cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of machine learning in predicting clinical response to transcranial magnetic stimulation in comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder and major depression: A resting state electroencephalography study.

Abstract Background Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is clinically effective for major depressive disorder (MDD) and investigational for other conditions including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Understanding the mechanisms of TMS action and developing biomarkers predicting response remain important goals. We applied a combination of machine learning and electroencephalography (EEG), testing whether machine learning analysis of EEG coherence would (1) predict clinical outcomes in individuals with comorbid MDD and PTSD, and (2) determine whether an individual had received a TMS course. Methods We collected resting-state 8-channel EEG before and after TMS (5 Hz to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex). We used Lasso regression and Support Vector Machine (SVM) to test the hypothesis that baseline EEG coherence predicted the outcome and to assess if EEG coherence changed after TMS. Results In our sample, clinical response to TMS were predictable based on pretreatment EEG coherence (n = 29). After treatment, 13/29 had more than 50% reduction in MDD self-report score 12/29 had more than 50% reduction in PTSD self-report score. For MDD, area under roc curve was for MDD was 0.83 (95% confidence interval 0.69–0.94) and for PTSD was 0.71 (95% confidence interval 0.54–0.87). SVM classifier was able to accurately assign EEG recordings to pre- and post-TMS treatment. The accuracy for Alpha, Beta, Theta and Delta bands was 75.4 ± 1.5%, 77.4 ± 1.4%, 73.8 ± 1.5%, and 78.6 ± 1.4%, respectively, all significantly better than chance (50%, p Limitation Limitations of this work include lack of sham condition, modest sample size, and a sparse electrode array. Despite these methodological limitations, we found validated and clinically meaningful results. Conclusions Machine learning successfully predicted non-response to TMS with high specificity, and identified pre- and post-TMS status using EEG coherence. This approach may provide mechanistic insights and may also become a clinically useful screening tool for TMS candidates.
Pharmacologic modulation of nasal epithelium augments neural stem cell targeting of glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma (GBM) remains the most lethal and untreatable central nervous system malignancy. The challenges to devise novel and effective anti-tumor therapies include difficulty in locating the precise tumor border for complete surgical resection, and rapid regrowth of residual tumor tissue after standard treatment. Repeatable and non-invasive intranasal application of neural stem cells (NSCs) was recently shown to enable clinically relevant delivery of therapy to tumors. Treatment with chemotactic NSCs demonstrated significant survival benefits when coupled with radiation and oncolytic virotherapy in preclinical models of GBM. In order to further augment the clinical applicability of this novel therapeutic platform, we postulate that the FDA-approved compound, methimazole (MT), can be safely utilized to delay the nasal clearance and improve the ability of NSCs to penetrate the olfactory epithelium for robust in vivo brain tumor targeting and therapeutic actions. Methods To examine the role of reversible reduction of the olfactory epithelial barrier in non-invasive intranasal delivery, we explored the unique pharmacologic effect of MT at a single dosage regimen. In our proof-of-concept studies, quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), immunocytochemistry, and survival analysis were performed on glioma-bearing mice treated with a single dose of MT prior to intranasal anti-GBM therapy using an oncolytic virus (OV)-loaded NSCs. Results Based on histology and in vivo imaging, we found that disrupting the olfactory epithelium with MT effectively delays clearance and allows NSCs to persist in the nasal cavity for at least 24 h. MT pretreatment amplified the migration of NSCs to the tumor. The therapeutic advantage of this enhancement was quantitatively validated by tissue analysis and MRI tracking of NSCs loaded with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIOs) in live animals. Moreover, we observed significant survival benefits in GBM-bearing mice treated with intranasal delivery of oncolytic virus-loaded NSCs following MT injection. Conclusion Our work identified a novel pharmacologic strategy to accelerate the clinical application of the non-invasive NSCs-based therapeutic platform to tackle aggressive brain tumors.
Minerva’s orthography: early colonial projects for print literacy in African languages

ABSTRACTIn sub-Saharan West Africa during the nineteenth century, European missionaries and others sought to promote print literacy among local populations, especially to enable Africans to read religious works in their own languages. Print technology was to offer economies of scale, by reaching wide audiences. Seen, moreover, as an instrument of modernity, print was also supposed to stabilise and improve African languages, deemed wildly unstable, variable, and phonetically uncouth. The work of “reducing a language to writing” required devising orthographies, whose specific forms were driven by the needs of European-based printing. Materials, production processes, translations, and decision-making circulated between colony and metropole in complex patterns in which European audiences usually mattered more than the Africans who were the literacy projects’ targets. Comparing British and French areas, Protestants and Catholics, Christians and Muslims, and European scripts and those developed independently by...
Diastolic Dysfunction in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Meta-Analysis of Case Controlled Studies

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) are major causes of morbidity and mortality and have overlapping symptomatology including cough and dyspnea. Whether COPD is a risk factor for LVDD remains largely unclear. The objective of this meta-analysis was to determine if the prevalence of the LVDD as determined by echocardiographic parameters is increased in COPD patients. Methods: We used a time-and-language-restricted search strategy resulting in identification of 4,912 studies of which 15 studies met our apriori inclusion criteria; 4,897 were excluded, such duplicates, foreign language articles were excluded. We performed a meta-analysis of standard echo parameters on the fifteen case control studies related to diastolic dysfunction. The meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager, version 5.3 (Cochrane Collaboration). Results: A total of 15 studies with 1,403 subjects were included. There were no differences in left ventricular ejection fraction between COPD and non-COPD population. Patients with COPD had prolonged isovolumetric relaxation time (IVRT) (mean difference 20.84 [95% CI 12.21, 29.47]; P< 0.00001), lower E/A ratio (mean difference - 0.24 [95% CI -0.34, 00.14]; P < 0.00001), higher transmitral A wave peak velocity (Apv) (mean difference 11.71 [95% CI 4.80, 18.62]; P< 0.00001), higher E/e’ ratio (mean difference 1.88 [95% CI 1.23, 2.53]; P< 0.00001), lower mitral E wave peak velocity (Epv) (mean difference -8.74 [95% CI -13.63, -3.85]; P< 0.0005), prolonged deceleration time (DT) (mean difference 50.24 [95% CI 15.60, 84,89]; P< 0.004), a higher right ventricular end diastolic diameter (RVEDD) (mean difference 8.02 [95% CI 3.45, 12.60]; P< 0.0006) compared to controls. COPD patients had a higher pulmonary arterial pressure (mean difference 10.52 [95% CI 3.98, 17.05]; P< 0.002).Differences in septal e’ velocity (mean difference -2.69 [95% CI -6.07, 0.69]; P< 0.12) and in lateral e’ velocity (mean difference -2.84 [95% CI 5.91, 0.24]; P< 0.07) trended towards significance but did not meet our cutoff for statistical significance (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Patients with COPD are more likely to have LVDD as established by echocardiographic parameters. Our findings are likely explainable, in part, by factors such as lung hyperinflation, chronic hypoxia, hypercapnia, systemic inflammation, increased arterial stiffness, subendocardial ischemia, as well as ventricular interdependence; all of which might contribute to the pathogenesis of diastolic dysfunction. Further research is needed to elucidate the pathophysiologic mechanisms of increased LVDD in the COPD population with the potential impact on developing effective therapeutic interventions for these serious disorders.
Chapter 15 – John Bowlby

Attachment theory appears to be applicable to religion because people’s purported relationship with God meets Bowlby’s major criteria of attachment: God as a secure base, the proximity of God, and seeking solace with God during times of duress. In this chapter, the significant differentiation between regressive dependency (mainly psychoanalytic writers) and progressive attachment was clarified. In regard to the social correspondence hypothesis, people raised in secure religious homes are more likely to be religious throughout their lives. Whereas, based on the compensation hypothesis, people reared in insecure religious homes and/or are in present insecure relationships, are more likely to seek religious affiliations when under duress. There is also consistent evidence for the internal working model correspondence hypothesis. That is, people vary in regard to their religious beliefs and practices partially dependent upon the IWM of their respective attachment styles.
Recoverability Estimation and Control for an Inverted Pendulum Walker Model Under Foot Slip

Locomotion on low-friction surfaces is one of the most challenging problems for bipedal walking. When a stance foot moves and slips on the ground surface, the walker tries to determine whether it is feasible to avoid falling and continue walking. This study uses a simplified two-mass linear inverted pendulum model to analyze the biped dynamics under foot-slip conditions while maintaining closed-form solutions. Using the model, we analytically calculate safe, recoverable, and falling sets to determine whether the walker is able to recover towards a stable position or the fall is inevitable. We present a set of configurations which partition state space and determine the recoverability of the walker. A simple center-of-mass controller is introduced to re-gain the stability by allowing the walker to recover from fall-prone configurations. One attractive property of the developed closed-form expressions lies in feasibility for real-time implementation as a basis for a high-level robust slip recovery controller.
Thrombocytopenia and Hemostatic Changes in Acute and Chronic Liver Disease: Pathophysiology, Clinical and Laboratory Features, and Management

Thrombocytopenia, defined as a platelet count <150,000/μL, is the most common complication of advanced liver disease or cirrhosis with an incidence of up to 75%. A decrease in platelet count can be the first presenting sign and tends to be proportionally related to the severity of hepatic failure. The pathophysiology of thrombocytopenia in liver disease is multifactorial, including (i) splenomegaly and subsequently increased splenic sequestration of circulating platelets, (ii) reduced hepatic synthesis of thrombopoietin with missing stimulation both of megakaryocytopoiesis and thrombocytopoiesis, resulting in diminished platelet production and release from the bone marrow, and (iii) increased platelet destruction or consumption. Among these pathologies, the decrease in thrombopoietin synthesis has been identified as a central mechanism. Two newly licensed oral thrombopoietin mimetics/receptor agonists, avatrombopag and lusutrombopag, are now available for targeted treatment of thrombocytopenia in patients with advanced liver disease, who are undergoing invasive procedures. This review summarizes recent advances in the understanding of defective but at low level rebalanced hemostasis in stable cirrhosis, discusses clinical consequences and persistent controversial issues related to the inherent bleeding risk, and is focused on a risk-adapted management of thrombocytopenia in patients with chronic liver disease, including a restrictive transfusion regimen.
Self-Correcting Op-Amp Input Offset Using Analog Floating Gates

Low input offset is important in high precision Op-Amps. However, input offset errors caused by mismatch in differential signal paths as a result of random variations are unavoidable even with optimum layout techniques. A relatively new method, the use of Analog Floating Gate (AFG) devices, to enable correction is studied. AFG devices act as analog storage and allow precise trimming of input offset. The proposed methodology results in offset correction for continuous time operation, provides low power operation, does not limit bandwidth and avoids discrete errors seen with some correction methods. Unlike some other analog memories, AFG devices tend to lose charge over time, typically a few mV per year. As a result, we have developed circuitry that automatically recalibrates the AFG charge and retains the Op-amp offset target throughout the product lifetime.
DATA: Diafiltration Apparatus for high-Throughput Analysis

Abstract Improved characterization techniques, which address knowledge gaps related to the interfacial processes that govern solute–solute selectivity and the performance of membranes in complex multi-component feed streams, are necessary to advance membrane processes. In this study, guided by the tools of data science, a diafiltration apparatus is developed to inform material and process design by rapidly characterizing membrane performance over a broad range of feed solution compositions. The apparatus doses a fixed-concentration diafiltrate solution into a stirred cell to achieve a predetermined change in the retentate concentration. Here, using an 80 mM potassium chloride (KCl) diafiltrate solution, it was shown that membrane performance, within a 5 mM to 80 mM KCl phase space, could be probed five times more quickly with one diafiltration experiment (8 h) than with an experimental campaign using traditional filtration processes (47 h). Additionally, the synergy between data analytics and instrumentation led to the incorporation of an inline conductivity probe that monitored the real-time retentate concentration. This additional information provided key insights to distinguish between the mechanisms that govern membrane separations (e.g., discriminating between adsorption or rejection based separations) and allowed for the membrane transport coefficients to be determined accurately. Ultimately, incorporating the appropriate governing phenomena identified a single set of self consistent transport parameters for commercial NF90 membranes.
Association of Network Connectivity via Resting State Functional MRI with Consciousness, Mortality, and Outcomes in Neonatal Acute Brain Injury

Background An accurate and comprehensive test of integrated brain network function is needed for neonates during the acute brain injury period to inform on morbidity. This retrospective cohort study aimed to assess whether integrated brain network function by resting state functional MRI, acquired during the acute period in neonates with brain injury, is associated with acute exam, neonatal mortality, and 5-month outcomes. Methods This study included 40 consecutive neonates with resting state functional MRI acquired 1-22 days after suspected brain insult from March 2018 to July 2019 at Phoenix Childrens Hospital. Acute period exam and test results were assigned ordinal scores based on severity as documented by respective treating specialists. Analyses (Fisher exact, Wilcoxon-rank sum test, ordinal/multinomial logistic regression) examined association of resting state networks with demographics, presentation, neurological exam, electroencephalogram, anatomical MRI, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, passive task functional MRI, and outcomes of discharge condition, outpatient development, motor tone, seizure, and mortality. Results Subjects had a mean (standard deviation) gestational age of 37.8 (2.6) weeks, a majority were male (63%), with diagnosis of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (68%). Other findings at birth included mild distress (48%), moderately abnormal neurological exam (33%), and consciousness characterized as awake but irritable (40%). Significant associations after multiple testing corrections were detected for resting state networks: basal ganglia with outpatient developmental delay (odds ratio [OR], 14.5; 99.4% confidence interval [CI], 2.00-105; P<.001) and motor tone/weakness (OR, 9.98; 99.4% CI, 1.72-57.9; P<.001); language/frontal-parietal network with discharge condition (OR, 5.13; 99.4% CI, 1.22-21.5; P=.002) and outpatient developmental delay (OR, 4.77; 99.4% CI, 1.21-18.7; P=.002); default mode network with discharge condition (OR, 3.72; 99.4% CI, 1.01-13.78; P=.006) and neurological exam (P=.002 (FE); OR, 11.8; 99.4% CI, 0.73-191; P=.01 (OLR)); seizure onset zone with motor tone/weakness (OR, 3.31; 99.4% CI, 1.08-10.1; P=.003). Resting state networks were not detected in only three neonates, who died prior to discharge. Conclusions This study provides level 3 evidence (OCEBM Levels of Evidence Working Group) that the degree of abnormality of resting state networks in neonatal acute brain injury is associated with acute exam and outcomes. Total lack of brain network detection was only found in patients who did not survive.
Conclusion and Future Works

In this book, the idea of “listen-and-talk”, i.e., enabling simultaneous sensing and transmission in different networks by full-duplex techniques has been presented, and elaborated. Some physical layer characteristics brought by FD techniques have been addressed, and some cross-layer protocol design and resource allocation schemes have been proposed to accommodate with the FD techniques, so that the networks can fully utilize the potential of FD communications. In the FD communication systems, devices can transmit and receive signal with the same time and frequency resource. This attractive feature has the potential to completely change the structure of communication networks, since devices are no longer constrained by the “blindness” during their own transmission. Meanwhile, on the other side, the residual self-interference becomes a key problem in design and implementation of FD networks, which requires careful study in the performance analysis.
The Control of Synchronous Systems, Part II

A controller is an environment for a system that achieves a particular control objective by providing inputs to the system without constraining the choices of the system. For synchronous systems, where system and controller make simultaneous and interdependent choices, the notion that a controller must not constrain the choices of the system can be formalized by type systems for composability. In a previous paper, we solved the control problem for static and dynamic types: a static type is a dependency relation between inputs and outputs, and composition is well-typed if it does not introduce cyclic dependencies; a dynamic type is a set of static types, one for each state. Static and dynamic types, however, cannot capture many important digital circuits, such as gated clocks, bidirectional buses, and random-access memory. We therefore introduce more general type systems, so-called dependent and bidirectional types, for modeling these situations, and we solve the corresponding control problems. In a system with a dependent type, the dependencies between inputs and outputs are determined gradually through a game of the system against the controller. In a system with a bidirectional type, also the distinction between inputs and outputs is resolved dynamically by such a game. The game proceeds in several rounds. In each round the system and the controller choose to update some variables dependent on variables that have already been updated. The solution of the control problem for dependent and bidirectional types is based on algorithms for solving these games.
An adaptive DFE for storage channels suffering from nonlinear ISI (magnetic recording)

The authors explore the magnetic recording channel in some detail and describe some of the characteristics of the channel that point to the random access memory decision feedback equalizer (RAM-DFE) as a suitable detection method. The structure and adaptation of the RAM-DFE are described. The RAM-DFE with the signed-LMS (least mean square) algorithm and the constrained step size ( mu =2/sup -n/) is shown to be well suited to the magnetic storage application. Not only does RAM-DFE outperform the conventional DFE under many circumstances, but it is also more conducive to a high-speed digital implementation, making the RAM-DFE appropriate for the higher data rates (linear densities) that its improved performance facilitates. Preliminary investigations indicate that the RAM-DFE can be implemented in 1.6- mu m CMOS on a single VLSI chip (about 50000 transistors) with a sampling (data) rate of 54 MHz. >
EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON RADIOSENSITIVITY OF NEWCASTLE DISEASE VIRUS.

Newcastle disease virus was irradiated at temperatures ranging from 2.2 to 60 C. An interaction between the thermal and ionizing energy was observed in the temperature region of 49 to 60 C. At 2.2 C, the hemagglutinin was considerably more radioresistant than the infectivity property. It is believed that radiation inactivation of Newcastle disease virus infectivity at low temperatures was due to nucleic acid degradation and at higher temperatures was due to protein denaturation.
Osteoclasts and odontoclasts: signaling pathways to development and disease.

Oral Diseases (2011) 17, 129–142 Osteoclasts are cells essential for physiologic remodeling of bone and also play important physiologic and pathologic roles in the dentofacial complex. Osteoclasts and odontoclasts are necessary for tooth eruption yet result in dental compromise when associated with permanent tooth internal or external resorption. The determinants that separate their physiologic and pathologic roles are not well delineated. Clinical cases of primary eruption failure and root resorption are challenging to treat. Mineralized tissue resorbing cells undergo a fairly well characterized series of differentiation stages driven by transcriptional mediators. Signal transduction via cytokines and integrin-mediated events comprise the detailed pathways operative in osteo/odontoclastic cells and may provide insights to their targeted regulation. A better understanding of the unique aspects of osteoclastogenesis and osteo/odontoclast function will facilitate effective development of new therapeutic approaches. This review presents the clinical challenges and delves into the cellular and biochemical aspects of the unique cells responsible for resorption of mineralized tissues of the craniofacial complex.
Bioengineering and biotechnology systems on a chip/integrated design

Medical technology on a chip encompasses some of the most challenging and technically demanding designs of implantable devices for therapeutic or long term monitoring functions, or implantable drug delivery systems; spinal cord bridges for stimulation, or simulation of muscular or sensory functions; multifunction catheters; systems for medical telemetry, and other integrated medical devices such as special purpose sensors. A cardiac pacemaker is a classic example of a medical device that evolved from a discrete components-based design to its present form of an integrated system. At this time, implantable pacemakers are used by more than half a million people worldwide. The engineering design of these devices, and manufacturing challenges, involve components, embedded system approach, reliability and long term stability, materials, and other factors. The need of sterilization, biocompatibility of materials, and cost factors in the light of relatively low production volumes, and FDA regulatory requirements render other distinct engineering demands. The evolution of molecular devices, and for example practical utilization of DNA structure for computer memories, will have a profound effect on the integrated electronic design in general.
The quest for biofuels fuels genome sequencing.

is ﬁlamentous fungus that is widelyused in biotechnology as a producer of various cellulasesand hemicellulases for the hydrolysis of plant cell walls.This organism has attracted renewed interest owing toits potential use in the conversion of lignocelluloses tobiofuel. The GenBank version of the draft genome of
Genesis of the Ozark Mississippi Valley-Type Metallogenic Province, Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma, USA

The Ozark region of the United States midcontinent is host to the largest Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) lead-zinc province in the world. The region includes the world-class districts of the Old Lead Belt, Viburnum Trend, and Tri-State districts and the smaller northern Arkansas, central Missouri, and southeast Missouri barite districts. This metallogenic province was the product of an enormous hydrothermal system that affected more than 350 000 km3 of rock. The hydrothermal fluids migrated into the Ozark region in late Paleozoic in response to convergent plate tectonics in the Ouachita foldbelt.
Genotype × environment interaction in the allometry of body, genitalia and signal traits in Enchenopa treehoppers (Hemiptera: Membracidae)

Developmental plasticity may promote divergence by exposing genetic variation to selection in novel ways in new environments. We tested for this effect in the static allometry (i.e. scaling on body size) of traits in advertisement signals, body and genitalia. We used a member of the Enchenopa binotata species complex of treehoppers – a clade of plant-feeding insects in which speciation is associated with colonization of novel environments involving marked divergence in signals, subtle divergence in body size and shape, and no apparent divergence in genitalia. We found no change in mean allometric slopes across environments, but substantial genetic variation and genotype × environment interaction (G × E) in allometry. The allometry of signal traits showed the most genetic variation and G × E, and that of genitalia showed the weakest G × E. Our findings suggest that colonizing novel environments may have stronger diversifying consequences for signal allometry than for genitalia allometry. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 105, 187–196.
Dendritic growth cone and filopodia formation as a mechanism of spinal cord regeration

Abstract Following hemisection of the rat spinal cord at the T1–T2 vertebral interface, dendritic sprouting was observed on neurons in the motoneuron pool at 45 days postoperative. The sprouting resulted in increased numbers of dendritic terminals, dendritic growth cones, and dendritic filopodial growth. The morphologic characteristics of the dendritic sprouts are similar to neurons in developing as well as in mature animals, and are correlated with synaptic renewal during spinal cord regeneration.
Isard's contributions to spatial interaction modeling

This short review, surveys Isard’s role in promoting what has become known as spatial interaction modeling. Some contextual information on the milieu from which his work emerged is given, together with a selected number of works that are judged to have been influenced (directly and indirectly) by his work. It is suggested that this burgeoning field owes a lot to the foundations laid in the gravity model chapter of “Methods”. The review is supplemented by a rather extensive bibliography of additional works that are indicative of the breadth of the impact of this field.
Differences between simultaneous and blocked training detected by a transfer test.

Abstract Secondary data analysis was used to compare responding early on a transfer test from rats previously trained simultaneously or successively on multiple temporal discriminations for the same number of trials [Guilhardi, P., Church, R.M., 2005a. Dynamics of temporal discrimination. Learn. Behav., 33, 399–416]. Three fixed intervals (30, 60, and 120 s) were signaled by three stimuli (light, noise, and clicker). Twelve rats were trained with the three stimulus-interval pairs intermixed on each experimental session (simultaneous condition); 12 other rats were trained in successive blocks of 10 sessions on each pair (blocked condition). Then, all rats had a transfer test in which all three stimulus-interval pairs were presented intermixed on each session. Rats in the simultaneous and blocked condition responded similarly during training, but differently during early stages of the transfer test. One possibility is that rats in the blocked condition were controlled by the previous interval, not by the current stimulus. These results challenge the usual assumptions from models of timing and conditioning that both simultaneous and blocked training produce learning of the associations between stimulus and interval in a multiple interval training task.
Biologic Agents to Promote Periodontal Regeneration and Bone Augmentation

Periodontal regeneration is preferred over tissue repair and is accomplished through the exclusion of epithelial tissues, which allows cementum, bone, and connective tissue to repopulate the wound. Recently, biologic materials have emerged as adjuncts to aid in regeneration by augmenting the events of wound healing in the area. A review of biologic agents was conducted using the following MeSH terms: guided tissue regeneration, intercellular signaling peptides and proteins, and biologic factors. Enamel matrix derivative (EMD), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), platelet-rich plasma, bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), and parathyroid hormone (PTH) have all shown promise in promoting hard- or soft-tissue regeneration. No biologic agent is ideal for all clinical situations so the clinician must evaluate each situation to identify the best indication for its usage. Currently, EMD and PDGF have Food and Drug Administration approval for periodontal regeneration, whereas BMP-2 is approved for bone augmentation. FGF and PTH do not have Food and Drug Administration approval for periodontal applications and so their clinical usage is not indicated.
Rotating frames and continuum mechanics: A relativistic appraisal

Rotation in a general relativistic framework is examined. This concept, combined with the appropriate mechanical work concept, is used to show how the Euclidean group of transformations, serving as an invariance requirement associated with the principle of objectivity, can lead to erroneous conclusions.
Catalystic activity of supported f-element organometallic complexes

When supported on alumina, the organoactionoids M(η-Me5C5)2Me2(M = U or Th) exhibit very high catalytic activity for the hydrogenation of propene and the polymerization of ethene.
Ontogeny of the endogenous stimulatory rhythm regulating prolactin secretion in immature female rats.

PRL secretion in the female rat is regulated by an endogenous stimulatory rhythm (ESR). This rhythm consists of two components: a nocturnal (N) component whose activity is greatest by 0300 h and a diurnal (D) component that peaks at approximately 1700 h. This periodicity coincides with the periods of the N and D surges of PRL in response to the mating stimulus. Furthermore, we have shown that the ESR is involved in the regulation of mating-induced PRL surges. Mating causes a lowering of dopaminergic tone which reveals the ESR for PRL. The ability of immature female rats to express PRL surges induced by copulomimetic stimuli begins at 25 days of age. In this study we investigated the ontogeny of the ESR in immature female rats in order to observe the relationship between the onset of PRL secretion induced by copulomimetic stimuli and the development of the ESR. Immature female rats were raised in our colony and kept with their dams until used in an experiment or weaned at 23 days of age where appropriate. ...
Purinoceptors and Bladder Dysfunction

Purinergic signaling is increasingly appreciated as an important contributor to the normal bladder functions of urine storage and voiding. The translation of disease and injury to abnormal sensory and motor function, resulting in lower urinary tract symptoms, is in part mediated by the interaction of adenosine 5′-triphosphate and related purines with specific purinergic receptors (purinoceptors). Identification and clarification of purinoceptor-based processes are important research goals aimed at novel therapeutic targets for functional disorders inadequately served by standard therapies. This review presents an update on recent developments in the understanding of the purinoceptors and bladder dysfunction.
Resistivity, Heating and Radial Transport on the Axis of the Tokamak Discharge

In this work we present analytical and numerical results on the resistivity, heating and radial transport of particles momentum and heat on and near the minor axis of the Tokamak discharge. The crucial role of impurities is emphasized. Asymptotically exact electromagnetics and classical fluid dynamics are utilized to obtain first the case of the straight infinite cylinder. Toroidal effects are then included at the level of the Pfirsch-Schluter theory. Analytical results from the complete model show the transport coefficients to be classical with enhanced values related to the presence of the impurity ions and the toroidal effects. Numerical results from a simpler simulation model are found to be in reasonable agreement with published experimental results from the ST-Tokamak.
Primary and Secondary Bile Acids in Meconium

Extract: Meconium, newborn stool, and fetal bile were examined for bile acids by the techniques of gas liquid chromatography, thin layer chromatography and colorimetric spectrometry. Cholic, chenodeoxycholic, deoxycholic, and lithocholic acid were detected in meconium. Secondary bile acids were not present in significant amounts in either stool or fetal bile from newborns. During fetal development more cheno-deoxycholate than cholate is formed. The presence of secondary bile acids in meconium is suggestive of maternal-to-fetal transfer via the placenta. Speculation: The number of hydroxyl groups on the basic sterol nucleus may influence bile duct development. Excess quantities of bile acids, particularly lithocholic acid, may alter the developing fetal hepatic stucture.
Public Key-Embedded Graphic CAPTCHAs

In this paper, we introduce the concept of Public-Key embedded Graphic CAPTCHAs and their usage as an Anti-Phishing mechanism. These CAPTCHAs contain a user-specific image object and a pattern (for e.g. a sub-string) of a secure channel invariant (for e.g. the Public-key of the authentic web-server), wherein the image object and pattern are linked. By virtue of a built-in one/two-way implicit challenge mechanism and this verifiable association between the image object and the specific sub-pattern of the Public Key, they help in detecting/resisting automated or human-assisted Phishing attacks.
Outcome Analysis of Initial Neonatal Shunts: Does the Valve Make a Difference?

Objective: Ventriculoperitoneal shunts have one of the highest complication rates of all neurosurgical procedures. The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with
Average County-Level IQ Predicts County-Level Disadvantage and Several County-Level Mortality Risk Rates.

Abstract Research utilizing individual-level data has reported a link between intelligence (IQ) scores and health problems, including early mortality risk. A growing body of evidence has found similar associations at higher levels of aggregation such as the state- and national-level. At the same time, individual-level research has suggested the IQ–mortality risk association may be mediated by socioeconomic status, but no aggregate research has considered this possibility. This paper extended the current knowledge base in two important ways: 1) by analyzing the association between county-level IQ and county-level mortality risk; and 2) by testing a theoretical model where county IQ influences county disadvantage which, in turn, influences county mortality risk. The findings indicated a consistent relationship between county IQ and several measures of county mortality risk. The IQ–mortality risk association was mediated by county disadvantage for some county mortality risk measures but not others, suggesting the relationship between county IQ and county mortality risk is more nuanced than was hypothesized.
Subjetividades lesbianas en los espacios no inscritos de la identidad

En el presente ensayo se analiza la identidad lesbiana dentro del contexto cultural que la ha hecho sinonimo de lo ininteligible e innombrable, convirtiendola en un espacio en blanco, sin la posibilidad de crear un contradiscurso. La invisibilidad cultural del lesbianismo ha sido exacerbada por la supremacia del espacio privado de la casa asignado a la mujer y el acceso minoritario a la produccion cultural, hechos que han cancelado la posibilidad de una genealogia y subcultura propias. Los textos aqui comentados inscriben en ese espacio en blanco un imaginario de la sexualidad lesbiana y discursos que dibujan trazos de la identidad silenciada. Asi, en En breve carcel (1981) de Sylvia Molloy y El cielo dividido (1996) de Reina Roffe, la experiencia amorosa es el puente que conduce a una reflexion acerca de la identidad, mientras en Tu nombre escrito en el agua (1995) de Irene Gonzalez Frei, deseo e identidad se entrelazan en una relacion no-disyuntiva que cancela los paradigmas del falogocentrismo
Relationship between microstructure and efficiency of scintillating glasses

Prior work has shown that there is a correlation between trap densities and scintillation efficiency of cerium-activated, lithium-aluminosilicate glasses. Raman spectroscopy has strongly suggested that phase separation may be playing an important role in governing the scintillation efficiency. This study, relates the thermoluminescence glow-curve data and microstructural analysis for a compositional series. The thermoluminescence data provide information about the traps in the neighborhood of the activator (Ce{sup 3+}). The microscopy and crystallization of the glasses provide direct evidence of activator partitioning.
Metal-semiconductor technology for Ni/Au-Ge on n-GaAs

The results of a detailed electrical and metallurgical study are presented for an Ohmic contact which is used in GaAs device technology. The electrical behavior of alloyed Ni/Au-Ge films on epitaxial n-type GaAs found from conventional current-voltage and capacitance-voltage techniques is correlated to the composition-depth profiles found using a new thin-film analysis technique combining Auger electron spectrsocopy with sputter etching. Below the eutectic temperature of the Au-Ge mixture, the Ni is shown to diffuse rapidly through the Au-Ge film. Above the Au-Ge eutectic temperature, the specific contact resistance is shown to drop by a factor of greater than 109as the Ge and Au diffuse into the GaAs. The presence of the Ni at the Au-Ge/GaAs interface is shown to markedly alter the resulting contact surface uniformity. The lack of a reproducible and reliable Ohmic contact to moderately doped n-type GaAs has been a persistent problem in metal-semiconductor technology. One widely used technique is to alloy evaporated metal layers, such as Ni/Au-Ge, to clean GaAs in order to obtain a low resistance contact (1-3). We report here a detail electrical and metallurgical study of the Ni/Au-Ge contact system on epitaxial GaAs; unique to our study is the new metallurgical technique of thin-film profiling using Auger electron spectroscopy and sputter etching. This work is an extension of the preliminary metallurgical results reported earlier on bulk material only (4).
Qubit-qubit interaction in quantum computers: errors and scaling laws

This paper explores the limitations that interaction between the physical qubits making up a quantum computer may impose on the computer's performance. For computers using atoms as qubits, magnetic dipole-dipole interactions are likely to be dominant; various types of errors which they might introduce are considered here. The strength of the interaction may be reduce by increasing the distance between qubits, which in general will make the computer slower. For ion-chain based quantum computers the slowing down due to this effect is found to be generally more sever than that due to other causes. In particular, this effect alone would be enough to make these systems unacceptably slow for large-scale computation, whether they use the center of mass motion as the 'bus' or whether they do this via an optical cavity mode.
An economist's perspective on altruism and selfishness

Few disagree that altruism exists. The frequency and source of altruistic behavior remain mysterious, however.
Effects of treadmill exercise on mitral inflow and annular velocities in healthy adults.

Tissue Doppler echocardiography has recently been introduced as a method to evaluate diastolic function by measuring diastolic mitral annular velocity. 1,2 Mitral annular velocity derived by tissue Doppler echocardiography is relatively independent of preload, and tissue Doppler echocardiography combined with transmitral flow velocity appears to provide a better estimate of left ventricular (LV) filling pressures compared with other methods, such as pulmonary venous flow pattern or preload reduction. 3 However, exerciseinduced changes in tissue Doppler echocardiography and mitral inflow velocities have not been characterized adequately. The purpose of this study was to evaluate transmitral inflow pattern and the tissue Doppler echocardiographic profile of a mitral annulus in healthy subjects during exercise; this would establish normal reference values to be used in a stress test to assess the extent of the elevation in diastolic filling pressure with exercise. ••• The study group was composed of 31 healthy subjects (13 men and 18 women, aged 59 14 years) without a history of hypertension, ischemic heart disease, cardiovascular symptoms, regular cardiac medication, or abnormal stress test results. Baseline measures of clinical characteristics, hemodynamic variables, mitral inflow, and diastolic velocities of the mitral annulus were obtained in all patients before exercise testing. This study was approved by the Mayo Foundation institutional review board. All subjects underwent a symptom-limited treadmill exercise test using the Bruce protocol. Blood pressure was obtained by a cuff sphygmomanometer at the 3-minute mark of each stage and at peak exercise. The 12-lead electrocardiogram was continuously monitored. All 2-dimensional and Doppler echocardiograms were recorded using a commercially available echocardiographic unit equipped with an imaging transducer and pulse-wave Doppler capability. Ejection fraction was calculated on the basis of 2-dimensional echocardiography and a modification of the method of
Trap Decontamination Using Hypochlorite: Effects on Trappability of Small Mammals

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome has prompted health concerns among those who regularly come in contact with the rodent hosts (and their excreta) infected with Sin Nombre virus. One method to reduce the likelihood of contracting hantavirus is to inactivate the virus, which may be present in traps or on field equipment, using a disinfectant. To test effects that residual chlorine fumes had on trappability of small mammals, Sherman traps were immersed in a 10% bleach solution 1 night before placement in the field. Those traps were alternated with non-chlorinated traps on eight trapping grids. No significant effects of the hypochlorite solution on trappability were detected for the four most common species: deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus), meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus), and northern short-tailed shrews (Blarina brevicauda). In a second experiment, alternating Sherman traps were sprayed with the hypochlorite solution on a daily basis for 6 consecutive days. Again, no significant effect on trappability was detected. Therefore, such disinfecting of traps previously occupied by rodents may be one means of reducing probability of contracting hantavirus without affecting small mammal trappability.
Chemical composition and structure of peritubular and intertubular human dentine revisited.

Abstract Objective Currently there is still a debate about whether peritubular dentine (PTD) is non-collageneous or collageneous tissue. The chemical composition and structure of human PTD and intertubular dentine (ITD) was re-visited in this study. Design The dentine tubular region including ITD and PTD prepared from human third molars was in situ detected by means of micro-Raman spectroscopy (μRs) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Results From the μRs study, it was found that the mineral/matrix ratios (phosphate vs. CH2) in PTD were ∼3 times of those in ITD. For the mineral, the differences between PTD and ITD were small, but still detectable. For the organic matrix, the intensity ratios of amide III to CH2 in ITD were ∼1.5 times of those in PTD, indicating the structural differences. In addition, there was a higher proline/hydroxyproline content in ITD than that in PTD. However, the overall Raman peak contour in the amide regions (I & III) was similar, indicating collagen might still exist in both the ITD and PTD. An in situ AFM observation of the dentinal tubular region during EDTA etching confirmed that dentine collagen ran across from the ITD into the PTD. Conclusion A phenomenon similar to that observed in the dentine–enamel junction is proposed to explain the above results. It is demonstrated that the μRs–AFM approach can be used to provide an insight into the structure of small dental tissues at the micron or sub-micron scale.
Propofol and alfentanil for sedation during placement of retrobulbar block for cataract surgery

Abstract Study Objective: To determine if the addition of alfentanil to propofol is more effective than propofol alone to provide adequate conditions for placement of a retrobulbar block prior to cataract surgery. Design: Randomized, double-blinded study. Setting: Outpatients at a university hospital. Patients: 40 adult ASA physical status I, II, and III outpatients scheduled for elective cataract surgery. Interventions: Patients were randomly assigned to receive one of four drug combinations prior to the placement of a retrobulbar block: Group 1, propofol alone; Group 2, alfentanil 5 μg/kg plus propofol; Group 3, alfentanil 10 μg/kg plus propofol; Group 4, alfentanil 15 μg/kg plus propofol. All patients were preoxygenated by face mask for two minutes prior to drug administration. The quality of conditions for block placement were determined by: (1) assessing the amount of movement by the patients while the block needle was in place, (2) cooperativeness of the patients during the operation, (3) hemodynamic side effects, (4) incidence and severity of respiratory depression, (5) incidence of nausea and vomiting, (6) recall of placement of the block, and (7) time to discharge from the hospital. Measurements and Main Results: The addition of alfentanil to propofol for sedation prior to placement of the retrobulbar block resulted in a dose-dependent reduction in movement by the patients. However, the highest dose of alfentanil (15 μg/kg) resulted in the greatest frequency (40% of the patients in this group) of respiratory depression (SpO 2 Conclusions: The combination of alfentanil and propofol may be used to sedate patients in order to limit movement and provide a cooperative, alert patient with stable hemodynamics and limited respiratory depression during placement of retrobulbar block prior to ophthalmic surgery. However, excessive dosage of these drugs may result in hazardous respiratory depression in this patient population.