cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multicenter clinical trial of the conformable stent graft for the treatment of acute, complicated type B dissection.

Objective The treatment of acute, complicated type B aortic dissection has evolved in the past several decades. Thoracic endovascular aortic repair when anatomy is suitable, has been regarded as the preferable treatment to seal the primary entry tear, redirect and re-establish adequate true lumen flow, and thereby promote aortic remodeling. This study was designed to determine the safety and efficacy of a conformable thoracic endoprosthesis device for patients with acute, complicated type B aortic dissection, defined as malperfusion or rupture or both. Methods Between January 2010 and January 2012, 50 patients with complicated type B aortic dissection from 26 sites in the United States were included in this prospective, multicenter, nonrandomized single-arm study. The primary safety end point was all-cause mortality through 30 days after treatment, and the primary efficacy end point was exclusion of the primary entry tear (Core Laboratory adjudicated) at 1-month follow-up. Secondary end points included false lumen thrombosis, dissection-based reintervention rate, and aortic rupture. Results All device implants were successfully completed. Six patients (12%) required additional device implantations ≤1 year from the index procedure. There was no conversion to open repair at 1 year. Exclusion of the primary entry tear at 30 days occurred in 97.5% of patients. All-cause mortality through 30 days was 8%. Survival was 88% at 1 year and 85% at 2 years. At 1 year after treatment, 35.1% of patients had experienced a decrease of ≥5 mm in overall diameter in the treated segment of the aorta. From pretreatment to the 36-month follow-up, the average minimum true lumen area increased by 206.3 mm 2 , and the average maximum false lumen area decreased by 313.4 mm 2 . The 30-day stroke rate was 18%; none were fatal, and one permanent deficit occurred. Four patients (8%) experienced spinal cord ischemia of any severity but without any permanent or significant deficits. New aortic dissection (3 retrograde, 2 de novo) occurred in five patients (10%). The secondary intervention rate was 18%. Conclusions Treatment with the conformable thoracic endovascular aortic repair device produced favorable perioperative and intermediate level clinical and anatomic outcomes. In particular, an operative mortality of 8% in this cohort is comparable to that noted in a Society for Vascular Surgery objective performance criteria publication. Late survival in our cohort compares favorably with historical data referable to complicated type B dissection.
Rapid thermal multiprocessing using multivariable control of circularly symmetric 3 zone lamp

A multiprocessing technology for overcoming the temperature nonuniformity limitations of rapid thermal processing is described. It is shown that the nonuniformity can be corrected by dynamic control of the spatial optical flux profile through two key innovations: (1) a lamp system in which tungsten-halogen point sources are configured in three concentric rings to provide a circularly symmetric flux profile, and (2) multivariable control whereby each of the three rings is independently and dynamically controlled to provide for control over the spatial flux profile. Good temperature uniformity over a wide range of temperatures, pressures, and gas flow rates, thereby adding process flexibility is demonstrated. Implant annealing, oxidation, and CVD of Si have been performed with excellent process uniformity. Multiprocessing has been demonstrated by in situ fabrication of an MOS capacitor. >
Prepositional attitudes: Fregean representation and simulative reasoning

This paper describes briefly a general notation that has been constructed for representing information about propositions! attitudes, and a method that is being developed for using this notation to reason about such Information. The notation is Fregean in spirit, and is based on McCarthy's first-order theory of individual concepts and propositions, extended to permit adequate representation of Iterated propositional attitudes, and with a semantically simpler representation of quantified propositions and "definite-description" concepts of Individuals. The notation provides a systematic and Intuitively motivated way of dealing with apparent failures of extensionality and quantification into Intentional constructions. The reasoning method is knowledge-based, and uses a program's own ordinary inferential apparatus to "simulate" the reasoning of other intelligent organisms. The method thus avoids any need for redundant re-representation of Information about propositions at higher levels in the hierarchy of concepts, and provides a natural approach to making realistic inferences about the propositions! attitudes of others.
Questions and Information: Contrasting Metaphors

This article examines metaphors for question asking, information and knowledge in the context of knowledge management. Metaphors discussed include: information is a resource, knowledge is a product, a good question is an irritant, and questions are the enemies of authority. The analysis draws on current theories of metaphor from the cognitive sciences as a basis for understanding the conceptual entailments of these terms for the MIS field. Churchman's inquiring systems are discussed as an example of a question-centric approach to knowledge management. The article concludes that a greater emphasis on inquiry would offer a beneficial perspective for practices concerned with information quality and knowledge management.
Primary meningococcal conjunctivitis.

Primary meningococcal conjunctivitis is a rare disorder with clinical characteristics that are similar to those of gonococcal conjunctivitis. Although infections of the conjunctivas occur as unusual complications of meningococcemia, primary meningococcal conjunctivitis has been reported even less frequently. We recently observed a patient with primary meningococcal conjunctivitis. This case reinforces the need for bacteriological identification of the etiologic agent in acute conjunctivitis to avoid mismanagement. CASE REPORT A 9½-year-old white girl had a red eye of three hours9 duration. While riding her bicycle, she noted increased tearing, followed quickly by yellow conjunctival discharge and minimal lid edema. There was no pain, photophobia, history of trauma, or known exposure to conjunctivitis.
CYTOGENETIC LOCALIZATION OF THE ACID PHOSPHATASE-1 GENE IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

A translocation in which a segment of chromosome 3 is inserted into the Y chromosome was found to contain the acid phosphatase-1 gene (Acph-1). In flies hyperploid for that gene, acid phosphatase-1 levels are proportional to the dose of the gene. The locus is placed within the salivary chromosome subdivisions 99D and 99E on the basis of its inclusion in the translocated segment and on the previous placement of the claret locus. Several chromosomal rearrangements involving heterochromatic breakpoints and euchromatic breakpoints adjacent to 99D-99E were tested for possible position-effect variegation of acid phosphatase-1. No decrease in the synthesis of the electrophoretic subunit encoded by the relocated gene was observed within any of the rearrangements.
Excision: Practices, discourses and feminist commitment

Starting with the emotional impact the discovery of the practice of female genital mutilation has had on her life, Evelyne Accad gives us some information on the studies that have researched and analyzed the various practices. She describes and defines some of the terms used, takes us on her journey to some of the countries she visited in the last ten years interviewing women about their lives, specifically the practice of excision. She gives voices to some of these women through excerpts from some of her interviews. She raises the debates, discourses, and conflicts surrounding the practice, ending with her assessment of the situation and her own feminist commitment and vision for a better world and hopes for an end of the practice.
Falcon visual sensitivity to grating contrast

The eye of a small falcon, the kestrel, is about half the size of the human eye and, if similar in all other respects, its visual acuity would also be expected to be about half that of the human. Here we report that the cut-off frequency (a measure of visual acuity) is twice the expected value and is the same for kestrel and human eyes. This remarkable visual performance is explained by anatomical features of the bird eye and the spherical pit of the deep fovea acting as the diverging element of a telephoto lens to magnify the image1,2. In the low-spatial frequency range, however, falcon contrast sensitivity is much less than that of humans for stationary patterns.
Development of human brain cortical network architecture during infancy

The brain’s mature functional network architecture has been extensively studied but the early emergence of the brain’s network organization remains largely unknown. In this study, leveraging a large sample (143 subjects) with longitudinal rsfMRI scans (333 datasets), we aimed to characterize the important developmental process of the brain’s functional network architecture during the first 2 years of life. Based on spatial independent component analysis and longitudinal linear mixed effect modeling, our results unveiled the detailed topology and growth trajectories of nine cortical functional networks. Within networks, our findings clearly separated the brains networks into two categories: primary networks were topologically adult-like in neonates while higher-order networks were topologically incomplete and isolated in neonates but demonstrated consistent synchronization during the first 2 years of life (connectivity increases 0.13–0.35). Between networks, our results demonstrated both network-level connectivity decreases (−0.02 to −0.64) and increases (0.05–0.18) but decreasing connections (n = 14) dominated increasing ones (n = 5). Finally, significant sex differences were observed with boys demonstrating faster network-level connectivity increases among the two frontoparietal networks (growth rate was 1.63e-4 per day for girls and 2.69e-4 per day for boys, p < 1e-4). Overall, our study delineated the development of the whole brain functional architecture during the first 2 years of life featuring significant changes of both within- and between-network interactions.
Numerical solution of soap film dual problems.

The soap film problem is to minimize area, and its dual is to maximize the flux of a divergenceless bounded vector field. This paper discretizes the continuous problem and solves it numerically. This gives upper and lower bounds on the area of the globally minimizing film. In favorable cases, the method can be used to discover previously unknown films. No initial assumptions about the topology of the film are needed. The paired calibration or covering spacemodel of soap films is used to enable representation of films with singularities.
The Surface Recombination Velocity And The Diffusion Length On InGaAs p-i-n Photodiodes

Two basic parameters, the surface recombination velocity(S) and the diffusion length(Le), have been studied through investigating the responsivity of InGaAs p-i-n photodiodes without an InP window layer. The values of S and Le were found to be 10 4cm/s and 4μm, respectively. The high responsivity of 0.7A/W at λ=1.3μm was obtained without an antireflection coating due to the small surface recombination velocity.
Human interleukin-1β and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist secretion and velocity of tooth movement

The cytokines interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) and IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) probably play a part in orthodontic tooth movement. Here, the force magnitudes and the area of force application in the compressed periodontal ligament (PDL) were controlled and the velocity of tooth movement correlated with concentrations of IL-1 beta and IL-1RA in the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF). Seven individuals undergoing orthodontic treatment involving maxillary first premolar extractions and distal movement (bodily retraction) of the maxillary canines participated in the 84-day study. For each participant, continuous retraction forces were applied so that they received equivalent PDL stresses of 13 kPa for one canine and 4 kPa for the other. GCF cytokine concentrations from experimental and control teeth were expressed relative to total protein in the GCF and compared using an 'Activity Index' (AI)=Experimental (IL-1 beta/IL-1RA)/Control (IL-1 beta/IL-1RA). The results showed that the velocity of tooth movement in an individual was related to their AI. The correlation between AI and tooth movement was stronger from the distal (R(d)=0.78) than from the mesial (R(m)=0.65) of retracted teeth. The results demonstrate that equivalent force systems produce individual differences in cytokine production, which correlate with interindividual differences in the velocity of canine retraction.
External-feedback laser cooling of molecular gases

We analyze the laser cooling of a gas of polarizable particles by continuous dispersive position detection and active feedback. Microkelvin temperatures can be attained inside an optical resonator, while in free space cooling requires wavelength-size beams. The maximum cooling flux is set by the thermal Doppler width, with typical values between 10 5 and 10 9 molecules per second.
The View from the Top: Centenarians and Global Health

INTRODUCTION Over the past several decades, life expectancy has gradually increased throughout the world, and in some countries, such as Japan, the average life expectancy is now more than 80 years. Nevertheless, only about one to two persons per 10,000 will live to be one hundred years. Persons now aged 100 or more, were born on or before 1912, at a time when normal life expectancy was about 50 years. Thus centenarians are an example of a group that has successfully evaded the usual forces of mortality that affect all other humans. What can we learn from these remarkable, highly selected individuals, and what are the implications for global health? Exceptional individuals have had long lives in earlier times. Hippocrates, considered to be the father of medicine, may have been a centenarian. Indeed, even in the late middle ages and early Renaissance, if one survived childbirth and the numerous, often fatal diseases of young adulthood, there was a reasonable chance of living into the seventies or eighties. These reports imply that even in periods when the overall mortality was high, some individuals lived to what would at the time have been considered exceptional ages. From a global viewpoint, the burden of disease is determined by two factors: life expectancy and the proportion of healthy years of life expectancy—the healthy span. By studying centenarians we can learn a great deal about disease (or absence of disease) at the extreme end of life, and we can use this information to assess what health services we will be required to provide as the world’s population gradually ages. The aim of this review is to summarize the factors that might be related to extreme longevity, and to discuss the global implications of increasing life span.
Neutron scattering investigation of the magnetic ground state of PrO2

Abstract We report on a series of neutron experiments on stoichiometric PrO 2 . The material, which has the cubic CaF 2 structure, orders antiferromagnetically at 14 K with a type I magnetic structure as found in UO 2 . The ordered moment is 0.6 ± 0.1 μ B /Pr atom. No lattice distortion has been observed below T N with a high-resolution neutron-diffraction experiment. Neutron inelastic scattering at the Intense Pulsed Neutron Source, Argonne National Laboratory, has been used to determine the crystal-field splitting of 130 ± 5 meV between the Γ 8 ground state and the Γ 7 excited state of the J = 5 2 multiplet. This represents the first direct observation of a crystal-field splitting in the rare-earth or actinide dioxides, and the largest such electronic splitting ever observed by neutron scattering. We propose that the ground state of PrO 2 is the Γ 8 quartet with the degeneracy lifted by a dynamic Jahn-Teller effect. The A 4 〈 r 4 〉 crystal field potential term for PrO 2 is - (57 ± 3) meV, and the significance of this determination for other oxides is discussed.
Effect of extracellular glutamine concentration on primary and secondary metabolism of a murine hybridoma: an in vivo 13C nuclear magnetic resonance study.

The effect of changes in extracellular glutamine level on metabolism of a murine hybridoma was exam- ined with in vivo nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Cells were cultured in a hollow-fiber bio- reactor at high cell density to allow intracellular metabo- lite levels to be determined on a metabolically relevant time scale. Steady infusions of (1- 13 C) glucose were used to label glycolytic and tricarboxylic acid cycle intermedi- ates, which permitted continuous monitoring with NMR spectroscopy during changes in environmental gluta- mine level. Samples of the extracellular medium were also analyzed to determine the effect of glutamine on other metabolites associated with primary and second- ary metabolism. The changes in glutamine concentration had several effects on primary and secondary metabo- lism, depending on the rate the changes were made. For a brief reduction in feed glutamine concentration from 4 to 0m M(which produced a rapid change from 0.67 to ~0 mM in residual glutamine), large changes were observed in the rate of consumption of metabolites normally as- sociated with energy production. Antibody synthesis was strongly stimulated and nitrogen metabolism was significantly altered. For a more prolonged reduction from 2.4 to 1.2 mM (which produced a slower reduction from 0.30 to 0.08 mM in residual glutamine), much smaller changes were observed even though the concen- tration of glutamine at the reduced feed level was very low. Energy metabolism did not appear to be limited by glutamine at 0.08 mM, which suggests that significant futile cycling may occur in energy producing pathways when excess glucose and glutamine are available. How- ever, this concentration of extracellular glutamine ap- peared to affect some anabolic pathways, which require amino groups from glutamine. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons,
Gender Differences in Internet Use Patterns and Internet Application Preferences: A Two-Sample Comparison

Although the Internet frequently has been characterized as male-dominated, recent evidence indicates that the gender gap in Internet use is rapidly diminishing. If more females are using the Internet, then what specific applications do they prefer and do they differ from those of males? This article presents results from a survey assessing gender differences in specific uses of the Internet. The survey included 19 items and was made available to Internet users. For comparison, a paper-and-pencil version was administered to several hundred introductory psychology students. Numerous gender differences in preferences for specific Internet applications emerged. Results showed that males use the Internet mainly for purposes related to entertainment and leisure, whereas women use it primarily for interpersonal communication and educational assistance. However, additional analyses showed that several gender differences were mediated by differences in age and Internet experience. Potential implications of these r...
EVIDENCE OF POST FIELD IONIZATION AND OBSERVATION OF NOVEL FEATURES IN THE ENERGY DISTRIBUTION OF FIELD EVAPORATED IONS

Abstract Ion energy distributions in low temperature field evaporation obtained by pulsed-laser time-of-flight atom-probe, in general, show a FWHM of the spatial zone of ion formation to be 0.3–0.5 A; post field ionization is not responsible for the ion formation. However, when ions of two or more charge states coexist a low energy tail can be found for the higher charge state ions, similar to those found for gas ions in field ionization. This tail can extend as far as 10 A above the surface. Ions in the tail can only be produced by post field ionization. Double peak structures are found in the energy distributions of some ion species such as Mo 2+ ; the origin of which is not yet understood. At a constant rate of field evaporation, as the field is gradually reduced by continued field evaporation and the laser power density appropriately increased, the charge states shift to the lower ones. For Mo, however, Mo 2+ 2 ions are formed before Mo + ions can be detected. The narrowness of the energy distributions shows that they are stable. This finding has an important implication to the study of the stability or Coulomb explosion of multiple charged cluster ions, and also the theory of field evaporation. Under intense laser irradiation, higher charge state ions can reappear and a large fraction of ions may have an excess energy of a few hundred eV. These may be produced by multiphoton ionization and also by interaction with the over-heated electrons in laser-solid interactions.
Temporal Stability of the Microbial Community in Sewage-Polluted Seawater Exposed to Natural Sunlight Cycles and Marine Microbiota

Billions of gallons of untreated wastewater enter the coastal ocean each year. Once sewage microorganisms are in the marine environment, they are exposed to environmental stressors, such as sunlight and predation. Previous research has investigated the fate of individual sewage microorganisms in seawater but not the entire sewage microbial community. The present study used next-generation sequencing (NGS) to examine how the microbial community in sewage-impacted seawater changes over 48 h when exposed to natural sunlight cycles and marine microbiota. We compared the results from microcosms composed of unfiltered seawater (containing naturally occurring marine microbiota) and filtered seawater (containing no marine microbiota) to investigate the effect of marine microbiota. We also compared the results from microcosms that were exposed to natural sunlight cycles with those from microcosms kept in the dark to investigate the effect of sunlight. The microbial community composition and the relative abundance of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) changed over 48 h in all microcosms. Exposure to sunlight had a significant effect on both community composition and OTU abundance. The effect of marine microbiota, however, was minimal. The proportion of sewage-derived microorganisms present in the microcosms decreased rapidly within 48 h, and the decrease was the most pronounced in the presence of both sunlight and marine microbiota, where the proportion decreased from 85% to 3% of the total microbial community. The results from this study demonstrate the strong effect that sunlight has on microbial community composition, as measured by NGS, and the importance of considering temporal effects in future applications of NGS to identify microbial pollution sources.
Computer-aided detection of polyps and masses for CT colonography

We are developing a computer-aided scheme for the detection of colonic polyps and masses in CT colonography. The colon is extracted automatically from CT images by use of a knowledge-guided technique. The detection of polyps and masses is based on shape index and curvedness features. A feature-guided segmentation technique is used to extract the regions of detected polyps. A quadratic discriminant classifier is used for reducing false-positive detections and for determining the final output based on shape index, gradient concentration, and CT value features. To evaluate the technique, we performed CT colonography for 72 patients with cleansed colons and by use of a standard technique with helical CT scanning. Thirteen patients had a total of 20 polyps measuring 5-12mm, and four patients had 4 masses measuring 25-40 mm in diameter. In a by-polyp(by-mass) leave-one-out evaluation, the CAD scheme detected 95% of the polyps(all masses) with an average of 1.5(0.5) false-positive detections per patient. These preliminary results suggest that our CAD scheme is potentially a useful tool for providing rapid interpretation and high diagnostic accuracy for CT colonography.
The year in congenital heart disease.

The review by Graham ([1][1]) is an excellent and welcome summary of surgical, interventional, and medical progress in congenital heart disease. There are sufficient data to allow the reader to form an opinion, backed up by specific references, as well as useful critical remarks of consensus. I was
The magnetopause of the earth and planets

The intrinsic magnetic fields of Mercury, the earth, Jupiter and Saturn, all deflect the solar wind well above the planetary surface. The current layer or magnetopause which flows between the magnetized solar wind and magnetospheric plasmas should play an important role in determining the strength of the interaction but has only been investigated at the earth where the interplanetary magnetic field direction is found to exert a primary control on the structure of the magnetopause and the global dynamics of the magnetosphere. The solar wind interaction with Venus is quite different than that with the earth because Venus has at most a very weak magnetic field. Nevertheless, the current layer on the Venus ionopause has many similarities to that of the earth, in particular the presence of small scale structure.
An Out-of-Plane MEMS Quadrupole for a Portable Mass Spectrometer

This paper reports the design, fabrication and characterization of a hand-assembled out-of-plane MEMS quadrupole mass filter. The device utilizes a 3D packaging technology that relies on mesoscale DRIE-patterned deflection springs for assembly. Microfabricated quadrupoles with 1.58 mm down to 0.56 mm diameter rods and 30 to 60 aspect ratios were built and tested. The quadrupoles were characterized in the first stability region at an RF frequency of 1.44 MHz, using a constant peak width sweeping method, obtaining a dynamic range of 650 amu and a half-peak width of 2 amu. Better performance is expected if a higher RF frequency is used.
Experience with totally laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy with splenic preservation for pediatric trauma—2 techniques

Abstract Purpose Blunt pancreatic traumatic injury in children, although rare, can be managed with a variety of methods from nonoperative, early operative, or delayed operative strategies. In the appropriate setting, early operative intervention has been associated with shorter hospitalization and decreased morbidity for these patients. Case reports describe laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy for isolated pancreatic laceration in children. This article presents the experience and results of the first series of totally laparoscopic, spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomies for trauma in children. Methods Three children aged 8 to 13 years underwent laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy with splenic preservation for traumatic pancreatic transection within 72 hours of initial injury. Computed tomography imaging in all patients demonstrated complete pancreatic transection. The details of 2 operative techniques used for totally laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy are described. The data for associated injuries, amylase/lipase levels, operative management, postoperative course, length of stay, complications, and follow-up were collected for all patients. Results All 3 children aged 8, 10, and 13 years underwent laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy without splenectomy within 72 hours of injury (23, 48, and 72 hours). The mechanism of injury was from a bicycle handle, knee to abdomen, and dirt bike handle, respectively. The length of hospital stay was 6, 15, and 7 days with follow-up of 12, 35, and 34 months. The 2 older children underwent pancreatic transection with an endostapler, and the 8-year-old had the pancreatic remnant oversewn by hand. Use of postoperative total parenteral nutrition continued for 0, 13, and 7 days. Complications included an abdominal wall hematoma and prolonged ileus with mild pancreatitis. There were no pancreatic fistulae or insufficiency. All patients are doing well and are asymptomatic from prior injury and laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy. Conclusions In the appropriate pediatric patient with traumatic pancreatic transection, a laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy with splenic preservation can be performed safely, with low morbidity and good outcomes. Further studies with larger series of patients with these injuries would be useful.
The anesthetics nitrous oxide and ketamine are more neurotoxic to old than to young rat brain.

Abstract Nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and ketamine are common general anesthetics and antagonists of N -methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptors. In clinically relevant concentrations, they induce a psychotomimetic reaction in humans and pathomorphological changes in the rat brain. We have previously shown that ketamine and N 2 O in combination cause the neurotoxic reaction in young adult rat brain that is apparently synergistic. Ketamine and N 2 O are occasionally used in geriatric anesthesia since they do not suppress cardiorespiratory function and thus are beneficial for frail elderly patients. However, in view of the evidence that N 2 O and ketamine have potentially serious neurotoxic effects, and that they potentiate one another's neurotoxicity, their neurotoxic potential in the aging brain needs to be evaluated. In this study we compared the neurotoxicity of ketamine and N 2 O, alone or in combination, in aging (18- and 24-month-old) rats and in young adult (6-month-old) rats and found that the aging brain is substantially more sensitive than the young adult brain to the neurotoxic reaction induced by either ketamine alone or the ketamine + N 2 O combination, but equally sensitive to the neurotoxicity induced by N 2 O alone.
Anterior cruciate ligament injury in children and adolescents.

Abstract Although the natural history of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in the adult is well documented, the natural history of ACL injury in children and adolescents has not previously been reported. A case note review revealed 31 cases with ACL pathology out of 212 arthroscopies performed in the Adelaide Children's Hospital from November 1980 until June 1986. Partial tears were more common than complete midsubstance tears. In 27 cases there was no bony involvement. All 27 patients were available for analysis. The average age was 14.3 years, with a range of 8–18 years. Twelve of the 27 patients were younger than 14 years old. All patients completed a question-naire and were interviewed. The average follow-up was 51 months (range 26–87 months). At the time of initial injury, 11 of the 27 patients (41%) had associated pathology. Subsequently, four patients have undergone further arthroscopic surgery, four patients have had a reconstruction of the ACL, and a further three have had reconstruction recommended. We conclude that this is not as benign an injury as was previously believed.
Increasing long-wavelength relief across the southeastern flank of the Sierra Nevada, California

Abstract A high degree of correlation between present-day relative rock uplift measured using continuous GPS geodesy and spatially averaged surface elevations suggests that long-wavelength topographic relief is presently increasing along the southeastern flank of the Sierra Nevada range and within an adjacent portion of the northern Basin and Range province. Current estimates for erosion rate are an order of magnitude smaller than the relative rates determined by geodesy. Thus, although the uplift serves to enhance long-wavelength relief, it cannot be explained entirely as an isostatic response to erosion. If uplift rates have been constant through time, the duration over which the uplift could have been active (
Effects of isoproterenol on heart muscle performance during myocardial hypoxia

Abstract The mechanical performance of isolated rat left ventricular trabecular muscle subjected to hypoxia is improved following the administration of isoproterenol. Enhanced performance, however, is associated with subsequent rapid decline in mechanical activity and the premature appearance of contracture. Glucose omission from the muscle bath accelerates mechanical deterioration of the muscle preparations. A linear relationship between the duration of mechanical activity following the initiation of hypoxia and initial cardiac glycogen concentration is present. For a given glycogen concentration, hypoxia tolerance time is abbreviated in muscles exposed to isoproterenol. Isoproterenol is thus able to enhance heart muscle performance during hypoxia at the expense of early functional deterioration. These effects appear primarily due to isoproterenol-induced accelerated depletion of limited glycolytic reserves of rat heart muscle.
Outcomes of Unexplained Syncope in the Elderly

The objective of this study was to determine whether syncope of unknown etiology (SUE) influences mortality in the elderly. Patients with SUE at 65 years or older were identified retrospectively and their outcomes were compared with an age-, sex-, and comorbidity-matched group of patients drawn from the same population. All-cause 3-year mortality was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test. SUE was identified in 150 of 304 patients (49%) with syncope. Patients with SUE and controls experienced mortality rates (1/1000 person-years [95% confidence interval]) of 147.8 (112.6-193.9) and 153.4 (117.5-200.3), P=.7, respectively. Of all the recorded characteristics of SUE, only the inpatient status was associated with higher all-cause mortality (Cox model adjusted hazard ratio [95% confidence interval] of inpatients vs outpatients with SUE: 2.2 [1.1-4.1], P=.017). New-onset SUE is not an independent predictor of mortality in elderly patients.
Ligand effects on the bonding mode of the cyanate ion in complexes of copper(II) and nickel(II)

Abstract The results of an investigation of the bonding mode of the cyanate ion in complexes of copper(II) and nickel(II) containing 4-substituted pyridine derivatives and various other aromatic π-acceptor amines indicate that the bonding mode of the cyanate is rather insensitive to the electronic environment in these complexes and continues to bond through the nitrogen atom. Infrared and VIS-UV spectral data indicate that the [CuL2(NCO)2] complexes generally involve square planar geometry with trans monodentate ligands (cis, of course, with bidentate ligands) and the [NiL4(NCo)2] complexes are trans octahedral (except for cis-[Ni(1,10-phenanthroline)2(NCO)2]). Significant exceptions to these generalizations include [Cu(4-pyridinealdoxime)2(NCO)2], which is believed to exhibit octahedral geometry due to bridging aldoxime groups; [Cu(quinoline)2(NCO)2] and [Cu(6-nitroquinoline)2], which are probably distorted tetrahedral complexes due to steric interactions encountered by the hydrogen atoms at the 8-positions of the quinoline molecules; and [Cu(quinoline)(NCO)2], [Ni(4-cyanopyridine)2(NCO)2] and [Ni(4-carbomethoxypyridine)2(NCO)2], which are postulated as being the first examples, along with K[Cd(NCO)3] of complexes involving bridging cyanate groups The latter complex appears to have a dimeric structure with four terminal N-bonded cyanates and two bridging cyanates, analogous to the structure suggested in the literature for [n-C4H9)4N]2[Cd2(NCSe)6].
Poly(lactic acid) and zeolite composites prepared by melt processing: Morphological and physical–mechanical properties

Poly(lactic acid), PLA, composites containing 0, 1, 3, and 5 wt % zeolite type 4A were prepared using extrusion/injection compounding techniques. Morphological characterizations were carried out by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Physical properties were evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and mechanical properties by standard tensile testing. The morphological studies showed a homogenous dispersion of zeolite particles within the PLA matrix. As the fracture stress propagated, zeolite particles remained embedded into the matrix, indicating the existence of good interfacial adhesion between zeolite particles and the PLA matrix. The improvement in the interfacial adhesion was also confirmed by applying Nicolais-Narkis and Pukanszky models. The percent crystallinity of the PLA and the temperature- dependant elastic and viscous modulus of the composite increased with the proportion of zeolites. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
Electrophysiological and clinical correlation in myasthenia gravis.

Repetitive nerve stimulation testing of the ulnar nerve was systematically performed on 21 normal controls and 120 patients with myasthenia (MG). Diagnostic sensitivity increased from 0% in MG in remission and 17.2% in ocular MG to 100% in severe generalized MG. Six types of responses were observed in MG and could be classified into two distinct patterns based upon disease severity: (1) in mild MG, an abnormal decremental response at low rate of stimulation, normal response at high rate of stimulation, and prominent posttetanic facilitation and exhaustion phenomena; and (2) in severe MG, abnormal decremental responses at low as well as high stimulation rates and less common posttetanic facilitation and rare posttetanic exhaustion phenomena. This difference is most likely due to the severity of the neuromuscular block in MG.
Realtime photoacoustic microscopy of murine cardiovascular and respiratory dynamics in vivo

While photoacoustic imaging has emerged as a promising modality in recent years, a key drawback of practical and widespread use of the technique has been slow imaging rates. We present a 30-MHz array-based photoacoustic imaging system that can acquire and display photoacoustic images in realtime. Realtime display is very helpful and provides the system operator the ability to better navigate and position the probe for selecting a desired anatomical field of view. The system is capable of imaging at 50 frames per second to depths of a few mm in tissue. We used this system to successfully image the beating hearts of young athymic nude mice in vivo. Also of interest was the ability to visualize microvascular changes during respiration.
African-American men with low-grade prostate cancer have higher tumor burdens: results from the Duke Prostate Center.

African-American men with low-grade prostate cancer have higher tumor burdens: Results from the Duke Prostate Center
Carbon and Nitrogen Pools in a Tallgrass Prairie Soil under Elevated Carbon Dioxide

Soil is a potential C sink and could offset rising atmospheric CO 2 . The capacity of soils to store and sequester C will depend on the rate of C inputs from plant productivity relative to C exports controlled by microbial decomposition. Our objective was to measure pools of soil C and N to assess the potential for C accrual and changes to N stocks as influenced by elevated atmospheric CO 2 . Treatments (three replications, randomized complete block design) were ambient CO 2 -no chamber (NC), ambient CO 2 -chamber (AC), and two times ambient CO 2 -chamber (EC). Long-term (290 d) incubations (35°C) were conducted to assess changes in the slow soil fractions of potentially mineralizable C (PMC) and potentially mineralizable N (PMN). Potentially mineralizable C was enhanced (P < 0.1) by 19 and 24% in EC relative to AC and NC soil at the 0- to 5- and 5- to 15-cm depths, respectively. Potentially mineralizable N was significantly greater by 14% at the 0- to 5-cm depth in EC relative to AC, but decreased by 12% in EC relative to NC (P < 0.1). Measurements of PMC indicate that increases in total soil C under elevated CO 2 in a previous study were a consequence of accrual into the slow pool. Relatively large amounts of new C deposited as a result of elevated CO 2 (C new ) remained in the soil after the 290-d incubation. In contrast to accumulation of C into the slow fraction, C new was integrated into a passive fraction of soil organic matter (SOM). Accumulation of N was also detected in the whole soil, which cannot be explained by current estimates of ecosystem N flux.
High-Throughput Sequencing of Campylobacter jejuni Insertion Mutant Libraries Reveals mapA as a Fitness Factor for Chicken Colonization

Campylobacter jejuni is a leading cause of gastrointestinal infections worldwide, due primarily to its ability to asymptomatically colonize the gastrointestinal tracts of agriculturally relevant animals, including chickens. Infection often occurs following consumption of meat that was contaminated by C. jejuni during harvest. Because of this, much interest lies in understanding the mechanisms that allow C. jejuni to colonize the chicken gastrointestinal tract. To address this, we generated a C. jejuni transposon mutant library that is amenable to insertion sequencing and introduced this mutant pool into day-of-hatch chicks. Following deep sequencing of C. jejuni mutants in the cecal outputs, several novel factors required for efficient colonization of the chicken gastrointestinal tract were identified, including the predicted outer membrane protein MapA. A mutant strain lacking mapA was constructed and found to be significantly reduced for chicken colonization in both competitive infections and monoinfections. Further, we found that mapA is required for in vitro competition with wild-type C. jejuni but is dispensable for growth in monoculture.
Human papillomavirus expression in oral mucosa, premalignant conditions, and squamous cell carcinoma: a retrospective review of the literature.

Abstract Objectives The literature of human papillomavirus detection in normal oral mucosa and oral lesions associated with the dysplastic progression of epithelium was reviewed to help define the role of this virus in the development of oral squamous cell carcinoma. Study design All available data from published studies were analyzed by chi-square test for association between the human papillomavirus and age, gender, race, DNA type, location, lesional dysplastic progression, method of detection, tissue preservation, and use of tobacco and alcohol. Results Human papillomavirus was identified with increasing frquency in normal oral mucosa (13.5%), benign leukoplakia (14.8%), intraepithelial neoplasia (18.5%), squamous carcinoma (26.2%), and verrucous carcinoma (27%). It was detected in oral squamous cell carcinoma significantly (p Conclusions High-risk human papillomavirus genotypes have a significant association with oral squamous cell carcinoma. However, the presence of this virus in a high proportion of oral normal mucosa makes the virus alone a poor prognosticator of progression to malignancy.
TE-TE mode coupling at oblique incidence in a periodic dielectric waveguide

The characteristics of reflection of a TE mode into another TE mode in a planar dielectric waveguide with a sinusoidally modulated index are investigated for the general case in which the wavevectors are not aligned with the grating vector. A singular perturbation procedure is used to deduce the asymptotically exact coupled mode equations which govern the interaction. An analysis of the coupled-mode equations has shown the existence of the Brewster phenomenon at the angle of incidence θiB=45°. For angles of incidence sufficiently greater than the Brewster angle, the reflection coefficient can be considerably larger than that for the normal incidence. In the spectral response curves of the reflection coefficient, a higher maximum and a smaller base bandwidth are possible for the oblique incidence as compared to that for the normal incidence. The angular sensitivity of the reflection characteristics increases as the angle of incidence changes from the normal incidence to the grazing incidence.
On the Problem of the Existence of Mesotrons in Auger Showers

A discussion is given of the different possibilities which would lead to the assumption of the presence of mesotrons in extensive atmospheric showers, or the so-called Auger showers. The difficulties involved in the problem of the experimental evidence for the existence of these mesotrons are shown to be, in general, considerable. Three kinds of experiments are described in which mesotrons associated simultaneously with other particles are found. These particles are present even at large distances (\ensuremath{\sim}20 meters) from the observed mesotrons. However, they are much more infrequent than the particles which are found in the Auger showers, investigated under conditions similar to those of the present experiments. Qualitatively, the observed phenomena could be due, not to mesotrons associated with an Auger shower, but to single mesotrons accompanied by collision electrons which are projected by these mesotrons along their path in the air. There exists, however, a definite quantitative disagreement between the observed values and the theoretical values which are calculated for the considered collision processes. Therefore, at least part of the observed mesotrons could actually belong to an Auger shower. But, on the other hand, explanations are formulated which might, at least partly, account for the mentioned quantitative disagreement. Thus, only after these explanations are tested by experiment will it be possible to decide more definitely as to the presence of mesotrons in Auger showers.
An Analysis of the Rupture Behavior of Pressurized Fast Reactor Cladding Tubes Subjected to Thermal Transients

The rupture behavior of 20% cold-worked Type 316 stainless steel fast reactor fuel cladding, subjected to thermal transients typical of hypothetical accident conditions, is studied by considering the response of a thin-walled cylinder loaded by constant internal pressure. The high-stress low-temperature failure behavior is analyzed using a correlation from low temperature tensile properties. The low-stress high-temperature regime is shown to be described by a combined creep-deformation crack-growth-law formulation including annealing effects via grain growth. Failure temperatures and failure ductilities calculated using these models, compare favorably with experiment. It is also shown how the models can be extended to explain the observed reduction in failure temperature and failure ductility of cladding tubes that have been exposed to irradiation and/or corrosive environments.
Auditory event-related potentials dissociate early and late memory processes

Abstract Event-related potentials (ERPs) to environmental sounds were recorded from 15 young control subjects in an auditory recognition memory task. Subjects listened to a continuous string of binaurally presented sounds, 20% of which were presented once and 80% were repeated. Of the repeated sounds, some repeated immediately after the initial presentation (2 sec; short delay repetition) while others repeated after 2–6 intervening sounds (4–12 sec; long delay repetition). Subjects were instructed to indicate whether they had heard the sounds before by pressing a “yes” or “no” button. The initial stimulus presentation and long delay repetition stimuli generated both an N4 component and a prolonged latency P3 component while the short delay repetition stimuli elicited no N4 component and an earlier latency P3 component. Subjects' responses were faster and more accurate for short delay repetition. All stimuli generated a sustained frontal negative component (SFN). These data indicate that auditory recognition memory for environmental sounds may involve two processes. The P3 generated by both short and long delay repetition stimuli may index activation of a neocortical template matching system. The N4 generated by initial stimulus presentations and long delay repetition is proposed to measure additional activation of limbic memory systems at long retention intervals.