cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design of tangent vector fields

Tangent vector fields are an essential ingredient in controlling surface appearance for applications ranging from anisotropic shading to texture synthesis and non-photorealistic rendering. To achieve a desired effect one is typically interested in smoothly varying fields that satisfy a sparse set of user-provided constraints. Using tools from Discrete Exterior Calculus, we present a simple and efficient algorithm for designing such fields over arbitrary triangle meshes. By representing the field as scalars over mesh edges (i.e., discrete 1-forms), we obtain an intrinsic, coordinate-free formulation in which field smoothness is enforced through discrete Laplace operators. Unlike previous methods, such a formulation leads to a linear system whose sparsity permits efficient pre-factorization. Constraints are incorporated through weighted least squares and can be updated rapidly enough to enable interactive design, as we demonstrate in the context of anisotropic texture synthesis.
Acoustooptic Image Correlators

Two dimensional correlation for performing image recognition is one of the earliest examples of optical information processing suggested by Vander Lugt and it still remains one of the most promising application areas for this technology. The reasons optical image correlators have not found to this day widespread usage in pattern recognition systems fall into two categories: algorithmic limitations and lack of devices. Correlation-based pattern recognition algorithms have well known limitations such as scale and rotational sensitivity. Over the years algorithms based on optical correlation have been developed, which show promise for overcoming some of the algorithmic limitations, however they have not been put to a real practical test because of the lack of two dimensional spatial light modulators that are necessary for the implementation of the classic Vander Lugt correlator. Specifically, two separate two dimensional SLMs are needed, one for recording the input image and another for the reference.
High Throughput Screening for Compounds That Alter Muscle Cell Glycosylation Identifies New Role for N-Glycans in Regulating Sarcolemmal Protein Abundance and Laminin Binding

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is an X-linked disorder characterized by loss of dystrophin, a cytoskeletal protein that connects the actin cytoskeleton in skeletal muscle cells to extracellular matrix. Dystrophin binds to the cytoplasmic domain of the transmembrane glycoprotein β-dystroglycan (β-DG), which associates with cell surface α-dystroglycan (α-DG) that binds laminin in the extracellular matrix. β-DG can also associate with utrophin, and this differential association correlates with specific glycosylation changes on α-DG. Genetic modification of α-DG glycosylation can promote utrophin binding and rescue dystrophic phenotypes in mouse dystrophy models. We used high throughput screening with the plant lectin Wisteria floribunda agglutinin (WFA) to identify compounds that altered muscle cell surface glycosylation, with the goal of finding compounds that increase abundance of α-DG and associated sarcolemmal glycoproteins, increase utrophin usage, and increase laminin binding. We identified one compound, lobeline, from the Prestwick library of Food and Drug Administration-approved compounds that fulfilled these criteria, increasing WFA binding to C2C12 cells and to primary muscle cells from wild type and mdx mice. WFA binding and enhancement by lobeline required complex N-glycans but not O-mannose glycans that bind laminin. However, inhibiting complex N-glycan processing reduced laminin binding to muscle cell glycoproteins, although O-mannosylation was intact. Glycan analysis demonstrated a general increase in N-glycans on lobeline-treated cells rather than specific alterations in cell surface glycosylation, consistent with increased abundance of multiple sarcolemmal glycoproteins. This demonstrates the feasibility of high throughput screening with plant lectins to identify compounds that alter muscle cell glycosylation and identifies a novel role for N-glycans in regulating muscle cell function.
Polynomially Complete Fault Detection Problems

We look at several variations of the single fault detection problem for combinational logic circuits and show that deciding whether single faults are detectable by input-output (I/O) experiments is polynomially complete, i.e., there is a polynomial time algorithm to decide if these single faults are detectable if and only if there is a polynomial time algorithm for problems such as the traveling salesman problem, knapsack problem, etc.
Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-Bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P2) Specifically Induces Membrane Penetration and Deformation by Bin/Amphiphysin/Rvs (BAR) Domains

Cellular proteins containing Bin/amphiphysin/Rvs (BAR) domains play a key role in clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Despite extensive structural and functional studies of BAR domains, it is still unknown how exactly these domains interact with the plasma membrane containing phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P2) and whether they function by a universal mechanism or by different mechanisms. Here we report that PtdIns(4,5)P2 specifically induces partial membrane penetration of the N-terminal amphiphilic α-helix (H0) of two representative N-BAR domains from Drosophila amphiphysin (dAmp-BAR) and rat endophilin A1 (EndoA1-BAR). Our quantitative fluorescence imaging analysis shows that PtdIns(4,5)P2-dependent membrane penetration of H0 is important for self-association of membrane-bound dAmp-BAR and EndoA1-BAR and their membrane deformation activity. EndoA1-BAR behaves differently from dAmp-BAR because the former has an additional amphiphilic α-helix that penetrates the membrane in a PtdIns(4,5)P2-independent manner. Depletion of PtdIns(4,5)P2 from the plasma membrane of HEK293 cells abrogated the membrane deforming activity of EndoA1-BAR and dAmp-BAR. Collectively, these studies suggest that the local PtdIns(4,5)P2 concentration in the plasma membrane may regulate the membrane interaction and deformation by N-BAR domain-containing proteins during clathrin-mediated endocytosis.
Ionization by Alpha Particles in Mixtures of Gases

The presence of minute impurities greatly increase the ionization produced by Po alpha particles in helium. Systematic studies of this effect show an increase in ionization up to 40 percent for approximately 0.1 percent of argon. Similar results have been obtained with C${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$, Kr, Xe, ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$, ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$, and ${\mathrm{C}}_{2}$${\mathrm{H}}_{4}$ as the contaminant. Preliminary experiments with mercury vapor in helium confirm the large effect already reported by others. A similar increase in ionization in pure argon is obtained by the addition of ${\mathrm{C}}_{2}$${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ or ${\mathrm{C}}_{2}$${\mathrm{H}}_{4}$. These increases in ionization seem to be caused by the production of ions, when metastable atoms in the parent gas undergo collisions with molecules of the impurity. In mixtures of ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$, ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$, or A with helium, the excess in ionization is observed to decrease by a few percent as the pressure of the gas mixture is increased from 48 to 110 cm of mercury. For no other contaminant gases tested thus far in helium is such a pressure change in ionization observed.
Suppression of cricket killing and eating in laboratory mice following lithium chloride injections.

Abstract Male ICR mice were tested for cricket killing. Most mice killed crickets whether food deprived or not. Groups of ICR mice then were injected with lithium chloride solution after attacking or eating crickets. Injections given after attack or eating were equally effective in suppressing cricket killing. Injections given after the killing and eating of crickets suppressed eating responses more than attack responses. It was suggested that different classes of punishers may be differentially effective in modifying predatory behaviors.
Chemical orientation to food by the crayfish Orconectes rusticus: influence of hydrodynamics

Many different organisms orient to chemicals in a variety of habitats. Each of these habitats has a unique hydrodynamic environment that is dependent upon the structure of that habitat. Differences in the hydrodynamics (i.e. turbulence) of an environment will be reflected in the fine-scale structure of chemical signals. To determine what role dispersion dynamics play in influencing orientation behaviour, we studied crayfish searching for food sources in different artificial streams. Streams differed only in substrate composition (sand or cobbles), and the hydrodynamics associated with different substrates were quantified. A detailed analysis of orientation paths showed that crayfish could orient to food sources in streams with either substrate. The most parsimonious explanation is that animals are using information contained in the spatial and temporal distribution of chemicals in the flow to make directional decisions. Crayfish located the source more quickly, spent more time moving, and walked faster while orienting in streams having a cobble substrate compared with those having a sand substrate. These differences between substrates were not seen in control streams. These results show that the hydrodynamics associated with chemical signal structure can greatly influence the temporal properties of orientation to food sources. For crayfish, differences in the turbulent structure of flow may actually increase orientation efficiency by decreasing search time. On a broader scale, these results show that it is important to quantify orientation behaviour in a number of hydrodynamically different environments. Copyright 1999 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.
Distributed optical data bus for board-level interconnects

A design for a distributed free-space optical system is presented that provides interconnection of electronic processing elements at the board level of packaging. The system can be expanded to more than two boards and transfers an array of data in parallel between connection planes. The design uses binary optic microlens arrays to collimate and collect light from surface-emitting lasers, and it uses substrate-mode holographic window elements for directing light to and from the bus region. The use of a collection lens array for extending the alignment tolerance of the imaging system is also discussed. The paper concludes with experimental demonstrations of critical system components and performance with 64-bit data arrays.
Dehydrogenation of TiH2

Hydrogen is a unique alloying element for titanium because it can be introduced into the metal to form solid solutions or stoichiometric compounds by exposure to the gas at elevated temperatures and removed by vacuum annealing. Studies on dehydrogenation of fine titanium hydride are important for several applications such as thermohydrogen processing of Ti and Ti based alloy components, hydrogen storage materials and bonding of metals and ceramics using TiH2. Effect of particle size on dehydrogenation of TiH2 is studied here, using thermal analysis along with structural investigations. Dehydrogenation of nanocrystalline hydride powder differs considerably from the micron size starting powder. A two step dehydrogenation process, (TiH2 → TiHx → α-Ti) where 0.7<x<1.1, is observed and thermal stability of TiHx at high temperatures is suggested.
Evaluation of somatostatin-receptor scintigraphy for detecting neuroendocrine tumors+

Background. Somatostatin-receptor scintigraphy (SRS) has gained attention as an imaging modality for neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). The purpose of this study was to present one of the first American series evaluating the ability of SRS to detect local and distant disease caused by NETs. Methods. Medical records were reviewed from 35 patients who underwent a total of 38 studies using 111In-pentetreotide between 1993 and 1995. Twenty-two patients had islet cell tumors, seven had carcinoid tumors, and six had other NETs. Results. The overall sensitivity of SRS was 74% for detecting local disease (primary tumor ± regional lymph node metastases) in all NETs, excluding insulinoma, 75% in gastrinoma, 0% in insulinoma, 78% in other islet cell tumors, and 50% in carcinoids. For detecting distant disease, the overall sensitivity of SRS was 67% for all NETs, excluding insulinoma, 100% for gastrinoma, 50% for other islet cell tumors, and 80% for carcinoids. Specificity and positive predictive value were 100% for all tumors. Negative predictive value ranged from 33% to 100%. Conclusion. A positive SRS study strongly predicts the presence of tumor (100% positive predictive value in our study). However, unlike the European reports of very high sensitivity (80% to 88%), we found that SRS had a lower sensitivity (67% for all NETs excluding insulinoma and 71% for noninsulinoma gastroenteropancreatic NETs). Thus negative SRS in patients with NETs must be viewed cautiously, because the false-negative rate is high, and this limits the use of this method in the most difficult patients.
Diagnosis and neuroimaging of acute stroke producing distal arm monoparesis

Strokes which result in the isolated, pure motor weakness of an upper extremity are unusual and under-recognized cerebrovascular syndromes. Few reports in the literature describe the syndrome adequately or provide substantive clinical or anatomical correlation. Moreover, it may be misdiagnosed as a disorder of the peripheral nervous system because of the lack of pyramidal tract signs or the involvement of speech, the face, or lower limbs. We describe 35 patients who presented with sudden isolated pure motor weakness of an arm or hand caused by stroke, and provide clinical anatomic correlation of the lesion, stroke etiology, and outcome. Between December 1997 and November 2002, we prospectively identified 35 cases of distal arm monoparesis (DAMP) from among 4818 acute stroke and stroke related admissions to the Lehigh Valley Hospital. We included all patients with isolated weakness of one arm or hand unassociated with objective sensory, coordination, or language deficit, and no significant involvement of speech, the ipsilateral face, or leg. We examined clinical features, neuroimaging, etiology of stroke, and the prognosis of patients with the syndrome over a mean follow-up of 1.7 years. DAMP is an unusual form of cortical infarct which occurs in the parietal lobe or central sulcus region, comprising less than 1% of stroke cases. The infarcts are not caused by classical deep white matter lacunar infarctions, and are clearly delineated as superficial small cortical infarcts by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)/diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). Although the prognosis for recovery is uniformly good, the recurrent stroke risk was 14% over 1.7 year mean follow-up.
Thermal lens spectroscopy in cryogenic solutions: Analysis and comparison of intensities in CH4-N2 and CH4-Ar liquid solutions.

The C−H (Δυ = 6) absorption spectrum of methane has been obtained in liquid nitrogen and argon solutions using thermal lens spectroscopy. Mathematical models for continuous and periodic excitation were used to describe the concentration dependence of thermal lens intensities. Better fitting of the experimental results was accomplished by taking into account the periodic nature of the excitation. Comparison of thermal lens intensities in nitrogen and argon allowed calculation of relative enhancement factors. In dilute solutions, the intensity in liquid nitrogen was 1.39 ± 0.08 times higher than that in argon. The literature estimation of this ratio is 1.49 ± 0.61. In contrast to the estimated value, our result confidently shows actual variation in enhancement factors. This article not only shows the applicability of thermal lensing to cryosamples but also demonstrates that accurate measurements at low temperature are possible.
A Plastic Embedding Technique for Analyzing Fluorescent Dextran-Amine Labelled Neuronal Profiles

A plastic embedding technique employing fluorescently labelled dextran-amines is described. After application of tracer to cut nerves and appropriate transport time, animals were fixed in paraformaldehyde. Subsequently their brains were dissected, heads and brains were dehydrated, embedded in methacrylate and sectioned serially on a rotary microtome. Plastic sections allow high resolution of single neuron profiles and complete serial reconstruction of un-distorted sections, including embryos with large amounts of yolk. In conjunction with whole mount analysis and double labelling, this technique can accurately reveal the spatial relationships of nerve components throughout development.
Biogeographical ancestry and race.

Abstract The use of racial and ethnic categories in biological and biomedical research is controversial—for example, in the comparison of disease risk in different groups or as a means of making use of or controlling for population structure in the mapping of genes to chromosomes. Biogeographical ancestry (BGA) has been recommended as a more accurate and appropriate category. BGA is a product of the collaboration between biological anthropologist Mark Shriver from Pennsylvania State University and molecular biologist Tony Frudakis from the now-defunct biotechnology start-up company DNAPrint genomics, Inc. Shriver and Frudakis portray BGA as a measure of the ‘biological’, ‘genetic’, ‘natural’, and ‘objective’ components of race and ethnicity, what philosophers of science would call a natural kind. This paper argues that BGA is not a natural kind that escapes social and political connotations of race and ethnicity, as Shriver and Frudakis and other proponents believe, but a construction that is built upon race—as race has been socially constructed in the European scientific and philosophical traditions. More specifically, BGA is not a global category of biological and anthropological classification but a local category shaped by the U.S. context of its production, especially the forensic aim of being able to predict the race or ethnicity of an unknown suspect based on DNA found at the crime scene. Therefore, caution needs to be exercised in the embrace of BGA as an alternative to the use of racial and ethnic categories in biological and biomedical research.
Effect of acid/base balance on H-ATPase 31 kD subunit mRNA levels in collecting duct cells

Effect of acid/base balance on H-ATPase 31 kD subunit mRNA levels in collecting duct cells. The cortical collecting duct (CCD) adapts to disturbances of acid/base balance by adjusting the direction and magnitude of its HCO 3 transport. The molecular events involved in this adaptation are incompletely understood, but it seems that adaptation is accompanied by changes in the activity and intracellular distribution of the vacuolar H-ATPase. The goal of this study was to examine the effects of metabolic acidosis and alkali load on the expression of the mRNA encoding the 31 kD subunit of the vacuolar H-ATPase in rabbit CCD cells. Pairs of rabbits received either a NH 4 Cl load or a NaHCO 3 load for 16 hours, resulting in a urinary pH of 5.53 ± 0.38 and 8.42 ± 0.10, respectively. CCD cells were isolated by immunodissection and mRNA levels of the H-ATPase 31 kD subunit and of β-actin were determined from the same cDNA samples by quantitative RT-PCR. H-ATPase mRNA levels were significantly higher in CCD cells from acidotic than alkali-loaded rabbits (2.51 ± 1.3 vs. 0.65 ± 0.2; P
The impact of writer nationality on mainstream teachers' judgments of composition quality

Abstract Teachers' evaluations of student writing are susceptible to the influence of extraneous factors, including stereotyped expectations based on students' ethnolinguistic identities. Even teachers' detection of surface errors in student writing is vulnerable to such expectancy sets. Non-native speakers of English (NNSs) who exit sheltered ESL classes may therefore be subjected to unduly negative evaluations due to mainstream teachers' negative expectations. On the other hand, it is possible that mainstream teachers overcompensate and are especially lenient with NNSs. The present study attributed fabricated student identities to a standard set of essays into which specific errors had been intruded. The fictional students were either Southeast Asian, Northern European, or U.S. native English speakers (NESs). Mainstream composition teachers evaluated the writing samples using rating scales, and they also wrote marginal comments and signs. Analyses indicated an advantage favoring the Asian writers over the NES writers in ratings of overall composition quality. No differences in the number of errors detected for each writer nationality were found. On the other hand, teachers' ratings of NNS writing were best predicted by the number of surface errors they detected. Ratings of NES writing, in contrast, were justified by marginal notations and comments; teachers tended to write longer comments when they judged the writing to be poor. The significance of the study is to enjoin composition teachers to reflect on their differential dependence on surface error when evaluating NES and NNS writing.
World Lines: The end of physics

Budget cuts in the US and UK will have a devastating effect on research, says Lawrence Krauss
Incorporation of metal silicides and refractory metals in VLSI technology

The advantages and issues associated with the incorporation of metal silicides and the selective deposition of refractory metals into VLSI device technology are illustrated using examples from 1 to 0.25 μm CMOS technology where the silicide or metal are formed over a pre-existing junction. While the drive current characteristics, latch-up resistance, and series resistance of junction-clad devices ae generally improved, other characteristics, such as hot electron stability, threshold voltage control, and short channel effect may be adversely effected. Reducing the metal (silicide) thickness to reduce silicon consumption and thereby allow scaling the junction depth results in films having considerably higher resistivity and poorer thermal stability. The use of silicide as a diffusion source is shown to be one possible way to scale the technology to smaller dimensions while minimizing the scaling of the silicide thickness. Here we report low leakage (<10 nA/cm2)n+ and p+ junctions where the junction motion beyond the silicide is believed to be less than 1 nm.
The arabidopsis information portal: an application platform for data discovery

The Arabidopsis Information Portal (AIP) is an open-access online community resource for research on the Arabidopsis thaliana genome and related data. AIP is developed through a partnership between J. Craig Venter Institute, the Texas Advanced Computing Center at The University of Texas at Austin, and The University of Cambridge. Part of the open architecture of AIP is a science applications workspace. Researchers can select applications developed both by the AIP team and the community from an "app store" to construct a customized environment for their work. AIP provides tooling and support for developing applications for AIP including an application generator, interactive development and testing environment, and a straightforward deployment path for deploying an application into the AIP workspace.
Sea Level Changes in the Past 6000 Years: Possible Archeological Significance

Evidence from many stable areas indicates that sea level has risen slowly during the past 6000 years, with a total change of about 6 meters. Since the same period is also important in the history of man, the rise in sea level explains the widespread submergence of building sites and other human relics along coasts where ancient man lived.
War Stories of an IBM Salesman, 1974-1981

James W. Cortada shares some of the stories from his time as a salesman at IBM, from 1974 to 1981, until he became an instructor at the IBM Sales School. His tales shed new light on IBM, its sales force, its customers, and the mainframe and data processing industries during the 1970s and 1980s.
Transverse quasielastic electron scattering from /sup 12/C at 180/sup 0/

The transverse /sup 12/Ce(e, e') inelastic spectrum has been measured at 180/sup 0/ up to an excitation energy of 96 MeV for 150.6 MeV incident electrons. This spectrum is compared to a recent self-consistent random phase approximation calculation which includes multipolarities of J< or =3. The calculated cross section is larger than the experimental cross section in the quasielastic peak region, and resonance states are predicted in the 20--35 MeV region which are not observed.
Development of Filler Structure in Colloidal Silica–Polymer Nanocomposites

The realization of the full potential for polymeric nanocomposites to manifest their entitled property improvements relies, for some properties, on the ability to achieve maximum particle-matrix interfacial area. Well-dispersed nanocomposites incorporating colloidal silica as the filler can be realized in both polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate) matrices by exploiting the charge stabilized nature of silica in nonaqueous solvents which act as Bronsted bases. We demonstrate that dispersions of colloidal silica in dimethylformamide are charge stabilized, regardless of organosilyl surface functionalization. When formulated with polymer solutions, the charge stabilized structure is maintained during drying until the charged double layer collapses. Although particles are free to diffuse and cluster after this neutralization, increased matrix viscosity retards the kinetics. We demonstrate how high molecular weight polymers assist in immobilizing the structure of the silica to produce well-dispersed composites. The glass transition temperatures of these composites do not vary, even at loadings up to 50 vol %.
Dust jets in comet Halley observed by Giotto and from the ground

A hypothesis for the short-lived, intermittent discrete sources of dust on the nucleus surface of comet Halley has been confirmed by closeup imaging by a camera aboard the Giotto probe. A previous conclusion for the nonexistence of jet emission from the dark side of the nucleus, reached on the basis of analysis of ground-based data, is also confirmed. Attention is given to such issues as possible spin vector variations for comet Halley over the 76-year period, the survival of dust sources, and the positions of the prime meridian at the two returns to the sun.
Distributed Hierarchical Monitoring and Alarm Management in Transparent Optical Networks

Rapid fault detection and localization in transparent optical networks is crucial due to the high data rates at which they operate and optical transparency. Furthermore, large all- optical networks require distributed fault-management in order to achieve scalable, accurate, and rapid fault localization. In this work we present an efficient scheme for hierarchically distributed monitoring and fault-localization in transparent all- optical networks. We prove that the proposed scheme yields identical fault-localization capability as the centralized and flat fault-localization scheme, while allowing for distributed optimization of alarm-vector size and fault-localization. Simulation results provide supporting comparison of achievable fault localization capability and effective reduction of alarm- vector lengths and fault localization complexity for flat and hierarchically distributed monitoring approaches.
Fungal colonization of shrub willow roots at the forefront of a receding glacier

Shrub willows (Salix spp.) form associations with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM), ectomycorrhizal (EM) and dark septate endophytic (DSE) fungi. Willow root colonization by these three types of fungi was studied on a deglaciated forefront of Lyman Glacier, Washington, USA. Root colonization was low; less than 1% of the root length was colonized by AM and 25.6% by DSE. EM colonized 25% of the root tips and 19.4% of the root length. AM and DSE colonization were not related to distance from the present glacier terminus or to canopy cover. EM colonization increased with distance from the glacier terminus based on gridline intercept data but not on root tip frequency data. Availability of propagules in the substrate was low, but numbers of propagules increased with distance from the glacier terminus. The EM communities were dominated by three ascomycetes showing affinity to Sordariaceae in BLAST analyses. Other frequent taxa on the glacier forefront included species of Cortinariaceae, Pezizaceae, Russulaceae, Thelephoraceae and Tricholomataceae. When occurrence of individual taxa was used as a response variable to canopy cover, distance from the glacier terminus, and their interaction, four different fungal guilds were identified: 1) fungi that did not respond to these environmental variables; 2) fungi that occurred mainly in intercanopy areas and decreased with distance from the glacier terminus; 3) fungi that were insensitive to canopy cover but increased with distance from the glacier terminus; 4) fungi that occurred mainly under willow canopies and increased with distance from the glacier terminus. We suggest that fungal colonization is mainly limited by fungal propagule availability. Environmental conditions may also limit successful establishment of plant-fungus associations. We propose that the four EM guilds partly explain successional dynamics. The initial EM community comprises fungi that tolerate low organic matter and nitrogen environment (first and second guilds above). During later community development, these fungi are replaced by those that benefit from an increased organic matter and nitrogen environment (third and fourth guilds above).
Oral ribavirin therapy for respiratory syncytial virus infections in moderately to severely immunocompromised patients

Background Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections may be fatal in immunocompromised patients. Aerosolized ribavirin is used for treatment, but it is very costly, teratogenic, and inconvenient. We aimed to assess the outcome of oral ribavirin treatment, with or without intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), for RSV infections in moderately to severely immunocompromised patients. Methods Medical records of RSV polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive patients during 2011–2013 were reviewed retrospectively. Eligible patients were moderately to severely immunocompromised and received oral ribavirin (600–800 mg twice daily) with or without IVIG (500 mg/kg q 48 h) as per protocol. Results Of 96 adults with PCR-proven RSV infection, 34 were moderately to severely immunocompromised and received oral ribavirin treatment. The mean age was 56.2 years (range: 18–90); 21 were male. Underlying conditions were hematologic malignancy with or without hematopoietic stem cell transplant (n = 25), lung transplant (n = 3), or receipt of cytotoxic chemotherapy (n = 11). The presenting symptoms were cough (94%), fever (62%), and dyspnea (59%). The most common radiographic findings were patchy and nodular infiltrates and opacities. Of 34 patients, 31 were hospitalized, with 13 admitted to the intensive care unit and 6 required mechanical ventilation. The median absolute lymphocyte count on presentation was 480 cells/mm3. RSV pneumonia developed in 24 patients. The median initial duration of oral ribavirin treatment was 10 days (range: 4–11); 4 patients were re-treated. Of 34 patients, 19 received a mean of 2.7 doses of IVIG. Two patients had adverse reactions to ribavirin (hemolytic anemia and lactic acidosis in 1 patient, and altered mental status in another). No patient died from RSV infection. Three patients died from complications of their underlying illness; all others recovered clinically. Conclusions Oral ribavirin with or without IVIG is a well-tolerated treatment for RSV infection in moderately to severely immunocompromised hosts. Comparative prospective studies should ideally be performed to determine if oral ribavirin is the optimal therapy for RSV infection in this patient population.
Integrating Clinical, Community, and Policy Perspectives on Human Papillomavirus Vaccination

Infection with genital human papillomavirus (HPV) may cause anogenital cancers, oropharyngeal cancers, anogenital warts, and respiratory papillomas. Two prophylactic vaccines (a bivalent and a quadrivalent vaccine) are now licensed and currently in use in a number of countries. Both vaccines prevent infection with HPV-16 and HPV-18, which together cause approximately 70% of cervical cancers, and clinical trials have demonstrated 90%-100% efficacy in preventing precancerous cervical lesions attributable to HPV-16 and HPV-18. One vaccine also prevents HPV-6 and HPV-11, which cause 90% of genital warts. A growing literature describes associations between psychosocial, interpersonal, organizational, and societal factors that influence HPV vaccination acceptability. This paper summarizes the current literature and presents an integrated perspective, taking into account these diverse influences. The resulting integrated model can be used as a heuristic tool for organizing factors at multiple levels to guide intervention development and future research.
Direct versus prediction-based Particle Filter algorithms

Particle filtering (PF) algorithms propagate in time a Monte Carlo (MC) approximation of the a posteriori filtering measure in a hidden Markov chain (HMC) model. In this paper we first shed some new light on two classical PF algorithms, which can be considered as natural MC implementations of two two-step direct recursive formulas for computing the filtering distribution. We next address the particle prediction (PP) problem, which happens to be simpler than the PF problem because the optimal prediction conditional importance distribution (CID) is much easier to sample from. Motivated by this result we finally develop two PP-based PF algorithms, and we compare our algorithms via simulations.
A scalable and robust solution for bandwidth allocation

We propose a novel architecture for providing bandwidth allocation and reservation that is both scalable and robust. Scalability is achieved by not requiring routers to maintain per-flow state on either the data or control planes. To achieve robustness, we develop two key techniques. First, we use an admission control mechanism based on lightweight certificates and random sampling to prevent malicious users from claiming reservations that were never allocated to them. Second, we use a recursive monitoring algorithm to detect misbehaving flows that exceed their reservations. We randomly divide the traffic into large aggregates, and then compare the data arrival rate of each aggregate to its reservation. If an aggregate misbehaves, i.e., its arrival rate is greater than its reservation, we split and monitor that aggregate recursively until we detect the misbehaving flow(s). These misbehaving flows are then policed separately. We conduct extensive simulations to evaluate our solutions. The results show that the proposed solution is very effective in protecting well-behaved flows when the fraction of misbehaving flows is limited.
The Role of Overweight and Obesity in Relation to the More Rapid Growth of Total Knee Arthroplasty Volume Compared with Total Hip Arthroplasty Volume.

Background: The volume of primary joint replacements performed in the United States increased rapidly over the past twenty years, but the growth rate of total knee arthroplasties exceeded that of total hip arthroplasties. The aim of this study was to identify the key contributing factors behind this differential growth rate. Methods: We compiled longitudinal data on total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty volume, length of hospital stay, and in-hospital mortality from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample; we calculated reimbursement using information available in the Federal Register and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services databases; we determined trends in body mass index from Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System findings; and we estimated the size of the surgical workforce based on membership data from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. These sources each contained at least ten years of data, ending in 2009. Data sources were analyzed and were compared to identify supply-side and demand-side factors contributing to the more rapid growth observed in total knee arthroplasty. Results: Of the factors examined, body mass index played the most substantial role in increasing demand for total knee arthroplasty above that of total hip arthroplasty, with younger individuals affected to a greater degree. More rapid growth in utilization of total knee arthroplasty over total hip arthroplasty in individuals with a body mass index of ≥25 kg/m2 was responsible for 95% of the differential increase in total knee arthroplasty over total hip arthroplasty volumes. Hospital and physician reimbursement, length of stay, and in-hospital mortality did not improve more for total knee arthroplasty than total hip arthroplasty. The surgical community responded to additional demand primarily by increasing per-physician output. Conclusions: Growth in total knee arthroplasty volume has far outpaced that of total hip arthroplasty among those with a body mass index of ≥25 kg/m2 but not for those with a body mass index of <25 kg/m2. The magnitude of this effect will continue to expand if the proportion of Americans with a body mass index of ≥25 kg/m2 continues to increase. Changes in hospital and physician reimbursement, length of stay, and in-hospital mortality did not contribute to this differential growth rate.
Does managed health care reduce health care disparities between minorities and Whites

This paper investigates whether managed care ameliorates or aggravates ethnic and racial health care disparities in Medicare. First, we analyze the choice of type of insurance made by Medicare enrollees to see if minorities are more likely to choose the managed care alternative. Second, we study the differential effect of managed care on disparities using several measures of access, use and cost of services. Both analyses are conducted on two independent data sets, the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey and the National Health Interview Survey. We conclude that relative to Whites, minorities are at least as well off – in terms of benefits and costs – in Medicare managed care as in Medicare traditional indemnity plans.
Two Hundred Years of Surgery

This review article traces the history and progress of surgery over the past two centuries, during which the profession evolved from rapidly performed, rudimentary, and often unsuccessful procedures to bold reconstruction, intricate microsurgery, transplantation, and more.
Genetic analysis of D-xylose metabolism by endophytic yeast strains of Rhodotorula graminis and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa

Two novel endophytic yeast strains, WP1 and PTD3, isolated from within the stems of poplar (Populus) trees, were genetically characterized with respect to their xylose metabolism genes. These two strains, belonging to the species Rhodotorula graminis and R. mucilaginosa, respectively, utilize both hexose and pentose sugars, including the common plant pentose sugar, D-xylose. The xylose reductase (XYL1) and xylitol dehydrogenase (XYL2) genes were cloned and characterized. The derived amino acid sequences of xylose reductase (XR) and xylose dehydrogenase (XDH) were 32%~41% homologous to those of Pichia stipitis and Candida. spp., two species known to utilize xylose. The derived XR and XDH sequences of WP1 and PTD3 had higher homology (73% and 69% identity) with each other. WP1 and PTD3 were grown in single sugar and mixed sugar media to analyze the XYL1 and XYL2 gene regulation mechanisms. Our results revealed that for both strains, the gene expression is induced by D-xylose, and that in PTD3 the expression was not repressed by glucose in the presence of xylose.
Increased Efficiency of Phorbol Ester-Induced Lytic Reactivation of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus during S Phase

Expression of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) lytic genes is thought to be essential for the establishment and progression of KSHV-induced diseases. The inefficiency of lytic reactivation in various in vitro systems hampers the study of lytic genes in the context of whole virus. We report here increased expression of KSHV lytic genes and increased release of progeny virus when synchronized cultures of body cavity-based lymphoma-1 cells are treated with a phorbol ester during S phase of the cell cycle.
An Analysis of Trends and Growth Factor Receptor Expression of GI Carcinoid Tumors

The purpose of our study was twofold: (1) to determine the incidence, patient and tumor characteristics, and outcome of patients with gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors using the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database, and (2) to delineate the expression pattern of growth factor receptors (GFRs) in carcinoid tumors. The SEER database search provided information on patients diagnosed with carcinoid tumors from 1990 to 2002. Carcinoid tumor sections (n = 46) were stained for the GFRs: epidermal growth factor receptor, insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGFR), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR), and HER-2/neu. Over the 12-year analysis period, 18,180 patients were identified with carcinoid tumors of the foregut, midgut, and hindgut; the incidence of carcinoid tumors increased ∼2-fold during this time period. Of the patients with carcinoid tumors, there was a trend of increased expression of VEGFR and IGFR, particularly in the foregut and midgut carcinoids. Analysis of the SEER database confirms that the incidence of carcinoid tumors is increasing with an approximate doubling in the number of carcinoid cases from 1990 to 2002. Furthermore, an increase in VEGFR and IGFR expression suggests that GFR inhibitors may be effective adjuvant therapy for carcinoid cancer.
Connectivity between Perisylvian and Bilateral Basal Temporal Cortices

Language processing requires the orchestrated action of different neuronal populations, and some studies suggest that the role of the basal temporal (BT) cortex in language processing is bilaterally distributed. Our aim was to demonstrate connectivity between perisylvian cortex and both BT areas. We recorded corticocortical evoked potentials (CCEPs) in 8 patients with subdural electrodes implanted for surgical evaluation of intractable epilepsy. Four patients had subdural grids over dominant perisylvian and BT areas, and 4 had electrode strips over both BT areas and left posterior superior temporal gyrus (LPSTG). After electrocortical mapping, patients with grids had 1-Hz stimulation of language areas. Patients with strips did not undergo mapping but had 1-Hz stimulation of the LPSTG. Posterior language area stimulation elicited CCEPs in ipsilateral BT cortex in 3/4 patients with left hemispheric grids. CCEPs were recorded in bilateral BT cortices in 3/4 patients with strips upon stimulation of the LPSTG, and in the LPSTG in the fourth patient upon stimulation of either BT area. This is the first in vivo demonstration of connectivity between LPSTG and both BT cortices. The role of BT cortex in language processing may be bilaterally distributed and related to linking visual information with phonological representations stored in the LPSTG.
Role of ERK and JNK pathways in regulating cell motility and matrix metalloproteinase 9 production in growth factor‐stimulated human epidermal keratinocytes

Invasion is an essential cellular response that plays an important role in a number of physiological and pathological processes. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) production and cell movement are diverse cellular responses integral to the process of invasion. The complexity of the invasive process suggests the necessity of coordinate activation of more than one signaling pathway in order to activate specific factors responsible for regulating these cellular responses. In this report, we demonstrate that cell movement and MMP-9 production are both directly dependent on the activation of endogenous ERK signaling in hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)-or epidermal growth factor (EGF)-stimulated human epidermal keratinocytes. The kinetic profiles of endogenous MEK and ERK activity suggest that prolonged activation of these signal transducers is an underlying mechanism involved in stimulating cell motility and MMP-9 production. In support of this finding, a transient MEK/ERK signal elicited by keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) or insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) fails to stimulate these invasion-related responses. Specific inhibition of MEK leads to suppression of ERK activation, marked reduction in steady-state levels of c-Fos, and inhibition of cell movement and MMP-9 production. This occurs despite continued activation of JNK and c-Jun signaling in the presence of MEK-specific inhibition. In contrast, when JNK activity is specifically inhibited in HGF-stimulated cells, AP-1 activity is suppressed but cell motility is not affected. This evidence suggests that while ERK and JNK activity are necessary for AP-1 activation, ERK but not JNK is sufficient in stimulating cell motility.
Do Cytokine Concentrations in Pancreatic Juice Predict the Presence of Pancreatic Diseases

Background & Aims: Cytokine concentration in pancreatic juice of patients with pancreatic disease is unknown. Secretin stimulation allows endoscopic collection of pancreatic juice secreted into the duodenum. We aimed to evaluate the cytokine concentrations in pancreatic juice of patients with abdominal pain to discriminate presence from absence of pancreatic disease. Methods: From January 2003–December 2004, consecutive patients with abdominal pain compatible with pancreatic origin were enrolled. Patients underwent upper endoscopy. Intravenous secretin (0.2 μg/kg) was given immediately before scope intubation. Pancreatic juice collected from the duodenum was immediately snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen until assays were performed. Pancreatic juice levels of interleukin-8, interleukin-6, intercellular adhesion molecule 1, and transforming growth factor–β 1 were measured by modified enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The final diagnosis was made by the primary gastroenterologist on the basis of medical history; laboratory, endoscopic, and imaging studies; and clinical follow-up. Fisher exact test and Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test were used for statistical analysis. Results: Of 130 patients screened, 118 met the inclusion criteria. Multivariate analysis revealed that only interleukin-8 was able to discriminate between normal pancreas and chronic pancreatitis (P = .011), pancreatic cancer (P = .044), and the presence of pancreatic diseases (P = .007). Individual cytokine concentrations were not significantly different in chronic pancreatitis compared with pancreatic cancer. Conclusions: Cytokine levels can be measured in pancreatic juice obtained from the duodenum without direct cannulation of the pancreatic duct. Interleukin-8 concentration in pancreatic juice can be used to discriminate between normal pancreas and patients with pancreatic disease. This is a relatively simple and noninvasive method to aid in the diagnosis of pancreatic diseases.
Linear Complementarity Systems with Singleton Properties: Non-Zenoness

Extending our previous work on linear complementarity systems (LCSs) with the P-property, this paper establishes that a certain class of LCSs of the positive semidefinite-plus type does not have Zeno states. An intrinsic feature of such an LCS is that it has a unique continuously differentiable state solution for any initial condition, albeit the associated algebraic linear complementarity problem has non- unique solutions. Applications of our results to constrained dynamic optimization, and more generally, to differential afHne complementarity systems are discussed. The cornerstone of our proof of the main non-Zeno result is a recent theory for conewise linear systems.