cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-Field MRI-Compatible Needle Placement Robots for Prostate Interventions: Pneumatic and Piezoelectric Approaches

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be a very effective imaging modality for live guidance during surgical procedures. The rationale of MRI-guided surgery with robot-assistance is to perform surgical interventions utilizing “real-time” image feedback while minimize operation time and improves the surgical outcomes. However, challenges arise from electromagnetic compatibility within the high-field (1.5T or greater) MRI environment and mechanical constraints due to the confined close-bore space. This chapter reviews two distinct MRI-compatible approaches for image-guided transperineal prostate needle placement. It articulates the robotic mechanism, actuator and sensor design, controller design and system integration for a pneumatically actuated robotic needle guide and a piezoelectrically actuated needle placement system. The two degree-of-freedom (DOF) pneumatic robot with manual needle insertion has a signal to noise ratio (SNR) loss limited to 5% with alignment accuracy under servo pneumatic control better than 0.94mm per axis. While the 6-DOF piezoelectrically actuated robot is the first demonstration of a novel multi piezoelectric actuator drive with less than 2% SNR loss for high-field MRI operating at full speed during imaging. Preliminary experiments in phantom studies evaluates system MRI compatibility, workflow, visualization and targeting accuracy.
Dacryoscintigraphy: Rediscovering an underutilized test

1269 Learning Objectives 1. Review the anatomy and physiology of the lacrimal system as well as the pathophysiology of epiphora. 2. Understand how dacryoscintigraphy is performed, including advanced techniques such as quantitation, and interpreted. 3. Be familiar with contrast dacryocystography and the in-office tests ophthalmologists use in evaluating epiphora. Epiphora, or excess tearing, is a common problem encountered by ophthalmologists. A subset of patients have epiphora due to nasolacrimal duct obstruction and in-office testing with fluorescein and saccharine have been criticized for inadequate sensitivity. Dacryoscintigraphy was developed in 1972 as a functional assessment of tear movement through the nasolacrimal system. Contrast dacryocystography, an x-ray or CT based technique, and a possible role for SPECT-CT will be examined. We reviewed 51 consecutive dacryoscintigrams from two institutions performed since 2009 and selected cases that exemplify key findings including normal flow, partial and complete nasolacrimal duct obstruction, and pre- and post-surgical findings. Advanced techniques such as quantitative assessment will also be addressed. The anatomy and physiology of the eye with special attention to the lacrimal system will be discussed and related to the dacryoscintigram. An ophthalmologist9s perspective on when to utilize dacryoscintigraphy and how it is employed in the pre- and post-surgical setting will aid nuclear medicine physicians in approaching ophthalmologists in areas where dacryoscintigraphy is underutilized. Finally, readers will assess what they have learned by interpreting a set of dacryoscintigrams and comparing their impressions to that of an expert reader.
Cognitive, linguistic, and social aspects of adults' noun definitions.

Low-income, rural adults and middle-income, urban adults provided oral definitions for eight common nouns. Two general issues were addressed: (1) whether the rural adults' definitions would conform to the well-documented Aristotelian form typically found among middle-class, well-educated adults; and (2) whether different definitional types would emerge for two different noun classes, social vs. object nouns. Participants' definitions were examined for conceptual content and linguistic form. Among rural participants, the mean proportion of definitions conforming to the Aristotelian model was .13, contrasted with .69 for the urban participants. Also, rural adults were significantly less likely to cast definitions in the conventional linguistic form than were urban adults. On other measures of definitional skill as well, rural participants demonstrated less mastery. There were no significant differences in definitional form between social and object nouns. Various explanations for the findings are considered.
High-energy fractures of the tibial plateau

High-energy tibial plateau fractures are often the result of blunt trauma. In addition to extensive bony injuries, soft-tissue problems are very common. Preoperative planning for surgical repair of these injuries is invaluable. Contemporary internal fixation techniques using ligamentotaxis, percutaneous fixation, and antiglide techniques provide the basis for internal fixation of these injuries. When extensive comminution and damaged soft tissues prohibit their use, the circular external fixator provides an excellent option for management of these complex injuries. Whether internal or external fixation techniques are used, appropriate management of the soft tissues is also a factor in the successful management of these severe injuries to the knee. Language: en
Betamethasone: a novel therapeutic intervention for preeclampsia

The early pathogenesis of preeclampsia (PE) involves a systemic inflammatory immune response. Recent data demonstrate that increased circulating arginine vasopressin (AVP) in humans is predictive of PE and that infusion of AVP in mouse dams phenocopies the pregnancy-specific cardiovascular and immune alterations observed in human PE. Specifically, AVP suppresses anti-inflammatory cytokines and cells. Betamethasone (BMTZ), commonly given to women at risk for preterm birth, is both an AVP and immune response modulator. We hypothesize that early treatment with BMTZ will prevent the development of AVP-induced PE.
Parenteral Opiates for Postoperative Analgesia

If opiates are to be used for treating postoperative pain, the choice and dose of opiate will depend on both the patient and the clinical circumstances. However the choice should be guided by pharmacologic principles. These principles lead to the conclusion that opiates should be given by intravenous infusion for postoperative analgesia. The numerous new parenteral agents produced over the past 20 years suggest NOT that we have not found the right drug, but that we have not found the optimal mode of administration.
Consistency is key in online learning: Evaluating student and instructor perceptions of a collaborative online-course template:

This study examines the features and benefits of a collaborative online-course template designed for and used by the department of public administration program at a mid-Atlantic university in the ...
Elastic Properties of Cr-doped Mn Ferrite

The mechanical properties of Mn-Cr ferrite of different compositions are important for industrial applications in everyday life. Ferrites are used in electric choke coils, electric transformers, and many other electronic and optical devices. The elastic properties can be understood by studying the longitudinal sound velocity (Vl) and shear velocity (Vs). The longitudinal sound velocity (Vl) and shear velocity (Vs) are measured at room temperature by pulse transmission technique at the frequency of 1659 Hz, which is ideally representing the mechanical properties of the ferrite crystal. The shear sound velocity was found to be around 4 × 103 m∕s while the longitudinal sound velocity was ranging according to the doping concentration from 6 × 103 to 1 × 104 m∕s. The behavior of Young’s modulus (E), rigidity modulus (n), mean sound velocity (Vm), and Debye temperature (θD) is quite similar, where a change in the slope was noticed at Cr concentration higher than 0.7 in the spinel lattice. We have characterized the elastic properties of the spinel structure Mn-Cr ferrite with different Cr ion concentration at a fixed sound frequency using the pulse transmission technique. The longitudinal sound velocity showed an increase with increasing Cr ion concentration, the rigidity constant as well as Debye temperature, Isotropic compressibility, and the acoustic impedance showed behavioral change at Cr ion concentration x = 0.7 which is correlated to the intra-ionic distances change due to the replacement of Fe ions with smaller size Cr ions.
Genetic counseling for breast cancer risk : General concepts, challenging themes and future directions

This article reviews the elements and process of genetic counseling for breast cancer risk, including contracting, informed consent, and psychosocial assessment and counseling. Case studies and pedigrees are utilized to illustrate current approaches to issues and challenges in the field. For example, the following topics are explored: test result interpretation, including uninformative BRCA1/2 test results; testing strategies and test selection; family concerns; patient follow-up and recontact; risk counseling in double heterozygotes; and reproductive options for mutation carriers. Concerns in specific populations such as newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, young unaffected high-risk women, and males are also reviewed. Alternative forms of and adjuncts to traditional face-to-face genetic counseling are discussed.
Causes and consequences of biotic interactions within microbiomes

An integrative pattern-process-mechanism approach is revealing the roles of biotic interactions in microbiome assembly. Patterns of microbiome diversity observed in metagenomic studies can be partly explained by interaction processes (e.g. competition, facilitation) and underlying molecular or genetic mechanisms (e.g. antibiotic production, nutrient cross-feeding). Exciting opportunities remain to fully understand the significance and generalizability of biotic interactions within microbiomes. Many microbial interactions have been studied by chasing easily quantifiable phenotypes including changes in growth or pigmentation, but it is likely that diverse cryptic interactions occur without obvious growth changes or macroscopic phenotypes. A narrow phylogenetic breadth of well-studied microbes limits our understanding of whether there are conserved genetic or molecular mechanisms of microbial interactions. Biotic interactions can impose strong selective pressures that could shape rates and modes of microbial evolution, but few studies have examined the evolutionary consequences of interactions within microbiomes. Continued exploration of the chemical and genetic mechanisms underlying biotic interactions may provide novel tools to manipulate and manage microbiomes.
Development of a stereoscopic CT metal artifact management algorithm using gantry angle tilts for head and neck patients

Dental amalgams are a common source of artifacts in head and neck (HN) images. Commercial artifact reduction techniques have been offered, but are substantially ineffectual at reducing artifacts from dental amalgams, can produce additional artifacts, provide inaccurate HU information, or require extensive computation time, and thus offer limited clinically utility. The goal of this work was to define and validate a novel algorithm and provide a phantom-based testing as proof of principle. An initial clinical comparison to a vendor's current solution was also performed. The algorithm uses two-angled CT scans in order to generate a single image set with minimal artifacts posterior to the metal implants. The algorithm was evaluated using a phantom simulating a HN patient with dental fillings. Baseline (no artifacts) geometrical measurements of the phantom were taken in the anterior-posterior, left-right, and superior-inferior directions and compared to the metal-corrected images using our algorithm to evaluate possible distortion from application of the algorithm. Mean HU numbers were also compared between the baseline scan and corrected image sets. A similar analysis was performed on the vendor's algorithm for comparison. The algorithm developed in this work successfully preserved the image geometry and HU and corrected the CT metal artifacts in the region posterior to the metal. The average total distortion for all gantry angles in the AP, LR, and SI directions was 0.17, 0.12, and 0.14 mm, respectively. The HU measurements showed significant consistency throughout the different reconstructed images when compared to the baseline image sets. The vendor's algorithm also showed no geometrical distortion but performed inferiorly in the HU number analysis compared to our technique. Our novel metal artifact management algorithm, using CT gantry angle tilts, provides a promising technique for clinical management of metal artifacts from dental amalgam.
Advanced Imaging in Musculoskeletal Oncology: Moving Away From RECIST and Embracing Advanced Bone and Soft Tissue Tumor Imaging (ABASTI) - Part I - Tumor Response Criteria and Established Functional Imaging Techniques

According to the Revised Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1, the majority of bone metastases are considered to be nonmeasurable disease. Traditional response criteria rely on physical measurements. New criteria would be valuable if they incorporated newly developed imaging features in order to provide a more comprehensive assessment of oncological status. Advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences such as diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI) with dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) perfusion imaging are reviewed in the context of the initial and post-therapeutic assessment of musculoskeletal tumors. Particular attention is directed to the pseudoprogression phenomenon in which a successfully treated tumor enlarges from the pretherapeutic baseline, followed by regression without a change in therapy.
From war zone to biosphere reserve: the Korean DMZ as a scientific landscape

The Korean DMZ—at once a war zone, a historical landscape and a living laboratory—offers a compelling example of how scientific fieldwork can alter the definition of place. This article explores ho...
Effects of Wind-Driven Lateral Upwelling on Estuarine Carbonate Chemistry

Estuaries are productive ecosystems that support extensive vertebrate and invertebrate communities, but some have suffered from an accelerated pace of acidification in their bottom waters. A major challenge in the study of estuarine acidification is strong temporal and spatial variability of carbonate chemistry resulting from a wide array of physical forces such as winds, tides and river flows. Most past studies of carbonate system dynamics were limited to the along channel direction, while lateral dynamics received less attention. Recent observations in Chesapeake Bay showed strong lateral asymmetry in the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) and air-sea CO2 flux during a single wind event, but comparable responses to different wind events has yet to be investigated. In this work, a coupled hydrodynamic-carbonate chemistry model is used to understand wind-driven variability in the estuarine carbonate system. It is found that wind-driven lateral upwelling ventilates high DIC (Dissolved Inorganic Carbon) and CO2 deep water and raises surface pCO2, thereby modifying the air-sea CO2 flux. The upwelling also advects low pH water onto the adjacent shoals and reduces the aragonite saturation state Ω_arag in these shallow water environments, producing large temporal pH fluctuations and low pH events. Regime diagrams are constructed to summarize the effects of wind events on temporal pH and Ω_arag fluctuations and the lateral gradients in DIC, pH and pCO2 in the estuary. This modeling study provides a mechanistic explanation for the observed wind-driven lateral variability in DIC and pCO2 and reproduces large pH and Ω_arag fluctuations that could be driven by physical forcing. Given that current and historic mainstem Bay oyster beds are located in shallow shoals affected by this upwelling, a large fraction of the oyster beds (100-300 km2) could be exposed to carbonate mineral under-saturated 〖(Ω〗_arag<1) conditions during wind events. This effect should be considered in the management of acidification-sensitive species in estuaries.
The Changing Face of Financial Crime: New Technologies, New Offenders, New Victims, and New Strategies for Prevention and Control

Financial crime is a growing crime problem throughout the world. It is a trillion-dollar industry that takes an enormous social and economic toll on the lives it touches. The primary goal of this s...
Advanced MTJ Stack Engineering of STT-MRAM to Realize High Speed Applications

We demonstrate superior data retention of 1 month at 125°C with improved switching efficiency at 10 ns write time without back-hopping failure. The 40Mb macro having the advanced MTJ stacks show wide operating temperature range from -40 to 125°C with the read margin even up to 150°C and zero fail bit count with ECC on. Our study indicates that the tight switching voltage distribution and the coherent switching are essential not only for fast switching but also back-hopping margin improvement. Furthermore, our paper shows an engineering pathway how advanced MTJ stack engineering can improve key device parameters.
Effects of Dexamethasone on Offspring Survival and Intrauterine Growth Restriction

The placenta is the primary organ responsible for deactivating maternal glucocorticoids and reducing fetal exposure. Glucocorticoid use during pregnancy is a common treatment for asthma, allergies, and COVID-19. Several studies have reported adverse effects including intrauterine growth restriction as a result of glucocorticoid exposure, yet little is known about the mechanisms by which short and long-term maternal glucocorticoid exposures affect placental biology and fetal development. To better understand the role of glucocorticoids on placental and fetal outcomes, we used a mouse model exposed to the synthetic glucocorticoid, dexamethasone (Dex), prior to and throughout gestation. We conducted a randomized controlled trial in mice with a treatment arm of Dex exposure and water exposure as control. Virgin C57Bl/6J female mice were single-housed at 11 weeks of age, and Dex was introduced in the drinking water as a 1mg/kg/day dose. After one week of treatment, mice were bred with age-matched virgin males. Dam body composition, food, and water intake were monitored weekly. Maternal insulin sensitivity, pup survival rate, litter size, and pup birth weight at postnatal day (PND) 0.5 were also assessed. Dams treated with Dex lost significant lean mass after one week of treatment. Dex treatment did not appear to affect the dams’ ability to get pregnant, as both groups carried pups to term with similar lengths of gestation (p=0.838). Water and Dex-treated dams gained comparable weight during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy, however, the Dex group gained less lean mass than the water group during the third trimester. At PND0.5, Dex dams had fewer pups with a 40% reduction in litter size (p=0.01) and lighter pups with a 37% reduction in offspring weight (p<0.001), indicating substantial intrauterine growth restriction. All pups of Dex-treated dams died by PND1. Attempts to rescue pups of Dex-dams by cross-fostering with water-treated nursing dams or by feeding the pups 10% glucose at PND0.5 failed by PND1. These results demonstrate a novel finding regarding the chronic use of glucocorticoids before and during conception and pregnancy. The reduction in both pup weight and late-pregnancy maternal weight gain suggests potential growth restriction or placental insufficiency. Further molecular studies during multiple time points of gestation will help elucidate the mechanisms at play.
The addition of autologous stem cell transplantation to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, radiation, and HIPEC for patients with unresectable desmoplastic small round cell tumor: a single center case series

Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is a rare, highly aggressive malignancy primarily affecting children and young adults. Although modest improvements have been gained by intensification of chemotherapy and radiation, survival of patients with DSRCT remains poor, particularly in those with unresectable or disseminated disease. We report 3 pediatric patients who were treated with a combination of therapy including chemotherapy, surgical debulking, hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy, whole abdominal irradiation, and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation following busulfan and melphalan conditioning. We find that this approach is well tolerated and may offer improved survival in patients with DSRCT.
Stand-Up, Squat, Lunge, and Walk With a Robotic Knee and Ankle Prosthesis Under Shared Neural Control

Emerging robotic knee and ankle prostheses present an opportunity to restore the biomechanical function of missing biological legs, which is not possible with conventional passive prostheses. However, challenges in coordinating the robotic prosthesis movements with the user's neuromuscular system and transitioning between activities limit the real-world viability of these devices. Here we show that a shared neural control approach combining neural signals from the user's residual limb with robot control improves functional mobility in individuals with above-knee amputation. The proposed shared neural controller enables subjects to stand up and sit down under a variety of conditions, squat, lunge, walk, and seamlessly transition between activities without explicit classification of the intended movement. No other available technology can enable individuals with above-knee amputations to achieve this level of mobility. Further, we show that compared to using a conventional passive prosthesis, the proposed shared neural controller significantly reduced muscle effort in both the intact limb (21–51% decrease) and the residual limb (38–48% decrease). We also found that the body weight lifted by the prosthesis side increased significantly while standing up with the robotic leg prosthesis (49%–68% increase), leading to better loading symmetry (43–46% of body weight on the prosthesis side). By decreasing muscle effort and improving symmetry, the proposed shared neural controller has the potential to improve amputee mobility and decrease the risk of falls compared to using conventional passive prostheses.
Heterogeneity of Arabinogalactan-Proteins on the Plasma Membrane of Rose Cells.

Arabinogalactan-proteins (AGPs) have been purified from the plasma membrane of suspension-cultured Paul9s Scarlet rose (Rosa sp.) cells. The two most abundant and homogeneous plasma membrane AGP fractions were named plasma membrane AGP1 (PM-AGP1) and plasma membrane AGP2 (PM-AGP2) and had apparent molecular masses of 140 and 217 kD, respectively. Both PM-AGP1 and PM-AGP2 had [beta]-(1–3)-, [beta]-(1,6)-, and [beta]-(1,3,6)-galactopyranosyl residues, predominantly terminal [alpha]-arabinofuranosyl residues, and (1,4)- and terminal glucuronopyranosyl residues. The protein moieties of PM-AGP1 and PM-AGP2 were both rich in hydroxyproline, alanine, and serine, but differed in the abundance of hydroxyproline, which was 1.6 times higher in PM-AGP2 than in PM-AGP1. Another difference was the overall protein content, which was 3.7% (w/w) in PM-AGP1 and 15% in PM-AGP2. As judged by their behavior on reverse-phase chromatography, PM-AGP1 and PM-AGP2 were not more hydrophobic than AGPs from the cell wall or culture medium. In contrast, a minor plasma membrane AGP fraction eluted later on reverse-phase chromatography and was more negatively charged at pH 5 than either PM-AGP1 or PM-AGP2. The more negatively charged fraction contained molecules with a glycosyl composition characteristic of AGPs and included at least two different macromolecules. The results of this investigation indicate that Rosa plasma membrane contains at least four distinct AGPs or AGP-like molecules. These molecules differed from each other in size, charge, hydrophobicity, amino-acyl composition, and/or protein content.
The Impact of Information Technology on Real Estate Licensee Income

Executive Summary. The evolution of the Internet and other forms of information technology are changing dramatically the way the real estate brokerage industry does business. While a number of prev...
Monotonic penalized-likelihood image for X-ray fluorescence computed tomography

In this work, we derive a monotonic penalized-likelihood algorithm for image reconstruction in X-ray fluorescence CT (XFCT) when the attenuation maps at the energies of the fluorescence X-rays are unknown. XFCT is not a transmission tomography modality but rather a stimulated emission tomography modality, and it is thus necessary to correct for attenuation of the incident and fluorescence photons if accurate images are to be obtained. This is challenging because the attenuation map is, in general, known only at the stimulating beam energy and not at the various fluorescence energies. We have developed a penalized-likelihood image reconstruction strategy for this problem. The approach alternates between updating the distribution of a given element and updating the attenuation map for that element's fluorescence X-rays. As derived, the approach is guaranteed to increase the penalized likelihood at each iteration.
Implementation of a Distributed Computer Control System at the Los Alamos Proton Storage Ring

A distributed computer control system is being implemented at the Los Alamos Proton Storage Ring using DEC MicroVAX computers with a distributed database. The first prototype system is now in place and has been running during the last storage ring running period. This paper describes the implementation, initial tests, and future plans for the system. 3 refs., 6 figs.
Self-consistent theory of bounded rotational spectra: (I). Two-dimensional rotator

The effect of an upper bound of the spectrum for rotational motion of a set of particles confined to move in a plane is studied by means of the generalized Hartree-Fock approximation (GHFA) without pairing. The results can be expressed as corrections to the wave-functions and the collective energies of the A-nucleon and (A±1)-nucleon systems of the previously considered unbounded case. Full self-consistency of the basic equations in the bounded case is assured under the same restrictions that limited the general accuracy of the method for the unbounded spectrum. A detailed quantitative discussion of the collective energies of the A-nucleon system shows results that are interesting enough to warrant an investigation of the full three-dimensional problem.
Comparison of the Bayley II Mental Developmental Index and the Bayley III cognitive scale: are we measuring the same thing?

Aim To better understand differences between Bayley Scales 3rd edition (Bayley III) Cognitive Scale and Bayley Scales 2nd edition (Bayley II) Mental Developmental Index (MDI) in 18–22 month old children born term and preterm; and to create a conversion algorithm using Bayley II MDI to calculate Bayley III Cognitive score.
Dividends of Kinship: Meanings and Uses of Social Relatedness.; New Directions in Anthropological Kinship.

Dividends of Kinship: Meanings and Uses of Social Relatedness. Peter P. Schweitzer. ed. New York: Routledge, 2000. 221 pp. New Directions in Anthropological Kinship. Linda Stone. ed. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2001. 352 pp.
Private Enforcement and the Fair Housing Act

The first section of the Fair Housing Act1 declares that "[i]t is the policy of the United States to provide, within constitutional limitations, for fair housing throughout the United States."2 If the United States has been officially committed to providing for fair housing for the past 20 years, why is segregated housing still the prevailing norm throughout our nation? Why does discrimination still regularly occur when minority homeseekers venture into white areas? Why are the opportunities for living in stable, integrated neighborhoods only marginally better now than they were a generation ago in the days of Lyndon Johnson, Everett McKinley Dirksen, and Martin Luther King, Jr.? In short, why has the Fair Housing Act accomplished so little? This conference is an attempt to address these important questions. Earlier panels discussed the roles of federal, state, and local governments in enforcing the Fair Housing Act. This panel will examine what private people and private organizations can do and why their roles are so crucial. In many ways, private efforts under the Act have been more successful than governmental enforcement. A recounting of the impressive isolated achievements of private persons and local fair housing organizations, however, must not lull us into a sense of complacency. The fundamental question remains: can a law that relies so heavily on private enforcement ever succeed in systematically attacking the widespread patterns of discrimination and segregation in America's housing?
Effect of high velocity, large amplitude stimuli on the spread of depolarization in S1 “barrel” cortex

We examined the effect of large, controlled whisker movements, delivered at a high speed, on the amplitude and spread of depolarization in the anesthetized mouse barrel cortex. The stimulus speed was varied between 1500 and 6000°/s and the extent of movement was varied between 4° and 16°. The rate of rise of the response was linearly related to the rate of rise of the stimulus. The initial spatial extent of cortical activation was also related to the rate of rise of the stimulus: that is, the faster the stimulus onset, the faster the rate of rise of the response, the larger the extent of cortex activated initially. The spatial extent of the response and the rate of rise of the response were not correlated with changes in the deflection amplitude. However, slower, longer lasting stimuli produced an Off response, making the actual extent of activation larger for the slowest rising stimuli. These results indicate that the spread of cortical activation depends on stimulus features.
Correlation between biliaryα1-acid glycoprotein concentration and cholesterol crystal nucleation time in gallstone disease

A biliary form of theα1-acid glycoprotein (AAG) promotes cholesterol crystallization in the lower-molecular-weight, concanavalin A-bound fraction of gallbladder bile. In addition, bile AAG concentration is higher in cholesterol gallstone patients with multiple stones than in control patients without gallstone disease. In this study we sought to determine whether the increased biliary concentration of AAG in cholesterol gallstone patients is accompanied by a more rapid nucleation time in patients with multiple stones. AAG concentration in native biles was measured by ELISA. Nucleation time was measured using a standard microscopy method. The concentration of biliary AAG was then related to nucleation time in biles from the same patients. Nucleation times were significantly shorter (≤5 days) in cholesterol gallstone patients with raised AAG concentrations (P<0.03). There was a significant (P=0.004) negative correlation (r=−0.53) between nucleation time and the AAG concentration in cholesterol gallstone patients with multiple stones. The concentration of biliary AAG appears to exert an important influence on the speed of cholesterol nucleation in bile in many patients with cholesterol gallstone disease.
The cranial cut: creating a pattern for the human face

This article is a case study of a personal project that was turned into a pattern cutting workshop. Initially, the project arose out of an interest in studying the contrast between how nature has created the human form vs. how tailors create the human form. Nature starts with a hard structure (bone) and covers it in a flexible material (skin) while tailors use darts and seams to shape a non-stretchable material (woven fabric) over the same shapes. Fascination with this contrast led to creating ‘sewing patterns’ for human faces.
Results Of Ratio Temperature Thermography

Our present understanding of breast cancer indicates that increased metabolic activity occurs and thus produces a local temperature increase. This paper evaluates present thermographic techniques used to detect these temperature increases and examines the problem of skin emissivity variations that can produce erroneous temperature measurements. These false temperature variations are on the order of the decision level used by radiologists, and therefore they can cause significant confusion in the interpretation of the thermogram. The ratio temperature thermograph is shown to reduce the effects of emissivity by measuring the spectral radiance at two prescribed wavelengths and ratioing the results. A dual-channel ratio thermo-graph was built using state-of-the-art detectors and electronics to prove its feasibility. The ratio temperature thermograph was quantitatively evaluated for small emissivity variations. This evaluation demonstrated the instrument's capability of minimizing emissivity effects. It was also evaluated for the detection of temperature changes.© (1976) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
PERSISTENCE OF AMBROSIA TRIFIDA POPULATIONS IN OLD FIELDS AND RESPONSES TO SUCCESSIONAL CHANGES

A population of Ambrosia trifida L. (Asteraceae) in an annually ploughed field and an adjacent 1 5-year old population in an old field were compared to determine how plant responses, genotypic composition, and genetic variability change in populations over successional time. The two populations were originally part of a large contiguous population in an annually ploughed field. When individuals from the two populations were grown from seed in a common garden, they showed several significant differences in characteristics indicating different genotypic compositions in the two populations. Individuals from the old field population showed earlier emergence, lower leaf mortality, and greater numbers of leaves, biomass, seed production, and reproductive allocation relative to plants from the annually ploughed field. When sown in the field in a reciprocal transplant experiment, individuals from the two populations also differed in patterns of emergence, survivorship, yield, and fecundity. When grown together in a pairwise competition experiment, individuals from the old field population showed competitive superiority with respect to growth and seed production. This genetic differentiation between populations of different successional ages may be explained by natural selection imposed by the changing environment over successional time. However, the history and characteristics of these populations are such that founder effects may also be important in explaining the differences between them. A comparison of levels of variability in 14 different characters of individuals of the two populations showed no evidence that genetic variability in A. trifida populations declined over successional time.
DAVE: a plug and play model for distributed multimedia application development

This paper presents a model being used for the development of distributed multimedia applications. The Distributed Audio Video Environment (DAVE) was designed to support the development of a wide range of distributed applications. The implementation of this model is described. DAVE is unique in that it combines a simple “plug and play” programming interface, supports both centralized and fully distributed applications, provides device and media extensibility, promotes object reusability, and supports interoperability and network independence. This model enables application developers to easily develop distributed multimedia applications and create reusable multimedia toolkits. DAVE was designed for developing applications such as video conferencing, media archival, remote process control, and distance learning.
The numerical solution of poisson's equation for two-dimensional semiconductor devices

Abstract A numerical algorithm is presented which can be used to obtain the electrostatic potential throughout a two-dimensional semiconductor device under equilibrium conditions. The method is stable, efficient in terms of computer running time, and will converge from very poor starting solutions.
Design, thru simulation, of a multiple-access information system

The popular concept of a multiple-access processing system as a common facility for many users (at remote terminals) with varied processing requirements, has over the past few years received considerable attention. The research for proper hardware and software design solutions has been primarily directed at installations which would support a large and diverse group of users with varied and sometimes complex applications, thus implying the requirement for a powerful computer and large memory storage. The usefulness of these time-sharing systems stems from their capability to provide computing power to any user when, where and in the amount needed.
A hypothesis on the homocystinuric's responce to pyridoxine

Abstract Quantitative amino acid assays of urine samples from a homocystinuric receiving pyridoxine revealed a biochemical response involving cystine formation and metabolism through homolanthionine. The pyridoxine supply is proposed as a determinant of the route choice.
Kinetics of proton transfer from cationic carbon acids in water and aqueous DMSO. Effect of activating groups and solvent on intrinsic rate constants.

[reaction: see text] Acidity constants and rates of reversible deprotonation of acetonyltriphenylphosphonium ion (1H+), phenacyltriphenylphosphonium ion (2H+), N-methyl-4-phenacylpyridinium ion (3H+), and N-methyl-4-(phenylsulfonylmethyl)pyridinium ion (4H+) by amines in water, 50% DMSO-50% water (v/v), and 90% DMSO-10% water (v/v) have been determined. From the respective Bronsted plots, log k(o) values for the intrinsic rate constants of the various proton transfers were obtained. Solvent transfer activity coefficients of the carbon acids and their respective conjugate bases were also determined which helped in understanding how the pKa values and intrinsic rate constants depend on the solvent. Some of the main conclusions are as follows: (1) The pK(a) values of 1H+, 2H+, and 3H+ are significantly higher than that of 4H+ because of a stronger resonance stabilization of the corresponding conjugate bases 1, 2 and 3, respectively. (2) The electronic effects of the PPh3+ and the N-methyl-4-pyridylium group are similar but the mix between inductive and resonance effect is different. (3) All four acids become more acidic upon addition of DMSO to the solvent. In all cases, the main factor is the stronger solvation of H3O+ in DMSO; for 1H+, 2H+, and 3H+ but not 4H+ this factor is significantly attenuated by stronger solvation of the carbon acid in DMSO. (4) The intrinsic rate constants for proton transfer are relatively high for all four carbon acids and show little solvent dependence; this contrasts with nitroalkanes which have much lower intrinsic rate constants and show a strong solvent dependence. These results can be understood by a detailed analysis of the interplay between inductive, resonance, and solvation effects.
Development of embryonic chick oviducts in organ culture under the influences of steroid hormones

Explanted oviducts from 13- and 16-day embryonic female chicks responded to estradiol (1 to 4 micrograms/ml) in the culture medium by forming a thickened epithelium folded into crypts and containing goblet cells and by development of the stroma. In medium containing 3 micrograms/ml estradiol and 0.125 micrograms/ml hydrocortisone, 13-day embryonic oviducts exhibited further development: The columnar epithelial cells formed cilia and tubular glands were formed.
Measurements of the Economic Impact of Defense and Space Programs

INFORMATION on the economic impact of defense and space expenditures is not a statistical luxury. It is necessary for important substantive purposes: (1) for making any sort of penetrating analysis of the factors influencing the development of a given regional economy or of many leading branches of industry, (2) for forecasting the impact on a region of shifts in its so-called exports to the government sector, and (3) for developing and choosing among alternative public policies to offset reductions in the total or, possibly of greater real importance, abrupt major changes in the composition of defense and space expenditures. Despite the vast amount of statistical information generated by Federal Government and other research organizations, important gaps continue to exist in the understanding of basic aspects of the economic impact of defense and space expenditures. This article covers three
Telling their stories: primary care practitioners’ experience evaluating and reporting injuries caused by child abuse☆☆☆

Abstract Objective: To learn about primary care physicians’ experiences in identifying and reporting injuries caused by physical abuse. Method: Two qualitative analysts facilitated a focus group of six Chicago area, primary care physicians. Physicians representing diverse practice settings were selected to participate in the discussion. The analysts reviewed and analyzed the audiotape transcription of the focus group for common emergent themes. Results: Two themes emerged: (1) the importance of the participants’ own past experience identifying and reporting suspected child abuse and (2) the responsibility physicians experience as they strive to assess possible abuse within the time constraints of an office visit. Each physician described a sentinel event that continues to affect decision-making. The physicians described several obstacles to decision-making including a lack of knowledge about child abuse, their previous experience with child protective services (CPS), and the additional time required to evaluate and report suspected abuse. The discussion suggested that rapid availability of expert consultation improved participant comfort in decision-making when abuse or neglect is suspected. Conclusion: Primary care physicians reported being strongly influenced by their previous experiences with suspected abuse. A better understanding of office-based experiences with suspected abuse is needed to guide the development of tools and systems to enhance the ability of the primary care physician to provide the best care for children who may have been abused.
The nesting of the Pacific ridley turtle Lepidochelys olivacea on Playa Nancite, Costa Rica

A study of the nesting of the Pacific ridley turtle Lepidochelys olivacea was undertaken in Costa Rica on Playa Nancite — one of two beaches on which the authors had, the previous year, discovered large nesting aggregations of this species. During the 3 1/2-month period of this study, approximately 288,000 turtles nested on the 1300 m-long beach. About 99% of these nested during 3 periods of mass-nesting (arribadas). The predictability of the arribadas was investigated by observing and recording environmental parameters with which they may be correlated. The mass-nesting phenomenon, aspects of nesting behavior, and the adaptive advantages of mass-nesting are discussed. During the period of study, nearly 2,000 turtles were tagged, 102 of which were subsequently recovered. Carapace lengths and widths of 251 tagged turtles were measured. The emergence of hatchlings was recorded daily and, from these data, the incubation period and an indication of egg and hatchling survival was obtained. The activities of the various predators on eggs, hatchlings, and adults are described.
INTERACTIONS BETWEEN SPECIALIST AND GENERALIST NATURAL ENEMIES: PARASITOIDS, PREDATORS, AND PEA APHID BIOCONTROL

Most biological control systems involve a diverse community of natural enemies. We investigated how specialist and generalist natural enemies differ as biological control agents of pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum), and how interactions among natural enemies affect successful control. In alfalfa, pea aphids are attacked by a specialist parasitoid wasp, Aphidius ervi, and a guild of generalist predators primarily made up of Nabis and Orius bugs, coccinellid and carabid beetles, and web-building spiders. In three field experiments, we manipulated the parasitoid, then the generalist predator guild, and finally both classes of natural enemy, and recorded resulting impacts on pea aphid population control. The parasitoid caused little immediate reduction in aphid population growth but caused a large decline after a delay corresponding to the generation time of the parasitoid. In contrast, the generalist guild caused an immediate decline in the aphid population growth rate. However, the generalists did not exert density-dependent control, so aphid densities continued to increase throughout the experiment. The third field experiment in which we simultaneously manipulated parasitoids and predators investigated the possibility of “nonadditive effects” on aphid control. Densities of parasitoid pupae were 50% lower in the presence of generalist predators, indicating intraguild predation. Nonetheless, the ratio of parasitoids to aphids was not changed, and the impact of the two types of natural enemies was additive. We constructed a stage-structured model of aphid, parasitoid, and predator dynamics and fit the model to data from our field experiments. The model supports the additivity of parasitoid and predator effects on aphid suppression but suggests that longer-term experiments (32 d rather than 20 d) would likely reveal nonadditive effects as predation removes parasitoids whose response to aphid densities occurs with a delay. The model allowed us to explore additional factors that could influence the additivity of parasitoid and predator effects. Aphid density-dependent population growth and predator immigration in response to aphid density would likely have little influence on the additivity between parasitism and predation. However, if a parasitoid were to show a strong Type II functional response, in contrast to A. ervi whose functional response is nearly Type I, interactions with predators would likely be synergistic. These analyses reveal factors that should be investigated in other systems to address whether parasitism and predation act additively on host densities. Corresponding Editor: E. Evans.
Computer simulation of cage processes and some difficulties with present models

A simple model involving random displacements of particles in a cubic lattice is used to evaluate the importance of primary and secondary recombination in cage processes and leads to estimates of the lifetime of cage pehnomena. However, it is pointed out that all such models, and treatments which attempt to relate processes at the molecular level with bulk viscosity or diffusion constants, are inherently qualitative since they ignore the important correlation between motions of neighboring molecules.
Polycystic liver disease and pregnancy

(1992). Polycystic liver disease and pregnancy. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology: Vol. 12, No. 4, pp. 241-242.
The Generalized DINA Model Framework.

The G-DINA (generalized deterministic inputs, noisy “and” gate) model is a generalization of the DINA model with more relaxed assumptions. In its saturated form, the G-DINA model is equivalent to other general models for cognitive diagnosis based on alternative link functions. When appropriate constraints are applied, several commonly used cognitive diagnosis models (CDMs) can be shown to be special cases of the general models. In addition to model formulation, the G-DINA model as a general CDM framework includes a component for item-by-item model estimation based on design and weight matrices, and a component for item-by-item model comparison based on the Wald test. The paper illustrates the estimation and application of the G-DINA model as a framework using real and simulated data. It concludes by discussing several potential implications of and relevant issues concerning the proposed framework.