cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interreader agreement of radiographic left atrial enlargement in dogs and comparison to echocardiographic left atrial assessment.

Abstract Introduction Assessing left atrial (LA) size is an integral part of the cardiac evaluation in dogs. Left atrial size is routinely evaluated by thoracic radiographs or echocardiography. Objectives The objectives of the study were to assess agreement of subjective radiographic left atrial enlargement (LAE) between readers, to compare subjective radiographic LAE with echocardiography, and to assess the accuracy and reliability of commonly used Roentgen signs for LAE. Animals One hundred one dogs with thoracic radiographs and echocardiography performed on the same day at a veterinary teaching hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Methods Thoracic radiographs were reviewed by two cardiologists, two radiologists, and two small animal rotating interns. Radiographs were evaluated for the subjective presence and severity of LAE and for seven Roentgen signs. Echocardiographic LA size was evaluated objectively by the left atrial-to-aortic root ratio and LA volume indexed to body weight. Interreader agreement of radiographic LAE evaluation and agreement between radiographic LAE assessment and echocardiographic LAE were assessed by linearly weighted kappa and intraclass correlation coefficient. Results Interreader agreement for the presence and degree of radiographic LAE ranged from moderate to substantial. The agreement between subjective radiographic LAE and echocardiographic LAE was moderate. Single Roentgen signs had poor to fair correlation with echocardiographic LAE. Conclusions The present study found that interreader agreement for radiographic classification of LAE was substantial among specialists and moderate for all readers. Subjective, global assessment of radiographic LAE is better than using any single Roentgen sign.
Formal Geometry and Bordism Operations

This text organizes a range of results in chromatic homotopy theory, running a single thread through theorems in bordism and a detailed understanding of the moduli of formal groups. It emphasizes the naturally occurring algebro-geometric models that presage the topological results, taking the reader through a pedagogical development of the field. In addition to forming the backbone of the stable homotopy category, these ideas have found application in other fields: the daughter subject 'elliptic cohomology' abuts mathematical physics, manifold geometry, topological analysis, and the representation theory of loop groups. The common language employed when discussing these subjects showcases their unity and guides the reader breezily from one domain to the next, ultimately culminating in the construction of Witten's genus for String manifolds. This text is an expansion of a set of lecture notes for a topics course delivered at Harvard University during the spring term of 2016.
Efficacy of Nonlinear Manifold Learning in Malware Image Pattern Analysis

Identification and detection of malware is important in private and government agencies for defending against cyber attack on network security. Current methods for malware analysis achieves promising results using linear methods, such as, PCA. It is well-known that the underlying physical processes behind malware binaries to image conversion are highly nonlinear. Our work set out to understand the impact of malware image resolution on suitable neighborhood size over which to consider pattern phenomena, if nonlinear methods capture pattern phenomena with increased efficacy, and how they improve clustering and identification of malware. In real-life use cases, good clustering practice requires scientific and domain knowledge. As there is no rich domain history of malware image data, we set out to explore different clustering methods with reasoning. Image domains are typically high-dimensional and can have many instantiations. For this reason, statistical approaches to clustering can fail because low probability mass is associated with a single image. Moreover, related images will therefore have subtle differences as measured by their probabilities. We developed an information theoretic method for measurement of malware image resolutions and found that nonlinear methods are better in capturing underlying data regularity and give statistically significant improvement in clustering results than linear methods. This is the first application of nonlinear Manifold learning to malware image analysis in the research literature.
Compatibility of a microsclerotial granular formulation of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium brunneum with fungicides

The compatibility of microsclerotial granules of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium brunneum (Petch) strain F52 with fungicides (chlorothalonil, iprodione, propiconazole, pyraclostrobin+metconazole, and propiconazole+trifloxystrobin) was determined. In vitro, chlorothalonil was not detrimental to conidial production and viability at all concentrations (1–1000 mg a.i. (active ingredient) l−1). Iprodione reduced conidial production at ≥ 100 mg a.i. l−1 but had no effect on viability. Propiconazole reduced conidial production at ≥ 10 mg a.i. l−1 and reduced viability at 1000 mg a.i. l−1. A pyraclostrobin+metconazole combination reduced conidial production at ≥ 10 mg a.i. l−1 and viability at ≥ 100 mg a.i. l−1. A propiconazole+trifloxystrobin combination reduced conidial production at all concentrations and viability at ≥ 100 mg a.i. l−1. In the greenhouse, propiconazole suppressed colony forming unit (CFU) counts at both low and high rates. Chlorothalonil and iprodione had no inhibitory effect on fungal growth. The number of CFUs recovered did not differ significantly ten, 20 or 30 days after treatment. This study provides baseline information for the potential commercial use of the microsclerotia in pest control.
Hereditary Syndromes in Neuroendocrine Tumors.

Oncologists should be able to discern the salient clinical features of the most common germline mutations that give rise to neuroendocrine tumors. Astute recognition of an index patient affected by a hereditary syndrome can lead to a “tip-of-the-iceberg” phenomenon whereby their entire kindred can then be proactively monitored and managed potentially with substantial reduction of morbidity and mortality. Through careful history-taking, as well as thoughtful assimilation of findings from the physical exam, biochemical laboratories, scans, and pathology reports, the clinician can spot phenotypic clues that distinguish these familial patterns from sporadic cases of tumorigenesis.
Practice structure and quality improvement activities among emergency departments in the Emergency Quality (E‐QUAL) Network

Objectives Little academic investigation has been done to describe emergency department (ED) practice structure and quality improvement activities. Our objective was to describe staffing, payment mechanisms, and quality improvement activities among EDs in a nationwide quality improvement network and also stratify results to descriptively compare (1) single- versus multi-site EDs and (2) small-group versus large-group EDs. Methods Observational study examining EDs that completed activities for the 2018 wave of the Emergency Quality Network (E-QUAL), a voluntary network of EDs nationwide that self-report quality improvement activities. EDs were defined as single-site or multi-site based on self-reported billing practices; additionally, EDs were defined as large-group if they and a majority of other sites with the same group name also identified as multi-site. All other sites were deemed small-group. Results Data from 377 EDs were included. For staffing, the median number of clinicians was 17 overall (16 single-site; 19 multi-site). For payment, 376 of 377 EDs (99.7%) participated in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System. Thirty-five EDs (9.2%) participated in a federal alternative payment model, and 19 (5.0%) participated in a commercial alternative payment model. For quality improvement, single- and multi-site EDs reported similar progress on quality improvement strategies; however, small-group EDs reported more advanced quality improvement strategies compared to large-group EDs for 8/10 quality improvement strategies included in a survey (eg, "achieved a formal plan to eliminate waste"). Conclusion Among EDs in E-QUAL, staffing, payment, and quality improvement activities are similar between single- and multi-site EDs. Group-level analysis suggests that practice structure may influence adoption of quality improvement strategies. Future work is needed to further evaluate practice structure and its influence on quality improvement activities and quality.
Abnormal Red Reflex: Etiologies in a Pediatric Ophthalmology Population.

Children who present with an abnormal red reflex (ARR) are often referred to ophthalmology due to concern for retinoblastoma. However, an ARR can indicate a wide variety of pathologies, all of whic...
Use of an Automated System to Evaluate Feature Dissimilarities in Handwriting Under a Two-Stage Evaluative Process*,†.

The two-stage evaluative process is an established framework utilized by forensic document examiners (FDEs) for reaching a conclusion about the source(s) of handwritten evidence. In the second, or discrimination, stage, the examiner attempts to estimate the rarity of observations in a relevant background population. Unfortunately, control samples from a relevant background population are often unavailable, leaving the FDE to reach this determination based on subjective experience. Automated handwriting feature recognition systems are capable of performing both feature comparison and discrimination, yet these systems have not been subjected to empirical validation studies. In the present study, we repurposed a commercially available automated system to generate empirical distributions for ranking feature dissimilarity scores among pairs of handwritten phrases. The blinded results of this automated process were used to survey an international cohort of 36 FDEs regarding their strength of support for same- and different-writer propositions. The survey served to cross-validate FDE decision-making under the two-stage approach. Results from the survey demonstrated a clear pattern of response consistent with ground truth. Predictive regression analyses indicated that the automated feature dissimilarity scores and the log of their cumulative distribution functions accounted for 72% of the variability in FDE opinions. This study demonstrated that feature dissimilarity scores acquired using automated processes and their distributions are closely aligned with FDE decision-making processes supporting the heuristic value of the two-stage evaluative framework.
Collaborative Robot based Architecture to Train Flexible Automated Disassembly Systems for Critical Materials

Abstract The capability of disassembly operations contributes to controlling the volume and flow of materials in reverse feedback cycles. An inability to achieve certain levels of volume or flow in feedback cycles from end-of-use products can risk the efficiency and profitability of recycling, remanufacturing, and reuse. Disassembly systems face a significant challenge to achieving large-scale operations due to uncertainty in end-of-use product quality, quantity and timing. In order to manage these uncertainties efficiently, disassembly systems must be flexible, however, they must be automated to achieve large-scale operations. In this paper, a cyber-physical architecture is conceptualized utilizing human-robot interaction via collaborative robots (Cobot) to train a flexible automated disassembly system. As a first step to achieving this system, this paper proposes and demonstrates a method to extract critical disassembly information from a human-cobot disassembly training work-cell that would be used to distribute tasks to processes in a high volume disassembly line.
Spatial patterns of correlation between cortical amyloid and cortical thickness in a tertiary clinical population with memory deficit

To estimate regional Alzheimer disease (AD) pathology burden clinically, analysis methods that enable tracking brain amyloid or tau positron emission tomography (PET) with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures are needed. We therefore developed a robust MRI analysis method to identify brain regions that correlate linearly with regional amyloid burden in congruent PET images. This method was designed to reduce data variance and improve the sensitivity of the detection of cortical thickness-amyloid correlation by using whole brain modeling, nonlinear image coregistration, and partial volume correction. Using this method, a cross-sectional analysis of 75 tertiary memory clinic AD patients was performed to test our hypothesis that regional amyloid burden and cortical thickness are inversely correlated in medial temporal neocortical regions. Medial temporal cortical thicknesses were not correlated with their regional amyloid burden, whereas cortical thicknesses in the lateral temporal, lateral parietal, and frontal regions were inversely correlated with amyloid burden. This study demonstrates the robustness of our technique combining whole brain modeling, nonlinear image coregistration, and partial volume correction to track the differential correlation between regional amyloid burden and cortical thinning in specific brain regions. This method could be used with amyloid and tau PET to assess corresponding cortical thickness changes.
Influence of Walker circulations on East African rainfall

Walker circulations near East Africa are identified and their influence on the interannual variability of East African rainfall is explored in multiple reanalyses and observational precipitation datasets. The robustness of methodology for identifying 2-dimensional overturning circulations in a three-dimensional flow is investigated. Three Walker circulations with potential relevance to East African rainfall are identified, namely, the East African, the Congo Basin, and the Indian Ocean Walker circulations. Consistent anti-correlations across the reanalyses exist for the upward and downward branches of the Indian Ocean Walker Circulation during September–March, with strongest connections during October–December; they do not emerge for the other two Walker circulations. Less (more) precipitation occurs over East Africa in the short-rains season when the Indian Ocean Walker Circulation is anomalously strong (weak). These rainfall variations are associated with anomalous mid-level moisture divergence that primarily results from variations in wind divergence rather than atmospheric moisture. The anomalous horizontal advection of moist static energy can be important in modulating convection, but this argument is not conclusive considering the unclosed budget and the variations within the composites. The associations above do not indicate causality. Caution is advisable when using the concept of Walker circulations because a two-dimensional stream function can over-simplify the complexity of the three-dimensional circulation.
Synthesis of C-linked α-Gal and α-GalNAc-1'-hydroxyalkanes by way of C2 functionality transfer.

Abstract Inspired by reports of water sculpted Tn antigen (α-GalNAc-O-Ser/Thr) epitopes and our interest in producing metabolically more stable C-linked analogs of Tn, we explored the utility of C2 functionality on α-Gal-C-alkenes to deliver hydroxyl to the pendant alkenyl chain. Toward this end, a cyclic carbonate approach gave rise to a single C-linked α-Gal-1′(S)-hydroxyethane in 3 steps, and use of a 2-(hydroxyimino)galactoside cyclization transferred an oxygen to a pendant cis-substituted C-linked alkene affording the R-configuration at the newly formed stereocenter (7:1 dr). Reduction and acetylation of the resultant isoxazoline demonstrated this approach as a viable route to C-linked α-GalNAc-1′-hydroxyalkanes.
An Algorithm for Conformance Monitoring in Air Traffic Control

Conformance monitoring in air traffic control is an approach that is used to detect any deviations of the aircraft from its cleared (or planned) flight path that might compromise safety and efficiency. This task is made difficult by the fact that some deviations are normally expected of a conforming aircraft due to uncertainties. In this paper, a conformance monitoring algorithm that uses a stochastic linear hybrid system model is proposed. The stochastic linear hybrid system model divides the aircraft dynamics into a number of flight modes and is able to describe the random deviations in (conforming) aircraft trajectories. The detection of any nonconforming trajectories is determined by a fault detection technique. First, a hybrid estimation algorithm is used to estimate the hybrid state of the stochastic linear hybrid system and generate a residual vector based on the measurements. The statistical characteristics of the residual expected of a conforming aircraft are derived. Then, a statistical decision test is used to detect any deviation of the observed residual from the expected residual. Two illustrative examples are presented to demonstrate the performance of the proposed algorithm.
Exonerating DNA Evidence in Overturned Convictions: Analysis of Data Obtained From the National Registry of Exonerations

In recent years, advances in DNA testing technology have been coupled with DNA exonerations. In response, increasing public and empirical attention have been given to the experiences of those wrong...
The Impact of Agriculture on Determining Socio-Economic Development

Insan yasaminin surduruldugu tum yerlesim yerlerinde oldugu gibi Turkiye’de de mekânsal gelismislik farkliliklari bulunmaktadir. Bu sosyo-ekonomik farkliliklar tarim sektoru ile karsilikli olarak etkilesimdedir. Bu sosyo-ekonomik farkliliklar tarim sektoru ile karsilikli olarak etkilesimdedir. Tarimsal gelismislik genel sosyo-ekonomik gelismislige pozitif etki ederken, bolgenin sosyo-ekonomik gelismisligi de tarimsal alt yapiyi ve tarimsal gelisimi desteklemektedir. Arastirmanin amaci 81 ilin sosyo-ekonomik gelismislik endeksinin hesaplanmasi ve tarimla olan etkilesiminin tespit edilmesidir. Bu cercevede Turkiye Istatistik Kurumundan elde edilmis 106 faktor uzerinden acimlayici faktor analizi yontemi kullanilarak sosyo-ekonomik gelismislik endeksi hesaplanmistir. Sosyo-ekonomik gelismislik siralamasinin illerin nufus varligiyla paralellik gosterdigi sonucuna ulasilmistir. Bu nedenle genel siralama disindaki siralamalarda nufus gruplari kullanilmistir. Analiz sonuclarina gore genel gelismislik siralamasi ve one cikan tarim faktorleri (tarimsal uretim alani, tarimsal uretim degeri) siralamalari olusturulmustur. Yapilmis diger gelismislik calismalarindan farkli olarak analizde tarimsal faktorlere daha fazla yer verilmistir. Tarimsal faktorlerin one ciktigi siralamalarda genel itibariyle en yogun nufusa sahip illerin icinde bulundugu 1. Nufus grubu bulunsa da agirlikli olarak 4, 5 ve 6. Nufus gruplarinin gelismis konumda oldugu tespit edilmistir. Bu durum tarim potansiyelinin Turkiye’nin bircok ilinde mevcut olmasindan kaynaklanmaktadir. Gerek tarim sektorunun gerekse bolgesel gelismisligin saglanmasi icin tarim sektorune yonelik calismalarin yurutulmesi gerekmektedir.
Cardiac pathologies in mouse loss of imprinting models are due to misexpression of H19 long noncoding RNA

Maternal loss of imprinting (LOI) at the H19/IGF2 locus results in biallelic IGF2 and reduced H19 expression and is associated with Beckwith--Wiedemann syndrome (BWS). We use mouse models for LOI to understand the relative importance of Igf2 and H19 mis-expression in BWS phenotypes. Here we focus on cardiovascular phenotypes and show that neonatal cardiomegaly is exclusively dependent on increased Igf2. Circulating IGF2 binds cardiomyocyte receptors to hyperactivate mTOR signaling, resulting in cellular hyperplasia and hypertrophy. These Igf2-dependent phenotypes are transient: cardiac size returns to normal once Igf2 expression is suppressed postnatally. However, reduced H19 expression is sufficient to cause progressive heart pathologies including fibrosis and reduced ventricular function. In the heart, H19 expression is primarily in endothelial cells (ECs) and regulates EC differentiation both in vivo and in vitro. Finally, we establish novel mouse models to show that cardiac phenotypes depend on H19 lncRNA interactions with Mirlet7 microRNAs.
IFIT3 (interferon induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats 3) modulates STAT1 expression in small extracellular vesicles.

We have previously shown that the αvβ6 integrin plays a key role in promoting prostate cancer (PrCa) as it can be transferred to recipient cells via small extracellular vesicles (sEVs). Furthermore, we have reported in a proteomic analysis that αvβ6 integrin downregulation increases the expression of IFIT3 (interferon induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats 3) in PrCa cells and their derived sEVs. IFIT3 is a protein well known for being an antiviral effector, but recently its role in cancer has also been elucidated. To study the relationship between IFIT3 and STAT1 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 1), an upstream regulator of IFIT3, in PrCa cells and their released sEVs, we used CRISPR/Cas9 techniques to downregulate the expression of the β6 integrin subunit, IFIT3 or STAT1. Our results show that IFIT3 and STAT1 are highly expressed in PrCa cells devoid of the β6 integrin subunit. However, IFIT3 but not STAT1, is present in sEVs derived from PrCa cells lacking the β6 integrin subunit. We demonstrate that loss of IFIT3 generates sEVs enriched in STAT1 but reduces the levels of STAT1 in the cells. As expected, IFIT3 is not detectable in STAT1 negative cells or sEVs. We thus propose that the observed STAT1 enrichment in sEVs is a compensatory mechanism for the loss of IFIT3. Overall, these results provide new insights into the intrinsic role of IFIT3 as a regulator of STAT1 expression in PrCa derived sEVs and in intercellular communication in PrCa.
Computational Approaches to Attention

As the cognitive sciences have evolved, so has the proliferation of theoretical models to account for attention and other cognitive functions. Models are developed to operationalize the processes and mechanisms underlying particular functions and to formalize their properties so as to enable experimental validation. Models developed during the middle of the twentieth century often posited complex relationships among multiple modular processes in an effort to account for cognitive functions like attention but tended to be largely descriptive in nature. They lacked specificity with respect to how elements of the model work under different experimental conditions and tended not to be formalized mathematically. They provided starting points for conceptualizing and study cognitive functions, but generally were underspecified, making it difficult to test the validity of one model versus another. In an effort to overcome this problem, cognitive and behavioral scientists increasingly employed computational approaches. Although initially many of these models provided little more than a mathematical description of processes that could be characterized less formally at a purely conceptual level, they did provide a valuable way of identifying specific parameters and constraints that affect the and parameters underlying attentional operations.
Industrial Design and Activity Theory: A New Direction for Designing Computer-Based Artifacts

This paper attempts to both describe and resolve some of the fundamental differences between the fields of industrial design, activity theory, and human-computer interaction. In particular, the role that social relationships play in using and learning to use artifacts to mediate activities is examined in detail. This examination leads to a unification of theory and practice in the three areas, providing a new perspective for the development of computer-based artifacts (particularly embedded computing systems). Two examples are presented to illustrate how this new perspective can be used both to understand and to guide the process of developing an artifact.
Web-based public health geographic information systems for resources-constrained environment using scalable vector graphics technology: a proof of concept applied to the expanded program on immunization data

Background Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are powerful communication tools for public health. However, using GIS requires considerable skill and, for this reason, is sometimes limited to experts. Web-based GIS has emerged as a solution to allow a wider audience to have access to geospatial information. Unfortunately the cost of implementing proprietary solutions may be a limiting factor in the adoption of a public health GIS in a resource-constrained environment. Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) is used to define vector-based graphics for the internet using XML (eXtensible Markup Language); it is an open, platform-independent standard maintained by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) since 2003. In this paper, we summarize our methodology and demonstrate the potential of this free and open standard to contribute to the dissemination of Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) information by providing interactive maps to a wider audience through the Internet.
Hydrodynamically driven colloidal assembly in dip coating.

We study the hydrodynamics of dip coating from a suspension and report a mechanism for colloidal assembly and pattern formation on smooth substrates. Below a critical withdrawal speed where the coating film is thinner than the particle diameter, capillary forces induced by deformation of the free surface prevent the convective transport of single particles through the meniscus beneath the film. Capillary-induced forces are balanced by hydrodynamic drag only after a minimum number of particles assemble within the meniscus. The particle assembly can thus enter the thin film where it moves at nearly the withdrawal speed and rapidly separates from the next assembly. The interplay between hydrodynamic and capillary forces produces periodic and regular structures below a critical ratio ${\mathrm{Ca}}^{2/3}/\sqrt{\mathrm{Bo}}l0.7$, where Ca and Bo are the capillary and Bond numbers, respectively. An analytical model and numerical simulations are presented for the case of two-dimensional flow with circular particles in suspension. The hydrodynamically driven assembly documented here is consistent with stripe pattern formations observed experimentally in dip coating.
The Power Ratio and the Interval Map: Spiking Models and Extracellular Recordings

We describe a new, computationally simple method for analyzing the dynamics of neuronal spike trains driven by external stimuli. The goal of our method is to test the predictions of simple spike-generating models against extracellularly recorded neuronal responses. Through a new statistic called the power ratio, we distinguish between two broad classes of responses: (1) responses that can be completely characterized by a variable firing rate, (for example, modulated Poisson and gamma spike trains); and (2) responses for which firing rate variations alone are not sufficient to characterize response dynamics (for example, leaky integrate-and-fire spike trains as well as Poisson spike trains with long absolute refractory periods). We show that the responses of many visual neurons in the cat retinal ganglion, cat lateral geniculate nucleus, and macaque primary visual cortex fall into the second class, which implies that the pattern of spike times can carry significant information about visual stimuli. Our results also suggest that spike trains of X-type retinal ganglion cells, in particular, are very similar to spike trains generated by a leaky integrate-and-fire model with additive, stimulus-independent noise that could represent background synaptic activity.
Contact metamorphism of roof pendants at Hope Valley, Alpine County, California, USA

Calcareous hornfelses and marbles all contain calcite+K-feldspar+quartz+sphene±diopside±plagioclase ±scapolite±clinozoisite. In addition, rocks on one side of a fault contain combinations of biotite, amphibole, and muscovite while those on the other side contain combinations of grossular, wollastonite, and axinite. At $$P = p_{{\text{CO}}_{\text{2}} } + P_{{\text{H}}_{\text{2}} {\text{O}}} = 2000$$ bars, mineral-fluid equilibria in biotite and amphibole-bearing rocks record T=∼ 440° C and $$X_{CO_2 } = 0.04 - 0.05$$ garnet-bearing rocks record T=∼540° C and $$X_{CO_2 } = 0.04 - 0.05$$ Conventional volumetric fluid-rock ratios were calculated using measured progress of prograde decarbonation reactions and the $$P - T - X_{CO_2 } $$ conditions of metamorphism: marbles, 0–0.4; amphibole-bearing hornfelses, 1.0–1.4; garnet-bearing hornfelses, 2.8–6.7. Decarbonation reactions were driven by pervasive infiltration of rock by reactive aqueous fluids. Differences in fluid-rock ratio between interbedded marble and hornfels and lack of correlation between fluid-rock ratio and whole-rock Cl-content, however, argue for channelized fluid flow along lithologic layers. A new analysis of reaction progress allows estimation of time-integrated fluxes for a specified temperature gradient along the direction of flow. Results are: marbles, 0–0.1×105 cm3/cm2; amphibole-bearing hornfelses, 0.8–1.3×105 cm3/cm2; garnet-bearing hornfelses, 1.2–2.5 × 105 cm3/cm2. Fluid flowed from regions of low to regions of high temperature. Using a simple thermal model for the area, the duration of contact metamorphism was estimated as 105 years. Assuming the time of fluid flow was the same as the duration of the thermal event, the first “measurements” of average metamorphic fluxes (q) and permeabilities (k) are: average marbles, q=0–0.3×10−8 cm/s and k =≤2×10−6 darcy; hornfels, q=3–8×10−8 cm/s and k =20–53×10−6 darcy. Estimated premeabilities are within the range of values measured for metamorphic rocks in the laboratory. Fluxes, permeabilities, and whole-system fluidrock ratios are similar to those estimated for the Skaergaard hydrothermal system by Norton and Taylor (1979).
Reporting Laboratory Data in the International System of Units

In several countries the SI (Systeme International des Unites) has become the accepted way for reporting data. This is particularly true in Europe where in several countries the system exclusively is used within hospitals for reporting data for patient-care purposes and for publication of scientific reports.
Evaluation Methodologies for Traffic Safety Programs

Determination of the impact of Traffic Safety Programs (TSPs) on motor vehicle crash rates forces the evaluator to utilize N of 1 quasi-experimental designs. A variety of procedures which take into account the serial dependency frequently observed in such data is described, and their application to assessment of change in crash time series is illustrated.
Dual gradient‐echo MRI of post‐contraction changes in skeletal muscle blood volume and oxygenation

Analysis of post-contraction MRI signal intensity (SI) transients may allow noninvasive studies of microvascular reactivity and blood oxygenation recovery. The purpose of this study was to determine the physiological basis for post-contraction changes in short-echo (6 ms) and long-echo (46 ms) gradient-echo (GRE) MRI signals (S6 and S46, respectively). Six healthy subjects were studied with the use of dual GRE MRI and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). S6, S46, total hemoglobin concentration ([THb]), and oxyhemoglobin saturation (%HbO2) were measured before, during, and after 2 and 8 s dorsiflexion maximal voluntary contractions, and 5 min of proximal arterial occlusion. The changes in S6 and [THb] after the 2-s contractions were similar to those following 8-s contractions, but changes in %HbO2 and S46 were greater following 8-s contractions than after the 2-s contractions. [THb] and S6 did not change during and following 5 min of arterial occlusion, but %HbO2 and S46 were both significantly depressed at similar occlusion durations. Also, distance measures indicated similarity between S6 and [THb] and between S46 and %HbO2. We conclude that following brief human skeletal muscle contractions, changes in S6 primarily reflect changes in blood volume and changes in S46 primarily reflect changes in blood oxygenation. Magn Reson Med 57:670–679, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Tobacco counseling experience prior to starting medical school, tobacco treatment self-efficacy and knowledge among first-year medical students in the United States.

Abstract Objective To explore students' tobacco dependence counseling experiences prior to medical school and their associations with tobacco counseling self-efficacy, and familiarity with and perceived effectiveness of tobacco dependence treatment among first-year medical students in the United States. Method In 2010, 1266 first-year medical students from 10 US medical schools completed a survey reporting their clinical experiences with specific tobacco counseling skills (e.g., 5As) prior to medical school. The survey also included questions on tobacco counseling self-efficacy, perceived physician impact on smokers, and familiarity and effectiveness of tobacco-related treatments. Results Half (50.4%) reported some tobacco counseling experiences prior to medical school (i.e. at least one 5A). Students with prior counseling experiences were more likely to have higher tobacco counseling self-efficacy, and greater familiarity with medication treatment, nicotine replacement treatment, and behavioral counseling for smoking cessation, compared to those with no prior experiences. Perceived physician impact on patient smoking outcomes did not differ by prior tobacco counseling experiences. Conclusions Many first-year medical students may already be primed to learn tobacco dependence counseling skills. Enhancing early exposure to learning these skills in medical school is likely to be beneficial to the skillset of our future physicians.
PREOPERATIVE, INTRAOPERATIVE, AND POSTOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA SYNDROME

The patient with untreated, obstructive sleep apnea may present difficult or potentially life-threatening challenges to the surgical team. This is true even if the anticipated surgery is remote to the upper airway. Preoperative recognition of the obstructive apnea is essential as the first step in preventing potential complications. When recognized, intraoperative and postoperative initiative can result in a satisfactory outcome.
The effect of film thickness and sample history on the parameters describing transport in glassy polymers

Abstract The effect of a characteristic dimension of a glassy polymeric specimen on the kinetic mechanism controlling unidirectional absorption of organic vapors and liquids in glassy polymers is demonstrated by comparing n-alkane absorption experiments in microspheres, spheres, films, and sheets of polystyrene. Absorption in submicron microspheres is controlled by Fickian diffusion whereas, under otherwise identical boundary conditions, films (ca. 75μm thick) and spheres (ca. 184 μm in diameter) sorb according to Case II absorption kinetics. Thinner films (35 μm thick) sorb by Super Case II kinetics and relatively thick sheets (2000 μm thick) sorb initially by Case II kinetics but, at long times, diffusion through the outer swollen region contributes significantly to the overall resistance to mass transfer and the rate of absorption decreases progressively with time. p]The rather short experimental times, afforded by the exceedingly small mean diameter of the narrowly distributed microsphere powder sample, permitted convenient characterization of the effects of preswelling, sorption-desorption cycling, and annealing on the kinetics and apparent equilibria of sorption. History effects were quite dramatic and were related to glassy state relaxations initiated by the various thermal and swelling histories imposed upon the glassy microspheres. p]Prediction of sorption and permeation behavior in membranes, from kinetic and equilibrium parameters determined experimentally on film and powder samples, requires explicit recognition of these dimensional and history effects. These effects do not appear to be related to any special properties of this polymer-penetrant system.
Tritium excretion after intravenous administration of tritium labelled adrenaline and noradrenaline and digital vascular reactivity to adrenaline and noradrenaline in normotensive and labile hypertensive subjects.

SUMMARY 1. The 24-h urinary excretion of tritium after tritiated adrenaline administration and digital vascular reactivity to exogenously administered adrenaline and noradrenaline were measured in ten normotensive and in twenty-eight labile essential hypertensive subjects. Tritiated noradrenaline excretion and apparent noradrenaline secretion rate were also measured in ten and eleven of these subjects, respectively. 2. Despite overlapping, the mean 24-h tritium excretion after 3H-adrenaline administration as well as reactivity to adrenaline were significantly greater in the hypertensive than in the normotensive subjects, whether or not they had increased responsiveness to noradrenaline. Significant correlation, however, was observed between tritium excretion of adrenaline and reactivity to adrenaline in both labile hypertensive and normotensive subjects. These measurements were also both significantly correlated with percentage variability in systolic and diastolic blood pressure in the labile hypertensive subjects. 3. No significant correlation was observed between adrenaline as against noradrenaline measurements, whether physiological or biochemical, in either hypertensive or normotensive subjects.
THE DISAPPEARING LESION: SIGMUND FREUD, SENSORY-MOTOR PHYSIOLOGY, AND THE BEGINNINGS OF PSYCHOANALYSIS

Freud's criticism of the localization project as carried out by Theodor Meynert and Carl Wernicke has usually been seen as marking his break with contemporaneous brain science. In this article, however, I show that Freud criticized localization not by turning his back on brain science, but rather by radicalizing some of its principles. In particular, he argued that the physiological pretensions of the localization project remained at odds with its uncritical importation of psychological categories. Further, by avoiding a confusion of categories and adopting a parallelist reading, Freud was able to develop a fully “physiologized” account of nervous processes. This opened up the possibility for forms of mental pathology that were not reliant on the anatomical lesion. Instead, Freud suggested that lived experience might be able to create a pathological organization within the nervous system. This critique—a passage through, rather than a turn away from, brain science—opened the possibility for Freud's theory of the unconscious and his developing psychoanalysis. On a methodological level, this article aims to show how the intellectual history of modern Europe can gain from taking seriously the impact of the brain sciences, and by applying to scientific texts the methods and reading practices traditionally reserved for philosophical or literary works.
Substituent effects in 2-pyridone-catalyzed mutarotation

Abstract Since 2-pysidone may be considered as a model of an active center of an enzyme, a series of substituted 2-pyridones has been used as catalysts for the mutarotation of 2,3,4,6-tetramethyl-α- d -glucose. The effect of position of the substituent on the rate has been studied by using 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-methyl-2-pyridones. The effect of varying the electron density at a specific atom of 2-pyridone was studied by using 5-chloro-, 5-methyl-, and 5-nitro-2-pyridones. A methyl group in the 4 or 5 position enhances the catalysis; a 3-methyl group slows the rate; and a 6-methyl group has little net effect. A comparison of different substituents in the 5 position on the velocity of mutarotation gives the following order: methyl > hydrogen > chloro > nitro.
SSCS-Israel Revitalized in Collaboration with IEEE MTT and AP Societies, Joint Conference on Microwave, Communication, Antenna and Electronic Systems (COMCAS) Will Debut in May

Joint Conference on Microwave, Communication, Antenna and Electronic Systems (COMCAS) Will Debut in May Due to the many large multinationals with R&D centers in Israel like Intel, Freescale, Motorola, and IBM, and the large number of startups and fabless design centers, a lot of work in solid-state circuits is going on in Israel. COMCAS 2008 will bring engineers from many different technical areas together in one venue and capitalize on the cooperation of six local IEEE societies to organize a world-class, mega-event in Tel Aviv in May. The conference will be "international," with the official language being English.
Packaging challenges of producing smaller power mosfets & schottky diodes for the automotive sector

The global automotive electronics market is expected to be worth more the $240 billion by 2017 (according to research conducted by Strategy Analytics). Innovative IC (Integrated Circuit) and power devices for powertrain, lighting and body electronics are helping car manufacturers to reduce the emission levels, improve the fuel economy, and increase the safety of the vehicles they produce.
Spatial and Temporal Regulation of the Nedd4 Family of E3 Ubiquitin Ligases through Phospholipid Binding

The Nedd4 family of HECT ubiquitin ligases are essential regulators of cellular polarity, ion channel activity, motility, and inflammatory signaling. HECT family Ubiquitin ligases employ a catalytic cysteine residue to target cellular substrates for mono or poly ubiquitination. The Nedd4 family has nine members each with an N-terminal canonical C2 domain, protein recognition WW domains, and a catalytic HECT domain. While several reports in the literature indicate which substrates these proteins target, little is known about how their cellular localization and catalytic activity are regulated by their C2 domains. These domains have previously been shown to bind phospholipids and to be required for the localization of some members to the plasma membrane. In our laboratory, we employ surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technology to measure the affinity of proteins for specific lipids in an in vitro environment with a lipid vesicle coated surface. Using SPR, we have investigated the specific lipid binding properties of the Nedd4 family C2 domains to vesicles of specific composition. We find that several Nedd4 family C2 domains bind to phosphoinositides with nanomolar affinity. In addition, we have used vesicular sedimentation assays and immunological lipid blots to confirm these binding results. We are employing confocal microscopy and fluorescent C2 constructs to determine their cellular localization and to quantitatively determine their diffusion coefficients, oligomerization state in the cytosol and at cellular membranes. Finally, we are using both confocal microscopy and immunoblotting to determine how lipid binding regulates the ubiquitination state of Nedd4 family members.
Photochemical crosslinking of transcription complexes with psoralen. I. Covalent attachment of in vitro SV4O nascent RNA to its double-stranded DNA template

14C-labeled SV40 DNA has been transcribed with E. coli RNA polymerase using 3H-labeled ribonucleotide triphosphates as precursors. The resulting transcription complexes were then photochemically crosslinked with the psoralen derivative, 4'-aminomethyl-4,5', 8-trimethylpsoralen (AMT), at 37 degrees C and analyzed in SDS-sucrose gradients. It was found that the photochemical crosslinking procedure caused the nascent RNA chains to co-sediment with their double-stranded (helical) SV40 templates in the denaturing sucrose gradient. This result and several control experiments suggest that covalent linkages have formed between nascent RNA and helical DNA after the photochemical reaction. The crosslinking phenomenon was observed to be independent of the superhelical state of the DNA used as the template. Prior addition of EDTA to stop the transcription is not required for successful crosslinkage.
Applying toy tests to consumer products

Many electronic products commonly found in the household are not considered children's products and are not regulated as such. However, these products may still be accessible to children, and in some cases, they may have designs that make them appealing to young children. Toddlers and young children will pick up and play with devices ranging from remote controls to cell phones. Although regulations may not require testing such products to the standards applicable to toys, doing so can reduce the risk that misuse or abuse of the product by young children will result in injury.
Challenges to Deep-water Reproduction by Lake Trout: Pertinence to Restoration in Lake Michigan

Restoration efforts for lake trout Salvelinus namaycush in Lake Michigan are increasingly being focused on re-establishment of the species in deep water. This focus is based in part on examination of historical records of indigenous lake trout, which suggest that offshore reefs, especially deep reefs, sustained the greatest numbers of lake trout. This focus is also based on the increasing impact of non-indigenous species, such as alewife and round goby, on lake trout survival on shallow reefs. Development of a successful strategy for re-establishing deep-water lake trout in Lake Michigan will require a better understanding of the challenges to a species that evolved in shallow water and whose nearest relatives are shallow-water fishes. The challenges include an annual temperature cycle with fall warming rather than cooling, which may impact reproductive timing and embryo incubation. Deep water presents challenges to fry in that there is no apparent physiological mechanism for producing swim bladder gas and initial filling of the swim bladder at the surface has little impact on buoyancy once a fry returns to depth and the swim bladder is compressed. First feeding is a challenge because there is no local primary production to support a rich prey supply and the phenology of zooplankton prey abundance differs from that in small lakes. We propose that plans for restoration of lake trout into deepwater habitats in Lake Michigan must proceed in concert with research leading to a better understanding of extant deepwater strains in Lake Superior.