cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simultaneous image-guided and endoscopic navigation without rigid cranial fixation: application in infants: technical case report.

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Infants and young children demonstrate a variety of intraventricular and periventricular lesions. Endoscopy has proven useful in the treatment of many of these lesions, but its benefit is limited if it is applied to complex loculated cysts or if the disease is concealed by normal ependy-mal boundaries. In adults and older children, endoscopy can be augmented by the simultaneous use of frameless stereotaxy, but this combined modality has not been possible in infants and young children without rigid cranial fixation. We describe a method of achieving simultaneous stereotactic and endoscopic navigation in infants and young children by using a pinless, frameless stereotactic assembly. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: The first patient was a 6-week-old boy with macrocephaly and a bulging fontanelle. Computed tomographic and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a complex arachnoid cyst and obstructive hydrocephalus. The second patient was a 7-month-old, ex-premature (27-wk gestational age) boy who developed posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus. He underwent multiple shunt revisions, one of which was complicated by enterococcal ventriculitis. Despite bilateral ventriculoperitoneal shunts, he developed increasing head circumference, listlessness, and irritability. Imaging revealed an enlarged, multiloculated, and asymmetric ventricular system. INTERVENTION: Simultaneous image-guided and endoscopic neuronavigation was implemented in both patients. Before the procedure, a cranial reference arc was secured to the outer table of the cranium through a small incision adjacent to the operative field. After the stereotactic apparatus was registered, the software was used to plan a trajectory for the approach. A burr hole was then made, and a rigid 6-mm endoscope was inserted for direct visualization. Once advanced past the endoscopic port tip, the electromagnetic coil stylet was used to stereotactically track position and identify areas for fenestration, biopsy, and catheter insertion. CONCLUSION: Endoscopic views of complex hydrocephalus and arachnoid cysts alone are often difficult to interpret. Simultaneous image-guided and endoscopic neuronavigation may be advantageous in the management of complex cases that are anatomically related to the ventricular system in infants for whom rigid cranial fixation could lead to increased procedure-related morbidity.
On the Priority of Intellectual Property Rights, Especially in Biotechnology:

This article argues that considerations about the role and predictability of intellectual innovation make the protection of intellectual property morally obligatory even when it greatly reduces sho...
Long-Term Release Kinetics of Colloidal Particles from Natural Porous Media

Release of colloidal particles from natural porous media saturated with monovalent cations is studied with saturated laboratory column experiments packed with a noncalcareous soil material. The column outflow was monitored over 1000 pore volumes. The composition of released particles remains constant over the course of the experiment. The major finding of the present study is that the release process cannot be modeled with simple first-order kinetics, but the effluent concentration decays in a nonexponential fashion. The experimentally observed effluent concentration decays as t-(1+α) where the exponent α typically has values between of 0.01 and 0.3. Such a power-law decay can be rationalized in terms of an exponential distribution of the activation energies of release rate coefficients, and the exponent α turns out to be inversely proportional to the average activation energy. We observe a strong dependence of the release on the ionic strength, which can be interpreted as a systematic increase of the ave...
In vitro RNA selection of an autoimmune epitope on stem-loop II of U1 RNA

Abstract Autoantibodies to U1 RNA occur frequently in sera from patients with SLE and SLE-overlap syndromes. These autoantibodies have been previously shown to recognize major epitopes on stem–loops II and IV of U1 RNA. To further define these recognition sites, in vitro RNA selection was performed to identify the individual nucleotides which form the antibody binding site. Serum autoantibodies were used in this procedure to select synthetic variants from a library of RNA oligomers with a central region of 25 degenerate nucleotides in a linear context. A consensus sequence was derived from the autoantibody-selected RNA ligands that corresponded to a region of stem–loop II. It contained six continuous nucleotides (U 63 -C 64 -C 65 -A 66 -X-U 68 ) and one presumed discontinuous nucleotide (U 79 ). In vitro selection of RNA ligands from simpler sublibraries consisting of oligomers with random loops and fixed U1 stem II sequences yielded no consensus sequence, suggesting that autoimmune recognition occurs independent of loop nucleotides. Competition assays confirmed the specificity of these binding reactions. The structural nature of this autoimmune U1 RNA epitope is compatible with a model of autoantibody production based on stimulation by native small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles.
Enlarged dental follicles, a follicular cyst, and enamel hypoplasia in a patient with Lowe syndrome.

Abstract An 11 ½-year-old body with Lowe syndrome presented with various dental abnormalities including delayed eruption, enamel hypoplasia, and enlarged follicles surrounding unerupted teeth.
The transition from scotopic to photopic vision in 3-month-old infants and adults: an evaluation of the rod dominance hypothesis.

Abstract The scotopic to photopic transition was tested in adults and 12-week-old infants using a large field motion nulling technique at a series of luminances between −3.57 and 2.70 log cd m −2 . The stimuli were composed of 0.25 cyc deg −1 , 5.6 Hz blue/black and yellow/black sinusoidal grating components, superimposed and moving in opposite directions. The contrasts of the two components were traded off to determine motion nulls at each luminance level. An eye movement based response measure was used for infant subjects, whereas self-report was used in adults. In both age groups, the motion null values approached a scotopic asymptote consistent with V ′( λ ) at the lowest luminance levels, and a photopic asymptote consistent with V 10 ( λ ) at the highest luminance levels. The scotopic to photopic transition was gradual and occurred over about 3 log units between about −2 and 1 log cd m −2 in both groups. The null values for infants and adults were highly similar at each luminance level, and the shapes of the transition curves were virtually identical at the two ages. These data suggest that at each different luminance level, the balance between rod-initiated and cone-initiated signals in the extrafoveal luminance channel is similar or identical in 12-week-old infants and adults.
Evoked potentials as indices of adaptation in the somatosensory system in humans : a review and prospectus

Abstract Population-level behavior of large neural aggregates can be efficiently monitored by corresponding population-level indices such as somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs). The literature reviewed clearly indicates that SEPs undergo systematic and often marked changes under conditions of repetitive stimulation. Similar results have been reported for several mammalian species and with a diversity of stimulation, recording and analysis protocols. The most characteristic finding is a loss of SEP component amplitude as a function of decreasing time between timulus presentations. The effects become larger and appear at longer ISIs at higher levels of the somatosensory pathway, are more readily evoked by stimulus trains than by stimulus pairs and are most pronounced for response components generated in the upper cortical layers. These findings are consistent with a recently proposed neurophysiological model of short-term plasticity in somatosensory cortex, which incorporates detailed and current information on cortical microcircuitry, receptor and neurotransmitter characteristics, topographical organization and dynamic response to repetitive sensory drive. Recommendations are provided for further research, emphasizing the potential of frequency-domain analysis methods in conjunction with mechanical vibrotactile stimuli as a vehicle for more detailed testing of the proposed neurophysiological model and for closer integration with psychophysical studies of vibrotactile adaptation.
Decomposition of Protein Experimental Compressibility into Intrinsic and Hydration Shell Contributions

The experimental determination of protein compressibility reflects both the protein intrinsic compressibility and the difference between the compressibility of water in the protein hydration shell and bulk water. We use molecular dynamics simulations to explore the dependence of the isothermal compressibility of the hydration shell surrounding globular proteins on differential contributions from charged, polar, and apolar protein-water interfaces. The compressibility of water in the protein hydration shell is accounted for by a linear combination of contributions from charged, polar, and apolar solvent-accessible surfaces. The results provide a formula for the deconvolution of experimental data into intrinsic and hydration contributions when a protein of known structure is investigated. The physical basis for the model is the variation in water density shown by the surface-specific radial distribution functions of water molecules around globular proteins. The compressibility of water hydrating charged atoms is lower than bulk water compressibility, the compressibility of water hydrating apolar atoms is somewhat larger than bulk water compressibility, and the compressibility of water around polar atoms is about the same as the compressibility of bulk water. We also assess whether hydration water compressibility determined from small compound data can be used to estimate the compressibility of hydration water surrounding proteins. The results, based on an analysis from four dipeptide solutions, indicate that small compound data cannot be used directly to estimate the compressibility of hydration water surrounding proteins.
Robust adaptive parameter estimators in arrhythmia detection

The authors consider the statistical analysis of threshold crossing intervals, as applied to estimation of tachycardia rates from intracavitary electrograms. The authors developed a class of robust algorithms designed to produce minimum variance estimates for tachycardia rates. The authors formulated the algorithms using order statistic filters, and obtained the minimum variance unbiased order statistic estimator. The potential gain in efficiency achieved by this approach is demonstrated via a representative example. The results indicated that the order statistics operator can produce dramatic reductions for typical errors in error variance as compared to linear estimators.
Enhancing Infrared Photodetection with a Circular Metal Grating

We use finite-difference time-domain simulations to demonstrate enhanced infrared absorption in a photodetector topped with a metal film having a hole and a circular grating. The enhancement far exceeds comparable linear gratings.
THE ANTICOAGULANT AND ANTILYMPHOMA PROPERTIES OF ARSENIC AZOPROTEINS : I. ANTICOAGULANT EFFECTS OF ARSENIC AZOPROTEINS IN VIVO AND IN VITRO: COMPARISON OF ARSENICALS AS ANTICOAGULANTS AND AS ANTILYMPHOMA AGENTS: MOLECULAR STRUCTURE IN RELATION TO ANTICOAGULANT AND ANTILYMPHOMA PROPERTIES.

Experiments given in this paper have shown that 4-arsonophenylazoproteins possess marked anticoagulant activity both in vivo and in vitro. Mice and rabbits given moderate amounts of the arsenic azoprotein, for example, often bled to death from injuries that proved trivial in control animals, and their blood remained liquid during many hours' postmortem even when left in contact with transected tissues, fibrinolysis having no part in the outcome. So, too, the addition of minute amounts of 4-arsonophenylazoprotein to plasma procured from citrated rabbit or human blood greatly prolonged the time required for clotting after recalcification. Other arsenic-containing compounds,—for example, those in which arsenic See PDF for Structure was joined to amino acids or peptides through the azo linkage, or to proteins through couplings other than the azo linkage,—were largely devoid of anticoagulant and antilymphoma effects. The findings as a whole show clearly that the structural requirements for anticoagulant and antilymphoma effects are: (a) possession of negatively charged arsonic or arsinoso groups, (b) large molecular size (protein), and (c) linkage of arsenic-containing groups to protein through the azo bond. Two acidic azoproteins that were devoid of arsenic,—namely 4-carboxyphenylazoprotein and 4-sulfonophenylazoprotein,—were also found to have marked anticoagulant effects in vitro, but they had no inhibitory action against cells of Lymphoma 6C3HED in vivo, even when they were given to mice in maximum tolerated amounts. The essential part played by arsenic in the antilymphoma activity of arsenic azoproteins was further emphasized by the action of dimercaprol (BAL) in preventing the antilymphoma effects of 4-arsonophenylazoprotein on Lymphoma 6C3HED cells in vivo. In an associated paper the anticoagulant and antilymphoma effects of 4-arsonophenylazoproteins are studied further, and consideration is given to the ways in which these effects may be brought about.
Statistical process variation analysis of a graphene FET based LC-VCO for WLAN applications

Graphene which is a single atom layer of carbon film with the interesting properties of high carrier mobility, high carrier concentration, high thermal conductivity, high velocity saturation, and reduced short channel effects, is emerging as a replacement of the ubiquitous silicon. This is particularly true for high-speed analog and radio-frequency electronics due to low Ion/Ioff ratio. In this paper, design exploration of a graphene FET (GFET) based LC-VCO is performed with wireless (WLAN) as the target application. Verilog-A based GFET modeling is performed. The model is used in design simulation, characterization, and sensitivity analysis of a cross-coupled version of an LC-VCO. In order to analyze the effects of nanoscale process variations, statistical process variation analysis of the GFET based LC-VCO is performed for selected figures of merit through exhaustive Monte Carlo simulations. Power dissipation and quality factor are also analyzed and their characteristic data are illustrated to obtain a comprehensive description of the circuit. Frequency and phase noise are observed to be within the nominal design range having standard deviation 0.06 GHz and 7.78 dBc/Hz corresponding to 2.35% and 9.03% of the mean, respectively, for the total statistical variation of the parameters.
The Davis Recall and the Courts

The recall of California Governor Gray Davis generated intense litigation as recall opponents sought, without much success, to convince courts to block, modify, or postpone the election. Using an interpretive case study approach, this article analyzes these outcomes and develops the theory that the courts’ reluctance to intervene in the Davis recall process was largely dictated by the nature of the recall device itself. More specifically, the recall’s only substantive question was nonjusticiable, so litigants were limited to procedural challenges, and on most of the procedural issues, courts deferred to local election officials. The constraints on judicial review of recall highlight differences between recall and initiative, a direct democracy process courts more actively check.
γ-Aminobutyric acid and glutamate decar☐ylase (l-glutamate 1-car☐y-lyase E.C. 4.1.1.15) in the nervous system of the cockroach, Periplaneta americana. I. Regional distribution and properties of the enzyme

Abstract Both the central and peripheral nervous system of the cockroach Periplaneta americana contain γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate decar☐ylase (GAD). In the central ganglia of the cockroach, an average of more than 60 μmoles of GABA are formed from glutamate (Glu) per gram wet weight of tissue per hour. This activity level of the GAD apoenzyme is considerably higher than that found in the central nervous system of crustaceans, amphibians, avians and mammals but is similar to that reported for nervous system tissues from other insect species. A comparison of properties of the crude cockroach enzyme with GAD from crustacean and mammalian origin revealed both similarities and differences: whereas crude cockroach GAD has cofactor requirements and an affinity for Glu substrate ( K m 2.8 × 10 −2 ) which are similar to GAD from lobster and mouse, it is uniquely inhibited by both Cl- and by GABA. The GAD from cockroach nervous tissues has two apparent pH optima of which the lower one is preferentially inhibited by a compound which is found in the nerve sheath and the fat body tissue adjacent to ganglia and axons.
Phylogenetic Analysis of Southern Hemisphere Flat Oysters Based on Partial Mitochondrial 16S rDNA Gene Sequences

Abstract Oysters are among the most familiar, best studied, and morphologically variable of all marine invertebrate taxa. However, our knowledge of oyster phylogeny and systematics is rudimentary, especially for the subfamily Ostreinae (flat oysters). It is unclear, for instance, whether the predominant flat oysters occurring between latitudes 35 and 50°S constitute a single circumglobal species, or multiple, phylogenetically distinct, regional taxa. We have performed the first DNA molecular phylogenetic analysis of ostreinid taxa to distinguish among competing phylogenetic and systematic hypotheses for Southern Hemisphere Ostreinae. An approximately 450-nucleotide fragment of the mitochondrial large ribosomal subunit (16S) was sequenced for 41 individual oysters, representing 14 taxa of brooding oysters: 5 Southern Hemisphere Ostreinae, 5 Northern Hemisphere Ostreinae, and 4 outgroup species of the subfamily Lophinae. Phylogenetic analyses of the resulting data set yielded consensus tree topologies that are comprehensively incongruent with prevailing morphologically based interpretations of systematic relationships among the Ostreinae. Three ostreinid mitochondrial clades were evident, each containing representatives of Southern Hemisphere regional ostreinid taxa, some of which robustly cocluster with Northern Hemisphere taxa. These three clades represent the first well-supported phylogenetic framework for this ecologically prominent and commercially important oyster subfamily.
Securing science gateways

Science gateways began to emerge and evolve on the NSF-sponsored national HPC cyberinfrastructure, known today as the TeraGrid, in the early 2000s. Currently, the TeraGrid supports twenty-five science gateways that utilize a diverse collection of software and methods for integrating with the TeraGrid. This paper surveys TeraGrid science gateway implementations and security models, details a pilot study highlighting changes employed by the GridAMP science gateway to securely access the Kraken supercomputer, and describes possible solutions and recommendations for improving the security posture of science gateway implementations across the TeraGrid. Securing TeraGrid science gateways by employing one or more methods that balance security, developer ease-of-use, and end user ease-of-use improves the overall security posture of the implementations of science gateways across the TeraGrid.
Quality-of-life impact of participation in a head and neck cancer support group.

Objective To assess if participation by patients in a head and neck cancer support group improves perceived quality of life (QOL). Study design and setting Subjects for this study included 47 patients at a tertiary Veterans Affairs Medical Center who were previously treated for head and neck cancer. This was a quasi-experimental, post-test study comparing the QOL of 24 patients who participated in a head and neck cancer support group with 23 patients who did not participate. The validated University of Michigan Head and Neck Quality of Life (HNQOL) instrument was used to evaluate head and neck cancer–related QOL. Results Patients who participated in the head and neck cancer support group exhibited significantly better scores in the domains of eating, emotion, and pain as well as in the global bother and response to treatment questions of the HNQOL instrument compared with those patients who did not participate. Additional subgroup analysis comparing age, type of treatment, and length of time since cancer diagnosis suggests that these variables were less important predictors of QOL than was support group participation. Conclusions Our findings suggest that patient participation in a head and neck cancer support group is associated with improved QOL. Significance Support groups may be beneficial in improving QOL after head and neck cancer treatment.
Acquaintance Rape and Alcohol Consumption on College Campuses: How Are They Linked?

This article explores the links between acquaintance rape and alcohol consumption among college students. Both heavy drinking and acquaintance rape are serious problems on college campuses, and they frequently co-occur. Seven explanations for the relationship between alcohol consumption and acquaintance rape are provided: three of these explanations focus on alcohol consumption by the perpetrator and four focus on alcohol consumption by the victim. The need to conduct studies and develop prevention programs that address these issues is discussed.
Is Time a Competitive Weapon among Manufacturing Firms

Considers the recent development of time‐based management as a way of enhancing the competitive position of a manufacturing organization. Based on a review of literature related to time‐based management, several possible relationships between the use of time‐based competition and its benefits in attaining stated business goals are defined. Results of empirical investigation using the manufacturing firms in the State of Indiana are discussed and some preliminary conclusions about the use of time‐based competition strategies among manufacturing organizations are drawn. The results of this study suggest that a full‐scale study of international scope will be beneficial to judge the use of time as a competitive weapon among manufacturing firms.
The chemical behavior and degradation mitigation effect of cerium oxide nanoparticles in perfluorosulfonic acid polymer electrolyte membranes

Abstract Perfluorosulfonic acid membranes are susceptible to degradation during hydrogen fuel cell operation due to radical attack on the polymer chains. Mitigation of this attack by cerium-based radical scavengers is an approach that has shown promise. In this work, two formulations of crystalline cerium oxide nanoparticles, with an order of magnitude difference in particle size, are incorporated into said membranes and subjected to proton conductivity measurements and ex-situ durability tests. We found that ceria is reduced to Ce(III) ions in the acidic environment of a heated, humidified membrane which negatively impacts proton conductivity. In liquid and gas Fenton testing, fluoride emission is reduced by an order of magnitude, drastically increasing membrane longevity. Sideproduct analysis demonstrated that in the liquid Fenton test, the main point of attack is weak polymer end groups, while in the gas Fenton test, there is additional side-chain attack. Both mechanisms are mitigated by the addition of the ceria nanoparticles, whereby the extent of the concentration-dependent durability improvement is found to be independent of particle size.
Chemoenzymatic Probes for Detecting and Imaging Fucose-α(1-2)- galactose Glycan Biomarkers

The disaccharide motif fucose-α(1-2)-galactose (Fucα(1-2)Gal) is involved in many important physiological processes, such as learning and memory, inflammation, asthma, and tumorigenesis. However, the size and structural complexity of Fucα(1-2)Gal-containing glycans have posed a significant challenge to their detection. We report a new chemoenzymatic strategy for the rapid, sensitive detection of Fucα(1-2)Gal glycans. We demonstrate that the approach is highly selective for the Fucα(1-2)Gal motif, detects a variety of complex glycans and glycoproteins, and can be used to profile the relative abundance of the motif on live cells, discriminating malignant from normal cells. This approach represents a new potential strategy for biomarker detection and expands the technologies available for understanding the roles of this important class of carbohydrates in physiology and disease.
The severity of naloxone-precipitated opiate withdrawal is attenuated by felbamate, a possible glycine antagonist

Recent studies indicate that an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor system in the rostral medulla is involved in opiate withdrawal. Although NMDA antagonists attenuate naloxone-precipitated opiate withdrawal, they can cause phencyclidine (PCP)like effects that contraindicate clinical use. Because NMDA channels contain sites for the glutamate coagonist, glycine, we assessed the effects of glycinergic agents on naloxone-precipitated opiate withdrawal in rats. The putative antagonist, felbamate (100, 300 mg/kg), attenuated overall withdrawal severity in a dose-related manner and reduced occurrences of chews, teeth chatters, and penile grooming. The partial agonist, D-cycloserine (3, 10 mg/kg), attenuated withdrawal severity, but not in a dose-related manner. Conversely, the low dose of the partial agonist, (±)-HA-966 (3, 10 mg/kg), heightened the occurrences of some withdrawal signs. These results support a role for glycine in opiate withdrawal and suggest that these agents, which do not cause PCPlike effects, may be potential treatment for agents for opiate detoxification.
Experimental characterization of viscous film flows over complex surfaces

Abstract Ordered packings are made of a variety of materials such as ceramics, metal and plastics, and shaped to a wide spectrum of macro- and micro-structures. Macro-structures, usually in the form of corrugations, sustain good liquid-vapor contact with low overall pressure drop. Micro-structures in the way of surface treatment, metal gauze and surface indentations, help to increase the stability of the liquid film by preventing breakups and dry patches. An experimental research program was carried out in order to characterize the mechanics of viscous flows over model complex surfaces. Film thickness profiles, streamline patterns and free-surface velocities were measured for a variety of surface shapes and fluids. These results are important in the understanding of the interaction of capillary, viscous and gravity forces on the shaping of the film free surface. The position of the liquid film interface was found, in general, to have the same period as the wavy solid but amplitude and phase-shift vary with flow parameters. Free-surface profiles are patterned around the shape of the solid surfaces but their amplitude decreased with increasing Nusselt film thickness. Free-surface velocity measurements show peaks of velocity larger than the maximum predicted for vertical films. These peaks are associated to a minimum in film thickness and are detected in regions where there is an inflexion point in free surface curvature. Three parameters, Nusselt film thickness, Reynolds number and Capillary number, are necessary to characterize accurately these liquid film flows.
Single-ion anisotropy and magnetostriction of amorphous alloys

Abstract Local magnetic anisotropy and magnetostriction of amorphous alloys were studied using the point charge model. A simple formula was obtained to describe linear magnetostriction. It was found that the unscreened point charge model always leads to zero magnetostriction, while an ordinary screening makes the magnetostriction positive and an anti-screening results in negative magnetostriction.
Capacity and error exponents of stationary point processes under random additive displacements

Consider a real-valued discrete-time stationary and ergodic stochastic process, called the noise process. For each dimension n, we can choose a stationary point process in Rn and a translation invariant tessellation of Rn. Each point is randomly displaced, with a displacement vector being a section of length n of the noise process, independent from point to point. The aim is to find a point process and a tessellation that minimizes the probability of decoding error, defined as the probability that the displaced version of the typical point does not belong to the cell of this point. We consider the Shannon regime, in which the dimension n tends to ∞, while the logarithm of the intensity of the point processes, normalized by dimension, tends to a constant. We first show that this problem exhibits a sharp threshold: if the sum of the asymptotic normalized logarithmic intensity and of the differential entropy rate of the noise process is positive, then the probability of error tends to 1 with n for all point processes and all tessellations. If it is negative then there exist point processes and tessellations for which this probability tends to 0. The error exponent function, which denotes how quickly the probability of error goes to 0 in n, is then derived using large deviations theory. If the entropy spectrum of the noise satisfies a large deviations principle, then, below the threshold, the error probability goes exponentially fast to 0 with an exponent that is given in closed form in terms of the rate function of the noise entropy spectrum. This is obtained for two classes of point processes: the Poisson process and a Matern hard-core point process. New lower bounds on error exponents are derived from this for Shannon's additive noise channel in the high signal-to-noise ratio limit that hold for all stationary and ergodic noises with the above properties and that match the best known bounds in the white Gaussian noise case.
Vortex mixing of feline blood to disaggregate platelet clumps.

Platelet clumping is a common cause of erroneous platelet counts in cats. Mixing of blood with a vortex mixer was evaluated as a method to disaggregate platelet clumps in feline blood and thus obtain accurate platelet counts. Whole blood samples from 42 cats with platelet clumping and 10 control cats without platelet clumping were mixed for 1 minute at the maximal setting using a standard vortex mixer. Blood smears (for subjective assessment of the type and amount of platelet clumping), platelet counts, and total leukocyte counts were evaluated before and after mixing. Vortex treatment of blood samples with platelet clumps caused an increased platelet count in all but 1 sample. Although most samples had strong increases in platelet counts after mixing, only a minority of samples (5 of 42) appeared to have all platelet clumps dispersed. Of 39 feline blood samples with platelet counts initially 200X10(9) cells/L and 34 counts increased to >100X10(9) cells/L. Overall, mixing gave inconsistent and partial improvement in platelet counts. Total leukocyte counts were not significantly affected by vortex mixing. Vortex mixing of 10 feline blood samples without platelet clumping had no consistent effect on platelet or WBC counts. In conclusion, vortex mixing of feline blood does not appear to be a consistent means of correcting the problem of feline platelet clumping.
Training a support vector machine to classify signals in a real environment given clean training data

When building a classifier from clean training data for a particular test environment, knowledge about the environmental noise and channel should be taken into account. We propose training a support vector machine (SVM) classifier using a modified kernel that is the expected kernel with respect to a probability distribution over channels and noise that might affect the test signal. We compare the proposed expected SVM to an SVM that ignores the environment, to an SVM that trains with multiple random samples of the environment, and to a quadratic discriminant analysis classifier that takes advantage of environment statistics (Joint QDA). Simulations classifying narrowband signals in a noisy acoustic reverberation environment indicate that the expected SVM can improve performance over a range of noise levels.
2093 CMR reveals that cardiac-specific overexpression of the inducible form of nitric oxide synthase induces Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in wild-type mice after AAV-Mediated direct gene transfer

Introduction CMR has previously shown that left ventricular remodeling (LVR) resulting from reperfused myocardial infarction (MI) is dramatically reduced in iNOS knock-out mice [1]. However, previous studies using transgenic mice with cardiac-specific overexpression of iNOS have yielded disparate results. One study reported a benign phenotype while a second reported that iNOS overexpression resulted in cardiac fibrosis, hypertrophy and dilatation. One explanation is that transgenic mice may develop compensatory mechanisms to down-regulate iNOS overexpression. Another possiblity is that the phenotype of iNOS overexpression may be variable in its penetrance due to limited availability of a necessary co-factor (tetrahydrobiopterin).
Silicon membrane nanofilters from sacrificial oxide removal

Silicon micropore filter designs using a sacrificial oxide removal technique are described. These filters utilize surface and bulk micromachining for precise control of pore sizes in the tens of nanometers range. The semipermeable membrane of the sacrificial layer filters (SLFs) is typically composed of sandwiched p/sup +/ polysilicon/oxide/p/sup +/ silicon layers where the sacrificial oxide between the two silicon layers determines the pore size of the filter. The purpose of this paper is to address special design and fabrication considerations for control of pore size uniformity within 10%, adapting surface conditions for filtration fluxes of deionized water to fall in the range of 1 ml/cm/sup 2/h, and maximization of the structural response of SLFs. Fluorescent beads are used to analyze the pore size uniformity of fabricated filters, with achievements of four-log reduction in fluorescent bead concentration.
Conservative signal processing architectures for asynchronous, distributed optimization part I: General framework

This paper presents a framework for designing a class of distributed, asynchronous optimization algorithms, realized as signal processing architectures utilizing various conservation principles. The architectures are specifically based on stationarity conditions pertaining to primal and dual variables in a class of generally nonconvex optimization problems. The stationarity conditions, which are closely related to the principles of stationary content and co-content that can be derived using Tellegen's theorem in electrical networks, are in particular transformed via a linear change of coordinates to obtain a set of linear and nonlinear maps that form the basis for implementation. The resulting algorithms specifically operate by processing a linear superposition of primal and dual decision variables using the associated maps, coupled using synchronous or asynchronous delay elements to form a distributed system. A table is provided containing specific example elements that can be assembled to form various optimization algorithms directly from the corresponding problem statements.
Elevated mast cell tryptase in the urine of patients with interstitial cystitis

Objective To investigate the number of tryptase positive bladder mast cells and the level of urine tryptase in interstitial cystitis (IC), a bladder disorder which occurs mostly in women and is characterized by suprapubic pain, frequency and nocturia. Patients and methods Bladder biopsies from 37 women with IC and 15 control women with other bladder conditions (age range 18–63 years) were obtained during diagnostic bladder distension and frozen immediately. Mast cells positive for tryptase were identified by immunohistochemistry and evaluated by light microscopy. Tryptase was measured by solid phase radioimmunoassay in urine samples, collected immediately (spot) and during a period of 24 h, obtained from normal women volunteers, controls and patients with IC. To adequately quantify tryptase, the physiologically active tetramer was dissociated to inactive monomers with supersaturated NaCl (6.0 M), and then dialysed. Results The patients' spot urine sample tryptase levels were indistinguishable from those of controls, which included the normal women volunteers. However, the tryptase levels in 24 h urine samples were greatly elevated only in patients with IC, both before (P < 0.005), and especially after NaCl treatment and dialysis (P < 0.001). Conclusion These results indicate that the tryptase levels of 24 h urine samples, combined with methyl-histamine levels and the clinical criteria presently used, may possibly help to better identify IC.
Performance improvement with fast site switching in a CDMA forward link

In this paper, we present a site switching diversity scheme with faster switching frequency than that of conventional site selection diversity transmission (SSDT). In a conventional SSDT, it is difficult to increase the switching rate due to the required feedback quality. The proposed fast switching scheme is configured with a centralized physical layer receiver situation including softer handover of a CDMA system. With the proposed scheme, it is possible to increase the switching rate without increasing the transmission power of the feedback information. We present the performance gain of the proposed fast switching by simulation. The proposed scheme can be combined with the conventional SSDT or the soft handover when the mobile is located at the boundary of two cells having different physical layer controllers.
Preslaughter diet management in sheep and goats: effects on physiological responses and microbial loads on skin and carcass

Sixteen crossbred buck goats (Kiko x Spanish; BW = 32.8 kg) and wether sheep (Dorset x Suffolk; BW = 39.9 kg) were used to determine the effect of preslaughter diet and feed deprivation time (FDT) on physiological responses and microbial loads on skin and carcasses. Experimental animals were fed either a concentrate (CD) or a hay diet (HD) for 4 d and then deprived of feed for either 12-h or 24-h before slaughter. Blood samples were collected for plasma cortisol and blood metabolite analyses. Longisimus muscle (LM) pH was measured. Skin and carcass swabs were obtained to assess microbial loads. Plasma creatine kinase activity (863.9 and 571.7 ± 95.21 IU) and non-esterified fatty acid concentrations (1,056.1 and 589.8 ± 105.01 mEq/L) were different (P 0.05) on E. coli and TCC in carcass swab samples. The APC of carcass swab samples were only affected (P < 0.05) by the FDT. The results indicated that preslaughter dietary management had no significant changes on hormone and blood metabolite concentrations and sheep might be more prone for fecal contamination than goats in the holding pens at abattoir.
Updates on immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer

Immunotherapy has made significant progress in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the last years. Early tumor vaccine studies showed trends toward better clinical outcomes, and larger trial results are currently being awaited. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are promising therapeutic agents in advanced NSCLC. While ipilimumab, a cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 inhibitor, has clearly improved outcomes in metastatic malignant melanoma, its safety and efficacy in NSCLC are not yet known. Programmed death-1 (PD-1) and PD-1 ligand inhibitors such as nivolumab, MK3475 and MPDL3280 have demonstrated clinical efficacy in patients with advanced/metastatic NSCLC in early clinical trials. Their validation in larger Phase III trials is anxiously being awaited. Furthermore, exploring efficacy of these molecules in patients with early stages of lung cancer is also necessary.
Linear-Response Calculations of Electron-Phonon Coupling Parameters and Free Energies of Defects

Linear-response theory provides an efficient approach for calculating the vibrational properties of solids. Moreover, because the use of supercells is eliminated, points with little or no symmetry in the Brillouin zone can be handled. This allows accurate determinations of quantities such as real-space force constants and electron-phonon coupling parameters. We present highly converged calculations of the spectral function α2F(ω) and the average electron-phonon coupling for Al, Pb, and Li. We also present results for the free energy of vacancy formation in Al calculated within the harmonic approximation.
The Role of the Elasticity of Substitution in Economic Growth: A Cross-Country Test of the de La Grandville Hypothesis

The elasticity of substitution between capital and labor (σ) is a second-order parameter of the production function but has a first-order effect on economic growth. Although the importance of this elasticity has long been recognized in several branches of economics, it has received too little attention in the growth literature. Grandville (1989) showed theoretically that at any stages of an economy’s development, the growth rate of income per capita is increasing with σ. The higher is σ, the greater the similarity between capital and labor in the production function, and thus diminishing returns sets-in very slowly. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper that tests the Grandville hypothesis at the cross-country level. We estimate σ for 90 countries from direct estimation of the normalized CES production function and then include these estimators as an explanatory variable in cross-country growth regression. We investigate the sign and significance of the coefficient of σ conditioning on country characteristics, initial conditions, institutions and a set of policy variables. Since the unobservable σ is “generated” from the first-step estimation of the CES production function, in the second-step cross-country growth regression it is measured with sampling errors (Pagan, 1984; Murphy and Topel, 1985). After accounting for measurement errors and other sources of endogeneity, we find strong support for the de La Grandville hypothesis. We find that σ can explains about 30% of the growth rate differential between East Asia and Sub-Sahara Africa. We check the robustness of our results by Leamer’s (1983) extreme value analysis, and the coefficient of σ remains positive and the t-statistics remain large for all combinations of the conditioning variables.
Self-Presentation and Gender on MySpace.

Abstract Within the cultural context of MySpace, this study explores the ways emerging adults experience social networking. Through focus group methodology, the role of virtual peer interaction in the development of personal, social, and gender identities was investigated. Findings suggest that college students utilize MySpace for identity exploration, engaging in social comparison and expressing idealized aspects of the selves they wish to become. The public nature of self and relationship displays introduce feedback mechanisms by which emerging adults can legitimize images as associated with the self. Also, male–female differences in self-presentation parallel, and possibly intensify, gender norms offline. Our study suggests that social networking sites provide valuable opportunities for emerging adults to realize possible selves; however, increased pressure for female sexual objectification and intensified social comparison may also negatively impact identity development. A balanced view, presenting both opportunities and drawbacks, should be encouraged in policies regarding youth participation in social networking sites.
A philosophy of anti-infectives as a guide in the search for new drugs for tuberculosis

Summary How we develop antibiotics is shaped by how we view infectious disease. Given the urgent need for new chemotherapeutics for tuberculosis and other infectious diseases, it is timely to reconsider a view of infectious disease that is strongly supported by contemporary evidence but that has rarely been applied in antibiotic development. This view recognizes the importance of nonreplicating bacteria in persistent infections, acknowledges the heterogeneity and stringency of chemical environments encountered by the pathogen in the host, and emphasizes metabolic adaptation of the host and the pathogen during their competition. For example, efforts in our lab are guided by the perspective that Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) has co-evolved with the human immune response, with the result that Mtb turns host-imposed metabolic adversity to its own advantage. We seek chemotherapeutics that turn Mtb’s adversity to the host’s advantage.
The Picture Exchange Communication System: Communicative outcomes for young children with disabilities.

The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) has become a widely known and used augmentative system for teaching functional communication skills and potentially providing a bridge to speech acq...
Young Adults’ Behavioral Intentions Surrounding a Potential Menthol Cigarette Ban

Introduction: Menthol cigarette smoking is more prevalent among young adults, who are a known target of tobacco industry marketing. This study explores young adults’ menthol use and behavioral intentions in the event of a ban on menthol cigarettes.
HREM observations of the conversion of β-Sn into PtSn4 in the Pt-Sn thin film system

Abstract The conversion of β-Sn into PtSn 4 during in situ heating of thin films of Pt and Sn has been observed by high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM). In situ heating of the metal films in the transmission electron microscope (TEM) allows the establishment of orientation relationships between the unreacted Sn film and the intermetallic phases formed during the reactions. Initial observations reveal the formation of PtSn 4 in the [110] orientation where the (002) fringes of PtSn 4 are oriented parallel to the (011) fringes of β-Sn. This observation suggests that the (002) planes of PtSn 4 are formed by the doubling of the (011) planes of β-Sn during the transformation, rather than the (020) planes of β-Sn as previously reported.
An apparatus for the investigation of chromatic adaptation

Abstract An apparatus for measuring the visual changes that follow chromatic adaptation is described. It consists of a monochromator and a trichromatic colorimeter. The monochromator presents an adapting stimulus to the left eye of the observer in alternation with simultaneous exposures of test and matching stimuli to the left and right eyes, respectively, from the colorimeter. A special attachment provides the modifications required for monocular measurement. The stimuli are monochromatic in that they comprise small bands of the visible spectrum. Auxiliary sources give high level luminance for stimuli taken from the far ends of the spectrum. The controls of the colorimeter automatically retain the luminance at a relatively constant level while the observer varies the percentages of the components. This arrangement also provides equal luminance primaries. The procedures and techniques used for wavelength and luminance calibration of the apparatus are described.