cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Traumatic perforations are associated with previous tympanostomy tube placement.

Abstract Introduction Recognized late complications of tympanostomy tube placement include persistent tympanic perforation, tympanosclerosis, and focal atrophy. Based on clinical experience, we suspected that atrophy at healed tympanostomy tube sites might predispose to re-perforation following trauma. Methods Computerized record review of children seen in an academic pediatric otolaryngology practice from January 2001 to December 2020. Results 33 children with confirmed traumatic tympanic perforations and complete follow-up were identified. All perforations were unilateral. 19 of 33 (58%) perforations were in children with tympanostomy tube placement in the past and 14/33 (42%) had never had tubes. 17/19 (90%) traumatic perforations in the tube group were due to blunt or barotrauma rather than penetrating trauma as compared with 6/13 (46%) in the non-tube group (p = 0.0147 by Fisher's exact test). One patient in the non-tube group had an unknown mechanism of injury. 15/19 perforations in the tube groups were in the antero-inferior or antero-superior quadrants (old tube sites) compared to 4/14 in the non-tube group (p = 0.0152). Perforations tended to be larger in the non-tube group (non-tube mean perforation size = 27%/tube group mean = 18%) The median time to re-perforation was 8 years (range 3–15 years). Boys predominated in both perforation groups. Conclusion Traumatic perforations in this series occurred more often in the antero-inferior quadrant (old tube site) in children with previous tympanostomy tube placement. These perforations tended to be smaller and less often resulted from penetrating injuries than in children who had never undergone tube placement. Level of evidence 3B – individual case-control study.
Voice as a Signal of Human and Social Capital in Team Assembly Decisions

Team membership in today’s open talent economy is more fluid and interchangeable than ever before. In light of these dynamics, we consider how team members’ signaling of human and social capital, i...
Serial cultivation of normal human epidermal keratinocytes.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the serial cultivation of the normal human epidermal keratinocytes. Fibroblasts can be grown from almost any explanted human tissue and can be serially passaged and even cloned from low-density platings. Keratinocyte colonies are initiated by plating a single-cell suspension of keratinocytes with 3T3 feeder cells in the usual way such that less than 300 colonies arise. Newborn foreskin is a convenient source of human keratinocytes possessing a high-proliferative capacity in culture. Trypsin alone is sufficient to completely disaggregate this tissue to single cells with a yield of about 3 million cells per square centimeter of epidermal surface. The keratinocytes attach directly to the culture vessel surface and push away the 3T3 feeder cells as the colonies expand. In secondary and subsequent cultures, however, keratinocytes do not assume normal epithelioid morphology during the early stage of colony initiation in the absence of hydrocortisone, although colony-forming efficiency is unaffected. Cells growing in the absence of hydrocortisone eventually organize into normal colony morphology by the time colonies have reached a size of about 100 cells. The expression of tissue-specific structure and function by cultured keratinocytes is discussed in the chapter.
Role of T Follicular Helper cells in Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, inflammatory and neurodegenerative disease which results from the destruction of myelin and associated collateral tissue damage within the central nervous system (CNS). MS is a highly diverse disease with different clinical profiles. During the past decade, several new treatment options have been introduced, but no treatment completely stops the disease progression. Therefore deeper understanding of the disease mechanism is necessary to develop novel therapeutic strategies. While yet to be proven, there is evidence suggesting the involvement of T follicular helper (Tfh) cells, a CD4 T cell subset specialized for the provision of help to B cells, in the pathogenesis of MS. In this review, I will discuss the potential pathogenic roles of Tfh cells in the course of MS.
Procedure Calls Are the Assembly Language of Software Interconnection: Connectors Deserve First-Class Status

Software designers compose systems from components written in some programming language. They regularly describe systems using abstract patterns and sophisticated relations among components. However, the configuration tools at their disposal restrict them to composition mechanisms directly supported by the programming language. To remedy this lack of expressiveness, we must elevate the relations among components to first-class entities of the system, entitled to their own specifications and abstractions.
Optimal chip sizing for hybrid-WSI

The inter-chip delay penalty for hybrid-WSI and MCM designs is much lower than that for printed wiring boards. Consequently, the system partitioning and die size optimization problems must be attacked using a different set of parameters. This paper develops a new figure of merit for optimal HWSI/MCM chip sizing based upon system quality level, cost, and silicon efficiency. The figure of merit is then applied to a 500k gate MCM case study. >
Physical Culture and Sport in Soviet Society: Propaganda, Acculturation, and Transformation in the 1920s and 1930s

Physical Culture and Sport in Soviet Society: Propaganda, Acculturation, and Transformation in the 1920s and 1930s. By SUSAN GRANT. Pp. 260. New York and London: Routledge, 2013. £85.00. Hardback. ISBN: 9780415806954. Click here to read the review.
Acquiring search heuristics automatically for constraint-based planning and scheduling

Abstract Many naturally occurring planning problems can be usefully represented as constraint satisfaction problems for which a variety of general purpose algorithms are available. However, to date the ability to improve planning performance with experience has been largely limited to learning constraints to prune the search space or other value-ordering heuristics whose applicability is restricted to completely identical constraint networks. In this research we show how value-ordering heuristics can be formed using a language that allows for their application across very different problem instances. This language is formed incrementally on the basis of the variables seen in the course of solving different problems. The mechanism we have developed begins by inducing problem-specific constraints, and then generating successively more general versions of these constraints by replacing references to specific variables with terms selected from the variable description hierarchy. This hierarchy is constructed using Fisher's incremental conceptual clustering technique, modified to handle recursively defined, structured objects. Eventually, supervised learning can be used to help assess the utilities of the induced heuristics.
The Economic Theory of Illegal Goods: The Case of Drugs

This paper concentrates on both the positive and normative effects of punishments that enforce laws to make production and consumption of particular goods illegal, with illegal drugs as the main example. Optimal public expenditures on apprehension and conviction of illegal suppliers obviously depend on the extent of the difference between the social and private value of consumption of illegal goods, but they also depend crucially on the elasticity of demand for these goods. In particular, when demand is inelastic, it does not pay to enforce any prohibition unless the social value is negative and not merely less than the private value. We also compare outputs and prices when a good is legal and taxed with outputs and prices when the good is illegal. We show that a monetary tax on a legal good could cause a greater reduction in output and increase in price than would optimal enforcement, even recognizing that producers may want to go underground to try to avoid a monetary tax. This means that fighting a war on drugs by legalizing drug use and taxing consumption may be more effective than continuing to prohibit the legal use of drugs.
Do local needs matter?: the relevance of women’s NGOs in sub-Saharan Africa

This article focuses on the potential of women’s non-governmental organizations (WNGOs) for effectively addressing gender inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa. As the mainstreaming of gender and women’s issues continues to pervade global governance, scholars, and practitioners have questioned whether local WNGOs are capable of formulating projects that are relevant to the communities in which they work. One important challenge is local WNGOs’ dependence on external funding and agendas. The extensive literature on women and development indicates that there is a critical need to develop a more radical, transformative feminist agenda for women’s empowerment. The objective of this quantitative study is to test the association between WNGOs’ emergence and measures of gender inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa. It argues that while there is evidence that WNGOs’ formation represents a legitimate response to African countries’ challenges in terms of gender inequality, the institutionalization of gender within NGOs does ...
Transfer of Medium Chain Fatty Acids from Blood to Spinal Fluid in Patients with Cirrhosis

A test meal of medium chain triglycerides (0.5 g per kg of lean body mass) was administered to 12 patients with advanced alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver and to 12 noncirrhotic control subjects. Octanoic acid was measured in serum samples obtained 1 or 2 hr after the test meal. Serum octanoic acid concentrations were 2 times higher in the cirrhotic patients than in the control subjects due to the impaired clearance of octanoic acid from the portal venous circulation (portasystemic anastmosis and parenchymal insufficiency). However, the spinal fluid octanoic acid levels were 4 to 5 times higher in the cirrhotic subjects as compared with the control subjects. This could be explained by studies of ultrafiltrates of serum in vitro, which demonstrated decreased protein binding of octanoic acid in serum at higher levels of serum octanoic acid, as observed in the cirrhotic patients. Application of the in vitro model to the in vivo studies demonstrated that spinal fluid concentrations can be approximated from the serum octanoic acid concentrations. The data are consistent with a passive diffusion of octanoic acid into the cerebrospinal fluid. The possibility of harmful effects of medium chain fatty acids in the cerebrospinal fluid is discussed.
Choline Is Required by Tilapia when Methionine Is Not in Excess

Choline is essential in diets fed to most young vertebrates, but previous studies did not confirm the essentiality of choline in diets fed to tilapia. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the essentiality of dietary choline in such diets. The basal diet used in both experiments contained 32 g crude protein/100 g diet (10.1 g crude protein from casein and gelatin, and 21.9 g from a crystalline L-amino acid mixture). The total sulfur amino acid (TSAA) concentration of the basal diet was 0.28 g/100 g diet, Met:Cys 89:11. In Experiment 1, a 4 × 2 design was used in which crystalline L-methionine was added to the basal diet resulting in four levels of TSAA (0.28, 0.50, 0.75 or 1.0 g/100 g diet, Met:Cys 89:11, 94:6, 96:4, or 97:3, respectively). At each level of TSAA, diets also contained either 0 or 1 g choline/kg diet supplied as choline chloride. Weight gain, feed efficiency (FE) and serum methionine concentrations were significantly affected by dietary TSAA concentration, but not by dietary choline concentration or the interaction between TSAA and choline. Weight gain, feed efficiency and serum methionine concentrations indicated that the TSAA requirement was 0.5 g/100 g diet. In the second experiment, diets were formulated to contain either 0.28 or 0.5 g TSAA/100 g diet, Met:Cys 89:11 or 94:6, respectively, and graded levels of choline ranging from 1 to 4 g/kg diet in gradations of 1 g/kg. Dietary methionine significantly affected weight gain and FE, whereas dietary choline significantly affected weight gain, FE and survival, and the interaction of methionine and choline significantly affected weight gain. Fish fed diets containing 0.5 g TSAA/100 g diet and 3 g choline chloride/kg diet exhibited the highest weight gain, feed efficiency and survival. On the basis of these data, it seems clear that juvenile tilapia require choline in certain dietary formulations.
A new double focusing beta spectrometer and the empirical optimization of its performance

Abstract The design, construction and performance of a double focusing electron spectrometer are described. The spectrometer has a mean radius of 30 cm, and a maximum transmission of 5% of 4π, at a resolution of 1.5%. Resolutions of 0.07% have been obtained at a transmission of 0.5% of 4π with a source 0.020 inches wide. Three separate criteria of optimum performance have been studied experimentally; the elimination of aberrations associated with φ z the elimination of aberrations associated with φ r , and an intermediate focusing in which the φ z and φ r aberrations are equal and overlap. The performance of this spectrometer under the first of these three criteria is described in detail.
Optimizing patient positioning for intensity modulated radiation therapy in hippocampal-sparing whole brain radiation therapy

Abstract Purpose Sparing the hippocampus during whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) offers potential neurocognitive benefits. However, previously reported intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) plans use multiple noncoplanar beams for treatment delivery. An optimized coplanar IMRT template for hippocampal-sparing WBRT would assist in clinical workflow and minimize resource utilization. In this study, we sought to determine the optimal patient position to facilitate coplanar treatment planning and delivery of hippocampal-sparing WBRT using IMRT. Methods and materials A variable angle, inclined board was utilized for patient positioning. An anthropomorphic phantom underwent computed tomography simulation at various head angles. The IMRT goals were designed to achieve target coverage of the brain while maintaining hippocampal dose–volume constraints designed to conform to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 0933 protocol. Optimal head angle was then verified using data from 8 patients comparing coplanar and noncoplanar WBRT IMRT plans. Results Hippocampal, hippocampal avoidance region, and whole brain mean volumes were 1.1 cm3, 12.5 cm3, and 1185.1 cm3, respectively. The hippocampal avoidance region occupied 1.1% of the whole brain planning volume. For the 30-degree head angle, a 7-field coplanar IMRT plan was generated, sparing the hippocampus to a maximum dose of 14.7 Gy; D100% of the hippocampus was 7.4 Gy and mean hippocampal dose was 9.3 Gy. In comparison, for flat head positioning the hippocampal Dmax was 22.9 Gy with a D100% of 9.2 Gy and mean dose of 11.7 Gy. Target coverage and dose homogeneity was comparable with previously published noncoplanar IMRT plans. Conclusions Compared with conventional supine positioning, an inclined head board at 30 degrees optimizes coplanar whole brain IMRT treatment planning. Clinically acceptable hippocampal-sparing WBRT dosimetry can be obtained using a simplified coplanar plan at a 30-degree head angle, thus obviating the need for complex and time consuming noncoplanar IMRT plans.
A scanning electron microscope fractographic study of rolling-contact fatigue

Abstract To determine the process of crack growth in rolling-contact fatigue, a fractographic analysis was made of spall cavities and fragments of 1 2 in. SAE 51100 ball fatigue samples generated on a Barwell four-ball rig. Two areas of differing fracture features were found which indicated that two fracture mechanisms were involved in the failures. The area near the front of the spall (approximately the front one-third) fractured first by fatigue. The crack spread through this front area mainly by the ductile growth and coalescence of holes. These holes are probably initiated at carbide particles or non-metallic inclusions. It is suggested that fracture in the rear two-thirds of the spall occurs by rapid crack propagation and that strain-softening may account for the speed and unstable nature of the fracture process in rolling-contact fatigue.
NORMATIC: A visual tool for modeling Non-Functional Requirements in agile processes

There is consensus in the research community that agile software development methodologies, such as Scrum, are becoming more and more popular in delivering quality Functional Requirements (FRs). However, agile methodologies have not adequately modeled Non-Functional Requirements (NFRs) and their potential solutions (operationalizations) with FRs in early development phases-let alone having tools to support such initiatives. This research proposes NORMATIC, a Java-based simulation tool for modeling non-functional requirements for semi-automatic agile processes. NORMATIC is the semi-automatic tool that supports the more general Non-Functional Requirements Modeling for Agile Processes (NORMAP) Methodology. Early results show that the tool can potentially help agile software development teams in reasoning about and visually modeling NFRs as first-class artifacts early on during requirements gathering and analysis phases. The tool can also aid project managers and Scrum teams in user story estimate and risk calculations as well as risk-driven planning and visualization of the proposed plans.
The Rhetorical Lines on TV’s Poker Face: Rhetorical Constructions of Poker as Sport:

Recent accounts that suggest that poker is a sport do so by characterizing poker along five lines: (a) physical challenge, (b) competition, (c) strategy, (d) excitement, and (e) the ability of audience members to understand how to play. As poker is associated with the term sport through these lines, the term sport functions as an ideograph in that, as a commonplace, nebulous term, its deployment in connection with poker promotes practices of consumption that serve the interests of institutions such as networks that televise poker, casinos that host tournaments, and sponsors that advertise at tournaments and during telecasts. Additionally, use of the term sport to characterize poker along these five lines connects poker to myths of individualism and the American Dream steeped in consumerism, along with a new stylized, commodified form of masculinity that reproduces structures of hegemonic masculinity while providing a means through which to identify with masculine identity for individuals who might struggl...
Risk assessment of process models

The IDEF methodology has been extensively used for modeling various processes. Qualitative and quantitative reliability analysis and risk assessment of IDEF models is of interest to industry for several reasons. It identifies critical activities in a process, improves the process performance, and decreases downtime and operating cost of the process. To evaluate the risk associated with an IDEF3 model formal tools and techniques are required. In this paper, the fault tree analysis technique and minimum cut and path sets generation algorithms are applied for reliability evaluation and risk assessment of the parent activities in an IDEF3 model. A structural and reliability importance measure for parent activities in an IDEF3 model as well as for the elementary activities in a decomposed model are presented.
The conserved clag multigene family of malaria parasites: Essential roles in host–pathogen interaction

The clag multigene family is strictly conserved in malaria parasites, but absent from neighboring genera of protozoan parasites. Early research pointed to roles in merozoite invasion and infected cell cytoadherence, but more recent studies have implicated channel-mediated uptake of ions and nutrients from host plasma. Here, we review the current understanding of this gene family, which appears to be central to host-parasite interactions and an important therapeutic target.
Student-Centered Learning and an Emergent Developmental Student Taxonomy.

This qualitative case study conducted at a community college examined links between student learning and faculty instruction within developmental education. The analysis of interviews, observations, student inventories, and institutional data identified faculty perceptions and responses to the challenges associated with teaching academically and developmentally underprepared students. One key finding was the emergence of a student taxonomy based on a holistic view of students’ learning characteristics rather than traditional demographic identifiers. Drawing from the research, this article advocates for a developmental education program structure that capitalizes on diverse learning styles and individual needs by encouraging active participation and effective instructional practices to maximize student learning outcomes.
Dose Distributions around a Californium-252 Needle

Neutron and γ-ray absorbed dose distributions near a 252Cf needle source have been measured in a large tissue-equivalent liquid phantom using very thin, parallel plate, tissue-equivalent and aluminium gas multiplication ionization chambers. The results are in substantially better agreement with recently calculated values than with previously published measurements.
Using GPS with a model-based estimator to estimate critical vehicle states

This paper demonstrates a method to estimate the vehicle states sideslip, yaw rate, and heading using GPS and yaw rate gyroscope measurements in a model-based estimator. The model-based estimator using GPS measurements provides accurate and observable estimates of sideslip, yaw rate, and heading even if the vehicle model is in neutral steer or if the gyro fails. This method also reduces estimation errors introduced by gyroscope errors such as the gyro bias and gyro scale factor. The GPS and Inertial Navigation System measurements are combined using a Kalman filter to generate estimates of the vehicle states. The residuals of the Kalman filter provide insight to determine if the estimator model is correct and therefore providing accurate state estimates. Additionally, a method to predict the estimation error due to errors in the estimator model is presented. The algorithms are tested in simulation with a correct and incorrect model as well as with sensor errors. Finally, the estimation scheme is tested wit...
Solar energy in a volume and efficiency in solar power generation

Solar power received on the surface of any object on the earth could be considered as the power absorbed in the entire volume of that object and hence measured in Watts per unit volume. In this paper, effectiveness of measuring power and energy per unit volume and the impact of height in system efficiency is analyzed. Variations in solar radiation intensity based on the angles of the Sun during the day and the year is briefly reviewed. It is shown how the wide ranges of these variations can affect efficiency of a solar power generating system and its energy delivery. Module of Irradiance and Collectivity Factors are introduced as parameters to estimate power/energy entering a volume and the efficiency of the system. Cost efficiency of the system is discussed considering all high cost items such as land, collector equipment and the supporting structure. A solar power-tracking concept is analyzed and shown how it would significantly increase the efficiency of the system. Feasibility of tracker in solar power generation is studied based on Tracking factor as defined here.
A new method for measuring longitudinal relaxation times

Abstract The longitudinal relaxation times of two-tryptophan protons were determined by using a new pulse sequence: apply a 90° pulse, spoil field homogeneity, wait for a delay time, τ, apply a 90° sampling pulse. Relaxation times of 1.6 and 3.0 seconds were found for the low and high field aromatic doublets of tryptophan using this new pulse sequence. On the basis of the relaxation times an assignment of the low and high field aromatic doublets to the C4 and C7 ring protons is made.
Endogenous mutations in human uncoupling protein 3 alter its functional properties

Human uncoupling protein (UCP3) is a mitochondrial transmembrane carrier that uncouples oxidative phosphorylation and is a candidate gene for obesity. Expression of native human UCP3 mutations in yeast showed complete loss (R70W), significant reduction (R143X), or no effect (V102I and IVS6+1G > A) on the uncoupling activity of UCP3. It is concluded that certain mutations in UCP3 alter its functional impact on membrane potential (deltaphi), possibly conferring susceptibility to develop metabolic diseases.
Leveraging social networks for efficient hurricane evacuation

Abstract One of the important factors affecting evacuation performance is the departure time choices made by evacuees. Simultaneous departures of evacuees can lead to overloading of road networks causing congestion. We are especially interested in cases when evacuees subject to little or no risk of exposure evacuate along with evacuees subject to higher risk of threat (also known as shadow evacuation). One of the reasons for correlated evacuee departures is higher perceived risk of threat spread through social contacts. In this work, we study an evacuation scenario consisting of a high risk region and a surrounding low risk area. We propose a probabilistic evacuee departure time model incorporating both evacuee individual characteristics and the underlying evacuee social network. We find that the performance of an evacuation process can be improved by forcing a small subset of evacuees (inhibitors) in the low risk area to delay their departure. The performance of an evacuation is measured by both average travel time of the population and total evacuation time of the high risk evacuees. We derive closed form expressions for average travel time for ER random network. A detailed experimental analysis of various inhibitor selection strategies and their effectiveness on different social network topologies and risk distribution is performed. Results indicate that significant improvement in evacuation performance can be achieved in scenarios where evacuee social networks have short average path lengths and topologically influential evacuees do not belong to the high risk regions. Additionally, communities with stronger ties improve evacuation performance.
An isoperimetric problem with a nonlinear side condition for sloshing in a symmetric shallow canal

The eigenfrequencies of the oscillations of an ideal liquid in a symmetric, shallow canal are investigated. The shape of the cross section is determined, for which thenth eigenfrequency becomes as large as possible, when the width and the wetted are length of the canal cross section are prescribed. This variational problem leads to a nonlinear eigenvalue problem for two functions. The problem is solved numerically, and, in addition, upper and lower bounds for the maximal eigenvalues are reported.
Childhood risk factors predict cardiovascular disease, impaired fasting glucose plus type 2 diabetes mellitus, and high blood pressure 26 years later at a mean age of 38 years: the Princeton-lipid research clinics follow-up study

The objective was to assess whether pediatric risk factors predict cardiovascular disease (CVD), impaired fasting glucose (IFG) + type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and high blood pressure (HBP) in young adulthood. We performed a prospective follow-up of 909 public-parochial suburban schoolchildren first studied at ages 6 to 18 years and 26 years later at a mean age of 38 years. Pediatric triglycerides (TGs), blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, body mass index, and glucose above and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol below established pediatric cutoffs, along with race, cigarette smoking, family history of CVD, T2DM, and HBP, were assessed as determinants of young adult CVD, a composite variable including IFG + T2DM and HBP. By stepwise logistic regression, adult CVD (19 yes, 862 no) was associated with pediatric high TG (odds ratio [OR], 5.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.3-14.7). High TG in pediatric probands with young adult CVD was familial and was associated with early CVD in their high-TG parents. Adult IFG + T2DM (114 yes, 535 no) was associated with parental T2DM (OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.38-3.6), high childhood glucose (OR, 4.43; 95% CI, 2-9.7), and childhood cigarette smoking (OR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.03-2.61). Adult HBP (133 yes, 475 no) was associated with pediatric high body mass index (OR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.7-4.3) and HBP (OR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.5-4.3). Pediatric risk factors are significantly, independently related to young adult CVD, IFG + T2DM, and HBP. Identification of pediatric risk factors for CVD, IFG + T2DM, and HBP facilitates initiation of primary prevention programs to reduce development of adult CVD, IFG + T2DM, and HBP.
Constructs Children Use in Developing First and Second Language Literacy.

The purpose of this review is to outline the current understanding of the process of emergent literacy development for linguistically diverse children. Within the broad spectrum of emergent literacy and/or home literacy, a small body of literature examines how children come into literacy (reading and writing) in languages other than English. Some tentative themes have emerged from the literature and research reviewed. First, the process of literacy development can be viewed as a sequential developmental task. Some researchers characterize the acquisition of literacy as a “psychogenetic” process. Second, while the literacy development process appears to be generally predictable across languages, some tasks or aspects appear to be specific to the language and writing system. Children create principles or hypotheses to develop literacy specific to their understanding of their native language. Third, children bring these developing emergent literacy experiences to the task of learning English literacy.
The Effect of Number of Iterations on Ensemble Gene Selection

Dimensionality-reducing techniques such as gene selection have become commonplace in order to reduce the high dimensionality found within bioinformatics datasets such as DNA microarray datasets. The degree of dimensionality is reduced by identifying and removing redundant and irrelevant features or genes and leaving only an optimum subset of features for subsequent analysis. However, a number of feature selection techniques show poor stability (resistance to change in the underlying data). One approach for increasing the stability of feature subsets is ensemble feature selection. This is performed first by generating multiple ranked gene lists and then aggregating the results using an aggregation function. While research has been performed on ensemble feature selection and its effect on gene list stability, there has been little research on an important choice made in the process of ensemble feature selection: the number of iterations (or repetitions) of feature selection. The computation time of ensemble feature selection is greatly affected by the number of ranked lists generated: the higher the number of iterations, the more computation time is required. To study this, we evaluate the similarity among feature subsets generated from two different approaches to ensemble feature selection (data diversity and hybrid approach). We calculate the similarity between the final ranked lists generated using 10, 20 and 50 iterations, using the mean aggregation function. Our results show that the similarity between 20 and 50 iterations is high enough for us to recommend using 20 iterations instead of 50 and thus saving the large amount of computation time required for 50 iterations.
Adenosine by aortic flush fails to augment the brain preservation effect of mild hypothermia during exsanguination cardiac arrest in dogs — an exploratory study

Most trauma cases with rapid exsanguination to cardiac arrest (CA) in the field, as well as many cases of normovolemic sudden cardiac death are 'unresuscitable' by standard cardiopulmonary-cerebral resuscitation (CPCR). We are presenting a dog model for exploring pharmacological strategies for the rapid induction by aortic arch flush of suspended animation (SA), i.e. preservation of cerebral viability for 15 min or longer. This can be extended by profound hypothermic circulatory arrest of at least 60 min, induced and reversed with (portable) cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). SA is meant to buy time for transport and repair during pulselessness, to be followed by delayed resuscitation to survival without brain damage. This model with exsanguination over 5 min to CA of 15-min no-flow, is to evaluate rapid SA induction by aortic flush of normal saline solution (NSS) at room temperature (24 degrees C) at 2-min no-flow. This previously achieved normal functional recovery, but with histologic brain damage. We hypothesized that the addition of adenosine would achieve recovery with no histologic damage, because adenosine delays energy failure and helps repair brain injury. This dog model included reversal of 15-min no-flow with closed-chest CPB, controlled ventilation to 20 h, and intensive care to 72 h. Outcome was evaluated by overall performance, neurologic deficit, and brain histologic damage. At 2 min of CA, 500 ml of NSS at 24 degrees C was flushed (over 1 min) into the brain and heart via an aortic balloon catheter. Controls (n=5) received no drug. The adenosine group (n=5) received 2-chloro-adenosine (long acting adenosine analogue), 30 mg in the flush solution, and, after reperfusion, adenosine i.v. over 12 h (210 microg/kg per min for 3 h, 140 microg/kg per min for 9 h). The 24 degrees C flush reduced tympanic membrane temperature (T(ty)) within 2 min of CA from 37.5 to approximately 36.0 degrees C in both groups. At 72 h, final overall performance category (OPC) 1 (normal) was achieved by all ten dogs of the two groups. Final neurologic deficit scores (NDS; 0-10% normal, 100% brain death) were 5+/-3% in the control group versus 6+/-5% in the adenosine group (NS). Total brain histologic damage scores (HDS) at 72 h were 74+/-9 (64-80) in the control group versus 68+/-19 (40-88) in the adenosine group (NS). In both groups, ischemic neurons were as prevalent in the basal ganglia and neocortex as in the cerebellum and hippocampus. The mild hypothermic aortic flush protocol is feasible in dogs. The adenosine strategy used does not abolish the mild histologic brain damage.
Melanin as a component of cerebral gliomas. The melanotic cerebral ependymoma

Even though melanin is found in certain central nervous system neurons and leptomeningeal melanocytes, gliomas rarely possess melanin. A few rare lethal melanotic medulloblastomas found typically in the cerebellar vermis of children have been described, but neuroglial cells have not been observed to contain this pigment. Since glial elements and the melanotic pigmented layer of the retina are derived from the same ciliated epithelium of the embryonic neural tube, recognition of melanin in a cerebral glioma was predictable. Indeed, melanin was observed in a cystic cerebral ependymal glioma from a 30-year-old woman, supporting the potential of glial cells to produce melanin.
Pathogenesis of the slow disease of the central nervous system associated with wild mouse virus. II. Role of virus and host gene products.

Abstract Several wild mouse viruses cause a slow disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that is marked by injury in neurons predominantly in the anterior horn of the spinal cord, and dentate nucleus of the cerebellum, and the brain stem. This injury is translated into a progressive paralytic illness. Also, injury of oligodendrocytes occurs which leads to primary demyelination, all in the absence of an inflammatory response. After exposure to high titers of virus, inbred mice of separate strains differ dramatically in their incidence of the associated CNS disease. To sort out the factors of the viruses themselves, as well as the host's genetic loci that affect and thereby control the interaction of virus with host, we have studied various inbred and recombinant mouse strains as well as wild mouse viruses that differ structurally from each other by ENV or GAG gene products. We find that both the major E NV (gp 69 70 ) and the major GAG (p30) gene products are necessary to cause disease. After the entry of virus into susceptible cells, a p30 polypeptide(s) coded for by the GAG gene accumulates in CNS tissues and closely parallels the severity of the disease. Disease manifestation appears to be controlled by two recessive genes of the host and is associated with the FV-1n host gene locus or a closely related area, but not the major histocompatibility complex transplantation antigens.
Cystic Fibrosis Newborn Screening: Shifting the Key Question From “Should We Screen?” to “How Should We Screen?”

The report by Comeau et al1 represents a landmark article in the 25-year evolution of cystic fibrosis (CF) newborn screening because it signifies an important shift in research to address questions about how we should achieve early diagnosis through trypsinogen/DNA analysis of neonatal blood specimens. The initial “should we” question has been investigated comprehensively for the past 2 decades, and a large body of supportive evidence has accumulated.2 Consequently, soon after the first CF screening workshop was organized in 1997 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the New England Newborn Screening Program (NENSP) began intensive preimplementation planning pursuant to the published recommendations.3 At the second Centers for Disease Control and Prevention workshop held in November 2003 (to be published), all the evidence accruing in favor of newborn screening for CF was reviewed, including potential cognitive benefits … Reprint requests to (P.M.F.) University of Wisconsin Medical School, Room 1217 MSC, 1300 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706. E-mail: pmfarrel{at}facstaff.wisc.edu
226Ra in the Black Sea and Sea of Marmara

Water column distributions of226Ra were determined at stations in the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea as part of the 1988 Joint U.S.—Turkish Black Sea Expedition. Black Sea surface water226Ra concentrations were a factor of three to four lower than measurements made 20 years earlier. The most likely cause is increased removal of226Ra and Ba [35] due to increased surface biological activity; a secondary effect is decreased fluvial discharge and related dimunition of inputs by desorption from fluvial suspended sediments. The amount of226Ra missing from the surface waters of the Black Sea over this period is accounted for in the high-porosity surficial “fluff” sediment layer. Throughout the Black Sea, depth profiles of226Ra exhibited pronounced maxima of approximately 25 dpm/100 L at aboutσθ = 16.2–16.3, in the vicinity of a bacterial maximum, but slightly shallower than the total dissolved Mn and Fe maxima (σθ = 16.4–16.5) reported by Lewis and Landing [38]. While the226Ra maximum may, in part, be linked to the cycling of Mn and Fe oxyhydroxides near theO2H2S interface, its distribution appears to be more plausibly explained as a result of the microbial breakdown of particulate organic matter and the subsequent release and partial dissolution of associated barite in this region. A simple steady-state two-☐ model has been used to obtain a semiquantitative understanding of the behavior of226Ra in the Black Sea. By incorporating reasonable estimates for the input and removal of226Ra in the Black Sea, an excellent agreement between predicted and observed (1988)226Ra concentrations was achieved. The model suggests that the dominant variables controlling the distribution of226Ra in the Black Sea are riverine input and cycling with Ba.
Perceptual transparency on color appearance of distant objects in the natural environment

A comparison and analysis of perceived and objective color appearance of distant objects in the Grand Canyon National Park reveals that there exist significant differences between them due to the effects of the perceptual transparency that has received relatively little attention in the past.
Detailed balancing and quasi-equilibrium in the adsorption of hydrogen on copper

Abstract The apparent equilibrium relationship between adsorption and desorption distributions measured in recent molecular beam experiments is discussed. Through an equilibrium synthesis and the application of detailed balancing, the energy and angle dependence of the dissociative adsorption probability of hydrogen on copper is shown to predict the non-cosine angular distributions of desorption. In a similar construction, the velocity distribution of H2 desorbing from nickel predicts the peaked desorption angle distributions observed. The implications of the apparent local equilibrium and detailed balancing at low pressure on the mechanism of surface catalyzed isotopic exchange and on the dynamics of chemical processes on surfaces are discussed.
Hybrid approaches in the treatment of aortic arch aneurysms: postoperative and midterm outcomes.

Background The combined open surgical and endovascular approach for the treatment of aortic arch aneurysms has emerged as a safe treatment modality. This platform may have an especially important role in treating patients of old age and with a greater comorbid burden. We describe our institutional experience with the hybrid aortic arch approach, with midterm outcomes. Methods From 2005 to the present, 685 patients have undergone thoracic endovascular repair (TEVAR); 104 had a hybrid arch repair (open plus endovascular approach). Of these, 47 patients had treatment for an aortic arch aneurysm with or without a proximal ascending aortic aneurysm. All these patients had a median sternotomy approach for arch vessel debranching and antegrade with or without retrograde TEVAR stent grafting of the arch. Results from a prospectively maintained database are reported. Results Twenty-eight patients had type I repair, 8 patients had type II repair, and 11 patients had type III arch hybrid repair. Those with type III repair were excluded from the analysis. Stent graft deployment rate was 100% after arch vessel debranching. Mean age was 71 ± 8 years. Fourteen percent of cases involved a redo sternotomy. Average cardiopulmonary bypass time was 215 ± 64 minutes, with a crossclamp time of 70 ± 55 minutes and a circulatory arrest time of 19 ± 10 minutes. The paraplegia rate was 5.5% (n = 2), with a stroke rate of 8% (n = 3). In-hospital mortality was 8% (n = 3). There were no postoperative endoleaks. The mean length of stay was 17.2 ± 14 days. The median follow-up was 30 ± 21 months. Freedom from all-cause mortality was 71%, 60%, and 48% at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. The aortic reoperation rate was 2.7% (n = 1). No patient has a type 1 or 3 endoleak at latest follow-up. Conclusions The hybrid approach to aortic arch aneurysm involving a zone 0 stent graft landing can be safely adopted with good midterm results in a cohort of old patients with significant comorbidity. This procedure can be performed with no type 1 or 3 endoleaks and may represent a technical advancement in the field of aortic arch surgery.
Molecular assay for detection of the common carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A 1436(C>T) mutation.

Background Carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (CPT1A) deficiency is a metabolic disorder that occurs at a key checkpoint of fatty acid metabolism. A new form of CPT1A deficiency caused by a mutation at nucleotide 1436 (C>T), resulting in an amino acid substitution of leucine for proline at position 479 (P479L), has been isolated in Canadian First Nations and Inuit populations. The present study offers a molecular method for assessing CPT1A 1436 (C>T) mutation status. Methods CPT1A-deficient fibroblasts from four patient fibroblast cell lines and ten patient peripheral blood spots were all analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) coupled to restriction endonuclease (RE) treatment. Genomic DNA was PCR-amplified and treated with an RE specific for normal DNA. CPT1A 1436 (C>T) mutations were identified by resistance to RE treatment. Results The RE-PCR assay identified homozygosity for the 1436 (C>T) mutation in four fibroblast cell lines and nine blood spots with CPT1A enzyme deficiency. In addition, the assay identified one blood spot that corresponded to the heterozygous genotype. Conclusions RE-PCR assay for the 1436 (C>T) mutation provides a rapid assay for the diagnosis of CPT1A deficiency resulting from this mutation. The assay will have utility in screening populations with a high prevalence of this genotype.
Anne Sexton's THE LITTLE PEASANT

Anne Sexton's poem “The Little Peasant,” from her collection of revamped fairy tales Transformations, has been critically overlooked. Critic Linda Wagner-Martin notes many critics feel Sexton's col...
Is Employment Associated With Reduced Recidivism? The Complex Relationship Between Employment and Crime

This article explores the association between employment and recidivism for parolees released from Texas prisons. Along with determining whether obtaining employment on release from prison is associated with decreased odds of reincarceration, this article analyzes whether obtaining employment is associated with increased time to reincarceration. Proportional hazard models were used to examine the effect of employment on reincarceration over time. This analysis allowed a unique view of desistance from crime as a process of behavioral change with multiple stages. Results generally support this perspective, finding that although obtaining employment is not associated with a significant decrease in likelihood of reincarceration, it is associated with significantly greater time to reincarceration. Thus, among parolees who are reincarcerated, those who obtain employment spend more time crime-free in the community before returning to prison. This article argues that increased time crime-free is an indicator of p...
Coronary vein graft disease: pathogenesis and prevention.

Not long after coronary artery bypass grafting surgery was described, several reports presented follow-up angiographic data on large cohorts of patients, demonstrating that approximately one-half of saphenous vein grafts fail within 10 to 15 years of surgery and that graft failure is associated with worse clinical outcomes. Three processes are responsible for vein graft failure. Thrombosis, intimal hyperplasia and accelerated atherosclerosis contribute to graft failure in the acute, subacute and late postoperative periods, respectively. Studies have shown that perioperative antiplatelet therapy can reduce early thrombosis and graft failure. As in native coronaries, intensive lipid lowering can attenuate the process of atherosclerosis in vein grafts. Intimal hyperplasia in the vein graft is thought to be an adaptation of the vein to higher pressures in the arterial circulation. This process is further promoted by the loss of inhibition from the endothelial layer, which is injured during surgery. A new ‘no-touch’ technique for harvesting grafts may be effective in preventing disruption to the endothelial layer, and subsequent intimal hyperplasia and graft loss. Off-pump surgery and endoscopic vein harvesting, which are known to reduce surgical morbidity, have been shown to be no worse than on-pump surgery and open vein harvesting, respectively, in terms of vein graft patency. Various gene therapies can prevent intimal hyperplasia in animal models, but human data obtained so far have been disappointing. Placing an external stent around a vein graft may reduce tangential wall stress and subsequent intimal hyperplasia.