cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Age-based norm-reference values for the Child Oral and Motor Proficiency Scale.

Aim To determine reference values for the Child Oral and Motor Proficiency Scale (ChOMPS) based on healthy, typically developing and typically eating children between six months and seven years old. Methods Parents of children six months to seven years old (n = 1057) completed the 63-item ChOMPS. Median, range, 5th and 10th percentiles were calculated for scores on the four subscales of the ChOMPS as well as the total score in each of 11 age groups. Results Age-based norm-reference values are reported. By 24 months, 95% of children could perform all skills in the Basic Movement Patterns subscale. By four years, more than 95% of children could perform all of the skills in the Fundamental Oral-Motor Skills subscale. The Oral-Motor Coordination and Complex Movement Patterns skills developed later. By five years, 90% of children could perform all Oral-Motor Coordination skills. In six to seven year olds, 95% received a score of 44 of 46 on the Complex Movement Patterns subscale, indicating that some typical children had not established all of these complex skills by seven years. Conclusion The ChOMPS is the first valid and reliable parent-report measure of eating, drinking and related skills that has age-based norm-reference values for use in clinical practice and research.
Wild pigs as sentinels for hard ticks: A case study from south-central Florida.

Abstract As a result of shifts in the habitable range of ticks due to climate change and the ongoing threat of exotic tick species introductions, efficient surveillance tools for these pests and disease vectors are needed. Wild pigs are habitat generalists, distributed throughout most of the United States, and often hunted recreationally or removed as part of management programs, making them potentially useful sentinel hosts for ticks. We compared ticks collected from captured wild pigs and standard tick dragging methods on a south-central Florida cattle ranch from May 2015–August 2017. Three hundred and sixteen wild pigs were surveyed, and 84 km spanning three habitat types (seminative pasture, improved pasture, and hammock) were dragged. In total, 1023 adults of four species (Amblyomma auricularium, Amblyomma maculatum, Dermacentor variabilis, and Ixodes scapularis) were collected from wild pigs, while 39 adults of three species (A. auricularium, A. maculatum, and I. scapularis) were collected from drags. Only one immature specimen, a nymph, was collected from a pig, while dragging collected 2808 larvae and 150 nymphs. Amblyomma maculatum comprised 96% of adults collected from pigs, while A. maculatum, I. scapularis, and A. auricularium comprised 38%, 33%, and 28% of adults collected from drags, respectively. Adults of all tick species found on drags were found on pigs, and wild pig surveillance detected adults of an additional species not found on drags. Dragging was far superior for collection of immatures but not for adults of most species found in this study. These findings suggest wild pigs could be used as a sentinel for the detection of tick species. When combined with ongoing wild pig research, hunting, or management, wild pig surveillance can provide an effective method to survey for adult tick presence of some species of interest and may assist in tracking the range expansion of some tick species.
Z3 and SMT in Industrial R&D

Theorem proving has a proud history of elite academic pursuit and select industrial use. Impact, when predicated on acquiring the internals of a formalism or proof environment, is gated on skilled and idealistic users. In the case of automatic theorem provers known as Satisfiability Modulo Theories, SMT, solvers, the barrier of entry is shifted to tool builders and their domains. SMT solvers typically provide convenient support for domains that are prolific in software engineering and have in the past decade found widespread use cases in both academia and industry. We describe some of the background developing the Z3 solver, the factors that have played an important role in shaping its use, and an outlook on further development and use.
14C beta decay and the 14N M1 form factors.

The description of p-shell orbitals in the A=14 nuclear system in terms of relativistic wave functions, which are solutions to the Dirac equation with strong scalar and vector potentials, provides a good description of the M1 form factors in $^{14}\mathrm{N}$ and the greatly suppressed $^{14}\mathrm{C}$ beta decay rate.
Lagrangean functions and affine minorants

We give hypotheses, valid in reflexive Banach spaces (such as L p for ∞>p>1 or Hilbert spaces), for a certain modification of the ordinary lagrangean to close the duality gap, in convex programs with (possibly) infinitely many constraint functions.
Viscous Air flow Theory

In this chapter we extend the theory allowing for nonzero viscosity. The field equations then are the Navier–Stokes equations, a subject in fluid dynamics of intense research activity, but still replete with many open problems. Our interest here is again on the effect of viscosity on the wing-structure response rather than the flow itself. The extant aeroelastic literature on this aspect is all computational 82, 83, 93].
Legal Considerations in the Treatment of Minors

The practice of medicine has become intertwined with legal considerations as medical technology has continued to advance. New developments in science multiply both the human life span and the number and types of accompanying risks to the patient. These risks are one of the factors for the increase in lawsuits effecting physicians. However, it would be an oversimplification to view the popularity of medical malpractice cases in the last 10 years as contingent solely on technological advancements.
Mast Cells in Experimental Myocardial Infarction

Myocardial infarction is associated with an inflammatory reaction, which is a prerequisite for healing and scar formation 1-3 Myocardial cell necrosis results in the release of subcellular membrane constituents, rich in mitochondria, which are capable of activating the complement cascade.4,5 This represents the initial chemotactic event responsible for neutrophil influx in the ischemic myocardium. Subsequently, activated neutrophils adhere to the endothelium and transmigrate to the extravascular space. Neutrophils accumulating in the ischemic areas release proteolytic enzymes or reactive oxygen species, injuring surrounding myocytes. However, in vivo, these toxic products are almost exclusively secreted by adherent neutrophils. Neutrophil adhesion to cardiac myocytes is dependent on neutrophil integrin activation and on the induction of Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-I (ICAM-I) on cardiac myocytes.6-8 Myocyte ICAM-1 induction is dependent on a cytokine cascade leading to IL-6 expression in mononuclear cells9 and myocytes.1O Cardiac mast cells appear to have a significant role in initiating this cytokine cascade,9 and may also serve as important sources of fibrogenic factors during healing of a reperfused myocardial infarct.11
"I Don't Want to Come off as Pushing an Agenda": How Contexts Shaped Teachers' Pedagogy in the Days after the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election.

Guided by perspectives on the sociopolitical contexts of schooling, control of teachers’ curriculum and instruction, and teaching of elections, we use findings from a national questionnaire to expl...
Mothers' feelings about infants' negative emotions and mother-infant interactions among the Gamo of Southern Ethiopia.

Abstract Parents’ exposure to stressful ecosocial situations, like inadequate resources, is linked to parents’ perceptions of infants’ fussing and crying and less sensitive caregiving. However, studies supporting these findings predominantly come from Western contexts of parenting and infant care. Ecosocial situations may have different effects on parenting and infants in distinct cultural contexts. In this study, the link between Gamo mothers’ expressions of stress about their infants’ negative emotional displays (N = 29 mothers and infants) and mother-infant interactions was investigated. Mothers who expressed stress in response to their infants’ negative emotions demonstrated fewer interactions overall with their infants compared to mothers who did not express stress. Regression analyses showed that mothers who did not express stress had infants that fussed and cried more in their presence than infants of mothers who did not express stress, albeit insignificant. These results are discussed in the context of Gamo infancy in Southern Ethiopia.
Network resonance during slow-wave sleep facilitates memory consolidation through phase-coding

Abstract Sleep plays a critical role in memory consolidation, however, the exact role that sleep and its effects on neural network dynamics play in this process is still unclear. Here, we combine computational and experimental approaches to study the dynamical, network-wide underpinnings of hippocampal memory consolidation during sleep. We provide data to support a novel hypothesis on the role of cellular resonance with sleep-associated theta band (4-12 Hz) hippocampal oscillations in this process. We show that increases in the stability of hippocampal memory representations after learning (which predicts successful memory consolidation) are mediated through emergent network-wide resonance and locking of neuronal activity to network oscillations. These changes arise in the network as a function of changes to network structure during learning, and mirror experimental findings in the hippocampus. Finally, we show that input-dependent pattern formation (e.g. “replay”) in the hippocampus during sleep states, together with spike timing dependent plasticity (STDP)-based memory consolidation, leads to universal network activity reorganization. This reorganization generates heterogeneous changes in neuronal spiking frequency, similar to what has been observed in a variety of brain circuits across periods of sleep. Our results support the hypothesis that sleep plays an active role in memory consolidation by switching the hippocampal network from rate-based to phase-based information representation. The mechanisms through which this occurs supports the integration of heterogeneous cell populations into memory traces. Significance Statement In this study, we provide a mechanistic explanation of how sleep selectively facilitates memory consolidation, through recruitment of heterogeneous neuronal populations and structural reorganization of the network into an engram. Specifically, we show that emergent theta band oscillations during sleep facilitate stabilization of memory representations via spike timing dependent reinforcement. This stabilization, together with STDP, allows for systematic reorganization of synaptic connections within these populations, universally redistributing firing rates of participating neurons. Simultaneously, network oscillations facilitate a switch from rate-to phase-coding of information among neuronal populations with highly heterogenous firing frequencies, incorporating more neurons into the engram. Our results reconcile discrepant findings on network reorganization during sleep, and demonstrate a clear mechanism for both strengthening and weakening of synaptic efficacy during sleep.
A Perceptual Framework for Conservative Treatment and Rehabilitation of Ankle Sprains: An Evidence-Based Paradigm Shift.

Lateral ankle sprains are the most common injuries sustained during physical activity. The epidemiologic trends associated with chronic ankle instability (CAI) suggest that current rehabilitation a...
Clinical Utility of Plasma Cell-Free DNA in Adult Patients with Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma: A Pilot Prospective Study.

Purpose: The clinical utility of plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) has not been assessed prospectively in patients with glioblastoma (GBM). We aimed to determine the prognostic impact of plasma cfDNA in GBM, as well as its role as a surrogate of tumor burden and substrate for next-generation sequencing (NGS). Experimental Design: We conducted a prospective cohort study of 42 patients with newly diagnosed GBM. Plasma cfDNA was quantified at baseline prior to initial tumor resection and longitudinally during chemoradiotherapy. Plasma cfDNA was assessed for its association with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), correlated with radiographic tumor burden, and subjected to a targeted NGS panel. Results: Prior to initial surgery, GBM patients had higher plasma cfDNA concentration than age-matched healthy controls (mean 13.4 vs. 6.7 ng/mL, P 13.4 ng/mL) was associated with inferior PFS (median 4.9 vs. 9.5 months, P = 0.038). Detection of ≥1 somatic mutation in plasma cfDNA occurred in 55% of patients and was associated with nonstatistically significant decreases in PFS (median 6.0 vs. 8.7 months, P = 0.093) and OS (median 5.5 vs. 9.2 months, P = 0.053). Conclusions: Plasma cfDNA may be an effective prognostic tool and surrogate of tumor burden in newly diagnosed GBM. Detection of somatic alterations in plasma is feasible when samples are obtained prior to initial surgical resection.
A Dimeric Chromium(II) Pincer as an Electron Shuttle for N=N Bond Scission.

Reduction of the bis-pyrazolyl pyridine complex [CrL]2 with 4 KC8 , followed by addition of one azobenzene (overall mole ratio 1:4:1), PhNNPh, transfers reducing equivalents to three azobenzenes, to form [K3 Cr(PhNNPh)3 ]. This has three κ2 PhNNPh2- ligands and K+ bound to nitrogen atoms of azobenzene. When the stoichiometry is modified to 1:4:3, the product is changed to [K2 CrL(PhNNPh)2 ], which has C2 symmetry except for the intimate ion pairing of two K+ ions to reduced azobenzene nitrogen atoms, and to pyrazolate and phenyl rings. The origin of the observed delivery of reducing equivalents to several, not to a single N=N bond, is traced to the resistance of the one-electron-reduced substrate to receiving a second electron, and is thus a general phenomenon. [CrL]2 alone is shown to be a two-electron reductant towards benzo[c]cinnoline (BCC) resulting in a product of formula [Cr2 L2 (BCC)], in which the reducing equivalents originate purely from CrII . An analogous study of the reaction of [CrL]2 with azobenzene yields [Cr2 L2 (PhNNPh)(THF)], an adduct in which one THF has displaced one of four hydrazide nitrogen/Cr bonds. Together these illustrate different modes for the Cr2 L2 unit to bind and reduce the N=N bond. Collectively, these results show that two divalent Cr, without added K0 , have the ability to reduce the N=N bond. Further KC8 reduction of preformed Cr2 L2 (RNNR) inevitably gives products in which K+ stabilizes the charge in the increasingly electron-rich nitrogen atoms, in a phenomenon which mimics proton coupled electron transfer: K+ performs the role of H+ . A least-squares fit of the two singly reduced DFT structures shows that the only major change is a re-orientation of one of the two phenyl rings in order to avoid repulsion with potassium but to still allow interaction of that phenyl π system with K+ . This shows both the impact of K+ , being modest to nitrogen/chromium interactions, but nevertheless accommodating some π donation of phenyl to potassium. Finally, delivering increasing equivalents of KC8 leads to complete cleavage of the N=N bond, and both N bind to three CrII . The varied impacts of the K+ electrophile on NN multiple bond reduction is discussed.
Sciatic nerve release following fracture or reconstructive surgery of the acetabulum. Surgical technique.

BACKGROUND: Sciatic neuropathy associated with acetabular fractures can result in disabling long-term symptoms. The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the effect of sciatic nerve release on sciatic neuropathy associated with acetabular fractures and reconstructive acetabular surgery. METHODS: Between 2000 and 2004, ten patients with sciatic neuropathy associated with an acetabular fracture were treated with release of the sciatic nerve from scar tissue and heterotopic bone. Additional surgical procedures included open reduction and internal fixation of the acetabulum (five patients), removal of hardware and total hip arthroplasty (three patients), and removal of hardware alone (one patient). The average age of the patients was forty-three years. All patients were followed with serial examinations and assessments for a minimum of one year (average, twenty-six months). RESULTS: All patients had partial to complete relief of radicular pain, of diminished sensation, and of paresthesias after the nerve release. Four of seven patients with motor loss and two of five patients with a footdrop demonstrated improvement in function after the nerve release. No patient had evidence of worsening on neurologic examination after the release. CONCLUSIONS: Sciatic nerve release during reconstructive acetabular surgery can decrease the sensory symptoms of preoperative sciatic neuropathy associated with a previous acetabular fracture. Motor symptoms, however, are less likely to resolve following nerve release. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. ORIGINAL ABSTRACT CITATION: “Sciatic Nerve Release Following Fracture or Reconstructive Surgery of the Acetabulum” (2007;89:1432-7, July 2007
Waste and the Governance of Private and Public Property

Common law waste doctrine is often overlooked as antiquated and irrelevant to modern law as a result of contract, corporate law, trust and estate planning, and public law. At best, waste doctrine is occasionally examined as a lens through which to evaluate evolutions in modern property theory. We argue here that waste doctrine is more than just an historical artifact. Rather, the principle embedded in waste doctrine underpins a great deal of property law generally, both common law and statutory, as well as the law governing oil and gas, water, and public trust resources. Seen for what it is, the theoretical principles underpinning waste doctrine provide a fresh perspective on property, natural resources, and environmental law. In this Article, we excavate the old waste cases in multiple fields of property and natural resources law to make novel connections across these fields and demonstrate the doctrine’s continuing relevance for contemporary lawyers, legal theorists, and environmental advocates. The Article is unique in its articulation of a universal “waste principle” and its examination of how this principle facilitates communication and cooperative self-governance by and among owners of common property. It suggests that underenforcement of civil and administrative waste law in the context of common pool natural resources contributes to failures in modern law to respond to pressing environmental challenges.
Vortex Excitations and the Superfluid λ Transition

The role of vortex excitations in the critical region near the superfluid X transition of 4He is discussed. A simple model using circular vortex rings has been constructed following the general ideas of Kosterlitz and Thouless, extended to the case of three dimensions. A real-space renormalization technique generates a power-law phase transition that satisfies the Josephson scaling relation and has the correct correlation length. The physical picture that emerges agrees with the original intuitive proposals of Feynman and Onsager, and with recent Monte Carlo simulations.
Isolation and Identification of Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 4A as a Molecular Target for the Marine Natural Product Pateamine A

Natural products continue to demonstrate their utility both as therapeutics and as molecular probes for the discovery and mechanistic deconvolution of various cellular processes. However, this utility is dampened by the inherent difficulties involved in isolating and characterizing new bioactive natural products, in obtaining sufficient quantities of purified compound for further biological studies, and in developing bioactive probes. Key to characterizing the biological activity of natural products is the identification of the molecular target(s) within the cell. The marine sponge-derived natural product Pateamine A (PatA) has been found to be an inhibitor of eukaryotic translation initiation. Herein, we describe the methods utilized for identification of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4A (eIF4A) as one of the primary protein targets of PatA. We begin by describing the synthesis of an active biotin conjugate of PatA (B-PatA), made possible by total synthesis, followed by its use for affinity purification of PatA binding proteins from cellular lysates. We have attempted to present the methodology as a general technique for the identification of protein targets for small molecules including natural products.
Global Assessment Variables

Multiple outcomes are often collected for an evaluation of a treatment's effect on disease or quality of life or other underlying condition. When multiple outcomes are being assessed, and no predefined and validated composite outcome (summary measure) exists, two classes of statistical tests have been developed that address two different scientific questions. Tests in one class are designed to test whether a treatment effect is observed for any of the outcomes. Tests in the other class are designed to test whether a treatment confers an overall benefit (or harm) to patients. We provide a brief survey of global statistical tests (GST) of the second class. Each GST is discussed in terms of its motivation, approach to conducting the test, and some basic properties of the test. To facilitate the interpretation of the GST, we use the concept of a global treatment effect (GTE) to quantify the treatment's overall effect on multiple outcomes. We provide examples of the application of GSTs to clinical trials along with recommendations for choosing outcomes to include in the GST. Keywords: global statistical test; global treatment effect; multiple outcomes; multiple testing procedures
Role of the Medical Oncologist in the Management of Skin Cancer

Management of high-risk, recurrent, and metastatic skin cancers often requires a multi-modality, multi-disciplinary approach, with involvement of medical specialists in the fields of dermatology, surgical oncology, radiation oncology, and medical oncology. Medical oncologists typically treat skin cancers that have failed local therapies such as surgery or radiation and routinely manage metastatic skin cancers including melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and Merkel cell carcinoma. Here, we highlight the decision-making strategies employed by the medical oncologist in the management of high-risk and metastatic skin cancers and review the pertinent evidence for choice of systemic therapy.
Evaluating the TOEFL Junior® Standard Test as a Measure of Progress for Young English Language Learners

Standardized tests are often designed to provide only a snapshot of test takers' knowledge, skills, or abilities at a single point in time. Sometimes, however, they are expected to serve more demanding functions, one of them is assessing change in knowledge, skills, or ability over time because of learning effects. The latter is the case for the newly developed TOEFL Junior® Standard test, which measures improvement in young learners' proficiency in English as a foreign language. In this study, we used nonexperimental-repeated measures data from approximately 4,600 students from multiple countries to examine the extent to which observed patterns in within-individual changes in test scores were consistent with changes in underlying language proficiency because of learning. Because most students were actively participating in English language learning programs, the time interval between test administrations, which varied among students, served as a proxy for the extent of English language learning opportunities. We used hierarchical linear models to model growth in test performance as a function of the time interval between test administrations and found a positive, statistically significant relationship; that is, test takers with longer intervals between retesting exhibited greater gains than did test takers who retested at shorter intervals. The estimated relationship for the total score corresponded to between .16 and .24 test standard deviations of growth per year, depending on model specification. The findings are robust to sensitivity analyses that explore potential biasing factors. Overall, the findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the TOEFL Junior Standard test is capable of reflecting change in English language proficiency over time.
Genetic Algorithm Optimization of a Cost Competitive Hybrid Rocket Booster

Performance, reliability and cost have always been drivers in the rocket business. Hybrid rockets have been late entries into the launch business due to substantial early development work on liquid rockets and later on solid rockets. Slowly the technology readiness level of hybrids has been increasing due to various large scale testing and flight tests of hybrid rockets. A remaining issue is the cost of hybrids vs the existing launch propulsion systems. This paper will review the known state of the art hybrid development work to date and incorporate it into a genetic algorithm to optimize the configuration based on various parameters. A cost module will be incorporated to the code based on the weights of the components. The design will be optimized on meeting the performance requirements at the lowest cost.
geophylobuilder 1.0: an arcgis extension for creating 'geophylogenies'.

Evolution is inherently a spatiotemporal process; however, despite this, phylogenetic and geographical data and models remain largely isolated from one another. Geographical information systems provide a ready-made spatial modelling, analysis and dissemination environment within which phylogenetic models can be explicitly linked with their associated spatial data and subsequently integrated with other georeferenced data sets describing the biotic and abiotic environment. geophylobuilder 1.0 is an extension for the ARCGIS geographical information system that builds a 'geophylogenetic' data model from a phylogenetic tree and associated geographical data. Geophylogenetic database objects can subsequently be queried, spatially analysed and visualized in both 2D and 3D within a geographical information systems.
Production cross section of γγ → e+e−μ+μ−

Abstract Production cross section for the process γγ → e+e−μ+μ− is calculated in the impact factor representation. Up to the eight order in e, the cross section approaches the constant 2.82 × 10−3 μb at infinite energy.
Statistical analysis of algorithmic noise tolerance

Algorithmic noise tolerance (ANT) is an effective statistical error compensation technique for digital signal processing systems. This paper proves a long held hypothesis that ANT has a strong Bayesian foundation, and develops an analytical framework for predicting the performance of, and designing performance-optimal ANT-based systems. ANT is shown to approximate an optimal Bayesian detector and an optimal minimum mean squared error (MMSE) estimator. We show that the theoretically optimum threshold and the optimal threshold obtained via Monte Carlo simulations agree to within 8%, with performance degradation of at most 2.1% for a variety of error probability mass functions. For a 2D-DCT implemented in a 45nm CMOS process, we find similar results where the thresholds have a 7.8% difference. Furthermore, both analysis and simulations indicate that ANT's probability of error detection is robust to the choice of the threshold.
Post-thoracotomy Horner syndrome associated with extrapleural infusion of local anesthetic

Continuous incisional infusion of local anesthetic through an extrapleural catheter to achieve an intercostal nerve block is a safe and effective adjunct to control postoperative pain after thoracotomy. Local and systemic complications are rare. Here we present a case of an acute, reversible, post-thoracotomy Horner syndrome associated with the use of local anesthetic infusion via an intraoperatively placed extrapleural catheter.
Molecular markers for identification of the hyperparasitoids Dendrocerus carpenteri and Alloxysta xanthopsis in Lysiphlebus testaceipes parasitizing cereal aphids.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based molecular markers have been developed to detect the presence of primary parasitoids in cereal aphids and used to estimate primary parasitism rates. However, the presence of secondary parasitoids (hyperparasitoids) may lead to underestimates of primary parasitism rates based on PCR markers. This is because even though they kill the primary parasitoid, it’s DNA can still be amplified, leading to an erroneous interpretation of a positive result. Another issue with secondary parasitoids is that adults are extremely difficult to identify using morphological characters. Therefore, we developed species-specific molecular markers to detect hyperparasitoids. A 16S ribosomal RNA mitochondrial gene fragment was amplified by PCR and sequenced from two secondary parasitoid species, Dendrocerus carpenteri (Curtis) (Hymenoptera: Megaspilidae) and Alloxysta xanthopsis (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Charipidae), four geographic isolates of the primary parasitoid, Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), and six aphid species common to cereal crops. Species-specific PCR primers were designed for each insect on the basis of these 16S rRNA gene sequences. Amplification of template DNA, followed by agarose gel electrophoresis, successfully distinguished D. carpenteri and A. xanthopsis from all four isolates of L. testaceipes and all six cereal aphid species in this laboratory test.
The single-crystal elastic constants of cubic (3C) SiC to 1000 C

Experimental measurements of the polycrystalline elastic moduli of the cubic (3C) beta polytype of SiC at elevated temperatures and the room-temperature single-crystal elastic constants were combined through equations that relate the two to determine the stiffnesses Cij and the compliances Sij to 1000° C. The results demonstrate a general method for estimating the elevated temperature single-crystal constants of cubic crystals and illustrate that the cubic (3C) beta polytype of SiC becomes more elastically anisotropic at elevated temperatures.
Quantitative effects of acute myocardial infarction on intracavitary potentials

The objective of this study was to quantify the features of intracavitary potential recordings before and after experimental myocardial infarction. Potentials were recorded within the left ventricular cavity in 10 dogs using a cylindrical [45mm × 10mm] probe with 40 evenly spaced unipolar recording electrodes on its surface, before and after acute occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Analysis of control and post-infarct waveforms was based on QRS and ST-T area, and maximum negative potential and maximum negative dV/dt during the QRS complex. Infarction resulted in significant [p<0.01] reductions in QRS area [521±132 vs. 398±181 mV·ms], maximum negative potential [20.8±3.6 vs. 16.6±5.3 mV], and maximum negative dV/dt [1.9±0.6 vs. 1.3±0.6 mV/ms], and significant increases in ST-T area [42±160 vs. 138±246 mV·ms]. The waveforms were evaluated using linear discriminant function and cross-validation procedures to determine if specific criteria from these measurements could distinguish waveforms recorded before from those recorded after acute coronary occlusion. Results indicated that the intracavitary waveforms distinguished pre-infarct from post-occlusion with 84% accuracy. Analysis of misclassified recordings indicates that 80% of the misclassified recordings were from electrodes distal to local endocardial events. The significance of this study is that simultaneous intracavitary recordings have been confirmed as a useful tool in detecting local endocardial events and could eliminate the need for sequential recordings in arrhythmia mapping, reducing errors due to non-steady state conditions during several minutes, rather than seconds, of recording time.
Divide-and-Conquer for Parallel Processing

The well known divide-and-conquer paradigm has proved to be useful for deriving efficient algorithms for many problems. Several researchers have pointed out its usefulness for parallel processing; however, the problem of analyzing such parallel algorithms in a realistic setting has been largely overlooked. In this paper a realistic model for divide-and-conquer based algorithms is postulated; the efficiency of some algorithms is then analyzed, taking into account all relevant parameters of the model (time, data movement and number of processors.)
Women Scientist Role Models on Screen: A Case Study of Contact

In the absence of real-life role models, children may construct an understanding of the role of women in science based largely on images of women scientists they see in the media. This study assesses the images used in the portrayal of a female astronomer in the film, Contact. The themes used as a framework for the analysis were early encouragement in science, professional status, professional reputation, professional relationships, and impact of personal relationships on career goals. The film's portrayal of a woman scientist is discussed in light of empirical data and anecdotal reports on the actual experiences of women scientists.
Audio-visual talking face detection

Talking face detection is important for videoconferencing. However, the detection of the talking face is difficult because of the low resolution of the capturing devices, the informal style of communication and the background sounds. In this paper, we present a novel method for finding the talking face using latent semantic indexing approach. We tested our method on a comprehensive set of home video conferencing sessions with a very high detection rate. Our experiments show that the LSI method accuracy degrades gracefully in a noisy environment as opposed to the correlation method which simply fails in presence of noise.
Outcomes of drug-eluting stents for protected left main coronary artery disease (from the Multicenter, United States DEScover registry).

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for protected left main coronary artery (PLM) disease is complex because of patient and lesion factors; however, limited data exist on the outcomes of drug-eluting stent (DES) use for this indication. DEScover is a prospective observational study that enrolled consecutive patients with PCI in 2005. In-hospital and 1-year statuses were analyzed for 6,172 patients treated with DES according to LM and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) statuses (PLM, n = 93; previous CABG native vessel non-LM, n = 722; no previous CABG, n = 5,357). Cumulative event rates were calculated by the Kaplan–Meier method. Cox proportional hazards regression was used for multivariable analysis of adverse events. Baseline clinical, angiographic, and procedural variables differed significantly among groups, with patients with previous CABG, PLM, and non-LM having higher risk characteristics. In patients with previous CABG, after adjustment with CABG non-LM as a reference group, there were no significant differences in 1-year risk of any adverse event except a trend toward a greater risk of myocardial infarction (MI) in patients with PLM (adjusted hazard ratio 2.4, confidence interval 0.95 to 6.2, p = 0.06). However, patients after CABG (PLM and non-LM) compared to patients without previous CABG had a similar adjusted risk of death, MI, and stent thrombosis; an increased risk of target lesion revascularization (adjusted hazard ratio 1.79, confidence interval 1.2 to 2.6, p = 0.003), target vessel revascularization and death/MI/target vessel revascularization; and a lower risk of CABG (adjusted hazard ratio 0.25, confidence interval 0.09 to 0.67, p = 0.006). In conclusion, status after CABG rather than PLM location increases the risk of repeat revascularization with PCI in DES-treated patients.
High‐Pressure Experiments on Yttrium Iron Garnet

High-pressure-high-temperature experiments carried out on YIG and on 3Y2O3+5Fe2O3 mixtures gave expected results and do not corroborate the recent report by Shimada, Kume, and Koizumi indicating the existence of a “dense ferrimagnetic perovskite allotropic form of yttrium iron garnet.” The results of experiments by Marezio, Remeika, and Jayaraman on the high-pressure decomposition of synthetic garnets are discussed. The garnet {Y3}[Sc0.6Fe1.4](Fe3)O12 is more stable than YIG under the same conditions of pressure and temperature; this alone disproves the Marezio et al. hypothesis relating stability vs pressure to ionic site preference. The stability of YIG is more sensitive to oxygen fugacity at high temperatures and atmospheric pressure than are those of YAG and YGaG. Thus relative compressibility and equilibrium oxygen vapor pressure are the important parameters.
The predictive value of tumor regression rates during chemoradiation therapy in patients with advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

objective The value of tumor regression rates in predicting survival outcome during chemoradiation therapy was prospectively evaluated. methods and materials Sixty-two patients diagnosed with locally advanced stage III/IV unresectable head and neck squamous cell carcinoma underwent weekly clinical and endoscopic serial assessment of primary and nodal tumor sizes during chemoradiation therapy between July 1993 and September 1995. Chemoradiation therapy consisted of protocol treatment using supradose intra-arterial targeted cisplatin (SIT-P) at 150 mg/ m 2 four times at weekly intervals along with intravenous sodium thiosulfate at 9 g/m 2 and concurrent conventionally fractionated radiotherapy at 1.8 to 2.0 Gy/fraction (fx) to a total dose of 68 to 74 Gy. Tumor reduction was serially measured as a percentage of the original pretreatment size at weekly intervals by the same team of surgical and radiation oncologists. Correlations were then made between tumor regression rates and survival. results Complete or near complete regression of disease during chemoradiation therapy as compared with nonresponsive/partially responsive disease was associated with better survival outcome ( P = 0.001 and P = 0.013, respectively). Among patients exhibiting complete or near complete regression of disease, rapid tumor reduction (median = 4.2 weeks) was associated with inferior survival outcome when compared with slower disease regression (median = 6.4 weeks, P = 0.007). conclusions Our findings fail to support the "traditional" hypothesis that rapid tumor regression during treatment is predictive of an improved survival outcome. Treatment strategies that alter ongoing therapy based upon initial tumor regression rates should be avoided.
LDA measurements in a Mach 2 flow over a rearward facing step with staged transverse injection

Measurements of the mean velocity field and selected turbulence statistics have been obtained via 2D LDA in a Mach 2 flow over a rearward facing step with downstream transverse injection. Axial mean velocity profiles, profiles of the axial and normal RMS levels, and the correlation coefficient between the axial and normal fluctuating components are presented for locations upstream of the step. These data, through comparison with other reported measurements in zero pressure gradient compressible boundary layers indicate that the boundary layers upstream of the step are consistent with 'quasi-equilibrium' turbulent boundary layers with the adiabatic wall boundary condition. Mean velocity field measurements on the symmetry plane of the tunnel are compared to laser induced iodine fluorescence measurements reported in the literature and obtained in the same facility. This comparison demonstrates the quality of the present LDA data set and shows that particle lag is not significant in the LDA measurements despite the complex nature of the downstream flow.
Absorption of Light by Atoms in Solids

The interactions of an atom with its neighbors in an idealized solid are taken into account explicitly in treating the absorption of light, as contrasted with the usual introduction of an "effective" field and mass. In the discussion of the magnitude of the absorption coefficient, two cases are treated: one, the absorption by an impurity atom, in which case we are led to an equation similar to Smakula's; and two, the absorption by one of the atoms of the perfect crystal. The computations are based on a simple idealized model whose validity is discussed for existing systems.
Evaluation of fusion methods for latent fingerprint matchers

Matcher fusion is a recognized approach for improving biometric system performance. Component matchers may be “encapsulated,” reducing the need for understanding the inner workings of each matcher, and facilitating interchange of matchers. In large part, our interest in fusion was to determine how much performance “headroom” existed with current matcher technology. We employed five different latent fingerprint matchers. These matchers can use alternate input data (features), allowing the influence of “data type” to be investigated. Numerical results show it is possible to reduce the final candidate list to two to six candidates, with the probability that the true mate appears in the top (first) position boosted by 6–15%-points.
Vilification and Social Movements: A Case Study of Pro-Life and Pro-Choice Rhetoric.

Vilification is a rhetorical strategy that discredits adversaries as ungenuine and malevolent advocates. The strategy is pervasive in the rhetoric of pro‐life and pro‐choice movements in Minnesota between 1973 and 1980. Both movements characterize their opponents as elite conspiracies whose influence is based upon misuse of powerful agencies and whose motives are tyrannous and unjust. Vilification strategies construct the enemy as simultaneously powerful and vulnerable, providing urgency, empowerment, reward, and sustained commitment for members of the movement.
Ultrastructural and histochemical studies of cortical biopsies in subacute dementia.

The electron microscopic and histochemical findings in biopsies of two cases of subacute dementia have revealed neurons containing numerous lipofuscin bodies and increased acid phosphatase. Although these changes are considered to indicate neuron disease, they are believed to represent a secondary process because of their similarity and because other more distinctive cell alterations are present. In the first case, the primary abnormality is believed to be thickening of the vascular basement membrane, while in the second case, astroglial dilatation is considered a primary change. Since these structures appear to have important transport functions, these abnormalities could easily impair the nutrient supply to neurons and, in this way, produce the neuronal alteration. The significance of glycogen in these tissues is discussed.
Extrema of electron density and output pulse energy in a CuCl/Ne discharge and a Cu/CuCl double-pulsed laser

Electron‐density measurements have been made in a CuCl/Ne discharge using a CO2 laser interferometer. A local maximum followed by a local minimum in electron density have been found to move a higher tube temperature with higher buffer pressure. Extrema in Cu/CuCl double‐pulsed laser energy may be correlated with the extrema in electron density. An analysis based on rate equations yields qualitative agreement with measured laser‐pulse energies. The results support the idea that ionization of copper is primarily responsible for the decrease of laser output as the tube temperature is increased.
Imaging nanometer-size metallic clusters with the atomic force microscope

The atomic force microscope has been used in the attractive (non-contact) force mode to produce images of individual nanometer-size clusters pre-formed in the gas phase and deposited on a wide variety of atomically-flat substrates. Using this technique, it is now possible to reliably image pre-formed clusters in their as-deposited positions. Studies of nanometer-size Au clusters supported on highly oriented pyrolitic graphite clearly show how the clusters are distributed across the scanned region. Cluster coverages inferred from atomic force studies are compared to those obtained from TEM studies of amorphous carbon grids simultaneously exposed to the same cluster beam.
Dimorphic expression of medial basal hypothalamic–preoptic area calbindin-D28K mRNA during perinatal development and adult distribution of calbindin-D28K mRNA in Sprague–Dawley rats

The calcium-binding protein, calbindin (CALB) is: (a) distributed throughout the central nervous system (CNS), (b) abundant in neurons and, (c) thought to act as a buffer by binding intracellular calcium, mediating neurogenesis (cell profileration) and neuronal programmed cell death. Using Northern analysis, CALB mRNA distribution was characterized in 12 different adult brain regions. Additionally, CALB mRNA levels were characterized in the medial basal hypothalamus (MBH) and preoptic area (POA) in perinatal male and female rats, in order to compare this mRNA pattern to the dimorphic MBH-POA CALB protein profile our laboratory previously reported. Three CALB mRNA species were detected (at 1.9, 2.8 and 3.2 kilobase pairs) in all CNS regions. The smallest mRNA transcript (at 1.9 kilobase pairs) was the most abundant of the three CALB mRNAs. To quantify these mRNA signals, CALB mRNA levels were normalized to 18s ribosomal RNA bands. Among the various adult brain sites assayed, the cerebellum expressed the highest CALB mRNA signals. High CALB mRNAs were observed in the MBH-POA, olfactory bulb and hippocampal regions. Moderate CALB mRNA levels were seen in the striatum and frontal cortex while moderate to low CALB mRNA levels were observed in the posterior cortex, entorhinal cortex, midbrain, pons, thalamus and medulla. During perinatal development, MBH-POA CALB mRNA levels were lowest at gestation day (GD) 18, increased four-fold in newborns and remained at moderate levels during early postnatal development. Male CALB mRNA levels were notably greater than female values at GD 18 and in newborns. Whereas, at PND 2, the CALB mRNA levels were approximately equivalent in males and females. These findings suggest that in the adult CNS CALB mRNAs vary among different brain regions. The present male vs. female MBH-POA CALB mRNA levels confirm previously reported dimorphic protein patterns of MBH-POA CALB during perinatal development. Thus, the genesis of sexually dimorphic structures may be influenced by the dimorphic CALB expression in the MBH-POA region.
Acetylcholine is a vasodilator of porcine skeletal muscle arteries.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that porcine skeletal muscle arteries exhibit concentration-dependent vasodilation in response to acetylcholine (ACH) as observed in other mammals. We conducted three experiments. First, vasorelaxation responses to ACH were examined in isolated segments of femoral and brachial arteries, mounted on myographs and studied in vitro. Second, we determined whether resistance arteries from porcine skeletal muscle exhibit vasodilation in response to ACH by isolating second order arterioles (2-A) from the medial (MHT), deep-long (LOH) and lateral (LAT) heads of the triceps brachii muscles of four pigs. The rationale for selection of arterioles from these muscles was that these muscles represent muscles composed primarily of slow-oxidative, fast-oxidative-glycolytic, and fast-glycolytic muscle fiber types, respectively. 2-As were isolated and cannulated with micropipettes and intraluminal pressure set at 60 cm H 2 O. In both sets of in vitro experiments, we determined responses to an endothelium-independent dilator, sodium nitroprusside (10 −10 –10 −4 M), and to endothelium-dependent agents ACH (10 −10 –10 −4 M), and bradykinin (BK; 10 −11 –10 −6 M). Third, we used transcutaneous ultrasound imaging to measure changes in artery diameters and Doppler-principle measurements of blood flow velocities to estimate changes in total blood flow in the femoral vascular bed. Results reveal that ACH and BK produced similar vasorelaxation responses in femoral and brachial arteries and vasodilation of skeletal muscle 2-As. Also, ACH produced increases in blood flow and decreases in vascular resistance in the femoral vascular bed. These results indicate that the arterial tree of porcine skeletal muscle exhibits ACH-induced, endothelium-dependent vasodilation.