cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recellularization of a novel off-the-shelf valve following xenogenic implantation into the right ventricular outflow tract

Current research on valvular heart repair has focused on tissue-engineered heart valves (TEHV) because of its potential to grow similarly to native heart valves. Decellularized xenografts are a promising solution; however, host recellularization remains challenging. In this study, decellularized porcine aortic valves were implanted into the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) of sheep to investigate recellularization potential. Porcine aortic valves, decellularized with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), were sterilized by supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) and implanted into the RVOT of five juvenile polypay sheep for 5 months (n = 5). During implantation, functionality of the valves was assessed by serial echocardiography, blood tests, and right heart pulmonary artery catheterization measurements. The explanted valves were characterized through gross examination, mechanical characterization, and immunohistochemical analysis including cell viability, phenotype, proliferation, and extracellular matrix generation. Gross examination of the valve cusps demonstrated the absence of thrombosis. Bacterial and fungal stains were negative for pathogenic microbes. Immunohistochemical analysis showed the presence of myofibroblast-like cell infiltration with formation of new collagen fibrils and the existence of an endothelial layer at the surface of the explant. Analysis of cell phenotype and morphology showed no lymphoplasmacytic infiltration. Tensile mechanical testing of valve cusps revealed an increase in stiffness while strength was maintained during implantation. The increased tensile stiffness confirms the recellularization of the cusps by collagen synthesizing cells. The current study demonstrated the feasibility of the trans-species implantation of a non-fixed decellularized porcine aortic valve into the RVOT of sheep. The implantation resulted in recellularization of the valve with sufficient hemodynamic function for the 5-month study. Thus, the study supports a potential role for use of a TEHV for the treatment of valve disease in humans.
How not to structure your database-backed web applications: a study of performance bugs in the wild

Many web applications use databases for persistent data storage, and using Object Relational Mapping (ORM) frameworks is a common way to develop such database-backed web applications. Unfortunately, developing efficient ORM applications is challenging, as the ORM framework hides the underlying database query generation and execution. This problem is becoming more severe as these applications need to process an increasingly large amount of persistent data. Recent research has targeted specific aspects of performance problems in ORM applications. However, there has not been any systematic study to identify common performance anti-patterns in real-world such applications, how they affect resulting application performance, and remedies for them. In this paper, we try to answer these questions through a comprehensive study of 12 representative real-world ORM applications. We generalize 9 ORM performance anti-patterns from more than 200 performance issues that we obtain by studying their bug-tracking systems and profiling their latest versions. To prove our point, we manually fix 64 performance issues in their latest versions and obtain a median speedup of 2× (and up to 39× max) with fewer than 5 lines of code change in most cases. Many of the issues we found have been confirmed by developers, and we have implemented ways to identify other code fragments with similar issues as well.
Recruitment and enrollment of African Americans into health promoting programs: the effects of health promoting programs on cardiovascular disease risk study

Objectives: Randomized controlled trials (RCT) often employ multiple recruitment methods to attract participants, however, special care must be taken to be inclusive of under-represented population...
Therapeutic effect of local Interleukin-15 with radiotherapy in breast cancer.

158Background: Interleukin (IL)-15 is a key regulator of T cell homeostasis with activity in cancer and a favorable toxicity profile compared to IL-2. IL-15 stimulates the proliferation and effecto...
Better-quality diet is associated with lower odds of severe periodontitis in US Hispanics/Latinos

Aim We investigated the cross-sectional association between diet quality and severe periodontitis in a sample of diverse Hispanics from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. Materials and methods A total of 13,920 Hispanic/Latinos aged 18-74 years of different heritages underwent a full-mouth oral examination and completed two 24-hr dietary recalls during 2008-2011. Severe periodontitis was defined as having ≥30% tooth sites with clinical attachment loss ≥5 mm. Diet quality was assessed using the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI-2010). We evaluated the association of diet quality with severe periodontitis adjusting for age, sex, nativity status, income, education, last dental visit, current insurance, cigarette smoking, diabetes, and energy intake. Results Relative to those at the lowest quartile of diet quality, individuals at the highest quartile had significantly lower odds of severe periodontitis (adjusted OR = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.39-0.82), with evidence of a dose-response relationship across AHEI quartiles. Among AHEI-2010 components, higher consumption of whole grains and fruits, and lower consumption of red/processed meats were associated with lower odds of severe periodontitis. Conclusion Better-quality diet was associated with lower prevalence of severe periodontitis although the causal pathways need to be clarified in future work.
Reprint to: Fistulotomy

Abstract Anal fistulotomy, the unroofing of the entire tract from the external to the internal opening, is the most effective and simple treatment for most patients with anal fistula. However, anal fistulotomy carries a risk of fecal incontinence that is related to the loss of sphincter function and the deformity of the anal canal that results from dividing the tissue encircled by the fistula. The main treatment challenge is how to select patients who will be cured of their fistula without developing postoperative fecal incontinence. The decision should be individualized according to the proportion of the muscle involved, the location of the tract, the patient's sex, history of previous anal surgery, continence, and finally, but not less importantly, the surgeon's experience.
Conduction recovery following pacemaker implantation after transcatheter aortic valve replacement

BACKGROUND Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is increasingly used to treat severe aortic stenosis. A frequent complication of TAVR is high-grade or complete atrioventricular (AV) block requiring a permanent pacemaker (PPM). There are little data on the long-term dependency on pacing after TAVR. The objective of this study was to determine the proportion of patients receiving a PPM for high-grade or complete AV block after TAVR who remain dependent on the PPM in follow-up and to determine any risk factors for, particularly the effect of postballoon dilation (PBD) on, pacemaker dependency. METHODS Of 594 consecutive patients without prior PPM undergoing TAVR (81.9% balloon-expandable, 18.1% self-expandable valve), 67 (13.1%) received a PPM after TAVR. PPM dependency was defined as AV block with a ventricular escape rate of ≤ 40 beats/min. Patient and procedural characteristics were examined according to PPM dependency status. RESULTS Of the 67 patients who received a PPM within 10 days after TAVR, 27/67 (40.3%) were dependent at first follow-up and only 9/41 (21.9%) at 1 year. PPM dependency was more common after a self-expanding valve (76.9% vs 31.5%, P < 0.01), in those who underwent PBD (66.7% vs 24.4%, P < 0.01), and in patients in persistent complete AV block at PPM implantation (62.5% vs 7.4%, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Fewer than half of patients who receive a new PPM following TAVR are pacemaker dependent at early follow-up (< 30 days). The use of self-expanding valves and PBD are associated with a markedly increased risk of PPM dependency.
Particle formation: Clusters and nuclei

The study of fine particles is a growing area of interest in both the academic and industrial communities. Through investigation of the formation and properties of clusters one can elucidate mechanisms of nucleation and investigate the changing properties of matter as it transcends from gas-like through surface dominated and ultimately to bulk state behavior. This paper provides an overview of the importance of the field and shows examples of how research on small clusters is providing insight into diverse phenomena such as nucleation, changing electronic properties with cluster size, and concomitant influences on reactions.
Fate of particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the river-influenced continental margin of the northern Gulf of Mexico

Abstract This study utilizes suspended particles and seafloor sediments collected from the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) continental margin to study the fate, transport, residence times and accumulation rates of particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Total particulate-PAHs and particulate organic carbon (POC) varied between 0.9 and 7.0 ng/L, and 4–131 μg/L, respectively. Particulate-PAHs were positively correlated with POC, while both particulate-PAHs and POC were negatively correlated with salinity (P-value
PD1/PD-L1 Expression in Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasm

Patients with blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) have poor outcomes despite intensive chemotherapy, underscoring the need for novel therapeutic approaches. The expression status of PD1/PD-L1 in BPDCN remains unknown. We evaluated PD1/PD-L1 by immunohistochemistry and RNAseq expression profiling in a cohort of BPDCN patients. The study group included 28 patients with a median age of 66.8 years (range, 22.8-86.7), 22 men and 6 women. PD-L1 expression was detected by immunohistochemistry in 10/21 (47.6%) cases. PD-L1 expression had a median H-score of 157. The H-score was ≥60 in 7 patients. PD-L1 protein levels (H-score) were proportional to normalized PD-L1 mRNA transcript levels (CD274 mRNA). In addition, high-level PD-L1 expression correlated with higher numbers of PD1-positive cells within BPDCN tumors. There was no correlation between clinicopathologic characteristics and PD-L1 expression status. Similarly, there was no significant difference in overall survival between patients with PD-L1-positive and PD-L1-negative BPDCN (median 12 vs. 23 month, respectively; p = 0.743). In conclusion, PD-L1 expression by tumor cells is detectable in a sizeable subset of patients with BPDCN, suggesting that exploration of the effectiveness of therapeutic inhibition of the PD1/PD-L1 axis in patients with refractory or progressive BPDCN is warranted.
Breast Atypia as a Biomarker of Risk

Provide a summary of available evidence on breast atypia as a biomarker of risk. With an increase in independent studies on atypical hyperplasia (AH), knowledge has advanced recently regarding its subsequent associated breast cancer risk. For women with AH, absolute risk can be estimated generally as ~ 1% per year, and a greater extent of disease appears to further increase risk. Although both breasts are at increased risk, the risk is higher for the ipsilateral breast. In women with AH, a family history of breast cancer does not confer significantly increased risk. Risk is similar for atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH) and atypical lobular hyperplasia (ALH), with some reports suggesting mildly higher risk for ALH. Prevention medications reduce breast cancer risk by ~ 70% in AH. Women with AH should be counseled on their increased risk and the option of prevention medication.
Addressing Sexual Harassment in the Legal Profession: The Opportunity to Use Model Rule 8.4(G) to Protect Women From Harassment

This Article explores options available to legal professionals in order to become more aware of and address sexual harassment within the profession. The potential avenues of redress for sexual harassment by those in the legal profession vary. The applicable remedy depends on factors such as: jurisdiction, nature of the harassment, context of the harassment (site of conduct, identity of harasser, and identity of target), and relief sought. This Article discusses two primary avenues: antidiscrimination and anti-harassment protections under Title VII and disciplinary proceedings pursuant to attorney ethics rules. In Part I, the Article explores the ways in which Title VII has not adequately protected women from sexual harassment. Part II of the Article explores potential redress from attorney ethics rules, focusing specifically on Model Rule 8.4(g). The Article discusses advantages of state adoption of Rule 8.4(g) and adds a new perspective to the scholarship about Rule 8.4(g) by addressing the potential disadvantage of reliance on anti-discrimination laws to interpret the rule.
Surgical volume estimates using national or state databases can reasonably disregard missing cases from patients undergoing multiple surgeries on the same day other than for cardiac, vascular, and trauma cases

Abstract Background Large administrative data sources such as the National Inpatient Sample are frequently used to estimate the incidence of surgery in the United States. These sources do not identify unique surgical cases (often containing multiple procedures). Investigators routinely assume that all surgical procedures on a given day comprise a single case, ignoring returns to the operating room (e.g., to address a complication). Methods We estimated the inaccuracy of this assumption using 11 years of electronic data from 2 large academic hospitals. Results An administrative database would have underestimated the actual case count by 0.22% (99% UCL = 0.25%) and 0.19% (99% UCL = 0.22%), respectively. Patients undergoing cardiac or vascular surgery had a much greater underestimation of case counts (99% UCL 1.72% and 1.60%, and 99% UCL 1.06% and 1.09%, respectively) than other specialties (99% UCL for each specialty Conclusions For most specialties, inferring overall surgical case frequency using administrative data based on an assumption of no returns to the surgical suite is reasonable. However, adjustment for cardiac, vascular, and trauma surgical caseloads using such sources should be considered.
Torticollis in children with enlarged vestibular aqueducts.

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the association between torticollis and enlarged vestibular aqueduct (EVA). Methods An online/phone survey was administered to parents of 133 children diagnosed with the following disorders: EVA, GJB2 (Connexin 26) mutations associated congenital hearing loss and epistaxis (control). The survey included questions regarding symptoms of torticollis, vertigo, and hearing loss. Results Patients with EVA had a 10-fold greater odds of having torticollis than controls (31% vs. 4%; OR = 10.6; 95% CI: 2.9, 39.2). No patients with GJB2 had a reported history of torticollis. Torticollis preceded the diagnosis of hearing loss in most (87%) patients with EVA who had a reported history of torticollis. EVA patients were more likely to have reported motor delay than controls (40% vs. 15%; p = 0.002). EVA patients with prior torticollis (80%; 12/15) were more likely to have balance impairment than EVA patients without prior torticollis (12%; 4/33; p Conclusion Torticollis in infants may be a marker of EVA. Infants with torticollis should be monitored closely for hearing loss and motor delay, especially when the torticollis is paroxysmal.
Novel Multidisciplinary Management of Acute Kidney Injury After Infant Orthotopic Heart Transplantation

Acute kidney injury following orthotopic heart transplantation in pediatric recipients is often multifactorial, requiring balance of immune suppression, nephrotoxic medication exposure, nutrition, and fluid status. Therapeutic options are often limited by patient size and hemodynamic stability. We describe a four-month, 4.9-kg female bridged by mechanical circulatory support to transplant after failed stage 1 palliation secondary to recurrent aortic stenosis and severe ventricular dysfunction. Posttransplant, kidney injury was managed by transcatheter relief of central obstruction from an anastomotic stricture and continuous renal replacement therapy, allowing uninterrupted immune suppression, medication, and nutrition delivery until sufficient recovery of renal function.
Robust Power and Cadence Tracking on a Motorized FES Cycle with an Unknown Time-Varying Input Delay

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) induced cycling is a common rehabilitative technique applied for those with a movement disorder. An FES cycle system is a nonlinear switched dynamic system that has a potentially destabilizing input delay between stimulation and the resulting muscle force. In this paper, a dual objective control system for a nonlinear, uncertain, switched FES cycle system with an unknown time-varying input delay is developed and a Lyapunov-like dwell-time analysis is performed to yield exponential power tracking to an ultimate bound and global exponential cadence tracking. Preliminary experimental results for a single healthy individual are provided and demonstrate average power and cadence tracking errors of -0.05 ± 0.80 W and -0.05 ± 1.20 RPM, respectively, for a target power of 10 W and a target cadence of 50 RPM.
Using NYC 311 Call Center Data to Assess Short- and Long-Term Needs Following Hurricane Sandy.

Objectives Hurricane Sandy made landfall across New York City (NYC) in October 2012, but the long-term consequences of the storm are still not fully understood. We analyzed NYC data to quantify the extent of Hurricane Sandy-related concerns over time. Methods Data on NYC 311 Call Center inquiries were downloaded from the NYC Open Data website (October 29, 2012 to May 26, 2020) to provide information about Sandy-related calls using the keywords "Hurricane" and "Sandy". Results In the first 2 wk after Hurricane Sandy, 15.6% of 311 calls were related to the storm. From 2012 to 2020, the volume of inquiries decreased from 87,209 to 25. The majority of calls in 2012 (49,181; 56%) was requesting general Hurricane Sandy information, and in 2020 assistance with property restoration (20; 79%). Conclusions The long-term consequences of Hurricane Sandy in NYC persist into 2020, almost 8 y after the initial event. The needs of Hurricane Sandy victims have changed over time from requiring general information regarding closures, property destruction and immediate disaster relief to aid with legal, financial, and mental health consequences. Disaster response policy-makers must understand the changing needs of NYC residents to provide resources and prepare for future disasters.
Improving Syntax-Driven Translation Models by Re-structuring Divergent and Nonisomorphic Parse Tree Structures.

Syntax-based approaches to statistical MT require syntax-aware methods for acquiring their underlying translation models from parallel data. This acquisition process can be driven by syntactic trees for either the source or target language, or by trees on both sides. Work to date has demonstrated that using trees for both sides suffers from severe coverage problems. This is primarily due to the highly restrictive space of constituent segmentations that the trees on two sides introduce, which adversely affects the recall of the resulting translation models. Approaches that project from trees on one side, on the other hand, have higher levels of recall, but suffer from lower precision, due to the lack of syntactically-aware word alignments. In this paper we explore the issue of lexical coverage of the translation models learned in both of these scenarios. We specifically look at how the non-isomorphic nature of the parse trees for the two languages affects recall and coverage. We then propose a novel technique for restructuring target parse trees, that generates highly isomorphic target trees that preserve the syntactic boundaries of constituents that were aligned in the original parse trees. We evaluate the translation models learned from these restructured trees and show that they are significantly better than those learned using trees on both sides and trees on one side.
HJ-aggregates of donor-acceptor-donor oligomers and polymers.

A vibronic exciton model is developed to account for the spectral signatures of HJ-aggregates of oligomers and polymers containing donor–acceptor–donor (DAD) repeat units. In (DAD)N π-stacks, J-aggregate-promoting intrachain interactions compete with H-aggregate-promoting interchain interactions. The latter includes Coulombic coupling, which arises from “side-by-side” fragment transition dipole moments as well as intermolecular charge transfer (ICT), which is enhanced in geometries with substantial overlap between donors on one chain and acceptors on a neighboring chain. J-behavior is dominant in single (DAD)N chains with enhanced intrachain order as evidenced by an increased red-shift in the low-energy absorption band along with a heightened A1/A2 peak ratio, where A1 and A2 are the oscillator strengths of the first two vibronic peaks in the progression sourced by the symmetric quinoidal–aromatic vibration. By contrast, the positive H-promoting interchain Coulomb interactions operative in aggregates cause the vibronic ratio to attenuate, similar to what has been established in H-aggregates of homopolymers such as P3HT. An attenuated A1/A2 ratio can also be caused by H-promoting ICT which occurs when the electron and hole transfer integrals are out-of-phase. In this case, the A1 peak is red-shifted, in contrast to conventional Kasha H-aggregates. With slight modifications, the ratio formula derived previously for P3HT aggregates is shown to apply to (DAD)N aggregates as well, allowing one to determine the effective free-exciton interchain coupling from the A1/A2 ratio. Applications are made to polymers based on 2T-DPP-2T and 2T-BT-2T repeat units, where the importance of the admixture of the excited acceptor state in the lowest energy band is emphasized.
What is a Tree Worth? Green-City Strategies and Housing Prices

We investigate the correlation between curb-side tree plantings and housing price movements in Philadelphia from 1998 to 2003, comparing two programs, one by the Philadelphia Horticultural Society that requires block-group effort that focuses on low-income neighbourhoods and the other by the Fairmount Park Commission that is individual-based without specific target areas. A 7 to 11 percent price differential is identified within 4000 ft of the Fairmount tree plantings. We argue that this is largely driven by either social capital creation or a signaling mechanism, on the top of an intrinsic tree value (around 2 percent). Findings using the PHS tree program suggest that development of social capital or environmentally-conscious behavior might be a less important channel. Any positive changes brought by the PHS tree plantings were not detected with sufficient statistical power.
Survey of U.S. neurologists' attitudes towards deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease.

Objectives: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson's disease (PD) was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2002 and has demonstrated clinical benefit in advanced PD. Our aim was to assess attitudes of U.S. neurologists towards the role of DBS in management of advanced PD. Materials and Methods: We sent a 40-item Internet-based survey assessing opinions regarding the role of medical and surgical therapies in managing PD to 7722 neurologists in the American Medical Association Physician MasterFile data base. Results: The response rate was low (4.2%). In total, 78 of the 298 (26%) responders self-identified as movement disorders specialists. Specialists and non-specialists had differences on a number of medical strategies used to manage PD. There were no statistically significant differences in reasons for or against referring patients for DBS, except for the number of non-specialists who agreed with referring a patient who had a “poor or absent response to levodopa” (71% vs. 16%, p < 0.001). Both groups indicated a need for more information concerning appropriate indications for DBS, adverse effects of surgery, and postoperative programming. Conclusions: Movement disorders specialists and non-specialists were in general agreement towards the beneficial role of DBS in management of advanced PD except for whether to refer patients with poor or absent response to levodopa.
Dancing with the Adversary: A Tale of Wimps and Giants

The long-standing requirement that system and network designs must include accurate and complete adversary definitions from inception remains unmet on commodity platforms; e.g., on commodity operating systems, network protocols, and applications. A way to provide such definitions is to (1) partition commodity software into “wimps” (i.e., small software components with rather limited function and high-assurance security properties) and “giants” (i.e., large commodity software systems, with low/no assurance of security); and (2) limit the obligation of definining the adversary to wimps while realistically assuming that the giants are adversary controlled. We provide a structure for accurate and complete adversary definitions that yields basic security properties and metrics for wimps. Then we argue that wimps must collaborate (“dance”) with giants, namely compose with adversary code across protection interfaces, and illustrate some of the salient features of the wimp-giant composition. We extend the wimp-giant metaphor to security protocols in networks of humans and computers where compelling services, possibly under the control of an adversary, are offered to unsuspecting users. Although these protocols have safe states whereby a participant can establish temporary beliefs in the adversary’s trustworthiness, reasoning about such states requires techniques from other fields, such as behavioral economics, rather than traditional security and cryptography.
The Phenomenology of Essences: Max Scheler (1874–1928)

There can be little question that in the early twenties before the advent of Martin Heidegger Max Scheler was in the eyes of the German public the number two phenomenologist; in fact to many he was more — a star of the first magnitude whose dazzling light revealed more than the prominent member of a new school: a philosopher of the age. Fortunately it is not my assignment to discuss the validity of such contemporary estimates. Mine will be merely to describe and to evaluate Scheler the phenomenologist, leaving aside as far as possible the overflow of Scheler’s boundless energies and ideas into fields like sociology, politics, and education. For Scheler was certainly more than a phenomenologist. It may even be asked to what extent, in the last analysis, he was a phenomenologist. Scheler’s impact on the Phenomenological Movement as a whole, however, is an indisputable historical fact. Besides, he probably did more for the spread of the entire Movement abroad, especially in the French- and Spanish-speaking world, than any other phenomenologist. This alone secures him a central place in the history of the Movement.
An End to Insanity: Recasting the Role of Mental Illness in Criminal Cases

This article argues that mental illness should no longer be the basis for a special defense of insanity. Instead, mental disorder should be considered in criminal cases only if relevant to other excuse doctrines, such as lack of mens rea, self-defense and duress, as those defenses have been defined under modern subjectively-oriented codes. With the advent of these subjectively defined doctrines (a development which, ironically, took place during the same period that insanity formulations expanded), the insanity defense has outlived its usefulness, normatively and practically. Modern official formulations of the defense are overbroad because, fairly construed, they exculpate the vast majority of people who commit serious crime. The most prominent alternative to the official tests ? the irrationality threshold ? is also flawed because it is based on the unprovable assumption that irrational people are less able to act for good reasons. Acquitting only those who lacked mens rea due to mental dysfunction or who acted on delusions that, if true, would sound in self-defense or duress better captures the universe of people who should be excused because of mental illness. This approach would also enhance the image of the criminal justice system, improve treatment of those with mental illness, and reduce the stigma associated with being mentally ill.
Virtual jukebox: reviving a classic

Recent advances in compression technology, combined with lower cost of storage and bandwidth, have made digital distribution of rich content including music not only technically feasible but also popular with a broad audience. However, limited progress has been made in the way this content is enjoyed by eyed users. We focus on the problem of playing music in a shared space, e.g, office, home, car - such that all listeners who are present share a positive music experience. Our scheme enables collaborative selection of content and pooling of content files. Users can express their preferences by contributing songs to be played and through a simple voting scheme. The system builds profiles and automatically selects content for playback, maximizing the match with the group's taste. As users vote, the system learns more about their collective preferences and can adjust the playlist accordingly, thus providing an incentive mechanism.
Starvation-survival processes of a marine Vibrio.

Abstract Levels of DNA, RNA, protein, ATP, glutathione, and radioactivity associated with [35S]methionine-labeled cellular protein were estimated at various times during the starvation-survival process of a marine psychrophilic heterotrophic Vibrio sp., Ant-300. Values for the macromolecules were analyzed in terms of total, viable, and respiring cells. Electron micrographs (thin sections) were made on log-phase and 5.5-week-starved cells. On a per-cell basis, the levels of protein and DNA rapidly decreased until a constant level was attained. A second method in which radioactive sulfur was used for monitoring protein demonstrated that the cellular protein level decreased for approximately 2.5 weeks and then remained constant. An initial decrease in the RNA level with starvation was noted, but with time the RNA (orcinol-positive material) level increased to 2.5 times the minimum level. After 6 weeks of starvation, 45 to 60% of the cells remained capable of respiration, as determined by iodonitrotetrazolium violet-formazan granule production. Potential respiration and endogenous respiration levels fell, with an intervening 1-week peak, until at 2 weeks no endogenous respiration could be measured; respiratory potential remained high. The cell glutathione level fell during starvation, but when the cells were starved in the presence of the appropriate amino acids, glutathione was resynthesized to its original level, beginning after 1 week of starvation. The cells used much of their stored products and became ultramicrocells during the 6-week starvation-survival process. Ant-300 underwent many physiological changes in the first week of starvation that relate to the utilization or production of ATP. After that period, a stable pattern for long-term starvation was demonstrated.
Human motion simulation for vehicle and workplace design: Research Articles

Digital Human Models (DHMs) are fast becoming an effective tool for performing proactive ergonomics analysis and design. DHM software, such as Jack, SAFEWORK, RAMSIS, SAMMIE, and the UM 3DSSP, are meant to assist a designer early in a product development process, when he or she is attempting to improve the physical design of vehicle interiors and manufacturing workplaces. To become even more effective in meeting such a goal, it is proposed that future DHMs must include valid posture and motion prediction models for various populations. It is argued in this article that existing posture and motion prediction models now used in DHMs must be based on real motion data to assure validity for complex dynamic task simulations. It is further proposed that if valid human posture and motion prediction models are developed, these can be combined with psychophysical and biomechanical models to provide a very powerful tool for predicting dynamic human performance and population specific limitations. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Hum Factors Man 17: 475–484, 2007.
Microarchitectural synthesis of gracefully degradable, dynamically reconfigurable ASICs

In this paper, we propose a novel fault-tolerance scheme, band reconfiguration, to handle multiple permanent faults in functional units of general ASIC designs. An associated high-level synthesis procedure that automatically generates such fault-tolerant systems is also presented. The proposed scheme permits multiple levels of graceful degradation. During each reconfiguration the system instantly reconfigures itself through operation rescheduling and hardware rebinding. The design objectives are optimization of resource utilization rate under each configuration, and reduction of hardware and performance overheads. The proposed high-level synthesis approach enables fast and area-effective implementations of gracefully degradable ASICs.
Identification and sequencing of novel alleles: Utility of next-generation sequencing methods

Aim Sanger sequencing-based typing (SBT) requires multiple steps to sequence novel HLA alleles, as allele-specific (AS) primers are needed to separate novel from other encoded alleles. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) includes phase information, and has the potential to sequence novel alleles without AS primers. Here we compare the process of novel allele identification and sequencing using SBT and NGS assays. Methods Novel alleles were identified in peripheral blood during routine clinical testing using Atria SBT kits (Abbot Molecular). Germline encoding was verified by typing buccal samples. For Sanger sequencing of novel alleles, AS amplification primers were designed to take advantage of nucleotide polymorphisms between encoded alleles, and patients with homozygous loci were used to verify primer specificity. Amplified products were Sanger sequenced using custom or commercially-available primers. For NGS sequencing, the Holotype X4 (Omixon) kit was used in its default configuration. Results Four novel, germline-encoded HLA alleles were identified in three patients. Novel HLA-A and B alleles were sequenced using AS amplification primers and Sanger sequencing. A novel DQB1 allele previously identified but not resolved by SBT was sequenced using the NGS assay. A novel DQB1 allele not identified by SBT, as the polymorphism was outside the covered region, was identified and sequenced by NGS. The names HLA-A∗66:22, B∗07:238, DQB1∗03:180, and DQB1∗06:01:15 have been officially assigned by the WHO Nomenclature Committee. Conclusions While SBT assays used in the clinical setting are able to identify novel alleles, subsequent sequencing is a cumbersome and time-consuming process. Furthermore, SBT assays may miss novel polymorphisms outside of the exons covered by the assay. NGS systems, on the other hand, can identify and sequence novel alleles over a larger genomic region as part of the normal clinical workflow. However, we experienced issues with the Omixon NGS kit, including the inability to sequence buccal cell DNA, and difficulties amplifying the DQB1 locus, which could have impacted clinical workflow had NGS been the primary method of testing. As the emerging technology of NGS is introduced to complement established SBT assays, it is important to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each.
GENETIC STUDIES ON THE PROTEIN CONTENT OF MAIZE

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Effects of vegetation canopy processes on snow surface energy and mass balances

[1] This paper addresses the effects of canopy physical processes on snow mass and energy balances in boreal ecosystems. We incorporate new parameterizations of radiation transfer through the vegetation canopy, interception of snow by the vegetation canopy, and under-canopy sensible heat transfer processes into the Versatile Integrator of Surface and Atmosphere (VISA) and test the model results against the Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) data observed at South Study Area, Old Jack Pine. A modified two-stream radiation transfer scheme that accounts for the three-dimensional geometry of vegetation accurately simulates the transferring of solar radiation through the vegetation canopy when the leaf and stem area index is reduced to match the observed. VISA produces higher-than-observed surface albedo in wintertime. Implementation of a snow interception model that explicitly describes the loading and unloading of snow and the melting and refreezing of snow on the canopy into VISA reduces the fractional snow cover on the canopy and the surface albedo. VISA overestimates the downward sensible heat fluxes from the canopy to the snow surface, which leads to earlier snow ablation and a shallower snowpack than the observed. Explicitly including a canopy heat storage term in the canopy energy balance equation decreases the spuriously large amplitude of the diurnal canopy temperature variation and reduces the excessive daytime sensible heat flux from the canopy downward to the snow surface. Sensitivity tests reveal that the turbulent sensible heat flux below the vegetation canopy strongly depends on the canopy absorption coefficient of momentum. During spring the daytime temperature difference between the snow surface and the vegetation canopy forms a strongly stable atmospheric condition, which results in a larger absorption coefficient of momentum and a weak turbulent sensible heat flux. The modeled excessive downward sensible heat flux from the vegetation canopy to the snow surface is considerably reduced through the stability correction to the canopy absorption coefficient of momentum.
A review of copula models for economic time series

This survey reviews the large and growing literature on copula-based models for economic and financial time series. Copula-based multivariate models allow the researcher to specify the models for the marginal distributions separately from the dependence structure that links these distributions to form a joint distribution. This allows for a much greater degree of flexibility in specifying and estimating the model, freeing the researcher from considering only existing multivariate distributions. The author surveys estimation and inference methods and goodness-of-fit tests for such models, as well as empirical applications of these copulas for economic and financial time series.
Algebraic turbulence model simulations of supersonic open-cavity flow physics

A time-accurate double thin-layer Navier-Stokes computation is performed for an unsteady supersonic open cavity with a length-to-depth ratio of 2. The results are used to determine the flow-physics mechanisms responsible for the cavity oscillation cycle. A new cycle is described and compared to previous descriptions. It is found that a shed vortex impinges on the cavity aft lip and forms a pressure pulse that augments or forces, at the vortex shedding frequency, an internal upstream moving wave that has been reflected from the aft corner. This upstream moving wave eventually reflects off the cavity forward wall and forces the shedding of a new vortex. It was found, however, that the reflected wave dissipates before it reaches the aft wall. Instead, a second wave forms beneath the shed vortex and eventually reflects from the aft corner and is forced at the shedding frequency by the shed vortex wave, completing the cycle.
Leninist beneficiaries? Pre-1989 legacies and the radical right in post-1989 Central and Eastern Europe. Some introductory observations

Abstract A central topos in the study of Central and Eastern European contemporary politics in general, and of its radical right politics in particular is the emphasis on the extraordinary relevance of history and geography. In fact, the entire transformation process after 1989 is often clothed in terms of historical and geographical categories, either as a “return of history” or a “return to Europe”, or both. In these various scenarios, the radical right claims a prominent place in this politics of return, and the study of this current echoes the more general concern, in the analyses of the region, with historical analogies and the role of legacies. Sometimes analogies are drawn between the post-1989 radical right and interwar fascism, in terms of a “Weimarization” of the transformation countries and the return of the pre-socialist, ultranationalist or even fascist past – the “return of history”. Others argue that since some Central and Eastern European party systems increasingly resemble their Western European counterparts, so does the radical right, at least where it is electorally successful – the “return to Europe”. According to yet another line of thought, the radical right in the region is a phenomenon sui generis , inherently shaped by the historical forces of state socialism and the transformation process and, as a result and in contrast to Western Europe, ideologically more extreme and anti-democratic while organizationally more a movement than a party phenomenon. In all these approaches, the key concepts of “legacies” and the radical right are often underspecified. This volume takes a closer look at the intersection of history or particular legacies, and the mobilization of the radical right in the post-1989 world of the region, while attempting to provide a sharper focus on key concepts. Regardless of the different approaches, all contributions show that with the radical right, a peculiar “syncretic construct” (Tismaneanu) has emerged in Central and Eastern Europe after 1989, which is derived from both pre-communist and communist legacies.
Beyond Belief: Religious Experience, Ritual, and Cultural Neuro-phenomenology in the Interpretation of Past Religious Systems

While there is growing agreement within anthropology and archaeology that notions of ‘experience’ can contribute to our interpretations of the past, this article suggests that there is a need to incorporate insight gathered from the fields of cultural phenomenology and cultural neuro-phenomenology into general anthropological understandings of cross-cultural religious experience. Specifically, this article explores the insight offered by cultural neuro-phenomenology into the relationships between religious symbolism, ritual, power, religious belief, and individual religious experience. In assessing the role that belief, as instantiated through ritually-induced religious experience, plays in the maintenance or alteration of state-level religious systems, this article will outline the ways in which this insight may both help us better to understand past religious experience as well as to interpret the maintenance and alteration of past religious systems. To demonstrate the potential of this approach, this article will conclude with a brief discussion of the fall of the Classic Maya state religious system.
The benefit/risk profile of TNF-blocking agents : Findings of a consensus panel

Objective To review the benefits and risks associated with the use of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-blockers in various indications (eg, rheumatoid arthritis [RA], Crohn's disease [CD], psoriasis). Methods The members of the consensus panel were selected based on their expertise. Centocor, Inc provided an educational grant to the Center for Health Care Education to facilitate the consensus panel. Peer-reviewed articles discussing clinical studies and clinical experiences with TNF-blockers form the basis of this review. Emerging data that have not been peer-reviewed are also included. Results The TNF-blockers infliximab, etanercept, and adalimumab are all approved for treatment of RA. All 3 are effective, and there are currently no published data from head-to-head clinical trials to support using 1 agent over another. Preliminary data from small, retrospective studies indicate that switching among agents to overcome inadequate efficacy or poor tolerability is beneficial in some patients. The only TNF-blocker currently approved for the induction and maintenance of remission in CD is infliximab. Preliminary data indicate that etanercept and infliximab are effective in treating psoriasis. Some risks associated with TNF-blockers have become apparent, including congestive heart failure, demyelinating diseases, and systemic lupus erythematosus, but in most cases can be identified and managed. Several of these risks (eg, lymphoma and serious infections) are associated with either the condition per se or the concomitant medication use. Simple screening procedures help manage the risk of tuberculosis infection; however, it is recommended that physicians and patients be alert to the development of any new infection so that appropriate treatment may be initiated promptly. Rare infusion reactions, particularly with infliximab, may also be effectively managed. Conclusion TNF-blockers are effective and may be safely used for short- and long-term management of RA or CD. TNF-blockers also show efficacy in other emerging indications.
Korean and US families, schools, and learning

Abstract South Korean students outperform the US and other industrialized countries in science and math during the school years. A multiple-factor psychological model provides a comparative framework to discuss the home and school factors that appear to explain achievement differences based on the Third International Math and Science Study (TIMSS). Regression analyses were performed on 5846 Korean students and 10,975 US students from 333 schools to analyze the factors in the model. Some factors appear to be more distinctively applied in Korea than the US. Alterable factors in this study are practices that are associated within the home and school. The findings suggest implications for family–school partnerships, early intervention in primary and middle schools, after-school or weekend programs, supportive family and school conditions and practices. Collaborative efforts of parents and educators in any culture may strongly influence children's affective, behavioral, and cognitive learning.
Dexmedetomidine Sedation With and Without Midazolam for Third Molar Surgery

Twenty-four patients were randomly divided into 2 groups. Intraoperatively, one group received a continuous intravenous infusion of dexmedetomidine alone, whereas the other received a continuous dexmedetomidine infusion plus a small dose of midazolam. Early measurements of patient anxiety and psychomotor performance were lower in patients who had received midazolam. This difference was not seen later in the appointment. An amnesic effect was observed in those patients who received midazolam. This effect, however, did not translate into increased patient satisfaction in the group receiving midazolam. Our findings suggest a prolonged discharge time for patients who had been given midazolam that may be clinically significant. Overall, dexmedetomidine showed an unpredictable sedative response and may be less practical than more common alternatives for oral surgery procedures.