cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Eye lenses reveal ontogenetic trophic and habitat shifts in an imperiled fish, Clear Lake Hitch Lavinia exilicauda chi

Stable isotopes recorded in fish eye lenses are an emerging tool to track dietary shifts coincident with use of diverse habitats over the lifetime of individuals. Eye lenses are metabolically inert...
Attenuated Cd8+ T Cell Activation and Infiltration of the Lungs in Severe COVID-19

The SARS-CoV-2 genome encodes many proteins that directly compromise Type I interferon-mediated innate immunity. In acute COVID-19 the consequent dysregulated hyper-inflammatory state alters the milieu of draining lymph nodes and indirectly induces anatomically restricted, weeks-long transient defects in adaptive immunity. The striking attenuation of discrete aspects of T cell immunity may facilitate the evolution of more transmissible viral variants. No techniques employed to date, including single nuclear sequencing, have revealed information on pulmonary T cell subsets in severe COVID-19. Here we demonstrate an unexpected paucity of total CD8+T cells and CD8+Granzyme B+ T cells in the lung parenchyma in acute COVID-19. Apart from broadly compromising the generation of T FH cells in draining lymph nodes, acute COVID-19 is also linked to attenuated CD8+ T cell activation and infiltration of the lungs, and the delayed pulmonary accumulation of CD4+T cells with a cytotoxic phenotype. Funding Information: This work was supported by NIH U19 AI110495 to SP. Funding for these studies from the Massachusetts Consortium of Pathogen Readiness, the Mark and Lisa Schwartz Foundation and Enid Schwartz is also acknowledged. Declaration of Interests: SP is on the Scientific Advisory Board of Abpro Inc and BeBio. There are no other competing interests for any of the authors. Ethics Approval Statement: This study was conducted with the approval of the Institutional Review Boards at the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Biochemical evidence bearing on the domestication of Phaseolus (Fabaceae) beans.

The genusPhaseolus (Fabaceae) consists of some 50 species, all of which are distributed in the Americas. Four of these contain cultigens.P. vulgaris (common bean),P. lunatus (lima bean),P. acutifolius (tepary bean),P. coccineus subsp.coccineus (runner bean); andP. coccineus subsp.polyanthus (no English vernacular name). Biochemical markers—phaseolin seed storage protein and isozymes—have provided new evidence on the organization of the first three species. Domestication has possibly caused a strong reduction in genetic diversity inP. vulgaris andP. acutifolius. BothP. vulgaris andP. lunatus cultivars result from at least two independent domestications, in Mesoamerica and in the Andes. These two species consist of two gene pools, each of which includes wild ancestors and their respective cultivated descendants. Our findings suggest the need for additional emphasis on genetic conservation of wild ancestors and their use in breeding programs and for a comparison of inter-gene pool vs. intra-gene pool crosses in breeding programs.
Sentinel-Lymphadenektomie beim Prostatakarzinom – Aktueller Stand

Bei der Sentinel-Lymphadenektomie handelt es sich um ein exzellentes Stagingverfahren mit einer uber 95%igen Sensitivitat in der Detektion positiver Lymphknoten. Wenn der/die Schildwachterlymphknoten tumorfrei ist/sind, liegt mit hoher Wahrscheinlichkeit keine Lymphknotenmetastasierung vor. Limitierende Faktoren dieses Verfahrens sind ein mehrmonatiger Hormonentzug und der Zustand nach transurethraler Resektion und suprapubischer Prostataadenomektomie. Dann kann die Technik im Einzelfall versagen. Bei positiven Schildwachterlymphknoten konnen auch Nicht-Schildwachterlymphknoten positiv sein. Diese Lymphknotenmetastasen liegen dann auch auserhalb der SLN-Region. Bei hoherem Metastasierungsrisiko sollte daher die Sentinel-Lymphadenektomie mit einer ausgedehnten Lymphknotendissektion kombiniert werden.
Structures of two HaeIII-type genes in the human salivary proline-rich protein multigene family

Abstract Two members of the human salivary proline-rich protein (PRP) multigene family have been isolated and completely sequenced. These PRP genes, PRH1 and PRH2, are of the HaeIII-type subfamily and code for acidic PRP proteins. Both genes are approximately 3.5 kilobase pairs (kb) in length and contain four exons. Exon 3 encodes the proline-rich part of the protein and includes five 63-base pair (bp) repeats. CAT and ATA boxes and several possible enhancer sequences occur in a 1-kb region 5' to exon 1. Two sets of repeats occur in the sequenced region in addition to the 63-bp repeats: one pair of about 140 bp flanks 500 bp of DNA in the first intervening sequence, and the other pair of 72 bp is tandemly repeated 1.4 kb 5' to the PRH1 gene. The 4-kb region of sequenced DNA from PRH1 differs by an average of 8.7% from the same region in PRH2, but the nucleotide sequences of the exon 3 of the two genes differ by only 0.2%. This result suggests the occurrence of a recent gene conversion event. The regions containing the 5-fold repeated sequences of 63 bp are identical in the two genes, PRH1 and PRH2. A comparison of the human HaeIII and BstNI subfamily repeats and a comparison of the human, mouse, and rat repeats suggest that the individual repeats have evolved in a concerted fashion within each gene and within the PRP gene family as a whole.
Mitochondrial phosphate transport: Import of the H+/Pi symporter and role of the presequence

The rat liver mitochondrial phosphate transporter contains a 44-amino acid presequence. The role of this presequence is not clear since the ADP/ATP carrier and the brown fat uncoupling protein, related members of a family of inner membrane anion transporters, lack a presequence and contain targeting information within the mature protein. Here, we present evidence that the rat liver mitochondrial phosphate transporter can be synthesized in vitro, imported into mitochondria, and processed to a protein of Mr 33,000. Import requires the membrane potential and external nucleotide triphosphate. The presequence inserts into the outer mitochondrial membrane, and import proceeds via a process similar to other proteins destined for the inner membrane or matrix. A mutant phosphate transporter lacking 35 amino acids at the NH2 terminus of the presequence has little capacity for mitochondrial import. The rat liver phosphate transporter is also imported and processed by rat kidney mitochondria and by mitochondria from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A site-directed mutation of the N-ethyl-maleimide reactive cysteine 41 does not affect import or processing. The results presented show that optimal import of the mitochondrial phosphate transporter, unlike the ADP/ATP carrier and the brown fat uncoupling protein, is dependent on a presequence. As these carriers are believed to have evolved from a single gene, it seems likely that the H+/Pi carrier, known to be present in prokaryotes, appeared first and that subsequent evolutionary events leading to the other anion carriers eliminated the presequence.
The Economic Effect of the Graying of the Population

Important socio-economic trends are based on demographics. For instance, a number of scholars, such as Jackson and Howe (2008), are concerned about a current demographic trend that runs counter to past trends. Most notably, they are concerned that the great powers (in terms of wealth, military strategy, or population) are aging at remarkably divergent rates. For instance, the US is barely aging. It is one of the youngest developed countries, and the age gap between the US and other developed nations is projected to widen. The US will likely remain a great power and is indeed the only developed country with the capacity to remain a great country. The US was the third most populous country in the world in 1950 and is forecasted to remain so in 2050. The idea of rapidly growing populations through the developing world is also an outdated trend. Only a few areas of the developing world, such as sub-Saharan Africa and some Muslim countries, such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, have high fertility rates. Fertility has trended downward in most other developing countries. The concern is that aging populations will not prosper. For instance, an individual’s creativity in art peaks between the ages of 30 and 50, and Nobel achievements peak when people are in their 30s (see Jackson and Howe, 2008, p. 111). While immigration is setting new records in many countries, (e.g., the US has 13% immigrants), immigration does not seem to be a solution for the problems many aging countries will be facing. For instance, according to Jackson and Howe (2008, p. 122-126), Hispanic immigrants entering the US are more productive than the Muslims who are the primary immigrants in many European countries. While scholars have developed many theories about how population graying may be a serious long-run problem, there has been little evidence testing this theory. An exception is Bloom et al. (2009), who show, in the long run, low rates of fertility are associated with diminished economic growth. A notable exception to the thesis
High-Performance Serverless Data Transfer over Wide-Area Networks

We propose a server less data movement architecture in which we bypass data transfer nodes, the file system stack, and the host system stack and directly move the data from one disk array controller to another in order to obtain the highest end-to-end performance. Under the current data movement architecture, separate data transfer nodes arbitrate data transfer by input/output to parallel file systems over local-area networks and parallel file systems read/write actual data from/to disks through disk controllers. Our new architecture embeds parallel file system servers and data transfer processes into a disk controller to eliminate the data path between a data transfer process and a parallel file system. This prevents the network between those two entities from being a bottleneck in end-to-end data transfer. In addition, we propose a parallel data-layout-aware data transfer, where multiple embedded data transfer processes send segments of a file concurrently while considering data layout in disks to improve data transfer performance. Our experimental results show that our proposed architecture is feasible and outperforms the traditional architecture significantly.
Suggestion and Analysis for a New Optical Test of General Relativity

Experiments in general relativity are notoriously difficult. As Misner, Thorne and Wheeler put it in their classic book [1], “For the first half century of its life, general relativity was a theorist’s paradise but an experimentalist’s hell”. Recently, however, the tools of modern technology in the hands of heroic researchers have led to new tests of general relativity. We here suggest and analyze possible new tests [2] of general relativity using the techniques of precision ring laser interferometry. A ring laser mounted on a rotating platform is analyzed and two experiments suggested. This apparatus would measure the curvature parameter γ and the drag parameters Δ1 and Δ2. It is our hope that the present article will stimulate the critical discussions necessary in order to decide the ultimate feasibility of the proposed experiments. Possible applications of such studies to the fields of inertial guidance and geophysics are apparent.
People Are Funny: Pictures for Practice

Comics and Conversation: Using Humor to Elicit Conversation and Develop Vocabulary. Joan Ashkenas
Effects of Glucagon on Amino Acid Transport and Utilization in the Perfused Rat Liver

The effects of glucagon on the output of amino acids by the isolated rat liver perfused with recirculating medium were to decrease that of glycine, glutamate, and phenylalanine; to increase greatly that of leucine, isoleucine, valine, and tyrosine; and to increase slightly that of lysine and histidine. In livers perfused with nonrecirculating medium containing amino acids at concentrations found in plasma from normal rats, glucagon produced changes in intracellular and extracellular concentrations which suggested a stimulation of (a) intracellular utilization of glycine, alanine, glutamate, and phenylalanine; (b) intracellular production of leucine, isoleucine, and valine; and (c) inward transport of lysine and, in other experiments, the nonmetabolizable amino acids, α-aminoisobutyrate and 1-aminocyclopentane carboxylic acid. The changes in amino acid concentrations caused by glucagon resembled those found in diabetic animals.
The Trans‐Pacific Partnership: Can the United States Lead the Way in Asia–Pacific Integration?

High stakes are involved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade negotiations: the United States seems to be on the verge of redirecting Asian regionalism towards an Asia–Pacific trade grouping that proclaims will not tolerate sectoral exclusions and will tackle head on non-tariff barriers (long considered glaring deficiencies of most free trade agreements). However, US domestic politics may prevent the realization of these lofty objectives. The influence of internal political constraints is evident in three areas: (i) the United States has pushed for a hybrid approach on market access negotiations that clouds the prospects of TPP adhering to the no-carve-out mantra; (ii) US trade negotiators have ramped up their negotiation objectives into a so-called platinum standard that could impose heavy preconditions on accession for new members and diminish the chances of growing the TPP membership; and (iii) the protracted ratification process and lack of trade promotion authority undermines the credibility of the United States in the eyes of prospective trade partners.
Analysis of GaN power MOSFET exporsure to pulsed overcurrents

The advancement of wide bandgap semiconductor materials has led to the development of Gallium Nitride (GaN) power semiconductor devices, specifically GaN Power MOSFETs. GaN devices have improved characteristics in carrier mobility and on-state resistance compared to Silicon solid state switches. With the development of these new power semiconductor devices a need was established to understand the behavior of the devices switching performance under stress, with regards to situations in pulsing circuits. Through the examination of the switching characteristics of GaN devices, the results can be used for the improvement of advanced pulsing circuit design with GaN solid state switches. In this paper the authors develop a test bed to expose the GaN Power MOSFETs to single and repetitive pulsed overcurrents. The test bed was developed using a Pulse Ring Down board in a radially symmetric configuration to minimize the total equivalent inductance and resistance. The test bed switches the GaN MOSFET with low impedance between the DC bus and ground to induce the stress the MOSFET experiences during pulsed overcurrents. The DC characteristics were measured between switching sets to reveal characteristic signs of potential degradation and failure modes due to pulsed overcurrents. The single and repetitive pulse switching characteristics are captured, analyzed, and shown.
Concreteness effects in bilingual and monolingual word learning.

Previous studies have demonstrated that bilingualism can facilitate novel-word learning. However, the mechanisms behind this bilingual advantage remain unknown. Here, we examined whether bilinguals may be more sensitive to semantic information associated with the novel words. To that end, we manipulated the concreteness of the referent in the word-learning paradigm, since concrete words have been shown to activate the semantic system more robustly than abstract words do. The results revealed that the bilingual advantage was stronger for novel words learned in association with concrete rather than abstract referents. These findings suggest that bilingual advantages for word learning may be rooted, at least in part, in bilinguals’ greater sensitivity to semantic information during learning.
Time-harmonic magnetic resonance elastography of the normal feline brain.

Abstract Imaging of the mechanical properties of in vivo brain tissue could eventually lead to non-invasive diagnosis of hydrocephalus, Alzheimer's disease and other pathologies known to alter the intracranial environment. The purpose of this work is to (1) use time-harmonic magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) to estimate the mechanical property distribution of cerebral tissue in the normal feline brain and (2) compare the recovered properties of grey and white matter. Various in vivo and ex vivo brain tissue property measurement strategies have led to the highly variable results that have been reported in the literature. MR elastography is an imaging technique that can estimate mechanical properties of tissue non-invasively and in vivo . Data was acquired in 14 felines and elastic parameters were estimated using a globo-regional nonlinear image reconstruction algorithm. Results fell within the range of values reported in the literature and showed a mean shear modulus across the subject group of 7–8 kPa with all but one animal falling within 5–15 kPa. White matter was statistically stiffer ( p 0.01 ) than grey matter by about 1 kPa on a per subject basis. To the best of our knowledge, the results reported represent the most extensive set of estimates in the in vivo brain which have been based on MRE acquisition of the three-dimensional displacement field coupled to volumetric shear modulus image reconstruction achieved through nonlinear parameter estimation. However, the inter-subject variation in mean shear modulus indicates the need for further study, including the possibility of applying more advanced models to estimate the relevant tissue mechanical properties from the data.
The surgical management of severe gastroparesis in heart/lung transplant recipients.

This article describes the use of gastric bypass surgery for severe gastroparesis in two lung transplant recipients. In addition to feeding intolerance, both our patients suffered from severe erosive esophagitis, transfusion-dependent upper GI hemorrhage, and recurrent aspiration pneumonia. They responded poorly to promotility agents and were eventually treated with Roux-en-Y esophagojejunostomy—one patient with subtotal gastrectomy, and one with gastric bypass without distal gastric resection. Both cases were improved by surgery. Early surgical referral may be indicated in the management of lung transplant recipients with severe symptomatic gastroparesis in whom medical management has failed. On the basis of our experience, gastric bypass with esophagojejunostomy is a worthwhile option in lung transplant recipients with severe gastroparesis.
Neural network architecture for control

Two important computational features of neural networks are associative storage and retrieval of knowledge, and uniform rate of convergence of network dynamics independent of network dimension. It is indicated how these properties can be used for adaptive control through the use of neural network computation algorithms, and resulting computational advantages are outlined. The neuromorphic control approach is compared to model reference adaptive control on a specific example. It is shown that the utilization of neural networks for adaptive control offers definite speed advantages over traditional approaches for very-large-scale systems. >
Identical twins with deletion 16q syndrome: Evidence that 16q12.2-q13 is the critical band region

An interstitial deletion of the long arm of chromosome 16 has been identified in identical twins. These patients are strikingly similar phenotypically to previously reported cases of deletion 16q syndrome but differ chromosomally in that their deletion involves the 16q12.2-q13 rather than the 16q21. We propose that the 16q12.2-q13 is the “critical region” in the production of this rare but distinctive phenotype.
A mesh-independent interface technology for simulation of mixed-mode delamination growth

An effective interface element technology is presented for connecting and simulating crack growth between independently modeled finite element subdomains (e.g., composite plies). This method has been developed using penalty constraints and allows coupling of finite element models whose nodes do not necessarily coincide along their common interface. Additionally, the present formulation leads to a computational approach that is very efficient and completely compatible with existing commercial software. The present interface element has been implemented in the commercial finite element code ABAQUS as a user element subroutine (UEL), making it easy to test the approach for a wide range of problems. The interface element technology has been formulated to simulate delamination growth in composite laminates. Thanks to its special features, the interface element approach makes it possible to release portions of the interface surface whose length is smaller than that of the finite elements. In addition, the penalty parameter can vary within the interface element, allowing the damage model to be applied to a desired fraction of the interface between the two meshes. Results for double cantilever beam DCB, end-loaded split (ELS) and fixed-ratio mixed mode (FRMM) specimens are presented. These results are compared to measured data to assess the ability of the present damage model to simulate crack growth.
Theory of effective drug release from medical implants based on the Higuchi model and physico-chemical hydrodynamics

Combining the approach of colloid transport with the generalized Higuchi theory of drug release and with the concept of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) known in microbiology, the theory of effective drug release from implants has been developed. Effective release of an antibiotic at a concentration above MIC is a necessary condition to achieve protection against infection from implants such as central catheters. The Higuchi theory in its present form is not predictive of the therapeutic effect from medical implants. The theory of effective release presented in this paper specifies two release modes, namely: one with therapeutic usefulness (effective release) and another without therapeutic effect. Therapeutic usefulness may be achieved when the antibiotic concentration, Cti, on the implant surface kills the organisms of interest and prevents the formation and propagation of biofilm when Cti exceeds the corresponding MIC of the released antibiotic compound. Currently, neither the Higuchi theory nor any other theory can provide such prediction. The present approach requires quantification of the antibiotic transport from the drug–polymer blend implant surface into the tissue and accounts for its coupling with drug diffusion inside the blend, a task that has not been developed in existing theories. Our solution to this task resulted in the derivation of an equation for the time of duration of effective release, Te, which depends on MIC, the Higuchi invariant and the characteristics of convective diffusion within the tissue. The latter characteristics include: diffusivity Dti and diffusion layer thickness δ which is controlled by the velocity of the interstitial fluid in tissue. A smaller Dti is favorable because transport from the catheter surface is weaker, while a thinner diffusion layer is harmful because this transport is stronger. The influence of the tangential component of interstitial velocity in the tissue is especially harmful because the diffusion within the incision exit site (IES) will be extremely enhanced such that it may decrease Cti to zero. The incorporation of convective diffusion into the theory of antibacterial protection by means of antibiotic release has revealed that physicochemical mechanisms predict the effectiveness of antibiotic-loaded catheters and defines the conditions necessary to achieve better protection by means of combining the level of catheter loading with antibiotics and the use of wound (IES) dressing.
Bridge Frost Prediction by Heat and Mass Transfer Methods

Abstract Frost on roadways and bridges can present hazardous conditions to motorists, particularly when it occurs in patches or on bridges when adjacent roadways are clear of frost. To minimize materials costs, vehicle corrosion, and negative environmental impacts, frost-suppression chemicals should be applied only when, where, and in the appropriate amounts needed to maintain roadways in a safe condition for motorists. Accurate forecasts of frost onset times, frost intensity, and frost disappearance (e.g., melting or sublimation) are needed to help roadway maintenance personnel decide when, where, and how much frost-suppression chemical to use. A finite-difference algorithm (BridgeT) has been developed that simulates vertical heat transfer in a bridge based on evolving meteorological conditions at its top and bottom as supplied by a weather forecast model. BridgeT simulates bridge temperatures at numerous points within the bridge (including its upper and lower surface) at each time step of the weather fo...
Quantum optics: Linking crystals with a single photon

Linking distant quantum memories with light has been a goal of the quantum information community for many years. A team at the University of Geneva has now demonstrated that memories made from rare-earth-ion-doped crystals can be connected using a single photon.
A Light-Field Image Sensor in 180 nm CMOS

This paper presents a CMOS image sensor which captures local incident angle and intensity information from the light it records. The 400×384 pixel array employs 7.5 μm angle-sensitive pixels, which use pairs of local diffraction gratings above a photodiode to detect incident angle. The gratings are implemented with the metal interconnect layers of CMOS manufacturing technology and therefore require no post-processing or external optics. Fabricated in a 180 nm mixed-mode CMOS process, the sensor requires only a single lens to create a light-field image. Using the information contained in a single image, we demonstrate range finding with 2.5 mm precision at 1 m and post-capture refocus on complex visual scenes.
The Value of Feedback and Goal Setting Over Goal Setting Alone and Potential Moderators of this Effect: a Meta-Analysis

This meta-analysis extends goal setting research by using 16 effect sizes to compare feedback plus goal setting conditions to goal-setting-only conditions (d = .63). Moderator analyses provided strong support for task complexity as a moderator of the magnitude of the resulting effect size. The effect size for complex tasks was found to be over double the value for simple tasks. The source of external feedback, on the other hand, did not moderate the effect of adding feedback to goal setting.
The potential of the Earth'S magnetic secular variation

Data on secular variation given by Fisk for the epoch 1920–1925 are described. From these data are obtained new isoporic charts showing the geographical distribution of the north and east components of the variation. Tentative measures are applied to test the accuracy of the data. In making these tests it is assumed that the secular variation of the Earth's non-potential field, if the latter exists, should be very small or zero, in the case of accurate magnetic data. Line-integrals were evaluated for the horizontal component of secular change taken along parallels of latitude and meridians of longitude, and also around tesseral areas. The results indicated that these line-integrals would vanish if the error in the data averaged along the path of integration were less than about 20 per cent of the observed secular change as given by Fisk, except in south polar regions where the average error along parallels of latitude is estimated to exceed 100 per cent. The values of the line-integrals were found to vary in a systematic way over the Earth, thus strongly suggesting the presence of important systematic as well as accidental errors in world-wide maps of the Earth's field.
Performance and ergonomic characteristics of expert surgeons using a face-mounted display during virtual reality-simulated laparoscopic surgery: an electromyographically based study.

Display positions for laparoscopy in current operating rooms may not be optimal for surgeon comfort or task performance, and face-mounted displays (FMDs) have been forwarded as a potential ergonomic solution. Little is known concerning expert use characteristics of these devices that might help define their role in future surgical care. The authors report the performance and ergonomic characterization of an FMD using virtual reality simulation technology to recreate the surgical environment. An FMD was studied in short- and long-duration trials of validated virtual reality–simulated surgical tasks. For the short-duration phase 7, expert surgeons were familiarized with a task on a conventional monitor, then returned on two separate occasions to repeat the task with the FMD while digital photos were taken during task performance and at the end in a standardized fashion. For the long-duration phase 5, expert surgeons performed two separate trials with repetitive groups of validated tasks for a minimum of 30 min while electromyelogram and performance data were measured. Photos of their gaze angle during and at the end of the trial were taken. All the participants consistently assumed a gaze angle slightly below horizontal during task performance. Performance scores on the FMD did not differ from those obtained with a conventional display, and remained stable with repetitive task performance. No participant had electromyelogram signals that exceeded the established thresholds for fatigue, but some had values within the threshold range. The natural gaze angle during simulated surgery was consistently a bit below horizontal during rigorous virtual reality–simulated tasks. Performance was not compromised during expert surgeons’ use of an FMD, nor did muscle fatigue characteristics arise under these conditions. The findings suggest that these devices may represent a viable alternative to conventional displays for minimally invasive surgery, but definition of specific roles requires further investigation.
Long-term outcome following Intensive Residential Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

Abstract Background IRT has been demonstrated as an effective treatment for severe, refractory OCD. Methods Consecutive IRT subjects were ascertained over a 12 month period (female N = 26, male N = 35). Psychometric measures were completed at admission and discharge from the McLean/MGH OCD Institute IRT, including the Yale-Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSA)( N = 61). These measures were repeated at one ( N = 57), three ( N = 42) and six months ( N = 36) following discharge. This study was IRB approved. Results OCD mean severity did not significantly worsen from discharge to the one (17.4, SD 6.5), three (16.5, SD 7.4) or six month (16.2, SD 7.3) follow-up ( p > 0.25). Furthermore, the significant improvement from admission was maintained at each of the one (17.4, SD 6.5), three (16.5, SD 7.4) and six month (16.2, SD SD 7.3) follow-up time points ( p p = 0.01), and were less likely to have comorbid illnesses ( p = 0.02). There were no significant differences found between study dropouts and completers with regards to YBOCS scores ( P > 0.47). Conclusion In the first OCD IRT long-term follow-up study to date, findings have indicated that mean treatment gains were maintained at one, three, and six months post-discharge. This finding is important as it suggests that improvements of OCD severity were subsequently retained in home and work environments. Improvement of depression severity from admission was also maintained.
Singular perturbation theorems for semibounded operators

Abstract Rate of convergence theorems are proven for eigenvalues and eigenvectors of an operator formally given by A ψμ μ ψμ =(ψA+μL+B)μ ψ,μ =γ ψμ μ ψμ , where A , B , b are lower semibounded, to those of B as ϵ and μ decrease to zero. These theorems are applied to singular perturbation of elliptic differential eigenvalue problems with additional conclusions obtained in the one-parameter case μ ≡ 0. Perturbation problems are also considered for the corresponding Schroedinger equations of motion with application to estimates of transition probabilities.
Aspects of nonnormality for iterative methods

Abstract Recently new optimal Krylov subspace methods have been discovered for normal matrices. In light of this, novel ways to quantify nonnormality are considered in connection with various families of matrices. We use as a criterion how, for a given matrix, these iterative methods introduced can be employed via, e.g., inexpensive matrix factorizations. The unitary orbit of the set of binormal matrices provides a natural extension of normal matrices. Its elements yield polynomially normal matrices of moderate degree. In this context several matrix nearness problems arise.
Ultrafast and nanosecond laser-induced desorption of positive ions from lithium fluoride single crystals

We compare desorption of positive ions from lithium fluoride single crystals following pulsed laser excitation using either femtosecond (180 fs, 265 nm) or nanosecond (3 ns, 266 nm) sources. Following optical excitation, desorbed ions are mass analyzed using standard time-of-flight techniques. Several important differences between nanosecond and femtosecond excitation are revealed. Femtosecond excitation produces higher kinetic energy Li+ than does nanosecond excitation (10 eV vs. 5 eV) while nanosecond excitation yields significant quantities of impurity ions Na+ and K+, in addition to efficient Li+ emission. The Li+ desorption threshold is similar for both laser sources. This similarity is a surprising result, as sub-bandgap nanosecond pulses are only likely to excite defect states efficiently (via linear excitation), while the ultrahigh peak-power femtosecond pulses could in principle induce multiphoton and avalanche excitation. Femtosecond excitation results in much less complicated time-of-flight spectra, as predominantly Li+ is detected with some H+ also observed. We have measured the Li+ yield as a function of time delay between two sub-threshold femtosecond laser pulses. We find that the majority of the Li+ yield decays rapidly, largely within the fs pulse duration. However, a weak but measurable decay component of approximately 2 ps is indicated.
Analysis of torsional moments on tall buildings

Abstract Spectra of fluctuating wind forces on tall buildings can be determined experimentally from wind-tunnel-model tests either by measuring base torques using a force balance or by integrating the pressures measured on the sides of the model. The force balance technique is less costly, but may substantially overestimate the actual generalized forces. This study examines the relation between the spectra of base torques and generalized torques experienced by tall buildings.
Systematic assessment of growth factor treatment on biochemical and biomechanical properties of engineered articular cartilage constructs.

Summary Objective: To determine the effects of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I), and transforming growth factor-b1 (TGF-b1) on the biochemical and biomechanical properties of engineered articular cartilage constructs under serum-free conditions. Methods: A scaffoldless approach for tissue engineering, the self-assembly process, was employed. The study consisted of two phases. In the first phase, the effects of BMP-2, IGF-I, and TGF-b1, at two concentrations and two dosage frequencies each were assessed on construct biochemical and biomechanical properties. In phase II, the effects of growth factor combination treatments were determined. Compressive and tensile mechanical properties, glycosaminoglycan (GAG) and collagen content, histology for GAG and collagen, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) for collagen types I and II were assessed. Results: In phase I, BMP-2 and IGF-I treatment resulted in significant, >1-fold increases in aggregate modulus, accompanied by increases in GAG production. Additionally, TGF-b1 treatment resulted in significant, w1-fold increases in both aggregate modulus and tensile modulus, with corresponding increases in GAG and collagen content. In phase II, combined treatment with BMP-2 and IGF-I increased aggregate modulus and GAG content further than either growth factor alone, while TGF-b1 treatment alone remained the only treatment to also enhance tensile properties and collagen content. Discussion: This study determined systematically the effects of multiple growth factor treatments under serum-free conditions, and is the first to demonstrate significant increases in both compressive and tensile biomechanical properties as a result of growth factor treatment. These findings are exciting as coupling growth factor application with the self-assembly process resulted in tissue engineered constructs with functional properties approaching native cartilage values. a 2008 Osteoarthritis Research Society International. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy characterization of the effects of etching ZnxCd1−xTe surfaces

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used for the first time to characterize the chemical composition of modified surfaces of ZnxCd1−xTe single crystals. These surface treatments were selected for their relevance to device preparation procedures. The XPS peaks indicated an increase of the tellurium and a depletion of the cadmium concentrations upon etching in bromine methanol solution. AFM revealed the formation of pronounced Te inclusions. Higher x values correlated with a decrease in residual bromine left on the surface, while cut and polished samples had higher oxide concentrations and increased bromination of the surface than cleaved samples.
Composite of A and F-type 5′ terminal sequences defines a subfamily of mouse LINE-1 elements

The 5' terminus of full-length L1 elements contains transcriptional control sequences. In mouse L1 (L1Md) elements, these sequences exist as an array of tandem direct repeats. Two types of repeat units, termed A-monomers and F-monomers, have been reported. Both monomers are about 200 bp in length but share no significant sequence homology. Previous studies have identified L1Md elements containing either A or F-monomers but not both. Here we describe three "composite" L1Md elements that contain both types of monomer sequence. Two of these composite L1Md elements are highly homologous and share the same structural rearrangements, implying that they arose from a common ancestor that has the same composite 5' end.
Nonnegative Matrix Tri-factorization Based High-Order Co-clustering and Its Fast Implementation

The fast growth of Internet and modern technologies has brought data involving objects of multiple types that are related to each other, called as Multi-Type Relational data. Traditional clustering methods for single-type data rarely work well on them, which calls for new clustering techniques, called as high-order co-clustering (HOCC), to deal with the multiple types of data at the same time. A major challenge in developing HOCC methods is how to effectively make use of all available information contained in a multi-type relational data set, including both inter-type and intra-type relationships. Meanwhile, because many real world data sets are often of large sizes, clustering methods with computationally efficient solution algorithms are of great practical interest. In this paper, we first present a general HOCC framework, named as Orthogonal Nonnegative Matrix Tri-factorization (O-NMTF), for simultaneous clustering of multi-type relational data. The proposed O-NMTF approach employs Nonnegative Matrix Tri-Factorization (NMTF) to simultaneously cluster different types of data using the inter-type relationships, and incorporate intra-type information through manifold regularization, where, different from existing works, we emphasize the importance of the orthogonal ties of the factor matrices of NMTF. Based on O-NMTF, we further develop a novel Fast Nonnegative Matrix Tri-Factorization (F-NMTF) approach to deal with large-scale data. Instead of constraining the factor matrices of NMTF to be nonnegative as in existing methods, F-NMTF constrains them to be cluster indicator matrices, a special type of nonnegative matrices. As a result, the optimization problem of the proposed method can be decoupled, which results in sub problems of much smaller sizes requiring much less matrix multiplications, such that our new algorithm scales well to real world data of large sizes. Extensive experimental evaluations have demonstrated the effectiveness of our new approaches.
Auto-avulsion and resolution of corneal pterygium.

ABSTRACTPurposeCorneal pterygium is a frequently encountered ocular condition in clinical practice. The lesion presents as a fibrous, winged-like growth that typically manifests on the nasal aspect of the conjunctiva and cornea. Pterygia can be surgically removed by excision when they cause signific
BitDeposit: deterring attacks and abuses of cloud computing services through economic measures

Dependability in cloud computing applications can be negatively affected by various attacks or service abuses. To come ahead of this threat, we propose an economic measure to deter attacks and various service abuses in cloud computing applications. Our proposed defense is based on requiring a service user to pay a small deposit, using digital currency, before invoking the service. Once they are done using the service, and there has been no detected abuse or attack, the deposit is paid back by the service provider to the service user. If an attack or an abuse is detected, the service user is not paid back and the service provider gets to keep the deposit. We propose the use of micro payments with a decentralized nature and small transaction fees, such as the Bit coin digital currency. Moreover, thanks to the existence of money exchanges which convert the Bit coin currency to real world currency, service providers can recoup loses when they exchange the confiscated deposits for real world currency.
Genomics Gets Personal

Review of : My Beautiful Genome: Exposing Our Genetic Future, One Quirk at a Time ; Lone Frank; (2011). Oneworld Publications, Oxford, England. 313 pages.
Benign Focal Epileptiform Discharges in Children After Severe Head Trauma : Prognostic Value and Clinical Course

Purpose: To assess the occurrence and prognosis of benign focal epileptiform discharges (BFED) in EEG after severe head trauma (SHT) in children. Methods: Between January 1987 and December 1994, 47 of 828 children with anamnestic SHT showed a single or dominant epileptic focus in EEG. Spike wave localization and morphology were either suggestive for BFED (group I, 21 children) or were suspected to be symptomatic (group II, 26 children). We analyzed the course of epilepsy and epileptic discharges in EEG. neuroradiologic findings, neurologic outcome, and school adjustment. Results: After SHT, spike waves appeared immediately (within 72 h) or delayed (maximum 7 years) and disappeared between ages 3 and 14 years in 14 children of group I and between ages 8 and 23 years in 10 of group II. Children with persistent spike waves in group I were all younger than 14 years; in group II, seven were older than 15 years. Computed tomographic (CT) lesions, ipsilateral to the epileptic focus, were seen in 10 children of group I and 15 of group II. Early seizures occurred in nine children of group I and eight of group II and late-onset seizures in one of group I and nine of group II (p = 0.028). Epilepsy developed in three children of group I and 12 of group II and was drug refractory in six children of group II, all with persistent epileptic foci. Regular schools were attended by 14 (67%) children in group I and 12 (48%) of group II. Conclusions: Benign focal epileptiform discharges in post-traumatic EEGs have the same favorable prognosis as in benign focal epilepsy and should be handled as recommended for classic benign focal epilepsy. Benign focal epileptiform discharges-Benign focal epilepsy
On display of space filling atomic models in real-time

Earlier work on real-time display of planar polygonal three-dimensional object scenes is extended to the inclusion of repetitive curved surfaces. In earlier work the visible scene components were calculated and reduced to scan line encoded image segments to generate real-time cartoons. That work was limited to visible planar surface elements because of the display algorithms employed. Display time is limited to 33 ms so that scan-interlaced TV may be used. Curved surfaces would normally be approximated by a large number of facets; however, Mach effect's faceting of the surface will occur for all but the simplest cases. Point by point curved surface shading is examined in detail so that special hardware may be defined for displaying the visible surface parts in 33 ms. The hardware concepts employed can be extended to other simple curvatures that appear repeatedly in a visible scene. CONTENT INDICATORS: 3.13, 6.22, 6.35, 6.4, 3.89.
An efficient Foxtail mosaic virus vector system with reduced environmental risk

Background Plant viral vectors offer high-yield expression of pharmaceutical and commercially important proteins with a minimum of cost and preparation time. The use of Agrobacterium tumefaciens has been introduced to deliver the viral vector as a transgene to each plant cell via a simple, nonsterile infiltration technique called "agroinoculation". With agroinoculation, a full length, systemically moving virus is no longer necessary for excellent protein yield, since the viral transgene is transcribed and replicates in every infiltrated cell. Viral genes may therefore be deleted to decrease the potential for accidental spread and persistence of the viral vector in the environment.
The complexity of the validity problem for dynamic logic

It is shown that any non-first-order fragment of quantificational dynamic logic with certain natural syntactic closure properties has a Π 2 0 -hard validity problem. (Somewhat weaker assumptions give a “ Δ 2 0 -hard” validity problem.) Examples show this best possible with such hypotheses, and the weakest natural syntactic closure assumptions, not satisfied by the given examples with Π 2 0 validity problem, immediately give rise to Π 1 1 -completeness. This confirms the pattern arising from complexity determinations by Harel, Meyer, and Pratt (“Proceedings, 9th ACM Symposium Theory of Compuring,” 1977). Also, virtually any non-first-order fragment must fail to have uniformly relative recursive enumerability of logical consequence.
Enforcement of Alcohol-Impaired Driving Laws in the United States: A National Survey of State and Local Agencies

Objectives: Enforcement of alcohol-impaired driving laws is an important component of efforts to prevent alcohol-involved motor vehicle fatalities. Little is known about the use of drinking–driving enforcement strategies by state and local law enforcement agencies or whether the use of strategies differs by agency and jurisdiction characteristics.Methods: We conducted two national surveys, with state patrol agencies (n = 48) and with a sample of local law enforcement agencies (n = 1,082) selected according to state and jurisdiction population size. We examined 3 primary enforcement strategies (sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols, and enforcement of open container laws) and tested whether use of these strategies differed by jurisdiction and agency characteristics across state and local law enforcement agenciesResults: Most state patrol agencies reported conducting sobriety checkpoints (72.9%) and saturation patrols (95.8%), whereas less than half (43.8%) reported enforcing open container laws. In cont...