cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Imaging of the Postoperative Spine

Imaging of the postoperative spine is common in everyday practice. Adequate interpretation requires detailed knowledge of the surgical procedure and clinical presentation, and good quality diagnostic imaging requires judicial imaging techniques and parameters. In this chapter, we will review different types of surgical techniques and imaging modalities commonly used. We will describe the imaging findings in early and delayed complications of failed back surgery syndrome. At the end of the chapter, we will present a problem-solving approach to common challenges in interpretation of certain clinical and radiologic conditions.
Power Quality and Stability in a Cluster of Microgrids with Coordinated Power and Energy Management

Distributed Energy Resources (DER) such as photovoltaic (PV) systems and battery energy storage systems (BESS) can be operated collectively as microgrids. Microgrids can be effective in meeting local load requirements as well as in improving the power quality and stability in a modern power distribution system. Multiple microgrids can also be operated in a coordinated manner as a cluster, to improve the resiliency of the power distribution system. In the event of an outage caused by a transmission system failure, the microgrids in a cluster can use their distributed generation capacity and energy storage resources to recover and extend power availability to the critical loads in the system. In this paper, an illustrative cluster of two microgrids based on the IEEE 13-bus model with DERs has been used, to demonstrate the operation of the concept using real-time simulations. Using real-time simulations, capabilities such as switching reconfiguration following faults, identification of optimal DER placement for effective power quality management, and power electronic controller validation have been demonstrated. For the two-microgrid cluster, this paper also presents improvements in load voltage quality and extension of service availability by shedding non-critical loads.
Pancreatic cancer driver mutations are targetable through distant alternative RNA splicing dependencies

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most common histological subtype of pancreatic cancer, has one of the highest case fatality rates of all known solid malignancies. Over the past decade, several landmark studies have established mutations in KRAS and TP53 as the predominant drivers of PDAC pathogenesis and therapeutic resistance, though treatment options for PDACs and other tumors with these mutations remain extremely limited. Hampered by late tumor discovery and diagnosis, clinicians are often faced with using aggressive and non-specific chemotherapies to treat advanced disease. Clinically meaningful responses to targeted therapy are often limited to the minority of patients with susceptible PDACs, and immunotherapies have routinely encountered roadblocks in effective activation of tumor-infiltrating immune cells. Alternative RNA splicing (ARS) has recently gained traction in the PDAC literature as a field from which we may better understand and treat complex mechanisms of PDAC initiation, progression, and therapeutic resistance. Here, we review PDAC pathogenesis as it relates to fundamental ARS biology, with an extension to implications for PDAC patient clinical management.
A refinement analysis of the shallow landslides susceptibility at regional scale supported by GIS-aided geo-database

Intense rainfall events often produce a great number of shallow landslides events, which in many cases can hits large areas or an entire regional territory. These slope instabilities cause damage t...
On Denumerable Bases of Formal Systems

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on denumerable bases of formal systems. A collection K of sets forms a base of a formal set theory. If a proposition for all sets x, Fx is true, then for every set a in the collection K, Fa is true. The collection K forms a denumerable base, if its members are enumerated. There are many different methods of enumeration. A number of powerful tools, including the Skolem functions, the axiom of choice, Hilbert's selection operator, and the Godel numbers, have been applied in the study of denumerable bases of formal systems. This chapter focuses on the applicability of these tools and investigates several questions closely related to denumerable bases, such as (1) the essence of quantifiers, (2) the limitations of formal systems, (3) unintended interpretations of formal systems, and (4) the concept of an arbitrary set or function. This chapter presents a review and synthesis of known results.
Optimal Adaptive Array and Angle Tracking for Multiple Targets - A Re-examination of Optimal Array Processing

The optimal array for detecting the signal from a desired direction but contaminated by receiver noise and strong interference from different sources with unknown arriving-angles is re-examined. The well-known optimal array is obtained by inverting the covariance matrix of interference and noise to maximize the signal to interference and noise ratio (SINR). In practice, the covariance matrix is unknown and has to be estimated by a sample covariance matrix. The optimal array is thus estimated by inverting the sample covariance matrix. This procedure has been employed in optimal array research without challenge. However, it is shown in this paper that the estimated optimal array fails to yield the highest SINR in the case of unknown arriving-angles. Instead the highest SINR can be achieved by optimally estimating the arriving-angles of interference followed by a constrained matched filter, which maximizes the signal to noise ratio subject to canceling the interference from the estimated arriving-angles. In order to reduce the computational burden, an angle-tracking system for multiple targets is adopted to achieve the optimal estimation of arriving-angles. The resulting system of angle-tracking adaptive array offers the highest SINR at a computational burden only on 2 the order of N middot M2 multiplications within a radar range-cellDeltatau, rather than N3 multiplications in the well-known but questionable estimated optimal array. Here N is the number of sensors in the array and M the number of interference sources. Typically, N = 1,000 in a planar radar array, M = 2-10 and Deltatau = 1 mus. Numerical simulations confirm the theoretical results
Affording to Wait: Medicare Initiation and the Use of Health Care

Delays in receipt of necessary diagnostic and therapeutic medical procedures related to the timing of Medicare initiation at age 65 years have potentially broad welfare implications. We use 2005-2007 data from Florida and North Carolina to estimate the effect of initiation of Medicare benefits on healthcare utilization across procedures that differ in urgency and coverage. In particular, we study trends in the use of elective procedures covered by Medicare to treat conditions that vary in symptoms; these are compared with elective surgical procedures not eligible for Medicare reimbursement, and to a set of urgent and emergent procedures. We find large discontinuities in health services utilization at age 65 years concentrated among low-urgency, Medicare-reimbursable procedures, most pronounced among screening interventions and treatments for minimally symptomatic disease.
STUDENTS’ L1 USE: A STUMBLING BLOCK OR A FACILITATOR IN L2 LEARNING?

This article explores Japanese university students' use of their first language (L1) in English discussion classes taught by two teachers who share the L1. First, the amount of L1 use in six observed classes was quantified by using a 20-second sampling procedure. Then, turns including Japanese words or phrases were identified and categorized based on various functions: (a) for scaffolded help; (b) for task control; (c) for social purposes; (d) as accidental reactions; (e) as responses to L1 use; and (f) as private speech. The amount of L1 use and its functions were examined in relation to teachers' attitudes toward an English-only policy, which is an institutional requirement. Data from observations and interviews indicated that in general, students were following the English-only rule, in particular, while engaged in Student-Student interactions. The data also revealed the variability in the amount of students' L1 use between the teachers, which ranged from 0% to 14.7%, and this difference seems to have resulted from a contrast in the teachers' interpretations of the language policy and their flexibility in dealing with students' L1 use. Consistent with the findings of previous studies, the L1 played cognitive and social roles in L2 learning, and was most frequently used for social purposes, that is to say, to establish a positive learning environment. Hence, the author argues that before prohibiting any use of L1, teachers should recognize the educational values that L1 holds and decide how much L1 should be accepted, depending on the purpose of the class and the needs of students.
Nothing Ordinary About It: The Mass Proper as Early Music Jigsaw Puzzle

arly music scholars Patrick Macey and Russell Murray, Jr. have pinpointed two common classroom challenges posed by music from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance: the vast cultural gulf separating these eras from contemporary students, and the question of how to teach musical and cultural continuities across such a large span of time.1 These challenges are particularly acute in the undergraduate music history survey, which is frequently students’ first sustained exposure to the discipline of musicology and, therefore, potentially their first critical and pervasive encounter with guiding musicological concepts such as historical context, aesthetic thought, musical style, and musical meaning.2 The solutions that Macey and Murray offer—helping students develop a rich context for understanding the total lived experience of early musicians and creating homemade anthologies that build bridges across generations and centuries—are creative, convincing, and practical. These effective solutions tend to focus on music’s
Neural influence on immune responses: underlying suppositions and basic principles of neural-immune signaling.

This chapter describes the work from the laboratories of D. Felten, S. Stevens, Bellinger, Madden, Livnat, ThyagaRajan, and associated colleagues, characterizing the potential role of sympathetic nerves and the transmitter norepinephrine to modulate immune responses relevant to disease. Noradrenergic (NA) sympathetic nerve fibers innervate the vasculature and parenchyma of both primary lymphoid organs (bone marrow, thymus) and secondary lymphoid organs (spleen, lymph nodes). These nerve fibers arborize into specific compartments of lymphoid organs (e.g. periarteriolar lymphatic sheath and marginal sinudzone of the splenic white pulp, and the medullary cords and cortex/paracortex of lymph nodes), and end in close proximity (as close as 6 nm) to a variety of target cells of the immune system, including macrophages, T lymphocytes (CD4+ and CD8 +), granulocytes, and NK cells. Many subsets of these same cells express selective receptor subtypes for catecholamines and for many neuropeptides, permitting direct signaling. Many neuropeptide-containing nerve fibers (e.g. substance P, calcitonin G-related peptide, vasoactive intestinal peptide) also arborize in the parenchyma of lymphoid organs, separate from the NA nerve fibers. In addition, neuropeptide Y is colocalized in most, but not all, of the NA nerve fibers in lymphoid organs. Sympathetic nerves and their principal neurotransmitter, NE, can influence: (a) basic immune cell functions, such as proliferation, differentiation, cytokine production, and cell trafficking; (b) acquired immune responses (cell mediated and humoral); (c) autoimmune reactivity in susceptible strains; (d) some functional parameters of immunosenescence; and (e) responses to challenge with some tumors, such as DMBA-induced mammary tumors.
Subtilisin BPN' III. ISOLATION AND SEQUENCE OF 10 PEPTIDES FROM THE TRYPTIC DIGEST

The diisopropylphosphoryl- derivative of subtilisin BPN' was denatured and digested with trypsin. The tryptic digest was resolved on Dowex 50-X2, and 10 peptides were obtained in pure form. The sequences of these peptides account for 178 of the 280 residues of the protein. The amino-terminal and carboxyl-terminal peptides were identified.
Model-based halftoning for color image segmentation

Grouping algorithms based on histograms over measured image features have very successfully been applied to textured image segmentation. However, the competing goals of statistical estimation significance demanding few quantization levels versus the necessary richness in representation often prevent a successful application for the color cue, since quantization may result in contouring. We combine a halftoning technique called spatial quantization with distribution-based grouping algorithms to synthesize a powerful color image segmentation technique. The spatial quantization simultaneously determines color palette and halftoning by optimization of a joint cost function. It therefore allows for a highly adapted image representation with a smooth transition of color distributions for non-constant image surfaces.
Logic and Set Theory

The goal in this first section is to become acquainted with logical notation and most of the axioms of Zermelo—Fraenkel set theory. We will also show how a few very important mathematical objects such as functions and relations can be formed from sets. Just as we have chosen to build mathematics using set theory, we will build set theory using logic.
Waitlist Priority for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Beyond Milan Criteria: A Potentially Appropriate Decision Without a Structured Approach

Due to the risk of waitlist dropout from tumor progression, liver transplant candidates with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) within Milan criteria (MC) receive standardized exception points. An expansion of this process to candidates with HCC beyond MC has been proposed, though it remains controversial. This study sought to better define the utilization of exception points in candidates with HCC beyond MC and the associated outcomes. We reviewed all nonstandardized HCC applications that underwent formal regional review board evaluation between January 1, 2005 and March 2, 2011; 2184 initial HCC exception point applications were submitted. Of these, 41.9% fulfilled MC, 26.6% fulfilled University of California-San Francisco (UCSF) criteria and 17.6% exceeded UCSF criteria. The majority of applications were accepted: 89.8% within UCSF and 71.2% beyond UCSF. There was a significantly (p < 0.001) higher risk of death on the waitlist or within 90 days of waitlist removal for candidates within UCSF (12.4%) or beyond UCSF (13.0%) criteria, compared to candidates with HCC within MC (6.0%). However, posttransplant outcomes were similar. While these results suggest increasing access to candidates with HCC beyond MC, comprehensive documentation of tumor characteristics and of successful downstaging is needed to ensure priority is restricted to those with the highest likelihood of favorable posttransplant outcome.
Acid phosphatase content of prostatic exprimate from patients with advanced prostatic carcinoma: A potential prognostic and therapeutic index

Prostatic exprimate acid phosphatase content was measured in patients with advanced prostatic carcinoma (stages III and IV). Enzyme levels were compared with values found in normal subjects and in patients with other chronic illnesses. The acid phosphatase concentration was significantly lower in patients with prostatic carcinoma than in other age-matched groups. Hypoandrogenicity could not account for the decreased acid phosphatase levels, since in some patients with low levels plasma testosterone concentration was normal. The low acid phosphatase content of prostatic fluid, together with histochemical reports of decreased amounts of this enzyme in prostatic malignancies, suggest that many of these tumors have a diminished capacity to synthesize this enzyme. Measurement of exprimate acid phosphatase may be an additional index of value in the classification of prostatic malignancies. The responsiveness of exprimate acid phosphatase to sex steroid administration (androgens raising and estrogens lowering) suggests that this measurement also may be useful in prognosis and evaluation of therapy.
Quantity discounts based on the previous order in a two-period inventory model with demand uncertainty

We examine quantity discount contracts between a manufacturer and a retailer in a stochastic, two-period inventory model. The retailer places an order in each of the two periods to meet stochastic demands. The manufacturer gives the retailer a price discount on purchases in the second period in excess of the first-period order quantity (incremental QDP) or a price discount for all units ordered in the second period if the retailer orders more in the second period than in the first period (all-units QDP). We show that the retailer's optimal ordering decision in the second period depends on the sum of initial inventory and previous order quantity. Our computational study suggests that the QDP contract induces the retailer to buy more in the second period but less in the first period, while the increase of the total order quantity may not be significant; and that it increases the manufacturer's profit only when the wholesale margin is large relative to the retail margin.
Seeking greener pastures: a theoretical and empirical investigation into the changing trend of foreign direct investment flows in response to institutional and strategic factors

Abstract A generic theoretical model is proposed that provides a holistic conceptualization of the phenomenon of changing trend of FDI flows. Integrating both institutional and strategic factors, a rationale for such a change is provided, and the circumstances under which future shifts might take place are identified. A collection of criteria and incentives that various host governments and their agencies must provide to attract FDI are outlined. Several propositions that lead to empirically testable hypotheses are developed from this model. Statistical evidence is then provided of a shift in FDI flows, and the change in their determinants, by empirically analyzing investment by US multinational enterprises into Western Europe and Asia over the 20-year period, 1981–2000.
Only the right people are strategic assets of the firm

Purpose – In service‐based industries employees are in direct contact with customers, either personally or electronically, completing transactions that are part tangible and part experiential. In such industries, people have become integral to the value proposition. This paper aims to investigate this issue.Design/methodology/approach – Case examples show how innovative service providers are learning to reconsider their service delivery employees as critical contributors to the value of the firm's offering. The paper focuses on two key questions: Is there a way to tell how people in a service firm are viewed and managed as strategic assets? How can they become strategic assets if they currently aren't?Findings – To make people strategic assets of the firm: Criteria for selection and retention of people must be consistent with company values. Performance management must be linked through measurement to the firm's strategic goals.Originality/value – The paper shows how in today's service‐based companies, em...
A Composite Scheme for Gas Dynamics in Lagrangian Coordinates

One cycle of a composite finite difference scheme is defined as several time steps of an oscillatory scheme such as Lax?Wendroff followed by one step of a diffusive scheme such as Lax?Friedrichs. We apply this idea to gas dynamics in Lagrangian coordinates. We show numerical results in two dimensions for Noh's infinite strength shock problem and the Sedov blast wave problem, and for several one-dimensional problems including a Riemann problem with a contact discontinuity. For Noh's problem the composite scheme produces a better result than that obtained with a more conventional Lagrangian code.
Elastic analysis of laterally loaded pile in multi-layered soil

An analysis is developed to determine the response of laterally loaded piles in layered elastic media. The differential equations governing pile deflections in different layers due to a concentrated static force and/or moment acting at the pile head are obtained using the principle of minimum potential energy and calculus of variations. The differential equations are solved analytically using the method of initial parameters. Pile deflection, slope of the deformed axis of the pile, bending moment and shear force can be reliably obtained by this method for the entire pile length. The input parameters needed for the analysis are the pile geometry and the elastic constants of the soil and pile. It is observed that soil layering has a definite impact on pile response and must be taken into account for proper analysis and design. The analysis forms the basis for future formulations that can consider stress–strain nonlinearity.
Evolving and Emerging Applications of Power Electronics in Systems

The continuing trend toward greater electrification and control of functions in consumer, commercial, industrial, transportation, and even medical applications promises a dynamic and increasingly important role for power electronics. The growing penetration of power electronics in energy systems is driven by new materials such as SiC and GaN, as well as new packaging technologies which allow the physical integration of electronics with powered and controlled devices such as motors. Advances in very high-frequency conversion led by the application of SiC and GaN devices promises to make converter-on-a-chip technology possible, but concurrent advances in passive component technology are necessary. The principal challenge to application penetration remains cost reduction.
The effect of miracil D upon the template properties of polynucleotides for a bacterial RNA polymerase

Abstract Miracil D inhibits the template properties of both polydeoxy- and polyribonucleotides for Micrococcus luteus RNA polymerase. The inhibition is greatest for those polynucleotides containing deoxyribose and adenine. The presence of a second polymer strand has a variable effect on this inhibition depending on the nature of the template.
Gastric lesions and feeding: effects of food and water deprivation and metiamide

Abstract Rats deprived of food and water for periods up to 96 hrs. developed increasingly severe gastric lesions solely in the glandular portion of the stomach. Lesion formation was prevented by the administration of Metiamide. After deprivation, rats were fed and no difference in food consumption between saline and drug groups was observed at any deprivation level. Metiamide did not affect food consumption in rats maintained on ad lib feeding.
Enhancing knot security by heat treatment of knot ears.

Heat treatment of the ears of knotted sutures markedly enhances knot security. Using coated polyester sutures commonly used in arthroscopic surgery, heat treatment of the knot ears allows secure knot construction to be achieved with a two throw granny (1 × 1) or square (1 = 1) knot. A heat source is being designed for secure knot construction in arthroscopic surgery. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res (Appl Biomater) 48: 479–481, 1999
The Prevalence of HIV Among Substance-Abusing African-American Women: A Qualitative Investigation

ABSTRACT Substance abuse and its influence on HIV risk affects African American women at increasingly alarming rates. African American women represent the fastest growing segment of the population of individuals who are infected with HIV in the United States. The underlying purpose of this article is to describe the process of how life situations and events relating to illicit drug use influences HIV risk in African American women who reside in an inner-city neighborhood in a metropolitan U.S. city. The basic contextual factors that influence the risk for drug use, along with other social and contextual factors that make women vulnerable for HIV infection are discussed. Finally, the need for more integrated and holistic approaches to interventions are discussed which would aid practitioners in meeting the needs of this population.
Progressive neuropathologic lesions in vitamin E-deficient rhesus monkeys.

A consistent group of progressive central and peripheral nervous system lesions developed in seven rhesus monkeys maintained on a vitamin E-deficient diet for 30 to 33 months. These lesions were absent from vitamin E-supplemented monkeys. The principal neuropathologic alteration was loss of sensory axons in the posterior columns, sensory roots, and peripheral nerves. Morphologic and morphometric studies indicated that the distal segments of the axons were affected most severely and large-caliber myelinated fibers are selectively involved. Swollen, dystrophic axons (spheroids) occurred infrequently. Degeneration and phagocytosis of small numbers of neuronal perikarya were observed in the dorsal root ganglia and the anterior horns. The number of affected neurons was not proportional to the number of affected axons. Accumulation of lipopigment was evident in neuronal perikarya and CNS endothelial cells. The nervous system lesions were usually accompanied by a chronic necrotizing myopathy. The neuropathologic lesions in vitamin E-deficient monkeys are compared with those in vitamin E-deficient rats and in humans with low serum vitamin E concentrations. A similar type of sensory axonopathy is associated with chronic deficiency of vitamin E in these three species.
Epoxidized soybean oil as a potential source of high-temperature lubricants

Development and application of biocompatible lubricants are increasing daily as a result of stringent regulations imposed on mineral oil-based lubricants with their non-biodegradable toxic wastes. Before consumer acceptance of vegetable oil-based lubricants, they must overcome certain poor performance characteristics such as thermal and oxidative instabilities. This work demonstrates the improved performance of epoxidized soybean oil (ESBO) over soybean oil (SBO) and genetically modified high oleic soybean oil (HOSBO) in certain high temperature lubricant application. We validated the thermal and deposit forming tendencies of these oils using micro-oxidation and differential scanning calorimetry in conjunction with identification of oxidized products by infrared spectroscopy and also discussed the function of a phenolic antioxidant in these oils. Boundary lubrication properties under high load and low speed were determined and the variations explained based on the structural differences of these vegetable oils.
Congenital Pits of the Optic Nerve Head: II. Clinical Studies in Humans

Abstract The clinical characteristics of 75 eyes with congenital pits of the optic nerve head were reviewed, particularly in relation to associated serous retinal detachment. Retinal detachment was found in 52% of all eyes with pits and 63% of eyes with temporally located pits. Of 20 untreated eyes with a pit and coexistent macular retinal detachment followed for more than one year, 55% (11/20) had visual acuity 6130 and 75% (15/20) had subretinal fluid at the most recent visit. Visual fields and intravenous fluorescein angiographic characteristics of pits are discussed and clinical evidence is presented supporting the theory that the associated subretinal fluid is derived from liquified vitreous.
Preferences, Partisanship, and Whip Activity in the U.S. House of Representatives

Using Democratic whip counts from the 92d House, we compare representatives' stated intentions to their actual roll-call votes to detect evidence of party pressure. After arguing that this strategy understates real party influence, we nonetheless point to evidence of member conversion by party leaders. On 16 bills analyzed, two-thirds of the switches between the count and the vote occur in the direction favored by party leaders. We examine one bill in depth, showing how the efforts of party leaders were consequential to the outcome. The pattern of movement on this bill, along with data from the larger set of bills, provides evidence that leaders act strategically, targeting the members whose persuasion requires the fewest resources.
Family History and Risk of Colorectal Cancer in the Multiethnic Population of Hawaii

Increased risk of colorectal cancer in individuals with family history of the disease has been observed consistently in past studies. However, limited attention has been given to the influence of ethnicity, the characteristics of the proband's tumor, and kinship. A population-based case-control study was conducted between 1987 and 1991 in Hawaii among 1,192 incident colorectal cancer cases and 1,192 sex-, age-, and ethnicity-matched population controls. The study identified 7,673 relatives for the cases and 7,823 relatives for the controls. With an estimating equation-based regression method, relatives of cases were found to have a 2.5-fold increased risk of colorectal cancer compared with relatives of controls (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.8-3.4) after adjustment for covariates. This increase in risk was greater for Japanese (odds ratio (OR) = 3.0, 95% CI 1.7-5.4) than Caucasians (OR = 1.8, 95% CI 1.2-2.9), for siblings (OR = 3.1, 95% CI 2.1-4.6) than parents (OR = 2.0, 95% CI 1.1-3.1), and when the index patient was diagnosed before the age of 55 years (OR = 4.1, 95% CI 2.1-8.0) with multiple tumors (OR = 9.5, 95% CI 4.4-20.6), with a distant stage (OR = 4.6, 95% CI 2.7-7.8), or with cancer of the right colon (OR = 3.0, 95% CI 2.0-4.4) or the rectum (OR = 3.0, 95% CI 1.8-4.8). The increase in risk was not affected by the relative's sex. Relatives of cases were not at increased risk for other common cancers. It is estimated that approximately 11.1 % and 6.5% of colorectal cancers are attributable to a first degree family history of the disease for Japanese and Caucasians, respectively. These data and those of previous studies strongly suggest that individuals with a family history of colorectal cancer in a first degree relative are at increased risk for the disease and should receive regular diagnostic screening. Characteristics of the index case, such as age and stage at diagnosis, subsite and number of tumors, and race, as well as kinship, may be important in assessing the colorectal cancer risk of a relative.
Customizable domain-specific computing

In order to meet ever-increasing computing needs and overcome power density limitations, the computing industry has halted simple processor frequency scaling and entered the era of parallelization, with tens to hundreds of computing cores integrated in a single processor, and hundreds to thousands of computing servers connected in a warehouse-scale data center. However, such highly parallel, general-purpose computing systems still face serious challenges in terms of performance, power, heat dissipation, space, and cost. In this talk, I suggest that we look beyond parallelization and focus on domain-specific customization as the next opportunity to bring orders-of-magnitude power-performance efficiency improvement to important classes of applications. This challenge requires a great deal of innovation in architecture, compilation, and runtime system design, and offers many exciting and challenging research opportunities. I shall highlight some promising developments in direction so far and discuss various opportunities for the FPL research community.
Ethical Issues in Professionals' Response to Child Maltreatment:

Many ethical dilemmas confront professionals in the field of child maltreatment. These include (a) moving from a minimal standard of what is adequate to a higher standard of good care; (b) weighing...
ATM deficiency augments constitutively nuclear cyclin D1-driven genomic instability and lymphomagenesis

ATM deficiency augments constitutively nuclear cyclin D1-driven genomic instability and lymphomagenesis
Sensitive period for lesion-induced reorganization of intracortical projections within the vibrissae representation of rat's primary somatosensory cortex.

Previous experiments from this laboratory demonstrated that intracortical connections in lamina IV of the rat primary somatosensory cortex (SI) are most dense outside the patches of cytochrome oxidase (CO) staining that correspond to the mystacial vibrissae. This pattern of intracortical connections becomes apparent on postnatal day 4 (P-4), at least 2 days after the appearance of the vibrissae-related pattern of thalamocortical afferents. Transection of the infraorbital nerve (ION) on the day of birth (P-0) disrupts both the CO and intracortical projection patterns. This series of experiments was undertaken to determine whether the patterning of either thalamocortical afferents or intracortical projections defines the end of the period over which peripheral damage can alter intracortical projections in lamina IV of SI. The infraorbital nerve (ION) was transected in different cohorts of rats on P-1 through P-5, and animals were allowed to survive ≥45 days, at which time biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) injections were made into the SI. After 7 days, animals were killed, and alternate cortical sections were processed for the demonstration of BDA or CO. Transection of the ION on P-1 or P-2 altered the patterning of both CO and intracortical connections in the SI. In contrast, cutting the ION on P-3 left the pattern of CO densities in the SI intact, but significantly altered the patterning of intracortical connections. Transection of the nerve on P-5 resulted in qualitatively and quantitatively normal patterns of both CO densities and BDA-labelled intracortical projections. These results indicate that the establishment of a stable barrel pattern in layer IV of the SI is not sufficient for normal adult patterning of intracortical projections in this lamina. However, once the mature pattern of intracortical projections in layer IV is established, ION lesions can no longer alter it. J. Comp. Neurol. 389:185–192, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Basis Set and Correlation Effects on Computed Lithium Ion Affinities

Ab initio calculations have been performed to investigate the basis set and correlation energy dependence of computed lithium ion affinities of a series of first- and second-row neutral bases (NH3, H2O, HF, HCN, CO, PH3, H2S, HCl) and of the corresponding anions which result from the loss of H+. The basis set dependence was evaluated at fourth-order many-body Moller−Plesset perturbation theory [MBPT(4) = MP4], using the Dunning correlation-consistent polarized split-valence basis sets (cc-pVXZ, where X = D for double, T for triple, and Q for quadruple split) and these sets augmented with diffuse functions on atoms other than H and Li (aug‘-cc-pVXZ). The presence of diffuse functions in the basis set lowers computed Li+ affinities and reduces the basis set superposition error. Computed aug‘-cc-pVXZ Li+ affinities converge with increasing basis set size, with satisfactory convergence occurring at aug‘-cc-pVTZ. Comparison with CCSD(T) results indicates that the Moller−Plesset expansion appears to be convergi...
Dihedral Effect of a Flexible Wing

The dihedral effect of a flexible wing is considered as a critical aeroelastic problem because of the importance of dihedral in determining lateral-directional dynamic stability and the large changes in dihedral that result from symmetrical wing bending during longitudinal maneuvers that approach limit load factor. Some recently declassified experimental data of the rolling moment caused by sideslip measured at low speed on an aeroelastic model of the Douglas XA3D-1 airplane are presented. A review of some early simplified methods of analysis is made, and the correlation of one of the methods with the experimental results is shown. Finally, the problem of estimating wing dihedral effect is reformulated in terms of structural and aerodynamic influence coefficients in order to utilize recent advances in lifting surface theory. The experimental data and other examples cited indicate that the aeroelastic change in dihedral effect at limit load factor can equal the value measured on rigid models.
An archaeological odyssey

Binford, Lewis R. Working at Archaeology. New York: Academic Press, 1983. xix + 463 pp. including references and index. $29.50 cloth.
Reduction of student's exam grade performance when spending more time in an exam

Aims: This study aims to establish the correlation between the duration to finish an exam and the student’s exam performance quantitatively. The goal is to determine statistically whether spending more time in an exam can improve the exam grade performance. Study Design: An advanced senior level undergraduate neuropsychopharmacology course and an introductory freshman level biology course were selected in this study to compare the student’s exam performance with respect to the sequential time order of the exam completion. Both courses had similar number of questions (50 multiple-choice questions) in the exams and similar enrollment size (>100 students), so comparison of the exam performance can be made.
Is Closure of Open Skin Wounds in Rats Accelerated by Argon Laser Exposure

The influence of linearly polarized argon laser irradiation (lambda = 488 nm and 514.5 nm) on the closure time of standardized open skin wounds was measured in rats. In two separate controlled experiments no acceleration of wound closure by laser irradiation was observed. In the first experiment the wounds were cleaned during the laser treatment period at 1 J/cm2. The second experiment at 4 J/cm2 was without mechanical wound cleaning. The contradictory results reported in the literature and possible influences of wavelength, energy density, and power density are discussed.
Application and Integration of Lattice Data Analysis, Network K-Functions, and Geographic Information System Software to Study Ice-Related Crashes

Advances in geographic information system (GIS) software and exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) techniques give transportation safety engineers tools to observe and analyze safety-related data from a new perspective. This research takes the use of GIS software and ESDA techniques one step further by incorporating advanced statistical techniques for a more thorough and complex analysis of safety data. This is achieved by implementing a network-constrained cross K-function to analyze the relationship between bridges and the occurrences of ice-related crashes within a county. The counties in Wisconsin included in the analysis were selected through the use of the local Moran's I statistic; this statistic allows for the selection of counties within the same geographical area, which have similar parameters (in this case, ice-related crash rates). The objective of this research is to explore the relationship between ice-related crashes and bridges in counties that display similar ice-related crash rates, t...
An improved dual porosity model for chemical transport in macroporous soils

Abstract The often observed processes involved in preferential water flow and chemical transport in porous media appear to be realistically described using a dual-continuum (dual-porosity) approach. In this approach, the porous medium is conceptualized as two coexistent continua, one representing the bulk matrix and the other the macropore region. Fluid and solute mass transfer between the two regions in the conceptual model occurs under pressure and concentration gradients. However, oscillatory behavior (overshoot problems in the macropore region) of the transport equation was observed for high values of the advective solute flux relative to the diffusive solute flux between the two regions. To circumvent this oscillatory behavior, the fluid coupling term in the transport equations was treated as an element-averaged, rather than a nodal property. The model was extended to two space dimensions for evaluating the impact of agricultural practices on solute leaching. A linear kinetic sorption module in the transport equations and a simple plant root extraction routine in the flow equations were also added. Although the simulation results show promise, additional work will be needed to determine realistic model parameter values.
Review Article: Pediatric Neurosonography

Neurosonography is an excellent modality for imaging a wide array of intracranial pathology in the infant and newborn. Neurosonography is also finding increasing use in other accessible regions of the central nervous system, including the adult brain during craniotomy and the spine during laminectomy. Sonography represents the primary modality for the evaluation of the preterm brain. Because of the high incidence of pathology in gestationally immature neonates, screening sonography is required in every infant. The sonographic features of intracranial hemorrhage include areas of increased echogenicity in the region of the germinal matrix, within the ventricles, or in the surrounding cerebral parenchyma. Careful follow-up of these children for sometimes severe posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus is essential. Premature neonates are also at risk for ischemic disease, particularly periventricular leukomalacia, which is accurately diagnosed sonographically and implies a poor prognosis in almost every infant so affec...
Frequently relapsing nephrotic syndrome: treatment with mycophenolate mofetil

Long-term treatment with cyclosporin A (CyA) of children with frequently relapsing steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS) carries the risk of nephrotoxicity. We have analyzed renal function in 23 children with SSNS during CyA therapy. Repeated measurements of glomerular filtration rate (single-shot 51Cr-EDTA clearance) showed a decline from 131±21 ml/min per 1.73 m2 to 116±27 ml/min per 1.73 m2 at last follow-up. Similarly, effective renal plasma flow (simultaneous 123I-hippurate clearance) was correlated with duration of CyA treatment, and showed a decline from 980±318 ml/min per 1.73 m2 to 724±242 ml/min per 1.73 m2. In a pilot study we investigated the effect of mycofenolate mofetil (MMF) in 7 children with a median age of 12.7 years [6 with minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS), 1 with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS)] with signs of nephrotoxicity because of long-term CyA therapy. Only 1 patient with SSNS showed a relapse during MMF therapy. In the patient with FSGS, MMF was started in addition to CyA, resulting in complete remission for a follow-up of 28 months. This preliminary study demonstrates that children with MCNS treated with CyA may be successfully converted to MMF without major side effects. In all cases, including FSGS, MMF had a beneficial effect on renal function. These data should be confirmed by a prospective randomized clinical trial.
Flavor and oxidative stability of hydrogenated and unhydrogenated soybean oils: Effects of antioxidants

Flavor and oxidative stabilities were studied by organoleptic evaluation and chemical analysis of three different samples of soybean oil: unhydrogented (I); hydrogenated with nickel catalyst (II); and hydrogenated with copper-chromium catalyst (III). Analyses for these oils were: I II III iodine Value 138 109 113 Linolenate, % 8.3 3.3 0.4 Each oil was deodorized with the addition of either citric acid alone or citric acid plus BHA and BHT antioxidants. Addition of antioxidants did not improve the flavor stabilities of the oils in accelerated storage tests but did improve the flavor stabilities of II and III in light exposure tests. All three oils that received the same additive treatment had equivalent flavor stability in both accelerated storage and light exposure tests. However, both hydrogenation and antioxidant treatment improved oxidative stability as measured by the Active Oxygen Method. There was good correlation between flavor score and the logarithm of the peroxide value determined at the time of tasting.
1633 RENAL HANDLING OF CALCIUM IN THE EARLY NEWBORN PERIOD

28 male, clinically well preterm and full term infants with an Apgar score >7 at 5 min. were studied. The purpose was to determine whether an impaired renal conservation of calcium(Ca) exists; the relationship of urinary Ca excretion to Ca intake and serum Ca levels; and the relationship of urinary Ca excretion to sodium(Na) intake and urinary Na excretion. Timed urine specimens were collected between 24 and 48 hrs. of age for Ca, phosphate(P), Na, creatinine(cr), and cyclic AMP (cAMP); blood was drawn at the end of the urine collection period for cr, Ca, P, and Na. Ca was measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry, P by the method of Fiske and Subbarow, Na by flame photometry, and cAMP by radioimmunoassay. Urinary Ca excretion is positively correlated to gestational age(G.A.) (r=0.583, p 2.5% for Na. Serum Ca levels are positively correlated to G.A. (r=0.803, p<.001) and serum P levels (r=0.85, p<.001). In conclusion: In the well newborn infant, l)there is no impaired conservation of Ca ≤32 wks. G.A. as for Na, 2) neither Na nor Ca intake appears to effect urinary Ca excretion, and 3) probably neither excess urinary excretion of Ca nor serum P levels should contribute to early neonatal hypocalcemia.
Rare association of thymoma, myasthenia gravis and sarcoidosis : a case report.

Introduction The association of thymoma with myasthenia gravis (MG) is well known. Thymoma with sarcoidosis however, is very rare. We presented an interesting case with coexisting thymoma, MG and sarcoidosis.
Reconstitution of the spinal cord after ablation in adult Triturus.

Abstract After ablation of 2–4 mm of spinal cord in the postbrachial region of adult Triturus viridescens and T. pyrrhogaster , studies have been made on the mechanics of reconstitution of the cord and the return of locomotory activities posterior to the ablation level. Cinematographic records, as well as direct observations, have been used in studies on locomotion. The average time for appearance of attempts to swim was 76 days post-ablation; successful swimming occurred at an average of 89 days. Normal swimming strength was never completely regained in adult Triturus , as it was in earlier studies on larval Ambystoma . Reconstitution of the spinal cord is initiated by healing at each transection surface, followed shortly by dilation of the central canal to form an elongated terminal vesicle. Numbers of nerve fibers growing out from the wall of each terminal vesicle ultimately unite with the wall of the opposite vesicle to establish nerve fiber bridges. In many cases, perhaps in most, fiber bridges are oriented in a direct course across the ablation gap. In other instances, one or more nerve fiber bridges occupy aberrent positions well outside the limits of the ablation gap and vertebral canal. Regardless of their number or positions, nerve fiber bridges eventually form functional longitudinal tracts of the reconstituted white matter of the spinal cord. Studies of serial sections, including counts of total cell numbers and mitotic figures at various levels, indicate that repopulation of the ablation gap by neurons, and the consequent reconstitution of the gray matter, appears to be the result of both cell migration and cell proliferation. The types of migratory activities which appear to be involved are discussed.
Alternative public service delivery mechanisms in Iran

Abstract This paper pursues two related goals. First, it develops a framework for examining the fit between a country's political and institutional circumstances and the mechanisms for delivering public services. Second, the paper applies the framework to the case of Iran and shows that it is operational and promising. Analyzing the match between service delivery arrangements and the economic and institutional characteristics of the country is important because the arrangements that are successful in some countries do not seem to do well in some countries. The case study of Iran sheds light on how an important set of public foundations engaged in welfare services operate in the country and how they compare with NGOs and standard government bureaus active in the same areas.