cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microsurgical Bypass Training Rat Model: Part 2-Anastomosis Configurations.

Background Mastery of microsurgical anastomosis is key to achieving good outcomes in cerebrovascular bypass procedures. Animal models (especially rodents) provide an optimal preclinical bypass training platform. However, the existing models for practicing different anastomosis configurations have several limitations. Objective We sought to optimize the use of the rat's abdominal aorta and common iliac arteries (CIA) for practicing the 3 main anastomosis configurations commonly used in cerebrovascular surgery. Methods Thirteen male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent inhalant anesthesia. The abdominal aorta and the CIAs were exposed. The distances between the major branches of the aorta were measured to find the optimal location for an end-to-end anastomosis. Also, the feasibility of performing side-to-side and end-to-side anastomoses between the CIAs was assessed. Results All bypass configurations could be performed between the left renal artery and the CIA bifurcation. The longest segments of the aorta without major branches were 1) between the left renal and left iliolumbar arteries (16.9 mm ± 4.6), and 2) between the right iliolumbar artery and the aortic bifurcation (9.7 mm ± 4.7). The CIAs could be juxtaposed for an average length of 7.6 mm ± 1.3, for a side-to-side anastomosis. The left CIA could be successfully reimplanted on to the right CIA at an average distance of 9.1 mm ± 1.6 from the aortic bifurcation. Conclusions Our results show that rat's abdominal aorta and CIAs may be effectively used for all the anastomosis configurations used in cerebral revascularization procedures. We also provide technical nuances and anatomic descriptions to plan for practicing each bypass configuration.
Bouncing Back Elsewhere: Multilevel Analysis of Return Visits to the Same or a Different Hospital After Initial Emergency Department Presentation.

Study objective Analyses of 72-hour emergency department (ED) return visits are frequently used for quality assurance purposes and have been proposed as a means of measuring provider performance. These analyses have traditionally examined only patients returning to the same hospital as the initial visit. We use a health information exchange network to describe differences between ED visits resulting in 72-hour revisits to the same hospital and those resulting in revisits to a different site. Methods We examined data from a 31-hospital health information exchange of all ED visits during a 5-year period to identify 72-hour return visits and collected available encounter, patient, and hospital variables. Next, we used multilevel analysis of encounter-level, patient-level, and hospital-level data to describe differences between initial ED visits resulting in different-site and same-site return visits. Results We identified 12,621,159 patient visits to the 31 study EDs, including 841,259 same-site and 107,713 different-site return visits within 72 hours of initial ED presentation. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the initial-visit characteristics' predictive relationship that any return visit would be at a different site: daytime visit (OR 1.10; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.12), patient-hospital county concordance (OR 1.40; 95% CI 1.36 to 1.44), male sex (OR 1.27; 95% CI 1.24 to 1.30), aged 65 years or older (OR 0.55; 95% CI 0.53 to 0.57), sites with an ED residency (OR 0.41; 95% CI 0.40 to 0.43), sites at an academic hospital (OR 1.12; 95% CI 1.08 to 1.15), sites with high density of surrounding EDs (OR 1.73; 95% CI 1.68 to 1.77), and sites with a high frequency of same-site return visits (OR 0.10; 95% CI 0.10 to 0.11). Conclusion This analysis describes how ED encounters with early revisits to the same hospital differ from those with revisits to a second hospital. These findings challenge the use of single-site return-visit frequency as a quality measure, and, more constructively, describe how hospitals can use health information exchange to more accurately identify early ED return visits and to support programs related to these revisits.
PRIMARY ADRENAL INSUFFICIENCY FROM IMMUNE CHECKPOINT INHIBITORS

Objective: To describe a rare case of primary adrenal insufficiency (PAI) from immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPIs). Methods: We describe the clinical presentation, supportive laboratory findings, long-term outcomes, and a review of the current available literature on PAI following administration of ipilimumab and nivolumab. Results: A 49-year-old Caucasian male with stage IIIB metastatic melanoma and failed standard chemotherapy and monotherapy with ipilimumab was started on nivolumab in addition to ipilimumab. Two months after starting the combination therapy, he presented with weakness, lethargy, nausea, and diarrhea for 1 to 2 weeks. Since there was a concern for treatment-associated endocrinopathy, an 8 am cortisol and adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) were measured and noted to be 5.4 μg/dL (normal, 5 to 25 μg/dL) and 224 pg/mL (normal, 15 to 66 pg/mL), respectively. The cortisol was interpreted as normal, and follow-up was arranged in the endocrinology clinic. ACTH was drawn at the same time but ...
Cyber-physical-social system between a humanoid robot and a virtual human through a shared platform for adaptive agent ecology

Two artificial agents U+0028 a humanoid robot and a virtual human U+0029 are enriched with various similar intelligence, autonomy, functionalities and interaction modalities. The agents are integrated in the form of a cyber-physical-social system U+0028 CPSS U+0029 through a shared communication platform to create a social ecology. In the ecology, the agents collaborate U+0028 assist each other U+0029 to perform a real-world task U+0028 search for a hidden object U+0028 for the benefits of humans. A robot-virtual human bilateral trust model is derived and a real-time trust measurement method is developed. The role of taking initiative in the collaboration is switched between the agents following a finite state machine model triggered by bilateral trust, which results in a mixedinitiative collaboration. A scheme is developed to evaluate the performance of the agents in the ecology through the CPSS. The results show that the robot and the virtual human perform satisfactorily in the collaboration through the CPSS. The results thus prove the effectiveness of the real-world ecology between artificial agents of heterogeneous realities through a shared platform based on trust-triggered mixed-initiatives. The results can help develop adaptive social ecology comprising intelligent agents of heterogeneous realities to assist humans in various tasks through collaboration between the agents in the form of a CPSS.
Infant sleeping arrangements, social criticism, and maternal distress in the first year

The present study examined differences in social criticism and maternal distress and in household, maternal, and infant characteristics between families who co-slept with their infants beyond 6 months and those who moved their infants to a separate room by 6 months. Data for infant sleeping arrangements, preferences for their sleeping arrangement choices, criticism, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and worries about infant sleep were collected from 103 European American mothers during the infant's first year. Mothers who co-slept with their infants beyond 6 months (persistent co-sleepers) were more likely than mothers who moved their infants to solitary sleep by 6 months to receive criticism and report depression and worry about infants' sleep behavior, even after controlling for preference for the sleep arrangement they used. Interestingly, criticism was associated with maternal depression and worries only for persistent co-sleeping mothers. Further, these mothers had lower income, reported greater space constraints, were younger, single, or unemployed, less likely to have a Bachelor's degree, and more likely to have infants with greater negative affectivity or problematic night waking, compared to mothers of solitary sleeping infants. Adherence to cultural norms regarding infant sleeping arrangements may be a strong predictor of social criticism and maternal well-being.
Perspectives on Glycosylation and Its Congenital Disorders.

Congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG) are a rapidly expanding group of metabolic disorders that result from abnormal protein or lipid glycosylation. They are often difficult to clinically diagnose because they broadly affect many organs and functions and lack clinical uniformity. However, recent technological advances in next-generation sequencing have revealed a treasure trove of new genetic disorders, expanded the knowledge of known disorders, and showed a critical role in infectious diseases. More comprehensive genetic tools specifically tailored for mammalian cell-based models have revealed a critical role for glycosylation in pathogen–host interactions, while also identifying new CDG susceptibility genes. We highlight recent advancements that have resulted in a better understanding of human glycosylation disorders, perspectives for potential future therapies, and mysteries for which we continue to seek new insights and solutions.
Multiple interface brain and head models for EEG: A surface charge approach

Electroenecephalography (EEG) studies can be carried out using forward methods, where the scalp potential is first determined for given localized brain neural dipole sources. The recently introduced surface charge forward method addresses the forward problem by means of an integral equation where the accumulated charge at the boundaries between homogeneous regions is taken as the basic variable. We demonstrate the application of this method to the case of realistic head shapes with multiple homogenous regions and discuss the use of these results to source tracking problems.
Mining Key-Hackers on Darkweb Forums

Recently, there is an interest in studying cyber crime from a hacker-centric perspective, whose insight is to locate key-hackers and use them to find credible threat intelligence. However, the great majority of users present in hacking environments seem to be unskilled or have fleeting interests, making the identification of key-hackers a complex problem. Moreover, as ground truth information is rare in this context, there is a lack of a method to validate the results. Thus, previous work neglected this validation step or had it done manually - by hiring qualified security specialists. In this work, we address the key-hacker identification problem including a systematic method based on reputation to validate the results. Particularly, we study how three different approaches - content, social network and seniority-based analysis - perform individually and combined to identify key-hackers on darkweb forums, aiming to confirm the following two hypotheses: 1) a hybridization of these approaches tends to produce better results when compared to the individual ones; 2) a model conceived to identify key-hackers in one forum can be generalized to other forums that lack a user reputation system or have a deficient one. We conduct our experiments using a carefully selected set of features, showing how an optimization metaheuristic obtains better performance when compared to machine learning algorithms that attempt to identify key-hackers.
Algebraic Methods in Physics

Algebraic methods have been used extensively in physics in the last 30 years. They have found some of their most useful applications in nuclear and molecular physics.
Postoperative pain management following bilateral lung volume reduction surgery for severe emphysema.

This study was conducted to audit the clinical management of a continuous local anaesthetic infusion delivered by a fluoroscopically placed thoracic epidural catheter in conjunction with supplement...
Modeling Water Quality in Distribution Systems

The goal of a drinking water distribution system is to deliver sufficient quantities of water where and when it is needed at an acceptable level of quality. Although it is commonly thought that all water quality transformations end after water leaves the treatment works, in reality further changes in quality can occur as water travels through a distribution system. Indeed, the pipes and storage facilities of a distribution system constitute a complex network of uncontrolled chemical and biological reactors which can produce significant variations in water quality in both space and time. In the past, distribution systems were designed and operated mainly on the basis of hydraulic reliability and economics with little attention paid to water quality concerns, except when problems arose. This attitude is changing as more water suppliers realize the important influence that time spent in a distribution system can have on water quality.
Giant Negative Magnetoresistance and Strong Electron-Lattice Coupling in Amorphous Semiconductors with Magnetic Impurities

Giant negative magnetoresistance (MR) has been recently observed in Si-Gd amorphous alloys at compositions close to metal-insulator transition. The negative MR in a-Si/Gd is accompanied by massive spectral weight transfer in optical conductivity with magnetic field, which is absent in a-Si/Y. However, the weight transfer with temperature was observed in both systems. The theory of this phenomenon is suggested, which takes into account a strong carrier-lattice coupling leading to formation of local singlet pairs. The breakdown of the pairs by the temperature and exchange interaction with Gd spins provides a mechanism for the observed behavior. This behavior is compared with earlier observations of large negative MR in a-Ge/Cr and InO x amorphous alloys, where a similar explanation applies. The leading role of lattice polaron effect can be checked by measuring isotope effect upon substitution 28Si → 30Si, which should cause the temperature shift of the conductivity.
Poor sleep quality increases symptoms of depression and anxiety in postpartum women

This study evaluated the relationship between sleep quality and symptoms of depression and anxiety in women studied in pregnancy and postpartum. Scores on standardized measures of sleep (PSQI) at 6 months postpartum, and symptoms of anxiety and depression (OASIS, the PHQ9, and EPDS) were assessed by structured interviews in 116 women in pregnancy and/or postpartum. Poor sleep quality was significantly associated with greater symptoms of depression and anxiety. Women who had significantly higher OASIS (anxiety) scores (β = .530, p < .001), PHQ9 (depression) scores (β = .496, p < .001), and EPDS (postpartum depression and anxiety) scores (β = .585, p < .001) also had elevated total PSQI scores after adjustment for covariates, including prenatal depression and anxiety scores. Though inferences about causality are not feasible, these results support emerging research showing sleep quality is a risk factor for negative maternal affect in the postpartum period. Assessment of maternal sleep hygiene is worth consideration as a component of identifying women at risk for postpartum depression and anxiety.
pH switch for OH-photoacidity in 5-amino-2-naphthol and 8-amino-2-naphthol

Photoactive charge transfer compounds are of strong interest for their potential applications in material, chemical, and biological science and their abilities to elucidate fundamental charge transfer mechanisms. Aminonaphthols, photoacids with both oxygen (OH) and nitrogen-based (NH2) protonation sites, have been reported to undergo simultaneous excited-state proton transfer (ESPT) in water upon excitation. In this paper, the ESPT mechanism for zwitterion formation in 8-amino-2-naphthol (8N2OH) and 5-amino-2-naphthol (5N2OH) was examined using a combination of time-resolved emission spectroscopy and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations. The measurements prompted a re-assignment of the zwitterion state in the steady-state emission spectra; analysis of the time-correlated single-photon counting emission data showed that the zwitterion was formed only from excitation of protonated 5N2OH and 8N2OH such that ESPT occurred only at the single hydroxyl group. The protonation state of the amino group dramatically altered the photoacidity of OH, such that the pH behaved as an on/off switch for photoacidity. In the protonated state (NH3+), the pKa*(OH) values of 5N2OH and 8N2OH were both 1.1 ± 0.2, while in the deprotonated state (NH2), the two pKa*(OH) values were similar to the ground state proton acidity, pKa(OH) = 9.5 ± 0.2. The switching of the photoacidity was investigated using TD-DFT calculations and the linear free energy Hammett relation. The latter was shown to not describe the excited state data over the broad pH range.
A Residency Professional Identity Curriculum and a Longitudinal Measure of Empathy: Residency Professional Identity Curriculum and Empathy

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Empathy measures were used before and after implementation of a structured professional identity curriculum to determine the effect among a group of family medicine residents. METHODS The Jefferson Scale of Empathy was completed by 18 residents at all three years of training before, immediately after a six month professional identity curriculum intervention, and six months after the curriculum was completed. The curriculum included one hour luncheon sessions on concepts of profession, burnout, and cynicism as well as thoughtful use of electronic medical records, prevention and management of burnout, mindfulness techniques and reflective writing and drawing. The Baptist Health Madisonville IRB approved the protocol as exempt and the authors have no conflicts of interests. RESULTS Similar to previous publications, a decline in empathy across the academic year was found, with a significant decline six months after the end of the curriculum. Residents who attended more sessions showed a non-significant smaller decline, and there were large standard deviations among each training level with some individual residents showing little change across the year. Evaluations of the curriculum were largely positive. CONCLUSIONS This professional identity curriculum in this group of residents may have temporarily mitigated the decline in measured empathy that has been described among residents. Results support some aspects of empathy as a trait in some residents rather than a state that is amenable to a training effect. Further study in this residency including longitudinal empathy measurements and focus groups is ongoing. Other programs’ experience with these issues is needed to add to sample size and diversity of training environments to discern which changes are significant and generalizable.
The BUDL Effect: Examining Academic Achievement and Engagement Outcomes of Preadolescent Baltimore Urban Debate League Participants.

This study adds to the limited literature base on extracurricular debate by using doubly robust inverse probability treatment weighting to estimate the average treatment effect for the treated of p...
1.10 – Condensation and Evaporation of Solar System Materials

The volatile element depletion patterns of planetary size objects and the chemical and isotopic composition of numerous smaller objects such as chondrules and calcium- and aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) provide the motivation to consider evaporation and condensation processes in the early solar system. Equilibrium thermodynamic calculations of condensation of phases in the solar nebula provide an important reference with which natural solar system materials can be compared. The theoretical background for fractionation of elemental and isotopic compositions during kinetically controlled evaporation and condensation is explored in some detail. Some parameters can be calculated from first principles, but others must be measured in the laboratory, and a number of evaporation experiments are described and interpreted. Elemental and isotopic fractionations of solar system materials are then intepreted in the context of the theoretical and experimental considerations. A key point is that the processes that led to chondrules and planets appear to have occurred under conditions very close to equilibrium, whereas the processes that led to CAIs involved significant departures from equilibrium.
MUST-Plus: A Machine Learning Classifier That Improves Malnutrition Screening in Acute Care Facilities.

Malnutrition among hospital patients, a frequent, yet under-diagnosed problem is associated with adverse impact on patient outcome and health care costs. Development of highly accurate malnutrition...
Modeling the Effects of Calcium Overload on Mitochondrial Ultrastructural Remodeling.

Mitochondrial cristae are dynamic invaginations of the inner membrane and play a key role in its metabolic capacity to produce ATP. Structural alterations caused by either genetic abnormalities or detrimental environmental factors impede mitochondrial metabolic fluxes and lead to a decrease in their ability to meet metabolic energy requirements. While some of the key proteins associated with mitochondrial cristae are known, very little is known about how the inner membrane dynamics are involved in energy metabolism. In this study, we present a computational strategy to understand how cristae are formed using a phase-based separation approach of both the inner membrane space and matrix space, which are explicitly modeled using the Cahn–Hilliard equation. We show that cristae are formed as a consequence of minimizing an energy function associated with phase interactions which are subject to geometric boundary constraints. We then extended the model to explore how the presence of calcium phosphate granules, entities that form in calcium overload conditions, exert a devastating inner membrane remodeling response that reduces the capacity for mitochondria to produce ATP. This modeling approach can be extended to include arbitrary geometrical constraints, the spatial heterogeneity of enzymes, and electrostatic effects to mechanize the impact of ultrastructural changes on energy metabolism.
Trigeminal Nerve Control of Cerebral Blood Flow: A Brief Review

The trigeminal nerve, the fifth cranial nerve, is known to innervate much of the cerebral arterial vasculature and significantly contributes to the control of cerebrovascular tone in both healthy and diseased states. Previous studies have demonstrated that stimulation of the trigeminal nerve (TNS) increases cerebral blood flow (CBF) via antidromic, trigemino-parasympathetic, and other central pathways. Despite some previous reports on the role of the trigeminal nerve and its control of CBF, there are only a few studies that investigate the effects of TNS on disorders of cerebral perfusion (i.e., ischemic stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and traumatic brain injury). In this mini review, we present the current knowledge regarding the mechanisms of trigeminal nerve control of CBF, the anatomic underpinnings for targeted treatment, and potential clinical applications of TNS, with a focus on the treatment of impaired cerebral perfusion.
MASK NARRATIVES PROMOTED BY ANTI-VACCINATION ACCOUNTS ON INSTAGRAM PRIOR TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked passionate debate worldwide on matters of public health. A portion of this debate has been dedicated to the efficacy of masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. While the majority of health officials agree that wearing a mask is efficacious, there has been a widespread movement against masks. The “anti-mask” movement is often characterized for spreading misinformation about masks and for its overlap with the anti-vaccine movement. This paper focuses on the mask sentiments of the anti-vaccination community prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of this paper is to identify if the anti-vaccination movement held prior beliefs about masks to prevent the spread of respiratory diseases and if those beliefs differ from their mask sentiment today. Through thematic analysis of 44 Instagram posts prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we find that online vaccine safety communities have, in the past, regarded mask-wearing as a viable alternative to vaccines. Notably, posts supported the efficacy of mask-wearing while criticizing the mandates to wear masks in healthcare settings. In this paper, we elaborate on these mask narratives, as well as their implications in how the anti-vaccination group had a dramatic shift in mask sentiment during the pandemic.
The international hotel industry in the new millennium.

The top priorities of 170 hotel managers from 25 countries were identified as human capital, understanding customers, use of capital, alignment of stakeholder interests, use of information technology, and valuing brands in a Cornell University study.' The authors discuss how managers in a hotel's functional departments are ultimately responsible for addressing each of these concerns and issues.
Definition of Relative Weights and the Hypothesis that Choice Follows the Condorcet or Borda Criterion

In the previous chapter we found that unless each of the desire schedules of the individual had the same object as an optimum, the solution to the problem of choice would be indeterminate. The familiar guise of this problem is that of the “conflict of desires.” A youth may desire to study but also to attend a dance. His teacher may desire to spend the afternoon marking examination books but may also desire to see the cup finals. Someone may desire to be generous to a charity but may also desire to pay his debts or to save money, and so on. The objects which would satisfy these desires are mutually exclusive and the choice made will, presumably, depend on the strengths of the opposing desires.
Distributed Node Status Reporting Protocol

This chapter introduces a distributed communication protocol that can gather node status information from the network on demand. To guarantee scalability, the protocol first elects a head node on each network level and establishes routes to the head nodes. Since the charging vehicles’ locations are constantly changing, the protocol allows the vehicles to send out recharge requests that naturally reflect their current locations and build routing paths for the status packets. The protocol categorizes recharge missions according to their time urgency and aggregates node status efficiently at the charging vehicles.
Fall prevention in residential care: a cluster, randomized, controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: To establish the effectiveness of a fallprevention program in reducing falls and injurious falls in older residential care residents. DESIGN: Cluster, randomized, controlled trial. SETTING: Fourteen randomly selected residential care homes in Auckland, New Zealand. PARTICIPANTS: All older residents (n 5628, 95% participation rate). INTERVENTION: Residential care staff, using existing resources, implemented systematic individualized fall-risk management for all residents using a fall-risk assessment tool, high-risk logo, and strategies to address identified risks. MEASUREMENTS: Number of residents sustaining a fall, falls, and injurious-falls incidence rates. RESULTS: During 12 months of follow-up, 103 (43%) residents in the control group and 173 (56%) residents in the intervention group fell (Po.018). There was a significantly higher incidence rate of falls in intervention homes than in control homes (incident rate ratio 51.34, 95% confidence interval 51.06‐1.72) during the intervention period after adjusting for dependency level (type of home), baseline fall rate, and clustering. There was no difference in the injurious fall incidence rate or incidence of serious injuries. CONCLUSION: This fall-prevention intervention did not reduce falls or injury from falls. Low-intensity intervention may be worse than usual care. J Am Geriatr Soc 52:524–531, 2004.
Anaplastic large cell lymphoma involving the urinary bladder: A case report and review of the literature

T cell-derived malignant lymphoma is rarely detected as a bladder neoplasm. A literature review for anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) involving urinary bladder reveals only seven previously reported cases. Here, we report a case of a 59-year-old HIV-negative man with ALK-positive ALCL. He presented an unusual clinical course with initial consideration of adult onset Still's Disease (AOSD) due to his negative results searching for malignancy and infectious diseases. He rapidly developed macrophage activation (hemophagocytic) syndrome and experienced an unusual rapid disease progression and died in 39 days after onset of symptoms. Compared to previously reported cases, the current case of ALK-1-positive ALCL is a rare case with an unusual presentation. From this case, we learned that ALCL is one malignancy that should be considered and screened in patients with suspected AOSD. Also, T-cell lymphoma associated hemophagocytic syndrome should be considered in a patient with sustained corticosteroid-resistant spike fever, high serum ferritin, and rapid exacerbation of the disease course. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2015;43:60–65. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Active I/O switches in system area networks

We present an active switch architecture to improve the performance of systems connected via system area networks. Our programmable active switches not only flexibly route packets between any combination of hosts and I/O devices, but also have the capability of running application-level code, forming a parallel processor in the SAN subsystem. By replacing existing SAN-based switches with a new active switch architecture, we can design a prototype system with otherwise commercially available, commodity parts that can dramatically speed up data-intensive applications and workloads on modern multi-programmed servers. We explain the programming model and detail the microarchitecture of our active switch, and analyze simulation results for nine benchmark applications that highlight various advantages of active switch-based systems.
OKLAHOMA POLITICS, TEN YEARS ON

Anniversaries are arbitrary inteuuptions in the flow of time, and yet their undeniable meaning derives from the significance of the milestones they commemorate.
Programming by Experimentation and Example

In this paper we describe our long term project aimed at improving the teaching of the first year computer science courses. The project is based on extensive individually designed animation and visualization programs. All programs are written in THINK Pascal for the Macintosh, using QuickDraw toolbox. There are written in a good modular style with documentation that enables students to use the source code in their own programs. A separate collection of tools enables students to easily create graphical user interfaces. The programs can be used during lectures, in closed labs, as examples of programming style, and as tools to be used by students.
Gentamicin-induced ototoxicity and nephrotoxicity vary with circadian time of treatment and entail separate mechanisms

The aminoglycoside antibiotic gentamicin can cause both ototoxicity and nephrotoxicity, the severity of which varies with circadian time of daily treatment. However, it is not yet resolved if such drug-induced adverse effects are independent or interdependent phenomena. Two groups of 9 female Sprague-Dawley rats (200–250 g), each housed separately and entrained to a 12 h light (06:00–18:00 h) – 12 h dark cycle, received a daily subcutaneous injection of 100 mg/kg gentamicin. One group was treated at the beginning of the activity span, 2 Hours After Lights On (HALO), and the other at the beginning of the rest span, 14 HALO. Global toxicity was gauged by both body weight loss relative to the pre-treatment baseline and number of deaths. Ototoxicity, i.e., hearing loss, was assessed by changes in auditory brainstem response (ABR) for pure tone stimuli of 8, 16, 24, and 32 kHz before and after 2 and 4 weeks of gentamicin treatment. Renal toxicity was evaluated by changes in urinary N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase (...
Sensor-less vector control of the nine-phase concentrated wound interior permanent magnet motor drive using a unique third sequence high frequency injection into the stator windings

This paper presents a sensor-less vector control method which estimates the rotor angle and speed of a nine-phase, Interior Permanent Magnet (IPM) machine with concentrated stator winding, especially for use at starting, zero and low speed operations. The injection of unique high frequency voltage signals into a non-torque producing third sequence circuit of the machine provides current information for the estimation of the rotor angle and speed without generating any high frequency torque ripple. The fundamental voltage component impressed on the motor by the converter, with the estimated rotor angle and rotor speed are used for the speed control of the motor drive under minimum stator copper loss operation. In order to computer simulate the complete controlled drive, including both the fundamental and high frequency components a full order model of the motor is utilized. The control and estimation strategies proposed have been implemented on a 2 hp, 36 slots, 4-pole concentrated stator wound interior permanent magnet motor drive. Some simulation based on a full order coupled machine model and experimental results validate the proposed vector control scheme for operation at both low and high speed operations.
The Museum of the City of Cholula, Puebla, Mexico

The Museum of the City of Cholula, Puebla, Mexico. Permanent installations, opened September 2001.
Higher-order adaptive finite-element methods for orbital-free density functional theory

In the present work, we study various numerical aspects of higher-order finite-element discretizations of the non-linear saddle-point formulation of orbital-free density-functional theory. We first investigate the robustness of viable solution schemes by analyzing the solvability conditions of the discrete problem. We find that a staggered solution procedure where the potential fields are computed consistently for every trial electron-density is a robust solution procedure for higher-order finite-element discretizations. We next study the convergence properties of higher-order finite-element discretizations of orbital-free density functional theory by considering benchmark problems that include calculations involving both pseudopotential as well as Coulomb singular potential fields. Our numerical studies suggest close to optimal rates of convergence on all benchmark problems for various orders of finite-element approximations considered in the present study. We finally investigate the computational efficiency afforded by various higher-order finite-element discretizations, which constitutes the main aspect of the present work, by measuring the CPU time for the solution of discrete equations on benchmark problems that include large Aluminum clusters. In these studies, we use mesh coarse-graining rates that are derived from error estimates and an a priori knowledge of the asymptotic solution of the far-field electronic fields. Our studies reveal a significant 100-1000 fold computational savings afforded by the use of higher-order finite-element discretization, alongside providing the desired chemical accuracy. We consider this study as a step towards developing a robust and computationally efficient discretization of electronic structure calculations using the finite-element basis.
Radiocarbon blank correction: Methodologies and limitations in a major urban study of carbonaceous aerosols

The Northern Front Range Air Quality Study (NFRAQS) was the latest and most ambitious of a series of efforts to apportion sources of carbonaceous aerosol “soot” in the Denver, Colorado metropolitan area. The study was mandated by the Colorado State Legislature as a result of the continuing impact of aerosol carbon on visibility in the region. Apportionment of fossil and biomass carbon was based on blank-corrected values of carbon mass concentrations (μg/m3) and 14C data (fM, fraction of modern carbon) of a selected subset of the samples collected in conjunction with this program. Over 100 14C measurements were made on size segregated (⩽2.5 μm diameter) atmospheric aerosol samples collected during the summer of 1996 and the winter of 1996–1997. The reported fM values required correction for both the mass and fM of the overall carbon blank. Lack of direct fM data for the field blanks had a substantial effect on the estimated uncertainty of the final results, and in a few of the most extreme cases blank-corrected fM data had to be designated as “indeterminate”. Blank correction procedures and limitations will be illustrated with quantitative data from the NFRAQS study.
Relation of Obstructive Sleep Apnea to Coronary Artery Calcium in Non-Obese Versus Obese Men and Women Aged 45–75 Years

Sleep apnea and obesity are strongly associated, and both increase the risk for coronary artery disease. Several cross-sectional studies have reported discrepant results regarding the role obesity plays in the relation between sleep apnea and coronary artery calcium (CAC), a marker of subclinical coronary disease. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between sleep apnea and the presence of CAC in a community cohort of middle-aged men and women without preexisting cardiovascular disease, stratified by body mass index ( 2 ). Participants underwent electron-beam computed tomography to measure CAC and underwent home sleep testing for sleep apnea. The presence of CAC was defined as an Agatston score >0. Sleep apnea was analyzed categorically using the apnea-hypopnea index. The sample was composed of primarily men (61%) and Caucasians (56%), with a mean age of 61 years. The prevalence of CAC was 76%. In participants with body mass indexes 2 (n = 139), apnea-hypopnea index ≥15 (vs 2 , sleep apnea was not independently associated with CAC. In conclusion, sleep apnea is independently associated with early atherosclerotic plaque burden in nonobese patients.
The Relationship of Physical Factors and Biological Response in Coastal Seagrass Meadows

Continuous, long-term studies of coastal grassbed assemblages in the N.E. Gulf of Mexico indicate complex relationships between physical controlling factors and biological response. Such seagrass systems are physically unstable over short periods. Seasonal ranges of temperature, salinity, and natural water quality conditions are considerable with periodic, recurrent "cata- strophic" events such as floods and cold winters. These factors control the distribution and pro- ductivity of the seagrasses and algae which constitute the habitat and organic substrate for diverse assemblages of organisms. In addition, the benthic plants mediate predator-prey relationships and competitive interactions. Despite the physical instability, timed sequences of distinct ontogenetic feeding populations are generally stable from year to year as are other population and community characteristics. Thus, physical processes determine overall habitat conditions and productivity cycles whereas biological processes such as predation and competition define specific community rela- tionships. However, seemingly minor changes in the physical environment due to anthropogenous activities can lead to major reorganization of the biological system; the observed biological stability of the seagrass beds can be ephemeral if important habitat features are altered in a way that ex- ceeds the adaptive response of the system. Concepts are discussed which relate observed sequences of ontogenetic feeding units to food web patterns and geographic differences of population-niche relationships from one estuary to another.
PULVINECTOMY: A PRELIMINARY REPORT*

Based on the results of cryopulvinectomy in 6 totally incapacitated patients with advanced neurologic disease, it would seem that the pulvinar (a thalamic nucleus of which the function was formerly unknown) contributes to motor control, muscle length, and posture.
Increased Arterial Inflammation Relates to High-risk Coronary Plaque Morphology in HIV-Infected Patients

Background Mechanisms predisposing HIV-infected patients to increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk remain unclear. Objective To determine the interrelationship between arterial inflammation and high-risk coronary plaque morphology in HIV-infected patients with subclinical coronary atherosclerosis. Methods Forty-one HIV-infected patients on stable antiretroviral therapy without known CVD but with atherosclerotic plaque on coronary CT angiography were evaluated with F-FDG-PET. Patients were stratified into 2 groups based on relative degree of arterial inflammation [aortic target-to-background ratio (TBR)]. High-risk coronary atherosclerotic plaque morphology features were compared between groups. Results HIV-infected patients with higher and lower TBRs were similar with respect to traditional CVD risk parameters. Among HIV-infected patients with higher TBR, an increased percentage of patients demonstrated at least 1 low-attenuation coronary atherosclerotic plaque (40% vs. 10%, P = 0.02) and at least 1 coronary atherosclerotic plaque with both low attenuation and positive remodeling (35% vs. 10%, P = 0.04). Moreover, in the higher TBR group, both the number of low-attenuation plaques per patient (P = 0.02) and the number of vulnerability features in the most vulnerable plaque (P = 0.02) were increased. TBR grouping remained significantly related to the number of low-attenuation plaques/subject (β = 0.35, P = 0.004), controlling for age, gender, low-density lipoprotein, duration of HIV, and CD4. Conclusions These data demonstrate a relationship between arterial inflammation on F-FDG-PET and high-risk coronary atherosclerotic plaque features among HIV-infected patients with subclinical coronary atherosclerosis. Further studies are needed to determine whether arterial inflammation and related high-risk coronary morphology increase the risk of clinical CVD events in the HIV population.
Comparison of dynamic mechanical and dielectric loss data on the β relaxation process in poly(ethylene terephthalate)

Abstract The dynamic mechanical and dielectric β loss peaks in poly(ethylene tereph-thalate) are shown not to be comparable. Only the dielectric data are internally consistent, and these are used to infer which conformational changes occur during commercial processing.
Phosphoserine phosphatase distribution in normal and neoplastic rat tissues.

Abstract Optimal conditions for assay of phosphoserine phosphatase by phosphate release were determined in dialyzed rat tissue extracts. Hydrolysis that was specifically inhibited by 10 m m l -serine was used to measure the enzyme activity. Nonspecific reactions were minimal. Phospho- d -serine was the preferred substrate since it avoided inhibition by the product of the reaction. Significant activities were present in normal adult kidney, liver, spleen, and brain, and extremely low activities in heart and breast. Relatively high activities in fetal liver, lactating mammary gland, and tumors suggested a parallel between enzyme level and tissue growth or protein synthesis. Marked activity changes occurred physiologically with development of liver and kidney.
Cancer and liver transplantation

Primary tumors of the liver can be of epithelial, mesenchymal, or mixed origin. Primary malignant epithelial tumors are the most common hepatic tumors. They include hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), hepatoblastoma (HB), and a variety of other more rare tumors. HCC has a relentless clinical course. It is characterized by a fulminant evolution, a low rate of resectability, and poor response to nonsurgical therapies. Reports on surgical resection of HCC point toward a complete resectability rate of 3% to 30%. Reported survival ranges from 55% to 90% at 1 year to 10 years and 50% at 5 years. Operative mortality for cirrhotics is between 7% and 25%, although it decreases to less than 3% for noncirrhotics. Multifocal tumors are associated with higher recurrence rates and lower survival times. Tumor size (with 5 cm the usual cutoff point) affects not only survival, but also resectability. Tumor location, well-differentiated histologic grade, presence of a tumor capsule, absence of vascular invasion, and fibrolamellar variety seem to be associated with better outcomes. Tumor size, spread and location, and hepatic functional reserve capacity should be considered before surgery. Ascites and jaundice are unfavorable factors that are associated with adverse outcomes. Favorable prognostic factors include the following: (1) encapsulation of the tumor, (2) negative resection margins, (3) lack of capsular invasion, (4) lack of venous invasion, and. (5) absence of microsatellite lesions. Fibrolamellar carcinoma behaves in a more benevolent fashion in that it has a 50% to 75% resectability rate, with an average survival of 32 to 68 months. HCC treated with liver transplantation may have a recurrence rate sometimes as high as 65%. Actuarial survival rates at 1 and 5 years range from 42% to 71% and 20% to 45%, respectively. Based on results reported by the Klintmalm registry, patient survival is significantly influenced by tumor size greater than 5 cm, vascular invasion, node involvement, and histologic grade. No difference in survival was observed when incidental tumors, fibrolamellar variety, multifocality, and bilobar involvement were considered by univariate analysis. Only histologic grade had a negative impact on overall survival in patients with known tumors. When tumors found incidentally were considered, patient survival was affected by multifocality and age older than 60 years. Postoperative recurrence-free survival was significantly diminished by tumor histologic grade and size greater than 5 cm. Others have found that favorable prognostic factors include incidental finding of tumor during hepatectomy or pathologic analysis, fibrolamellar variety, and small (
Evolution of Enzymatic Activities in the Enolase Superfamily: Crystal Structures of the l-Ala-d/l-Glu Epimerases from Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis†,‡

The members of the enolase superfamily catalyze different overall reactions, yet share a partial reaction that involves Mg2+-assisted enolization of the substrate carboxylate anion. The fate of the resulting enolate intermediate is determined by the active site of each enzyme. Several members of this superfamily have been structurally characterized to permit an understanding of the evolutionary strategy for using a common structural motif to catalyze different overall reactions. In the preceding paper, two new members of the superfamily were identified that catalyze the epimerization of the glutamate residue in l-Ala-d/l-Glu. These enzymes belong to the muconate lactonizing enzyme subgroup of the enolase superfamily, and their sequences are only 31% identical. The structure of YcjG, the epimerase from Escherichia coli, was determined by MAD phasing using both the SeMet-labeled protein and a heavy atom derivative. The structure of YkfB, the epimerase from Bacillus subtilis, was determined by molecular repl...