cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differential Artery-Vein Analysis Improves the Performance of OCTA Staging of Sickle Cell Retinopathy.

Purpose We test if differential artery-vein analysis can increase the performance of optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) detection and classification of sickle cell retinopathy (SCR). Method This observational case series was conducted in a tertiary-retina practice. Color fundus and OCTA images were collected from 20 control and 48 SCR subjects. Fundus data were collected from fundus imaging devices, and SD-OCT and corresponding OCTA data were acquired using a spectral-domain OCT (SD-OCT) angiography system. For each patient, color fundus image-guided artery-vein classification was conducted in the OCTA image. Traditional mean blood vessel tortuosity (m-BVT) and mean blood vessel caliber (m-BVC) in OCTA images were quantified for control and SCR groups. Artery BVC (a-BVC), vein BVC (v-BVC), artery BVT (a-BVT), and vein BVT (v-BVT) were calculated; and then the artery-vein ratio of BVC (AVR-BVC) and artery-vein ratio of BVT (AVR-BVT) were quantified for comparative analysis. Results We evaluated 40 control and 85 SCR images in this study. The color fundus image-guided artery-vein classification had 97.02% accuracy for differentiating arteries and veins in OCTA. Differential artery-vein analysis provided significant improvement (P < 0.05) in detecting and classifying SCR stages compared to traditional mean blood vessel analysis. AVR-BVT and AVR-BVC showed significant (P < 0.001) correlation with SCR severity. Conclusions Differential artery-vein analysis can significantly improve the performance of OCTA detection and classification of SCR. AVR-BVT is the most sensitive feature that can classify control and mild SCR. Translational Relevance SCR and other retinovascular diseases result in changes to the caliber and tortuosity appearance of arteries and veins separately. Differential artery-vein analysis can improve the performance of SCR detection and stage classification.
Sarcolipin Knockdown Therapy for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked genetic disorder caused by mutations in the DMD gene which encodes dystrophin, a sarcolemmal protein. Although loss of dystrophin is the primary cause of this disease, activation of several secondary mechanisms contributes to the disease progression. The dysregulation of Ca2+ cycling and elevation of intracellular Ca2+ concentration is suggested to play a central role in disease pathogenesis in DMD. The sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase (SERCA) activity, which accounts for >70% cytoplasmic Ca2+ removal during muscle contraction, is significantly decreased and majorly contributes for the intracellular Ca2+ overload in DMD. We have shown that abnormally high-level expression of sarcolipin (SLN), an inhibitor of SERCA pump, is the cause of SERCA dysfunction in dystrophic muscles. Here we review the recent findings from genetically modified mouse models which demonstrated that reducing SLN expression is sufficient to improve the SERCA function and mitigate the severe muscular dystrophy phenotype in mouse models of DMD. The concept of SLN knockdown in mitigating DMD should be helpful to identify new drugs as well as generating novel gene therapy-based approaches for the treatment of DMD.
ATDC is required for the initiation of KRAS-induced pancreatic tumorigenesis

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDA) is an aggressive disease driven by oncogenic KRAS and characterized by late diagnosis and therapeutic resistance. Here we show that deletion of the ataxia-telangiectasia group D-complementing (Atdc) gene, whose human homolog is up-regulated in the majority of pancreatic adenocarcinoma, completely prevents PDA development in the context of oncogenic KRAS. ATDC is required for KRAS-driven acinar-ductal metaplasia (ADM) and its progression to pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN). As a result, mice lacking ATDC are protected from developing PDA. Mechanistically, we show ATDC promotes ADM progression to PanIN through activation of β-catenin signaling and subsequent SOX9 up-regulation. These results provide new insight into PDA initiation and reveal ATDC as a potential target for preventing early tumor-initiating events.
Potential threats to smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) in the Juniata River Basin, Pennsylvania, USA

The Susquehanna River basin is one of the largest and most diverse watersheds in the northeastern United States, however, its historically renowned Micropterus dolomieu (smallmouth bass–SMB) fisher...
Minimum wage policy protects against suicide in the USA

Kaufman and colleagues have considered the relationship between minimum wage and suicide mortality in the USA.1 Overall, they found that a dollar increase in the minimum wage was related to a meaningful 3.4% decrease in suicide mortality for those of lower educational attainment. Interestingly, this is the third paper in recent months to address the question of how minimum wage affects suicide. Across these papers, there is a remarkable overall consistency of findings, and important subissues are highlighted in each individual paper. The first of these papers, by Gertner and colleagues, found a 1.9% reduction in suicide associated with a dollar increase in the minimum wage across the total population.2 However, this research was unable to delve into the subgroup effects that would have allowed for a difference in differences approach, or placebo tests, due to their data source. First, Dow and colleagues,3 and then Kaufman and colleagues1 built on this initial finding with analyses of data that facilitated examination of subgroups. Both of these papers considered the group with a high school education or …
Sinonasal Symptom Outcomes following Endoscopic Anterior Cranial Base Surgery in the Pediatric Population

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the impact of endoscopic anterior cranial base (ACB) surgery on sinonasal symptoms in the pediatric population utilizing the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT)-22 questionnaire. Design This is a retrospective review. Setting The study was conducted at a tertiary academic medical center. Participants Thirty-four consecutive patients, age 6 to 17 years, M:F 14:20, who underwent endoscopic ACB surgery from July 2008 to August 2019. Ten patients had baseline and a minimum of two subsequent postoperative SNOT-22 questionnaires available for analysis. Main Outcome Measures Baseline and postoperative SNOT-22 scores were compared. The mean change from baseline sinonasal symptom scores in the pediatric and historical adult cohorts was compared. Results The mean baseline SNOT-22 score for our 10 patient cohort was 0.46 out of 5 for each of the first 10 sinonasal-specific questions. This worsened to 1.69 at 1 month and returned to near baseline, 0.7, at 3 months postoperatively. The mean quality-of-life score improved to 0.91 at 1 month and 0.6 at 3 months postoperatively. The mean change from baseline for the following items: need to blow nose, runny nose, postnasal discharge, thick nasal discharge, wake up at night, reduced concentration, and frustrated/restless/irritable were similar to those in our historical adult cohort at 3 months postoperatively. Conclusion Endoscopic ACB surgery in the pediatric population results in increased sinonasal symptom morbidity in the early postoperative period; however, symptoms return to near baseline by ∼3 months, and quality-of-life scores progressively improve in the postoperative period. These trends were similar to those seen in our historic adult cohort.
Covering Pete Davidson: Gossip Headlines and Their Danger to Mental Health

The Journal of Media Ethics publishes case studies in which scholars and media professionals outline how they would address a particular ethical problem. Cases asre drawn from actual experience in ...
A Novel Dissection Gesture Classification to Characterize Robotic Dissection Technique for Renal Hilar Dissection.

Purpose:Deconstruction of robotic surgical gestures into semantic vocabulary yields an effective tool for surgical education. In this study we disassembled tissue dissection into basic gestures, cr...
A 2020 update on the use of genetic testing for patients with primary immunodeficiency.

Genetic testing of patients with clinically diagnosed or suspected primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs) constitutes standard of care. Choice of testing modality and patient attributes can impact the l...
Inhibition of Lysosomal Function Mitigates Protective Mitophagy and Augments Ceramide Nanoliposome-Induced Cell Death in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Therapies for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are, at best, moderately effective, underscoring the need for new therapeutic strategies. Ceramide treatment leads to cell death as a consequence of mitochondrial damage by generating oxidative stress and causing mitochondrial permeability. However, HNSCC cells are able to resist cell death through mitochondria repair via mitophagy. Through the use of the C6-ceramide nanoliposome (CNL) to deliver therapeutic levels of bioactive ceramide, we demonstrate that the effects of CNL are mitigated in drug-resistant HNSCC via an autophagic/mitophagic response. We also demonstrate that inhibitors of lysosomal function, including chloroquine (CQ), significantly augment CNL-induced death in HNSCC cell lines. Mechanistically, the combination of CQ and CNL results in dysfunctional lysosomal processing of damaged mitochondria. We further demonstrate that exogenous addition of methyl pyruvate rescues cells from CNL + CQ-dependent cell death by restoring mitochondrial functionality via the reduction of CNL- and CQ-induced generation of reactive oxygen species and mitochondria permeability. Taken together, inhibition of late-stage protective autophagy/mitophagy augments the efficacy of CNL through preventing mitochondrial repair. Moreover, the combination of inhibitors of lysosomal function with CNL may provide an efficacious treatment modality for HNSCC.
Light-dependent photoreceptor orientation in mouse retina.

Almost a century ago, Stiles and Crawford reported that the human eye is more sensitive to light entering through the pupil center than through its periphery (Stiles-Crawford effect). This psychophysical phenomenon, later found to correlate with photoreceptor orientation toward the pupil, was dynamically phototropic, adjustable within days to an eccentrically displaced pupil. For decades, this phototropism has been speculated to involve coordinated movements of the rectilinear photoreceptor outer and inner segments. We report here that, unexpectedly, the murine photoreceptor outer segment has a seemingly light-independent orientation, but the inner segment's orientation undergoes light-dependent movement, giving rise to nonrectilinear outer and inner segments in adult mice born and reared in darkness. Light during an early critical period (~P0 to P8), however, largely sets the correct photoreceptor orientation permanently afterward. Unexpectedly, abolishing rod and cone phototransductions did not mimic darkness in early life, suggesting photosignaling extrinsic to rods and cones is involved.
A Fourth Amendment for the Poor Alone: Subconstitutional Status and the Myth of the Inviolate Home

For much of our nation’s history, the poor have faced pervasive discrimination in the exercise of fundamental rights. Nowhere has the impairment been more severe than in the area of privacy. This Article considers the enduring legacy of this tradition with respect to the Fourth Amendment right to domestic privacy. Far from a matter of receding historical interest, the diminution of the poor’s right to privacy has accelerated in recent years and now represents a powerful theme within the jurisprudence of poverty. Triggering this development has been a series of challenges to aggressive administrative practices adopted by localities in the wake of federal welfare-reform legislation. As a precondition to public assistance, some jurisdictions now require that all applicants submit to a suspicionless home search by law-enforcement investigators seeking evidence of welfare fraud. In turning back challenges to these intrusions, contemporary courts have significantly curtailed the protections of the Fourth Amendment as applied to the poor.While the courts that sanction these practices disclaim any sort of poverty-based classification underlying their analysis, no other rationale withstands scrutiny. Neither precedent nor the principled extension of existing doctrine justifies recent outcomes or explains why the holdings should not be applied to authorize a vast - and, thus, unacceptable - expansion of suspicionless search practices directed at the homes of the less destitute. The developing jurisprudence accordingly represents an implicit concession that the poor constitute a subconstitutional class for purposes of the Fourth Amendment. Framed most charitably, the decisions understand poverty as a condition of moral culpability and thus accept it as a surrogate for the individualized suspicion that otherwise would be required to justify the intrusions at issue. The premise of the dissolute poor, tracing back centuries, remains alive and well in American law, and we have a bifurcated Fourth Amendment to prove its enduring vitality.
Girl Talk: Understanding Negative Reactions to Female Vocal Fry

Vocal fry is a phonation, or voicing, in which an individual drops their voice below its natural register and consequently emits a low, growly, creaky tone of voice. Media outlets have widely acknowledged it as a generational vocal style characteristic of millennial women. Critics of vocal fry often claim that it is an exclusively female vocal pattern, and some say that the voicing is so distracting that they cannot understand what is being said under the phonation. Claiming that a phonation is so distracting as to prevent uptake of the semantic content of an utterance associated with it is an extreme reaction, especially when accompanied by demands for women to change their phonation. We argue that this reaction limits women's communicative autonomy. We analyze the extreme reaction to female vocal fry, which we characterize as a non-content-based response, from the perspectives of philosophy of language, feminist epistemology, and linguistics. We argue that when fry is heard as annoying and distracting, it is because the hearer interprets the speaker as echoing an utterance from a position of authority to which she is not entitled. We show that this reaction encodes conscious or unconscious sexist attitudes toward women's voices.
A novel rodent model for autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (BA6P.123)

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a rare lung syndrome caused by the accumulation of surfactants in the alveoli. The most prevalent clinical form of PAP is autoimmune (aPAP) whereby IgG autoantibodies neutralize the cytokine colony stimulating factor 2 (Csf2, formerly GM-CSF). Csf2 is a pleiotropic cytokine that promotes the differentiation, survival, and activation of alveolar macrophages (AM), the cells responsible for surfactant catabolism. IgG-mediated neutralization of Csf2 thereby inhibits AM homeostasis and function, leading to an innate immunodeficiency with increased susceptibility to opportunistic infections. Importantly, there are no rodent models for this disease, and therefore underlying immune mechanisms regulating Csf2-specific IgG in aPAP are not well understood. Herein, we identify autoimmune-prone Rasgrp1 -deficient (KO) mice as the first rodent model of aPAP: 1) analysis of lung sections revealed an eosinophilic, periodic acid Schiff positive proteinaceous accumulation in the alveoli; 2) KO mice exhibit reduced pulmonary compliance; 3) AM from KO mice are enlarged, exhibit impaired protein levels and have reduced surfactant degradation; and 4) serum Csf2-specific IgG are increased (ELISA) in KO mice. Finally, while control mice infected intranasally with Aspergillus fumigatus clear conidia readily, KO mice failed to clear conidia from the lungs. Collectively these data suggest that KO mice represent the first rodent model for aPAP.
Issues and Trends in Work–Family Integration

Research in the work–family domain has advanced in the past 30 years to reflect the complexity of issues that face families in the twenty-first century. This volume has addressed many of these issues, including effects of maternal employment on mothers and children, myths of maternal employment, diversity in families, implications for employment practices, and public policy. This chapter highlights the major themes and findings from the chapters in this volume, offers a critique of the current research, and suggests implications of these findings for policy and research.
Behaviors and Characteristics of African American and European American Females That Impact Weight Management

Purpose: This report explores the extent to which sociodemographic and psychosocial factors could explain differences in obesity or dietary and exercise behaviors between middle-aged African American (AA) and European American (EA) women seen in primary care. We focus on “race × predictor” interactions that could explain how AA and EA women differ in ways that affect the prevalence of obesity. Design: This comparative exploratory study uses data from the baseline examination of the Reasonable Eating and Activity to Change Health (REACH) trial, which included 173 AA women and 278 EA women. Inclusion criteria were membership in one of the study family medicine practices, an elevated body mass index (greater than 27 kg/m2), age 40 to 69 years, and no contraindications to increased activity and dietary change. Methods: Secondary data analyses were employed. Findings: There was evidence of race differences in the level of multiple variables related to weight management but there were only three significant “race × predictor” interactions out of 48 comparisons: (a) race × physical health, with BMI as the dependent variable; (b) race × the percentage of dietary fat, with total dietary kilocalories as the dependent variable; and (c) race × median income, with exercise minutes per week as the dependent variable. Conclusions: The results support the proposition that the weight management experience of AA and EA primary care women is similar after different exposure levels are taken into account. The results contribute to the body of literature that addresses obesity management for AA and EA women in primary care settings. Clinical Relevance: Findings illustrate the need for obesity prevention and management efforts from both multidisciplinary primary care providers and community-wide public health interventions. AA and EA women have different resources, but the same factors generally influence weight management, whether one is AA or EA. This suggests that clinical interventions and public health interventions for AA and EA women can be designed around the same principles while paying attention to relevant cultural issues.
A Walsh transform based endpoint detection of isolated utterances

The Walsh transform was applied to sequentially collected speech data in 128-point segments. From the Walsh spectra, the energy distribution can be generated and analyzed. The distribution along with an empirical threshold setting were used to detect the endpoints. To demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method, experimental results along with comparisons to the commonly used endpoint detection algorithm of L.R. Rabiner and M.R. Sambur (1945) are included. >
Identifying inefficiency in smooth aggregative models of economic growth: A unifying criterion

Abstract The paper establishes a complete characterization of inefficient programs in an aggregative model of economic growth. The main theorem states that a feasible program, satisfying a smoothness condition, is inefficient if and only if (a) the sequence of the value of input is bounded away from zero, and (b) the sequence of the ratio of the share of the primary factor in output to the value of input deteriorates too fast. The unifying nature of this result is established by showing that the well-known characterizations of inefficiency, in the literature, are corollaries of the main theorem.
Emissions from Buses with DDC 6V92 Engines Using Synthetic Diesel Fuel

Synthetic diesel fuel can be made from a variety of feedstocks, including coal, natural gas and biomass. Synthetic diesel fuels can have very low sulfur and aromatic content, and excellent autoignition characteristics. Moreover, synthetic diesel fuels may also economically competitive with California diesel fuel if .roduced in large volumes. Previous engine laboratory and field tests using a heavy-duty chassis dynamometer indicate that synthetic diesel fuel made using the Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) catalytic conversion process is a promising alternative fuel, because it can be used in unmodified diesel engines, and can reduce exhaust emissions substantially. The objective of this study was a preliminary assessment of the emissions from older model transit operated on Mossgas synthetic diesel fuel. The study compared emissions from transit buses operating on Federal no. 2 Diesel fuel, Mossgas synthetic diesel (MGSD), and a 50/50 blend of the two fuels. The buses were equipped with unmodified Detroit Diesel 6V92 2-stroke diesel engines. Six 40-foot buses were tested. Three of the buses had recently rebuilt engines and were equipped with an oxidation catalytic converter. Vehicle emissions measurements were performed using West Virginia University's unique transportable chassis dynamometer. The emissions were measured over the Central Business District (CBD) driving cycle. Themore » buses performed well on both neat and blended MGSD fuel. Three buses without catalytic converters were tested. Compared to their emissions when operating on Federal no. 2 diesel fuel, these buses emitted an average of 5% lower oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and 20% lower particulate matter (PM) when operating on neat MGSD fuel. Catalyst equipped buses emitted an average of 8% lower NOx and 31% lower PM when operating on MGSD than when operating on Federal no. 2 diesel fuel.« less
JIBS at Rutgers University

* Rutgers Graduate School of Management assumed responsibility for publishing JIBS on 1 July 1975 with William A. Dymsza as Editor and Robert G. Vambery as Associate Editor. Ernest W. Ogram of Georgia State University provided excellent cooperation toward a smooth transition. With the active support of Dean Horace J. De Podwin, the Editors arranged for a new cover, size, format, and a larger journal that would publish more articles in each issue than previously. Then we actively solicited manuscripts from many scholars in this country and abroad. A major objective was to increase the flow and to improve the quality of manuscripts; therefore, new procedures and forms were developed for the evaluation of manuscripts for publication in JIBS. Further, a campaign was initiated to increase circulation of the Journal.
Relation of obstetric parameters to the concentrations of four pregnancy-associated plasma proteins at term in normal gestation.

Abstract The relations between normal obstetric parameters and the maternal levels of four pregnancy-associated plasma proteins (PAPP) were studied, with the use of plasma samples taken from 187 normal pregnant women within seven days before delivery. PAPP-A levels were correlated with placental and newborn weights. The levels of this pregnancy protein was higher in primigravid women and in groups with higher diastolic blood pressure than in other groups. Women with extremely high PAPP-A concentrations were likely to have extremely large placental weights and to be primigravid. On the other hand, an extremely large placental weight was not necessarily associated with a high PAPP-A level. PAPP-C was not correlated with placental or newborn weight. The relationship between PAPP-C and maternal age, as well as maternal weight, was significant by one but not in the other three statistical analyses employed. The pregnancy zone protein was found to be correlated with parity. In primigravid women, this protein additionally showed an inverse correlation with the placental weight. Human chorionic somatomammotropin was significantly related to placental weight and inversely related to maternal weight. Its relationship with newborn weight was best seen in primigravid subjects. Other parameters (systolic blood pressure, one- and five-minute Apgar scores, weeks of gestation, days before delivery, newborn sex, and newborn bilirubin level) were not related to any of these pregnancy proteins.
Decreased CXCL12 is associated with impaired alveolar epithelial cell migration and poor lung healing after lung resection.

Background Prolonged air leak (PAL) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality after lung resection, but its pathogenesis has not been elucidated. Migration of alveolar type II epithelial cells is essential for lung wound repair. Here we determined the role of C-X-C motif chemokine 12 (CXCL12) on alveolar epithelial cell migration and lung wound healing. Methods CXCL12 in the pleural fluid of patients was analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Human A549 and murine MLE12 alveolar epithelial cell lines were used for wound closure, cell migration, and proliferation assays. Western blot was used to analyze Rac1 and cofilin. Results Pleural CXCL12 was decreased in patients with PAL (1,389 ± 192 vs 3,270 ± 247 pg/mL; P P = .0016) and MLE12 (92.9 ± 4.9% vs 66.0 ± 4.8%; P = .017). CXCL12 enhanced migration by 57% in A549 ( P = .0008) and by 86% in MLE12 ( P Conclusion Reduced pleural CXCL12 is associated with PAL. CXCL12 promotes alveolar epithelial cell migration by binding to its receptor CXCR4 and may have a role in lung healing. CXCL12-mediated alveolar epithelial cell migration is associated with Rac1 and cofilin activation.
The CD154-CD40 T cell costimulation pathway is required for host sensitization of CD8(+) T cells by skin grafts via direct antigen presentation

Although the CD154-CD40 T cell costimulation pathway has been shown to mediate alloimmune responses in normal recipients, little is known about its role in sensitized hosts. In this work, by using novel models of cardiac allograft rejection in skin-sensitized CD154- and CD40-deficient mice, we reaffirm the key role of CD154-CD40 signaling in host sensitization to alloantigen in vivo. First, we identified CD8 + T cells as principal effectors in executing accelerated rejection in our model. Disruption of CD154-CD40 signaling in recipients at the T cell side (CD154-deficient) but not at the APC side (CD40-deficient) abrogated accelerated ( 100 days) graft survival. This suggests that the CD154-dependent mechanism in host CD8 + T cell sensitization operates via the direct Ag presentation. Then, in comparative studies of alloimmune responses in CD154-deficient and wild-type recipients, we showed that, although alloreactive B cell responses were inhibited, alloreactive T cell responses were down-regulated selectively in the CD8 + T cell compartment, leaving CD4 + T cells largely unaffected. This unique alteration in host alloreactivity, seen not only in peripheral lymphocytes but also in allograft infiltrate, may represent the key mechanism by which disruption of CD154-CD40 signaling prevents sensitization to alloantigen in vivo and leads to long-term allograft survival.
Effects of radiation of InP cells epitaxially grown on Si and GaAs substrates

The properties of heteroepitaxial InP solar cells were determined both before and after 10 MeV proton irradiations. Numerical values, obtained for the diffusion and recombination components of the reverse saturation currents, were found to be consistent with the distribution of dislocations. The radiation resistance of the heteroepitaxial cells was significantly greater than that observed for n/p homoepitaxial InP cells. The carrier removal rate, obtained by C-V measurements, was 1.8*10/sup 3/ cm/sup -1/ for 10 MeV protons compared with 2.2 cm/sup -1/ for 1 MeV electrons. The high carrier removal rate was found to have no significant effect on the cell's series resistance. It was concluded that the heteroepitaxial cell performance is dominated by the high dislocation density attributable to lattice constant mismatch. Although the efficiencies of the existing cells are low, the achievement of 13.7% AM0 efficiencies using a GaAs substrate demonstrates the marked improvement that can be attained using more appropriate transition layers. >
Significance of corneal topography in predicting patient complaints after photorefractive keratectomy.

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of postoperative corneal topography to predict potential patient complaints after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). Setting: Doheny Eye Institute, Los Angeles, California, USA. Methods: Postoperative tangential corneal topographic maps, in 0.5 and 1.0 diopter (D) relative scales, were obtained from patients (n = 34) at least 4 months after PRK. Topographies of complaining (n = 18) and noncomplaining patients (n = 16) were analyzed by 6 masked examiners with 2 different experience levels in PRK (experts, n = 2; beginners, n = 4), who assigned the topographies to 1 of the 2 groups. Results: Topographies of complainers (sensitivity) and noncomplainers (specificity)were correctly classified in 53.2% overall and in 44.0% and 63.5% (P = .06) in complainers and noncomplainers, respectively. Experienced examiners were not significantly more accurate than inexperienced examiners (46.3% and 56.6%, respectively; P = .09). Images of 1.0 D scales received significantly more correct responses than those of 0.5 D scales (56.4% and 50.0% respectively; P = .03). The reproducibility between images for the same patient in both scales was significantly better for the experienced examiners than the inexperienced examiners (κ coefficient 0.73 and 0.51, respectively; P = .05). Conclusions: Subjective analysis of postoperative corneal topography alone is notsufficient to predict potential patient complaints after PRK. Topographic findings should be interpreted only in the context of a complete clinical examination.
Optimization of Laminate Stacking Sequence for Failure Load Maximization Using Tabu Search

In this paper, design of a laminate is treated as a combinatorial optimization problem. Optimization of the stacking sequence of a laminate for buckling response, matrix cracking, and strength requirements is conducted. Optimum designs are generated using a heuristic search technique known as Tabu search. Preliminary studies used to examine the effect of different aspects of Tabu search are presented. Three load cases, which have been used in previous studies with Genetic Algorithm, were utilized in this work. The relative performance of Tabu search compared to Genetic Algorithm was found to depend on the load case. For the first two cases, and for average of all the three load cases, Tabu search was found to reduce the computing cost of generating equivalent results by 26, 55 and 1%, respectively. For the third load case, the computing cost with Tabu search was higher by 302%.
On the Asymptotic Behavior of Irreducibles in Block Semigroups

Let G be a finite abelian group and \cal B (G) the block semigroup over G . For an irreducible element x∈ \cal B (G) , we study the asymptotic behavior of the function η(x) , which counts the total number of non-associated irreducible factorizations of x∈ \cal B (G) . Set \(\sigma \left( x \right) = \min \left\{ {d \in \mathbb{N}|\lim _{k \to \infty } \frac{{\eta \left( {x^k } \right)}}{{k^d }} < \infty } \right\}\). We give characterizations of irreducibles x such that σ(x)=0 or σ(x)=1 , as well as construct examples of monoids where the maximum and minimum possible values of σ(x) are prescribed positive integers. We show for cyclic groups that the global growth of σ(x) is not polynomial, and close by using σ(x) to characterize elementary p -groups.
Prospective study of the treatment of adult primary hallux valgus with scarf osteotomy and soft tissue realignment.

Background:The scarf osteotomy has been a widely practiced bunion operation, but relatively limited prospective data on its outcomes have been reported. The purpose of this investigation was to prospectively evaluate the clinical and radiographic results of treatment of adult primary hallux valgus using the scarf osteotomy of the first metatarsal with soft tissue realignment.Methods:Hallux valgus corrections were performed on 51 patients (53 feet), who were followed for at least 1 year with an average follow-up of 24 months. Mean age at the time of surgery was 59 years, and subjects included 3 male and 48 female patients. Prospective clinical data collected included the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) hallux-interphalangeal scale score, the SF-36 scores, and the visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain. Data were collected preoperatively and postoperatively. Prospective radiologic data were also collected including hallux valgus angle (HVA), first-second intermetatarsal angle (IMA), and medi...
Micro-option: a method for optimal selection and atomic reservation of distributed resources in a free market environment

Many business processes can be described as partial orderings of tasks. We propose a model where each task is performed by one resource leased in a free market and all the resources for the process must be reserved atomically. The main problem we introduce and solve here is as follows: Given: 1. A process composed of tasks to be executed in a specified partial order 2. A set of resource types (people, information, machines) required to execute each task 3. An objective function as a metric for choosing one resource over another find and select the best resources (specific people, vehicles, computers, etc.) for each task, and commit all the resources for the entire process as an atomic operation, i.e., commit all resources or no resources. This problem is an abstraction of what we believe will become a typical optimization and agreement problem between consumers and suppliers in electronic commerce for services. We give a solution to the problem in two parts: an algorithm for selecting optimal resources for a business process, and a method (Micro-Option) for achieving an atomic reservation agreement between multiple distributed resources and consumers in a free market environment. Managing atomic agreements between multiple parties is the key problem for the lease-based free markets for services that we expect would form in the near future. Our Micro-Option method solves this problem for many business processes.
Subsynaptosomal distribution of enzymes involved in the metabolism of lipids.

Abstract Subsynaptosomal fractions, a microsomal fraction and a mitochondrial fraction enriched in nonsynaptosomal mitochondria were prepared from rat brain and were analyzed for phosphatidic acid phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.4), inositol-CMP-phosphatidyltransferase (EC 2.7.8), phosphatidic acid cytidyltransferase (EC 2.7.7), β-galactosidase (EC 3 2.1.23), and carnitine acetylase (EC 2.3.1.7) activities. Carnitine acetylase and phosphatidic acid cytidyltransferase were mitochondrial. The other enzymes were contained in membrane rich fractions. Inositol-CMP-phosphatidyltransferase was microsomal, while phosphatidic acid phosphatase was most concentrated in a plasma membrane fraction derived from synaptosomes. The distinctive distributions of phosphatidic acid phosphatase, inositol-CMP-phosphatidyltransferase and phosphatidic acid cytidyltransferase in different subcellular compartments suggests that the capacity for the biosynthesis of all of the major phospholipids is not restricted to one type of membrane nor does it reside in all membranes in brain.
High efficiency operation of Cherenkov masers

Abstract A nonlinear simulation of the Cherenkov maser amplifier is presented for a configuration in which an electron beam propagates through a dielectric-lined cylindrical waveguide. The parameters used correspond to an experiment at General Dynamics which measured a total efficiency of 11.5% at 8.6 GHz. The simulation is in agreement with this but indicates that the system was too short to reach saturation and that an efficiency of 30% would have been possible for a longer system, and the performance is not significantly degraded by thermal spreads up to 20%.
Hemispherical map for the human brain cortex

Understanding the function of the human brain cortex is a primary goal in human brain mapping. Methods to unfold and flatten the cortical surface for visualization and measurement have been described in previous literature; but comparison across multiple subjects is still difficult because of the lack of a standard mapping technique. We describe a new approach that maps each hemisphere of the cortex to a portion of a sphere in a standard way, making comparison of anatomy and function across different subjects possible. Starting with a three-dimensional magnetic resonance image of the brain, the cortex is segmented and represented as a triangle mesh. Defining a cut around the corpus collosum identifies the left and right hemispheres. Together, the two hemispheres are mapped to the complex plane using a conformal mapping technique. A Mobius transformation, which is conformal, is used to transform the points on the complex plane so that a projective transformation maps each brain hemisphere onto a spherical segment comprising a sphere with a cap removed. We determined the best size of the spherical cap by minimizing the relative area distortion between hemispherical maps and original cortical surfaces. The relative area distortion between the hemispherical maps and the original cortical surfaces for fifteen human brains is analyzed.
Aggregate size effects in 129Xe NMR of Y-type zeolites

Crystallite aggregates of NaY, BaY, CaY, FeY, and RuY zeolites have been studied via 129Xe NMR spectroscopy. The response of the 129Xe resonance of adsorbed xenon depends upon the aggregate size. This effect is observed in CaY, RuY, and FeY zeolites. Both the chemical shift and the linewidth of the 129Xe resonance display a large aggregate size dependence. Differences in linewidths are observed in BaY and NaY zeolites. Samples made by mixing RuY zeolite with Na-Y exhibit a motional narrowing, which also depends upon aggregate size. A packing dependence is observed in samples of FeY and in mixed samples containing both RuY and NaY. These results are consistent with a model in which xenon atoms migrate over many zeolite crystallites on the NMR timescale. The aggregate size effects are attributed to intercrystalline diffusion and residence of xenon atoms in the mesopore structure occurring at aggregate grain boundaries.
Fourth moment approximation to tight binding: application to bcc transition metals

Abstract Using Carlsson's approach of the low-order moments approximation to tight binding, we develop improved potentials for Mo and W, also a potential for V. This model was fit to twelve bulk properties, namely cohesive energy, lattice constant, elastic constants, vacancy properties, bcc — fcc and bcc — A15 structural energy differences and four zone edge phonons. Also, for Mo and W, the functions were required to yield a reconstruction of the (100) surface, although the details of the surface were not fit. The potentials were tested by calculating surface properties. Most importantly, both the W(100) (√2 × √2 )R45° and Mo(100) c(7√2 × √2 )R45° surface reconstructions are observed, which is a good indication of the physical correctness of the angular terms, although for Mo(100) the lowest energy occurred on c(5√2 × √2 )R45° structure.
Religion as a Support Factor for Women of Color Pursuing Science Degrees: Implications for Science Teacher Educators

This study explores the influence of religion as a support factor for a group of Latina and African-American women majoring in science. The current project is a part of a larger study that investigated persistence factors of underrepresented woman who were enrolled as science majors at United States colleges and universities. This paper focuses on one theme that emerged among six participants who disclosed how religion was a significant influence on their persistence in science fields. The strength and support offered by religious values is certainly not specific to science content; however, the support received from their beliefs highlights a potential area for further exploration. Given the importance of increasing participation by students from diverse backgrounds into science fields, it is critical to recognize how some of these differences may be the key factors influencing the way these students look at the world. This study offers evidence that science educators need to consider what role religious beliefs have for students who may be considering science or science education as a future career, particularly for those students from underrepresented groups.
A normative and descriptive study of the MMPI with acknowledged child molesters

The MMPI performance of 122 men convicted of a sexual offense against a child was examined to determine if meaningful subgroups of these offenders could be identified. Cluster analysis revealed three distinct MMPI profile types, which were found to differ significantly on a variety of psychological, psychosexual, and offense related variables. The potential clinical meaningfulness of these differences is explored.
Transthoracic Access for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: Technique Using the Edwards Sapien Retroflex Delivery System

We describe our experience using the Edwards Sapien transfemoral Retroflex 3 catheter delivery system for transcatheter aortic valve replacement through the transapical and transaortic approaches. Transthoracic transcatheter valve replacement by the transapical and transaortic approaches can be safely and effectively performed with the Retroflex 3 delivery catheter, which affords several advantages over other available delivery devices.
The photoelectrochemistry of galena

Abstract The photoresponse of galena to chopped illumination has been studied to elucidate the surface oxidation of this mineral relevant to flotation. The results substantiated previous findings that sulfur remains in the mineral lattice during the initial stages of oxidation. For cleaved surfaces, the potential dependence of the characteristics of photocurrent transients and the photocurrent observed on potential scans have been interpreted in terms of light-induced acceleration of anodic oxidation to remove lead ions and leave lead vacancies in the lattice and of the corresponding cathodic reduction process resulting in sulfur vacancies. Rotating ring-disk electrode studies confirmed that anodic and cathodic processes leading to dissolved Pb2+ or H2S occur at all potentials. Investigations with galena of 99.99% purity showed that the photoelectrochemical phenomena were not a result of impurity atom migration to the surface. XPS studies on the pure galena showed incongruent initial oxidation as reported previously for natural galena containing minor elements. Natural galena samples from the same cluster of crystals range from highly n-type to slightly p-type. However, most of the natural samples were highly n-type and exhibited only anodic photocurrrents. Abrading the surfaces under water in equilibrium with air greatly reduced the magnitude of the photoresponse and changed the shape of the photocurrent-time and photocurrent-potential curves. The results indicated that abrasion produces a thick p-type layer at the galena surface.
Early Fluid and Protein Shifts in Men During Water Immersion

High precision blood and plasma densitometry was used to measure transvascular fluid shifts during water immersion to the neck. Six men (28–49 years) undertook 30 min of standing immersion in water at 35.0±0.2‡ C; immersion was preceded by 30 min control standing in air at 28±1‡ C. Blood was sampled from an antecubital catheter for determination of blood density (BD), plasma density (PD), haematocrit (Ht), total plasma protein concentration (PPC), and plasma albumin concentration (PAC).
An assessment of non-stationarity in physiological cognitive state assessment using artificial neural networks

With increased attention toward physiological cognitive state assessment as a component in the larger field of applied neuroscience, the need to develop methods for robust, stable assessment of cognitive state has been expressed as critical to designing effective augmented human-machine systems. The technique of cognitive state assessment, as well as its benefits, has been demonstrated by many research groups. In an effort to move closer toward a realized system, efforts must now be focused on critical issues that remain unsolved, namely instability of pattern classifiers over the course of hours and days. This work, as part of the Cognitive State Assessment Competition 2011, seeks to explore methods for ‘learning’ non-stationarity as a mitigation for more generalized patterns that are stable over time courses that are not widely discussed in the literature.
Endoluminal Stent-Graft Stabilization for Thoracic Aortic Dissection:

Purpose:To review our experience with thoracic endografting for type B aortic dissection using the TAG Endoprosthesis.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed of data collected prospectively from March 2000 to July 2004 under an investigational device exemption protocol for the TAG thoracic endograft. In this time period, 40 patients (29 women; mean age 67 years, range 39–91) were treated with this endograft for type B aortic dissection.Results:Technical success was 95%. There was 1 (2.5%) perioperative death, and 1 (3%) endoleak was treated with an additional graft on postoperative day 2. Fifteen (38%) patients experienced postoperative complications, mainly renal or pulmonary, and 1 (3%) patient developed postoperative paraplegia that did not resolve. The 1-year survival was 85%. Follow-up computed tomography was available for 31 patients with an average 15-month follow-up. There was no significant change in size of the thoracic aorta in 22 patients; 8 aneurysmal segments were significantly reduce...
Computed-tomography-based anatomical study to assess feasibility of pedicle screw placement in the lumbar and lower thoracic pediatric spine

Purpose The anatomy of the pedicle is complex and three-dimensional; however, there are basic dimensions important for possible screw placement. There are relatively few studies examining the pedicle anatomy in children. This study was performed to evaluate the feasibility of pedicle screw placement in children aged 5–16, based on key anatomic dimensions. A case illustration is also provided.
Dials v Counters: Effects of Precision on Quantitative Reading

An experiment was performed comparing dials and counters at three levels of precision (10, 100 and 1000 values). Fifteen students, instructed to accuracy, read 19 settings on each display in randomized order. No speed differences were found among counters, dial reading was successively slower for higher precision dials, and all counters were superior to all dials. Various subject interactions showed that some subjects read higher precision dials especially slowly. Errors were committed only with dials. It is concluded that counters are superior to dials for all quantitative reading tasks. Discussion of check reading and qualitative reading suggests that properly designed counters might also be superior for these tasks. There may be few, if any, situations, from the standpoint of performance, where dials should be employed.
Size-dependent elasticity of nanowires: Nonlinear effects

We employ a molecular statics approach based on embedded-atom-method interatomic potentials to study the elasticity of copper nanowires along [001], [110], and [111] crystallographic directions. Self-consistent comparison with the bulk response clearly shows that the overall nanowire elasticity is primarily due to nonlinear response of the nanowire core. While the surface-stress-induced surface elasticity modifies the behavior for ultrathin nanowires, their contribution is always considerably smaller than that due to nonlinear elasticity of the nanowire core. More importantly, for all three orientations, the surface is softer than an equivalently strained bulk, and the overall nanowire softening or stiffening is determined by orientation-dependent core elasticity.