cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of neurite dystrophy after trauma by high speed structured illumination microscopy and lattice light sheet microscopy.

Abstract Background Unbiased screening studies have repeatedly identified actin-related proteins as one of the families of proteins most influenced by neurotrauma. Nevertheless, the status quo model of cytoskeletal reorganization after neurotrauma excludes actin and incorporates only changes in microtubules and intermediate filaments. Actin is excluded in part because it is difficult to image with conventional techniques. However, recent innovations in fluorescent microscopy provide an opportunity to image the actin cytoskeleton at super-resolution resolution in living cells. This study applied these innovations to an in vitro model of neurotrauma. New method New methods are introduced for traumatizing neurons before imaging them with high speed structured illumination microscopy or lattice light sheet microscopy. Also, methods for analyzing structured illumination microscopy images to quantify post-traumatic neurite dystrophy are presented. Results Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons exhibited actin organization typical of immature neurons. Neurite dystrophy increased after trauma but was not influenced by jasplakinolide treatment. The F-actin content of dystrophies varied greatly from one dystrophy to another. Comparison with existing methods In contrast to fixation dependent methods, these methods capture the evolution of the actin cytoskeleton over time in a living cell. In contrast to prior methods based on counting dystrophies, this quantification scheme parameterizes the severity of a given dystrophy as it evolves from a local swelling to an almost-perfect spheroid that threatens to transect the neurite. Conclusions These methods can be used to investigate genetic factors and therapeutic interventions that modulate the course of neurite dystrophy after trauma.
Design of an Inflight Power Generation and Storage System for Use in UAVs

This paper describes the design of an inflight power generation, management and storage system applicable to Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAV). Emerging UAV, drones and other aircraft can use electrical propulsion systems. To extend battery charge and aircraft range, power can be generated from multiple sources during flight including aero-elastic vibrations from gusts and flutter, and bending movements and sunlight. These sources of "free" energy can be summed and used during flight operation. This research will employ the aero-elastic vibrations of the wing that will be captured using motor generator created devices that uses vibrations to generate electricity. Stress flexing piezoelectric devices will be attached at the root of the wing, where the most bending strain occurs. Flexible solar panels are collocated to the top of UAV wing to enhance energy harvesting. These three sources will be summed together to power the propeller of an aircraft. A Maximum Power Point Tracker (MPPT) board is utilized to adjust the input voltage to harvest power from the wing vibration phenomenon and transform this power to supply the voltage requirements of the battery or graphene super-capacitors under load.
Phylogeography of rubella virus in Asia: vaccination and demography shape synchronous outbreaks.

Abstract Rubella virus causes mild disease in children but for women in the early stages of pregnancy, it can cause spontaneous abortion, congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) and associated birth defects. Despite the availability of an effective vaccine, rubella virus continues to circulate endemically in several regions of the world. This is particularly true in East and Southeast (E/SE) Asia, where control efforts vary widely among countries that are well connected through travel and immigration. It is therefore important to understand how the regional persistence of rubella is affected both by dynamics occurring across countries and susceptibility within countries. Here, we use genetic and epidemiological data from countries in E/SE Asia to explore the phylogeography of rubella virus in this region. Our results underline that metapopulation dynamics are key for rubella persistence and highlight the source-sink population structure of the region. We identify countries that contribute to the regional metapopulation network and link epidemic dynamics to susceptibility profiles within each country. Our results indicate that human movement plays an important role in driving epidemic dynamics in E/SE Asia.
Balancing the Benefits of Autonomous Vehicles

Autonomous vehicles are regularly touted as holding the potential to provide significant benefits for diverse populations. There are significant technological barriers to be overcome, but as those are solved, autonomous vehicles are expected to reduce fatalities; decrease emissions and pollutants; provide new options to mobility-challenged individuals; enable people to use their time more productively; and so much more. In this paper, we argue that these high expectations for autonomous vehicles almost certainly cannot be fully realized. More specifically, the proposed benefits divide into two high-level groups, centered around efficiency and safety improvements, and increases in people's agency and autonomy. The first group of benefits is almost always framed in terms of rates: fatality rates, traffic flow per mile, and so forth. However, we arguably care about the absolute numbers for these measures, not the rates; number of fatalities is the key metric, not fatality rate per vehicle mile traveled. Hence, these potential benefits will be reduced, perhaps to non-existence, if autonomous vehicles lead to increases in vehicular usage. But that is exactly the result that we should expect if the second group of benefits is realized: if people's agency and autonomy is increased, then they will use vehicles more. There is an inevitable tension between the benefits that are proposed for autonomous vehicles, such that we cannot fully have all of them at once. We close by pointing towards other types of AI technologies where we should expect to find similar types of necessary and inevitable tradeoffs between classes of benefits.
Trustworthy Blue or Untrustworthy Red: The Influence of Colors on Trust

In marketing practice, blue, followed by red, is the most used color in brand logo designs. Academic studies have shown that blue is related more to trust than red, but extant empirical results are...
Morphological Characterization of Wax and Surfactant Encapsulated Microcrystalline Cellulose for Better Dispersion

Abstract Encapsulation of cellulose with wax and surfactant is a physical way to restrict cellulose-to-cellulose attraction. Because wax is often used in the wood composite process, industrial manu...
Multicenter Experience with Neurally Adjusted Ventilatory Assist in Infants with Severe Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

Objective The aim of this study is to determine patterns of neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NAVA) use in ventilator-dependent preterm infants with evolving or established severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (sBPD) among centers of the BPD Collaborative, including indications for its initiation, discontinuation, and outcomes. Study Design Retrospective review of infants with developing or established sBPD who were placed on NAVA after ≥4 weeks of mechanical ventilation and were ≥ 30 weeks of postmenstrual age (PMA). Results Among the 13 sites of the BPD collaborative, only four centers (31%) used NAVA in the management of infants with evolving or established BPD. A total of 112 patients met inclusion criteria from these four centers. PMA, weight at the start of NAVA and median number of days on NAVA, were different among the four centers. The impact of NAVA therapy was assessed as being successful in 67% of infants, as defined by the ability to achieve respiratory stability at a lower level of ventilator support, including extubation to noninvasive positive pressure ventilation or support with a home ventilator. In total 87% (range: 78–100%) of patients survived until discharge. Conclusion We conclude that NAVA can be used safely and effectively in selective infants with sBPD. Indications and current strategies for the application of NAVA in infants with evolving or established BPD, however, are highly variable between centers. Although this pilot study suggests that NAVA may be successfully used for the management of infants with BPD, sufficient experience and well-designed clinical studies are needed to establish standards of care for defining the role of NAVA in the care of infants with sBPD.
Mechanisms of genetic control of immune responses. II. Nonresponsiveness in BALB/c GT-specific cell-mediated immune responses does not correlate with the absence of functional T cells or the induction of suppressor T cells.

The mechanisms underlying Ir gene control of CMI were addressed by examining the DTH and Tprlf responses specific for the synthetic polymers GT, GAT, and GA. We show that BALB/c mice (GAT/GA responders, GT nonresponders) primed with GT fail to develop DTH and Tprlf responses specific for GT, GAT, or GA. GAT immunization resulted in DTH responses that could be elicited not only with GAT and GA but also with GT, demonstrating that GT-specific TDH are present in nonresponder mice. GT-specific DTH was transferred with Thy-1+ Lyt-1+2−, H-2 Irestricted, nylon wool nonadherent cells. GA-primed BALB/c mice developed GAT- and GA-, but not GT-apecific DTH responses, indicating that GA and GT do not cross-react at the T-cell level. The ability of GAT [but not a mixture of GA plus GT, or GT electrostatically complexed to the immunogenic carrier MBSA (GT-MBSA)] to induce GT-specific DTH suggested a requirement for covalent linkage of stimulatory ‘GA’ and nonstimulatory ‘GT’ determinants present on the GAT molecule. Similarly, GT-specific in vitro Tprlf responses could be demonstrated in GAT-primed mice exhibiting significant levels of GT-specific DTH but not in GT- or GT-MBSA-primed mice. Tolerization experiments also suggested that GT-specific Th were involved in the development of GT-specific DTH in GAT-primed mice. The GT nonresponsiveness of BALB/c mice for DTH and Tprlf responses could not be reversed by treatments designed to abrogate Ts activity (priming with GT-MBSA and CY injection), nor could GT-primed cells be shown to inhibit the development or elicitation of GT-specific CMI in GAT-primed mice during the afferent and/or efferent stages of DTH. Our results suggest that GT nonresponsiveness does not result from the absence of GT-specific T cells or preferential induction of Ts. The results are discussed in the context of hole-in-the-repertoire and antigen presentation (determinant selection) models of Ir gene control.
The Child Who Does Not Talk: Problems of Diagnosis with Special Reference to Children with Severe Auditory Agnosia: Presented at the National Conference of the College of Speech Therapists, Glasgow, 1966

(1966). The Child Who Does Not Talk: Problems of Diagnosis with Special Reference to Children with Severe Auditory Agnosia: Presented at the National Conference of the College of Speech Therapists, Glasgow, 1966. British Journal of Disorders of Communication: Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 78-84.
The use of intraoperative radiation therapy in the management of locally recurrent rectal cancer

Abstract Locally recurrent rectal cancer (LRRC) is associated with substantial tumor- and treatment-related morbidity. Curative-intent surgical resection is challenging, and when used as a single modality, the results have been poor. Durable local control (LC) and long-term overall survival (OS) may be achieved with combined modality therapy including radiotherapy (RT), chemotherapy, and surgical resection. RT dose escalation utilizing intra-operative RT (IORT), when combined with external beam RT (EBRT), may offer improved LC particularly for those who have undergone sub-total resection. Curative treatment options are still feasible in patients who experience LR following previous pelvic RT, with data supporting the safety and efficacy of EBRT, surgery, and IORT as long as clinicians are cognizant of repeat RT exposure to small bowel. Advancement in patient selection, RT treatment techniques, and systemic therapies offer an interesting opportunity to improve outcomes for patients with LRRC and should be evaluated further in prospective studies.
Inter-Region Transfers for Pandemic Surges

Background Hospital inpatient and intensive care unit (ICU) bed shortfalls may arise due to regional surges in volume. We sought to determine how inter-region transfers could alleviate bed shortfalls during a pandemic. Methods We used estimates of past and projected inpatient and ICU cases of COVID-19 from February 4, 2020 to October 1, 2020. For regions with bed shortfalls (where the number of patients exceeded bed capacity), transfers to the nearest region with unused beds were simulated using an algorithm that minimized total inter-region transfer distances across the U.S. Model scenarios used a range of predicted COVID-19 volumes (lower, mean, and upper bounds) and non-COVID-19 volumes (20%, 50%, or 80% of baseline hospital volumes). Scenarios were created for each day of data, and worst-case scenarios were created treating all regions' peak volumes as simultaneous. Mean per-patient transfer distances were calculated by scenario. Results For the worst-case scenarios, national bed shortfalls ranged from 669 to 58,562 inpatient beds and 3,208 to 31,190 ICU beds, depending on model volume parameters. Mean transfer distances to alleviate daily bed shortfalls ranged from 23 to 352 miles for inpatient and 28 to 423 miles for ICU patients, depending on volume. Under all worst-case scenarios except the highest-volume ICU scenario, inter-regional transfers could fully resolve bed shortfalls. To do so, mean transfer distances would be 24 to 405 miles for inpatients and 73 to 476 miles for ICU patients. Conclusions Inter-region transfers could mitigate regional bed shortfalls during pandemic hospital surges.
“But in a Dream of Friendship”: Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens, the Gift, and the Moral Economy of Friendship

The famously paradoxical pronouncement attributed to Aristotle, “Oh my friends, there are no friends” has for millennia haunted Western philosophy. Plato’s Lysis ceases abruptly in Socrates’ frustration over his inability to articulate the essence of friendship. For Kant and Derrida friendship appears impossible. For Aristotle lower forms of friendship are common, true friendships rare. The tragedy Timon of Athens is Shakespeare’s most wide-ranging dramatization of the philosophical problematics of friendship. For Shakespeare, as for the philosophical tradition, the barrier to friendship is economic—friendship must be extricated from economic exchange. Timon of Athens explores such possibility. Or perhaps impossibility.
Ascent of the corporate model in environmental-organized crime

Since the mid-1980s, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act of 1970 (RICO) has been used against traditional organized criminals (i.e., Mafia) operating within various waste-trade industries. Recent civil and criminal RICO cases brought in New York City and State, provide current examples of the overall limited success of using RICO against criminal actors situated within the waste-trade industries. Although the traditional form of organized crime (i.e., Mafia) appears to be on the wane, corporate forms of organized crime have already entered into the waste-trade industries to fill the void created by the extraction of their predecessors. These corporate racketeers closely mimic the old traditional form of crime they have replaced, but may prove to be even more intractable, because, as the literature on corporate crime has clearly shown, corporate entities are extremely resistant to labeling as illegitimate organizations. One result of addressing “environmental-organized crime” as strictly organized crime, rather than as environmental crime, is that little change will be forthcoming in our current environmental regulations, laws, strategies and policies.
Decolonial Echoes: Voicing and Listening in Rebecca Belmore's Sound Performance

Focusing on the Canadian settler context, this article analyzes two of Anishinaabe artist Rebecca Belmore’s interactive works that enact alternatives to colonial understandings of voicing and listening that have centred the human ear and vocal apparatus. In particular, I analyze Ayum-ee-aawach Oomama-mowan: Speaking to Their Mother (1991), where Belmore constructed a large wooden megaphone for participants to speak into and address the land directly, and Wave Sound (2017), where Belmore installed four sculptural listening tubes in Canadian National Park and reserve sites that invited visitors to listen to the land. Through my analysis of these two iterative performances, I examine how the echo functions as a decolonial gesture and multisensorial (re)mapping that can generate alternatives to modernity’s spatial-temporal-sensorial order and unsettle the coloniality of the voice. Engaging critical work in sound studies and Native feminist theories to think about vibration, I propose that voicing and listening can be understood as a set of social relationships between people and space/time.
An Algorithm to Warm Start Perturbed (WASP) Constrained Dynamic Programs.

Receding horizon optimal control problems compute the solution at each time step to operate the system on a near-optimal path. However, in many practical cases, the boundary conditions, such as external inputs, constraint equations, or the objective function, vary only marginally from one time step to the next. In this case, recomputing the optimal solution at each time represents a significant burden for real-time applications. This paper proposes a novel algorithm to approximately solve a perturbed constrained dynamic program that significantly improves the computational burden when the objective function and the constraints are perturbed slightly. The method hinges on determining closed-form expressions for first-order perturbations in the optimal strategy and the Lagrange multipliers of the perturbed constrained dynamic programming problem are obtained. This information can be used to initialize any algorithm (such as the method of Lagrange multipliers, or the augmented Lagrangian method) to solve the perturbed dynamic programming problem with minimal computational resources.
Development of a Multiplex High-Throughput Diagnostic Assay for the Detection of Strawberry Crown Rot Diseases Using High-Resolution Melting Analysis

Rapid and accurate disease diagnosis is a prerequisite for an effective disease management program in strawberry production. In Florida, Colletotrichum spp., Phytophthora spp., and Macrophomina pha...
Contrast‐enhanced ultrasound imaging can be used to evaluate fetal cerebral perfusion: potential implications for fetal surgery

Fetal surgery is increasingly performed to correct congenital defects. Currently, fetal brain perfusion cannot be assessed intra-operatively. The purpose of this study was to determine if contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) could be used to monitor fetal cerebral perfusion during fetal surgery and if parameters correlate with fetal hemodynamics or acid/base status. Cannulated fetal sheep were insufflated with carbon dioxide gas in an extra-uterine support device and in utero to mimic fetal surgery. Fetal heart rate, mean arterial pressure, and arterial blood gases were serially measured. CEUS examinations of the brain were performed and time-dependent metrics were quantified to evaluate perfusion. The relationships between measured parameters were determined with mixed linear effects models or two-way repeated measures analysis of variance. 6 fetal sheep (113 ± 5 days) insufflated at multiple time-points (n = 20 experiments) in an extra-uterine support device demonstrated significant correlations between time-dependent perfusion parameters and fetal pH and carbon dioxide levels. In utero, 4 insufflated fetuses (105 ± 1 days) developed hypercarbic acidosis and had reductions in cerebral perfusion parameters compared to age-matched controls (n = 3). There was no significant relationship between cerebral perfusion parameters and fetal hemodynamics. CEUS-derived cerebral perfusion parameters can be measured during simulated fetal surgery and strongly correlate with fetal acid/base status.
Application of the Digital Twin for in process monitoring of the micro injection moulding process quality

Abstract In recent years, the interest in miniaturization of devices easier to wear or even to insert into the body and in general the interest in building lightweight and compact systems are greatly increased. For this reason, the field of micro manufacturing is becoming more and more strategic for modern industry. One critical aspect for the adoption of micro manufacturing technologies on large scale is the quality validation and metrology of components or devices with conventional technologies, such as vision systems or tactile profilometer. Indeed, these technologies hardly fit to be used on the micro devices due to their extremely reduced dimensions which cause a high risk of damaging the micro structured surface. For these reasons, one of the challenges in the micro manufacturing field is the study of methods and tools for the continuous monitoring of the micro production process, with the final aim to improve reliability. In this regard, this paper focuses on a typical micro manufacturing technology, such as micro injection moulding, and presents a methodological approach that can help companies to adopt a solution for optimizing their process leveraging the corresponding Digital Twin. The latter represents a mirror of the physical process that allows to monitor in-line its parameters, to compare them with any analytic model, and to supply specific variations of parameters to keep them always in optimal conditions. The paper also presents a proof of concept of the proposed approach that has been validated to prove the correctness and its capability to scale to a real case study.
Framing the Race in South Africa: The Political Origins of Racial Census Elections

Post-apartheid South African elections have borne an unmistakable racial imprint: Africans vote for one set of parties, whites support a different set of parties, and, with few exceptions, there is no crossover voting between groups. These voting tendencies have solidified the dominance of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) over South African politics and turned South African elections into 'racial censuses'. This book explores the political sources of these outcomes. It argues that although the beginnings of these patterns lie in South Africa's past, in the effects apartheid had on voters' beliefs about race and destiny and the reputations parties forged during this period, the endurance of the census reflects the ruling party's ability to use the powers of office to prevent the opposition from evolving away from its apartheid-era party label. By keeping key opposition parties 'white', the ANC has rendered them powerless, solidifying its hold on power in spite of an increasingly restive and dissatisfied electorate.
Drug use and emotional distress differentiate unstably- versus stably-housed adults living with HIV who engage in unprotected sex

Among adults living with HIV, unstable housing is a barrier to health. Stably- and unstably-housed adults living with HIV were assessed for over 25 months. At baseline, unstably-housed adults living with HIV had a more recent HIV diagnosis, higher viral loads, worse physical and mental health, lower rates of antiretroviral therapy use and insurance coverage, and higher rates of hard drug use than stably-housed adults living with HIV. At follow-up, the health of both groups was similar, but unstably-housed adults living with HIV reported significantly more hard drug use and mental health symptoms when compared to the stably-housed adults living with HIV. Drug and mental health risks decreased for both groups, but decreases in unprotected sex were greater among unstably-housed adults living with HIV.
Recasting Title IX: Addressing Gender Equity in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Professoriate

Questions of gender equity and the underrepresentation of women in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professoriate in U.S. institutions of higher education have become central issues in debates on the role and makeup of the STEM workforce in today's innovation-driven economy. In response, policy makers, advocacy groups, academics, and other stakeholders have called for the dedicated enforcement of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as a tool for combating gender inequities in the academic workforce. Although previously applied primarily to gender bias in athletic programs and participation, Title IX was created to address myriad aspects of gender equity in educational institutions and, as such, currently is being invoked in the realm of STEM academic employment. Accordingly, we analyze Title IX relative to categories of potential regulatory development in light of the policy environment and related dynamics. Providing an historical overview of Title IX and its associated regulations as background, we characterize and delineate its relevance to gender disparities in the STEM professoriate, identifying areas for policy consideration and future application.
EXPERIMENTAL PERFORMANCE OF A VENTRAL NOZZLE WITH PITCH AND YAW VECTORING CAPABILITY FOR SSTOVL AIRCRAFT

Aircraft with supersonic, short takeoff and vertical landing capability have been proposed to replace some of the current high-performance aircraft. Several of these configurations use a ventral nozzle in the lower fuselage, aft of the center of gravity, for lift or pitch control. Internal vanes canted at 20 deg were added to a swivel-type ventral nozzle and tested at tailpipe to ambient pressure ratios up to 5.0 on the Powered Lift Facility at NASA Lewis Research Center. The addition of sets of four or seven vanes decreased the discharge coefficient of the nozzle by at least 6 percent and did not effect the thrust coefficient. Side force produced by the nozzle with vanes was 14 percent or more of the vertical force. In addition, this side force caused only a smalll loss in vertical force in comparison to the nozzle without vanes. The net thrust force was 8 deg from the vertical for four vanes and 10.5 deg for seven.
Differentiation in ℝ N

There are two principal extensions to ℝ N of the theory of differentiation of real-valued functions on ℝ1. In this section, we develop the natural generalization of ordinary differentiation discussed in Chapter 4 to partial differentiation of functions from ℝ N to ℝ1. In Section 7.3, we extend the ordinary derivative to the total derivative.
Focus on Elementary: Using Reading Strategy Rulers to Help Readers Become Critically Aware of Multiple Reading Strategies

As university professors, many of our practical insights about implementing the reading process result from working with elementary students in our afterschool Reading Centers. Much of our work wit...
Heparin and LPS-induced COX-2 expression in airway cells: a link between its anti-inflammatory effects and GAG sulfation

ABSTRACTPurpose/Aim: Previous studies have indicated that the sulfated polysaccharide heparin has anti-inflammatory effects. However, the mechanistic basis for these effects has not been fully elucidated. Materials and Methods: NCI-H292 (mucoepidermoid) and HBE-1 (normal) human bronchial epithelial cells were treated with LPS alone or in the presence of high-molecular-weight (HMW) fully sulfated heparin or desulfated HMW heparin. Cells were harvested to examine the phosphorylation levels of ERK1/2, p38, and NF-kB p65 and COX-2 protein expression by Western blot and gene expression of both COX-2 and CXCL-8 by TaqMan qRT-PCR. Results: Heparin is known to exert an influence on receptor-mediated signaling through its ability to both potentiate and inhibit the receptor-ligand interaction, depending upon its concentration. In H292 cells, fully-sulfated HMW heparin significantly reduced LPS-induced gene expression of both COX-2 and CXCL-8 for up to 48 hours, while desulfated heparin had little to no significant ...
"I" and the brain.

Many philosophers as well as many biological psychologists think that recent experiments in neuropsychology have definitively discredited any notion of freedom of the will. I argue that the arguments mounted against the concept of freedom of the will in the name of natural causal determinism are valuable but not new, and that they leave intact a concept of freedom of the will that is compatible with causal determinism. After explaining this concept, I argue that it is interestingly related to our use of the first person pronoun “I.” I discuss three examples of our use of “I” in thought and language and submit a few questions I would like neuropsychologists to answer concerning the brain processes that might underlie those uses. I suggest answering these questions would support the compatibilist notion of freedom of the will I have offered in part 1.
Assessing the utility of digital rectal exams in the ED.

This lecture can be accessed online by visiting http://dl.dropbox.com/u/43902343/DRE-re-edit.mp4. ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2012; 19:693 © 2012 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
ONE HUNDRED CONSECUTIVE LAPAROSCOPIC PELVIC LYMPH NODE DISSECTIONS: COMPARING COMPLICATIONS OF THE FIRST 50 CASES TO THE SECOND 50 CASES

Abstract Objectives To report the outcome of our first 100 consecutive laparoscopicpelvic lymph node dissections (LPLND) and compare the early complication rate of the first 50 cases (14%) to the second 50 cases (4%). Methods We reviewed 100 patients who underwent LPLND. Ninety-six patients had carcinoma of the prostate and underwent LPLND prior to radical prostatectomy or definitive radiation therapy. Four patients had histologically proved penile (2) or bladder carcinoma (2) and underwent LPLND to assess their pelvic lymph nodes. Results We encountered 7 major and minor complications in our first 50 cases, and 2 minor complications in our second 50 cases. The overall complication rate was 9% (9 of 100). Conclusions We believe that modification of our operative technique and changes inpatient management resulted in a lower complication rate in the second 50 patients. We conclude that although LPLND has a significant learning curve, it is a viable surgical staging option for patients with urologic pelvic malignancies.
Identification and boundary extraction of blobs in complex imagery.

Abstract Automated identification and boundary extraction of blobs in “real world” imagery is a difficult task because the boundaries are so irregular that there is often insufficient a priori information describing these boundaries and traditional methods fail. This paper has proposed a progressive segmentation approach and a boundary estimation method to identify the blobs and to yield an accurate description of its boundary. The multiresolution image processing technique is incorporated into the whole work. This work has been applied to the problem of identifying and extracting the boundaries of major vessels (e.g., the aorta) in Magnetic Resonance (MR) imagery and the results are satisfactory. A Laplacian of Gaussian (LOG) operator is utilized as a spot detector to locate the approximate position of the blob of interest. A subimage centered on this approximate position is extracted to eliminate unwanted portions of the image and facilitate further processing. A histogram pyramid is created for the subimage histogram for automated determination of the threshold in the noisy histogram. A shrink-expand operation is then employed to reduced noise and undesired structures in the subimage. The rough and irregular boundary of the blob of interest obtained by thresholding is reparameterized into polar coordinates to create a Fourier descriptor representation of the boundary. Then, the discrete Fourier transform is applied to the reparameterized 1-D discrete curve to permit appropriate smoothing, as required, in frequency space. Finally, the boundary estimation is completed by taking the inverse Fourier transform to reconstruct the boundary of interest.
Microbial growth and transport in porous media under denitrification conditions : experiments and simulations

Abstract Soil column experiments were conducted to study bacterial growth and transport in porous media under denitrifying conditions. The study used a denitrifying microbial consortium isolated from aquifer sediments sampled at the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford site. One-dimensional, packed-column transport studies were conducted under two substrate loading conditions. A detailed numerical model was developed to predict the measured effluent cell and substrate concentration profiles. First-order attachment and detachment models described the interphase exchange processes between suspended and attached biomass. Insignificantly different detachment coefficient values of 0.32 and 0.43 day−1, respectively, were estimated for the high and low nitrate loading conditions (48 and 5 mg l−1 NO3, respectively). Comparison of these values with those calculated from published data for aerobically growing organisms shows that the denitrifying consortium had lower detachment rate coefficients. This suggests that, similar to detachment rates in reactor-grown biofilms, detachment in porous media may increase with microbial growth rate. However, available literature data are not sufficient to confirm a specific analytical model for predicting this growth dependence.
Infection in Solid Organ Transplantation: Prophylactic Regimens, Clinical Manifestations, and Empiric Therapy

Solid organ transplantation has become an established practice for end-organ disease. Transplantation has inherent risks for infection which can be minimized by appropriate prophylactic, preemptive, and empiric antibiotic regimens. Proper vaccination and appropriate perioperative antibiotic use are of utmost importance in an immunocompromised patient. When immunosuppression is high, further prophylactic regimens against some pathogens, such as cytomegalovirus, are necessary. Empiric antibiotic therapy should be targeted to the most likely pathogens. However, certain antimicrobials may interact with immunosuppressant agents resulting in enhanced toxicity or decreasing immunosuppression. Appropriate monitoring parameters and protective measures should be taken.
Vibrational spectroscopy and dynamics of ionic complexes of CH5+, CH5+(A)x(B)y (A, B = Ar, N2, CH4; x,y = 0–5)

Abstract The vibrational spectra for the ionic complexes of CH 5 + , CH 5 + (A) x (B) y (A, B = Ar, N 2 , CH 4 ; x, y = 0–5) in the 2500-3200 cm −1 frequency region are presented. The scrambling motions of the CH 5 + core slow considerably as the ion-molecule interactions increase (Ar 2 4 ), and as the number of the neutral molecules in the complexes increase. The CH 5 + core of CH 5 + (CH 4 ) n (n ≥ 3) was regarded as rigid. For CH 5 + (N 2 ) and CH 5 + (CH 4 ) n ( n = 1, 2, 3), the H-H stretching bands of the CH 5 + core, which are direct evidence for three-center two-electron bonding in CH 5 + , were found in the 2500–2700 cm −1 region. The structures of the methane-coordinated carbonium ions CH 5 + (CH 4 ) n ( n = 1–5) were predicted from the analysis of the vibrational spectra, improving on the previous theoretical and experimental predictions.
NICKEL COMPOUNDS INDUCE HISTONE UBIQUITINATION BY INHIBITING HISTONE DEUBIQUITINATING ENZYME ACTIVITY

Nickel (Ni) compounds are known carcinogens but underlying mechanisms are not clear. Epigenetic changes are likely to play an important role in nickel ion carcinogenesis. Previous studies have shown epigenetic effects of nickel ions, including the loss of histone acetylation and a pronounced increase in dimethylated H3K9 in nickel-exposed cells. In this study, we demonstrated that both water-soluble and insoluble nickel compounds induce histone ubiquitination (uH2A and uH2B) in a variety of cell lines. Investigations of the mechanism by which nickel increases histone ubiquitination in cells reveal that nickel does not affect cellular levels of the substrates of this modification, i.e., ubiquitin, histones, and other non-histone ubiquitinated proteins. In vitro ubiquitination and deubiquitination assays have been developed to further investigate possible effects of nickel on enzymes responsible for histone ubiquitination. Results from the in vitro assays demonstrate that the presence of nickel did not affect the levels of ubiquitinated histones in the ubiquitinating assay. Instead, the addition of nickel significantly prevents loss of uH2A and uH2B in the deubiquitinating assay, suggesting that nickel-induced histone ubiquitination is the result of inhibition of (a) putative deubiquitinating enzyme(s). Additional supporting evidence comes from the comparison of the response to nickel ions with a known deubiquitinating enzyme inhibitor, iodoacetamide (IAA). This study is the first to demonstrate such effects of nickel ions on histone ubiquitination. It also sheds light on the possible mechanisms involved in altering the steady state of this modification. The study provides further evidence that supports the notion that nickel ions alter epigenetic homeostasis in cells, which may lead to altered programs of gene expression and carcinogenesis.
Influence of Mastitis on Properties of Milk. I. Curd Tension

Abstract The effect of mastitis on the curd tension of milk was investigated using individual quarter samples. An inverse relationship was observed between the Wisconsin Mastitis Test and curd tension. The curd tension of the Wisconsin positive (> 20mm) samples was approximately 35% lower than that of the corresponding negative (
Use of composite materials in multi-wall structures to prevent perforation by hypervelocity particle impact

Abstract All earth-orbiting spacecraft are susceptible to impacts by meteoroids and pieces of orbital debris. These impacts occur at extremely high speeds and can damage flight-critical systems, which can in turn lead to catastrophic failure of the spacecraft. The design of a spacecraft for an earth-orbiting mission must take into account the possibility of such impacts and their effects on the spacecraft structure and on all of its exposed subsystem components. This paper represents the results of an experimental investigation in which several different composite materials are tested for their ability to prevent the perforation of the pressure walls in multi-wall systems subjected to hypervelocity projectile impact. The damage in the composite material specimens is also compared to the damage in aluminum specimens of similar geometry and weight caused by hypervelocity projectiles with similar impact energies. The analysis shows that using composite materials in combination with metallic materials in multi-wall structures can increase the protection afforded a spacecraft against perforation by orbital debris particles over that provided by traditional, purely metallic double-wall structures.
Comparison of polarimetric techniques for the identification of biological and chemical materials using Mueller matrices, lateral waves, and surface waves

Optical polarimetric techniques to identify and characterize biological and chemical materials have received much attention recently for their broad applications in biophotonics, biochemistry, biomedicine, and pharmacology. We present here several options for the measurement of optical rotation, diattenuation, and the index of depolarization. These include polar decomposition, identification of specific pairs of Mueller matrix elements that are proportional to optical activity, and the cross-polarized components of lateral waves and surface waves at the interface between free space and the optically active material.
Surface Chemistry of CO on Pt(100)−Bimetallic Surfaces: Displacement Effects

The surface chemistry of coadsorbed CO and metal adatoms on the Pt(100) surface in acid electrolyte has been studied by means of rotating ring disk electrode (RRDE) measurements. These results showed that Cu and Pb adatoms are readily displaced from the Pt(100) surface by CO. The consequence of the observed displacement phenomenon is that the kinetics of the electrooxidation of CO on Pt(100) surfaces in Cu2+- (Pb2+-) containing solution is the same as in Cu2+- (Pb2+-) free solution.
On-farm production of liquefied catfish protein

Abstract A method and the equipment used to process channel catfish ( Ictalurus punctatus ) offal into a liquid catfish protein (LCP) suitable for use as an animal feedstuff component is described. This process uses the offal following cleaning of the catfish for commercial use, i.e., without additional grinding or chopping. Small amounts of either hydrochloric acid or formic acid can be used to liquefy the catfish offal in 2 h or less. The liquefaction is conducted in a drum fitted with a baffle. The drum is heated to 50°C with water from an overhead manifold while turning on a drum roller. Bones and unliquefied material are removed by screening to yield LCP at pH 4.5. Variations in the processing conditions — grinding, agitation rate, acid employed, and time — did not alter significantly the amount of crude protein or the essential amino acid profile. Acid selection altered the amount of essential free amino acids found, with hydrochloric acid producing the lesser amount. Reducing the agitation rate lowered the amount of essential free amino acids. Comparison of the essential amino acid profile of the LCP with those of catfish, menhaden and herring meals showed lower amounts of these acids but sufficient to warrant use as a feed component.
Biological activities of oxysterols

Literature dealing with the biological activities of cholesterol autoxidation products and related oxysterols in vivo and in vitro published since the previous 1981 monograph is reviewed. Although several oxysterols are important cholesterol metabolites implicated in bile acids and steroid hormones biosynthesis, effects on cellular membranes and on specific enzyme systems as well as cytotoxic, atherogenic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic activities characterize oxysterols as a class. Circumstantial evidence implicates oxysterols of the human diet and those formed in vivo with human health disorders, but recent work also supports an hypothesis that some oxysterols be endogenous intracellular regulators of de novo sterol biosynthesis. The true physiological relevance, if any, of these matters has not been adduced.
Entropy of solid {sup 4}He: The possible role of a dislocation-induced glass

Solid $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ is viewed as a nearly perfect Debye solid. Yet recent calorimetry indicates that its low-temperature specific heat has both cubic and linear contributions. These features appear in the same temperature range $(T\ensuremath{\sim}200\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{mK})$ where measurements of the torsional oscillator period suggest a supersolid transition. We analyze the specific heat to compare the measured with the estimated entropy for a proposed supersolid transition with 1% superfluid fraction. We find that the experimental entropy is substantially less than the calculated entropy. We suggest that the low-temperature linear term in the specific heat is due to a glassy state that develops at low temperatures and is caused by a distribution of tunneling systems in the crystal. It is proposed that small scale dislocation loops produce those tunneling systems. We argue that the reported mass decoupling is consistent with an increase in the oscillator frequency, as expected for a glasslike transition.
Some observations on a controlled social environment for psychiatric patients

Abstract Recent analysis has shown the relevance of social and learning variables in the etiology and maintenance of psychotic behavior. While the token economy represents an improvement over traditional psychiatric treatment, it has been associated primarily with chronic, regressed psychiatric patients. The present paper describes a token economy designed for refractory psychiatric patients whose difficulties have resulted in repeated hospitalization and which has as its primary goal the modification of the behaviors which originally led to commitment. Patients are organized in hierarchies and pairs to promote mutual responsibility, to maintain orderly behavior, and to guarantee that assigned work is done. The psychiatric aide is freed from many of his custodial duties and his work schedule modified to allow him to participate in more therapeutic activities; in particular, aides accept responsibility for working with individual patients and receive cash incentives based on the improvement of assigned patients.
Gender by Design: Not Yet Ready for Prime Time

(2001). Gender by Design: Not Yet Ready for Prime Time. The American Journal of Bioethics: Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 29-30.
Cross-Cultural Issues in Personality and Career Assessment.

The purpose of this article is to discuss some important issues regarding cross-cultural personality and career assessment. Within the last decade, this topic has received increased attention becau...
Woodpile photonic crystal nanocavity by two-directional etching without wafer bonding

Compact ultra-high-Q modes are designed in a woodpile photonic crystal by mudulating unit cell size along a waveguide in a complete photonic band gap. These designs provide a means of simplifying the fabrication of woodpile photonic crystal nanocavities. The designed nanocavities are fabricated with a two-directional etching approach without wafer bonding.
Noninvasive imaging of oral premalignancy and malignancy

Objectives: Early detection of cancer and its curable precursors remains the best way to ensure patient survival and quality of life. Despite significant advances in treatment, oral cancer still results in 10,000 U.S. deaths annually, mainly due to the late detection of most oral lesions. Specific aim was to use a combination of non-invasive optical in vivo technologies to test a multi-modality approach to non-invasive diagnostics of oral premalignancy and malignancy. Methods: In the hamster cheek pouch model (120 hamsters), in vivo optical coherence tomography (OCT) and optical Doppler tomography (ODT) mapped epithelial, subepithelial and vascular change throughout carcinogenesis in specific, marked sites. In vivo multi-wavelength multi-photon (MPM) and second harmonic generated (SHG) fluorescence techniques provided parallel data on surface and subsurface tissue structure, specifically collagen presence and structure, cellular presence, and vasculature. Images were diagnosed by 2 blinded, pre-standardized investigators using a standardized scale from 0-6 for all modalities. After sacrifice, histopathological sections were prepared and pathology evaluated on a scale of 0-6. ANOVA techniques compared imaging diagnostics with histopathology. 95% confidence limits of the sensitivity and specificity were established for the diagnostic capability of OCT/ODT+ MPM/SHG using ROC curves and kappa statistics. Results: Imaging data were reproducibly obtained with good accuracy. Carcinogenesis-related structural and vascular changes were clearly visible to tissue depths of 2mm. Sensitivity (OCT/ODT alone: 71-88%; OCT+MPM/SHG: 79-91%) and specificity (OCT alone: 62-83%;OCT+MPM/SHG: 67-90%) compared well with conventional techniques. Conclusions: OCT/ODT and MPM/SHG are promising non-invasive in vivo diagnostic modalities for oral dysplasia and malignancy. Supported by CRFA 30003, CCRP 00-01391V-20235, NIH (LAMMP) RR01192, DOE DE903-91ER 61227, NIH EB-00293 CA91717, NSF BES-86924, AFOSR FA 9550-04-1-0101.