cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Venous collateral remodeling in a patient with posttraumatic glaucoma.

Abstract PURPOSE: To photographically document venous collateral development, remodeling, and regression in a patient with traumatic glaucoma. METHODS: Consecutive fundus photographs were evaluated, labeled, and correlated with the clinical history of a patient with unilateral posttraumatic glaucoma. RESULTS: This report photographically documents the appearance, remodeling, and subsequent disappearance of collateral vessels from venous occlusion on the surface of the optic disk in an eye with increased intraocular pressure and progressive glaucomatous cupping. CONCLUSIONS: Asymptomatic chronic obstruction of a branch retinal vein on the optic disk may cause venous collaterals to develop in the absence of retinal hemorrhages or other signs of venous occlusive disease. Increased intraocular pressure, arteriolarsclerosis, and glaucomatous cupping are risk factors for these occlusions.
Single dose NTBC-treatment of hereditary tyrosinemia type I

NTBC (2-(2-nitro-4-trifluoromethylbenzoyl)-1,3cyclohexanedione) is the mainstay of treatment in tyrosinemia type 1 (HT 1). The current recommendation is to divide the total daily dose of NTBC into two doses. We monitored the plasma NTBC concentrations in a series of seven patients who were changed from multiple divided doses to a single daily dose of NTBC. Two additional patients were started on a single daily dose of NTBC after the diagnosis of HT 1 was established. In three patients, NTBC kinetics were performed over 6 and 24 hours, respectively. The use of multiple divided doses or a single daily dose did not significantly affect plasma NTBC concentrations or the mean daily dose needed to attain therapeutic plasma NTBC concentrations. Moreover, kinetic studies demonstrated that plasma NTBC concentrations were completely stable over a period of 24 hours with a single dose regimen, as expected given the known NTBC plasma half life of 54 hours. Although these preliminary results need to be confirmed in more patients, our findings show that administration of NTBC in a single daily dose may be as effective as a multiple-dose regimen in reaching therapeutic plasma NTBC concentrations and suppressing succinylacetone formation in patients with HT 1. In fact, single dose treatment may increase patients' compliance with the drug treatment and improve metabolic control.
The distribution of manganese and titanium in stony meteorites

Abstract The concentrations of manganese and titanium have been determined spectrographically in a group of forty-three chondrite falls, forty-five chondrite finds, two carbonaceous chondrites and five achondrites. Significant differences in the concentrations of Mn and Ti are found between chondrites which are seen to fall as distinct from those which are found. Also differences in the Mn and Ti concentrations are indicated between “high” iron group and “low” iron-group chondritic falls. The ratios Mn Ti are, with few exceptions, quite constant between all groups. The chondrite falls investigated appear to constitute an unbiased sample with average concentrations by weight of Mn 0.26 ± 0.03 per cent and Ti 0.064 ± 0.008 per cent. The best value of the weight ratio Mn Ti in these chondrites is 4.07 ± 0.36. The differences between various groups and the cosmic abundances of Mn and Ti are discussed. Atomic cosmic abundances of Mn 7470 ± 800 and Ti 2120 ± 260 based on Si 106 are calculated.
Convergent and divergent viewing affect luning, visual thresholds, and field-of-view fragmentation in partial binocular overlap helmet-mounted displays

Because of limitations in the size of the field-of-view (FOV) available in helmet mounted displays (HMD) using the full overlap display mode, where the entire FOV is binocular, partial binocular overlap displays, which can be convergent or divergent, have been proposed. One consequence of this is a perceptual effect known as luning, which is a subjective darkening in the monocular regions of the FOV, which can in some cases cause fragmentation of the FOV into three regions. A concern is the possible effect on target identification in the monocular regions, particularly in areas affected by luning. We review data we have collected in our binocular vision lab on the effect of display mode on these aspects of visual perception.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The Use of Mixed Methods Models and Designs in the Human Sciences: Problems and Prospects

The article explores some of the emerging issues in the newly developing area of Mixed Methods (MM) research. Two of these issues concern the possibility of whether MM can provide for both “diverse” and “severe” testing. Based on a model of Placeholder Effects and utilizing an example of current empirical research, it is concluded that certain varieties of MM are potentially more robust than others in fulfilling the diverse and severe criteria. It is also argued that MM must concern itself with formulating “procedural rules” which guide the researcher in choosing and applying appropriate strategies for specific research problems.
Compulsive-Like Responding for Opioid Analgesics in Rats with Extended Access

The abuse of prescription opioids that are used for the treatment of chronic pain is a major public health concern, costing ∼$53.4 billion annually in lost wages, health-care costs, and criminal costs. Although opioids remain a first-line therapy for the treatment of severe chronic pain, practitioners remain cautious because of the potential for abuse and addiction. Opioids such as heroin are considered very rewarding and reinforcing, but direct and systematic comparisons of compulsive intake between commonly prescribed opioids and heroin in animal models have not yet been performed. In the present study, we evaluated the potential for compulsive-like drug seeking and taking, using intravenous self-administration of oxycodone, fentanyl, and buprenorphine in rats allowed long access sessions (12 h). We measured compulsive-like intake using an established escalation model and responding on a progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement. We compared the potential for compulsive-like self-administration of these prescription opioids and heroin, which has been previously established to induce increasing intake that models the transition to addiction in humans. We found that animals that self-administered oxycodone, fentanyl, or heroin, but not buprenorphine had similar profiles of escalation and increases in breakpoints. The use of extended access models of prescription opioid intake will help better understand the biological factors that underlie opioid dependence.
Kinetic simulation of the VTF magnetic reconnection experiment

A new numerical code is developed to assist the interpretation of experimental results from the Versatile Toroidal Facility (VTF) magnetic reconnection experiment. As input the code applies profiles of magnetic and electric fields consistent with experimental measurements. Applying Liouville's theorem the code calculates the electron distributions functions. The moments of the distribution function provide the profiles of the electron current density, which are in agreement with the experimental observations. Thus the code provides new insight into the origin of the fast reconnection rates observed in VTF.
Preliminary Studies of the Fractography of Fibers and Other Polymeric Materials in the Scanning Electron Microscope

This paper describes a manipulative stage which can be used to vary the strain applied to fibers, yarns, fabrics, or films within the evacuated specimen chamber of a Cambridge Stereoscan SEM. In another similar stage, an object can be twisted or rotated about its axis so that its complete periphery may be examined.Some of the problems encountered, such as the difficulty in maintaining a conductive surface, are considered. Qualita tive observations of the fracture characteristics of some types of natural and commercial man-made fibers strained in tensile, loop tensile, and knot tensile tests are presented, as well as some observations on fibers subjected to twisting forces. Finally, observations on the tearing,of a photographic film are recorded.
Cross-flow effects on the boundary layer in a plane of symmetry

The validity of 'effective cone analysis' in estimating the boundary-layer properties of bodies in hypersonic flow is discussed. Simple formulas are derived for noncircular cones at angles of attack and are used to show that effective cone analysis only accounts for the increase in the local edge Reynolds number due to the angle of attack. A correction factor depending on the cross flow produced by the transverse curvature of the body and on the angle of attack is shown to reconcile the effective cone approach with the predictions of exact theory.
A comparative examination of the time-series properties and predictive ability of annual historical cost and general price level adjusted earnings*

. This empirical study is a response to the FASB's call for further research into the properties of alternative accounting measurement methods. There exists no empirical evidence on the time-series properties and predictability of general price level (GPL)-adjusted annual earnings data. In order to assess the effect of the monetary gains or losses on the stochastic properties of GPL-adjusted data, earnings were calculated both with and without inclusion of the monetary gains or losses. The results of the time-series analysis of the earnings series across the alternative accounting methods indicated that (a) just under one-half of the historical cost (HC) series followed a random-walk-type process with most of the remainder being autoregressive, and (b) the GPL series showed substantially fewer following a random walk process with a corresponding increase in the number of stationary series (modeled as autoregressive or white noise processes). The predictive ability results were consistent with the time series findings. That is, application of a random-walk model to the HC series indicated that these series were fairly well-represented by the random walk, but a similar application to the GPL series confirmed that these series were not as well-represented by a random walk. Resume. L'etude empirique qui fait l'objet du present article a ete effectuee en reponse a l'invitation du FASB a poursuivre les recherches sur les attributs des methodes de mesure comptable de rechange. Il n'existe aucune demonstration empirique des attributs des series chronologiques et de la valeur predictive des donnees relatives aux benefices annuels indexes sur le niveau general des prix (N.G.P.). En vue d'evaluer l'incidence des gains ou des pertes monetaires sur les proprietes stochastiques des donnees indexees sur le N.G.P., les benefices on ete calcules a la fois avec et sans la prise en compte des gains ou des pertes monetaires. Les resultats de l'analyse chronologique des series de donnees relatives aux benefices a travers les differentes methodes comptables ont donne lieu aux constatations suivantes: a) a peine moins de la moitie des series de donnees au cout d'origine (C.O.) ont connu des variations de type aleatoire, la plupart des autres series etant autoregressives, et b) beaucoup moins de series de donnees indexees sur le N.G.P. ont affiche des variations aleatoires avec une augmentation correspondante du nombre de series stationnaires (modelisees comme etant autoregressives). Les resultats relatifs a la valeur predictive etaient compatibles avec les resultats de l'analyse chronologique. En d'autres termes, l'application d'un modele aleatoire aux series de donnees au C.O. a permis de constater que ces series sont assez bien representees par la methode aleatoire, mais l'application du meme modele aux series de donnees indexees sur le N.G.P. confirme que ces series ne sont pas aussi bien representees par la methode aleatoire.
Decreased binding of the muscarinic antagonist [3H]N-methylscopolamine in mouse brain following acute treatment with an organophosphate

The effect of the irreversible acetylcholinesterase inhibitor diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) on mouse brain muscarinic acetylcholine receptors was assessed using the muscarinic antagonists [3H]N-methylscopolamine ([3H]NMS) and [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate ([3H]QNB). No alteration in the maximal binding capacity (Bmax) or equilibrium dissociation constant (KD) was observed in brain homogenates obtained from mice 12 h after a single injection of DFP when [3H]NMS was employed as the ligand. However, one administration of DFP produced a 24 and 33% decrease in Bmax as measured by [3H]NMS binding after 18 and 24 h, respectively. A similar decrease in Bmax was found after two (31%) and three (29%) days of daily DFP treatment. On the other hand, Scatchard analysis using [3H]QNB binding in the brain revealed no difference in KD or Bmax between untreated and 24 h DFP-treated mice. Thus, there is a differential alteration in mouse brain muscarinic acetylcholine receptors using these two ligands which suggests that [3H]NMS binding sites are more sensitive to regulation following acute organophosphate administration.
Chronic electromagnetic field exposure decreases HSP70 levels and lowers cytoprotection

Electromagnetic field (EMF) exposures have been shown to induce heat shock proteins (HSPs), which help to maintain the conformation of cellular proteins during periods of stress. We have previously reported that short-term exposure of chick embryos to either 60 Hz (extremely low frequency: ELF), or radio-frequency (RF: 915 MHz) EMFs induce protection against hypoxia. Experiments presented in the current report are based on a study in which long-term (4 days), continuous exposure to ELF-EMFs decreased protection against ultraviolet radiation. Based on this result, it was hypothesized that de-protection against hypoxia should also occur following long-term, continuous, or daily, repeated exposures to EMFs. To test this hypothesis, chick embryos were exposed to ELF-EMFs (8 microT) continuously for 4 days, or to ELF or RF (3.5 mW incident power)-EMFs repeated daily (20, 30, or 60 min once or twice daily for 4 days). Several of the exposure protocols yielded embryos that had statistically significant decreases in protection against hypoxic stress (continuous and 30 or 60 min ELF twice daily; or 30 or 60 min once daily RF). This is consistent with our finding that following 4 days of ELF-EMF exposure, HSP70 levels decline by 27% as compared to controls. In addition, the superposition of ELF-EMF noise, previously shown to minimize ELF-EMF induced hypoxia protection, inhibited hypoxia de-protection caused by long term, continuous ELF or daily, repeated RF exposures. This EMF-induced decrease in HSP70 levels and resulting decline in cytoprotection suggests a mechanism by which daily exposure (such as might be experienced by mobile phone users) could enhance the probability of cancer and other diseases.
Managing the maxillary partially edentulous patient with extensive anterior tooth loss and advanced periodontal disease using a removable partial denture: A clinical report

The treatment modality, a continuous occlusal rest removable partial denture, not only restored missing teeth but also stabilized the remaining dentition in a patient with advanced periodontal attachment loss. By engaging the guiding planes at the mesial surfaces of the abutments anteriorly and also the distal surfaces of the abutments posteriorly, the remaining teeth, with varying amounts of mobility, were splinted together by the framework. This conservative treatment option allows flexibility for easy repair during the life span of the prosthesis. (J Prosthet Dent 2008;100:259-263)
Health Risks of Selected Performance-Enhancing Drugs:

This article reviews adverse effects of and the difficulty of attributing toxic effects to selected drugs and dietary supplements that purportedly enhance athletic performance. On surveys estimating the extent of performance-enhancing drug use, 5% of high school students indicated anabolic-adrenergic steroid use, and approximately 28% of collegiate athletes and 5.6% of middle and high school athletes admitted creatine use. Many adverse health effects from the abuse of androgenic-anabolic steroids and androstenedione (a prodrug) are exaggerations of excessive testosterone on hepatic, cardiovascular, reproductive, and behavioral functions that can produce permanent changes. With creatine use, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, elevated serum transaminase concentrations, hypertension, fluid retention, muscle cramping, and muscle strains have been reported. Ephedra stimulates adrenergic receptors, leading to tachycardia and hypertension, with central nervous system effects of anxiety, tremor, and hyperactivity. From...
Tracer Diffusion and Electric Mobility of Ions in Aqueous Solutions: A Method for Estimating the Average Charge of Complex Ions

In the study of complex ions in aqueous solution it is useful to know the charge on the ion being studied. The Nernst equation implies a linear relationship between the charge (z) and the ratio of the electric mobility (μ) to the diffusion coefficient (D). The equation is strictly valid only at infinite dilution, but it might be assumed that the relationship in real solutions would be a fairly simple one. We have tested the assumption by measuring the values of μ and D for a group of cations at low concentration in 1 M HClO4. The ions measured were those of Na, Rb, Cs, Be, Co, Zn, Sr, Cr, Fe, Y, and Eu. The relationship is not linear but can be described by a function of the form z = A(1 − e-Bz), where A and B are empirically determined constants. We used radioactive tracers to make the measurements.
A concise new synthesis of angular furanocoumarins: Angelicin, oroselone & oroselol

Abstract An efficient synthesis of angular furanocoumarins has been carried out starting from dihydrobenzofuran derivatives.
Molecular cloning of multiple subtypes of a novel rat brain isoform of the α1 subunit of the voltage-dependent calcium channel

Abstract Several cDNAs encoding an isoform of the α 1 subunit of the voltage-dependent calcium channel were isolated from rat brain cDNA libraries. The complete nucleotide sequence of 6975 by encodes a protein of 1634 amino acids, which corresponds to an M r of 186,968. The protein exhibits 71% and 76% homology to skeletal and cardiac α 1 subunits, respectively. When compared with skeletal and cardiac α 1 isoforms, the rat brain protein is intermediate in size at the amino terminus and shorter at the carboxyl terminus. Multiple subtypes of this α 1 isoform cDNA were characterized. These are indicative of alternative splicing of a primary transcript and encode three variants between motif I and motif II and two within the S3 region of motif IV. Thus, multiple isoforms of this rat brain α 1 subunit are possible.
Stratification of soil acidity derived from nitrogen fertilization in winter wheat tillage systems

Abstract Conservation tillage systems have varying degrees of mechanical soil mixing which may result in stratification of soil properties. This study was conducted to determine the change in soil acidity due to surface N applications (0, 56, 112,168, 224, and 280 kg N/ha) in recently initiated continuous winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) clean‐till (CT), reduced‐till (RT), and not‐ill (NT) systems. Experiments were conducted three consecutive years on Grant silt loam (fine‐silty, mixed, thermic Udic Argiustoll) and Norge clay loam (fine‐silty, mixed, thermic Udic Paleustoll) soils. Soil samples were taken after harvest and separated into 0 to 2.5, 2.5 to 7.5, 7.5 to 15, 15 to 30, and 30 to 60 cm depth increments after the second, third, and fourth cropping seasons. Reduced‐till and NT systems developed increased acidity in the top 7.5 cm of soil compared to CT. Tillage system trends were not expressed as dramatically as the N contribution to soil acidification. Application of only 56 kg N/ha significan...
Rényi generalizations of quantum information measures

Quantum information measures such as the entropy and the mutual information find applications in physics, e.g., as correlation measures. Generalizing such measures based on the Renyi entropies is expected to enhance their scope in applications. We prescribe Renyi generalizations for any quantum information measure which consists of a linear combination of von Neumann entropies with coefficients chosen from the set {−1,0,1} . As examples, we describe Renyi generalizations of the conditional quantum mutual information, some quantum multipartite information measures, and the topological entanglement entropy. Among these, we discuss the various properties of the Renyi conditional quantum mutual information and sketch some potential applications. We conjecture that the proposed Renyi conditional quantum mutual informations are monotone increasing in the Renyi parameter, and we have proof of this conjecture for some special cases.
The Institutional Vision of Tribal Community Colleges

This investigation provides a base-line measurement of the inspirational and pragmatic rhetoric in declarations of institutional vision at tribal community colleges. By comparing it to nontribal community colleges, this content analysis reveals the current state of utility of the mission and vision statements of tribal community colleges, their potential as guiding and governing documents, as well as their ability to communicate concrete student outcomes. Findings suggest that the language employed in these defining documents is purposeful but not nearly as functional, visionary, or outcome-oriented as that employed by other community colleges. Implications for assessment and accreditation are discussed.
Regional‐scale spatial patterns of fire in relation to rainfall gradients in sub‐tropical mountains, NW Argentina

1 Spatial patterns of burns are described using Landsat TM images from the sub-tropical mountains of north-west Argentina, over a span of 6 degrees of latitude, and a precipitation range from 250 to 1300 mm/yr. Burns were discriminated easily from unburnt vegetation, mainly by using infrared spectral bands from images taken at the end of the fire season of 1986. 2 Nineteen sampling units were defined on the basis of geographical proximity and relatively homogeneous rainfall as inferred from topography, and they were characterized in terms of percentage of burnt area and burn size distribution during one fire season. Regression and Correspondence Analysis were used to assess the relationship between rainfall and spatial descriptors of fire regime. 3 Burnt size area was log-normally distributed with most fires in the small-size classes. Of a total of 643 burns, the five largest (more than 2000 hectares each) represented about 30% of the total burnt area. 4 Percentage of burnt area, density of burns per unit area, and skewness of the burn-size frequency distribution showed a unimodal pattern along the rainfall gradient, peaking between 700 and 900 mm/yr. Mean and maximum burn size showed a negative but weak correlation with rainfall. The first axis of a Correspondence Analysis ordination of sampling units, on the basis of different descriptors of spatial patterns of fire, was significantly correlated with the rainfall of the sampling unit. 5 The results suggest that climate is an important factor controlling fuel conditions and therefore fire regime at the spatial scale of this study, which includes different mountain ranges spanning ≈ 700 km.
Extensions of packet communication technology to a hand held personal terminal

Electronic communications technology has developed historically almost completely within what might be called the circuit switching domain. Not until the last decade has the other basic mode of communication, packet switching, become competitive. Thus, as a technology, packet communication has only begun to be explored. Circuit switching can be defined in the broad sense as the technique of establishing a complete path between two parties for as long as they wish to communicate, whereas packet switching is where the communication is broken up into small messages or packets, attaching to each packet of information its source and destination and sending each of these packets off independently and asynchronously to find its way to the destination. In circuit switching all conflicts and allocations of resources must be made before the circuit can be established thereby permitting the traffic to flow with no conflicts. In packet switching there is no dedication of resources and conflict resolution occurs during the actual flow perhaps resulting in somewhat uneven delays being encountered by the traffic. Clearly, without the speed and capability of modern computers, circuit switching represented a cheaper and more effective way to handle communications. For radio frequency assignment and telephone exchanges the resource allocation decisions could be made infrequently enough that manual techniques were originally sufficient. Also, since voice was the main information being communicated, the traffic statistics were sufficiently compatible with this approach to make it quite economic for the period. Packet switching of a kind, the telegram, persisted throughout this period but due to the high cost of switching and the limited demand for fast message traffic never attracted much attention.
BeadLoom Game: adding competitive, user generated, and social features to increase motivation

BeadLoom Game (BLG) is an educational puzzle game designed to teach students basic Cartesian coordinates, iteration, and layering. Although this game has been proven to be successful at teaching students these concepts, many participants reported wanting more competitive and free-play creative elements in the game. In response, we augmented the BeadLoom Game with a competitive high score table, a creative custom puzzle mode, and a social network framework. Here we report results of an experiment where middle school students are given versions of the BLG with different combinations of these new features. Based on the in-game metrics and player surveys we show that while both the competitive and the creative game modes increase a majority of the player's motivation it is not until we add both features that we maximize this effect. Through a combination of creative and competitive game modes we are able to have the highest motivation for the largest number of different players.
The Impact of the New Deal on Black and White Infant Mortality in the South

Abstract The New Deal led to unprecedented involvement by the federal government in the provision of relief. Although New Deal officials argued that they sought to be nondiscriminatory in providing access to programs, various scholars have suggested that blacks received fewer benefits than whites. One method for testing the effectiveness of the New Deal at reaching households with low incomes is to examine its impact on infant mortality. In this paper we use county-level data from three subperiods during the 1930s to examine the relationship between several New Deal spending programs and black and white infant mortality in the South. Some New Deal programs contributed to a reduction in infant mortality, but other factors may have been strong contributors to a long-term secular decline in infant mortality. Meanwhile, some of the New Deal programs appear to have been nondiscriminatory or even more beneficial for blacks than for whites, while others appear to have had differential effects that favored whites.
The medieval Spains

This book traces the political evolution of the Iberian peninsula from a group of late Roman imperial provinces to the Spanish and Portuguese monarchies of the Trastamara and Braganza dynasties of the mid-fifteenth century. The book is planned as a series of essays on the main chronological periods of medieval Spain, and sketches the major political, economic, social and intellectual features of each age and the interaction of Christian, Jew and Muslim in the Iberian peninsula. It also describes the effects of successive invasions, and the evolving interaction between a relatively weak Islamic rule and a variety of Christian kingdoms whose consolidation had only just begun by the late Middle Ages. It provides a wealth of analysis or description in a compact fashion and also covers the entire medieval period.
Effects of exercise on quality of life in stroke survivors: a meta-analysis

Background and Purpose—One of the major consequences after stroke is the deterioration in health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Three previous systematic reviews indicated that exercise has limited to no effect in improving HRQOL in stroke survivors. The objective of this meta-analysis was to update the evidence on exercise and HRQOL in stroke survivors with additional new information on randomized controlled trials that have been published since these 3 previous reviews. Methods—MEDLINE, Cumulated Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, EMBASE, and SportsDiscus databases were searched for randomized controlled trials reporting the effects of exercise on HRQOL in stroke survivors from 1950 to March 2010. The methodological quality of each study was appraised using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale. Standardized mean difference was used to compute effect size and subgroup analysis was conducted to test the consistency of results across the subgroups with different characteristics. Results—...
A parameterized type system for race-free Java programs

This paper presents a new static type system for multithreaded programs; any well-typed program in our system is free of data races. Our type system is significantly more expressive than previous such type systems. In particular, our system lets programmers write generic code to implement a class, then create different objects of the same class that have different objects of the same class that have different protection mechanisms. This flexibility enables programmers to reduce the number of unnecessary synchronizationoperations in a program without risking data races. We also support default types which reduce the burden of writing extra type annotations. Our experience indicates that our system provides a promising approach to make multithreaded programs more reliable and efficient
A case of myelopathy because of enchondromas from Maffucci syndrome with successful surgical treatment

Abstract Background context Maffucci syndrome is a rare disorder comprising multiple enchondromas associated with multiple hemangiomas. Less than 200 cases have been reported in the literature. Most reported cases comprised lesions of the long bone metaphyses, hands, and feet. No previous case of myelopathy due to enchondroma from Maffucci syndrome has been reported. Purpose To highlight an interesting and rare presentation of thoracic myelopathy because of enchondromas from Maffucci syndrome. Study design This is a case report of a single patient presenting with myelopathy in whom enchondromas from Maffucci syndrome were removed from the spinal canal with the return of normal function. Methods Clinical examination, magnetic resonance imaging, surgical resection, and histologic analysis. Results The patient experiencing myelopathy symptoms underwent a surgical resection of the offending lesions that resulted in return to normal function. Conclusions Maffucci syndrome is a rare condition; however, in affected patients the possibility of structural spinal abnormalities causing cord compression must be considered, as discrete surgical resection can result in a good outcome.
Wireless power transmission to sensors embedded in concrete via Magnetic Resonance

The feasibility of efficient wireless power transfer through Strongly Coupled Magnetic Resonance (SCMR) in non-homogenous interface such as air-concrete is studied here. Specifically, the efficiency of wireless power transmission from a source in air to a sensor embedded in concrete via strongly coupled magnetic resonance is analyzed. The concrete material is modeled for various humidity levels using the extended Debye's model. The efficiency of the SCMR is also analyzed for various depths inside the concrete.
The Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) Agonists in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus:

Objective: To review the efficacy and safety of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists to determine their role in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Data sources: A Medline search was conducted using the keywords exenatide, liraglutide, glucagon-like peptide-1, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hyperglycemia, pharmacokinetics, pharmacology and safety. Study selection: All identified articles written in English were evaluated with priority given to controlled, randomized trials including human data. References of identified published trials were reviewed for additional trials to be included in the review. Data synthesis: Exenatide and liraglutide are GLP-1 agonists approved for the treatment of T2DM. Several randomized, active and placebo controlled trials examining the efficacy and safety of exenatide and liraglutide both as monotherapy and in combination therapy have been conducted. Both agents have demonstrated improved glycemic control in addition to weight loss and increased beta-cell function. The most common adverse effects are gastrointestinal in nature and appear to be transient. Conclusion: It appears exenatide and liraglutide are safe and effective in the treatment of T2DM and may exhibit effects that make them preferred over other anti-diabetic medications.
Similar Properties of Transient, Persistent, and Resurgent Na Currents in GABAergic and Non-GABAergic Vestibular Nucleus Neurons

Sodium currents in fast firing neurons are tuned to support sustained firing rates >50–60 Hz. This is typically accomplished with fast channel kinetics and the ability to minimize the accumulation ...
Book Review: ''Cellulose science and technology''

This timely book on many aspects of cellulosechemistry and biochemistry responds to the growinginterest in biofuels and other biobased products. Thewell-credentialed authors have sifted through thecontroversies and the thousands of pages publishedeach year on cellulose to produce an up-to-datesummary of the most important information. Wewouldn’t recommend discarding the comprehensiveand extensive work edited by Nevell and Zeronian(1985, cited a number of times by Wertz et al.) butthere have been many developments in the past25 years.Thebook’s364pagesaredividedintoninechapters:Introduction (including the cellulose molecule), Bio-synthesis, Structure and Properties, Swelling andDissolution, Enzymatic Hydrolysis, Non-BiologicalDegradation, Derivatives, Fuels and Chemicals fromBiomass, and Perspectives. There is also a glossary ofkey phrases and an index. The book is written for thosewithnoparticular background, startingwiththebasics.Consider the chapter on biosynthesis: the applicableprinciplesofbotanyareexplained,asarethebiologicalprinciples and technologies before an overview ofsynthesizing complexes. That is followed by a sectionon enzymatic polymerization of glucan chains andidentiﬁcation of the genes that encode these enzymes.Final sections in that chapter cover assembly of thesynthesized chains into microﬁbrils and a review of invitro and chemical cellulose.The book contained information on a currentproject that might be thought quite specialized. Wewere looking at fabrics with conventional industrialmercerization (different from the mercerizationdescribed in the book) and treatment with liquidammonia. Our results were confusing but the bookmentions a similar ﬁnding with NaOH and ethylenediamine treatments. It cites the Nevell and Zeronianbook that, in turn, referred to a helpful paper by LeonSegal from our institute in 1953!The book is pleasing to these eyes with extensiveﬁgures, many in color but there are some unusualtraits. For example the ﬁgures and tables are num-bered collectively, i.e., Fig. 4.10 is followed byTable 4.11, Fig. 4.12, Fig. 4.13 and Table 4.14. Also,48 of the 58 references in Chap. 7 are Internet URLs.In the complaints category, the molecular modeldrawings of a- and b-
Coherence estimation of the hippocampal EEG through fast multichannel orthogonal projection

Hippocampal EEGs at subfields CA1 and the dentate gyrus (DG) are modeled as stationary, multi-channel autoregressive (MAR) process. This work discusses the development of a new MAR modeling algorithm that can efficiently compute MAR coefficient matrices through progressive multichannel orthogonal projection. The resultant MAR coefficients are least square (LS) optimal and utilized to compute the power spectra and the coherence function of hippocampal EEG at CA1 and DG during REM sleep for animals of 15 and 90 days of age. The results show that the new method is easy to implement and provides consistent and smooth spectral and coherence estimates for hippocampal EEG epochs with varying data length.
Attitudes Toward the Korean War

In the study described here, the authors inanother and show how such conflicts affect vestigate the complex relationship between student attitudes toward the role which the three dimensions of political opinion: ideoUnited States has been playing in Korea and logical conviction, partisan allegiance, and toward their willingness to serve there. political knowledge. They find these three sets The authors are all in the Department of of criteria are sometimes in conflict with one Sociology at Cornell University.
Physical Activity in the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease

Research during the past several decades confirms the health benefits of regular physical activity, including improved cardiovascular function and quality of life, with reduced risks of morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular heart disease (CHD). Health care professionals, including physical therapists, can assist the public by promoting physical activity and describing the type, quantity, and quality of activity that confers health benefits. Participation in vigorous physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day is recommended for cardiorespiratory fitness, but recent studies suggest that physical activity below this level can have benefits in reducing the risk for CHD. This article addresses the relationship between physical inactivity and the financial burdens on health care, the relationship between physical inactivity and the risks of developing CHD in different age groups, the health benefits associated with moderate levels of physical activity, and the amounts and types of physical activities that are needed to reduce the risk of CHD.
INHIBITION OF GROWTH OF ULVA EXPANSA (CHLOROPHYTA) BY ULTRAVIOLET-B RADIATION1

We examined the effect of ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B, 290-320 nm) on the growth rate of the intertidal marine alga Ulva expansa (Setch.) S & G. (Chlorophyta). Segments of thallus collected from a natural population were grown in outdoor seawater tanks. Combinations of UV-B-opaque screens, UV-B transparent screens, and UV-B lamps were used to investigate the effects of solar UV-B and solar plus supplemental UV-B on the growth of these segments. Growth was measured by changes in segment surface area, damp weight, and dry weight. Growth rates of segments were inhibited under both solar UV-B and solar plus supplemental UV-B treatments. Growth rates were also inhibited by high levels of photosynthetically active radiation, independent of UV-B fluence. These results indicate that increases in UV-B resulting from further ozone depletion will have a negative impact on the growth of this alga. 32 refs., 5 figs., 2 tabs.
Race-Class-Gender Ideology in Guatemala: Modern and Anti-Modern Forms

More often than not, women bear the burden of displaying the identifying symbols of their ethnic identity to the outside world, whether these be items of dress, aspects of language, or distinctive behavior. Men of the same ethnic group, especially when filling lower-order positions in the local division of labor, usually appear indistinguishable from men of a different ethnicity but in similar class positions. Thus in Guatemala, for example, one readily identifies a Maya Indian woman by her distinctive and colorful dress, her tendency to speak only the local dialect of a Maya language, and her modest demeanor when in public settings, especially those involving non-Maya. Most Maya men, in contrast, are not so easily distinguished from non-Maya (that is, Ladino) men of equivalent class in Guatemala.
Surgical treatment of the dilated ascending aorta: when and how?

Abstract Background. The aorta is considered pathologically dilated if the diameters of the ascending aorta and the aortic root exceed the norms for a given age and body size. A 50% increase over the normal diameter is considered aneurysmal dilatation. Such dilatation of the ascending aorta frequently leads to significant aortic valvular insufficiency, even in the presence of an otherwise normal valve. The dilated or aneurysmal ascending aorta is at risk for spontaneous rupture or dissection. The magnitude of this risk is closely related to the size of the aorta and the underlying pathology of the aortic wall. The occurrence of rupture or dissection adversely alters natural history and survival even after successful emergency surgical treatment. Methods. In recommending elective surgery for the dilated ascending aorta, the patient's age, the relative size of the aorta, the structure and function of the aortic valve, and the pathology of the aortic wall have to be considered. The indications for replacement of the ascending aorta in patients with Marfan's syndrome, acute dissection, intramural hematoma, and endocarditis with annular destruction are supported by solid clinical information. Surgical guidelines for intervening in degenerative dilatation of the ascending aorta, however, especially when its discovery is incidental to other cardiac operations, remain mostly empiric because of lack of natural history studies. The association of a bicuspid aortic valve with ascending aortic dilatation requires special attention. Results. There are a number of current techniques for surgical restoration of the functional and anatomical integrity of the aortic root. The choice of procedure is influenced by careful consideration of multiple factors, such as the patient's age and anticipated survival time; underlying aortic pathology; anatomical considerations related to the aortic valve leaflets, annulus, sinuses, and the sino-tubular ridge; the condition of the distal aorta; the likelihood of future distal operation; the risk of anticoagulation; and, of course, the surgeon's experience with the technique. Currently, elective root replacement with an appropriately chosen technique should not carry an operative risk much higher than that of routine aortic valve replacement. Composite replacement of the aortic valve and the ascending aorta, as originally described by Bentall, DeBono and Edwards (classic Bentall), or modified by Kouchoukos (button Bentall), remains the most versatile and widely applied method. Since 1989, the button modification of the Bentall procedure has been used in 250 patients at Mount Sinai Medical Center, with a hospital mortality of 4% and excellent long-term survival. In this group, age was the only predictor of operative risk (age > 60 years, mortality 7.3% [9/124] compared with age p = 0.02). Conclusions. This modification of the Bentall procedure has set a standard for evaluating the more recently introduced methods of aortic root repair.
Foundations of Autonomic Computing Development

The complexity of modern middleware, and software solutions, is growing at an exponential rate. Only self-managing, or autonomic computing technology can reasonably stem the confusion this complexity brings to bear on human administrators. While much has been published on "architecture" and "function" for producing such systems, little has been written about the engineering of self-managing systems as a distinct paradigm. In this paper we suggest a straw-man for engineering of autonomic systems that is based on two essential tracks: a set of engineering principles that should guide the planning of autonomic systems and their interfaces and secondly a set of mathematical foundations upon which such systems can best be constructed. These foundational attributes are intended to guide the thinking of R&D organizations pursuing the development of autonomic computing capability. The role of architecture and standards is also discussed, highlighting their role in inter-component management
Prior probability and uncertainty

Consider a stochastic system with output Y whose probability density (pY \mid \Lambda) is a known function of the parameter \Lambda whose true value is unknown. Our aim is to assign a prior probability density b(\Lambda) for \Lambda using all the available knowledge so that we can assess the probabilistic behavior of Y from the corresponding marginal density q(Y) . Usually the range of \Lambda is known. In addition, by considering the distribution of \Lambda in similar systems, we can define the density f(\Lambda) , about which we may have some knowledge such as E(\Lambda _ 1 ^ {2}) \geq 1/2 , etc. We derive an expression for the uncertainty functional \phi(\cdot) involving f(\Lambda) and b(\Lambda) to quantify the discrepancy between the actual behavior of Y and our assessment of its behavior. We pose a two-person zero-sum game with \phi as the payoff function so that b(\Lambda) is chosen by us to minimize \phi , whereas f(\Lambda) is chosen by nature to maximize \phi . We derive an asymptotic expression for the prior density, work out a few examples, and discuss the advantages of this method over others.
Inhaled nitrite treats experimental pulmonary arterial hypertension

INTRODUCTION: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a disease of pulmonary arteries characterized by proliferation and remodeling, resulting in an increase in vascular resistance and heart failure. The vasoregulatory and protective role of nitric oxide in PAH has been characterized. The purpose of these studies was to test the hypothesis that inhaled nitrite protects against/reverses PAH.
Image segmentation based on local spectral histograms and linear regression

We present a novel method for segmenting images with texture and nontexture regions. Local spectral histograms are feature vectors consisting of histograms of chosen filter responses, which capture both texture and nontexture information. Based on the observation that the local spectral histogram of a pixel location can be approximated through a linear combination of the representative features weighted by the area coverage of each feature, we formulate the segmentation problem as a multivariate linear regression, where the solution is obtained by least squares estimation. Moreover, we propose an algorithm to automatically identify representative features corresponding to different homogeneous regions, and show that the number of representative features can be determined by examining the effective rank of a feature matrix. We present segmentation results on different types of images, and our comparison with another spectral histogram based method shows that the proposed method gives more accurate results.
Mothering Young Children With Disabilities in a Challenging Urban Environment

OBJECTIVE This study examined the occupations of mothering very young children with physical disabilities. METHOD Two single, urban, Black mothers in their mid-20s were interviewed with a semistructured protocol. The audiotaped, transcribed data were analyzed with a phenomenological method. RESULTS The context of the challenging urban environment was a constant influence that shaped the participants' occupations of mothering. The major over-arching theme derived from the data was that mothering was "what I got to do" in relation to their particular child. Two sub-themes were identified: (a) mothering as caring and (b) the impact of social supports on the occupations of mothering. CONCLUSION To plan meaningful, effective interventions, occupational therapy practitioners need to understand the context in which mothering occupations occur and to ensure that mothers' caring occupations and social support needs are addressed in the therapeutic partnership.