cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ponte Osteotomies With Pedicle Screw Instrumentation in the Treatment of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

Abstract Study design Review of prospective database. Objectives To report the results of Ponte osteotomy with pedicle screw instrumentation for major thoracic adolescent idiopathic (AIS) curves. Summary of background data Ponte osteotomy for achieving coronal and sagittal correction of major thoracic curves in AIS with pedicle screw instrumentation is a widespread technique, but results have not been well described. Methods Review of 87 consecutive AIS patients with Lenke 1–4 curves who underwent Ponte osteotomies and pedicle screw instrumentation by 2 surgeons at a single institution. Surgical details, blood loss, and complications were recorded. We evaluated coronal and sagittal radiological measurements and Scoliosis Research Society–22 (SRS-22) questionnaire scores over 2-year follow-up. Results The mean preoperative thoracic coronal Cobb angle was 57° ± 9.7°, fulcrum flexibility was 47.2%, and lateral Cobb angle was 17.8° ± 4°. The mean estimated blood loss (EBL), expressed as percent estimated blood volume, was 35.8 ± 20.5 mL. There was significant improvement in coronal thoracic Cobb angle, percent correction, and apical vertebral translation over 2-year follow-up (p Conclusions In this case series of major thoracic AIS curves treated with segmental pedicle screw instrumentation and Ponte osteotomies, there was an improvement in the coronal and sagittal radiological parameters. A prospective controlled study is needed to determine whether pedicle screw instrumentation and Ponte osteotomies influence outcomes and complications.
Source code-based software risk assessing

The more complex a software system is, the more likely it is that programmers will make mistakes that introduce faults which can lead to execution failures. A risk in a software system can be viewed as a potential problem, and a problem is a risk that has manifested. In order to reduce the risk of software operations, code which has the potential to cause problems has to be identified so that necessary actions (e.g., performing a more thorough testing on such code) can be taken to prevent any such problems from occurring. Consequently, this can help programmers detect faults in the software before it is deployed and reduce the overall maintenance code. In this paper, we propose a static and a dynamic risk model using metrics collected based on the source code; more specifically, metrics which are either related to the static structure of the source code or the dynamic test coverage of the code. The computation of the risk of code is automated at different granularity levels ranging from basic blocks to functions. An experiment to demonstrate the feasibility of using our method is reported. High risk code, so identified by our method, can be integrated with information collected from other software quality assurance practices to further ensure the safe operation of software applications.
Pulmonary Botryomycosis in a Patient With AIDS

We describe the clinical and pathologic findings of the first reported case of pulmonary botryomycosis in a patient with AIDS. Botryomycosis is an uncommon, chronic, suppurative disease that is often mistaken clinically and histologically for a fungal infection. The patient responded to systemic antibiotic therapy.
Fear as a Cardiovascular Risk Factor

As adults age, their resting heart rate tends to decline. However, individuals with a paradoxical rise in resting heart rate suffer an increased risk of cardiovascular events, such as myocardial infarction. Characterizing the underlying causes of this paradoxical increase in heart rate could provide opportunities for intervention. Shenhar-Tsarfaty et al . have now identified some factors associated with resting heart rate and its paradoxical rise in aging individuals. The authors used a cohort of 17,380 healthy Israeli adults who were participating in the Tel Aviv Medical Center Inflammation Survey (TAMCIS), a longitudinal registry of healthy employees attending periodic health examinations. In this study, the researchers serially measured 325 variables, spanning physiological parameters such as sports activity, inflammatory biomarkers such as C-reactive protein, and psychological measures of anxiety, including perceived control over one’s life and fear of terror. This last parameter, fear of terror, affects a large number of Israeli residents. Fear of terror was quantified by graded responses to three patient-reported concerns: worry about personal safety, heightened tension in crowded places, and fear of a terror strike harming self or family. A regression analysis of the 325 variables identified 27 components as prominent determinants of annual pulse increases. These variables fell into several major categories, including inflammatory markers, body mass index, physical activity, and psychological measures such as fear of terror. A model incorporating these variables predicted that 8.2% of the cohort would have paradoxical changes in heart rate, which was 81 to 85% accurate. Combining indicators of inflammation and fear of terror revealed an even greater impact on heart rate changes than either variable alone. Cholinergic activity has anti-inflammatory effects, and decreases in such signaling have been associated with cardiovascular mortality. Therefore, the authors measured cholinergic activity in a subset of patients (398 males and 214 females). As expected, they found cholinergic status to be an independent predictor of heart rate, but only in males. This research offers strong evidence of association between heart rate and a variety of physiologic and psychological variables, including fear of terror. The cohort size is very large, increasing the validity of this study. However, association is not causation, and further research into the nature of these associations will be necessary to generate a more complete understanding of their role. S. Shenhar-Tsarfaty et al. , Fear and C-reactive protein cosynergize annual pulse increases in healthy adults. Proc.Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A . 10.1073/pnas.1418264112 (2014). [[Full Text]][1] [1]: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2014/12/18/1418264112.full.pdf+html
Impact of apoE deficiency during synaptic remodeling in the mouse olfactory bulb

In this study we examined the role of apoE on the rate of synaptic recovery in the olfactory bulb (OB) following olfactory epithelium (OE) lesioning in mice. We used both immunoblotting and immunohistochemical techniques to compare the density of OB synaptophysin (Syn, a synaptic marker) in apoE-gene deficient/knockout (KO) mice and wild-type (WT) mice following OE lesion. We found that the whole bulb concentrations of Syn, measured by immunoblotting, declined sharply following injury in both WT and KO mice during the degenerative phase (3-7 days). After this initial decline, the Syn concentration gradually increased to normal levels by 56 days in WT mice. In contrast, Syn concentration in KO mice did not recover by day 56 when Syn density in WT was essentially normal. Glomerular Syn density, measured by immunohistochemistry, found a lower density in KO mice at all time points post-lesion. This lower concentration of whole bulb Syn parallels the slower recovery of glomerular area in KO mice. The data indicate that apoE deficiency in KO mice is associated with a delayed recovery of the glomerular area and a slower recovery in Syn concentration in the OB.
DSLET (D-ser2-leu5-enkephalin-Thr6) produces analgesia on the hot plate by mechanisms largely different from DAGO and morphine-like opioids.

Fifteen generations of selective breeding were used to produce lines (strains) of mice which differ markedly from one another in levorphanol-induced antinociception on the hot plate assay. These are the high antinociceptive response (HAR) and low antinociceptive response (LAR) selection lines, which now differ by over 5-fold in the i.p. dose of levorphanol doubling control (no drug or saline) latency scores. We sought to determine if these large genetically-mediated differences in antinociceptive sensitivity bred into these selection lines with i.p. levorphanol would generalize equally to a series of enkephalin analogues known to differ in their selectivity for mu and delta opioid receptors. DAGO (D-ala2, MePhe4, Gly-ol5 enkephalin), a highly mu selective agent, produced a 67-fold difference between HAR and LAR mice in the slopes of the dose-response curves on the hot plate assay, while DSLET (D-ser2, leu enkephalin Thr6), a delta selective agent, only produced a 5.4-fold difference via the i.c.v. route. DADLE (D-ala, D-ser enkephalin) a slightly delta preferring ligand, was found to be intermediate (17.4-fold difference). These findings demonstrate that selective breeding has been quite successful in altering those genes which control analgesia due to mu selective agents, while relatively little change has occurred in those genes which control analgesia due to delta agonists. Thus, analgesia mediated by the former has been genetically dissociated from analgesia mediated by the latter, implying that DAGO has mechanisms of action largely dependent of DSLET on the hot plate assay. These findings are consistent with the contention that the mu receptor mediates analgesia produced by DAGO, while a different receptor (presumably delta) mediates much of the analgesic effects of DSLET.
A simple apparatus for the continuous monitoring of 14CO2 production from several small reaction mixtures.

Abstract A simple apparatus is described which permits the continuous monitoring of 14 CO 2 production from ten separate reaction mixtures simultaneously. The device is relatively simple and inexpensive to construct, makes use of small disposable incubation vials, and allows complete trapping of all 14 CO 2 evolved in scintillation vials, where it can be easily counted. The use of this apparatus to determine the rates of metabolism by glomeruli of 14 C-labeled substrates to 14 CO 2 is described.
Strong coordination of tetraphenylborate anion to copper(I) bipyridine and phenanthroline-based complexes and its effect on catalytic activity in the cyclopropanation of styrene.

The synthesis, characterization, and cyclopropanation activity of tetrahedral copper(I) complexes with bipyridine- and phenanthroline-based ligands containing strongly coordinated tetraphenylborate anions are reported. CuI(bpy)(BPh4), CuI(phen)(BPh4), and CuI(3,4,7,8-Me4phen)(BPh4) complexes are the first examples in which the BPh4− counterion chelates a transition metal center in bidentate fashion through η2 π interactions with two of its phenyl rings.
Densities in the Liquid Hydrogen Chloride Solvent System

Densities were measured in the hydrogen chloride solvent system over the normal liquid range of the solvent. In addition to pure hydrogen chloride, solutions of tetramethylammonium chloride, tetramethylammonium bromide, tetramethylammonium iodide, and trimethylsulfonium iodide in hydrogen chloride were measured at compositions up to about 2 M. Attempts to measure densities of tetraethylammonium halide solutions failed, as the salts were found to be insoluble in liquid hydrogen chloride. Solutions were prepared by condensing hydrogen chloride over solute in a graduated borosilicate glass cell. The densities were measured by a direct Archimedean technique using a fused quartz helix to indicate the weight of a submerged sinker. The accuracy of the method is 0.0006 g/cm3 with a precision of 0.0005 g/cm3. The measured densities of pure hydrogen chloride are consistent with values reported in other recent studies. The molar volume and the thermal expansion coefficient of the pure liquid are calculated. The mola...
The Firing of E. A. Ross from Stanford University: Injustice Compounded by Deception?

This chapter reports on a significant development in regard to the Firing of Edward A. Ross from Stanford University in 1900: the absence from the historical record of the putative basis of his dismissal.
Analytical techniques for cell fractions. I. Simplified gradient elution programming.

Abstract A simple system, based on a series of vessels arranged so that the top of each is at the midlevel of its predecessor, and all draining by gravity into a common line, has been shown to be capable of producing very complex, predictable gradients. By simply changing the levels, so that the top of each chamber is below the level of its predecessor, a step elution system may be obtained.
College Image: A Strategic Marketing Dilemma

ABSTRACT This paper reports the results of two image studies conducted by a college of business in the university's trade area over a ten-year period. A mail survey was used in the first study and an Internet survey was used in the follow-up study. Results indicated an improvement in the college's desired image over the ten-year period. However, when respondents were asked which university they would recommend to future students for various majors in the college of business, the percent recommending the local college was smaller than in the previous study in five out of six majors offered. Thus, the image had improved but the desirability of the college was actually worse, creating a serious marketing problem for the college. Possible explanations for this phenomenon were explored.
Osteomyelitis of the First Rib Presenting as a Cold Abscess Nine Months After Subclavian Venous Catheterization

Percutaneous subclavian catheterization has been associated with numerous complications including osteomyelitis of the clavicle and sternoclavicular joint. We report a case of staphylococcal aureus osteomyelitis of the first rib associated with subclavian vein catheterization performed for temporary right ventricular pacing. This case is unusual because of its involvement of the first rib, its late development, and its presentation as a cold chest wall mass.
ELECTRON OPTICAL AND X-RAY DIFFRACTION STUDIES OF THE ORGANIZATION OF THE INORGANIC CRYSTALS IN EMBRYONIC BOVINE ENAMEL

Electron microscopy and electron diffraction of embryonic bovine enamel from the ameloblast-enamel junctional to the enamel-dentin junction revealed that the inorganic crystals in all regions are highly oriented with their long axes ( c -axes) essentially parallel to the long axis of the prism within which they are located. The organization of the prisms and interprismatic regions varied greatly in different portions of the enamel. The wide variation in c -axis orientation perfection observed in X-ray diffractograms obtained from diffferent regions of enamel was found to be pdependent on the organization and ordering of the prisms in the volume of tissue diffracted, and did not reflect various degrees of c -axis orientation perfection of the crystals within individual prisms. The recording of two distinct sets of 100·l reflections by X-ray diffraction was found to be dependent in most cases on a high degree of ordering and organization of the prisms or of prisms and interprismatic region.
Application of ion implantation and backscattering techniques to the analysis of nuclear waste glass corrosion

Abstract Ion implantation and Rutherford backscattering depth profile analysis have been used to study changes in the near-surface composition of nuclear waste glasses that were corroded in aqueous media. The dissolution rate of the glass network during early stages of corrosion and effects of solution chemistry on the glass surface-layer composition were investigated. Properties of the altered layer were found to vary significantly as a function of the pH of the corroding solution.
The new world of neuroscience: The perspective of a clinical neuroscientist

Abstract There have been remarkable changes in our understanding of the brain over the last 25 years. These changes include basic ideas about nerve cells and their stability and interconnections, the concept that one can add new tissue or nerve cells to brain, and the idea that re-wiring of the brain constantly takes place. What have made these advances applicable to the human have been new technologies. The first of these is our ability to image brain in non-invasive ways including our ability to analyze what part of the brain is being utilized as specific cognitive functions are being carried out. The revolution in genetics with its broad implications in fields such as cancer and heart disease also has direct application to understanding brain processes and brain diseases. We are now in an era of “risk factor” in genetics, in such complex disease processes as depression, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease. There is also an interventional revolution, involving prevention of neurological disease, protection of the brain from a disease process, and promotion of recovery after injury or disease onset.
Finding Movies Interesting: How Appraisals and Expertise Influence the Aesthetic Experience of Film:

Film and television are major parts of everyday aesthetic experience, but not much is known about viewers' aesthetic experience of motion picture media. We explored how interest and confusion in response to film were predicted by people's cognitive appraisals and level of expertise. People who varied in expertise viewed 10 film clips taken from submissions to a local film festival. For each film, people gave ratings of interest, confusion, and their relevant appraisals. Expertise was measured with a preliminary Aesthetic Fluency in Film scale. Multilevel models showed that appraising a film clip as complex and comprehensible predicted interest, a finding that replicates past interest research. Additionally, appraising a film clip as complex and incomprehensible predicted confusion. Experts in film found the films more interesting and less confusing overall, and their interest was more strongly predicted by complexity.
Mixing, rheology, and stability of highly filled thermal pastes

Thermal pastes play an important role in transmitting heat generated by an integrated circuit chip from its back side to a cooling cap or heat sink which transfers the heat to the environment. Most thermal pastes are formulations of solid, thermally conducting particles in a liquid matrix loaded to very high solids content. The mixing process for such pastes is complex but important, since it determines several of the paste properties. In particular, paste rheology is related to the work imparted to the paste during the mixing process. It determines the minimum bondline between solid surfaces that can be attained with a particular paste during the assembly process, which is essentially a squeeze flow process. Paste stability depends on the amount of entrapped air incorporated during the mixing process; this is demonstrated by infrared (IR) visualization of the degradation of air-containing paste in a computer-chip-heat-sink gap and the absence of this degradation mechanism in vacuum-mixed paste. This paper describes two different mixing processes for highly filled thermal pastes, the associated changes in their rheological behavior, and paste degradation in chip-heat-sink gaps during thermal stressing.
Performance of a recoil mass spectrometer

The performance of a nuclear reaction product mass spectrometer is discussed. The observed mass resolution is MΔ M ≅ 740 at 2 msr solid angle for evaporation residues with a very broad (> 19%) energy distribution. The spectrometer operates at zero degrees with primary beam rejection efficiency ≳ 1 : 1013.
Coupling of carbon nanotubes to metallic contacts

The modeling of carbon nanotube-metal contacts is important from both basic and applied viewpoints. For many applications, it is important to design contacts such that the transmission is dictated by intrinsic properties of the nanotube rather than by details of the contact. In this paper, we calculate the electron transmission probability from a nanotube to a free-electron metal, which is side contacted. If the metal-nanotube interface is sufficiently ordered, we find that k-vector conservation plays an important role in determining the coupling, with the physics depending on the area of contact, tube diameter, and chirality. The main results of this paper are (i) conductance scales with contact length, a phenomena that has been observed in experiments; (ii) in the case of uniform coupling between metal and nanotube, the threshold value of the metal Fermi wave vector (below which coupling is insignificant) depends on chirality; and (iii) an armchair tube couples better than a zigzag tube to ordered Au/Ag contacts. Disorder and small phase coherence length relax the need for k-vector conservation, thereby making the coupling stronger.
A low-power fully differential 2.4-GHz prescaler in 0.18 /spl mu/m CMOS technology

A fully differential 2.4-GHz 8/9 dual modulus prescaler is presented in this paper. The circuit has been constructed in a 0.18 /spl mu/m 1.8 V CMOS process for use in a low-power ISM transceiver. The prescaler consists of internal buffering, the divider itself, a differential to CMOS converter, and a self-contained current source. Simulations imply a maximum operating frequency of 3.05 GHz which is the measurement of the silicon support. Its simulated current drain is 2.5 mA and it occupies an area of 130 /spl mu/m /spl times/ 60 /spl mu/m.
Effects of Rotifer and Artemia Fatty‐Acid Enrichment on Survival, Growth and Pigmentation of Summer Flounder Paralichthys dentatus Larvae

— Enrichment of live food for marine fish larvae with highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) has been shown to improve survival, growth and stress resistance in many species and to decrease pigmentation abnormalities in flatfish. In order to aid the developing summer flounder industry, we conducted an experiment in which summer flounder larvae were fed diets differing in HUFA composition to determine whether enrichment with a commercially available product would increase survival and growth and reduce the incidence of abnormal pigmentation. We also examined whether growing unenriched rotifers on different species of algae would affect the survival, growth and pigmentation of the flounder larvae to which they were fed. Growth of summer flounder larvae was significantly better when they were fed HUFA-enriched Mtifers and Artemia rather than unenriched and, among the unenriched treatments, was significantly better when the larvae were fed rotifers raised on Isochrysis galbana rather than on Tetraselmis suecica. The percentage of larvae that failed to complete metamorphosis during the experiment was significantly higher in the unenriched treatments than in the enriched treatments. Neither survival nor percentage of individuals with pigmentation abnormalities were significantly different among the treatments.
Structural and Vibrational Characterization of Tetracyanoethylene−Hexamethylbenzene as a Function of Pressure

The neutron powder diffraction and inelastic neutron scattering (INS) spectra of the electron donor-acceptor complex, tetracyanoethylene-hexamethylbenzene have been studied as a function of pressure to 0.414 GPa. Using the PW91 and PBE density functional theories, the unit cell vectors were calculated as a function of pressure and are compared to those experimentally obtained from the diffraction data. The calculated lattice vectors display large errors at low pressures but were found to be in close agreement with the experimental vectors at 0.414 GPa. Comparison of the experimental INS spectra of the TCNE-HMB enabled assignment of specific vibrational modes while providing a direct measurement of the effect of pressure on the complex. The PW91 vibrational frequency calculations reproduced both the vibrational intensities and frequencies with relative accuracy.
Human C-reactive protein induces endothelial dysfunction in biobreeding diabetic rats

Objective: C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in diabetes predict cardiovascular events. Also, human CRP (hCRP) exacerbated the proinflammatory, pro-oxidant and procoagulant states in a spontaneous model of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), the biobreeding (BB) rat. Since there is a paucity of data examining the role of CRP on endothelial dysfunction in animal models of diabetes, we tested this hypothesis in the diabetic BB rat. Methods: Diabetic BB rats (n = 4 per group) were injected with human serum albumin (HSA) or hCRP [hCRP = 20 mg/ kg body weight; intraperitoneal (IP)] for three consecutive days. The rats were euthanized on day 4. Biomarkers that were assayed included endothelin-1 (ET-1), soluble intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), Von Willebrand factor (vWF) and 6-keto prostaglandin F1-alpha (6-keto PGF1-α) in plasma. Results: hCRP administration resulted in a significant increase in plasma levels. Furthermore, hCRP-treated rats had significantly increased circulating levels of ET-1 (1.12 ± 0.6 pg/mL versus 0.4 ± 0.21 pg/mL), vWF (45 ± 2.4 ng/mL versus 34 ± 7 ng/mL) and sICAM-1 (41 ± 3 ng/mL versus 34 ± 3.4 ng/mL) compared to HSA-treated rats (p < 0.05). There was no significant effect on 6-keto PGF1-α levels. Conclusion: Hence, in this preliminary report, we make the novel observation that hCRP induces endothelial dysfunction in a spontaneous model of T1DM, and this could have implications for the vascular complications in diabetics.
Boundary layer model to account for thick mask effects in photolithography

The lack of transparent optical components at short wavelengths limits the available wavelengths in Deep Ultraviolet lithography, while the required minimum feature on wafer continues to shrink towards deeper sub-wavelength scales. This places a serious limitation on Kirchhoff boundary conditions that replace the field on the mask openings by the incident field, since this approximation fails to account for the increasingly important topographical effects (thick mask effects) in the computation of the lithographic image. In this paper we present a sophisticated various on Kirchhoff approximation capable of modeling rigorous near field effects while retaining the simplicity of the scalar model. Our model is based on a comparison of the fields produced by both the thick and ideal thin masks on the wafer. Polarization and edge diffraction effects as well as phase and transmission errors, are included in our model.
Abnormal prefrontal cortical response during affective processing in borderline personality disorder.

article i nfo Emotion dysregulation is a hallmark feature of borderline personality disorder (BPD) and is associated with a dysfunction of prefrontal (PFC)-limbic systems. The purpose of the present study was to examine PFC function in BPD during the experience and suppression of sadness. Subjects were females with BPD (N=9) and age-, gender-, and IQ-matched non-psychiatric comparison subjects (N=8). Evoked hemodynamic oxygenated hemoglobin (oxy-Hb) was examined in PFC using functional near-infrared spectroscopy while subjects viewed neutral or sad images and were instructed to either maintain or suppress their emotional reactions. No group differences in behavioral ratings of sadness suppression or mean levels of evoked oxy-Hb were observed. BPD and control subjects, however, recruited homologous regions of lateral PFC during emotional suppression, with right lateral PFC activation for BPD subjects associated with difficulty suppressing sadness, whereas an inverse relationship was observed in left lateral PFC for healthy controls. Exploratory analyses revealed that the slope of the rise in oxy-Hb in medial PFC during transient sadness was positive and steep for healthy controls. Conversely, BPD subjects showed a negative and shallow slope, which was associated with severity of clinical symptoms. These results suggest that BPD subjects may show abnormal evoked oxy-Hb in medial PFC during transient sadness, with recruitment of right lateral PFC in BPD associated with reported difficulty in suppressing emotion. This abnormal cortical response, possibly in tandem with subcortical-limbic regions, may underlie symptoms of emotion dysregulation in BPD.
Women in Prehistory: North America and Mesoamerica

Women in Prehistory: North America and Mesoamerica. Cheryl Claassen and Rosemary A. Joyce. eds. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1997. 300 pp.
O(N) implicit subspace embedding for unsupervised multi-scale image segmentation

Subspace embedding is a powerful tool for extracting salient information from matrix, and it has numerous applications in image processing. However, its applicability has been severely limited by the computational complexity of O(N3) (N is the number of the points) which usually arises in explicitly evaluating the eigenvalues and eigenvectors. In this paper, we propose an implicit subspace embedding method which avoids explicitly evaluating the eigenvectors. Also, we show that this method can be seamlessly incorporated into the unsupervised multi-scale image segmentation framework and the resulted algorithm has a running time of genuine O(N). Moreover, we can explicitly determine the number of iterations for the algorithm by estimating the desired size of the subspace, which also controls the amount of information we want to extract for this unsupervised learning. We performed extensive experiments to verify the validity and effectiveness of our method, and we conclude that it only requires less than 120 seconds (CPU 3.2G and memory 16G) to cut a 1000∗1000 color image and orders of magnitude faster than original multi-scale image segmentation with explicit spectral decomposition while maintaining the same or a better segmentation quality.
Bioavailability of Hydrophobic Organic Contaminants: Effects and Implications of Sorption‐Related Mass Transfer on Bioremediation

The low bioavailability of hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) is one of the key sources of uncertainty in the implementation of in situ bioremediation. Bioavailability of HOCs in the subsurface is affected by sorption/desorption processes in two important ways. First, sorption causes high organic concentrations in microporous regions and impermeable zones to which bacterial access is obstructed. Second, because desorption and immobile zone diffusion must occur before biodegradation can proceed, the overall rate of bioremediation can be limited or even controlled by these mass transfer processes, not by the activity of the degrading microorganisms. Rate models that couple sorption/desorption--related mass transfer processes and biodegradation have been successfully applied to laboratory results and are beginning to offer some insight into the problem. Specifically, the influence of sorption on biodegradation is quantified here by defining a bioavailability factor, B{sub f}. However, many questions remain and predictive modeling is elusive, especially in the context of complicated heterogeneous natural systems. Challenges facing environmental engineers are to develop a better understanding of these processes at both laboratory and field scales and ultimately to use such understanding toward the development of more effective and economical remediation technologies.
Gynecologic oncology group trials in uterine corpus malignancies: recent progress

The Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) has conducted multiple trials related to malignancies of the uterine corpus. Recently, several of these trials have been presented and/or published. Areas of focus included the feasibility of laparoscopic staging for endometrial cancer, the adjuvant management of locally advanced endometrial cancer, whole abdominal irradiation in maximally resected advanced endometrial carcinoma, and combination chemotherapy regimens for stage I and II carcinosarcoma after primary surgery and for advanced or recurrent carcinosarcoma. This article will discuss the background and details of each of these important advances.
Thermal Inactivation of Newcastle Disease Virus I. Coupled Inactivation Rates of Hemagglutinating and Neuraminidase Activities

The thermal stability of Newcastle disease virus has been characterized in terms of the rate constants for inactivation of hemagglutinating activity (HA), neuraminidase activity (NA), and infectivity. Inactivation of HA results in the concomitant loss of NA. Infectivity, however, is much more thermolabile. Disintegration of the virus particle is not responsible for the identical rate constants for inactivation of HA and NA, nor is their parallel inactivation uncoupled in envelope fragments produced by pretreating the virus with phospholipase-C. The data indicate that a common envelope factor(s) can influence the thermal stability of both activities.
Genetic Recombinations Between c- myc and Ighμ as Precursors for Recombinations Between c-myc and Ighα in BALB/c Plasmacytomas

In this paper we present evidence that primary plasmacytomas harboring a balanced chromosomal translocation t(12;15) may consist of a mosaic of neoplastic clones of tumor cells, in which some of the clones are derived from common progenitors by large additional deletions which alter or “remodel” the fine structure of the t(12;15) on the c-myc-deregulating chromosome. This finding is based on the molecular analysis of the t(12;15) in three plasmacytomas, TEPC 1194, PCT 4127 and PCT 4132, in which primary clones of tumor cells with recombinations between the Ig heavy-chain (Igh) μ locus (Ighμ) and c-myc were found to be related to secondary clones of tumor cells with recombinations between the Igh a locus (Igha) and c-myc. Clonal relatedness was based on unique junction fragments between Sμ and c-myc that were found to be identical in Ighμ/c-myc and Ighα/c-myc breakpoint regions. Sμ/c-myc breakpoints with adjoining sequences can thus be used as clonotypic markers, providing molecular fingerprints for the evolution of precursor cells with Ighμ/c-myc recombinations into progenitor cells with Igha/c-myc recombinations. We propose that aberrant isotype switch recombination or illegitimate rearrangement in switch regions converts Ighμ/c-myc rearrangements, which are found very rarely in established plasmacytomas, into Ighα/c-myc rearrangements, which are present in about 80% of plasmacytomas with t(12;15). Remodeling of the t(12;15) results in closer juxtaposition of c-myc to the 3’-Cα locus control region and probably in enhanced transcription of c-myc. We suggest that remodeling of c-myc-deregulating rearrangements constitutes a noveln progression mechanism in malignant B-cell development.
Detection of Explosives by Hyper-Spectral Differential Reflectometry

In the wake of the recent terrorist attacks, such as the 2008 Mumbai hotel explosion or the December 25th 2009 “underwear bomber”, our group has developed a technique (US patent #7368292) to apply differential reflective spectroscopy to the problem of detecting explosives in order to detect terrorist threats. Briefly, light (200-500 nm) is shone on a surface such as a piece of luggage at an airport or a parcel at a courier distribution center. Upon reflection, the light is collected with a spectrometer combined with a camera. A computer processes the data and produces in turn a differential reflection spectrum taken between two adjacent areas of the surface. This differential technique is highly sensitive and provides spectroscopic data of explosives. As an example, 2,4,6, trinitrotoluene (TNT) displays strong and distinct features in differential reflectograms near 420 nm. Similar, but distinctly different features are observed for other explosives such as RDX, PETN or ANFO. Our detection system uses a two dimension detector (CCD camera) which provide spatial and spectroscopic information in each of the two dimensions. By scanning (involving fixed optical equipment and scanning moving bags or parcels on a conveyor belt), the surface to be surveyed the system provide the spatial location of the potential threat. We present in this paper how our detector works and how it is applied to the problem of explosive screening for explosives at airports and mail sorting centers. Additionally, we will present the effect of the explosives morphology on the detection response. In particular we will evaluate the implication on the limit of detection of the instrument as well as discuss the sample morphology with respect to a realistic threat scenario.
The value of information in resource exploration: The interaction of strategic plays and institutional rules

Abstract Several characteristics of information used in resource exploration have led to conjectures that the private market will provide a suboptimal amount of such information. A public information provision has been proposed as a remedy, both for problems of underproduction and overproduction of private information. This paper demonstrates that, barring exceptional conditions, public provision of information cannot be guaranteed to be a generic solution to the private information overprovision problem. In fact, an example is developed to demonstrate the possibility that public information exacerbates the private overprovision problem.
Lateral Membrane Waves Constitute a Universal Dynamic Pattern of Motile Cells

We have monitored active movements of the cell circumference on specifically coated substrates for a variety of cells including mouse embryonic fibroblasts and T cells, as well as wing disk cells from fruit flies. Despite having different functions and being from multiple phyla, these cell types share a common spatiotemporal pattern in their normal membrane velocity; we show that protrusion and retraction events are organized in lateral waves along the cell membrane. These wave patterns indicate both spatial and temporal long-range periodic correlations of the actomyosin gel.
Scalable techniques for document identifier assignment in inverted indexes

Web search engines depend on the full-text inverted index data structure. Because the query processing performance is so dependent on the size of the inverted index, a plethora of research has focused on fast end effective techniques for compressing this structure. Recently, several authors have proposed techniques for improving index compression by optimizing the assignment of document identifiers to the documents in the collection, leading to significant reduction in overall index size.In this paper, we propose improved techniques for document identifier assignment. Previous work includes simple and fast heuristics such as sorting by URL, as well as more involved approaches based on the Traveling Salesman Problem or on graph partitioning. These techniques achieve good compression but do not scale to larger document collections. We propose a new framework based on performing a Traveling Salesman computation on a reduced sparse graph obtained through Locality Sensitive Hashing. This technique achieves improved compression while scaling to tens of millions of documents. Based on this framework, we describe a number of new algorithms, and perform a detailed evaluation on three large data sets showing improvements in index size.
Challenges of image generation for tight ring, long bore PET scanners

We investigate the challenges associated with calibration and corrections in tight ring, long bore geometry PET scanners. The reduced bore diameter is mainly driven by compatibility for a combined PET/MR system where the PET detector ring is inserted inside a MR scanner. The longer axial extent is driven by a desire for additional axial coverage. While the system sensitivity is increased due to the greater solid angle, these geometries present several challenges to different aspects of the image generation chain. Many of the approximations made on the current generation of clinical PET/CT scanners, where the aspect ratio of bore length to bore diameter is small, are no longer valid for the PET/MR compatible geometries. Further, due to the lack of space inside tight ring PET scanners, the side shields have to be very short providing little protection from out of field activity. We identify, present, and show solutions to four of these challenges: (a) the geometric and crystal efficiency measurements are different for direct and oblique projections, (b) projections along oblique angles are no longer on a plane but on curved surfaces, (c) increased parallax effect on the radial and axial point spread functions, and (d) the absence of side-shields greatly increases the out-of-field scatter contribution to the end slices. We perform Monte Carlo simulations for three PET scanner geometries: (a) bore diameter = 82 cm, axial length = 15 cm, (b) bore diameter = 60 cm, axial length = 15 cm, and (c) bore diameter = 60 cm, axial length = 30 cm. We have developed calibration and correction algorithms that account for all of the above factors. Reconstructing with these new algorithms demonstrates a significant improvement in image quality.
Phase-only matched filtering

From image processing work, we know that the phase information is significantly more important than amplitude information in preserving the features of a visual scene. Is the same true in the case of a matched filter? From previous work [ J. L. Horner , Appl. Opt.21, 4511( 1982)], we know that a pure phase correlation filter can have an optical efficiency of 100% in an optical correlation system. We examine this relationship between phase and amplitude in the case of alphanumeric characters, with and without noise, using a computer simulation. We compare the phase-only and amplitude-only filters to the classical matched filter using the criteria of discrimination, correlation peak, and optical efficiency. Three-dimensional plots of the autocorrelation and cross-correlation functions are presented and discussed.
Using Neural Networks to Predict Dye Concentrations in Multiple-Dye Mixtures

A neural network is used to predict the concentrations of three dyes from their spectrophotometric absorbances. With this technique, the network achieves a peak of 5% and an average of 2.6% error over a range of dye concentrations of 0 to 0.15 g/l. The neural network is evaluated against two other models based on Beer's law, and performs significantly better over the entire range of concentrations measured.
Privacy-preserving set operations

In many important applications, a collection of mutually distrustful parties must perform private computation over multisets. Each party's input to the function is his private input multiset. In order to protect these private sets, the players perform privacy-preserving computation; that is, no party learns more information about other parties' private input sets than what can be deduced from the result. In this paper, we propose efficient techniques for privacy-preserving operations on multisets. By building a framework of multiset operations, employing the mathematical properties of polynomials, we design efficient, secure, and composable methods to enable privacy-preserving computation of the union, intersection, and element reduction operations. We apply these techniques to a wide range of practical problems, achieving more efficient results than those of previous work.
An Assessment of the Dendroclimatic Potential of Three Conifer Species in Northern Minnesota

Abstract Ring-width chronologies from Pinus resinosa Ait., Pinus strobus L., and Thuja occidentalis L. were developed in two areas of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to assess their growth-climate response and their potential for developing reconstructions of climate. New red pine chronologies were combined with existing chronologies to extend the ring-width record both into the past and into the present. Ring-width response to climate, assessed using correlation analysis and response functions, was broadly similar among all three species with relatively significant positive relationships with June–July precipitation and significant negative (but less consistent) associations with June–July temperatures (p < 0.05). White-cedar appeared to have a broader phenological window of response with a stronger spring influence when compared to other species included in this study. Comparisons with other nearby proxies showed relatively strong coherence overall but with some important regional differences....
Don't drown in the data

Even experienced statisticians do not always have the expertise – or the equipment – to handle big data. John W. Emerson and Michael J. Kane give hints on how to get started.
Predictors of pain medication use for arthroplasty pain after revision total knee arthroplasty

Objective. Our objective was to study the use of pain medications for persistent knee pain and their predictors after revision total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Methods. We examined whether demographic (gender, age) and clinical characteristics [BMI, co-morbidity measured by the Deyo–Charlson index (a 5-point increase), anxiety and depression] predict the use of NSAIDs and narcotic pain medications 2 and 5 years after revision TKA. Multivariable logistic regression adjusted for these predictors as well as operative diagnosis, American Society of Anesthesiologists class and distance from the medical centre. Results. A total of 1533 patients responded to the 2-year questionnaire and 881 responded to the 5-year questionnaire. NSAID use was reported by 13.4% (206/1533) of patients at 2 years and 16.7% (147/881) at 5 years. Narcotic medication use was reported by 5.4% (83/1533) of patients at 2 years and 5.9% (52/881) at 5 years. Significant predictors of the use of NSAIDs for index TKA pain at 2 and 5 years were age >60–70 years [odds ratio (OR) 0.62 (95% CI 0.39, 0.98) and 0.46 (0.25, 0.85)] compared with age ≤60 years and a higher Deyo–Charlson index [OR 0.51 (95% CI 0.28, 0.93)] per 5-point increase at 5-year after revision TKA. Significant predictors of narcotic pain medication use for index TKA pain were age >60–70 years [OR 0.41 (0.21, 0.78)] and >70–80 years [0.40 (95% CI 0.22, 0.73)] at 2 years and depression [OR 4.58 (95% CI 1.58, 13.18)] at 5 years. Conclusion. Younger age and depression were risk factors for the use of NSAIDs and narcotic pain medications for index TKA pain at 2- and 5-years after revision TKA.
Individual Expectation: An Overlooked, but Pertinent, Factor in the Treatment of Individuals Experiencing Musculoskeletal Pain

Physical therapists consider many factors in the treatment of patients with musculoskeletal pain. The current literature suggests expectation is an influential component of clinical outcomes related to musculoskeletal pain for which physical therapists frequently do not account. The purpose of this clinical perspective is to highlight the potential role of expectation in the clinical outcomes associated with the rehabilitation of individuals experiencing musculoskeletal pain. The discussion focuses on the definition and measurement of expectation, the relationship between expectation and outcomes related to musculoskeletal pain conditions, the mechanisms through which expectation may alter musculoskeletal pain conditions, and suggested ways in which clinicians may integrate the current literature regarding expectation into clinical practice.
Increased Risk of Death Among Children With Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome and Infantile Spasms

The magnitude and causes of death among a cohort of children with epilepsy were determined. A follow-up study with a population-based cohort of 10-year-old children in the metropolitan Atlanta area with epilepsy was conducted. The National Death Index and linkage to State of Georgia death certificates were used to identify deaths. The authors estimated the expected numbers of deaths by applying mortality rates adjusted by age, race, and sex for the entire state of Georgia to the population for the follow-up period. Among the 688 children who were in the final epilepsy cohort, 64 deaths occurred; 20.6 deaths were expected (mortality ratio adjusted for age, race, and sex = 3.11). The mortality ratios for children with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and infantile spasms were 13.92 and 11.91, respectively. Children and adolescents with epilepsy, especially those with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome or infantile spasms, have an increased risk of death.