cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interhemispheric transfer in children with early-treated phenylketonuria

Abstract Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a genetic disorder of amino acid metabolism that is associated with brain catecholamine depletion and deficient myelination. Although neuropsychological deficits have been documented in children with early-treated PKU (ETPKU), no study to date has examined possible effects of impaired myelination in this population. In the present study, interhemispheric transfer time was assessed for 14 children with ETPKU, 22 children with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, and 48 normal children, using a manual reaction time paradigm previously validated with callosal agenesis patients (Milner, 1982). Children with ETPKU demonstrated slowed interhemispheric transfer from the left to the right hemisphere as compared with the two other groups. The magnitude of slowing was correlated with age and phenylalanine levels at birth. Results support the hypothesis that abnormal myelination disrupts the development of interhemispheric connections in ETPKU, and suggest that left hemisphere ...
Elite intransigence and the end of the Berlin Wall

The impact of ruling‐class obstinacy on the East German revolution of 1989 remains insufficiently explored, despite the numerous studies that now exist of that autumn. This intransigence, when set in the context of the year's events, is shown to have been a key factor in promoting protest and accelerating the collapse of the GDR rulers’ authority. The stubbornness and its effects became especially clear in an examination of the SED ‘s incompetent handling of travel and emigration law reform. This reform, intended to be only superficial, was so badly mismanaged that it produced the accidental opening of the Berlin Wall.
On the Asymptotics of the Dirichlet Eigenfunctions of Δ2 + qon the Square☆

Abstract We obtain an asymptotic formula for the eigenfunctions of[formula]with boundary conditions[formula]
PIE-EXPANSION EFFORTS : COLLABORATION PROCESSES IN BUYER-SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIPS

The business press has coined the term “pie expansion” to refer to the collaborative process of creating mutually beneficial strategic outcomes between buyers and suppliers. In this research, the a...
National responsibility, reparations and distributive justice

I argue that an account of national responsibility, as both collective and inheritable, that allows for making sense of holding nations responsible as an entity for past international injustices and to make reparations for these injustices is not at odds with the demands of global egalitarianism. A global distributive commitment does not deny this account of national responsibility; to the contrary, we can properly appreciate the scope of national responsibility only in light of what global justice truly demands. Thus while I agree with David Miller that we can hold nations accountable for past international injustices, I do not agree with Miller that this is in tension with global egalitarianism.
The impact of anthropometric patient-phantom matching on organ dose: a hybrid phantom study for fluoroscopy guided interventions.

Purpose: To investigate the benefits and limitations of patient-phantom matching for determining organ dose during fluoroscopy guided interventions. Methods: In this study, 27 CT datasets representing patients of different sizes and genders were contoured and converted into patient-specific computational models. Each model was matched, based on height and weight, to computational phantoms selected from the UF hybrid patient-dependent series. In order to investigate the influence of phantom type on patient organ dose, Monte Carlo methods were used to simulate two cardiac projections (PA/left lateral) and two abdominal projections (RAO/LPO). Organ dose conversion coefficients were then calculated for each patient-specific and patient-dependent phantom and also for a reference stylized and reference hybrid phantom. The coefficients were subsequently analyzed for any correlation between patient-specificity and the accuracy of the dose estimate. Accuracy was quantified by calculating an absolute percent difference using the patient-specific dose conversion coefficients as the reference. Results: Patient-phantom matching was shown most beneficial for estimating the dose to heavy patients. In these cases, the improvement over using a reference stylized phantom ranged from approximately 50% to 120% for abdominal projections and for a reference hybrid phantom from 20% to 60% for all projections. For lighter individuals, patient-phantom matching wasmore » clearly superior to using a reference stylized phantom, but not significantly better than using a reference hybrid phantom for certain fields and projections. Conclusions: The results indicate two sources of error when patients are matched with phantoms: Anatomical error, which is inherent due to differences in organ size and location, and error attributed to differences in the total soft tissue attenuation. For small patients, differences in soft tissue attenuation are minimal and are exceeded by inherent anatomical differences. For large patients, difference in soft tissue attenuation can be large. In these cases, patient-phantom matching proves most effective as differences in soft tissue attenuation are mitigated. With increasing obesity rates, overweight patients will continue to make up a growing fraction of all patients undergoing medical imaging. Thus, having phantoms that better represent this population represents a considerable improvement over previous methods. In response to this study, additional phantoms representing heavier weight percentiles will be added to the UFHADM and UFHADF patient-dependent series.« less
Acute carpal tunnel syndrome a rare complication of chondrocalcinosis

Summary Acute carpal tunnel syndrome is rare and usually is secondary to trauma, burns, infection or acute rheumatoid arthritis. A case is presented in which the acute syndrome was produced by chondrocalcinosis (pseudogout or calcium pyrophosphate disease) of the wrist.
Undertakers' Death Anxiety:

A sample of 60 morticians completed the Revised Death Anxiety Scale. Their responses were compared with scores on that scale from 136 men from other occupations. The funeral directors' death anxiety scores were surprisingly high. Perhaps they are less able successfully to repress death fears because of constant occupational exposure to issues related to mortality.
Direct percutaneous endoscopic jejunostomy: a case series in pediatric patients.

Background Direct percutaneous endoscopic jejunostomy (DPEJ) is a well-known approach to deliver postpyloric enteral nutrition support to individuals who cannot tolerate gastric feeding. DPEJ addresses many of the shortcomings of jejunal feeding tubes placed through percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tubes. The safety and efficacy of DPEJ in adults has been previously reported. There are no reports on the use of DPEJ in pediatric patients. Objective Our purpose was to report on 5 pediatric patients who underwent DPEJ placement between January 2000 and January 2003 over the available follow-up periods. Design Retrospective case series. Setting University of Utah Health Sciences Center and the Medical University of South Carolina. Patients Five patients, age range 4 to 17 years. Main Outcome Measurements Rate of successful tube placement, major and minor complications, and outcomes including weight gain and recurrent aspiration after DPEJ placement. Results All 5 attempted DPEJs were placed successfully with 2 minor complications of peristomal leakage and peristomal skin infection. One DPEJ was replaced 2 years after placement because of fungal degradation. The mean weight gain among all patients was 10.3 kg in a mean of 22.6 months. Limitations Retrospective, small series. Conclusions DPEJ placement appears to be a safe and effective approach to enteral nutritional support in pediatric patients requiring long-term access to the jejunum. No major complications occurred and all patients gained weight after tube placement.
Stimulated Rayleigh-Brillouin gain spectroscopy

Steady-state stimulated Rayleigh-Brillouin gain spectroscopy and its application are reported. The stimulated gain, which is derived in terms of the spectral function of density fluctuations, is shown to approach, in the limit of zero density, the gain derived from the individual-particle picture of Rayleigh scattering. Using a pulsed pump laser, experimental gain spectra of pure ${\mathrm{SF}}_{6}$, pure Ar, and a ${\mathrm{SF}}_{6}$- and He-gas mixture are obtained and explained. Other associated coherent Rayleigh-Brillouin spectroscopies and the possibility of using a cw pump laser for higher spectral resolution are discussed.
Indicators of gender equality for American states and regions

The indicators described in this paper are measures of status equality (as compared to measures of status attainment). Status equality was operationalized by expressing the status attainment scores for women as a percentage of the scores for men. Indicators of equality in the economic, political, and legal spheres of life were computed for each of the 50 U.S. states. The indicators were combined to create an overall Gender Equality Index and a subscale for each of the three spheres. Analyses of internal consistency reliability and construct validity are presented. Large state-to-state and regional differences were found for all three spheres. In respect to the overall Gender Equality Index the scores ranged from a low of 19 (i.e. 19% of what is needed for equality with men) to a high of only 60%.
Setting standards: certification efforts and considerations in the field of death and dying.

(1992). Setting standards: Certification efforts and considerations in the field of death and dying. Death Studies: Vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 67-77.
Prognostic Implications of p53 Overexpression in Supratentorial Astrocytic Tumors

ABSTRACTTHE WILD-TYPE p53 gene is thought to play a critical role in tumor suppression and has been shown to reverse the transformed phenotype of tumor cells in vitro. Mutational inactivation of this aspect of p53 activity occurs frequently in many human neoplasms, including astrocytomas, and is tho
Thermal-Hydraulics of OC-OTEC Spout Flash Evaporators

A mechanistic model was developed for the thermal-hydraulic processes in the spout flash evaporator of an OC-OTEC plant. Nonequilibrium, two-fluid, conservation equations were solved for the two-phase flow in the spout, accounting for evaporation at the gas-liquid interface, and using a two-phase flow regime map consisting of bubbly, churn-turbulent and dispersed droplet flow patterns. Solution of the two-phase conservation equations provided the flow conditions at the spout exit, which were used in modeling the fluid mechanics and heat transfer in the evaporator, where the liquid was assumed to shatter into a spray with a log-normal size distribution. Droplet size distribution was approximated by using 30 discrete droplet size groups. Droplet momentum conservation equations were numerically solved to obtain the residence time of various droplet size groups in the evaporator. Evaporative cooling of droplets was modeled by solving the 1-D heat conduction equation in spheres, and accounting for droplet internal circulation by an empirical thermal diffusivity multiplier. The model was shown to favorably predict the available single-spout experimental data.
The point-set method: front-tracking without connectivity

Abstract We describe a point-set method for extracting the normal, curvature, and surface area from unordered data points residing on a surface. This capability relaxes front-tracking's reliance on connectivity between interfacial points and allows front-tracking to model topological changes at an interface naturally. We use this capability in 2D and 3D front-tracking calculations to model coalescence. We also describe a simple projection scheme which allows us to suppress parasitic currents in front-tracking models.
Manganese Selectivity of Pmr1, the Yeast Secretory Pathway Ion Pump, Is Defined by Residue Gln783 in Transmembrane Segment 6 RESIDUE Asp778 IS ESSENTIAL FOR CATION TRANSPORT

We have solubilized and purified the histidine-tagged yeast secretory pathway/Golgi ion pump Pmr1 to near homogeneity in one step, using nickel affinity chromatography. The purified pump demonstrates both Ca(2+)- and Mn(2+)-dependent ATP hydrolysis and phosphoenzyme intermediate formation in forward (ATP) and reverse (P(i)) directions. This preparation has allowed us to examine, in detail, the properties of mutations D778A and Q783A in transmembrane segment M6 of Pmr1. In phenotypic screens of Ca(2+) chelator and Mn(2+) toxicity reported separately (Wei, Y., Chen, J., Rosas, G., Tompkins, D.A., Holt, P.A., and Rao, R. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, XXXX-XXXX), D778A was a loss-of-function mutant apparently defective for transport of both Ca(2+) and Mn(2+), whereas mutant Q783A displayed a differential sensitivity consistent with the selective loss of Mn(2+) transport. We show that mutant D778A is devoid of cation-dependent ATP hydrolytic activity and phosphoenzyme formation from ATP. However, reverse phosphorylation from P(i) is preserved but is insensitive to inhibition by Ca(2+) or Mn(2+) ions, which is evidence for a specific inability to bind cations in this mutant. We also show that Ca(2+) can activate ATP hydrolysis in the purified Q783A mutant, with a half-maximal concentration of 0.06 micrometer, essentially identical to that of wild type (0.07 micrometer). Mn(2+) activation of ATP hydrolysis was half-maximal at 0.02 micrometer in wild type, establishing a normal selectivity profile of Mn(2+) > Ca(2+). Strikingly, Mn(2+)-ATPase in the Q783A mutant was nearly abolished, even at concentrations of up to 10 micrometer. These results were confirmed in assays of phosphoenzyme intermediates. Molecular modeling of the packing between helices M4 and M6 suggests that residue Gln(783) in M6 may form a critical hydrophobic interaction with Val(335) in M4, such that the Ala substitution modifies the packing or tilt of the helices and thus the ion pore. The data emphasize the critical role of transmembrane segment M6 in defining the cation binding pocket of P-type ATPases.
Multiple mechanisms of phenotype development in the bluehead wrasse

Despite having detailed information on mechanisms mediating sex-typical behavior in many species, we have little understanding of whether the same mechanisms regulate these behaviors when they are performed in the same species under different social contexts. In the five field experiments of this study of bluehead wrasses (Thalassoma bifasciatum), a sex-changing fish, we examined the roles of arginine vasotocin (AVT) and the potent teleost androgen 11-ketotestosterone (11KT) in mediating sexual and aggressive behaviors typical of dominant males. We demonstrated that AVT appears necessary for the assumption of dominant territorial status in males and females, but is sufficient only in the socially dominant terminal phase (TP) male phenotype. Specifically, an AVP V(1) receptor antagonist prevented both TP males and females from gaining dominance over recently vacated territories. However, unlike TP males in a previous study, neither females nor initial phase males responded to AVT treatment with increases in display of TP male typical behaviors when under social conditions that inhibit sex change. Treating females with 11KT did not alter responsiveness to AVT, but did induce male coloration and courtship behavior that was not observed in oil-treated females. Combined with the results of a previous study, these results indicate that the ability of AVT to induce male-typical behavior differs among sexual phenotypes and that this differential responsiveness appears to be dependent on social context and not directly on exposure to 11KT. Furthermore, since 11KT can induce courtship behavior in females that is not affected by AVT, there may be different hormonal mechanisms mediating courtship behavior under different social contexts.
Direct Freeform Fabrication Technique for Bio-Manufacturing of Pre-Seeded, Spatially Heterogeneous, Anatomically-Shaped Alginate Hydrogel Implants

A major challenge in orthopaedic tissue engineering is the generation of cell-seeded implants with structures that mimic native tissue, both in terms of anatomic geometries and intratissue cell distributions. By combining the strengths of injection molding tissue engineering with those of Solid Freeform Fabrication (SFF), three-dimensional pre-seeded implants were fabricated without custom-tooling, enabling efficient production of patient-specific implants. The incorporation of SFF technology also enables the fabrication of geometrically complex, multiple-material implants with spatially heterogeneous cell distributions that could not otherwise be produced. Using a custom-built robotic SFF platform and gel deposition tools, alginate hydrogel was used with calcium sulfate as a crosslinking agent to produce pre-seeded living implants of arbitrary geometries. The process was determined to be sterile and viable at 94±5%. The GAG production was found to be about half that of a similarly molded samples. The compressive elastic modulus was determined to be 1.462±0.113 kPa.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Coping with paradox: Multistakeholder learning dialogue as a pluralist sensemaking process for addressing messy problems

A notable feature of paradox is recognition that seemingly contradictory terms are inextricably intertwined and interrelated—holding out the hope that something new can be learned from the cognitive tension contained within. Aram has characterized the central concern of the business and society field as the paradox of interdependent relations. Our study argues that this and related paradoxes can be addressed by engaging with others and trying to gain shared insight via an interactive, developmental, exploratory sensemaking process that can inform the governance of stakeholder networks. We advocate multistakeholder learning dialogues (MSLDs) as a means for both scholars and practitioners to construct meanings that can guide joint efforts to cope with messy problems that help shape complex, paradoxical relationships within stakeholder networks.
Low doses of pilocarpine do not significantly increase outflow facility in the cynomolgus monkey.

Low doses (10(-9)-10(-6) M) of pilocarpine reportedly increase outflow facility in the organ-cultured human eye, suggesting a direct action on the trabecular meshwork. M3 muscarinic receptors have been found in both cultured human trabecular meshwork cells and tissue. We determined whether low pilo doses would increase outflow facility in the living monkey. The anterior chambers of both eyes of 17 pentobarbital anesthetized cynomolgus monkeys were cannulated and outflow facility measured bilaterally by 2-level constant pressure perfusion after an initial 2 ml exchange with Barany's perfusand containing 24.5 microM phenylephrine (PE). Two subsequent exchanges were performed with one eye receiving Barany's + PE + 10(-10)-10(-4) M pilocarpine and the contralateral eye receiving only Barany's + PE. Outflow facility was measured for 35-40 min following each exchange. Accommodation and pupil diameter were measured before each exchange and approximately every 10 min during facility measurements. Outflow facility was significantly increased by 154 and 313% in eyes treated with 10(-5) M and 10(-4) M pilocarpine, respectively, related to contralateral controls. Accommodation and miosis also were induced only at 10(-5) M (accommodation, 3.3 +/- 1.6 diopters, NS; miosis, -4.1 +/- 0.5 mm, P < or = 0.001) and 10(-4) M (accommodation, 10.6 +/- 0.0 diopters, P < or = 0.02; miosis, -3.4 +/- 1.0 mm, P < or = 0.025) pilocarpine. We conclude that low anterior chamber doses of pilocarpine do not increase outflow facility in the living monkey as reported in the organ-cultured human eye, nor do they induce miosis or accommodation. All three parameters respond to pilocarpine at similar doses, and there is no functional evidence of a meaningful outflow facility-relevant pilocarpine effect on the trabecular meshwork at doses lower than those which affect the ciliary muscle.
Computed tomography angiography and magnetic resonance angiography imaging of the mesenteric vasculature

Computed tomography angiography (CTA) and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) are highly accurate cross-sectional vascular imaging modalities that have almost completely replaced diagnostic catheter angiography for the evaluation of the mesenteric vasculature. CTA is the technique of choice when evaluating patients with suspected mesenteric ischemia; it permits to differentiate between occlusive and nonocclusive etiologies, to evaluate indirect signs of bowel ischemia, and in some instances, to provide alternative diagnoses. MRA has the advantage of not using ionizing radiation and iodinated contrast agents and can be appropriate in the nonacute setting. Both CTA and MRA are suitable for the assessment of patients with suspected chronic mesenteric ischemia, allowing to evaluate the degree of atherosclerotic steno-occlusive disease and the existence of collateral circulation, as well as other nonatherosclerotic vascular pathologies such as fibromuscular dysplasia and median arcuate ligament syndrome. CTA provides excellent depiction of visceral aneurysms and has an important role to plan therapy for both occlusive and aneurysmal diseases and in the follow-up of patients after open or endovascular mesenteric revascularization procedures. This article provides an introduction to the CTA and MRA imaging protocol to study the mesenteric vasculature, the imaging findings in patients presenting with acute and chronic mesenteric ischemia and visceral aneurysms, and the value of these imaging techniques for therapy planning and follow-up.
Construction and evaluation of food-grade vectors for Lactococcus lactis using aspartate aminotransferase and α-galactosidase as selectable markers

Aims: We report development of two food-grade cloning vectors for Lactococcus lactis, which utilize either a lactococcal aspartate aminotransferase gene (aspC), or Bifidobacterium longumα-galactosidase gene (aglL) as selectable markers. Methods and Results: The theta-replicon of lactococcal plasmid, pW563, was combined with aspC and a multiple cloning site. When electroporated into L. lactis JLS400 (AspC−), the resulting vector, pSUW611 (3·9 kbp), restores ability of the mutant to grow in milk thus allowing for selection of the transformants. The vector is stable during 100 generations of nonselective growth (0·2% loss per generation). The second vector, pSUW711 (5·1 kbp), was constructed by exchanging aspC with aglL under the control of usp45 promoter. Lactococcus lactis transformed with pSUW711 produced distinctive colonies within 48–72 h on melibiose-containing plates. Expression of two Lactobacillus helveticus peptidases was attempted using these new vehicles. Introduction of pepN on pSUW611 and pSUW711 into L. lactis led to a sixfold, or 27-fold increase in aminopeptidase activity, respectively. However, no changes in endopeptidase activity were recorded upon transformation with pSUW611 carrying pepO2 under control of three different promoters. Attempts were also made to construct high copy variants of pSUW711. Conclusions: The aspC and aglL can be employed as food-grade genetic markers for L. lactis. The vectors, pSUW611 and pSUW711, were successfully used to express Lact. helveticus PepN in L. lactis. Significance and Impact of the Study: Two novel food-grade vectors were developed which provide simple and convenient selection and maintenance in L. lactis.
Life-threatening bradyarrhythmia after massive azithromycin overdose.

A 9-month-old infant was inadvertently administered azithromycin 50 mg/kg, taken from floor stock, instead of the prescribed ceftriaxone. Shortly thereafter, she became unresponsive and pulseless. The initial heart rhythm observed when cardiopulmonary resuscitation was started was a wide-complex bradycardia, with a prolonged rate-corrected QT interval and complete heart block. The baby was resuscitated with epinephrine and atropine, but she suffered severe anoxic encephalopathy. Torsade de pointes and QT-interval prolongation have been reported after administration of macrolide antibiotics, including azithromycin, both intravenously and orally. This has occurred especially in the context of coadministered drugs that inhibit the cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4 isoenzyme, such as ketoconazole and astemizole. However, bradycardia with complete heart block has not, to our knowledge, been reported specifically with intravenous administration of azithromycin alone, either with therapeutic doses or overdose. Clinicians should be alerted about the potential of azithromycin to cause life-threatening bradycardia, and pharmacy systems should be implemented to ensure special care in the safe administration of this drug, especially when dispensed from a point-of-care source.
An XPS study of the early stages of silver photodiffusion in Ag/a-As2S3 films

Abstract X-ray induced structural changes at the Ag/As 2 S 3 interface are investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy on the samples prepared within the spectrometer. The as-prepared film consists of stable heteropolar As–S bonds as well as ∼16% S (and As) atoms in lower (higher) electron density configurations such as the –S–S– (–As–As–) segments with ‘wrong’ homopolar bonds. Two distinct stages of the X-ray induced diffusion are revealed. At first, silver reacts with atoms within –S–S– like segments to form Ag–S bonds. In the second stage, the Ag–S bonds decompose due to the reaction of S with As atoms within the –As–As– ‘wrong’ segments to form As–S heteropolar bonds, and silver diffuses away from the interface into the film. The results provide guideline for enhancing silver photodiffusion in chalcogenide glass. The irradiation of the (Ag–Te)/As 2 S 3 sample with X-rays shows that not only Ag, but Te also diffuses away from the surface.
An analytic approach to cyber adversarial dynamics

To date, cyber security investment by both the government and commercial sectors has been largely driven by the myopic best response of players to the actions of their adversaries and their perception of the adversarial environment. However, current work in applying traditional game theory to cyber operations typically assumes that games exist with prescribed moves, strategies, and payos. This paper presents an analytic approach to characterizing the more realistic cyber adversarial metagame that we believe is being played. Examples show that understanding the dynamic metagame provides opportunities to exploit an adversary's anticipated attack strategy. A dynamic version of a graph-based attack-defend game is introduced, and a simulation shows how an optimal strategy can be selected for success in the dynamic environment.© (2012) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The lyase activity of the DNA repair protein β-polymerase protects from DNA-damage-induced cytotoxicity

Small DNA lesions such as oxidized or alkylated bases are repaired by the base excision repair (BER) pathway. BER includes removal of the damaged base by a lesion-specific DNA glycosylase, strand scission by apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease, DNA resynthesis and ligation. BER may be further subdivided into DNA beta-polymerase (beta-pol)-dependent single-nucleotide repair and beta-pol-dependent or -independent long patch repair subpathways. Two important enzymatic steps in mammalian single-nucleotide BER are contributed by beta-pol: DNA resynthesis of the repair patch and lyase removal of 5'-deoxyribose phosphate (dRP). Fibroblasts from beta-pol null mice are hypersensitive to mono-functional DNA-methylating agents, resulting in increases in chromosomal damage, apoptosis and necrotic cell death. Here we show that only the dRP lyase activity of beta-pol is required to reverse methylating agent hypersensitivity in beta-pol null cells. These results indicate that removal of the dRP group is a pivotal step in BER in vivo. Persistence of the dRP moiety in DNA results in the hypersensitivity phenotype of beta-pol null cells and may signal downstream events such as apoptosis and necrotic cell death.
Dysphagia Following Brain-Stem Stroke: Clinical Correlates and Outcome

We studied 23 individuals (16 men, seven women; mean age 57 years) who had brainstem strokes confirmed by computed tomography of the head or magnetic resonance imaging. Videofluoroscopic modified barium-swallowing examination showed aspiration in 15 of 23 patients. Of the 15 aspirating patients, the majority had bilateral strokes with multiple lesion loci, most often in association with large-vessel disease. All 15 patients had involvement of the pons or medulla. Statistical analyses revealed a significant association between aspiration and pharyngeal residue observed under videofluoroscopy, cranial nerve IX abnormality, vocal fold weakness, and severe dysarthria. Despite initial severity, recovery was good. Following an aggressive program of aspiration prevention, over 80% of patients resumed full oral nutrition at the last follow-up.
Volume-of-interest specification on arbitrarily resliced volume datasets

In the physiologic modeling of dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) data, one is typically interested in the average reconstructed activity for voxels within the boundaries of some volume of interest (VOI), the uncertainty of this value, and possibly correlations with other VOIs. These calculations have been partially carried out in the past by drawing appropriate 2D regions on a number of reconstructed images in a PET volume, and then summing the voxel values within these regions. Summing voxel values in this fashion provides a value for activity within a volume, but does not allow calculation of the statistical uncertainty. To perform the latter task, calculations must be performed on the raw tomographic data, and thus the 2D regions must be specified on the originally acquired tomographic slices. We have developed software enabling clinicians to specify regions along any preferred viewing axis, and yet perform calculations on these regions to obtain the complete VOI covariance matrix. In this process, 2D regions are first drawn on slices of arbitrary orientation. Stacks of these regions are then tiled together to form a closed 3D surface model for each VOI. Cross sections of these VOIs in the originally acquired orientation are obtained by intersecting the 3D surface models with a series of appropriately transformed slicing planes. The resliced regions are then projected into tomographic sinogram space and the activity and uncertainty is calculated for each region. Knowledge of the complete covariance matrix allows combination of these 2D region activity values into 3D volume activity values and uncertainties.
Very low frequency Ocean Bottom ambient seismic noise and coupling on the shallow continental shelf

Sources of very low frequency (0.01 to 1.0 Hz) ambient seismic noise in the shallow (<100 m) water continental margin sediments are investigated using Ocean Bottom Seismometers (OBS). The predominant seismic motions are found to be due to surface gravity (water) waves and water-sediment interface waves. Actual experimental measurements of seabed acceleration and hydrodynamic pressure are given, including side by side comparisons between buried and plate-mounted OBS units. OBS-sediment resonant effects are found to be negligible at the low frequencies under investigation. Wherever there exists relative motion between the seabed and the water, however, an exposed OBS is subject to ‘added mass’ forces that cause it to move with the water rather than the sediments. Calculations based on measured seabed motions show that a neutral density, buried seismometer has superior sediment coupling charactersitics to any exposed OBS design.
A prospective evaluation of palliative outcomes for surgery of advanced malignancies.

Background: We prospectively evaluated the effectiveness of major surgery in treating symptoms of advanced malignancies. Methods: Fifty-nine patients were evaluated for major symptoms of intent to treat and were followed up until death or last clinical evaluation. Surgeons identified planned operations before surgery as either curative or palliative and estimated patient survival time. An independent observer assessed symptom relief. A palliative surgery outcome score was determined for each symptomatic patient. Results: Surgeons identified 22 operations (37%) as palliative intent and 37 (63%) as curative intent. The median overall survival time was 14.9 months and did not differ between curative and palliative operations. Surgical morbidity was high but did not differ between palliative (41%) and curative (44%) operations. Thirty-three patients (56%) were symptomatic before surgery, and major symptom resolution was achieved after surgery in 26 (79%) of 33. Good to excellent palliation, defined as a palliative surgery outcome score >70, was achieved in 64% of symptomatic patients. Conclusions: Most symptomatic patients with advanced malignancies undergoing major operations attained good to excellent symptom relief. Outcome measurements other than survival are feasible and can better define the role of surgery in multimodality palliative care. A new outcome measure to evaluate major palliative operations is proposed.
Broadening of lines from N+ excited by H3+ bombardment of N2

Abstract Optical spectra of molecular bands from N 2 and N 2 + and lines from N + were excited by bombarding N 2 gas with H 3 + ions of energy 1 MeV. Measurements were made of the dependence of intensity on target pressure. High-resolution data showed line broadening of N + lines, but not of the rotational components of molecular bands. That information indicates that the excited N + systems result primarily from dissociation of highly excited molecular ions, N 2 + .
Potential for accurate and precise radiocarbon ages in deglacial-age lacustrine carbonates

Abstract Lacustrine carbonate deposits (tufa) record variations in terrestrial hydrology and are preserved in many now-arid regions of the world, but are challenging to date with precision and accuracy. Many contain detritus and/or unsupported thorium (Th) that degrades or prevents the measurement of precise uranium-series (U-series) ages, and radiocarbon ages are frequently affected by both the reservoir (hard-water) effect and contamination with younger atmospheric carbon. The usual method of testing the accuracy of carbonate 14C measurements, comparison with U/Th ages or organic carbon dates, does not separate the reservoir and modern contamination effects, allowing for only relatively imprecise age estimates in samples undatable by U/Th. We have separated the modern contamination problem and the reservoir effect using a step dissolution technique on a variety of carbonate materials from Mono Lake, California, a long-lived closed-basin lake sensitive to regional precipitation variability. New dissolution experiments focus on the deglacial sediments of the Wilson Creek Formation, which preserve ostracodes and fans and mounds of thinolite, a cold-water, hydrated calcium carbonate (CaCO3.6H2O). Stepped-dissolution ages of thinolite crystals and dense calcites increased by 500–1000 years over the bulk age, and produced a plateau of analytically indistinguishable ages, indicating nearly complete removal of modern carbon. Repeated experiments on ostracodes from a single sample showed an increase of >3500 years over the bulk age and >6500 years from first to last step, but ages increased up to the last ∼5% of the CO2 evolved, without forming a plateau. This may be due to the extremely large surface area-to-volume ratio of ostracodes, and inhomogeneous dissolution of the hundreds of individual shells required for the experiments. Further experiments are planned to test the effects of modern carbon on tufa, gastropods, and other shells, with the goal of systematically testing the precision and reliability of chronologies for dramatic changes in lake level in arid regions of the world.
Compiler-Directed Energy Optimization for Parallel Disk Based Systems

Disk subsystem is known to be a major contributor to overall power consumption of high-end parallel systems. Past research proposed several architectural-level techniques to reduce disk power by taking advantage of idle periods experienced by disks. Although such techniques have been known to be effective in certain cases, they share a common drawback: they operate in a reactive manner, i.e., they control disk power by observing past disk activity (for example, idle and active periods) and estimating future ones. Consequently, they can miss opportunities for saving power and incur significant performance penalties due to inaccuracies in predicting idle and active times. Motivated by this observation, this paper proposes and evaluates a compiler-driven approach to reducing disk power consumption of array-based scientific applications executing on parallel architectures. The proposed approach exposes disk layout information to the compiler, allowing it to derive the disk access pattern, i.e., the order in which parallel disks are accessed. This paper demonstrates two uses of this information. First, we can implement proactive disk power management, i.e., we can select the most appropriate power-saving strategy and disk-preactivation strategy based on the compiler-predicted future idle and active periods of parallel disks. Second, we can restructure the application code to increase the length of idle disk periods, which leads to better exploitation of available power-saving capabilities. We implemented both these approaches within an optimizing compiler and tested their effectiveness using a set of benchmark codes from the Spec 2000 suite and a disk power simulator. Our results show that the compiler-driven disk power management is very promising. The experimental results also reveal that, although proactive disk power management is very effective, code restructuring for disk power achieves additional energy savings across all the benchmarks tested, and these savings are very close to optimal savings that can be obtained through an integer linear programming (ILP)-based scheme.
Public views of mobile medical devices and services: A US national survey of consumer sentiments towards RFID healthcare technology

A 2007 national public opinion survey of 1404 Americans revealed variations in sentiments concerning the desirability of several mobile healthcare technologies based on RFID. The survey appears to be the first reasonably national public opinion survey of US adults concerning their attitudes towards mobile healthcare technology. The survey revealed high levels of interest in emergency intervention services, but much less so in health information and monitoring services. Interest in RFID personal medical technology was positively associated with high levels of trust in others and social support. At the same time, a small minority were negatively disposed towards such applications. In those cases, the negative sentiment appears heightened when the mobile healthcare application is offered in a modality attached to the body as opposed to a somewhat more physically remote option, i.e., attached to one's cell phone.
Radioimmunologic Measurement of Human Placental Lactogen in Plasma by a Double Antibody Method During Normal and Diabetic Pregnancies

A double antibody radioimmunoassay for human placental lactogen (HPL) in human plasma is reported. HPL was detected in maternal plasma by the 8th week of gestation, and there was a progressive increase in mean plasma HPL concentrations throughout pregnancy. Maternal plasma HPL concentrations at term were 1000 times greater than normal growth hormone levels, but HPL content of cord plasma was barely measurable. Four hr after delivery of the placenta, plasma HPL was virtually undetectable. The half-life of endogenously secreted HPL in the plasma was shown to be 21–23 min, which suggests that the placenta must synthesize 3–12 g of HPL/day in order to maintain the plasma HPL concentrations observed during the last month of gestation. During comparable periods of pregnancy, the levels of circulating HPL in the normal and the diabetic subjects were not significantly different.
Mood and Emotion in Major Depression

Nothing is more familiar to people than their moods and emotions. Oddly, however, it is not clear how these two kinds of affective processes are related. Intuitively, it makes sense that emotional reactions are stronger when they are congruent with a preexisting mood, an idea reinforced by contemporary emotion theory. Yet empirically, it is uncertain whether moods actually facilitate emotional reactivity to mood-congruent stimuli. One approach to the question of how moods affect emotions is to study mood-disturbed individuals. This review describes recent experimental studies of emotional reactivity conducted with individuals suffering from major depression. Counter to intuitions, major depression is associated with reduced emotional reactivity to sad contexts. A novel account of emotions in depression is advanced to assimilate these findings. Implications for the study of depression and normal mood variation are considered.
Imprudent linking weaves a tangled Web

Hypertext linking is often embraced uncritically by Web authors eager to explore the power of hypertext without first considering its effects on their readers' comprehension. Hypertext linking is not a substitute for thought-we think with ideas, not with dissociated snippets of raw information. Even the most germane bits of information cannot become ideas, regardless of how cleverly they are stacked, listed or linked. Ideas define relevance, provide context and establish patterns. With patterns, most concepts become intelligible, and we need continuity and stability of theme and context to recognize patterns. So, like most powerful technologies, hypertext links are a mixed blessing. Used improperly, they can be detrimental to Web sites. "Loose links" can drive away an audience, dilute the site's message, confuse the reader with irrelevant digressions and become a continuing maintenance headache for site authors and Webmasters.
Structural and ontogenetic relationships of rat lung surfactant apoproteins.

Glycoproteins of molecular weights (MW) of 38,000, 32,000, and 26,000 are found in surfactant isolated from rat lungs. These proteins were further examined for their 1) specificity to pulmonary surfactant, 2) structural and metabolic interrelationships, and 3) relation to the ontogenesis of pulmonary surfactant. With ultracentrifugations in salt and sucrose density gradients, a preparation of pulmonary surfactant was isolated from rat lung lavage fluid, which was rich in surfactant lipids (phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylglycerol), and contained exclusively the 38,000-, 32,000-, 26,000-, and 10,000- to 12,000-dalton proteins. The 38,000-, 32,000-, and 26,000-dalton proteins are not serum proteins. Using an antiserum specific for the combined 38,000-, 32,000-, and 26,000-dalton proteins and the immunoperoxidase technique, the source of one or more of these three proteins was found to be alveolar epithelial type II cells, the cells involved in the synthesis and secretion of pulmonary surfactant. These p...
A Room With a View or a Room of One's Own? Housing and Social Stratification

This study attempts to understand the role that housing plays in the system of social stratification. First, it generates a model of how housing outcomes are stratified along dimensions of socioeconomic status and race. Second, it asks what role housing conditions play in the system of educational stratification of offspring. Using two-generational data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, this paper demonstrates that home ownership is predicted by family income and race and that this indicator has a significant effect in predicting the educational attainment of offspring. Household crowding is also related to income and race and also affects the educational attainment of offspring. Meanwhile, housing quality—as measured by the physical condition of the unit—is not related to income or race and has no effect on educational attainment. Of particular note is that when socioeconomic status and housing conditions are held constant, African-Americans demonstrate more than a half-grade advantage over their non-black counterparts in years of completed schooling. In conclusion, the paper argues that housing matters not only for the immediate well-being of families, but also for the life-chances of the subsequent generation, and should be a standard variable in the conception of class background.
Macroscopic Models of Community Organization: Analyses of Diversity, Dominance, and Stability in Guilds of Predaceous Stream Insects

Two approaches have been evident in empirical tests of theoretical questions in community organization. One approach focuses on within-community patterns of resource partitioning between coexisting species. This “microscopic” approach emphasizes detailed information about the ecology of individual species relative to specified niche dimensions such as space, food, or time. The objective here is to concentrate on the ways species divide resources so as to avoid competition. Thus, intra-community models of resource partitioning may predict regular (non-random) spacing of species along a single resource axis or patterns of niche complementarity whereby high overlap in one dimension is accompanied by low overlap in another (see e.g., Schoener, 1974).
On Credibility Estimation Tradeoffs in Assured Social Sensing

Two goals of network science are to (i) uncover fundamental properties of phenomena modeled as networks, and to (ii) explore novel use of networks as models for a diverse range of systems and phenomena in order to improve our understanding of such systems and phenomena. This paper advances the latter direction by casting credibility estimation in social sensing applications as a network science problem, and by presenting a network model that helps understand the fundamental accuracy trade-offs of a credibility estimator. Social sensing refers to data collection scenarios, where observations are collected from (possibly unvetted) human sources. We call such observations claims to emphasize that we do not know whether or not they are factually correct. Predictable, scalable and robust estimation of both source reliability and claim correctness, given neither in advance, becomes a key challenge given the unvetted nature of sources and lack of means to verify their claims. In a previous conference publication, we proposed a maximum likelihood approach to jointly estimate both source reliability and claim correctness. We also derived confidence bounds to quantify the accuracy of such estimation. In this paper, we cast credibility estimation as a network science problem and offer systematic sensitivity analysis of the optimal estimator to understand its fundamental accuracy trade-offs as a function of an underlying network topology that describes key problem space parameters. It enables assured social sensing, where not only source reliability and claim correctness are estimated, but also the accuracy of such estimates is correctly predicted for the problem at hand.