cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Retrospective correction of head motion using measurements from an electromagnetic tracker.

Purpose To investigate the feasibility of using an electromagnetic (EM) tracker to estimate rigid body head motion parameters, and using these measurements to retrospectively reduce motion artifacts. Theory and methods A clinically used MPRAGE sequence was modified to measure motion using the EM tracking system once per repetition time. A retrospective k-space based motion correction algorithm that corrects for phase ramps (translation in image domain) and rotation of 3D k-space (rotation in image domain) was developed, using the parameters recorded using an EM tracker. The accuracy of the EM tracker for the purpose of motion measurement and correction was tested in phantoms, volunteers, and pediatric patients. Results Position localization was accurate to the order of 200 microns compared with registration localization in a phantom study. The quality of reconstructed images was assessed by computing the root mean square error, the structural similarity metric and average edge strength. Image quality improved consistently when motion correction was applied in both volunteer scans with deliberate head motion and in pediatric patient scans. In patients, the average edge strength improved significantly with retrospective motion correction, compared with images with no correction applied. Conclusions EM tracking was effective in measuring head motion in the MRI scanner with high accuracy, and enabled retrospective reconstruction to improve image quality by reducing motion artifacts.
Adjuvant therapies for stage III melanoma: Benchmarks for bringing clinical trials to clinical practice

Abstract Background New efficacious systemic therapies for advanced melanoma have been practice changing. More recently these therapies have been tested in the adjuvant setting for stage III disease with positive results. With recent FDA and EMA approvals for stage III disease we wished to evaluate current uptake of adjuvant therapies for stage III melanoma. Such benchmark data will be important in testing our ability to integrate clinical trial data into clinical practice. Methods We identified 34,376 stage III patients from the National Cancer Database (NCDB) diagnosed 2004-2015 with known extent of LN surgery and no prior invasive cancer. Use of adjuvant chemotherapy (including targeted therapy), immunotherapy and radiation therapy was assessed. Cochran-Armitage trend tests were used to test for changes in proportions over time overall and stratified by substage. Results Of the 34,376 patients, median age 57 years, 21,093 (61.4%) were male and 33,300 Caucasian (97.7%). The median (mean) number of positive nodes was 1 (2.1), IQR 1-2, range 1-81. Overall, 9,180 patients (27.4%) received adjuvant immunotherapy, 2,467 (7.5%) adjuvant chemotherapy and 3,088 (9.1%) adjuvant radiation. Any adjuvant therapy use declined over time from 41.9% in 2004 to 35.8% in 2015 (p Conclusions These data provide benchmarks for adjuvant therapy uptake for stage III melanoma patients reflective of general clinical practice. Future study with integration of adjuvant systemic therapies tested in clinical trials into the general cancer population should utilize these data to test the uptake of newer adjuvant treatments. Legal entity responsible for the study The authors. Funding Has not received any funding. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.
Incunabula Short Title Catalogue (ISTC): The International Database of 15th-century European Printing. Database

This is a review of the Database of Incunabula Short Title Catalogue (ISTC): The International Database of 15th-century European Printing
Which Luminal BC need Chemotherapy

ABSTRACT Estrogen Receptor positive (ER+) HER2- breast cancer is the largest subset of breast cancers and the most chemotherapy resistant. For small ER+ node negative breast cancers with favorable genomic or clinical risk profiles this is an irrelevant concern as management with endocrine therapy alone is the standard of care. However multiple studies have shown that once HER2+ ER+ are removed from a node positive ER+ population, adjuvant chemotherapy, whether anthracycline or anthracycline/taxane-based has limited efficacy. To investigate new approaches to the treatment of ER+ HER- higher stage tumors we have therefore focused on the neoadjuvant setting. This is because the most critical question in the management of ER+ HER2- tumors is whether the patent has an endocrine therapy sensitive tumor. Endocrine therapy resistance in the neoadjuvant setting can be identified in a straightforward manner using the Ki67 proliferation index. Tumors that have an elevated Ki67 (above 10%) at 2 to 4 weeks after starting an aromatase inhibitor (AI) are defined in our prospective studies as endocrine therapy resistant. This cut-point was established because if Ki67 is >10% the tumor is very unlikely to fall into the lowest relapse risk category at post neoadjuvant endocrine therapy surgery (preoperative endocrine prognostic index zero or PEPI-0 (defined as ER+ Stage 1 or 2A, Ki67 Disclosure The author has declared no conflicts of interest.
Pd-doped h-BN monolayer: a promising gas scavenger for SF6 insulation devices

h-BN monolayer as a novel 2D nanomaterial has raised great attention for sensing application in recent years. In this work, we using DFT method investigate the Pd-doping behavior on the pristine h-BN monolayer as well as related adsorption and sensing performance upon three SF6 decomposed species to explore its sensing potential. Our results indicate that n-typing doping is identified after Pd atom is doped on the h-BN monolayer, forming a novel chemical bond of Pd–N with length of 2.16 A. The adsorption performance of Pd–BN monolayer upon SF6 decomposed species is in order as SOF2 > SO2 > SO2F2, with Ead of 0.94, 0.83 and 0.48 eV, respectively. After gas adsorption, the bandgap of Pd–BN monolayer is remarkably changed, making it possible for use of a resistance-type gas sensor. The sensitivity is obtained as − 41.04%, − 108.14% and 2.55% for SO2, SOF2 and SO2F2 systems, respectively, which implies the superior sensing behavior upon SOF2 at room temperature. Our work is meaningful to propose a novel sensing nanomaterial for detection of SF6 decomposed species, bridging the distance to evaluate the operation status of SF6 insulation devices.
Physiological Effects of Melatonin

The first report suggesting that melatonin had physiological effects in any vertebrate were probably those of Lerner’s laboratory, in 1958, showing that this indole caused the melanophores in certain amphibians to blanch (Lerner et al., 1958). It is perhaps curious that almost two decades later, really compelling evidence that melatonin normally affects pigmentation is still lacking. (Nordlund and Lerner have noted a decrease in pigmentation in a single patient with Adrenogenital Syndrome given 1 gram of melatonin per day orally, for 30 days; no change was noted in any of four patients with idiopathic hyperpigmentation.
Burned by the fire: Isotopic effects of experimental combustion of faunal tooth enamel

Abstract Paleoenvironmental reconstructions of hominin fossil localities and archaeological sites are a critical component of understanding the selective pressures involved in the biological and behavioral evolution of our ancestors. Increasingly, these reconstructions are based on the carbon and oxygen stable isotope (δ13Cenamel and δ18Oenamel) composition of herbivore tooth enamel from these sites. Although tooth enamel is subject to diagenetic processes, it is generally assumed to be a refractory substrate that retains the in vivo isotopic signal during fossilization. However, the effects of burning, for which there is extensive evidence, on the isotopic composition of herbivore tooth enamel is often overlooked. Here, the consequences of burning on δ13Cenamel and δ18Oenamel values of five African herbivore taxa are directly tested in a series of controlled combustion experiments up to 1100 °C. Results suggest that δ13Cenamel values are minimally affected by burning up to 700 °C for all taxa, and up to 1100 °C for all but the thin-enameled Madoqua (dik-dik). δ18Oenamel values, on the other hand, are significantly altered at temperatures beyond 300 °C for all taxa, with enamel becoming increasingly and systematically 18O depleted at higher temperatures. This is suggestive of a temperature-dependent biochemical process of exchange with atmospheric oxygen. These results suggest that while δ13Cenamel values from burned teeth are potentially reliable for typical hearth temperatures, strong caution is needed when interpreting δ18Oenamel values from context with evidence of extensive burning.
Quantum internal model principle and enhanced disturbance decoupling

In this article we present the Quantum Internal Model Principle which is a consequence of theory of Disturbance Decoupling for quantum systems, the applications of which extends to control of decoherence in open quantum systems. In the process of formulating a disturbance rejection scheme for quantum systems we arrive at the Internal Model Principle for quantum control systems which is first of its kind in the literature. The internal model principle relates the disturbance rejecting control to the model of the environmental interaction and provides conditions under which a quantum system could be successfully and completely decoupled from the environmental interactions. Although the theory of quantum disturbance decoupling is inspired from classical decoupling, the vagaries of quantum mechanics entails non-trivial modifications and redesign of the construction of decoupling control. Such a modification leads to an enhanced disturbance rejection scheme for the classical systems as well.
Multi-Study Learning for Real-time Neurochemical Sensing in Humans using the “Study Strap Ensemble”

Abstract Real-time neurochemical sensing during awake behavior in humans allows for direct investigation of the neural signals that drive human decision-making. Current techniques to perform this kind of research require measurements from an electrode placed in the brain during awake neurosurgery and rely on prediction models to estimate neurotransmitter concentrations from the electrical measurements recorded by the electrode. These models are trained by combining multiple datasets (“studies”) that are collected in vitro under heterogeneous conditions in order to promote accuracy of the models when applied to data collected in the brain. A prevailing challenge is deciding how to combine studies or ensemble models trained on different studies to enhance model generalizability. We propose the “study strap ensemble”, which leverages advantages of two common approaches to multi-study learning problems: pooling studies and fitting one model versus averaging predictions from multiple models each fit to individual studies. The study strap ensemble fits models to boot-strapped datasets, or “pseudo-studies.” These are generated by resampling from multiple studies with a hierarchical resampling scheme that generalizes the randomized cluster bootstrap. The study strap is controlled by a tuning parameter that determines the proportion of observations to draw from each study. When the parameter is set to its lowest value, each pseudostudy is resampled from only a single study. When it is high, the study strap ignores the multi-study structure and generates pseudo-studies by merging the datasets and drawing observations like a standard bootstrap. We empirically show the optimal tuning value often lies in between. We prove that special cases of the study strap draw the merged dataset and the set of original studies as pseudo-studies. We further extend the study strap approach by introducing an ensemble weighting scheme that utilizes information in the distribution of the covariates of the test dataset. Our methods produce marked improvements in simulations and in our motivating application. All methods are available in the studyStrap CRAN package.
Abstract P23: The Contribution of Stroke Preparedness to Regional Variation in Tissue Plasminogen Activator Treatment

Introduction: Unexplained regional variation exists in tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) treatment for stroke. Whether regional differences in stroke preparedness (stroke knowledge and intent to c...
CRISPR/Cas9-based genome engineering in HIV gene therapy

In recent years, the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated nuclease (Cas) technology has become the most heated genome editing technique. Comparing to earlier genetic engineering methods, the CRISPR/Cas system is more advantageous due to its simple convenient design, high efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and the ability to perform multi-sites editing simultaneously. As the most effective gene editing tool, it utilizes a simple short RNA-guided mechanism to direct Cas-mediated DNA cleavage at the target genome locus and exploits the endogenous DNA repair pathways to achieve site-specific gene modifications. Initially discovered as a part of the bacterial adaptive immune system, the CRISPR/Cas system has now been widely used to study a broad range of biological genomes. Besides its contribution to our understanding of the basic genetic science, the application of the CRISPR/Cas system also expands rapidly into the medical fields, showing great potentials in the research of genetic diseases, viral infectious diseases, and cancers. In this review, the latest research progress of CRISPR/Cas technology is summarized based on its development, mechanism, and application in HIV/AIDS intervention. This review also examines the existing weaknesses and the future prospects of this promising technology.
THE k-SAMPLE COMPARISON OF MEANS (ONE-WAY ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE)

This chapter discuses the one-way analysis of variance. While the data vector takes values in n -dimensional Euclidean space, the mean vector is assumed to lie in a k -dimensional subspace, denoted by M , which is called “the estimation space.” Least-squares estimates of parameters relating to the mean vector are those values of the parameters that result in a mean vector nearest to the observation vector. These estimators are functions of the projection of the data vector onto the subspace M. The orthogonal complement of the estimation space is called “the error space.” The chapter further discusses the full model and the reduced model. In the reduced model, it is hypothesized that the mean vector lies in a proper subspace of the estimation space, denoted by H, which is called “the hypothesis space.” If the hypothesis is true, that is, the mean vector lies in the hypothesis space, then the squared norm of the projection of the data vector onto the orthogonal complement of the hypothesis space relative to the estimation space divided by σ 2 is a χ 2 random variable with dim(M ∩ H ⊥ ) df.
Comment on Lempert on Posner

R ICHARD Lempert is a distinguished evidence scholar, one on whose work I relied in my article in the Stanford Law Review,' which forms the text for his conference paper.2 His paper, critical but courteous, does me the honor of taking my article seriously and makes a number of nice points-for example, on the cost profile of discovery,3 on the Weitzman search model,4 on harmless error,' and on the hearsay exception for records.6 He also improves on my economic analysis of the bus case.7 I shall turn presently to the areas of our disagreement, which are many. But let me begin by remarking the defensive note that his paper sounds, the note of legal specialists defending their domain against invasion by economists or, worse, by lawyers who think like economists or, most irritatingly, by lawyers whose professional experience makes it difficult to dismiss what they have to say in the vein of economics as the ravings of a completely ignorant outsider to whichever field of law they want to put under the economic mi-
Minding the Marketplace: Protection and Enforcement of the Marks that Matter through Alternative Dispute Resolution

The Internet has come to represent an enormous marketplace and alternative to traditional bricks and mortar establishments as well as virtual-only vendors. Though such a marketplace presents marketers with virtually unlimited access to millions of potential customers, it is nevertheless on a daily basis, the venue of choice for the unmitigated theft of highly prized, multi-billion dollar intellectual property. This theft is evidenced by the hijacking of corporate/trademark owner’s Internet domain names, (DN) by those who seek to profit from the misappropriation and re-selling of such names. For owners of corporate/trademark brands, the theft is untenable because consumers become confused, the property’s secondary meanings are lost and revenues can be compromised. It is important that students of marketing become familiar with domain name hijacking and the various means used by organizations today to combat this growing problem. Because litigation is time-consuming and costly it is also vital that marketing students become familiar with the increasing use non-judicial options, commonly referred to as alternative-dispute resolution, (ADR). ADR can be an important tool for both organizations and celebrities interested in protecting their brands without the cost, complexity and notoriety that can accompany public trials.
Patients' preference for complementary and alternative medicine presents challenges for research.

T article by Purohit and colleagues1 in this edition of the Journal is one of a series of secondary analyses by this team of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) Adult Core and Alternative Medicine Supplement data conducted by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.2–4 In their previous work,2 the authors determined that respondents who endorsed at least 1 neuropsychiatric symptom (anxiety, depression, insomnia, hypersomnia, headaches, memory problems, or attentions deficits) were more likely (43.8% vs 29.7%) to seek out some type of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments in the last 12 months and that the prevalence of employing CAM therapies increased with the number of neuropsychiatric symptoms endorsed. Not surprisingly, in this article,1 they demonstrate that out-of-pocket expenditures related to CAM therapy use is greater for subjects who endorse having 1 or more neuropsychiatric symptoms: the 36% of respondents who had 1 or more neuropsychiatric symptoms accounted for approximately $14.8 billion of out-of-pocket CAM expenditures versus $19.4 billion for the rest (64%) of the respondents. The article raises many interesting issues that merit discussion. Foremost, it is important for medical and psychiatric practitioners to know that CAM therapies are sought out by patients who suffer from both psychiatric and neurologic symptoms, and so practitioners must question their patients about the use of CAM therapy. Second, patients who endorse a neuropsychiatric symptom in the NHIS tend to be more desperate: as described by Purohit and colleagues,1 these respondents indicated that they believed conventional therapies were either too expensive or not effective. Health care practitioners need to be sensitive to these patient concerns and must encourage a dialogue with our patients. The demographic characteristics of the 36% of respondents who endorsed 1 or more neuropsychiatric symptoms were enlightening: they were more likely to be women, have chronic medical conditions, and endorse suffering from some type of pain syndrome. Thus, individuals more likely to seek and incur costs for CAM therapies have a similar demographic profile to individuals
Separability of schrödinger and Klein-Gordon equations with a vector potential

Necessary and sufficient conditions are given for separability of the Schrodinger equation with a vector potential. The physical meaning of the condition on the vector potential is visualized with the aid of gauge invariance. The analysis can be carried out formally for the Klein-Gordon case.
Basal cell carcinoma with progression to metastatic neuroendocrine carcinoma

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) or primary cutaneous neuroendocrine carcinoma is a malignant tumor considered to demonstrate differentiation towards Merkel cells that are present at the base of the epidermis or around the apical end of some hair follicles and are thought to play a yet uncertain role in sensory transduction. Here we present the case of a 54- year old female with a basal cell carcinoma (BCC) of the skin with neuroendocrine features (positivity for chromogranin) that has evolved during multiple recurrences and radiotherapy into a high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma with morphological and immunohistochemical features of MCC (trabecular and nesting arrangement, positivity for chromogranin, cytokeratin 20, neuron specific enolase, and also neurosecretory granules on electron microscopy). The progression from a chromogranin positive basal cell carcinoma of the skin, to a high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma demonstrates the potential for cross differentiation among skin tumors.
NEON-HYDROGEN BUBBLE CHAMBERS

Some of the recent significant advances in high-energy physics have been made using bubble chambers in conjunction with high-energy accelerators. Two basically different types of bubble chambers are presently used. There are the light liquid chambers which operate cryogenically with liquid hydrogen and deuterium as the detecting medium for charged particles. There are also heavy liquid chambers which are usually filled with propane, Freon, or liquid mixtures and operate near room temperature, Heavy liquid chambers are more efficient than hydrogen chambers for observing gamma-ray conversions and neutrino interactions which would normally go undetected in liquid hydrogen because of its long radiation length (approximately 990 cm) and low density.
Early-onset childhood vitiligo is associated with a more extensive and progressive course

Objectives Vitiligo commonly presents in children, with half of all cases developing before 20 years of age. Although studies have characterized differences between pediatric and adult vitiligo, little is known about vitiligo presenting in early childhood. The purpose of this study was to compare clinical features of early-onset ( Methods This retrospective case series examined patients given a diagnosis of vitiligo in a pediatric dermatology practice at an academic medical center from 1990 to 2014. Characteristics of the early- and later-onset groups were compared by χ 2 and t test for categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Results Of the 208 children in the study, 31 had early-onset and 177 had later-onset disease. Early-onset vitiligo was associated with higher percentages of body surface area involvement and increased rates of disease progression during an average 1.9 years of follow-up. There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in repigmentation, vitiligo type, halo nevi, gender ratio, or personal and family history of autoimmune diseases. Limitations This was a retrospective, single-institution study. Conclusion Patients given a diagnosis of vitiligo at younger ages tend to have more extensive and progressive disease.
An epistemological display query interface

Database users without sufficient understanding of database schemas are normally daunted by the task of query formulation. To alleviate these concerns, we have come up with a visual query system that allows users to express queries at the conceptual level. This interface works by representing a targeted database schema at the conceptual level and allows the user to enter restriction, projection and join conditions in an interactive fashion. The mapping between the conceptual level and the relational schema of a targeted database is accomplished via the usage of the knowledge representation language Lk. We have built a prototype that works with human genome databases.
VART Model–Based Method for Estimation of Instream Dissolved Oxygen and Reaeration Coefficient

AbstractDissolved oxygen (DO) is essential to maintaining flora and fauna in aquatic ecosystems. The DO replenishment through the surface reaeration mechanism is commonly described using the reaeration coefficient (K2). This paper presents a new approach to modeling instream DO and estimating K2. The new approach includes an extension of the Variable Residence Time (VART) model and optimization algorithms for inverse modeling. The VART model is modified in this paper to incorporate the DO reaeration mechanism across the air-water interface, forming the VART-DO model. A major advantage of the VART-DO model is that it is capable of simulating DO exchange across the water-sediment interface through the hyporheic exchange mechanism in addition to the air-water exchange. A sensitivity analysis is conducted to investigate the relative importance of key model parameters to DO modeling. It is found that the K2 value increases markedly with the dispersion coefficient. The simplex-simulated annealing and the geneti...
Ab initio treatment of final-state spin-orbit interactions: Photoionization of the 6 s electron in cesium

Ab initio theoretical calculations are presented for the cross section, photoelectron angular distribution, and photoelectron spin polarization resulting from photoionization of the 6s electron of cesium. Starting from an initial basis of nonrelativistic Hartree-Fock wave functions, the effect of final-state spin-orbit interaction in the Breit-Pauli approximation is treated exactly. The effect of core relaxation is also examined. Our calculated results agree with recent experimental measurements of the photoionization cross section and the photoelectron spin polarization. Comparison is made with other theoretical calculations. Finally, the length form of the electric dipole interaction operator is shown to be consistent with gauge invariance when one solves for the exact eigenstates of a Hamiltonian containing spin-orbit interactions.
The immunochemistry of allergens: X. Anaphylactogenic properties of allergenic fractions from castor bean

Abstract 1.1. The allergenic protein-polysaccharidic fraction, CB-1A, from castor bean was nontoxic and anaphylactogenic. 2.2. The purified, carbohydrate-free fraction, CB-65A, had the same antigenic specificity as CB-1A. Fractions CB-1A and CB-65A contained a preformed protein native to castor bean and this protein was distinct from other proteins of the seed. 3.3. The carbohydrate moiety of CB-1A did not influence antigenic specificity but did enhance the sensitizing capacity of the protein component. 4.4. The protein component of fraction CB-1A was dialyzable and a protein with the same specificity was readily demonstrable in the dialyzate from unfractionated castor bean extract. An unidentified antigen was also detected in the dialyzate from the extract. 5.5. Heat diminished the toxicity of aqueous castor bean extract but did not destroy an ulcerative factor. 6.6. Alum adjuvant did not diminish the toxicity of castor bean extract when injected in guinea pigs.
Modulation-doped GaAs/(Al,Ga)As heterojunction field-effect transistors: MODFETs

Recently developed modulation-doped field-effect transistors (MODFETs) now hold the record for high-speed logic. In this device structure only the larger bandgap (Al,Ga)As layer is doped with donors and the GaAs layer is left undoped. Electrons minimize their energy by diffusing out of the (Al,Ga)As into the lower potential GaAs where they form a two-dimensional electron gas near the heterointerface. Since the electrons and donors are spatially separated, ionized impurity scattering is avoided making it possible to obtain extremely high electron mobilities. Even at electron densities of 1019cm-3or ∼ 1 × 1012cm-2per interface, transport properties of these heterostructures are comparable to pure bulk GaAs. Modulation-doped FETs using this heterojunction system offer many advantages among which are a small gate to conducting channel separation (∼ 300 A) leading to extremely high transconductances, a large current-carrying capability (∼ 500 mA/mm per interface), a small source resistance, and a small saturation voltage. The benefits improve quite substantially at 77 K where the transconductance increases to ∼ 500 mS/mm. Improved device performance has been obtained in both high-speed and digital applications. Modulation-doped FETs used as low-noise amplifiers exhibit noise figures as low as 0.4 dB with 14-dB gain at 10 GHz at 77 K and a noise temperature of 3.5 K at 3.3 GHz with the MODFET cooled to 15 K. The rate of increase in noise temperature is about 1 K/GHz. Quarter micrometer devices have exhibited a current-gain cutoff frequency of 70 GHz. When used as inverters in logic circuits, propagation delays of 12 ps and under 10 ps have been obtained at 300 and 77 K, respectively. Delay times as low as 5 ps are quite possible at 77 K. Static RAMs with 4-kbit complexity exhibited access times of about 2 ns. These results are far superior to any other three-terminal device which is the primary reason why numerous university, industrial, and government laboratories in the U.S., Europe, and Japan have sizable MODFET programs.
Mapping Regional Laryngopharyngeal Mechanoreceptor Response

Objectives To map mechanoreceptor response in various regions of the laryngopharynx. Methods Five patients with suspected laryngopharyngeal reflux and six healthy control subjects underwent stimulation of mechanoreceptors in the hypopharynx, interarytenoid area, arytenoids, aryepiglottic folds, and pyriform sinuses. The threshold stimuli evoking sensation and eliciting laryngeal adductor reflex were recorded. Results In controls, an air pulse with 2 mmHg pressure evoked mechanoreceptor response in all regions, except bilateral aryepiglottic folds of one control. In patients, stimulus intensity to elicit mechanoreceptor response ranged between 2 mmHg and 10 mmHg and varied among the regions. Air pulse intensity differed between right and left sides of laryngopharyngeal regions in the majority of patients. Conclusion Laryngopharyngeal mechanoreceptor response was uniform among regions and subjects in the healthy group. Patients with suspected laryngopharyngeal reflux showed inter- and intra-regional variations in mechanoreceptor response. Laryngopharyngeal sensory deficit in patients with suspected laryngopharyngeal reflux is not limited to aryepiglottic folds.
Flow of blood-saline mixtures studied by time-domain optical coherence tomography

In-vitro analysis of flowing blood-saline mixtures is performed by time-domain optical coherence tomography imaging. The mixtures contain blood in concentrations ranging from 100% to 20%. For each image, a corresponding compounded profile is obtained by adding one thousand adjacent A-scans. The compounded profiles are used for characterizing the optical coherence tomography signal as it propagates within the studied blood-saline mixtures. The results obtained point toward the possibility of acquiring intra-vascular images of arterial tissue that is located behind slabs of flowing blood-saline. A threshold in the propagation distance beyond which the recorded signal becomes dominated by its multiple scattered components is established along the compounded profiles. The threshold location, at a depth of ~0.6 mm, is independent of blood concentration. Further investigation of the compounded profiles reveals that the region extending to a maximum depth of about 200 μm from the point where the probing beam enters blood-saline mixtures could reveal information about the flow regime. This opens the possibility of another application for time-domain optical coherence tomography in intravascular imaging: assessing the flow regime, i.e. laminar or turbulent.
Coma in a 34-year-old with progressive changes on neuroimaging.

The MRI shows progressive bi-cerebral and brain stem white matter multifocal high T2-weighted signal contrast enhancing lesions (Fig. 1 and see also Fig. 1 in Question: Images in Neuroscience). The biopsy specimen in Fig. 2 (Question: Images in Neuroscience) shows perivascular demyelination with lymphohistiocytic infiltration, and surrounding zones of macrophage infiltration. Fulminant demyelinating encephalitis is a site restricted form of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. An immune-mediated disorder, it has been associated with antecedent viral infections including measles, varicella-zoster virus (VZV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human herpes virus-6 (HHV-6) and herpes simplex virus (HSV). It is also associated with immunization, some bacterial infections and immune reconstitution syndrome. The illness typically starts with abrupt onset of symptoms including headache, meningismus, seizures and encephalopathy within days to weeks after the inciting event. These rapidly worsen with development of profound stupor and multiple neurologic deficits. MRI shows multiple and or confluent T2-weighted/FLAIR hyperintensities in the supratentorial white matter often involving basal ganglia. High dose intravenous steroids are widely accepted as the first line of treatment. Plasmapheresis and intravenous immunoglobulins have also been used with variable success.
INCOME INEQUALITY: THE IMPLICATIONS OF ECONOMIC STRUCTURE AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS

During the past few decades income inequality has been increasing in the United States and other developed nations, and is having major social consequences. In this study county-level data for the United States was analyzed to test the relative importance of three alternative approaches for explaining increased levels of inequality. These three approaches include economic structure, social conditions, and a model that maintains that both social conditions and inequality are a function of economic structure. The results revealed that social conditions were much more strongly related to inequality than economic structure and little support was found for the theoretical model. The two social conditions most strongly related to inequality included female employment and the percent of female-headed households. Counties with high levels of female employment tended to have low levels of inequality, while counties with high proportions of female-headed households tend to have high levels of inequality. The implic...
THE NATURAL HISTORY OF ANDROGEN INDEPENDENT PROSTATE CANCER

ABSTRACTPurpose: We describe the natural history of androgen independent prostate cancer (AIPC) in the modern prostate specific antigen (PSA) era.Materials and Methods: Data from 160 patients diagn...
Automatic generation of general quadratic map basins

Abstract In this informal article, we describe simple approaches whereby a computer can automatically select parameters and generate a large collection of diverse, aesthetically appealing fractal patterns based on general quadratic map basins. Computational recipes are included to encourage reader involvement. In essence, we describe methods for teaching a computer to be both an artist and a critic of its own art.
Negative Incorporation in French and American Sign Language.

This paper examines Negative Incorporation in various lects of two historically related sign languages, French Sign Language and American Sign Language. Negative Incorporation not only offers interesting insights into the structure of French and American Sign Language, but also into the descriptive and explanatory power of variation theory. By viewing Negative Incorporation in a dynamic framework, we are able to describe the variable usage of Negative Incorporation as a phonological process in French Sign Language and as a grammatical process in American Sign Language, to argue for possible early creolization in American Sign Language, to show the historical continuum between French Sign Language and American Sign Language despite heavy restructuring, and to demonstrate the influences of social variables on language variation and change, especially illustrating the progressive role of women in sign language change and the conservative forces in French Sign Language as compared with American Sign Language. (Sociolinguistics, sign language, creolization, linguistic changes.)
EMS medical coverage at PGA tour events

Objective. To analyze the availability and level of medical services for fans at Professional Golfer Association (PGA) Tour events. Methods. A questionnaire, written in cooperation with PGA Tour headquarters, was sent to the tournament director of each PGA Tour event that hosted same-site events in 1998 and 1999. The survey addressed five areas of fan medical services: 1) health care provider availability; 2) advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) capabilities, including equipment; 3) presence of on-site ambulance(s); 4) fan fatalities; and 5) alcohol consumption limitations. Results. Survey response was 92% (36/39). Health care providers were on site at all PGA Tour events: physicians (97%), emergency medical technicians [EMTs (78%)], nurses (75%), and paramedics (64%). A combination of health care providers was used at 94% of PGA Tour events. Ninety-seven percent of PGA Tour events had at least one ACLS-certified provider present along with ACLS equipment. Ambulances were on site at 89% of PGA Tour events...
Adam's antics.

Summary Mediawatch: The activities of Adam, a new robotic laboratory tool, came under scrutiny. Bernard Dixon reports.
Rheology and microstructure of polymer nanocomposite melts: variation of polymer segment-surface interaction.

We have studied the effects of particle packing fraction, polymer molecular weight (MW), and polymer-segment−particle-surface affinity on the phase behavior of 44 nm silica dispersions in unentangled, low MW polyethylene oxide (PEO), polyethylene oxide dimethyl ether (PEODME), and polytetrahydrofuran (PTHF) through rheological measurement and small-angle X-ray scattering. Particles are shown to be stable in PEO nanocomposites up to high volume fractions due to an adsorbed layer of polymer segments that stabilizes particles in the melt. Comparison of the PEO nanocomposite to PEODME and PTHF nanocomposites reveals little evidence of an adsorbed layer in the spirit of the PEO nanocomposite. Measurement of the PTHF nanocomposite viscosity reveals evidence of segment slip at the particle surface by the particle intrinsic viscosity being less than Einstein’s value. At higher particle volume fractions, the viscosity diverges, yielding an elastic response. The elastic response of the PEO nanocomposite has the sig...
An endocavitary irradiator: two modifications for improved utility

Two modifications to an endocavitary treatment cone are described, i) Viewing optics are incorporated which allow the treatment area to be observed at all times. ii) The cone is coupled to the tube housing by means of an electromagnetic clamp. These modifications make it easier to define and maintain a given treatment field during the setup procedure. The field can be verified after the X ray tube is in place, and if desired it can be monitored continuously during the application of therapy.
Circular polarization emission from an external cavity diode laser

We construct an external cavity diode laser (ECDL) comprising structurally left-handed chiral sculptured-thin-film (STF) mirrors for pure circular-polarized (CP) emission, and observed single mode, left-handed CP lasing performance. The extinction ratio of CP output was found to increase rapidly near the threshold of the injection-current for the laser diodes.
Leadership Research in Business and Health Care

Purpose: To summarize research on leadership in the health care and business literature and to identify the outcomes of leadership on individuals, groups, and organizations. Methods: A computerized search and review of research studies was conducted in the health care and business literature from 1970–1999. Studies were categorized and analyzed according to participants, design, primary topic area, and effects or outcomes of leadership. Findings: Most of the health care and business literature on leadership consisted of anecdotal or theoretical discussion. Only 4.4% (n=290) of 6,628 articles reviewed were data-based. Further, the largest proportion of the research (120/290, 41.4%) was purely descriptive of the demographic characteristics or personality traits of leaders. Other studies showed the influence of leadership on subordinates (27.9%). Only 15 (5.2%) of 290 research articles include correlations of qualities or styles of leadership with measurable outcomes on the recipients of services or positive changes in organizations. Conclusions: Research on leadership in the health care and business literature to date has been primarily descriptive. Although work in the social sciences indicates that leadership styles can have a major influence on performance and outcomes, minimal transfer of this work to the health care system is evident. Limited research on leadership and health care outcomes exists, such as changes in patient care or improvements in organizational outputs. In this era of evidence-based practice, such research, although difficult to conduct, is urgently needed.
Long-term changes in sediment phosphorus below a rural effluent discharge

Abstract. Effluent discharge often increases the amount of phosphorus (P) in the water column and bed material of receiving water bodies. The goal of this study was to evaluate changes in sediment-P interactions in an effluent-driven stream over a 4-year period where hydrology and watershed P management changed dramatically. Specifically, this study evaluated (i) the equilibrium between benthic sediments and stream water dissolved P; and (ii) the amounts of select P fractions in the bed material within the fluvial channel. Sediment and water samples were collected at Columbia Hollow in northwest Arkansas from October 2003 through September 2007, and the sampling site was approximately 3 km downstream from the Decatur wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Monthly average effluent total P (TP) concentrations were highly variable (0.30–4.80 mg L −1 ) from October 2003 until December 2005; however, the Decatur WWTP implemented new P management strategies in 2006 that reduced the variability in effluent TP (0.28–0.95 mg L −1 ). Soluble reactive P (SRP) concentrations at Columbia Hollow 3 km downstream from the effluent discharge followed the same pattern; these concentrations were positively correlated to the effluent TP ( r =0.73; p 0 ) were significantly less (ln transformed data, p 0 suggested that the stream bed material acted as a P source to the overlying water at Columbia Hollow. The effects of this effluent discharge and the WWTP management changes on sediment P dynamics were profound. Prior to implementation of WWTP P management, the effluent TP concentrations were the driving factor related to SRP concentrations in the water column and sediment EPC 0 . Conversely, after the P management changes the benthic sediments became the important factor likely regulating dissolved P concentrations in the stream water.
Periodic spontaneous collapse and revival in a simple quantum model

This Letter reports on the existence of periodic spontaneous collapse and revival of coherence in the dynamics of a simple quantum model. Also given are the first accurate expressions for the intermediate-time and long-time dynamical behavior of the model.
Leptospirosis: Public health perspectives

Leptospirosis, caused by a spirochete of genus Leptospira, is considered the most widespread zoonosis in the world. It has a global distribution with a higher incidence in the tropics and subtropics, ranging from 10 to 100 human cases per 100,000 individuals. Leptospirosis is considered an “emerging” zoonosis due to increased contact between animals and humans and the resulting human encroachment into wildlife habitat. Climate change and its associated environmental shifts can affect the degree of transmission of leptospirosis. Surveillance for leptospirosis is important for early detection of cases because early treatment is crucial to decrease morbidity and mortality. In June 2012, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists approved reinstatement of leptospirosis as a Nationally Notifiable Condition. Reinstatement of national surveillance will facilitate the assessment of the incidence, geographic distribution, trends, and risk factors associated with human cases and the identification of outbreaks and potential new animal reservoirs.
Dietary cholesterol lowers liver copper in rabbits.

Atherosclerosis and hypercholesterolemia have been produced in rabbits since 1913 by feeding them cholesterol. These experiments have a great influence on current thinking about the etiology and possible prevention of ischemic heart disease. Male, New Zealand White rabbits were fed 0.5% dietary cholesterol. Cholesterol and copper in plasma increased sixty-fold and 50%, respectively. Liver copper decreased 74% and hematocrit decreased 25%. Iron was unchanged in heart and liver, but was increased in kidney. Zinc was decreased in heart, but was unchanged in liver or kidney. Changes in organ iron and zinc were smaller than the decrease in liver copper. Similar experiments with higher doses of dietary cholesterol may have resulted in copper deficiency. It may be appropriate to revise interpretations of data from these experiments and to reformulate hypothesis based on the data. Results are consonant with the theoretical implication of copper metabolism and copper deficiency in the etiology and pathogenesis of ischemic heart disease.
The Stokes resistance of an arbitrary particle

Abstract At small particle Reynolds numbers it is demonstrated that the intrinsic hydrodynamic resistance of an arbitrary particle to translational motion through an incompressible, unbounded, viscous fluid can be represented by a symmetric second-rank tensor (dyadic), uniquely determined by the exterior geometry of the particle. Similar remarks apply to the intrinsic resistance of the body to rotation about an axis. Unlike the previous tensor, however, the rotation tensor is shown to vary with position, an explicit formula for its variation being derived. The existence of a unique geometrical point, through which the hydrodynamic force always acts, is established. It is pointed out that this point serves to differentiate translational and rotational particle motions. The ultimate, stable orientation attained by a particle settling under the influence of gravity is shown to devolve upon the relative positions of its centres of mass, buoyancy and “hydrodynamic stress”, the latter being the point referred to in the previous paragraph. General dynamical equations are derived for the steady and unsteady motion of a settling particle and their solutions given for a few simple cases. Extension of the fundamental formulae to the case of a fluid in net flow is discussed.
Nodular lymphoma: Bone marrow and blood manifestations

Morphological and clinical features of 39 patients with nodular lymphoma were studied with particular reference to bone marrow and blood involvement. Twenty-one patients (54%) were found to have bone marrow involvement at the time of initial diagnosis. Thirteen (33%) also had peripheral blood involvement. A specific cell type, the small nodular lymphoma cell, was found in the bone marrow smears of 19 and the 21 patients with bone marrow involvement and in the peripheral blood smears of all patients with blood involvement. When large cells predominated in the lymph node or bone marrow sections, the bone marrow smears and the imprints of the lymph node and trephine biopsy demonstrated these large cells to have morphological qualities of lymphocytes rather than histiocytes.