeV energies, and elastic collisions with atoms and adiabatic ionization of atoms, effective from medium eV through low keV energies. For annihilation above about 10 eV it is the enhancement of the antiproton annihilation rate due to the antiproton-nucleus Coulomb attraction, effective around and below a few tens of MeV. At about 10 eV and below, the atomic rearrangement/annihilation process determines both the stopping and annihilation rates. Although a fair amount of theoretical and some experimental work relevant to these processes exist, there are a number of energy ranges and material types for which experimental data does not exist and for which the theoretical information is not as well grounded or as accurate as desired. Additional experimental and theoretical work is required for accurate prediction of antiproton stopping and annihilation for energies and materials relevant to antiproton experimentation and application.
Regional practice norms for the care of childhood cancer survivors at risk for cardiomyopathy: A Delphi study

BACKGROUND Treatment-associated cardiomyopathy is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality for childhood cancer survivors (CCS). As evidence is not available to guide the management of CCS at risk for cardiomyopathy, we aim to describe the collective opinion of regional experts for the care of these patients using a consensus-based Delphi methodology. PROCEDURE Nineteen physicians from the New England region who care for CCS treated with cardiotoxic therapy (anthracyclines, thoracic radiation) participated in a Delphi panel querying their management approach, using three rounds of anonymous questionnaires formatted as five clinical scenarios. Consensus ≥ 89% agreement. RESULTS The response rate was 100% for the first round and 95% for subsequent rounds. Panelists reached consensus on screening asymptomatic CCS with serial echocardiograms (94%) and electrocardiograms (89%), with some disagreement on frequency during pregnancy (83%). All panelists agreed with exercise promotion, with no restrictions on weight training. Consensus was reached on indications for referrals; cardiology for asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction (ALVD) (100%) and maternal-fetal medicine for pregnancy (94%). In the scenario of ALVD, there was disagreement on the benefit of additional cardiac testing (50% cardiologists recommended cardiac MRI), and although all panelists endorsed treating with angiotension-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, most adult cardiologists (75%) also recommended therapy with beta blockers, compared with none of the pediatric cardiologists or primary-care physicians. CONCLUSIONS Despite a lack of evidence to guide the management of CCS at risk for cardiomyopathy, a panel of regional physicians reached consensus on managing most clinical scenarios. A controversial area requiring further study is the medical management of ALVD.
Partitioning pervasive detrital geochronologic age distributions in the southern Alaskan forearc

The extensive detrital zircon U-Pb geochronologic dataset presented here includes new and compiled data (N=38; n=8,006) from modern rivers that together comprehensively characterizes the geographic distribution of pervasive Mesozoic—Cenozoic igneous belts across mountainous regions in south-central Alaska, including the northern Chugach Mountains, Talkeetna Mountains, and western, central, and eastern Alaska Range. These data are compared to an extensive detrital zircon U-Pb dataset from Lower Cretaceous to Pliocene strata in the forearc basin (N=29; n=8,678) using a recently developed unmixing approach to investigate the variations in long-term provenance and sediment dispersal patterns in the basin in response to tectonic events. During the Early Cretaceous, the primary sediment source was an exhumed Jurassic arc located north of the basin, but new sediment derived from accretionary prism strata in the northern Chugach Mountains during the Late Cretaceous coincides with final suturing of the Insular terranes with North America and a change in plate kinematics. Eocene strata record major sediment derivation from the western Alaska Range after passage of a subducting spreading ridge. By the Oligocene, shallow subduction of the Yakutat microplate triggered a rejuvenation of exhumation in the northern Chugach Mountains that continued through the Early-Middle Miocene. And overall inboard shift of dominant source regions to the Talkeetna Mountains and central Alaska Range likely reflects the continued insertion of the shallow slab beneath south-central Alaska. The integrated approach of strategic modern river sampling and comprehensive basin strata characterization in conjunction with an inverse Monte Carlo approach of mixture modeling demonstrates a useful approach for partitioning of widespread and pervasive ages in sediment source terranes.
Retinal artery occlusion does not portend an increased risk of stroke

Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to determine the subsequent risk of stroke after a diagnosis of retinal artery occlusion (RAO). We hypothesized that the risk would be low and comparable to that of the general population. RAO is relatively rare and often incorrectly diagnosed. We believe our institution is in a unique position to investigate this relationship with both a high-volume eye center and vascular laboratory. Methods This was a retrospective, single-institution review of 221 patients diagnosed with RAO from 2004 to 2018, confirmed with fluorescein angiography. Demographics, comorbidities, imaging of the carotid arteries, and prospective events, such as stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), and death, were recorded. Time to first stroke, first MI, and death was estimated using Kaplan-Meier estimation separately and as a composite end point. Results There were 221 patients identified with a confirmed diagnosis of RAO. The mean age in the cohort was 66.1 years; 53% of patients were male, and 29% were diabetic. Median length of follow-up was 2.2 years. Five patients (2.3%) had a documented stroke; four of the five strokes occurred at the time of RAO, with one that was contralateral occurring at 1.2 years. There were eight MIs (3.6%) in the cohort, two of which resulted in death. Twenty-two patients (10%) experienced a stroke, MI, or death. There were 141 (63.8%) patients who had carotid imaging performed, of whom 20 (14.2%) were found to have >50% stenosis. Conclusions The rate of stroke in patients with confirmed RAO was 2.3%; however, excluding concurrent ischemic events, the risk was 50% was 14.2%. The authors conclude that the risk of stroke after confirmed RAO is lower than previously reported and comparable to prior population-based studies of all at-risk adults.
You Bowel Believe It

Abstract A 2-year-old previously healthy girl presented to the emergency department with sudden onset of nonbilious emesis and severe abdominal pain. Her clinical examination and point-of-care ultrasound were consistent with a small bowel obstruction. She had sonographic evidence of free fluid in the abdomen and subsequently developed hemodynamic instability. Further imaging was suggestive for a congenital anomaly causing her obstruction. She was ultimately diagnosed with an omphalomesenteric duct remnant, confirmed during an exploratory laparotomy.
A Nanovessel-Catalyzed Three-Component Aza-Darzens Reaction

It has been previously demonstrated that nanovessels can be highly competent catalysts providing high rate accelerations and unique selectivity to the organic transformations which they mediate. However, for supramolecular assemblies to be considered a standard reagent in organic synthesis they must first demonstrate the ability to catalyze increasingly complex transformations. Herein, we report a three-component Aza-Darzens reaction that generates N-phenylaziridines, catalyzed by a supramolecular host, that provides the stereoisomer opposite to the one generated in bulk solution (trans vs cis). This transformation constitutes a rare catalytic three-component coupling within a supramolecular assembly, providing a supramolecular solution to a synthetically challenging transformation.
Hypertension and heart failure: focus on high-risk populations.

Purpose of review Hypertension is a common, modifiable precursor to heart failure. Lifetime risk for development varies across age, sex, race and ability to achieve adequate blood pressure control. Recent findings Although meta-analyses seemingly support intensive blood pressure control to reduce incident heart failure, randomized clinical trials are limited and do not enroll a large number of female, minority, elderly or treatment-resistant patients. Heterogeneity further adds to complexity; however, enhanced cognizance of these disparities can aid clinicians in creating patient-centered care plans. Summary High-risk populations constitute an overwhelming percentage of the comorbid disease burden. Future clinical trials must reflect this diverse population to truly determine appropriate blood pressure targets and pharmacotherapy to reduce cardiovascular events.
Feature Selection Improves Tree-based Classification for Wireless Intrusion Detection

With the growth of 5G wireless technologies and IoT, it become urgent to develop robust network security systems, such as intrusions detection systems (IDS) to keep the networks secure. These IDS systems need to detect unauthorized access and attacks in real-time. However, most of the modern IDS are built based on complex machine learning models that are time-consuming to train. In this work, we propose a methodology using the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) in combination with tree-based classifiers. SHAP can be used to select consistent and small feature subsets to reduce the execution time and improve classification accuracy. We demonstrate the proposed approach with the Aegean Wi-Fi Intrusion Dataset (AWID) dataset in a series of multi-class classification experiments. Among the four classes ("normal", "injection", "flooding" and "impersonation"), it is well-known that the class impersonation is hard to be classified accurately. Tests show that we can use about 10% of the initial feature set without reducing the overall prediction accuracy. With this reduced set of features, the training time could be reduced as much as a factor of four, while slightly improving the discriminating ability to identify impersonation instances. This study suggests that by reducing the number of features, the classification algorithms are able to focus on key trends that differentiates the "attacks" classes from the "normal" class. Using a reduces subset of features improves IDS's accuracy and performance. Also, SHAP dependence plots capture the relationship between individual features and the classification decision.
Spending the Best but Banking the Rest

All vaccines rely on the ability of B cells to remember pathogen infections and respond more vigorously upon reinfection. In this issue of Cell, Viant et al. address the real-world issue of protection against rapidly emerging pathogen variants and describe how memory B cells may anticipate infections by such variants.
The Glossopharyngo-Cochlear Triangle-Part II: Case Series Highlighting the Clinical Application to High-Riding Posterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery Aneurysms Exposed Through the Extended Retrosigmoid Approach.

BACKGROUND Use of the far lateral transcondylar (FL) approach and vagoaccessory triangle is the standard exposure for clipping most posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) aneurysms. However, a distal PICA origin or high-lying vertebrobasilar junction can position the aneurysm beyond the vagoaccessory triangle, making the conventional FL approach inappropriate. OBJECTIVE To demonstrate the utility of the extended retrosigmoid (eRS) approach and a lateral trajectory through the glossopharyngo-cochlear triangle as the surgical corridor for these cases. METHODS High-riding PICA aneurysms treated by microsurgery were retrospectively reviewed, comparing exposure through the eRS and FL approaches. Clinical, surgical, and outcome measures were evaluated. Distances from the aneurysm neck to the internal auditory canal (IAC), jugular foramen, and foramen magnum were measured. RESULTS Six patients with PICA aneurysms underwent clipping using the eRS approach; 5 had high-riding PICA aneurysms based on measurements from preoperative computed tomography angiography (CTA). Mean distances of the aneurysm neck above the foramen magnum, below the IAC, and above the jugular foramen were 27.0 mm, 3.7 mm, and 8.2 mm, respectively. Distances were all significantly lower versus the comparison group of 9 patients with normal or low-riding PICA aneurysms treated using an FL approach (P < .01). All 6 aneurysms treated using eRS were completely occluded without operative complications. CONCLUSION The eRS approach is an important alternative to the FL approach for high-riding PICA aneurysms, identified as having necks more than 23 mm above the foramen magnum on CTA. The glossopharyngo-cochlear triangle is another important anatomic triangle that facilitates microsurgical dissection.
The laughing sage: Chinese and western perspectives

This article attempts to shed light on the cultural understanding of laughter in the East and in the West. More specifically, it introduces the sages who take laughter as their signature both in China and in Europe and identifies the understanding of laughter as a qualification of wisdom in different cultures. In China, the earliest model is the Daoist sage, whilst in the West it is the 5th century BCE atomist philosopher, Democritus, later nicknamed the Laughing Philosopher. The Chinese ideal of the laughing sage had a more widespread influence than the Western ideal, through its endorsement by Chinese Buddhism, and the latter’s influence both on Tibetan Buddhism and Japanese Zen Buddhism, combined with the Western interest in Daoism, Buddhism and Zen. In contradistinction, the legend of the laughing philosopher would remain mostly cooped in Europe and travelled little. However, as with the laughing Buddhas and the Zen laughing monks, who bring Daoist influence to religion and to art, Democritus’s influence within Europe will be palatable not only in philosophy, but also in religion, literature, and iconography. In what follows, I elaborate first on the laughing philosopher, epitomized in the West by the legend of the sage Democritus and on additional Western sources of laughter. I then turn to Chinese philosophy, and explain how the laughing sages of Daoism influenced Chinese or Ch’an Buddhism, which gave rise to the significant role of laughter in Zen Buddhism. I conclude with some cultural differences, which are transcended by the role of laughter in securing and restoring health in both the East and the West and especially by the commonalities of the human condition.
Scoring the Life Events Checklist: Comparison of three scoring methods.

OBJECTIVE Prior trauma history is a reliable and robust risk predictor for PTSD development. Obtaining an accurate measurement of prior trauma history is critical in research of trauma-related outcomes. The Life Events Checklist (LEC) is a widely used self-report measure of trauma history that categorizes events by the proximity to trauma exposure; however, the field has published multiple scoring methods when assessing the LEC. Herein, we propose a novel scoring procedure in which total scores from the LEC are weighted according to the proximity of trauma exposure with "experienced" events weighted most and "learned about" events weighted least. METHOD The utility of this weighted score was assessed in two traumatically-injured civilian samples and compared against previously published scoring methods, including a nonweighted score including all events experienced, witnessed, and learned about, as well as a score consisting of only experienced events. RESULTS Results indicated the standard total score was most reliable, followed by the weighted score. The experienced events score was least reliable, but the best predictor of future PTSD symptoms. CONCLUSIONS One method to balance the predictive strength of experienced events and the excellent reliability of a total LEC score, is to adopt the newly proposed weighted score. Future use of this weighted scoring method can provide a comprehensive estimate of lifetime trauma exposure while still emphasizing the direct proximity of experienced events compared with other degrees of exposure. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Kissinger-Style Kinetic Analysis for Sintering Dilatometry Data

The kinetics of densification during sintering are often analyzed by techniques such as the master sintering curve and Wang–Raj analysis to determine activation energies. These methods, while versatile, do not always form a complete picture or isolate individual processes that occur during sintering. This report develops a densification rate peak method for determining activation energies analogous to the traditional Kissinger analysis for chemical reactions. The difference between using the present analysis and the traditional Kissinger analysis is explored and evaluated for a range of theoretical examples. Finally, three previous sintering reports are re-examined with the new analysis: ThO2-4 pct UO2, Gd and Bi co-doped ceria, and mechanically alloyed W-Cu. The results obtained using the Kissinger-style analysis are in line with MSC and WR analysis where appropriate, and expand the information obtained from densification rate data beyond that of the original reports in some cases.
Estimation of integral length scales across the neutral atmospheric boundary layer depth: A Large Eddy Simulation study

Abstract Integral length scales of atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) flows, as well as mean velocities and turbulence intensities, play an important role in determining the response of structures subjected to wind loads. For tall building design, however, sufficient relevant data at high elevations are currently not available from experimental/field measurement data or in building standards. This study uses Large Eddy Simulation (LES) with a constant horizontal pressure gradient and streamwise periodic boundary conditions to develop horizontally homogeneous neutral ABL flow. Based on two-point velocity correlation functions ( ρ u x , ρ u y , ρ u z , ρ v y , ρ w z ), the corresponding integral length scales ( L u x , L u y , L u z , L v y , L w z ) are presented at heights across the ABL depth for better characterization of the energetic turbulent eddies. In particular, this study addresses numerical artifacts inherent in the CFD simulations, which are due to insufficient longitudinal domain lengths and streamwise periodic boundary conditions, frequently used in computational studies, that affect the estimation of longitudinal correlation function in the streamwise direction, ρ u x , and the corresponding integral length scale, L u x . An analytical expression for ρ u x is proposed and calibrated using simulations with various longitudinal domain lengths, to obtain domain-independent L u x estimates across the ABL depth. The results clearly show that the turbulent eddy structures are highly elongated (streamwise) in the near-ground region, and become shorter in the outer region of the ABL. Estimates of the integral length scales are provided at heights much greater than the upper limit of standards like ASCE 7–16. This study provides an insight into the three-dimensional coherent structures of flows throughout the ABL depth and presents data on modeling approach flows in wind tunnel tests, in numerical simulations, and in associated standard provisions.
Tyrosine kinases: complex molecular systems challenging computational methodologies

Classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations based on atomic models play an increasingly important role in a wide range of applications in physics, biology, and chemistry. Nonetheless, generating genuine knowledge about biological systems using MD simulations remains challenging. Protein tyrosine kinases are important cellular signaling enzymes that regulate cell growth, proliferation, metabolism, differentiation, and migration. Due to the large conformational changes and long timescales involved in their function, these kinases present particularly challenging problems to modern computational and theoretical frameworks aimed at elucidating the dynamics of complex biomolecular systems. Markov state models have achieved limited success in tackling the broader conformational ensemble and biased methods are often employed to examine specific long timescale events. Recent advances in machine learning continue to push the limitations of current methodologies and provide notable improvements when integrated with the existing frameworks. A broad perspective is drawn from a critical review of recent studies.
Out With the Open-Transaction Doctrine: A New Theory for Taxing Contingent Payment Sales

The open-transaction doctrine stems from Burnett v. Logan, one of the most famous Supreme Court cases in the history of the tax law. For more than seven decades, this doctrine has wreaked havoc with the tax treatment of the seller and the buyer of a business whose purchase price is contingent on future profits. Contingent payment sales typically occur when the parties cannot agree on the value of the business. This Article argues that the open-transaction doctrine cannot be justified and that it is time for Congress to put the doctrine to rest. The Article advances a new system for taxing contingent payment sales. The courts have historically treated the seller's right to contingent payments as consideration provided by the buyer of the business. This Article argues that the seller's right to contingent payments should instead be conceptualized as a proprietary interest retained by the seller. This retained-interest theory provides a sound foundation for taxing contingent payment sales and fills a void that has always existed with respect to these common business transactions.
Infections of the Female Genital Tract

Over the last quarter of a century, the use of intrauterine devices (lUDs) and tampons by millions of women worldwide has introduced four previously rare and unrecognized infections. The morbidity and mortality associated with toxic shock syndrome (TSS), spontaneous septic midtrimester abortion, pelvic actinomycosis, and lUD-associated pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) have been significant. These events have focused badly needed attention on the composition of these devices and pathogenesis of these infections. Initial insertion of the IUD is associated with bacterial colonization of the normally sterile uterine cavity. The sterile-foreignbody- induced inflammation may persist in both the endometrium and the endosalpinx, as demonstrated by histopathology and the presence of neutrophils and macrophages in uterine washes. The upper genital tract is normally sterile since the cervix provides an effective physical and chemical barrier to bacteria. The closed internal os, resistant squamous epithelium, and bacteriostatic endocervical mucus maintain the barrier. A recent prospective controlled study confirmed that infectious complications of IUDs are more frequent if the threads lead from the uterine cavity to the vagina than if they are contained within the uterine cavity. As for many other postoperative cases of TSS, most of these cases may have been secondary to wound infections.
Using Word Clouds for Reflection and Discussion in an Online Class

The context: This strategy was originally used in the online graduate class, “The Spiritual Development of College Students” (HIED 632) in the Masters of Higher Education program at a small, liberal arts college. While currently part of the curriculum in this course, favorable feedback has expanded the use of this strategy to the Masters of Curriculum and Instruction, Graduate Superintendent’s Certificate program, and Masters of Communication programs. Courses are comprised of twelve to twenty graduate students in an online learning environment.
Morphological enhancement of coronary angiograms

Two ways of applying morphological image processing techniques (MORPH) to cardiac angiography images are identified. First, arterial contrast can be selectively increased using contrast-containing images alone. Second, MORPH can be used as a preprocessing step to preflatten both the contrast and mask images prior to subtraction. This procedure, called MORPH-DSA, removes most of the gray-scale changes due to the beating of the heart. This reduces subtraction artifacts and allows a sequence of subtracted images to be displayed with a narrower gray-scale window-width than that following normal DSA processing. >
Improved Approximation Guarantees through Higher Levels of SDP Hierarchies

For every fixed i¾?i¾? 0, we give an algorithm that, given an n-vertex 3-uniform hypergraph containing an independent set of size i¾?n, finds an independent set of size $n^{\Omega(\gamma^2)}$. This improves upon a recent result of Chlamtac, which, for a fixed i¾?> 0, finds an independent set of size ni¾?in any 3-uniform hypergraph containing an independent set of size $(\frac12-\varepsilon)n$. The main feature of this algorithm is that, for fixed i¾?, it uses the i¾?(1/i¾?2)-level of a hierarchy of semidefinite programming (SDP) relaxations. On the other hand, we show that for at least one hierarchy which gives such a guarantee, 1/i¾?levels yield no non-trivial guarantee. Thus, this is a first SDP-based algorithm for which the approximation guarantee improves indefinitely as one uses progressively higher-level relaxations.
An intelligent assistant for sleep stage scoring

An intelligent assistant for sleep stage scoring is currently being developed. Due to the complexities and variations in the sleep signals, it is quite common that the system will initially be unable to correctly classify portions of the sleep signals. However, the system works in conjunction with somnologists, or human sleep stage scoring experts, and actively seeks their advice when it is unable to reliably decide on its own. The system incorporates the human guidance into its own knowledge base and continues with its scoring. The emphasis is on finding ways to produce reliable classifications in a domain that is at times very difficult to categorize. This reliability is critical if the physicians, in reaching their diagnoses and recommendations, are to rely on the machine's output. The system has successfully scored 156 test cases with an overall 92% epoch-by-epoch agreement with the human expert. >
Multiscale Micromechanical Lattice Modeling of Cracking in Asphalt Concrete

A multiscale micromechanical lattice modeling technique is proposed from amongst several computational methods for predicting the performance of hot mix asphalt (HMA) under service loads. Although the lattice model has shown promise, many important details need to be addressed to ensure realistic predictions. This paper presents enhancements to the original model that have been developed over the past two years. These revisions are geared towards capturing the material behavior more accurately and efficiently than was possible with the original lattice model. Among the new enhancements that are presented in this paper are the incorporation of viscoelastic fracture with the help of the work potential-based viscoelastic continuum damage model, computationally efficient simulations under a large number of load cycles, and the incorporation of air voids to capture the reduction in stiffness and strength of the material. Efficiency of the model is improved further by incorporating novel algorithms.
Chapter 103 Utility Maximization

Publisher Summary A testable form of the utility hypothesis results from identifying necessary condition(s) for the existence of a utility function that “rationalizes” the price and quantity data, meaning a utility function that correctly predicts choices that do not violate an agent's budget constraint. Possible inconsistencies with utility-maximizing choices are of no clear economic interest unless the objects of choice are scarce. In order for the chosen commodities to be scarce, the agent's budget constraint must be binding. Hence, a specific testable form of the utility hypothesis must incorporate scarcity. There are various ways to incorporate scarcity in the model of the utility-maximizing agent. The model of the utility-maximizing agent is central to theoretical and applied economics and to economics education. But how can one test for the presence of utility maximization? More specifically, how can one test “the utility hypothesis,” defined as the hypothesis that real economic agents behave as if they maximize utility functions subject to binding budget constraints?
Cultivating Paideweyan Pedagogy: Rhetoric Education in English and Communication Studies

As a contribution to the discussion of Rhetorical Pathways between English and Communication Studies, I argue that rhetoric education for civic engagement can be furthered best by providing more undergraduate curriculum in rhetorical performance and analysis. I use the word “paideweyan” to invoke both the classical tradition of rhetorical instruction for civic praxis and John Dewey's argument for critical and poetic public engagement. In addition to forming interdisciplinary coalitions, rhetoricians should continue to develop courses, majors, and departments in rhetorical studies. To support the argument I provide curricular data from 257 English and Communication departments (or their equivalents) in four-year institutions.
Magnetic Resonance-Based Motion Correction for Positron Emission Tomography Imaging

Positron emission tomography (PET) image quality is limited by patient motion. Emission data are blurred owing to cardiac and/or respiratory motion. Although spatial resolution is 4 mm for standard clinical whole-body PET scanners, the effective resolution can be as low as 1 cm owing to motion. Additionally, the deformation of attenuation medium causes image artifacts. Previously, gating has been used to "freeze" the motion, but led to significantly increased noise level. Simultaneous PET/magnetic resonance (MR) modality offers a new way to perform PET motion correction. MR can be used to measure 3-dimensional motion fields, which can then be incorporated into the iterative PET reconstruction to obtain motion-corrected PET images. In this report, we present MR imaging techniques to acquire dynamic images, a nonrigid image registration algorithm to extract motion fields from acquired MR images, and a PET reconstruction algorithm with motion correction. We also present results from both phantom and in vivo animal PET/MR studies. We demonstrate that MR-based PET motion correction using simultaneous PET/MR improves image quality and lesion detectability compared with gating and no motion correction.
Asynchronous algorithms in non-cooperative games☆

An equilibrium solution of an N-person game is said to be globally stable (or, simply, stable) with respect to an a priori fixed ordering of computation of policies if, regardless of what initial policies the players start with, the generated algorithm converges to that equilibrium. At each step of such an iteration, each player determines his policy (or action, if the underlying game is static) by optimizing his individual cost function, using the most recently available policies of the other players as given. Clearly, any deviation from such an equilibrium followed by an optimal adjustment process that respects the given fixed ordering for computation of policies, would lead back to the same equilibrium, and furthermore a globally stable equilibrium is necessarily unique [Bagar and Olsder (1982), Bagar (1986)]. An equilibrium solution is said to be locally stable, if it is globally stable in a domain which is an open neighborhood of the equilibrium solution, and naturally a locally stable equilibrium need not be unique. If the order in which the players respond to a non-equilibrium point and the
Currents observed north of Oahu during the first five years of HOT

Abstract Shipboard ADCP sections from 30 Hawaii Ocean Time-series cruises over a 5-year period show a mean flow 15 degrees north of west, reaching a maximum of 17 cm s − 1 about 50 km north of Oahu. This North Hawaiian Ridge Current is highly variable from cruise to cruise and from year to year. It was generally strong in the sections 1988–1991 and weak or absent in 1992 and 1993. There is no prominent annual cycle. Unresolved short-period oscillations are so energetic as to obscure the mean current in individual sections. The 5-year mean is highly significant, however, at five times the estimated standard error. Currents also were measured with a shipboard ADCP during the nominally 3-day occupations of the HOT Station ALOHA. The mean over 32 cruises was near 6 cm s −1 in magnitude at all depths from 20 to 200 m, but the median was near zero. Hence, the northern boundary of the North Hawaiian Ridge Current was usually south of ALOHA. The inter-cruise standard deviation of velocity varied from 22 cm s −1 at 20 m to 11 cm s −1 at 200 m for the zonal component, and 13 cm s −1 to 8 cm s − 1 for the meridional component. Intra-cruise variability during the 17 cruises with the best sampling in depth and time was dominated by a linear trend, near-inertial oscillations, and diurnal and semidiurnal tides. Each of these four elements had an rms value near 6 cm s −1 at 20 m, decreasing to 2–4 cm s −1 at 250 m. The vertical shear field was dominated by the diurnal tide and near-inertial oscillations; the semidiurnal tide and the trend had larger vertical scales of variability and consequently made smaller contributions to the shear.
Myeloperoxidase: Contribution to the Microbicidal Activity of Intact Leukocytes

Azide and, to a lesser extent, cyanide inhibit the microbicidal activity of myeloperoxidase and of intact normal leukocytes, but they have little or no effect on peroxidase-negative leukocytes. The contribution of the azide-sensitive (peroxidase-dependent?) systems to the total microbicidal activity of normal leukocytes is considerable. The azide-insensitive antimicrobial systems are more highly developed in peroxidase-negative leukocytes than in normal leukocytes, thus suggesting an adaptation.
A Fundamental Complementary Principle for Inductive Logic

THE class {Li}, of all finitely axiomatizable systems, is well known to be formalizable in a particularly simple way, for example, as Post1 normal systems on the axioms and rules (A, R) of each L. Now already within this class there is a potential complementarity of the following kind; for given L if one fixes R then A may vary over the equivalence class of all true sentences in L, and likewise fixing A one can show, via Turing machines, that there is an equivalence class for R.
Number of Children Associated with Mothers’ Perceived Need for Behavior Support: Implications for Parenting Interventions

Researchers acknowledge mothers’ contributing role in influencing children’s behavioral displays of emotion, but there is a dearth in the literature on mothers’ emotion-related behaviors, beliefs, and needs. Urban, Head Start Mothers (n = 114) participated in a quantitative, exploratory investigation to examine child, maternal and community factors that may be associated with level of expressiveness, perceived role in emotional development, and receptivity to behavior support. Findings suggested that, compared to mothers raising two or more children, those raising only one child were significantly less positive in self-reported expressiveness, less supportive of the suggested role of mothers in the literature, and less receptive to parent-focused behavior support. Implications for acknowledging possibly distinct needs of Head Start mothers of singletons as well as seeking input from more experienced Head Start mothers in devising parenting interventions will be discussed.
Relation between semantic satiation and verbal conditioning.

The relation between extent of semantic satiation and trials to learn two verbal conditioning tasks was investigated in a sample of thirty-eight college students. Semantic satiation was measured by polarity-difference scores between rating the words before and after a standard satiation treatment. Trials to reach criterion of learning were combined for the two verbal conditioning tests. The correlation between the satiation and verbal conditioning scores was r = −0·484; the mean satiation scores of the subjects, dichotomized at the median as fast and slow learners, were also significantly different. These results are consistent with the prediction that facility in verbal conditioning, like susceptibility to hypnosis, depends on resistance to semantic satiation. A subsidiary finding was a significant correlation, r = 0·42, between the two verbal conditioning test scores.
Academic Outcomes of Children with Isolated Orofacial Clefts Compared with Children without a Major Birth Defect

Objective: To compare academic outcomes between children with orofacial cleft (OFC) and children without major birth defects. Design and Setting: In 2007–2008, we mailed questionnaires to a random sample of mothers of school-aged children with OFC and mothers of children without major birth defects (comparison group). The questionnaire included Likert-scale, closed-ended, and open-ended questions from validated instruments. We conducted bivariate and multivariable analyses on parent-reported educational outcomes and bivariate analyses on parent-reported presence of related medical conditions between children with isolated OFC and unaffected children. Patients/Participants: A random sample of 504 parents of children with OFCs born 1996–2002 (age 5–12 years) were identified by the North Carolina Birth Defects Monitoring Program. A random sample of 504 parents of children without birth defects born 1996–2002 was selected from North Carolina birth certificates. Of the 289 (28.7%) respondents, we analyzed 112 ...
Sol‐Gel Materials for High Capacity, Rapid Removal of Metal Contaminants

Abstract An environmental waste remediation method is presented where porous cylindrical monoliths are interposed as septa between a solution contaminated with metal ions and a solution of a precipitant. Precipitant and contaminant diffuse and generate precipitate nano‐ and micro‐particles inside the monoliths. Two types of silica sol‐gel monoliths were tested. One class of materials was prepared following a conventional base‐catalyzed route which yielded fragile silica monoliths with pore diameters on the order of 7–10 nm. A second class of materials material consisted of templated silica macroporous monoliths that were cross‐linked with diisocyanate. These materials had pore diameters on the order of microns and were mechanically extremely strong, having a Young modulus in excess of 400 MPa. Both types of silica gel monoliths proved very versatile, and allowed to precipitate a wide variety of metal ions, including toxic metals such as Cd2+, and fission by‐products such as lanthanides and Sr2+. The capac...
Low levels of plasma IGF-1 inhibit intracortical bone remodeling during aging

Studies linking insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) to age-related bone loss in humans have been reported but remain only correlative. In this investigation, we characterized the bone phenotype of aged WT C57BL/6J male mice in comparison to that of C57BL/6J mice with reduced serum IGF-1 levels arising from an igfals gene deletion (ALS knockout (ALSKO)). During the aging process, WT mice showed an increase in fat mass and decrease lean mass while ALSKO mice had stable lean and fat mass values. Skeletal analyses of femora from WT mice revealed an expansion of the marrow area and a significant accumulation of intracortical porosity associated with increased intracortical remodeling. In contrast, ALSKO mice showed only small age-related declines in the amount of cortical bone tissue and minimal intracortical porosity, at 2 years of age. Accordingly, mechanical tests of femora from 2-year-old WT mice revealed reduced stiffness and maximal load when compared to bones from ALSKO mice. We show here that lifelong reductions in serum IGF-1 compromise skeletal size in development leading to slender bones; they are also associated with decreased intracortical bone remodeling and preservation of bone strength during aging.