cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
COMPLICATIONS OF MENISCAL REPAIR

Abstract Meniscal repair (open or arthroscopic) should be in the armamentarium of every orthopedist who performs knee surgery. The purpose of this article is to present the complications inherent in general knee arthroscopy as well as those specific to meniscal repair. Specific complications of meniscal repair discussed are (1) failure of the repair to heal, (2) neurovascular complications, (3) arthrofibrosis, and (4) infection.The authors also present techniques and recommendations to minimize these potential complications. Medial and lateral knee anatomy, with respect to standard surgical approaches for midhorn and posterior horn repairs, is discussed. Finally, the authors present their recommendations to minimize the failure-to-heal rate of meniscal repair.
Urinary glycosaminoglycan patterns in angiosarcoma of the liver.

Glycosaminoglycans extracted from 24-hour urine specimens from patients with hepatic angiosarcoma and from normal/controls were separated as cetylpyridinium complexes into “hyaluronic acid,” “chondroitin sulfate,” and “heparin” fractions, then further separated and characterized by anion-exchange chromatography and hyaluronidase susceptibility. The chromatographic pattern of the urinary chondroitin sulfate fraction in patients with angiosarcoma of the liver differed from those of controls in that there was a relative increase in the total amount of uronic acid in a hyaluronidase-resistant fraction and a decrease in a fraction susceptible to hyaluronidase digestion. These changes appeared to become more pronounced with advancing disease. Chromatographic patterns and determinations of hyaluronidase susceptibility indicated that the resistant fraction was heparan sulfate and that the susceptible fraction was chondroitin-4-sulfate and/or chondroitin-6-sulfate. Cancer 40:3050-3053, 1977.
Discovery Tool vs. PubMed: A Health Sciences Literature Comparison Analysis

The East Carolina University libraries, though administratively separate, jointly subscribe to and collaborate on enhancements for a shared instance of the Summon Discovery Service. Based on usage, enhancements to the discovery tool over the past few years, and the perceived ease of searching in Summon, health sciences librarians have questioned whether Summon could now be considered a legitimate competitor to PubMed. This article includes results of a citation comparison between the two databases and the conclusion that Summon produces quality results, but should not be considered an adequate replacement information source for a subject-specific database like PubMed.
Respiratory constraints on speech production: starting an utterance.

The aim of this research is to model the sequences of respiratory and articulatory events that occur when a speaker starts talking. In this paper, the focus is placed on a set of timing landmarks—utterance onset, phonation onset, and the initial peak in subglottal pressure—in relation to the first sound segment in the utterance and the location of the first syllable in the utterance that is judged as prominent by a listening panel. Simultaneous recordings of the acoustic signal, airflow, lung volume, and subglottal pressure as estimated from esophageal pressure were collected from four native speakers of American English. The timing of the initial alveolar pressure peak generally coincides with a prominent syllable if that syllable is the first or second syllable in the utterance, and precedes later prominences. There is considerable scatter in phonation pressure and phonation onset time across speakers and utterances. Normalizing these parameters to the initial pressure peak provides a more coherent view...
Higher hospital volume and specialisation

Outcomes are better in hospitals that do more procedures The association between surgical volume and patient outcomes for total joint replacement and other surgical procedures has been examined extensively.1 2 3 4 5 The reasons why surgeons who perform a higher volume of cases have better outcomes are intuitive. Surgeons who have more experience with a procedure tend to deliver better outcomes—after all, “practice makes perfect,” even beyond the learning curve. What is less well understood is why a hospital procedural volume-outcome association persists even after adjusting for surgeon volume. Patients operated on by lower volume surgeons in high volume hospitals still have better outcomes than those operated on by similar volume surgeons in lower volume hospitals. This effect is thought to result from improved care processes in higher volume hospitals. In the linked study (doi:10.1136/bmj.c165), Hagen and colleagues examine one possible explanation for this hospital volume-outcome association.6 They show that hospitals that specialise in orthopaedic surgery have better patient outcomes for total joint …
Effect of contrast enhancement on the measurement of carotid arterial lumen and wall volume using MRI.

Purpose To investigate whether gadolinium (Gd)-based contrast enhancement (CE) affects high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements of carotid arterial wall volume. Materials and Methods The common carotid artery (CCA), bifurcation, and internal carotid artery (ICA) of 50 consecutive patients were imaged using 1.5T MRI. T1-weighted (T1W) images were obtained before and after Gd administration. Pre- and post-CE measurements were compared among different arterial locations of the CCA, bifurcation, and ICA, and among different atherosclerotic lesion types. Results In comparison to pre-CE T1W images, post-CE images showed an increase in the apparent wall volume measurement of 28.2% (108.7 mm3 vs. 84.7 mm3, P < 0.001). The post-CE measurement increases in wall volume for the CCA, bifurcation, and ICA were 26.7%, 29.2%, and 28.0%, respectively. Conclusion Gd CE causes a significant increase in the apparent volume of the carotid wall throughout multiple carotid artery locations, which may be associated with improved visibility or neovascularization. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Miscible displacement in bounded fluid layers: Branching beyond critical

Abstract Miscible displacement in a bounded fluid layer introduces instabilities due to viscosity variation in the layer and due to viscosity difference across the surfaces separating the layer from surrounding fluid. We find that the problem in the layer itself is similar in many ways to the Benard problem with the neutral curve exhibiting the characteristic dip leading to the possibility of many flow cells at the critical speed of displacement. The viscosity difference across the surface modifies the dip, slightly at large surface tensions, completely at low surface tensions. The effect of the surface deflection is present whether or not the surface is stable and can be omitted only if the viscosity of the driving fluid is very high or the surface tension is very low. The nature of the branching at the critical speed depends on the cross section of the fluid layer and on how much of the dip in the neutral curve remains.
A photon-counting detector for exoplanet missions

This paper summarizes progress of a project to develop and advance the maturity of photon-counting detectors for NASA exoplanet missions. The project, funded by NASA ROSES TDEM program, uses a 256×256 pixel silicon Geigermode avalanche photodiode (GM-APD) array, bump-bonded to a silicon readout circuit. Each pixel independently registers the arrival of a photon and can be reset and ready for another photon within 100 ns. The pixel has built-in circuitry for counting photo-generated events. The readout circuit is multiplexed to read out the photon arrival events. The signal chain is inherently digital, allowing for noiseless transmission over long distances. The detector always operates in photon counting mode and is thus not susceptible to excess noise factor that afflicts other technologies. The architecture should be able to operate with shot-noise-limited performance up to extremely high flux levels, >10 6 photons/second/pixel, and deliver maximum signal-to-noise ratios on the order of thousands for higher fluxes. Its performance is expected to be maintained at a high level throughout mission lifetime in the presence of the expected radiation dose.
Sea urchins as crystallographers.

In their Perspective “Choosing the crystallization path less traveled” (12 Aug. 2005, p. 1027), S. Weiner et al. emphasize the significance of a disordered amorphous precursor phase in a biological strategy for making “beautifully sculpted carbonate minerals.” Size and sculpted shape are
H+, CH3+, and R3Si+ Carborane Reagents: When Triflates Fail

For decades, triflic acid, methyl triflate, and trialkylsilyl triflate reagents have served synthetic chemistry well as clean, strong electrophilic sources of H(+), CH(3)(+), and R(3)Si(+), respectively. However, a number of weakly basic substrates are unreactive toward these reagents. In addition, triflate anion can express undesired nucleophilicity toward electrophilically activated substrates. In this Account, we describe methods that replace triflate-based electrophilic reagents with carborane reagents. Using carborane anions of type CHB(11)R(5)X(6)(-) (R = H, Me, X; X = Br, Cl), members of a class of notably inert, weakly nucleophilic anions, significantly increases the electrophilicity of these reagents and shuts down subsequent nucleophilic chemistry of the anion. Thus, H(carborane) acids cleanly protonate benzene, phosphabenzene, C(60), etc., while triflic acid does not. Similarly, CH(3)(carborane) reagents can methylate substrates that are inert to boiling neat methyl triflate, including benzene, phosphabenzenes, phosphazenes, and the pentamethylhydrazinium ion, which forms the dipositive ethane analogue, Me(6)N(2)(2+). Methyl carboranes are also surprisingly effective in abstracting hydride from simple alkanes to give isolable carbocation salts, e.g., t-butyl cation. Trialkylsilyl carborane reagents, R(3)Si(carborane), abstract halides from substrates to produce cations of unprecedented reactivity. For example, fluoride is extracted from freons to form carbocations; chloride is extracted from IrCl(CO)(PPh(3))(2) to form a coordinatively unsaturated iridium cation that undergoes oxidative addition with chlorobenzene at room temperature; and silylation of cyclo-N(3)P(3)Cl(6) produces a catalyst for the polymerization of phosphazenes that functions at room temperature. Although currently too expensive for widespread use, carborane reagents are nevertheless of considerable interest as specialty reagents for making reactive cations and catalysts.
Refinable maps and generalized absolute neighborhood retracts

Abstract This paper studies some properties which are preserved by refinable maps when the domain is a certain kind of generalized ANR called a quasi-ANR. Among those properties are the properties of being a quasi-ANR and the disjoint n -cell property. An alternative characterization of quasi-ANR's as surjective approximative neighborhood extensors is also obtained in Theorems 3 and 4. These characterizations are analogs of similar characterizations in ANR theory.
The Invasion of the Cecal Mucosa by Eimeria tenella sporozoites and their Transport by Macrophages

SYNOPSIS. The establishment of Eimeria tenella sporozoites in the cecal mucosa of the chicken is described. The invasion process was similar to that reported for E. necatrix by Van Doorninck and Becker. Sporozoites were found to pass through the surface epithelium of the cecal mucosa into the lamina propria. Within the lamina propria the sporozoites were engulfed by macrophages and transported to the cells of the glands of Lieberkuhn. Development of the sporozoites ensues within the gland epithelium.
Rethinking the nature of knowledge management research: Implications for strategic human resource management

The article provides a framework of knowledge-in-practice that captures tacitness as a dimension of knowledge rather than a unique type of knowledge, leading to a multidimensional perspective on knowledge-in-practice with implications for management research and practice. The authors show how inattention to construct clarity issues associated with tacit knowledge has resulted in confusion and controversy in the literature. Four types of knowledge-in-practice are described, namely baseline mastery, accumulated data-based expertise, accumulated experiential expertise and artistic insight. The differing impacts of work practices that vary in tacitness and learnability are also considered.
Time reversal for modified oscillators

We consider a new completely integrable case of the time-dependent Schrodinger equation in ®n with variable coefficients for a modified oscillator that is dual (with respect to time reversal) to a model of the quantum oscillator. We find a second pair of dual Hamiltonians in the momentum representation. The examples considered show that in mathematical physics and quantum mechanics, a change in the time direction may require a total change of the system dynamics to return the system to its original quantum state. We obtain particular solutions of the corresponding nonlinear Schrodinger equations. We also consider a Hamiltonian structure of the classical integrable problem and its quantization.
Deletion of a Chromosome Arm Altered Wheat Resistance to Fusarium Head Blight and Deoxynivalenol Accumulation in Chinese Spring

Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused by Fusarium graminearum Schwabe, is an important disease of wheat worldwide. Production of deoxynivalenol (DON) in infected wheat grain by F. graminearum is a major safety concern when considering use of the grain as feed for livestock or for human consumption. Determining chromosome locations of FHB-related genes may facilitate enhancement of wheat resistance to FHB and DON accumulation. In this study, a set of 30 ditelosomic lines derived from Chinese Spring, a moderately FHB-resistant landrace from China, were evaluated for proportion of scabbed spikelets per inoculated spike in the greenhouse and for DON contamination in harvested grain over 2 years. Significant variation in the proportion of scabbed spikelets was observed among ditelosomic lines, ranging from 13 to 95%. Seven ditelosomic lines exhibited a greater proportion of scabbed spikelets and three of these also had greater DON content than Chinese Spring (P = 0.01), suggesting that those missing chromosome arms may carry genes that contribute to resistance to FHB. Six ditelosomic lines had a reduction in proportion of scabbed spikelets, suggesting that susceptibility factors or resistance suppressors may be on these missing chromosomal arms. Selection for low proportion of scabbed spikelets in general will select for low DON content.
Sunscreen counseling by US physicians.

Importance Sunscreen is an important part of sun protection to prevent skin cancer but may not be recommended as often as guidelines dictate. Objective To evaluate trends in sunscreen recommendation among physicians to determine whether they are following suggested patient-education guidelines regarding sun protection, and to assess data regarding physician sunscreen recommendations to determine the association with patient demographics, physician specialty, and physician diagnosis.
Applying a Model in Curriculum Planning

The application of educational theory to curriculum planning need not be a bewildering task if ap proached in an orderly manner. One model that can be applied to the development of any curriculum i...
Investigation of in Vivo Roles of the C-terminal Tails of the Small Subunit (ββ′) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Ribonucleotide Reductase CONTRIBUTION TO COFACTOR FORMATION AND INTERSUBUNIT ASSOCIATION WITHIN THE ACTIVE HOLOENZYME

The small subunit (β2) of class Ia ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) houses a diferric tyrosyl cofactor (Fe2III-Y•) that initiates nucleotide reduction in the large subunit (α2) via a long range radical transfer (RT) pathway in the holo-(α2)m(β2)n complex. The C-terminal tails of β2 are predominantly responsible for interaction with α2, with a conserved tyrosine residue in the tail (Tyr356 in Escherichia coli NrdB) proposed to participate in cofactor assembly/maintenance and in RT. In the absence of structure of any holo-RNR, the role of the β tail in cluster assembly/maintenance and its predisposition within the holo-complex have remained unknown. In this study, we have taken advantage of the unusual heterodimeric nature of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae RNR small subunit (ββ′), of which only β contains a cofactor, to address both of these issues. We demonstrate that neither β-Tyr376 nor β′-Tyr323 (Tyr356 equivalent in NrdB) is required for cofactor assembly in vivo, in contrast to the previously proposed mechanism for E. coli cofactor maintenance and assembly in vitro. Furthermore, studies with reconstituted-ββ′ and an in vivo viability assay show that β-Tyr376 is essential for RT, whereas Tyr323 in β′ is not. Although the C-terminal tail of β′ is dispensable for cofactor formation and RT, it is essential for interactions with β and α to form the active holo-RNR. Together the results provide the first evidence of a directed orientation of the β and β′ C-terminal tails relative to α within the holoenzyme consistent with a docking model of the two subunits and argue against RT across the β β′ interface.
Numerical Instability in a 2D Gyrokinetic Code Caused by Divergent E × B Flow

In this paper, a numerical instability first observed in a 2D electrostatic gyrokinetic code is described. The instability should also be present in some form in many versons of particle-in-cell simulation codes that employ guiding center drifts. A perturbation analysis of the instability is given and its results agree quantitatively with the observations from the gyrokinetic code in all respects. The basic mechanism is a false divergence of the E × B flow caused by the interpolation between the grid and the particles as coupled with the specific numerical method for calculating E - ??. Stability or instability depends in detail on the specific choice of particle interpolation method and field method. One common interpolation method, subtracted dipole, is stable. Other commonly used interpolation methods, linear and quadratic, are unstable when combined with a finite difference for the electric field. Linear and quadratic interpolation can be rendered stable if combined with another method for the electric field, the analytic differential of the interpolated potential.
A construction scheme for linear and non-linear codes

A scheme for construcing linear and non-linear codes is presented. It constructs a code of block length 2n from two constituent codes of block length n. Codes so constructed can be either linear or non-linear even when the constituent codes are linear. The construction of many known linear and non-linear codes using this scheme will be shown.
Reversible, Band-Gap-Selective Protonation of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes in Solution

In acidic solution between pH 6 and 2.5, protons react reversibly and selectively in the presence of preadsorbed oxygen at the sidewall of aqueous dispersed single-walled carbon nanotubes suspended in sodium dodecyl sulfate. This reactive complex, which protonates the nanotube sidewall, reversibly diminishes absorption intensity, fluorescent emission, and resonant Raman scattering intensity. The results document the first evidence of electronic selectivity with metallic nanotubes reacting initially near neutral pH, followed by successive protonation of nanotubes with increasing band gap as the solution is increasingly acidified. Preadsorption of molecular oxygen is shown to play a critical role in the interaction, and its desorption kinetics is followed using UV irradiation. The role of the charged electric double layer of the surfactant is discussed. This chemistry, which proceeds under relatively mild conditions, holds promise for separating nanotubes by metal and semiconducting types.
A modified approach to data cache management

As processor performance continues to improve, more emphasis must be placed on the performance of the memory system. In this paper, a detailed characterization of data cache behavior for individual load instructions is given. We show that by selectively applying cache line allocation according the characteristics of individual load instructions, overall performance can be improved for both the data cache and the memory system. This approach can improve some aspects of memory performance by as much as 60 percent on existing executables.
Modeling seasonal changes in live fuel moisture and equivalent water thickness using a cumulative water balance index

Live fuel moisture, an important determinant of fire danger in Mediterranean ecosystems, exhibits seasonal changes in response to soil water availability. Both drought stress indices based on meteorological data and remote sensing indices based on vegetation water absorption can be used to monitor live fuel moisture. In this study, a cumulative water balance index (CWBI) for a time series spanning 1994–1997 and 1999–2001 was compared to field measured live fuel moisture and to equivalent water thickness (EWT) calculated from remote sensing data. A sigmoidal function was used to model the relationships between CWBI, live fuel moisture, and EWT. Both live fuel moisture and EWT reach minima at large CWBI deficits. Minimum and maximum live fuel moisture, minimum and maximum EWT, and the modeled inflection points of both live fuel moisture and EWT were found to vary with vegetation type. Modeled minimum and maximum EWT were also found to vary with vegetation biomass. Spatial variation in modeled EWT inflection points may be due to vegetation type and to local variation in soil moisture. Based on their temporal and spatial attributes, CWBI and EWT offer complimentary methods for monitoring live fuel moisture for fire danger assessment.
Trade-offs in osmoregulation and parallel shifts in molecular function follow ecological transitions to freshwater in the Alewife

Adaptation to freshwater may be expected to reduce performance in seawater because these environments represent opposing selective regimes. We tested for such a trade-off in populations of the Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus). Alewives are ancestrally anadromous, and multiple populations have been independently restricted to freshwater (landlocked). We conducted salinity challenge experiments, whereby juvenile Alewives from one anadromous and multiple landlocked populations were exposed to freshwater and seawater on acute and acclimation timescales. In response to acute salinity challenge trials, independently derived landlocked populations varied in the degree to which seawater tolerance has been lost. In laboratory-acclimation experiments, landlocked Alewives exhibited improved freshwater tolerance, which was correlated with reductions in seawater tolerance and hypo-osmotic balance, suggesting that trade-offs in osmoregulation may be associated with local adaptation to freshwater. We detected differentiation between life-history forms in the expression of an ion-uptake gene (NHE3), and in gill Na(+) /K(+) -ATPase activity. Trade-offs in osmoregulation, therefore, may be mediated by differentiation in ion-uptake and salt-secreting pathways.
Differential Thyroid Hormone-Regulated Rat Thyrotropinβ Gene Expression Detected by Blot Hybridization

In the rat, there is a single TSHβ-subunit gene represented by three exons interrupted by two introns. This gene contains two promoters which determines the synthesis of two mRNAs with 5′-untranslated regions that differ by 43 base pairs. This study evaluates the steady state levels of these TSHβ mRNAs in various thyroidal states. Blot hybridization analyses of pituitary mRNA with synthetic probes designed to detect either one or both TSHβ mRNAs were performed. One probe corresponds to 24 bases in the 5′-untranslated region of mRNA1 and a second corresponds to 25 nucleotides in the coding region and detects both mRNA1 and mRNA2. These studies indicate the presence of TSHβ mRNA species of indistinguishable size consistent with the presence of two TSHβ mRNAs that contain slightly different 5′-untranslated regions. Comparison of pituitary RNA obtained from normal and hypothyroid rats reveals that the shorter mRNA (mRNA2) is increased approximately 6- to 8-fold with hypothyroidism while the abundance of the l...
The design and evaluation of a multi-sensory vibrotactile feedback system for a myoelectric prosthetic hand

Upper-limb amputees have reported that one of their main dissatisfactions with current commercialised prosthetic arms is a lack of sensory feedback. The current study investigates the feasibility of providing feedback of grip force, slippage, and finger position through vibrotactile stimulators to the prosthetic users. Tests are performed to determine subject’s spatial sensitivity as well as their abilities to differentiate discrete vibration intensity levels. We find that human subjects can correctly identify discrete sensory levels (with 90% accuracy) from 62 Hz to 250 Hz for tactors placed at least 3 cm apart. The accuracy of the EMG classifier system would decrease if all three tactors are activated. Even though a multivariable vibrotactile feedback system may not be feasible initially due to information overload, the user performance may improve with training. Multi-tactor system can be implemented with a slight decrease in electromyographic signal classification for the control of a neuroprosthetic hand.
Structural insights into the catalytic mechanism of cyclophilin A

Cyclophilins constitute a ubiquitous protein family whose functions include protein folding, transport and signaling. They possess both sequence-specific binding and proline cis-trans isomerase activities, as exemplified by the interaction between cyclophilin A (CypA) and the HIV-1 CA protein. Here, we report crystal structures of CypA in complex with HIV-1 CA protein variants that bind preferentially with the substrate proline residue in either the cis or the trans conformation. Cis- and trans-Pro substrates are accommodated within the enzyme active site by rearrangement of their N-terminal residues and with minimal distortions in the path of the main chain. CypA Arg55 guanidinium group probably facilitates catalysis by anchoring the substrate proline oxygen and stabilizing sp3 hybridization of the proline nitrogen in the transition state.
Tree disagreement: measuring and testing incongruence in phylogenies

The branching patterns of phylogenetic trees often disagree even when they have been constructed using different portions of the same data. This phylogenetic discord (incongruence) can be explained by real differences in evolutionary process or history, but also may be due simply to random chance or sampling error. Techniques for measuring and testing the significance of phylogenetic incongruence are used widely in systematic biology, and are necessary when considering genome-scale datasets composed of multiple genes that may or may not have different histories. They are also applicable wherever tree algorithms are used for ordering and interpreting data (e.g., DNA microarrays). Here, I review the different incongruence tests and use them to test the phylogenetic discord of a potentially mobile genetic element (the widespread colonization Island) in the γ-proteobacteria. I then consider how incongruence tests may be used as a starting point for phylogenetic analysis that accounts for horizontal transfer and duplication events as explanations for homoplasy.
Correlation of metamorphosed Paleozoic strata of the southeastern Mojave Desert region, California and Arizona

Isolated outcrops of deformed, regionally metamorphosed Paleozoic strata are scattered within the southeastern Mojave Desert region of California and western Arizona. These strata unconformably overlie a basement of Proterozoic crystalline rocks and are overlain in turn by metamorphosed Mesozoic sedimentary rocks. The strata can be correlated lithostratigraphically with the classic cratonal Paleozoic section of the western Grand Canyon, Arizona, and with nonmetamorphosed Paleozoic sections transitional between cratonal and miogeoclinal in the Ship, Marble, and Providence Mountains, California. The strata evidently were once continuous with Paleozoic epicontinental strata exposed throughout the southern Great Basin and Colorado Plateau. Outcrops of Paleozoic strata and of the underlying Proterozoic basement in the southeastern Mojave Desert region define a terrane that has been disrupted by Mesozoic thrust faults and by Tertiary detachment faults but that nevertheless retain a gross paleogeographic coherence. This coherent terrane extends at least as far west and southwest as the Big Maria, Palen, and Calumet Mountains, and possibly beyond to include Paleozoic exposures in the San Bernardino Mountains and near Victorville. Poorly understood tectonic boundaries separate the area of paleogeographic coherence from known or suspected allochthonous terranes in the western Mojave Desert and the eastern Transverse Ranges.
Theoretical Modeling of Cyclically Loaded, Biodegradable Cylinders

The adaptation of fully biodegradable stents, thought to be the next revolution in minimally invasive cardiovascular interventions, is supported by recent findings in cardiovascular medicine concerning human coronaries and the likelihood of their deployment has been made possible by advances in polymer engineering. The main potential advantages of biodegradable polymeric stents are: (1) the stent can degrade and transfer the load to the healing artery wall which allows favorable remodeling, and (2) the size of the drug reservoir is dramatically increased. The in-stent restenotic response usually happens within the first six months, thus a fully biodegradable stent can fulfill the mission of restoring flow while mitigating the probability of long-term complications. However, it is a key concern that the stent not degrade away too soon, or develop structural instabilities due to faster degradation in key portions of the stent. We present here a preliminary model of the mechanics of a loaded, biodegradable cylindrical structure. The eventual goal of this research is to provide a means of predicting the structural stability of biodegradable stents
Clinical and laboratory characteristics of ocular syphilis: a new face in the era of HIV co-infection.

Ocular syphilis is reemerging as an important cause of uveitis in the new era of common co-infection with HIV. This study will reveal the clinical and laboratory characteristics in the group of individuals co-infected with ocular syphilis and HIV compared with HIV-negative individuals. In this retrospective observational case series, medical records of patients diagnosed with ocular syphilis with serologic support from 2008 to 2014 were reviewed. Ocular and systemic manifestation and laboratory profiles were reviewed. Twenty-nine eyes of 16 consecutive patients (10 HIV-positive and 6 HIV-negative) were included. All patients were males, and mean age of onset for ocular syphilis was 43 (mean 42.65 ± 13.13). In both HIV-positive and HIV-negative groups, ocular manifestations of syphilis were variable including anterior uveitis (4 eyes), posterior uveitis (8 eyes), panuveitis (13 eyes), and isolated papillitis (4 eyes). In HIV-positive patients, panuveitis was the most common feature (12/18 eyes, 67 %) and serum rapid plasma reagin (RPR) titers were significantly higher (range 1:64–1:16,348; mean 1:768; p = 0.018) than in HIV-negative patients. Upon the diagnosis of ocular syphilis in HIV-positive patients, HIV-1 viral load was high (median 206,887 copies/ml) and CD4 cell count ranged from 127 to 535 cells/ml (mean 237 ± 142; median 137). Regardless of HIV status, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) exam was frequently abnormal: positive CSF fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-ABS) or Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) test results in seven patients or either elevated CSF WBC count or elevated CSF protein in six patients. Our results reveal that the patients with ocular syphilis with high serum RPR titers may have concomitant HIV infection requiring further testing for HIV status and ocular syphilis is likely associated with the central nervous system involvement and therefore needs to be managed according to the treatment recommendations for neurosyphilis.
Re-Reading Sociology via the Emotions: Karl Marx's Theory of Human Nature and Estrangement

Marx's conception of human nature includes human “passions” and “emotions” as fundamental, integrative aspects of our social nature and our human capacity for “free conscious activity.” However, “e...
Personality correlates of pain perception and tolerance

Explored personality correlates of pain perception and tolerance in a nonmedical sample and setting. In a counter-balanced design, 70 Ss were administered several personality questionnaires and a cold-pressor test for pain perception and tolerance. In Experiment 1, 39 Ss were given the Adjective Check List and Rosenberg's Self-esteem Scale, while in Experiment 2, 31 different Ss received the Beck Depression Inventory. Results showed no significant correlations with personality measures and cold-pressor scores, but a significant relationship between pain tolerance and cognitive focus; those who focused on the experimental situation had much shorter tolerance times than those who used cognitive distraction. It is suggested that while chronic pain in a medical patient population may be related to personality characteristics, tolerance of pain in a non-patient population is related to situational variables, such as cognitive focus and distraction.
Some Applications of Combinatorial Optimization Techniques

The Westminster Company has a problem. Their office space is too small and they are planning a new one-floor office building. The problem is how to answer the architect’s question: How do you want the various facilities to be laid out? We begin by listing and enumerating the facilities: (1) President’s office. (2) Space for President’s secretary/receptionist. (3) Typing pool. (4) Sales Manager’s office. (5) Production Manager’s office. (6) Distribution Manager’s office. (7) Area for clerks and telephone operator. (8) Boardroom. (9) Washroom/Cafeteria. (10) Storeroom. (11) Building grounds.
Optimal Design Parameters for Wireless Power Transfer by Resonance Magnetic

The wireless power transfer (WPT) efficiency of systems based on strongly coupled magnetic resonance (SCMR) depends on the Q-factor of the system elements, which is a function of the geometrical parameters. This letter analytically derives the equations that can be used to design optimal loop and helical elements for SCMR systems. Also, for loops and helices, a global maximum condition is derived in order to design SCMR systems with maximal efficiency.
COMPARISON OF TELEOPERATOR CONTROL ARCHITECTURES FOR PALPATION TASK

This work focuses on the design and testing of teleoperation controllers which are required to discriminate changes in compliance, addressing the question of which controller architecture performs the best in the high fidelity application of telesurgery. Three teleoperator controller architectures are compared for their ability to detect objects in compliant environments. These architectures are: position error based force feedback (PERR), kinesthetic force feedback (KFF), and position and force feedback (P+FF). The gains for each controller are chosen based on stability, tracking performance, and fidelity of the system. Stability is determined by a robust stability criterion. A sensitivity function is used to determine a tracking criterion. A new fidelity measure is introduced which looks at the sensitivity of the transmitted impedance to changes in the environmental compliance. Experiments are conducted to determine which control architecture allows the operator to most easily determine a change in compliance. This experimental task is designed to mimic palpation of soft tissue performed in medical procedures. The results suggest that the hybrid controller (P+FF) outperforms both PERR and KFF.
Physical activity: the present in the context of the past.

In the broad sense, modern humans have lived in an environment in which physical activity and associated movement skills were central, especially in the context of physical competition with other animals. The physically active lifestyle of earlier human populations has been emphasized, especially the cardiovascular endurance component and energy expenditure, but less attention has been devoted to the gross and fine motor skills that are essential components of this lifestyle. Motor skills developed through practice are important determinants of success and survival in preindustrial societies. In industrial and postindustrial societies, on the other hand, the role of physical activity is different, with prowess in certain areas of physical expertise (e.g., accuracy with projectiles, muscular strength, among others) and prolonged exertion (i.e., cardiovascular endurance) less important for survival. The combined effects of the transition to a sedentary lifestyle and attendant dietary changes have resulted first an epidemic of coronary heart disease and more recently an epidemic of overweight/obesity in postindustrial societies. Although mortality associated with coronary heart disease has declined, due largely to biomedical advances, overweight and obesity have increased concomitantly with population reduction in physical activity (energy expenditure) and increased calorie (energy) consumption. The current scenario begs several questions which have implications for contemporary human biology related to sustaining the pace of cultural change on a biological base that is increasingly being compromised by physical inactivity, overweight, and obesity. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Optimizing latency, energy, and reliability of 1T1R ReRAM through appropriate voltage settings

Resistive RAM (ReRAM) has fast access time, ultra-low stand-by power and high reliability, making it a viable memory technology to replace DRAM for main memory. The 1-transistor-1-resistor (1T1R) ReRAM array has density comparable to that of a DRAM array and the advantages of lower programming energy and higher reliability compared to the ultrahigh density ReRAM cross-point array. In this paper, we show how circuit operation parameters, such as the pulse amplitude and pulse widths of word-line (WL) voltage, bit-line (BL) voltage, and source-line (SL) voltage can be used to lower latency, lower power and improve reliability. SPICE simulation results demonstrate that appropriate choice of voltage settings can be used to reduce the write latency of the 1T1R cell by 29.4% and reduce write energy by 46.7% over the DRAM cell. Next, we show how the endurance of ReRAM cell can be improved by increasing the ratio between OFF and ON resistances and reducing SL voltage. We find that of these, reducing the SL voltage results in significant improvement in endurance with smaller energy overhead. Next, we evaluate the system-level performance of a 1GB ReRAM and DRAM memory system using CACTI and GEM5. Simulation results using SPEC CPU INT 2006 and DaCapo-9.12 benchmarks show that the ReRAM based main memory can improve IPC by 4.2% and energy by up to 77.8% compared to a DRAM system.
Virtual Learning Environments for Students with Disabilities: A Review and Analysis of the Empirical Literature and Two Case Studies:

Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show varying levels of impairment in social skills situations. Interventions have been developed utilizing virtual environments (VEs) to teach and impro...
Normalization and Technical Variation in Gene Expression Measurements

Using data from the Microarray Quality Control (MAQC) project, we demonstrate two data-analysis methods that shed light on the normalization of gene expression measurements and thereby on their technical variation. One is an improved method for normalization of multiple assays with mRNA concentrations related by a parametric model. The other is a method for characterizing limitations on the effectiveness of normalization in reducing technical variation. We apply our improved normalization to the four project materials as part of testing the linearity of the probe responses. We find that the lack of linearity is statistically significant but small enough that its sources cannot be easily identified. Applying our characterization method to assays of the same material, we show that there is a source of variation that cannot be eliminated by normalization and therefore must be dealt with by other means. Four high-density, single probe, one-color microarray platforms underlie our demonstration.
LEFT VENTRICULAR FALSE TENDONS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH LEFT VENTRICULAR DILATION AND IMPAIRED LEFT VENTRICULAR SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC FUNCTION

Left ventricular false tendons (LVFTs) are chord-like structures that traverse the LV cavity and are generally considered to be benign. However, they have been associated with arrhythmias, left ventricular hypertrophy and LV dilation in some small studies. Our objective was to evaluate the
Causal Relevance and thought Content

L'A. pose les conditions necessaires d'un rapport causal entre le contenu de nos pensees et notre comportement, que ne satisfont aucune des theories fonctionnaliste, externaliste et relationniste, mais qui determinent la survenance physique non-relationnelle des proprietes du contenu
Problem and Its Solution for Power Stability Test

Power stability is one of the important specifications for the performance of meter test equipment.In testing 0.01 grade meter test equipment,its power stability is found to be inconsistent with the standard.The reason of the power instability is studied and a method is proposed and proved experimentally to be suitable for solving the power instability resulted from the interference between the electronically generated power source and commercial power source.
Troubleshooting the malfunctioning Scott artificial urinary sphincter.

AbstractA rational approach to problems with the Scott artificial urinary sphincter is presented, which includes preoperative radiographic, endoscopic and urodynamic studies, and intraoperative electrical testing of device integrity and pressure/volume characteristics of the system.
Baryon masses in the 1/Nc expansion

Abstract The masses of baryons and heavy quark baryons are studied analytically in an expansion in 1/ N c , SU (3) flavor symmetry breaking, and heavy-quark symmetry breaking. The measured baryon masses are in striking agreement with the 1/ N c hierarchy.
Pulmonary Vascular and Ventricular Dysfunction in the Susceptible Patient (2015 Grover Conference Series)

Pulmonary blood vessel structure and tone are maintained by a complex interplay between endogenous vasoactive factors and oxygen-sensing intermediaries. Under physiological conditions, these signal...
Race, Reason and Reasonableness: Toward an “Unreasonable” Pedagogy

Starting from the contemporary critical-theoretical notion of an objective violence that organizes social reality in capitalism, including processes of systemic racism, as well as from phenomenological inquiries into processes of race and identity, this article explores the relationship between racism and reasonableness in education and society. The category of the reasonable connects the content of particular propositions with the inner truth of the form of thought. At the same time, the reasonable refers to what can be legitimated not only intellectually but practically and morally. I describe how the force of this category, working through neoliberal modalities of appropriation and penality, is an anchor for persistent processes of racial oppression in educational policy and curriculum. Furthermore, if the reasonable is a central figure for ideology, then a kind of thinking that would break with it will show up in the first instance as unreasonable. Thus, I argue that critical pedagogy in the present n...
Neural drive to nasal dilator muscles: influence of exercise intensity and oronasal flow partitioning

Our aim was to test the following hypotheses: 1) neural drive to the muscles of the alae nasi (AN) is proportional to nasal airflow and is independent of the overall level of central respiratory drive, and 2) the switch from nasal to oronasal breathing corresponds to the onset of marked flow turbulence in the nasal airway. Total and nasal inspired ventilation rates (VI) and the electromyogram (EMG) of the AN muscles were measured in seven subjects during progressive-intensity bicycling exercise. In separate experiments in six subjects the nasal VI corresponding to the transition from laminar to turbulent airflow was determined by measuring the pressure-flow relationship of the nasal airway with anterior rhinomanometry. Nasal VI accounted for 70 +/- 11% of total VI at rest and 27 +/- 8% (SE) at 90% of the maximal attainable power (max). Nasal VI and integrated AN EMG activities increased linearly with exercise intensity up to 60% of the max power, but both variables plateaued at this level even though total VI (and central respiratory drive) began to increase exponentially as exercise intensity increased to 90% max. The onset of the exponential rise in total VI was associated with a sharp increase in oral VI and with the onset of marked flow turbulence in the nasal airway. The results suggest that during incremental exercise 1) changes in AN EMG activities are highly correlated with changes in nasal VI, 2) turbulent flow in the nose may be the stimulus for the switch to oronasal breathing so that total pulmonary resistance is minimized, and 3) the correlation between nasal airflow and neural drive to the AN muscles is probably mediated by mechanisms that monitor airway resistance. Although these mechanisms were not identified, the most likely possibilities are receptors in the upper and/or lower airways that are sensitive to negative transmural pressure, or to effort sensations leading to greater corollary motor discharge to nasal dilator muscle motoneurons.
What would it take to achieve the Paris temperature targets

The 2015 Paris Agreement aims to limit warming to 2 or 1.5°C above preindustrial level, although combined Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) are likely insufficient to achieve these targets. We propose a set of idealized emission pathways consistent with the targets. If countries reduce emissions in line with their INDCs, the 2°C threshold could be avoided only if net zero greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs) are achieved by 2085 and late century negative emissions are considerably in excess of those assumed in Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 2.6 (net −5 Gt CO2/yr, compared with −1.5 Gt CO2/yr in RCP2.6). More aggressive near-term reductions would allow 2°C to be avoided with less end-of-century carbon removal capacity. A 10% cut in GHGEs by 2030 (relative to 2015) could likely achieve 2°C with RCP2.6 level negative emissions. The 1.5°C target requires GHGEs to be reduced by almost a third by 2030 and net zero by 2050, while a 50 year overshoot of 1.5°C allows net zero GHGEs by 2060.
Microwave Propagation on High-Jc YBCO Transmission Lines

We have prepared YBCO superconducting transmission lines on the substrates of a MgO single crystal and have studied the propagation of microwave signals from 200MHz to 20GHz on these lines. The transmission lines are co-planar type and are 0.5μm thick, 30–100μm wide, and 12mm long. Their critical current densities which were directly measured through the whole line (12mm long) were more than 105A/cm2 at 77.3K. The transmission properties of the YBCO superconducting co-planar lines were measured by a network analyzer. The results were compared with those of Al transmission lines. The transmission losses on the YBCO co-planar line (30μm wide) were less than 0.5dB for frequencies up to 9GHz. They are lower than those on the equivalent Al line on a MgO single crystal at 77.3K.
Conclusion: Neuroscience, Experience, and the Larger Culture

We are born to be social (Aristotle, 1968), to be grounded with others that nurture diverse and endless forms of pedagogy (Dewey, 1919, 1925; Premack, 1990). What distinguishes the long period of childhood is the chance it provides to get a foothold into the world around us. Foraging for coherence begins here, in a social context of norms and practices that bind us and that trigger ways in which to respond to others.