cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Applications of a Newly Developed Sonic Surgical Handpiece in Implant Dentistry

Introduction: Lack of adequate alveolar bone width or height for proper implant placement is a common clinical situation that clinicians have to overcome in implant dentistry. A new sonic surgical handpiece (SSH) has been developed that uses high-oscillation amplitude to produce precise bony incisions. In combination with the surgical tips, this device can be used in many clinical situations.Case Series: In this case series, we present various clinical applications of the SSH in implant dentistry. The handpiece and the tips were evaluated in various procedures. These included: 1) ridge augmentation; 2) maxillary sinus augmentation; 3) atraumatic tooth extraction; and 4) autogenous bone harvesting. The SSH was able to make very precise incisions through bone and atraumatically separate teeth from their periodontal ligaments. All of these cases healed uneventfully and successfully. Advantages and disadvantages of this new innovative device are illustrated with the clinical cases, including postoperative cli...
A defect correction method for the time‐dependent Navier‐Stokes equations

A method for solving the time dependent Navier-Stokes equations, aiming at higher Reynolds' number, is presented. The direct numerical simulation of flows with high Reynolds' number is computationally expensive. The method presented is unconditionally stable, computationally cheap, and gives an accurate approximation to the quantities sought. In the defect step, the artificial viscosity parameter is added to the inverse Reynolds number as a stability factor, and the system is antidiffused in the correction step. Stability of the method is proven, and the error estimations for velocity and pressure are derived for the one- and two-step defect-correction methods. The spacial error is O(h) for the one-step defect-correction method, and O(h2) for the two-step method, where h is the diameter of the mesh. The method is compared to an alternative approach, and both methods are applied to a singularly perturbed convection–diffusion problem. The numerical results are given, which demonstrate the advantage (stability, no oscillations) of the method presented. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq, 2009
Random sampling for evaluating treatment plans

We analyze the influence of sampling technique on the accuracy of estimating irradiated volumes, dose‐volume histograms and tumor control and normal tissue complication probabilities. The sampling techniques we consider are uniform distribution of points on a regular Cartesian grid and random selection of points. For three‐dimensional treatment planning, random sampling leads to a significant reduction in estimation error and/or in the number of calculation points necessary to achieve a required accuracy. We discuss advantages and drawbacks of random sampling, as compared to sampling on a regular grid. It is suggested that, in practical situations, at least 50 times fewer randomly sampled points per organ/volume of interest are needed for fast estimation of complication probability with the same accuracy, i.e., not exceeding 5% (within 95% confidence limits) in the worst case.
Detection of Molecular Oxygen in the Martian Atmosphere

Molecular oxygen has been detected spectroscopically in the atmosphere of Mars, using lines in the 7620 A A-band. Weak lines in the wings of the strong terrestrial atmospheric oxygen transitions show equivalent widths of 2 to 4 mA. Positive identification of the Martian atmosphere as the source of these lines is based on the facts that four separate lines are resolved, each line has been observed repeatedly, in each case falling at the appropriate predicted Doppler-shifted wavelength with an accuracy of plus or minus 0.01 A, all four lines are of similar strength as predicted by theory, and the observed lines are not solar Fraunhofer lines.
Identification of the synthetic pathway producing the endocannabinoid that mediates the bulk of retrograde signaling in the brain.

Endocannabinoids serve as retrograde messengers that are released by postsynaptic cells to regulate neurotransmitter release from presynaptic boutons. A new study in this issue of Neuron by Tanimura et al. establishes that most endocannabinoid signaling in the brain is a consequence of the calcium-dependent or receptor-driven generation of the retrograde signal 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) by diacylglycerol lipase α (DGLα).
PUPylation: something old, something new, something borrowed, something Glu

Most eukaryotic proteins are degraded by the 26S proteasome as a consequence of their covalent modification with ubiquitin. Although the proteasome is found in some prokaryotes, ubiquitin is not, which indicates that substrates are targeted to prokaryotic proteasomes by a fundamentally different mechanism. A recent study has identified Pup (prokaryotic ubiquitin-like protein) as a mycobacterial protein that functions in a manner analogous to ubiquitin for proteasome-dependent proteolysis in prokaryotes.
The effect of increased hip flexion using stirrups on lower-extremity venous flow: a prospective observational study

Abstract Background Patient positioning during surgeries for colorectal cancer may represent an unrecognized risk factor for deep venous thrombosis. Methods Twelve healthy control patients were positioned supine with knee flexion at 90°. Duplex ultrasound examined common femoral vein (CFV) and proximal femoral vein diameter, peak systolic velocity, and volume flow with hip flexion at 0°, 30°, 60°, and 90°. Data were analyzed using the paired t test. Results In the CFV, hip flexion to 90° was associated with a significant increase in mean volume flow when compared with hip flexion at 0° (.59 vs .36 L/min; P = .05) and 30° (.59 vs .35 L/min; P = .038). In both the CFV and proximal femoral vein, increased hip flexion was associated with significantly reduced vessel diameter and increased peak systolic velocity. Conclusions Intraoperative positioning of the lower extremities represents a modifiable risk factor for deep venous thrombosis. When stirrups are used, hip flexion of 90° maximizes venous drainage from the legs.
Production of Tunguska-sized bodies by Earth's tidal forces

Abstract Tidal disruption of rubble-pile bodies (stony or icy aggregates held together by self-gravity) during close Earth encounters may produce significant numbers of Tunguska-sized (50 m) fragments. Using an N -body simulation to model encounters between strengthless, elongated, rotating, particulate bodies and the Earth, two disruption categories were found which produce small bodies: (a) “Shoemaker-Levy-9 type” catastrophic disruptions, where the progenitor is pulled into a line of similarly sized bodies, and (b) rotational disruptions, where the progenitor is distored and spun-up by tidal torque such that particles are ejected along the equator. These events occur frequently at low encounter velocities (i.e. low e and i ); it is predicted that Earth's tidal forces should be effective at disrupting larger bodies into Tunguska-sized fragments in this region of phase space. By creating a map of tidal disruption outcomes for the progenitor's encounter parameters and integrating over all possible values of those parameters, it is found that the tidal production rate of Tunguska-sized bodies (upper limit) was comparable with the main-belt injection rate of Tunguska-sized bodies into resonant orbits. It is concluded that tidal disruption plays an important role in maintaining the steady-state fraction of small Earth-crossing asteroids.
A noninflammatory immune response in aged DNA Aβ42-immunized mice supports its safety for possible use as immunotherapy in AD patients

Aging in the immune system results in tendency to proinflammatory responses. Intradermal DNA immunization showed Th2 polarized noninflammatory immune responses. We tested here 18-month-old mice which were immunized with Aβ42 peptide, DNA Aβ42 trimer, or 2 different prime boost protocols identical to previous experiments. High Aβ42 antibody levels were found in aged mice which had received peptide immunizations (900 μg/mL plasma), and in mice which had received peptide prime and DNA boost immunizations (500 μg/mL), compared with antibodies in DNA Aβ42 immunized mice with 50 μg/mL. Although we found T-cell proliferation and inflammatory cytokines in mice which had received peptide or prime boost immunization, these were not found in DNA-immunized mice. The results are concordant with proinflammatory responses because of immunosenescence and contraindicate the use of Aβ42 peptide immunizations or prime boost immunization protocols for the use in elderly Alzheimer's disease patients. DNA Aβ42 immunization only on the other hand does lead to effective levels of antibodies without inflammatory cytokine or T-cell responses in the aged animal model tested.
Prostanoids, not reactive oxygen species, mediate COX‐2–dependent neurotoxicity

The prostaglandin synthesizing enzyme cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) has emerged as a critical pathogenic factor in brain diseases associated with activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, including stroke and neurodegenerative diseases. However, the COX-2 reaction products responsible for these deleterious effects have not been identified. In particular, the relative contribution to the neurotoxicity of COX-2-derived prostanoids and reactive oxygen species has not been defined. We found that the brain damage produced by direct injection of NMDA into the somatosensory cortex is attenuated by the COX-2 inhibitor NS-398 or in COX-2-null mice, but that the associated production of free radicals is not. Furthermore, COX-2 inhibition reduces the lesions even if the deleterious effects of free radicals are eliminated by the scavenger superoxide dismutase. The protection exerted by NS-398 is counteracted by a stable analog of prostaglandin E2. The findings directly implicate COX-2-derived prostanoids, rather then radicals, in the COX-2-dependent component of the damage mediated by NMDA receptors and strengthen the rationale for using COX-2 inhibitors in the treatment of neurological diseases associated with glutamate neurotoxicity.
The two-story rainbow trout fishery and its effect on the zooplankton community in a Minnesota lake

ABSTRACT We studied the two-story rainbow trout fishery and its influence on zooplankton communities in Big Watab Lake, Minnesota, in 1993. The main trout diet components were Chironomidae (larvae and pupae) and Daphnia pulex > 1.3 mm (53% and 37% dry weight, respectively). Smaller trout were more dependent on D. pulex. Trout consumption of large D. pules peaked in May (50% of diet) and decreased dramatically as the season progressed (3% of diet in August), being replaced by Chironomidae. This size-selective predation influenced the mean size of D. pulex in the water column, with 3% > 1.3 mm in May and 64% > 1.3 mm in September. The change in trout diet was associated with changes in vertical distribution of trout (detected by sonar surveys) as the lake stratified in mid-June. By August, trout were restricted to the thermocline and Daphnia found refuge from predation at greater depths. Results from a creel survey showed Big Watab Lake is providing an excellent trout fishery. Trout stocked at 245±12 (2 SE)...
LIPOLYTIC EFFECTS OF HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE IN RESISTANT OBESITY.

Plasma levels of free fatty acids (FFA) increased comparably in subjects of normal weight and in the extremely obese 4 hr after human growth hormone (HGH) was given intramuscularly in a body weight-related dose. Pretreatment of the very obese with HGH did not modify the subnormal response of plasma FFA to infused epinephrine.
Effects of amorphous and crystalline MoO3coatings on the Li-ion insertion behavior of a TiO2nanotube anode for lithium ion batteries

Amorphous and crystalline MoO3 coatings are synthesized on anodic TiO2 nanotube arrays by electrodeposition, as a self-standing, binder-free anode material in Li-ion batteries for enhancing the Li-ion insertion performance. The amorphous MoO3 layer is uniform and conformal with a thickness of 10 nm, and is converted into crystalline nanoparticles via thermal treatment. Our results show that both the coated TiO2 nanotubes deliver much higher areal capacities than bare nanotubes or a dense crystalline α-MoO3 film, while the crystalline α-MoO3 coating greatly increases the areal capacity of TiO2 nanotubes compared to the amorphous. The results are obtained at 1340 μA h cm−2 initial capacity for nanotubes with a crystalline coating, 977 μA h cm−2 for those with an amorphous coating and 342 μA h cm−2 for the bare ones. The significant enhancement is due to a combination of MoO3 with high specific capacity and TiO2 nanotube arrays with large surface area allowing uniform MoO3 deposition and rapid ionic transfer. Crystalline α-MoO3 is better than amorphous MoO3 and the coating medium is discussed in terms of chemical state, crystal defects, capacitive contributions and the charge–discharge kinetics in coated TiO2 nanotube electrodes.
Modulation of adriamycin transport by hyperthermia as measured by fluorescence-activated cell sorting

Heat-induced (45.5°C) modification of adriamycin uptake and efflux were measured by flow cytometry in CHO cells in vitro. Administration of adriamycin with simultaneous 15-min or 30-min heat treatment increased drug uptake in a dose-dependent manner. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting showed that cytotoxicity to adriamycin was correlated with relative cellular concentration (fluorescence) for both unheated cells and those heated and simultaneously treated with adriamycin. However, if adriamycin administration followed the heat treatment, accumulation was significantly reduced, primarily as a result of decreased passive drug diffusion (rather than increased efflux) in the heated cells. Cells made heat-tolerant by prior heating also exhibited reduced adriamycin uptake 12 h later, and further heating did not increase uptake. Cell sorting experiments indicated that cytotoxicity of adriamycin was not necessarily correlated with intracellular drug levels when drug administration followed the heat treatment. Also, heat-sterilized cells exhibited a two-fold increase in adriamycin uptake over surviving cells, as assessed by simultaneous measurement of dansyl lysine and adriamycin content. These results indicate that sensitization to adriamycin by simultaneous heat treatment is probably due to increased drug uptake. The decreased sensitization observed when drug administration is followed by heating is probably the result of both decreased uptake and decreased drug DNA accessibility.
Alteration in Electroencephalogram and Monoamine Concentrations in Rat Brain following Ibogaine Treatment

Ibogaine (IBO) is a psychoactive indole alkaloid that has antiaddictive properties. However, treatment with IBO may lead to neurotoxicity, since IBO and its metabolites interact persistently with many neurotransmitter systems. Here, we recorded cortical electroencephalogram (EEG) signals from rats anesthetized with isoflurane. The heart rate (HR) was monitored via electrocardiogram (EKG) electrodes. After the baseline EEG was recorded, rats received one intraperitoneal (i.p.) dose of 50 mg/kg IBO. EEG signals were recorded for 2 hr. Rats were then sacrificed and brains dissected into frontal cortex (FC), caudate nucleus (CN), hippocampus (HIP), and brain stem (BS). The level of dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT), and their metabolites were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD). Compared with baseline, a decrease in HR immediately after IBO injection and a decrease in delta, theta, alpha and beta power spectra frequency bands (1-4, 4-8, 8-13, 13-32 Hz) during the first 30 min after IBO administration was observed. EEG recovered within the next 15 min. In CN, the level of DA decreased and DA turnover rate increased significantly. The levels of 5-HT increased in FC. The pattern of EKG AND EEG response to IBO may be due to multiple receptor interactions of IBO.
Treating Depression in Men: The Role of Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy

While initial treatment recommendations for depression in the context of relationship problems have been outlined, attention typically has been focused on females experiencing depression. Less is known about the assessment and treatment of men with depression and relationship distress. This article presents the current literature on depression and relationship problems, including what is currently known about the occurrence, expression, assessment, and treatment of depression in men. Theoretical and empirically based assessment and treatment recommendations are then provided for Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy with depressed men in distressed relationships.
Distinguishing between measurements and dependent variables

Humphreys and Drasgow (1989b) recognize two types of dependent variables: the original measure- merits collected in an experiment and mathematical variables that are subjected to statistical analysis. Overall and Woodward (1975) were explicitly con cerned with the latter, whereas Humphreys and Dras gow contend that they were concerned with reliability of the original measurements from which difference scores may be computed. These are quite different matters. Criticisms should focus on points of disagree ment, and there has never been any disagreement con cerning the importance of reliability of the original measurements. The notion that treatment effects should be considered a part of the true variance for calculation of reliability estimates is rejected as stem ming from their failure to understand the basic differ ence between reliability and validity. Index terms: control of individual differences, difference scores, measurement of change, reliability of the marginal distribution, statistical power, w...
Dietary obesity in exercising or cold-exposed syrian hamsters

High-fat diet-feeding increases body weight and adiposity in Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus), effects due in part to decreased energy expenditure. The effects of voluntary exercise- or cold exposure-induced increases in energy expenditure were examined in fat- or chow-fed, female Syrian hamsters. In Experiment 1, voluntary exercise (10 weeks) caused a moderate hyperphagia and actually increased body weight in both diet groups through increases in lean body mass. Carcass lipid was not affected by by exercise in chow-fed hamsters and only slightly reduced in fat-fed animals. In Experiment 2, chronic (8 weeks) cold exposure (5 degrees C) increased energy intake to the same extent in both dietary groups relative to the warm-exposed (23 degrees C) controls. High-fat diet-induced obesity was largely prevented by cold exposure. Cold exposure reduced lean body mass in chow-fed hamsters, but this carcass component was spared by fat-feeding. These results indicate that the increased metabolic demands of cold exposure were more effective in preventing this form of diet-induced obesity than those of voluntary exercise (80% and 17% reductions in carcass lipid, respectively). These results are discussed in terms of possible beneficial effects of eating a lipid-rich diet prior to winter.
Assaying for superoxide dismutase activity: Some large consequences of minor changes in conditions

Abstract Most assays for superoxide dismutase depend upon competition between the enzyme and some indicating scavenger for O 2 − . We have investigated the effects of experimental variables on assays based upon the use of either ferricytochrome c or nitro blue tetrazolium. Our results should help investigators to avoid the numerous potential pitfalls which necessarily surround these assay methods.
Postsynaptic control of plasticity in developing somatosensory cortex

THE rearrangement of synaptic connections during normal and deprived development is thought to be controlled by correlations in afferent impulse activity1. A favoured model is based on postsynaptic detection of synchronously active afferents; synapses are stabilized when pre- and postsynaptic activity is correlated and weakened or eliminated when their activity is uncorrelated2,3. Most evidence for this model comes from demonstrations that correlated afferent input is necessary for the segregation of eye-dominant inputs in the developing vertebrate visual system1,4,5 and that critical period plasticity of ocular dominance columns in cat visual cortex is disrupted by blockade of postsynaptic transmission6–8. We tested whether the developmental plasticity of somatosensory columns, known as 'barrels', in rodent primary somatosensory cortex (S1)9–13 is similar to that of ocular dominance columns. We report here that the selective disruption of postsynaptic activation in rat S1 by application of a glutamate receptor antagonist inhibits rearrangements in the somatotopic patterning of thalamocorticalafferents induced by manipulations of the sensory periphery during the critical period. These findings show that postsynaptic activation has a prominent role in critical period plasticity in S1 cortex.
Risk-Informed Safety Margin Characterization

The concept of safety margins has served as a fundamental principle in the design and operation of commercial nuclear power plants (NPPs). Defined as the minimum distance between a system’s “loading” and its “capacity”, plant design and operation is predicated on ensuring an adequate safety margin for safety-significant parameters (e.g., fuel cladding temperature, containment pressure, etc.) is provided over the spectrum of anticipated plant operating, transient and accident conditions. To meet the anticipated challenges associated with extending the operational lifetimes of the current fleet of operating NPPs, the United States Department of Energy (USDOE), the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) have developed a collaboration to conduct coordinated research to identify and address the technological challenges and opportunities that likely would affect the safe and economic operation of the existing NPP fleet over the postulated long-term time horizons. In this paper we describe a framework for developing and implementing a Risk-Informed Safety Margin Characterization (RISMC) approach to evaluate and manage changes in plant safety margins over long time horizons.
Social Influence and Leader Perceptions: Multiplex Social Network Ties and Similarity in Leader–Member Exchange

Purpose Leader–member exchange (LMX) theory focuses on the degree of emotional support and exchange of valued resources between supervisor and subordinate. LMX research is criticized for failing to consider the role of the social context in the development of subordinates’ perceptions of LMX. We explore whether employees have similar LMX perceptions to those of multiplex social network ties.
BOLD signal compartmentalization based on the apparent diffusion coefficient

Functional MRI (fMRI) can detect blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) hemodynamic responses secondary to neuronal activity. The most commonly used method for detecting fMRI signals is the gradient-echo echo-planar imaging (EPI) technique because of its sensitivity and speed. However, it is generally believed that a significant portion of these signals arises from large veins, with additional contribution from the capillaries and parenchyma. Early experiments using diffusion-weighted gradient-echo EPI have suggested that intra-voxel incoherent motion (IVIM) weighting inherent in the sequence can selectively attenuate contributions from different vessels based on the differences in the mobility of the blood within them. In the present study, we used similar approach to characterize the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) distribution within the activated areas of BOLD contrast. It is shown that the voxel values of the ADCs obtained from this technique can infer various vascular contributions to the BOLD signal.
Characterization of Water‐Soluble Products of Palmitic Acid β‐Oxidation by a Rat Brain Preparation

(1) [1-(14)C]Palmitic acid was oxidized to CO(2) and a water-soluble material by a rat brain preparation. The radioactive CO(2) and water-soluble material were produced in a ratio of 1.0:1.3 when the mitochondrial fraction was used, and 1.0:10 or more with the postnuclear fraction. There was a lag period of 10 min for CO(2) production. These conversions were stimulated by carnitine and inhibited by cyanide. (2) Of the total radioactivity in the water-soluble material obtained with the mitochondrial fraction, 65% after 10 min of incubation and 80% thereafter were associated with amino acids, mostly with aspartate and glutamate. The remaining radioactivity, 35 and 20%, respectively, was associated with organic acids, 60-65% in citrate. The water-soluble material obtained with the postnuclear fraction contained an equal amount of radioactivity in organic and amino acids during the course of the experiment. In the organic acids, succinate was the highest labeled product during 10-40 min of incubation, whereas citrate was the highest labeled at the end of 60 min of incubation. After 60 min, the radioactivity in the amino acids was markedly associated with glutamate, and its radioactivity was 10 times greater with the postnuclear fraction than with the mitochondrial one. (3) An experiment with rat live preparations was also carried out. The liver mitochondrial fraction showed an accumulation of radioactive organic acids within 10 min of incubation, which was followed by a linear production of (14)CO(2). With the liver postnuclear fraction, the radioactivity was found mostly in the organic acids during the course of the experiment. In the liver system, the radioactive amino acids accounted for only 25% or less of the total radioactivity in the water-soluble material.
The evolution of repetitive DNA sequences in sea urchins

Abstract Molecular hybridization of nuclear DNAs has been employed to study the evolution of the repetitive DNA sequences in four species of sea urchin. The data show that relative to S. purpuratus there has been approximately 0.1% sequence divergence per million years in the repetitive DNA sequences of S. droebachiensis, S. franciscanus, and L. pictus. These results confirm that repetitive DNA sequences are strongly conserved during evolution. However, comparison of the extent of base pair mismatch in the repetitive DNA heteroduplexes formed at Cot 20 with those formed at Cot 200 during the hybridization of S. purpuratus and L. pictus DNAs reveals that highly repetitive sequences of sea urchins may diverge more rapidly than do the more moderately repetitive sequences.
Continuous Soil Carbon Dioxide and Oxygen Measurements and Estimation of Gradient-Based Gaseous Flux

The magnitude and dynamics of soil gaseous fluxes play critical roles in the global gas balance; yet, these processes are not captured at sufficient temporal resolution by standard methods based on periodic sampling and surface chamber measurements. A novel method for continuous measurement of soil surface gas fluxes based on subsurface CO 2 and O 2 concentration gradient measurements was developed. We tested the gradient-based method under steady- and transient-state soil water content and temperature conditions and compared results with a state-of-the-art surface chamber CO 2 flux system. The new aspects of the method include fast-response sensors installed in the soil profile providing continuous record of concentration gradients coupled with concurrent estimates of water content-dependent gaseous diffusion coefficient enabling calculation of surface gaseous fluxes. Low-cost infrared sensors were used for CO 2 concentration measurements, and galvanic cells for O 2 measurements. An imposed CO 2 concentration gradient in a dry soil column resulted in a quasilinear CO 2 concentration profile and surface CO 2 flux in agreement with chamber-measured fluxes. A series of continuous concentration measurements under variable water content conditions and wetting events showed agreement with surface chamber measurements. Within several days of surface wetting, soil CO 2 concentrations attained 10 mL L −1 , one order of magnitude higher than ambient concentrations, whereas O 2 concentrations decreased. The gradient-based approach minimizes soil surface perturbations and provides insights into subsurface soil CO 2 and O 2 dynamics and the distribution and magnitude of soil respiration processes as related to soil environmental factors. The subsurface gradient-based measurement system represents an order-of-magnitude reduction in cost compared with research-grade surface chamber devices.
Reframing Practitioner Research

The concept of scientist-practitioner has served as a bridge between the worlds of practice and scientific research since the 1960s (Reid, 1994). Schools of social work typically prepare master's-degree students to use both single-case designs to evaluate their own treatment effectiveness and rapid assessment instruments to monitor treatment progress and outcomes. In this way practitioners may contribute to the knowledge base of social work. Since the early 1980s, however, criticism of this model has been growing.
Laparoscopic Liver Resection in the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Laparoscopic liver resection is an emerging technique in liver surgery. Although laparoscopy is well established for several abdominal procedures and is considered by some the preferred approach, laparoscopic hepatic resection has been introduced into clinical practice more widely since 2000. These procedures are performed only in experienced centers and only in a select group of patients. While initially performed only for benign hepatic lesions, the indications for laparoscopic resection have gradually broadened to encompass all kinds of malignant hepatic lesions, including hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with cirrhosis, for whom the advantages of the minimally invasive approach may be most evident.
Newton’s method on Lie groups

A local as well as a semilocal Kantorovich-type convergence analysis is provided for Newton methods (Newton’s method and Modified Newton’s method) to solve equations on Lie groups. Motivated by optimization considerations and by using more precise majorizing sequences than before (Ferreira and Svaiter, J. Complex. 18:304–329, 2002; Li and Wang, J. Sci., to appear; Owren and Welfert, BIT 40(1):121–145, 2000), we show that under the same or weaker hypotheses: a larger convergence domain; finer error estimates on the distances involved can be obtained; an at least as precise information on the location of the solution is given semilocal case, and a larger radius of convergence (in the local case).
Psychology and death. Meaningful rediscovery

The place of death in psychology is reviewed historically. Leading causes for its being slighted as an area of investigation during psychology's early years are presented. Reasons for its rediscovery in the mid-1950s as a legitimate sector for scientific inquiry are then discussed, along with some vicissitudes encountered in carrying out research in the field. This is followed by a description of principal empirical findings, clinical perceptions, and perspectives emerging from work in the thanatological realm. The probability that such urgent social issues as abortion, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and euthanasia, and such destructive behaviors as drug abuse, alcoholism, and certain acts of violence are associated with attitudes toward death offers a challenge to psychology to enhance the vitality of human response to maladaptive conduct and loss. Recognition of personal mortality is a major entryway to self-knowledge. Although death is manifestly too complex to be the special sphere of any one discipline, psychology's position as an arena in which humanist and physicist-engineer cultures intersect provides us with a meaningful opportunity to advance our comprehension of how death can serve life.
Impaired healthcare professional.

Objective:The objective of the article is to present the available data from the literature on substance use disorders in healthcare professionals. Prevalence, risk factors, treatment options, and reentry into clinical practice are discussed.Introduction:Impairment of a healthcare professional is th
A case of hepatocyte nuclear factor-1β (TCF2) maturity onset diabetes of the young misdiagnosed as type 1 diabetes and treated unnecessarily with insulin

Maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY) is a heterogeneous group of monogenic diabetes subtypes characterized by onset before 25 years of age, residual b-cell function, and autosomal dominant inheritance. In addition to diabetes, hepatocyte nuclear factor (HNF) 1b MODY (formerly MODY5) exhibits a phenotype of structural renal abnormalities, abnormal liver function tests, hyperuricemia, and abnormalities of the pancreas, genital tract, and gastrointestinal system. In contrast with HNF-1a and HNF-4a MODY patients, who are sensitive to sulfonylureas, patients with HNF-1b MODY usually require insulin. There is no report of the successful use of metformin or insulin sensitizers in this setting.
Botulism Diagnostics: From Clinical Symptoms to in vitro Assays

Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT), which cause the deadly neuroparalytic disease, botulism, is the most toxic substance known to man. BoNT can be used as potential bioterrorism agents, and therefore, pose great threat to national security and public health. Rapid and sensitive detection of BoNTs using molecular and biochemical techniques is an essential component in the diagnosis of botulism, and is yet to be achieved. The most sensitive and widely accepted assay method for BoNTs is mouse bioassay, which takes 4 days to complete. This clearly can not meet the need for clinical diagnosis of botulism, botulinum detection in field conditions, and screening of large scale samples. Consequently, the clinical diagnosis of botulism relies on the clinical symptom development, thus limiting the effectiveness of antitoxin treatment. In response to this critical need, many in vitro methods for BoNT detection are under development. This review is focused on recently developed in vitro detection methods for BoNTs, and emerging new technologies with potential for sensitive and rapid in vitro diagnostics for botulism.
Creative performance: does the computer retard artistic development?

Over the last decade, there have been several debates concerning the dominance of technology in academic disciplines such as fine arts and graphic design. Advanced imaging devices, such as fMRI and PET scans, have provided researchers with visual information in the field of brain science that may settle these debates. We outline a research study conducted among undergraduate art students to investigate the level of visual perception and creative development. The purpose is to gather basic information that would merit further scientific investigation. Among the groups studied, the research concluded that artistic traits such as visual memory, perception and a critical eye for detail declined 80% as compared to research studies conducted in 1944. We present scientific research in the field of cognition and brain science, suggesting dominant use of technology in the arts retards intellectual and perceptual-motor skills.
Boron induced charge traps near the interface of Si/SiO2 probed by second harmonic generation

We review recent second harmonic generation (SHG) measurements for highly boron-doped Si/SiO 2 systems. Using electric field sensitive time-dependent SHG (TD-SHG), we determined that the direction of the initial DC electric field at the interface induced by boron induced charge traps is from oxide to silicon thus demonstrating that the boron induced charge traps in the oxide are positively charged. For a thin oxide (∼2 nm) both boron traps and O 2 surface oxide traps contribute. However, for a highly boron-doped Si/SiO 2 sample with a thick thermally grown oxide (thickness: 12 nm), the TD-SHG signal exhibits a monotonic decrease arising from filling only the boron charge traps. By fitting our data, we show that the interface effective susceptibility |χ (2) | is heavily dependent on doping concentration.
On Deriving a Complete Sufficient Statistic

(1976). On Deriving a Complete Sufficient Statistic. The American Statistician: Vol. 30, No. 1, pp. 37-38.
Thermodynamic Study of the Reactivity of the Two Topological Point Defects Present in Mixed Self‐Assembled Monolayers on Gold Nanoparticles

When a mixed self-assembled monolayer forms on the curved surface of a gold nanoparticle two opposed point defects must form for topological reasons. Here we present a thermodynamic study proving that these defects are more reactive than other sites on the nanoparticle, and demonstrate that the energy of the reaction depends on the ligand molecules.
Nonlinear-optical properties of conductive spheroidal particle composites

We apply effective-medium theory, generalized for nonlinear media, to the problem of four-wave mixing in composites consisting of conducting particles embedded in a linear dielectric medium. For spheroidal conducting particles two cases are considered: (i) the particles are oriented and (ii) the particles have a random orientation. An experiment on gold particle suspensions in glass (Schott RG6) examines the frequency dependence of the conjugate signal intensity in a four-wave mixing geometry. Analysis of these results indicates that the particles with spheroidal shapes are mixed in the glass. We find that frequency and optical depth dependence of the conjugate intensity can be used to gain insight into the shape of the particles, since a large enhancement of the conjugate reflectivity is expected at the surface plasmon resonances, which are highly sensitive to small shape distortions.
Integrating program analyses with programmer productivity tools

Because software continues to grow in size and complexity, programmers increasingly rely on productivity tools to understand, debug, and modify their programs. These tools typically use program analyses to produce information for the programmer. This is problematic because it is based on the assumption that the programmer and program analyses all use the same vocabulary. If the programmer and analyses did not use the same vocabulary then the results of the analyses will be meaningless to the programmer. For example, ‘v124 may be NULL’ does not mean much to the programmer but ‘myStack may be NULL’ is meaningful. Often, the programmer and analyses prefer different vocabularies. While the programmer prefers his programs' source code, an analysis will prefer a simplified representation. Unfortunately, writing an analysis that works on the source code is difficult because the analysis must deal with the idiosyncracies of the source language (e.g. nested classes). In comparison, writing an analysis on SSA form is easy but the output of the analysis is not meaningful to the programmer; it must somehow be translated into something the programmer understands. We present a system, RTalk, that makes it easy to support both the programmers' and the analysis' needs. RTalk generates a translator between the programmers' and the analysis' vocabulary. Thus both the programmer and the analysis can use the vocabulary most natural to them. We demonstrate the effectiveness of RTalk by describing program understanding and program optimization tools that we have already built using RTalk. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Overexpression of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase improves cardiac contractile function in hypothyroid mice

Objective: Prolonged cardiac contraction and relaxation in hypothyroidism are in part related to diminished expression of the gene coding for the calcium pump of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SERCA2a). Therefore, we examined whether or not transgenic SERCA2a gene expression in mice may compensate for the cardiac effects of hypothyroidism. Methods: SERCA2a mRNA and protein were analyzed from hearts of euthyroid and hypothyroid mice of wild-type or SERCA2a transgene status. Contractile function was studied in isolated left ventricular papillary muscles. Results: We found significant decreases of SERCA2a mRNA and protein levels in hearts of hypothyroid wild-type mice in comparison with euthyroid wild-type mice (controls). Papillary muscles from hypothyroid wild-type mice showed significant increases in time to peak contraction and relaxation times compared with controls. In contrast, SERCA2a mRNA and protein levels were significantly higher in hypothyroid SERCA2a transgenic mice than in hypothyroid wild-type mice. The transgene led to a functional improvement by compensating for the prolonged contraction and relaxation of papillary muscles. Conclusions: Our murine model of hypothyroidism revealed decreases in SERCA2a gene expression accompanied by prolonged contraction and relaxation of papillary muscles, and an improvement of the contractile phenotype due to compensated SERCA2a gene expression in SERCA2a transgenic mice.
Is There a Connection Between Reciprocity and Tax Competition

One challenge states face in designing income tax systems is deciding how to treat nonresident earners. Numerous states have entered into reciprocity agreements with other states that exclude nonre...
Object caching for performance in object-oriented systems

Object-oriented systems exhibit a very high rate of object creation, but most objects are short-lived. As a result, memory-management overhead is significant. An application-specific coprocessor architecture to speed up object creation and memory reclamation in object-oriented systems is described. The architecture supports a bit-vector approach to dynamic storage allocation and liberation. Novel created objects reside in a cache that is reference counted. Most objects are expected to die before they age out of the cache, drastically reducing the number of references to main memory. Many existing computer architectures would require only minor compiler modification to incorporate and benefit from this coprocessor. >
CD98hc (SLC3A2) participates in fibronectin matrix assembly by mediating integrin signaling

Integrin-dependent assembly of the fibronectin (Fn) matrix plays a central role in vertebrate development. We identify CD98hc, a membrane protein, as an important component of the matrix assembly machinery both in vitro and in vivo. CD98hc was not required for biosynthesis of cellular Fn or the maintenance of the repertoire or affinity of cellular Fn binding integrins, which are important contributors to Fn assembly. Instead, CD98hc was involved in the cell's ability to exert force on the matrix and did so by dint of its capacity to interact with integrins to support downstream signals that lead to activation of RhoA small GTPase. Thus, we identify CD98hc as a membrane protein that enables matrix assembly and establish that it functions by interacting with integrins to support RhoA-driven contractility. CD98hc expression can vary widely; our data show that these variations in CD98hc expression can control the capacity of cells to assemble an Fn matrix, a process important in development, wound healing, and tumorigenesis.
Fingertip Vibratory Transducer for Detecting Optical Edges Using Regenerative Feedback

We present a new method for sensing the visual environment using multiple transducers, each mounted on an individual fingertip to sense a single point in the visual surroundings. Unlike many light-to-tactile transducer systems that use a camera to capture an entire image, our system delegates to each finger the task of interrogating its own independent small region of the physical environment by means of a small laser system, which converts properly oriented edges into tactile vibration. The system may allow visually impaired individuals to interact with the environment by “feeling” objects at a distance, such as sidewalk curbs, doorways, or furniture, by combining multiple fingertip interrogations of object boundaries. We describe in this paper an initial prototype and report very preliminary results on its use by a single subject.
Investigation of the loss of holding power in the near cortex due to shearing of the bond thread

External skeletal fixation has many uses in the area of orthopedics in both human and veterinary medicine. The success of a procedure utilizing a fixator directly relates to the strength of the pin-bone interface. Prior in vitro study has shown that for a two-cortex, end-threaded pin the far cortex is 1.67 times stronger than the near cortex due to mechanical destruction of the near pin-bone interface. Several factors are believed to contribute to the overall loss of holding power in the near cortex. The purpose of this study was to investigate one area that contributes significantly to the reduction in the near cortex pullout strength, the destruction of the interface due to stripping of the bone threads by the pin as it is temporarily restrained from linear advancement by the far cortex. The results of this study focus attention on the cutting tip of the pin. If the pin can fully engage bone and advance at the rate determined by the threads cut into the near cortex within two and a half pin rotations, the holding power of the near cortex will approach that of the far cortex. >
A quick and easy multiple-use calibration-curve procedure

The standard multiple-use calibration procedure of Scheffe (1973) states that with probability 1 – δ, the proportion of calculated confidence intervals containing the true unknowns is at least 1 – α in the long run. The probability 1 – δ refers to the probability that the calibration experiment results in a “good” outcome. In Scheffe's formulation, a good outcome involves both coverage of the true underlying regression curve and an upper confidence limit for σ, the scale parameter. Scheffe's procedure is fairly difftcult for practitioners to apply, because it relies on tables that are not easy to use. A simpler notion of “goodness” that requires only the coverage of the underlying regression leads to easily calculated confidence intervals for the unknowns. In addition, these intervals are generally shorter than Scheffe's. An application example is given to illustrate the technique.
Tempo effects in mortality: An appraisal

This study examines the existence of tempo effects in mortality and evaluates the procedure developed by Bongaarts and Feeney for calculating a tempo-adjusted life expectancy. It is shown that the performance of Bongaarts and Feeney’s index as an indicator reflecting current mortality conditions depends primarily on specific assumptions regarding the effects of changing period mortality conditions on the timing of future cohort deaths. It is argued that, currently, there is no clear evidence about the existence of such effects in actual populations. This chapter concludes that, until the existence of these effects can be demonstrated, it is preferable to continue using the conventional life expectancy as an indicator of current mortality conditions.
A woman with positional headache: a case of spontaneous intracranial hypotension.

A 48-year-old woman presented to the Emergency Department complaining of 3 weeks of intermittent headaches, which she recalled developing progressively after moving heavy boxes. Symptoms clearly worsened when she stood upright, and were relieved by lying down. She denied fever, photophobia, or neck pain. She had no recent history of lumbar puncture or spinal surgery. Her vital signs and her clinical examinationwere normal. However, upon assuming an upright from a supine position, she quickly developed a generalized headache that resolved with head lowering. A non-contrast computed tomographic brain scan revealed subtle extra-axial fluid collections over both frontal lobes. A follow-up brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan revealed dural enhancement; subdural fluid collections; brain sagging, indicated by a downwardly displaced optic chiasm; and pituitary enlargement (Figure 1). Thoracic spine MRI scan demonstrated an extra-dural collection of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) (Figure 2). This constellation of findings is diagnostic for spontaneous intracranial hypotension. A specific source for the CSF leak could not be identified, precluding a therapeutic red blood cell patch. Shewas treated conservatively and her headache eventually resolved.