cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Carcinoma of the uterine cervix. II. Lack of impact of prolongation of overall treatment time on morbidity of radiation therapy

Abstract Purpose:Several reports document a negative impact of prolongation of overall treatment time in a course of irradiation on tumor control and survival. A correlation has been documented of incidence of significant treatment sequelae with increasing does of irrdiation, volume of the specific organ, and dose per fraction. However, no data were found on the potential correlation of overall irradiation treatment time with significant sequelae. Records were reviewed of 1269 patients with carcinoma of the cervix (Stage IB to III) treated with definitive irradiation (combination of external beam and two intracavitary insertions). Follow-up was obtained in 97% of patients (median, 12 years; minimum, 3 years; maximum, 28 years). The relationships between overall treatment time and time of brachytherapy and incidence of treatment sequelae were analyzed for each stage. Results:Overall incidence of Grades 2 (moderate) sequelae was 7% and of Grade 3 (severe) sequelae, 11%. There was no significant correlation of various incidences of Grade 2 and 3 sequelae with overall treatment times (8% in patients treated in less than 7 weeks, 9% in 7.1 to 9 weeks, and 12% when treatment time was longer than 9 weeks) ( p = 0.08). In patients with Stage IB and IIA tumors, incidence of rectal toxicity (mostly proctitis) was comparable in patients treated in less than 7 or 7.1 to 9 weeks (4.1 and 6%, respectively) and slightly higher in those treated in longer periods (11.5%) ( p = 0.24) In patients with Stage IIB and III, the incidence of Grade 2 and 3 small bowel morbidity was 2% in those treated in less than 7 weeks, 6% for 7.1 to 9 weeks, and 4.9% for longer times ( p ⩽ 0.001). This increased morbidity was also correlated with total dose of irradiation to the lateral pelvic wall: 5 of 257 (2%) for less than 60 Gy and 21 of 438 (4.8%) for higher doses ( p ⩽ 0.01). There was no significant correlation between the timing of brachytherapy (usually two low dose rate intracavitary insertions performed within 4.5 to 6.5 weeks of initiation of external beam therapy) and significant treatment sequelae. Conclusion: We observed a varied average incidence of Grade 2 and 3 morbidity in the bladder, rectum, and small intestine with different overall treatment times, without a definite pattern to suggest an impact of prolongation of treatment time on morbidity. Likewise, there was no significant correlation with the timing of intracavitary inertions and morbidity of therapy. Because prolongation of the overall treatment time has a well-documented detrimental effect on pelvic tumor control and survival in carcinoma of the cervix with no significant impact on morbidity, it is imperative to deliver radiation therapy in the shortest possible time and without schedule interruptions.
Electrochemical properties and corrosion protection of organosilane self-assembled monolayers on aluminum 2024-T3

Abstract Aluminum 2024-T3 surfaces were modified by the deposition of organosilane self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and studied by surface characterization and electrochemical measurements. The SAMs were hydrophobic and had infrared spectral trends consistent with a densely packed hydrocarbon SAM. Electrochemical testing indicated that anodic dissolution was suppressed on the SAM modified surfaces while cathodic reduction of oxygen was not. Polarization resistance and capacitance values from EIS measurements were used to evaluate the corrosion protection of the SAMs. On exposure to 0.5 M NaCl, the polarization resistance values of the SAM modified surfaces quickly converge to values similar to the bare surface even though the capacitance values indicate the continued presence of the SAM. There are a large number of defects on SAM modified 2024-T3 relative to SAMs on pure substrates. The defects probably occur over copper enriched particles found on the 2024-T3 surface. The copper enriched particles must be protected by a coating since localized corrosion originates on the particles.
Intestinal lengthening in rats after massive small intestinal resection.

Background Prior studies have demonstrated lengthening of normal small intestinal segments using mechanical expanders. The present study assesses the feasibility of intestinal lengthening in rats that have undergone extensive small intestinal resection. Methods Female rats underwent small intestinal resection. After 6 weeks, the animals underwent the placement of a mechanical expander device with or without gradual mechanical lengthening. After 3 weeks, the intestinal segments were retrieved for analyses. Results Isolated intestinal segments without mechanical lengthening did not change in length, whereas isolated intestinal segments that were mechanically lengthened more than doubled their initial length. The total alkaline phosphatase activity was 2.4 μmol/min in the isolated intestinal segments and 4.9 μmol/min in the mechanically lengthened segments. The total lactase activity was 0.005 μmol/min in the isolated intestinal segments and 0.007 μmol/min in the mechanically lengthened segments. Smooth muscle thickness was 370 μm in the isolated intestinal segments and 530 μm in the mechanically lengthened segments. Conclusion Mechanical small bowel lengthening was achieved in intestinal segments after extensive small intestinal resection. There was an increase in the total alkaline phosphatase activity and preservation of the total lactase activity. Mechanical lengthening may be a useful technique to increase intestinal length in patients with short bowel syndrome.
Comparison of the marginal fit of pressable ceramic to metal ceramic restorations.

Purpose: The aim of this in vitro study was to compare the marginal adaptation of a pressed ceramic material, when used with and without a metal substructure, to a traditional feldspathic porcelain-fused-to-metal restoration with a porcelain butt margin. Materials and Methods: A maxillary central incisor typodont tooth was prepared with a 1.5 mm 360° shoulder with rounded internal line angle, and 30 polyether impressions were made. Dies were poured in type IV dental stone, and 30 restorations were fabricated: 10 metal ceramic restorations (MCR) with porcelain butt joints, 10 pressed to metal restorations (PTM), and 10 all-ceramic restorations (PCR). All restorations were evaluated on their respective dies at 45× magnification using an Olympus SZX-12, measurements of the marginal openings were made, and ANOVA and Scheffe post hoc tests were used to evaluate the data. Results: The mean marginal opening was 72.2 ± 5.9 μm for MCR, 49.0 ± 5.9 μm for PTM, and 55.8 ± 5.9 μm for PCR. The post hoc tests showed that there was a statistical difference between the marginal adaptation of the PTM and MCR groups (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in marginal adaptation between the PTM and the PCR groups, or the PCR and the MCR groups. Conclusions: The PTM group demonstrated a smaller mean marginal opening than the MCR group. The mean marginal openings of all three groups were within a clinically acceptable range.
Stochastic Principles and Mathematical Analysis Useful in Dissolution Testing of a Solid Dosage Form

AbstractThe dissolution rate of individual tablets within a lot is considered to be of a random nature. The connection between classical statistics and the stochastic approach, together with their dependence, is presented. By formulating the hypothesis specific to the basic question of interest, a methodology for determining the required number of solid dosage form for the dissolution rate assessment of a lot is suggested.
Google and the Culture of Search

Hillis, K., Petit, M., & Jarrett, K. (2013). Google and the Culture of Search. New York, NY: Routledge. 240 pages.“What did you do before Google?” This provocative question forces me to pause and r...
On Nonlinear Binary Sequential Circuits and Their Inverses

This paper discusses single-input, single-output binary sequential circuits composed of adders, multipliers and delay units. The principal results are: 1) Finite feedforward circuits are characterized by a response function (rf) which permits the determination of the output for an arbitrary input. 2) Corresponding to every rf is a transfer function (tf) which is obtained by a multidimensional Z-transform of the rf. This tf permits the determination of the response of a feedforward circuit by transform domain techniques. 3) Every tf may be synthesized as a physical circuit. 4) A canonic form is defined for every tf. With this canonic form is identified an implementation which contains a minimum number of delay units and adders. 5) Nonfeedforward circuits are called well defined if they meet certain physically meaningful restrictions. 6) Well-defined circuits may be classified as those which have inverses (class I) and those which do not. Membership in class I is shown to be a property of circuits which established one-one maps of inputs onto outputs. Circuits which do not belong to class I have neither left nor right inverses. 7) An intimate connection between inverses and feedback circuits is established. It is shown that any well-defined feedback circuit and a related circuit in I are mutually inverse. 8) It is shown that the necessary and sufficient condition for a feedback circuit to be well defined is that the circuit in the feedback loop contains delay.
Differentiating glyphosate-resistant and glyphosate-sensitive Italian ryegrass using hyperspectral imagery

Glyphosate based herbicide programs are most preferred in current row crop weed control practices. With the increased use of glyphosate, weeds, including Italian ryegrass ( Lolium multiflorum ), have developed resistance to glyphosate. The identification of glyphosate resistant weeds in crop fields is critical because they must be controlled before they reduce the crop yield. Conventionally, the method for the identification with whole plant or leaf segment/disc shikimate assays is tedious and labor-intensive. In this research, we investigated the use of high spatial resolution hyperspectral imagery to extract spectral curves derived from the whole plant of Italian ryegrass to determine if the plant is glyphosate resistant (GR) or glyphosate sensitive (GS), which provides a way for rapid, non-contact measurement for differentiation between GR and GS weeds for effective site-specific weed management. The data set consists of 226 greenhouse grown plants (119 GR, 107 GS), which were imaged at three and four weeks after emergence. In image preprocessing, the spectral curves are normalized to remove lighting artifacts caused by height variation in the plants. In image analysis, a subset of hyperspectral bands is chosen using a forward selection algorithm to optimize the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) between GR and GS plants. Then, the dimensionality of selected bands is reduced using linear discriminant analysis (LDA). Finally, the maximum likelihood classification was conducted for plant sample differentiation. The results show that the overall classification accuracy is between 75% and 80% depending on the age of the plants. Further refinement of the described methodology is needed to correlate better with plant age.
PREDICTABILITY OF RECURRENCE RATE OF URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS BASED ON ANTIBODY COATED BACTERIA TESTING

During the past two years on 324 occassions college coeds with symptoms of urinary tract infections were evaluated with at least two urine cultures and a non-invasive test of localization (fluorescent antibody coated bacteria). They were subsequently treated with either Gantrisin (93) or Reflex (231) for periods of 3, 7, 10, 14 or 21 days. The recurrence rate one week post therapy for the separate and combined groups were as follows: It appears that urine demonstrating fluorescent antibody coated bacteria (kidney infection) is not associated with a greater propensity of recurrent infection than is urine with negative testing for fluorescent antibody coated bacteria (bladder infection). Comparable results were obtained utilizing depressed concentrating ability as a test of upper tract infection.
Developments in automated reflectance microscopy of coal

SUMMARY Automated reflectance microscopy (ARM) systems employ a microscope photometer in conjunction with a computer which controls a motor-driven stage drive and records and categorizes the photomultiplier output. In a system being developed at The Pennsylvania State University, the object stage moves continuously under the microscope objective at a constant speed and in a predetermined raster. With a scan speed of 1600 μm/s and the computer recording the photo-multiplier output every 1.25 ms, each recording represents a scan of 2 μm. An aperture below the photomultiplier is set to give an effective area of measurement of 2 μm square, so that a continuous series of readings is obtained on adjacent fields of this size. The difference in reflectance between coal and pyrite particles in polished coal pellets enables pyrite chord-size distributions to be measured; consecutive recordings on pyrite grains are summed to give a measure of chord length. Size distributions determined by ARM compare well with values measured by visual microscopy. In the course of analysis of a single coal pellet, approximately 400,000 individual readings are recorded, the entire operation of scanning and printout of data taking approximately 18 min. Coal reflectograms obtained by ARM may be used for rank measurements and to indicate petrographic compositions.
Formation and properties of an aminoacyl‐tRNA•GTP•protein complex

Partially purified preparations of two protein factors, one of which is stable at 50°C (FIs) and the other unstable at 50°C (FIu), are required for the GTP-dependent, mRNA-directed binding of aminoacyl-tRNA to ribosomes, as well as for polypeptide synthesis in the presence of a third factor, FII. Both FIs and FIu are required for maximal interaction with GTP to form a GTP•protein complex that subsequently interacts with aminoacyl-tRNA, but not with deacylated tRNA or with N-(substituted)-aminoacyl-tRNA, to form an aminoacyl-tRNA•GTP•protein complex. A mixture of FIs and FIu also interacts with GDP to form a GDP•protein complex; however, no subsequent interaction with aminoacyl-tRNA is observed. In addition to aminoacyl-tRNA and GTP, Mg2+ and NH4+ are required for the formation of the aminoacyl-tRNA•GTP•protein complex. Although both protein factors, FIs and FIu, are required for the formation of this complex, only the heat-labile protein, FIu, is a component of the complex. Very little dissociation of the GTP moiety of the complex occurs in the presence of Mg2+, and no detectable exchange is observed with GTP, GDP, or Pi. In contrast, appreciable dissociation of the aminoacyl-tRNA from the GTP•protein occurs even in the presence of Mg2+, and exchange with other aminoacyl-tRNA's can be readily demonstrated. In the absence of Mg2+, complete dissociation of both the GTP and the aminoacyl-tRNA from the protein occurs. Evidence has been obtained to demonstrate that the aminoacyl-tRNA•GTP•protein complex is an intermediate in the GTP-dependent binding of aminoacyl-tRNA to ribosomes. The binding of the aminoacyl-tRNA to the ribosome occurs with the concomitant formation of Pi and a GDP • protein complex. Incorporation of the bound aminoacyl-tRNA into polypeptide requires additional GTP and the third transfer factor, FII.
Excitation of N+2 ions by electrons at near threshold energies☆

Abstract We have measured absolute cross sections for the excitation of the 0-0 band of the first negative system of N + 2 [( X 2 Σ + g ) → ( B 2 Σ + u , ν = 0) → ( X 2 Σ + g , ν = 0)] by electron impact upon N + 2 ions in the energy range 5 to 30 eV. The crossed-beam technique was used.
A rare cause of acquired immune deficiency syndrome related pancytopenia.

A 21-year-old male with acquired immune deficiency syndrome, not on highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) was admitted after complaining of headache and intermittent diarrhea, found to have Cryptococcal meningitis. During the course of his hospitalization, patient developed pancytopenia. Anemia panel, serologies including Epstein barr virus, cytomegalovirus, and parvovirus were negative. Patient then developed high grade fever with elevated liver enzymes. Blood cultures, urine cultures, stool cultures, and repeat cerebrospinal fluid cultures remained negative. Patient subsequently developed skin lesions which on biopsy showed Kaposi’s sarcoma, and upon endoscopy, noted to have gastrointestinal Kaposi’s sarcoma involvement. Human herpes virus 8 was positive. Bone marrow biopsy revealed hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. Despite having a concern for patient developing immune reconstitution syndrome which may worsen his meningitis, HAART was initiated and patient’s symptoms improved including resolution of fevers and hematological as well as liver abnormalities. Kaposi’s sarcoma improved as well.
VOIDING PATTERN AND ACQUISITION OF BLADDER CONTROL FROM BIRTH TO AGE 6 YEARS—A LONGITUDINAL STUDY

ABSTRACT Purpose: We describe the voiding pattern and acquisition of bladder control in healthy children up to age 6 years. Materials and Methods: We determined age for daytime and nighttime dryness, voiding patterns, voiding volumes and post-void residual volume per 4 hours individually and noninvasively every 3 months up to age 3 years and every 6 months up to age 6 years in 36 female and 23 male patients using 4-hour voiding observation and uroflowmetry/ultrasound. Results: Median age for attaining daytime and nighttime dryness was 3.5 and 4 years, respectively. No significant difference was found between girls and boys. All but 1 child attained daytime dryness an average of 10 months before attaining nighttime dryness. Bladder sensation was reported in 31%, 79% and 100% of patients at ages 2, 3 and 4 years, respectively. Median bladder capacity was 67 ml, 123 ml and 140 ml at years 1, 3 and 6, respectively. Median post-void residual volume was 5.5 ml, 0 ml and 2 ml at ages 1, 3 and 6 years, respectively. Conclusions: Today bladder control is acquired at a later stage despite earlier awareness of bladder function. The occurrence of bladder sensation from age 1.5 years motivates an earlier start with toilet training. Infants with small post-void residual volume at age 6 months or large bladder capacity will probably attain daytime dryness earlier than those with large post-void residual volume at age 6 months or small bladder capacity.
Mutations in KCNE1 in long QT syndrome (LQTS): insights into mechanism of LQTS and drug sensitivity?

e d a C t y a K K t b t i c i i c r t i K t L r p r n c t i r c s t t t t l n t t o b In this issue of Heart Rhythm, Wu and colleagues decribe a mutation in KCNE1, the 129 amino acid single embrane-spanning peptide -subunit that associates with he voltage-gated KCNQ1 channel to form the slow delayed ectifier channel (IKs) in the heart, which causes the long QT yndrome type 5 (LQT5). This mutation, Y81C, is located n the post-transmembrane domain region of the KCNE1 minK) channel in close proximity to three other LQT5 utations (S74L, D76N, and W87R). Previously, Lai et al escribed this same mutation in a patient with compound eterozygous KCNE1 mutations (Y81C, K70N). In the reort by Wu et al, the authors examined the effects of the 81C mutation on the function and drug sensitivity of IKs hannels and provide an interesting experimental approach nd potentially novel insight into IKs structure-function corelations and future therapeutic options. KCNE1 interacts with the KCNQ1 channel subunit via ts transmembrane domain, which adopts an -helical strucure and interacts with the S6 helix in the pore domain of CNQ1. In addition, it is speculated that the cytoplasmic egion of KCNE1, a conserved region localized 20–25 mino acids distal to the transmembrane helix, also plays a ole in channel conductance and the function of the CNQ1/KCNE1 complex responsible for IKs. Typically, CNE1 increases KCNQ1 single-channel conductance, hich leads to an increase in the macroscopic current amlitude, shifts the voltage dependence of KCNQ1 channel ctivation in the positive direction, and slows its activation. s a result of this regulation, a slow buildup of IKs occurs nd results in repolarization abnormalities that translate into rolongation of the QT interval when loss-of-function muations occur or in pathologic shortening of the QT interval hen gain-of-function mutations occur. In the former, QTS (LQT1 when KCNQ1 is mutated, LQT5 when CNE1 is mutated) occurs, while the relatively newly escribed short QT syndrome or familial atrial fibrillation ccurs in the latter instance. Y81C is speculated to cause an QT5 phenotype, and the authors describe the detailed echanism that likely plays a role in generating this clinical henotype.
Lipid- and water-soluble bilirubins

Novel bilirubin analogs with two nonionic, water-solubilizing polyethyleneglycol (PEG) β-substituents of varying chain length on the lactam ring of each dipyrrinone were synthesized. In contrast to bilirubin, which is insoluble in CH3OH and in H2O at pH 7 but somewhat soluble in CHCl3 (~1 mM), the PEGylated rubins are soluble in all three solvents, with H2O solubility increasing with increasing number of ethyleneglycol units in the PEG chain(s). Vapor pressure osmometry indicates that, like bilirubin, they are monomeric in CHCl3 and in CH3OH. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies indicate that their most stable structure in these solvents and in H2O has the 4Z,15Z configuration that is bent into a ridge-tile shape with the pigment’s dipyrrinones engaged in intramolecular hydrogen bonding to the propionic acid carboxyl groups. Aqueous pK a values for the intramolecularly hydrogen-bonded carboxyl groups of these compounds, determined by vacuum-assisted multiplexed capillary electrophoresis in H2O–CH3OH mixtures followed by Yesuda-Shedlovsky extrapolations to pure H2O, were found to be 4.9, as previously determined by NMR titrations for mesobilirubin-XIIIα.
Effect of restoration volume on stresses in a mandibular molar: A finite element study

Statement of problem There can be significant disagreement among dentists when planning treatment for a tooth with a failing medium-to-large--sized restoration. The clinician must determine whether the restoration should be replaced or treated with a crown, which covers and protects the remaining weakened tooth structure during function. Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the stresses generated in different sized amalgam restorations via a computational modeling approach and reveal whether a predictable pattern emerges. Material and methods A computer tomography scan was performed of an extracted mandibular first molar, and the resulting images were imported into a medical imaging software package for tissue segmentation. The software was used to separate the enamel, dentin, and pulp cavity through density thresholding and surface rendering. These tissue structures then were imported into 3-dimensional computer-aided design software in which material properties appropriate to the tissues in the model were assigned. A static finite element analysis was conducted to investigate the stresses that result from normal occlusal forces. Five models were analyzed, 1 with no restoration and 4 with increasingly larger restoration volume proportions: a normal-sized tooth, a small-sized restoration, 2 medium-sized restorations, and 1 large restoration as determined from bitewing radiographs and occlusal surface digital photographs. Results The resulting von Mises stresses for dentin-enamel of the loaded portion of the tooth grew progressively greater as the size of the restoration increased. The average stress in the normal, unrestored tooth was 4.13 MPa, whereas the smallest restoration size increased this stress to 5.52 MPa. The largest restoration had a dentin-enamel stress of 6.47 MPa. A linear correlation existed between restoration size and dentin-enamel stress, with an R 2 of 0.97. Conclusions A larger restoration volume proportion resulted in higher dentin-enamel stresses under static loading. A comparison of the von Mises stresses to the yield strengths of the materials revealed a relationship between a tooth's restoration volume proportion and the potential for failure, although factors other than restoration volume proportion may also impact the stresses generated in moderate-sized restorations.
Fine structure of cytochalasin-induced multinucleated cells.

Cytochalasin B, a fungal metabolite, induces multinucleate cell formation by preventing the separation of daughter cells following cell division. These cells contain large amounts of rough endoplasmic reticulum, annulate lamellae, Golgi membranes, and other cell organelles in their cytoplasm. Microtubules are seen in the mitotic spindle and in the cytoplasm of these relatively nonmotile cells. In many drug-treated cells basal bodies (presumably formed from centrioles) and various stages of ciliogenesis are seen. In some cells fully developed cilia projecting from the cell surface are observed. An apparent stimulated production of l -cell virus-like particles is seen in these multinucleated cells.
Did she jump because she was the big sister or because the trampoline was safe? Causal inference and the development of social attribution.

Children rely on both evidence and prior knowledge to make physical causal inferences; this study explores whether they make attributions about others' behavior in the same manner. A total of one hundred and fifty-nine 4- and 6-year-olds saw 2 dolls interacting with 2 activities, and explained the dolls' actions. In the person condition, each doll acted consistently across activities, but differently from each other. In the situation condition, the two dolls acted differently for each activity, but both performed the same actions. Both age groups provided more “person” explanations (citing features of the doll) in the person condition than in the situation condition. In addition, 6-year-olds showed an overall bias toward “person” explanations. As in physical causal inference, social causal inference combines covariational evidence and prior knowledge.
Utilizing Quality Assurance as a Tool for Reducing the Risk of Nosocomial Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia:

A multidisciplinary group was formed to develop strategies to reduce ventilator-associated lower respi ratory tract infections (LRI) in an intensive care unit (ICU) of a 540-bed acute care teaching medical center. The group process was facilitated by the Infection Di rector and the quality management specialist. The group was made of medical, nursing, and respiratory therapy staff. Quality improvement techniques were used to define the process of care for ventilated patients in the ICU. "State of the art" care was defined after a litera ture review and brainstorming sessions. Current prac tice and new concepts were then forged into a realistic protocol for the ICU. The resulting protocol was intro duced into the ICU in May 1992. The information was communicated to Respiratory Therapy and ICU staff in writing and at department meetings. After a 4-month introductory period and learning curve process, a de crease in the endemic rate of ventilator-associated LRI was reduced in the fourth quarter of 1992. The ...
Calcium homeostasis and parturient hypocalcemia: an integral feedback perspective.

Calcium is tightly regulated in mammals because of the critical role of calcium ion concentrations in many physiological functions. In this work, we develop a model for calcium homeostasis and identify integral feedback control as a functional module that maintains this homeostasis. We argue that maintaining calcium concentrations in a narrow range and perfect adaptation seen when the calcium homeostatic mechanism is subjected to extreme disturbances are the result of a feedback control system implementing integral control through specific interactions of the regulating hormones. Based on the constraints imposed by the suggested integral control, we arrive at a simple dynamical model for calcium homeostasis. We show that the model is biologically plausible and is consistent with known physiology. Furthermore, the utility of the integral-feedback model is revealed by examining an extreme calcium perturbation, parturient paresis in dairy cows.
Single-center experience with extracorporeal photopheresis in pediatric heart transplantation

Background The pediatric heart transplant literature contains little information regarding extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP), despite International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation guidelines recommending it for recurrent/recalcitrant rejection. We report our experience with ECP in pediatric heart transplantation. Methods Data were obtained on heart transplant patients who were aged ≤ 18 years at the time of transplantation and received ECP between 1990 and 2012 at our institution. Results Twenty heart transplant patients underwent 22 courses of ECP. Median ages were 12.7 years (range, 0.3–18.5 years) at transplant and 15.3 years (range, 7.3–31 years) at initial ECP. Median time from transplant to ECP was 1.4 years (range, 0.1–12.6 years). The median ECP duration was 5.8 months (range, 1.9–16.1 months). Indications for ECP included rejection with hemodynamic compromise (HC) in 4 patients, rejection without HC in 12, and prophylaxis in 2. Eleven patients died at a median time of 3.1 years after the start of ECP. Survival after ECP was 84% at 1 year and 53% at 3 years. Eleven patients were considered non-compliant and had a trend toward lower survival of 75% at 1 year and 18% at 3 years ( p = 0.06 compared with compliant patients). One patient developed Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia during ECP and post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease 21 months after finishing ECP. No other adverse effects or infectious complications associated with ECP were noted. Conclusions This case series represents the largest reported experience with ECP in pediatric heart transplantation. ECP can be safely applied in this patient group. Despite EPC, non-compliant patients showed a trend toward lower survival than compliant patients.
Image understanding from thermal emission polarization

Existing polarization-based image understanding techniques use information only from reflected light. Apart from incandescent bodies thermally emitted light radiation from elements of a scene in the visible spectrum is insignificant. However, at longer wavelengths such as in the infrared thermal emission is typically quite prevalent from a number of scene elements of interest. FLIR imagery of both indoor and outdoor scenes reveals that many objects thermally emit a significant amount of radiation. Polarization from thermally emitting objects has been observed as long as 170 years ago from incandescent objects but since then there have only been a limited number of empirical investigations into this phenomenon. This paper presents a comprehensive model for explaining polarization of thermal emission from both rough and smooth surfaces, in agreement with empirical data, that can significantly enhance the image understanding of FLIR imagery. In particular it is possible to discern metal from dielectric materials under certain conditions, and from an accurate model for thermally emitted polarization it is possible to predictively model polarization signatures from CAD models of importance to automatic target recognition.
Neutralization of errors and attacks in wireless ad hoc networks

This paper proposes and evaluates strategies to build reliable and secure wireless ad hoc networks. Our contribution is based on the notion of inner-circle consistency, where local node interaction is used to neutralize errors/attacks at the source, both preventing errors/attacks from propagating in the network and improving the fidelity of the propagated information. We achieve this goal by combining statistical (a proposed fault-tolerant cluster algorithm) and security (threshold cryptography) techniques with application-aware checks to exploit the data/computation that is partially and naturally replicated in wireless applications. We have prototyped an inner-circle framework with the ns-2 network simulator, and we use it to demonstrate the idea of inner-circle consistency in two significant wireless scenarios: (1) the neutralization of black hole attacks in AODV networks and (2) the neutralization of sensor errors in a target detection/localization application executed over a wireless sensor network.
Edge sharpness perception with force and contact location information

The effect of contact location information on the perception of virtual edges was investigated by comparing human edge sharpness discrimination under the force-alone and force-plus-contact-location conditions. The virtual object consisted of the 2D profile of an edge with two adjoining surfaces. Edge sharpness JNDs for both conditions increased from about 2 to 7 mm as the edge radii increased from 2.5 to 20.0 mm, and no significant difference was found between the two conditions. A follow-up experiment with the contact-location alone condition resulted in higher (worse) edge sharpness discrimination thresholds, especially at higher edge radius values. Our results suggest that contact location cues alone are capable of conveying edge sharpness information, but that force cues dominate edge sharpness perception when both types of cues are available.
Professional education to meet the oral health needs of older adults and persons with disabilities

A well-prepared dental workforce is critical to improving the oral health of special needs patients. This paper, originally presented at the National Coalition Consensus Conference: Oral Health of Vulnerable Older Adults and Persons with Disabilities, reviews and suggests opportunities to enhance the professional education of the dental workforce, including enhanced faculty training in gerontology, geriatrics and special patient care, and opportunities for improved curricula and team training both within the dental team and among the diverse group of health professional that often collaborate in the care of special needs patients. Other considerations include the creation of a specialty of Special Care Dentistry, and the effective use of dental team members in the care of special needs patients.
Apoptosis and heart failure: clinical relevance and therapeutic target.

Abstract Heart failure is the final common pathway of diverse ethiologies that are characterized by impaired systolic and/or diastolic function with high morbidity and mortality. An integral part of pathogenesis of heart failure is myocyte loss. The traditionnal explanation for myocyte loss was cell necrosis but over the last decade, there has been a surge of evidence affirming the role of apoptosis in genesis of heart failure. Studies have raised apoptosis from a ‘histologic curiosity’ to an exciting ‘clinical target’ that can be modulated to attenuate the progressiom of heart failure. This review will focus on the clinical relevance of apoptosis in human and experimental heart failure and identify some of the progress made in myocardial anti-apoptotic intervention.
The Acquisition of Spanish Perfective Aspect: a study on children's production and comprehension*

This paper presents the acquisition of Spa nish perfective aspect in production and comprehension. It argues that, although young children use perfective aspect to talk about completed events, young children have difficulty in assessing perfective meaning from perfective morphology. This paper proposes that in the process of acquiring aspectual meaning, children use local strategies to decode aspectual meaning from form: when analyzing a completed situation, young children depend on certain learnability factors to correctly assess the entailment of completion of the perfective, namely, their ability to determine if the object of the event measures out the event as a whole or not, and their ability to read the agent’s intentions. When those factors are removed from the situation, young children had difficulty determining the entailment of completion of perfective aspect. This study also suggests that the manner in which aspectual information is conveyed in a language, may play a role on the readiness of the acquisition of the semantic morphology of the language (e.g., verb+object vs. verb+affixes). The results of this study indicate that successful performance on the semantics of Spanish perfective aspect develops around the age of 5-6.
The origin of the Juch'uypampa Cave mummies: strontium isotope analysis of archaeological human remains from Bolivia

Previous analyses of strontium isotopes from human bone and teeth have identified diverse patterns of residential mobility in the South Central Andes during the Middle Horizon (AD 500e1100). During this time, the large polity of Tiwanaku exerted great influence over what are now southern Peru, northern Chile, northwestern Argentina and Bolivia. Recently, five naturallymummified individuals were discovered in the cave of Juch’uypampa in the Pulacayo region of southern Bolivia. Although these individuals were buried with a number of fine Tiwanaku-style grave goods as well as non-Tiwanaku items, the burial site is isolated and does not conform to the pattern of large Tiwanaku-affiliated cemeteries and residential sites outside of the Lake Titicaca Basin. Strontium isotope analysis was performed on enamel from two adult men and bone from a third adult male in order to test the hypotheses that one or more of the males was from either the Tiwanaku heartland in the Lake Titicaca Basin, the Chilean oasis of San Pedro de Atacama, which contains a series of cemeteries with Tiwanaku-style grave goods, or the local area in which they were buried. Results show that two individuals likely spent their childhood in the local area where they were interred, while the third man probably spent at least the last twenty years of his life in that region before being buried there. This raises interesting questions regarding the nature of Tiwanaku influence in southern Bolivia and the relationship between the Juch’uypampa mummies and the Tiwanaku polity. 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Virus-specific proteins synthesized in cells infected with RNA+ temperature-sensitive mutants of Sindbis virus.

Abstract All Sindbis virus temperature-sensitive mutants defective in “late” functions were systematically surveyed by acrylamide-gel electrophoresis for similarities and differences in the intracellular pattern of virus-specific proteins synthesized at the permissive and nonpermissive temperatures. Only cells infected with mutants of complementation group C showed an altered pattern. At the nonpermissive temperature, these mutants failed to induce the synthesis of a polypeptide corresponding to the nucleocapsid protein and instead overproduced a protein of higher molecular weight than either viral structural protein. This defect was shown to be irreversible by the finding that 3H-leucine incorporated at 41.5 C specifically failed to appear in the nucleocapsid of virions subsequently released at 29 C. Attempts to demonstrate a precursor protein in wild-type infections were inconclusive.
Marked aneuploidy and loss of multiple chromosomes are common in autosomal mutants isolated from normal mouse kidney epithelium.

Marked aneuploidy and loss of multiple chromosomes are hallmarks of cancer, but whether these events are only present in malignant cells is not known. In prior work, we showed that approximately half of spontaneous autosomal mutants isolated directly from normal kidney epithelium arose from loss of a marker chromosome 8 containing the wild type Aprt gene. Chromosome loss was detected by loss of heterozygosity (LOH) for all chromosome 8 polymorphic loci examined (Turker et al, Aging Cell, 6:73-86, 2007). To determine whether loss of chromosome 8 reflected a larger mitotic event, LOH was examined for polymorphic loci on 11 non-selected chromosomes in Aprt mutants that lost the selected chromosome 8 homologue. LOH events were detected for one or more non-selected chromosomes in 38% of these mutants. The additional LOH events also reflected apparent chromosome loss based on the molecular analysis. Metaphase spreads from mutants that lost chromosome 8 were markedly aneuploid and chromosome painting revealed reduced levels for any chromosome shown to be lost with the LOH analysis. In contrast, LOH on non-selected chromosomes was infrequent in Aprt mutants exhibiting intragenic events or mitotic recombination for chromosome 8, and marked aneuploidy was absent. These observations suggest that the mechanism leading to chromosome loss in somatic mammalian cells is often not a simple non-disjunction event and instead could result from a single catastrophic event. They also suggest that cells with characteristics of malignancy are present in normal appearing tissue.
Effect of a strong axial magnetic field in the plasma recombination and extreme ultraviolet emission from a highly-ionized capillary discharge

The effect of an externally applied 70-100-kG axial magnetic field in the temporal evolution of the extreme ultraviolet emission from a 500- mu m-diameter highly ionized LiH capillary discharge is studied. In the absence of external magnetic confinement, strong emission from ionic transitions excited by collisional recombinations is observed at the end of the current pulse. The externally applied magnetic field is observed to reduce the intensity of the recombination lines by decreasing the rate of plasma cooling by electron heat conduction to the capillary walls. In contrast, the self-generated magnetic field of the discharge aids to the generation of an initially hot plasma, and allows rapid conduction cooling at the end of the current pulse. The results are discussed in relation to a proposed capillary-discharge-excited extreme ultraviolet recombination laser scheme. >
On-Vehicle and Aerial Texture Analysis for Vision-Based Desert Road Following

We present two components of a vision-based approach to autonomous driving on and near rural and desert roads. The first component comprises fast processing of live vehicle camera video to robustly extract linear direction and midline estimates of marginal roads. The second uses satellite imagery immediately surrounding the vehicles GPS position to trace the road ahead for curve and corner anticipation, and to inform the vehicle planner of a nearby road when traveling cross-conalysis: on-board, they are employed to ?nd ruts and trauntry. The algorithms are built upon Gabor wavelet filters for texture acks from which the road vanishing point can be inferred via Houghstyle voting, and aerially, they localize the edges of low-contrast road contours. Mechanisms for both modules to determine whether the vehicle is currently on- or off-road are also explained. Our systems efficacy is illustrated for several difficult datasets, including a log from one vehicles run during the 2004 DARPA Grand Challenge.
Egg Sialoglycans Increase Intracellular pH and Potentiate the Acrosome Reaction of Sea Urchin Sperm

Sea urchin egg jelly (EJ) triggers sperm acrosome reaction (AR), an exocytotic event required for membrane fusion of the gametes. Purified fucose sulfate polymer (FSP) in EJ is one inducer of the AR. Binding of FSP to its receptor regulates opening of two distinct calcium channels and also elevates intracellular pH (pHi). EJ also contains sialic acid-rich glycans (sialoglycans (SG)) that were isolated by β-elimination followed by DEAE chromatography. In the presence of limiting amounts of FSP, the SG fraction markedly potentiates the AR; however, by itself SG has no activity. The SG fraction increases the pHi of sperm without increasing intracellular Ca2+. The SG-induced increase in pHi is not blocked by nifedipine or high K+, whereas the FSP-induced pHi increase is sensitive to both these agents. Treatment of the SG fraction with neuraminidase or mild metaperiodate that specifically cleaves the glycerol side chain of sialic acid abolishes the AR potentiation and ability of SG to elevate pHi. These data are the first to show that there are at least two pathways to induce sperm pHiincrease and that egg surface sialic acid plays a role in triggering the sperm AR.
Effect of contingent changes in mothers' affective expression on the organization of behavior in 3-month-old infants

Abstract During face-to-face interactions, the mother's positive expressions (e.g., smiles or rhythmic vocalizations) precede the onset of the infant's positive expressions and are maintained while the infant cycles between positive and neutral expression toward the mother. This pattern suggests that both partners are responsive to the other's affective expressions. To test the hypothesis that the organization of the infant's behavior is influenced by the mother's, we instructed 10 mothers to become still-faced whenever their infant became positive; we instructed 10 other mothers to interact normally. Mothers' and infants' behavior was described with behavioral descriptors using a 1-s sampling interval. Infants in the contingent still-face condition showed a reduced probability of transitions from play to attend and a corresponding increased probability of transitions from play to avert . Empirical indicators suggested that the mother's influence was greater in the contingent still-face condition. These data strongly support earlier studies showing that the organization of the infant's affective expression is closely related to that of the adult partner.
Anxiety and Depression in Mothers of Low Birthweight and Very Low Birthweight Infants: Birth Through 5 Months

The purpose of this study was to compare two common psychologic stress responses, anxiety and depression, in 27 mothers of very low birthweight (VLBW; ≤1500 grams) preterm infants and 35 mothers of low birthweight (LBW; 1501-2500 grams) preterm infants from the time of the infant's birth until the infants reached 5 months adjusted gestational age. There were significant differences in the patterns of anxiety and depression experienced by mothers of LBW and VLBW infants over time. Mothers of VLBW infants had higher anxiety and depression until 2 months adjusted gestational age while mothers of LBW infants had higher anxiety and depression at 3 and 4 months. Nursing interventions designed to decrease stress during the first postpartal week and to counsel mothers about patterns of anxiety and depression they may experience over time may be useful.
Internal Swell Generation: The Spatial Distribution of Energy Flux from the Wind to Mixed Layer Near-Inertial Motions

The energy flux from the wind to inertial mixed layer motions is computed for all oceans from 50 8 St o 508N for the years 1996‐99. The wind stress, t, is computed from 6-h, 2.58-resolution NCEP‐NCAR global reanalysis surface winds. The inertial mixed layer response, uI, and the energy flux, P5 t · uI, are computed using a slab model. The validity of the reanalysis winds and the slab model is demonstrated by direct comparison with wind and ADCP velocity records from NDBC buoys. (At latitudes . 508, the inertial response is too fast to be resolved by the reanalysis wind 6-h output interval.) Midlatitude storms produce the greatest fluxes, resulting in broad maxima near 40 8 latitude during each hemisphere’s winter, concentrated in the western portion of each basin. Northern Hemisphere fluxes exceed those in the Southern Hemisphere by about 50%. The global mean energy flux from 1996 to 1999 and 508 St o 508N is (0.98 6 0.08) 3 1023 Wm 22, for a total power of 0.29 TW (1 TW 5 1012 W). This total is the same order of magnitude as recent estimates of the global power input to baroclinic M2 tidal motions, suggesting that windgenerated near-inertial waves may play an important role in the global energy balance.