cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Personalized treatments for depressive symptoms in patients with advanced heart failure: A pragmatic randomized controlled trial.

Author(s): IsHak, Waguih William; Korouri, Samuel; Darwish, Tarneem; Vanle, Brigitte; Dang, Jonathan; Edwards, Gabriel; Black, Jeanne T; Aronow, Harriet; Kimchi, Asher; Spiegel, Brennan; Hedrick, Rebecca; Chernoff, Robert; Diniz, Marcio A; Mirocha, James; Manoukian, Vicki; Harold, John; Ong, Michael K; Wells, Kenneth; Hamilton, Michele; Danovitch, Itai | Abstract: ObjectivesHeart Failure is a chronic syndrome affecting over 5.7 million in the US and 26 million adults worldwide with nearly 50% experiencing depressive symptoms. The objective of the study is to compare the effects of two evidence-based treatment options for adult patients with depression and advanced heart failure, on depressive symptom severity, physical and mental health related quality of life (HRQoL), heart-failure specific quality of life, caregiver burden, morbidity, and mortality at 3, 6 and 12-months.MethodsTrial design. Pragmatic, randomized, comparative effectiveness trial. Interventions. The treatment interventions are: (1) Behavioral Activation (BA), a patient-centered psychotherapy which emphasizes engagement in enjoyable and valued personalized activities as selected by the patient; or (2) Antidepressant Medication Management administered using the collaborative care model (MEDS). Participants. Adults aged 18 and over with advanced heart failure (defined as New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class II, III, and IV) and depression (defined as a score of 10 or above on the PHQ-9 and confirmed by the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview for the DSM-5) selected from all patients at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center who are admitted with heart failure and all patients presenting to the outpatient programs of the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. We plan to randomize 416 patients to BA or MEDS, with an estimated 28% loss to follow-up/inability to collect follow-up data. Thus, we plan to include 150 in each group for a total of 300 participants from which data after randomization will be collected and analyzed.ConclusionsThe current trial is the first to compare the impact of BA and MEDS on depressive symptoms, quality of life, caregiver burden, morbidity, and mortality in patients with depression and advanced heart failure. The trial will provide novel results that will be disseminated and implemented into a wide range of current practice settings.RegistrationClinicalTrials.Gov Identifier: NCT03688100.
Are (active) entrepreneurs a different breed

We present data from an incentivized online experiment and responses from a set of validated psychological questionnaires to measure entrepreneurs' risk and time preferences and to identify entrepreneurs' personality characteristics. The analyses of the data suggest that intrinsic motivation positively relates to the likelihood of owning a business (i.e., being an active entrepreneur). We also found that subjects who scored higher on drive were relatively more risk seeking while those who scored higher on pessimism were more patient. The results of our study highlight the importance of studying personality traits to better understand what drives people to own a business.
Energy ETF return jump contagion: a multivariate Hawkes process approach

Compared with investing in individual stocks, ETF investment is capable of diversifying the non-systematic risk or exposure to broad market or industry sectors. The aim of this paper is to develop ...
Formative Needs Assessment of an International Service-learning Program: An Innovative Approach to Medical Education

This study utilized an original survey to evaluate the physical therapy and education needs of health care workers affiliated with a community hospital in the Dominican Republic. Results suggest that healthcare workers affiliated with this hospital could be an ideal audience to focus the initiation of a sustainable rehabilitation-training program; The needs assessment described can assist other academic physical therapy and medical programs in the planning and implementation of ISL opportunities for students and faculty.
Simultaneous two-pursuer differential game

We present and discuss a proprietary methodology which approximates the solution to differential games. The methodology computes "capture regions" (i.e., the space in which one or the other player can capture or kill the other with some probability), computes the probability of capture or kill within the capture region, and computes and displays optimal trajectories for both players. Unlike traditional approaches to differential game theory, the methodology does not require an a priori specification of pursuer and evader. Both sides have the option to pursue or evade depending upon the payoff function, the relative capabilities of the players, and the current position and velocity vectors.
Zero-knowledge proofs of identity and veracity of transaction receipts

There are two equally important, related, functions involved in the control of assets and resources. One of these is the verification of a potential user's identity and authority to use or have access to those assets. The other is to provide a record (receipt) of each access so that in the event of a later dispute as to whether an illegitimate use was made of the assets, or of the extent of the liability incurred in a legitimate use, etc., the authenticity and specifics of the access can be demonstrated in a logically compelling (and hence eventually legally binding) manner to an impartial third party or arbiter. Elaborate, and legally accepted, document based protocols to accomplish these functions are central to all commercial and private transactions. When the resources are remotely accessible, however, as in the case of computer data files, electronic funds transfers (EFT), automated bank tellers, and even in many manned point-of-sale systems, no satisfactory counterpart to the established document based protocols for verifying individual identity and/or authority to use a resource have been found, nor has a fully satisfactory means been devised to provide unforgeable transaction receipts. In this paper, we show how a public authentication channel can be used to certify private (user unique) authentication channels in a protocol that both "proves" a potential user's identity and authority and also provides certified receipts for transactions whose legitimacy can later be verified by impartial arbiters who did not have to be parties to the original transaction.We also introduce an authentication scheme to be used in this application based on the legitimate originator of information being able to extract square roots modulo n - pq, where p and q are primes of a special form. We show that these protocols provide a zero-knowledge proof of identity and of veracity transaction receipts, and that they are therefore very secure. We also show how the legitimate owner of the authentication channel can give a zero-knowledge proof that the modulus n has the correct form, thereby eliminating the possibility of the existence of several known subliminal channels.
Clinical Decision Making

Clinical decision making is the process by which clinicians make judgments about their clients. These judgments relate to assessment, diagnosis, and intervention. There are many factors associated with making decisions in clinical settings, including the nature of the clinicians' training and expertise, as well as how clinicians conceptualize information. In this entry the relative merits of statistical and clinical prediction are highlighted. Awareness of common cognitive errors in the decision-making process is important to maximize the accuracy of clinical judgments. Keywords: judgment and decision-making; psychopathology; intuition
Imagining No-place

The mix of ideals and absurdity in alternative futures and fantasy realms prompts fans to imagine their own alternatives.
The Human Factors and Ergonomics of P300-Based Brain-Computer Interfaces.

Individuals with severe neuromuscular impairments face many challenges in communication and manipulation of the environment. Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) show promise in presenting real-world applications that can provide such individuals with the means to interact with the world using only brain waves. Although there has been a growing body of research in recent years, much relates only to technology, and not to technology in use—i.e., real-world assistive technology employed by users. This review examined the literature to highlight studies that implicate the human factors and ergonomics (HFE) of P300-based BCIs. We assessed 21 studies on three topics to speak directly to improving the HFE of these systems: (1) alternative signal evocation methods within the oddball paradigm; (2) environmental interventions to improve user performance and satisfaction within the constraints of current BCI systems; and (3) measures and methods of measuring user acceptance. We found that HFE is central to the performance of P300-based BCI systems, although researchers do not often make explicit this connection. Incorporation of measures of user acceptance and rigorous usability evaluations, increased engagement of disabled users as test participants, and greater realism in testing will help progress the advancement of P300-based BCI systems in assistive applications.
A trench gate LDMOS for RF applications

A new trench gate lateral double diffused MOSFET (TG-LDMOS) device will be discussed and compared to a conventional LDMOS structure. In RF base station applications, the LDMOS power transistor is the preferred technology due to excellent performance versus cost. Through TCAD simulation synopsis, the results will indicate an improvement in the breakdown capability, capacitance reduction, and improved transfer curve characteristics which translate to improved the RF performance.
Hyper-Projects and Emergent Logistics: Characterizing the Managerial Challenges of Emergency Response

The role of emergency response is central to the quality of life as increasing numbers of the world's people are exposed to disaster. This article reflects on three principle “causes for concern” for the well-being and advancement of emergency response, as a prelude to a discussion of the managerial challenges inherent in this vital process. Recent attention to these managerial realities, although sometimes set in starkly different settings, have nonetheless brought a variety of concepts to light that show promise in developing practical solutions for those commissioned with decision making in the face of disaster. Such developments are summarized here, suggesting multiple ways forward toward the substantive research, support, and improvement of the managerial process of emergency response.
Concept inventory assessment instruments for electromagnetics education

There is an increasing need for assessment instruments to evaluate pedagogical techniques and curricular reforms in science and engineering. This paper presents the development of an assessment tool designed to measure students' understanding of fundamental concepts in electromagnetics. The tool is termed the electromagnetics concept inventory (EMCI). Although primarily intended for junior-level electromagnetics courses in electrical engineering departments, the EMCI can also be used in a variety of undergraduate and graduate electromagnetics-related courses in engineering and physics departments. The instrument may be used for several different purposes and can be administered in different ways, but the most important purpose is to assess students' performance and evaluate the effectiveness of instruction, usually as the "gain" between the course "pre-test" and "post-test" scores. The EMCI Version 1.0 is composed of three exams: EMCI-Fields, EMCI-Waves, and EMCI-Fields & Waves, to allow instructors to target specific knowledge areas. The questions on the exams focus on the core concepts of the material while requiring little or no computation.
Plasmid DNA Vaccine-Elicited Cellular Immune Responses Limit In Vivo Vaccine Antigen Expression through Fas-Mediated Apoptosis

Particularly potent cellular or humoral immune responses are needed to confer protection in animal models against such pathogens as HIV/SIV, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and malarial parasites. Persistent, high-level vaccine Ag expression may be required for eliciting such potent and durable immune responses. Although plasmid DNA immunogens are being explored as potential vaccines for protection against these pathogens, little is known about host factors that restrict long-term plasmid DNA vaccine Ag expression in vivo. We observed rapid damping of transgene expression from a plasmid DNA immunogen in wild-type, but not in T cell-deficient mice. This damping of Ag expression was temporally associated with the emergence of Ag-specific cellular immune responses. A requirement for Fas and the appearance of apoptotic nuclei at the site of vaccine inoculation suggest that T cells induce Fas-mediated apoptosis of plasmid DNA vaccine Ag-expressing cells. These studies demonstrate that high levels of in vivo Ag expression are associated with high-frequency cellular immune responses that in turn rapidly down-regulate vaccine Ag expression in vivo. These findings argue that it may not be possible to maintain persistent, high-level production of vaccine Ag in vivo to drive persistent immune responses as long as vaccine Ag production can be limited by host immune responses.
Bioavailability of antisense oligonucleotides in neuroblastoma cells: comparison of efficacy among different types of molecules.

To evaluate the real effectiveness of various chemical modifications in enhancing the ability of antisense molecules to inhibit gene expression, the toxicity, stability, uptake, and intracellular localization of an identical sequence, synthetized either with a phosphodiester or a phosphorothioate backbone, with or without a cholesteryl moiety linked to the 3‘-end, were compared in three different human neuroblastoma cell lines. The toxicity, assessed by inhibition of cell viability, greatly depend on the presence of the lipid moiety and to a less extent on the cell line used. At high doses all the antisenses caused a necrotic lysis of plasma membranes. Typical features of apoptotic cell death were never observed.The presence of the lipid moiety enhanced the uptake of antisense molecules while the phosphorothioate backbone, as expected, conferred higher stability. At late times, therefore, the combination of lipid conjugation and phosphorothioate backbone seems to be the most effective in obtaining a consistent antisense accumulation inside the cells. The presence of the cholesteryl moiety also caused a stronger association of the antisense to membraneous compartments, so that a quite different biodistribution occurred among the four antisenses tested. However, the actual amount of antisense molecules found inside NB cells was low in all the conditions tested. Only following cellular permeabilization a significant uptake was obtained, making the use of delivery system mandatory to achieve an efficient inhibition of highly expressed genes.
High-resolution imaging of heterogeneous surfaces with multifunctional NSOM

Imaging of surfaces and structures by NSOM has matured and is routinely used for studies ranging from biology to materials science. In the present paper, new developments will be emphasized that have resulted from the incorporation of a new technique for shear force feedback control of the scanning tip. The new technique involves the use of a quartz crystal tuning fork with the microscope, and this provides an open architecture for scanning tips. Thus not only is the normal optical contrast imaging done concurrently with topography imaging with optical fibers, but now one may substitute other tips such as nanoelectrodes for electrochemical imaging of reactive surfaces in concurrence with in-situ topography imaging. The modified instrument is now a multifunctional microscope that has many diverse applications.
Geometrically nonlinear deformation and the emergent behavior of polarons in soft matter.

Mechanical strain can alter the electronic structure of both bulk semiconductors as well as nanostructures such as quantum dots. This fact has been extensively researched and exploited for tailoring electronic properties. The strain mediated interaction between the charge carriers and the lattice is interpreted through the so-called deformation potential. In the case of soft materials or nanostructures, such as DNA, the deformation potential leads to the formation of polarons which largely determine the electronic characteristics of DNA and similar polymer entities. In addition, polarons are also speculated to be responsible for the mechanism of quantum actuation in carbon nanotubes. The deformation potential is usually taken to be a linear function of the lattice deformation (U ∼ αe) where α is the deformation potential “constant” that determines the coupling strength and e is the mechanical strain. In this letter, by carefully accounting for nonlinear geometric deformation that has been hitherto ignored so far in this context, we show that the deformation potential constant is renormalized in a non-trivial manner and is hardly a constant. It varies spatially within the material and with the size of the material. This effect, while negligible for hard materials, is found to be important for soft materials and critically impacts the interpretation of quantities such as polaron size, binding energy, and accordingly, electronic behavior.
Utilization of dichloromethane by suspended and fixed-film bacteria

Dichloromethane (methylene chloride) was biodegraded by and supported growth of suspended and fixed-film bacteria enriched from sewage.
Aggregating low-level features for human action recognition

Recent methods for human action recognition have been effective using increasingly complex, computationally-intensive models and algorithms. There has been growing interest in automated video analysis techniques which can be deployed onto resource-constrained distributed smart camera networks. In this paper, we introduce a multi-stage method for recognizing human actions (e.g., kicking, sitting, waving) that uses the motion patterns of easy-to-compute, low-level image features. Our method is designed for use on resource-constrained devices and can be optimized for real-time performance. In single-view and multi-view experiments, our method achieves 78% and 84% accuracy, respectively, on a publicly available data set.
Assessment of Research Quality of Telehealth Trials in Pain Management: A Meta-Analysis

Although telehealth-based pain management research has grown over the last decade, it is difficult to determine the state of the research because of methodological differences and variability in quality among existing studies. In a previous systematic review, we outlined these differences and preliminarily explored the promise of telehealth for pain intervention. We completed a PRISMA compliant meta-analysis of telehealth pain management research to more precisely describe the state of the research and to uncover gaps in the existing literature that highlight directions for future research. We identified 10 relevant studies completed between 2000 and 2011 including 3 noninferiority and 7 superiority studies. Meta-analysis revealed an overall benefit of telehealth interventions over control conditions and equivalence with in-person intervention. However, some of the reviewed studies found no benefit for telehealth over control conditions. Some methodological concerns among the examined research included poor research quality, small sample sizes, and the examination of telehealth pain interventions without proven efficacy for in-person treatment. Recommendations for future studies are reviewed.
Determination of the average volumetric flow rate in supercritical fluid chromatography

This work reviews and discusses controversies and errors made in the determination of the average volumetric flow rate of a compressible mobile phase forced to flow through a chromatographic column. Proper estimates of the volumetric flow rate, which obviously changes along the column, are keys to understanding the retention mechanism that takes place inside the column and to achieve repeatable and reproducible separations. Each step of the calculation process will be discussed in detail, including how to estimate the variations of the pressure and the temperature along the column. The determination of the average volumetric flow rate requires the knowledge of the average density of the mobile phase and of its mass flow rate. The calculations were carried out under various experimental conditions, including different column temperatures and inlet pressures. The estimated values of the volumetric flow rate are validated by the conversion of the retention times to the retention volumes of nitrous oxide peaks, which is valid since this compound is assumed to be non retained, which makes it a hold-up time marker.
TWO REMARKS ON HEMPEL'S LOGIC OF CONFIRMATION

" (8.1) Any sentence which is entailed by an observation report [henceforth OR] is confirmed by it. "2 " (8.2) If an OR confirms every one of a class K of sentences then it also confirms any sentence which is a logical consequence of K. "3 " (8.3) Every logically consistent OR is logically compatible with the class of all the hypotheses which it confirms. "'4 (8.3) seems to be presented with the aim of substantiating two of its consequences:
The semantics of tense, orientation, and aspect in English

Abstract A strict separation is drawn between semantics and pragmatics in order to define tense, orientation, and aspect as three semantic notions of the verb governed by external speaker viewpoint on real world phenomena. Invariants of grammatical meaning are posited for English simple, progressive, and perfect forms, and it is shown that all forms must be defined by a feature of each semantic notion. Argumentation is given to support the one form/one meaning interpretation of abstract semantic structure, and evidence is provided to suggest that this characterization of semantics allows for a more disciplined approach to the consideration of universal principles in systematic semantics.
Anti-inflammatory dose doxycycline (40 mg controlled-release) confers maximum anti-inflammatory efficacy in rosacea.

Background.Two large clinical trials have recently demonstrated the efficacy of a 40-mg controlled-release formulation of doxycycline in the treatment of rosacea, a dose well below the conventional level of 100 to 200 mg/d. Since no formal dose-response studies have been conducted, the authors analyzed phase 3 data to determine whether a dose-efficacy relationship exists. Methods.Standard parametric regression analyses were used to estimate the correlations between dose (mg/kg body weight) and overall drug exposure (area under the curve [AUC]) in a phase 1 pharmacokinetic study and between dose and efficacy (mean change from baseline in total inflammatory lesion count at week 16) in 2 pooled phase 3 clinical efficacy studies. Additional regressions were run at each visit for the clinical efficacy studies to determine whether results differed across visits. A regression analysis was also performed in a subset of patients who showed a greater efficacy response. Results.We found overall drug exposure (AUC) to have a highly significant correlation with dose (mg/kg) (r=0.49; P=.006). In contrast, clinical efficacy did not correlate with dose at any of the visits at week 3 (r=0.01; P=.85), week 6 (r=0.04; P=.53), week 12 (r<0.01; P=.98), and week 16 (r=0.03; P=.64) or among the subset of patients who showed greater clinical benefit. Conclusions.Higher mg/kg doses led to higher plasma concentrations but did not lead to increased clinical efficacy. Anti-inflammatory dose doxycycline (40-mg controlled-release formulation) conferred peak anti-inflammatory efficacy in the treatment of rosacea. (SKINmed. 2007;6:221–226)
Mediastinal teratoma: A rare cause of severe respiratory distress in the newborn

Abstract An anterior mediastinal mass is a rare cause of severe respiratory distress in the newborn. 1–3 The distinction between the normally large neonatal thymus and a mediastinal tumor may be difficult. This report describes a newborn with severe respiratory distress due to a rapidly enlarging mediastinal teratoma. This enlargement was caused by elements of choroid plexus and enteric cysts secreting large amounts of fluid. As the mass increased in size it caused posterior displacement and compression of the airway. Clues to the diagnosis were present on the plain chest roentgenogram.
Logarithmically slow domain growth in nonrandomly frustrated systems: Ising models with competing interactions.

We study the growth (``coarsening'') of domains following a quench from infinite temperature to a temperature T below the ordering transition. The model we consider is an Ising ferromagnet on a square or cubic lattice with weak next-nearest-neighbor antiferromagnetic (AFM) bonds and single-spin-flip dynamics. The AFM bonds introduce free-energy barriers to coarsening and thus greatly slow the dynamics. In two dimensions, the barriers are independent of the characteristic length scale L(t), and therefore the long-time (t\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}) growth of L(t) still obeys the standard ${\mathit{t}}^{1/2}$ law. However, in three dimensions, a simple physical argument suggests that for quenches below the corner-rounding transition temperature, ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathrm{CR}}$, the barriers are proportional to L(t) and thus grow as the system coarsens. Quenches to T${\mathit{T}}_{\mathrm{CR}}$ should, therefore, lead to L(t)\ensuremath{\sim}ln(t) at long times. Our argument for logarithmic growth rests on the assertion that the mechanism by which the system coarsens involves the creation of a step across a flat interface, which below ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathrm{CR}}$ costs a free energy proportional to its length. We test this assertion numerically in two ways: First, we perform Monte Carlo simulations of the shrinking of a cubic domain of up spins in a larger sea of down spins. These simulations show that, below ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathrm{CR}}$, the time to shrink the domain grows exponentially with the domain size L.This confirms that the free-energy barrier, ${\mathit{F}}_{\mathit{B}}$(L,T), to shrinking the domain is indeed proportional to L. We find excellent agreement between our numerical data and an approximate analytic expression for ${\mathit{F}}_{\mathit{B}}$(L,T). Second, to be sure that the coarsening system cannot somehow find paths around these barriers, we perform Monte Carlo simulations of the coarsening process itself and find strong support for L(t)\ensuremath{\sim}ln(t) at long times. Above ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathrm{CR}}$ the step free energy vanishes and coarsening proceeds via the standard ${\mathit{t}}^{1/2}$ law. Thus, the corner-rounding transition marks the boundary between different growth laws for coarsening in much the same way that the roughening transition separates different regimes of crystal growth. We also find logarithmic coarsening following a quench in a two-dimensional ``tiling'' system, which models the corner-rounding transition of a [111] interface in our three-dimensional model. However, if instead of quenching, we cool the system slowly at a constant rate \ensuremath{\Gamma}, we find the final length scale L to have a power-law dependence on 1/\ensuremath{\Gamma}, i.e., L\ensuremath{\sim}${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1/4}$, in accordance with a theoretical argument. The predictions concerning the dynamics of the tiling model should, in principle, be experimentally testable for a [111] interface of sodium chloride.
Multiple regional differences in cellular properties that regulate repolarization and contraction in the right atrium of adult and newborn dogs.

Recent studies of isolated cardiac myocytes have generated the need for detailed information about regional electrophysiological differences in the atrium. We measured the spatial distribution of action potentials in adult and newborn canine right atria. Multiple regional differences in action potential shape and duration were found. The multiple regional differences produced an overall simple pattern: the longest action potentials occurred in the area of the sinus node, and the action potential duration decreased with increasing distance from the sinus node area. To account for the overall pattern, we tested factors considered important in causing atrial action potential shape differences (e.g., electronic interactions). None of the factors tested accounted for the regional differences. We then found regional differences in the responses to pauses, which suggested that differences in the properties of individual cells accounted for the regional repolarization differences. If so, genetic regulation of the regional differences may produce the overall pattern on a developmental basis. Experiments in newborn atria showed that only in the upper crista was the spatial pattern similar to that of the adult; there was little variability in action potential shape and duration in the other areas. As a further test for associated regional differences in cell properties, we examined for differences in the isoform expression of troponin T (TnT1, TnT2, TnT3, and TnT4), a protein important in excitation-contraction coupling. In adults, the greatest proportion of TnT1 occurred in the area of the sinus node, and its proportion decreased with increasing distance from the sinus node area in association with a relative increase in the proportion of TnT2. In newborn atria the relative amount of TnT1 was greatest in the upper crista (similar to adult), but little difference was found in the distribution of the isoforms in the other regions. The correspondence between the regional differences in repolarization and in the expression of the troponin T isoforms in adult and newborn atria suggests that 1) cellular ionic mechanisms vary regionally to coordinate differences in action potential configuration with differences in cell properties that regulate contractility and 2) genetic expression of the systems that regulate repolarization and mechanical cellular properties are under similar developmental and regional control.
Real-time heads-up display detection in video

Video from surveillance cameras, aerial sensors, video games, and other sources may occasionally contain text, heads-up displays (HUDs), lens debris, or other artifacts superimposed on top of some scene. In standard video processing pipelines, the early detection and filtering of these image-plane aligned obstructions can be helpful for improving the accuracy of later operations, such as video stabilization, tracking, or object recognition. This paper presents one such technique to automatically accomplish this, which first extracts various pixel-level features which jointly take into account local spatiotemporal variations around each pixel. Features extracted from multiple frames are then utilized by a novel classification system to determine if any obstructions are present and, if possible, to categorize them into known types. Experimental results show promising performance on a variety of different categories of HUD, in addition to other types of on-screen display.
The definition and classification of hydrocephalus: a personal recommendation to stimulate debate

The aim of this review is to refine the definition and classification of hydrocephalus as a preview to developing an international consensus on the nomenclature of this complex condition. This proposed definition and classification is based on my own work in this area and is intended to promote a debate on the concepts presented. A literature review of contemporary definitions and classifications of hydrocephalus, and of the historic context in which these concepts developed, is presented. Based on new technology and understanding of hydrocephalus, the rationale for nomenclature is also discussed. Currently, there is no recognized definition of hydrocephalus. The failure to agree on a working definition impedes progress in understanding the pathophysiology and treatment of hydrocephalus. There are many proposed classifications, each with its own starting point in terms of the definition of the condition. This author recommends that the following definition be used as a starting point to develop a consensus statement defining hydrocephalus: "Hydrocephalus is an active distension of the ventricular system of the brain resulting from inadequate passage of cerebrospinal fluid from its point of production within the cerebral ventricles to its point of absorption into the systemic circulation." Such a definition can be used to develop a rational classification consistent with observations from contemporary neuroimaging and can lead to testable hypotheses. It is concluded that hydrocephalus is a complicated neurologic disorder with many causes and methods of treatment. Clinicians and basic scientists must agree on a working definition of the condition to be able to interpret results from different investigators. Reaching a consensus on a working definition and functional classification should be a high priority for researchers in this field.
Presynaptic depolarization of corticofugal fibres participating in a feedback loop between trigeminal brain stem nuclei and sensorimotor cortex.

PRESYNAPTIC depolarization of trigeminal afferent fibres evoked by stimulation of the cerebral cortex has been demonstrated in the trigeminal brain stem nuclei1 and presumably represents a pathway for modification of afferent input from the face and mouth. Anatomical studies2 have indicated that corticofugal fibres project directly to these nuclei, and ultrastructural evidence3 of axoaxonal synapses in the trigeminal main sensory nucleus (MSN) suggests that there are reciprocal synaptic relationships between trigeminal afferent and corticofugal fibres. In the light of this knowledge we carried out a study designed to demonstrate presynaptic depolarization of corticofugal fibres by trigeminal afferent fibre stimulation. While studying the orthodromic and antidromic responses of cortical cells in the face area of the sensorimotor cortex, we found a fast feedback pathway between trigeminal brain stem nuclei and the cerebral cortex.
Odour thresholds and similarity ratings of some potato chip components

Odour thresholds of the major components found in steam-volatile potato-chip oil were determined in water and in vegetable oil. From these values and the relative percentages of the components in the extracted oil, a figure for relative odour intensity of each compound in vegetable oil was calculated. These values, together with odour similarity ratings of the compounds and fresh potato chips, indicate that 3-methylmercaptopropanal (methional) is probably one of the most important contributors to potato-chip aroma. Other compounds that may contribute in varying degrees include deca-2,4-dienal, 2-ethyl-3,6-dimethyl-pyrazine, 2-acetyl-1,4,5,6-tetrahydropyridine, 2,6-diethylpyrazine, 2-octenal and 2-phenylacetaldehyde.
Singlet and triplet channels for triplet-exciton fusion in anthracene crystals

Abstract Magnetic behavior of triplet excition fusion in anthracene crystals shows: fusion via the triplet channel is field independent: 0.22 ± 0.01 of the fusions produce singlets; and the electronic fusion matrix elements via singlet and triplet channels are approximately equal.
Feasibility of Using Ultra-High Field (7 T) MRI for Clinical Surgical Targeting

The advantages of ultra-high magnetic field (7 Tesla) MRI for basic science research and neuroscience applications have proven invaluable. Structural and functional MR images of the human brain acquired at 7 T exhibit rich information content with potential utility for clinical applications. However, (1) substantial increases in susceptibility artifacts, and (2) geometrical distortions at 7 T would be detrimental for stereotactic surgeries such as deep brain stimulation (DBS), which typically use 1.5 T images for surgical planning. Here, we explore whether these issues can be addressed, making feasible the use of 7 T MRI to guide surgical planning. Twelve patients with Parkinson's disease, candidates for DBS, were scanned on a standard clinical 1.5 T MRI and a 7 T MRI scanner. Qualitative and quantitative assessments of global and regional distortion were evaluated based on anatomical landmarks and transformation matrix values. Our analyses show that distances between identical landmarks on 1.5 T vs. 7 T, in the mid-brain region, were less than one voxel, indicating a successful co-registration between the 1.5 T and 7 T images under these specific imaging parameter sets. On regional analysis, the central part of the brain showed minimal distortion, while inferior and frontal areas exhibited larger distortion due to proximity to air-filled cavities. We conclude that 7 T MR images of the central brain regions have comparable distortions to that observed on a 1.5 T MRI, and that clinical applications targeting structures such as the STN, are feasible with information-rich 7 T imaging.
Efficient photon echoes in optically thick media

We present the results of analytical and numerical calculations of the amplitude and temporal shape of photon echoes produced in optically thick absorbing media. In particular, we are interested in echo output signals that mimic the temporal shape of one of the input pulses (the data pulse). Echo recall efficiencies of temporally structured data pulses exceeding unity can be obtained in optically thick media while preserving the information content of the data pulse. We find that the relationship between the maximum echo efficiency and the Beer's length at which that maximum is attained is nearly linear. This linear relation holds well beyond the optimal absorption length predicted by linear theory for both two-pulse photon echoes and three-pulse stimulated photon echoes. These results have significance in the development of optical coherent transient memory and processing systems, where previous calculations predicted recall efficiencies of only a few percent.
Delta protein kinase-C in the rat ovary: estrogen regulation and localization

The present studies were undertaken to examine the cellular distribution and regulation of delta protein kinase-C (PKC) at different stages of luteal differentiation in the rat. Results from in situ hybridization studies with a delta PKC-specific probe demonstrated that delta PKC was localized specifically in granulosa cells of healthy preantral, small antral, and preovulatory follicles and corpora lutea from the second half of pregnancy. Northern and Western blot analyses showed that levels of delta PKC protein and messenger RNA were elevated 25- and 35-fold, respectively, in the second half of pregnancy over levels in preovulatory follicle-enriched ovaries, peaking between days 18-20 of pregnancy. Levels of alpha PKC, beta PKC, and zeta PKC remained unchanged during luteal differentiation. In rats hypophysectomized and hysterectomized on day 12 of pregnancy and in immature rats containing corpora lutea induced with PMSG followed by hCG injections, exogenous estrogen caused 3- and 7-fold increases in delta PKC protein, respectively. In the immature rat model, delta PKC messenger RNA levels were not altered by exogenous estrogen. Although exogenous testosterone also elevated delta PKC protein levels, exogenous dihydrotestosterone and progesterone were ineffective. These results suggest that estrogen may participate, at a posttranscriptional level, in the dramatic induction of delta PKC seen at the end of pregnancy in rat corpora lutea.
Tolerance and Withdrawal in the DSM-III-R Diagnosis of Substance Dependence

Proposed DSM-IV revisions to psychoactive substance dependence include emphasizing the physiological symptoms of tolerance and withdrawal by requiring the presence of either symptom to diagnose psychoactive substance dependence or by subtyping the diagnosis according to presence or absence of physiological symptoms. This article is an empirical evaluation of the tolerance and withdrawal criteria in a sample of 399 cocaine abusers. The required use of tolerance or withdrawal to make a dependence diagnosis had a comparatively small impact on rates of diagnosis because most of the subjects who meet DSM-III-R criteria for dependence report tolerance as one of their symptoms. In contrast, withdrawal or withdrawal avoidance are reported by a much smaller number. Compared with other DSM-III-R dependence syndrome criteria, tolerance and withdrawal showed no superiority in test-retest agreement, concurrent validity, or predictive validity.
The effects of mercuric chloride on transport by brush border and basolateral membrane vesicles isolated from rat kidney

Abstract Both brush border and basolateral membrane vesicles were prepared from rat kidney by Percoll gradient centrifugation. The addition of mercuric chloride (100 n m ) to vesicles prepared from healthy, male, Sprague-Dawley rats reduced p -aminohippurate (PAH) transport by basolateral vesicles. No effect was observed on glucose transport by brush border vesicles even at mercuric chloride concentrations as high as 10 μ m . However, when the metal salt was added in the presence of 5% bovine serum albumin, basolateral PAH transport was unaffected. Transport studies also were done with vesicles isolated from rats pretreated with mercuric chloride (4 mg/kg, sc). Transport of PAH was unaffected at all times studied. Glucose transport was unaffected at 1 and 3 hr, but at 16 hr was reduced significantly. By 48 hr, brush border glucose transport had recovered. These data demonstrate that mercuric chloride can alter renal membrane function, and that the effects depend on the membrane vesicle population used. With pretreatment studies, the time after treatment also influences whether or not an effect is seen.
Authentication Using Session Based Passwords

Abstract A very severe issue in today's computing world is the ‘ACCESS’ to an authenticated user. The most common and popularauthentication mechanism is to use alphanumerical usernames and passwords including special characters and digits. But, textual passwords are most of the time prone to dictionary attacks, shoulder surfing, etc. Hence, graphical passwords have been introducedin this paper as an alternative to authentication schemes. Though the graphical password schemes help in generating more userfriendly passwords, they are still vulnerable to shoulder surfing. To address this issue, text along with images can be combined togenerate more secured passwords. Session passwords, as the name suggests can only be entered once and then, a new password isgenerated for the next session; thereby making the authentication process much stronger.
Synergistic effects of muscarinic agonists and secretin or vasoactive intestinal peptide on the regulation of tyrosine hydroxylase activity in sympathetic neurons.

Cholinergic agonists and certain peptides of the glucagon-secretin family acutely increase tyrosine hydroxylase activity in the superior cervical ganglion in vitro. The present study was designed to investigate possible interactions between these two classes of agonists in regulating catecholamine biosynthesis. Synergistic effects were found between carbachol and either secretin or vasoactive intestinal peptide in the regulation of DOPA (dihydroxyphenylalanine) synthesis. In addition, synergism was found at the level of the accumulation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate, the likely second messenger in the peptidergic regulation of tyrosine hydroxylase activity. The synergism seen with carbachol was blocked by a muscarinic, but not by a nicotinic, antagonist. Synergism was also found between bethanechol, a muscarinic agonist, and secretin, but not between secretin and dimethylphenylpiperazinium, a nicotinic agonist. Since previous immunohistochemical results suggest that vasoactive intestinal peptide and acetylcholine are colocalized in some preganglionic sympathetic neurons, the present data raise the possibility that the two might act synergistically in vivo in regulating catecholamine biosynthesis. Synergistic postsynaptic actions may be a common feature at synapses where peptides of the secretin-glucagon and acetylcholine are colocalized.
Ozone precursor levels and responses to emissions reductions: Analysis of regional oxidant model results

Abstract An analysis of results from the Regional Oxidant Modeling for Northeast Transport (ROMNET) study ( U.S. EPA, 1991 , EPA-450/4-91-002a) has investigated the chemical conditions under which air quality was predicted to improve with reductions in ROG and/or NOξ emissions, or with changes in the composition of ROG emissions. The ROMNET simulations used emissions projected to the year 2005, with meteorological conditions from July 1988. Predicted concentrations of PAN, HNO3, H2O2 and HCHO are shown along with O3 for the 2005 base case, allowing limited comparisons to be made with field observations and results from other modeling studies. Predicted secondary pollutant concentrations indicate an unusual degree of photochemical activity over much of the model domain, directionally consistent with the extreme nature of the July 1988 episode. Reducing NOξ emissions was predicted to reduce O3 in grid cells in which reactive nitrogen (NOy) concentrations were below about 25 ppb, but to be counterproductive for some cells with higher NOy. The New York City area where NOξ control was predicted to be counterproductive was characterized by very high NOξ to NOy ratios. Ozone was relatively insensitive to ROG controls in grid cells with NOy concentrations below 5–10 ppb. Comparison of unweighted ROG concentrations with concentrations weighted by HO rate constants (i.e. reactivity) showed that the latter varied less across locations. Predicted spatial gradients of NOy were generally sharper than those of reactivity-weighted ROG, supporting a dominant role for variations in NOy in controlling the sensitivity of ozone to its precursors. Reductions in reactivity-weighted ROG achieved with composition changes were similar to reductions achieved with ROG emissions cuts, explaining the similar response of ozone to these two control strategies.
Endocrine control of Na-K-ATPase and seawater adaptation in Anguilla rostrata

Abstract Cortisol induces a rise in the specific activity of Na-K-ATPase in gill filaments and intestinal mucosa of freshwater eels ( Anguilla rostrata ), resembling the changes produced by adaptation to seawater. The ventral surface of freshwater eels injected with 400 μg of cortisol/100 g/day for more than 7–10 days loses its yellow coloration and turns silver, reminiscent of the silver hue of eels spontaneously migrating to the sea. Freshwater eels prepared by 10 days of cortisol injections withstand sudden transfer to full-strength seawater without preliminary residence in 50% seawater, and their plasma chloride does not rise as high as that of control eels abruptly transferred to 100% seawater. The data indicate that cortisol induces a series of changes in freshwater eels, including a rise in Na-K-ATPase of gill and intestine, that successfully prepares these euryhaline teleosts to combat the osmotic stress of migration to seawater.
Time Series Separation and Reconstruction Technique to Estimate Daily Suspended Sediment Concentrations

AbstractHigh suspended sediment concentrations (SSCs) from natural and anthropogenic sources are responsible for biological impairments of many streams, rivers, lakes, and estuaries, but techniques to estimate sediment concentrations or loads accurately at the daily temporal resolution are not available. This paper presents a time series separation and reconstruction technique (TSSR) that separates time series data (e.g., streamflow or SSC series) into two components: magnitude or duration curve and time sequence or simply sequence as referred throughout this paper. This technique uses only magnitude to estimate sediment rating curves (SRCs) and sediment duration curves (SDCs) and uses both components to estimate daily SSC series for gauged and ungauged sites. Nash-Sutcliffe model efficiency between observed and TSSR estimated SDCs for study watersheds ranged from 0.89 to 0.99. For two selected gauged sites, model efficiencies between observed and TSSR estimated SSC series were 0.96 and 0.98, and for two ...