cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Femoral head to lower lumbar neural foramen distance as a novel radiographic parameter to predict postoperative stretch neuropraxia.

Objective Lumbosacral fractional curves in adult spinal deformity (ASD) patients often have sharp coronal curves resulting in significant pain and imbalance. Postoperative stretch neuropraxia after fractional curve correction can lead to discomfort and unsatisfactory outcomes. The goal of this study was to use radiographic measures to increase understanding of the relationship between postoperative stretch neuropraxia and fractional curve correction. Methods In 62 ASD patients treated from 2015 to 2018, radiographic review was performed, including measurement of the distance between the lower lumbar neural foramen (L4 and L5) in the concavity and convexity of the lumbosacral fractional curve and the ipsilateral femoral heads (FHs; L4-FH and L5-FH) in pre- and postoperative anteroposterior spine radiographs. The largest absolute preoperative to postoperative change in distance between the lower lumbar neural foramen and the ipsilateral FH (ΔL4/L5-FH) was used for analysis. Chi-square analyses, independent and paired t-tests, and logistic regression were performed to study the relationship between L4/L5-FH and stretch neuropraxia for categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Results Of the 62 patients, 13 (21.0%) had postoperative stretch neuropraxia. Patients without postoperative stretch neuropraxia had an average ΔL4-FH distance of 16.2 mm compared to patients with stretch neuropraxia, who had an average ΔL4-FH distance of 31.5 mm (p 20 mm (95% CI 1.3-17.3) and a 5.17-fold risk of developing stretch neuropraxia with ΔL5-FH > 15 mm (95% CI 1.4-18.7). Logistic regression analysis indicated that the odds of developing stretch neuropraxia were 15:1 with a ΔL4-FH > 20 mm (95% CI 3-78) and 21:1 with a ΔL5-FH > 15 mm (95% CI 4-113). Conclusions The novel ΔL4/L5-FH distances are strongly associated with postoperative stretch neuropraxia in ASD patients. A ΔL4-FH > 20 mm and ΔL5-FH > 15 mm significantly increase the odds for patients to develop postoperative stretch neuropraxia.
Rescuing Rational Expectations from Undeserved Ridicule

Heterogeneity of risk aversion parameters of economic agents facilitates risk sharing, as such, is a necessary condition for economic viability of stock markets. This study finds price equilibriums that are outcome of conditioning of homogeneously received information on heterogeneous realizations of risk preferences Pareto dominate alternate comparable equilibriums that are conditioned on the `common' component of heterogeneously received information. Necessity of an information source that is not either of stock prices or stock returns, and that equally is visible to all for feasibility of homogeneously received information establishes necessity of a `market procedural mechanism' for conditioning of rational expectations equilibriums (REE). While stock return volatility has, in context of the `Intertemporal Capital Asset Pricing Model (ICAPM)', structure that is amenable to its characterization as a market procedural mechanism, expectations that are conditioned on stock return volatility explicitly are shown to have character of uninformed gambles. Implicitness of adoption of return volatility as market mechanism suffices then, for inducement of stock markets that are characterized by, `gambles over lotteries'; the `investors trade too much' phenomenon; and intermittency of market correction events. We arrive then at a rational explanation for seeming irrationality or proneness to bias of actions of investors in stock markets, namely absence of a robustly formulated market procedural mechanism for formation of rational expectations equilibriums. In aggregate, we arrive at rescue of concept of REE from undeserved ridicule, that is, infer failings of mechanism design as bane of current workings of stock markets.
COVID-19 vaccines tolerated in patients with paclitaxel and docetaxel allergy.

After initial reports of anaphylaxis to the messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) put forth guidance stating that patients with a history of anaphylaxis to vaccine components like polyethylene glycol (PEG) should not receive the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.1 To address this clinical challenge and decrease vaccine hesitancy, we published an approach to guide COVID-19 vaccination in high-risk allergy individuals.2-4 While the etiology of anaphylaxis to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines remains unclear, PEG continues to be an important focus.5,6 Paclitaxel contains polyoxyl-35 castor oil --a PEG derivative and structurally similar to the excipient in Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines-- and docetaxel contains polysorbate 80 --the excipient in Janssen COVID-19 vaccine. Given this, we sought to assess the utility of pre-vaccine excipient skin testing (ST), risk stratification and COVID-19 vaccine tolerability in oncology patients with a history of paclitaxel or docetaxel hypersensitivity reaction (HSR).
Two-sector Growth Models

This section provides an introduction to two-sector growth models. We begin with a model where a single good is produced using traditional means of production. In the traditional sector , production is carried out by households using land (natural resources) and labor. There are no firms or factories that rely on heavy plant and equipment and modern production methods to produce goods. This setting can be used to identify the conditions necessary for a modern sector to appear that would begin an “industrial revolution,” as in Hansen and Prescott (2002).
A Robust and Accurate Scheme for Solving Low Speed Flows

In this paper, we present the ideas and procedure to extend the AUSM-family schemes for solving low speed flows. Specifically, we shall introduce the concept of numerical speed of sound to rescale the Mach number so that the numerical dissipation is uniformly valid over the entire speed regimes. Consequently, the accuracy in the low Mach number is maintained and the convergence enhanced, resulting in a convergence rate insensitive to the Mach numbers. Further, the pressure flux is enhanced by including a velocity diffusion term. As a result, the final scheme eradicate fails found in the previous versions.
Impact of the Toxoplasma gondii Genome Project

This chapter provides an assessment of the extent to which the Toxoplasma gondii genome has fulfilled its promise. It describes the available genomic resources, and provides an overview of those aspects of toxoplasmosis research that have grown most as a consequence of genomic resources. To provide an estimate and description of the "attributable fraction" of progress owed to genomic biology, most of this chapter reviews the hundred (or so) papers that acknowledge several key developments in Toxoplasma gondii genomics. The chapter discusses some additional perspectives intended to expand upon and supplement the documented record of developments made possible by genomic biology, including a discussion of literature that may only indirectly establish that causal link. Finally, the chapter considers the impact that genomics has made on our understanding of T. gondii toxoplasmosis, and broader issues in eukaryotic Microbiology. Recombinant vaccine candidates for N. caninum have been identified by searching T. gondii genomic and expressed sequence tags (ESTs) databases. A genomewide survey of SNP polymorphism provided a means to more fully substantiate and explain earlier observations, that most isolates of T. gondii studied to date can be classified as members of one of three multilocus types, and that only a few ancestors could have contributed all of the diversity represented among them. In the case of T. gondii, the genomic data have encouraged the engagement of a creative and inquisitive cadre of research scientists.
Perspectives on the metabolic management of epilepsy through dietary reduction of glucose and elevation of ketone bodies.

Brain cells are metabolically flexible because they can derive energy from both glucose and ketone bodies (acetoacetate and β-hydroxybutyrate). Metabolic control theory applies principles of bioenergetics and genome flexibility to the management of complex phenotypic traits. Epilepsy is a complex brain disorder involving excessive, synchronous, abnormal electrical firing patterns of neurons. We propose that many epilepsies with varied etiologies may ultimately involve disruptions of brain energy homeostasis and are potentially manageable through principles of metabolic control theory. This control involves moderate shifts in the availability of brain energy metabolites (glucose and ketone bodies) that alter energy metabolism through glycolysis and the tricarboxylic acid cycle, respectively. These shifts produce adjustments in gene-linked metabolic networks that manage or control the seizure disorder despite the continued presence of the inherited or acquired factors responsible for the epilepsy. This hypothesis is supported by information on the management of seizures with diets including fasting, the ketogenic diet and caloric restriction. A better understanding of the compensatory genetic and neurochemical networks of brain energy metabolism may produce novel antiepileptic therapies that are more effective and biologically friendly than those currently available.
Conduct in a Banking Monopoly

Extending previous empirical work on concentrated markets, this paper appliesa Rosse–Panzar revenue test to quarterly data from a monopoly bank. The testrejects the hypotheses of static monopoly pricing or perfectly contestablepricing. Other tests suggest that the bank was in long-run equilibrium duringthe sample period and did not exhibit particular forms of expense-preferencebehavior. Possible interpretations of the bank's conduct include limit pricingto deter entry or an objective other than maximizing static profit. The resultsraise new questions about conduct among monopoly banks or in declining markets.
Large-Scale Urban Modeling

Large-scale urban modeling has been criticized for failing to produce practical tools despite great costs. Among the simulation techniques proposed for modeling the socioeconomic sector is Forrester's Systems Dynamics, which has also been criticized as being impractical and misleading. This paper reviews the pros and cons of large-scale urban modeling as well as the use and misuse of Systems Dynamics. The main thesis is that Systems Dynamics is a valid approach to simulation when correctly used and urban modeling is useful when limited to a sector of the urban system. Applying these constraints overcomes most of the shortcomings of large-scale modeling and produces a cost-effective tool for planning in urban systems. A model of the education sector of the urban system is proposed to demonstrate the application of small-scale modeling using Systems Dynamics that mitigates the historic shortcomings of the more comprehensive simulation attempts.
Stability and control of mobile communication systems with time-varying channels

The authors consider the forward link of a one-cell mobile communications system with a single transmitter, a fixed number (K) of mobiles, and randomly time-varying channels. Data arrives at the base in some random way (which might have a bursty character) and is queued according to the destination until transmitted. We consider CDMA with control over the bit interval and power per bit, TDMA with control over the time allocated, bit interval, and power per bit. The control problem is the allocation of power and time to the K queues to assure stability of the queues. The control decisions are made at the beginning of the (small) scheduling intervals. The Liapunov function based stability methods are used to determine time and power allocations. The system and channel process are scaled by speed. Under a stability assumption on the fluid model obtained from the "mean drift," and some other natural conditions, it is shown that the scaled physical system can be controlled to be stable, uniformly in the speed, for fast enough speeds. Owing to the non-Markov nature of the problem, we use the perturbed Liapunov function method in order to obtain the control allocations. Each such function corresponds loosely to a performance criteria for some optimization problem. Part of the power of the analysis is due to the rather general conditions under which it works.
Dexterous mobility with the uBot-5 mobile manipulator

We present an initial demonstration of dexterous mobility using the uBot-5, a dynamically balancing mobile manipulator. Dexterous mobility refers generally to a level of bodily resourcefulness that permits the autonomous reassignment of effectors for the purpose of maintaining mobility in a variety of situations. We begin by describing a set of postural stability controllers in terms of a small number of simple control objectives. We then show how the resulting postures support dexterous mobility by enabling a new “knuckle walking” mobility mode. In a preliminary experiment, we develop this mobility mode by formulating a practical reinforcement learning problem that allows the robot to learn an efficient gait on-line in a single trial.
Effect of caffeine on leg muscle pain during cycling exercise among females.

ABSTRACTPurpose:This double-blind, within-subjects experiment examined the effects of ingesting two doses of caffeine on perceptions of leg muscle pain during moderate-intensity cycling exercise among females.Methods:Low-caffeine-consuming college-aged females (N = 11) ingested one of two doses of c
ON THE NATURE OF THE TOXIC COMPONENT OF THE SOMATIC ANTIGEN OF SHIGELLA PARADYSENTERIAE TYPE Z (FLEXNER)

From the chemical evidence presented it appears that the toxicity associated with the somatic antigen of Type Z Sh. paradysenteriae may be attributed to an entity distinct from the known components of the complex. That this substance is neither the protein, the lipid, nor the carbohydrate component of the antigen is evident. Because of its lability to chemical manipulation, the nature of the toxic component, has not yet been ascertained.
Computerized tomography of the orbit in carotid-cavernous sinus fistulae.

Abstract Orbital Computerized Tomography was utilized in seven cases of angiographically proven carotid-cavernous sinus fistulae. The findings were as follows: (A) proptosis (in all cases), (B) enlarged superior opthalmic vein (in six cases) and (C) introorbital muscle enlargement (in three cases). Carotid-cavernous sinus fistulae can usually be differentiated from other entities in the clinical differential diagnosis by the use of orbital CT.
Changing Culture Changing Grammar: A Cross-Categorial Hypothesis on the Loss of the Perfectum in Romance

Abstract. It has been often emphasized that, in Romance, the category of aspect has become subordinated to the category of tense and that the development of compound and double-compound forms was due to the necessity of recreating the opposition between perfectum and infectum, an opposition which dominated the Latin temporal system on the whole. As far as we know, there is no satisfactory explanation for this phenomenon. According to our hypothesis, the cyclic bleaching of the 'resultative value' is a consequence of a fundamental change in parameters affecting various categories such as gender, case, voice and tense. More specifically, the resultative value of compound tenses must have been in competition with the values of the newly created plain passive, which was also result-centered (as opposed to the agent-centered active and event-centered middle/reflexive). By turn, these changes in the voice paradigm were triggered by the reinterpretation of the inherent feature [+Passive] characterizing Latin neuter nouns as a contextual feature. Since the verb assigns various roles to its arguments, it is no wonder that the combination of 'topicality' with a 'passive role' will affect the entire sentential structure, including the verb markers. But if both the plain passive and the compound past are result-centered, the corresponding active forms may become first and foremost tense markers, with special pragmatic and narrative values as required by the discourse necessities of the predominantly oral registers that developed into Romance languages.
A Theory of Gaps in the Turbulence Spectra of Stably Stratified Shear Flows.

Abstract A gap and adjacent bump is predicted to occur in the velocity spectrum of stratified shear flows when the flux Richardson number Rf, ≲1/2. This prediction is based on a straightforward solution of the spectral energy balance equation with the assumption that the turbulence is locally inertial and nearly stationary. The limitations of the locally inertial assumption are examined critically. The gap occurs at Spectral wavelengths varying from 30 m to more than 1 km, depending on Rf, the turbulence intensity, and the Brunt-Vaisala frequency. In general, the gap occurs near a wavenumber where the spectral transfer function ϵ(k) vanishes. Both the gap and the zero of ϵ(k) are caused by shear and/or buoyancy production of energy. In addition, an alternative derivation of ϵ(k) is made from a more general consideration that avoids the locally inertial assumption. Both expressions predict that ϵ(k) will vanish at a value of k when Rf ≲1/2. A comparison is made with the gaps and adjacent peaks frequently o...
Cruciferous vegetables and human cancer risk: epidemiologic evidence and mechanistic basis

Cruciferous vegetables are a rich source of glucosinolates and their hydrolysis products, including indoles and isothiocyanates, and high intake of cruciferous vegetables has been associated with lower risk of lung and colorectal cancer in some epidemiological studies. Glucosinolate hydrolysis products alter the metabolism or activity of sex hormones in ways that could inhibit the development of hormone-sensitive cancers, but evidence of an inverse association between cruciferous vegetable intake and breast or prostate cancer in humans is limited and inconsistent. Organizations such as the National Cancer Institute recommend the consumption of five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables daily, but separate recommendations for cruciferous vegetables have not been established. Isothiocyanates and indoles derived from the hydrolysis of glucosinolates, such as sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol (I3C), have been implicated in a variety of anticarcinogenic mechanisms, but deleterious effects also have been reported in some experimental protocols, including tumor promotion over prolonged periods of exposure. Epidemiological studies indicate that human exposure to isothiocyanates and indoles through cruciferous vegetable consumption may decrease cancer risk, but the protective effects may be influenced by individual genetic variation (polymorphisms) in the metabolism and elimination of isothiocyanates from the body. Cooking procedures also affect the bioavailability and intake of glucosinolates and their derivatives. Supplementation with I3C or the related dimer 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM) alters urinary estrogen metabolite profiles in women, but the effects of I3C and DIM on breast cancer risk are not known. Small preliminary trials in humans suggest that I3C supplementation may be beneficial in treating conditions related to human papilloma virus infection, such as cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, but larger randomized controlled trials are needed.
Thermal wave imaging of defects in fiber-reinforced composites

The principles of thermal wave imaging for NDE are described. The technique utilizes high-power photographic flash lamps for pulse-heating of the surface of the composite. The cooling of the surface is monitored by means of an IR video camera. Disbonds, delaminations, and inclusions are seen in the resultant thermal wave images, with deeper features appearing systematically at later times. Examples of the application of thermal wave imaging to nondestructive evaluation of boron fiber composite reinforcement patches, and graphite-fiber aerospace composite materials are described.
Forage Yield Heterosis in Alfalfa

Increasing forage yields remains a top priority of most alfalfa (Medicago saliva L.) breeding programs, but yield trends suggest yield has stagnated over the past two decades. Little effort has been invested into capturing heterosis in alfalfa, but semihybrid breeding systems are a possible solutions to overcome forage yield stagnation. Development of alfalfa semihybrids will require identification of heterotic groups. Studies of crosses between dormant M. saliva ssp. saliva and M. saliva ssp. falcata suggest a heterotic pattern exists between the two subspecies. The objective of this study was to measure heterosis in elite sativa × falcata crosses (SFC) in relation to elite sativa × sativa crosses (SSC) and falcata × falcata crosses (FFC). Nine elite sativa clones and five falcata clones were crossed in a diallel mating design. Progeny were space planted in 1998 at Ames and Nashua, IA, and harvested for forage yield twice in 1998 and three times in 1999. A definite sativa-falcata heterotic pattern was observed. Sativa-falcata heterosis was observed at the subspecies, halfsib, and individual cross level calculated using subspecies comparisons, halfsib heterosis analysis, and combining ability analysis. On average, intersubspecific crosses yielded 18% more than the average of intrasubspecific crosses. The sativa-falcata heterotic pattern is a potentially useful resource in alfalfa breeding programs.
Dependence of microelastic-plastic nonlinearity of martensitic stainless steel on fatigue damage accumulation

Self-organized substructural arrangements of dislocations formed in wavy slip metals during cyclic stress-induced fatigue produce substantial changes in the material microelastic-plastic nonlinearity, a quantitative measure of which is the nonlinearity parameter Beta extracted from acoustic harmonic generation measurements. The contributions to Beta from the substructural evolution of dislocations and crack growth for fatigued martensitic 410Cb stainless steel are calculated from the Cantrell model as a function of percent full fatigue life to fracture. A wave interaction factor f(sub WI) is introduced into the model to account experimentally for the relative volume of material fatigue damage included in the volume of material swept out by an interrogating acoustic wave. For cyclic stress-controlled loading at 551 MPa and f(sub WI) = 0.013 the model predicts a monotonic increase in Beta from dislocation substructures of almost 100 percent from the virgin state to roughly 95 percent full life. Negligible contributions from cracks are predicted in this range of fatigue life. However, over the last five percent of fatigue life the model predicts a rapid monotonic increase of Beta by several thousand percent that is dominated by crack growth. The theoretical predictions are in good agreement with experimental measurements of 410Cb stainless steel samples fatigued in uniaxial, stress-controlled cyclic loading at 551 MPa from zero to full tensile load with a measured f(sub WI) of 0.013.
Macrocyclic Hydroperoxocobalt(III) Complex: Photochemistry, Spectroscopy, and Crystal Structure

The hydroperoxocobalt complex [L2(CH3CN)CoOOH](ClO4)2·CH3CN (L2 = meso-5,7,7,12,14,14-Me6-[14]aneN4) crystallizes with discrete anions, cations, and solvate acetonitrile molecules in the lattice. The complex crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/n, a = 10.4230(5) A, b = 16.1561(8) A, c = 17.4676(9) A, β = 92.267(1)°, V = 2939.2(3) A3, Z = 4. The O−O bond length is 1.397(4) A, and the O(2)−O(1)−Co angle spans 117.7°. The O−O stretch in the infrared spectrum appears at 815 cm-1. The 355- and 266-nm photolysis of acidic aqueous solutions of L2(H2O)CoOOH2+ results in homolytic splitting of the Co−O bond and yields L2Co(H2O)22+ and HO2•/O2•- as the only products. The two fragments were scavenged selectively in separate experiments with O2 and C(NO2)4. There is no evidence for photochemical O−O bond homolysis, presumably because the appropriate optical transition is masked by the HO2-to-Co LMCT transition.
Patient race and the likelihood of undergoing bariatric surgery among patients seeking surgery

Background Ethnic minority adults have disproportionately higher rates of obesity than Caucasians but are less likely to undergo bariatric surgery. Recent data suggest that minorities might be less likely to seek surgery. Whether minorities who seek surgery are also less likely to proceed with surgery is unclear.
"Hyperdense" aortic wall: potential pitfall in CT screening for aortic dissection.

Opacity of the aortic wall as compared with the nonopacified blood in the lumen has been utilized as one of the criteria for the diagnosis of aortic dissection. It has also been suggested that this finding may be indicative of severe anemia. We evaluated the frequency and implications of aortic wall hyperdensity in 107 consecutive chest CT examinations in patients with no indication of aortic dissection clinically or by other imaging modalities, and whose hematocrit was known. The density of the wall correlated with the patient's age and presence of calcification. Presence or absence of anemia was not a statistically significant factor, although marked conspicuousness of the wall below the age of 60 years did suggest anemia. Atherosclerosis is the most likely explanation for wall visibility in nonanemic patients.
Developmental changes in angiotensin II receptor subtypes and AT1 receptor mRNA in rat kidney

Developmental changes in angiotensin II receptor subtypes and AT 1 receptor mRNA in rat kidney. The changes in angiotensin II receptor subtypes, type 1 (AT 1 ) and type 2 (AT 2 ) binding, and AT 1 mRNA levels during development were studied in the rat kidney using autoradiographic and in situ hybridization techniques. Autoradiographic analysis of 125 I-[Sar 1 , Ile 8 ]Ang II binding to slide-mounted kidney sections from 2 and 5 day-old rats discerned AT 2 binding sites associated with advancing tubules and ampullae of the ureteric bud, and in the metanephric mass in the nephrogenic zone of the cortex. AT 1 binding was present in the metanephric mass and immature glomeruli on days 2, 5 and 7 after birth. Differentiating and mature kidneys of 14-day, 21-day and 14-week old adult rats had solely AT 1 receptor binding over glomeruli in renal cortex and in the inner stripe of the outer medulla. AT 1 mRNA was expressed discretely as early as 2 days of age in the immature glomeruli and in a diffuse radiating pattern in the renal cortex. In the medulla, AT 1 receptor mRNA expression appeared discretely on day 7 and reached peak levels on day 21 in the inner stripe of the outer medulla. The data indicate that AT 1 receptor mRNA is developmentally regulated in rat kidney and its expression in the cortex precedes that of AT 1 receptor ligand binding. The temporal pattern of expression of binding for both receptor subtypes suggests that while AT 2 receptors may be involved in cell proliferation and early differentiation of the nephron, AT 1 receptors have a dual role, early in nephron differentiation and later in development in renal function.
Measurement and direct regulation of the velocity of a fast beam using doppler-tuned laser photon-atom interactions

Abstract An optical method is described that uses the Doppler shift to measure the velocity of a fast particle beam merged with a photon beam from a laser. The Doppler-tuned resonance signal is used in a feedback loop to regulate directly the velocity of the beam. The method is demonstrated using a beam of 4 He atoms pumped by CO 2 laser photons into high Rydberg pure quantum states. Applications to other areas of fast beam physical research are discussed.
Immunochemical detection by specific antibody to thrombin of prothrombin conformational changes upon adsorption to artificial surfaces.

Polyclonal antihuman alpha-thrombin antibodies produced in rabbits reacted minimally (less than 0.05%) in solution with human prothrombin. However, when prothrombin was adsorbed to artificial surfaces such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), the cross-reactivity of surface-bound prothrombin with antibody IgG to thrombin (greater than 95% purity) was shown to be significantly enhanced. On PVC, the molar ratios of antibody IgG to thrombin/prothrombin approached the same level as that of antibody IgG to thrombin/thrombin when thrombin was adsorbed to the same material. The analyses of antigen-antibodies interaction, in solution with a direct binding assay by immune precipitation at high-speed centrifugation (160,000 g, 30 min), and on solid-phase PVC, were accomplished by use of double-labeling technique, i.e., 131I-thrombin (or 131I-prothrombin) and 125I-antibody IgG to thrombin. The results appear to suggest that prothrombin adsorption to PVC has resulted in some molecular conformational changes so that immunologically the adsorbed prothrombin resembles that of adsorbed thrombin on the same PVC surface.
Ordinary, extraordinary and neutral medical treatment.

The terms ‘ordinary’ and ‘extraordinary’, when employed in the medical setting, quite often appear vacuous to the point of justifying their elimination. This appraisal appears to be based upon the belief that certain procedures are ordinary and others are extraordinary independent of the particular factors of the clinical setting. This belief may be shown mistaken once it is realized that the conditions sufficient for determining whether a medical procedure is ordinary or extraordinary are themselves specifiable only within the clinical context. Unfortunately, even if the terms may be meaningfully employed, the two classes are not comprehensive. Thus, it is suggested that some medical procedures will prove recalcitrant to the ordinary-extraordinary classification; and the values inherent in the classification will prove inappropriate.
Competence, safety, Quality: the path of the 21st century

Allow me to take you on a journey through what in my opinion will form the legacy of the 21st-century surgeon. Many years from now the young surgeons of today will look back on their careers and examine their legacy. That legacy will be shaped during a career that will have embraced three distinct areas: competence, safety and quality.
Petawatt-Laser-Driven Plasma Acceleration of Electrons to > 2 GeV

We accelerate electrons beyond 2 GeV by driving plasma of density ~4×10^17 cm^-3 with 150 fs, 150 J pulses from the Texas Petawatt Laser. The best beams are dark-current-free with sub-milliradian divergence.
Identification of proteins functionally altered by chemical modification of the transfer RNA and polyuridylic acid binding sites of 30 S ribosomal subunits.

Abstract Previous studies have shown that Rose Bengal-sensitized photo-oxidation of 30 S ribosomal subunits causes inactivation of tRNA binding and partial loss of poly(U) binding activities (Noller et al. , 1971). The present studies, reconstitution of 30 S subunits from 16 S RNA, total protein from modified subunits, and purified proteins from untreated subunits, show that proteins S2 and S3 together completely restore these activities to the reconstituted subunits. The modified proteins are capable of in vitro assembly, and give rise to particles with normal sedimentation constants, showing that restoration of activity is not simply due to correction of an assembly defect. Protein S3 restores poly(U) binding and tRNA binding to the same extent, accounting for the lowered mRNA binding activity of the modified particles as well as a corresponding fraction of the tRNA binding activity. Protein S2 restores the remaining fraction of the tRNA binding activity, but has no effect on poly (U) binding. In 50 S-stimulated tRNA binding, proteins S1 and S5 are required in addition to S2 and S3 for full activity.
Bandedge magnetoreflectance and magnetization of Cd1-xCoxTe

Abstract The excitonic magnetoreflectance spectra of Cd 1− x Co x Te ( x = 0.00383 ± 0.00012) were measured at 1.3 K in dc magnetic fields up to 15 T. The magnetization of the same sample was measured at 1.4 K in dc magnetic fields up to 17 T. The small Co 2+ concentration allowed clear observation of the direct Zeeman interaction and diamagnetic energy in addition to the sp-d exchange splitting. From the optical and magnetization data, the combined sp-d exchange parameter was determined to be N 0 α − N 0 β = 1.62 ± 0.01 eV.
Autistic Spectrum Disorders in Velo-cardio Facial Syndrome (22q11.2 Deletion)

The extent to which the phenotype of children comorbid for velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) differs from that of VCFS-only has not been studied. The sample consisted of 41 children (20 females) with VCFS, ranging in age from 6.5 years to 15.8 years. Eight children with VCFS met formal DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for autism based upon the ADI-R. These eight plus an additional nine participants met diagnostic criteria for an autistic spectrum disorder (VCFS + ASD). Ninety-four percent of the children with VCFS + ASD had a co-occurring psychiatric disorder while 60% of children with VCFS had a psychiatric disorder. Children with VCFS + ASD had larger right amygdala volumes. All other neuroanatomic regions of interest were statistically similar between the two groups.
Flagellar Motor-switch Binding Face of CheY and the Biochemical Basis of Suppression by CheY Mutants That Compensate for Motor-switch Defects in Escherichia coli*

CheY is a response regulator protein of Escherichia coli that interacts with the flagellar motor-switch complex to modulate flagellar rotation during chemotaxis. The switch complex is composed of three proteins, FliG, FliM, and FliN. Recent biochemical data suggest a direct interaction of CheY with FliM. In order to determine the FliM binding face of CheY, we isolated dominant suppressors of fliM mutations in cheY with limited allele specificity. The protein products of suppressor cheY alleles were purified and assayed for FliM binding. Six out of nine CheY mutants were defective in FliM binding. Suppressor amino acid substitutions were mapped on the crystal structure of CheY showing clustering of reduced binding mutations on a solvent-accessible face of CheY, thus revealing a FliM binding face of CheY. To examine the basis of genetic suppression, we cloned, purified, and tested FliM mutants for CheY binding. Like the wild-type FliM, the mutants were also defective in binding to various CheY suppressor mutants. This was not expected if CheY suppressors were compensatory conformational suppressors. Furthermore, a comparison of flagellar rotation patterns indicated that the cheY suppressors had readjusted the clockwise bias of the fliM strains. However, a chemotaxis assay revealed that the readjustment of the clockwise bias was not sufficient to make cells chemotactic. Although the suppressors did not restore chemotaxis, they did increase swarming on motility plates by a process called "pseudotaxis." Therefore, our genetic selection scheme generated suppressors of pseudotaxis or switch bias adjustment. The binding results suggest that the mechanism for this adjustment is the reduction in binding affinity of activated CheY. Therefore, these suppressors identified the switch-binding surface of CheY by loss-of-function defects rather than gain-of-function compensatory conformational changes.
Antibodies against the transferrin receptor block the induction of cytotoxic T lymphocytes. A new method for antigen-specific negative selection in vitro.

The induction of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) specific for alloantigen in a primary mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) was used as a model system to study the potential usefulness of monoclonal antibodies directed against the murine transferrin receptor in eliminating antigen-activated T cells. Two monoclonal antibodies were used which are able to block the transferrin-mediated uptake of iron by growing cells. One of these antibodies is cytotoxic in the presence of complement (C). Treatment of MLC cells from control, uninhibited cultures with the cytotoxic anti-transferrin receptor antibody plus C completely knocked out all CTL effector activity showing that all of the effector cells expressed the receptor. However, surviving cells from such antibody-plus C-treated populations were not depleted of precursors since they were able to mount a strong CTL response to the original alloantigen upon restimulation. Blocking antibody against the transferrin receptor, in the absence of C, when present during the course of a primary MLC, completely inhibited the generation of effector CTL. Conditions were optimized such that antibody present during the course of the MLC could completely and specifically eliminate all antigen-activated T cells including precursors as assessed by secondary restimulation with the original, plus third- party antigens, in the absence of blocking antibody. This method for producing specifically unreactive T cell populations appears to be superior to previously described techniques.
Controlled Stoichiometry for Quaternary CuIn x Ga 1−x S 2 Chalcopyrite Nanoparticles from Single-Source Precursors via Microwave Irradiation

We report the synthesis of quaternary CuInxGa1−xS2 (0 ≤ x ≤1) chalcopyrite nanoparticles from decomposition of two molecular single source precursors (SSPs), (Ph3P)2Cu(μ-SEt)2In(SEt)2 (1) and (Ph3P)2Cu(μ-SEt)2Ga(SEt)2 (2), via microwave irradiation. We were able to precisely control stoichiometry and bandgaps of quaternary CuInxGa1−xS2 nanoparticles ranging from 1.40 to 2.30 eV.
Improving stability of amorphous silicon using chemical annealing with helium

We report on the growth and properties of amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) materials and devices prepared using a chemical annealing technique. The chemical annealing technique consists of a layer-by-layer growth, where a thin a-Si:H layer is followed by annealing in a plasma beam of inert ions (helium). We show that high quality materials and devices can be fabricated using chemical annealing with helium. Infrared absorption data show that chemical annealing significantly improves the hydrogen microstructure and this improved hydrogen microstructure leads to improved stability of both materials and devices.
Supervisory Systems for Electric Power Apparatus

A general survey and description of the various types of supervisory systems for control and indication of remotely located electrical apparatus is given in the paper, the author first of all comparino the better known remote-control system with the supervisory system in general practise today. Description is given of the selector, distributor, audible, code-visual, synchronous-relay-visual and the carrier-current systems, the principles and features of each being discussed. The subject of telemetering is also included, together with an expression of the author's ideas of future possibilities for each of the systems above enumerated.
Diverse community: Demand differentiation in P2P live streaming

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) technology has become an attractive approach for enabling large-scale video streaming applications, but the factor of users’ subjective preferences is not paid enough attention in such networks. As users have various demand on video qualities, we can provide them with video streams at different resolutions without impairing their satisfaction. The adaptive streaming rate technique is a promising method. However, in providing adaptive streaming rate services, P2P live streaming design faces the following challenge: how to provide all users with uninterrupted video with their desired qualities in case that their demand dynamically changes? To shed more light on this problem, we first derive a model and formulate the problem as a resource demand vs supply problem. Then we present a framework to address the challenge via efficient bandwidth allocation and group cooperation. Through comprehensive simulations, we evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed framework, and conclude that it effectively helps existing solutions, such as Partial Participation Scheme (PPS), achieve better performance.
The etiology of cleft palate: a 50‐year search for mechanistic and molecular understanding

Dates of special, historical significance, such as the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Teratology Society, prompt a desire to pause and look back and contemplate where we began, how far we have come, and consider the future for our scientific endeavors. The study of the etiology of cleft palate extends many years into the past and was a subject of interest to many of the founding members of the Teratology Society. This research area was intensively pursued and spawned a vast portfolio of published research. This article will look back at the state of the science around the time of the founding of the Teratology Society, in the 1950s and 1960s, and track the emergence and pursuit of an interest in an etiology for cleft palate involving failure of palatal fusion. Studies of medial epithelial cell fate and induction of cleft palate by interference with adhesion or fusion span the period from the 1960s to the present time. Teratology Society members have been and continue to be key players in cleft palate research. In this retrospective article, seminal research published by Teratology Society members will serve as a platform to launch the discussion of the emergence of our current understanding of medial epithelial cell differentiation and fate and the potential for these processes to be targets of teratogenic action.
New alleles ofIGKV genesA2 andA18 suggest significant humanIGKV locus polymorphism

The human kappa light chain consists of approximately 35 potentially functionalIGKV genes. However, an estimation of the diversity in theIGKV repertoire of an individual will be affected by the extent of polymorphisms for the differentIGKV genes and their patterns of inheritance. To date, little information is available to indicate the extent of allelic variation of theIGKV genes. We examined the extent of allelism for oneIGKV gene pair, the distal regionA2 gene and its closely related proximal region duplicateA18. We found two new alleles forA2 and one new allele forA18, and sequenced ∼ 1 kilobase flanking each gene. The newA18 allele, unlike the originally described allele, appears to be functional. All these alleles were found at relatively high frequencies in the four ethnic populations studied, with the exception of the defectiveA2b allele which was highly represented only in Navajos. The originally describedA2a allele encodes for the predominant protective antibody againstHaemophilus influenzae. Therefore, the patterns of allelic inheritance described for thisIGKV gene pair indicate that allelism in theIGKV locus is likely to have a significant impact on immune responses.
Inducible synthesis of the mitomycin C resistance gene product (MCRA) from Streptomyces lavendulae.

Abstract The mcr locus from Streptomyces lavendulae confers high level resistance (> 100 μg/ml) to mitomycin C (MC) and related mitomycins when cloned into Streptomyces lividans . Production of the mcrA gene product (MCRA) was shown to be MC-inducible by identification of MCRA ( M r of 54 kDa) using Western blot analysis and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The magnitude of MCRA production was dependent on MC concentration, with primary induction starting at 0.1 lμg/ml and maximum induction at 10 μg/ml of the drug. Different levels of MCRA production were observed when other mitomycin metabolites were used as inducers, and the level of induction related directly to aziridine ring substitution on the individual molecules. Moreover, inducible synthesis of the mcrA gene product was unique to this structural class since production of MCRA did not occur as a general response to DNA damaging agents. The time profile of intracellular MCRA synthesis correlated with MC production in S. lavendulae , suggesting coordinated regulation of MC resistance and biosynthetic genes.
Generalized Integral Theorems and Application to the Equations of Continuum Mechanics

A development of generalized differentiation with respect to time is given within the structure of the functional approach to generalized function theory. The analysis is in parallel with techniques used in an earlier publication by F. Farassat and the author. The results are used to derive a generalized three dimensional Leibnitz' theorem that leads to a generalized Reynolds' transport theorem. This is then applied to derive the governing equations of continuum mechanics. It is shown that the process produces both the governing field equations and their associated discontinuity conditions in a single operation.
Evidence for a sex pheromone metabolizing cytochrome P‐450 mono‐oxygenase in the housefly

Direct evidence is presented for the role of a cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase (called mixed-function oxidase, or polysubstrate mono-oxygenase, PSMO) in the metabolism of the sex pheromone (Z)-9-tricosene to its corresponding epoxide and ketone in the housefly. A secondary alcohol, most likely an intermediate in the conversion of the alkene to the ketone, was also tentatively identified. The results of in vivo and in vitro experiments showed that the PSMO inhibitors, piperonyl butoxide (PB) and carbon monoxide, markedly inhibited the formation of epoxide and ketone from (9,10-3H) (Z)-9-tricosene. An examination of the relative rates of (Z)-9-tricosene metabolism showed that males exhibited a higher rate of metabolism than females with the antennae of males showing the highest activity of any tissue/organ examined. The major product from all tissues/organs was the epoxide. Data from experiments with subcellular fractions showed that the microsomal fraction had the majority of enzyme activity, which was strongly inhibited by PB and CO and required NADPH and O2 for activity. A carbon monoxide difference spectrum with reduced cytochrome showed maximal absorbance at 450 nm and allowed quantification of the cytochrome P-450 in the microsomal fraction of 0.410-nmol cytochrome P-450 mg−1 protein. Interaction of (Z)-9-tricosene with the cytochrome P-450 resulted in a type I spectrum, indicating that the pheromone binds to a hydrophobic site adjacent to the heme moiety of the oxidized cytochrome P-450.
EDA meets biology! The bumpy road ahead [Perscetives]

Before the 1970s, design automation was used more intensely in mechanical and civil engineering. In the 1970s, it became clear that the design of electrical and electronic circuits could be greatly aided by software tools. These tools enabled the creation of a novel electronic design automation (EDA) industry that claimed its space in the software industry. Today there is not a single IC company that does not use EDA tools. But because of this fact, EDA's overall market is saturated and enjoys modest growth. Much has been talked about extending EDA in the system space. To the rescue of a difficult path to double digit growth in EDA comes Synthetic Biology! Synthetic biology is about the synthesis of complex biological systems to obtain behaviors that do not exist in nature. A METHODOLOGY HAS come to the rescue within the past decade to reduce complexity, and to provide abstraction and design composability. The methodology is based on the availability of biological primitives: DNA-encoded 'Parts' are designed and then assembled to create modular 'Devices' that can be integrated into a host organism or assembled into a larger 'System.' This process resembles very much what we do today with integrated circuits. This methodology has enabled the development of design tools and a new discipline has emerged: Biology Design Automation (BDA). Workshops related to biodesign automation are appearing at traditional EDA venues (DAC), bioinformatics conferences (ISMB), and synthetic biology meetings (SB X.0). The way for EDA to extend to a new exciting field through the systematic construction of biological circuits maybe bumpy with detours, but eventually will enable the creation of a new industry by providing tools that make the design of living systems a true engineering discipline which is safe and effective.