cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ultrafast precision measurements in chip-scale laser frequency microcombs

Ultrafast laser frequency microcombs provide equidistant coherent frequency markers over a broad spectrum, enabling new frontiers in chip-scale frequency metrology, laser spectroscopy, dense communications, precision metrology. Measuring and understanding the fundamental noise parameters in these high-clock-rate frequency microcombs are essential to advance the underlying physics and the precision microwave-optical clockwork. In this talk we describe the noise characteristics and timing jitter in adiabatic laser frequency microcombs. We compare and contrast the fundamental noise and fluctuation parameters for a series of laser frequency microcomb states, from multiple soliton to soliton crystals and single-soliton regimes. Each of the noise families and their noise coupling mechanisms are examined with our theoretical models. This aids the understanding of frequency, intensity and phase noise characteristics of frequency microcombs towards the precision limits.
Molecular Excitons in Small Aggregates

The molecular exciton model, which deals with the excited state resonance interaction in weakly coupled electronic systems, is described as an interpretative tool for the study of the spectra and photochemistry of composite molecules. Under composite molecules are grouped loosely bound groups of light-absorbing units, held together by hydrogen bonds or by van der Waals forces. Another group of composite molecules included in the study consists of covalently bound light-absorbing units.
Addiction resistance: Definition, validation and association with mastery

Abstract Background For given levels of psychoactive substance use, symptoms of substance use disorder (SUD) can vary widely. The concept of addiction resistance (AR) seeks to capture this variation so we can understand its causes. Methods In a population-based twin sample, AR was defined as the deviation in the number of reported SUD criteria for a given substance from that predicted from the level of maximal consumption. Therefore, subjects with strong AR demonstrate few symptoms of SUD even at high levels of consumption. Twin modeling was performed by Mx. Results We assessed AR for alcohol, nicotine and cannabis. Heritability was assessed at two occasions thereby correcting for measurement error and ranged from 35 to 52% with no evidence for shared environment. ARs for alcohol, nicotine and cannabis were relatively stable over time and were substantially predicted by parental history of SUD, early adversity, comorbidity with both internalizing and externalizing disorders, personality and especially by the trait of mastery. Conclusions AR, which assesses individual variation in sensitivity to the development of SUD for a given level of drug exposure, may be a useful concept for addiction research. As applied to common psychoactive substances, AR is moderately heritable, relatively stable and predicted by family history, comorbidity and personality. The relationship with mastery is of particular interest in that it may reflect an ability to resist the progression of the addictive process into key life domains and to avoid loss of control of intake, even when consuming at high levels.
The case for run-time types in generic Java

Since the advent of the Java Programming Language in 1995, many thoughtful proposals have been made for adding generic types to the Java programming language. Generic types are a glaring omission from the existing language, forcing programmers to use permissive, non-parametric type signatures for fields and methods of "naturally generic" classes (such as java.util.Vector) and repeatedly cast the results of operations on these classes to the more specific types. The JSR14 extension of Java proposed by Sun Microsystems (based on GJ) addresses this problem by adding generic types to the language, but prohibits operations that depend on run-time generic type information. This prohibition relegates generic types to "second-class" status where they are invisible at run-time, which is inconsistent with the status of types including parametric arrray types in the existing language. We have implemented a generalization of JSR14 called NextGen that supports the same syntactic extensions of Java of JSR14 yet eliminates the prohibition on operations that depend on run-time generic type information. In NextGen. generic types are "first-class": they can be used in excactly the same contexts as conventional types. The implementation of NextGen compiler is derived from the same prototype GJ compiler as the JSR14 compiler and shares most of its desirable properties including a high degree of compatibility with legacy code. In this paper, we show through of a series of programming examples that first-class generic types play an important role in writing clean generic code.
Sinus of Valsalva Aneurysms: Review of the Literature and an Update on Management

Sinus of Valsalva aneurysm (SOVA), a congenital or acquired cardiac defect that is present in roughly 0.09% of the general population, often presents as an incidental finding during cardiac imaging. Although an echocardiogram is the standard imaging technique for such findings, cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA) has been increasingly utilized. If SOVA is diagnosed, CCTA is also a useful test for patients who are at low to intermediate risk for coronary artery disease (CAD) prior to surgical repair. CCTA can accurately rule out CAD, obviating the need for invasive angiography in most cases, which may be more risky in SOVA patients because their coronaries may be more difficult to engage and their aortic root may be more prone to injury. Although surgery has previously been the treatment of choice, transcatheter techniques have added to the spectrum of nonsurgical alternatives for repair. We report here 4 incidental SOVA cases and review the current literature.
Fatigue and flexural response of advanced carbon-carbon composites at room and elevated temperatures

The flexural response of SiC-coated carbon-carbon composites (ACC-4) at room and elevated temperatures is presented. Three-point bending tests were performed on virgin and mission-cycled specimens, and the variation in flexural strength is examined. The load-deflection behavior of the material at various temperatures is investigated, and the Weibull (1939) analysis of the strength data is performed. Micrographs of various cross sections in the damaged zone were taken, and the failure mechanisms are discussed. Fatigue tests were conducted under flexural loads, and the S-N diagram with the corresponding Weibull analysis are presented. Untested as well as fractured specimens under static and dynamic loading were C-scanned to identify the damaged zone and visualize the extent of the damage. Failure analyses are presented for both static and cyclic loading on the basis of NDE, the micrographs, and the experimental data.
Postapocalyptic greenhouse paleoclimate revealed by earliest Triassic paleosols in the Sydney Basin, Australia

The Permian-Triassic boundary in the Sydney Basin of Australia is coincident with a pronounced decrease in δ 13 C isotopic values of organic carbon, the last coals anywhere in the world for all of the Early Triassic (ca. 6 m.y.) time, and extirpation of the Glossopteris flora at the top of the Illawarra and Newcastle Coal Measures. Coal-bearing paleosols of the latest Permian represent extensive swamplands of the seasonally deciduous Glossopteris flora in a humid cold temperate lowland southwest of an Andean-style volcanic arc. Stone-rolls (large ribs of floor rock up into the coal) within some of the uppermost coals of the Permian coal measures can be interpreted as string bogs of a kind now found in cold climates at latitudes of 68°–70°, which is compatible with a paleomagnetically estimated paleolatitude of 65°–85°S for the Sydney Basin. Paleolatitude was not much different for earliest Triassic time, but paleosols of that age include Inceptisols and Entisols showing substantial chemical and textural weathering, more like soils now forming at latitudes of 40°–58° than those within polar circles. This anomalous high-latitude warmth set in at the Permian-Triassic boundary. Sedimentation rates increased at the boundary marked by geochemically unusual acidification of clay and a dramatic carbon isotopic excursion. These changes in environments and ecosystems can be explained by soil erosion following deforestation implied by the plant extinctions and abundant fungal remains at the Permian-Triassic boundary. Evidence from paleosols can now be added to that from paleontological and isotopic studies showing that disruption of the carbon cycle at the Permian-Triassic boundary resulted in a CO 2 or CH 4 post-apocalyptic greenhouse paleoclimate.
Innervation of the basicranial muscle of Latimeria chalumnae

New observations based on a serial reconstruction of histological sections of a prenatal coelacanth demonstrate that, in contrast to previous reports, the basicranial muscle is innervated by the abducent nerve rather than the vagal nerve. A detailed account of the course of the abducent nerve and its terminal arborizations in the basicranial muscle and lateral rectus muscle is provided. This finding bears on the phylogenetic derivation of the basicranial muscle in sarcopterygians, its possible homologues in other vertebrates, and patterns of head segmentation in craniates.
Human tumor cell growth inhibition by nontoxic anthocyanidins, the pigments in fruits and vegetables.

Abstract Anthocyanidins, the aglycones of anthocyanins, impart brilliant colors in many fruits and vegetables. The widespread consumption of diets rich in anthocyanin and anthocyanidins prompted us to determine their inhibitory effects on human cancer cell proliferation. Five anthocyanidins, cyanidin ( 1 ), delphinidin ( 2 ), pelargonidin ( 3 ), petunidin ( 4 ) and malvidin ( 5 ), and four anthocyanins, cyanidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3-galactoside, delphinidin-3-galactoside and pelargonidin-3-galactoside were tested for cell proliferation inhibitory activity against human cancer cell lines, AGS (stomach), HCT-116 (colon), MCF-7 (breast), NCI H460 (lung), and SF-268 (Central Nervous System, CNS) at 12.5–200 μg/mL concentrations. The viability of cells after exposure to anthocyanins and anthocyanidins was determined by MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) colorimetric methods. The anthocyanins assayed did not inhibit cell proliferation of cell lines tested at 200 μg/mL. However, anthocyanidins showed cell proliferation inhibitory activity. Malvidin inhibited AGS, HCT-116, NCI-H460, MCF-7 and SF-268 cell growth by 69, 75.7, 67.7, 74.7 and 40.5%, respectively, at 200 μg/mL. Similarly, pelargonidin inhibited AGS, HCT-116, NCI H460, MCF-7 and SF-268 cell growth by 64, 63, 62, 63 and 34%, respectively, at 200 μg/mL. At 200 μg/mL, cyanidin, delphinidin and petunidin inhibited the breast cancer cell growth by 47, 66 and 53%, respectively. This is the first report of tumor cell proliferation inhibitory activity by anthocyanidins.
Antibody-Based Immunotherapy of Cancer

By targeting surface antigens expressed on tumor cells, monoclonal antibodies have demonstrated efficacy as cancer therapeutics. Recent successful antibody-based strategies have focused on enhancing antitumor immune responses by targeting immune cells, irrespective of tumor antigens. We discuss these innovative strategies and propose how they will impact the future of antibody-based cancer therapy.
GLOBAL ANALYSIS OF FLUORESCENCE DECAY: APPLICATIONS TO SOME UNUSUAL EXPERIMENTAL AND THEORETICAL STUDIES

The methodology for the simultaneous analysis of fluorescence decay curves is shown to create the possibility for some new types of fluorescence decay experiments. These new experiments include the use of the T-format in anisotropy experiments without the need to match the timing characteristics of photomultiplier tubes. Decay surfaces obtained at multiple timing calibrations can be analyzed simultaneously to resolve widely differing decay rates. Methodologies are described for the discrimination of associative from nonassociative behavior for multiexponential anisotropy decay. A systems theory approach to the analysis of excited state reactions is described.
Survival of bull sperm frozen at different rates in media varying in osmolarity.

The effects of freezing procedures, osmolarity, trehalose, and sucrose on survival of bull sperm in whole milk (WM) and egg yolk–Tris (EYT), semen extenders used worldwide, were studied. Sperm were added to extenders at 25°C, cooled slowly to 5°C, glycerolated, packaged in 0.5-ml straws, and frozen. Different freezing rates were accomplished in two steps. Straws were transferred from +5°C to nitrogen vapor at temperatures ranging from −10 to −100°C in the first step and to liquid nitrogen in the second step. Straws were thawed in water at 35°C. A substantial decrease in sperm motility occurred between −10 and −20°C, as abrupt nucleation occurred following supercooling to −13°C. To study the interactions between osmolarity × cooling rate, WM and EYT extenders were prepared to yield media measuring 220 to 420 mOsm/L. The optimal first-step range of cooling in the two-step procedure was −30 to −70°C, and the highest proportions of motile sperm after freezing and thawing were 61 to 62 in 260 to 300 mOsm/L WM and 63 to 64% in 300 to 340 mOsm/L EYT, equivalent to the results with the control procedure used commercially. As the cooling rate increased (first step to −100°C) sperm motility was much higher in hypertonic than in hypotonic extenders (P< 0.05), indicating the importance of partial dehydration before rapid cooling. Replacing part of EYT and WM with equivalent solutions (same mOsm/L) of sucrose or trehalose had no appreciable effect. These results provide a basis for further investigating simple freezing systems that might be more effective in preserving bull sperm than those currently available.
Effects of Gears, Bearings, and Housings on Gearbox Transmission Shafting Resonances

Gear noise, comprised of tones centered around gear meshing frequencies, is transmitted through driveshafts, bearings, and transmission housings. Gear noise transmission is amplified, sometimes strongly, by modes of vibration of the shafting. The shafts of the input and output gears vibrate like beams at low to mid frequencies. The resonance frequencies and vibration patterns of these beam-like modes depend strongly on the shaft boundary conditions, which in turn depend on the impedances of the bearings, and of the transmission housing. In this paper, we present simulated and measured modes of the input and output shafts of a single stage spur gear system mounted in a rectangular metal gearbox. The impedances of the gears, bearings, and housing are added in sequence and the effects on the fundamental mode shapes and frequencies are shown. The bearing impedances have the largest effects on the shafting modes, increasing the resonance frequencies significantly, along with spreading the frequencies of similar mode types. Including the housing impedances at the bearing locations reduces slightly the spread of shaft mode frequencies.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Investigation of the I = 2 ϱπ system in πN → h̊ov;πN☆

The I = 2 ϱπ system produced in the reaction π−n → ϱ− π− p is investigated within the framework of the Reggeized charge exchange Deck mechanism. The diagram in which a π and ϱ are exchanged gives rise to an enhancement in the ϱπ effective mass at 1.1 GeV which is nearly independent of beam energy. Experimental evidence for such a state in π−n → ϱ−π−p, and in the related processes π+n → ϱ0π0p and π−p → ϱ−π−Δ++ is discussed. The interpretation of this enhancement as an exotic state on the basis of the duality argument made by Chew and Pignotti is considered.
Inhibitory effects of lysergic acid derivatives and reserpine on 5-HT binding to nerve ending particles.

Abstract In order to assess the functional significance of a high-affinity binding of 5-HT to nerve ending particles the effects of lysergic acid derivatives and other pharmacological antagonists of 5-HT on the binding have been investigated. The non-hallucinogenic l -lysergic acid diethylamide was found to inhibit the 5-HT binding, whereas the hallucinogenic d -1-acetyl-lysergic acid diethylamide was only a weak inhibitor of the binding. There is therefore no consistent correlation between the hallucinogenic potency of lysergic acid diethylamide derivatives and their ability to inhibit 5-HT binding to nerve ending particles. The action of d -2-brom-lysergic acid diethylamide was found to be erratic, and evidence is presented of its breakdown under mild conditions. Reserpine and some other compounds which release 5-HT from its storage sites in vivo were found to be inhibitors of the 5-HT binding. However the 5-HT binding component inhibited by reserpine was shown to be different from that inhibited by d -lysergic acid diethylamide. The functional significance of these two 5-HT binding components present in nerve ending particles is discussed.
Treatment of polycythemia vera with hydroxyurea

Conventional treatment of polycythemia vera (PV) with radioactive phosphorus or alkylating agents is associated with a significant excess of acute leukemia and cancer of the gastrointestinal tract and skin. There is thus a need for a nonmutagenic agent in the treatment of this disorder. Hydroxyurea (HU) was administered to 118 patients with a loading dose of 30 mg/kg/day for 1 week, which was then reduced to 15 mg/kg/day. Initial control of the elevated hematocrit and platelet count was achieved within 12 weeks in over 80% of patients. Long-term disease control was defined and the accumulative 1-year failure-free survival was 73% in the previously untreated patients and 59% in those patients previously treated with other myelosuppressive modalities. The HU was well tolerated and cytopenia, which generally occurred within the first 8 weeks of therapy, was transient and of little clinical significance. However, it is recommended because of this toxicity that HU be administered initially at a dose of 15-20 mg/kg/day. Three patients developed acute leukemia; two were untreated and one had had myelosuppressive therapy. Hydroxyurea is an effective agent in the treatment of PV, but continued assessment of its mutagenic potential is necessary.
TECHNIDILATON OR HIGGS

Interactions of the technidilaton with fermions and gauge bosons are obtained by constructing a low energy effective Lagrangian and using the fact that the technidilaton couples to the trace of the energy-momentum tensor Θµµ. Technidilaton’s interactions are compared with those of the Higgs bosons of the Standard Model with one or two scalar doublets.
Is brain tumor recurrence increased following growth hormone treatment

Growth hormone (GH) deficiency and resultant growth failure are common sequelae in children with brain tumors, often requiring treatment with GH. Several studies over the past decade have addressed the concern as to whether GH treatment in these children results in an increased rate of tumor recurrence. The findings in general are reassuring, although there are analytic problems with all the studies. This present article reviews the previously published studies, as well as the experience at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Coordination among the body segments during reach-to-grasp action involving the trunk

To understand the internal representations used by the nervous system to coordinate multijoint movements, we examined the coordination among the body segments during reach-to-grasp movements which involve grasping by the hand and reaching by the arm and trunk. Subjects were asked to reach and grasp an object using the arm only, the trunk only, and some combinations of both arm and trunk. Results showed that kinematic parameters related to the transport component of the arm and the trunk, such as peak velocity and time to peak velocity, varied across conditions and that the coordination pattern between the arm and trunk was different across conditions. However, parameters related to the grasp component, such as peak aperture, time to peak aperture, and closing distance, were invariant, regardless of whether the hand was delivered to the target by the arm only, the trunk only, or both. We hypothesize that a hierarchy of motor control processes exists, in which the reach and grasp components are governed by independent neuromotor synergies, which in turn are coordinated temporally and spatially by a higher-level synergy.
Cold War Constructions: The Political Culture of United States Imperialism, 1945–1966

The end of the Cold War has inspired a wave of exciting new scholarship about the central international struggle in the decades following World War II. Dissatisfied with traditional diplomatic and military interpretations, historians have begun to investigate the crucial role that political culture played in shaping global conflicts. Cold War Constructions contributes to this reappraisal by illuminating the political and cultural assumptions underlying U.S. policies from the end of World War II to the mid-1960s. How were Cold War ideas and events shaped by American culture? How were they explained and promoted at home and around the world? And how did they vary from one geographical context to another? These are among the questions addressed in this collection of original essays. Each contributor focuses on a specific site of Cold War contestation -- Southeast Asia, India, Europe, Africa, Iran, Guatemala, and Cuba -- and analyzes the impact of domestic political culture on that particular conflict. Cultural attitudes, practices, and values are examined through a range of topics and sources, from travel literature and Broadway musicals to philanthropic organizations and Time magazine. Together the essays shed new light on such major Cold War events as the Cuban Revolution, the CIA overthrow of governments in Iran and Guatemala, and the United States intervention in Vietnam. Contributors include Christian G. Appy, Mark Bradley, James T. Fisher, John Foran, Kevin Gaines, Van Gosse, Christina Klein, Jonathan Nashel, Andrew J. Rotter, Penny M. Von Eschen, and Wendy Wall.
Analysis of MGEA5 on 10q24.1–q24.3 encoding the β-O-linked N-acetylglucosaminidase as a candidate gene for type 2 diabetes mellitus in Pima Indians

Abstract Several diseases including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are associated with abnormal O-glycosylation of proteins. β-O-linked N -acetylglucosaminidase (O-GlcNAcase) encoded by MGEA5 on 10g24.1–q24.3 removes N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc), and we investigated this locus in Pima Indians who have the world's highest prevalence of T2DM. We detected two variants but there was no association with parameters of insulin resistance or diabetes in ∼1300 Pimas. We conclude that mutations in MGEA5 are unlikely to contribute to T2DM in this population.
Large display research overview

As large displays become more affordable, researchers are investigating their effects on productivity, and techniques for making the large display user experience more effective. Recent work has demonstrated significant productivity benefits, but has also identified numerous usability issues with current software design not scaling well. Studies show that larger displays enable users to create and manage many more windows, as well as to engage in more complex multitasking behavior. In this overview, various usability issues, including problems around accessing windows and icons at a distance, window management, and task management, will be discussedSeveral novel interaction techniques that address these issues and make users more productive across multiple sizes of displays will be explored.
Have priors in aggregate air pollution epidemiology dictated posteriors

Most problems encountered by environmental policymakers involve sampling as well as model specification uncertainty. Given the difficulties of conducting controlled experiments to improve understanding of environmental phenomena, statistical inference is frequently employed. This research usually involves a statistical model that is dependent on the investigator’s prior beliefs about the relationship between the dependent variable of interest and a list of explanatory variables. When the policymaker uses these research results to select a course of action, he employs the combined results of the investigator’s prior beliefs and data. Unfortunately, the investigator’s prior beliefs and the implications of different model specifications, i.e., the degree of model specification uncertainty, are not often reported completely. This paper focuses on statistical information generated by the Lave and Sei that is, they do not report the robustness of their reported results with respect to key parameters of interest (focus variables) as the set of included explanatory variables (doubtful variables) changes. Since different sets of doubtful variables may be equally plausible a priori, the investigator should report the sensitivity of the estimates of the signs and magnitudes of the focus variables to changes in the list of included doubtful variables. A failure to consider and report results for the full range of alternative model specifications which could be “true” means that the opportunity for the policymaker to select whatever mix of possibly “true” specifications best suits his objectives has been censored. The selection of
A secondary induced thiamine deficiency in mink.

NUMEROUS reports attest to the occurrence of thiamine deficiency in furbearing animals due to destruction of the dietary source of the vitamin by thiaminase activity. Fresh-water fish were first implicated as sources of the thiaminase enzyme, and their presence as major diet ingredients for foxes led to the definition of characteristic thiamine deficiency symptoms as ‘Chastek paralysis’1–3. Ranch mink fed similar rations developed corresponding symptoms4,5. Extension of the diet sources used with mink led to the recognition that marine fish might also be troublesome as contributors of thiaminase activity6 and at present a number of different fish species are listed as containing significant amounts of thiaminase. These have been assembled by Harris7, who reports 28 fresh-water and 8 salt-water fish species as thiaminase-active.
Ambient measurements of 2,2,4-trimethyl, 1,3-pentanediol monoisobutyrate in Southern California

2,2,4-trimethyl, 1,3-pentanediol monoisobutyrate (TPM) is a widely used solvent found in water-based coatings. Ambient measurements of TPM are reported here for the first time. Although this compound has been previously measured in indoor air, this study illustrates successful detection and quantification of TPM in ambient air at three locations in Southern California: Pico Rivera, Azusa, and Riverside. TPM was detected in every sample collected, with concentrations ranging from 0.7 to 49.5 parts per trillion (ppt). Collections took place during summer 2009, fall 2009, winter 2009/2010, and spring 2010, for 5-7 days during each season. The highest mean concentrations were observed during the summer months for each city, when coating activities are typically at their highest.
Differential alterations of kainate receptor subunits in inhibitory interneurons in the anterior cingulate cortex in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

The aim of this study was to examine whether glutamatergic inputs onto GABA interneurons via the kainate receptor in the anterior cingulate cortex may be altered in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Hence, in a cohort of 60 post-mortem human brains from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and normal control subjects, we simultaneously labeled the mRNA for the GluR5 or GluR6 subunit of the kainate receptor with [35S] and the mRNA for the 67 kD isoform of the GABA synthesizing enzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD)67 with digoxigenin using an immunoperoxidase method. The density of the GAD67 mRNA-containing neurons that co-expressed GluR5 mRNA was decreased by 43% and 40% in layer 2 of the anterior cingulate cortex in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, respectively. In contrast, the density of the GAD67 mRNA-containing cells that expressed GluR6 mRNA was unaltered in either condition. Furthermore, the amount of GluR5 or GluR6 mRNA in the GAD67 mRNA-expressing cells that contained a detectable level of these transcripts was also unchanged. Finally, the density of cells that did not contain GAD67 mRNA, which presumably included all pyramidal neurons, but expressed the mRNA for the GluR5 or GluR6 subunit was not altered. Thus, glutamatergic modulation of inhibitory interneurons, but not pyramidal neurons, via kainate receptors containing the GluR5 subunit appears to be selectively altered in the anterior cingulate cortex in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Information integrity in lossy source coding with side information

In this paper we investigate how to achieve information integrity in two common models of source coding with side information. We first look at the classical Wyner-Ziv problem, where the side information is available only to the decoder, with an adversary whom may arbitrarily change the “bin” index sent to the decoder. Interestingly, it is easy to show that standard Wyner-Ziv coding suffices to guarantee no adversary attack strategy may achieve arbitrarily small probability of fooling the decoder if the side information is correlated with the source. Subsequently, we consider the case where the side information is available also at the encoder, and hence joint source encoding can be performed. Here we show the result of Wyner-Ziv problem also extends to joint encoding without needing the side information to be correlated with the source. Moreover, no loss in the optimal compression rate is incurred in order to guarantee information integrity in either case.
Hippocampus Atrophy and the Longitudinal Course of Late-life Depression

Objectives Smaller hippocampal volumes are observed in depression but it remains unclear how antidepressant response and persistent depression relate to changes in hippocampal volume. We examined the longitudinal relationship between hippocampal atrophy and course of late-life depression. Setting Academic medical center. Participants Depressed and never-depressed cognitively intact subjects age 60 years or older. Measurements Depression severity was measured every three months with the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). Participants also completed cranial 1.5-T magnetic resonance imaging every 2 years. We compared 2-year change in hippocampal volume based on remission status, then in expanded analyses examined how hippocampal volumes predicted MADRS score. Results In analyses of 92 depressed and 70 never-depressed subjects, over 2 years the cohort whose depression never remitted exhibited greater hippocampal atrophy than the never-depressed cohort. In expanded analyses of a broader sample of 152 depressed elders, depression severity was significantly predicted by a hippocampus × time interaction where smaller hippocampus volumes over time were associated with greater depression severity. Conclusions Hippocampal atrophy is associated with greater and persistent depression severity. Neuropathological studies are needed to determine if this atrophy is related to the toxic effects of persistent depression or related to underlying Alzheimer disease.
High-energy electron-impact excitation cross sections of hydrogenlike iron and nickel ions

We present a measurement of the cross section for electron-impact excitation of Lyman-α1 in hydrogen-like iron (Z = 26) and nickel (Z = 28) over a broad range of energies using the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory SuperEBIT electron beam ion trap facility. The measurement was performed with electron beam energies between 35 keV and 85 keV. The hydrogen-like spectrum of iron and nickel was observed, and fully resolved, with the XRS/EBIT x-ray microcalorimeter spectrometer, which allowed for an absolute cross section to be measured by normalizing to the RR x-ray emission. These results are compared to theory.
Reconstruction of 3D tree stem models from low-cost terrestrial laser scanner data

With the development of increasingly advanced airborne sensing systems, there is a growing need to support sensor system design, modeling, and product-algorithm development with explicit 3D structural ground truth commensurate to the scale of acquisition. Terrestrial laser scanning is one such technique which could provide this structural information. Commercial instrumentation to suit this purpose has existed for some time now, but cost can be a prohibitive barrier for some applications. As such we recently developed a unique laser scanning system from readily-available components, supporting low cost, highly portable, and rapid measurement of below-canopy 3D forest structure. Tools were developed to automatically reconstruct tree stem models as an initial step towards virtual forest scene generation. The objective of this paper is to assess the potential of this hardware/algorithm suite to reconstruct 3D stem information for a single scan of a New England hardwood forest site. Detailed tree stem structure (e.g., taper, sweep, and lean) is recovered for trees of varying diameter, species, and range from the sensor. Absolute stem diameter retrieval accuracy is 12.5%, with a 4.5% overestimation bias likely due to the LiDAR beam divergence.
Loss of CD44 attenuates aberrant GM-CSF signaling in Kras G12D hematopoietic progenitor/precursor cells and prolongs the survival of diseased animals

Loss of CD44 attenuates aberrant GM-CSF signaling in Kras G12D hematopoietic progenitor/precursor cells and prolongs the survival of diseased animals
A new technique for measuring muscle fiber conduction velocities in full interference patterns.

Abstract The motor unit potential shape, mainly its duration and frequency spectra, and the EMG IP crispiness and its frequency spectra are affected by the muscle fiber conduction velocities (MFCVs). Present techniques are somewhat deficient in that they are not adaptable to measure MFCVs continuously and intramuscularly in the presence of interference patterns, and to do so without interfering with the ongoing muscular activity. In this study a cross-correlation with averaging correlograms technique is presented. An EMG needle electrode, with two recording surfaces 1 cm apart, continuously record two channels of EMG activity which is analog-to-digital converted. Contiguous segments of the signals are cross-correlated, the evolved correlograms are averaged together, averaging-out the time-unlocked noise, and averaging-in a peak that represent the average time it takes the EMG signal to propagate from one recording surface to the other. From the distance between these two recording surfaces and the above calculated propagation time the MFCVs can be computed and monitored intramuscularly either in weak or in strong, in isometric or isotonic contractions. But for the fact that a needle is introduced, there is no interference with the muscle electrical activity. It is expected that this technique may add to EMG diagnosis of neuromuscular disorders, will be used to monitor muscular fatigue and applied in normalizing EMG spectra, conditioning them for a better use in diagnostic electromyography.
Place in occupational science: A life course perspective on the role of environmental context in the quest for meaning

The ultimate focus of each human life is a search for meaning. Building on the perspective of Victor Frankl, I suggest that this involves four overlapping domains: achieving a sense of worth through occupation, experiencing fulfillment through interpersonal relationship, exercising the ability to choose one's course of action, and, through the process of simply “being,” developing understanding and acceptance of one's place in the cosmos. At different stages of life each of these domains has different manifestations and assumes a different level of priority. The trajectory of the quest for meaning is shaped by personal circumstances and by context – the places in which the individual lives out his or her life. Adopting a life course perspective, an autobiographical analysis of the integrative relationship between place and person in the discovery and creation of meaning is presented. Emphasis is placed on the potential of each individual to proactively discover and create meaning through the manipulation ...
Spontaneous and Imitated Productions in Spanish-Speaking Children With Phonological Disorders

Purpose: Research examining the relationship between spontaneous and imitated productions for phonological analysis has indicated that the inclusion of imitated productions may overestimate childre...
Cortical spreading depression and thirst

Abstract Bilateral, but not unilateral, cortical spreading depression inhibited drinking of water, whether motivated by water deprivation or cholinergic brain stimulation. This inhibition of behavior does not appear to be specific to cholinergic mechanisms, thirst, or appetitive responding. Rather, a more general blocking of neurobehavioral systems due to cortical deactivation seems likely.
An appraisal of blood salvage techniques in vascular and cardiac operations.

Abstract This study compares blood salvage and reinfusion with the use of homologous blood in three groups of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft replacement or other cardiac operation. In Group 1 (100 patients), homologous blood was used and no effort was made to salvage blood. In Group 2 (68 patients), blood was salvaged before and after bypass and mediastinal blood was salvaged for 24 hours postoperatively. In Group 3 (46 patients), blood was salvaged before and after bypass and postoperatively. The average patient in Groups 2 and 3 required approximately one-third the amount of whole blood and approximately one-fourth the amount of packed red blood cells (RBC) required by a Group 1 patient. The hospital stays, blood chemistry levels, and costs per patient were comparable for the three groups. RBC survival studies in Group 3 patients showed a mild decrease from normal values. This study shows that currently available equipment and techniques allow safe and practical blood salvage during cardiac and vascular operations.
Blood cardioplegia increases plasma iron overload and thiol levels during cardiopulmonary bypass

Background. Cardiopulmonary bypass and cross-clamping of the ascending aorta introduce two well-characterized phases of oxidative stress, namely, the extracorporeal circulation of blood and the reoxygenation of ischemic tissue. A feature of both forms of stress is the release of reactive and damaging oxygen species. Methods. Forty-seven patients undergoing aortic valve replacment received either cold crystalloid, cold blood, or warm blood cardioplegia. Plasma thiol levels were measured in all groups before and during bypass. All cardiopulmonary bypass patients had, before going onto bypass, low plasma thiol levels (3.80 ± 0.22 nmol/mg protein) compared with normal healthy controls (5.48 ± 0.14 nmol/mg protein). Results. Thiol values remained low throughout bypass in patients receiving cold crystalloid cardioplegia, but rose in patients receiving cold blood cardioplegia, and rose even more in patients receiving warm blood cardioplegia to reach normal plasma values. During cardiopulmonary bypass it has previously been reported that plasma transferrin can become fully saturated with iron and cause transient iron overload. Two patients (13%) receiving cold crystalloid cardioplegia went into plasma iron overload, whereas 18% receiving cold blood and 27% receiving warm blood cardioplegia showed plasma iron overload. Conclusions. We suggest that blood cardoplegia provides an additional source of thiols as well as a source of reactive iron. However, the reactive iron and thiol-containing molecules have the potential to interact and exacerbate oxidative stress, already a feature of bypass. Control of reactive iron by chelation may be strongly indicated when blood cardioplegia is used.
Nerve Sparing Radical Cystectomy

Radical cystectomy is the definitive surgical treatment for a high-risk and invasive bladder and is governed by the general principles of aggressive extirpation. In the modern era, understanding the functional anatomy of the pelvic autonomic plexus and cavernosal nerves has facilitated the development of techniques of radical cystectomy which spare sexual function without compromising on the primary goal of oncological control. This chapter describes the surgical anatomy and approaches and outcomes relevant to the nerve sparing radical cystectomy.
Image processing using wavelet- and fractal-based algorithms

Modern image and signal processing methods strive to maximize signal to nose ratios, even in the presence of severe noise. Frequently, real world data is degraded by under sampling of intrinsic periodicities, or by sampling with unevenly spaced intervals. This results in dropout or missing data, and such data sets are particularly difficult to process using conventional image processing methods. In many cases, one must still extract as much information as possible from a given data set, although available data may be sparse or noisy. In such cases, we suggest algorithms based on wavelet transform and fractal theory will offer a viable alternative as some early work in the area has indicated. An architecture of a software system is suggested to implement an improved scheme for the analysis, representation, and processing of images. The scheme is based on considering the segments of images as wavelets and fractals so that small details in the images can be exploited and the data can be compressed. The objective is to improve this scheme automatically and rapidly decompose a 2D image into a combination of elemental images so that an array of processing methods can be applied. Thus, the scheme offers potential utility for analysis of image could be the patterns that the system is required to recognize, so that the scheme offers potential utility for industrial and military applications involving robot vision and/or automatic recognition of targets.
Steady and transient least square solvers for thermal problems

This paper develops a hierarchical least square solution algorithm for highly nonlinear heat transfer problems. The methodology's capability is such that both steady and transient implicit formulations can be handled. This includes problems arising from highly nonlinear heat transfer systems modeled by either finite-element or finite-difference schemes. The overall procedure developed enables localized updating, iteration, and convergence checking as well as constraint application. The localized updating can be performed at a variety of hierarchical levels, i.e., degree of freedom, substructural, material-nonlinear groups, and/or boundary groups. The choice of such partitions can be made via energy partitioning or nonlinearity levels as well as by user selection. Overall, this leads to extremely robust computational characteristics. To demonstrate the methodology, problems are drawn from nonlinear heat conduction. These are used to quantify the robust capabilities of the hierarchical least square scheme.
Seismic Retrofit of San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge West Crossing

From the toll plaza on the Oakland shores through the approach structures in San Francisco, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, built at a cost of $78,000,000 in 1937, is an engineering marvel that carries over a quarter-million vehicles per day. Because of the different segments of the bridge and their inherent vulnerabilities, retrofitting was assigned to several groups within the California Department of Transportation. Briefly described are the analysis and design of the seismic retrofit of the West Crossing, which spans San Francisco Bay between the city of San Francisco and Yerba Buena Island. From the outset of this project, the goal was to keep the bridge in service following a magnitude 8.0 earthquake from the nearby San Andreas fault. Included in this discussion is a summary of analytical and engineering procedures used to model the seismic behavior and the performance of this complex, important structure. In addition there is some insight into the various levels of analysis that were utilized so that the project-specific performance-based design criteria could be met. Furthermore, there is discussion of how energy dissipation through foundation rocking and the use of viscous dampening devices made the overall design objective obtainable. Finally, there is some discussion on the retrofit details used to ensure compliance with the design criteria.
On the theory of Debye averaging in the C-V profiling of semiconductors

Abstract We discuss the nature of the Debye averaging that takes place in the C-V profiling of highly non-uniform electron distributions in semiconductors. It is shown that the averaging process preserves the moment of the electron distribution. This property can be used to extract certain quantitative details about the electron distribution that appear to have been obliterated by the averaging, without a need to reconstruct the entire true electron distribution. As an example, the extraction of the steepness of a diffusion gradient is discussed. In the limit of a weak electron concentration gradient, the width of the Debye averaging is shown to be such that the RMS averaging distance is (2)L D , where L D is the Debye length.
Diagnosis of polyhydramnios in early gestation: Indication for prenatal diagnosis?

Previously published reports have indicated that idiopathic polyhydramnios may be associated with trisomies 18 and 21 and that chromosomal analysis is indicated. Furthermore, the natural history and fetal outcome of polyhydramnios diagnosed in early gestation have not been well delineated. We identified 138 pregnancies with polyhydramnios prior to 26 weeks' gestation. Of 131 complete cases, 21 were diagnosed as severe, 18 as moderate, and 92 as mild polyhydramnios. Congenital abnormalities were noted in 18 of 21 severe cases (86 per cent). Two of the remaining three cases were twin-to-twin transfusion. Thirteen of 18 cases with moderate polyhydramnios (72 per cent) were associated with anomalies; six of the remaining cases were twin-to-twin transfusion. Sixteen of 92 cases of mild polyhydramnios (17 per cent) were associated with congenital abnormalities. In 69 of 76 cases of mild hydramnios not associated with anomalies (91 per cent), the hydramnios resolved prior to delivery. Only 2 of 16 (13 per cent) associated with anomalies resolved. In 4 of 5 cases (80 per cent) with moderate hydramnios and no anomalies, the amniotic fluid volume was normal on subsequent ultrasound. No case of moderate polyhydramnios associated with anomalies or maternal conditions nor any case of severe polyhydramnios resolved. There were seven cases of chromosomal abnormalities in this series; all were associated with sonographic findings in addition to the presence of polyhydramnios. On the basis of these data, we doubt the benefit of amniocentesis following the early diagnosis of idiopathic polyhydramnios in the absence of other ultrasound findings.