cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An outbreak of tinea corporis among schoolgirls.

The purpose of this report is to describe an outbreak of tinea corporis due to Microsporum canis with an atypically widespread rash among a group of preteen and teenage schoolgirls. M canis is found worldwide as a common dermatophytic infection of both glabrous and hairy skin. Nosocomial out-breaks, which have been described in the institutional setting among geriatric patients and their caretakers, were thought to be transmitted by direct contact, contaminated linens, and shared razors.1 However, in the general population, the chief source of contagion of this zoophilic infection is domestic animals, particularly kittens.2 CASE REPORTS Within a period of 12 days in November 1989, seven girls, aged 12 through 15 years, were seen with the presenting complaint of a rash.
Chan Screven’s Contributions to Visitor Studies

The recent passing of Chan Screven—for the last 50 years a giant in the field of visitor studies—compels a pause for reflection. The professional legacy he left behind is briefly described in this article.
Impact of Patient Characteristics and Anatomy on Results of Norwood Operation for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome

Background We sought to review current-era experience with multistage palliation of neonates with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) and to examine the patients' anatomic, and surgical risk factors influencing outcomes. Methods A retrospective review of 219 HLHS patients who underwent the Norwood operation from 2002 to 2012 was performed. Competing risks analyses modeled events after the Norwood operation (death/transplantation, progression to Glenn operation) and after the Glenn operation (death/transplantation progression to Fontan operation), and examined the risk factors affecting outcomes. Results Competing risks analysis showed that 1 year after the Norwood operation, 25% of patients had died and 75% had undergone the Glenn operation. Three years after the Glenn operation, 11% of patients had died or received transplantation, 48% had undergone the Fontan procedure, and 41% were alive awaiting the Fontan. The overall 8-year survival after the Norwood operation was 66%. The risk factors for mortality on multivariable models were postoperative requirement for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (hazard ratio [HR]: 3.1 [1.8–5.4], p p = 0.002), unplanned cardiac reoperation (HR: 2.5 [1.3–5.0], p = 0.007), modified Blalock-Taussig shunt use (HR: 2.4 [1.4–3.8], p p = 0.030). Of note, anatomic factors such as HLHS subtype, ascending aorta diameter, restrictive atrial septum, and associated cardiac lesions did not affect outcomes ( p > 0.10 each). Conclusions This current single-institution experience demonstrates that patients' factors (ie, prematurity, low weight, genetic/extracardiac anomalies) continue to adversely affect survival. Conversely, surgical and perioperative management advances, along with the use of the right ventricle to pulmonary artery shunt, might have neutralized the effects of anatomic factors on survival. Technical imperfections requiring reoperations are associated with failure to progress through palliation stages and diminished survival.
Bayesian nonparametric mixed-effects joint model for longitudinal-competing risks data analysis in presence of multiple data features:

Recently, the joint analysis of longitudinal and survival data has been an active research area. Most joint models focus on survival data with only one type of failure. The research on joint modeling of longitudinal and competing risks survival data is sparse. Even so, many joint models for this type of data assume parametric function forms for both longitudinal and survival sub-models, thus limits their use. Further, the common data features that are usually observed in practice, such as asymmetric distribution and missingness in response, measurement errors in covariate, need to be taken into account for reliable parameter estimation. The statistical inference is complicated when all these factors are considered simultaneously. In the article, driven by a motivating example, we assume nonparametric function forms for the varying coefficients in both longitudinal and competing risks survival sub-models. We propose a Bayesian nonparametric mixed-effects joint model for the analysis of longitudinal-competing risks data with asymmetry, missingness, and measurement errors. Simulation studies are conducted to assess the performance of the proposed method. We apply the proposed method to an AIDS dataset and compare a few candidate models under various settings. Some interesting results are reported.
Low-loss thin-film LiNbO 3 optical waveguide sputtered onto a SiO 2 /Si substrate

We report what is to our knowledge the first successful attempt in prism coupling a laser beam into a lithium niobate optical waveguide grown on a thermally oxidized (100) Si substrate by magnetron rf sputtering. Bragg x-ray diffraction, Rutherford backscattering, and birefringence measurements confirm that the sputtered films were nearly stoichiometric as well as highly textured lithium niobate. The refractive indices were nTE = 2.199 ± 0.002 and nTM = 2.263 ± 0.002. The lowest propagation loss in the waveguide was determined to be 1.9 ± 0.1 dB/cm at a wavelength of 633 nm.
Pleural and hepatic amoebiasis treated with chloroquine. Report of two cases

Abstract Two patients with hepatic amoebiasis developed pleurisy with considerable effusion, one of which consisted of anchovy-sauce pus and the other of cloudy yellow fluid. In each instance only a single diagnostic thoracentesis was performed with the removal of 100 ml. or less of fluid. In both cases, subsequent to the administration of chloroquine along with intestinal amoebacidal drugs, there occurred prompt and definite clearing of the effusion, and the inflammation in each anatomical location. In the first case therapy was apparently life-saving. The results in these cases are comparable to those reported for emetine ( Gimble et al., 1948 ) and conessine ( Berliner et al., 1948 ; Thompson and Lilligren , 1949 ). It is emphasized that no therapeutic aspiration of pleural fluid was performed in either instance. The theoretical considerations arising from these results are discussed.
Magnetically inferred basement structure in central Saudi Arabia

Abstract A compilation of magnetic data acquired during the past three decades for a region in central Saudi Arabia where Precambrian basement is partly exposed on the Arabian shield and partly concealed by overlying Phanerozoic strata, shows a central sector of conspicuous N-S-trending anomalies, a heterogeneous western sector of short-wavelength, high-intensity anomalies, and an eastern sector of low- to moderate-intensity broad-wavelength anomalies. Anomalies in the western and central sectors correlate with Neoproterozoic metavolcanic, metasedimentary, and intrusive rocks of the Arabian shield and are interpreted as delineating extensions of shield-type rocks down-dip beneath Phanerozoic cover. These rocks constitute terranes making up part of a Neoproterozoic orogenic belt that underlies Northeast Africa and western Arabia and it is proposed that their magnetically indicated easternmost extent marks the concealed eastern edge of the orogenic belt in central Arabia. The flat magnetic signature of the eastern sector, not entirely accounted for as an effect of deep burial, may reflect the presence of a crustal block different in character to the terranes of the orogenic belt and, speculatively, may outline a continental block that, according to some tectonic models of the region, collided with the Neoproterozoic terranes and thereby caused their deformation and tectonic accretion.
Increased low density lipoprotein degradation in aorta of irradiated mice is inhibited by preenrichment of low density lipoprotein with α-tocopherol

We previously reported that upper thoracic expo- sure to ionizing radiation (IR) accelerates fatty streak forma- tion in C57BL/6 mice and that such effects are inhibited by overexpression of the antioxidant enzyme CuZn-superoxide dismutase (SOD). Notably, IR-accelerated lesion formation is strictly dependent on a high fat diet (i.e., atherogenic lipoproteins) but does not involve alterations in circulating lipid or lipoprotein levels. We thus proposed that IR pro- motes changes in the artery wall that enhance the deposi- tion of lipoprotein lipids. To address this hypothesis, we ex- amined the effects of IR on aortic accumulation and degradation of low density lipoproteins (LDL). Ten-week-old C57BL/6 mice were exposed to a single (8-Gy) dose of 60 Co radiation to the upper thoracic area or were sham irradiated (controls) and were then placed on the high fat diet. Five days postexposure, the mice received either 125 I-labeled LDL ( 125 I-LDL) (which was used to measure intact LDL) or 125 I- labeled tyramine cellobiose ( 125 I-TC)-LDL (which was used to measure both intact and cell-degraded LDL) via tail vein injection. On the basis of trichloroacetic acid (TCA)-precip- itable counts in retroorbital blood samples, > 95% of donor LDL was cleared within 24 h and there were no differences in time-averaged plasma concentrations of the two forms of LDL among irradiated and control mice. Aortic values in- creased markedly within the first hour and thereafter exhib- ited a slow increase up to 24 h. There were no differences between irradiated and control mice at 1 h, when values pri- marily reflected LDL entry, but a divergence was observed thereafter. At 24 h, 125 I-TC-associated counts were 1.8-fold higher in irradiated mice ( P 5 0.10). In contrast, 125 I-LDL- associated counts were 30% lower in irradiated mice ( P , 0.05), suggesting that most of the retained 125 I-TC was asso- ciated with LDL degradation products. Consistent with the proposed involvement of oxidative or redox-regulated events, IR-induced LDL degradation was lower in SOD- transgenic than wild-type mice ( P , 0.05). The importance of LDL oxidation was suggested by observations that IR- induced LDL degradation was significantly reduced by preen- riching LDL with a -tocopherol. On the basis of these re- sults, we propose that IR elicits SOD-inhibitable changes in the artery wall that enhance LDL oxidation and degradation leading to the deposition of LDL-borne lipids. These studies provide additional support for the role of oxidation in lipoprotein lipid deposition and atherogenesis and sug- gest that IR promotes an arterial environment that stimu- lates this process in vivo. —Tribble, D. L., R. M. Krauss, B. M. Chu, E. L. Gong, B. R. Kullgren, J. O. Nagy, and M. La Belle. Increased low density lipoprotein degradation in aorta of ir- radiated mice is inhibited by preenrichment of low density lipoprotein with a -tocopherol. J. Lipid Res. 2000. 41: 1666- 1672.
Comparison of interventions for pain control with tenaculum placement: a randomized clinical trial

Abstract Objective Although previous studies have demonstrated that a variety of local anesthetics are effective to decrease pain associated with tenaculum placement, no studies directly compare an injection with a topical anesthetic. The objective of this study was therefore to compare mean pain scores with tenaculum placement after an intracervical lidocaine injection or topical lidocaine gel. Study Design A randomized, single-blinded trial of women presenting for office gynecologic procedures that required a tenaculum. Women aged 18 years or older were randomized to receive either a 1% lidocaine intracervical injection or topical application of 2% lidocaine gel to the cervix immediately prior to tenaculum placement. The primary outcome was pain at the time of tenaculum placement, measured on a 100 mm Visual Analog Scale. Secondary outcomes included pain with the intervention and satisfaction with tenaculum placement. Results Seventy-four women were enrolled and randomized; 35 subjects in each group met criteria for analysis. The two groups had similar socio-demographic characteristics. Women who received the injection had lower mean pain levels at tenaculum placement [12.3 mm (S.D. 17.4 mm) versus 36.6 mm (S.D. 23.0 mm), p Conclusion Mean pain with tenaculum placement is lower after receiving a lidocaine injection than after receiving a topical lidocaine gel. Satisfaction with tenaculum placement is similar with both interventions.
Combinatorial Labeling And Spectral Imaging, (CLASI): A Method To Greatly Expand The Number of Distinguishable Fluorescent Labels in a Single Image.

The number of fluorescent proteins, organic fluorophores, and inorganic fluorescent biomarkers is ever increasing. However, the ability to unambiguously distinguish more than a few different labels in a single fluorescence image is severely hampered by the excitation cross-talk and signal bleed-through of fluorophores with highly overlapping excitation and emission spectra. Here, we report the development of a fluorescence labeling, imaging, and analysis method to greatly expand the number of identifiable labels in a single image. The CLASI method involves labeling targets with specific combinations of fluorophore reporters. Commercially available microscopes with spectral detection capabilities are used to image the combinatorially-labeled specimens. Novel computational algorithms are used to analyze spectrally-recorded image data. We have developed a linear unmixing algorithm constrained to identify specific combinations of fluorophores. Our novel algorithms allow the concatenation of spectral data acquired with several different excitation wavelengths, either in parallel or sequentially. A goodness-of-fit is reported for each spectral combination, either in every pixel or for every particle identified in the image. We have applied the CLASI method to the study of the composition and spatial arrangement of complex microbial communities. Using fluorescence in situ hybridization with oligonucleotide probes specific for 16S rRNA sequences, we demonstrate that we can distinguish 120 differently labeled microbes in a mixture using binary combinations of 16 fluorophores.
Simultaneous EPR electrochemical measurements on polyfluorene in ambient temperature ionic liquids

Abstract Simultaneous electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and electrochemical measurements have been carried out on polyfluorene prepared by monomer oxidation and utilized in an ambient temperature ionic liquid consisting of 1-methyl-3-ethylimidazolium chloride-aluminum chloride. A considerable EPR signal is observed in both the reduced and oxidized states; the EPR signal achieves a maximum value coincident with the peak current during a cyclic voltammogram. Assuming that the process is two one-electron steps, initially forming a radical cation, the difference between the two E 0 values is estimated as less than 70 mV.
A Note on Three-Valued Logic Simulation

In this note we discuss a few attributes and pitfalls of three-valued (0, 1, u) digital logic simulation. The areas covered include hazard and race detection, fault detection, verifying the reset logic of a machine, and the problems encountered with self-timing circuits and in employing a complement for u.
Comparison of two models for aerosol deposition and plugging of pipes

Abstract A comparison is made between two models, one based on dimensional reasoning and a time-dependent mass balance, the other based on more general turbulent transport considerations. The models are compared in terms of the amount of mass that can be passed through a pipe before the pipe is effectively plugged. It is shown that the simpler model is a limiting form of the more general model for a range of pipe diameters and flow conditions.
A simple method for screening petroleum effluents by in vitro enzyme inhibition.

This paper describes a rapid and inexpensive method for screening of petroleum effluents. A procedure is described for determining the extent of enzyme inhibition by a simulated petroleum effluent which contained conventional contaminants at maximum levels allowed to exist in a refinery effluent meeting 1977 guidelines (USEPA 1973).
Posterodorsal Amygdaloid Lesions in Rats: Long-Term Effects on Body Weight

Bilateral lesions in the most posterodorsal aspects of the amygdala in female rats resulted in immediate and dramatic weight gains on a standard lab chow diet. The rate of weight gain returned to normal by Day 20, but the difference in body weight between animals with amygdaloid lesions and those with sham lesions was maintained for the duration of the study (60 days). Because rats with posterodorsal amygdaloid lesions have also been found to be hyperinsulinemic, it is hypothesized that the lesions result in a similar, though smaller, version of the syndrome that follows lesions of the ventromedial hypothalamus.
On the Rationale for Distinguishing Arguments from Explanations

Even with the lack of consensus on the nature of an argument, the thesis that explanations and arguments are distinct is near orthodoxy in well-known critical thinking texts and in the more advanced argumentation literature. In this paper, I reconstruct two rationales for distinguishing arguments from explanations. According to one, arguments and explanations are essentially different things because they have different structures. According to the other, while some explanations and arguments may have the same structure, they are different things because explanations are used for different purposes than arguments. I argue that both rationales fail to motivate a distinction between arguments and explanations. Since these are the only rationales for distinguishing arguments from explanations that I am prepared to take seriously, I don’t see why we should exclude explanations from being arguments.
Intermediate- and extreme-sum processes

Abstract Let X 1, n ⩽⋯⩽ X n , n be the order statistics of n independent random variables with a common distribution function F and let k n be positive numbers such that k n → ∞ and k n n → 0 as n→∞ . With suitable centering and norming, we investigate the weak convergence of the intermediate-sum process ∑ i =⌈ ak n ⌉+1 ⌈ tk n ⌉ X n +1− i , n , a ⩽ t ⩽ b , where 0 a b i =1 ⌈ tk n ⌉ X n +1− i , n , 0 ⩽ t ⩽ b . Convergence is with respect to the supremum norm and can take place along a subsequence of the positive integers { n }.
Controlled Random and Alternating Copolymerization of Methyl Acrylate with 1-Alkenes

Controlled random copolymerization of methyl acrylate (MA) with 1-alkenes was achieved through the reversible addition−fragmentation transfer (RAFT) technique using benzyl 1-pyrrolcarbodithioate as the transfer agent. NMR analysis reveals that RAFT agent-capped MA units are the predominant end groups. This allowed chain extension to synthesize the novel block copolymer, (MA-co-1-hexene)-b-PMA, by treating poly(MA-co-1-hexene) with AIBN in the presence of MA. The perfectly alternating copolymer of MA and ethene was obtained by using AlCl3 as the complexing agent. Additionally, the first controlled alternating copolymerization of MA and ethene was achieved by degenerative transfer polymerization with iodoform as transfer agent.
ARSENATE AS A CATALYST OF OXIDATION

Arsenate exerts a catalytic effect on the oxidation of pyrogallol by atmospheric oxygen, on the catalytic oxidation of pyrogallol by metallic iron, and on the presumably enzymatic production of CO(2) by Elodea canadensis.
Desymmetrization of Meso 1,3- and 1,4-Diols with a Dinuclear Zinc Asymmetric Catalyst

A dinuclear asymmetric zinc catalyst generated by mixing a 2:1 ratio of diethylzinc and 2,6-bis[5-2-diarylhydroxy methyl-1-pyrrolidinyl]-4-methylphenol has been contrasted with enzymes for the desymmetrization of some meso diols. The best ligand has a p-biphenylyl group as the aromatic substituent defining the chiral space. A series of 2-substituted propanediols were examined. The best acyl transfer agent proved to be vinyl benzoate. Diacylation normally did not occur. The phenyl substituted substrate gave 91−95% ee which compares favorably with the best ee of 92% reported for an enzymatic desymmetrization. The methyl substituted substrate gave significantly better results with the dinuclear zinc catalyst (89% yield, 82% ee) as compared to the best enzymatic esterification (70% yield, 60% ee). One case of a 1,4-diol, cis-1,2-bis(hydroxymethyl) cyclohexane, also gave much better results with the dinuclear zinc catalysts (93% yield, 91% ee) as compared to the reported enzymatic process (44% yield, 7% ee). A...
Analysis of advanced metering over a Wide Area Cellular Network

This paper presents a framework for analysis of the coverage and capacity of advanced metering over a wide area cellular network. The coverage analysis predicts the maximum cell size subject to an outage criterion, and the capacity analysis predicts the maximum rate at which a smart meter can send and receive messages over the wide area portion of the network. The framework permits quantification of the tradeoff between coverage and capacity, as well as the impact of variables associated with the radio frequency environment, system configuration, and network utilization. The framework is illustrated through an example analysis of Long Term Evolution, a pre-fourth-generation cellular technology. Results suggest that the network is coverage-limited rather than capacity-limited for the meter reading use case, and it quantifies the excess capacity available for other uses and/or other entities sharing the network.
Health promotion through mass media

People adopt behavioral patterns consistent with events observed in their environments, including television portrayals. Although television programs frequently portray unhealthy styles of living, a vast potential exists for people to learn healthy patterns of behavior from media presentations. The purpose of this article is to examine interactions between the person and television that capitalize upon environmental features associated with healthy life styles. In particular, we advance the hypothesis that people act upon media messages which advocate healthy life styles when they perceive the messages as personally relevant and when they believe that they can translate those messages into personal actions. The challenge for the television medium is to present content about healthy life styles in a manner that people can understand, remember, and which motivates them to act--either by altering unhealthy patterns of living (intervention) or by refusing to partake in these patterns in the first place (prevention).
Prokaryotic expression of the thyrotropin receptor and identification of an immunogenic region of the protein using synthetic peptides

Graves' disease is characterized by hypersecretion of thyroid hormones due to binding of autoantibodies to the thyrotropin receptor (TSHR). In order to study immunological aspects of the TSHR we expressed the extracellular domain of the rat TSHR (ETSHR) as a fusion protein with beta-galactosidase in a prokaryotic system. The identity of this ETSHR-fusion protein was confirmed by Western blot, using antibodies to synthetic peptides derived from TSHR. Patients' sera reacted to a significantly greater extent with the affinity purified ETSHR relative to control sera. Similarly, sera from patients with Graves' disease displayed significant reactivity with only one of five peptides, RH2 (residues 352-366), when compared with normal sera. These data, together with the predicted hydrophilicity of the peptide RH2, suggest that amino acids 352-366 which lie within one of the unique regions of the extracellular domain of the TSHR may be important for antibody binding.
Sustained sleep restriction reduces emotional and physical well-being.

Abstract Background: Chronic insufficient sleep is a common finding in many pain-related and other medical diseases and is frequently experienced in the general population. Prolonged curtailment of nocturnal sleep has been studied for its adverse effect on cognitive functioning and subjective tiredness, but relatively little is known about its effect on mood and physical symptoms. Objective: In order to test whether sleep restriction to 50% of the habitual time over 12 days affects diurnal and day-to-day variation of subjective ratings of mood and physical symptoms, 108 adjectives and statements were self-rated using visual analog scales every 2 h during the waking period. Design: Randomized, 16-day controlled in-laboratory study. Setting: General Clinical Research Center (GCRC). Participants: Forty healthy subjects aged 21–40 years (14 females, 26 males). Intervention: Subjects were randomized to either 4 h of sleep per night (11pm–3am, N=22) or 8 h of sleep per night (11pm–7am, N=18) for 12 consecutive days. Main Outcome Measure: Changes in the factor-derived variables optimism-sociability, tiredness-fatigue, anger-aggression, bodily discomfort, and items constituting bodily discomfort were compared between groups. Results: Optimism-sociability progressively declined over consecutive days of sleep restriction by 15%. Bodily discomfort showed a slight, but significant interindividual increase of 3% across days of sleep restriction due to significant increases of generalized body pain, back pain, and stomach pain. Optimism-sociability and tiredness-fatigue showed diurnal variations with a quadratic function period within each day in both conditions. Conclusion: The data suggest that chronic insufficient sleep may contribute to the onset and amplification of pain and affect health by compromising optimistic outlook and psychosocial functioning.
Latest Eocene–Early Oligocene climate change and Southern Ocean fertility: inferences from sediment accumulation and stable isotope data

Abstract The earliest Oligocene (∼33.5 Ma) is marked by a major step in the long-term transition from an ice-free to glaciated world. The transition, characterized by both cooling and ice-sheet growth, triggered a transient but extreme glacial period designated Oi-1. High-resolution isotope records suggest that Oi-1 lasted for roughly 400,000 yr (the duration of magnetochron 13N) before partially abating, and that it was accompanied by an ocean-wide carbon isotope anomaly of ∼0.75‰. One hypothesis relates the carbon isotope anomaly to enhanced export production brought about by climate-induced intensification of wind stress and upwelling, particularly in the Southern Ocean. To understand how this climatic event affected export production in the Southern Ocean, biogenic silica (opal) and carbonate accumulation rates were computed for the sub-polar Indian Ocean using deep-sea cores from ODP Site 744, Kerguelen Plateau. Our findings suggest that net productivity in this region increased by several fold in response to the Oi-1 glaciation. In addition, calcareous primary producers dominant in the Late Eocene were partially replaced by opaline organisms suggesting a trend toward seasonally greater surface divergence and upwelling in this sector of the Southern Ocean. We attribute these changes to intensification of atmospheric/oceanic circulation brought about by high-latitude cooling and the appearance of a full-scale continental ice-sheet on East Antarctica. Higher terrigenous sediment accumulation rates support the idea that wind-induced changes in regional productivity were augmented by an increased supply of glacial dust and debris that provided limiting micro-nutrients (e.g., iron-rich dust particles). We speculate that the rapid changes in biogenic sediment accumulation in the Southern Ocean and other upwelling-dominated regions contributed to the ocean-wide positive carbon isotope anomaly by temporarily increasing the burial rate of organic carbon relative to carbonate carbon. The changes in burial rates, in turn, may have produced a positive feedback on climate by briefly drawing down atmospheric pCO2.
Population policy 1977: a reexamination of the issues.

Abstract The emergence since World War II of rapid population growth as a major social policy issue is reviewed, together with the development of technical assistance to family planning programs in the developing countries. Current salient issues and the surrounding ideological debate are discussed, and an overview is provided of recent organized efforts to reduce birth rates. The trends in mortality, fertility, and growth rates are presented and their implications for public health professionals discussed. It is contended that the 1974 World Population Conference in Bucharest further politicized the issue of population growth, which became enmeshed in the political struggle between the industrialized and developing worlds over the distribution of resources and the transfer of technology. While this politicization is viewed as salutary, a potential for conflict exists unless a greater degree of cooperation, and less competition, can be achieved.
THE INHIBITION OF THE MALIC ENZYME OF LACTOBACILLUS ARABINOSUS 17-5 BY OLEIC ACID. II. PREVENTION OF ENZYME INHIBITION.

Abstract Lecithin, Tween 40, and uranyl ions are effective in preventing oleic acid from inhibiting malic enzyme activity in whole cells of Lactobacillus arabinosus. It appears that the lecithin and Tween 40 act directly upon the fatty acid and not on the bacteria. Uranyl ions, however, apparently compete with the oleate for binding sites on the cells.
TP53 mutations and polymorphisms in primary myelofibrosis

A total of 107 patients with chronic-phase primary myelofibrosis (PMF) were screened for TP53 mutations, which were detected in 4 (4%) cases: (i) E204E; GAG>GAA (silent exon 6); (ii) G245D; GGC>GAC (exon 7); (iii) R175H; CGC>CAC (exon 5); and (iv) six base insert (GGCGAG) after bp13767 (exon 6). Three (75%) of the four TP53-mutated cases also carried JAK2V617F whereas none were positive for MPL or IDH mutations. Two of the four TP53 mutated cases were also screened for TET2, ASXL1, DNMT3A, and EZH2 mutations and were negative. There was no significant difference in presenting features or survival between TP53 mutated and unmutated cases. TP53 exon 4 single nucleotide polymporphism (SNPs) data for codon 72 were available on 104 patients and included 56% with homozygous Arg72Arg, 33% with heterozygous Pro72Arg, and 11% with homozygous Pro72Pro. There were no significant differences among the three codon 72 genotypes in terms of presenting characteristics or survival.
An Evaluation of Gurson’s Theory of Dilatational Plasticity

Gurson’s constitutive theory for the plastic deformation of porous metals is specialized to small deformations of power-law solids containing a dilute concentration of voids, and the resulting incremental relations are integrated for proportional stress histories to obtain a total relation between stress and strain. The predictions of the theory are then evaluated by comparing them with accurate numerical results for spherical voids obtained by Lee and Mear (1992). The modification of Gurson’s theory proposed by Tvergaard (1982) is also discussed.
Theoretical analysis of the radial field vortex magneto-gas dynamic generator

Der magneto-gas-dynamische Wirbelgenerator mit strahlenformigem Magnetfeld wird theoretisch untersucht. Geschwindigkeitsprofile, elektrische Kenngrossen und Wirkungsgrade werden unter Berucksichtigung der Induzierten Strome und Felder besprochen.
Bond-graphs for some classic dynamic systems

Bond graphs are developed for several nonlinear dy namic systems which are often used in dynamics courses to demonstrate conservation principles and equation development via Newton's law or Lagrange's equation. The purpose here is to show the use of bond graphs in obtaining nonlinear differential equations of motion for general nonlinear systems. Bond-graph models can also be expanded easily to include energetic interactions with all types of dynamic systems including hydraulic, electrical, thermal, and others. Numerical solutions for one example system are included.
New approach to global alignment in IC manufacturing based on a neural network model

One of the most crucial emerging challenges in lithography is achieving rapid and accurate alignment under a wide variety of conditions brought about by the different overlying films occluding the marks. The problem is exacerbated by planarizing processes such as chemical mechanical polishing that reduce the topographical contrast used to view the marks and by distortion of the wafer and of the stage. Thus an effective learning process is needed to rapidly acquire the best possible positional information from an array of the marks across the wafer. In this paper, a neural network model for global alignment is described. This method has significant advantages including robustness to measurement noises and other random disturbances. Stage distortion can also be easily included in the model, resulting in more accuracy in the presence of a known repeatable distortion. The process can learn to identify and ignore any alignment marks that yield significantly erratic signals. Different approaches for training of the system will be discussed. A few common distortion functions will also be used to test the model. Preliminary simulation results show very accurate alignment in the presence of noise and distortion. In addition the simulations show that stage distortion has no effect on the results. In other words, increasing stage distortion amplitude will not change the positional accuracy in a given time.
Smart Blueprints: How Simple Sensors Can Collaboratively Map Out Their Own Locations in the Home

Off-the-shelf home automation technology is making it easier than ever for people to convert their own homes into smart homes. However, manual configuration is tedious and error-prone. In this article, we present and compare a family of solutions that automatically generate a map of the home and the devices within it using data from the smart home sensors themselves (e.g., light and motion sensors). These solutions can be used to automatically configure home automation systems or to automatically produce an intuitive map-like interface for visualizing sensor data and interacting with controllers. We call our approach Smart Blueprints because it automatically maps out the unique configuration of each smart home. We demonstrate the Smart Blueprints using a variety of sensor combinations, including light sensors, motion sensors, and magnetometers deployed on the doors and/or windows of the home. For evaluation of each combination on sensor-map generation, we deployed more than 200 sensors in seven different houses at different locations and compared the ability to use a variety of techniques to map out the configuration. We show that, in almost all houses, our system can automatically narrow the configuration down to 1--5 candidates per home using only one week of collected data.
Tie2-Cre–Induced Inactivation of a Conditional Mutant Nf1 Allele in Mouse Results in a Myeloproliferative Disorder that Models Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia

Neurofibromatosis type one (NF1) is a common genetic disorder affecting 1:4000 births and is characterized by benign and malignant tumors. Children with NF1 are predisposed to juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia. The Nf1 gene encodes neurofibromin, which can function as a Ras GTPase-activating protein. Neurofibromin deficiency in mice leads to mid-gestation lethality due to cardiovascular defects. We have previously shown that conditional inactivation of Nf1 using Tie2-Cre recapitulates the heart defects seen in Nf1(-/-) embryos. Tie2-Cre transgenic mice express Cre recombinase in all endothelial cells. Here, we show that Tie2-Cre-mediated deletion of Nf1 also leads to excision of Nf1 in the hematopoietic lineage. Surviving mice exhibit a myeloproliferative disorder similar to juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia seen in NF1 patients. These mice provide a useful model to study neurofibromin deficiency in hematopoiesis. Furthermore, defects in Tie2-Cre-expressing progenitors that result in heart and blood defects suggest that related heart and blood disorders in NF1 and other syndromes represent disorders of the hemangioblast.
IRON AND OXIDIZED β-CASEIN IN THE LAVAGES OF HYPEROXIC FISCHER-344 RATS

Abstract We reported previously that Fischer-344 (F344) rats were more susceptible to hyperoxic lung injury than were Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. In the present study we exposed adult male F344 and SD rats to >95% oxygen for up to 48 h, and measured lung wet-to-dry weight ratios and lavage protein concentrations as indices of lung injury. In addition, we measured nonheme iron contents in the lung subcellular fractions and in bronchoalveolar lavages (BAL), and we derivatized samples from the subcellular compartments and lavages with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH), separated the proteins electrophoretically, and detected DNPH-derivatized proteins by western blotting. After 48 h of hyperoxia, BAL protein and nonheme iron concentrations were higher in F344 rats than in SD rats (2.17±0.77 versus 0.17±0.17 mg/ml, and 1.61±0.45 versus 0.45±0.18 nmol/ml, respectively, both P
Updates on pediatric feeding and swallowing problems.

Purpose of review There is increased recognition in the range of feeding and swallowing problems that occur in conjunction with congenital and acquired pediatric conditions. Differential diagnosis and management of these problems is often not straightforward and requires consideration and collaboration between multiple disciplines that are involved in the care of this special population. This article reviews recent investigations across disciplines regarding the cause and evaluation of pediatric feeding and swallowing issues, intervention efficacy, and available evidence to guide clinical practice. Recent findings Knowledge of the basis for feeding issues associated with a variety of causes has advanced. Recent investigations of specific feeding and swallowing issues accompanying prematurity, selected diagnoses, and congenital syndromes are described. Significant advancements in the objective analysis of nonnutritive sucking have been made and provide increased understanding of the precursors for transition to oral feeding. Preliminary evidence regarding the effectiveness of selected clinical interventions to treat feeding and swallowing issues is highlighted. Summary Research is increasingly available to guide practitioners in evidence-based evaluation and management of pediatric feeding and swallowing issues. These continued advancements increase our understanding of the causes of pediatric dysphagia, the efficacy of treatment, and underscore the opportunities for continued research for best practice in clinical evaluation and management.
Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in Pediatrics

1. David W. Cooke, MD* 2. Leslie Plotnick, MD† 1. *Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md 2. †Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Describe the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes. 2. Identify acute and chronic complications of type 1 diabetes. 3. Discuss management options and treatment goals for type 1 diabetes. Diabetes mellitus is a disorder of the metabolic homeostasis controlled by insulin, resulting in abnormalities of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Type 1 diabetes (also called juvenile-onset diabetes mellitus and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus) is caused by an absolute insulin deficiency, the result of a loss of the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is characterized by two underlying defects. The earliest abnormality in an individual who develops type 2 diabetes mellitus is insulin resistance, which initially is compensated for with an increase in insulin secretion. Type 2 diabetes mellitus then develops due to a defect in insulin secretion that prevents such secretion from matching the increased requirements imposed by the insulin-resistant state. Thus, diabetes mellitus always is caused by insulin deficiency: in type 1 diabetes mellitus, the deficiency is absolute; in type 2 diabetes mellitus, the deficiency is relative. Although the percentage of cases of diabetes in children and adolescents caused by type 2 diabetes has risen in the past 1 to 2 decades, type 1 diabetes remains the most common form of diabetes mellitus in children. Recombinant insulin analogs, insulin pumps, and newer devices for home monitoring have drastically improved the ability to control glucose concentrations in patients who have diabetes. However, the feedback control in the healthy state that allows minute-to-minute regulation of insulin secretion cannot be recapitulated with current diabetes therapies, making full metabolic normalization not yet possible. Thus, some degree of hyperglycemia persists in virtually all patients who have diabetes. Long-term complications, including renal failure, retinopathy, neuropathy, and cardiovascular disease, are related to and likely caused by the …
Improving spatio-temporal feature extraction techniques and their applications in action classification

Space-time feature extraction is a recent and popular method used for action recognition. This paper presents a new algorithm to improve the robustness of spatio-temporal feature extraction techniques against the illumination and scale variations. Most of the interest point detectors are sensitive to illumination variations that may cause serious problems in action recognition by finding wrong keypoints. A method is proposed to make the 3-D Harris corner detector robust to illumination changes. Illumination invariance is achieved by applying a contrast stretching function to the video to find the proper intensity level for each pixel. A non-uniform binning method is also proposed to make the 3-D extension of the well-known SIFT descriptor more reliable and robust to scale changes by forming orientation histograms which concentrate on the regions near the interest points. Bag of features technique is used for classifying actions provided by the KTH dataset and the results demonstrate that our proposed method outperforms the original 3-D corner detector and SIFT descriptor.
Concept mapping as a knowledge acquisition tool in the development of a fuzzy ruled-based expert system

1.0 Introduction This paper discusses the utilization of concept mapping in the development of a fuzzy rule-based expert system (CTXPERT) for the prediction of cumulative trauma disorders. Concept mapping was used as the primary knowledge acquisition tool and was supplemented with some conventional knowledge acquisition methodologies: text analysis and traditional interview analysis. The goal of the expert system is to accurately predict the likelihood of cumulative trauma disorders of the forearm and hand. These injuries include carpal tunnel syndrome, tenosynovitis, tendinitis, etc. The system requires three categories of input in order to arrive at a comprehensive rating of risk. The categories include task characteristics, personal characteristics, and organizational characteristics. Each of.these risk categories was assigned a predetermined weighting factor in the determination of the outcome for CTXPERT.
A pharmacogenetic evaluation of the role of local anesthetic actions in the cocaine kindling process.

Abstract Repeated administration of subconvulsant doses of lidocaine or cocaine results in the development of an increased susceptobility to seizures induced by the two drugs (pharmacological kindling). It has been hypothesized that the local anesthetic properties of cocaine are responsible for its convulsant and epileptogenic actions. As genetic factors appear to mediate acute sensitivity to the convulsant properties of cocaine and the development of cocaine-kindled seizures, the present studies used a pharmacogenetic approach to address this question further. The convulsant effects of lidocaine were evaluated in BALB, C57, DBA and SJL mice and compared with previous studies evaluating cocaine-induced seizures. We have evaluated the development of lidocaine- versus cocaine-kindled seizures and the effects of repeated treatment with cocaine or lidocaine on subsequent lidocaine seizure susceptibility in three of these inbred maouse strains. As observed for cocaine, genetic factors influence the convulsant properties of lidocaine; however, the differences between the strains of mice in susceptibility to lidocaine-induced seizures (SJL>DBA=BALB=C57) did not parallel those seen for cocaine-induced seizures (C57 >DBA=BALB>SJL). Similarly, the time course for the expression of kindled seizures and the differences between the various inbred strains were not the same for lidocaine kindling and cocaine kindling. However, depending on the genetic background of the subject, the repeated administration of lidocaine, or cocaine, resulted in the development of sensitization or tolerance to the convulsant effects of lidocaine in an identical manner. That is, within each of the inbred strains, the effect of a convulsant dose of lidocaine was the same 72 h after the end of 5 days of cocaine treatment as after 5 days of lidocaine treatment. These results suggest that the local anethetic properties of cocaine appear to be responsible, at least in part, for its convulsant and epileptogenic properties. However, additional actions of cocaine appear to obscure some of the genetic similarities in response to lidocaine and cocaine.
Immunochemical properties of heated ovomucoid.

Abstract Heating ovomucoid at 100 ° causes it to lose its ability to precipitate with specific antibody. The heated material strongly blocks the immunochemical reaction of the native protein. The addition of complement to a system containing heated ovomucoid and antibody results in the formation of a precipitate.
Surface Potential and Electric Field Measurements in Plasma Actuators at Low Pressure

A plasma actuator was operated at pressures from 760 to 88 torr to determine the mechanisms leading to decreased force production at low pressures. The actuator was driven with a 5 kHz sine wave and a peak to peak voltage of 13.4 kV. A passive measurement technique called the capacitive V-dot probe was adapted to the actuator to resolve the spatiotemporal evolution of the surface potential and electric field on the dielectric surface. At low pressures up to 20 times more plasma by visual inspection is present than at atmospheric conditions. Average force production is calculated and shown to decrease at lower pressures due to the fact that up to 88% of the plasma is created in regions where the electric field is relatively weak. The calculated average body force shows a slight increase up to a pressure of 429 torr before trending to 0 at lower pressures in good qualitative agreement with experimental force measurements. Performing a power analysis shows that as pressure is decreased more power is used cre...
The Riddle of the Valley

Since the Second World War, the San Francisco Peninsula has demonstrated a capacity to produce path-breaking new technologies. Recognized globally as Silicon Valley, the region's prowess appears to be growing. At the end of the 1990s, it was the heralded centre of the dot.com boom. And after that bubble burst, the auspicious debut of Google established it as the standard-setter for Internet search engines. This remarkable record, and the wealth that it has spawned, has attracted legions of interpreters. In a nation and a world obsessed with technology-based economic development, everyone wants to know Silicon Valley's secret of success. But understanding the Valley is less a secret than a riddle: the relevant factors contributing to its performance are evident to any keen observer, but how do they fit together? What makes them work? And, for would-be imitators, how might they be replicated? This volume by Christophe Lecuyer provides a new and authoritative account of how the pieces came together to create Silicon Valley in the first place. Lecuyer contrasts his approach with those taken by Stuart Leslie, who accorded a crucial role to Stanford University and particularly military patronage, and by Anna Lee Saxenian, who emphasized how a productive regional network emerged from the decentralized, competitive structure of industry.1 While supporting aspects of these analyses, Lecuyer endorses the perspective of Alfred Marshall, whose writings on the formation of industrial districts accorded 'a central place to technological skills and manufacturing practices' (p. 4).