cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Restricted Diffusion Preceding Gadolinium Enhancement in Acute Multiple Sclerosis Lesions (P03.052)

Objective: Describe clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics of acute multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions with restricted diffusion preceding gadolinium (Gd) enhancement. Background Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) signal reduction in acute MS lesions has been reported, but the temporal pattern of gadolinium (Gd) enhancement relative to ADC changes has not been well described. Previous case reports either do not comment on Gd enhanced imaging or describe simultaneous Gd enhancement of lesions at the time of ADC reduction. We present three examples of acute MS lesions with decreased ADC followed by Gd enhancement. Design/Methods: Three patients (2 female, 1 male), ages 26-42, all with brain MRI studies within 48 hours of onset of acute neurological symptoms, were evaluated at our MS center within the past year. All underwent screening bloodwork and spine MRI, and 2 had cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) studies. Follow-up imaging was conducted approximately 1 month after initial MRIs. Results: Initial brain MRI revealed lesions in a location accounting for the new neurologic manifestations, >1 cm in diameter, and with prominent restricted diffusion but no Gd enhancement. The MS diagnoses were supported on the basis of CSF findings, laboratory exclusion of alternative diagnoses, lesion evolution, and additional lesions characteristic of MS on brain and/or spine MRI. All patients received IV methylprednisolone, 1000 mg daily for at least 3 days. Follow-up imaging at 1 month demonstrated patchy Gd enhancement throughout the lesions with resolving restricted diffusion. Two of 3 patients had additional follow-up imaging more than 1 month later which demonstrated total resolution of Gd enhancement. Conclusions: Although restricted diffusion without coincident Gd enhancement is most commonly associated with cerebral ischemia, acute MS lesions may demonstrate this pattern. The mechanism is uncertain but may reflect early demyelination prior to inflammation-associated blood-brain barrier disruption. Disclosure: Dr. Hyland has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bermel has received personal compensation for activities with Astellas, Biogen Idec, Novartis, and Teva Neuroscience as a consultant and/or speaker. Dr. Cohen has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec, Eli Lilly & Company, Novartis, and Vaccinex. Dr. Cohen has received research support for activities with Biogen Idec, BioMS, Genzyme Corporation, Novartis, Synthon, and Teva Neuroscience.
Chromoelectric and chromomagnetic effects in the confinement of gluons

Results are presented from a new variational calculation of quantized SU(3) Yang-Mills fields. The Hamiltonian formalism is applied to the continuum theory, with a truncated momentum expansion in a finite volume, using the Coulomb gauge. The relative importance of electrical and magnetic effects is examined, using an improved treatment of paramagnetic effects. The results depend on the value of the interaction constant, with a transition atα≈0.4. Forα>0, there is a mass gap between the first excited state and the vacuum state, arising from properties of the Faddeev-Popov determinant. Forα≳0·4, properties of the Coulomb energy operator lead to a second mass gap between the first and the higher excited states.
Quadrupolar effects in the 51V NMR of V-based transition metal alloys

Abstract We have studied the 51 V NMR absorption line shape and peak-to-peak intensity loss in V-based transition metal alloys. Simulations of the line, assuming it to be composed of first-order quadrupolar powder patterns, were fitted to the experimental spectra, yielding uniformly small quadrupole interactions, whose size appears to be correlated with the severity of the lattice distortion due to alloying.
Disseminated intravascular coagulation in cirrhosis.

Hemorrhagic sequelae of liver disease were recognized and described over a century ago (1). Bleeding has been a common complication and a leading cause of death in patients with cirrhosis (2, 3). The coincidence of low clotting factor levels, hypofibrinogenemia and thrombo-cytopenia has prompted many investigators to ask whether disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) plays a role in the pathogenesis of hemorrhage in these patients (4–16). Despite an abundance of published investigations addressing this question, however, establishing the diagnosis of DIC in an individual patient with cirrhosis continues to pose a challenge for the clinician. In an attempt to reconcile the theoretical and the practical, the present review of the role of DIC in cirrhosis will address: (i) normal coagulation and the role of the liver; (ii) coagulation defects identified in DIC and in cirrhosis; (iii) role of DIC in cirrhosis, and (iv) new approaches to this question from the research, as well as from clinical, laboratories. Although some of the new techniques are still being evaluated, preliminary results appear promising in facilitating identification of DIC patients with cirrhosis.
Negative Double Jeopardy: The role of anti-brand sites on the internet

This study discusses the role of anti-brand websites and their importance in markets within a new conceptualisation—Negative Double Jeopardy (NDJ): ‘the most valuable brands attract more anti-brand sites while less valuable brands do not have such hate attraction on the Internet’. In this context, the forms and reasons of anti-brand sites are investigated in light of this newly proposed NDJ phenomenon. NDJ components are identified as ‘Brand Rank’ and ‘Brand Consistency’. Typology of anti-brand sites with regard to NDJ is also studied and finally managerial implications are addressed.
Organization of direct hippocampal efferent projections to the cerebral cortex of the rhesus monkey: projections from CA1, prosubiculum, and subiculum to the temporal lobe.

This study investigates direct hippocampal efferent projections to the temporal lobe of the rhesus monkey. Tritiated amino acid injections were placed into the hippocampal formation to identify terminal fields, and complementary fluorescent retrograde tracer injections were placed into the cortex to identify the cells of origin. Tritiated amino acid injections into CA1, prosubicular, or subicular subfields produced anterograde label over parts of the parahippocampal gyrus and temporal pole. Injections of fluorescent retrograde tracers demonstrated that these projections originate from longitudinal strips of neurons that occupy part of the CA1 subfield as well as from strips of neurons in adjacent prosubicular and subicular subfields. Thus, an injection into area TH of the posterior parahippocampal gyrus labeled neurons in a longitudinal strip of proximal CA1 (i.e., near CA2) as well as a strip in the subiculum; injections into areas TF, TL, 35, or Pro labeled neurons in a longitudinal strip of distal CA1 (i.e., near the prosubiculum) as well as one in the prosubiculum; and an injection into area TFO labeled neurons in a longitudinal strip in the middle of CA1. These strips of neurons extended longitudinally throughout the entire rostrocaudal length of the hippocampus. These results demonstrate that, in the monkey, CA1 projections to cortex arise topographically from longitudinally oriented strips of neurons that occupy only a part of the transverse extent of CA1 but that cover most of the anteroposterior extent of the hippocampus. Thus, in the monkey, CA1 is not a single uniform entity and may have a unique role as a source of direct hippocampal projections to the cerebral cortex.
Arterial regulators taken up by lymphatics

We present three examples of key genes that function in arterial specification that have recently been implicated in lymphatic development; ephrinB2, FoxC2, and Notch. In arterial cell fate determination, Foxc2 regulates both Notch and Notch ligand expression. In turn, Notch signal activation in arteries drives expression of ephrinB2. It will be interesting to determine if the regulatory relationships between these pathways found in arterial development are relevant to understanding lymphatic development, that is, we ask whether arterial regulators are also key regulators of lymphatic development.
MOVEMENT AND FATE OF FLUORODIFEN‐1′‐14C IN CUCUMBER SEEDLINGS

Summary. Autoradiographs and liquid scintillation counts of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. cv. Ashley) seedlings indicated rapid absorption and translocation of radioactivity from fluorodifen-1′-14C (p-nitrophenyl-α,α,α-trifluoro-2-nitro-p-tolyl ether labelled with 14C in the 1 position of the p-nitrophenyl ring). After 24 h in 1 mg/1 of fluoro-difen-1′-14C, 25% of the absorbed radioactivity was translocated from the roots. Cucumber seedlings degraded fluorodifen-1′-14C via a pathway similar to that reported for peanut seedlings but at a slower rate. The major degradation products were p-nitrophenol and an unidentified polar compound (Unknown I). More rapid absorption and translocation coupled with slower degradation by cucumber as compared with peanut seedlings are factors which may contribute to the susceptibility of cucumber to fluorodifen.
Field comparison of two methods for the determination of NO2 concentration in air.

A field test of two sampling methods for the determination of NO2 concentration in air is reported. All samples were collected in an underground salt mine in which diesel equipment is operated. Although each method has its own advantages, both appear to be suitable for most industrial hygiene applications.
TRU management and 235U consumption minimization in fuel cycle scenarios with AP1000 and VHTRs

This paper is focused on the evaluation of different strategies for TRU reduction and 235U consumption minimization in an AP1000–VHTR fuel cycle. The first step was to quantify characteristics of AP1000 and VHTR fueled with UO2 to provide reference data for performance analysis of the VHTRs fueled with TRU. Reactor’s metrics such as the core multiplication factor and lifetime, the energy spectrum and the spent fuel isotopic mass and activity at EOL were computed for both reactors and compared. Fuel cycle parameters such as the system’s reprocessing speed, the VHTR daily consumption of 235U and TRU destruction rate were derived. To sustain criticality for 600 days, the AP1000 needed to be fueled with 3 wt% 235U enriched UO2 while the VHTR’s enrichment needed to be raised to 15 wt%. Consequently, 4–5 times more Pu were left at EOL in the VHTR than in the AP1000 per unit initial mass of fuel. It remained 3 times more 235U and also almost 6 times more 236U in the VHTR than in the AP1000. In the second step of the study, the VHTR was fueled with 20%, 40% or 100% of TRU arising from the AP1000. A VHTR containing 40% of TRU where RGPu had been replaced by WGPu was also studied. TRU fuels were complemented by UO2. UO2 + TRU fueled VHTRs performances were ranked and also compared to UO2-fueled VHTRs. The reactor life was extended by at least 36.7% when part of the LEU is replaced by TRU. A transuranic fuel containing 40% of TRU with WGPu appeared as the best compromise. It reduced the inventory of TRU in the VHTR by 67.7% and had the lowest 235U daily consumption (100% TRU fuel apart). Furthermore, with this configuration, a single VHTR could reprocess the TRU wastes of 1.57 AP1000s.
The effects of working conditions and antenatal leave for the risk of premature birth in Berlin

Objectives The influence a job—including its physical and psychological aspects—has on pregnant woman's chances of delivering prematurely.
Interaction between Extracellular Hanatoxin and the Resting Conformation of the Voltage-Sensor Paddle in Kv Channels

In voltage-activated potassium (Kv) channels, basic residues in S4 enable the voltage-sensing domain to move in response to membrane depolarization and thereby trigger the activation gate to open. In the X-ray structure of the KvAP channel, the S4 helix is located near the intracellular boundary of the membrane where it forms a "voltage-sensor paddle" motif with the S3b helix. It has been proposed that the paddle is lipid-exposed and that it translocates through the membrane as it activates. We studied the interaction of externally applied Hanatoxin with the voltage-sensor paddle in Kv channels and show that the toxin binds tightly even at negative voltages where the paddle is resting and the channel is closed. Moreover, measurements of gating charge movement suggest that Hanatoxin interacts with and stabilizes the resting paddle. These findings point to an extracellular location for the resting conformation of the voltage-sensor paddle and constrain its transmembrane movements during activation.
Magnetic resonance imaging for the evaluation of ligamentous injury in the pelvis: a prospective case-controlled study.

OBJECTIVES Management of external rotation pelvic ring disruptions is based on which ligaments are disrupted within the pelvis. We hypothesized that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can evaluate the ligaments of the pelvic ring and differentiate injured from uninjured pelves. DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SETTING Level I trauma center. PATIENTS Twenty-one patients with 25 acute external rotation injuries of the hemipelvis; control group of 26 patients without pelvic ring injury. INTERVENTION All patients underwent the same MRI protocol reviewed by 1 musculoskeletal radiologist. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Integrity of 5 structures: sacrospinous, sacrotuberous, anterior sacroiliac, and posterior sacroiliac ligaments and pelvic floor musculature. RESULTS Visualization of sacrospinous, sacrotuberous, anterior sacroiliac, and posterior sacroiliac ligaments, and pelvic floor musculature was possible for 91%, 100%, 98%, 91%, and 100%, respectively, of all studied structures. No injuries were identified in control group patients in contrast to ligament injury observed with all injured pelves (0% versus 100%; P < 0.0001). Observed relationship of ligament injury to pelvic injury type generally agreed with the Young-Burgess classification system, with the important exception that patients with anterior-posterior compression type II injuries had damage to the sacrospinous ligament in only 50% of the cases. CONCLUSIONS Ligamentous anatomy and injury about the pelvic ring appears to be easily evaluated with MRI, arguing that there may be a role for this imaging modality in managing these cases. Tearing of the sacrospinous ligament is variable among anterior-posterior compression type II injuries, arguing that the injury pattern can be subdivided into those with and without sacrospinous ligament tears. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Diagnostic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
The Professional Imperative for Obstetrician-Gynecologists to Discontinue Newborn Male Circumcision

Newborn male circumcision has been practiced for millennia for a variety of medical, social, religious, and cultural reasons. Indications for routine circumcision remain controversial, with proponents and dissidents arguing their sides vigorously. Popular in the United States, it has persisted in the scope of practice of obstetrics and gynecology, a field specializing in the opposite gender. To excel in women's reproductive health, we should no longer passively accept or actively maintain this procedure in our specialty. Steps are suggested to remove the residual and improper inclusion of circumcision from the scope of practice of obstetrics and gynecology.
Photon antibunching and squeezing for a single atom in a resonant cavity

The transmitted light from an optical cavity containing a single two-level atom may show photon antibunching and squeezing. The two effects are closely related and simply understood in terms of the theory of single-atom resonance fluorescence. It follows that corresponding nonclassical effects in optical bistability do not originate in atomic collectivity.
An Electron Beam Buncher to Operate over the Frequency Range 1-4 GHz

We present a description of an electron buncher to be installed in the terminal of a Van de Graaff, which is to produce a modulated beam over the frequency range 1-4 GHz. The modulator geometry has been optimized so that the modulation amplitude should be nearly constant over the frequency ranges 1-2 GHz and 2-4 GHz. Preliminary results indicate the device works as predicted.
General Design Features of the Indiana University 200 MeV Cyclotron

A multiple-stage four-sector separated magnet isochronous cyclotron is presently under construction at Indiana University. Ions are to be accelerated by potential drop before injection into the cyclotron stages permitting operation with 1 1.1. The ?r = 4/ 3 intrinsic radial quadratic resonance is encountered at s = 0.43 (100 MeV protons, 300 MeV 3He) but extensive studies indicate that beam deterioration and loss are negligible with the chosen operating parameters. Fourth and higher harmonics of the orbital frequency are to be used for acceleration. A charge-to-mass ratio range of 1/6 ? q/M ? 1 is planned; this, together with the external ion source, median plane injection, strong focusing and large dimensions, provides an excellent heavy ion capability. A maximum design energy of 200 NeV is planned for protons; maximum energies for other ions are given by E = 240 q2/M MeV. A dee-in-valley design with the very large axial aperture inherent in this facility has many advantages. Among these are the narrow magnet gap, capacitive tuning of the dees, dee voltage increasing with radius, and structural simplifications. It also permits sufficient additional vertical aperture inside the dees for second harmonic rf electrodes permitting asymmetrical square-waving of the energy gain per turn versus rf phase.
Structural transformation of vapor grown carbon nanofibers studied by HRTEM

Vapor grown carbon nanofibers have been extensively manufactured and investigated in recent years. In this study commercially available vapor grown carbon nanofibers subjected to different processing and post processing conditions were studied employing high resolution TEM images. The analysis showed that the fibers consist primarily of conical nanofibers, but can contain a significant amount of bamboo nanofibers. Most conical nanofibers were found to consist of an ordered inner layer and a disordered outer layer, with the cone angle distribution of the inner layers indicating that these cannot have a stacked cone structure but are compatible with a cone-helix structure. Fibers that have been heat treated to temperatures above 1,500 °C undergo a structural transformation with the ordered inner layers changing from a cone-helix structure to a highly ordered multiwall stacked cone structure. The bamboo nanofibers were found to have a tapered multiwall nanotube structure for the wall and a multishell fullerene structure for the cap of each segment, surrounded by a disordered outer layer. When these fibers are heat treated the disordered outer layers transform to an ordered multiwall nanotube structure and merge with the wall of each segment. The end caps of each segment transform from a smooth multiwall fullerene structure to one consisting of disjointed graphene planes. A reaction-diffusion mechanism is proposed to explain the growth and structure of the bamboo nanofibers.
Modeling Macroscopic Patterns in Ecology

The goal of community ecology and macroecology has long been to focus on the general processes that generate macroscopic patterns associated with abundance, diversity, and distribution within and across ecological systems ([1][1]–[3][2]). In the review “Neutral macroecology” ( Science 's
Preinjury Predictors of Life Satisfaction at 1 Year After Traumatic Brain Injury

Abstract Davis LC, Sherer M, Sander AM, Bogner JA, Corrigan JD, Dijkers MP, Hanks RA, Bergquist TF, Seel RT. Preinjury predictors of life satisfaction at 1 year after traumatic brain injury. Objective To investigate the predictive value of preinjury factors for satisfaction with life (SWL) at 1-year posttraumatic brain injury (TBI). Design Secondary analysis of prospective, longitudinal registry using data collected during inpatient rehabilitation and at 1-year post-TBI. Setting Fifteen specialized brain injury units providing acute rehabilitation care as part of the Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems (TBIMS) program. Participants Community-dwelling persons (N=444) with moderate to severe TBI aged 16 to 64 years enrolled in the TBIMS program between October 2007 and October 2008 with 1-year follow-up data. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measure Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS). Results Hierarchical stepwise linear regression revealed that injury-related and demographic variables did not contribute significantly to the explained variance in SWLS scores. In contrast, the preinjury functioning (education, productivity/employment) and preinjury condition (psychiatric and substance use problems, severe sensory dysfunction, learning problems, prior TBI) blocks each contributed significantly to the explained variance in SWLS scores. Preinjury functioning accounted for 2.9% of the variance and preinjury conditions for 3.8%. Conclusions Although their contributions are small, preinjury functioning and preinjury conditions are important to consider in the prediction of SWL post-TBI. Educational level and history of psychiatric and other premorbid difficulties are particularly important for clinicians to consider when implementing or developing interventions for persons with moderate to severe TBI.
Quantum control of interacting bosons in periodic optical lattice

We study the avoided crossings in the dynamics of quantum controlled excitations for an interacting many-boson system in an optical lattice. Specifically, we perform numerical simulations of learning control in this system where the driving pulses connect the undriven stationary states in a manner characteristic of Stimulated Raman Adiabatic Passage (STIRAP). We demonstrate that the dynamics of such a transition is affected by chaos assisted passages, resulting in a loss in coherence of the final outcome in the adiabatic limit.
Multi-layered plasmonic cloaks to engineer the scattering signature of resonant nanoparticles

Plasmonic nanoparticles have been proposed for a variety of sensing applications, due to their strong localized resonances. In a different field, plasmonic shells have been used to suppress the scattering of arbitrary objects, realizing invisibility and transparency. Exploiting the passivity requirements on frequency dispersion, we combine these seemingly unrelated concepts and show that multilayered plasmonic cloaks may be used to tailor at will the scattering response of small particles. We put forward an exciting venue to realize ultranarrow scattering features in small nanoparticles, of great interest for optical tagging and for sensing applications.
A Model-Based Ruling Line Detection Algorithm for Noisy Handwritten Documents

Ruling lines are commonly used to help people write neatly on paper. In document image analysis, however, they create challenges for handwriting recognition and writer identification. In this paper, we model ruling line detection as a multi-line linear regression problem and then derive a globally optimal solution giving the Least Square Error. We demonstrate the efficacy of the technique on both synthetic and real datasets. A comparative study shows that our algorithm outperforms a previously published method on the public Germana dataset.
Interactions of aspirin with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs in man.

Healthy volunteers ingested fenoprofen and indomethacin, each alone or combined with aspirin. Concentrations in plasma of both fenoprofen and indomethacin were reduced significantly when administered with aspirin. Reduction of fenoprofen concentrations depended on the aspirin dosage and occurred whether fenoprofen was administered orally or intravenously. Fenoprofen did not affect plasma concentrations of salicylates. These results emphasize the need to assess carefully the effects of salicylates in comparative clinical trials of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents.
Science Advice as Procedural Rationality: Reflections on the National Research Council

Since its founding in 1863, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has occupied a special niche in the complex ecology of advice-giving in the United States. Established as a small, private organization with special responsibilities and obligations vis a vis the American people and government, the Academy has expanded considerably in the past century and a half and now releases, through the National Research Council (NRC), its operating arm, more than 200 reports per year, on topics covering nearly the entire range of science, engineering, health, and education. The development of the organization, its basic ethos, and its evolving structures and processes can be seen as examples of what Herbert Simon called “procedural rationality”: the pursuit of reasonably good solutions to complex problems based on appropriate deliberation.
Chemical qualities of water that contribute to human health in a positive way

The emphasis on harmful substances that may occur in potable waters has almost obscured the fact that important beneficial constituents are commonly present. The chemical substances in water that make positive contributions to human health act mainly in two ways: (i) nutritionally, by supplying essential macro and micro elements that the diet (excluding water) may not provide in adequate amounts (for example, Mg, I and Zn); and (ii) by providing macro and micro elements that inhibit the absorbtion and/or effects of toxic elements such as Hg, Pb and Cd. Specific examples of these beneficial effects will be given, also examples of harmful effects on health that may result from excessive intake of these ordinarily beneficial elements. Because concentrations of the essential macro and micro elements that occur in natural, potable waters vary greatly, depending upon their source, geographic considerations are very important in any studies attempting to relate water quality to health. In this context, the inverse relationship between hard water and cardiovascular disease will be discussed. Specific data relating hardness and Mg and Ca content of potable waters to specific geographic regions of the U.S.A. will be presented. These data show a strong positive correlation between low Mg content and decreased longevity, and between high Ca and Mg content and increased longevity. In the regions considered, increased longevity correlates strongly with decreased cardiovascular mortality, and the decreased longevity with increased cardiovascular mortality.
A multidomain spectral method for supersonic reactive flows

This paper has a dual purpose: it presents a multidomain Chebyshev method for the solution of the two-dimensional reactive compressible Navier-Stokes equations, and it reports the results of the application of this code to the numerical simulations of high Mach number reactive flows in recessed cavity. The computational method utilizes a newly derived interface boundary conditions as well as an adaptive filtering technique to stabilize the computations. The results of the simulations are relevant to recessed cavity flame-holders.
Biochemical interaction of arachidonic acid and vitamin e in human platelets

The effect of alpha-tocopherol on the oxidative transformation of arachidonic acid was investigated in human platelets. The major products of lipoxygenase and cyclo-oxygenase pathways were separated by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and thin layer chromatography (TLC) evaluated by scanning the radiochromatograms. This study differs from others in the vitamin E field in important aspects of its experimental design: the prelabeling of platelets with non-aggregating concentrations of 14C-arachidonic acid, and the addition of alpha-tocopherol as a colloidal suspension rather than as an ethanolic solution. A moderately potent but consistent reduction of apparent cyclo-oxygenase activity by alpha-tocopherol could be demonstrated by TLC and HPLC. This effect was best shown by the change of the HETE/HHT ratio which increased significantly in vitamin E-treated platelets. It was found to be dose-dependent up to 1 microM alpha-tocopherol, the maximal concentration tested in this study. Alpha-tocopherol quinone was equally effective in this action.
KINETICS OF COLLAGEN SYNTHESIS BY ESTABLISHED MAMMALIAN CELL LINES.

IT was recently reported that certain established lines of mouse fibroblasts, capable of indefinite propagation in culture1, were able to synthesize appreciable quantities of collagen2. The collagen appeared as extracellular fibres of characteristic periodicity between cells growing in multiple layers on the surface of a Petri dish. This communication examines the temporal relationship between cell growth and the expression of this differentiated function.
Functional approach to stochastic inflation

We develop a functional approach to the stochastic inflationary universe dynamics. It is based on a path integral representation of the solution to the differential equation for the scalar field probability distribution. In the saddle-point approximation scalar field probability distributions of various types are rederived and the statistics of the inflationary-history-dependent functionals is obtained.
Designing teams of unattended ground sensors using genetic algorithms

Improvements in sensor capabilities have driven the need for automated sensor allocation and management systems. Such systems provide a penalty-free test environment and valuable input to human operators by offering candidate solutions. These abilities lead, in turn, to savings in manpower and time. Determining an optimal team of cooperating sensors for military operations is a challenging task. There is a tradeoff between the desire to decrease the cost and the need to increase the sensing capabilities of a sensor suite. This work focuses on unattended ground sensor networks consisting of teams of small, inexpensive sensors. Given a possible configuration of enemy radar, our goal isto generate sensor suites that monitor as many enemy radar as possible while minimizing cost. In previous work, we have shown that genetic algorithms (GAs) can be used to evolve successful teams of sensors for this problem. This work extends our previous work in two ways: we use an improved simulator containing a more accurate model of radar and sensor capabilities for out fitness evaluations and we introduce two new genetic operators, insertion and deletion, that are expected to improve the GA's fine tuning abilities. Empirical results show that our GA approach produces near optimal results under a variety of enemy radar configurations using sensors with varying capabilities. Detection percentage remains stable regardless of changes in the enemy radar placements.
Cation diffusion in plagioclase feldspar.

Steep compositional gradients in igneous plagioclase feldspar from slowly cooled intrusive bodies imply a maximum value of the intracrystalline diffusion coefficient for NaSi [unknown] CaAl exchange, Dmax ∼10-20 centimeters squared per second for temperatures in the range 1250° to 1000°C. Millimeter-sized grains cannot be homogenized in all geologic time; hence reactive equilibrium crystallization of plagioclase from the melt does not occur in dry systems.
Fetal coronary and cerebral blood flow in acute fetomaternal hemorrhage.

A fetal heart rate tracing with absent variation and a sinusoidal pattern led to the diagnosis of acute fetomaternal hemorrhage at 29 + 2 weeks' gestation. The middle cerebral artery had increased peak blood flow velocity with reversed end-diastolic flow. Fetal coronary arteries visualized by color-coded and pulsed wave Doppler sonography showed slight decrease of time-averaged maximum velocities after oxygen administration, while cerebral flows remained unchanged. After administration of 50 ml blood (pre-transfusion hematocrit < 11%) the middle cerebral artery flow normalized and coronary artery velocities decreased further until coronary blood flow could no longer be visualized within 30 min of the transfusion (post-transfusion hematocrit 27%). Evidence of successful fetal resuscitation also included normalization of the fetal heart rate tracing and resumption of fetal activity (biophysical profile score 8/10). This was also observed after a second transfusion of 38 ml blood. Deterioration from repeated fetomaternal hemorrhage led to delivery of a severely anemic neonate (cord hematocrit 7%) by Cesarean section. Postnatally, a single seizure, moderate severity respiratory distress syndrome and grade III intraventricular hemorrhage were noted. Increased peak blood flow velocity with reversed end-diastolic flow may be observed in the middle cerebral artery of fetuses with acute anemia. Correction of this phenomenon with transfusion suggests that hypovolemia and low blood viscosity are major contributing factors. Furthermore, decreasing coronary artery blood flow velocities with supplemental oxygen and blood replacement confirm functional autoregulation of the fetal coronary circulation. Observation of these acute flow changes during fetal surveillance warrants investigation for a potentially serious underlying condition. Copyright © 1998 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology
Scenario Analyses of Back Injuries in Industrial Accidents

Scenario analyses were carried out on 229 back injuries occuring over two years in a large petro-chemical manufacturing complex. The patterns indicated that most injuries were a direct result of ov...
Disablement of a surgical drill via CT guidance to protect vital anatomy

Applying image-guidance to an electronically-controlled surgical drill can prevent damage to patients' anatomy during resection. A system is presented that disables the drill when it nears pre-defined critical patient anatomy. The system consists of a tracking system, image-guidance software, and drill-control circuit. The software was developed in C++ with the help of the Image-Guided Surgery Toolkit, and was designed to track tools based on input from a MicronTracker (Claron Tech, Toronto, Ontario) tracking system. The system registers physical to image space using fiducial markers rigidly attached to the patient, tracks the drill, and automatically disables the drill when close to restricted regions. A coordinate reference frame is used for all physical acquisitions. Visual feedback of the tool's position in image space is provided during tracking. Two tests were performed to determine the feasibility of the system. Virtual restricted regions were defined inside a phantom, and an operator attempted to drill the phantom with the help of the application. No feedback was provided to the user except for the automatic disablement of the drill by the application when close to a restricted region. In the first test, the drill was disabled at 0.74 ± 0.46 mm from the restricted region and entered 5.3% of the surface area of the restricted region. In the second test, the drill was disabled 1.3 ± 0.69 mm from the restricted region and entered the restricted region 8.5% of the time. We conclude that the system shows promise and further testing should be conducted.
Effects of music relaxation video on pain and anxiety for women with gynaecological cancer receiving intracavitary brachytherapy: a randomised controlled trial

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of music relaxation video on pain severity, opioid utilisation, and anxiety experienced by women with gynaecological cancer undergoing intracavi...
Pathophysiology of mental illness: A view from the fourth ventricle

The concept of mental disorders as diseases of the brain is as old as the ancient Greek philosopher-physicians. However, for thousands of years, the majority of doctors, as well as laypersons, held strongly to the belief that epilepsy and "madness" (i.e., schizophrenia)--the major disorders discussed in this paper--were caused by demonic "possession." As always, the theory of causation led to apposite therapies: Cast out the devil by whatever means necessary. Later, more enlightened views of etiology led to less punitive "cures," which, to modern sensibilities, still seem barbaric. The 20th century saw the introduction of medications that provide symptomatic relief, if not cures, for seizure disorders and schizophrenia. In this paper, we consider the etiology of absence (petit mal) epilepsy and schizophrenia based on the pathophysiology underlying the shared symptom of impaired sustained attention. We emphasize the role of abnormal functioning of brainstem structures in the region of the fourth ventricle, whether caused by genetic or environmental factors or a combination thereof. Our theorizing relies on the findings of Lindsley, Magoun, and Moruzzi, who delineated the role of the brainstem reticular activating system in sleep, wakefulness, and consciousness. It also relies on the work of Penfield, Jasper, and Gloor, who sought to illuminate the role of brainstem-thalamus-cortical dysfunction in idiopathic generalized epilepsies. We consider evidence from recent studies that emphasize the phasic attentional functions supported by brainstem structures in the region of the fourth ventricle, and possible genetic links among disorders in which impaired attention is a prominent symptom.
Dengue virus isolation relying on antibody-dependent enhancement mechanism using FcγR-expressing BHK cells and a monoclonal antibody with infection-enhancing capacity.

Abstract Background Virus isolation is the most reliable evidence of dengue virus (DENV) infection. However, conventional virus isolation methods generally posses lower sensitivity and are time consuming as compared to other diagnostic methods such as detection of viral genome by RT-PCR, and determination of NS1 antigen and anti-DENV antibody by ELISA. Objectives A virus isolation method relying on the antibody-dependent enhancement mechanism was established and the assay's efficacy in DENV isolation was confirmed. Study design FcγR-expressing BHK cells were used for DENV isolation from patient serum samples in the presence of a flavivirus-group reactive monoclonal antibody, mAb4G2, which possesses DENV infection-enhancement activity. DENV genome copy numbers in the culture supernatant fluids of FcγR-expressing BHK cells were assessed and compared to those of parent BHK cells and C6/36 mosquito cells, a cell line commonly used for DENV isolation. Results The virus titer levels were higher in the culture supernatant fluid of FcγR-expressing BHK cells in the presence of enhancing antibody in comparison with other cell lines using laboratory-established strains and some clinical samples. DENV was isolated from 7 of 16 serum samples by using FcγR-expressing BHK cells in the presence of mAb4G2, but not by using cell lines commonly employed in conventional isolation assays, the FcγR-negative BHK cells and C6/36 cell lines. Conclusions The results demonstrate that FcγR-expressing BHK cell line in the presence of antibodies, which possess antibody dependent enhancement (ADE) activity, is a useful tool for DENV isolation.
Treatment of Experimental Pseudomonas aeruginosa Pneumonia with a Human IgM Monoclonal Antibody

A human IgM monoclonal antibody (MA-1C1) to Fisher immunotype 3 Pseudomonas aeruginosa lipopolysaccharide antigen was evaluated for in vivo activity in a guinea pig model of experimental pneumonia. Pharmacokinetics of MA-1C1 were compared in infected and noninfected animals. Intravenous bolus infusion of MA-1C1, 1 mg/kg, resulted in peak serum antibody concentrations of 3.8 +/- 0.08 and 3.7 +/- 0.05 micrograms/ml in infected and noninfected animals, respectively. Serum half-lives were 25 and 22 h in infected and noninfected groups. Treatment with a single intravenous infusion of MA-1C1 improved survival from pneumonia and was effective over a broad dose range (0.1-2.5 mg/kg). Cumulative survivals were 18 of 47 in the MA-1C1 group and 0 of 31 in controls (P less than .001). Treatment with MA-1C1 also resulted in fewer positive blood cultures 12 h after infection (P = .04). Although MA-1C1 penetrated into inflamed bronchial fluids, local concentrations were only 5% of the concentrations achieved in serum. Thus, MA-1C1 seems to provide significant therapeutic activity against experimental P. aeruginosa pneumonia by preventing dissemination of infection from the lung.
Underdetermined source separation of EEG signals in the time-frequency domain

Human brain activity can be measured with high temporal resolution by recording the electric potentials on the scalp surface using imaging methods such as the electroencephalogram (EEG). The analysis of EEG data is difficult due to the fact that multiple neurons may be simultaneously active and the potentials from these sources are superimposed on the limited sensors. It is desirable to unmix the data into signals representing the behavior of the original individual neurons. This is a problem of underdetermined blind source separation (UBSS). Since EEG signals are non-stationary, in this paper a two-stage UBSS approach is proposed for the separation of EEG signals by taking advantage of the high resolution of time-frequency distributions. Experimental results indicate the effectiveness of the introduced approach at separating EEG signals in the time-frequency domain compared with independent component analysis (ICA).
Improved maximum cooling by optimizing the geometry of thermoelectric leg elements

In this paper, we investigate the effect of the thermoelectric leg geometry and boundary conditions on the overall device cooling performance. We present a detailed 3D electrothermal analysis of heat and current distribution in a Bi/sub 2/Te/sub 3/ single-leg element with 50/spl times/50 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ cold side contact area, which is smaller than the element cross section (410/spl times/410 /spl mu/m/sup 2/). We compared the cases when a uniform voltage is applied at the contact and when a uniform current density is applied. The finite element calculation results demonstrate that in the latter case the 3D single-leg element has a very non-uniform temperature distribution at the contact area. Maximum cooling in the center region is 92/spl deg/C, which is 20% higher than the 1D limit (76/spl deg/C) for a typical Bi/sub 2/Te/sub 3/ material with ZT/spl sim/1. Calculations show that it is possible to take away 600 W/cm/sup 2/ at the center 20/spl times/20 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ region, which is 6 times better than the 1D device with the same thickness. In contrast, with a boundary condition of uniform voltage at the cold side contact area, the temperature distribution is as uniform as 1D device and reaches the same maximum cooling temperature as 1D. We also propose the possibility of using array contact structures to achieve the uniform current boundary condition that can improve the maximum device cooling performance. These findings add contact geometry as another degree of freedom to engineer the performance of single and multi stage TE devices.
An effect of finite differences on the estimation of predictability

Abstract It is shown that the use of finite differences tends to underestimate the growth of small errors, but that the underestimation is not serious provided the resolution is sufficient.
Decreased interleukin-12 (IL-12) from activated cord versus adult peripheral blood mononuclear cells and upregulation of interferon-gamma, natural killer, and lymphokine-activated killer activity by IL-12 in cord blood mononuclear cells.

Interleukin-12 (IL-12) is a critical cytokine regulating natural killer (NK) and T-cell function. We hypothesized that the impaired ability of cord blood (CB) to produce normal adult levels of IL-12 in response to stimulation may contribute to the immaturity of CB immunity. Furthermore, exogenous IL-12 may compensate for the immaturity in CB cellular immunity and have the potential for immunotherapy post cord blood transplantation. We compared the expression and production of IL-12 from activated cord versus adult mononuclear cells (MNC), regulatory mechanisms associated with IL-12 expression in CB MNC, and the effects of IL-12 on induction of CB interferon (IFN)-gamma production, NK, and lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cytotoxicity. Northern analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were performed in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated CB and adult peripheral blood (APB) MNC. IL-12 mRNA expression was induced within 6 hours with LPS (10 micrograms/ml) and reached peak levels at 12 hours in both CB and APB MNC. However, IL-12 mRNA expression and protein accumulation in CB MNC were 35.8% +/- 4.84% (12 hours, n = 11, P < .05), and 17.6% +/- 1.7% (24, 72, 96 hours, n = 9, P < .05) respectively, when compared with APB MNC. Nuclear run-on assays showed no differences between CB and APB MNC in both the basal levels of transcription and the degree of transcriptional activation. However, the half-life of IL-12 p40 mRNA was approximately threefold lower in activated CB MNC than in activated APB MNC (CB: 114 +/- 3.0 minutes v APB: 353 +/- 7.8 minutes, n = 3, P < .05). Exogenous IL-12 (10 U/mL) induced a significant increase of IFN-gamma from both CB and APB MNC (24 hours, 72 hours, P < .05, n = 3). The stimulated CB IFN-gamma level reached comparable levels produced by unstimulated APB. IL-12 treatment also significantly enhanced CB NK cytotoxicity against K562 and NB-100 cell lines to the comparable levels of APB (P < .05, n = 4). CB MNC was more responsive to IL-12 stimulation with respect to IFN-gamma production, NK, and LAK cytotoxicity when compared with APB. The present study suggests that IL-12 mRNA and protein expression is decreased in activated CB. This discrepancy in IL-12 production is secondary, at least in part, to the altered posttranscriptional regulation. The impaired, ability of CB MNC to produce IL-12 in response to stimulation may contribute to the decrease in IFN-gamma production and NK cytotoxicity. However, IL-12 enhanced IFN-gamma and NK activity in CB MNC up to the comparable levels of APB MNC. These findings suggest that reduced expression and production of IL-12 from activated CB may contribute to the immaturity in CB cellular immunity and contribute, in part, to decreased graft-versus-host disease following CB stem cell transplantation.
Assessing Measurement Error in Key Informant Reports: A Methodological Note on Organizational Analysis in Marketing

The author examines the reliability and validity of measures of organizational characteristics used in previous marketing studies in the areas of strategic planning and distribution channels. Key i...