cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Positron emission tomography in a premenopausal asymptomatic woman: a case report of increased ovarian uptake in a benign condition

Positron emission tomography (PET) use is increasing; however, optimal utilization in gynecologic oncology remains unclear. PET is expensive, has limited anatomic detail, and it may be difficult to differentiate benign ovarian lesions from malignant lesions when PET is used. A 43-year-old female volunteer9s PET scan revealed increased uptake in the left ovary. A subsequent extensive evaluation was entirely normal; however, the patient pursued excision with only a corpus luteum on final pathology. There is a dearth of information regarding PET scan ovarian abnormalities in asymptomatic premenopausal patients, as much of the literature focuses on women with a known ovarian lesion or cancer. Our case represents an increasingly common situation: evaluation and management of an asymptomatic woman with a positive PET scan. As more clinicians encounter PET scan abnormalities, it is imperative that the medical literature documents the limitations of this technology, especially in premenopausal women.
A note on measurement of injection aversiveness

Abstract The purposes of this experiment were to determine if there was a difference in the behavioral reaction of cattle during an injection of either doramectin 1% injectable solution or ivermectin 1% injectable solution, and to determine if it is possible to measure small differences in aversiveness. Sixty-one red Angus-cross, two-year-old heifers were used. Each animal was held in a squeeze chute and given a 9-ml subcutaneous injection of doramectin, ivermectin or sterile saline. To separate the behavioral effects of needle insertion from the animal's reaction to each substance a 19-gauge butterfly needle with a 30-cm tube was used to prevent the pressure of the syringe from affecting the animal's behavior. Two observers, who were blind to the treatment, rated the behavioral reactions to the injections. The aversiveness of the injection was scored on a four number rating scale, 1=no reaction, stood still, 2=slight movement during injection, 3=shaking the chute, and 4=vigorous shaking. The cattle were also scored for willingness to re-enter the squeeze chute. Cattle in the doramectin group had significantly more animals with a score of 1 compared to cattle injected with ivermectin. Re-entry scores into the chute were significantly different between treatments for one observer and not significantly different for the other observer. None of the products caused a sufficient nociceptive stimulus to prevent cattle from re-entering the squeeze chute. Doramectin causes significantly less discomfort during injection than ivermectin. It is possible to measure differences in animal discomfort with a numerical scoring system.
Homeodomain revisited : a lesson from disease-causing mutations

The homeodomain is a highly conserved DNA-binding motif that is found in numerous transcription factors throughout a large variety of species from yeast to humans. These gene-specific transcription factors play critical roles in development and adult homeostasis, and therefore, any germline mutations associated with these proteins can lead to a number of congenital abnormalities. Although much has been revealed concerning the molecular architecture and the mechanism of homeodomain–DNA interactions, the study of disease-causing mutations can further provide us with instructive information as to the role of particular residues in a conserved mode of action. In this paper, I have compiled the homeodomain missense mutations found in various human diseases and re-examined the functional role of the mutational “hot spot” residues in light of the structures obtained from crystallography. These findings should be useful in understanding the essential components of the homeodomain and in attempts to design agonist or antagonists to modulate their activity and to reverse the effects caused by the mutations.
Discovering workflow models from activities' lifespans

Workflow systems utilize a process model for managing business processes. The model is typically a directed graph annotated with activity names. We view the execution of an activity as a time interval, and present two new algorithms for synthesizing process models from sets of systems' executions (audit log). A model graph generated by each of the algorithms for a process, captures all its executions and dependencies that are present in the log, and preserves existing parallelism.We compare the model graphs synthesized by our algorithms to those of Agrawal et al. [Mining process models from workflow logs, in: Proceedings of the Advances in Database Technology (EDBT'98), 6th International Conference on Extending Database Technology, Valencia, Spain, 23-27 March 1998, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Proceedings vol. 1377, Springer, Berlin, 1998] by running them on simulated data. We observe that our graphs are more faithful in the sense that the number of excess and absent edges is consistently smaller and it depends on the size and quality of the log. In other words, we show that our time interval approach permits reconstruction of more accurate workflow model graphs from a log.
MINIMIZING EXCITATION LIGHT LEAKAGE AND MAXIMIZING MEASUREMENT SENSITIVITY FOR MOLECULAR IMAGING WITH NEAR-INFRARED FLUORESCENCE

Near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging involves the separation of weak fluorescence signals from backscattered excitation light. The measurement sensitivity of current NIRF imaging systems is limited by the excitation light leakage through rejection filters. In this contribution, the authors demonstrate that the excitation light leakage can be suppressed upon using appropriate filter combination and permutations. The excitation light leakage and measurement sensitivity were assessed and compared in this study by computing the transmission ratios of excitation to emission light collected and the signal-to-noise ratios in well-controlled phantom studies with different filter combinations and permutations. Using appropriate filter combinations and permutations, we observe as much as two orders of magnitude reduction in the transmission ratio and higher signal-to-noise ratio.
Frequency offset correction in single sideband speech for speaker verification

Communication system mismatch represents a major influence for loss in speaker recognition performance. While microphone and handset differences have been considered in the NIST SRE, nonlinear communication system differences, such as modulation/demodulation (Mod/DeMod) carrier drift, have yet to be considered. In this study, an algorithm for estimating and correcting Mod/DeMod frequency offsets distortion in signal sideband modulation (SSB) speech is formulated based on two processing steps. In the first step, the offset of speech can be roughly scaled to a small frequency interval, which eliminates the ambiguity caused by periodicity of the spectrum. The second step performs fine-tuning within the pre-determined interval. For the first time, a statistical framework is developed for unique interval detection, where an innovative acoustic feature is proposed to represent different offsets and state-of-the-art techniques, the total variety method and PLDA, are applied. Speaker recognition experiments on SSB speech obtained from DAPPA RATS corpus show that a significant performance improvement (up to 50% relative improvement in EER) for speaker verification in SSB speech can be obtained by the proposed estimation and compensation method. Index Terms— frequency offset, SSB, speaker verification, MFCC, i-Vector, PLDA
Free At Last? Reflections on Freedom and the Abolition of the British Transatlantic Slave Trade. Edited by Amar Wahab and Cecily Jones . (Newcastle upon Tyne, England: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2011. Pp. ix, 191. $52.99.)

Historical commemorations tend to generate stimulating academic parleys that challenge conventional notions about key turning points in the past, and the bicentennial events in 2007 to mark the abo...
Ovulation, ovarian 17 alpha-hydroxylase activity, and serum concentrations of luteinizing hormone, estradiol, and progesterone in immature rats with diabetes mellitus induced by streptozotocin (41500).

AbstractImmature female rats were injected with streptozotocin (60 mg/kg, iv) 3 to 4 days prior to the injection (iv) of 20 IU of pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (PMS). Animals were killed at various intervals and the serum levels of estradiol, luteinizing hormone (LH), and progesterone were determined by radioimmunoassays. The ovarian steroid 17α-hydroxylase activity was determined by a tritium exchange assay using pregnenolone as the substrate. Ovulation was determined 72 hr after PMS by flushing of the oviducts. The diabetes mellitus induced by the drug reduced the number of animals ovulating and in some animals the number of ova shed when compared to controls. However, a surge in LH, which reached a peak at 60 hr, was seen in the diabetic animals; a larger peak with the same timing was found in the controls. Changes in ovarian 17α-hydroxylase also indicated that an increase in LH release occurred in the diabetic animals at about 60 hr. Estradiol levels were higher, but progesterone levels lower, in...
Biometrics: Intersecting borders and bodies in liberal bionetwork states

This paper addresses the following two part question: How are liberal bionetwork states using technology to manage human flows and what are the broader political implications of these developments? Specifically, I examine the expanding scope and implications of biometric surveillance technologies in liberal states' border securitization practices. Since 9/11, biometric identification systems have been fast-tracked as a "silver-bullet solution" to address perceived threats to border security in the United States and the European Union. I argue that the deployment of new information and biometric technologies in the United States and the European Union is both individuating and expanding state space into new geographies (i.e., state control is extensifying inside bodies and reaching outside sovereign territorial boundaries). This is due, in part, to the deployment and growing interoperability of new border securitization technologies, like US-VISIT in the United States and the second generation of the Schengen Information System (SIS II) and Visa Information System (VIS) in the European Union. Biometric systems augment efforts to create a high-concept, multi-layered, interoperable system of "virtual borders" designed to deter or intercept determined terrorists, criminals, and unauthorized migrants. As the deployment of biometric technologies creep from the margins to the mainstream, privacy and surveillance concerns will become evermore salient. Equally important are the implications of this incremental "disembodied integration" of people with states on how liberal bionetwork societies make decisions about belonging and exclusion. As virtual borders extend into our bodies and around the globe, securitization measures that intersect bodies and states require a virtual theory to account for these new geographies of state space and the qualitative affects on individuals.
Microindentation in bone : Hardness variation with five independent variables

Microindentation is an investigational tool often used to determine hardness and other derived material properties of the material bone. This study explored the variation of microindentation hardness results with five independent variables. The variables were: applied mass, dwell time, drying time, time between indentation and measurement, and distance between the center of an indentation and the edge of other indentations and pores. These variables were selected because they represented a reasonable range of specimen investigational steps. We also investigated the cross sections of typical indentation residual impressions to determine the degree of material pile-up at the edges of the impressions. We found that microindentation hardness varied with applied mass and with distance between the indentation and neighboring indentations and pores but not with the other variables. Our recommended minimum applied mass is 0.10 kg versus a previously published value of 0.05 kg. We also found no discernable material pile-up at the residual impression edges, in contrast to reports of others.
Use of surnames in ethnic research: the case of Kims in the Korean-American population.

This paper introduces a method for estimating the size of the Korean American population in communities in the United States. Since about 22 percent of Korean Americans have the surname Kim and the telephone subscription/listing rate for Korean Americans is extremely high, a fairly simple equation for such estimation can be constructed. The number of Kims listed in the published telephone directory for a community, the mean size of the Kim households, the residence telephone subscription! listing rate, and the proportion of Kims are the factors included in the equation. A specific value for each of the factors has been derived from various “unobtrusive” and nongovernmental sources. Only insignificant differences have been found between estimates made using this method and the enumeration figures from the 1980 census for the Korean American population in the New York metropolitan area and Los Angeles and Orange counties. It appears that the equation is effective in estimating the size of the Korean American population in a community and could be a useful instrument in evaluating the accuracy of the 1980 Census enumeration of Korean Americans. The paper also describes the potential utility of Kims listed in published telephone directories as a sampling frame of Korean Americans in the United States. The ideas and procedures presented here can be extended to other ethnic populations with unique surnames, such as Nguyen for the Vietnamese American population and those starting with “Yama” ... for the Japanese American population.
MOOCs on and off the Farm: MOOCs and technology to advance learning and learning research (Ubiquity symposium)

Whether MOOCs can provide a good education and broaden educational opportunities at lower cost is an ongoing discussion. In this article Stanford professor, John C. Mitchell, reflects on Stanford University's pioneering role in the MOOC movement, explains how to harness the power of digital technology, and offers predictions for the academic landscape.
Hypothermia-induced thrombocytopenia in an elderly woman

A 77-year old women presented to our emergency department in February with a 1-week history of lethargy and inadequate fluid intake. Her past medical history was significant for hypertension and al...
Intraparticle diffusion during selective ion exchange with a macroporous exchanger

Abstract Chlorophenols, quaternary ammonium compounds, benzene and naphthalene sulfonates and benzene carboxylates are examples of environmentally significant synthetic organic compounds which exist as ions in water over a wide range of pH values. This study discusses the sorption kinetics, and more specifically, intraparticle diffusion behaviors of trace concentrations of pentachlorophenate (PCP − ) and other chlorophenates onto a commercially available macroporous polymeric anion exchanger (IRA-900). The anion exchanger is essentially biphasic, i.e. every single exchanger particle contains an enormous number of tiny microgels and an interconnected network of pores. Ion exchange functional groups reside solely within the microgels. For comparison, a gel or microporous anion exchanger is also included in the study. Experimental results reveal a distinctly different type of effect of competing chloride ion concentration on gel and macroporous ion exchangers pertaining to sorption of pentachlorophenate (PCP − ). While the effective intraparticle diffusivity of PCP − for gel-type resin remained unaltered with a change in competing chloride concentration, the same increased significantly for the macroporous exchanger with an increase in chloride concentration. Pore diffusion is considered to be the predominant intraparticle transport mechanism for highly preferred PCP − inside the macroporous exchanger. Under the normal hydrodynamic conditions of a fixed bed column run, intraparticle diffusion was found to be the rate-limiting step. For various chlorophenates, the effective intraparticle diffusivities were inversely correlated to the octanol–water partition coefficients of their parent chlorophenols.
Entrainment and the Termination of the Equatorial Undercurrent

Abstract An ideal fluid model of the Equatorial Undercurrent is modified by the addition of a specified, cross-isopycnal entrainment of fluid into the upper mixed layer. The entrainment is limited to a narrow region straddling the equator. It is shown how this entrainment serves to modify the value of the Bernoulli function along the equator. For cases in which the Bernoulli function is rendered constant along the eastern boundary, the transport in the undercurrent is completely exhausted by the time the current reaches the eastern wall. The transport of the current is transferred to the upper mixed layer where it exits poleward. It is suggested that the gradual bleeding by entrainment rather than inertial collision is responsible for the eastern termination of the undercurrent.
Near-wake structure of a single gas bubble in a two-dimensional liquid-solid fluidized bed: Vortex shedding and wake size variation

Abstract The fluid mechanic behavior of a single gas bubble and its wake in a two-dimensional liquid-solid fluidized bed was examined visually via a video camera moving at the same s peed as the bubble. The bubble wake was observed to consist of two regions: primary wake (near wake) and secondary wake. Wake formation-shedding mechanisms were illustrated for both symmetric and asymmetric shedding modes. The shedding frequency, expressed in terms of the Strouhal number, was shown to be a function of the bubble Reynolds number but independent of particle properties. The boundaries between the primary and secondary wakes were qualitatively identified for several wake structures. The primary-wake size periodically varies in the form of a saw-tooth wave function, while the liquid wake exhibits no appreciable cyclic variation in size.
Turbulence in a Rotating Superfluid

It is shown that the concepts developed for understanding superfluid turbulence in thermal counterflow can be successfully applied when the He II is also in uniform rotation. In particular, the association of a critical length scale with the turbulent transition, when extended naturally to the rotating superfluid, yields a simple result in good agreement with the data of Yarmchuck and Glaberson.
Performance analysis results of a battery fuel gauge algorithm at multiple temperatures

Abstract Evaluating a battery fuel gauge (BFG) algorithm is a challenging problem due to the fact that there are no reliable mathematical models to represent the complex features of a Li-ion battery, such as hysteresis and relaxation effects, temperature effects on parameters, aging, power fade (PF), and capacity fade (CF) with respect to the chemical composition of the battery. The existing literature is largely focused on developing different BFG strategies and BFG validation has received little attention. In this paper, using hardware in the loop (HIL) data collected form three Li-ion batteries at nine different temperatures ranging from −20 °C to 40 °C, we demonstrate detailed validation results of a battery fuel gauge (BFG) algorithm. The BFG validation is based on three different BFG validation metrics ; we provide implementation details of these three BFG evaluation metrics by proposing three different BFG validation load profiles that satisfy varying levels of user requirements.
Protocol for Writing Cause-of-Death Statements for Deaths Due to Natural Causes

The purpose of this article is to describe a protocol that provides suggestions and guides the clinical practice of writing cause-of-death statements for death certificates, autopsy reports, and other medical documents. The 16 members of the Autopsy Committee of the College of American Pathologists (CAP), Northfield, Ill, were appointed by the CAP officers based on demonstrated interest and expertise in autopsy performance and reporting. The committee perceived a need for specific instructions aimed at promoting consistency, accuracy, and completeness when writing cause-of-death statements. Development of a protocol was supported by CAP after approval by the CAP board of governors. The framework for the protocol was based on recommendations of the National Center for Health Statistics, Hyattsville, Md, with additional concepts added by the autopsy committee. The protocol for writing cause-of-death statements for natural causes is expected to foster consistency, accuracy, and completeness in the writing of cause-of-death statements. The quality of individual death certificates, autopsy reports, and national mortality data may improve through protocol usage. Application of the protocol principles should impose no ongoing costs at any user level because no new products or personnel are required for its application.
Drowning issues in resuscitation

Submersion injury is so often lethal because it inflicts severe hypoxia. To prevent hypoxic end-organ damage to the heart and brain, the goals of resuscitation are immediate ventilation and oxygenation. Issue 1: Should submersion victims receive the Heimlich maneuver? The pathophysiologic assumptions for this intervention are that water in the airway is obstructive, thus precluding ventilation, and that aspiration of water is the major injury. Anecdotal case reports describe improved ventilation of some victims who failed prior ventilatory efforts. However, animal and human studies support that aspirated water is rapidly absorbed, does not preclude ventilation and intubation, and is best treated rapidly with positive pressure ventilation. With inadequate data to support benefit from the Heimlich maneuver and concern that the Heimlich maneuver would delay initiation of ventilation, basic life support procedures are recommended in managing the airway of the submersion victim. Issue 2: What is the role of prehospital care? Outcomes of submersion victims treated with rapid, aggressive prehospital care show that the window for medical intervention for the submersion victim is in the prehospital setting, not in the emergency department or intensive care unit. The submersion victim should be provided advanced cardiac life support, including intubation as needed, as soon as possible.
Quantitative analysis of pathways controlling extrinsic apoptosis in single cells

Apoptosis in response to TRAIL or TNF requires the activation of initiator caspases, which then activate the effector caspases that dismantle cells and cause death. However, little is known about the dynamics and regulatory logic linking initiators and effectors. Using a combination of live-cell reporters, flow cytometry, and immunoblotting, we find that initiator caspases are active during the long and variable delay that precedes mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP) and effector caspase activation. When combined with a mathematical model of core apoptosis pathways, experimental perturbation of regulatory links between initiator and effector caspases reveals that XIAP and proteasome-dependent degradation of effector caspases are important in restraining activity during the pre-MOMP delay. We identify conditions in which restraint is impaired, creating a physiologically indeterminate state of partial cell death with the potential to generate genomic instability. Together, these findings provide a quantitative picture of caspase regulatory networks and their failure modes.
Image distortion in nonperturbative gravitational lensing

We introduce the idea of {\it shape parameters} to describe the shape of the pencil of rays connecting an observer with a source lying on his past lightcone. On the basis of these shape parameters, we discuss a setting of image distortion in a generic (exact) spacetime, in the form of three {\it distortion parameters}. The fundamental tool in our discussion is the use of geodesic deviation fields along a null geodesic to study how source shapes are propagated and distorted on the path to an observer. We illustrate this non-perturbative treatment of image distortion in the case of lensing by a Schwarzschild black hole. We conclude by showing that there is a non-perturbative generalization of the use of Fermat's principle in lensing in the thin-lens approximation.
A physically-based constitutive model for metal deformation

Abstract A set of constitutive relations that describe the deformation behavior of metals under complex loading or hold time histories is needed for predictive applications in metal forming, creep, creep-fatigue interactions and other situations. It is desirable for such a constitutive model to be based on physical processes that occur within the metal over wide ranges of temperatures and strain rates, and yet the model must contain parameters measurable from mechanical tests. The objective of this work is to combine into a generalized, unified model the existing level of understanding of the various physical processes, such as strain hardening, recovery, dislocation velocity dependence of effective stress, anelastic and grain boundary effects. Part II of this two-part paper uses this model of incremental deformation, incorporating strain history dependence, for predicting material behavior in various laboratory experiments. Based on a constitutive model developed in Part I of this paper, numerical calculations have been made here to check the capabilities of the model for predicting various aspects of material deformation behavior. Of particular interest are common laboratory experiments such as the tensile test, creep test, and other variations, such as, load relaxation, strain-rate change, decrementai unloading, unloading holding reloading and reverse loading tests. Since the various inputs for the model, such as basic strain hardening behavior, recovery rate constants and effective stresses, are not well known in their desired forms for the present model for any given material, no attempt has been made to simulate the stress level for a particular material. However, insights into the deformation phenomena are obtained through simulation of the overal material response over wide ranges of strain rates and temperatures. Confidence gained through this verification now opens the avenue for conducting suitable experiments necessary to determine the various parameters.
Galileo PPR observations of Europa: Hotspot detection limits and surface thermal properties

Abstract The Galileo photopolarimeter–radiometer (PPR) made over 100 observations of Europa’s surface temperature. We have used these data to constrain a diurnal thermal model and, thus, map the thermal inertia and bolometric albedo over 20% of the surface. We find an increased thermal inertia at mid-latitudes that is widespread in longitude and does not appear to correlate with geology, albedo, or other observables. Our derived thermophysical properties can be used to predict volatile stability across the surface over the course of a day and in planning of infrared instruments on future missions. Furthermore, while observations in the thermal infrared can and have been used to find endogenic activity, no such activity was detected at Europa. We have calculated the detection limits of these PPR observations and find that 100 km2 hotspots with temperatures of 116–1200 K could exist undetected on the surface, depending on the location.
Impact of Selection Bias on the Utilization of Adjuvant Therapy for Pancreas Adenocarcinoma

Background Improved outcomes have been associated with the use of adjuvant therapy after resection of pancreas adenocarcinoma. However, the frequency with which patients receive adjuvant therapy and the factors impacting its use remain largely undefined. We hypothesized that nonutilization of adjuvant therapy was primarily associated with patient comorbidity and onset of postoperative complications.
Recent Developments in Image Reconstruction Using a Time-of-Flight-Assisted Positron Emission Tomograph: Super PETT I

One recent development in image reconstruction utilizing time-of-flight information yields a compression of the three dimensional array used in forming the unfiltered "preimage." A reduction from 96 angles to 16 angles is shown to produce equivalent quality images and may form a basis for future architectural strategies. A second development in image reconstruction can strongly affect the quality of results when constraints such as cardiac gating are imposed, while not inherently sacrificing spatial resolution due to inadequate sampling. A correction for sampling density obtained by analyzing list mode data is shown to greatly reduce circular artifact production. This technique is extendable to systems without time-of-flight measurements and to scanning motions other than wobbling.
Analytical Modal Analysis of Thin-Film Flat Lenses

Dynamics of circular and elliptical thin-film lens are investigated. In particular, linear closed-form solutions for free vibrations of these structures were achieved and modal analysis was performed. The vibration response of the thin film membranes were mathematically modeled using Mathieu equation. Numerical results for various nodal diameters were computed. For the limited case when an elliptical lens becomes circular, an excellent comparison was established with the available analytical solution. Experimental analyses were conducted to determine the effects of various parameters such as material properties, membrane pre strain and the geometry on the dynamic response of these structures. The comparison verified the adequacy of linear solutions to predict the dynamic response of thin film lenses.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Characterization of the DNA from four heliothis nuclear polyhedrosis virus isolates

Abstract The DNAs of four Heliothis species SNPV isolates ( H. zea —U.S.A., H. virescens —Columbia, South America, H. armigera —South Africa and H. punctigera —Australia) and a commercial preparation of H. zea (Elcar) were compared according to their molecular weights and melting characteristics. The molecular weights were estimated by comparing the mean contour length of the open circular molecules with that of T7 phage. The molecular weights of the isolates ranged from 83–93 × 10 6 daltons. Since this range was within the standard deviation of the measurements, the molecular weights of the isolates could be identical. The Elcar DNA molecules exhibited a bimodal distribution and a uniform molecular weight could not be calculated. When the melt data for the isolate and Elcar DNAs were plotted on normal probability paper, the percentage of G + C and 2σ values for nucleotide distribution about the Tm were identical. Further study through restriction endonuclease analysis may reveal these isolates to be a single genotype.
Primary mucinous carcinoid tumor of the ovary.

A case of primary mutinous carcinoid tumor of the ovary occurring in a 37-year-old woman is described. The tumor, which replaced the left ovary, was accompanied by metastases in the contralateral ovary and para-aortic lymph nodes. Careful investigations excluded metastatic origin of the tumor. The tumor was solid, but contained an epidermoid cyst. There were no other teratomatous elements. The patient was treated with combination chemotherapy. A second-look operation 9 months following diagnosis revealed extensive microscopic involvement of the peritoneal cavity. The patient's condition deteriorated and she died 1 year after diagnosis. Detailed autopsy revealed peritoneal, pleural, lymphatic, and bone marrow carcinomatosis, but no evidence of a primary tumor elsewhere. Microscopic, ultrastructural, and immunocytochemical findings are described. It is considered that primary mucinous carcinoid tumor of the ovary represents a specific histopathologic entity. Unlike other types of primary ovarian carcinoid tumors, it behaves as an aggressive malignant neoplasm. Cancer 58:777-783, 1986.
A one-sweep numerical method for vector-matrix difference equations with two-point boundary conditions

A new method is proposed for reducing two-point boundaryvalue problems for vector-matrix systems of linear difference equations to initial-value problems. The method has the advantage that only one sweep is required, and memory requirements are minimal. Applications to potential theory are discussed.
The Role of Gender in the Adoption of Agriculture in the Southern Southwest

The transition from hunting and gathering to farming is considered to be one of the major behavioral changes that occurred in prehistory. Recently, researchers in the American Southwest have recognized that the adoption of agriculture by hunter-gatherers was part of a complex decision-making process. In this paper, I argue that one of the ways to get at the "how" and "why" of the adoption of agriculture is to start by looking at who did the adopting. Using ethnographic data from hunter-gatherers and farmers in arid lands and data from recent excavations at early farming villages on the floodplain of the Santa Cruz River, I explore the idea that gender was a critical variable in the decision-making process leading to the adoption of agriculture in the southern Southwest.
Depression Screening: Utility of the Patient Health Questionnaire in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome

BACKGROUND Depression screening in cardiac patients has been recommended by the American Heart Association, but the best approach remains unclear. OBJECTIVES To evaluate nurse-administered versions of the Patient Health Questionnaire for depression screening in patients hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome. METHODS Staff nurses in an urban cardiac care unit administered versions 2, 9, and 10 of the questionnaire to 100 patients with acute coronary syndrome. The Depression Interview and Structured Hamilton was administered by advanced practice nurses blinded to the results of the Patient Health Questionnaire. With the results of the Depression Interview and Structured Hamilton as a criterion, receiver operating characteristic analyses were done for each version of the Patient Health Questionnaire. The Delong method was used for pairwise comparisons. Cutoff scores balancing false-negatives and false-positives were determined by using the Youden Index. RESULTS Each version of the questionnaire had excellent area-under- the-curve statistics: 91.2%, 92.6%, and 93.4% for versions 2, 9, and 10, respectively. Differences among the 3 versions were not significant. Each version yielded higher symptom scores in depressed patients than in nondepressed patients: version 2 scores, 3.4 vs 0.6, P = .001; version 9 scores, 13 vs 3.4, P < .001; and version 10 scores, 14.5 vs 3.6, P < .001. CONCLUSIONS For depression screening in hospitalized patients with acute coronary syndrome, the Patient Health Questionnaire 2 is as accurate as longer versions when administered by nurses. Further study is needed to determine if screening with this tool changes clinical decision making or improves outcomes in these patients.
A comparative study of robust linear predictive analysis methods with applications to speaker identification

Various linear predictive (LP) analysis methods are studied and compared from the points of view of robustness to noise and of application to speaker identification. The key to the success of the LP techniques is in separating the vocal tract information from the pitch information present in a speech signal even under noisy conditions. In addition to considering the conventional, one-shot weighted least-squares methods, the authors propose three other approaches with the above point as a motivation. The first is an iterative approach that leads to the weighted least absolute value solution. The second is an extension of the one-shot least-squares approach and achieves an iterative update of the weights. The update is a function of the residual and is based on minimizing a Mahalanobis distance. Third, the weighted total least-squares formulation is considered. A study of the deviations in the LP parameters is done when noise (white Gaussian and impulsive) is added to the speech. It is revealed that the most robust method depends on the type of noise. Closed-set speaker identification experiments with 20 speakers are conducted using a vector quantizer classifier trained on clean speech. The relative performance of the various LP approaches depends on the type of speech material used for testing. >
Reduction of Electromigration-Induced Failure in Aluminum Metallization Through Anodization

Anodization of aluminum metallization was studied as a means of improving resistance to electromigration-induced failure. Strips of evaporated aluminum 1 ?m thick, 0.6 mil wide and of various lengths were formed on oxidized silicon wafers. Following anodization to a thickness of about 0.2 ?m, samples were lifetested at ? 150°C with current densities in the 106 A/cm2 range. Lifetimes were improved by factors of 7-14 over those of nonanodized aluminum for test at 220°C with a current density of 8 × 105 A/cm2. Improvement was more pronounced at lower temperatures and for shorter strips. These effects are discussed in terms of mechanisms such as limited vacancy supply, reduced electrotransport rate or reduced density of void-nucleating sites.
Arabidopsis WRKY38 and WRKY62 Transcription Factors Interact with Histone Deacetylase 19 in Basal Defense

Arabidopsis thaliana WRKY38 and WRKY62, encoding two structurally similar type III WRKY transcription factors, are induced in a Nonexpressor of PR Gene1 (NPR1)-dependent manner by salicylic acid (SA) or by virulent Pseudomonas syringae. Disease resistance and SA-regulated Pathogenesis-Related1 (PR1) gene expression are enhanced in the wrky38 and wrky62 single mutants and, to a greater extent, in the double mutants. Overexpression of WRKY38 or WRKY62 reduces disease resistance and PR1 expression. Thus, WRKY38 and WRKY62 function additively as negative regulators of plant basal defense. WRKY38 and WRKY62 interact with Histone Deacetylase 19 (HDA19). Expression of HDA19 is also induced by P. syringae, and the stability of its induced transcripts depends on SA and NPR1 in infected plants. Disruption of HDA19 leads to compromised resistance, whereas its overexpression results in enhanced resistance to P. syringae. Thus, HDA19 has a role opposite from those of WRKY38 and WRKY62 in basal resistance to the bacterial pathogen. Both WRKY38 and WRKY62 are transcriptional activators in plant cells, but their activation activities are abolished by overexpressed HDA19. Interaction of WRKY38 and WRKY62 with HDA19 may act to fine-tune plant basal defense responses.
Learning the relationship between patient geometry and beam intensity in breast intensity-modulated radiotherapy

Intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) has become an effective tool for cancer treatment with radiation. However, even expert radiation planners still need to spend a substantial amount of time adjusting IMRT optimization parameters in order to get a clinically acceptable plan. We demonstrate that the relationship between patient geometry and radiation intensity distributions can be automatically inferred using a variety of machine learning techniques in the case of two-field breast IMRT. Our experiments show that given a small number of human-expert-generated clinically acceptable plans, the machine learning predictions produce equally acceptable plans in a matter of seconds. The machine learning approach has the potential for greater benefits in sites where the IMRT planning process is more challenging or tedious
Alteration in expression of the rat mitochondrial ATPase 6 gene during Pneumocystis carinii infection.

Background Pneumocystis carinii causes pneumonia in immunocompromised patients with a high morbidity and mortality rate, but the interaction between this organism and the host cell is not well understood. The purpose of this research was to study the response of host cells to P. carinii infection on a molecular level.
Absorption and the dimensionless overlap integral for two-photon excitation

Abstract The interaction of an absorption line and a resonant laser is often modeled using a spectral overlap integral. Previous investigators have modified the traditional overlap integral to obtain a dimensionless overlap integral that affords a more practical interpretation. Unique to the derivation of the modified integral is the treatment of the laser-spectral-irradiance profile — its area is normalized to equal the spectral full-width at half-maximum. In this paper, the modified laser spectral irradiance is applied to obtain a dimensionless overlap integral for multi-photon absorption, including the case of two-photon absorption. Close attention is given to the units applied to the calculation of absorption rate coefficients, including those for the laser flux, laser irradiance, interaction cross sections, and distribution functions. The results are tabulated for two cases — frequency expressed in units of wave numbers and frequency expressed in units of Hertz.
The Immunohistology of IgA Nephropathy

The glomerular immunohistologic characteristics of 180 patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN), defined by 2 + or greater (out of 0 to 4 +) mesangial IgA-dominant or codominant immunostaining and no evidence for systemic lupus erythematosus, were compared with those of 84 patients with proliferative lupus glomerulonephritis and 254 patients with other forms of proliferative glomerulonephritis. The IgAN population increased in number by only 5% if the IgA immunostaining criterion was lowered to 1+, and it decreased by only 2% if IgA codominant staining was disallowed. A distinctive immunohistologic feature of IgAN in comparison with other immune complex-mediated glomerulopathies, in addition to the predominance of IgA immunostaining, was a high frequency (67%) of patients with greater λ- than Κ-immunoglobulin light chain immunostaining. There was no correlation between the absolute or relative intensities or frequencies of IgA, IgG, or IgM immunostaining and the severity of glomerular disease; however, the presence of capillary wall immune deposits correlated with more severe disease. Terminal complement components were consistently present and were more conspicuous in more severely injured glomeruli. Immunostaining for the early classical complement activation pathway component C1q was absent or scanty in IgAN. This finding was particularly useful in the immunohistologic differentiation of IgAN from proliferative lupus glomerulonephritis, which was the form of glomerulonephritis with the greatest overlap with IgAN with respect to IgA immunostaining. When the diagnostic criteria for IgAN were 2 + or greater, dominant or codominant mesangial IgA immunostaining and less than 2 + C1 q immunostaining, an immunohistologic diagnosis of IgAN was made with 98% accuracy.
Une fonction translog de demande d’importation : le cas de la France

Cet article constitue une premiere tentative pour etudier la maniere dont les importations interagissent avec les facteurs primaires dans la technologie francaise. Nous faisons usage d’une fonction de cout transcendantale a deux extrants et trois intrants, et nous rejetons les fonctions traditionnelles en raison de leur inaptitude a expliquer le processus de production. Nous concluons que la valeur ajoutee n’est pas le produit exclusif du capital et du travail et que tous les intrants sont des substituts l’un pour l’autre. Le modele justifie le traitement des importations comme facteurs de production.
Fire history of coniferous riparian forests in the Sierra Nevada

Fire is an important ecological process in many western U.S. coniferous forests, yet high fuel loads, rural home construction and other factors have encouraged the suppression of most wildfires. Using mechanical thinning and prescribed burning, land managers often try to reduce fuels in strategic areas with the highest fuel loads. Riparian forests, however, are often designated as areas where only limited management action can take place within a fixed-width zone. These highly productive forests have developed heavy fuel loads capable of supporting stand-replacing crown fires that can alter wildlife habitat and ecosystem function, and contribute to stream channel erosion. Objectives of this study were to determine whether adjacent coniferous riparian and upland forests burned historically with different frequencies and seasonalities, and whether these relationships varied by forest, site, and stream characteristics. We measured dendrochronological fire records in adjacent riparian and upland areas across a variety of forest, site and stream conditions at 36 sites in three sampling areas in the northern Sierra Nevada. Riparian fire return intervals (FRI) ranged from 8.4 to 42.3 years under a liberal filter (mean 16.6), and 10.0 to 86.5 years under a conservative filter (mean 30.0). Upland FRI ranged from 6.1 to 58.0 years under a liberal filter (mean 16.9), and 10.0 to 56.3 years under a conservative filter (mean 27.8). Riparian and upland fire return intervals were significantly different in only one quarter of the sites we sampled. Riparian and upland areas did not burn with different seasonalities, and fire events occurred primarily during the late summer-early fall dormant season in both riparian and upland areas (88% and 79% of scars, respectively). FRI was shorter in forests with a higher proportion (>22.7–37.6%) of fire-tolerant pine (Pinus spp.), sites east of the Sierra crest, lower elevation sites (<1944 m), and riparian zones bordering narrower, more incised streams (width/depth ratio <6.2). Upland areas exhibited a greater degree of fire–climate synchrony than riparian areas. Our study suggests that Sierra Nevada coniferous riparian forests bordering many montane streams might be managed for fuel loads and fire return intervals similar to adjacent upland forests. Published by Elsevier B.V.
A Hierarchical Taxonomy of Leadership Behavior: Integrating a Half Century of Behavior Research:

A major problem in leadership research and theory has been lack of agreement about which behavior categories are relevant and meaningful. It is difficult to integrate findings from five decades of ...
Review of 3D topological insulator thin‐film growth by molecular beam epitaxy and potential applications

Thin films of V–VI compound semiconductors (Bi2Se3, Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3) have been synthesized recently as three-dimensional topological insulators (TIs). Although these materials have been used as thermoelectric materials for many years, for future studies and applications of the topological surface states, a major bottleneck remains the lack of high-quality bulk materials that have very few defects and the Fermi level can be moved to inside the bulk bandgap. In this paper, we review the use of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) technique to achieve high-quality TI materials. Furthermore, the use of layered growth in MBE affords us the fabrication of heterostructures, such as quantum wells and superlattices. Thus, it may further enable additional studies and applications, similar to those of conventional semiconductor heterostructures but with the novel properties of TI. We explore the growth mechanism, providing a detail discussion on the growth parameters of thin-film synthesis by MBE. Then we discuss more complex cases, such as functional doping, heterostructures and superlattices. Potential new properties in such quantum structures are discussed. Finally, we give an outlook on this material system for both fundamental studies and applications. (© 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)