cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract WP25: Gender Disparity in Mechanical Thrombectomy Outcomes: The Role of Arterial Caliber

Introduction: Despite level 1a evidence demonstrating the clinical benefit of mechanical thrombectomy in selected large vessel ischemic stroke patients, a gender disparity exists. Women not only have less favorable clinical outcomes after all stroke types, but the causes of this disparity remain elusive. Gender differences in cerebral vascular anatomy have been previously published. We hypothesize that differences in circle of Willis diameters may contribute to the gender disparity seen in clinical outcomes after mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke. Methods: Clinical and radiographic data from a consecutive series undergoing mechanical thrombectomy for anterior circulation large vessel ischemic strokes were reviewed. Measurements of the proximal middle cerebral artery (M1) segment and supraclinoid internal carotid artery (ICA) diameters were obtained in a standardized fashion from the thrombectomy procedure angiogram. All M1 measurements were recorded at 3 mm of the vessel origin while ICA measurements were taken 3 mm proximal to the ICA terminus. Covariates included age, occlusion location, vascular risk factors, admission NIHSS score and final TICI grade. Modified Rankin score (mRS) at 90 days was the dependent variable. Variable significance between male and female cohorts was determined using student T-Tests. Multivariate regression analysis was also performed. Results: Ninety-four patients (41 female) between 6/2013 and 6/2016 fit the inclusion criteria. ICA terminus measurements for men and women were 3.07 mm (SD=0.46) and 2.88 mm (SD=0.47), respectively. M1 origin measurements for men and women were 2.46 mm (SD=0.31) and 2.21 mm (SD=0.37), respectively. Male ICA terminus and M1 origin measurements were larger than female (p = 0.05 and p Conclusions: Our single center series suggests that differences in intracranial vessel diameter may contribute to the gender disparity in outcomes after mechanical thrombectomy. Smaller circle of Willis arterial diameters may compromise collateral blood flow and increase the difficulty in achieving sufficient reperfusion.
A Comparison of Optical, Electrochemical, Magnetic, and Colorimetric Point-of-Care Biosensors for Infectious Disease Diagnosis

Each year, infectious diseases are responsible for millions of deaths, most of which occur in the rural areas of developing countries. Many of the infectious disease diagnostic tools used today require a great deal of time, a laboratory setting, and trained personnel. Due to this, the need for effective point-of-care (POC) diagnostic tools is greatly increasing with an emphasis on affordability, portability, sensitivity, specificity, timeliness, and ease of use. In this Review, we discuss the various diagnostic modalities that have been utilized toward this end and are being further developed to create POC diagnostic technologies, and we focus on potential effectiveness in resource-limited settings. The main modalities discussed herein are optical-, electrochemical-, magnetic-, and colorimetric-based modalities utilized in diagnostic technologies for infectious diseases. Each of these modalities feature pros and cons when considering application in POC settings but, overall, reveal a promising outlook for...
Screening for autoimmune thyroiditis and celiac disease in minority children with type 1 diabetes.

Background Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) and celiac disease (CD) are commonly associated with type 1 diabetes (T1DM). There is no consensus on screening, however, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) recommend testing for thyroid function (TFT), thyroid antibodies and anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies (TTG) IgA soon after diagnosis. TFT should be repeated every 1-2 years while TTG IgA should be tested for within 2 and 5 years. We hypothesize that the rate of HT and CD in our T1DM children is lower, so screening may need to be revised to reflect their underlying risk. Methods An Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved retrospective chart review was conducted on children with T1DM in the past 10 years. Age, sex, race, A1C, TFT, thyroid and celiac antibodies were obtained. t-Tests, the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test and stepwise regression were performed. Results Of 222 children with T1DM, with a mean age of 15.8±5.53 years, followed for 6.1±4.0 years, 53% female, mean A1C 11.1±1.9% and 87% African American (AA). Three had Graves' disease (1.3%), three had HT (1.3%) and 97% were euthyroid. TFT were assessed on average every 1.3 years and thyroid antibodies every 2.5 years. Positive thyroid antibody was found in 11%, negative in 57% and unknown in 32%. The positive antibody group had higher mean A1C and TSH. No biopsy confirmed cases of CD (0%) were found when screened every 2.3 years. Conclusions The number of individuals who screened positive for hypothyroid HT and CD was lower than expected in our population. Further studies are needed to assess the optimal screening frequency for HT and CD in minority children with T1DM.
A Framework for Social Entrepreneurship Education: Linking Research and Teaching

The field of social entrepreneurship has emerged as an important platform to offer innovative solutions to social problems globally. While the education sector is recognizing the importance of soci...
Women Leaders and Narratives: The Power of Reflecting on Purpose and Career

This qualitative study explored ten women leaders’ perspectives about the processes associated with constructing their leadership and purpose stories or narratives. The study participants first wrote, and then talked about their stories in a semi-structured interview. An overarching theme emerged from the data - narrative sharing was a challenging, yet beneficial process for the participants. Three sub-themes also emerged from the collective narratives. First, the process of reflection helped women identify times when their actions and decisions were purposeful, even though they may not have recognized it at the time. Second, reflection on purpose led participants to a clearer identification and articulation of leadership philosophy. Third, citing that sharing their narratives helped them identify times of leadership authenticity, participants indicated they intended to use similar practices to make current and future leadership/career decisions. Recommendations are included for organizations, educational institutions, and individuals who are interested in using narrative sharing as a leadership development tool.
Thermal-hydraulic analyses of MIT reactor LEU transition cycles

Abstract The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Reactor (MITR) is a research reactor in Cambridge, Massachusetts designed primarily for experiments using neutron beam and in-core irradiation facilities. In the framework of non-proliferation policy, research and test reactors have started a program to convert highly enriched uranium (HEU) fuel to low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel. A new type of LEU fuel based on a high-density alloy of uranium and molybdenum (U-10Mo) is expected to allow conversion. A transition core plan, from 22 fresh LEU fuel elements to 24 in an equilibrium state, is proposed. This study evaluates the thermal-hydraulic safety margins of each transition cycle and state (i.e. beginning, middle and end). The STAT7 and RELAP5 codes are used in the study. STAT7 provides an integrated platform for statistical propagation of uncertainties in determining steady-state thermal-hydraulic margins. A RELAP5 model was created to verify MITR's STAT7 model, and provide transient analyses. The steady-state analyses determined that, during the entire transition from a fresh to equilibrium core, the Limiting System Safety Settings (LSSS) has a 10.2% margin to the minimum power at which onset of nucleate boiling (ONB) is precluded at 3 σ confidence. The loss of flow (LOF) transient, which is the most limiting anticipated transient for the MITR, was simulated. With a conservative initial state of the reactor (operating at μ + 3 σ power level and LSSS mass flow rate), the maximum calculated centerline fuel temperature was 115 °C, which is a significantly lower value than the blistering limit of 350 °C. The cladding wall temperatures did not exceed the ONB temperature throughout the transient. Therefore, during LOF, no nucleate boiling is expected, precluding any critical heat flux trigger. This study indicates that the proposed LEU transition core specifications have significant margin to thermal-hydraulic limits, during steady-state operation and the LOF transient.
A thematic mapping method to assess and analyze potential urban hazards and risks caused by flooding

Abstract About 30% of the total global economic loss inflicted by natural hazards is caused by flooding. Among them, the most serious situation is urban flooding. Urban impervious surface enhances storm runoff and overwhelms the drainage capacity of the storm sewer system, while the urban socioeconomic characteristics most often exacerbate them even more vulnerable to urban flooding impacts. Currently, there is still a significant knowledge gap of comparable assessment and understanding of minority's and non-minority's vulnerability. Therefore, this study designs a quantitative thematic mapping method–location quotient (LQ), using Birmingham, Alabama, USA as the study area. Urban residents' vulnerability to flooding is then analyzed demographically using LQ with census data. Comparing with the widely used social vulnerability index (SVI), LQ is more robust, which not only provides more detailed measurements of both the minority's and the White's vulnerability, but also shows a direct comparison for all populations with finer information about their potential spatial risk assessment. Although SVI showed the Shades Creek is the most vulnerable area with a SVI value above 0.75, only 228 Hispanic people and 2290 African-American live there that is not a significant aggregation of minorities in Birmingham; however, a total White population 12,872 is identified by LQ with a significant aggregation in the Shades Creek. Overall, LQ suggests that the White populations are highly and significantly concentrated in the flood areas, while SVI never considered the White as vulnerable. LQ further indicates that the concentration of minorities (i.e., 88,895) and vulnerable houses (i.e., 26,235) are much higher compared to the numbers of the minorities and houses indicated by SVI, which are only 11,772 and 8323, respectively. The LQ based thematic mapping, as a promising method for vulnerability assessment of urban hazards and risks, can make a significant contribution to hazard management efforts to reduce urban vulnerability and hence enhance urban resilience to hazards in the future.
Chemotropism among populations of yeast cells with spatiotemporal resolution in a biofabricated microfluidic platform.

Chemotropism is an essential response of organisms to external chemical gradients that direct the growth of cells toward the gradient source. Chemotropic responses between single cells have been studied using in vitro gradients of synthetically derived signaling molecules and helped to develop a better understanding of chemotropism in multiple organisms. However, dynamic changes including spatial changes to the gradient as well as fluctuations in levels of cell generated signaling molecules can result in the redirection of chemotropic responses, which can be difficult to model with synthetic peptides and single cells. An experimental system that brings together populations of cells to monitor the population-scale chemotropic responses yet retain single cell spatiotemporal resolution would be useful to further inform on models of chemotropism. Here, we describe a microfluidic platform that can measure the chemotropic response between populations of mating yeast A- and α-cells with spatiotemporal programmability and sensitivity by positioning cell populations side by side in calcium alginate hydrogels along semipermeable membranes with micrometer spatial control. The mating phenotypes of the yeast populations were clearly observed over hours. Three distinct responses were observed depending on the distance between the A- and α-cell populations: the cells either continued to divide, arrest, and develop a stereotypical polarized projection termed a “shmoo” toward the cells of opposite mating type or formed shmoos in random directions. The results from our studies of yeast mating suggest that the biofabricated microfluidic platform can be adopted to study population-scale, spatial-sensitive cell–cell signaling behaviors that would be challenging using conventional approaches.
A Look at Geographic Differences in Income and Cost of Living

We explore the relationship between income and cost of living, two key components of regional economic well-being. Our premise is that if high-income (or low-income) areas are also high-cost (or lo...
Real-time prediction of Bitcoin bubble crashes

Abstract In the past decade, Bitcoin as an emerging asset class has gained widespread public attention because of their extraordinary returns in phases of extreme price growth and their unpredictable massive crashes. We apply the log-periodic power law singularity (LPPLS) confidence indicator as a diagnostic tool for identifying bubbles using the daily data on Bitcoin price in the past two years. We find that the LPPLS confidence indicator based on the daily Bitcoin price data fails to provide effective warnings for detecting the bubbles when the Bitcoin price suffers from a large fluctuation in a short time, especially for positive bubbles. In order to diagnose the existence of bubbles and accurately predict the bubble crashes in the cryptocurrency market, this study proposes an adaptive multilevel time series detection methodology based on the LPPLS model and a finer (than daily) timescale for the Bitcoin price data. We adopt two levels of time series, 1 h and 30 min, to demonstrate the adaptive multilevel time series detection methodology. The results show that the LPPLS confidence indicator based on this new method is an outstanding instrument to effectively detect the bubbles and accurately forecast the bubble crashes, even if a bubble exists in a short time. In addition, we discover that the short-term LPPLS confidence indicator being highly sensitive to the extreme fluctuations of Bitcoin price can provide some useful insights into the bubble status on a shorter time scale – on a day to week scale, while the long-term LPPLS confidence indicator has a stable performance in terms of effectively monitoring the bubble status on a longer time scale – on a week to month scale. The adaptive multilevel time series detection methodology can provide real-time detection of bubbles and advanced forecast of crashes to warn of the imminent risk in not only the cryptocurrency market but also other financial markets.
Conclusion and Further Thoughts

The conclusion chapter not only summarizes the main results of the research conducted for this book but also connects the events and discussions between the 1960s and 1980s to later political developments. It shows striking ideational and institutional continuity and reveals a substantial character of European integration: by relying on powerful political framings and discourses, as well as on sturdy institutions, the European Community/Union was able to move into areas that were not sanctioned by the treaties. The chapter further argues that to stay relevant, the EU research policy must be capable of breaking with the past and dramatically expand its mission to embrace the social and environmental challenges of the twenty-first century. In fact, with the existential threat of climate change and other global challenges, and the urgent need for socio-technological transformation at scale, opportunities and imperatives for European level activity in research might be greater than ever.
Liver and Gastrointestinal Involvement

Early diagnosis of AL amyloidosis and appreciation of the nutritional and coagulation abnormalities associated with liver and gastrointestinal involvement are critically important in the treatment and management. In cases of severe malabsorption total parenteral nutrition can be extremely helpful as a bridge to organ improvement. Rarely the use of antifibrinolytic agents such as oral aminocaproic acid with transfusion support may control severe bleeding in patients with coagulation abnormalities. It is important to keep in mind that organ improvement should follow in lag phase after the reduction in the pathologic free light chain with treatment. Closely following light chain levels may permit brief holidays from treatment and enable periods of recovery before resuming therapy in patients with prompt early and deep hematologic responses.
Beyond lowest order mean-field theory for light interacting with atom arrays

Results from higher order mean-field calculations of light interacting with atom arrays are presented for calculations of one- and two-time expectation values. The atoms are approximated as two levels and are fixed in space. Calculations were performed for mean-field approximations that include the expectation value of one operator (mean field), two operators (mean field 2), and three operators (mean field 3). For the one-time expectation values, we examined three different situations to understand the convergence with increasing order of mean field and some limitations of higher order mean-field approximations. As a representation of a two-time expectation value, we calculated the ${g}^{(2)}(\ensuremath{\tau})$ for a line of atoms illuminated by a perpendicular plane wave at several emission angles and two different intensities. For many cases, the mean field 2 will be sufficiently accurate to quantitatively predict the response of the atoms as measured by one-time expectation values. However, the mean-field-3 approximation will often be needed for two-time expectation values.
Abstract 753: Associations of inflammatory bowel disease and subsequent cancers in the United States elderly population

Introduction: The risk for cancer may be elevated in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) due to chronic inflammation caused by IBD and/or immunosuppressive treatments. A comprehensive investigation of cancer as a complication of IBD in elderly patients is needed, as this population has a high background risk of cancer and are underrepresented in IBD studies. Methods: We performed a case-control study using Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results-Medicare linked data. Cancer cases (N=1,986,735) included all patients aged 66-99 with a first invasive neoplasm diagnosed in 1992-2015. Cancer-free controls (N=200,000) were randomly selected from Medicare and matched by sex, age, and selection year. Medicare claims containing ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn9s disease (CD) diagnosis codes occurring at least one year prior to selection were used to identify IBD patients. We estimated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) with logistic regression, adjusting for the matching factors, race, and the average number of physician visits per year. A Bonferroni-corrected threshold of significance was defined as p Results: IBD, CD, and UC were present in 0.80%, 0.33%, and 0.53% of cancer cases and in 0.76%, 0.30%, and 0.52% of controls, respectively. Out of 52 cancers examined, IBD was significantly associated with cancers of the small intestine (OR=2.53; 95% CI=2.14-2.99), intrahepatic (1.93; 1.48-2.52) and extrahepatic bile ducts (1.73; 1.37-2.19), rectum (1.67; 1.43-1.94), colon (1.20; 1.10-1.31), and lung (1.14; 1.07-1.23). For hematological malignancies, IBD was significantly associated with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) (OR=1.45; 95% CI=1.28-1.65) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) (1.28; 1.13-1.46). An inverse association was observed for IBD and cancer of the uterus (0.72; 0.62-0.83). CD was associated with cancers of the small intestine (OR= 4.21; 95% CI= 3.40-5.22), myelodysplastic syndrome (1.74; 1.44-2.11), rectum (1.60; 1.1.26-2.03), and lung (1.29; 1.16-1.43) and. UC was associated with cancers of the gastrointestinal system: intrahepatic bile ducts (1.94; 1.41-2.67), rectum (1.88; 1.57-2.25), and colon (1.38; 1.25-1.53). Conclusions: Our large population-based analysis evaluating a comprehensive range of cancers found IBD significantly associated with increased risk for cancers of the small intestine, biliary tract, colorectum, and lung. IBD was also associated with DLBCL and MDS. Positive associations with IBD and cancers of the gastrointestinal system may reflect complications of chronic inflammation, while associations with DLBCL and MDS may reflect the effect of immunosuppressive medications. Citation Format: Jeanny Wang, Monica D9Arcy, Eric Engels, Minkyo Song. Associations of inflammatory bowel disease and subsequent cancers in the United States elderly population [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 753.
[Σ, a]-Domains

In this section we consider a generalization of the classical notion of a Riemann domain (or manifold space over ℂn). In our case, the complex space ℂn is replaced by the space Σ of a given system [Σ, a].
Galectin-3 deficiency exacerbates hyperglycemia and the endothelial response to diabetes

Diabetes promotes maladaptive changes in the endothelium that lead to its dysfunction and contribute to the vascular pathology of diabetes. We have previously reported the up-regulation of galectin-3, a β-galactoside-binding lectin, in the endothelium and sera of diabetic mice, implicating this molecule in diabetic vasculopathy and suggesting its potential as a biomarker of the disease. Therefore, we sought to assess the role of galectin-3 in the vascular pathology of diabetes. Galectin-3 knockout mice (KO) and wild-type mice (WT) were fed either a high-fat diet (HFD) (60 % fat calories) to produce insulin resistant diabetes, or standard chow (12 % fat calories), and their metabolic and endothelial responses were measured. After 8 weeks, the aortic and skeletal muscle endothelia were isolated by fluorescence sorting of CD105+/CD45− cells and comprehensive transcriptional analyses were performed. Transcripts differentially dysregulated by HFD in KO endothelium compared to WT were confirmed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR, and protein expression was determined by immunofluorescence of aortic and muscle tissue. Ingenuity® Pathway Analysis was used to identify pathways up-regulated by HFD in the KO, such as the coagulation cascade, and measurements of blood clotting activity were performed to confirm these results. KO mice exhibit greater hyperglycemia and impaired glucose tolerance but lower insulin levels on HFD compared to WT. KO mice demonstrate a more robust transcriptional response to HFD in the vascular endothelium compared to WT. Transcripts dysregulated in the KO endothelium after HFD are involved in glucose uptake and insulin signaling, vasoregulation, coagulation, and atherogenesis. One of the most down-regulated transcripts in the endothelium of the KO after HFD was the glucose transporter, Glut4/Slc2a4. GLUT4 immunofluorescence confirmed lower protein abundance in the endothelium and muscle of the HFD-fed KO. Prothrombin time was decreased in the diabetic KO indicating increased coagulation activity. Galectin-3 deficiency leads to exacerbated metabolic derangement and endothelial dysfunction. The impaired tissue uptake of glucose in KO mice can be attributed to the reduced expression of GLUT4. Enhanced coagulation activity in the diabetic KO suggests a protective role for galectin-3 against thrombosis. These studies demonstrate that galectin-3 deficiency contributes both to the pathogenesis of diabetes and the associated vasculopathy.
Rate-distortion optimal joint macroblock mode selection and motion estimation for MPEG-like video coders

Rate-distortion optimization can significantly improve encoder performance in MPEG-like video coding applications especially when it is applied to coding mode selection and motion estimation. Nevertheless, it is not easy to implement rate-distortion optimization in real-time video encoders because of its prohibitive computational cost. In this paper, we propose a joint macroblock mode selection and motion estimation by employing a computationally-efficient, yet highly-effective rate-distortion model. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm provides significant PSNR improvements with a small increase in overall computational load over the TM5-based encoder.
Optimal design of stable haptic interfaces

Haptic interfaces are used to permit interaction between virtual and real environments. They permit for example a human to interact with the environment by simulating the sense of touch by generating force feedback. All existing haptic interfaces, however, generate instabilities because of inadequate attention to intersample behavior. In this paper, we present a new approach to reduce instability in haptic interfaces caused by intersample behavior. The approach calls for an optimization based approach that seeks to minimize the cumulative mean square error between the desired analog force feedback and the discrete input actually generated, at selected intersample instants.
The Closure of the 'Gold Window': From 'Camera-Eye' to 'Brain-Screen'

This essay explores the correspondence between cinema and money through an investigation of what I call the 'financialization of the image.' Drawing from the tradition of psychoanalytic film criticism and the cinematic ontology of Gilles Deleuze, it argues that the 'camera-eye' and the 'brain-screen' are distinct modes of organizing cinematic perception in capital. Furthermore, it argues that Gilles Deleuze's understanding of the brain-screen is the most adequate mode of thinking of the organization of subjective vision within control societies and the financialization of life itself.
Statutory Construction and the Kaye, Scholer Freeze Order

This paper conducts a comprehensive analysis of the validity of the assertion by the Office of Thrift Supervision of statutory authority, pursuant to its enforcement powers under Section 8 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, 12 U.S.C. Section 1818, to freeze the assets of an entire law firm. A thorough examination of the language, structure, and legislative history of the statutory provisions in question reveals that the agency's aggressive tactics were utterly without statutory authorization and, in fact, flew in the face of statutory requirements for asset freezes that Congress had elsewhere enacted.
Three-band transport and cyclotron resonance in alpha -Sn and alpha -Sn1-xGex grown by molecular-beam epitaxy.

We discuss a detailed magnetotransport and magneto-optical study of metastable $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-Sn and $\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{Sn}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Ge}}_{x}$ alloys ($x\ensuremath{\le}0.02$) grown by molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) on CdTe substrates. The transport measurements yield densities and mobilities for ${\ensuremath{\Gamma}}_{8}$ electrons, ${L}_{6}$ electrons, and ${\ensuremath{\Gamma}}_{8}$ holes as a function of temperature between 4.2 and 300 K. By fitting the results to a statistical model, we obtain an accurate characterization of the ${L}_{6}\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}_{8}$ energy gap as well as its temperature coefficient. Even though this gap is much larger in bulk Ge than it is in bulk $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-Sn, we find that it decreases with increasing alloy concentration in the MBE samples. This is attributable to a competing shift due to lattice-mismatch-induced strain. We also report the first observation of electron cyclotron resonance in $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-Sn.
The impact of channel estimation errors on space-time trellis codes paired with iterative equalization/decoding

The performance of space-time trellis codes paired with iterative equalization/decoding has been reported by Bauch and Naguib (see Wireless Communications and Networking Conference - WCNC', p.261-265, 1999), by Liu, Fitz and Takeshita (see International Conference on Communications - ICC', p.2800-2804, 2001), and by Gozali and Woerner (see PIMRC', Feb. 2002) for MIMO frequency selective fading channels. Assuming perfect knowledge of channel state information at the receiver, the scheme has been shown to exploit multipath diversity in addition to spatial diversity and coding gain. We remove the assumption of ideal channel estimation and investigate the performance of the scheme in the presence of magnitude or phase error estimates. We show that the diversity advantage of the scheme relies heavily on accurate channel estimation and quantify the degradation associated with imperfect channel estimates. Results indicate that a phase error of up to 10 degrees or an amplitude error below 15% are tolerable, such that the diversity advantage of the scheme is maintained. Within these limits, the iterative process provides significant performance gains in the first and second iterations, while diminishing returns are observed for more than two iterations. Finally, we compare our simulation results with outage probability analysis bounds.
Time-pitch representations: acoustic signal processing and auditory representations

The principles of time-frequency or time-scale analysis have been applied to study the processing of the human auditory system, which is often modeled as a bank of bandpass overlapping nonlinear filters. While a bandpass nonlinear model is an accurate portrayal of the physiological properties of the peripheral auditory system, and aspects of such organization have been shown to persist throughout the central auditory system, the "natural axes" of the human auditory perception appear to be time and pitch, rather than time and frequency or scale. Furthermore, "pitch" appears to have at least two perceptual attributes, chroma and tone height. We develop several mathematical structures for time-chroma and time-tone-height representations of acoustic signals and study, in particular, how these structures represent harmonic signals.
Surface reconstruction using neural networks

A surface reconstruction method using multilayer feedforward neural networks is proposed. The parametric form represented by multilayer neural networks can model piecewise smooth surfaces in a way that is more general and flexible than many of the classical methods. The approximation method is based on a robust backpropagation (BP) algorithm, which extends the basic BP algorithm to handle errors, especially others, in the training data. >
Neural network methods for the modeling and control of welding processes

While welding processes are of great importance in manufacturing, their modeling and control is still subject of research. The highly nonlinear, strongly coupled, and multivariable nature of these processes renders the use of analytical tools practically impossible. In this article a novel approach is presented which employs networks of simple nonlinear units: a neural network. A widely used welding process, the Gas Tungsten Arc Welding is presented and the problem of its modeling and control is exhibited. A very brief introduction to neural networks is followed by presenting the experimental results for modeling the static and dynamic behavior of the process, as well as some practical recommendations regarding the use of the neural network techniques for controlling these processes.
A novel segmentation for charge sampling calorimeters

Abstract A novel segmentation for charge sampling calorimeter towers is proposed which makes possible the precision measurement of shower position and width. It also allows the positions and energies of two showers within the same tower to be determined. With this segmentation a tower may lose a channel or the high voltage short to ground without degrading the hermeticity. In comparison with the indicated channel counts for the SSC calorimeters, this novel segmentation requires significantly fewer channels.
Otitis media and eustachian tube dysfunction: Connection to allergic rhinitis

Otitis media and otitis media with effusion are among the most common childhood illnesses and contribute a great deal to health care costs. The cause of otitis media is multifactorial. Eustachian tube dysfunction, bacterial or viral infection of the middle ear, and nasal inflammation resulting from allergic rhinitis or upper respiratory infection are acknowledged contributing factors. Data from epidemiology studies indicate that 25% to 40% of upper respiratory infections in children younger than 3 years are accompanied by an episode of otitis media, 40% to 50% of children older than 3 years with chronic otitis media have confirmed allergic rhinitis. Studies of the pathogenesis of otitis media have identified interactions among infection, allergic reactions, and eustachian tube dysfunction. Nasal inflammation due to allergen challenge results in classic signs and symptoms of allergic rhinitis and eustachian tube dysfunction. Eustachian tube dysfunction leads to increased negative pressure in the middle ear and improper ventilation. Both viral upper respiratory infection and nasal allergic reaction provoke nasal inflammation, eustachian tube dysfunction, and enhanced nasal protein transudation and secretion, which is likely to be sustained and modulated by inflammatory mediators and cytokines. In a study of experimental infection with influenza A virus, histamine release increased from peripheral blood basophils of patients with allergic rhinitis. These data support an interaction between viral infection and nasal allergy in enhancing certain pathophysiologic responses. Viral upper respiratory infections may promote secondary bacterial infections by altering bacterial adherence, modulating host immune and inflammatory responses, and impairing eustachian tube function. In acute otitis media, bacteria are cultured front approximately 70% of middle ear effusions with Streptococcus pneumoniae being the most common organism. Initial management of otitis media consists of appropriate antimicrobial therapy. In the presence of allergic rhinitis, antiallergic therapies may be used to augment symptom resolution and therapeutic response. Surgical insertion of tympanostomy or ventilation tubes to promote drainage of unresolved effusions has become common. Further delineation of the pathogenesis of otitis media and otitis media with effusion will guide appropriate medical management and may decrease the need and frequency of surgical procedures.
Small-ring compounds—XXIX A reinvestigation of the solvolysis of cyclopropylcarbinyl chloride in aqueous ethanol. Isomerization of cyclopropylcarbinol

The solvolysis of cyclopropylcarbinyl chloride in 80% ethanol is attended by substantial rearrangement—not only do the solvolysis products include cyclobutyl and allylcarbinyl alcohols and ethyl ethers but cyclopropylcarbinyl chloride undergoes partial rearrangement by “internal return” to cyclobutyl and allylcarbinyl chlorides. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy has been used to demonstrate that considerable isotope-position rearrangement takes place under quite mild conditions in the reactions of deuterium-labeled cyclopropylcarbinol and cyclobutanol with thionyl chloride. Isotope-position changes have been studied in the acid-induced isomerization of cyclopropylcarbinol.
DISTANCES AND STATISTICS

— Felsenstein's claim of approximate additivity for sequence differences is based on an unjustified model, as is his proposed nonadditive fitting method. His advocacy of the nonnegativity restriction on fitted branch lengths rests on the false premise that distances are additive. His proposed significance test confounds sampling error with departures from additivity and rests on false assumptions of additivity and of independence of distances. His additive fitting program lacks any useful facility for recognizing ambiguities in distance data.
Inherited defects of biotin metabolism

Biotin is the cofactor of the 4 biotin-dependent carboxylases (propionyl-CoA carboxylase, 3-methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase, pyruvate carboxylase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase), which play a key role in vitally important pathways in protein, lipid, and carbohydrate metabolism in man. Since biotin is present in many foodstuffs and required only in trace amounts, acquired deficiency of this vitamin is extremely rare in man. In 1971 the first report of an inherited biotin-responsive disorder was published by Gompertz et al. [1]. The infant suffered from 3-methylcrotonylglycinuria, severe metabolic ketoacidosis, vomiting and seizures, and improved clinically and biochemically with biotin therapy. Deficiency of each of the biotin dependent carboxylases, i.e., multiple carboxylase deficiency (MCD), was demonstrated in his cultured fibroblasts.
Long-term trends of ground-water levels in the United States

Ground-water levels at the end of 1954 were at or near record-low stages throughout most of the southern two-thirds of the United States. These low stages, like those of the early 1930's, have led to frequent expression of the opinion that the water table throughout the country is continuously falling and that we are gradually exhausting our ground-water supplies. A good record of changes in ground-water levels is being obtained by the United States Geological Survey and cooperating State agencies from periodical measurements of water levels in nearly 20,000 observation wells. The records of some of these wells extend back 50 years. Many records are available for the period beginning in 1934. These long-term records indicate that in some areas the ground-water supply is overdeveloped. In the great majority of areas, however, the stage of the water levels correlates with the precipitation. Much of the country has been in drought and the water levels are at a low stage. As the precipitation increases, as it is bound to do later, the water levels will return to higher stages.
gp120 neurotoxicity in primary cortical cultures

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 coat protein, gp120, kills neurons in a nitric oxide dependent manner in primary cortical cultures at low picomolar concentrations. gp120 neurotoxicity also requires calcium and glutamate and is blocked by glutamate receptor antagonists. In addition, superoxide anions play a role in gp120 neurotoxicity since superoxide dismutase also attenuates neurotoxicity.
Negative priming insame-different matching: Further evidence for a central locus of inhibition

Responses to recently ignored information may be slower or less accurate than responses to information not recently encountered. Such negative priming effects imply that the mechanism of selective attention operates on unattended, as well as attended, information. In the present experiment, subjects judged the second and fourth letters of five-letter strings (e.g., BABAB) as “same” or “different.” Responses were slower when a target letter was identical to the distractors presented in the immediately preceding trial. This effect did not depend on which response was required on the current or preceding trial. The results suggest that ignored information is functionally disconnected from the response system as a whole, rather than from a specific response.
Effect of chronic exercise on myocardial function

Abstract The contractile state of the intact normal and hypertrophied rat heart was investigated by measuring isometric systolic tension with a strain-gauge lever system. The myocardial tension that developed at any given end-diastolic tension is an indication of potential contractility. Cardiac hypertrophy (33 per cent) was produced by subjecting albino female rats to swimming for from 118 to 250 hours. The exercised heart was capable of developing significantly more tension than the normal heart at end-diastolic tensions of 10, 20, and 30 Gm., and the myocardial changes associated with exercise resulted in an increased ability to perform mechanical work. The development of hypertrophy concomitant with chronic exercise may represent a fundamental adaptive mechanism that is associated with long periods of increased cardiac output which acts as a compensatory measure for a tendency toward ischemia. This adaptive mechanism seems to be beneficial since no evidence was found to support the concept that hypertrophy may produce detrimental consequences. Rather, it is concluded that the degree of cardiomegaly produced in this study is advantageous in the maintenance of homeostasis during exercise. When a large volume or pressure demand is placed on the hypertrophied heart, it is actually capable of responding with a more pronounced Starling effect than the normal nonhypertrophied heart.
On the accurate determination of the viscoelastic spectra

Abstract A numerical method is presented for the accurate determination of the viscoelastic spectra from dynamic response function data. First, the technique is validated by application of the method to dynamic data for a hypothetical polymer with an assumed relaxation spectrum. It is shown that the method produces a single retardation spectrum which when used in viscoelastic integral equations yields excellent agreement with the functions from which the spectrum was determined in the first place. Also, upon applying computed transient functions to the linear viscoelastic convolution integral, excellent agreement is obtained. Finally, the method is applied to dynamic mechanical data for a vinyl ester resin system. It is shown that a single retardation spectrum can be generated that upon integration in appropriate integral equations yields response functions in excellent agreement with experiment.
Reversible inhibition of aggregation-related cohesivity in Dictyostelium discoideum by diffusible metabolites.

Abstract Evidence presented elsewhere ( G. B. Williams, E. M. Elder, and M. Sussman 1984 , Dev. Biol. 105, 377–388) indicates that NH3 and certain carboxylic acids including propionate, succinate, and acetate modulate the cAMP relay in Dictyostelium discoideum. The former appears to act as a cAMP accumulation inhibitor, the latter as cAMP release inhibitors. The cohesive properties of aggregation competent cells have been assayed quantitatively in the presence of these modulators. The following results were obtained: (1) At pH 7.5, EDTA-resistant cohesivity was greatly inhibited by NH4C within the concentration range tested (30-3.8 mM). Even at the higher concentrations the effect was not immediate but required ca. 10 min for full expression. At the lower concentrations, the inhibitory level was only slightly reduced but the time for full expression progressively increased. At pH 6.5, the level of inhibition was marginal, indicating that NH3 is the active molecular species. By themselves, neither ambient pH nor ionic strength appeared to affect cohesive performance within the ranges employed. The inhibition was immediately and completely reversed upon removal of NH4Cl or a shift of ambient pH from 7.5 to 6.5. The presence of cycloheximide did not affect the recovery of cohesivity after NH4Cl removal. (2) The presence of 15 mM succinate, propionate, or acetate also reduced cell cohesivity. The timing and extent of the inhibition were identical at pH 7.5 and 6.5. The inhibition was expressed immediately and was reversible. Each of the acids acted synergistically with NH4Cl. The relative potencies of these metabolites acting singly or in combination as inhibitors of cohesivity corresponded roughly to their potencies as modulators of the cAMP relay (Williams et al., 1984) . (3) The sensitivity to the metabolites was stage specific, being maximal during and shortly after aggregation and disappearing abruptly at 11–12 hr. This corresponds to the time at which this cohesive system, responsible for the end-to-end cell associations evident during aggregation ( H. Beug, G. Gerisch, S. Kempff, V. Riedel, and G. Cremer, 1970, Exp. Cell. Res. 63, 147–158) is supplanted by a newly arisen, serologically and genetically distinct system which thereafter maintains the integrity of the aggregate ( C. Steinemann and R. W. Parish, 1980 , Nature (London) 286, 721–724; D. K. Wilcox and M. Sussman, 1981 , Dev. Biol. 82, 102–112, and Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 78, 358–362; C. L. Saxe III and M. Sussman, 1982 , Cell 29, 755–759). The activities of the metabolites, detailed above, are discussed in relation to their previously demonstrated activities as morphogens.
Two books in one: natural history and evolutionary theory

Abstract Evolutionary Ecology across Three Trophic Levels: Goldenrods, Gallmakers and Natural Enemies by W.G. Abrahamson and A.E. Weis Princeton University Press, Monographs in Population Biology, 1997. $29.95/£24.95 hbk (xiii+456 pages) ISBN 0 691 01208 3
Citation for Harm J. de Blij, Ph.D. 2006 Recipient of the George J. Miller Award for Distinguished Service to Geographic Education

Being a geographer in the United States during the past several decades has inevitably meant taking on a cause. That cause is a product of the systematic marginalization of the discipline in K–12 e...
Grassmannians in frame theory

The Grassmannian is the set of k dimensional subspace of an n dimensional vector space. This set naturally parametrizes isomorphism classes of frames. We will present several results which exploit this fact. In particular, we will use the Plucker embedding of the Grassmannian to identify a class of frames which is optimal for the maximal number of erasures.
Alternate day fasting increases LDL particle size independently of dietary fat content in obese humans.

Alternate day fasting increases LDL particle size independently of dietary fat content in obese humans
The preparation of 3-Aminoxy-1-amino[1,1′-3H2]propane

3-Aminoxy-1-aminopropane (APA) has previously been shown to be a potent inhibitor of the polyamine biosynthesis enzymes ornithine decarboxylase, adenosylmethionine decarboxylase, and spermidine synthase. Little information is known, however, regarding its mechanism of action, binding site mode(s), or cellular distribution. This report presents a relatively simple three step synthesis of 3-aminoxy-1-amino[1,1′-3H2]propane via the catalytic tritiation of 3-aminoxypropionitrile hydrochloride. The latter compound has previously been described in the literature, albeit in little detail, but is included in this report for continuity.
Vit. B12 distribution, determined by surface body counting following parenteral administration of Co60 vit. B12.

Conclusions1. Following intramuscular administration of 1 μg of Co60 vit. B12 to normal persons and patients with various medical disorders, radioactivity disappeared from site of injection in 3 to 4 hours. 2. Maximal radioactivity was detected over the liver, spleen and left kidney regardless of clinical condition or age of subject. The wide variations preclude any typical pattern for normal or diseased states. Previous animal studies with Co60 vit. B12 and present investigations with Co60 Cl2 suggest that the measured radioactivity represents vit. B12 complex in organs named.
Ku-Band VCO using Miniature Beryllia Circuit Technology

The new MBC technology offers excellent electrical and thermal properties for power applications, the possibility for separate batch processing of circuits and of active devices, and a very small circuit size that approaches that of the monolithic counterparts. The VCO developed with the MBC technology has excellent operating characteristics. It measures only 3.5 × 5.0 mm including all the circuitry required for operation.