cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-Term Outcomes After Radiotherapy for Retroperitoneal and Deep Truncal Sarcoma

Purpose To determine the long-term outcomes after multimodality treatment of retroperitoneal, pelvic, and deep truncal sarcomas and to identify the factors associated with local control (LC), distant metastasis (DM), and overall survival (OS). Methods and Materials A total of 85 patients with retroperitoneal, pelvic, and deep truncal sarcomas were treated with radiotherapy (RT) between 1987 and 2005. A retrospective analysis of LC, DM, and OS was conducted using log–rank and Cox regression statistical methods. Results The 2- and 5-year LC, DM, and OS rates were 66% and 51%, 38% and 58%, and 70% and 34%, respectively. Negative surgical margins and a higher radiation dose were associated with greater LC rates on both univariate and multivariate analyses, and female gender was significantly associated with greater LC on multivariate analysis only. None of the analyzed risk factors was significantly associated with DM, although patients with high-grade tumors showed a trend toward an increased risk of DM. Gross residual disease after resection and high tumor grade were associated with worse OS rates on univariate and multivariate analyses, and male gender was significantly associated with worse OS on multivariate analysis only. A time-dependent analysis of LC in relation to DM demonstrated that patients with local failure had a hazard ratio of 19.7 for DM compared with patients without local failure ( p Conclusion The results of this study emphasize the importance of LC in patients with retroperitoneal sarcoma. Radiation dose escalation or radiosensitization strategies to enhance LC are warranted.
The Prison Birth of Black Power

If ever America undergoes great revolutions, they will be brought about by the presence of the black race on the soil of the United States; that is to say, they will owe their origin, not to the equality, but to the inequality of condition.
Detecting Acute Coronary Syndrome in the Emergency Department With Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Background— Managing chest pain in the emergency department remains a challenge with current diagnostic strategies. We hypothesized that cardiac MRI could accurately identify patients with possible or probable acute coronary syndrome. Methods and Results— The diagnostic performance of MRI was evaluated in a prospective study of 161 consecutive patients. Enrollment required 30 minutes of chest pain compatible with myocardial ischemia but an ECG not diagnostic of acute myocardial infarction. MRI was performed at rest within 12 hours of presentation and included perfusion, left ventricular function, and gadolinium-enhanced myocardial infarction detection. MRI was interpreted qualitatively but also analyzed quantitatively. The sensitivity and specificity, respectively, for detecting acute coronary syndrome were 84% and 85% by MRI, 80% and 61% by an abnormal ECG, 16% and 95% for strict ECG criteria for ischemia (ST depression or T-wave inversion), 40% and 97% for peak troponin-I, and 48% and 85% for a TIMI ris...
Quality in colonoscopy reporting: an assessment of compliance and performance improvement.

Abstract Background An ASGE-ACG task force developed quality indicators (QI) for documenting quality endoscopic procedures. Acceptable compliance rates have not been determined. Aims To determine our degree of compliance to the intra-procedure colonoscopy QI prior to intervention, design an educational intervention to improve those with low compliance, and to compare the degree of compliance after intervention. Methods 300 patients undergoing colonoscopy in the pre-intervention time period followed by 300 patients after the educational intervention were reviewed. Endoscopists were instructed on the required QI and provided with their individual baseline compliance results. Dictated endoscopy reports were reviewed for compliance. Results Four QIs; documentation of bowel preparation adequacy, appendiceal orifice, photographs of cecum, and polyp shape, had low pre-intervention achievement (64%, 53%, 20%, and 15% respectively) and significant change was observed (83%, 68%, 63%, and 54% respectively, all p Conclusion This study provides benchmarks for ASGE/QIs in colonoscopy cases in a large group practice model. It demonstrates that a quality improvement intervention can result in improved compliance.
Peripheral pulmonic stenosis

Abstract Seventeen patients with peripheral pulmonic stenosis are presented. They were divided into two main groups, a pure and complicated form. The former represented patients with only peripheral pulmonic stenosis from the bifurcation of the main pulmonary artery and more peripherally. They were further grouped according to severity. The latter represented patients with peripheral pulmonic stenosis primarily complicated by either left to right shunts, right to left shunts or obstructive lesions. The clinical profile in the pure form depends entirely on the severity of the obstruction. Patients with maximal peripheral pulmonic stenosis may show dyspnea on exertion and hemoptysis, whereas those with slight stenosis were asymptomatic. The diagnosis may be suspected, in cases with severe obstruction, when a continuous murmur is heard over the lung fields in a patient with clinical and electrocardiographic evidence of right ventricular obstruction. Patients with the complicated form may present continuous or widely transmitted ejection murmurs in addition to the signs and symptoms of the complicating lesions. The clinical picture in general, was that of the complicating lesion. However, patients in the group with left to right shunts had a more stormy infancy. The natural history, therapeutic implications and differential diagnosis were discussed.
Metastable changes of the electronic spin-lattice relaxation time in hydrogenated amorphous silicon.

Reversible changes in the electronic spin-lattice relaxation time ${T}_{1}$ are observed in the case of the dangling-bond defect in hydrogenated amorphous silicon. These changes occur during prolonged illumination with intense light and are completely reversible upon annealing at elevated temperatures in the dark. A possible connection with metastable quenching of localized vibrational modes is discussed.
Personality Styles: Predictors of Masculine Gender Role Conflict in Male Prison Inmates.

This study examined the relationship between personality styles and gender role conflict. The participants consisted of 366 male inmates incarcerated in a medium-security prison in the southern United States. Eleven personality styles, as measured by the Millon Multiaxial Clinical Inventory-III (T. Millon, 1994), were used to predict the 4 factors of gender role conflict as measured by the Gender Role Conflict Scale (J. M. O'Neil, B. Helms, R. Gable, L. David, & L. Wrightsman, 1986). The results indicate that the aggressive, histrionic, narcissistic, and dependent personality style predicted specific gender role conflict factors. The implications for the effect of personality on gender role conflict are discussed.
Cat scanning in staging of prostatic cancer

Forty-six patients with histologically proved adenocarcinoma of the prostate underwent pelvic lymphadenectomy after CAT scanning. The accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity of the CAT scan in detecting nodal metastasis were 70, 93 and 30 per cent, respectively; this compares favorably with pedal lymphangiography. Seventeen of the patients had radical prostatectomy. The accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity of the CAT scan in depicting local extent of the tumor were 47, 100, and 18 per cent, respectively; although low, no other clinical or biochemical method provides a better result.
Transformational Learning: Reflections of an Adult Learning Story.

Transformational learning, narrative learning, and spiritual learning frame adult experiences in new and exciting ways. These types of learning can involve a simple transformation of belief or opin...
Community Variation in Adolescent Access to Indoor Tanning Facilities

Melanoma rates among younger women in New Hampshire (NH) are rising. In urban studies, youth proximity to tanning facilities has been linked to indoor tanning, a proven cause of melanoma. Youth access has not been examined in rural settings. To determine on a statewide basis the influence of rurality and community income level on female students’ ease of access to tanning facilities, all NH tanning facilities (N = 261) and high schools (N = 77) in 2011 were spatially and statistically analyzed to determine schools with more facilities within 2 miles of the school and greater capacity (fewer female students per facility), for indoor tanning. Schools above the state-wide average for both measures were classified as “Easy Access” to indoor tanning. Among NH high schools, 74 % have 1 or more tanning facility within two miles and 22 % have “Easy Access” to tanning facilities. Ease of access did not differ by rurality. Lower-income school status was an independent predictor of both greater capacity and “Easy Access”. While urban and rural teens have similar access to indoor tanning, female students in lower-income communities have easier access. Variations in access by community size and income must be considered in planning interventions to address youth indoor tanning.
Teachers' Attitudes about Using Curriculum-Based Measurement in Reading (CBM-R) for Universal Screening and Progress Monitoring.

Universal screening and progress monitoring are two essential components of the response-to-intervention (RTI) framework. Within RTI models, teachers are commonly expected to collect, score, and use much of the associated student performance data. One measure that is commonly used within RTI models is Curriculum-Based Measurement in Reading (CBM-R). Some teachers have questioned the acceptability of CBM-R and are concerned about whether it is appropriate, fair, and reasonable. The purpose of this study was to explore teacher acceptability of CBM-R for universal screening and progress monitoring. One hundred sixty-four teachers completed a survey, and 22 teachers participated in one of four focus groups. Through the survey, teachers reported CBM-R to be acceptable for both purposes, although they rated it to be slightly more appropriate for universal screening than for progress monitoring. In the focus groups, teachers reported more significant concerns about CBM-R for progress monitoring. Implications for...
Piecewise linear dynamical model for actions clustering from inertial body sensors with considerations of human factors

The efficacy of many Body Sensor Network (BSN) applications relies on the accurate temporal clustering of human motion into actions on various time scales. This is typically done with the use of inertial sensors and processing algorithms that try to extract such information from the sensor data. Two human factors in real-world deployments make such information extraction challenging: mounting errors (where sensor displacement and orientation do not match what is assumed by processing algorithms) and insecure mounting (where sensors are loosely worn causing them to shake during operations). In order to enhance the robustness of human actions clutsering from real-world BSN data, this work leverages dynamical systems modeling with the considerations of human factors. By proposing a computational body-model framework called the piecewise linear dynamical model (PLDM), we derive a robust method to segment time series data of inertial BSNs in real-world deployment with human factors into motion primitives and actions. We test the proposed method on two different inertial BSN datasets and extract actions on different temporal scales. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.
Erythermalgia (erythromelalgia) of the extremities

Abstract A clinical syndrome has been described which was designated “erythromelalgia” by Mitchell and for which we suggest the term “erythermalgia,” thus indicating its three important components, namely, redness, heat, and pain. This syndrome, which may affect one or more extremities, is characterized by discoloration and distress, both of which are dependent entirely upon the temperature of the skin, the increase of which constitutes the third component. The condition may occur as a primary disturbance, or it may be secondary to such conditions as polycythemia vera. The diagnosis depends on the establishment of a close relationship between the occurrence of the distress and the temperature of the skin. When the temperature of the skin increases above a critical point, the distress occurs; when it decreases below the critical point, the distress disappears. The distress itself results from a susceptible state of the skin to increased temperatures, a condition which does not occur in normal persons. The diagnosis is relatively simple; the treatment may be unsatisfactory.
Active and Passive Evaluation of Proprioception for the Shoulder and Knee

This paper utilizes a 2nd generation proprioception device to evaluate active and passive proprioception in the shoulder and knee. The device is developed for this study is designed to be portable, inexpensive and easy to use.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
SUMMARY OF CURRENT THERAPY: Possibilities for Prevention of Cardiac Failure in Pulmonary Emphysema

The majority of patients with severe diffuse obstructive pulmonary emphysema develop right heart failure, and, in some cases as a later event, failure of the left heart as well. Measures which are useful in the treatment of the pulmonary disease itself are naturally of importance in the prevention of cardiac insufficiency, and this discussion could be terminated here were it not that some of the major factors which increase cardiorespiratory reserve are frequently ignored or, in one instance, misinterpreted as a hazard. It is my intention to discuss two of these factors, restoration of diaphragmatic function, and increased capacity for exercise resulting from inhalation of oxygen during a walking regimen. Ascent of the diaphragm by deliberate contraction of the abdominal musculature has been taught to patients as a breathing exercise by investigators who followed the original regimen of Hofbauer.’ This consciously directed procedure was frequently abandoned by the patient during exertion when it was most needed. We, therefore, developed instead a training program in which the natural process of diaphragmatic respiration was encouraged by the head-down position and pressuure of the operator’s hand on the patient’s chest and abdomen.2’3’4 Heckscher,5 emphasizing the difficulty of the patient making a habit of breathing exercises that required his deliberate attention, i.e., synchronization of abdominal muscle contraction and expiration, reported remarkably favorable results from the use of the leaning forward posture to facilitate upward movement of the diaphragm. Additional aids to breathing consist of development of the diaphragmatic muscle so that no conscious effort is required to breathe against a weight of 15 to 30 pounds, applied to the abdomen and the use of an emphysema belt with an elastic recoil mechanism to increase the expiratory ascent of the diaphragm.4 The substitution of diaphragmatic for upper costal respiration in these cases resulted in a 20 to 30 per cent decrease in pulmonary ventilation, an enhanced efficiency of exchange of both oxygen and carbon dioxide, and a decrease in energy expended as shown by decrease in 02 consumption; a substantial dcrease in the work of the circulation and the respiration was accomplished by measures which lower the minute volume of breathing without the development of hypoxia or uncompensated respiratory acidosis.2’3 4 Restoration of diaphragmatic function may therefore be considered a method of preventing cardiac failure in cases in which better alveolar diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide is produced. The value of a program of this kind depends on the degree of elastic recoil of the diaphragm which can be restored by persistent training as well as by the use of measures which decrease bronchial constriction and alveolar overdistention.
Conidiogenesis and conidiomata in the Clavicipitoideae.

Microscopie optique et electronique a balayage de 2 types de conidiogenese et de la variabilite des conidiomata dans un but systematique
Causal ordering and ‘The bank lending channel’

The bank lending channel implies the Federal Reserve can influence real income by controlling the level of intermediated loans. Using the notion of causality developed by Simon (1953) and the causal order methodology developed by Hoover (1990), I test for an operative bank lending channel in the transmission mechanism of monetary policy. I find loans did cause real income; there is evidence that a bank lending channel did exist in the 1960s. The data appears to show, however, that by the early 1990s the bank lending channel was no longer operative. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Anisotropic emission of interface fluctuation quantum dots

We calculate energy levels, dipole moments and radiative broadening of interface fluctuation quantum dots. For optically allowed states, the dipole moment grows proportionally to the lateral quantum dot radius while the radiative broadening saturates towards the quantum well radiative broadening for large lateral quantum dot radii. This is accompanied by a change in the angular emission pattern, concentrating emission in forward and backward direction. Optically forbidden states do not couple to light propagating in the growth direction yet they may have a considerable radiative broadening due to spontaneous emission in other directions.
Transport Airplane Risk Analysis

Risk analysis is used to identify an unsafe condition in a fleet of transport-category airplanes and to evaluate whether a proposed course of corrective action will be effective in mitigating the risk. One key element of the risk assessment is the uncorrected fleet risk, which estimates the fatalities that may occur over the remaining life of the fleet if no corrective action is taken. The uncorrected fleet risk incorporates the number of airplanes that are expected to develop damage such as cracking, whether the damage is likely to be detected over the life of the airplane, the probability that the damage will lead to an unsafe outcome such as a crash, in-flight breakup, runway departure, or individual fatality, and the historic fatality rate of the unsafe outcome. This paper presents tools that have been developed to perform the risk analysis in accordance with existing Federal Aviation Administration Orders and Policy Statements. An example analysis demonstrates the method and tools for calculating unc...
Distributed group-based vibration control with a networked embedded system

The purpose of this work is to demonstrate the performance of a distributed vibration control system based on a networked embedded system. The platform from which control is affected consists of a network of computational elements called nodes. Each node possesses its own computational capability, sensor, actuator and the ability to communicate with other nodes via a wired or wireless network. The primary focus of this work is to demonstrate the use of existing group management middleware concepts to enable vibration control with such a distributed network. Group management middleware is distributed software that provides for the establishment and maintenance of groups of distributed nodes and that provides for the network communication within such groups. The reason for developing distributed control based on group concepts is that communication of real-time sensor and actuator data among all system nodes would not be possible due to bandwidth constraints. Group management middleware provides for inter-node communications among subsets of nodes in an efficient and scalable manner. The objective of demonstrating the effectiveness of such grouping for distributed control is met by designing distributed feedback compensators that take advantage of node groups in order to affect their control. Two types of node groups are considered: groups based on physical proximity and groups based on modal sensitivity. The global control objective is to minimize the vibrational response of a rectangular plate in specific modes while minimizing spillover to out-of-bandwidth modes. Results of this investigation demonstrate that such a distributed control system can achieve vibration attenuations comparable to that of a centralized controller. The importance of efficient use of network communications bandwidth is also discussed with regard to the control architectures considered.
ELECTRON YIELD DETECTORS FOR NEAR SURFACE EXAFS AT ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE

Simple He-filled electron detectors have been developed by Kordesch and Hoffman as a method for near-surface EXAFS investigation using a reflection geometry. We report our experience on beam line XI1 at NSLS in Brookhaven National Laboratory for the gold L and nickel K edges. Thin foils were mounted such that the trahsmission and electron yield data could be obtained simultaneously. The X11 monochromator was operated in the two-crystal mode and a series of scans was taken primarily as a function of helium flow rate, and to a lesser extent, the positive voltage applied to the electron collecting gold wires. Minor changes were made in the geometry of the electron detector. The electron detector output was connected directly to a Keithley Model 427 current amplifier. Preliminary data analysis in the form of background subtraction and transformation to k (the wave vector) was done on-line. Typical data in the form of background subtracted relative yield vs. k for both transmission and electron detection indicate agreement within the linewidth of the plots. We anticipate that the interatomic spacing and coordination number determined from both the techniques will agree well. Electron-yield EXAFS data were successfully obtained from a Ni surface covered with a thin layer of H 0. This illustrates the potential of these detectors to study in-site wet electro- chemistry. A sharp white line was observedinboth transmission and electron-yield EXAFS for Ni(OH)2 and in electron yield EXAFS for NiO.
Dissociations, Developmental Psychology, and Pedagogical Design

Although dissociations in children's responses are sometimes about “getting it right” for an experimenter, they might also often reflect differences between conscious and subconscious processing that are not geared to correct performance. Research with adults also reveals many cases of dissociation, and adults can more easily be subjected to neuroimaging methods that might help shed light on dissociation. Finally, much of the research on dissociations shows that human cognition is optimized in some contexts over others. School environments often correspond to less optimizing contexts. Research on dissociation could be used to inform pedagogical design.
The effectiveness of a piezoelectric bimorph actuator to perform mechanical work under various constant loading conditions

Abstract The equations governing the energy and work relations for a piezoelectric bimorph for various mechanical boundary conditions are derived. The stored energies and external work are calculated for a clamped cantilever bimorph with an antiparallel orientation. The system is subjected to an applied voltage on one side of the beam and three different classical boundary conditions on the other side. These conditions are: a mechanical moment, M, at the end of the beam, a perpendicular force, F, applied at the tip of the beam, and a uniform load, p, across the length of the beam. The stored energies are related to the system through the canonical conjugates of the boundary conditions, namely: an angular deflection, α, a vertical deflection, δ, and a swept volume displacement, V, respectively. Through the use of these relationships the total internal energy supplied to the bimorph is calculated. The work performed by the bimorph on its environment is also calculated. With the stored energies and the work ...
Wavelength Conversion in Modulated Dual-Mode Resonators and its Equivalence to a Linear Filter Model

We present a resonant modulation scheme that enables efficient wavelength conversion. The system maps onto linear filter equations that provide straightforward analysis and optimized design. Efficiencies of silicon carrier-plasma modulator implementations are estimated.
Effect of d electrons in transition-metal ions on band-gap energies of diluted magnetic semiconductors.

We present a theoretical study of the effect of partially filled d electrons in transition-metal ions on the ${\mathit{E}}_{1}$ and ${\mathit{E}}_{1}$+${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}}_{1}$ band-gap energies of the diluted magnetic semiconductors. Semiempirical tight-binding calculations were performed to study the effects of interactions arising from the hybridization between the localized d orbitals of a transition-metal impurity and the bulk band states of II-VI semiconductors on the \ensuremath{\Gamma}- and L-point band gaps. Our results account for the concentration dependence of the L-point band gaps in the ${\mathrm{Zn}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$(Mn,Fe,Co${)}_{\mathit{x}}$Se system in the range of small x. The effect of this hybridization strongly depends on the location of the d states relative to the valence- and conduction-band levels, giving a decrease of the L-point band gaps in ${\mathrm{Zn}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Mn}}_{\mathit{x}}$Se, an increase in ${\mathrm{Zn}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Fe}}_{\mathit{x}}$Se, and very little change in ${\mathrm{Zn}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Co}}_{\mathit{x}}$Se. The exchange interaction has a much smaller effect on the band-gap energies.
Balitsky-JIMWLK evolution equation at NLO

Wilson line operators are infinite gauge factors ordered along the straight lines of the fast moving particles. Scattering amplitudes of proton-Nucleus or Nucleus-Nucleus collisions at high-energy are written in terms of matrix elements of these operators and the energy dependence of such amplitudes is obtained by the evolution equation with respect to the rapidity parameter: the Balitsky-JIMWLK evolution equation. A brief description of the derivation of the Balitsky-JIMWLK evolution equation at leading order and next- to-leading order will be presented.
Selection for resistance to white pine blister rust affects the abiotic stress tolerances of limber pine

Limber pine (Pinus flexilis) mortality is increasing across the West as a result of the combined stresses of white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola; WPBR), mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae), and dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium cyanocarpum) in a changing climate. With the continued spread of WPBR, extensive mortality will continue with strong selection against trees that lack genetic resistance to the disease. Naturally-occurring resistance to the non-native fungal pathogen C. ribicola is present in limber pine and is the cornerstone of restoration strategies. Disease resistance to native pathogens can carry a strong fitness cost to the host in the absence of the pathogen. However we suspect this to be unlikely in the case of resistance to a non-native pathogen as the resistance would not have persisted in the pre-invasion population. Genetic resistance to a novel stress which the species has not co-evolved may be neutral or carry a benefit to the host via a function that offers adaptive benefit for environmental factor(s), biotic or abiotic, under which it did evolve. Because plant disease defenses can share physiological activity with those that mediate freezing and drought stress sensitivity, both stresses for which limber pine is responsive, we compared cold and drought tolerances of limber pine seedling families from trees previously determined to have (R families) and not have (S families) the Cr4 allele for qualitative resistance to WPBR. R families constitutively had (1) greater cold hardiness than S families and (2) lower stomatal conductance than S families during moderate drought, suggesting that R and S families have different abiotic stress responses such that the post-invasion populations may have the potential for modified competitive ability, especially under a warming climate. The presence of different stress tolerances in R families may also inform hypotheses to explain the presence and frequency of a resistance gene against a non-native pathogen to which the species was not previously exposed. We conclude that as the frequency of qualitative resistance to WPBR increases, through natural selection or planting of disease resistant seedling stock, the resultant populations may have a different suite of stress tolerance traits than pre-invasion populations. The shift in the fundamental niche of limber pine in the presence of C. ribicola should be considered when selecting seed sources and habitats for restoration and projecting future distributions in a changing climate.
Minimum permanents of doubly stochastic matrices with prescribed zero entries on the main diagonal

Abstract It is shown that the set Ω n (Z k ) of n × n doubly stochastic matrices with prescribed zeros in positions (1, 1), (2, 2),..., ( k , k ) is not barycentric for k ≧ 2 and for any n , except possibly for less than k 2 + k values for n . In particular, it is shown that the sets Ω n (Z 2 ) and Ω n (Z 3 ) are not barycentric for any n ≧ 3 and n ≧ 4, respectively. The minimum value for the permanent function on the set Ω n (Z 3 ) is determined for all n , under the assumption that the minimum is achieved on a symmetric matrix in the set.
Model and Igniter Development for Plasma Assisted Combustion

Abstract : Recent progress on the authors' efforts to develop a detailed kinetic mechanism for C(sub 8)H(sub m) hydrocarbons and practical plasma igniters for plasma-assisted combustion are discussed. Shock tube validation experiments made in argon using a fixed stoichiometry (PHI = 1.0), pressures of approximately 0.95 and 1.05 atm, and temperatures ranging from 850 to 1200 K (post-reflected shock) are presented. The mechanism is being expanded to include electron kinetics and to allow for a degree of nonequilibrium modeled with separate electron and gas temperatures. Quantum calculations used to derive needed electron impact ionization/dissociation cross-sections for hydrocarbons are discussed. In addition, ignition of ethylene fuel in a Mach 2 supersonic flow with a total temperature of 590 K and pressure of 5.4 atm is demonstrated using a low frequency discharge with peak and average powers reaching 8 kW and 2.8 kW, respectively. (7 figures, 28 refs.)
Objective measures of laryngeal function after reinnervation of the anterior and posterior recurrent laryngeal nerve branches.

Previous research indicates that separate reinnervation of the anterior and posterior branches of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) can provide purposeful motion of the larynx, even after transplantation. This canine study was undertaken to better determine the results of RLN reinnervation after nerve transection distal to its bifurcation. This approximates ideal conditions for transplantation, because potential rejection and nerve branch mismatch are eliminated. Eight months after nerve repair, video, electromyographic, mechanical, and histologic data were collected on four canines. Results show return of appropriate motion without synkinesis, including purposeful abduction on endotracheal tube occlusion. Abductory function was weaker on the reinnervated side, but adduction was equal or stronger on the reinnervated vocal cord. These results indicate that this method of RLN reinnervation produces consistent, strong physiologic motion in the denervated larynx.
Discospondylitis in association with an intra-abdominal abscess in a dog

An 11-year-old German shepherd dog cross was presented with a six-week history of weight loss and abdominal distension. A diagnosis of abdominal abscess and discospondylitis was made. The dog responded to surgical excision of the abscess and conservative medical treatment for discospondylitis.
Differential effects of conductances on the phase resetting curve of a bursting neuronal oscillator

The intrinsically oscillating neurons in the crustacean pyloric circuit have membrane conductances that influence their spontaneous activity patterns and responses to synaptic activity. The relationship between the magnitudes of these membrane conductances and the response of the oscillating neurons to synaptic input has not yet been fully or systematically explored. We examined this relationship using the phase resetting curve (PRC), which summarizes the change in the cycle period of a neuronal oscillator as a function of the input's timing within the oscillation. We first utilized a large database of single-compartment model neurons to determine the effect of individual membrane conductances on PRC shape; we found that the effects vary across conductance space, but on average, the hyperpolarization-activated and leak conductances advance the PRC. We next investigated how membrane conductances affect PRCs of the isolated pacemaker kernel in the pyloric circuit of Cancer borealis by: (1) tabulating PRCs while using dynamic clamp to artificially add varying levels of specific conductances, and (2) tabulating PRCs before and after blocking the endogenous hyperpolarization-activated current. We additionally used a previously described four-compartment model to determine how the location of the hyperpolarization-activated conductance influences that current's effect on the PRC. We report that while dynamic-clamp-injected leak current has much smaller effects on the PRC than suggested by the single-compartment model, an increase in the hyperpolarization-activated conductance both advances and reduces the noisiness of the PRC in the pacemaker kernel of the pyloric circuit in both modeling and experimental studies.
The reaction π−p → pπ+π−π−π° at 20 GeV/c

Abstract Data from the reaction π − p → p π + π − π − π ° at 20 GeV/ c are studied in detail. The cross sections for the production of ϱ, ν° and ω° mesons, and Δ (1236) isobars are estimated. The channels p η ° π − and pω°π − are compared with a double Regge pole model calculation and the cross section for the contribution from individual diagrams calculated. The data are divided by the method of longitudinal phase space and each category examined in detail. A search is made for possible production of π − (1700), A 0 1 and A 2 0 and upper limits placed on their cross sections.
Compromise design of stochastic dynamical systems: A reliability-based approach

Abstract This paper presents a procedure for obtaining compromise designs of structural systems under stochastic excitation. In particular, an effective strategy for determining specific Pareto optimal solutions is implemented. The design goals are defined in terms of deterministic performance functions and/or performance functions involving reliability measures. The associated reliability problems are characterized by means of a large number of uncertain parameters (hundreds or thousands). The designs are obtained by formulating a compromise programming problem which is solved by a first-order interior point algorithm. The sensitivity information required by the proposed solution strategy is estimated by an approach that combines an advanced simulation technique with local approximations of some of the quantities associated with structural performance. An efficient Pareto sensitivity analysis with respect to the design variables becomes possible with the proposed formulation. Such information is used for decision making and tradeoff analysis. Numerical validations show that only a moderate number of stochastic analyses (reliability estimations) has to be performed in order to find compromise designs. Two example problems are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Isoflurane versus fentanyl: hemodynamic effects in cancer patients treated with anthracyclines.

Cancer patients treated with anthracycline derivatives are at risk for perioperative cardiovascular decompensation. The authors studied hemodynamic performance before, during, and after laparotomy in 14 anthracycline-treated patients with ovarian carcinoma. General anesthesia was maintained with 70% N2O in O2, and patients were randomized to receive supplementation with either isoflurane, 0.59% end-tidal +/- 0.04 (mean +/- SE), or fentanyl, 2.67 micrograms/kg +/- 0.49 as a loading dose, and a total dose of 7.16 micrograms/kg +/- 0.71. The degree of hemodynamic stability relative to the baseline was assessed. There was no obvious superiority of either technique prior to the skin incision. However, during and immediately after surgery, a clearer tendency for isoflurane-N2O to result in better hemodynamic stability was found. Isoflurane-N2O demonstrated significantly smaller change scores in systemic vascular resistance (SVR) and cardiac index (CI). At the start of surgery, the isoflurane-N2O change in SVR was 228.08 dyne.sec.cm-5 compared to 479.58 for the fentanyl patients, (P = 0.002); at the end of surgery the corresponding means were -12.09 and 703.14 dyne.sec.cm-5, respectively, (P = 0.002). Isoflurane-N2O was associated with significantly greater CI stability in the early postoperative period: the isoflurane-N2O mean change was -0.081 L/min/m2, versus -0.993 for the fentanyl-N2O patients, (P = 0.005). The authors conclude that anthracycline-treated patients who do not have overt evidence of cardiomyopathy can be safely anesthetized with either anesthetic technique. However, during surgery and in the early postoperative period, an isoflurane-N2O technique appears to offer better hemodynamic stability.
Kinematic stability issues in force control of manipulators

In active force or compliance implementations for multi-link manipulators, there is typically a kinematic coordinate transformation in the feedback path. A coordinate transformation will affect the dynamics of the closed-loop system and possibly make it unstable. It is shown that the hybrid force/position control method of Raibert and Craig (1981) exhibits such kinematically induced instabilities for revolute manipulators, whereas other force control methods, such as the stiffness control and the operational space methods, do not. Both theoretical analyses and experimental results on the MIT Serial Link Direct Drive Arm are given.
Multiple-model multiscale data fusion regulated by a mixture-of-experts network

Multiscale Kalman smoothers (MKS) have been traditionally employed for data fusion applications and estimation of topography. The standard MKS algorithm embedded with a single stochastic model has been found to give suboptimal performance in estimating nonstationary topographic variations, particularly when there are sudden changes in the terrain. In this work, multiple models are regulated by a mixture-of-experts (MOE) network to adaptively fuse the estimates. Though MOE has been widely applied to one-dimensional data, its extension to multiscale estimation is new
On the (co)girth of a connected matroid

This article studies the girth and cogirth problems for a connected matroid. The problem of finding the cogirth of a graphic matroid has been intensively studied, but studies on the equivalent problem for a vector matroid or a general matroid have been rarely reported. Based on the duality and connectivity of a matroid, we prove properties associated with the girth and cogirth of a matroid whose contraction or restriction is disconnected. Then, we devise algorithms that find the cogirth of a matroid M from the matroids associated with the direct sum components of the restriction of M. As a result, the problem of finding the (co)girth of a matroid can be decomposed into a set of smaller sub-problems, which helps alleviate the computation. Finally, we implement and demonstrate the application of our algorithms to vector matroids.
Microwave arbitrary waveform generation via open-loop, reflective geometry Fourier transform pulse shaper

We report efficient microwave arbitrary waveform generation by using an open-loop, reflective geometry Fourier transform pulse shaper via dispersively-stretched optical pulse shaping. Application of this technique to ultra-wide bandwidth radio frequency (RF) communication is also discussed.
Reproductive and repeated dose toxicity of cyclododecatriene (CDDT) in rats following oral (gavage) treatment.

ABSTRACTCyclododecatriene (CDDT, CAS No. 4904-61-4) was administered daily by oral gavage to groups of Crl:CD®(SD)IGS BR rats at dose levels of 0 (control), 30, 100, or 300 mg/kg/day. Female rats were dosed for four weeks premating, through mating, gestation, and lactation (a total of 55 to 63 days of treatment). Male rats were treated for 55 days (four weeks premating and through mating). Premating, body weights, food consumption, and clinical signs were recorded. Hematology, clinical chemistry, and urine analyses were conducted at the end of the premating period. A neurobehavioral test battery was conducted prior to and after four weeks of treatment. After the premating period, females were paired with males from the same groups for 1–2 weeks. Litters were delivered, pups were evaluated for structural integrity, and pup body weights were recorded on days 0 and 4 postpartum. Lactating females and their offspring were sacrificed on postpartum day 4. Selected organs were weighed and the tissues were examin...
Productivity Growth and Machinery Investment: A Long-Run Look, 1870-1980

Over the past century in six major economies, economic growth has been strongly associated with machinery investment, as is the case for a larger group of nations since 1950. Both macroeconomic patterns and narratives of the history of technology suggest that this association is causal—that a high rate of machinery investment appears to be a necessary prerequisite for rapid long-run growth—and points away from possibilities that rapid growth is the cause of high machinery investment or that a high rate of machinery investment is a good proxy for other factors that are important causes of growth.
Molecular analysis of the serine/threonine kinase Akt and its expression in the mosquito Aedes aegypti.

A key component of the insulin-signalling pathway, the protein kinase Akt, was identified and cloned as a cDNA from ovaries of the mosquito Aedes aegypti . An ortholog gene was found in the Anopheles gambiae genome database, and like other Akts, both mosquito Akts possess pleckstrin homology domains for membrane binding and a serine/threonine kinase domain. When Ae. aegypti ovaries were treated with bovine insulin in vitro , a putative Akt was threonine-phosphorylated, as expected for Akts. AaegAKT was only expressed in embryos for the first 6 h after oviposition and in ovaries before and during a gonotrophic cycle.
Hybridity and Its Discontents: Considering Visual Culture in Colonial Spanish America

(2003). Hybridity and Its Discontents: Considering Visual Culture in Colonial Spanish America* Colonial Latin American Review: Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 5-35.
Ideology and General Theory: The Case of Sociological Functionalism

It is a commonplace of our recent past that functionalism and the second system of Talcott Parsons (a distinctive version of functionalism) rose to power or attained hegemony in American sociology shortly after the end of World War II, retained this hegemony through the 1950s and 1960s, and lost a near-exclusive hold in the early 1970s when many of the younger sociologists abandoned a holist or transindividual perspective in favor of an interpersonal face-to-face context (associated with the social psychological concerns of symbolic interaction and ethnomethodology). What accounts for this? Why did functionalism and the second system of Parsons capture the intellectual allegiance of so many intelligent men and women in American sociology precisely at the end of World War II? What explains the almost total hegemony of this persuasion of general theory for more than two decades? Finally, what accounts for the fact that many younger sociologists withdrew their allegiance to these views at the end of the 1960s or early 1970s?
Heat Transfer and Pressure Drop Characteristics of Spirally Fluted Annuli: Part I—Hydrodynamics

We present results of a comprehensive study of heat transfert and pressure drop in annuli with spirally fluted inner tubes for the laminar, transition, and turbulent flow regimes. To understand the underlying physical phenomena responsible for heat transfer enhancement, flow mechanisms documented elsewhere are combined with pressure drop measurements to propose friction factor correlations for the low Re range (Re<800) and the high Re range (800<Re<43,500). Friction factors were found to be functions of the flute depth, pitch and angle, and the annulus radius ratio. These correlations are used in a second paper to develop Nusselt number correlations in terms of the fluted annulus friction factor. Transition in these annuli occurred in the 310<Re<1000 range.
In Vivo Activities of Simulated Human Doses of Cefepime and Cefepime-AAI101 against Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Enterobacteriaceae

The combination of cefepime with AAI101, a novel extended-spectrum β-lactamase inhibitor, possesses potent in vitro activity against many resistant Gram-negative pathogens. Against a panel of 20 mostly carbapenemase-producing cefepime-nonsusceptible strains of the family Enterobacteriaceae, we evaluated the MICs of cefepime in the presence of various fixed AAI101 concentrations (1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 mg/liter) and the in vivo efficacy of simulated human doses of cefepime and cefepime-AAI101 in a neutropenic murine thigh infection model. At 2 h after inoculation, mice were dosed with regimens that provided a profile mimicking the free drug concentration-time profile observed in humans given cefepime at 2 g every 8 h (q8h; as a 30-min infusion) or cefepime-AAI101 at 2 g/0.5 g q8h (as a 30-min infusion). Efficacy was determined by calculation of the change in thigh bacterial density (log10 number of CFU) after 24 h relative to the starting inoculum (0 h). After 24 h, bacterial growth of 2.7 ± 0.1 log10 CFU (mean ± standard error) was observed in control animals. Efficacy for cefepime monotherapy was observed against only 3 isolates, whereas increases in bacterial density similar to that in the control animals were noted for the remaining 17 strains (all with cefepime MICs of ≥64 mg/liter). The humanized cefepime-AAI101 dosing regimen resulted in bacterial reductions of ≥0.5 log10 CFU for 12 of the 20 strains. Evaluation of efficacy as a function of the fraction of the dosing interval during which free drug concentrations were above the MIC determined with different fixed concentrations of AAI101 suggested that a fixed concentration of 8 mg/liter AAI101 is most predictive of in vivo activity for the studied regimen.
A Model of Norm Development for Computer-Mediated Teamwork

The process of establishing norms is an important aspect of group dynamics. Most, if not all, of the major models of group development incorporate norming as an important part of the process. Howev...
Pain and affective memory biases interact to predict depressive symptoms in multiple sclerosis

A large literature supports a direct relationship between pain and depressive symptoms among various patient populations. Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) frequently experience both pain and depression. Despite this, no relationship between pain and depression has been found in MS. The present investigation explored the relationship between pain and depression in a sample of patients with MS. Consistent with cognitive theories of depression, results supported the hypothesis that pain would only contribute to depression when MS patients exhibited a concomitant cognitive vulnerability. Cognitive vulnerability to depression was measured using a performance based affective memory bias (AMB) task. Patients with high levels of pain and negative AMB reported more depressive symptoms compared to patients with pain and positive AMB. Implications for the identification and treatment of depression in MS are discussed.