cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Laser-Driven Decomposition and Combustion of BTTN/GAP

The objective of this work was to study the near-surface phenomena of an energetic binder, butanetriol trinitrate/ glycidyl azide polymer, during thermal decomposition and combustion. A triple quadrupole mass spectrometer with microprobe sampling was used to obtain gas-phase quantitative species from CO 2 laser-induced decomposition and laser-assisted combustion of the butanetriol trinitrate/glycidyl azide polymer sample. To get the species profile as a function of height from the surface, a linear positioner was used to move the sample towards the microprobe during sampling. Fine-wire thermocouples were used to get the surface temperature and gas-phase temperature profile in the primary flame zone. The experiments were conducted at a laser heat flux of 35 W/cm 2 and in both argon environment and ambient air conditions with varying pressures from 1.0 to 4.0 atm. The flame structure and burning event were recorded using a digital camcorder so that the burning rates at these pressures can also be determined.
Curvilinear coordinate and momentum operators in configuration representation

From the known coordinate representation of these operators, a unified treatment of the abstract operators for curvilinear coordinates and their canonically conjugate momenta is given for systems in three dimensions. A configuration representation, corresponding to classical configuration space, exists in which description is simplified; the three-dimensional ket space factors into a direct product of one-dimensional spaces. Four cases are examined, according to the range of the continuous curvilinear coordinate. In addition to normalization of momentum eigenstates to the Kronecker delta for finite range of coordinate and normalization to the Dirac delta for range on the entire real axis, normalization occurs to δ (or δ+) for range on the positive (or negative) part of the real axis. The domain of Hermiticity of curvilinear coordinate and conjugate momentum operators in each case is the entire three-dimension ket space. The fundamental commutation relations hold in all representations. Statements to the contrary for the radial and azimuth coordinates in spherical polar coordinates are seen to be erroneous.
Neuodevelopmental outcomes for children transplanted under the age of 3 years.

Abstract Our previous investigations on neurodevelopmental outcomes for intestinal transplanted infants revealed that while some children were able to achieve a normal developmental outcomes, most children suffered from significant motor delays and several experienced severe cognitive delays. In our current investigation, we were especially interested in children who are transplanted before the age of 3 years because the impact of the chronic illness and nutrition impairment on the infant’s developing brain may be more severe than those children who receive a liver transplant. Methods We evaluated 34 infants using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. Twenty-seven children received a liver/intestine or multivisceral transplant and seven received a liver transplant. Results Comparison of the two groups revealed that children receiving an intestine/multivisceral transplant have much poorer outcomes. Seventy-four percent of these children were significantly delayed mentally compared to only 57.14% of the liver transplant infants. Furthermore, 42.86% of the liver-transplanted infants were actually functioning in the normal range posttransplant. The intestinal/multivisceral transplant infants’ motor development shows the most striking difference, with 96.3% being severely delayed as compared to liver transplant infants in whom only 71% experienced serious delays. The neurodevelopmental impact of organ failure and transplant before the age of 3 years may depending on the type of organ transplant. Our study found that it may be more likely to expect a good outcome for liver transplant patients than for intestinal and multivisceral transplanted infants. This difference maybe due to the overall severity of the disease and the possible impact of nutritional deficits early in infancy.
Abstract 1728: Genetic variations in epidermal growth factor receptor pathway predict recurrence and response to chemotherapy in early stage non-small cell lung cancer

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Purpose: We hypothesized that genetic variants within EGFR pathway would have significant predictive value for recurrence and response to chemotherapy after curative resection in early-stage NSCLC. Methods: This study included 467 patients with histologically confirmed NSCLC who were enrolled from 1995 to 2008 in an ongoing, prospective epidemiologic lung cancer study at MD Anderson Cancer Center. A total of 387 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within 26 genes from EGFR pathway were genotyped in patients who were treated with surgery only (N=340) or surgery plus chemotherapy (N=127). The risk of recurrence was estimated as hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using a multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression model. Results: We identified 5 top SNPs that significantly (P 1 in surgery+chemotherapy); B (3 SNPs)=should receive chemotherapy in addition to surgery (HR>1 in surgery only and HR<1 in surgery+chemotherapy). Cumulative genotype analysis reveals that patients with 1 or 2 SNPs from Group A had risk of recurrence that was 0.57-fold that of the reference group without any of these two SNPs (HR=0.57; 95% CI=0.34-0.96; P=0.035). However, if patients with the same 1 or 2 SNPs undergo chemotherapy, the risk of recurrence increases to 3.3-fold that of the reference group (HR=3.28; 95% CI=1.51-7.12; P=0.003). On the other hand, patients with one or greater number of SNPs from Group B after surgery only had 2.3-fold increased risk of recurrence compared to the reference group without any of these SNPs (HR=2.30; 95% CI=1.36-3.88; P=0.002). However, with addition of chemotherapy the risk of recurrence in patients with the same SNPs decreased significantly to 0.24-fold that of the reference group (HR=0.24; 95% CI=0.12-0.51; P=0.001). Conclusions: Our proposed SNPs from EGFR pathway may help identify a subgroup of patients at high risk of recurrence after resection and guide decision for adjuvant chemotherapy in early-stage NSCLC. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1728. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-1728
Cryoprotective activity of synthetic glycophospholipids and their interactions with trehalose

A series of glycophospholipids have been synthesized by conjugating mono-, di- and trisaccharides with dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE) by reductive amination. These synthetic glycophospholipids were incorporated into egg phosphatidylcholine (PC) vesicles and tested for the release of vesicle-entrapped calcein after five cycles of freeze and thaw. N-isomaltotriosyl-DOPE and N-(N-acetylneuramin-lactosyl)-DOPE had approximately equal activity in cryoprotection; whereas N-lactosyl-DOPE and N-galactosyl-DOPE were without effect. However, the cryoprotective effect of trehalose was significantly reduced with the incorporation of N-lactosyl-DOPE and N-galactosyl-DOPE, but not with the trisaccharide-DOPE conjugates. FTIR studies of mixtures of trehalose and glycophospholipid revealed that trehalose forms H-bonding with the phosphodiester group of N-(N-acetylneuramin-lactosyl)-DOPE but not that of N-galactosyl-DOPE. The presence of interaction of trehalose with the trisaccharide-DOPE conjugate and the absence of interaction with the monosaccharide-DOPE conjugate were also demonstrated by the change of the HII phase transition temperature of dielaidoyl phosphatidylethanolamine as measured by the differential scanning calorimetry. The ability of trehalose to restore the membrane order of the rigid dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine bilayer perturbed by the presence of glycophospholipids is also correlated with the ability of trehalose to interact with trisaccharide-DOPE conjugate but not with the monosaccharide-DOPE conjugate. These observations have shed some light on the mechanism of the cryoprotective activity of the membrane bound carbohydrates.
Fotofiti: web service for photo management

In this work, we present Fotofiti(FF), a web-based personal photo organizer with automatic image annotation, event management and social network integration. We describe our technique for real-time online semantic annotation of user photos. Additionally, a landmark recognition system which utilizes local features is discussed.
Electroencephalographic measurement of motor cortex control of muscle activity in humans.

Abstract Objective : To detect and measure correlation between cortical and muscle activities, coherence analysis was used. Methods : The electroencephalogram (EEG) and electromyogram (EMG) were recorded in 9 normal volunteers during tonic contraction of upper and lower limb muscles on the right side. Coherence between EEG and EMG was computed to analyze their linear association. Results : EEG over the contralateral sensorimotor area was coherent with EMG, with peak coherence at 11–36 Hz (mean, 22 Hz). For the abductor pollicis brevis (APB) muscle, peak coherence, as determined by functional brain mapping with focal transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), was over or slightly posterior to the hand area on the primary motor cortex determined by focal transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Peak coherence over the scalp was somatotopically organized. The temporal relation between EEG and EMG was analyzed with a new model for interpreting the phase shift (‘constant phase shift plus constant time lag' model). For the APB muscle, the phase relation between cortical and muscular oscillations differed in the frequency ranges of 3–13 Hz and 14–50 Hz, respectively, suggesting that different coupling mechanisms operate in different bands. Only the phase shift between cortical and motoneuronal firing at 14–50 Hz was reliably estimated by a linear model. At 14–50 Hz, motoneuronal firing was led by surface-negative cortical activity with a constant time lag that depended on the cortical-muscular distance. For the APB muscle, the time lag was slightly shorter than the cortical-muscular conduction time determined by TMS. Vibratory stimulation (100 Hz) of a muscle tendon during tonic contraction had no significant effect on cortical-muscular coherence, indicating that cortical oscillation reflected motor rather than sensory activity. Conclusions : The present findings suggest temporal coding of the oscillatory motor control system (3–13 Hz vs. 14–50 Hz), and confirm the functional importance of cortical beta and gamma rhythms in the motor efferent command. Cortical-muscular synchronization is most likely mediated by the direct corticospinal pathway within the frequency range of 14–50 Hz.
Liberty, Authority, and the New Politics A Reconsideration

Many scholars have argued that political values in advanced democracies have significantly changed and specifically that the right and left have realigned along new value dimensions. Herbert Kitschelt is one of the principal proponents of this view, arguing that political conflict in mature democracies is increasingly organized around a right-authoritarian versus left-libertarian dimension. We reconsider this argument both theoretically and empirically. Our replication of Kitschelt’s analysis raises doubts about construct validity, as well as about his empirical results. Second, our analysis of survey data from the Euro-Barometer and World Values Surveys leads us to question the claim that the political left is libertarian and the right authoritarian. Third, we find no significant evidence that conservative partisans less enthusiastically embrace the most common forms of democratic participation than do those on the left. Finally, our analysis of the contents of their respective programs does not demonstr...
Activity-Based Protein Profiling in Vivo Using a Copper(I)-Catalyzed Azide-Alkyne [3 + 2] Cycloaddition

Toward the goal of assigning function to the tens of thousands of protein products encoded by eukaryotic and prokaryotic genomes, the field of proteomics requires new technologies that can functionally characterize proteins within the dynamic environment of the cell, where these biomolecules are subject to myriad posttranslational modifications and the actions of endogenous activators and inhibitors. Here, we report an advanced strategy for activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) that addresses this important need. We show that several enzymes can be labeled in an activity-based manner both in vitro and in vivo by an azido-sulfonate ester probe and that these labeling events can be detected in whole proteomes by copper-catalyzed ligation with a rhodamine-alkyne reagent. This click chemistry-based strategy for ABPP represents a unique and versatile method for functional proteome analysis.
Hepatitis C Virus and Cancers: How Strong Is the Relationship?

Non–liver-related malignancies are increasingly seen in patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Whether this phenomenon is related to the increasing prevalence of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) or to a direct causal role by HCV is unknown. Until recently, most of the evidence supporting the association between these cancers and HCV was based on small and heterogeneous epidemiologic studies. Recent studies addressing this issue are larger; however, they remain largely observational and have significant limitations. The precise mechanism by which HCV causes these malignancies is under investigation, but several studies demonstrated that antiviral therapy can reduce the risk of some malignancies and can increase tumor-free survival following successful tumor-directed therapy. Thus, the role of antiviral therapy for CHC could possibly be expanded to include treatment of certain subgroups of patients with the associated cancers if HCV is identified as a causative agent of these malignancies.
Partial regulatory T cell depletion prior to acute feline immunodeficiency virus infection does not alter disease pathogenesis.

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection in cats follows a disease course similar to HIV-1, including a short acute phase characterized by high viremia, and a prolonged asymptomatic phase characterized by low viremia and generalized immune dysfunction. CD4(+)CD25(hi)FoxP3(+) immunosuppressive regulatory T (Treg) cells have been implicated as a possible cause of immune dysfunction during FIV and HIV-1 infection, as they are capable of modulating virus-specific and inflammatory immune responses. Additionally, the immunosuppressive capacity of feline Treg cells has been shown to be increased during FIV infection. We have previously shown that transient in vivo Treg cell depletion during asymptomatic FIV infection reveals FIV-specific immune responses suppressed by Treg cells. In this study, we sought to determine the immunological influence of Treg cells during acute FIV infection. We asked whether Treg cell depletion prior to infection with the highly pathogenic molecular clone FIV-C36 in cats could alter FIV pathogenesis. We report here that partial Treg cell depletion prior to FIV infection does not significantly change provirus, viremia, or CD4(+) T cell levels in blood and lymphoid tissues during the acute phase of disease. The effects of anti-CD25 mAb treatment are truncated in cats acutely infected with FIV-C36 as compared to chronically infected cats or FIV-naive cats, as Treg cell levels were heightened in all treatment groups included in the study within two weeks post-FIV infection. Our findings suggest that the influence of Treg cell suppression during FIV pathogenesis is most prominent after Treg cells are activated in the environment of established FIV infection.
Optical heterodyne detected spectrograms of ultrafast nonresonant electronic responses

The dispersed optical heterodyne detected (OHD) birefringence and dichroism that result from the electronic response of nonresonant materials are described for a number of ultrafast pulse shapes. The OHD spectrograms that correspond to these dispersed instantaneous electronic responses display detuning oscillations along both the interpulse delay and the probe frequency dimensions. The frequency of these oscillations depends only on the detuning of the selected Fourier component of the probe pulse from the carrier frequency and the pulse shapes. This effect is demonstrated for Gaussian, sech2, and one-sided exponential probe pulses. For each of these pulse shapes the OHD spectrograms exhibit a characteristic dependence on detuning frequency. The effects of linear chirp on these OHD spectrograms are also considered. Experimentally observed nonresonant electronic spectrograms are compared with theory. These OHD spectrograms are also compared with the well-known frequency-resolved optical gating traces. Analysis of the OHD spectrograms may provide a more useful approach for the characterization of ultrafast pulses because of the phase-specific, amplitude level origin of these responses.
Tolerant (parallel) programming with F-nets and Software Cabling

In order to be truly portable, a program must be tolerant of a wide range of development and execution environments, and a parallel program is just one which must be tolerant of a very wide range. First, the term "tolerant programming" is defined. Then, a formal model called F-Nets is described in which parallel algorithms are expressed as folded partial-orderings of operations, and this is argued to provide a suitable framework for building tolerant programs. Finally, Software Cabling (SC), a very-high-level graphical programming language, demonstrates how many of the features normally expected from today's computer languages (e.g. data abstraction and data parallelism) can be obtained within the F-Net paradigm.
Internal colonialism: The case of Brittany

(1979). Internal colonialism: The case of Brittany. Ethnic and Racial Studies: Vol. 2, No. 3, pp. 275-292.
Simultaneous optical mapping of transmembrane potential and wall motion in isolated, perfused whole hearts

Optical mapping of cardiac propagation has traditionally been hampered by motion artifact, chiefly due to changes in photodetector-to-tissue registration as the heart moves. We have developed an optical mapping technique to simultaneously record electrical waves and mechanical contraction in isolated hearts. This allows removal of motion artifact from transmembrane potential (Vm) recordings without the use of electromechanical uncoupling agents and allows the interplay of electrical and mechanical events to be studied at the whole organ level. Hearts are stained with the voltage-sensitive dye di-4-ANEPPS and ring-shaped markers are attached to the epicardium. Fluorescence, elicited on alternate frames by 450 and 505 nm light-emitting diodes, is recorded at 700 frames/ per second by a camera fitted with a 605 ±25 nm emission filter. Marker positions are tracked in software. A signal, consisting of the temporally interlaced 450 and 505 nm fluorescence, is collected from the pixels enclosed by each moving ring. After deinterlacing, the 505 nm signal consists of Vm with motion artifact, while the 450 nm signal is minimally voltage-sensitive and contains primarily artifacts. The ratio of the two signals estimates Vm. Deformation of the tissue enclosed by each set of 3 rings is quantified using homogeneous finite
Integrated Optical Sensor in a Digital Microfluidic Platform

The advent of digital microfluidic lab-on-a-chip (LoC) technology offers a platform for developing diagnostic applications with the advantages of portability, increased automation, low-power consumption, compatibility with mass manufacturing, and high throughput. However, most digital microfluidic platforms incorporate limited optical capabilities (e.g., optical transmission) for integrated sensing, because more complex optical functions are difficult to integrate into the digital microfluidic platform. This follows since the sensor must be compatible with the hydrophobic surfaces on which electrowetting liquid transport occurs. With the emergence of heterogeneous photonic component integration technologies such as those described herein, the opportunity for integrating advanced photonic components has expanded considerably. Many diagnostic applications could benefit from the integration of more advanced miniaturized optical sensing technologies, such as index of refraction sensors (surface plasmon resonance sensors, microresonator sensors, etc.). The advent of these heterogeneous integration technologies, that enable the integration of thin-film semiconductor devices onto arbitrary host substrates, enables more complex optical functions, and in particular, planar optical systems, to be integrated into microfluidic systems. This paper presents an integrated optical sensor based upon the heterogeneous integration of an InGaAs-based thin-film photodetector with a digital microfluidic system. This demonstration of the heterogeneous integration and operation of an active optical thin-film device with a digital microfluidic system is the first step toward the heterogeneous integration of entire planar optical sensing systems on this platform.
Malignant somatostatinoma: clinical features and metabolic studies.

We describe the results of metabolic studies in a woman who exhibited the characteristic clinical and pathological features of a malignant somatostatinoma and who had, in addition, several novel manifestations of this syndrome: metastases to many organs other than the liver (including skin and bone), the presence of an immunoglobulin G K-type M-component, and marked hyperglycemia and ketonuria, necessitating insulin therapy. The M-component and the metastases to bone led to the erroneous diagnosis of multiple myeloma. The plasma level of somatostatin-like immunoreactivity (SLI) rose after therapy with streptozotocin and 5-fluorouracil and then fell toward the previous level. These changes were associated with variations in the hormonal responses to oral glucose and to iv arginine and with variations in hormone secretion and fuel flow during insulin withdrawal. When the SLI level rose, the immunoreactive insulin (IRI) response to oral glucose was reduced. Progressively higher basal SLI levels were associat...
Molecular responses of macrophages to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus infection

The detailed mechanism(s) by which porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) impairs alveolar Mo homeostasis and function remains to be elucidated. We used differential display reverse-transcription PCR (DDRT-PCR) to identify molecular genetic changes within PRRSV-infected Mo over a 24 h post infection period. From over 4000 DDRT-PCR amplicons examined, 19 porcine-derived DDRT-PCR products induced by PRRSV were identified and cloned. Northern blot analysis confirmed that four gene transcripts were induced during PRRSV infection. PRRSV attachment and penetration alone did not induce these gene transcripts. DNA sequence revealed that one PRRSV-induced expressed sequence tag (EST) encoded porcine Mx1, while the remaining 3 clones represented novel ESTs. A full-length cDNA clone for EST G3V16 was obtained from a porcine blood cDNA library. Sequence data suggests that it encodes an ubiquitin-specific protease (UBP) that regulates protein trafficking and degradation. In pigs infected in vivo, upregulated transcript levels were observed for Mx1 and Ubp in lung and tonsils, and for Mx1 in tracheobronchial lymph node (TBLN). These tissues correspond to sites for PRRSV persistence, suggesting that the Mx1 and Ubp genes may play important roles in clinical disease during PRRSV infection.
Multi-optimization power management for chip multiprocessors

The emergence of power as a first-class design constraint has fueled the proposal of a growing number of run-time power optimizations. Many of these optimizations trade-off power saving opportunity for a variable performance loss which depends on application characteristics and program phase. Furthermore, the potential benefits of these optimizations are sometimes non-additive, and it can be difficult to identify which combinations of these optimizations to apply. Trial-and-error approaches have been proposed to adaptively tune a processor. However, in a chip multiprocessor, the cost of individually configuring each core under a wide range of optimizations would be prohibitive under simple trial-and-error approaches. In this work, we introduce an adaptive, multi-optimization power saving strategy for multi-core power management. Specifically, we solve the problem of meeting a global chip-wide power budget through run-time adaptation of highly configurable processor cores. Our approach applies analytic modeling to reduce exploration time and decrease the reliance on trial-and-error methods. We also introduce risk evaluation to balance the benefit of various power saving optimizations versus the potential performance loss. Overall, we find that our approach can significantly reduce processor power consumption compared to alternative optimization strategies.
Acute hypoxia selectively inhibits KCNA5 channels in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells.

Acute hypoxia causes pulmonary vasoconstriction in part by inhibiting voltage-gated K+ (Kv) channel activity in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMC). The hypoxia-mediated decrease in Kv cur...
Low-power long-term implantable wireless telemetry for monitoring of physiological signals

In this study, we present a long term Implantable Medical Device (IMD) for continuous monitoring of physiological signals such as electrolytes, proteins, glucose, and temperature. The device consists of a small size dual band implantable antenna operating in Medical Implant Communications Service (MICS) (402 MHz–405 MHz) and Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) (2.4 GHz–2.48 GHz) bands with an interface circuit containing a transceiver, a microcontroller, and matching network components. In order to evaluate the transmission capability of the fabricated device, in vitro measurements are conducted using a tissue mimicking material and compared with in vivo measurements carried out in live porcine subjects. In vivo studies were performed over the course of two weeks to verify the proper functioning of the device. Results regarding the distance of the communication link between the device and base station and return loss of the implanted antenna are presented and discussed in detail.
Pediatric Liver Transplant Center Volume and the Likelihood of Transplantation

BACKGROUND: Low case volume has been associated with poorer surgical outcomes in a multitude of surgical procedures. We studied the association among low case volume, outcomes, and the likelihood of pediatric liver transplantation. METHODS: We studied a cohort of 6628 candidates listed in the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network for primary pediatric liver transplantation between 2002 and 2012; 4532 of the candidates went on to transplantation. Candidates were divided into groups according to the average volume of yearly transplants performed in the listing center over 10 years: >15, 10 to 15, 5 to 9, and RESULTS: 38.5% of the candidates were listed in low-volume centers, those in which CONCLUSIONS: 38.5% of pediatric transplant candidates are listed in low-volume transplant centers and have lower likelihood of transplantation and poorer outcomes. If further studies substantiated these findings, we would advocate consolidating pediatric liver transplantation in higher volume centers.
Stepping in the Right Direction.

Collectively, the articles published in this issue remind us of the advantages of studying a variety of types of relationships in a variety of cultural contexts. Although in the editor's preface to the last issue of Personal Relationships (Volume 16, Number 1), I discussed the importance to the field of the in-depth literature focused on romantic relationships, ultimately the further development of a literature describing how the variation in the structures, processes, and consequences of romantic, marital, sibling, parent-child, friend, and other types of close relationships will be necessary to advance the field. Without the development of a robust comparative literature, it will, for example, remain unknown whether hierarchical relationships such as those between parents and children involve different processes and lead to different consequences than ones where equality is more likely such as friendship, whether legally recognized romantic relationships such as heterosexual marriages differ systematically from those that exist without legally-binding contracts such as co-habiting heterosexual or homosexual couples, and whether relationships determined by blood ties such as those between siblings differ in significant ways from those that are generally more voluntary such as friendships. Yes, this issue includes some studies of romantic partners and married couples, but it also includes studies of close relationship partners (including spouses, friends, and family members), parent-child relationships, and social networks and therefore represents “a step in the right direction.”
Three-dimensional multiplanar ultrasound for fetal gender assignment: Value of the mid-sagittal plane

Objective To evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of fetal gender assignment from three-dimensional ultrasound (3D US) data at 10–24 weeks' gestation. Methods Three-dimensional ultrasound volume data on 47 fetuses were reviewed and divided into groups: 10–14, 15–18, and 19–24 weeks. Fetal genitalia were studied in axial and sagittal planes for gender assignment, using published criteria. The most valuable plane for assignment was noted. Gender assignment was compared with gender at birth. Results Gender assignment was possible in 44 of 47 fetuses; 25 assigned male and 19 female. Between 10 and 14 weeks the mid-sagittal plane alone was diagnostic for all fetuses. Accuracy of assignment between 11 and 14 weeks was 100%. Between 15 and 18 and 19 to 24 weeks, male assignment was 100% accurate. Female assignment was 100% accurate between 15 and 18 weeks. Accuracy decreased to 60% in the 19 to 24 week group, however, in two of the five cases in which gender was wrongly assigned to be male, the assignment was prospectively considered doubtful due to poor resolution of volume data. Excluding these two cases, accuracy for female assignment in the 19–24 week group was 100%. Conclusion Using 3D US, gender assignment was possible in 44 of 47 of fetuses, as early as 11 weeks' gestation. In early gestation, 11–14 weeks, accuracy of male and female gender assignment was 100%. Copyright © 2000 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology
A novel tissue for islet transplantation in diabetics

Abstract Background Islet transplantation for diabetes therapy has remained a challenge. None of the currently used transplantation sites have provided satisfactory results as islets seem to require a specific tissue for survival and growth. Since the submandibular gland (SMG) shares physiological and anatomical similarities with the pancreas, we attempted to use this tissue as the transplantation site. Methods In Experiment 1, a group of 10 female Syrian Golden hamsters’ (SGH) received isolated and purified homologous islets transplanted into their right SMG. In Experiment 2, 15 female SGH received islet transplant into their left SMG as above, except that the recipient hamsters were made diabetic by streptozotocin (STZ) before islet transplantation. In Experiment 3, isolated and purified human islets were transplanted into the SMG of 10 female hamsters. Results In 8 out of 10 hamsters in Experiment 1 the islets survived and showed the same morphological structure and endocrine cell content, as intrapancreatic islets and presented signs of rapid growth and distribution. Also, as in Experiment 1, well-established islets were present in Experiment 2. Ten of the 15 hamsters pretreated with STZ had blood glucose values between 96 and 125 mg/dl, whereas three hamsters remained hyperglycemic (glucose levels between 194 and 417 mg/dl). Remarkably, the islets in the pancreas of 10 STZ-treated hamsters with functioning SMG islets remained atrophic even after 12 weeks. In two hamsters transplanted islets showed degeneration and remained diabetic until their pancreatic islets regenerated. In Experiment 3, transplanted human islets were completely destroyed. Conclusions SMG appears to be the most suitable site for islet transplantation for the treatment of diabetes.
Restoration of astigmatism and curvature of field

With a linear, incoherent system model, the point-spread functions that describe imaging in the presence of astigmatism and curvature of field are space variant. These functions are derived and coordinate transformations are used to reduce significantly the dimensionality. For astigmatism, the general four-variable problem reduces to a family of identical two-dimensional space-variant problems. With both aberrations present, an additional space-invariant transform operation is required. Singular-value-decomposition techniques analogous to inverse Fourier filtering are used for pseudo-inverse solutions of the simplified equations.
The Transformation of Hunger Revisited: Reply

The higher calorie levels reported in Gazeley, Newell, Bezabith ( 2015 ) are a function of a conversion of food quantities to calories that is weighted towards contemporary, calorie-rich foods. Their conversion uses the full distribution of contemporary foods and should not be applied to historical populations. Since Gazeley, Newell, Bezabith assume that industrial workers in the past had access to contemporary foods, the revised calorie levels reflect contemporary diets rather than historical diets.
A factorization theorem for banded matrices

In this paper we prove a factorization theorem for strictly m-banded totally positive matrices. We show that such a matrix is a product of m one-banded matrices with positive entries. A bi-infinite matrix A =( Ai, i), - ca i, and Ai i_n,Ai i #O. These matrices arise quite freqiently in applications, and recently the; have been the subject of several independent investigations [2,3]. In this paper we prove a factorization theorem for strictly m-handed totally positive matrices. We show that such a matrix is a product of m one-banded matrices with positive entries. Let us begin by recalling that a matrix A is totally positive if and only if ull its minors are nonnegative:
Characterization of steroid receptors in human prostate using mibolerone

Accurate quantitation of androgen receptors requires a radioactive ligand which has affinity and specificity for the receptor and which is stable to metabolic enzymes. In this report, we have characterized the properties of 7 alpha,17 alpha-dimethyl-17 beta-hydroxy-4-estren-3-one (mibolerone) in human benign hyperplastic prostate cytosol and compared them to those of 17 beta-hydroxy-17 alpha-methyl-estra-4,9,11-trien-3-one (R1881). Mibolerone was found to have an affinity (Kd = 1.5 nM) greater than R1881. (Kd = 2.3 nM) for the androgen receptor in human prostate tissue. Surprisingly, mibolerone was found to bind with high affinity to the progesterone receptor in both human prostate (Kd = 5.9 nM) and rabbit uterus (Kd = 1.1 nM). However, binding to this receptor in both species could be blocked with a 500-fold excess of triamcinolone acetonide. [3H]Mibolerone binding to the androgen receptor was competed effectively with unlabeled dihydrotestosterone, R1881, and mibolerone but not by progesterone, diethylstilbestrol or R5020, in the presence of triamcinolone acetonide. Interestingly, mibolerone was more resistant to metabolism than R1881 in prostate cytosol when exposed to elevated temperatures (30 degrees C) for extended periods of time. However, when exposed to high-intensity ultraviolet irradiation, both compounds lost 50% of their binding ability in about 30 minutes. Mibolerone was found to have a very low affinity (Ki = 540 nM) for human sex steroid binding protein. These studies demonstrate that mibolerone is a useful ligand for androgen receptor assays. They also emphasize the need for including competitors of progesterone receptor binding in assays utilizing this steroid for androgen receptor measurements.
Introduction: Background and implications of the linear heat flow-heat production relationship

The discovery in the late 1960s of the linear heat flow-heat production relationship was a major advance in the understanding of the thermal structure of continents. However, although heat flow provinces have now been defined in all continents except Antarctica, the full implications of the relationship to deep thermal structure and the limitations of the relationship to applications in all terranes are not yet clear. In addition, despite major advances in the geochemical factors controlling the distribution of heat production in the crust, a geochemical rationale for the relationship is lacking. The relationship was originally interpreted in terms of one-dimensional models, but new two- and three-dimensional model studies suggest more complex interpretations in terms of lower crustal heat flow. Contributions to these problems in this special issue represent new observational, geochemical and modeling studies of the relationship and a renewed attempt to understand the thermal and geochemical implications of the relationship.
Medical professionalism and the clinical anatomist.

Medical professionalism has become an important issue for medical education and practice. The core attributes of professionalism derive from the roles and responsibilities of professions and from the nature of medicine as a healing profession. In medical education, most of the focus on professionalism has been directed to the clinical arena, yet it is critically important that the attributes of professionalism be manifested in basic science courses—especially anatomy—as well as in clinical experiences, because the transformation from medical student to physician begins at the outset of medical school. Throughout history, anatomists have exemplified many of the attributes and values of professionalism, and clinical anatomists today still have much to offer. Anatomy faculty have an important responsibility to nurture and exemplify professionalism. Clin. Anat. 19:393–402, 2006. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
An approach to natural language for document retrieval

Document retrieval systems have been restricted, by the nature of the task, to techniques that can be used with large numbers of documents and broad domains. The most effective techniques that have been developed are based on the statistics of word occurrences in text. In this paper, we describe an approach to using natural language processing (NLP) techniques for what is essentially a natural language problem - the comparison of a request text with the text of document titles and abstracts. The proposed NLP techniques are used to develop a request model based on “conceptual case frames” and to compare this model with the texts of candidate documents. The request model is also used to provide information to statistical search techniques that identify the candidate documents. As part of a preliminary evaluation of this approach, case frame representations of a set of requests from the CACM collection were constructed. Statistical searches carried out using dependency and relative importance information derived from the request models indicate that performance benefits can be obtained.
A monocyte and interferon based cell therapy for the treatment of ovarian cancer.

Meeting abstracts Ovarian cancer is the number one cause of death due to gynecological malignancies, and the fifth leading cause of death in cancer in women. While surgical debulking and chemotherapy cause an initial remission in disease, approximately 75% of patients will relapse. The relapse is
Monitoring of Dam Movements Using Laser Light

A description of two methods using laser equipment to monitor dam movements is given. The first method describes the use of a laser alinement instrument to detect movement of selected points preferably within galleries of concrete dams or other areas where atmospheric refraction changes are very small. The second method describes a trilateration technique using laser electronic distance measuring equipment, and a modeling procedure that greatly reduces the effects of dynamic atmospheric refraction on the accuracy of movement determination.
78 A Novel Teaching Model: Intubation in a Simulated Angioedema Airway Using a Fresh Frozen Cadaver

• These numbers can be expected to worsen with a difficult airway where the leading cause of difficult intubations, insufficient laryngoscopic view, contributes to morbidity and mortality.5-7 • Our most practical model came from the insufflation of air bilaterally near the sublingual glands. Using a 22 gauge spinal needle and a 60 cc syringe, we were able to easily cause realistic distention of the lips, tongue, and pharynx when we injected approximately 300ml of air. (Figure 2&3) Leaking still occurred, but re-insufflation was rapidly performed anytime deflation was detected, and the leaking did not fill the airways with liquid unlike our saline and model using air insu lation in a resh rozen cadaver. Our participants uniformly expressed positive impressions of both the fidelity and training quality of this model.
Factors influencing the perceived credibility of diet-nutrition information web sites

This study investigated the factors that influence the perceived credibility of web sites providing diet and nutrition information. Undergirded by the dual-processing models (i.e., Elaboration Likelihood Model and Heuristic Systematic Model), an online experiment (N?=?575) was conducted to examine how perceptions of online diet and nutrition information credibility are influenced by source expertise cues and message accuracy; the effects of prior knowledge and interest in the information also were assessed. Results showed that message accuracy increased perceived credibility of the web site regardless of the level of source expertise. However, source expertise had an important effect on website credibility perceptions among those who exhibited low prior knowledge. Finally, message accuracy had a greater impact on web site credibility among those who were highly involved in the issue compared to those who were less involved. The findings increase our understanding of the factors that impact individuals' processing of online diet and nutrition information and suggest elements practitioners should consider including to create the most effective online sources for diet and nutrition information. Dual-processing models explain the processing of online diet-nutrition information.Message accuracy has a greater effect on website credibility than source expertise.Prior knowledge moderates message and source cue effects on website credibility.Issue involvement matters with web site credibility when the message is accurate.
A phase II study of sunitinib on a continuous dosing schedule in patients (pts) with relapsed or refractory urothelial carcinoma (UC)

5072 Background: Suntinib has demonstrated activity in the second-line setting for pts with advanced UC when administered on a 4 week on/2 week off schedule. This study was designed to evaluate an ...
Statistical process control (SPC) implementation: a step–by–step program

Successful implementation of statistical process control, as a tool for total quality control, is a key step towards achieving continuous quality and productivity improvement systems in an organization. This paper describes a model for a systematic implementation of statistical process control, discusses the basic elements necessary for its success, and provides a feasible schedule for all required activities.
Molecular Dynamics Studies of the Melting and Freezing of CCl4 Clusters

Phase transitions in a 225-molecule cluster of carbon tetrachloride have been studied by molecular dynamics simulations. A 5-site model potential function was developed to reproduce the density and heat of vaporization of the bulk liquid. Computations began with molecules in a nearly spherical cluster distributed in an orientationally disordered fcc structure at 5 K. Clusters were heated to 200 K in 10 degree steps of 50 ps each, then cooled to 10 K. Translational and rotational transitions were followed by monitoring the translational and rotational diffusion and mean rotational entropies of individual molecules. Melting began at the surface and propagated inward as the temperature increased. Translational and rotational melting occurred together. The solidification of molten clusters upon cooling proceeded from the center to the surface. At the high cooling rates of the simulations, however, molecules were unable to organize into crystalline arrays and solidified into a glassy structure, instead. Despite this difference between melting and freezing, there was a striking similarity between the heating and cooling curves portraying the fraction of molecules in liquid-like motion at any temperature.
Acculturation or Assimilation: Mexican Immigrants in Kansas, 1900 to World War II

rom 1900 to 1930 Mexicans immigrated in large numbers to the United States.' In the early twentieth century, Mexico experienced change under the leadership of the dictator Porfirio Diaz. The traditional rural and neofeudalistic character of society gave way to modernization and the expansion of export agriculture. As railroads opened more land to potential profits from agricultural exports and as land and traditional farm work became more scarce, living and working conditions of peasants deteriorated. Peasants began to migrate to the urban centers of Mexico and the United States to find work. Two major depressions during the first decade of the twentieth century and the violence of the Mexican Revolution during the second exacerbated the situation in Mexico.2
Dopaminergic effects on in vitro osteogenesis

Multiple growth factors (e.g., BMP2, TGF-β1, FGF2) and isolated genes have been shown to improve osteoblastic proliferation and mineralization, advancing bone tissue engineering. Among these factors, both polydopamine (PDA) and dopamine (DA) monomer have recently been reported to increase osteoblast proliferation and mineralization in vitro. Although a well-characterized neurotransmitter, DA's role in the bone is unknown. We hypothesize that DA can directly act on osteoblasts, and examined whether osteoblasts express DA receptors that respond to exogenous DA. mRNAs and protein cell lysates were obtained from MC3T3-E1 cells during osteogenic differentiation phase. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis were used to examine the expression of DA receptors, D1-D5. Dose-response effect and time course of DA treatment on cell proliferation, mineralization, and osteogenic differentiation were investigated at pre-determined days. Real-time PCR was performed to investigate whether DA affects osteogenic gene expression (ALP, BSP, OC, OSX, RUNX2, and Collagen1a2) with or without receptor antagonists (SCH233390 and GR103691). Two-way ANOVA was used for statistical analysis. All five DA receptors (D1, D2, D3, D4, and D5) mRNAs and proteins were expressed in MC3T3-E1 cells. DA treatment increased cell proliferation for up to 7 days (P < 0.05). Osteogenic mineralization was significantly greater in the DA-treated group than control group (P < 0.05). Finally, expression of all the osteogenic genes was inhibited by DA receptor antagonists for D1, D3, and D5. Our findings suggest that MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts express functional DA receptors that enhance proliferation and mineralization. PDA is not biologically inert and has important implications in orthopedic applications. Furthermore, osteoblast differentiation might be regulated by the nervous system, presumably during bone development, remodeling, or repair.