cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization and Validation of Somatosensory Evoked Potential Morphology during Carotid Endarterectomy to Detect Stroke (P1.3-064)

Objective: Improve stroke detection rates during carotid endarterectomy with a novel method to characterize somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) during intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM). Background: IONM changes in peak-to-peak voltage and latency can be used to detect periprocedural neurological deficits such as stroke after plaque removal in carotid endarterectomy. However, these manual marker measurements are subjective to bias and could potentially fail to take into account atypical SSEPs, for example traces without discernible peaks. In contrast, phase state analysis allows for automatic characterization of changes in SSEP morphology. Design/Methods: Retrospective study of 116 patients who underwent a carotid endarterectomy procedure. IONM was performed with left and right median or ulnar nerve stimulation and P4/Fz and P3/Fz SSEP measurements were recorded. SSEPs were collected at baseline, before and after clamping, during plaque removal and after clamp removal (averaged >2 trials at every stage). SSEPs were plotted in phase space (slope vs. voltage value) and the Phase Space Area (PSA) was calculated. A 50% change in PSA was defined as a significant change. SSEPs were also individually reviewed and peak-to-peak and latencies were manually obtained as a control. Results: 25 patients had a stroke during the CEA procedure. PSA analysis was subjected to a 10-fold cross validation scheme and yielded a sensitivity of 68% (95% CI: 47–85), specificity of 81% (95% CI: 62–93), PPV of 74% (95% CI: 51–89) and NPP 77% (95% CI: 57–89) in detecting stroke. Contrastingly, peak-to-peak ( 10% from baseline) changes yielded a sensitivity of 35% (95% CI: 24–45), specificity of 88% (95% CI: 79–93), PPV of 35% (95% CI: 14–61) and NPP 80% (95% CI: 71–88). Conclusions: Phase state analysis was validated with traditional SSEP measurements. Moreover, phase state analysis was able to detect periprocedural stroke occurrences after cross clamping in a CEA procedure with comparable accuracy to traditional methods. Disclosure: Dr. Jorge has nothing to disclose. Dr. Crammond has nothing to disclose. Dr. Balzer has nothing to disclose. Dr. Anetakis has nothing to disclose. Dr. Thirumala has nothing to disclose.
Rapid Multi-Sensor Fusion and Integration Using AI-enabled Machine Vision for Real-Time Operator Physiological Status

Real-time in-situ tracking of operator physiological status requires the integration and analysis of inputs from multiple sensors. Data formats and sample rates differ making the integration of data streams challenging. The use of external AIML Machine Vision can increase data analysis multivariate sensor fusion in such applications
Inspiring Experiences in Science

Gorilla Mountain . The Story of Wildlife Biologist Amy Vedder. Rene Ebersole . Franklin Watts (Scholastic), New York, and Joseph Henry (National Academies Press), Washington, DC, 2005. 128 pp. $9.95. ISBN 9780309095518. Robo World . The Story of Robot Designer Cynthia Breazeal. Jordan D. Brown . Franklin Watts (Scholastic), New York, and Joseph Henry (National Academies Press), Washington, DC, 2005. 128 pp. $9.95. ISBN 9780309095563. Nature9s Machines . The Story of Biomechanist Mimi Koehl. Deborah Parks . Franklin Watts (Scholastic), New York, and Joseph Henry (National Academies Press), Washington, DC, 2005. 128 pp. $9.95. ISBN 9780309095594. Three books from the Women9s Adventures in Science series present the experiences and research of a wildlife biologist, a robot designer, and a biomechanist to encourage young readers9 interests.
Early Stages in Complementary Synthesis Directed by Synthetic Single Stranded Polydeoxyribonucleotide Templates and Catalyzed by Calf Thymus Deoxyribonucleic Acid Polymerase

Calf thymus DNA polymerase has been used to catalyze complementary synthesis with the templates d(T5-A203), d(T66-C15), and d(T47-C25), and d(C44-A169). Each reaction included a single deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate so as to limit complementary synthesis to a single segment of the template. In the absence of an oligodeoxyribonucleotide initiator complementary to a segment of the template, the products are looped and fold back upon themselves to form a hairpin structure. Two types of loops were found: one consisted almost entirely of template nucleotides and the other almost entirely of newly polymerized nucleotides. Reactions which utilized dT13 as initiator gave single initiation under one set of conditions and multiple initiation under another set. With templates which contained a dCn segment, dG2 was used as an initiator. In one case dG2 initiated at the 3' end of the template, and in another initiation took place at an internal position on the template. These examples show that there is considerable complexity to this type of reaction and that, by judicious choice of reactants and conditions, it is possible to synthesize a variety of unique and interesting double stranded polydeoxyribonucleotides.
Enforcing provisioning and authorization policy in the Antigone system

Prior works in communication security policy have focused on general-purpose policy languages and evaluation algorithms. However, because the supporting frameworks often defer enforcement, the correctness of a realization of these policies in software is limited by the quality of domain-specific implementations. This paper introduces the Antigone communication security policy enforcement framework. The Antigone framework fills the gap between representations and enforcement by implementing and integrating the diverse security services needed by policy. Policy is enforced by the run-time composition, configuration, and regulation of security services. We present the Antigone architecture, and demonstrate non-trivial applications and policies. A profile of policy enforcement performance is developed, and key architectural enhancements identified. We also consider the advantages and disadvantages of alternative software architectures appropriate for policy enforcement.
Running with the devil : Accessing library-licensed full text holdings through Google Scholar

Abstract Linking full-text proprietary databases with Google Scholar revealed three significant limitations in terms of precision (no subject heading search), transparency (no listing of information sources), and visibility (Google Scholar details are hard to find). Google Scholar is not a “one stop shopping” search engine that retrieves all relevant data from a library's licensed content. Despite these shortcomings, Google Scholar is a worthwhile search option for students, which may steer them away from Web resources, and towards the library's catalog and databases.
A process for delivering information just in time

Over the last three decades, the idea of just-in-time manufacturing, with its emphasis on quality improvement, streamlining processes, and reducing inventories, has revolutionized manufacturing operations across the industrial world. While there are many interrelated elements in just-in-time manufacturing, the idea’s success in producing goods has led others to apply the same ideas in services, and more recently, to knowledge management. In this paper, I explore the analogy implied by the idea of delivering knowledge “just-in-time” and argue that this necessarily requires a process-oriented approach to knowledge management.
Experimental glaucoma and cell size, density, and number in the primate lateral geniculate nucleus.

PURPOSE: To examine the effects that elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), a glaucoma risk factor, has on the size, density, and number of neurons in the primate lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). METHODS: The monkey model of experimental glaucoma was combined with standard histologic staining and analysis techniques. Fourteen animals were examined. RESULTS: Mean IOPs higher than 40 mm Hg for 2.5, 4, 8, and 24 weeks resulted in reductions of 10% to 58% in the cross-sectional areas of LGN neurons receiving input from the glaucomatous eye. Reductions for animals with lower mean IOPs (37 and 28 mm Hg) for 16 and 27 weeks were 16% and 30%, respectively. Neurons receiving input from the normal eye also were reduced in size (4 -26%). No differential effect in cell size was seen for magnocellular versus parvocellular neurons. Elevation of IOP resulted in an increase in cell density in all layers of the LGN. The increase was approximately two times greater in parvocellular (59%) than magnocellular (31%) layers. When corrected for volumetric shrinkage of the LGN, the estimated loss of neurons was approximately four times greater in the magnocellular than parvocellular layers (38% versus 10%). CONCLUSIONS: Elevation of IOP affects the size, density, and number of neurons in the LGN, and the volume of the nucleus itself. Although higher mean pressures (more than 40 mm Hg) reduce the period during which these changes occur, comparable damage can be achieved by even moderate (28 -37 mm Hg) levels of elevated IOP. On the basis of cell loss, elevation of IOP appears to have a more profound degenerative effect on the magnocellular than on the parvocellular regions of the LGN.
Chapter 52 Economic history and game theory

Abstract This paper surveys the small, yet growing, literature that uses game theory for economic history analysis. It elaborates on the promise and challenge of applying game theory to economic history and presents the approaches taken in conducting such an application. Most of the essay, however, is devoted to studies in economic history that use game theory as their main analytical framework. Studies are presented in a way that highlights the range of potential topics in economic history that can be and have been enriched by a game-theoretical analysis.
It's a Matter of Style

Abstract With the boom in information technology, incidences of plagiarism are on the rise. The Association of College and Research Libraries includes the ability to use information ethically and legally in its information literacy standards. In this paper, the authors describe a theory-based workshop, conducted in the library, that teaches students about the different types of plagiarism and how to avoid it by using style manuals. The authors argue that this instructional approach is an effective way to decrease plagiarism.
Capsule Commentary on Lafata et al., Medication Adherence Does Not Explain Black-White Differences in Cardiometabolic Risk Factor Control among Insured Patients with Diabetes

T he study by Lafata et al. evaluated whether medication adherence mediated racial disparities in achieving HBA1c, LDL or SBP targets among diabetics. The authors found that blacks had poorer medication adherence compared to whites in all three classes of medications, and were less likely to achieve clinical targets. Racial disparities persisted in multivariable models that included medication adherence and treatment intensification. The strengths of the study are the inclusion of patients from multiple sites and the use of objective adherence and outcome data. A limitation was the use of an adherence definition that required having at least two prescriptions filled, since the exclusion of subjects with no or one refill could have introduced bias. Other investigators have reported persistent disparities in cardiovascular outcomes between black and white subjects after adjusting for variables such as adherence, income, education, or burden of disease. This study highlights the complexity of the factors influencing disparities in health outcomes, which are diverse and dynamic and include a range of environmental exposures that shape beliefs, behaviors and interactions with the health system. The authors appropriately advocate the systematic evaluation of multiple types of barriers among subjects not reaching quality targets. This is important, since improvements in quality of care have not eliminated disparities. Chin et al. concluded that reducing disparities requires six key steps which include making equity a priority of quality improvement efforts and designing interventions based on the local root causes. The patient-centered model of care may facilitate this individualized approach and should be a focus of future research. In the meantime, we must be careful in how we interpret the evidence. Factors such as medication adherence, depression, health literacy, or income play a role, though don’t completely explain differences in clinical outcomes among minorities. This should not diminish efforts to recognize or target them. In this study, the percentage of black subjects achieving targets was higher among adherent subjects. We should continue to search for factors that more fully explain disparities, but also develop strategies to improve known mediators of outcomes, among those medication adherence. Equity must be a priority.
β-Glucan synthesis in the cotton fiber: I. Identification of β-1,4- and β-1,3-glucans synthesized in vitro

In vitro [beta]-glucan products were synthesized by digitonin-solubilized enzyme preparations from plasma membrane-enriched fractions of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) fiber cells. The reaction mixture favoring [beta]-1,4-glucan synthesis included the following effectors: Mg2+, Ca2+, cellobiose, cyclic-3[prime]:5[prime]-GMP, and digitonin. The ethanol insoluble fraction from this reaction contained [beta]-1,4-glucan and [beta]-1,3-glucan in an approximate ratio of 25:69. Approximately 16% of the [beta]-1,4-glucan was resistant to the acetic/nitric acid reagent. The x-ray diffraction pattern of the treated product favoring [beta]-1,4-glucan synthesis strongly resembled that of cellulose II. On the basis of methylation analysis, the acetic/nitric acid reagent-insoluble glucan product was found to be exclusively [beta]-1,4-linked. Enzymic hydrolysis confirmed that the product was hydrolyzed only by cellobiohydrolase I. Autoradiography proved that the product was synthesized in vitro. The degree of polymerization (DP) of the in vitro product was estimated by nitration and size exclusion chromatography; there were two average DPs of 59 (70%) and 396 (30%) for the [beta]-1,3-glucanase-treated sample, and an average DP of 141 for the acetic/nitric acid reagent-insoluble product. On the basis of product analysis, the positive identification of in vitro-synthesized cellulose was established.
How Membership in the European Union can Undermine the Rule of Law in Emerging Democracies

The European Union (EU) considers the spread of economic prosperity and democracy to countries emerging from dictatorship among its primary goals when considering countries as candidates for membership. The standard argument suggests that EU membership confers significant benefits on the accession countries, and these countries are willing to undergo costly and difficult reforms to reap these benefits. Through strict membership conditions, member states force accession countries to commit to democracy. This argument, however, downplays the difficulties accession countries face in implementing the changes required of them. This paper seeks to challenge the conventional wisdom that enlargement is always good for the enlargement country. Drawing on theoretical work in the fields of law and economics, we will argue that, under certain conditions, the reforms required of would-be members could actually have the perverse effect of undermining the establishment of legitimate law in transitional democracies. The "rule of law'' is undermined by placing laws on the books that create perverse incentives or are near impossible to implement.
Impact of HIPC on Poverty Reduction in Ghana (2000-2008)

In 1996, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) launched the Debt Initiative for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, which created a framework for all creditors, including multilateral creditors, to provide debt relief to the world's poorest and most heavily indebted countries, and thereby reduce the constraint on economic growth and poverty reduction imposed by the debt build-up in these countries. The HIPC Initiative was designed as one important building block in broader development architecture of policies, programs and institutional development in support of sustainable growth and poverty reduction.This study was designed to establish whether the HIPC funds that were release for poverty reduction indeed helped reduce poverty and at what rate it did. The research an experimental focused on identifying the relationships between growth rate, poverty rate before HIPC releases and after the release. The study showed that poverty rate reduced quiet significantly after the country joined the HIPC initiative and also growth rate. These findings were interpreted and discussed in the context of literature and a number of implications and recommendations were drawn.
Port wine stain treated with a combination of pulsed dye laser and topical rapamycin ointment

Background and Objective A port wine stain (PWS) is a type of capillary vascular malformation composed of malformed, dilated blood vessels within the papillary and reticular dermis. Currently, pulsed dye laser (PDL) is considered the therapeutic gold standard, although greater than 90% of lesions may be refractory to treatment. Studies have shown that a delay in treatment results in a higher proportion of patients who develop hypertrophy and nodularity within lesions that become more resistant to therapy. Therapeutic resistance is multifactorial, but is believed to be largely due to revascularization after laser treatment. Oral sirolimus and topical imiquimod have shown promise as adjunctive therapies to minimize post-laser revascularization, but both have significant side effects. We wish to demonstrate the utility of adjunct topical sirolimus to reduce revascularization after PDL treatment. Study Design/Patients and Methods This is a single patient case report of a 56-year-old male patient with an extensive PWS. After seeing initial improvement with PDL alone, he began to experience thickening and nodularity of his PWS necessitating surgical debulking. Since this procedure, topical sirolimus 0.5% ointment has been added to his treatment regimen as an adjunct to PDL. The patient is being treated with PDL (Vbeam Perfecta, Candela/Syneron, Wayland, MA) every 4–6 weeks at varied settings with the following laser parameters: fluence 9–11 J/cm2, pulse duration 0.45–1.5 ms, focal spot size 7 mm, cooling 30/20. Sirolimus 0.5% ointment is applied to the area twice daily. Results The patient showed significant improvement in color and texture of his PWS. Compared to the initial therapy of PDL alone, topical sirolimus ointment in conjunction with PDL demonstrated greater improvement and maintenance of therapeutic results with fewer overall laser treatments. Conclusion Topical sirolimus 0.5% ointment is a safe and effective adjunct to PDL in the treatment of PWS. Lasers Surg. Med. 48:193–196, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Deimos Dewar System

Design work resumed on the DEIMOS detector system in September 1996. The major change from the initial description is the inclusion of the focus and one axis of the flexure control system inside the vacuum head of the dewar. Traditionally Lick has not included any active stages inside the vacuum vessel on visible light instruments. However the appeal of having these stages inside the vacuum is that the moving mass is greatly reduced, reducing the gravity induced motions and the power requirements to move them. The motion stages inside the vacuum are flexures to avoid the need for lubrication, the drives are outside of the vacuum for the same reason and also to reduce the need to open the vacuum for servicing of components.
The many faces of test synthesis

One of the problems of the use of the term "test synthesis" is that it is so general that almost any aspect of test automation can be claimed to fall under its umbrella. Because of the popularity of the term, and the unpopularity (particularly with CAD vendors) of having a system which does NQT carry out test synthesis, it is tempting to interpret the term as something equivalent to "synthesizing something to do with test". Thus, an ATPG tool which automatically substitutes scan cells and connects up scan chains to a previously synthesized design can be legitimately claimed to be carrying out test synthesis. This is markedly different to a tool which inserts HDL code for BIST circuitry into the overall high level description of a design. The spirit of high level test synthesis is encapsulated in a one-pass system. Certain components are easily identifiable, for example the addition of separate circuitry like BIST controllers or TAP controllers for boundary scan. Such circuitry can be specified as HDL code and relatively easily-made to conform to design rules. For random logic, however, there needs to be a convenient way of building in necessary constraints to ensure tester-applicable patterns can be generated. To have tests which target non-stuck-at faults and which are completely automatically generated means paying attention to both additional constraints during design synthesis and better ATPG systems.
Paying the Piper: Funding Local Government Retiree Health Care Benefits:

This article examines measures between various funding options and demographic and strategic human resource goals drawing on a survey of retiree health care benefits in American local governments. Survey results show that local governments have adopted cost-containment strategies and cost-sharing programs. This article explores finance approaches and revenue enhancements. Local governments have even begun to contemplate major cost-shedding options. The article investigates the relationship between these options and local government demographics (size, region, metro status, form of government, unfunded liability per capita and union influence), along with the perceived strategic effects on human resources goals (recruitment, retention and retirement).
Strategies for recruiting Hispanic women into a prospective cohort study of modifiable risk factors for gestational diabetes mellitus.

Background The purpose of this article was to describe effective strategies for recruitment of Hispanic women into a prospective cohort study of modifiable risk factors for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Although Hispanic women have two to four times the risk of developing GDM compared with non-Hispanic white women, few GDM prevention studies have included Hispanic women.
Recurrent giant cell carcinoma of the bladder.

Primary nonurothelial tumors of the bladder are rare, accounting for less than 1% of all bladder cancers.1 To date only 3 cases of osteoclast-like giant cell tumors of the bladder have been reported in the literature.2, 3 Each of these cases was successfully treated with transurethral resection, without evidence of recurrence. To our knowledge we report the first case of recurrent giant cell carcinoma of the bladder.
Use of a 45 kDa protein in the detection of Campylobacter jejuni

Summary Two techniques, both using the 45 kilodalton (kDa) outer membrane protein of Campylobacter jejuni to detect the presence of C. jejuni are described. The first technique describes a novel approach in the production of monospecific antiserum against a 45 kDa C. jejuni protein. C. jejuni was lysed, electrophoresed on polyacrylamide gel and blotted on to a polyvinyldifluoride (Immobilon‐P) membrane. The membrane was stained with 0.01% Coomassie Blue, then destained to visualize protein bands. The 45 kDa band was excised from the membrane and inserted subcutaneously into chickens. After four insertions, the chickens produced a specific antibody to this protein, as determined by immunoblot. The second technique uses the same excised Immobilon‐P membrane for amino acid sequence analysis. After analysis, an oligonucleotide of the corresponding sequence of the amino acids was synthesized. After labelling with an enhanced chemiluminescence kit, the oligonucleotide probe was capable of detecting the presence...
Effects of x-irradiation on the levels of glutamate, aspartate and GABA in different regions of the cerebellum of the rat

Abstract The effect of the x-irradiation-induced loss of cerebellar granule and stellate cells on the levels of glutamate, aspartate and GABA in regions of the rat cerebellum was determined. The level of glutamate was significantly lower in the neuron-depleted cerebellar cortex while GABA levels were higher than control values in the cerebellar cortex and white matter of the x-irradiated rats. Aspartate levels were not changed by x-irradiation in any cerebellar region. The data is discussed in terms of the proposed role of glutamate as the excitatory neurotransmitter released from granule cells.
Late-Quaternary dynamics of temperate forests: Applications of paleoecology to issues of global environmental change

Abstract Paleoecological evidence recently summarized from 162 fossil-pollen sites in eastern North America provides new insights concerning the nature and rate of response of temperate forest ecosystems to late Pleistocene and Holocene environmental changes. Across this subcontinental region (25°N to 60°N; 50°W to 100°W), temperate forests have changed in composition, location and area occupied in adjustment to major episodes of climatic cooling and warming during glacial-interglacial cycles of the Quaternary. Forest taxa have migrated differentially, reflecting their individualistic life-history characteristics, dispersal and competitive abilities, and tolerance thresholds to environmental changes, as well as the geographic distribution of corridors and barriers to plant migration. Gradient analysis and ecological ordination of paleovegetational data illustrate that: (1) both positions and breadth of major vegetational ecotones have shifted latitudinally over the past 20 ka; (2) good modern analogues exist for certain full-glacial warm-temperate and boreal forests; (3) during the transition from Pleistocene to Holocene conditions, mixed conifer-northern hardwoods forests, spreading across newly deglaciated terrain, lacked good analogues within the modern vegetation; and (4) most cool-temperate deciduous forest communities north of 35°N developed in the Holocene. Forest clearance and cultivation by Native Americans along principal riverways resulted in a transformation from natural to cultural landscapes during the mid- and late Holocene intervals. Fragmentation of temperate forests accelerated with the onset of EuroAmerican settlement and technologic developments after the Industrial Revolution.
The Nurses' Health Study: lifestyle and health among women

The Nurses' Health Study has grown from a simple questionnaire-based study initiated in 1976 to a rich resource of information collected over 29 years. Important details about lifestyle have been collected throughout the study and, as the study has progressed, blood samples and DNA from buccal cells have been collected and stored. Tumour samples have also been collected from participants who developed cancer. Through analyses that integrate information from these various sources we are advancing our understanding of the causes of cancer and the potential for prevention.
Staffing Ratios and Quality: An Analysis of Minimum Direct Care Staffing Requirements for Nursing Homes

Objective To study the impact of minimum direct care staffing (MDCS) requirements on nurse staffing levels, nurse skill mix, and quality.
Density perturbations and the cosmological constant from inflationary landscapes

An anthropic understanding of the cosmological constant requires that the vacuum energy at late time scans from one patch of the universe to another. If the vacuum energy during inflation also scans, the various patches of the universe acquire exponentially differing volumes. In a generic landscape with slow-roll inflation, we find that this gives a steeply varying probability distribution for the normalization of the primordial density perturbations, resulting in an exponentially small fraction of observers measuring the Cosmic Background Explorer value of 10{sup -5}. Inflationary landscapes should avoid this ''{sigma} problem,'' and we explore features that can allow them to do that. One possibility is that, prior to slow-roll inflation, the probability distribution for vacua is extremely sharply peaked, selecting essentially a single anthropically allowed vacuum. Such a selection could occur in theories of eternal inflation. A second possibility is that the inflationary landscape has a special property: although scanning leads to patches with volumes that differ exponentially, the value of the density perturbation does not vary under this scanning. This second case is preferred over the first, partly because a flat inflaton potential can result from anthropic selection, and partly because the anthropic selection of a small cosmological constantmore » is more successful.« less
Calculation of gauge couplings and compact circumferences from self-consistent dimensional reduction

Abstract We consider a system of gravity plus free massless matter fields in 4 + N dimensions, and look for solutions in which N dimensions form a compact curved manifold, with the energy-momentum tensor responsible for the curvature produced by quantum fluctuations in the matter fields. For manifolds of sufficient symmetry (including spheres, CP N , and manifolds of simple Lie groups) the metric depends on only a single multiplicative parameter ϱ 2 , and the field equations reduce to an algebraic equation for ϱ, involving the potential of the matter fields in the metric of the manifold. With a large number of species of matter fields, the manifold will be larger than the Planck length, and the potential can be calculated using just one-loop graphs. In odd dimensions these are finite, and give a potential of form C N /ϱ 4 . Also there are induced Yang-Mills and Einstein-Hilbert terms in the effective 4-dimensional action, proportional to additional numerical coefficients, D N and E N . General formulas are given for the gauge coupling g 2 in terms of C N and D N , and the ratio ϱ 2 /8π G in terms of C N and E N . Numerical values for C N , D N , and E N are obtained for scalar and spinor fields on spheres of odd dimensionality N . It is found that the potential, g 2 and ϱ 2 /8π G can all be positive but only when the compact manifold has N = 3 + 4 k dimensions. (The positivity of the potential is needed for stability of the sphere against uniform dilations or contractions). In this case, solutions exist either for spinor fields alone or for suitable mixes of spinor and scalar fields provided the ratio of the number of scalar fields to the number of fermion fields is not too large. Numerical values of the O( N + 1) gauge couplings and 8φ G /ϱ 2 are calculated for illustrative values of the numbers of spinor fields. It turns out that large numbers of matter fields are needed to make these parameters reasonably small.
Room n-cubes of lowe order

A Room n-cube of side t is an n dimensional array of side t which satisfies the property that each two dimensional projection is a Room square. The existence of a Room n-cube of side t is equivalent to the existence of n pairwise orthgonal symmetric Latin squares (POSLS) of side t . The existence of n pairwise orthogonal starters of order t implies the existence of n POSLS of side t . Denote by v ( n ) the maximum number of POSLS of side t . In this paper, we use Galois fields and computer constructions to construct sets of pairwise orthogonal starters of order t ≤ 101. The existence of these sets of starters gives improved lower bounds for v ( n ). In particular, we show v (17) ≥ 5, v (21) ≥ 5, v (29) ≥ 13, v (37) ≥ 15 and v (41) ≥ 9, among others.
Thermal actuation of graphene oxide nanoribbon mats

Abstract Graphene oxide nanoribbons (GOr), obtained by chemically unzipping multi-walled carbon nanotubes, were assembled into macroscopic mats by vacuum filtration. These mats exhibited up to 1.6% reversible contraction when electrically heated at ambient. The experimentally derived work capacity of the mats was about 40 J/kg, which is similar to that of natural muscle. It was limited by the mechanical strength of mats and can be increased upon optimization of their preparation conditions. X-ray diffraction measurements indicated reversible changes in the interplanar spacing of GOr layers during heating. These dimensional changes can be associated with reversible adsorption/desorption of water molecules between GOr layers and used in thermally-driven high performance artificial muscles and moisture sensors.
Identification and potential use of a molecular marker for rust resistance in common bean.

Summary. The Up2 gene of common bean (PhaseoIus vulgaris L.) is an important source of dominant genetic resistance to the bean rust pathogen [ Uromyces appendiculatus (Pers. ex Pers.) Unger var 'appendiculatus' [syn U. phaseoli (Reben) Wint.]. Up2 in combination with other rust resistance genes may be used to obtain potentially stable genetic resistance. It is difficult, however, to combine rust resistance genes effective against a single race due to epistatic interactions that frequently occur between them. A strategy that employed bulked DNA samples formed separately from the DNA of three BC6F 2 individuals with Up2 and three without Up2 as contrasting near-isogenic lines (NILs) was used to identify random amplified polymorphic DNA fragments (RAPDs) tightly linked to the Up2 locus. Only 1 of 931 fragments amplified by 167 10-mer primers of arbitrary sequence in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was polymorphic. The RAPD marker (OA14110o) amplified by the 5'TCTGTGCTGG-3' primer was repeatable and its presence and absence easy to score. No recombination was observed between OA1411oo and the dominant Upz allele within a segregating BC6F 2 population of 84 individuals. This result suggests that OA141 loo and Up2 are tightly linked. Andean and Mesoamerican bean germ plasm, with and without the Up2 allele, were assayed for the presence of OA141 loo. Apparently, the marker is of Andean origin because all Andean lines, with or without the Upz allele, contained the marker,
TOLERATED ILLNESS concept and theory for chronically ill and elderly patients as exemplified in American Indians.

Background. The TOLERATED ILLNESS™ phenomenon refers to a noted discordance between subjective and objective health measures in the chronically ill patient. The TOLERATED ILLNESS theory of care helps explain why some patients will report good to excellent health in spite of their having low functional ability. Methods. TI facilitates provider recognition of this largely unrecognized phenomenon and is instructive as to the why's for the patient tolerating illness. Results. The goal of presenting this theory is to provide a way to identify, assess, and assist those previously silent with unmet needs to bring about optimum patient outcomes. Conclusions. Importantly, patient and provider goals may diverge.
A Weighted, Mahalanobian, and Asymmetrical Approach to Calculating National Cultural Distance

This article aims at offering a weighted, Mahalanobian, and asymmetrical approach to calculating national cultural distance. The proposed approach improves upon the major shortcomings of Kogut -Singh's Index and explains the inconsistent and curvilinear effects of cultural distance as found in previous research. Using this new approach, the national cultural distances for Hofstede's and GLOBE's frameworks are calculated, the theoretical and methodological implications are discussed, and avenues for future research are proposed. Furthermore, for the use of future researchers, the cross-cultural weighted Mahalabonian distances for Hofstede's and GLOBE's data are reported in separate annexes.
TU‐E‐224‐01: The Role of Voluntary versus Mandatory Regulatory Standards

The patient's skin and the lens of the eye are the critical tissues for most fluoroscopically guided interventional procedures. Risks include hair loss, skin toxicity, and radiogenic cataracts. Appropriate dosimetric feedback to the operator contributes to optimizing benefit‐risk. Ideally, interventional fluoroscopes should provide real‐time feedback via a continuously updated dose maps and accurate estimates of peak skin dose. Such technology is not generally available in 2011. However, a variety of real‐time and post‐procedure tools are currently available for managing fluoroscopic skin irradiation. Equipment conforming to IEC 60601‐2‐43 (2000, 2010) displays fluoroscopic time, PKA and Ka,r at the operator's working position. All fluoroscopes sold in the USA after mid 2006 displays fluoro‐time and Ka,r. Various film and detector arrays have been used to obtain post‐procedure dose maps for more than a decade. Newer fluoroscopes and third‐party dose monitoring systems are beginning to offer useful proprietary dose mapping in angular space (defined by gantry angles) in both real‐time and post‐procedure flavors. Initial commercial deliveries of the DICOM Radiation Dose Structured Report (RDSR) provide detailed post‐procedure procedural information in enough detail to facilitate detailed dose reconstruction. Data in the RDSR is in defined public fields to facilitate accessibility. The relevant DICOM and IEC standards include specifications for real‐time streaming of the data. This will facilitate the development of independent real‐time dose modeling. This lecture will review the technologies available in 2011 and will provide an estimate of future time‐lines in this area. It will also include a discussion of the use of complete sets of dosimetric data as part of the quality process. Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the advantages and disadvantages of currently available dose monitoring technologies. 2. Understand the evolution toward real‐time skin dose mapping. 3. Understand how standardized dosimetry can be incorporated into a QA program.
Early detection of glaucomatous damage: II. Changes in the appearance of the optic disk

Once we understand that an increase in the size of the optic disk cup is due to loss of optic nerve fibers combined with some physical tissue rearrangements, it is quite clear that cupping begins as soon as nerve loss begins. Methods to detect cupping are more sensitive to the earliest glaucoma damage than are present field testing methods. This conclusion is supported by large clinical studies and histological demonstration of nerve fiber loss prior to field loss in eyes with abnormal cups, asymmetric cupping, or nerve fiber layer abnormalities. While automated perimetry is likely to increase the sensitivity of detection, better test methodologies are needed to combine with the objectivity of computer-assisted machines. Disk hemorrhages, nerve fiber layer defects, and color vision abnormalities are early signs of damage, supporting the conclusion that damage is present before field loss. A number of other methods await further testing to determine their effectiveness. The idea that the disease glaucoma is defined by a certain visual field finding on the Goldmann perimeter is not valid if we define glaucoma as an eye with a history of elevated IOP and optic nerve damage. While such field loss is a convenient means of defining a particular stage of damage in glaucoma, there are clearly earlier stages of damage, whether we can always detect them or not. No patient should be told that he or she does not have glaucoma, but rather has ocular hypertension, based on a particular visual field finding. As testing and examination methods improve, so, hopefully, will our ability to determine whether damage is present. As this occurs, we will be better enabled to select most rationally those patients who will benefit from therapy. The idea that field testing is relatively insensitive to the earliest glaucoma damage might lead the skeptic to conclude that perimetry is not worth the trouble. This review has indicated that none of our present methods, ophthalmoscopic, psychophysical or otherwise, is perfect. But to omit using any of them (especially field testing) does a great disservice to the glaucoma patient. The greatest usefulness of the new automated instruments is that adequate field testing is now available in a cost-effective form to every ophthalmic office. We need to strive for better detection and follow-up of glaucoma damage to prevent needless blindness.
Steady-state space charge effects in symmetric cells with concentration polarized electrodes

Summary A symmetric cell with cation-reversible electrodes containing a single dilute electrolyte has been found to be an ideal system for comparing the quasi-electroneutrality approach with the more nearly exact Poisson equation-based treatment of field, potential and concentration profiles during steady-state current flow. The difficulties of previous attempts to deal with semi-infinite diffusion-migration are avoided by recognizing the midpoint of the cell as an invariant point with respect to applied voltage potential distribution and concentration but not with respect to the electric field. The segmented potential distribution resulting from the conventional quasi-electroneutrality assumption has been analyzed in detail and the original Levich theory corrected to account for conservation of material. The electric field space distribution during steady state current flow is described rigorously by a master inhomogeneous non-linear differential equation obtained from the Nernst-Planck and Poisson equations. Approximate solutions are obtained for cases corresponding to both the linearized and non-linearized Gouy-Chapman conditions. The transition from finite current to zero current Gouy-Chapman case is apparent. New results are obtained for large applied cell voltages corresponding to extreme concentration polarization and limiting currents. The concept of superposition of diffuse double-layer concentration profile on the mass transport determined profile is discussed.
Embryonic myocardium shows increased longevity as a functional tissue when cultured in the presence of a noncardiac tissue layer.

A major aim of regenerative medicine is the construction of bioengineered organs and tissue for transplantation into human patients; yet living tissue is dynamic, and thus arranging cellular and extracellular constituents into an architecture resembling normal adult organs may not be sufficient to maintain tissue stability. In this study, we used cultures of embryonic chick heart tissue as a model to explore how newly formed cardiac tissue constructs can sustain their morphological structure and functional capabilities over extended periods. During the initial days of incubation, embryonic cardiac explants will thrive as beating three-dimensional tissue aggregates. However, within the first week of culture, cardiac aggregates lose their contractile function and flatten. After 2 weeks of incubation, the cardiac cells will have spread out into a homogeneous monolayer and dedifferentiated to a noncardiac phenotype. In contrast, when the embryonic heart tissue was co-cultured with a noncardiac cell layer obta...
Isolation of oligogalacturonic acids up to DP 20 by preparative high-performance anion-exchange chromatography and pulsed amperometric detection.

Milligram quantities of oligogalacturonic acids up to a degree of polymerization (DP) of 20 were purified by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography utilizing a preparative-scale (21-mm i.d.) CarboPac PA1 column and a nonlinear potassium acetate (pH 7.5) gradient. Detection was accomplished by pulsed amperometry without post-column addition of hydroxide. Pulsed amperometry at near-neutral pH is an excellent detection method for preparative separations of carbohydrates because it avoids base-catalyzed degradation reactions that can occur at high pH. This method was simpler, faster, had higher sample loading capacity and allowed for the isolation of higher DP oligogalacturonic acids than other methods reported previously. With this improved method, multi-milligram quantities of valuable oligogalacturonic acids (up to DP 20) can be readily isolated.
Retroviral DNA integration: HIV and the role of LEDGF/p75.

To replicate, a retrovirus must integrate a DNA copy of its RNA genome into a chromosome of the host cell. Integration is not random in the host genome but favors particular regions, and preferences differ among retroviruses. Several mechanisms might play a part in this favored integration targeting: (i) open chromatin might be preferentially accessible for viral DNA integration; (ii) DNA replication during cell division might facilitate access of integration complexes to favored sites; and (iii) cellular proteins bound to the host chromosome might tether integration complexes to favored regions. This review summarizes recent advances in understanding the mechanisms of retroviral integration, focusing on LEDGF/p75 – the first cellular protein shown to have a role in directing HIV DNA integration. Studies on LEDGF/p75 indicate that it directs HIV integration site selection by a tethering interaction, whereas the chromatin accessibility or cell cycle models are less well supported. Understanding viral integration will help improve the safety of retrovirus-based vectors used in gene therapy.
STABILITY STUDY FOR A SUPERCONDUCTING GENERATOR WITH TWO ROTATING COMPONENTS

ABSTRACT The dynamic stability problem of a complex electrical machine with two mechanically independent rotating components is analyzed. The state equations are linearized about a steady state operating point. The general stability locus of the system is found with the help of the MACSYM system of symbolic manipulation. A physical explanation is given for the shape of the stability locus. The influence of the most important machine parameters and steady state conditions is examined. As a result, an envelope of stability is developed for all the operating conditions of the machine. The computer simulation of the physical system show the existence of a limit cycle in the operation of this type of machine.
Attention gates visual coding in the human pulvinar

The pulvinar nucleus of the thalamus is suspected to have an important role in visual attention, based on its widespread connectivity with the visual cortex and the fronto-parietal attention network. However, at present, there remain many hypotheses on the pulvinar's specific function, with sparse or conflicting evidence for each. Here we characterize how the human pulvinar encodes attended and ignored objects when they appear simultaneously and compete for attentional resources. Using multivoxel pattern analyses on data from two functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiments, we show that attention gates both position and orientation information in the pulvinar: attended objects are encoded with high precision, while there is no measurable encoding of ignored objects. These data support a role of the pulvinar in distractor filtering--suppressing information from competing stimuli to isolate behaviourally relevant objects.