cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transoral surgery using the Flex Robotic System: Initial experience in the United States

Background This multicenter, retrospective review documents the initial experience using the Flex system for transoral surgery in 2 United States academic centers. Methods All patients who underwent transoral robotic surgery using the Medrobotics Flex Robotic System (Raynham, MA) between September 2015 and May 2017 were reviewed. Rates of successful surgery and complications were evaluated. Results Thirty-six men and 32 women were enrolled in the study. The average age was 55.6 years (range 17-82 years). The Flex system was used successfully in surgery of the tongue base, the palatine tonsils, the supraglottis, the glottis, the hypopharynx, the oral tongue, and the soft palate. Only 6 cases (7.6%) required readmission after discharge. There were no intraoperative or immediate postoperative complications, with no cases of intraoperative hemorrhage. Conclusion To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in the United States evaluating the use of the Flex system to safely resect lesions in the oral cavity, larynx, and pharynx.
Towards a Mathematical Algorithm for Conditional Uncorrelated Volatility Model in the Financial Big Data

With the application of the big data technology, more and more financial enterprises have begun to devote themselves to the practice of the big data application. A study by McKinsey shows that the financial sector ranks first among the big data potential index. A simplex search optimization algorithm for solving the conditional uncorrelated volatility model is proposed to reduce the dimensionality of the multi-dimensional financial asset correlation calculation in the financial big data. The algorithm greatly improves the speed and accuracy of estimating parameters. In order to verify the effectiveness of the algorithm, this paper examines the conditional non-correlation between the stock market, the bond market, the fund market, the foreign exchange market and the forward market.
Pretreatment eosinophil counts (PEC) in metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) treated with anti-PD1/PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors (CPI).

e16035Background: Eosinophils may influence anti-tumor immunity, having been associated with outcomes in CPI-treated melanoma. We sought to examine the association between PEC and outcomes of CPI-t...
Towards ML Engineering with TensorFlow Extended (TFX)

The discipline of Software Engineering has evolved over the past 5+ decades to good levels of maturity. This maturity is in fact both a blessing and a necessity, since the modern world largely depends on it. At the same time, the popularity of Machine Learning (ML) has been steadily increasing over the past 2+ decades, and over the last decade ML is being increasingly used for both experimentation and production workloads. It is no longer uncommon for ML to power widely used applications and products that are integral parts of our life. Much like what was the case for Software Engineering, the proliferation of use of ML technology necessitates the evolution of the ML discipline from "Coding" to "Engineering". Gus Katsiapis offers a view from the trenches of using and building end-to-end ML platforms, and shares collective knowledge and experience, gothered over more than a decade of applied ML at Google. We hope this helps pave the way towards a world of ML Engineering. Kevin Haas offers an overview of TensorFlow Extended (TFX), the end-to-end machine learning platform for TensorFlow that powers products across all of Alphabet (and beyond). TFX helps effectively manage the end-to-end training and production workflow including model management, versioning, and serving, thereby helping one realize aspects of ML Engineering.
11 – Ordinary Differential Equations

Publisher Summary This chapter highlights ordinary differential equations. A differential equation involving only ordinary derivatives is called an ordinary differential equation. A differential equation containing partial derivatives is called a partial differential equation. The order of a differential equation is the order of the highest-order derivative appearing in the equation. Newton's law of cooling states that the rate of change of the temperature difference between an object and its surrounding medium is proportional to the temperature difference. If D(t) denotes this temperature difference at time t and if α denotes the constant of proportionality, then dD/dt = -αD. = -αD is obtained. The minus sign indicates that this difference decreases. The chapter also illustrates several examples of first-order and second-order linear differential equations. To find all solutions to the nonhomogeneous problem, only one solution to the nonhomogeneous problem and the general solution of the homogeneous problem is necessary.
The experience economy of TV promotion at San Diego Comic-Con:

This article analyzes the promotional function of pop-up branded entertainment experiences during San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC). I argue that these activations are part of the experience economy, in w...
The ecobiopolitics of environmental mitigation: Remaking fish habitat through the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project.

Environmental mitigation has become a catch-all term for efforts to avoid, minimize or compensate for the adverse impacts of development. Through an analysis of the expensive and complex plan devel...
College as a Risk Factor for Victimization: Results from the National Crime Victimization Survey

A substantial body of victimization research has focused on college students as a unique population of crime victims. These studies generally suggest that college students have high rates of victim...
Ulcerative penile lesions in beef bulls due to pseudocowpox virus

The testing of this herd over the last 4 years has revealed that exposure to pseudocowpox is widespread in this herd. Ureaplasma and Myca plasma are also present, however, these bacteria are thought to be normal surface inhabitants of the male and female reproductive tract with occasional secondary pathological infections. The herd is deficient in copper, which has been associated with immune dysfunction. There is 1 other reported case of a bull with ulcerative penile lesions thought to be associated with pseudocowpox. It is possible that this is an emerging disease or a disease that has been underreported.
Quaternion ideals and invertibility

Much like a space can be understood by studying functions on that space, often the first task to understand a ring A is to understand the ideals of A and modules over A (in other words, to pursue “linear algebra” over A). The ideals of a ring that are easiest to work with are the principal ideals—but not all ideals are principal, and various algebraic structures are built to understand the difference between these two. In this chapter, we consider these questions for the case where A is a quaternion order.
Racial disparities in criminal legal system involvement among New York City overdose decedents: implications for diversion programs

Abstract Background Past studies have identified frequent criminal legal system (CLS) involvement among overdose decedents and highlight the need for connecting individuals at risk of overdose with effective interventions during CLS encounters. While some programs divert individuals at risk of overdose to treatment during CLS encounters, eligibility is frequently restricted to those with limited prior CLS involvement. However, differences by race/ethnicity have not been examined. Objective We assessed racial disparities in CLS involvement and eligibility for diversion following arrest for misdemeanor drug possession among New York City (NYC) overdose decedents. Methods We matched death certificates for 5018 NYC residents who died of an unintentional drug overdose between 2008 and 2015 with CLS data and compared CLS involvement by race/ethnicity. We compared prior felony involvement at the first misdemeanor drug arrest by race/ethnicity among 2719 decedents with at least one misdemeanor drug arrest. Results Higher proportions of Black (86 %, 95 % CI: 83.9, 87.9) and Latino (84 %, 95 % CI: 82.2, 86.0) decedents had ever been arrested than White decedents (73 %, 95 % CI: 71.5, 75.2). At the first misdemeanor drug arrest, Black and Latino decedents were twice as likely as White decedents to have a prior felony conviction, adjusted for age at arrest and gender (RR = 2.08, 95 % CI: 1.71, 2.54 and 2.14, 95 % CI: 1.77, 2.59, respectively). Conclusions Given racial disparities in CLS involvement among NYC overdose decedents, diversion eligibility is inequitable by race/ethnicity. Diversion programs that restrict eligibility based on prior CLS involvement will have racially disparate effects.
Cross-cultural inclusive recreation and the normalization principle: Nirje’s and Wolfersberger’s differing approaches

The normalization principle surfaced in Canada and the United States between the late 1950s and the early 1970s and today is the single most significant model for policy and services in the field o...
Identification and Management of Abdominal Aortic Dissection With Concurrent Aneurysm.

The incidence of acute aortic dissection ranges from 2.6 to 3.5 per 100,000 people per year. An abdominal aortic dissection is known to be the rarest of all types of aortic dissection, with high morbidity and mortality rates. In this case report, we are hoping to shed light on this unusual entity, its etiology, and management options.
Trends in Basal Cell Carcinoma Incidence and Identification of High-Risk Subgroups, 1998-2012

Importance The incidence of basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) is increasing globally, but incidence rates in the United States are difficult to quantify because BCCs are not reportable tumors. Objective To estimate annual BCC incidence rates by age, sex, and race/ethnicity to identify demographically distinct high-risk subgroups and to assess changes in rates over time. Design, Setting, and Participants In this retrospective cohort study (January 1, 1998, through December 31, 2012), we studied 147 093 patients with BCC from Kaiser Permanente Northern California, a large, integrated health care provision system, identified using a previously validated BCC registry. Main Outcomes and Measures We estimated annual BCC incidence rates by age, sex, and race/ethnicity and assessed changes in rates over time. The BCC incidence rates were standardized to the age, sex, and race/ethnicity distribution of the 2010 US Census population. Results In models adjusting for age, sex, and race, male patients had higher rates than female patients (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.65; 95% CI, 1.60-1.70). Persons 65 through 79 years of age and those 80 years and older had higher rates than persons 40 through 64 years of age (IRR, 2.96; 95% CI, 2.86-3.06; and IRR, 5.14; 95% CI, 4.94-5.35, respectively). Whites had higher rates than multiracial persons (IRR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.80-2.13), Hispanics (IRR, 8.56; 95% CI, 7.79-9.41), Asians (IRR, 33.13; 95% CI, 27.84-39.42), and blacks (IRR, 72.98; 95% CI, 49.21-108.22). Conclusions and Relevance We estimate that BCCs occur in approximately 2 million Americans annually. Our findings provide an updated estimate of the incidence of BCCs, highlight the changing epidemiologic findings, and better identify demographically distinct high-risk subgroups.
An Experimental Study of Swirl and EGR Effects on Diesel Combustion by Use of the Dumping Method

Etude experimentale de l'influence du tourbillon et de la recirculation des gaz d'echappement sur la combustion dans un moteur diesel. On transvase brutalement le contenu du cylindre dans une chambre (dumping)
Asymptotically symmetric embeddings and symmetric quasicircles

A well-known characterization of quasicircles is the following: A Jordan curve J in the complex plane is a quasicircle if and only if it is the image of the unit circle under a quasisymmetric embedding. In this paper we try to characterize a subclass of quasicircles, namely, symmetric quasicircles, by introducing the concept of asymptotically symmetric embeddings. We show that a Jordan curve J in the complex plane is a symmetric quasicircle if and only if it is the image of the unit circle under an asymptotically symmetric embedding.
Subjective rating of party walls

Results of a field survey of 98 subjects have been analysed and sound isolation measures have been compared to establish the influence of residential noise levels and nonacoustical factors on subjective judgements. A procedure is considered for estimating the properties of an ideal wall
Imidazole acetol phosphate aminotransferase in Zymomonas mobilis: molecular genetic, biochemical, and evolutionary analyses.

hisH encodes imidazole acetol phosphate (IAP) aminotransferase in Zymomonas mobilis and is located immediately upstream of tyrC, a gene which codes for cyclohexadienyl dehydrogenase. A plasmid containing hisH was able to complement an Escherichia coli histidine auxotroph which lacked the homologous aminotransferase. DNA sequencing of hisH revealed an open reading frame of 1,110 bp, encoding a protein of 40,631 Da. The cloned hisH product was purified from E. coli and estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to have a molecular mass of 40,000 Da. Since the native enzyme had a molecular mass of 85,000 Da as determined by gel filtration, the active enzyme species must be a homodimer. The purified enzyme was able to transaminate aromatic amino acids and histidine in addition to histidinol phosphate. The existence of a single protein having broad substrate specificity was consistent with the constant ratio of activities obtained with different substrates following a variety of physical treatments (such as freeze-thaw, temperature inactivation, and manipulation of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate content). The purified enzyme did not require addition of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate, but dependence upon this cofactor was demonstrated following resolution of the enzyme and cofactor by hydroxylamine treatment. Kinetic data showed the classic ping-pong mechanism expected for aminotransferases. Km values of 0.17, 3.39, and 43.48 mM for histidinol phosphate, tyrosine, and phenylalanine were obtained. The gene structure around hisH-tyrC suggested an operon organization. The hisH-tyrC cluster in Z. mobilis is reminiscent of the hisH-tyrA component of a complex operon in Bacillus subtilis, which includes the tryptophan operon and aroE. Multiple alignment of all aminotransferase sequences available in the database showed that within the class I superfamily of aminotransferases, IAP aminotransferases (family I beta) are closer to the I gamma family (e.g., rat tyrosine aminotransferase) than to the I alpha family (e.g., rat aspartate aminotransferase or E. coli AspC). Signature motifs which distinguish the IAP aminotransferase family were identified in the region of the active-site lysine and in the region of the interdomain interface.
Image Fusion Using the Expectation-Maximization Algorithm and a Gaussian Mixture Model

Image fusion refers the process of combining multiple images of a scene to obtain a single composite image [1, 2, 3, 4]. The different images to be fused can come from different sensors of the same basic type or they may come from different types of sensors. The composite image should contain a more useful description of the scene than provided by any of the individual source images. This fused image should be more useful for human visual or machine perception. In recent years, image fusion has become an important and useful technique for image analysis, computer vision [4, 5, 6, 7], concealed weapon detection (CWD) [8,9], and autonomous landing guidance (ALG) [10, 11].
4 Determination of Xenopus Cell Lineage by Maternal Factors and Cell Interactions

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the relative roles of maternally inherited components and epigenetic interactions in cell fate determination in Xenopus laevis embryos. In Xenopus, the determination of fate is a multistep process that begins with the polarization of the egg and the establishment of the embryonic dorsal-ventral axis is followed, by a number of signaling events, that regionalize the embryo, establish tissue types, and induce organ anlage, and finishes with late interactions that finalize cellular phenotype. Xenopus is an ideal vertebrate, in which to search for such molecules, because early embryos utilize stored maternal molecules and can be selected with nearly identical cleavage patterns, and thus any maternal localized determinants should be parcelled into separate identifiable lineages. It has become a very popular vertebrate model for the early developmental studies for a variety of reasons. Because the eggs are laid external to the female, they are accessible for manipulations throughout development. Xenopus embryos also pass from fertilization to tadpole stages very rapidly. It takes only about 30h of incubation, at room temperature, from fertilization to the first muscle twitches and hatching, from the vitelline membrane.
Anionic depressant function in anionic flotation of hematite

Abstract The function of multivalent anionic depressants in sodium dodecylsulfate flotation of hematite was studied through Hallimond tube experimentation. Three inorganic and three organic modifiers were studied (sulfate, selenite, tellurate, L-ascorbate, succinate and citrate). It was found that a partial correlation exists between the pK a1 value of a modifier and the lowest pH value at which it functions as a depressant.
The imageswitcher: A design for reducing VR lag via parallel image generation

Abstract Latency contributes to image error and to motion sickness in head-tracked graphics displays. We attack the problem of latency by exploiting parallel scene generation, using multiple graphics engines to render images corresponding to a cloud of viewpoints. The real-time position of a 3-D tracker is used to select among several just generated images rather than to generate a new image for each frame. The system's scalable architecture is comprised of off-the-shelf components.
The Amino Terminus of Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV) Glycoprotein E Is Required for Binding to Insulin-Degrading Enzyme, a VZV Receptor

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) glycoprotein E (gE) is required for VZV infection. Although gE is well conserved among alphaherpesviruses, the amino terminus of VZV gE is unique. Previously, we showed that gE interacts with insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) and facilitates VZV infection and cell-to-cell spread of the virus. Here we define the region of VZV gE required to bind IDE. Deletion of amino acids 32 to 71 of gE, located immediately after the predicted signal peptide, resulted in loss of the ability of gE to bind IDE. A synthetic peptide corresponding to amino acids 24 to 50 of gE blocked its interaction with IDE in a concentration-dependent manner. However, a chimeric gE in which amino acids 1 to 71 of VZV gE were fused to amino acids 30 to 545 of herpes simplex virus type 2 gE did not show an increased level of binding to IDE compared with that of full-length HSV gE. Thus, amino acids 24 to 71 of gE are required for IDE binding, and the secondary structure of gE is critical for the interaction. VZV gE also forms a heterodimer with glycoprotein gI. Deletion of amino acids 163 to 208 of gE severely reduced its ability to form a complex with gI. The amino portion of IDE, as well an IDE mutant in the catalytic domain of the protein, bound to gE. Therefore, distinct motifs of VZV gE are important for binding to IDE or to gI.
Facing death, gazing inward: end-of-life and the transformation of clinical subjectivity in Thailand.

In this article, I describe a new form of clinical subjectivity in Thailand, emerging out of public debate over medical care at the end of life. Following the controversial high-tech death of the famous Buddhist monk Buddhadasa, many began to denounce modern death as falling prey to social ills in Thai society, such as consumerism, technology-worship, and the desire to escape the realities of existence. As a result, governmental and non-governmental organizations have begun to focus on the end-of-life as a locus for transforming Thai society. Moving beyond the classic outward focus of the medical gaze, they have begun teaching clinicians and patients to gaze inward instead, to use the suffering inherent in medicine and illness to face the nature of existence and attain inner wisdom. In this article, I describe the emergence of this new gaze and its major conceptual components, including a novel idea of what it means to be ‘human,’ as well as a series of technologies used to craft this humanity: confession, “facing suffering,” and untying “knots” in the heart. I also describe how this new subjectivity has begun to change the long-stable Buddhist concept of death as taking place at a moment in time, giving way for a new concept of “end-of-life,” an elongated interval to be experienced, studied, and used for inner wisdom.
Adiabatic expansion and higher-order corrections for induced currents.

A precise expression and adiabatic expansion for the induced fermion current are given, and then some terms are calculated in a simple model of polyacetylene. A possible nonlinear term that can appear in a higher order is absent.
RELATIVE GENETIC LOADS DUE TO LETHAL AND DETRIMENTAL GENES IN IRRADIATED POPULATIONS OF DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

The effect of irradiation on the reiative genetic loads due to detrimental and lethal genes expressed by inbreeding was studied by extracting 267 second chromosomes of Drosophila meianogaster and by examining their effects on viability in homozygous and heterozygous conditions for one nonirradiated and six irradiated populations. These irradiated groups had been maintained in the laboratory for several years after cessation of the irradiation. No consistent relation of these loads to the radiation history of the different population was found. The data indicated that the irradiated stocks are nearly at equilibrium for both detrimental (D) and lethal (L) loads. The overall mean ratio of D to L was estimated at.58. Slight increase of D but constant L with crowding condition of culture suggested that the D to L ratio may be underestimated under uncrowded laboratory conditions. The inbred genetic load effected through sterility was expressed in terms of sterile equivalent with two components of partial and complete sterility. Over both sexes the two components were found to be equally important in their harmful effects. Approximately one fourth of the total inbred load manifested through lowered viability and sterility is contributed by sterility factors. The second chromosomes of the irradiated populationsmore » in heterozygous arrangement with cn bw/sup D/ or Cy O marker chromosomes caused signlficantly reduced viability below the similar combinations of nonirradiated population. This increased heterozygous load due to irradiation was in the magnitude of.0225 plus or minus .0084. Implication of this finding relative to degree of dominance of detrimental genes is discus sed. (auth)« less
Green LED development in polar and non-polar growth orientation

The green spectral region provides a formidable challenge for energy efficient light emitting diodes. In metal organic vapor phase epitaxy we developed GaInN/GaN quantum well material suitable for 500 - 580 nm LEDs by rigorous defect reduction and thrive for alloy uniformity. We achieve best results in homoepitaxy on polar c-plane, and non-polar a -plane and m -plane bulk GaN. By the choice of crystal orientation, the dipole of piezoelectric polarization in the quantum wells can be optimized for highest diode efficiency. We report progress towards the goal of reduced efficiency droop at longer wavelengths.
Super’s Work Values Inventory: Two Multivariate Studies of Interitem Relationships

Super’s Work Values Inventory (WVI), Form A, was administered to 200 tenth grade students and the resulting data submitted to two complementary multivariate analyses. Analysis I employed Guttman’s “rank reduction theorem” to investigate, on an a priori basis, the item grouping assumption employed in constructing the WVI. It was found that the forty-five items had been reasonably grouped into the fifteen categories. Analysis II consisted of a more conventional factor analytic study (using image analysis) followed by an a posteriori naming of the resulting factors. Internal consistency reliability data for the WVI scales is also presented, which appears to indicate that some of the scales may not be sufficiently reliable in the internal consistency sense for practical decisions about individuals. It is suggested that certain WVI scale scores should be combined to increase the internal consistency reliability coefficients of the resulting scales to more adequate levels. It is also suggested that more researc...
Spectrum analysers today

The spectrum analyser, once a laboratory curiosity, is now one of the most powerful tools available to the electronics industry. The advent of microprocessor control and digital storage has increased the versatility of spectrum analysers, and new circuit techniques are extending their applications into the microwave region
Planetary science: On Earth, as it is on Mars?

The small spheres of haematite, nicknamed ‘blueberries’, that litter the Mars landing site of NASA's rover Opportunity might have an analogue on Earth, formed from groundwater in southern Utah.
A note on cluster analysis and dynamic programming

Abstract In a number of situations a set of points falls naturally into clumps or clusters. It is often easy to recognize these groups visually, but not as easy to use a computer to perform the same action when the input is a set of numbers. The application of dynamic programming to this pattern recognition task in the one-dimensional case isconsidered.
Domain growth and freezing on a triangular lattice.

We have performed Monte Carlo simulations of domain growth at zero temperature of a lattice gas with nearest-neighbor repulsive interactions on a triangular lattice. Kawasaki dynamics were used with a fractional surface coverage of one-third. We studied both the case in which the second-nearest-neighbor interaction is attractive and the case in which it is zero. The effect of increasing the range of allowed hops from nearest neighbor to third nearest neighbor was investigated. We find that domain growth freezes in the case in which the second-nearest-neighbor interaction is attractive and only nearest-neighbor hops are allowed. Domain freezing is released when longer-range hops are allowed or when the second-nearest-neighbor interaction is zero. Allowing only nearest-neighbor hops, the growth exponent when there is no second-nearest-neighbor interaction is consistent with the Lifshitz-Slyozov theory. We conclude that the range of particle hops is an important parameter to consider when classifying growth kinetics.
Sc-47 production from titanium targets using electron linacs

In this work we have studied the feasibility of photonuclear production of (47)Sc from (48)Ti via (48)Ti(γ,p)(47)Sc reaction. Photon flux distribution for electron beams of different energies incident on tungsten converter was calculated using MCNPX radiation transport code. (47)Sc production rate dependence on electron beam energy was found and (47)Sc yields were estimated. It was shown that irradiating a natural Ti target results in numerous scandium isotopes which can reduce the specific activity of (47)Sc. Irradiating enriched (48)Ti targets with a 22MeV 1mA beam will result in hundreds of MBq/g activity of (47)Sc and no other isotopes of scandium. Decreasing the size of the target will result in much higher average photon flux through the target and tens of GBq/g levels of specific activity of (47)Sc. Increasing the beam energy will also result in higher yields, but as soon as the electron energy exceeds the (48)Ti(γ,np)(46)Sc reaction threshold, (46)Sc starts being produced and its fraction in total scandium atoms grows as beam energy increases. The results of the simulations were benchmarked by irradiating natural titanium foil with 22MeV electron beam incident on the tungsten converter. Measured (47)Sc activities were found to be in very good agreement with the predictions.
Repression of PXR-mediated induction of hepatic CYP3A gene expression by protein kinase C

Pregnane X receptor (PXR, NR1I2) regulates the inducible expression of the 3A sub-family of cytochrome P450 genes (CYP3A). CYP3A enzymes are responsible for the oxidative metabolism of a wide array of endobiotic and xenobiotic compounds. Hepatic CYP3A gene expression is rapidly down-regulated during inflammation and sepsis. There are twelve protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms, classified into three subfamilies according to the structure of the N-terminal regulatory domain and their sensitivity to calcium and diacylglycerol. It is now well accepted that cytokine stimulation of hepatocytes increases intracellular PKC activity during inflammation and sepsis. We show here that protein kinase C alpha (PKC alpha) and phorbol ester-dependent PKC signaling dramatically repressed PXR activity in both, cell-based reporter gene assays and in hepatocytes. Moreover, treatment with the protein phosphatase PP1/PP2A inhibitor okadaic acid (OA) totally abolished PXR activity in reporter gene assays and in cultured hepatocytes. In mammalian two-hybrid assays, treatment with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) increased the strength of interaction between PXR and the nuclear receptor co-repressor protein (NCoR). Treatment with PMA also abolished the ligand-dependent interaction between PXR and the steroid receptor co-activator 1 protein (SRC1). Our findings suggest that activation of the protein kinase C signaling pathway represses PXR activity through alterations in PXR-protein co-factor complexes, possibly through direct alterations in the phosphorylation status of one or all of these proteins. In addition, our data potentially provide important insights into the molecular mechanism of the repression of hepatic CYP3A gene expression that occurs during the inflammatory response.
Laser Controlled Fracture Strength in Chemically Strengthened Glass

Surface heating lasers with a quenching process can create controlled scribe lines with high edge strength. This work compares the edge strength of different chemically strengthened glasses with laser scribe and break edges.
183 A PROSPECTIVE STUDY COMPARING SYSTEMATIC INTERVIEW & ANALYSIS OF MATERNAL HAIR AND MECONIUM TO DETERMINE ILLICIT DRUG USE DURING PREGNANCY

183 A PROSPECTIVE STUDY COMPARING SYSTEMATIC INTERVIEW & ANALYSIS OF MATERNAL HAIR AND MECONIUM TO DETERMINE ILLICIT DRUG USE DURING PREGNANCY
Brief Wait Time to Increase Response Opportunity and Correct Responding of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Who Display Challenging Behavior

This study compared conditions of brief and extended wait time on opportunities to respond, rate of responding, rate of correct responding, and disruptive behavior of two students with autism spectrum disorder during one-on-one teaching. Brief wait time increased students’ opportunities to respond per minute, responses per minute, and correct responses per minute. While variable, slightly fewer instances of problem behavior were also produced by the brief wait time condition. The current study supports previous findings that suggested use of brief wait time during instruction for children with learning and behavioral challenges. It does not support opposing results of previous research which favored longer wait times for teaching children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Limitations and implications for future research are discussed.
Panoramic roentgenograms compared with conventional intraoral roentgenograms

T heoretically, panoramic x-ray films present more information through greater area coverage than do conventional intraoral x-ray films. Because of their lack of detail, however, panoramic roentgenograms have been considered by previous investigators to be diagnostically inferior to intraoral roentgenograms.*-3 Those investigators concluded that the panoramic films are better suited for mass screening surveys, for the detection of gross pathoses, and for identification purposes rather than for the detection of carious lesions.4 In previous studies, the panoramic films were compared to intraoral surveys which included bitewing films. If posterior interproximal caries is detected primarily in posterior bitewing films, it might be possible, by including these bitewing films with the panoramic film, to make a diagnostic survey comparable to the intraoral survey with bitewing films. If the resultant diagnoses by the two methods are the same or nearly the same, then the panoramic method could be preferred on the basis of greater area coverage, less radiation exposure to the patient and dentist,5 and time saved in producing a complete dental x-ray survey.3* 4 The primary purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic interpretations made from a panoramict roentgenogram with the addition of two posterior bitewing films to the diagnostic interpretations made from an intraoral survey of fourteen periapical and two posterior bitewing films. A secondary purpose was to establish any difference in production time between the panoramic and the intraoral x-ray survey techniques. -This investigation was supported by the United States Army Medical Research and Devcllopment Command, Department of the Army, under Research Contract DA-49-193-MD2561. *‘Associate Professor, Coordinator of Research. *“Clinical Instructor. fPanorex XRM Model Pan 2, X-ray Manufacturing Corporation of America, Inc., Great Neck, N.Y.
Nucleation, growth, and graphitization of diamond nanocrystals during chlorination of carbides

Synthesis of nano- and microcrystalline sp3-bonded carbon (diamond) with cubic and hexagonal structure by extraction of silicon from silicon carbide in chlorine-containing gases has been reported recently. This process is attractive because it can produce diamond at ambient pressure and temperatures below 1000 °C. No plasma or other high-energy activation is required, thus providing an opportunity for large-scale synthesis. However, the mechanism of diamond formation has not been previously analyzed. This work reports on the formation mechanisms of diamond as well as the transformation of diamond to graphite and onionlike carbon upon heating. Study of SiC/carbon interfaces showed that direct epitaxial growth of diamond on SiC is possible, in agreement with previous molecular-dynamics simulation. However, random nucleation of diamond from amorphous sp3-bonded carbon produced as the result of extraction of Si from SiC has also been demonstrated. It has been shown that the presence of hydrogen in the environ...
Inverse Optimization: A New Perspective on the Black-Litterman Model

The Black-Litterman BL model is a widely used asset allocation model in the financial industry. In this paper, we provide a new perspective. The key insight is to replace the statistical framework in the original approach with ideas from inverse optimization. This insight allows us to significantly expand the scope and applicability of the BL model. We provide a richer formulation that, unlike the original model, is flexible enough to incorporate investor information on volatility and market dynamics. Equally importantly, our approach allows us to move beyond the traditional mean-variance paradigm of the original model and construct “BL”-type estimators for more general notions of risk such as coherent risk measures. Computationally, we introduce and study two new “BL”-type estimators and their corresponding portfolios: a mean variance inverse optimization MV-IO portfolio and a robust mean variance inverse optimization RMV-IO portfolio. These two approaches are motivated by ideas from arbitrage pricing theory and volatility uncertainty. Using numerical simulation and historical backtesting, we show that both methods often demonstrate a better risk-reward trade-off than their BL counterparts and are more robust to incorrect investor views.
Inhibition of Inflammatory Cytokine-Induced Response in Human Islet Cells by Withaferin A

Abstract Background After islet cell transplantation, a substantial mass of islets are lost owing to nonspecific inflammatory reactions. Cytokine exposure before or after transplantation can upregulate expression of proinflammatory genes via the nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway, eventually resulting in islet loss. Objective To test the effects of a naturally occurring nuclear factor-κB inhibitor, withaferin A, on regulation of inflammatory genes in human islets. Methods Human pancreatic islets were isolated using a modified Ricordi protocol. Purified islets were cultured for 2 days. The effect of withaferin A treatment on islet cell viability was examined using the fluorescein diacetate-propidium iodide dye exclusion test, and on function using a static glucose stimulation assay. Islet cells were treated with a cytokine mixture (50 U/mL of interleukin-1β, 1000 U/mL of tumor necrosis factor-α, and 1000 U/mL of interferon-γ) for 48 hours with or without withaferin A, 1 μg/mL. Treated islets were used for real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) array analysis for expression of inflammatory genes, and expression of other selected genes was analyzed using real-time PCR with single primers. Results Glucose stimulation and viability assays demonstrated that withaferin A was not toxic to islet cells. Of 84 inflammation-related genes examined using real-time PCR array analysis, 9 were significantly upregulated by cytokine treatment compared with the control group. However, addition of withaferin A to the culture significantly inhibited expression of all genes. Conclusion Withaferin A significantly inhibits the inflammatory response of islet cells with cytokine exposure.
Metal Speciation and Bioavailability in Contaminated Estuary Sediments, Alameda Naval Air Station, California

Measurements of simultaneously extracted metals (SEM), acid volatile sulfide (AVS), and invertebrate toxicity were combined with X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) to evaluate metal speciation and...
TDP-43 Is Intrinsically Aggregation-prone, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis-linked Mutations Accelerate Aggregation and Increase Toxicity

Non-amyloid, ubiquitinated cytoplasmic inclusions containing TDP-43 and its C-terminal fragments are pathological hallmarks of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal motor neuron disorder, and frontotemporal lobar degeneration with ubiquitin-positive inclusions (FTLD-U). Importantly, TDP-43 mutations are linked to sporadic and non-SOD1 familial ALS. However, TDP-43 is not the only protein in disease-associated inclusions, and whether TDP-43 misfolds or is merely sequestered by other aggregated components is unclear. Here, we report that, in the absence of other components, TDP-43 spontaneously forms aggregates bearing remarkable ultrastructural similarities to TDP-43 deposits in degenerating neurons of ALS FTLD-U patients. The C-terminal domain of TDP-43 is critical for spontaneous aggregation. Several ALS-linked TDP-43 mutations within this domain (Q331K, M337V, Q343R, N345K, R361S, and N390D) increase the number of TDP-43 aggregates and promote toxicity in vivo. Importantly, mutations that promote toxicity in vivo accelerate aggregation of pure TDP-43 in vitro. Thus, TDP-43 is intrinsically aggregation-prone, and its propensity for toxic misfolding trajectories is accentuated by specific ALS-linked mutations.
Particle size distributions in polar mesospheric clouds derived from Solar Mesosphere Explorer measurements

Data from the visible and UV spectrometers on the Solar Mesosphere Explorer are used to derive the color ratios of the reflectance at 265, 296, and 393 nm of light scattered from polar mesospheric cloud particles. This analysis extends the spectral coverage into the visible region of the spectrum. The data reduction technique compared the cloud brightness to the brightness scattered from the background atmosphere at the same wavelength. The ratios determined in this way are independent of systematic errors in instrument radiometric calibration. The data are analyzed using theoretical determinations of the color ratios from the Mie theory of small particle scattering, assuming a lognormal distribution for the particle size dispersion. Here 'size' means the average radius of the sphere having the same ice volume. The present results confirm earlier findings that the effective sizes of polar mesospheric cloud particles are less than 70 nm. Still, there exists a small number of measurements which result in particle sizes of the order of 80 nm. Even for these large particle sizes the required vertical column content of water vapor does not exceed limits imposed by the available atmospheric water vapor concentrations.
Diabetic ketoacidosis (July 2009)

A reader comments on the need to avoid unnecessary testing in medicine, as illustrated in an article about a man with uncontrolled diabetes (July 2009).
Bimodality and the Hale cycle

Because of the bimodal distribution of sunspot cycle periods, the Hale cycle (or double sunspot cycle) should show evidence of modulation between 20 and 24 yr, with the Hale cycle having an average length of about 22 yr. Indeed, such a modulation is observed. Comparison of consecutive pairs of cycles strongly suggests that even-numbered cycles are preferentially paired with odd-numbered following cycles. Systematic variations are hinted in both the Hale cycle period and Rsum (the sum of monthly mean sunspot numbers over consecutively paired sunspot cycles). The preferred even-odd cycle pairing suggests that cycles 22 and 23 form a ‘new’ Hale cycle pair (Hale cycle 12), that cycle 23 will be larger than cycle 22 (in terms of RM, the maximum smoothed sunspot number, and of the individual cycle value of Rsum), and that the length of Hale cycle 12 will be longer than 22 yr. Because of the strong correlation (r = 0.95) between individual sunspot cycle values of Rsum and RM, having a good estimate of RMfor the present sunspot cycle (22) allows one to predict its Rsum, which further allows an estimation of both RMand Rsum for cycle 23 and an estimation of Rsum for Hale cycle 12. Based on Wilson's bivariate fit (r = 0.98), sunspot cycle 22 should have an RMequal to 144.4 ± 27.3 (at the 3-σ level), implying that its Rsum should be about 8600 ± 2200; such values imply that sunspot cycle 23 should have an Rsum of about 10500 ± 2000 and an RMof about 175 ± 40, and that Hale cycle 12 should have an Rsum of about 19100 ± 3000.
Responses of left ventricular function in survivors and nonsurvivors of septic shock

In a previous study of 20 patients with septic shock, we demonstrated severe, but reversible depression of radionuclide-determined left ventricular ejection fraction. To further analyze the cardiovascular response to septic shock, we performed serial cardiovascular studies on 54 patients with blood culture-positive septic shock.The survivors had a mean initial ejection fraction (±SEM) of .40 ± .03 with a mean left ventricular end-diastolic volume index (EDVI) of 122 ± 8 mL/m2, both significantly decreased and increased, respectively, from critically ill nonseptic control patients (P < .02). These abnormalities persisted for two to five days and returned to normal within 2 weeks. The nonsurvivors had a mean initial ejection fraction of .47 ± .04 and a mean initial EDVI of 99 ± 9 mL/m2; both are not different from control patients. On serial studies, the nonsurvivors exhibited one of two patterns: half of the nonsurvivors demonstrated a decreasing EDVI associated with a decreasing stroke volume index (SVI) and cardiac index, the other half of the nonsurvivors had an increasing EDVI associated with maintenance of the SVI and cardiac index. In the surviors, there a statistically significant negative correlation of the decreased ejection fraction with the increased EDVI, but no such correlation occurred in the nonsurvivors. Regarding serial cardiac performance during a 2-week period following shock onset, each patient's consecutive ejection fractions and EDVIs were correlated and the correlation coefficients were averaged. Comparing ejection fraction and EDVI, the survivors had a much greater correlation (r= −.60) than the nonsurvivors (r= −.14) (P < .005). Based on the observations of these studies, the following mechanism is likely: during human septic shock, the cardiovascular system is stressed by both peripheral vascular abnormalities and direct depression of the myocardium, the latter manifested clinically by a depressed ejection fraction. In general, survivors respond on serial studies by ventricular dilation (increased preload) to maintain ventricular performance. A substantial subgroup of nonsurvivors fails to dilate, and succumbs (in part), with an inability to maintain serial ventricular function.
Collagen Membrane Barrier Therapy to Guide Regeneration in Class II Furcations in Humans

This study was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of resorbable collagen membranes in guided tissue regeneration. The study participants were 38 adults with moderate to advanced periodontitis. Each patient had at least one Class II furcation defect which could serve as either a test or control tooth. The cases were randomized prior to selection, so that investigators did not known whether the patient would be a test case or a control case until the time of surgery. Sites were surgically exposed and measurements were recorded from the cemento-enamel junction (CEJ) directly coronal to the furcation area to the alveolar crest, and to the base of the defect. Horizontal furcation measurements were also made, using a color coded furcation probe. The test patients had a trimmed and shaped collagen membrane barrier placed over the prepared furcation area. The control patients received the identical surgical management, except that no collagen membrane barrier was placed. All patients received normal post-surgical care, and at 12 weeks post-surgery, were scheduled for re-entry surgery. The re-entry mucoperiosteal flaps were designed to expose the furcation area for measurements, as described above. There was clinical improvement in all measurements made in both the test and control patients over the 3-month period. The horizontal furcation measurement and the CEJ to base of alveolar defect measurements did yield a statistically significant improvement when comparing the test patients to the controls.
Algorithms for Detection of Static Voltage Instability in Power Systems Using Synchrophasors

When a power system is operating under unforeseen conditions or under unusually high stress, the system can face operational reliability problems from any of voltage instability, small-signal instability or transient instability phenomena. This paper will focus on recent tools that have been developed for fast detection and mitigation of static voltage instability mechanisms using synchrophasors.
Ion Pair Charge-Transfer Salts Based on Metal Chalcogenide Clusters and Methyl Viologen Cations

Novel ion pair charge-transfer salts have been synthesized through the integration of metal chalcogenide cluster anions and methyl viologen cations. The new compounds show dramatically red-shifted UV−visible absorptions, which provide a new way to control optical and electronic properties of metal chalcogenides, particularly in relation to their potential applications in solar cells.