cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of radiation exposures between two different lung scan approaches

2402 Objectives Nuclear Medicine lung images are ordered to diagnose pulmonary embolism (PE). To do this, a perfusion and ventilation study is performed. If perfusion is normal, pulmonary embolism can be ruled out. If abnormal, a ventilation study is necessary for the diagnosis of PE. Most Nuclear Medicine departments use both ventilation and perfusion for every patient; however, Froedtert Hospital performs perfusion first on every patient, and only if abnormal, ventilation is done. This research compares the different radiation exposures between the two approaches. Methods Patients were acquired over the past year at Froedtert Hospital. The number of ventilations needed was compared to the total number of perfusions. Exposure (rad) of Tc99m MAA, Tc99m Aerosol and Xenon-133 was obtained for the lungs, liver, and kidneys, as well as total exposures when using a ventilation and perfusion study together. Results For MAA only, the exposure to the lungs, kidneys, and liver is 0.880 rad, 0.044 rad, and 0.072 rad, respectively. For an Aerosol and MAA study, the exposure is 0.976 rad, .080 rad, and 0.107 rad, respectively. For a Xe-133 and MAA study, the exposure is 0.996 rad, 0.115 rad, and 0.143 rad, respectively. The percent increase exposure for an Aerosol study was calculated to be 9.8% to the lungs, 45.0% to the kidneys, and 32.5% to the liver. The percent increase using Xenon is 11.6% to the lungs, 61.6% to the kidneys, and 49.5% to the liver. A graph of the kidneys and liver exposures can be seen below. Conclusions Recently, radiation exposure has been a huge concern. Those exposed to radiation are always taught to follow the ALARA principle. The results show that with ventilation there is a large increase in radiation exposure to the kidneys and liver, as well as the lungs. Also, the radiation exposure is much higher for Xenon than Aerosol. Froedtert Hospital follows ALARA by only doing necessary scans on patients. Last year, only 17% of patients were vented, and therefore 83% did not get unnecessary exposure. Less radiation is given to the patients, as well as less exposure to the technologists
Mammalian expression of isotopically labeled proteins for NMR spectroscopy.

NMR spectroscopic characterization of biologically interesting proteins generally requires the incorporation of 15N/13C and/or 2H stable isotopes. While prokaryotic incorporation systems are regularly used, mammalian ones are not: of the nearly 9,000 NMR macromolecular structures currently deposited in the Protein Data Bank, only a handful (<0.5%) were solved with proteins expressed in mammalian systems. This low number of structures is largely a reflection of the difficulty in producing uniformly labeled, mammalian-expressed proteins. This is unfortunate, as many interesting proteins require mammalian cofactors, chaperons, or post-translational modifications such as N-linked glycosylation, and mammalian cells have the necessary machinery to produce them correctly. Here we describe recent advances in mammalian expression, including an efficient adenoviral vector-based system, for the production of isotopically enriched proteins. This system allows for the expression of mammalian proteins and their complexes, including proteins that require post-translational modifications. We describe how this system can produce isotopically labeled 15N and 13C post-translationally modified proteins, such as the outer domain of HIV-1 gp120, which has 15 sites of N-linked glycosylation. Selective amino-acid labeling is also described. These developments should reduce barriers to the determination of NMR structures with isotopically labeled proteins from mammalian expression systems.
Heterodyne Sensing CMOS Array with High Density and Large Scale: A 240-GHz, 32-Unit Receiver Using A De-Centralized Architecture

This paper reports the first large-scale, dense sub-THz heterodyne array featuring: (1) compactness of units: two interleaved 4×4 arrays with A/2 unit pitch are integrated in a 1.2-mm2 space; (2) multi-functionality of circuits: each array unit simultaneously achieves LO generation, inter-unit synchronization, incident wave coupling and down-conversion; (3) global phase locking: a strongly-coupled 2D LO network is phase locked to a 75-MHz reference, enabling phase-coherent pairing with off-chip transmitters; (4) scalability: array scale increase and lower LO phase noise are facilitated by eliminating the global routing and power sharing of sub-THz LO; (5) parallelism: beam forming from the two sub-arrays can be processed concurrently. A chip prototype using bulk 65-nm CMOS technology is implemented with 980-mW DC power. Array-wide 240-GHz LO locking is achieved with a measured phase noise of −84 dBc/Hz (1-MHz offset). The measured sensitivity (BW=1 kHz) of a single unit is 38.8-pW. This is >6x improvement over prior sub-THz arrays with similar scale and density but without phase-detection capability.
Genome-wide discovery of novel susceptibility loci for treatment-associated hypothyroidism among survivors of pediatric medulloblastoma.

10571Background: Pediatric medulloblastoma patients exposed to craniospinal radiation (CSI) are at high risk of developing endocrinopathies, including hypothyroidism. We sought to evaluate the role...
Partial versus radical nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma

Chronic kidney disease risk is increased among patients with renal cell carcinoma, particularly for those with preexisting chronic kidney disease (including proteinuria) but also for those with com...
Tibiofemoral Kinematics During Compressive Loading of the ACL-Intact and ACL-Sectioned Knee: Roles of Tibial Slope, Medial Eminence Volume, and Anterior Laxity.

Background Tibial geometry and knee laxity have been identified as risk factors for both noncontact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture and instability in the setting of ACL insufficiency via clinical studies; yet, their biomechanical relationships with tibiofemoral kinematics during compressive loading are less well understood. The purpose of this study was to identify the relative contributions of sagittal tibial slope, medial tibial eminence volume, and anterior knee laxity to tibiofemoral kinematics with axial compression in both ACL-intact and ACL-sectioned cadaveric knees. Methods Computed tomography (CT) data were collected from 13 human cadaveric knees (mean donor age, 45 ± 11 years; 8 male). Validated algorithms were used to calculate the sagittal slope of the medial and of the lateral tibial plateau as well as volume of the medial tibial eminence. Specimens were then mounted to a robotic manipulator. For both intact and ACL-sectioned conditions, the robot compressed the knee from 10 to 300 N at 15° of flexion; the net anterior tibial translation of the medial and lateral compartments and internal tibial rotation were recorded. Simple and multiple linear regressions were performed to identify correlations between kinematic outcomes and (1) osseous geometric parameters and (2) anterior laxity during a simulated Lachman test. Results In ACL-intact knees, anterior tibial translation of each compartment was positively correlated with the corresponding sagittal slope, and internal tibial rotation was positively correlated with the lateral sagittal slope and the sagittal slope differential (p ≤ 0.044). In ACL-sectioned knees, anterior tibial translation of the medial compartment was positively associated with medial sagittal slope as well as a combination of medial tibial eminence volume and anterior laxity; internal tibial rotation was inversely correlated with anterior knee laxity (p Conclusions Under compressive loading, sagittal slope of the medial and of the lateral tibial plateau was predictive of kinematics with the ACL intact, while medial tibial eminence volume and anterior laxity were predictive of kinematics with the ACL sectioned. Clinical relevance The relationships between tibial osseous morphology, anterior laxity, and knee kinematics under compression may help explain heightened risk of ACL injury and might predict knee instability after ACL rupture.
Developing teaching materials for learners in surgery

Engaging learners in didactic education requires content expertise augmented by effective and well-designed teaching materials. Preparation of ideal teaching materials to optimize learner engagement and transfer of knowledge is based upon understanding the learner needs, instructional design and hierarchy, and multimedia learning theory. Teaching materials that incorporate pictorial and verbal aspects lead to higher retention and transfer but must be designed with consideration of cognitive overload.
Prognostic Factors, Treatment, and Survival in Primary Cutaneous Mucinous Carcinoma: A SEER Database Analysis.

BACKGROUNDLimited information exists on the demographics, tumor characteristics, and treatment in primary cutaneous mucinous carcinoma (PCMC).OBJECTIVEThe authors sought to describe prognostic factors, incidence rates, and the subsequent primary malignancy (SPM) risk in patients with PCMC.METHODSPri
Measuring Constituency Ideology Using Bayesian Universal Kriging

In this article, we develop and make available measures of public ideology in 2010 for the 50 American states, 435 congressional districts, and state legislative districts. We do this using the geospatial statistical technique of Bayesian universal kriging, which uses the locations of survey respondents, as well as population covariate values, to predict ideology for simulated citizens in districts across the country. In doing this, we improve on past research that uses the kriging technique for forecasting public opinion by incorporating Alaska and Hawaii, making the important distinction between ZIP codes and ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, and introducing more precise data from the 2010 Census. We show that our estimates of ideology at the state, congressional district, and state legislative district levels appropriately predict the ideology of legislators elected from these districts, serving as an external validity check.
Algo Bots and the Law

The trillion-dollar markets for futures, swaps, commodity options, and related derivatives are extremely important to the global economy because, among other things, they influence the prices that people pay for everything from heating oil and bread to the interest rates connected to mortgages and student loans. Due to technological advances in automation and artificial intelligence, these markets have recently undergone a dramatic transformation away from human-centered trading and operations to control by high-speed automated systems. In this work, Gregory Scopino explains how such changes present challenges to the oversight of these markets and discusses potential ways for authorities to address issues presented by computerized trading and related systems. This book should be read by anyone interested in learning how artificial intelligence is used in the financial markets and how those markets are - and should be - regulated.
An analog of Thompson's triangle inequality in Euclidean Jordan algebras

In a recent paper [Linear Algebra Appl., 461:92--122, 2014], Tao et al. proved an analog of Thompson's triangle inequality for a simple Euclidean Jordan algebra by using a case-by-case analysis. In this short note, we provide a direct proof that is valid on any Euclidean Jordan algebras.
Longitudinal Data Discontinuity in Electronic Health Records and Consequences for Medication Effectiveness Studies.

Electronic health records (EHR) discontinuity, i.e., receiving care outside of the study EHR system, can lead to information bias in EHR-based real-world evidence (RWE) studies. An algorithm has been previously developed to identify patients with high EHR-continuity. We sought to assess whether applying this algorithm to patient selection for inclusion can reduce bias caused by data-discontinuity in 4 RWE examples. Among Medicare beneficiaries aged >=65 years from 2007 to 2014, we established four cohorts assessing drug effects on short-term or long-term outcomes, respectively. We linked claims data with two US EHR systems and calculated %bias of the multivariable-adjusted effect estimates based on only EHR vs. linked EHR-claims data since the linked data capture medical information recorded outside of the study EHR. Our study cohort included 77,288 patients in system 1 and 60,309 in system 2. We found the sub-cohort in the lowest quartile of EHR-continuity captured 72-81% of the short-term and only 21-31% of the long-term outcome events, leading to %bias of 6-99% for the short-term and 62-112% for the long-term outcome examples. This trend appeared to be more pronounced in the example using a non-user comparison rather than an active comparison. We did not find significant treatment effect heterogeneity by EHR-continuity for most subgroups across empirical examples. In EHR-based RWE studies, investigators may consider excluding patients with low algorithm-predicted EHR-continuity as the EHR data capture relatively few of their actual outcomes, and treatment effect estimates in these patients may be unreliable.
The effect of boundary conditions on mixing rates of markov chains

Many natural Markov chains undergo a phase transition as a temperature parameter is varied; a chain can be rapidly mixing at high temperature and slowly mixing at low temperature. Moreover, it is believed that even at low temperature, the rate of convergence is strongly dependent on the environment in which the underlying system is placed. It is believed that the boundary conditions of a spin configuration can determine whether a local Markov chain mixes quickly or slowly, but this has only been verified previously for models defined on trees. We demonstrate that the mixing time of Broder's Markov chain for sampling perfect and near-perfect matchings does have such a dependence on the environment when the underlying graph is the square-octagon lattice. We show the same effect occurs for a related chain on the space of Ising and “near-Ising” configurations on the two-dimensional Cartesian lattice.
An Application of HVDC to the de-icing of Transmission Lines

Ice accumulation on transmission lines in extreme climatic events can result in severe damage to the lines and towers, with the possibility of being unable to restore the service quickly enough to preserve electricity supplies to customers. To prevent such a situation, Hydro-Quebec TransEnergie are investing in a dedicated "De-icer" installation at its strategically important Levis substation, near Quebec city. The HVDC-based installation, scheduled for handover in August 2006, injects a high direct current into the transmission line to be de-iced. When not being used as a de-icer, the installation operates as a static var compensator (SVC), using the HVDC valves as a thyristor controlled reactor (TCR) in a circuit which minimises the power losses of the valves. The detailed function of the de-icer installation is described in the paper, along with descriptions of the principal equipments and the circuit topologies used in the two modes
Molybdenum: Nitrogenase Cofactor Assembly

The assembly of the nitrogenase iron–molybdenum (FeMo) cofactor (M-cluster) has been described as one of the most complex processes in bioinorganic chemistry. While initial genetic approaches identified the key players in M-cluster assembly, biochemical and structural investigations in the past few years further elucidated the inner workings of this process. Specifically, the role of the radical S-adenosyl-methionine (SAM) enzyme NifB, as well as the crystal structure of the scaffold protein NifEN, has been defined recently, leading to a better understanding of the key steps of M-cluster assembly that occur on these two assembly proteins. Here, the authors highlight the recent advances in their understanding of M-cluster assembly, with a focus on the roles of NifB and NifEN in this process. Keywords: nitrogenase; NifEN; NifB; NifEN-B; MoFe protein; Fe protein; FeMoco; precursor; K-cluster; L-cluster; M-cluster; radical SAM; center atom; Azotobacter vinelandii
MULTIPLE‐RESPONDENT ANECDOTAL ASSESSMENTS: AN ANALYSIS OF INTERRATER AGREEMENT AND CORRESPONDENCE WITH ANALOGUE ASSESSMENT OUTCOMES

We evaluated interrater agreement across multiple respondents on anecdotal assessments and compared cases in which agreement was obtained with outcomes of functional analyses. Experiment 1 evaluated agreement among multiple respondents on the function of problem behavior for 27 individuals across 42 target behaviors using the Motivation Assessment Scale (MAS) and the Questions about Behavioral Function (QABF). Results showed that at least 4 of 5 respondents agreed on the primary maintaining consequence for 52% (22 of 42) of target behaviors with the MAS and 57% (24 of 42) with the QABF. Experiment 2 examined correspondence between the anecdotal assessment results and functional analysis results for 7 individuals for whom at least 4 of 5 respondents showed agreement in Experiment 1. Correspondence with functional analysis results was observed in 6 of 7 cases with the QABF and in 4 of 7 cases with the MAS. Implications of these outcomes for the utility of anecdotal assessments are discussed.
Some invariants of spin manifolds

Abstract The Rochlin invariant of a compact 3-manifold with a fixed spin structure can be generalized to high dimensions. This paper explores these generalized Rochlin invariants and shows that they are spectral invariants.
RECENT PROGRESS AND CURRENT PROBLEMS IN TREATMENT OF INVASIVE FUNGAL INFECTIONS IN NEUTROPENIC PATIENTS

Invasive fungal infections, including disseminated candidiasis and invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, are important causes of morbidity and mortality in neutropenic patients. The recent development of fluconazole, itraconazole, lipid formulations of amphotericin B, and recombinant cytokines have expanded our therapeutic armamentarium. Clinical trials have elucidated new strategies for utilizing these compounds in the prevention and treatment of opportunistic mycoses. The population of more severely immunocompromised patients, however, continues to expand and the spectrum of drug-resistant fungi, including but not limited to Candida spp, Fusarium spp, Zygomycetes, and dematiaceous moulds, continues to evolve, thus presenting new challenges to recent therapeutic advances. Development of new antifungal chemotherapeutic agents and novel approaches for augmentation of host response will be required to meet these new mycologic challenges.
Hydrogen-assisted cracking studies of 4340 steel by using the optical method of caustics

Abstract The optical method of caustics is used to measure the effect of hydrogen on the localized deformation within the fracture process zone (PZ). In particular, the role of the PZ in hydrogen-assisted cracking (HAC) of 4340 steel in hydrogen gas at 1 atm is examined. No change in the caustic diameter was detected prior to crack initiation but an “anomalous” enlargement of the caustic diameter as a function of crack growth was observed as a result of crack tunneling. The “center” of the caustic follows the position of the internal crack front, thus providing a simple means to monitor the growth of internal cracks. It is demonstrated that the technique provides a sensitive means for detecting HAC initiation (the smallest crack depth change detected is 35 μm) and insight into the three-dimensional character of the PZ.
MULTIMODE: A code to calculate rovibrational energies of polyatomic molecules

This review focuses on the calculation of rovibrational energies of polyatomic molecules using the code MULTIMODE. This code, which uses normal coordinates and a hierarchical n-mode representation of the potential, aims to be applicable to a wide class of molecules and molecular complexes. The theoretical and computational methods used in this code are described, followed by a review of selected applications. These applications illustrate various features of the code and also point out some limitations of the current version of the code. The review concludes with some ideas about possible future directions in this area of research.
Revision for exposed anterior segment tubes.

Purpose To discuss the clinical problem of exposed anterior segment tubes, to review the literature on revision surgery, and to present my method of revision for tube exposure. Methods Review of the pertinent literature and tabulation of complications from the author's cases of revision surgery. Results The risk of endophthalmitis requires that all cases of exposed anterior segment tube undergo revision with a patch graft. Simple conjunctival closure is inadequate. A patch graft of collagenous human autograft or allograft material is necessary to prepare the eye for complete healing and resolution of the exposure. Methods of revision from the literature are reviewed and presented, along with the author's method of revision. Complications, reported and potential, are discussed. Conclusions All exposed anterior segment tubes should be revised with patch graft to resolve the exposure and avoid endophthalmitis. Several methods of revision are available, and the rate of complications is low.
Site-specific Binding Affinities within the H2B Tail Domain Indicate Specific Effects of Lysine Acetylation

Acetylation of specific lysines within the core histone tail domains plays a critical role in regulating chromatin-based activities. However, the structures and interactions of the tail domains and the molecular mechanisms by which acetylation directly alters chromatin structures are not well understood. To address these issues we developed a chemical method to quantitatively determine binding affinities of specific regions within the individual tail domains in model chromatin complexes. Examinations of specific sites within the H2B tail domain indicate that this tail contains distinct structural elements and binds within nucleosomes with affinities that would reduce the activity of tail-binding proteins 10-50-fold from that deduced from peptide binding studies. Moreover, we find that mutations mimicking lysine acetylation do not cause a global weakening of tail-DNA interactions but rather the results suggest that acetylation leads to a much more subtle and specific alteration in tail interactions than has been assumed. In addition, we provide evidence that acetylation at specific sites in the tail is not additive with several events resulting in similar, localized changes in tail binding.
A Filter Design Approach To Textured Image Segmentation

A scheme is presented for segmenting textured images using a filter design approach. The discrete Fourier transform (DFT) of each texture in the training set is computed. Using the DFT information, an empirical method for evaluating the texel size (in pixels) for the training set of textures is given. A separable filter template of a particular texel size is designed for each texture based on the DFT. Each textured image is then convolved with these sets of filter templates. A training feature vector is stored in the classifier for each texture by summing the outputs of the filtered images. For texture classification or segmentation, a texture mosaic consisting of one or more textures in the data set is convolved with the same set of filter templates applied in the training procedure. Each filtered image output is summed within image blocks of a particular texel size. A feature vector is computed for each block and fed into a minimum distance classifier. Classification accuracies of more than 90% are achieved using a set of four textures from Brodatzl album of textures.
Regulation of Anti-Phosphatidylserine Antibodies

Abstract The degree of heavy chain (H) editing, the types of Vκ editors, and the pattern of Jκ usage are correlated with a range of the affinity of anti-DNA. This range was determined by the number and location of arginine (R) residues in the VH. We, here, changed a key arginine residue in the VH of anti-DNA transgene to glycine, which sharply reduces the affinity for dsDNA. However, complete reversion of this anti-DNA to germline enhances the affinity for phosphatidylserine (PS). The B cells of this low-affinity anti-DNA and anti-PS transgenic mouse are tightly regulated by receptor editing. Thus, anti-PS B cells are another example of a constitutive self-antigen regulated in the bone marrow.
Discordance of skin and muscle involvement in dermatomyositis.

: The skin manifestations of dermatomyositis infrequently occur without the myositis. A 24-year-old woman presented with concordance of the skin and muscle components of dermatomyositis, followed by a remission of the myositis with a persistence of significant rash for 17 years, finally presenting with a flare of both skin and muscle components together. Clinicians should be alert to the recurrence of an underlying myositis at any time.
Spacelab Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF)

NASA has completed a preliminary design study of a 1.2-m, cooled infrared telescope for use on 7 to 28 day Spacelab missions. Beryllium optics, cooled to below 20° K with supercritical helium, are used. Noise in the infrared telescope will be less, by a factor of 10 , than that of ground-based telescopes operating at 10 /*m (when the telescopes are operated over comparable bandwidths and fields of view). The Spacelab infrared telescope facility will enable astronomers to see more than 30 times deeper into the universe than is now possible over most of its 5-200 jim optimum spectral range. Such capability will initiate a spectacular advance in our knowledge and understanding of the cool regions of the universe where molecules and dust are the predominant radiators and absorbers.
Extended linear empirical bayes estimation

In this paper, the linear empirical Bayes estimation method, which is based on approximation of the Bayes estimator by a linear function, is generalized to an extended linear empirical Bayes estimation technique which represents the Bayes estimator by a series of algebraic polynomials. The extended linear empirical Bayes estimators are elaborated in the case of a location or a scale parameter. The theory is illustrated by examples of its application to the normal distribution with a location parameter and the gamma distribution with a scale parameter. The linear and the extended linear empirical Bayes estimators are constructed in these two cases and, then, studied numerically via Monte Carlo simulations. The simulations show that the extended linear empirical Bayes estimators have better convergence rates than the traditional linear empirical Bayes estimators.
Effects of L-DOPA on the EEG and brain amines of unrestrained rats.

Abstract When injected intraperitoneally into chronically prepared rats, l -DOPA did not desynchronize the waking EEG until doses in the lethal range were approached. Diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC) also desynchronized the EEG. Yet when DDC and l -DOPA were combined a relative synchrony was observed. After isocarboxazid the threshold dose of l -DOPA for desynchrony was lowered well below the lethal range. d,l -Dihydroxyphenylserine (DOPS) did not alter the EEG, either alone or in combination with isocarboxazid. Pretreatment with U-14,624 or a low dose of Ro 4-4602 did not affect the control EEG or the isocarboxazid- l -DOPA desynchrony. However, after 400 mg/kg Ro 4-4602 (central decarboxylase inhibited), the isocarboxazid- l -DOPA desynchrony was completely attenuated. Analysis of brain amines indicated that only relatively large increases in brain dopamine were correlated with the EEG desynchrony induced by l -DOPA. Alterations in brain 5-hydroxytryptamine after the various drug treatments indicate that interactions involving this brain amine are very complex. The data support the conclusion that a centrally produced decarboxylated metabolite of l -DOPA is responsible for the EEG desynchrony and, tentatively, that this metabolite is dopamine. Nevertheless, the use of dopamine-β-hydroxylase inhibitors (DDC and U-14,624) and DOPS involve complications that compromise their utility as pharmacological tools. The role of other metabolites of l -DOPA and the possiblity that dopamine alters the EEG secondarily by affecting central noradrenergic or serotonergic neurons remain to be explored.
Sub-picosecond measurement of time intervals using single flux quantum electronics

A single-flux-quantum (SFQ) pulse coincidence detector based on resistively shunted nonhysteretic Josephson junctions was designed and simulated. The coincidence detector generates an SFQ pulse when the delay between the arrival of SFQ pulses at its two inputs is less than the coincidence threshold. Simulations indicate that the minimum coincidence threshold time can be as short as 400+or-200 fs, assuming Josephson junction characteristic voltages of 1 mV, overdamped dynamics, and 4.2 K operating temperatures. Circuit architectures exploiting this gate are suggested. Estimates of the effects of thermal noise on resolution are presented, indicating the potential for various time-domain measurements with subpicosecond resolution. >
Formation of Ge-Pt Layer Compound on Pt(100)

We found a novel Ge−Pt layer compound on the Ge/Pt(100) surface by using alkali ion scattering spectroscopy (ALISS), low energy electron diffraction (LEED), and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). This surface alloy is produced after Ge deposition and annealing at 600 K, and explains the surprising apparent stability of a Ge adlayer on Pt(100) to very high temperature. At low Ge deposition amounts, Ge atoms form a c(2 × 2) overlayer, but for deposition larger than 0.5 ML, excess Ge dissolves into the third layer in the c(2 × 2) positions to form the ordered layer compound with excess Ge diffusing more deeply into the substrate.
Radicals in semigroups.

The general theories of radicals in rings and groups initiated by Amitsur [1] and Kurosh [6, 7] and developed by a number of authors in the past decade, were brought under a common roof by Hoehnke [3] in a theory of radicals in general algebras. In a concurrent paper [4], Hoehnke deals more specifically with radicals in semigroups. This lecture is an account of the simpler aspects of Hoehnke’s theory as it applies to semigroups, but based on Tully’s theory of radicals in semigroups, as set forth in §11.6 of [2].
Ethical Considerations of Complementary and Alternative Medical Therapies in Conventional Medical Settings

Increasing use of complementary and alternative medical (CAM) therapies by patients, health care providers, and institutions has made it imperative that physicians consider their ethical obligations when recommending, tolerating, or proscribing these therapies. The authors present a risk-benefit framework that can be applied to determine the appropriateness of using CAM therapies in various clinical scenarios. The major relevant issues are the severity and acuteness of illness; the curability of the illness by conventional forms of treatment; the degree of invasiveness, associated toxicities, and side effects of the conventional treatment; the availability and quality of evidence of utility and safety of the desired CAM treatment; the level of understanding of risks and benefits of the CAM treatment combined with the patient's knowing and voluntary acceptance of those risks; and the patient's persistence of intention to use CAM therapies. Even in the absence of scientific evidence for CAM therapies, by considering these relevant issues, providers can formulate a plan that is clinically sound, ethically appropriate, and targeted to the unique circumstances of individual patients. Physicians are encouraged to remain engaged in problem-solving with their patients and to attempt to elucidate and clarify the patient's core values and beliefs when counseling about CAM therapies.
BEAM: A Rhetorical Vocabulary for Teaching Research-Based Writing

BEAMReview This article argues that writing teachers can encourage students to adopt a rhetorical perspective toward research-based writing by characterizing products of research in terms of how writers use them in their texts. It maintains that the standard nomenclature for treating sources (primary, secondary, tertiary) is antirhetorical and proposes an alternative: Background for materials a writer relies on for general information or for factual evidence; Exhibit for materials a writer analyzes or interprets; Argument for materials whose claims a writer engages; and Method for materials from which a writer takes a governing concept or derives a manner of working.
Access to pediatric liver transplantation: Does regional variation play a role?

The purpose of this study was to assess regional variability in access to pediatric liver transplantation. The study population included all pediatric patients (age less than 18 years) listed for liver transplantation in the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database between 1988 and 2004. The effect of region on waiting list survival, the proportion of patients transplanted, and the proportion of patients remaining on the list was determined using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard methods. The proportion of technical variant grafts used was compared between regions using chi-square analysis. Kaplan-Meier analyses showed significant effects of region on survival on the waiting list, transplantation, and remaining on the list (all log-rank P < 0.001). Cox proportional hazard models demonstrated that region, urgency status, and listing period exerted independent effects on survival on the waiting list, transplantation, and remaining on the list (all model P < 0.01). Regional variation existed with regard to donor type (P < 0.001). Similar to adults, pediatric survival on the waiting list, the proportion of patients transplanted, and the proportion of patients remaining on the waiting list vary considerably within the 11 U.S. regions. Organ procurement organization specific effects and regional differences in utilization of deceased donor split and living donor organs may contribute to this variability.
A spectral represantation of the linear transport problem I

Case's approach to the solution of the one-dimensional equation of transport is mathematically reformulated by expanding the phase or scattering function for the given problem to be solved as a spe...
Study on the melt fracture of metallocene poly(ethylene‐octene) in capillary flow

Shear viscosity and melt fracture of a metallocene poly(ethylene-octene) were studied using a capillary rheometer and dies with different lengths. The true wall shear stresses determined at zero die length showed a dip at high shear rates. The shear viscosity was derived from the true wall shear stress. With increasing shear rates, the extrudate staged from smooth to three types of melt fracture with regular patterns, and then turned into irregular shapes. Three types of regular melt fractures—sharkskin, helix, and spiral (in sequence)—were observed with an increase of the shear rates. The wavelength of the regular melt fracture was measured from extrudates, and the corresponding frequency was calculated. The frequency increased at elevated melt temperatures. Both shear viscosity and frequency at different temperatures correlated well by using the time–temperature Williams–Landel–Ferry (WLF) superposition. Additionally, it was found that the frequency decreased slightly for a longer die but it increased when the shear rate went up. Three frequency functions were associated with three melt fracture patterns, respectively. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 98: 903–911, 2005
Seizures and Other Neurologic Manifestations of Allergy

Numerous disease entities affecting the nervous system can be attributed at least in part to immune responses. Neurons have been shown to have receptors from many of the vasoactive neurotransmitter and neuromodulator molecules first studied as mediators of inflammation and immediate hypersensitivity (Type 1 response). Immune. responses have now been proven to affect CNS and peripheral neurons. In the diagnostic workup, consideration should be given to the possibility of immune-related causes for seizures and some other neurologic disorders.
Dynamin 2 and c-Abl Are Novel Regulators of Hyperoxia-mediated NADPH Oxidase Activation and Reactive Oxygen Species Production in Caveolin-enriched Microdomains of the Endothelium

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, particularly by the endothelial NADPH oxidase family of proteins, plays a major role in the pathophysiology associated with lung inflammation, ischemia/reperfusion injury, sepsis, hyperoxia, and ventilator-associated lung injury. We examined potential regulators of ROS production and discovered that hyperoxia treatment of human pulmonary artery endothelial cells induced recruitment of the vesicular regulator, dynamin 2, the non-receptor tyrosine kinase, c-Abl, and the NADPH oxidase subunit, p47phox, to caveolin-enriched microdomains (CEMs). Silencing caveolin-1 (which blocks CEM formation) and/or c-Abl expression with small interference RNA inhibited hyperoxia-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation and association of dynamin 2 with p47phox and ROS production. In addition, treatment of human pulmonary artery endothelial cells with dynamin 2 small interfering RNA or the dynamin GTPase inhibitor, Dynasore, attenuated hyperoxia-mediated ROS production and p47phox recruitment to CEMs. Using purified recombinant proteins, we observed that c-Abl tyrosine-phosphorylated dynamin 2, and this phosphorylation increased p47phox/dynamin 2 association (change in the dissociation constant (Kd) from 85.8 to 6.9 nm). Furthermore, exposure of mice to hyperoxia increased ROS production, c-Abl activation, dynamin 2 association with p47phox, and pulmonary leak, events that were attenuated in the caveolin-1 knock-out mouse confirming a role for CEMs in ROS generation. These results suggest that hyperoxia induces c-Abl-mediated dynamin 2 phosphorylation required for recruitment of p47phox to CEMs and subsequent ROS production in lung endothelium.
Use of the L2C signal for inversions of GPS radio occultation data in the neutral atmosphere

Results from processing FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC radio occultations (RO) with the new GPS L2C signal acquired both in phase locked loop (PLL) and open loop (OL) modes are presented. Analysis of L2P, L2C, and L1CA signals acquired in PLL mode shows that in the presence of strong ionospheric scintillation not only L2P tracking, but also L1CA tracking often fails, while L2C tracking is most stable. The use of L2C improves current RO processing in the neutral atmosphere mainly by increasing the number of processed occultations (due to significant reduction in the number of L2 tracking failures) and marginally by a reduction in noise in statistics. The latter is due to the combination of reduced L2C noise (compared to L2P) and increased L1CA noise in those occultations where L2P would have failed. This result suggests application of OL tracking for L1CA and L2C signals throughout an entire occultation to optimally acquire RO data. Two methods of concurrent processing of L1CA and L2C RO signals are considered. Based on testing of individual occultations, these methods allow: (1) reduction in uncertainty of bending angles retrieved by wave optics in the lower troposphere and (2) reduction in small-scale residual errors of the ionospheric correction in the stratosphere.
A Decision Theoretic Model of Innovation, Technology Transfer, and Trade

We analyse a dynamic North-South model of innovation, technology transfer, and trade. Northern firms conduct R&D using labour which has alternative uses producing in the R&D sector or a nontraded good sector. Since technology transfer prevents the North from fully appropriating benefits of R&D, the optimal rate of innovation for either profit maximizing firms or a utility maximizing Northern planner is less than globally optimal. An increased transfer rate intensifies competition of lower wage Southern workers with Northern workers in production, so profit maximizing Northern firms (irrespective of their number or cooperation in R&D) reallocate labour toward R&D.
A cohort study found racial differences in dental insurance, utilization, and the effect of care on quality of life.

Abstract Objective To describe racial differences in receipt of dental services and dental insurance; and to determine the effectiveness of specific dental services in facilitating recovery in symptom-specific and race-specific subgroups. Study design and setting Using a restricted cohort analytic method, Florida Dental Care Study prospective cohort data were used to quantify associations between dental service use and the quality of life measure, “recovery” from oral disadvantage due to functional limitation. Results Non-Hispanic Whites (NHW) were more likely to have a dental visit [odds ratio (OR); 95% confidence interval: 3.5; 2.2–5.3], corrective treatment (OR = 2.1; 1.3–3.3), caps (OR = 28.8; 6.6–126.4), and dental insurance coverage for caps (OR = 2.9; 1.4–5.9). After adjusting for other covariates: (1) among NHW with severe gum disease, those receiving extractions were more likely to recover (OR = 7.8; 1.0–59.1), but those receiving caps were less likely to recover (OR = 0.1; 0.01–0.6); (2) among Non-Hispanic Blacks (NHB) with a sensitive tooth, those receiving corrective treatment (OR = 3.2; 1.2–8.8) or extractions (OR = 3.8; 1.3–11.2) were more likely to recover; (3) among NHB with tooth disease, those receiving corrective treatment (OR = 2.3; 1.0–5.0) and extractions (OR = 2.8; 1.2–6.5) were more likely to recover. Conclusion There were racial differences in dental insurance, in the receipt of dental services and in the effectiveness of dental services in improving oral health-related quality of life.
Permeability of the abdominal nerve cord of the American cockroach, Periplaneta Americana (L.) to aliphatic alcohols

Abstract The rates of influx and efflux of C14- and H3-labelled aliphatic alcohols in the abdominal nerve cord of the American cockroach were studied. Influx was biphasic and positively correlated with octanol/water partition coefficients, with a cut-off point at butanol. All alcohols, except methanol, established a higher concentration inside the nerve cord than outside within 50 min exposure. Influx rates of alcohols were lower than their analogous fatty acids, the difference being attributed to the absence of metabolism of the alcohols in the nerve cord. Compared to the analogous cations, the alcohols had higher influx rates, yet when comparing an alcohol with a cation with similar partition coefficient the influx rates were similar. Charge therefore seems to lower influx because it increases the polarity. Efflux of the alcohols is characterized by a two-stage process with simultaneous rapid and slow phases. Based on the rates of the fast efflux, the nerve sheath appears to be equally permeable to alcohols and tetra-alkylammonium cations and 2 to 5 times less permeable to fatty acids.
Hydrovinylation of Alkenes Catalyzed by the Ruthenium−Hydride Complex Formed in Situ from (PCy3)2(CO)RuHCl and HBF4·OEt2

A ruthenium−hydride complex, generated in situ from the reaction of (PCy3)2(CO)RuHCl (1) with HBF4·OEt2, was found to be an effective catalyst for the hydrovinylation of alkenes. For example, the reaction of styrene with ethylene in the presence of 1/HBF4·OEt2 (0.5 mol %) at room temperature produced the hydrovinylation product in 93% isolated yield. Both terminal alkenes and dienes were found to give the hydrovinylation products. Higher reaction temperature was required for the phenyl-substituted internal alkenes, in which cases the isomerized products were obtained.
Surface pinning of fluctuating charge order: An extraordinary surface phase transition

We study the mean-field theory of charge-density wave (CDW) order in a layered system, including the effect of the long-range Coulomb interaction and of screening by uncondensed electrons. We particularly focus on the conditions necessary for an ``extraordinary'' transition, in which the surface orders at a higher temperature, and is more likely to be commensurate, than the bulk. We interpret recent experiments on ${\mathrm{Ca}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Na}}_{x}\mathrm{Cu}{\mathrm{O}}_{2}{\mathrm{Cl}}_{2}$ as indicating the presence of commensurate CDW at the surface that is not present in the bulk. More generally, we show that poor screening of the Coulomb interaction tends to stabilize incommensurate order, possibly explaining why the CDW order in ${\mathrm{La}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{x}\mathrm{Cu}{\mathrm{O}}_{4}$ and $\mathrm{Nb}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2}$ remains incommensurate to $T\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0$, despite the small magnitude of the incommensurability.
ERCP and Endoscopic Sphincterotomy (ES): A Safe and Definitive Management of Gallstone Pancreatitis with the Gallbladder Left In Situ

UK guidelines recommend that patients with gallstone pancreatitis have cholecystectomy within 2 weeks of their pancreatitis. A proportion of these are elderly with significant comorbidities rendering them high risk for general anaesthesia and surgery. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) may offer a safe alternative to cholecystectomy as definitive treatment in these patients. A retrospective review of all cases of gallstone pancreatitis presenting between 1999 and 2009 was undertaken. One hundred one patients underwent ERCP and ES as a definitive treatment for gallstone pancreatitis with a median age of 78 years (range, 43–96 years) and a median American Society of Anesthesiologists grade of 2. Three patients died from pancreatitis despite successful ERCP. Eighty-nine patients were successfully treated with an ERCP alone, and 84 patients (94%) had no recurrence of pancreatitis with a mean follow-up of 41 months (±32 months, range 4–118 months). The total patient follow-up was 3,260 months. Twenty-seven patients (33%) died within the follow-up period of unrelated causes, explaining the lower than expected median follow-up. Five patients had a recurrence of pancreatitis during follow-up (6%). ERCP with ES is a safe alternative to laparoscopic cholecystectomy to prevent further attacks of gallstone pancreatitis in high-risk surgical patients and the elderly.