cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Laminectomy Versus Corpectomy for Spinal Metastatic Disease—Complications, Costs, and Quality Outcomes

Background The landmark Patchell trial established surgical decompression followed by adjuvant radiotherapy as standard-of-care for patients with spinal cord compression caused by metastatic cancer. However, little comparative evidence exists with regard to the choice of specific surgical approaches for these patients. We sought to conduct a comparative analysis of outcomes of surgical options for spinal metastatic disease. Methods This was an epidemiologic study using national administrative data from the MarketScan database. We queried the MarketScan database (2007–2016), identifying patients with a diagnosis of spinal metastasis treated with surgical decompression (N = 1054). We used descriptive statistics and hypothesis testing to compare baseline characteristics, complications, quality metrics, and costs. Results We identified patients with spinal metastases undergoing laminectomy (N = 760), corpectomy (N = 193), or both combined procedures (laminectomy and corpectomy, N = 101). No significant differences in baseline demographics, follow-up time, or primary tumor histology were observed. We found a greater 30-day postoperative complication rate among patients undergoing corpectomy (P Conclusions Our findings highlight distinct complication profiles and quality outcomes associated with selection of surgical approach for patients with spinal metastases. These findings must be interpreted with a clear understanding of the limitations.
Spatially Based Rules for Reducing Multiple–Race into Single–Race Data:

There is a discord between the categorization of mixed–race data in spatial studies, which has become more complex as the mixed–race population increases. We offer an efficient, spatially based met...
Phenotypic variation of life-history traits in native, invasive, and landrace populations of Brassica tournefortii.

Varying environments can result in different patterns of adaptive phenotypes. By performing a common greenhouse experiment, we identified phenotypic differentiation on phenology, leaf morphology, branch architecture, size, and reproduction, among native, invasive, and landrace ranges of Brassica tournefortii. We first compared trait means and fitness functions among ranges, then we analyzed how trait means and selection strength of populations respond to varying aridity. Most traits varied such that landrace > invasive > native. Excluding reproduction, which was positively selected, most trait PCs experienced nonlinear selection in the native range but frequently shifted to directional selection in invasive and/or landrace ranges. The absence of strong clines for trait means in landrace and invasive populations suggest that agricultural practices and novel environments in source locations affected adaptive potential. Selection strength on faster reproductive phenology (negative directional) and leaf margin trait (disruptive) PCs coincided with increasing moisture. In native populations, higher aridity was associated with more days to reproduction, but landrace and invasive populations show stable mean time to reproduction with increasing moisture. A stable adaptive trait can increase range expansion in the invasive range, but stability can be beneficial for future harvest of B. tournefortii seed crops in the face of climate change.
Orientation-Controlled Bioconjugation of Antibodies to Silver Nanoparticles.

Here we report on the use of heterobifunctional cross-linkers (HBCLs) to control the number, orientation, and activity of immunoglobulin G antibodies (Abs) conjugated to silver nanoparticles (AgNPs...
BeagleTM: An Adaptable Text Mining Method for Relationship Discovery in Literature

Investigators in bioinformatics are often confronted with the difficult task of connecting ideas, which are found scattered around the literature, using robust keyword searches. It is often customary to identify only a few keywords in a research article to facilitate search algorithms, which is usually completed in absence of a general approach that would serve to index all possible keywords of an article’s characteristic attributes. Based on only a hand-full of keywords, articles are therefore prioritized by search algorithms that point investigators to seeming subsets of their knowledge. In addition, many articles escape algorithm search strategies due to the fact that their keywords were vague, or have become unfashionable terms. In this case, the article, as well as its source of knowledge, may be lost to the community. Owing to the growing size of the literature, we introduce a text mining method and tool, (BeagleTM), for knowledge harvesting from papers in a literature corpus without the use of article meta-data. Unlike other text mining tools that only highlight found keywords in articles, our method allows users to visually ascertain which keywords have been featured in studies together with others in peer-reviewed work. Drawing from an arbitrarily-sized corpus, BeagleTM creates visual networks describing interrelationships between user-defined terms to facilitate the discovery of connected or parallel studies. We report the effectiveness of BeagleTM by illustrating its ability to connect the keywords from types of PTMs (post-translational modifications), stress-factors, and disorders together according to their relationships. These relationships facilitate the discovery of connected studies, which is often challenging to determine due to the frequently unrelated keywords that were tied to relevant articles containing this type of information.
Multi-Point Monin–Obukhov Similarity of Turbulence Cospectra in the Convective Atmospheric Boundary Layer

The shear-stress cospectrum and the horizontal and vertical temperature-flux cospectra in the convective boundary layer (CBL) are predicted using the multi-point Monin–Obukhov similarity (MMO theory). MMO theory was recently proposed and then derived from first principles by Tong and Nguyen (Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 2015, Vol. 72, 4337 – 4348) and Tong and Ding (Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 2019, Vol. 864, 640 – 669) to address the issue of the incomplete similarity in the Monin–Obukhov similarity theory. According to MMO theory, the CBL has a two-layer structure: the convective layer ( $$z \gg -L$$ ) and the convective–dynamic layer ( $$z \ll -L$$ ). The former consists of the convective range ( $$k \ll -1/L$$ ) and the inertial range ( $$k \gg 1/z$$ ), while the latter consists of the convective range, the dynamic range ( $$-1/L \ll k\ll 1/z$$ ), and the inertial range, where z, k, and L are the height from the ground, the horizontal wavenumber, and the Obukhov length, respectively. We use MMO theory to predict the cospectra for the convective range and the dynamic range. They have the same scaling in the convective range for both $$z \ll -L$$ and $$z \gg -L$$ . The shear-stress cospectrum and the vertical temperature-flux cospectrum have $$k^0$$ scaling in both the convective and dynamic ranges. The horizontal temperature-flux cospectrum has $$k^{-1/3}$$ and $$k^{-1}$$ scaling in the convective and dynamic ranges respectively. The predicted scaling exponents are in general agreement with high-resolution large-eddy-simulation results. However, the horizontal temperature-flux cospectrum is found to change sign from the dynamic range (negative) to the convective range (positive), which is shown to be caused by the temperature–pressure-gradient interaction.
Flexible thermoelectric generator with liquid metal interconnects and low thermal conductivity silicone filler

Harvesting body heat using thermoelectricity provides a promising path to realizing self-powered, wearable electronics that can achieve continuous, long-term, uninterrupted health monitoring. This paper reports a flexible thermoelectric generator (TEG) that provides efficient conversion of body heat to electrical energy. The device relies on a low thermal conductivity aerogel–silicone composite that secures and thermally isolates the individual semiconductor elements that are connected in series using stretchable eutectic gallium-indium (EGaIn) liquid metal interconnects. The composite consists of aerogel particulates mixed into polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) providing as much as 50% reduction in the thermal conductivity of the silicone elastomer. Worn on the wrist, the flexible TEGs present output power density figures approaching 35 μWcm−2 at an air velocity of 1.2 ms−1, equivalent to walking speed. The results suggest that these flexible TEGs can serve as the main energy source for low-power wearable electronics.
Model Selection with Transaction Costs

Failing to account for transaction costs materially impacts inferences drawn when evaluating asset pricing models, biasing tests in favor of those employing high cost factors. Ignoring transaction costs, the Hou, Xue, and Zhang (2015) q-factor model and the Barillas and Shanken (2018) six-factor model models have high maximum squared Sharpe ratios and small alphas across 120 anomalies. They do not, however, come close to spanning the achievable mean-variance efficient frontier. Accounting for transaction costs, the Fama and French (2015, 2018) five-factor model has a significantly higher squared Sharpe ratio than either of these alternative models, while variations employing cash profitability perform better still. More generally, these results highlight the importance of incorporating real-world concerns into financial research.
Exploration of PM mass, source, and component-related factors that might explain heterogeneity in daily PM2.5-mortality associations across the United States

Abstract Multi-city epidemiologic studies examining short-term (daily) differences in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) provide evidence of substantial spatial heterogeneity in city-specific mortality risk estimates across the United States. Because PM2.5 is a mixture of particles, both directly emitted from sources or formed through atmospheric reactions, some of this heterogeneity may be due to regional variations in PM2.5 toxicity. Using inverse variance weighted linear regression, we examined change in percent change in mortality in association with 24 “exposure” determinants representing three basic groupings based on potential explanations for differences in PM toxicity – size, source, and composition. Percent changes in mortality for the PM2.5-mortality association for 313 core-based statistical areas and their metropolitan divisions over 1999–2005 were used as the outcome. Several determinants were identified as potential contributors to heterogeneity: all mass fraction determinants, vehicle miles traveled (VMT) for diesel total, VMT gas per capita, PM2.5 ammonium, PM2.5 nitrate, and PM2.5 sulfate. In multivariable models, only daily correlation of PM2.5 with PM10 and long-term average PM2.5 mass concentration were retained, explaining approximately 10% of total variability. The results of this analysis contribute to the growing body of literature specifically focusing on assessing the underlying basis of the observed spatial heterogeneity in PM2.5-mortality effect estimates, continuing to demonstrate that this heterogeneity is multifactorial and not attributable to a single aspect of PM.
Development and Application of a Supervised Pattern Recognition Algorithm for Identification of Fuel-Specific Emissions Profiles

Abstract. Wildfires have increased in frequency, duration and size in the western United States (U.S.) over the past decades. These trends are projected to continue, with negative consequences for air quality across the U.S. Wildfires emit large quantities of particles and gases that serve as air pollutants and their precursors, and can lead to severe air quality conditions over large spatial and long temporal scales. Characterization of the chemical constituents in smoke as a function of combustion conditions, fuel type, and fuel component is an important step towards improving the prediction of air quality effects from fires and evaluating mitigation strategies. Building on the comprehensive characterization of gaseous non-methane organic compounds (NMOCs) identified in laboratory and field studies, a supervised pattern recognition algorithm was developed that successfully identified unique chemical speciation profiles among similar fuel types common in western coniferous forests. The algorithm was developed using laboratory data from single fuel species and tested on simplified synthetic fuel mixtures. The fuel types in the synthetic mixtures were differentiated but as the relative mixing proportions became more similar, the differentiation became poorer. Using the results from the pattern recognition algorithm, a classification model based on linear discriminant analysis was trained to differentiate smoke samples based on the contribution(s) of dominant fuel type(s). The classification model was applied to field data and despite the complexity of contributing fuels, and the presence of fuels "unknown" to the classifier, the dominant sources/fuel types were identified correctly. The pattern recognition and classification algorithms are a promising approach for identifying the types of fuels contributing to smoke samples and facilitating selection of appropriate chemical speciation profiles for predictive air quality modeling, using a highly reduced suite of measured NMOCs. Utility and performance of the pattern recognition and classification algorithms can be improved by expanding the training and test sets to include data from a broader range of single and mixed fuel types.
Individual differences in moral judgment predict attitudes towards mandatory vaccinations

Skepticism about the efficacy and risks related to Covid-19 vaccinations has become a politicized issue. In response, some politicians have proposed policies (such as imposing vaccine passports) aimed at increasing public vaccination rates. The response has been mixed. In the current study (N = 266), we examined the role of conservatism and moral judgments in accounting for these differences. Results from data collected between January and March 2021 showed that increased levels of conservatism and deontological processing (i.e., having a stronger D-process) were associated with less agreement to a government-imposed Covid-19 vaccine mandate. However, participants who made utilitarian responses to traditional switch and footbridge dilemmas reported greater agreement towards the same mandate. These results are consistent with prior findings showing political divides surrounding Covid-19 and indicate that individual differences in moral judgment predict opinion about a significant and current real-world issue.
7. Human Computer Interaction

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses four approaches that have been taken to make the human computer interaction more effective. The role the human factors specialist plays for each of these approaches is discussed in this chapter. Several different input devices are available for use. A typical input device is the keyboard that can include function keys and special cursor control buttons. The ability to incorporate natural language processing and complex speech recognition devices into the human–computer interface is limiting and may use up memory space that could be devoted to other enhancements to the interface. The computer provides an opportunity to present the user with an explicit representation of the task, through graphics, so that the graphics can be internalized and problems can be solved mentally without the use of the computer. By taking the four approaches to human–computer interaction, the human factors engineer can contribute at all phases in the design of the human–computer interface. The human factors engineer can be a theoretician, a designer, a data base keeper, an experimenter, and a modeler.
Determinants and Matrices

A matrix T is a rectangular array of numbers, where each element αij is identified by its row and column. Matrix T 1 below is “generic,” with m rows and n columns. Notice how elements αij constitute the main diagonal of the matrix. Matrix T 2 is diagonal (αij = 0 for i ≠ j), and matrix T 3, symmetric (αij = αij).
Financial Development and Monetary Policy Efficiency

We study how financial development is related to short run stabilization. Specifically, our objective is to derive monetary policy efficiency measures (PEMs) for 37 industrialized and developing countries and analyze the impact that the size and depth of the banking sector and the capital sector have on policy performance. It is our contention that a more developed financial sector increases the scope of action of policy, resulting in improved policy performance. In our empirical analysis we use three financial development measures: private credit, liquid liabilities, and a financial aggregate index that comprises banking and stock market measures. Our findings suggest that more developed financial markets, controlling for central bank independence, and inflation targeting and membership to the Economic and European Monetary Union significantly contribute to explaining a more efficient monetary policy implementation.
Management of neuropathic pain

Pain may be the most common reason patients seek treatment from physicians. When persistent and unrelieved, pain can frustrate both the person suffering with this condition and the physician trying to alleviate it. Relief from chronic pain may be particularly difficult to achieve and fraught with misconceptions. Treatment usually requires trials of physical, pharmacologic, and surgical interventions to achieve resolution. In cases that remain insoluble, patients must accept partial relief and seek adaptive strategies. The source of persistent pain may be nociceptive or neuropathic. Both utilize the same nervous system pathways for transmission, but significant physiologic differences exist in the mechanism through which the body processes and resolves these painful stimuli. Nociceptive pain that results from a known or obvious source (eg, trauma, cancer metastasis, ischemia, arthritis) is often easy to identify. Neuropathic pain, however, may occur in the absence of an identifiable precipitating cause. Physicians must remain alert to differences in presentation and course of neuropathic pain syndromes, some of which may be subtle or unusual.
A certificate infrastructure for machine-checked proofs of conditional information flow

In previous work, we have proposed a compositional framework for stating and automatically verifying complex conditional information flow policies using a relational Hoare logic. The framework allows developers and verifiers to work directly with the source code using source-level code contracts. In this work, we extend that approach so that the algorithm for verifying code compliance to an information flow contract emits formal certificates of correctness that are checked in the Coq proof assistant. This framework is implemented in the context of SPARK - a subset of Ada that has been used in a number of industrial contexts for implementing certified safety and security critical systems.
The relevance of the in- versus outpatient status for studies on HPA-axis in depression: Spontaneous hypercortisolism is a feature of major depressed inpatients and not of major depression per se

Increased spontaneous activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis is frequently reported in major depressed inpatients. The aim of the present study was to determine whether there are differences in spontaneous HPA-axis activity between major depressed inpatients and outpatients. Toward this end, the authors measured basal 9:00 a.m. plasma cortisol and the integrated assessment of plasma morning cortisol secretion over 2 (AUC 120) hours in 48 major depressed inpatients, 17 major depressed outpatients and 73 normal volunteers. Major depressed inpatients exhibit significantly higher plasma cortisol values than healthy controls and major depressed outpatients. The cortisol data from the latter are not significantly different from these of the healthy controls. The cortisol differences between in and outpatients were still present after considering the influences of age, sex, body mass index, severity or endogeneity of illness, unipolar/bipolar subclassification, or specific symptoms such as suicidal thoughts, insomnia, psychomotor disorders, psychoticism, weight loss or anxiety. The results indicate that hypercortisolism as measured by basal morning plasma levels is not a feature of major depression per se, but rather of an interaction between the illness and hospitalization.
Use of fundal pressure during second-stage labor A pilot study

Fundal pressure is a controversial obstetric technique used by some practitioners in second-stage labor. In this preliminary study, 34 deliveries in which fundal pressure was used to expedite birth were matched with 34 deliveries that occurred spontaneously. Several parameters were compared between the two groups. In the group of women who were delivered with use of fundal pressure, second-stage labor was longer and a higher incidence of third- and fourth-degree perineal lacerations was observed compared with those women who delivered spontaneously. This article discusses the possible reasons for these findings, the reasons fundal pressure was used, and the controversial issues that surround this technique.
Effect of inhomogeneous broadening on the excitation profile for resonance coherent Raman scattering

Abstract The effects of inhomogeneous broadening on the excitation profiles for resonance coherent and spontaneous Raman processes are compared. Due to coherence considerations, different ensemble averaging procedures are used to include such effects in the descriptions of these processes. The validity of using electronic absorption linewidths in calculations of resonance CARS excitation profiles is established.
Pediatric cardiology in the Netherlands

BEFORE GOING INTO THE SPECIFIC AREAS OF PEDIATRIC cardiology and pediatric cardiac cardiology and pediatric cardiac surgery, an overview of the general health care organization in the Netherlands might be helpful. The Netherlands, a country with about 15 million inhabitants, spent 47 billion Dutch guilders (US$22 billion) for general health care in 1991. This is about 8.5% of the gross domestic product. Of this, 61% was spent on in-hospital costs, 39% on extramural costs, including the financing of organizations that deal with preventive (primary) medicine, such as clinics for infants and school children which were visited regularly. Almost all inhabitants, 99.6%, are covered for the expenses of health care, 60% through the “Sick Fund,” a state-insurance that is obliged for everyone with a yearly income of less than US$30,000. Employers of these people have to deduct an amount of money from the monthly salary to be paid to the “Sick Fund.” In case of unemployment this money is deducted from the amount paid by the social security office. The remaining 40% has some form of private insurance, that covers health care. Both diagnostic and therapeutic approaches as the timing of these are completely similar and independent from the type of insurance that applies for the individual patient.
Civility & Politics in the Origins of the Argentine Nation: Sociabilities in Buenos Aires, 1829–1862 – By Pilar González Bernaldo de Quirós

The author of this study regards the lingering influence of traditional political narratives of Argentina's difficult nineteenth century as both a problem and a challenge. In this book, she chooses...
Tectonic models for Early Cretaceous rifting in southeastern Arizona

The Early Cretaceous tectonic setting of southeastern Arizona was one of northeast-southwest extensiomal deformation characterized by differential vertical movements along northwest-trending normal faults. Local fault-block uplifts created a basin-and-range–type paleogeography that included local clastic-filled basins and mountain ranges rimmed by alluvial fans. The Glance Conglomerate, the basal formation of the Lower Cretaceous Bisbee Group, represents the proximal parts of these syntectonic alluvial fans. This extensional back-arc tectonic setting is strikingly different from the compressional setting found behind the continental margin magmatic arc farther to the north (Sevier orogeny). Possible explanations for this profound difference in back-arc tectonic style include propagation of an “aulacogen” from the Gulf of Mexico to southeastern Arizona, variable-dip subduction along the continental-margin magmatic arc, and an apparent anticlockwise rotation of the North American plate relative to the continental margin arc.
Comparison of oral 25-hydroxycholecalciferol, vitamin D, and ultraviolet light as determinants of circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D.

Abstract Circulating concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) were measured during short-term and long-term oral treatment with 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OHD3, 25-H.C.C.) or with vitamin D in over 200 subjects over a period of 5 years. Ten times more vitamin D than 25-OHD 3 was required to produce equivalent plasma-25-OHD concentrations. Plasma-25-OHD was a power function of dosage with both compounds. These data indirectly measure the superior therapeutic potency of 25-OHD 3 , show that dose-response relations with both compounds may be useful in diagnosis, and indicate that there are pronounced constraints on 25-hydroxylation of vitamin D. Together with the effects of ultraviolet light, now shown to be equivalent to oral vitamin D in doses of 8000-10 000 I.U. daily, these constraints may protect against vitamin-D deficiency in winter.
Preparation and high-performance liquid chromatography of 3′-phosphoadenosine-5′-phospho[35S]sulfate with a predetermined specific activity

Abstract 3′-Phosphoadenosine-5′-phospho[35S]sulfate (PAP35S) was prepared by incubating ATP and carrier-free H235SO4 with a 100,000g supernatant fraction prepared from chick embryo chondrocytes. The product was partially purified by paper by paper electrophoresis and mixed with unlabeled PAPS to give a solution of PAP35S with a specific activity and a concentration approximating those required for the desired metabolic studies. The product was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography on an anion-exchange column to determine the proportion of the 35SO4 cpm and A260 material found in the PAPS and other contaminating nucleotides. The PAP35S was purified further by preparative high-performance liquid chromatography. The exact specific activity of the PAP35S was then determined by using this PAP35S preparation as the SO4 donor in a sulfotransferase reaction using a microsomal preparation from the chick embryo chondrocytes as the enzyme and an 3H-labeled oligosaccharide as the SO4 acceptor. The sulfated oligosaccharide was then isolated and the number of 3H and 35SO4 counts per minute in this product were used to calculate the specific activity of the donor. The features of this generally useful approach for preparing PAP35S of any desired specific activity and concentration are discussed.
Motivation Among Ex-Offenders Exiting Treatment: The Role of Abstinence Self-Efficacy.

The relationships between motivation, treatment readiness, and abstinence self-efficacy were examined among a sample of exoffenders exiting inpatient treatment for substance use disorders. Hierarchical linear regression was conducted to examine changes in participants’ motivation levels in relation to abstinence self-efficacy beyond what would be expected from treatment readiness and substance use. Abstinence self-efficacy predicted significant decreases in motivation whereas treatment readiness and substance use predicted significant increases. However, there was not a significant relationship between abstinence self-efficacy and treatment readiness. Findings suggest that motivation for change among persons with substance use disorders is related to their self-efficacy for ongoing abstinence.
Putting the Gay in Games Cultural Production and GLBT Content in Video Games

This article addresses gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) representation in video games from a cultural production perspective. It addresses how members of the video game industry account for the relative lack of GLBT representation in this medium. Previous studies have shown that certain stakeholders actively invest in GLBT representation in media. Factors in the inclusion of GLBT content include (a) the presence of motivated producers in the industry, those that are personally, politically, or commercially interested in GLBT content; (b) how the audience for a text or medium is constructed; (c) what the public backlash from both the GLBT community and conservative groups will be, as well as industry-based reprisals in the form of censorship or ratings; (d) the structure of the industry and how it is funded; and (e) how homosexuality, bisexuality, or transgender identities can be represented in the medium.
Comment on 'Negative matter propulsion'

F ORWARD'S discussion of negative matter propulsion is interesting and worth some additional comments. A discussion of negative mass would be incomplete without a reference to the work of Paul Dirac, who developed a theory of elementary particles which included negative energy solutions in 1928. Dirac's theory has been remarkably successful in explaining physical phenomena and is now considered a part of the "standard model" of physics. Dirac's discussion of negative energy states predates the work of Bondi by several decades. Although "bare" Dirac negative mass particles are not actually seen, if they could be seen their properties would presumably be much like those of the negative matter Forward discusses. There is no physical distinction between Dirac's negative energy solutions and the negative mass objects described by Bondi and Forward. Given m=E/c, a negative energy state is identical to a negative mass state. For example, the standard text on quantum mechanics by Messiah notes about Dirac negative energy states: "it would be more correct to call them negative mass solutions; however, when the field is null, the distinction between mass and energy is illusory." The Dirac theory does predict antiparticles, but the antiparticles themselves are not the negative energy states (at least not in the conventional way of interpreting the Dirac theory); the antiparticles are holes where negative energy particles are not. Dirac's negative energy states, if they could be observed alone, have exactly the properties Forward supposes for negative mass particles : 1) The momentum is opposite in direction to the motion of the center of mass [ = , where E is negative, in units where c= 1]. 2) The acceleration is opposite in direction to the applied (electrostatic) force. 3) The gravitational mass is negative. The last point assumes that the gravitational mass of an antiparticle is positive—a fact that will soon be experimentally verified but which is not usually doubted. Since the antiparticle is the absence of the negative energy particle, if the antiparticle has positive gravitational mass the particle itself must have negative gravitational mass. By Newton's law of reaction, then, both active and passive gravitational mass must be negative.
Polarmetric classification of scattering centers

Polarimetric diversity can be exploited in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) for enhanced target detection and target description. Detection statistics and target features can be computed from either polarimetric imagery or parametric processing of SAR phase histories. We adopt an M- ary Bayes classification approach and derive Bayes-optimal decision rules for detection and description of scattering centers. Scattering centers are modeled as one of M canonical geometric types with unknown amplitude, phase and orientation angle; clutter is modeled as one of M canonical geometric types with unknown amplitude, phase and orientation angel; clutter is modeled as a spherically invariant random vector. For the Bayes optimal decision rules, we provide a simple geometric interpretation and an efficient computational implementation. Moreover, we characterize the certainty of decisions by deriving an approximate posteriori probability.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Two scale analysis of heterogeneous elastic-plastic materials with asymptotic homogenization and Voronoi cell finite element model

Abstract In this paper, a multiple scale finite element model (VCFEM-HOMO) has been developed for elastic-plastic analysis of heterogeneous (porous and composite) materials by combining asymptotic homogenization theory with the Voronoi Cell finite element model (VCFEM). VCFEM for microstructural modeling originates from Dirichlet tessellation of representative material elements at sampling points in the structure. Structural modeling is done by the general purpose finite element code ABAQUS, and interfacing with the microscale VCFEM analysis is done through the user subroutine in ABAQUS for material constitutive relation, UMAT. Asymptotic homogenization in UMAT generates macroscopic material parameters for ABAQUS. Following the macroscopic analysis, a local VCFEM analysis is invoked to depict the true evolution of microstructural state variables. Various numerical examples are executed for validating the effectiveness of VCFEM-HOMO, and the effect of size, shape and distribution of heterogeneities on local and global response is examined.
Pupillometric measures of retinal sensitivity in infants and adults with retinitis pigmentosa.

Abstract Steady-state pupil diameter was measured in darkness and over a 9 log unit range of Ganzfeld illumination in 20 normal adults, 28 normal infants, 59 adults with retinitis pigmentosa, and 30 children at risk for retinitis pigmentosa. Pupil threshold was defined as the retinal illuminance necessary to decrease pupil diameter by 1.0mm relative to the diameter in darkness. Spectral measurements in normal adults confirmed that pupil threshold was determined primarily by rods with this procedure. Pupil thresholds of newborns and infants did not differ significantly from those of normal adults. In patients with retinitis pigmentosa, elevations in pupil threshold were related to rod loss as indexed by reductions in rod ERG amplitude. Electroretinographic follow-up of 13 of the children at risk for retinitis pigmentosa showed normal rod ERG function in 5 children who had pupil thresholds within the normal range and significant rod ERG loss in 8 children who had elevated pupil thresholds.
Effect of aging time and calcination on the preferential oxidation of CO over Au supported on doped ceria

Au/CeLaO x mixed oxide catalysts containing 0.6–1.0 wt% Au were prepared by co-precipitation with Na2CO3. BET surface areas ranged from 15 to 45 m2/g depending on aging time (precipitation time) and calcination conditions. The differences in the activity of the catalysts for preferential oxidation (PROX) of CO are ascribed to the differences in the metal loading, Ce/La ratio and support crystallinity, chloride content, and the resultant effect on the reduction properties of the catalysts. The catalysts did not require activation in H2 prior to reaction. The temperature at which the catalysts exhibit significant activity correlates with the temperature of reduction, indicating that reduction of the metal and support is important for high activity.
Coloring algorithms for K 5 -minor free graphs

Abstract In this paper we give an NC algorithm to five color K5-minor free graphs. We also give a polynomial time algorithm to obtain a four coloring for a K5-minor free graph.
Lungworms of ruminants

Several species of nematodes parasitize the respiratory tract of ruminants. Disease due to infection with these parasites occurs less frequently in North America than in other parts of the world but can be locally and regionally important. The life cycles, epidemiology, pathology, diagnosis and treatment of Dictyocaulus viviparus, Dictyocaulus filaria, and Muellerius capillaris are summarized in this article.
Foot Compartment Syndrome: A Rare Presentation to the Emergency Department

Abstract Background Compartment syndrome of the foot is a rare but life- and limb-threatening condition that is often difficult to diagnose. The common signs and symptoms of compartment syndrome are pain out of proportion to the injury, pain with passive stretch of the compartment, paresis, paresthesias, and often, intact pulses. Foot compartment syndrome is often caused by traumatic injuries, and the clinical presentation may be confusing in this setting. The foot contains nine compartments, which should all be assessed for elevated compartment pressures. Definitive management is fasciotomy. Prompt recognition, diagnosis, and treatment are essential to prevent devastating complications. Objectives This article discusses the key components of presentation, diagnosis, and management of foot compartment syndrome. Case Report A patient presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with a crush injury of his foot. He had significant swelling and pain in his foot, but no fractures were identified on X-ray study. Given the severity of his injury and pain, foot compartment pressures were measured to accurately diagnose foot compartment syndrome. The patient underwent fasciotomies of the foot within 3 h of presentation to the ED and suffered no sequelae at the time of follow-up in clinic. Conclusion Foot compartment syndrome is a surgical emergency that can be difficult to diagnose. Early diagnosis with compartment pressure measurements is crucial, as definitive management with fasciotomies can prevent long-term sequelae.
Hydrologic factors and90Sr transport: A case study

Lack of runoff control is probably the most important potential source of problems in the operation of solid, low-level radioactive waste disposal areas. Solid waste disposal area (SWDA) 4 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is an example of the combined effects of hydrologic factors and burial ground operations on radionuclide transport. Results from a study of90Sr transport at SWDA 4 show that both surface water and groundwater flows are important runoff control considerations and may vary in relative importance over an extended period of time. For the area studied, it is currently estimated that at least 80% of the90Sr transport is directly related to surface runoff. Therefore, it is concluded that the key to remedial action at SWDA 4 is to control surface runoff.
K2CeCl5: A new scintillator material

Abstract We report the scintillation properties of a new material, K 2 CeCl 5 , which was grown by vertical Bridgman technique. Under excitation of 4.5 MeV α-particles, the Ce 3+ emission had a single peak centered at 370 nm with a width of 20 nm. The scintillation light output was estimated to be ∼30,000 photons/MeV for γ excitation at 662 keV and ∼24,000 photons/MeV γ equivalent (assuming an α/γ ratio of 0.34) under α excitation. The smaller light yield for α s can be partly explained by surface damage of the sample during polishing and subsequent partial oxidation of the Ce luminescence centers. The energy resolution at 662 keV was measured to be about 5.8%. Importantly, K 2 CeCl 5 is found to be much less hygroscopic than lanthanum halide scintillators and may therefore preferred in applications where enclosing the material is not feasible.
The trade-off between H ∞ attenuation and uncertainty tolerance by quasiconvex optimization

Uncertainty tolerance and H∞ attenuations are two important concerns in feedback control design. It is therefore important to develop effective methods to compute the trade-off between these two objectives. Using quasiconvex optimization approach, this paper develops algorithms for two problems in this regard: 1) given the uncertainty size of the system, compute the minimum H∞ norm bound of the closed loop system reachable by state feedback control; and 2) given the required maximum acceptable H∞ norm bound of the closed loop system, compute the maximum uncertainty size which can be tolerated when state feedback control is applied. A numerical example is included to show the trade-off between uncertainty tolerance and H∞ attenuations, and the effectiveness of the algorithms.
Misinformation Propagation in the Age of Twitter

A quantitative analysis of tweets during the Ebola crisis reveals that lies, half-truths, and rumors can spread just like true news.
Quantitative analysis of globin gene induction in single human erythroleukemic cells

The mechanisms involved in the normal developmental regulation of globin gene expression, and the response to pharmacological agents that elevate fetal hemoglobin, may be expected to involve either changes in each cell or a selection process affecting subsets of differentiating erythroid cells. To study these mechanisms we have developed assays to measure mRNA levels in single erythroid cells. The assay involved the use of globin-specific probes, with no detectable cross-reactivity, in real-time, fluorescence-based quantitative PCR (Q-PCR). We had previously used this Q-PCR method to measure globin mRNA levels in cultures of primary erythroid cells demonstrating that drugs like hydroxyurea, 5-azacytidine and butyric acid each yielded increases in gamma/( gamma + ss) mRNA ratios, with differential effects on ss-globin levels. We have now extended this approach to measure globin mRNA levels in single K562 cells, a human erythroleukemic cell line, with and without 30 microM hemin treatment. Hemin exposure increases total hemoglobin levels by approximately 9-fold and total alpha-, epsilon- and gamma-globin mRNA levels by 1.5-2.3-fold. Single cell analyses showed initial wide distributions of each of the three individual globin mRNA levels with most cells having detectable but very low levels of each globin transcript. Hemin induction shifted the distributions to higher levels, with a tendency to residual left skewing as some cells remained with very low expression levels despite the effect of hemin in increasing expression in most of these low expressing cells. Thus transcriptional heterogeneity remains a crucial variable, even in this extensively used model of human erythroid biology, and clearly influences strongly the response to inducing agents. These methods may enable us to define better possible molecular and/or cellular models of globin gene modulation.
Alkylation of DNA by the new anticancer agent 3,6-diaziridinyl-2,5-bis(carboethoxyamino)-1,4-benzoquinone (AZQ)

The bifunctional cross-linking activity of 3,6-diaziridinyl-2,5-bis(carboethoxyamino)-1,4-benzoquinone (AZQ, NSC 182986) on isolated calf thymus DNA was studied, using ethidium bromide fluorescence assay. Between 1 and 350 microM AZQ produced a dose-dependent cross-linking effect in the presence of a 10-fold excess of sodium borohydride. No cross-linking was observed in the absence of the reducing agent. AZQ can also be activated by NADH and NADPH at pH 4. The AZQ cross-linking activity exhibited a strong pH dependency, highest at acidic pH, lower at alkaline pH and not seen under neutral conditions. It was also significantly inhibited under anaerobic conditions. At pH 5 the binding ratio was 1 molecule of AZQ per 191 bases at an AZQ dose of 300 microM. Our results suggest that reduced AZQ behaved like a bifunctional alkylating agent.
Proinflammatory Effects of Interferon Gamma in Mouse Adenovirus 1 Myocarditis

Adenoviruses are frequent causes of pediatric myocarditis. Little is known about the pathogenesis of adenovirus myocarditis, and the species specificity of human adenoviruses has limited the development of animal models, which is a significant barrier to strategies for prevention or treatment. We have developed a mouse model of myocarditis following mouse adenovirus 1 (MAV-1) infection to study the pathogenic mechanisms of this important cause of pediatric myocarditis. Following intranasal infection of neonatal C57BL/6 mice, we detected viral replication and induction of interferon gamma (IFN-γ) in the hearts of infected mice. MAV-1 caused myocyte necrosis and induced substantial cellular inflammation that was composed predominantly of CD3+ T lymphocytes. Depletion of IFN-γ during acute infection reduced cardiac inflammation in MAV-1-infected mice without affecting viral replication. We observed decreased contractility during acute infection of neonatal mice, and persistent viral infection in the heart was associated with cardiac remodeling and hypertrophy in adulthood. IFN-γ is a proinflammatory mediator during adenovirus-induced myocarditis, and persistent adenovirus infection may contribute to ongoing cardiac dysfunction. IMPORTANCE Studying the pathogenesis of myocarditis caused by different viruses is essential in order to characterize both virus-specific and generalized factors that contribute to disease. Very little is known about the pathogenesis of adenovirus myocarditis, which is a significant impediment to the development of treatment or prevention strategies. We used MAV-1 to establish a mouse model of human adenovirus myocarditis, providing the means to study host and pathogen factors contributing to adenovirus-induced cardiac disease during acute and persistent infection. The MAV-1 model will enable fundamental studies of viral myocarditis, including IFN-γ modulation as a therapeutic strategy.
Action Potentials in Chick Atria: INCREASED SUSCEPTIBILITY TO BLOCKADE BY TETRODOTOXIN DURING EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) at a concentration of 1.6 x 10-7M blocked intracellularly recorded action potentials in 12- and 18-day-old embryonic chick atria. However, TTX, 1 x 10-5M, did not abolish action potentials recorded from cells in 6-day-old atria. TTX-sensitive receptor sites were present in 6-day-old atrial membranes because the toxin depressed the early Na+ conductance that generated the rapid depolarization phase and the maximum rate of rise of the action potential. TTX at 0.9 x 10-8M reduced the maximum rate of rise by 50% in 6-day-old atria, and TTX at 2 x 10-8M had the same effect in 12- and 18-day-old preparations. Action potential overshoot changed about 10-20 mv/tenfold variation in external Na+ concentration in 6-day-old atria in contrast to the change of about 60 mv/decade observed in 18-day-old atria. Moreover, the TTX-resistant action potentials in 6-day-old atria depended primarily on an inward Ca2+ current because overshoot changed 24 mv/decade variation in external Ca2+ concentration. The improvement in sodium-electrode properties that occurred during maturation was accompanied by an increase in the maximum rate of rise of the action potential, which averaged 64 v/sec in 6-day-old atria and 94 v/sec in 18-day-old atria. These findings suggested that the early Na+ conductance mechanism became more critical in generating the action potential in older embryonic atria. These data were consistent with the hypothesis that the membrane density of early conductance sites increased with embryonic age. The TTX resistance of 6-day-old atria depended on an inward Ca2+ current that generated action potentials after the early Na+ conductance sites had been blocked by the toxin.
Point/Nonpoint Source Trading of Pollution Abatement: Choosing the Right Trading Ratio

In programs for trading pollution abatement between point and nonpoint sources, the trading ratio specifies the rate at which nonpoint source abatement can be substituted for point source abatement. The appropriate value of this ratio is unclear because of qualitative differences between the two classes of sources. To identify the optimal trading ratio, we develop and analyze a model of point/nonpoint trading. We find the optimal trading ratio depends on the relative costs of enforcing point versus nonpoint reductions and on the uncertainty associated with nonpoint loadings. The uncertainty does not imply a lower bound for the optimal trading ratio.
The selective determination of active hydrogen with dispersed sodium

Abstract Sodium in the dispersed state has been found to be a selective reagent for the determination of active hydrogen in acids, alcohols, phenols, amides and sulphonamides. The pressure change in a constant-volume system caused by the evolution of gaseous hydrogen is measured after a sample is treated with an excess of dispersed sodium. Under the same conditions, amines, aldehydes, ketones, esters and 1-acetylenes do not produce any hydrogen.