cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Actor-Critic Reinforcement Learning Approach to Minimum age of Information Scheduling in Energy Harvesting Networks

We study age of information (AoI) minimization in a network consisting of energy harvesting transmitters that are scheduled to send status updates to their intended receivers. We consider the user scheduling problem over a communication session. To solve online user scheduling with causal knowledge of the system state, we formulate an infinite-state Markov decision problem and adopt model-free on-policy deep reinforcement learning (DRL), where the actor-critic algorithm with deep neural network function approximation is implemented. Comparable AoI to the offline optimal is demonstrated, verifying the efficacy of learning for AoI-focused scheduling and resource allocation problems in wireless networks.
Cost Comparison of Tibial Distraction Osteogenesis Using External Lengthening and Then Nailing vs Internal Magnetic Lengthening Nails.

Aim and objective Tibial lengthening can be performed by distraction osteogenesis via lengthening and then nailing (LATN) or by using a magnetic lengthening nail (MLN). MLN avoids the complications of external fixation while providing accurate and easily controlled lengthening. Concerns exist still regarding the high upfront cost of the magnetic nail, which serves to limit its use in resource-poor areas and decrease adoption among cost-conscious surgeons. The purpose of this study was to compare the hospital, surgeon, and total cost between LATN and MLN when used for tibial lengthening. Materials and methods A retrospective review was performed comparing consecutive tibial lengthening using either LATN (n = 17) or MLN (n = 15). The number of surgical procedures and time to union were compared. Surgeon and hospital payments were used to perform cost analysis after adjusting for inflation using the consumer price index (CPI). Results Patients treated with MLN underwent fewer surgeries (3.6 vs 2.8; p < 0.001) but had a longer time to union as compared with patients treated with LATN (19.79 vs 27.84 weeks; p = 0.006). Total costs were similar ($50,345 vs $46,162; p = 0.249) although surgeon fees were lower for MLN as compared with LATN ($6,426 vs $4,428; p < 0.001). Conclusion LATN and MLN had similar overall costs in patients undergoing tibial lengthening. MLN was associated with fewer procedures but a longer time to union as compared with LATN. Clinical significance Despite an increased upfront cost in MLN, there was no difference in total cost between LATN and MLN when used for tibial lengthening. Thus, in cases where either method is feasible, cost may not be a deciding factor when selecting the appropriate treatment. How to cite this article Dvorzhinskiy A, Zhang DT, Fragomen AT, et al. Cost Comparison of Tibial Distraction Osteogenesis Using External Lengthening and Then Nailing vs Internal Magnetic Lengthening Nails. Strategies Trauma Limb Reconstr 2021;16(1):14-19.
Clinical Presentation of a COVID-19 Delta Variant Patient: Case Report and Literature Review.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes severe bilateral pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) which can lead to difficulty breathing. Many cases require mechanical ventilation and intensive care unit management. The need for mechanical ventilation and ICU admission seems to be more evident in patients that were unvaccinated for COVID-19 at the time of admission. We discuss a case of a 63-year-old African-American woman who presented as a transfer to our hospital facility with acute hypoxic respiratory failure. She was already intubated and mechanically ventilated prior to her transfer. She had a one-week history of shortness of breath and cough productive of white, blood-tinged sputum. A two-day history of diarrhea was also reported before admission to the other hospital where she stayed for a week before transfer to our intensive care unit. She had no significant past medical history and was unvaccinated for COVID-19, and was suspected to be infected with the Delta strain of COVID-19. Her primary diagnosis at admission was COVID pneumonia and acute hypoxic respiratory failure. Her condition worsened over a period of one week. Chest X-Ray, at the time of arrival, showed bilateral patchy opacities consistent with COVID-19 pneumonia. After an extensive review of her labs and reports, the patient was attributed to be at a high risk for acute decompensation (or catastrophically ill), thus requiring critical care management. Over a course of 12 days, she was aggressively treated with antibiotics, steroids, remdesivir and tocilizumab. Her condition gradually deteriorated and she eventually passed away. It can be noted that most of the severe cases, especially ICU admissions, comprise people who are unvaccinated. We can safely conclude that although vaccination may not prevent re-infection, it does result in better clinical outcomes.
Pressure Injury Prevention for Complex Cardiovascular Patients in the Operating Room and Intensive Care Unit: A Quality Improvement Project.

Purpose The purpose of our project was to examine the effect of an alternating pressure (AP) overlay on hospital-acquired pressure injury (HAPI) in high-risk cardiovascular surgical patients. Participants and setting This quality improvement (QI) initiative was conducted in a core group of 8 cardiovascular operating room (OR) suites and 1 cardiovascular surgical critical intensive care unit (ICU) in a large Indiana-based academic hospital. The sample comprised adult patients who underwent complex cardiovascular surgical procedures and those in the cardiovascular surgical ICU with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), ventricular assistive device (VAD), and undergoing heart and/or lung transplant, or open chest procedures. Approach The AP overlay was placed on OR cardiovascular foam surfaces and on selected ICU support surfaces for patients who met inclusion criteria. We used a pre/postcomparative QI design to assess outcomes including OR-related HAPI rates, ICU aggregate unit HAPI data, related costs, and staff satisfaction during the 3-month project period. Outcomes Operating room-related HAPIs were reduced from 8/71 (11%) preintervention to 0/147 (0%) postintervention (P = .008), resulting in a cost avoidance of $323,048 and positive staff satisfaction (mean = 3.85; 1- to 4-point Likert scale). No adverse outcomes occurred. Although not significant, ICU HAPI rates decreased from 10 to 7 pre/postintervention (P = .29), demonstrating a 14% HAPI reduction with a cost avoidance of $121,143. The ICU incidence density decreased from 3.57 to 3.24; however, there was no decrease in ICU monthly unit prevalence. Critical care staff satisfaction was positive (mean = 2.95; 1- to 4-point Likert scale) with most staff members preferring the AP overlay to a fluid immersion surface. A cost savings of 48% (AP overlay vs fluid immersion rental) was identified in the ICU. Implications for practice We achieved fewer HAPIs and reduced costs and observed positive staff satisfaction, along with no adverse events with the use of the AP overlay. Further research is needed to determine the safety and efficacy of this device for this pressure injury prevention option for immobile patients in both the OR and the ICU.
Recurrent Sudden Cardiac Arrest in the General Population

Objective: To evaluate the burden and determinants of recurrent out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in the community. Background: Despite improvements in management of SCA survivors and wide availability of implantable defibrillators for secondary prevention, a subgroup of individuals will suffer multiple distinct episodes of SCA. Methods: SCA cases were prospectively ascertained in the Oregon Sudden Unexpected Death Study. Individuals that experienced recurrent SCA were identified both prospectively and retrospectively. We conducted detailed comparisons with survivors of single SCA events. Results: We ascertained 6649 individuals with SCA from 2002-2020 and 924 (14%) survived to hospital discharge. Of these, 123 survivors (13%) experienced recurrent SCA (age 61.9 {plus minus} 14.0 at first event; 69% male; median time interval 22 months). Compared with SCA survivors who suffered a single event (n=302), patients with recurrent SCA had lower rates of receiving implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD; 58%vs. 22%, p<0.001) and 60% of events occurred later than one year following initial SCA. Among a subset of individuals with recurrent SCA and no secondary prevention ICD (n=70), the majority had apparently reversible etiologies, with one-quarter undergoing coronary revascularization and over half diagnosed with non-coronary etiologies. Recurrent SCA subjects were more likely to have a history of diabetes (44% vs 25%, p<0.001) and kidney disease (35% vs 13%, p<0.001). Conclusions: A sizeable subset of SCA survivors (13%) had recurrent SCA, and diabetes and renal disease were identified as predictors of increased risk. These findings highlight the critical importance of comprehensive SCA risk prediction, and apparently reversible etiologies need renewed scrutiny.
Spectrophotometric microchemical phosphorus determination

Abstract A modified oxygen-flask combustion procedure has been developed for the determination of phosphorus in organic materials difficult to oxidize by conventional flask methods. Combustion takes place in a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen oxides and absorption and hydrolysis to orthophosphate are aided by heating the flask and contents before opening. The orthophosphate formed is determined spectrophotometrically as the molybdenum blue complex. Color development and stability are aided by heating the solution briefly after adding the color reagents. Data are presented to show the accuracy and precision of the method.
Identification of mammalian DNA repair factors using a reconstituted subcellular system. Partial characterization and subcellular location of a DNA repair-stimulating protein in hamster cells.

Abstract By reconstituting lysolecithin-permeabilized hamster cells with endogenous proteins, a protein(s) which stimulated bleomycin-induced DNA repair synthesis was identified. The repair protein was inactivated by proteinase K and had an apparent molecular weight of 12000–15000 D. The following enzymatic activities were not detected in the partially purified DNA repair protein: general endonuclease, apurinic endonuclease, exonuclease, DNA polymerase or DNA polymerase β-stimulating activity. The subcellular location of the DNA repair-stimulating activity was investigated by cytochalasin B enucleation; approx. 80% of the activity was associated with karyoplasts, suggesting a nuclear location. Neither the activity nor subcellular location of the repair protein fluctuated appreciably during the cell cycle, consistent with a physiological role in DNA repair. Although the function of the DNA repair protein is not yet known, this approach should be useful in identifying and characterizing mammalian DNA repair proteins.
Biomechanical analysis of an interspinous fusion device as a stand-alone and as supplemental fixation to posterior expandable interbody cages in the lumbar spine.

Object In this paper the authors evaluate through in vitro biomechanical testing the performance of an interspinous fusion device as a stand-alone device, after lumbar decompression surgery, and as supplemental fixation to expandable cages in a posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) construct. Methods Nine L3–4 human cadaveric spines were biomechanically tested under the following conditions: 1) intact/control; 2) L3–4 left hemilaminotomy with partial discectomy (injury); 3) interspinous spacer (ISS); 4) bilateral pedicle screw system (BPSS); 5) bilateral hemilaminectomy, discectomy, and expandable posterior interbody cages with ISS (PLIF-ISS); and 6) PLIF-BPSS. Each test consisted of 100 N of axial preload with ± 7.5 Nm of torque in flexion-extension, right/left lateral bending, and right/left axial rotation. Significant changes in range of motion (ROM), neutral zone stiffness (NZS), elastic zone stiffness (EZS), and energy loss (EL) were explored among conditions using nonparametric Friedman test and ...
Drug Usage Evaluation

Drug usage evaluation (DUE) is a component of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations guidelines for hospitals. If DUE is viewed with a positive focus rather than as simpl...
Coexistence of Peptic Ulcer and Idiopathic Ulcerative Colitis

Summary A case of coexistence of active peptic ulcer and idiopathic ulcerative colitis is presented. Observations on the incidence, possible etiological relationships, and therapeutic problems are discussed. From a review of the literature, it appears that the two conditions occur together more commonly than was previously thought, but an accurate indication of frequency of their coexistence must await routine roentgen studies in a large series of patients. Because of the increasing use of ACTH in the treatment of ulcerative colitis, it is important to remain alert to the possible coexistence of peptic ulcer.
EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS OF PRECURSORS TO SEVERE PROBLEM BEHAVIOR

Some individuals engage in both mild and severe forms of problem behavior. Research has shown that when mild behaviors precede severe behaviors (i.e., the mild behaviors serve as precursors), they can (a) be maintained by the same source of reinforcement as severe behavior and (b) reduce rates of severe behavior observed during assessment. In Study 1, we developed an objective checklist to identify precursors via videotaped trials for 16 subjects who engaged in problem behavior and identified at least 1 precursor for every subject. In Study 2, we conducted separate functional analyses of precursor and severe problem behaviors for 8 subjects, and obtained correspondence between outcomes in 7 cases. In Study 3, we evaluated noncontingent reinforcement schedule thinning plus differential reinforcement of alternative behavior to reduce precursors, increase appropriate behavior, and maintain low rates of severe behavior during 3 treatment analyses for 2 subjects. Results showed that this treatment strategy was effective for behaviors maintained by positive and negative reinforcement.
Classification of spatio-temporal EEG readiness potentials towards the development of a brain-computer interface

The existence of characteristic changes in the EEG of a subject preparing for the execution of a voluntary movement is reviewed. Some of those changes, i.e., the "readiness potentials" (RPs), are suggested as a possible link between the internal processes associated with different forms of motion preparation and a digital signal processing system designed to classify the different intended movements. Such a system can potentially be used to provide input to a specialized graphic user interface, constituting a brain-computer interface (BCI). Our current work on neural-network classification of RPs is summarized and the results are presented.
Pteridophytic evolution: an often underappreciated phytological success story

Abstract The role and success of pteridophytes in the vascular land flora from the Silurian to Recent are examined. Success is defined as the ability of plants to occupy physical and ecological space through time, and evaluated in terms of species richness and percent cover. These factors are examined for vascular plants of successively more specialized grades of life cycles. Four grades, including homospory, heterospory, extreme heterospory, and angiospermy are recognized, with angiospermy providing for the greatest species richness and percent cover in the modern flora. In terms of percent cover, gymnosperms are also relatively successful, but in terms of species richness homosporous pteridophytes are more successful than all other non-angiospermous grades combined. The diversity of growth forms and life history patterns that have helped pteridophytes become successful throughout time is examined, and evidence for rhizomatous herbs, vines, epiphytes, trees of diverse architectures, and specialized modes of growth and vegetative propagation are reviewed. Comparison of several analyses of land plant diversity through the Phanerozoic suggests that plants with pteridophytic reproduction were dominant in most floras long after the origin of seed plants, and that pteridophytes probably have continued to increase in species richness up to the present. The loss of pteridophytic dominance in terms of percent cover at the end of the Paleozoic was associated with species turnover in which arborescent pteridophytes of several clades became extinct, but some herbaceous pteridophytes may have retained dominance in many floras into the Paleogene.
Developmental anatomy of HNK-1 immunoreactivity in the embryonic rat heart: co-distribution with early conduction tissue

To investigate the origin and development of the cardiac conduction system, the distribution of HNK-1 immunoreactivity in embryonic rat hearts was studied in histological sections and in three-dimensional computer reconstructions. Earliest HNK-1 reactivity was found along the endocardial surface of the fusing tubular heart at 9.5 embryonic days (ED) and subsequently within individual myocytes scattered widely along the looped tubular heart. Immunopositive myocytes appeared along the earliest ventricular trabeculae as they coalesced to form the developing interventricular septum during day 11, spreading to either side to give rise to the right and left bundle branches in the 12.5 ED heart. In the venous pole of the heart, primordia of the sinus node, and of the transient left sinus node, appeared immunopositive from 12.5 ED, coalescing during ED 13 along the anterior wall of the right sinus horn or developing coronary sinus, respectively. In the atria, several distinct tracts of immunoreactive myocytes were defined by 14.5 ED, ramifying from the sinoatrial junction to the atrial appendages or to the atrio-ventricular (AV) junction near the AV node. The timing and distribution of these immunostaining patterns suggest that ventricular conduction tissue develops within the earliest trabecular and septal myocardium, and is distinct from later immunopositive atrial tracts and extracardiac cell populations, such as neural crest, that appear to contribute to formation of the sinus node and autonomic innervation of the heart.
Extragonadal and poor risk nonseminomatous germ cell tumors. Survival and prognostic features

One hundred forty-nine patients with poor risk nonseminomatous germ cell tumors (NSGCT) treated between 1975 and 1988 were studied. Patients were considered poor risk if they had an extragonadal primary site or testicular NSGCT with low predicted probability of achieving a complete response (CR). Primary sites were the testis (99 patients), retroperitoneum (18 patients), and mediastinum (32 patients). Patients with mediastinal NSGCT had lower human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) (P less than 0.0001) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels (P less than 0.0001), and more frequent yolk sac elements (P = 0.002). CR rates were 38% for mediastinal, 61% for retroperitoneal, and 38% for testicular primary sites. Mediastinal NSGCT patients more frequently required resection of residual malignancy to attain a CR (6 of 12). Mediastinal NSGCT had the worst event-free survival (P = 0.02). Cox regression analysis identified brain or liver metastases as the most important predictor of event-free survival in poor risk patients. Retroperitoneal NSGCT often have a poor outcome due to advanced presentation, but the likelihood of a CR to therapy can be predicted using criteria applicable to testicular primary tumors. Therefore, not all retroperitoneal NSGCT are poor risk, and retroperitoneal tumors are probably of occult testicular origin. Mediastinal NSGCT have distinct clinical and pathologic features, do not respond as well to chemotherapy, relapse more frequently, and have the worst survival. The likelihood of a CR cannot be predicted using criteria developed for primary testicular tumors, suggesting that mediastinal primary NSGCT is a distinct clinical entity.
2007 Special Issue: Fast neural network surrogates for very high dimensional physics-based models in computational oceanography

We present neural network surrogates that provide extremely fast and accurate emulation of a large-scale circulation model for the coupled Columbia River, its estuary and near ocean regions. The circulation model has O(10^7) degrees of freedom, is highly nonlinear and is driven by ocean, atmospheric and river influences at its boundaries. The surrogates provide accurate emulation of the full circulation code and run over 1000 times faster. Such fast dynamic surrogates will enable significant advances in ensemble forecasts in oceanography and weather.
Spectral correlation of wideband target resonances

Recognition of target resonances in ultra-wideband (UWB) radar imagery has been a topic of investigation for several years, with a common method of resonance extraction being the singularity expansion method (SEM)—a contemporary adaptation of Prony’s method. SEM requires high signal-to-noise (SIN) ratios—about 15 to 20 dB1—and performs poorly in the presence of noise and multipath effects. In this paper, I demonstrate the application of spectrally matched filters, employing the discrete cosine transform (DCT), to achieve an efficient means of target resonance recognition.
Endogenous adenosine modulates stimulation‐induced depression at the frog neuromuscular junction.

1. Endogenous adenosine, which is produced by enzymatic degradation of ATP released from synaptic vesicles, has been shown to be a potent inhibitor of acetylcholine release from motor nerve terminals. It has been proposed that this auto-inhibition mechanism might contribute significantly to tetanic stimulation-induced depression. 2. Levels of facilitation and depression during a 20 Hz stimulus train differ greatly in different terminals, but are strongly and non-linearly correlated with the terminal's release characteristics (the amount of transmitter released per unit terminal length, or 'release efficacy'). There is a weaker, approximately linear, correlation between depression and release efficacy at 2 Hz stimulation. 3. The effects of both endogenous and exogenously applied adenosine are also highly variable for different nerve terminals. We have shown that much of this variability can be attributed to the release efficacy of each terminal in the case of endogenous effects, and to the size of the nerve terminal in the case of exogenously applied adenosine receptor agonists. 4. When nerve terminals are pooled according to their individual release characteristics, endogenous adenosine can be shown to contribute significantly to stimulation-induced depression of release primarily in terminals that release enough transmitter to generate significant levels of adenosine, but do not release so much transmitter that depletion of releasable quanta is severe.
Codon contexts from weakly expressed genes reduce expression in vivo.

Abstract Nucleotides that neighbor codons in Escherichia coli genes are highly non-random. Furthermore, these context biases are stronger and extend farther from the codon in weakly expressed than in highly expressed genes. We therefore suggested that codon contexts are selected to reduce gene expression levels. We now compare the expression levels of lacZ genes containing two specific coding sequences (context inserts). One context insert represents contexts seen in weakly expressed genes (low variant); the other represents contexts seen in highly expressed genes (high variant). The two variants have identical nucleotide and codon compositions, and encode the same protein. A permutation of four nucleotides, which changes eight codon: codon interfaces of 1043, comprises the only difference between the high and low context variant genes. In three different lacZ mRNAs, the low variant was expressed at a level significantly below that of the high variant. This context effect depends entirely on translation of the contexts in the correct frame; its magnitude depends in part on the placement of other features (e.g. transcriptional pauses and terminators, or perhaps other slow codons or contexts) in the mRNAs. Changing the ribosome density on the message by changing the ribosome binding site distinguishes between dropoff, interference and polarity, three fundamentally different types of models for the context effect. The expression difference between context variants is eliminated by both increases and decreases in the ribosome initiation frequency, as uniquely predicted by the polarity model. In fact, data from all constructions are accommodated by a model in which slow translation of the low context insert increases rho-dependent transcriptional termination within the test gene. The data suggest that the rates of translational initiation and elongation are poised with respect to the rate of transcriptional elongation so that all are influential in setting the expression level of wild-type lacZ. We conclude that context-induced polarity will exist in genes wherever low and reproducible gene product levels have been selected.
Altitude Exposures during Aircraft Flight: Flying Higher

Commercial aircraft flight represents a highly variable altitude exposure that may result in significant hypoxemia for patients with cardiac or pulmonary disease. To develop better guidelines for travel by patients with cardiopulmonary disease, we measured inflight cabin altitude on 204 regularly scheduled commercial aircraft flights. Measurements were carried out on 16 different types of aircraft, operated by 28 airlines. The median altitude exposure for all flights was 6,214 feet (1894 m). Cabin altitudes ranged from sea level to 8,915 feet (2717 m). Inspired partial pressure of oxygen falls from 159 mm Hg at sea level to 127 mm Hg at 6,200 feet and further declines to 113 mm Hg at 9,000 ft. There was no significant difference between domestic and international flights. New generation aircraft fly at higher altitudes than older aircraft and are associated with greater altitude exposures to passengers (p = 0.002). The risk of hypoxemia may increase as newer model aircraft replace older ones.
The use of computers for concrete materials analysis

Abstract The use of computers in the evaluation and testing of concrete is discussed, with emphasis on applications other than routine mechanical testing. Computer-aided image analysis is found to be particularly useful in the concrete laboratory. The use of computers to control experimental apparatus is also discussed.
The implication problem for functional and inclusion dependencies

There are two implication problems for functional dependencies and inclusion dependencies: general implication and finite implication. Given a set of dependencies Σ ∪ { σ }, the problems are to determine whether σ holds in all databases satisfying Σ or all finite databases satisfying Σ . Contrary to the possibility suggested in Casanova, Fagin, and Papadimitriou (“Proceedings, 1st ACM Conf. on Principles of Database System,” pp. 171–176, 1982), there is a natural, complete axiom system for general implication. However, a simple observation shows that both implication problems are recursively unsolvable. It follows that there is no recursively enumerable set of axioms for finite implication.
A New Seventh Century Hebrew Ostracon

ARECENT announcement has appeared in the public press and elsewhere of the finding of an ostracon in excavations near Yavne-Yam in Israel which when fully published will undoubtedly prove to be highly significant both in terms of Hebrew palaeography and in biblical exegesis.' Since publication to date has been very limited it is impossible to present more than a brief note; but due to its importance a wider knowledge of this find, even at this preliminary stage, is in order. On palaeographical grounds the ostracon must be dated earlier than the Lackish letters but later than the Siloam Inscription. It thus should prove valuable in filling the gap in our knowledge of the development of palaeo-Hebrew script in the seventh century. According to the reports at hand the ostracon contains fifteen lines of which, however, only five have appeared. These five read as follows:
Generalized orthogonality between rays and wavefronts in anisotropic inhomogeneous media

Abstract We prove that in elastic anisotropic inhomogeneous media, rays and wavefronts are orthogonal to each other with respect to the metric induced by the phase-velocity function. The standard orthogonality of rays and wavefronts in elastic isotropic inhomogeneous media is a special case of this formulation.
Design of a subwavelength bent C-aperture waveguide

We present a design for a subwavelength C-shaped optical waveguide with a 90° junction that efficiently transports light while maintaining tight confinement with an exit spot size of λ/7. Finite-difference time-domain simulations of perfect electric conductors and Au C-aperture waveguides are performed for optical frequencies. A design resonant near 780 nm is presented, with a spot size of 107 nm×107 nm and an energy density enhancement factor of 10 for a bent waveguide of total length 1.4 μm.
High-field spin dynamics of a spin- {1}/{2} Heisenberg chain

Abstract The field dependence of the nuclear spin relaxation rate (T-11) is studied in a linear spin- 1 2 Heisenberg antiferromagnetic chain above the critical field. Various mechanisms playing dominant roles for T-11 in different field regimes are discussed. The effect of magnon diffusion is examined. We find that when the magnon collision rate (τ-1) is much larger than the nuclear Zeeman frequency (ω), T-11 is enhanced by a factor (ωτ) -1 3 at high temperatures and its field dependence changes drastically.
Experimental viral infections of the facial nerve and geniculate ganglion

Although the cause of Bell's palsy is in most cases unknown, a number of viral infections have been associated with the disease. To determine if human viruses could experimentally infect the facial nerve or ganglion, six different viruses were inoculated into newborn hamsters by intracerebral, intralabyrinthine, or intraperitoneal routes. The facial nerve within the temporal bone and the geniculate ganglion were studied by light and immunofluorescent microscopy for the presence of viral infection. Herpes simplex, rubeola, mumps, and reovirus infected the neurons in the geniculate ganglia, while vaccinia virus infected the stroma cells of the facial nerve and ganglia. Influenza virus did not infect either the nerve or ganglia. These studies indicate that several human viruses can experimentally infect the facial nerve and geniculate ganglia, lending support to the hypothesis that Bell's palsy is caused by a virus.
Secure Online DNS Dynamic Updates: Architecture and Implementation

Domain Name System (DNS) is the Internet infrastructure for mapping human-friendly domain names into IP addresses. To provide data-origin authentication for DNS, the DNS Security Extension (DNSSEC) standard was developed. In this article, we point out two drawbacks of DNSSEC in its handling of DNS dynamic updates: 1) creating a single point of attack with the on-line storage of a zone security key, and 2) violating the role separation principle by mixing up the roles of zone security managers and DNS name server administrators. To address these issues, we propose an alternative secure DNS architecture based on threshold cryptography. To demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed architecture, we developed a toolkit and built a proof-of-concept prototype. Our running results show that the performance of our architecture ranges from one to four times of DNSSECâ€™s performance. Thus, through small performance overhead, our architecture could achieve very high level of security.
Good response of glioblastoma in a child with sickle cell anemia supports the therapeutic potential of tumor infarcting agents

A number of anti-angiogenesis and thrombosing agents are in development for the treatment of a range of cancer types. However, there are few clinical data to support this approach. We reviewed our experience with a child with sickle cell anemia and glioblastoma multiforme to look at a possible contribution of sickling and therefore vascular infarction on tumor control. A 3 1/2-year-old girl with sickle cell anemia, developed a cerebral glioblastoma multiforme. She received 5 cycles of ifosfamide and etoposide as well as 54 Gy local irradiation. Follow-up was monitored with serial MR scans. Four and a half years from diagnosis the child is neurologically normal and has no radiographic evidence of tumor. While we cannot say whether this child did well by chance alone, we hypothesize that local sickling with resultant tumor infarction may have been a factor in her unexpectedly good outcome. Her course lends anecdotal support to the notion that small vessel infarction can play a therapeutic role in the management of solid tumors.
Lithology, chemistry, age, and origin of the Proterozoic Cardenas Basalt, Grand Canyon, Arizona

Abstract The Cardenas Basalt, a 300-m-thick flow sequence, occurs in the middle of the 4000-m-thick Proterozoic sedimentary sequence in the Grand Canyon. It consists of a 100-m-thick lower member composed of about six, poorly exposed, coarsely ophitic pahoehoe flows of olivine basalt. In contrast, the upper member, 200 m thick, comprises four to six, resistant, aphyric, intersertal to intergranular flows that range from quartz tholeiite to tholeiitic andesite (icelandite). Petrographically, mafic intrusions exposed throughout the Inner Gorge of the Grand Canyon are similar to the lower member. Newly acquired RbSr isotopic data, in combination with those previously available, define a well-constrained isochron (10 points) at 1103±66 Ma. This date is concordant with a RbSr date from one of the mafic intrusions, supporting the conclusion that the Grand Canyon mafic magmatic episode occurred ∼ 1.1 Ga. The magma that fed both the intrusions and the lower member appears to have been principally derived from a slightly enriched mantle source. Subsequently, this magma underwent ∼ 20% fractionation of olivine and, possibly, minor assimilation of continental crust. Differences in SiO2, A12O3, TiO2, and P2O5 contents between the lower member and intrusions, apparently reflect heterogeneities in the mantle source, or different degrees of melting and/or crustal assimilation. The quartz-tholeiite magma of the upper member apparently resulted from more-extensive fractionation and crustal contamination of a mantle-derived magma. After its formation, this magma underwent further fractionation to produce, tholeiitic andesite (icelandite).
Wafer-level integration of micro-lens for THz focal plane array application

Design and fabrication of dielectric lenses for terahertz (THz) focal plane arrays are presented in this paper. Lenses are designed using optical lens and ellipsoid function theory in the terahertz range (centered at f = 300GHz). In order to enhance coupling to planar circuits on wafer, two types of lenses are considered: modified hemispherical, such as extended hemispherical and hypo-hemispherical. Full wave analysis of the lens design is carried out both in near- and far-field regimes. The lenses are fabricated using a 3D plastic printer. An approach to use the 3D printed structure as a mold to fabricate micro-injection molded lenses is also introduced. Measured results on 3D printed lens array show high transmission characteristics and measured results correlate closely with simulation results.
Effector-modulated subunit associations in a model hydrophobic system.

Abstract To study the binding of apolar ligands to hydrophobic sites, which contain water that must be displaced, the interaction of cyclohexane and n-heptane with α- and β-cyclodextrins was investigated. The β complexes are in every way normal. Both ligands form strict 1:1 complexes. Cyclohexane binds more strongly than n-heptane, as expected from the geometry. The ΔGo, ΔHo, ΔSo and ΔCop of dissociation are typical of transfers of these ligands from a hydrophobic medium to water (e.g. for cyclohexane at 25 °C: 7.45 kcal, 1.3 kcal, −21 gibbs, 75 gibbs, in mole fraction units). The interior of β is thus large enough to approximate bulk water, so that the behavior reflects the decrease of interface between hydrophobes and bulk water, which in this case happens to come only partly from the ligand, and partly from β. The α complexes are anomalous. The binding isotherms show, and ultracentrifuge studies confirm, that two equilibria, αL = α + L, and α2L = 2α + L, are important. The K1 for α-heptane, β-heptane, and β-cyclohexane dissociation are roughly comparable, with K1 for α-cyclohexane ten times greater, but the monomeric α complexes are still not “normal”. Except for ΔCop, the thermodynamic parameters are atypical: ΔHo1 is 3 kcal (cyclohexane) and 5 kcal (heptane) larger than for the “normal” dissociation of β-ligand; compensating increases in the entropies of dissociation keep the ΔGo1 more or less the same. The reaction α2L = 2α + L is even more temperature dependent (the fraction of ligand bound to dimers decreases from 50 to 80% at 0 °C to 15 to 30% at 50 °C). At 25 °C, ΔHo2 for cyclohexane and heptane is 10.9 and 11.8 kcal, respectively. Entropies of dissociation are less negative than normal by 15 to 20 gibbs for both ligands. These data suggest that the dimer, stabilized as much by displacement of suboptimal water as by the usual hydrophobic contributions, has a hydrogen bond-surrounded cage analogous to the gas hydrates.
Ethgender, Women's Waged Labor, and Economic Mobility

This article illustrates the theoretical utility of a modified version of the concept “ethgender.” Ethgender is defined as that portion of identity which embodies both gender and ethnicity and which is formed as a totality as a result of a single set of sociohistorical processes. The focus is on a single aspect of ethgender—that which defines the appropriateness of married women, with husbands present, engaging in waged labor. After examining theories which purport to explain the origin, evolution, and waning of the “cult of domesticity,” the article examines the manner in which the cult of domesticity varies by ethnicity and the consequences of such variation for current economic status and future mobility. Policy implications of the findings are explored in the conclusion.
Chemical Synthesis of Six Novel 17β-Estradiol and Estrone Dimers and Study of Their Formation Catalyzed by Human Cytochrome P450 Isoforms

Our earlier studies have shown that over 20 nonpolar 17beta-estradiol metabolite peaks were detected following incubations of radioactive 17beta-estradiol with human liver microsomes or recombinant human cytochrome P450 isoforms in the presence of NADPH as a cofactor. The structures of two representative nonpolar metabolites were identified earlier as dimers of 17beta-estradiol linked through a diaryl ether bond between the C-3 phenolic oxygen of one molecule and the C-2 or C-4 aromatic carbon of another. Six additional putative dimers between estrone and 17beta-estradiol with structures similar to the two identified ones were synthesized in this study. Using these newly synthesized estrogen dimers as reference standards, we demonstrated that incubations of human liver microsomes or various human cytochrome P450 isoforms with estrone or 17beta-estradiol alone or two estrogens in combination in the presence of NADPH as a cofactor resulted in the formation of all eight estrogen dimers in varying quantities.
2,4-Diphenyl furan diamidines as novel anti-Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia agents.

Dicationic 2,4-bis(4-amidinophenyl)furans 5−10 and 2,4-bis(4-amidinophenyl)-3,5-dimethylfurans 14 and 15 have been synthesized. Thermal melting studies revealed high binding affinity of the compounds to poly(dA-dT) and to the duplex oligomer d(CGCGAATTCGCG)2. All of the new compounds were effective against Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in the immunosuppressed rat model with up to 200-fold increase in activity compared to the control compound pentamidine. No toxicity was noted for 5, 7−10 at the dose of 10 μmol/kg/d; however, the isopropyl analogue 7 showed toxicity comparable to pentamidine at the dosage of 20 μmol/kg/d. Dimethylation of the parent compound on the furan ring resulted in reduced activity and increased toxicity.
Influence of Drugs on Chicken Embryo and on Its Reaction to Sera Containing Forssman Antibodies

Summary1. In spite of the fact that histamine is able to cause reactions similar to anaphylactic phenomena in other animals, it does not produce in the chicken embryo the vascular phenomenon which follows the addition of Forssman antibody containing serum. 2. Drugs, such as acetylcholine, atropine, epinephrine, ergotamine, likewise fail to produce any reaction similar to the vascular phenomenon. 3. Drugs of the digitalis group induce bradycardia, irregularity and eventually produce cardiac standstill. 4. Chloroform stops the heart beat. With low concentrations of chloroform, a temporary cardiac standstill is produced. 5. Chicken embryos, treated with chloroform in a dosage Which causes a temporary cardiac standstill react as normal embryos to the addition of effective serum, i. e., they show typical vascular phenomenon. 6. The phenomenon cannot be produced in embryos whose heart beat is stopped by exposure to ice box temperature.
Carbowax embedding for obtaining thin tissue sections and study of intracellular lipids.

Carbowax, a water soluble wax, as an embedding agent is a valuable adjunct to the armamentarium of the tissue technologist. This report is intended to supplement previous publications on the use of Carbowax and to indicate die necessity for preheating and variation of Carbowax mixtures according to the climate.Carbowax embedding provides an easy means for obtaining tissue sections 1 to 3 μ in thickness either with or without previous exposure to fat solvents. These sections are admirably suited for cytological study, particularly of intracellular lipoids.
Porous hydroxyapatite/gelatine scaffolds with ice-designed channel-like porosity for biomedical applications

A cryogenic process, including freeze-casting and drying has been performed to obtain hydroxyapatite (HA) scaffolds (approx. diameter 10 mm, height 20 mm) with completely lamellar morphology due to preferentially aligned channel-like pores. Changing the process parameters that influence the cold transmission efficiency from the bottom to the top of the poured HA slurry, lamellar ice crystals with different thickness grew throughout the samples. After sintering, scaffolds with porosity features nearly resembling the ice ones were obtained. The interconnection of pores and the ability of the scaffolds to be rapidly penetrated by synthetic body fluid has been proven. Biohybrid HA/gel composites were prepared, infiltrating HA lamellar scaffolds (45–55 vol.% of porosity) with a 10wt.% solution of gelatine. Colouring genipine was used to cross-link gelatine and clearly show the distribution of the protein in the composite. The compressive mechanical properties of lamellar scaffolds improved with the addition of gelatine: the strength increased up to 5-6 times, while the elastic modulus and strain approximately doubled. The effectiveness of the cross-linkage has been preliminarily verified following scaffold degradation in synthetic body fluid.
Initial stage (short residence time) coal dissolution

Abstract An investigation of the coal dissolution phenomena of bituminous coal during the initial stage is reported. The experimental data obtained from pilot plants and laboratory units are analysed. Coal dissolution reactions can be classified into two distinct stages. In the initial stage of coal dissolution, a first-order reaction scheme is proposed, whereby coal undergoes a fast thermal reaction producing preasphaltene as the predominant product. Conversion for this reaction is calculated, based on the amount of pyridine solubles formed. The rate coefficient for this stage is found to follow an Arrhenius type temperature dependence with an activation energy of 200 ≈ 230 kJ/mol. The second stage reaction, characterized by the formation of asphaltene and coal oil, has been discussed elsewhere6.
Universal screening for extracardiac abnormalities in neonates with congenital heart disease.

Extracardiac or genetic abnormalities (EGA) represent a factor in the morbidity of patients with congenital heart disease. We evaluated the way neonates with CHD are screened at our institution and determined the yield for the screening tests. We reviewed the charts of 223 neonates with structural CHD. Subjects were categorized into 6 groups: univentricular, left-sided obstructive lesions, right-sided obstructive lesions, septal defects, conotruncal defects (CTD), and other. We reviewed which patients underwent cranial ultrasonogram (CUS), abdominal ultrasonogram (AUS), and/or genetic studies (GS) as well as their results. There was a high prevalence of EGA in each group by CUS (32% to 42%), AUS (32% to 69%), and GS (10% to 60%). There was considerable variability in the proportion within each group that underwent screening tests, and the consistency of screening often was not congruent with the likelihood of abnormal results. Approximately 50% of our patients had ≥1 EGA identified, resulting in a cost-yield ratio of $4,508/patient with EGA. Screening for EGA at our institution is not uniform and is often at odds with the prevalence of such patients. Given the high prevalence of EGA, we advocate for a universal screening program for neonates with CHD using cranial/abdominal ultrasonography and genetic testing.
Sorted QR-Decomposition Based Parallel Detection Algorithm for MIMO Systems

Multiple input multiple output (MIMO) wireless communication system can increase system capacity enormously. Maximum likelihood (ML) detection algorithm can obtain the optimal detection performance with exponential computational complexity that results it difficulty to use in practice. Classical ordered successive interference cancellation (SIC) algorithm suffers from error propagation and high complexity, so an improved parallel SIC algorithm based on Maximum likelihood (ML) detection is proposed, in which signal detection is performed at two stages. ML detections for one layer is carried out firstly, and redundancy of candidate sequences are selected to perform parallel detection for improving detection performance for next step. Sorted QR decomposition based SIC algorithm are performed in second step in order to reduce calculating complexity. By adjusting the number of candidate sequences, tradeoff between detection performance and calculating complexity can be obtained properly.