cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Epidemic characteristics of viral hepatitis in Wuchuan Autonomous County, 2006-2013

Objective To understand the epidemic characteristics of viral hepatitis in Wuchuan Autonomous County, and to provide scientific evidence for the prevention and control measures. Methods Descriptive epidemiological analysis method was used in the comparative analysis of the epidemic characteristics of viral hepatitis before and after the hepatitis A vaccination was involved in national immunization program. Results After Hepatitis A vaccine was involved into the national expanded program on immunization vaccination, the incidence of hepatitis A reduced year by year. The incidence of older groups increased and the seasonality concentration decreased, with no significant seasonal incidence. The incidence in the group of peasants is the highest,followed by the group of students, and the incidence distributes in the range of age between 5 and 9. Conclusion Inoculation of hepatitis A vaccine can effectively reduce the incidence of hepatitis A and protect the health of the public.
Sustainability of animal production systems: an ecological perspective.

The question of sustainability of agricultural production and the use of natural resources has become a popular topic. Most scientists agree that current systems are generally non-sustainable. Current rates of resource extraction will lead us to a depleted earth in the future. Sustainability is defined in many ways. For this paper sustainability should be considered the overlap of what is wanted and what is ecologically possible. Attempts have been made to place a quantitative measure on sustainability. However, it should be considered a trajectory or goal, a direction that guides constructive change, rather than a single quantitative measure. Research and extension personnel may have to take a broader look at their efforts and expand their knowledge base in order to address the issue of sustainable production systems. Both natural events and those caused by humans bring about changes in production potential that require shifts in management. Uncertainty and change should be incorporated into adaptive management strategies. Interdisciplinary efforts are needed to confront these issues. Animal scientists need to formulate management systems that are environmentally compatible or face restrictive legislation that will force change. Members of the American Society of Animal Science seem to agree : efficient and sustainable use of natural resources appears in the draft of the Strategic Plan of the Society, and a poll of members revealed that environmental concerns about animal agriculture was a primary issue facing animal scientists.
Base-Pair Level Analysis of DNA Four-Way Junction Structure and Dynamics

Immobile four-way junctions (4WJs) form a core structural motif of structured DNA assemblies. Understanding the sequence-level impact of four-way junctions on their structure, stability, and flexibility plays an important role in achieving Angstrom-level spatial control over nucleic acid nanodevices. 4WJs may exist in one of two stacked conformational isomers that are preferentially adopted when free in solution but forced into one or the other configuration in programmed multi-junction assemblies. It has been shown experimentally that the base sequences around the sites of strand crossover in these junctions have a significant impact on the conformational preferences of the two isomers.1,2 In particular, some sequences exhibit significant bias for one isomeric state, whereas others have equal preference between the two isomers. Here, we use explicit solvent and counterion molecular dynamics simulations to explore the base-pair level interactions that give rise to 4WJ conformational states using the classic Seeman J1 junction3 system as a point of reference. A pseudo-alchemical path approach is used to investigate how nicks placed at the site of the strand crossovers impact B-form DNA and crossover geometry and stability, and their dependence on core 4WJ sequence. Free energy calculations and analysis of the base-pair level degrees of freedom4 for each step along this path reveal the structural origin of the significant impact of base sequence on local structure, and suggest how these in turn impact global junction behaviour.References:1. Hyeon, C. et al. (2012) Nature Chemistry, 4, 907-914.2. Miick, S. M. et al. (1997) PNAS, 94, 9080-9084.3. Kallenbach, N. R. et al. (1983) Nature, 305, 829-831.4. Lavery, R. et al. (2009) NAR, 37, 5917-29.
Fiberoptics for Head and Neck Patients

Summary The flexible fiberoptic laryngoscope is a significant and necessary adjunct in the management of the difficult airway and intubation in the head and neck operating room suite. The anesthesiologist should master the use of this device in order to skillfully manage the head and neck patient. Flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopy greatly aids in the diagnosis of problems, the identification of normal and abnormal anatomical structures, and as a visual intubating stylette. It is a device that turns corners which may be obscured from plain view due to anatomical derangements. However, flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopy and subsequent intubation should never preclude nor be a substitute for the rational need of a tracheostomy. Fiberoptic endoscopy must be carefully selected and appropriately utilized since the scope itself may become part of the airway problem.
From the Constituent’s Eye Experimental Evidence on the District Selection Preferences of Individuals

States have increasingly taken the process of redistricting out of the hands of elected legislators and placed it with the public. The shift is in part driven by a concern that legislators are motivated to partition districts to advantage their own and their political party’s electoral prospects, whereas citizens are not. We know little, however, about the preferences of the public when it comes to redistricting. One party-based argument is that individuals should prefer to share a district with as many like-minded partisans as possible to maximize their legislative representation, whereas other arguments suggest that nonpartisan factors, such as sharing a district with their community, may be more important. Using a novel experimental design, we find that for most participants, the draw to share a district with copartisans is stronger than a preference for preserving a community (county) within the district even when participants are specifically instructed to attend to local jurisdictional boundaries.
Challenges to Conservation

The management and maintenance of nature are complicated because both nature and human nature are themselves quite complex. While traditional explanations based on human population growth combined with increasing resource demands offer some perspective on an ever-worsening situation, they seem somewhat separated from root causes as well as potential solutions.
Cities as environments

In starting a new journal about urban ecosystems, it is useful to review some of the dominant themes that have run through recent and historic discussions of cities as environments. Although concern with urban environmental issues may seem to be new, because of the great amount of attention paid during the past several decades to the negative aspects of urban environments – air, water, and soil pollution – there is a long history of thought, writing, and design about cities as environments, extending back throughout most of western history. This long history has modern relevance, but is more often ignored than used. This paper briefly reviews some central aspects of the major ideas about city planning and design, relates these to modern urban dilemmas and contemporary ecological knowledge, and proposes a new synthesis of classical and contemporary ideas. The issues are general, relating to cities around the world, but when examples are given in this paper, the focus is on cities in the United States, because of space limitations and because of an emphasis on the thoughts of Frederic Law Olmsted, the great American planner. In reviewing discussions of urban environments, we make five major points:
Trends in Attendance at Scoliosis Research Society Annual Meetings (SRS AM) and International Meeting on Advanced Spine Techniques (IMAST): Location, Location, Location.

Abstract Study Design Descriptive, respective. Objective Although overall membership in Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) has grown over the years, we were curious to see the effects of changing event venue location and timing on conference attendance. Summary of Background Data Every year, the SRS hosts two major meetings: the Annual Meeting (SRS AM) in the autumn, and the International Meeting on Advanced Spine Techniques (IMAST) in the summer. Sites have alternated from within and outside North America. Often, these meetings have also overlapped with several holidays in certain countries. Methods This was an observational study of attendance from past SRS AM and IMAST meetings. Fourteen years of AM and 8 years of IMAST data were made available from the SRS. Participation based on delegate type and countries were tallied. Details from the 10 most represented nations and host nations per year were also tallied, and their national holidays were reviewed for overlaps with the AM. Results Membership in AM and IMAST increased from 820 in 2003 to 1,323 in 2016. Attendance at the AM has increased, whereas attendance at IMAST has declined, even after adjusting for membership size. Trends in participation were highly influenced by location. Participation by attendees from the host continent, and especially the host country, is generally high. The negative impact of distant meetings is profoundly seen with North Americans, whereas the positive impact of a nearby meeting was mostly clearly demonstrated by South Americans. Although SRS AM overlapped with holidays in China, Japan, or Korea nearly 50% of the time, this did not influence participation by delegates from these countries. Conclusion Participation in the AM is highly influenced by location. Although North Americans represented the largest constituency, their presence was not needed to drive total attendance and was not sufficient to turn around the downturn in IMAST attendance. Choice of location can encourage the participation of delegates from the host and neighboring nations; through strategic selection of location, a balance can be reached between participation and global representation.
GRAPHING THE EQUATION: Ax2 + By2 + Cx + Dy + E = 0

This chapter focuses on sketching the graph of the equation Ax 2 + By 2 + Cx + Dy + E = 0 for four different cases of the coefficients A and B. The four different cases relate to the study equations using circles, parabolas, ellipses and hyperbolas. In each case, the discussion is based solely on what can be determined from the equation. The chapter presents the general assumption that either A or B, or both, are not zero. If both A and B are zero, becomes linear, and no analysis is needed.
Interference Management and User Association for Nested Array-Based Massive MIMO HetNets

The nested array, implemented by nonuniform antenna placement, is an effective approach to achieve $O(N^2)$ degrees of freedom (DOF) with an antenna array of $N$ antennas. Such DOF refers to the number of directions of incoming signals that can be resolved. With the increased number of DOF, an important application of nested array is to nullify interference signals from multiple directions. In this paper, we apply nested array in a massive multiple input multiple output (MIMO) heterogeneous network (HetNet) for interference management. With a nested array, a base station (BS) can nullify a certain number of interference signals based on their directions. Then, a key design issue is how to select the set of interference sources to be nullified at each BS. As the DOF of each BS is used to resolve both desired signals and interference, the number of interference signals that can be nullified depends on the number of users served by the BS. Thus, user association is another factor that impacts the system performance and should be jointly considered with interference nulling. We formulate the joint interference nulling scheduling and user association problem as an integer programming problem, aiming to maximize the sum rate of all users subject to BS DOF constraints. We first investigate the case of interference nulling with a given user association, and propose a scheme to solve a relaxed problem as well as derive a performance upper bound. Then, we propose a distributed joint interference nulling and user association scheme based on a poly matching between users and BSs. Simulation results show that the proposed schemes effectively improve the sum rate and achieves a near optimal performance.
MetExpert: An expert system to enhance gas chromatography‒mass spectrometry-based metabolite identifications

Abstract Gas chromatography‒mass spectrometry (GCMS) is an important analytical technique in metabolomics studies and has been routinely used for metabolite profiling of biological samples. Spectral matching to databases of authentic compounds are the preferred tools for metabolite identifications; however, the metabolic coverage of these databases is still limited compared to the number of known metabolites. Several computational tools have been developed to facilitate the interpretation of MS data but unfortunately most of them have limited applicability to GCMS-based metabolite identification. In this paper, we introduce a computer-aided, metabolite expert system called MetExpert which emulates the metabolite-identification ability of a human expert using orthogonal datasets including molecular formulas, retention indices, and EI-MS spectra to characterize the molecular structures. This system integrates four modules including in silico derivatization, metabolite-likeness evaluation, retention prediction, and substructure prediction. In silico derivatization increases the searchable chemical space for TMS-derivatized metabolites many of which are absent in molecular structure databases. Metabolite-likeness evaluations are an efficient approach to select metabolite-like molecules when querying large databases such as PubChem. An artificial neutral network then establishes the quantitative structure‒retention relationships for the accurate prediction of RIs that further refines the candidate molecules. In addition, PLS-DA models establish quantitative structure‒spectra relationships for the prediction of metabolite substructures. Finally, weighted scoring of three orthogonal evaluations increases the identification rates. MetExpert outperformed current state-of-the-art methods such as MetFrag and CFM-ID for ranking the correct identifications. While spectral comparisons with chemical standards or de novo structural elucidations are necessary to validate the predictions, MetExpert provides an efficient and effective approach to prioritize the candidates.
The Effect of Brand Extension Strategy and Brand Level on Urgency to Buy and Brand Dilution

The apparel industry has commonly used vertical-downward brand extensions where a brand (e.g., Ralph Lauren) introduces a lower price and quality brand (e.g., RL Ralph Lauren). However, offering vertical-downward extended brands on an ongoing basis as with RL Ralph Lauren (i.e., ongoing collection) can dilute the brand image. A recent practice is providing limited edition brand extensions where apparel brands are limiting the product quantity and time the product is available. As with the Missoni at Target case (i.e., limiting offering time and quantity), this practice is mostly successful in that it increases consumers’ urgency to buy while keeping its brand image.
Advice / Insights / Tips—for Teachers

For years after Debbie stopped teaching at TROY in order to complete her doctoral studies, students would call her for various reasons. Janeita called to update Ms. Debbie on her living accommodations, steady work at the local restaurant, family struggles, and drug habit issues. Jablar called to get advice on staying out of jail.
The pleasures of fetishization: BBW erotic webcam performers, empowerment, and pleasure

ABSTRACTIn this article, I argue that BBW (big beautiful women) webcam models who perform online as erotic webcam performers use their bodies, not just their words, to challenge anti-fat culture. T...
An optimal control theory for nonlinear optimization

Abstract The Karush–Kuhn–Tucker conditions for a given nonlinear programming problem are generated as the transversality conditions of an optimal control problem. The directional derivatives of the objective- and constraint-functions supply the vector fields for the optimal control problem with the search vector as the control variable. Zero-Hamiltonian trajectories along the steepest descent of control Lyapunov functions provide optimal optimization algorithms. The optimality of the algorithm also depends upon the choice of a metric for the finite dimensional control space. Many well-known algorithms – such as Newton’s method, the first-order Lagrangian method, the steepest descent method and Richardson’s method, to name a few – are derived by minimizing the Lie derivative of a quadratic control Lyapunov function. Merit functions in optimization may also be generated using the concept of a control Lyapunov function. These results suggest that optimal control principles hold the potential for a unified theory for optimization.
On containment and syncretism in English preterites and participles

This study explores Bobaljik’s (2012) suggestion that in English, the feature representation of the preterite contains the representation of the past participle. While containment analyses in both Distributed Morphology (DM) and Nanosyntax capture the virtual absence of ABA patterns of syncretism for the order BASE-PARTICIPLE-PRETERITE, I demonstrate that they face empirical challenges when the exponence of the suffixes is considered. After evaluating an alternative feature decomposition, I show how a DM containment approach can derive the facts for both base and suffix alternations with the aid of impoverishment, which also helps to explain counterexamples to *ABA in this domain. Lastly, I offer cautionary discussion about the relationship between containment structures and deriving *ABA.
Utilization of Minimally Invasive Thymectomy and Margin-Negative Resection for Early-Stage Thymoma

Background Minimally invasive thymectomy (MIT) has demonstrated improved short-term outcomes compared with open thymectomy (OT). Although adoption of MIT for thymoma is increasing, oncologic outcomes have not been well characterized. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of adult patients from the National Cancer Database who underwent MIT or OT for Masaoka stage I to II thymoma between 2010 and 2014. The primary outcome was R0 resection. Secondary outcomes included MIT use, perioperative mortality, and length of stay. Results Nine hundred forty-three patients from 395 hospitals underwent thymectomy for stage I to II thymoma. MIT was performed in 31.3% (59.7% robotic, 40.3% thoracoscopic). Over the study period MIT utilization increased from 21.0% to 40.2% (trend test, p Conclusions The use of MIT for resection of early-stage thymoma is increasing and is not associated with lower rates of R0 resection than OT. Reasons for the relatively low rates of R0 resection among all thymectomies requires further investigation, and long-term outcomes data are needed to better define the oncologic effectiveness of MIT.
Satellite estimation of carbon export by sinking particles in the California Current calibrated with sediment trap data

Abstract We evaluate a recent region-specific model of export production (Kelly et al., 2018) and some similar fits to in situ data for the California Current Ecosystem using satellite data. The model is a simple linear function of net primary productivity (NPP): Export = 0.08 × NPP + 72 where EF is export flux in mg C m−2 d−1. We confirm that contrary to several global algorithms export efficiency (e-ratio = export/primary productivity) is negatively correlated with net primary productivity. We find that linear models with a steeper slope of EF relative to NPP produce better estimates of the variability range. Choice of the EF model parameterization can more than double the estimate of temporal variability (standard deviation) in satellite-derived EF time series. The best estimates of EF were obtained when using average NPP during a preceding period of ~7–8 days. This is in contrast with NPP where the best satellite estimates of in situ NPP were obtained using same day satellite data and the coefficient of determination was monotonically decreasing with increasing time lag. We also find that there is substantial unexplained variability in EF that cannot be explained by existing models.
Exhibiting Extinction: Martha and the Monument, Two Modes of Remembering Nature:

Whether stuffed remains in a museum case, inscribed tombstone, or stone wall perched on a cliff, memorials to extinct animals are timestamps representing human-animal relationships at particular moments in time. This essay analyzes the rhetoric and imagery of historical extinctions as seen in these memorials to understand the ways people struggled to understand the loss. Through examination of memorials to extinct species in U.S. museums, parks, and zoos my research has revealed a continuous struggle to identify the personhood of animals, define human-animal interactions, and locate human responsibility for environmental change. While each memorial mimics remembrance practices used for humans and human events, they differ in their acknowledgement of the individuality and the agency of its extinction which, in turn, often denies agency to the animal. Steeped as they are in Romantic-era notions of wildness, these memorials can be read as parables of environmentalism, but in their conceptualization of the animal, they instruct us in the varieties of human-animal interactions and representations within the environmental movement at different times and places, making them more complex spaces than their simplicity suggests. While memorials present only a slice of the story, the memories they create and reinforce become part of the cultural ways of dealing with extinction that is often more popular and more poignant than historical narratives documenting their declines. At its core, my research adds to the literature on constructions of Nature in American culture by connecting 19th-century declension narratives with 20th-century extinctions, and problematizes the American ideology of abundance.
Reflectance Confocal Microscopy for the Diagnosis and Management of Skin Diseases

Reflectance Confocal Microscopy (RCM) is a noninvasive imaging modality that captures horizontal greyscale images of the skin at cellular resolution. RCM can be used to in the diagnosis and management of numerous dermatologic diseases, encompassing both neoplastic and inflammatory conditions, with high accuracy when compared to traditional histopathology.
Visualizing Synaptic Transfer of Tumor Antigens among Dendritic Cells

Summary Generation of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes begins when tumor antigens reach the lymph node (LN) to stimulate T cells, yet we know little of how tumor material is disseminated among the large variety of antigen-presenting dendritic cell (DC) subsets in the LN. Here, we demonstrate that tumor proteins are carried to the LN within discrete vesicles inside DCs and are then transferred among DC subsets. A synapse is formed between interacting DCs and vesicle transfer takes place in the absence of free exosomes. DCs -containing vesicles can uniquely activate T cells, whereas DCs lacking them do not. Understanding this restricted sharing of tumor identity provides substantial room for engineering better anti-tumor immunity.
Asparagine signals mitochondrial respiration and can be targeted to impair tumour growth

Abstract Mitochondrial respiration is critical for cell proliferation. In addition to producing ATP via the electron transport chain (ETC), respiration is required for the generation of TCA cycle-derived biosynthetic precursors, such as aspartate, an essential substrate for nucleotide synthesis. Because mTORC1 coordinates availability of biosynthetic precursors with anabolic metabolism, including nucleotide synthesis, a link between respiration and mTORC1 is fitting. Here we show that in addition to depleting intracellular aspartate, ETC inhibition depletes aspartate-derived asparagine and impairs mTORC1 activity. Providing exogenous asparagine restores mTORC1 activity, nucleotide synthesis, and proliferation in the context of ETC inhibition without restoring intracellular aspartate in a panel of cancer cell lines. As a therapeutic strategy, the combination of ETC inhibitor metformin, which limits tumour asparagine synthesis, and either asparaginase or dietary asparagine restriction, which limit tumour asparagine consumption, effectively impairs tumour growth in several mouse models of cancer. Because environmental asparagine is sufficient to restore proliferation with respiration impairment, both in vitro and in vivo, our findings suggest that asparagine synthesis is a fundamental purpose of mitochondrial respiration. Moreover, the results suggest that asparagine signals active respiration to mTORC1 to communicate biosynthetic precursor sufficiency and promote anabolism.
Modeling the evolutionary architectures of human enhancer sequences reveals distinct origins, functions, and associations with human-trait variation

ABSTRACT Motivation Despite the importance of gene regulatory enhancers in human biology and evolution, we lack a comprehensive evolutionary model of enhancer sequence architecture and function. This substantially limits our understanding of the genetic basis for divergence between species and our ability to interpret the effects of non-coding variants on human traits. Results To explore enhancer sequence evolution and its relationship to regulatory function, we traced the evolutionary origins of human sequences with enhancer activity defined by eRNA from diverse tissues and cellular contexts. The majority of enhancers are sequences of a single evolutionary age (“simple” enhancer architectures), likely indicating constraint against genomic rearrangements. A minority of enhancers are composites of sequences of multiple evolutionary ages (“complex” enhancer architectures). Compared to simple enhancers, complex enhancers are older, more pleiotropic, and more active across species. Genetic variants within complex enhancers are also less likely to have effects on human traits and biochemical activity. Transposable-element-derived sequences have made diverse contributions to enhancer architectures; some have nucleated enhancers with simple architectures, while others have remodeled older sequences to create complex regulatory architectures. Conclusions Based on these results, we propose a framework for modeling enhancer sequence architecture and evolution. Applying this framework to human enhancer sequences reveals multiple, distinct trajectories of human regulatory sequence evolution. Considering these evolutionary histories can aid interpretation of the effects of variants on enhancer function.
Multiple Heterogeneous Sensor Tasking Optimization in the Absence of Measurement Feedback

Observations of resident space objects generated by sensors are the primary method of maintaining knowledge of the object states. With the increasing number of objects, efficient sensor allocation is becoming integral. This requires the coordination of multiple sensors with different capabilities in an optimized manner. While the optimization is greatly simplified if instantaneous communication between the sensors can be assumed and immediate processing is available, this is not a realistic setup. Information exchange and processing induces time delays that are longer than the time available to plan and start the sensor tasking step, without unnecessarily idling the sensor. In this paper, a method is introduced to form efficient sensor tasking in a multi-sensor system, without immediate communication between the sensors and observation processing, in the following called feedback. The coordination is exemplified using two sensors, with different fields of view in a follow-up scenario of objects in the geosynchronous region. The efficiency of the method is evaluated using the two line element catalog.
Plastic deformation mechanism of calcium-silicate hydrates determined by deviatoric-stress Raman spectroscopy

Abstract Creep of the cement matrix affects the structural stability of concrete. In Portland cements, the creep is largely controlled by the binding phase calcium-(aluminum-)silicate-hydrate, or C-(A-)S-H. This phase has a lamellar structure and under deviatoric stress aligns its c-axis with the principal stress. However, the limiting resistance to this reorientation is unknown at the nanocrystalline level. Small-angle X-ray scattering shows that the lamellae thickness decreases under 100's MPa deviatoric stress. Deviatoric stress Raman spectroscopy shows that there are two ways that this break-up can occur. If the material's silicate chains are cross-linked, then strain in Si O bonds does not increase above certain stresses, indicating a relaxation adjacent to the Si O bond. If the chains are not cross-linked, then the silicate chains are broken up by rastering against each other, introducing defects. These results show that the plastic deformation of C-(A-)S-H is relevant for Portland cement creep.
OCT imaging of rod mitochondrial respiration in vivo.

There remains a need for high spatial resolution imaging indices of mitochondrial respiration in the outer retina that probe normal physiology and measure pathogenic and reversible conditions under...
A Computer Vision Framework for Quantification of Feather Growth Patterns

This study aims to examine phenotypic variations in pigeon feather growth patterns by rendering computed tomography (CT) scans as point clouds, and developing machine learning based, feature extraction techniques to isolate the feathers, and map the growth patterns on the skin.
Longitudinal scoliosis behavior in Chiari malformation with and without syringomyelia.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to understand the natural history of scoliosis in patients with Chiari malformation type I (CM-I) with and without syringomyelia. METHODS A retrospective review of data was conducted. Patients with CM-I were identified from a cohort of 14,118 individuals age 18 years or younger who had undergone MRI over an 11-year period at the University of Michigan. Patients eligible for study inclusion had a coronal curve ≥ 10° on radiography, associated CM-I with or without syringomyelia, and at least 1 year of clinical follow-up prior to any surgery. Curve magnitude at initial diagnosis, prior to posterior fossa decompression (PFD; if applicable), and at the last follow-up (prior to any surgical correction of scoliosis) was recorded, and clinical and radiographic characteristics were noted. The change in curve magnitude by 10° was defined as curve progression (increase by 10°) or regression (decrease by 10°). RESULTS Forty-three patients met the study inclusion criteria and were analyzed. About one-third (35%) of the patients presented with symptoms attributed to their CM-I. The mean degree of scoliosis at presentation was 32.6° ± 17.7°. Twenty-one patients (49%) had an associated syrinx. The mean tonsil position below the level of the foramen magnum was 9.8 ± 5.8 mm. Patients with a syrinx were more likely to have a curve > 20° (86% vs 41%, p = 0.002). Curve magnitude remained stable (≤ ±10°) in 77% of patients (33/43), progressed in 16% (7/43), and regressed in 7% (3/43). Mean age was higher (14.8 ± 0.59 years) among patients with regressed curves (p = 0.026). All regressed curves initially measured ≤ 20° (mean 14° ± 5.3°), and none of the patients with regressed curves had a syrinx. The change in curve magnitude was statistically similar in patients with (7.32° ± 17.7°) and without (5.32° ± 15.8°) a syrinx (p = 0.67). After a mean follow-up of 3.13 ± 2.04 years prior to surgery, 27 patients (63%) ultimately underwent posterior fossa or scoliosis correction surgery. For those who eventually underwent PFD only, the rate of change in curve magnitude prior to surgery was 0.054° ± 0.79°. The rate of change in curve magnitude was statistically similar before (0.054° ± 0.79°) and after (0.042° ± 0.33°) surgery (p = 0.45) for patients who underwent PFD surgery only. CONCLUSIONS The natural history of scoliosis in the presence of CM-I is variable, though most curves remained stable. All curves that regressed were ≤ 20° at initial diagnosis, and most patients in such cases were older at scoliosis diagnosis. Patients who underwent no surgery or PFD only had similar profiles for the change in curve magnitude, which remained relatively stable overall, as compared to patients who underwent PFD and subsequent fusion, who demonstrated curve progression. Among the patients with a syrinx, no curves regressed, most remained stable, and some progressed. Understanding this variability is a first step toward building a prediction model for outcomes for these patients.
An AI Approach to the Eddy Current Defect Characterization Problem

Conventional eddy current NDT methods rely for their operation on the interaction of quasi-static electromagnetic fields with flaws in the specimen under test. The physics of such interactions are described completely by a parabolic diffusion equation $$\nabla X\left( {\frac{1}{\mu }\nabla XA} \right) = - \sigma \frac{{\partial A}}{{\partial t}} + {J_S}$$ (1) derived from the quasi-static form of Maxwell’s equations. This precludes the use of methods such as holography and tomography in the analysis of data from eddy current probes [1]. Ideally, one would desire an analytical closed formjsolution of equation (1) in terms of the material parameters μ(\( \bar r\)) and σ(\( \bar r\)), so that one has a direct method for solving the inverse problem or imaging problem. The nature of the defect characterization problem in eddy current NDT and the difficulties involved in the analytical modeling of realistic test geometries are described at length in [2,3]. Simulation of nonlinear, practical problems with arbitrary defect shapes are generally done using numerical techniques such as the finite difference and finite element methods. However, the major drawback of numerical models is lack of a closed form solution, which renders them inadequate for directly solving the inverse problem. This paper presents a new approach to the general inverse problem in NDT of defect imaging, that uses the finite element model iteratively for estimating the test specimen parameters {o} as shown in Figure 1.
A new method for atmospheric correction and aerosol optical property retrieval for VIS-SWIR multi- and hyperspectral imaging sensors: QUAC (QUick atmospheric correction)

Abstract : We describe a new VNIR-SWIR atmospheric correction method for multi- and hyperspectral imagery, dubbed QUAC (QUick Atmospheric Correction) that also enables retrieval of the wavelength-dependent optical depth of the aerosol or haze and molecular absorbers. It determines the atmospheric compensation parameters directly from the information contained within the scene using the observed pixel spectra. The approach is based on the empirical finding that the spectral standard deviation of a collection of diverse material spectra, such as the endmember spectra in a scene, is essentially spectrally flat. It allows the retrieval of reasonably accurate reflectance spectra even when the sensor does not have a proper radiometric or wavelength calibration, or when the solar illumination intensity is unknown. The computational speed of the atmospheric correction method is significantly faster than for the first-principles methods, making it potentially suitable for realtime applications. The aerosol optical depth retrieval method, unlike most prior methods, does not require the presence of dark pixels. In this paper, QUAC is applied to atmospherically correction several AVIRIS data sets. Comparisons to the physics-based FLAASH code are also presented.
Pregnancy with Microsurgical Vas Sperm Aspiration from a Patient with Neurologic Ejaculatory Dysfunction

Patients with neurologic ejaculatory dysfunction who wish to have a child commonly undergo electroejaculation, which, unfortunately, may fail to stimulate either antegrade or retrograde ejaculation of sperm. Even when sperm are obtained with electroejaculation, conception still may not be achieved. We describe the achievement of a pregnancy after the intrauterine insemination of sperm obtained from microsurgical aspiration of the vas deferens. The intrauterine insemination of electroejaculated sperm had failed to achieve a pregnancy on three previous occasions. The relative merits of vas sperm aspiration and electroejaculation as part of the assisted reproduction regimen for men who have neurologic ejaculatory dysfunction are discussed.
The Webquest Model for Inquiry-based Learning Using the Resources of the World Wide Web

The WebQuest model of organising classroom learning inquiries involving resources on the Internet has become an important component of technology teacher education at one university. Educators create realistic, challenging learning environments that are related to their own curriculum and students. Through WebQuests, they practice guiding and directing learning rather than prescribing it. The WebQuest model has flexibility as well as structure. It allows for diversity and co-operation as well as creativity. As a result of the WebQuest development activity, educators are empowered and connected with each other and turned on to active learning that is facilitated by technology.
Scheduling end-to-end flexible resource reservation requests for multiple end sites

Wide area research and education networks, such as ESnet and Internet2 in the US and GEANT in Europe, have recently deployed software that makes possible to reserve bandwidth in the form of dynamic circuits. Such circuits offer guaranteed QoS to specific data flows, significantly increasing the reliability and predictability of data transfers. In this paper, we study the problem of constructing routes and scheduling bandwidth reservations for data transfers between multiple pairs of end sites. We develop an algorithm, called RRM, to solve this problem. Our objective is to maximize the number of satisfied data transfer requests while minimizing the total data transfer times. We further prove that our problem is NP-hard and compare our algorithm with a baseline FCFS algorithm through simulations. The simulations indicate that our algorithm accommodates up to 160% more requests and achieves up to 50% shorter average data transfer times than the baseline algorithm.
Uranium-Plutonium Carbide Fuel for Fast Breeder Reactors

Uranium-plutonium carbide offers an improved fuel system for advanced breeder reactors. The high-thermal conductivity and density of carbide fuels permit superior breeding performance and high spec...
Proliferative endometrial response to theca-granulosa cell tumors.

Abstract It is possible at times to observe derangements of homeostasis in the human being that may afford answers to unresolved metabolic or proliferative problems. Such is the case with certain functioning ovarian tumors. We have studied the endometrium from 115 patients with so-called feminizing ovarian tumors recorded in the Ovarian Tumor Registry and in our Institution to ascertain the endometrial response to more or less continuous endogenous estrogen stimulation. We noted cancer precursors in 43 per cent of this series and carcinoma in 21 per cent. Problems of selection and the possibility of other endocrinopathies prevent firm conclusions about the carcinogenic activity of estrogen in human beings.
Messenger ribonucleoprotein complexes containing human ELAV proteins: interactions with cytoskeleton and translational apparatus

Mammalian ELAV proteins bind to polyadenylated messenger RNAs and have specificity for AU-rich sequences. Preferred binding sites in vitro include the AUUUA pentamer and related sequences present in the 3′ untranslated regions of many growth regulatory mRNAs. Human ELAV (hELAV) proteins have been implicated in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression by their effects on the stability and translatability of growth regulatory mRNAs. We have examined the intracellular localization of ELAV proteins in neurons and in tumor cells of neuronal origin using indirect immunofluorescence, confocal microscopy and biochemical separation. Mammalian neuronal ELAV proteins are found predominantly in the cytoplasm of cells in mRNP complexes termed alpha complexes which, when associated with polysomes, form large and high density ss complexes, as assayed by glycerol and accudenz gradients, respectively. Puromycin, cytochalasin or EDTA treatments disrupt beta complexes causing the release of alpha complexes, which then appear, by confocal microscopy, as large hELAV mRNP granules associated with microtubules. Association of partially purified hELAV mRNP alpha complexes with microtubules was confirmed by in vitro reconstitution assays. Furthermore, colchicine treatment of cells suggested that association of hELAV mRNP alpha complexes with microtubules is also necessary for the formation of ss complexes. Our data suggest a model in which a subset of mRNAs is associated with microtubules as ELAV mRNP particles (alpha complexes) which, in turn, associate with polysomes to form a translational apparatus (beta complex) that is, through polysomes, associated with the microfilament cytoskeletal network. hELAV proteins in these mRNP granules may affect post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression via the intracellular transport, localization and/or translation of growth regulatory mRNAs.
Design and performance measurement of the mercury laser altimeter

We report the design and test results of the mercury laser altimeter on the MESSENGER mission to be launched in July-August 2004. The altimeter will provide planet surface topography measurements via laser pulse time-of-flight.
A complex relationship between co-occurring social anxiety and alcohol use disorders: what effect does treating social anxiety have on drinking?

Background: Individuals with social anxiety disorder and co-occurring alcohol problems report using alcohol to cope with anxiety symptoms. Interventions that reduce both social anxiety and drinking are needed. Paroxetine, an FDA-approved medication to treat social anxiety disorder, reduces anxiety in individuals with co-occurring alcohol problems. Objectives: To examine whether effective treatment of social anxiety with paroxetine reduces drinking in dual-diagnosed individuals who endorse using alcohol to cope. Methods: A 16-week, double-blind, randomized controlled trial of paroxetine was conducted. Participants (placebo n = 22; paroxetine n = 20) met DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for social anxiety disorder and alcohol abuse or dependence. Participants were seeking treatment for social anxiety, not for the alcohol problem. Alcohol use outcomes were measured with conventional quantity/frequency measures and novel measures of drinking to cope. Results: Paroxetine improved social anxiety more than placebo. Paroxetine reduced self-reported reliance on alcohol for self-medication purposes, but was not different than placebo in changing quantity and frequency drinking or the proportion of drinking days that were identified as coping-related. Exploratory analyses revealed that for the placebo group, drinking during the trial was correlated with social anxiety severity, whereas for the paroxetine-treated group, drinking was uncoupled from social anxiety severity. Conclusions: Successfully treating social anxiety symptoms with paroxetine does not reduce drinking in dual-diagnosed individuals who are not seeking treatment for alcohol problems. Paroxetine does, however, reduce reliance on alcohol to engage in social situations, and may change the reasons why one drinks (such that drinking occurs for other reasons besides coping with anxiety). These results have implications for staging of social anxiety and alcohol treatment in individuals with the co-occurring disorders presenting to a mental health or primary care provider.
Developmental Changes in the Transmitter Properties of Sympathetic Neurons That Innervate the Periosteum

During the development of sweat gland innervation, interactions with the target tissue induce a change from noradrenergic to cholinergic and peptidergic properties. To determine whether the change in neurotransmitter properties that occurs in the sweat gland innervation occurs more generally in sympathetic neurons, we identified a new target of cholinergic sympathetic neurons in rat, the periosteum, which is the connective tissue covering of bone, and characterized the development of periosteal innervation of the sternum. During development, sympathetic axons grow from thoracic sympathetic ganglia along rib periosteum to reach the sternum. All sympathetic axons displayed catecholaminergic properties when they reached the sternum, but these properties subsequently disappeared. Many axons lacked detectable immunoreactivities for vesicular acetylcholine transporter and vasoactive intestinal peptide when they reached the sternum and acquired them after arrival. To determine whether periosteum could direct changes in the neurotransmitter properties of sympathetic neurons that innervate it, we transplanted periosteum to the hairy skin, a noradrenergic sympathetic target. We found that the sympathetic innervation of the transplant underwent a noradrenergic to cholinergic and peptidergic change. These results suggest that periosteum, in addition to sweat glands, regulates the neurotransmitter properties of the sympathetic neurons that innervate it.
Elective treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms

During the past 20 years at the Massachusetts General Hospital the mortality rate for elective resection and grafting of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) has fallen from 9.6% to 1.7% in a series of over 1000 patients. The improvement in mortality rate is partially the result of earlier diagnosis, better preoperative preparation, routine use of aortography, and increased technical experience. Improvements in anesthesia and postoperative care have played a large part in reducing the mortality rate of AAA resection and graft. The postgraft failure rate at 5 years is less than 2%. Since the incidence of rupture of AAA measuring between 4 and 7 cm in diameter is approximately 25%, we believe that patients with AAA of this size in a good surgical environment should have elective resection.