cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Autonomous motivation, sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and healthy beverage intake in US families: differences between mother-adolescent and father-adolescent dyads.

Objective To assess interdependent effects of autonomous motivation to limit sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption in relation to SSB and healthy beverage (HB) intake in mother-adolescent and father-adolescent dyads. Design Adopting a dyadic cross-sectional design, the actor-partner interdependence modelling (APIM) approach was used to construct and analyse two APIM for mother-adolescent and father-adolescent dyads. The first model assessed actor effects (individual's autonomous motivation associated with his/her own beverage intake) and partner effects (individual's autonomous motivation associated with another family member's beverage consumption) of autonomous motivation on SSB consumption. The second model assessed actor and partner effects of autonomous motivation on HB intake. Setting Two Internet-based surveys were completed in participant households.ParticipantsData from a demographically representative US sample of parent-adolescent dyads (1225 mother-adolescent dyads, 424 father-adolescent dyads) were used. Results In the first model (autonomous motivation on SSB consumption), actor effects were significant for adolescents, but not for parents. Partner effects were significant for mother-adolescent, but not father-adolescent dyads. In the second model (autonomous motivation on HB intake), actor effects were significant for adolescents and parents in all dyadic combinations. Regarding partner effects, adolescent autonomous motivation had a significant effect on HB intake for mothers and fathers. In addition, maternal autonomous motivation had a significant effect on adolescent HB intake. No partner effects for HB were identified for fathers. Conclusions We found significant interdependent effects of autonomous motivation in relation to SSB and HB intake in mother-adolescent and father-adolescent dyads for eleven out of sixteen pathways modelled.
Maximum Value Distribution of Micromechanical Response Quantities

AbstractThe maximum value of a random field over a subdomain is a random variable whose probability distribution can be determined from the first-order marginal probability density function and aut...
Hybrid metal/thermoplastic composites for FDM-type additive manufacturing:

Hybrid material systems, where two materials with similar melting temperatures are combined to form a new compound, represent a possible avenue to expand the materials palette available for 3-D pri...
Restoring aged stem cell functionality: Current progress and future directions

Stem cell dysfunction is a hallmark of aging, associated with the decline of physical and cognitive abilities of humans and other mammals [Cell 2013;153:1194]. Therefore, it has become an active area of research within the aging and stem cell fields, and various techniques have been employed to mitigate the decline of stem cell function both in vitro and in vivo. While some techniques developed in model organisms are not directly translatable to humans, others show promise in becoming clinically relevant to delay or even mitigate negative phenotypes associated with aging. This review focuses on diet, treatment, and small molecule interventions that provide evidence of functional improvement in at least one type of aged adult stem cell.
A Cryogenically-Cooled MW Inverter for Electric Aircraft Propulsion

Power electronic converter will be a key enabler for future electrified aircraft propulsion system. In aircraft applications, superconducting technologies such as superconducting motors and generators along with supporting power systems will grow in importance. Utilizing cryogenic cooling for power converter potentially can significantly improve the inverter system efficiency and specific power. This paper presents the cooling, hardware, and testing of a cryogenically-cooled MW inverter developed for electrified aircraft propulsion system. The 1 MVA full load testing with cryogenic cooling is demonstrated. The developed inverter system achieves 18 kVA/kg specific power and 99% efficiency, which provides a promising solution to achieve high power density and efficiency for future electrified aircraft propulsion system.
Ambient pressure tympanometry in the workup of patulous eustachian tube and neurotologic disorders.

In contrast to previous reports, respiration-synchronous APT wave patterns display low sensitivity (53.3%) in our retrospective cohort of 15 PET ears, as diagnosed by characteristic symptoms and otoscopy. In 327 non-PET ears, the largest cohort of non-PET ears evaluated to date, respiration-synchronous APT wave patterns demonstrate high specificity for PET (93.9%), consistent with previous literature. APT performed solely at rest and with ipsilateral nostril respiration displays similar sensitivity for PET as the full battery of respiratory maneuvers. Pulse-synchronous wave patterns at rest may suggest an alternative neurotologic diagnosis requiring further workup, such as superior semicircular canal dehiscence. Ambient pressure tympanometry is a rapid, simple and widely available tool that can be integrated into general otolaryngology clinics and warrants further study in the evaluation of PET and neurotologic disorders.
Multisystem outcomes and predictors of mortality in critically ill patients with COVID-19: Demographics and disease acuity matter more than comorbidities or treatment modalities.

BACKGROUND: We sought to describe characteristics, multisystem outcomes, and predictors of mortality of the critically ill COVID-19 patients in the largest hospital in Massachusetts. METHODS: This is a prospective cohort study. All patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection between March 14, 2020, and April 28, 2020, were included; hospital and multisystem outcomes were evaluated. Data were collected from electronic records. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) was defined as PaO2/FiO2 ratio of ≤300 during admission and bilateral radiographic pulmonary opacities. Multivariable logistic regression analyses adjusting for available confounders were performed to identify predictors of mortality. RESULTS: A total of 235 patients were included. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score was 5 (3-8), and the median (IQR) PaO2/FiO2 was 208 (146-300) with 86.4% of patients meeting criteria for ARDS. The median (IQR) follow-up was 92 (86-99) days, and the median ICU length of stay was 16 (8-25) days; 62.1% of patients were proned, 49.8% required neuromuscular blockade, and 3.4% required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The most common complications were shock (88.9%), acute kidney injury (AKI) (69.8%), secondary bacterial pneumonia (70.6%), and pressure ulcers (51.1%). As of July 8, 2020, 175 patients (74.5%) were discharged alive (61.7% to skilled nursing or rehabilitation facility), 58 (24.7%) died in the hospital, and only 2 patients were still hospitalized, but out of the ICU. Age (odds ratio [OR], 1.08; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-1.12), higher median Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score at ICU admission (OR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.06-1.43), elevated creatine kinase of ≥1,000 U/L at hospital admission (OR, 6.64; 95% CI, 1.51-29.17), and severe ARDS (OR, 5.24; 95% CI, 1.18-23.29) independently predicted hospital mortality.Comorbidities, steroids, and hydroxychloroquine treatment did not predict mortality. CONCLUSION: We present here the outcomes of critically ill patients with COVID-19. Age, acuity of disease, and severe ARDS predicted mortality rather than comorbidities. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic, level III.
Vitreous and Chorioretinal Lesions in People Who Inject Drugs and Are Hospitalized with Bloodstream and Related Infections

Purpose To determine the prevalence of and to characterize vitreous and chorioretinal lesions, to identify causative organisms, and to correlate symptoms with ophthalmic involvement in people who inject drugs and are hospitalized with bloodstream infection (BSI), related metastatic foci of infection (MFI), or both. Design An academic hospital-based cross-sectional study. Participants Patients admitted with BSI or MFI related to injection drug use (IDU). Methods Patients underwent a complete eye examination within 72 hours of enrollment. Characteristics including gender; age; race; injection drug of choice (DOC); presence of coinfection with hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or human immunodeficiency virus; pathogen causing systemic infection and type of infection; and history of prior infection related to IDU were recorded. Main Outcome Measures Presence of vitreous or chorioretinal findings, or both. Results Ninety-one unique patients with 96 separate hospitalizations for systemic infection were enrolled from March 28, 2018, through March 30, 2020. Vitreous or chorioretinal involvement was identified in 16 of 96 patients (16.7%). The most common ocular findings were intraretinal or white-centered hemorrhage in 9 of 96 patients, chorioretinal infiltrate in 8 of 96 patients, endophthalmitis in 5 of 96 patients, and cotton wool spots in 3 of 96 patients. Of the patients with ocular involvement, only 7 of 16 patients (44%) were symptomatic, and 5 of these were patients with endophthalmitis; the others showed chorioretinal infiltrates or intraretinal or white-centered hemorrhage and cotton wool spots. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common causative pathogen in patients with and without ocular findings. Presence of ocular symptoms, worse visual acuity, and injection DOC of methamphetamine were correlated with the presence of ocular findings. Conclusions Patients without ocular symptoms with systemic infections related to IDU may have chorioretinal findings. Further study is needed to characterize better the epidemiologic features of these infections and to identify risk factors for ocular involvement in people who inject drugs.
Abstract WP52: Defining and Predicting Fast Progression of Infarct Growth in Large Vessel Occlusion Strokes

Background and Purpose: Identification of patients with failing collaterals and rapid progression of infarct growth (fast progressors) is crucial when assessing patients for potential transfer from...
Films: Because of Crazy Stone

This chapter uses seven films to illustrate a cycle of films produced owing to the impact of Crazy Stone. These films ride the tides of cultural fads, are conscious of the selling points in the market, and are collectively building the brand recognition of a round of neo-noir comedies. Among these films, the encounter of Crazy Stone and My Own Swordsman helps illustrate a cultural carnival of national scale. The shared elements of this encounter, generally described as a postmodernism that is filled with playful use of collage, pastiche, parody, and neo-noir mischief, are discovered to be more successful in a vague ancient setting which allows more freedom for the stories to be funnier and storytelling more game-like, just like the surprises found in a masquerade. This encounter also includes a Chinese director’s adaptation of the Coen brothers’ neo-noir debut Blood Simple.
Spaces of Longing and Belonging-territoriality, ideology and creative identity in literature and film

Spaces of Longing and Belonging is a collection of well-constructed essays from a striking array of analytical approaches. The authors range from young career academics to reputable professionals. ...
Minimizing Age-of-Information in Heterogeneous Multi-Channel Systems: A New Partial-Index Approach

We study how to schedule data sources in a wireless time-sensitive information system with multiple heterogeneous and unreliable channels to minimize the total expected Age-of-Information (AoI). Although one could formulate this problem as a discrete-time Markov Decision Process (MDP), such an approach suffers from the curse of dimensionality and lack of insights. For single-channel systems, prior studies have developed lower-complexity solutions based on the Whittle index. However, Whittle index has not been studied for systems with multiple heterogeneous channels, mainly because indexability is not well defined when there are multiple dual cost values, one for each channel. To overcome this difficulty, we introduce new notions of partial indexability and partial index, which are defined with respect to one channel's cost, given all other channels' costs. We then combine the ideas of partial indices and max-weight matching to develop a Sum Weighted Index Matching (SWIM) policy, which iteratively updates the dual costs and partial indices. The proposed policy is shown to be asymptotically optimal in minimizing the total expected AoI, under a technical condition on a global attractor property. Extensive performance simulations demonstrate that the proposed policy offers significant gains over conventional approaches by achieving a near-optimal AoI. Further, the notion of partial index is of independent interest and could be useful for other problems with multiple heterogeneous resources.
Emergent decompression of Chiari malformation in a patient with progressive quadriparesis

Abstract Background Chiari I malformations are marked by the congenital underdevelopment of the posterior fossa, leading to downward herniation of the cerebellar tonsils and crowding of the contents of the foramen magnum with an altered state of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow. These malformations may or may not be accompanied by syringomyelia, and clinical symptoms vary from occipital headache to cranial nerve dysfunction, including oropharyngeal or respiratory dysfunction. Surgical enlargement of the posterior fossa is a mainstay of treatment and is generally performed as an elective procedure in response to an insidious progression of symptoms. Rapid decline is not a hallmark of the condition and urgent interventions are only scarcely reported in the literature. Observation(s) Here we present the case of a 3-year-old female with a Chiari I malformation and sickle cell disease, who experienced acute progressive neurologic deficits prompting emergent suboccipital decompression. She subsequently sustained a full recovery of neurologic function. Lessons This report adds to the literature and understanding of these rare instances when emergent Chiari decompression may be warranted.
Analysis of the Influence of the Structure of the Arc Chamber of the High Voltage SF6 Circuit Breaker on the Breaking Characteristics of the Capacitor Bank

Special switches for capacitor banks must not only meet the breaking requirements of short-circuit high current, And it is necessary to ensure that no heavy breakdown occurs after the rated low current is broken. This paper compares and analyzes the insulation performance and cold media recovery characteristics of different interrupter structures, Determine the best interrupter structure. Calculate rated 1.6kA low current short arc and short circuit 40kA high current breaking characteristics, Set up a test circuit to measure the breakdown voltage under different opening distances. the result shows: The arc ignition ring structure in the arc extinguishing chamber increases the electric field value between the arc contacts, Reduce the recovery speed and breakdown margin of the cold breaking medium; The shield structure has a shielding effect on the electric field distribution between the arc contacts after the large nozzle is opened; The shorter the arcing time of small current arc, The smaller the breakdown margin value, Try to avoid arcing time less than 0.5ms, Ensure large breakdown margin after arc. It is predicted that the shortest arcing time for breaking short-circuit current is 15ms, The circuit breaker has high stability for breaking short-circuit and long arcing. The media recovery speed is faster.
Asymptotics: Compact Perturbations and Fredholm Theory

Operator theory modulo compact perturbations should be regarded as a study of the “asymptotic” properties of operators. After making this vague notion more precise in the context of Hilbert space operators, we take up the general theory of compact and Fredholm operators acting on Banach spaces and discuss a remarkable asymptotic invariant, the Fredholm index.
Chapter 14 “Assembled” Phonology and Reading: A Case Study in How Theoretical Perspective Shapes Empirical Investigation

Publisher Summary This chapter report experiments that used three laboratory reading tasks such as new lexical decision, semantic categorization, and proofreading experiments. All produced large reliable effects of nonword phonology. If performance in laboratory tasks pertains to typical meaningful experience of text, then it should not be peculiar to a single task. Subjects in a lexical decision experiment judge whether individually presented letter strings are words. They respond “word” to letter strings that are words and “nonword” otherwise. The lexical decision task is used to test whether nonword stimuli falsely retrieve lexical memories of words similar in orthography and phonology. The method detects whether correct rejection of a nonword foil like SLEAT included retrieval of lexical memory for SLEET. Subjects in the lexical decision task judged whether individually presented letter strings were words. Ideally, the lexical decision task isolates word recognition because of the isolated presentation of letter strings, and because words merely need to be recognized for correct performance. But not surprisingly, perhaps, the lexical decision task falls short of this ideal. It requires that words should be discriminated from nonwords, not just recognized. Thus, effects thought to originate in recognition and retrieval is confounded with effects of (possibly) task-specific processes of discrimination.
An index of the quality of life for victorian children and youth, the vicy index

The range of life-styles of children in nineteenth century Britain is discussed. Concepts of quality-of-life are reviewed and a model for nineteenth century children is formulated. Annual data in three domains are indexed to 1914. Sub-indexes for these domains and a total index are presented and compared with the full index.
Management of common bile duct stones in a rural area of the United States: results of a survey.

Background Laparoscopic common bile duct exploration has been reported to be highly successful and cost-effective. It remains unknown to what extent the procedure is used in routine surgical practice.
The influence of poststress social factors on hormonal reactivity in prepubertal male rats

Following a variety of stressors, prepubertal animals display significantly longer hormonal stress responses than adults. Although the mechanisms that mediate this pubertal-related difference in stress reactivity are unclear, previous studies have shown that social interactions are differentially affected by stress in animals before and after puberty. Given the influence of social factors on stress reactivity, we hypothesize the protracted stress-induced hormonal response in prepubertal animals may be in part mediated by aspects of their poststress social environment. We explored this hypothesis by measuring plasma ACTH and corticosterone in prepubertal male rats 15, 30, and 45 min after a 30 min session of restraint stress exposed to one of three social conditions: recovering in the presence of a stressed cage mate; recovering in the presence of a nonstressed cage mate; and recovering in the absence of a cage mate. We report here that although prepubertal and adult animals display different hormonal responses following restraint, the presence or absence of stressed cage mates has little impact on the poststress hormonal response in prepubertal males. We do, however, show that social factors can alter HPA reactivity in prepubertal animals, in that significant hormonal responses are evoked in nonstressed animals exposed to a stressed cage mate, an effect not found in adults. Collectively, these data indicate that although the poststress social environment does not play a role in mediating the protracted hormonal response in prepubertal animals, the social context can significantly influence HPA activation in otherwise unstressed animals prior to puberty. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 56: 1061–1069, 2014.
Chelation of vanadium(V) by difluoromethylene bisphosphonate, a structural analogue of pyrophosphate

The structural and functional analogy between difluoromethylene bisphosphonate (CF2PP) and pyrophosphate (PPi) is investigated in a reaction with V(V) in the form of vanadate. The reaction of CF2PP with vanadate was investigated using 1.00 M KCl as supporting electrolyte over the ranges 3 < or = [CF2PP] < or = 60 mM and 2.06 < or = pH < or = 11.80. 51V, 19F, and 31P NMR spectroscopic studies showed that a 1:1 species was formed with an H+-dependent formation constant of 110 M-1 at pH 7.22. Results of solution experiments and ab initio calculations are consistent with CF2PP coordinating V(V) in a bidentate manner, as previously reported for PPi. Below pH 4, a minor complex forms, which is consistent with a 1:2 stoichiometry. This complex was also observed with pyrophosphate. The X-ray crystal structure of the monoprotonated difluoromethylene bisphosphonate anion (H[CF2PP]3-)-toludine complex is presented. The H[CF2PP]3- anion crystallized in the triclinic space group P with a = 12.7629(7) A, b = 13.3992(7) A, c = 17.1002(9) A, and V = 2584.4(2) A3, and Z = 2. Sheets of the layers of anions are connected through a network of H-bonds and separated by a layer of toludine cations. The structural features are investigated, and the CF2PP anion was found to be longer and wider than the corresponding PPi. Given the larger size of this anion compared to PPi, the chelation affinity upon CF2 substitution was found to be 4-5-fold reduced at neutral pH.
Optical Damage Performance Assessment of Petawatt Final Optics for the Advanced Radiographic Capability

To predict in-vacuum optical damage performance of Advanced Radiographic Capability Petawatt final optics we have developed a ps-damage test station to measure damage density and compare results to R-on-1 tests.
A Minimal TrpRS Catalytic Domain Supports Sense/Antisense Ancestry of Class I and II Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases

The emergence of polypeptide catalysts for amino acid activation, the slowest step in protein synthesis, poses a significant puzzle associated with the origin of biology. This problem is compounded as the 20 contemporary aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases belong to two quite distinct families. We describe here the use of protein design to show experimentally that a minimal class I aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase active site might have functioned in the distant past. We deleted the anticodon binding domain from tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase and fused the discontinuous segments comprising its active site. The resulting 130 residue minimal catalytic domain activates tryptophan. This residual catalytic activity constitutes the first experimental evidence that the conserved class I signature sequences, HIGH and KMSKS, might have arisen in-frame, opposite motifs 2 and 1 from class II, as complementary sense and antisense strands of the same ancestral gene.
Development of a disposable infusion system for the delivery of protein therapeutics.

This paper describes the development and optimization of a low flow open-loop infusion device for continuous delivery of protein therapeutics. Specifically, a non-electronic polymer device is actuated with responsive hydrogels to infuse at 2 μL/hr for 12 hours. Hydrogel actuators transduce a chemical signal (change in pH of the local environment) into a mechanical response (swelling) generating the pressure to drive the infusion. The hydrogel actuators are separated from the drug reservoir by an elastomeric impermeable membrane. As the hydrogel actuators expand, the expansion deflects the flexible membrane down and reduces the volume of the drug reservoir causing the infusion of drug through the needle that is the only outlet for the reservoir.
“Nkrumah’s Baby”: the Akosombo Dam and the dream of development in Ghana, 1952–1966

The Akosombo Dam across the Volta River in Ghana remains at the center of debates and imaginations about nationhood, modernity, and development. Originally designed in the 1920s to serve the British metropole, the Volta River Project was reshaped by the country’s founding leader Kwame Nkrumah in the 1950s. The revised project included a hydroelectric dam, an aluminum smelter to process Ghanaian mined bauxite, new cities, a deep sea harbor, and other infrastructural investments. The project became central to a modernization program that promised rapid industrialization and reducing the country’s dependence on cocoa exports. Public discourses increasingly identified the project with Nkrumah and his dream of development. In the course of its planning and construction, the Akosombo Dam became a manifestation of the personalization of state politics that engaged with international donors, multinational companies, foreign governments, and local expectations. Based on multi-sited archival and oral research, the article explores how public, government, and expert discourses about the Volta project produced different temporalities of an industrialized future that would transform the country’s rural past and create new cities, factories, and infrastructures during the 1950s and 1960s. The Volta scheme is an excellent prism to reconstruct how a large dam became not just the engine for the imagined transformation of Ghana during Africa’s era of decolonization but also a vehicle for multiple actors with competing agendas within the Cold War context. In this article, I unpack these interventions that led to a series of tensions and paradoxes. Analyzing the Volta scheme’s debates and public spectacles provides an account about the interplay between development aspirations and possibility, dreams and reality.
Colorectal cancer in the young.

Abstract Background Colorectal cancer (CRC) is generally thought of as a disease of older persons; however a significant proportion of patients Data sources A Medline literature search was completed. Articles were chosen to include those studies that examined patients Conclusions We found that CRC in the young population appears to be more aggressive, to present with later stage, and to have poorer pathologic findings. However, if detected early, young patients with Dukes' stage A or B lesions have better overall 5-year survival rates. These findings emphasize the need for health care providers to have a heightened awareness when caring for this young population, particularly because excellent modalities exist to diagnose and treat colorectal cancer.
The asymptotic distribution of order statistics

For each n., X1(n), X2(n), …, Xn(n) are IID, with common pdf fn(x). y1(n) < … < Yn (n) are the ordered values of X1 (n), …, Xn(n). Kn is a positive integer, with lim Kn = ∞. Under certain conditions on Kn and fn (x), it was shown in an earlier paper that the joint distribution of a special set of Kn + 1 of the variables Y1 (n), …, Yn (n) can be assumed to be normal for all asymptotic probability calculations. In another paper, it was shown that if fn (x) approaches the pdf which is uniform over (0, 1) at a certain rate as n increases, then the conditional distribution of the order statistics not in the special set can be assumed to be uniform for all asymptotic probability calculations. The present paper shows that even if fn (x) does not approach the uniform distribution as n increases, the distribution of the order statistics contained between order statistics in the special set can be assumed to be the distribution of a quadratic function of uniform random variables, for all asymptotic probability calculations. Applications to statistical inference are given.
An ultrasensitive optofluidic nucleic acid biosensor

Amplification-free nucleic acid testing using molecular beacon detection on an optofluidic chip is reported. A limit of detection at the single molecule detection level (10pM) and excellent specificity (single nucleotide mismatches) is observed.
Implications of the recently discovered /sup 208/Pb(1/sup +/,E/sub x/ = 5. 845 MeV) state for the spin-dependent nuclear interaction

Measurements on the newly discovered 1/sup +/ state at E/sub x/ = 5.845 MeV in /sup 208/Pb provide an opportunity to examine the spin dependence in the nuclear effective Hamiltonian. The data require a somewhat weaker spin-orbit splitting than given by conventional Hamiltonians. The isoscalar spin-dependent residual interaction, which was poorly determined by previous data, is found to be much weaker than the isovector spin-dependent interaction, as predicted by Brueckner theory.
Coronary stent fracture: a cause of cardiac chest pain?

Abstract Inherent risks of coronary artery stenting include restenosis and thrombosis. More recently, stent fractures (SF) have emerged as a complication. Lengthy coronary stents, overlapping stents, saphaneous vein graft stents, and right coronary artery lesions treated with sirolimus-eluting stents (SES; Cypher®, Cordis, Miami Lakes, Florida, USA) are some of the predisposing factors that have been linked to fractures. Early detection and management may help alleviate the complications of SF including acute thrombosis and restenosis at the site of fracture. We present an interesting case of a SES fracture in the left main coronary artery.
Numerical computation of transcendentally small reflection

Abstract The transcendentally small reflection coefficient for high-energy particles above the barrier in the semiclassical limit is numerically computed. Three examples are presented, including a weakly nonlinear problem.
Tumor vascular leakiness and blood volume estimates in oligodendrogliomas using perfusion CT: an analysis of perfusion parameters helping further characterize genetic subtypes as well as differentiate from astroglial tumors.

The purpose of this study was to determine the usefulness of perfusion CT (PCT) parameters particularly blood volume and neovascular permeability estimates (permeability surface area-product, PS) in the evaluation of oligodendrogliomas (OG), correlation with genetic subtypes of OGs (with or without loss of heterozygosity/LOH on 1p/19q) as well as comparison of perfusion parameters of OGs with astroglial tumors. Pre-operative PCT done in 21 patients with OGs was retrospectively correlated with our previously published PCT data for 32 patients with astroglial neoplasms (Jain R et al., AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 29:694–700, 2008). All OGs were also analyzed for genetic subtypes of with or without LOH. PCT parameters PS and cerebral blood volume (CBV) were obtained for the entire lesion and a statistical analysis done to correlate various histopathological variants. Low grade OGs (n = 13) showed slightly lower CBV (1.42 vs. 1.72 ml/100 g; P value 0.391) and PS (0.56 vs. 0.95 ml/100 g/min; P value 0.099) as compared to high grade OGs (n = 8), though not statistically significant. LOH positive OGs (n = 13) showed higher mean CBV (1.59 vs. 1.45; P value 0.712) and slightly lower PS (0.68 vs. 0.75; P value 0.718) as compared to LOH negative OGs (n = 8), although not statistically significant. Low grade OGs (n = 13) showed higher mean CBV 1.42 ml/100 g as compared to low grade astroglial tumors (n = 8) 0.95 ml/100 g (P value = 0.08), however no statistically significant difference was noted for PS (0.56 vs. 0.52 ml/100 g/min, P value 0.695). Statistically significant differences were observed in CBV and PS values of high grade OGs and high grade astroglial tumors with the high grade glial tumors showing higher mean CBV (2.79 vs. 1.72; P value 0.03) as well as higher PS (2.37 vs. 0.95; P value < 0.01), however this difference was not significant if only comparing grade III OGs with grade III astroglial tumors. PCT perfusion parameters including PS values do not help grade OGs despite showing a trend for higher CBV and PS in higher grade OGs. Similarly LOH positive OGs also showed slightly higher CBV, but again failed to reach any statistically significant level. Low grade OGs showed slightly higher CBV as compared to low grade astroglial tumors, whereas higher grade OGs showed significantly lower PS values as compared to higher grade astroglial tumors despite showing high CBV.
Stability and motion in two degree-of-freedom Hamiltonian systems for two-to-one commensurability.

The two time variable method is used to investigate the stability of and the motion about the equilibrium point of an autonomous Hamiltonian system of two degrees of freedom when the HamiltonianH is indefinite and the relation between the frequencies ω1 and ω2 of the linearized system is ω1 ≈ 2ω2. Also, the conditions for periodic orbits and the stability of these orbits are obtained.
Frequency and time domain comparison of low-frequency auditory fiber responses in two anuran amphibians

A comparative study of the phase-locked response of auditory nerve fibers was performed in two frog species, Eleutherodactylus coqui and Bombina orientalis. From the tuning characteristics and phase response of single auditory nerve fibers to low frequency tones (0.08-1.0 kHz) we attempt to deduce the mechanics of the auditory organ responsible for low-frequency hearing in the frog, the amphibian papilla (a.p.). The phase-locked responses of auditory nerve fibers in B. orientalis were essentially identical to those from cells with similar CFs in E. coqui, despite the presence of a conspicuous caudal extension of the a.p. in E. coqui (an apparently derived morphology), a feature completely absent in B. orientalis. The fine structure of the frequency-dependent phase behavior was examined in both species with a residual phase analysis. The most significant non-linear phase behavior was confined to neurons with CFs less than 0.3 kHz. The intensity dependence of the phase response in E. coqui revealed that the preferred firing phase of an auditory nerve fiber depends upon the relation of test frequency (TF) and CF of the neuron examined. For TFs greater than CF there was a progressive phase lag as stimulus level was increased; the inverse was true for TFs less than CF. Click latencies measured in E. coqui were inversely related to CF and were similar though systematically shorter than the response latencies estimated from the phase-frequency functions. The click response was similar to that documented in other species, showing a significant level dependence and the presence of multiple peaks, with the time between peaks related to the period of the neuron's CF. A 'neurogram' was compiled for a.p. fiber responses in both species in response to several pure tones. Based on the known tonotopy of the a.p. this measure reflects the phase response of the a.p. over the extent of its length. The population phase response in anurans is quite similar to that obtained from mammalian auditory nerve fibers for the same range of test frequencies (0.08-1.0 kHz). The similarity between the responses of auditory fibers in these two anuran species suggests the micromechanics of the a.p. rostral to the tectorial curtain is similar in both species and that it is the likely site for the origin of the CF-dependent time delays.
Persistent sciatic artery presenting with limb ischemia

The persistent sciatic artery (PSA) is a rare but clinically significant congenital vascular anomaly. Clinical presentation varies and PSA can cause a number of complications, including limb loss. We describe the presenting features and treatments in two patients. The former was found to have thrombosis of a PSA with distal thromboemboli and was treated with a bypass graft. The latter was treated for an ischemic foot following successful ruptured aortic aneurysm repair and was found incidentally to have patent PSA with concomitant stenosis of the common iliac artery, which was successfully treated with stent grafting.
Hepatitis C virus‐human immunodeficiency virus coinfection

As a result of shared modes of transmission, chronic hepatitis C infection is common in HIV-infected patients, particularly among those who have used injection drugs as well as men who have sex with men (MSMs). In the era of effective antiretroviral therapy, HCV infection has emerged as a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Over the last decade, treatment with peginterferon (PEG-IFN) plus ribavirin (RBV) has been recommended for coinfected patients who are at the greatest risk for liver disease; however, the effectiveness of HCV treatment in this population has been disappointing. Challenges to the use of HCV NS3/4A protease inhibitors, telaprevir and boceprevir, patients with HIV/HCV coinfection include the potential for interactions between different drugs, addition of drug toxicities, and the need for therapy with PEG-IFN. Despite these challenges, limited data indicate that telaprevir and boceprevir given in combination with PEG-IFN/RBV increase the rate of viral suppression in coinfected patients with manageable toxicity and drug-drug interaction profile. Accordingly, these agents may be recommended for HCV treatment in carefully selected HIV-infected persons.
Response of advanced breast cancer to total endocrine ablation after exacerbation on tamoxifen: results in seven patients and possible mechanism of action.

Usage of tamoxifen in the treatment of advanced breast cancer is increasing and is advocated by some authors as primary therapy in all estrogen receptor positive cancer patients. Tamoxifen is an incomplete estrogen antagonist with partial estrogen agonist activity as well. Tamoxifen-in-duced exacerbation of breast cancer (“tamoxifen flare”) is reported to occur in 4-20% or more of treated patients. Management of this condition has varied from stopping treatment to continued administration or reinstitution of tamoxifen after flare symptoms subside. Responses have occurred in some patients so treated, although the remissions do not appear durable. The seven patients with advanced breast cancer in this report experienced disease exacerbation with tamoxifen therapy. Endocrine ablation afforded all patients excellent pain relief and disease control with prolonged survival in six of the seven. There have been no studies directly examining the disease course in flare patients continuing on tamoxifen. Persistence in treating these patients with an incomplete antagonist-agonist may deprive them of full survival benefit possible through ablative procedures when used in sequential treatment.
The role of interaction in native speaker comprehension of nonnative speaker speech

Interaction has often been shown to have a positive effect on nonnative speakers' (NNS) comprehension of their second language (L2). Based on the fact that interaction gives learners an opportunity to modify their speech upon a signal of noncomprehension, it should also have a positive effect on native speakers' (NS) comprehension of NNSs. However, in a 1994 study, Gass and Varonis did not find that interaction led to better comprehension of NNSs by NSs in an information gap task. Because such a result has important implications for theory and practice, the present study attempted to replicate their results. Thirty dyads performed an information gap activity with and without interaction. The results show that interaction does indeed help NSs comprehend NNSs. This article discusses various reasons for the discrepancy between the results obtained in the Gass and Varonis study and those from the present study as well as the implications of this study for research methodology.
Complementary Profiling of Gene Expression at the Transcriptome and Proteome Levels in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Using an integrated genomic and proteomic approach, we have investigated the effects of carbon source perturbation on steady-state gene expression in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae growing on either galactose or ethanol. For many genes, significant differences between the abundance ratio of the messenger RNA transcript and the corresponding protein product were observed. Insights into the perturbative effects on genes involved in respiration, energy generation, and protein synthesis were obtained that would not have been apparent from measurements made at either the messenger RNA or protein level alone, illustrating the power of integrating different types of data obtained from the same sample for the comprehensive characterization of biological systems and processes.
Mnemotechnics in Second Language Learning.

For some time I have been involved in efforts to develop computer-controlled systems for instruction. One such effort has been a computer-assistedinstruction (CAI) program for teaching reading in the primary grades (Atkinson, 1974) and another for teaching computer science at the college level (Atkinson, in press). The goal has been to use psychological theory to devise optimal instructional procedures—procedures that make moment-by-moment decisions based on the student's unique response history. To help guide some of the theoretical aspects of this work, research has also been done on the restricted but well-defined problem of optimizing the teaching of a foreign language vocabulary. This is an area in which mathematical models provide an accurate description of learning, and these models can be used in conjunction with the methods of control theory to develop precise algorithms for sequencing instruction among vocabulary items. Some of this work has been published, and those who have read about it know that the optimization schemes are quite effective—far more effective than procedures that permit the learner to make his own instructional decisions (Atkinson, 1972a, 1972b; Atkinson & Paulson, 1972). In conducting these vocabulary learning experiments, I have been struck by the incredible variability in learning rates across subjects. Even Stanford University students, who are a fairly select sample, display impressively large betweensubject differences. These differences may reflect differences in fundamental abilities, but it is easy to demonstrate that they also depend on the strategies that subjects bring to bear on the task. Good learners can introspect with ease about a "bag of tricks" for learning vocabulary items, whereas poor
Fiber Optic Delay Lines For Radar Applications

Novel applications of fiber optic delay lines to improve the capability and performance of radar repeater and phase noise test sets are described. Using a 2.25 km long fiber optic link, we demonstrated generation of an ideal target for a radar repeater test set and measurement of phase noise closer than 100 Hz to a 9.6 GHz radar carrier signal using a delay line discriminator phase noise test set. FM and AM signal-to-noise measurements were made to determine the performance capability of the 10 GHz modulated fiber optic links for the radar applications.
Effects of Extended-Release Guanfacine on ADHD Symptoms and Sedation-Related Adverse Events in Children with ADHD

Objective: Guanfacine extended release (GXR) is a selective α2A-adrenoceptor agonist that is shown to be an effective nonstimulant treatment for the symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. This report documents the time course and predictors of symptom efficacy and sedation-related adverse events (AEs) that emerge during GXR treatment throughout 3 randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trials of the drug. Method: Analysis of data from 3 GXR clinical trials. Results: Few variables related to the study participants or their treatment regimen affects the emergence or magnitude of sedation-related AEs. The best predictor of sedation is treatment duration, with the likelihood of sedation-related AEs decreasing with increasing time on medication. Sedation-related AEs are not predicted by the actual dose a participant receives, the magnitude of any dose changes, or the relationship between dose received and the magnitude of dose changes. Rates of discontinuation because of sedation-related si...
Surgical management of inoperable lymphedema: the re-emergence of abandoned techniques.

In the era of microsurgical lymph node transfer and lymphatic bypass, there are still a significant number of patients with debilitating lymphedema not amenable to these technically advanced procedures. Radical surgical management is often the only option for these patients, who are frequently counseled that they have inoperable problems. They often become medical nomads, wandering from physician to physician, while symptoms progress and treatment options become fewer and more radical. Unfortunately, the principles of reductive management for end-stage lymphedema have been largely abandoned over the last half-century.This report highlights 2 such cases and presents a review of both the history and literature on this topic. Lymphedema is caused by an imbalance in the flow of lymphatic fluid into and out of the interstitium, and it primarily affects the dermal and subcutaneous tissues. Increased lymphatic inflow can be due to changes in capillary permeability, venous hypertension, and decreased oncotic pressure in the capillaries. Obstacles to lymphatic out-flow can be diided into primary (congenital) and secondary (acquired) etilogies, of which the latter are more common. Malignancy and its treatment (surgery, radiation) are the most common secondary causes of lymphedema in the US. Elsewhere, espeially in parts of the developing world, infection by Wuchereria ancrofti (filariasis) is the most common cause. Conservative, nonsurgical, management of lymphedema is ften the first line treatment. However, it cannot address the hanges that arise in the setting of severe, end-stage disease ypified by chronic fibrosis. It is the patients who suffer from his spectrum of disease who require a reductive intervention.
New product development structures and time-to-market

In fast-cycle, high technology industries, the speed and rate at which companies can introduce products into the market are critical for sustaining competitive advantage and market share. The authors analyze new product development by three international manufacturers that dominate a segment of the electronic component industry. The objective is to examine the impact of two distinct product development strategies and structures on time-to-market. The analysis of more than 200 new product developments provides important findings. A concentrated new product development structure, in contrast to a distributed structure, affords rapid prototyping. However, volume production is reached faster in the distributed structure. Also, devoting more time to prototyping hastens volume production.
Production Realization of MTPR Test on Low-Cost ATE for OFDM Based Communication Devices

Multi-tone power ratio (MTPR) test is fast replacing multiple single-carrier linearity and non-linearity tests for mixed-signal IC's employed in broadband communication. Competitive cost models rule out the use of expensive automated test equipment that can perform MTPR test in a specification compliant manner. In this paper, deployment of a multi-tone dither based approach to perform MTPR tests on lower cost test platforms is presented. The proposed method uses existing resources of a low-cost ATE to improve the linearity performance of other resources required during the MTPR test. An `on-the-fly' dither generation algorithm is developed to derive a robust dither signal accounting for variations typically encountered in production testing. Results obtained from multiple test benches including ADSL mixed-signal CODEC ICs on TI's internal low-cost platform is presented to validate the proposed test method. Finally, statistical test data obtained from conducted experiments is presented to evaluate the repeatability of the proposed approach.