cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Comprehensive Examination of Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy and Its Association with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Patient Outcomes

There is literature discord regarding the impact of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG), or “feeding tube”, on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) outcomes. We assess one of the largest retrospective ALS cohorts to date (278 PEG users, 679 non-users). Kruskal–Wallis and Kaplan–Meier analysis compared cohort medians and survival duration trends. A meta-analysis determined the aggregate associative effect of PEG on survival duration by combining primary results with 7 published studies. Primary results (p 0.05). ALSFRS-R survey assessment illustrates PEG usage does not slow functional ALS pathology (p > 0.05), but does stabilize weight and/or body mass index (BMI) (p 0.05). Overall results support PEG as a palliative intervention for ALS patients with ≥50 FVC %predict at PEG insertion.
Race/Ethnicity and Accuracy of Self-Reported Female First-Degree Family History of Breast and Other Cancers in the Northern California Breast Cancer Family Registry

Background: Few studies have evaluated accuracy of self-reported family history of breast and other cancers in racial/ethnic minorities. Methods: We assessed the accuracy of cancer family history reports by women with breast cancer (probands) from the Northern California Breast Cancer Family Registry compared with 2 reference standards: personal cancer history reports by female first-degree relatives and California Cancer Registry records. Results: Probands reported breast cancer in first-degree relatives with high accuracy, but accuracy was lower for other cancers. Sensitivity (percentage correctly identifying relatives with cancer) was 93% [95% confidence interval (CI), 89.5–95.4] when compared with the relatives9 self-report of breast cancer as the reference standard and varied little by proband race/ethnicity and other demographic factors, except for marginally lower sensitivity for Hispanic white probands (87.3%; 95% CI, 78.0–93.1; P = 0.07) than non-Hispanic white probands (95.1%; 95% CI, 88.9–98.0). Accuracy was also high when compared with cancer registry records as the reference standard, with a sensitivity of 95.5% (95% CI, 93.4–96.9) for breast cancer, but lower sensitivity for Hispanic white probands (91.2%; 95% CI, 84.4–95.2; P = 0.05) and probands with low English language proficiency (80%; 95% CI, 52.8–93.5; P Conclusions: Non-Hispanic white, African American, and Asian American probands reported first-degree breast cancer family history with high accuracy, although sensitivity was lower for Hispanic white probands and those with low English language proficiency. Impact: Self-reported family history of breast cancer in first-degree relatives is highly accurate and can be used as a reliable standard when other validation methods are not available.
A Broad Application of CRISPR Cas9 in Infectious Diseases of Central Nervous System

Virus-induced diseases or neurological complications are huge socio-economic burden to human health globally. The complexity of viral-mediated CNS pathology is exacerbated by reemergence of new pathogenic neurotropic viruses of high public relevance. Although the central nervous system is considered as an immune privileged organ and is mainly protected by barrier system, there are a vast majority of neurotropic viruses capable of gaining access and cause diseases. Despite continued growth of the patient population and a number of treatment strategies, there is no successful viral specific therapy available for viral induced CNS diseases. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a clear alternative treatment strategy that can effectively target neurotropic viruses of DNA or RNA genome. To address this need, rapidly growing gene editing technology based on CRISPR/Cas9, provides unprecedented control over viral genome editing and will be an effective, highly specific and versatile tool for targeting CNS viral infection. In this review, we discuss the application of this system to control CNS viral infection and associated neurological disorders and future prospects. Graphical Abstract CRISPR/Cas9 technology as agent control over CNS viral infection.
Multiaxial fatigue of additive manufactured metals: Performance, analysis, and applications

Abstract Additive manufacturing (AM) has recently gained much interest from researchers and practitioners in a wide range of industries due to the many advantages it offers, as compared to the traditional subtractive manufacturing methods. Some of distinguishing features of AM, as compared to traditional subtractive manufacturing methods, include surface roughness, porosity and lack of fusion defects, residual stresses due to the thermal history of the part during the fabrication process, and anisotropy of the properties. Considering the fact that the state of stress at fatigue critical locations is often multiaxial and many of the distinguishing features of AM metals are directional, the subject of multiaxial fatigue presents an important study area for a better understanding of their fatigue performance. This paper presents an overview of the aforementioned issues using recent data generated with AM Ti-6Al-4V and 17–4 PH specimens made by two different laser-beam powder bed fusion (LB-PBF) machines and subjected to axial, torsion, and combined in-phase as well as out-of-phase axial-torsion loadings. The role of fabrication induced defects, surface roughness, and residual stresses, in addition to post fabrication heat treatment processes are discussed with implications on multiaxial fatigue performance. Important topics to multiaxial fatigue are considered. These include cyclic deformation, damage mechanism and cracking behavior, as well as damage quantification and representation for data correlations and life estimation under different stress states. The effects of some other important issues to multiaxial fatigue performance of AM metals at the component or structure level, such as mechanical notches and variable amplitude loading, are also briefly discussed.
A STPA-Sec Case Study: Eliciting Early Security Requirements for a Small Unmanned Aerial System

This work describes a top down systems security requirements analysis approach for understanding and eliciting security requirements for a notional small unmanned aerial system (SUAS). More specifically, the System-Theoretic Process Analysis approach for Security (STPA-Sec) is used to understand and elicit systems security requirements. The effort employs STPA-Sec on a notional SUAS system case study to detail the development of functional-level security requirements, design-level engineering considerations, and architectural-level security specification criteria early in the system life cycle when the solution trade-space is largest rather than merely examining components and adding protections during system operation or sustainment. These details were elaborated during a semester independent study research effort by two United States Air Force Academy Systems Engineering cadets, guided by their instructor and a series of working group sessions with UAS operators and subject matter experts. This work provides insight into a viable systems security requirements analysis approach which results in traceable security, safety, and resiliency requirements that can be designed-for, built-to, and verified with confidence.
Impact of inhaled pollutants on response to viral infection in controlled exposures.

Air pollutants are a major source of increased risk of disease, hospitalization, morbidity, and mortality worldwide. The respiratory tract is a primary target of potential concurrent exposure to both inhaled pollutants and pathogens, including viruses. Although there are various associative studies linking adverse outcomes to co- or subsequent exposures to inhaled pollutants and viruses, knowledge about causal linkages and mechanisms by which pollutant exposure may alter human respiratory responses to viral infection is more limited. In this article, we review what is known about the impact of pollutant exposure on antiviral host defense responses and describe potential mechanisms by which pollutants can alter the viral infection cycle. This review focuses on evidence from human observational and controlled exposure, ex vivo, and in vitro studies. Overall, there are a myriad of points throughout the viral infection cycle that inhaled pollutants can alter to modulate appropriate host defense responses. These alterations may contribute to observed increases in rates of viral infection and associated morbidity and mortality in areas of the world with high ambient pollution levels or in people using tobacco products. Although the understanding of mechanisms of interaction is advancing through controlled in vivo and in vitro exposure models, more studies are needed because emerging infectious pathogens, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, present a significant threat to public health.
Dietary Patterns and Risk of a New Carious Lesion Postpartum: A Cohort Study.

Dental caries (cavities), one of the most common infectious diseases, is caused by a number of factors. Oral microbes, dietary practices, sociodemographic factors, and dental hygiene all inform car...
Can older cancer patients tolerate chemotherapy? A prospective pilot study.

BACKGROUND To the authors' knowledge, few data currently are available regarding the tolerance to chemotherapy in older cancer patients. This prospective pilot study evaluated the changes in functional, mental, nutritional, and comorbid status, as well as the quality of life (QOL), in geriatric oncology patients receiving chemotherapy. METHODS Sixty patients age ≥ 70 years who were undergoing cancer chemotherapy were recruited in a university-based comprehensive cancer center. Changes in physical function were measured by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs), mental health changes were measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), comorbidity was measured by Charlson's index and the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale-Geriatric, nutrition was measured by the Mini-Nutritional Assessment, and QOL was measured by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G). Changes were assessed at baseline and at the end of treatment (EOT). Grade 4 hematologic and Grade 3–4 nonhematologic toxicities were recorded. RESULTS Thirty-seven patients (63%) completed both assessments. Older cancer patients demonstrated a significant decline in measurements of physical function after receiving chemotherapy, as indicated by changes in scores on the IADL (P = 0.04) and on the physical (P = 0.01) and functional (P = 0.03) subscales of the FACT-G. They also displayed worse scores on the GDS administered postchemotherapy (P < 0.01). Patients who experienced severe chemotoxicity had more significant declines in ECOG PS (P = 0.03), IADL (P = 0.03), and GDS (P = 0.04), and more gain in the social well-being subscale (P = 0.02) of the FACT-G, than those who did not experience severe chemotoxicity. However, changes in most scores were small in magnitude clinically. No significant change was found between baseline and EOT in nutrition, comorbidity, and other aspects of the FACT-G. CONCLUSIONS Older cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy may experience toxicity but generally can tolerate it with limited impact on independence, comorbidity, and QOL levels. It is important to recognize and monitor these changes during geriatric oncology treatment. Cancer 2003;97:1107–14. © 2003 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.11110
A Hierarchical Ensemble of Decision Trees Applied to Classifying Data from a Psychological Experiment

Classifying by hand complex data coming from psydlology experiments can be a long and difficult task, because of the quantity of data to classify and the amount of training it may require. One way to alleviate this problem is to use machine learning techniques. We built a classifier based on decision trees that reproduces the classifying process used by two humans on a sample of data and that learns how to classify unseen data. The automatic classifier proved to be more accurate, more constant and much faster than classification by hand.
The Influence of Deal Exclusivity on Consumer Response to Targeted Price Promotions

Although targeted price promotions are becoming increasingly common in the marketplace, relatively little is known about how deal recipients respond to customized pricing offers. The authors investigate the role of a sales promotion characteristic that has received little attention in the literature - deal exclusivity - by examining whether the responsiveness of deal recipients to a targeted price discount are influenced by the number of other consumers receiving the offer. In addition to conceptualizing the effects of deal exclusivity on consumer response to targeted price promotions, results from several studies empirically demonstrate that exclusive deals may be viewed more, equally, or less favorably than inclusive offers depending on the size of the price discount, how strongly recipients identify with the deal target group, and the recipient's gender. Evidence is also provided indicating that deal exclusivity effects are mediated by the ability of the promotional offer to allow consumers to engage in self-enhancement processes. Implications for promotions theory and practice are presented, as are future research directions.
Computing Linear Codes and Unitals

The 2-rank of any 2-(28,4,1) design (unital on 28 points) is known to be between 19 and 27. It is shown by the enumeration and analysis of certain binary linear codes that there are no unitals of 2-rank 20, and that there are exactly 4 isomorphism classes of unitals of 2-rank 21. Combined with previous results, this completes the classification of unitals on 28 points of 2-rank less than 22.
Passing the baton in base excision repair

Apurinic/apyrmidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1) plays a central role in DNA repair by cleaving the DNA backbone 5′ of AP sites that result from removal of damaged bases. New structural findings on APE1–DNA cocrystals provide insights into how this enzyme binds and cleaves its substrate and how, like one member in an efficient relay team, it coordinates potentially dangerous steps in the base excision repair pathway.
From Path Integrals to Quantum Mechanics

The main goal of this chapter is the verification of the Wightman and HaagKastler axioms, including the proof of Theorems 6.1.5–6. We assume that we are given a measure dμ on Open image in new window (R d ) which satisfies the axioms OS0–3 given in Chapter 6. In that chapter we constructed Euclidean field operators ϕ acting on ℰ = L2( Open image in new window , dμ) and we constructed the Hilbert space ℋ of quantum mechanical states as the completion of ℰ+/Ν.
CaM kinase IIδC phosphorylation of 14-3-3β in vascular smooth muscle cells: Activation of class II HDAC repression

The myocyte enhancer factor-2 (MEF2) family of transcription factors regulates transcription of muscle-dependent genes in cardiac, skeletal and smooth muscle. They are activated by calcium/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent protein kinases I and IV and silenced by CaM KIIdeltaC. MEF2 is held in an inactive form by the class II histone deacetylases (HDAC) until phosphorylated by either CaM kinase I or IV. Upon phosphorylation, HDAC is transported out of the nucleus via a 14-3-3 dependent mechanism freeing MEF2 to drive transcription. The 14-3-3 chaperone protein exists as a homodimer. In the region of homodimerization, there are two canonical CaM kinase II phosphorylation sites (ser60 and ser65). In vitro phosphorylation assay results indicate that 14-3-3beta is indeed a substrate for CaM kinase II. We hypothesize that CaM kinase IIdeltaC phosphorylation of 14-3-3beta will disrupt homodimer formation resulting in the return of HDAC to the nucleus and their reassociation with MEF2. To test this, we mutated serines 60 and 65 of 14-3-3beta to aspartates to mimic the phosphorylated state. In MEF2 enhancer-reporter assays in smooth muscle cells, expression of the 14-3-3beta double mutant attenuated MEF2-enhancer activity driven by CaM kinase I or IV. The intracellular fate of HDAC4 was followed by transfection of smooth muscle cells with an HDAC4-Green Fluorescent Protein fusion hybrid. The 14-3-3beta double mutant prevented HDAC4 cytoplasmic localization in the presence of active CaM kinase I or IV. These data suggest that the mechanism of CaM kinase IIdeltaC silencing of MEF-2-dependent genes is by phosphorylation of 14-3-3beta, which allows HDAC to return to the nucleus to reform a complex with MEF2, thereby silencing MADS box-dependent gene induction in smooth muscle.
The late psychosocial consequences of childhood cancer.

Abstract As more children survive childhood cancer, the long-term emotional sequelae of the disease and its therapy become of considerable importance. This study investigated the overall psychosocial functioning and specific concerns of 36 children who were long-term survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia or a solid tumor that did not involve the central nervous system. Findings from the Deasy-Spinetta Behavioral Questionnaire reveal that children treated for leukemia were functioning at a level below school peers. Differences between parent and teacher appraisal of the cancer survivor underscore the importance of ongoing communication. Finally, the results indicate a possible relationship between cognitive and emotional problems.
Heat-capacity study of the pseudobinary compound Ho 0.6 Tb 0.4 Fe 2

Many pseudobinary compounds, ${R}_{x}{R}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}^{\ensuremath{'}}{\mathrm{Fe}}_{2}$ ($R$ and ${R}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ are rare-earth metals), exhibit the phenomenon known as spin reorientation. This paper reports the results of a heat-capacity study of the ${\mathrm{Ho}}_{0.6}$${\mathrm{Tb}}_{0.4}$${\mathrm{Fe}}_{2}$ compound. A spin-rotation transition, which appears to be a cooperative process, is noted at \ensuremath{\sim} 125 K. The crystal-field contribution to the heat capacity has been used to determine the crystal-field parameters for the rare-earth ions. The behavior of the calculated magnetocrystalline free energies, magnetic moment, and bulk anisotropy constants as a function of temperature are also reported.
Cutting Edge: Dominance by an MHC-Independent Inhibitory Receptor Compromises NK Killing of Complex Targets

Inhibitory receptors that recognize MHC class I molecules regulate NK cell responses and self-tolerance. Recent evidence indicates that self-ligands not present in the MHC locus also can modulate NK function. In this study, we show that an inhibitory receptor that recognizes an MHC-independent ligand is over expressed in SHIP−/− mice at all stages of NK development and differentiation. Overexpression of this receptor compromises key cytolytic NK functions, including killing of allogeneic, tumor, and viral targets. These results further demonstrate the critical role that SHIP plays in regulation of the NK receptor repertoire and show that regulation of MHC-independent inhibitory receptors is crucial for NK recognition and cytolysis of complex targets.
A Cramer-Rao Type Lower Bound for Estimators Satisfying a Bias Constraint

In this paper we give a Cramer-Rao (CR) type lower bound on estimator covariance which applies to any estimator whose bias gradient lies within a user specified ellipsoidal region of parameter space. In addition to providing a useful lower bound which is insensitive to small unknown estimator biases, the rate of change of the new bound provides a quantitative bias "sensitivity index" for the conventional bias-dependent CR bound. We give an analytical form for this sensitivity index which indicates that small estimator biases can make the new bound significantly less than the unbiased version of the CR bound when there exist important but difficult-to-estimate nuisance parameters. This implies that the application of the CR bound is unreliable for this situation due to severe bias sensitivity. As a practical illustration of these results, we consider the problem of estimating elements of the 2 x 2 covariance matrix associated with a pair of independent, identically distributed, zero-mean Gaussian random sequences.
Multiaxial Deformation Apparatus for Testing of Microtubes Under Combined Axial-Force and Internal-Pressure

An apparatus for multiaxial loading of microtubes with an outside diameter of less than a few millimeters is described. The apparatus is capable of applying axial-force and internal-pressure in a fully-coupled way, so that biaxial principal stresses along either proportional or non-proportional loading paths can be applied to the microtubes. The requirements of the apparatus for this fully-coupled loading and the resulting functional layout are described first. The hardware that was selected is then detailed. The maximum force and pressure capacities are 2000 N and 1034 bar, while the maximum available stroke and pressurized fluid volume are 50 mm and 68 ml, respectively. Since the apparatus is required to perform dynamic loading as well, with the stresses varying on the order of 1 Hz, the dynamic behavior of the pump used in the apparatus is established experimentally. It was determined that the dynamic response depends not only on the amplitude and frequency of the desired loading, but also, partially because of the minute dimensions of the apparatus, on the volume of fluid in the system and the compressibility of the fluid used for the inflation. The capabilities of the apparatus are demonstrated by proportional and non-proportional biaxial experiments on 304L stainless steel microtubes of 2.38 mm outside diameter and 0.15 mm nominal thickness. Two different strategies for performing these experiments, i.e., force- & volume-control and displacement- & pressure-control were implemented and are compared to each other. The former leads to a more stable system and thus is the preferred mode of operation of the apparatus, while the latter can allow better tracking of the microtube response past the observed limit-load instability. In the proportional loading experiments, the nominal stress paths are shown to be exactly linear, as desired. Although not pursued here, such experiments can be used to establish the plastic anisotropy of the microtube material. Two types of non-proportional experiments are performed: in both cases the microtube is loaded uniaxially (axial or hoop direction); then, by keeping that stress constant, the other principal stress (i.e., hoop or axial) is increased until failure. Digital Image Correlation is used to measure the full strain fields during the testing, establishing the strains at the limit of uniform deformation. Furthermore, comparison of the strain paths induced during the proportional and non-proportional experiments established the path-dependency of the failure strains. These successful experiments demonstrate that any complex loading path inside (or adjacent to) the first quadrant of the plane-stress space can be implemented with this apparatus.
A dynamic hypertext environment through n-gram analysis

Methods and tools for finding documents relevant to a user's needs in document corpora can be found in the information retrieval, library science, and hypertext communities. Typically, these systems provide retrieval capabilities for fairly static corpora, and their algorithms are dependent on specific language features, which don't perform well when presented with misspelled words or text that has been degraded by optical character recognition techniques. In addition, the capabilities needed by a variety of researchers, analysts, and investigative reporters from these methods and tools go beyond those provided by the traditional indexing systems. The need to find related documents, to query using natural language, and to filter out undesired information all suggest the need for a more interactive and robust user interface. This dissertation describes a dynamic hypertext environment that provides the capabilities of relating, querying, and filtering documents in a nontrivially-sized, dynamic corpus. This environment is robust in the sense that it is independent of specific language features and is capable of dealing with degraded or corrupted text.
Growth Differences Among Stocks of Yellow Perch, Perca flavescens, Are Temperature Dependent

Abstract In a series of studies, growth and chemical composition of yellow perch, Perca flavescens originating from different stocks were compared. Juvenile yellow perch from Lake Mendota, Wisconsin were acquired in each year of four years and compared to stocks from Green Bay, Wisconsin; Pennsylvania; North Carolina; or Nebraska. Quadruplicate groups of each stock were cultured at 16°C, 22°C, or 28°C and fed a standard diet. Weight gain of fish from Lake Mendota at 16°C was significantly lower in three of the four years, and feed conversion ratio was significantly higher (P< 0.05) in two of the four years compared to other fish stocks. At 22°C, weight gain of fish from Pennsylvania was significantly higher than that of fish from Lake Mendota; other differences were not detected. Feed conversion ratio of fish from Lake Mendota cultured at 22°C was significantly higher than that of other stocks in three of the four years. Weight gain of fish from North Carolina was significantly higher than that of fish fr...
The Authentic (In)Authentic: Bushman Anthro‐Tourism

Focusing on tourism ventures that market contact with so‐called bushmen, this paper examines some of the current dynamics and consequences of cultural tourism in Namibia, where the Government has instituted a series of progressive policies to promote local control over tourism development. While notions of primitive cultural otherness continue to feature centrally in tourist demand for contact with “bushmen,” the community‐based and collaborative tourism’ ventures currently being developed in Namibia teach tourists to see their “bushman” hosts as modernizing producers of tourism in their own right, and not just as objects of touristic commodification. Drawing from the anthropological literature on tourism and authenticity, and on the work of Slavoj Zizek on the workings of modern ideology, we argue that such ventures encourage tourists to practise a sort of “meta‐tourism,” in which the authenticity of “traditional bushmen” is replaced by the meta‐authenticity of a tourism experience that thematizes its ow...
Equilibrium Suicides of Palladium

The Pd-Si system was examined in the 13 to 25 at. pct silicon range by X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis, and metallography. The existence of the compounds Pd5Si, Pd9Si2, and Pd3Si was confirmed. The three compounds form peritectically. Pd5Si is monoclinic, while Pd9Si2 and Pd3Si are orthorhombic. These compounds form defect structures having low symmetry and large unit cells. Electron concentrations per unit cell govern compound formation. However, there was no evidence of the existence of either Pd4Si or Pd9Si4.
Predicting Risk of Delivering Low Birthweight Babies: Which Indicator is Better?

The purpose of this paper was to examine potential advantages and disadvantages of anthropometric indicators of high risk of delivering low birth weight babies (LBW) (babies under 2.5kg.). Indicators and high risk limits selected for this analysis were: weight gain during pregnancy =or< 16th percentile for gestational age equivalent to 8kg. at term); armircumference (=or< 23.5cm at any point in pregnancy); uterine height (=or< 10 percentile for gestational age); and weight gain expressed as % of standard weight for height (equal or less than 90% at the beginning of pregnancy). The results suggest that: 1) arm circumference independently of gestational age has similar sensitivity and specificity as weight gain during pregnancy for gestational age. Uterine height and weight gain for standard height may perform a little better. 2) At the community level combinations of arm circumference either with uterine height or with weight for height (at health services level) would produce better results. Such a combination of measures would help to avoid 4 to 5 times more LBW babies for a given input of resources as compared with no use of risk indicators. Therefore the hypothesis is proposed that this last combination of risk indicators is the best feasible option to use in poor malnourished population with high prevalence of LBW babies. (authors modified)
Roles of static and dynamic domains in stability and catalysis of adenylate kinase.

Protein dynamics, including conformational switching, are recognized to be crucial for the function of many systems. These motions are more challenging to study than simple static structures. Here, we present evidence suggesting that in the enzyme adenylate kinase large “hinge bending” motions closely related to catalysis are regulated by intrinsic properties of the moving domains and not by their hinges, by anchoring domains, or by remote allosteric-like regions. From a pair of highly homologous mesophilic and thermophilic adenylate kinases, we generated a series of chimeric enzymes using a previously undescribed method with synthetic genes. Subsequent analysis of the chimeras has revealed unexpected spatial separation of stability and activity control. Our results highlight specific contributions of dynamics to catalysis in adenylate kinase. Furthermore, the overall strategy and the specific mutagenesis method used in this study can be generally applied.
Differential effects of cortical ablation and spreading depression on sensitivity to footshock: implications for the role of the cortex in learning.

Abstract Rats were tested for flinch and jump responses to shock under unilateral and bilateral spreading depression (USD and BSD) and unilateral cortical ablation (UCA). Some Ss were tested with insulating boots on the left or right limbs. Under USD and UCA the limbs contralateral to the depressed or ablated hemisphere were as insensitive as when under BSD, and the ipsilateral limbs were almost as sensitive as in the normal condition. The data indicate that lack of transfer typically found in the USD transfer paradigm can be attributed to stimulus factors and not to learning or memory deficits, especially since most studies have used a shock level which does not exceed the jump threshold for a depressed hemisphere.
Speeding Up Artificial Muscles

Artificial muscles—materials that change size or shape when activated by some stimulus—are attractive for applications in robotics and in sensing and control technologies because they provide large force and motion while being compact and lightweight. Currently, artificial muscles (and smart materials in general) are limited in the combinations of force, motion, and speed that they can generate. Also, their efficiency may be low, or they may need to operate in a certain environment, such as within an electrolyte. On page 928 of this issue, Lima et al. ( 1 ) describe a faster and longer-stroke artificial muscle based on yarns made from sheets of carbon nanotubes in which liquid electrolytes are replaced with a solid guest or filler material such as wax; melting and solidifying the wax twists or untwists the yarn and generates motion. Other guest materials are activated by chemical absorption or illumination by light. The new artificial muscle outperforms existing artificial muscles ( 2 ), allowing possible applications such as linear and rotary motors, and might replace biological muscle tissue if biocompatibility can be established.
NONCONJUGATED ADRENOCORTICAL STEROIDS IN HUMAN PLASMA: COMPARISON OF THE NELSON AND SAMUELS METHOD WITH PAPER CHROMATOGRAPHIC TECHNIQUES*

In Recent years the method of Nelson and Samuels (1) for the determination of free 17-hydroxycorticosteroids (17-OH-CS) in human plasma has been used extensively. Studies of normal levels of 17-OH-CS and the effect of ACTH administration on these levels have been made (2, 3, 4). During medical or surgical stress an increase in the concentration of plasma 17-OH-CS was observed (5) and a marked rise in the levels prior to death was reported by Sandberg et al. (6). Studies of 17-OH-CS levels in schizophrenic patients under various conditions have also been carried out (7, 8). It should be noted that the Nelson and Samuels method does not measure the corticoid conjugates which have been detected recently in human blood (9).
Chemical interactions with herpes simplex type 2 virus: enhancement of transformation by hydrazine and 1,2-dimethylhydrazine.

Abstract Quantitative assays for the morphological transformation of 3T3 Swiss mouse cells by herpes simplex type 2 virus (HSV-2) were employed to examine the effect on cell transformation of chemical carcinogens and suspected carcinogens. Exposure of the cells to the chemical compound, followed by virus infection, resulted in enhancement of transformation when compared to that observed with chemical or virus alone. Enhancement occurred in tests utilizing either UV light-inactivated HSV-2 (strain 333) or a temperature-sensitive (ts) mutant of HSV-2 [A8(293)]. A series of seven ts-mutants were tested and exhibited varying degrees of transformation. Enhancement of transformation occurred in cells treated with hydrazine (HZ) and 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (SDMH). No enhancement occurred when cells were treated with monomethylhydrazine, 1,1-dimethylhydrazine and the jet fuels JP-5, JP-10, RJ-4 and RJ-5. A strong time dependence after treatment was demonstrated with some enhancement seen at 6 h after chemical treatment but the greatest enhancement appeared when virus infection began after 24 h of chemical exposure.
Lexical analysis tool

This paper provides an algorithm for constructing a lexical analysis tool, by different means than the UNIX Lex tool. The input is a keywords table, describing the target language's keywords, keysymbols, and their semantics, instead of using regular expressions to do so.The output is a lexical analyzer for the specific programming language. The tool can also be used as a translator engine by inputing a dictionary table, and as a pattern recognizer.
ENERGY FLOW ANALYSIS OF VIBRATING BEAMS AND PLATES FOR DISCRETE RANDOM EXCITATIONS

Two methods for calculating the power input to vibrating beams and plates excited by multiple discrete random forces are developed. The power input is expressed in terms of the cross-power spectral density between the exciting forces. An approximate energy density solution is obtained using energy flow analysis. The power input calculations and the energy density response predictions are verified using modal analysis for different coherence conditions between the random excitation forces.
SU-E-T-259: Dosimetric Comparison of Cs-131 Vs. I-125 Vs. Pd-103 Intraoperative Brachytherapy in Patients with Resected Brain Metastasis

Purpose: Cs‐131, I‐125 and Pd‐103, have been used for permanent implant brachytherapy. Cs‐131 has shorter half‐life — 9.7 days as compared to I‐125 and Pd‐103 — 59.4 and 17.0 days, respectively. It is likely more biologically efficient for tumor cell kill as the initial dose rate from Cs‐131(23.9 cGy/h) is 4 times higher than that of I‐125(5.8 cGy/h) and twice of Pd‐103(13.62 cGy/h). These isotopes differ in their average gamma‐ray energies (30.4keV, 28.5keV and 20.8keV, respectively). This study examines the dosimetric differences amongst these isotopes when used as a permanent implant for patients with resected brain metastasis with regard to exposure of normal brain tissue and the potential for developing radiation necrosis (RN). Methods: 24 patients with a single newly diagnosed and resected brain metastasis were implanted with Cs‐131. Post‐op dosimetry plans were generated for Cs‐131, I‐125 model #6711 and Pd‐103 model #200. The prescription dose was 80 Gy to 5mm depth from the surface cavity. The mean air kerma strength for the Cs‐131, I‐125 and Pd‐103 seeds were 2.4U, 0.6985U and 2.11U respectively. The volume of brain tissue exposed to radiation at 100%, 80% and 50% isodose lines were compared for each isotope. Results: Significantly larger volume of brain tissue exposed to radiation, with the use of I‐125 when compared to both Cs‐131 (p less than 0.00005) and Pd‐103 (p less than 0.00004). There is no significant difference when comparing Cs‐131 to Pd‐103 (p=0.26605). Conclusion: In this analysis, we report that Cs‐131 and Pd‐103 expose less normal brain tissue to radiation when compared to I‐125, thus providing a dosimetric superiority and subjecting less tissue to RN. In addition, Cs‐131 has the shortest T1/2 and in our trial with a median follow up of 10 months, all 24 patients have 100% local control while experiencing 0% incidence of RN.
Additional Scattering of Bloch Electrons by Simultaneous Impurity and Lattice Interactions

A defect in a solid breaks translational symmetry and thus permits additional electron-phonon emission and absorption scatterings. These may be due to the lattice and defect interactions acting together in a second-order process; to the strain dependence of the defect interaction, in first order; and to the matrix element cross term from these two. We calculate the additional scattering in a model semiconductor for the acoustic-mode case.
Linear Fresnel lens concentrators

Abstract The use of the linear Fresnel lens as a seasonally adjusted or one-axis tracked solar concentrator is investigated. Ray tracing techniques are used to show that this type of concentrator is very good in the period of time within 1 hr of solar noon. However, increased refraction due to increased incident angles of the solar rays causes a sharp drop-off in energy delivered to the absorber at other hours of the day. Daily collection efficiencies are typically 50 per cent at concentration ratios of near 5. Effects of absorber width, distance from the lens to the absorber and alignment accuracy are considered in detail. Energy collected over a year's time is calculated assuming cloudless skies. Qualitative experimental results are presented that confirm the analytical results.
CONFESSIONS’BLISS: POSTMODERN CRITICISM AS A PALIMPSEST OF AUGUSTINE'S CONFESSIONS

L'A. se penche sur le texte des Confessions d'Augustin et particulierement sur le processus d'ecriture. La lecture et l'ecriture d'Augustin contiennent et suggerent les deux premieres conceptions contemporaines de l'ecriture/lecture, celle de Hirsch et de la Nouvelle Critique. Augustin met en oeuvre sa propre deconstruction et l'expose. A travers les Confessions, Augustin montre comment le travail surgit a l'interieur du texte qui est Creation, comment il a surgi a son insu. Augustin decouvre que pour comprendre son travail, il doit dire ce travail avec des signes et se demander comment le travail de la confession debute
Boundary-layer transition on ablating cones at speeds up to 7 km/sec.

Ballistic-range tests were conducted to determine the extent of laminar flow which may be attainable on ablating cones. The experiments consisted of free flights of 1-cm diam 30° halfangle plastic cones in air at velocities up to 7 km/sec and maximum local Reynolds numbers from 3 to 12 million. The ballistic range was long enough to allow the models to decelerate aerodynamically to low speeds and to be recovered intact. Microscopic examination of the surfaces of recovered models showed wedge-shaped patterns aligned with apexes upstream, which were thought to be produced by transverse spread of turbulence initiated by small surface imperfections. The mass ablated was measured and compared to predictions for fully laminar and fully turbulent boundary-layer flow. At local Reynolds numbers below 5 million, fully laminar flow seems to predominate. Tip recession from ablation was measured also and was found to agree reasonably well with theory.
Measurement of dyspnoea in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

This paper reviews the assessment of shortness of breath in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The validity criteria for evaluating measures of dyspnoea are discussed and a description and critique of current measures of shortness of breath are offered. Across studies, dyspnoea measures are moderately correlated with pulmonary function (e.g. FEV1.0 and FVC), psychological function, and walking tests (6 min walk). In addition, dyspnoea measures tend to be correlated with one another. The need for standardisation of dyspnoea measures for research and clinical practice is identified as an important objective for future work.
Demonstration of two-pump fibre optical parametric amplification

The authors demonstrate a two-pump fibre optical parametric amplifier. The pumps were pulsed, each with 2.3 W peak power. A gain of /spl sim/8 dB was observed between the pumps near 1550 nm in a 200 m long fibre. This agrees well with theory.
System-based Identification of Toxicity Pathways Associated With Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube-Induced Pathological Responses

The fibrous shape and biopersistence of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) have raised concern over their potential toxicity after pulmonary exposure. As in vivo exposure to MWCNT produced a transient inflammatory and progressive fibrotic response, this study sought to identify significant biological processes associated with lung inflammation and fibrosis pathology data, based upon whole genome mRNA expression, bronchoaveolar lavage scores, and morphometric analysis from C57BL/6J mice exposed by pharyngeal aspiration to 0, 10, 20, 40, or 80 μg MWCNT at 1, 7, 28, or 56 days post-exposure. Using a novel computational model employing non-negative matrix factorization and Monte Carlo Markov Chain simulation, significant biological processes with expression similar to MWCNT-induced lung inflammation and fibrosis pathology data in mice were identified. A subset of genes in these processes was determined to be functionally related to either fibrosis or inflammation by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis and was used to determine potential significant signaling cascades. Two genes determined to be functionally related to inflammation and fibrosis, vascular endothelial growth factor A (vegfa) and C-C motif chemokine 2 (ccl2), were confirmed by in vitro studies of mRNA and protein expression in small airway epithelial cells exposed to MWCNT as concordant with in vivo expression. This studymore » identified that the novel computational model was sufficient to determine biological processes strongly associated with the pathology of lung inflammation and fibrosis and could identify potential toxicity signaling pathways and mechanisms of MWCNT exposure which could be used for future animal studies to support human risk assessment and intervention efforts. - Highlights: • A novel computational model identified toxicity pathways matching in vivo pathology. • Systematic identification of MWCNT-induced biological processes in mouse lungs • MWCNT-induced functional networks of lung inflammation and fibrosis were revealed. • Two functional, representative genes, ccl2 and vegfa, were validated in vitro.« less
The Automorphism Conjecture for Small Sets and Series Parallel Sets

The automorphism conjecture for ordered sets states that the automorphism to endomorphism ratio will tend to zero as the size of the ordered set goes to infinity. We show by computer enumeration that up to size 11 the ratio is largest for weakly ordered sets. Subsequently, we derive exact recursive formulas for the number of homomorphisms between two related types of weakly ordered sets and we prove a strong automorphism conjecture for series-parallel ordered sets. We conclude with an example that shows that the automorphism to endomorphism ratio can exceed \(\displaystyle{ \left( .5244 \right) ^{|P|}} \) for arbitrarily large \(|P|\).
Implementing Clinical Outcomes Assessment in Everyday School Mental Health Practice

Evidence-based assessment (EBA) has been shown to improve clinical outcomes, but this practice is frequently not implemented in school mental health practice. This article reviews potential barriers to implementation and offers practical strategies for addressing these challenges. Several valid and reliable tools for assessment are reviewed, and information is provided on clinical use. Case examples of EBA implementation in school mental health settings are provided to illustrate how these tools can be used in everyday practice by school mental health clinicians.
The electrical characterization of ceramic oxides

Abstract The Effective Specific Impedance of a composite material is derived by a straightforward extension of Maxwell's theory of the dc resistivity of such a system. The connection with the commonly used equivalent circuit model for ceramic oxides is presented. By way of illustration, some specific models incorporating porosity effects or the existence of a spectrum of conductivities in the major component are analyzed in detail.
Long-Term Comparison of Mobile-Bearing vs Fixed-Bearing Total Knee Arthroplasty

Few published reports have been published regarding a comparison of the long-term outcomes between mobile- (MB) and fixed-bearing component designs for knee arthroplasty. The minimum 10-year clinical and radiologic follow-up of an unselected consecutive series of 89 patients (107 knees) who were randomized to have one of these different designs for primary arthroplasty was done. Twenty-six patients (30 knees) who had a fixed-bearing design and 24 patients (33 knees) who had an MB prosthesis were available for follow-up. Two MB knees were revised for aseptic loosening of a tibial component in one and femoral component fracture in the other. In patients who did not have revision surgery, there were no differences between the groups with respect to mean Knee Society scores, knee flexion, or pain scores.
Self-Scoring: A Self-Monitoring Procedure

Self-scoring is a procedure for encouraging students to self-monitor their performance on classroom achievement tests. In our study, students instructed to predict their score on each test item earned higher scores than did students who were not so instructed.
Osmotic-Convective Dehydrofreezing Process for Drying Kiwifruit

Osmotic and convective dehydrofreezing were studied to determine sugar concentration, ascorbic acid loss, and texture changes in dried and dehydrofrozen kiwifruit. Two concentrations of sucrose (60° and 72° Brix) were used as osmotic solutions after convective air drying. Time needed to reach desired moisture was reduced with combined drying compared with osmotic drying. Firmness was evaluated by the maximum force from a back extrusion test. A reduction in maximum force was observed after freezing, as compared with fresh and dried fruit. Addition of ascorbic and citric acid as antioxidants in the osmotic solution prevented browning, and significant loss of ascorbic acid during osmotic drying. Air drying at 30°C produced distinguishable color changes.
Wet deposition monitoring—Effect of sampling period

Abstract A comparison between weekly and event samples has been undertaken to assess the differences introduced by different sampling periods. The data analyzed cover the period 18 March 1981-28 June 1983. The weekly samples yielded lower concentrations and deposition values for all ions analyzed. The differences were significant at the 99.9 per cent confidence level.