cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prediction of cavernous sinus invasion in patients with Cushing’s disease by magnetic resonance imaging

OBJECTIVECavernous sinus invasion (CSI) in Cushing's disease (CD) negatively affects the probability of complete resection, biochemical cure, and need for adjuvant therapy. However, the prediction of CSI based on MRI findings has been inconsistent and variable. Among macroadenomas, the Knosp classification is the most widely utilized radiographic predictor of CSI, but its accuracy in predicting CSI and the probability of gross-total resection is limited in the setting of microadenomas or Knosp grade 0-2 macroadenomas. The authors noticed that the presence of a triangular shape of adenomas adjacent to the cavernous sinus on coronal MR images is frequently associated with CSI. The authors aimed to determine the correlation of this radiographic finding ("sail sign" [SS]) with CSI.METHODSThe authors performed a retrospective review of all patients with a pituitary lesion < 20 mm and a biochemical diagnosis of CD treated with endoscopic or microscopic transsphenoidal resection from November 2007 to May 2017. Overall 185 patients with CD were identified: 27 were excluded for negative preoperative imaging, 32 for lacking tumors adjacent to the sinus, 7 for Knosp grade 3 or higher, and 4 for inadequate intraoperative assessment of the CSI. Following application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 115 cases were available for statistical analysis. Intraoperative CSI was prospectively evaluated at the time of surgery by one of two neurosurgical attending surgeons, and MRI data were evaluated retrospectively by a neurosurgical resident and attending neuroradiologist blinded to the intraoperative results.RESULTSA positive SS was identified in 23 patients (20%). Among patients with positive SS, 91% demonstrated CSI compared to 10% without an SS (p < 0.001). Using the SS as a predictor of CSI provided a sensitivity of 0.7 and a specificity of 0.98, with a positive predictive value (PPV) of 0.91 and a negative predictive value of 0.9. Among patients with positive SS, 30% did not achieve immediate postoperative remission, compared to 3.3% of patients without an SS (p < 0.001).CONCLUSIONSThe presence of a positive SS among Cushing's adenomas adjacent to the CS provides strong PPV, specificity, and positive likelihood ratio for the prediction of CSI. This can be a useful tool for preoperative planning and for predicting the likelihood of long-term biochemical remission and the need for adjuvant radiosurgery.
Racial disparities in hospice: moving from analysis to intervention.

Increased awareness and improvement in access are needed in order to alleviate the racial disparities that exist with regard to the underutilization of hospice care by African Americans and other ethnic populations. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
The Work Disability Functional Assessment Battery (WD-FAB): Development and validation review

Comprehensive, efficient assessment of work-related activity limitations is imperative to government disability programs and clinicians working with patients experiencing work limitations. This article describes the development and initial validation of a newly developed instrument: the Work Disability Functional Assessment Battery (WD-FAB). The WD-FAB characterises physical and mental function across 8 key dimensions related to work: Basic Mobility; Upper Body Function; Fine Motor Function; Community Mobility; Mood & Emotions; Resilience & Sociability; Self-Regulation; and Cognition & Communication. The WD-FAB draws upon a pool of over 300 items to generate scores for all 8 scales in under 15 minutes. WD-FAB scores allow direct comparisons between individuals with self-reported activity limitations and sex- and age-matched adults. Future research with the WD-FAB in both the US and Europe has potential implications for enhancing disability assessment methodologies within the context of disability determination and insurance medicine systems.
Using Physical and Functional Comparisons to Assure 3rd-Party IP for Modern FPGAs

In modern FPGA design, 3rd-party IP is commonly used to reduce costs and time-to-market. However, the complexity of IP and associated CAD tools makes it easier for attackers to maliciously tamper with the IP (i.e. insert Hardware Trojans) in ways that are hard to detect. This work proposes techniques that allows a user to incorporate trusted 3rd-party IP into a design and verify that the incorporation occurs tamper-free. We present comparative results from utilizing this framework across a benchmark suite of 22 designs. We show that the approach reliably detects tampering without giving any false positives.
Neuroinflammation in organophosphate-induced neurotoxicity

Abstract Organophosphates (OPs) are a group of synthetic compounds that are neurotoxic in humans and preclinical models. The canonical mechanism of OP neurotoxicity is inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). However, multiple lines of evidence suggest that mechanisms in addition to or other than AChE inhibition contribute to the long-term effects associated with acute OP intoxication and to neurobehavioral deficits linked to repeated, subclinical OP exposures. It is widely posited that neuroinflammation contributes, at least in part, to the neurotoxic effects of OPs. This hypothesis is largely derived from preclinical studies demonstrating that OPs trigger neuroinflammatory responses, and from clinical and preclinical data implicating neuroinflammation in the pathogenesis of neurological diseases with phenotypic outcomes similar to those associated with neurotoxic OP exposures. However, the mechanism(s) by which OPs cause neuroinflammation and the pathophysiologic relevance of neuroinflammation in OP neurotoxicity remain pressing questions for which there are currently limited data. The goals of this chapter are to: (i) summarize the evidence documenting that not only acute OP intoxication but also repeated subclinical OP exposures elicit neuroinflammatory responses; (ii) discuss mechanisms hypothesized to mediate OP-induced neuroinflammation; (iii) review the available evidence suggesting that neuroinflammation may contribute to the pathogenesis of OP neurotoxicity and/or neuroprotective mechanisms triggered in response to OP-induced injury; and (iv) identify critical data gaps that need to be addressed to better understand the diagnostic and therapeutic implications of OP-induced neuroinflammation.
Esports Research: A Literature Review:

Accompanying esports’ explosion in popularity, the amount of academic research focused on organized, competitive gaming has grown rapidly. From 2002 through March 2018, esports research has develop...
Impact of ICD-10-CM Transition on Mental Health Diagnoses Recording

Objective: This study examines the impact of the transition from ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM diagnosis coding on the recording of mental health disorders in electronic health records (EHRs) and claims data in ten large health systems. We present rates of these diagnoses across two years spanning the October 2015 transition. Methods: Mental health diagnoses were identified from claims and EHR data at ten health care systems in the Mental Health Research Network (MHRN). Corresponding ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM codes were compiled and monthly rates of people receiving these diagnoses were calculated for one year before and after the coding transition. Results: For seven of eight diagnostic categories, monthly rates were comparable during the year before and the year after the ICD-10-CM transition. In the remaining category, psychosis excluding schizophrenia spectrum disorders, aggregate monthly rates of decreased markedly with the ICD-10-CM transition, from 48 to 33 per 100,000. We propose that the change is due to features of General Equivalence Mappings (GEMS) embedded in the EHR. Conclusions: For most mental health conditions, the transition to ICD-10-CM appears to have had minimal impact. The decrease seen for psychosis diagnoses in these health systems is likely due to changes associated with EHR implementation of ICD-10-CM coding rather than an actual change in disease prevalence. It is important to consider the impact of the ICD-10-CM transition for all diagnostic criteria used in research studies, quality measurement, and financial analysis during this interval.
Notes on Computational Hardness of Hypothesis Testing: Predictions using the Low-Degree Likelihood Ratio.

These notes survey and explore an emerging method, which we call the low-degree method, for predicting and understanding statistical-versus-computational tradeoffs in high-dimensional inference problems. In short, the method posits that a certain quantity -- the second moment of the low-degree likelihood ratio -- gives insight into how much computational time is required to solve a given hypothesis testing problem, which can in turn be used to predict the computational hardness of a variety of statistical inference tasks. While this method originated in the study of the sum-of-squares (SoS) hierarchy of convex programs, we present a self-contained introduction that does not require knowledge of SoS. In addition to showing how to carry out predictions using the method, we include a discussion investigating both rigorous and conjectural consequences of these predictions. These notes include some new results, simplified proofs, and refined conjectures. For instance, we point out a formal connection between spectral methods and the low-degree likelihood ratio, and we give a sharp low-degree lower bound against subexponential-time algorithms for tensor PCA.
Mercury and dissolved organic matter dynamics during snowmelt runoff in a montane watershed, Provo River, Utah, USA.

Abstract The mechanisms of Hg and dissolved organic matter (DOM) transport from watersheds to streams remain unclear, especially in snowmelt dominated montane systems. We characterized total Hg concentrations and DOM characteristics during snowmelt by weekly and/or monthly sampling at three locations in the upper Provo River, northern Utah, over two water years (2016 and 2017). Total Hg concentrations increased from 7 ng/L during the snowmelt period (April–June), with decreasing concentrations from upstream to downstream. Filtered THg concentrations accounted for 65–75% of the unfiltered concentrations, suggesting that Hg is primarily transported in the dissolved phase. Annual THg loading in the upper Provo River was approximately 1 kg/yr, with ~90% of the flux occurring during the snowmelt period. Filtered THg concentrations were strongly correlated with in-situ fluorescence DOM (fDOM) measurements, allowing for the development of high-resolution proxy THg concentrations. Further, DOM characteristics, evaluated using excitation-emission matrices (EEMs) and parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC), identified the dominance of soil humic and fulvic acid fractions of DOM during runoff. Total Hg concentrations were low in snowpack but elevated in ephemeral streams during snowmelt runoff, indicating that Hg originated from shallow soil water rather than snow. Concentration—discharge relationships revealed clockwise hysteresis patterns, suggesting that Hg was flushed from soils on the rising limb of the hydrograph. Our results demonstrate that a majority of Hg transport occurs with a flux of DOM during the short snowmelt season as shallow soils are flushed by meltwater. The snowmelt-driven Hg pulse is a substantial source to downstream reservoirs and potentially contributes to a fish consumption advisory.
Effect of Mobile Device-Assisted N-of-1 Trial Participation on Analgesic Prescribing for Chronic Pain: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Opioids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are frequently prescribed for chronic musculoskeletal pain, despite limited evidence of effectiveness and well-documented adverse effects. We assessed the effects of participating in a structured, personalized self-experiment (“N-of-1 trial”) on analgesic prescribing in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. We randomized 215 patients with chronic pain to participate in an N-of-1 trial facilitated by a mobile health app or to receive usual care. Medical records of participating patients were reviewed at enrollment and 6 months later to assess analgesic prescribing. We established thresholds of ≥ 50, ≥ 20, and > 0 morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) per day to capture patients taking relatively high doses only, patients taking low-moderate as well as relatively high doses, and patients taking any dose of opioids, respectively. There was no significant difference between the N-of-1 and control groups in the percentage of patients prescribed any opioids (relative odds ratio (ROR) = 1.05; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.61 to 1.80, p = 0.87). There was a clinically substantial but statistically not significant reduction of the percentage of patients receiving ≥ 20 MME (ROR = 0.58; 95% CI = 0.33 to 1.04, p = 0.07) and also in the percentage receiving ≥ 50 MME (ROR = 0.50; 95% CI = 0.19 to 1.34, p = 0.17). There was a significant reduction in the proportion of patients in the N-of-1 group prescribed NSAIDs compared with control (relative odds ratio = 0.53; 95% CI = 0.29 to 0.96, p = 0.04), with no concomitant increase in average pain intensity. There was no significant change in use of adjunctive medications (acetaminophen, gabapentenoids, or topicals). These exploratory results suggest that participation in N-of-1 trials may reduce long-term use of NSAIDs; there is also a weak signal for an effect on use of opioids. Additional research is needed to confirm these results and elucidate possible mechanisms. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02116621.
Abstract P110: Classical Dendritic Cells Mediate Hypertension by Promoting Oxidative Stress and Renal Fluid Retention

Dendritic cells (DCs) promote hypertension via the activation of T cells, but the specific DC subtypes that mediate hypertension require elucidation. We previously found that Fms-like tyrosine kina...
A functional cortical network for sensorimotor sequence generation

The brain generates complex sequences of movements that can be flexibly reconfigured in real-time based on sensory feedback, but how this occurs is not fully understood. We developed a novel ‘sequence licking’ task in which mice directed their tongue to a target that moved through a series of locations. Mice could rapidly reconfigure the sequence online based on tactile feedback. Closed-loop optogenetics and electrophysiology revealed that tongue/jaw regions of somatosensory (S1TJ) and motor (M1TJ) cortex encoded and controlled tongue kinematics at the level of individual licks. Tongue premotor (anterolateral motor, ALM) cortex encoded intended tongue angle in a smooth manner that spanned individual licks and even whole sequences, and progress toward the reward that marked successful sequence execution. ALM activity regulated sequence initiation, but multiple cortical areas collectively controlled termination of licking. Our results define a functional cortical network for hierarchical control of sensory- and reward-guided orofacial sequence generation.
Recognizing Levels of Justification: To Add or to Subtract

In this paper I explore the idea of developing something like Sosa's influential distinction between cognitio and scientia (animal knowledge and reflective knowledge) to epistemic justification. On the assumption that we should, I explore the question of whether we should do so by either (1) beginning with a really basic, intellectually undemanding kind of justification, recognizing more sophisticated intellectually rewarding justification by layering more demanding requirements on that basic sort, or (2) beginning with an ideal sort of justification and recognizing less demanding sorts of justification by stripping away conditions from that ideal justification.
The effects of high‐frequency chest compression on end‐tidal CO2

INTRODUCTION High-frequency chest compression (HFCC) is used for airway clearance, but may have other effects. We sought to determine if HFCC provides augmented ventilation. METHODS During treatment, capnometry was measured with the HFCC vest set to 6-20 Hz. End-tidal CO2 (etCO2 ) was compared using generalized estimating equations. RESULTS Twenty-four measurements were obtained from 15 subjects with mean age 15.2 ± 2.5 years and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1 ) % predicted 70 ± 23. EtCO2 decreased with HFCC at 6 Hz when compared with baseline (P < .001), with small changes with increasing oscillation frequency. Change in etCO2 was not predicted by FEV1 , body mass index, age, or sex. CONCLUSIONS While HFCC has been shown to be a suitable method of airway clearance, investigators have failed to demonstrate differences between techniques. Assessment of these methodologies will become important as new airway clearance devices are proposed. Other outcome measures (besides FEV1 ) may be needed to assess effects of airway clearance, and we propose that physiologic measures might be one such measure which deserves further exploration.
The application of shear wave elastography in sternocleidomastoid muscle in the early diagnosis of congenital muscular torticollis in infantile infants

Objective To discuss the application of shear wave elastography and strain elasticity imaging diagnosis of infants with congenital muscular torticollis. Methods Children with congenital muscular torticollis in 50 patients and 100 healthy infants were recruited for the research at Shezhen Children′s Hospital in the period of September to December, analyzing factors in normal sternocleidomastoid two mode ultrasonic elastography, including the young′s modulus, shear wave velocity, shear modulus and the ratio of strain results, comparing the change of elasticity between the patients and normal. Results The elastic parameters of the sternocleidomastoid showed no statistically significant difference between the genders, the left side and the right side. The results of young′s modulus, shear wave velocity and shear wave modulus were higher in long axis section than the short axis section, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). However, the results of the strain ratio and thickness was not statistically significant. The young′s modulus, shear wave velocity and shear wave modulus are higher in the stretch back position than symmetrical supine position, and the difference is statistically significant (P<0.05). But those of strain ratio and thickness was not statistically significant. The thickness of the sternocleidomastoid muscle and the young′s modulus, shear wave velocity, shear modulus and the ratio of strain results ultrasound elastic results were higher in the lesion side than the healthy side, and the difference is statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion The ultrasound elastic imaging of multimodal technique can quantify the elasticity of the normal infant and the patients sternocleidomastoid, be used for diagnose for the infants with the congenital muscular torticollis. Key words: Congenital muscular torticollis; Shear wave elastography; Strain elasticity imaging; Infant
Performance of CUDA-SHAPE on complex synthetic shapes and real data of asteroid (341843) 2008 EV5

Abstract CUDA-SHAPE is a GPU-accelerated algorithm for asteroid shape modeling based on the SHAPE modeling software which has been used in radar-based asteroid research over the past two decades. The new algorithm has been shown to be up to 19x faster on synthetic datasets of two scale model asteroids. In this paper, we apply CUDA-SHAPE to a third synthetic dataset of a more complex shape and to the dataset of real asteroid (341843) 2008 EV5. We compare our findings on 2008 EV5 against those of earlier research that utilized the SHAPE package with identical data and methods. We also introduce a new CPU-accelerated fitting mode in CUDA-SHAPE capable of modest speedups without GPU hardware. The CPU-accelerated fitting mode can boost modeling speed by up to 5.9x over the original SHAPE, depending on available hardware resources and workload balancing. CUDA-SHAPE’s GPU-accelerated fitting mode achieves speedups of up to 18.6x for the two datasets discussed here. Our findings on 2008 EV5 closely mirror those of earlier research. Both fitting modes of CUDA-SHAPE offer significant performance improvements over SHAPE while maintaining backwards compatibility and modeling fidelity. The algorithm performed remarkably well with synthetic data of scale model asteroids and real data from Goldstone and Arecibo of 2008 EV5, indicating its readiness for use as a research tool.
Positive ions in the afterglow of a low pressure helium discharge

The production and loss of ${\mathrm{He}}^{+}$ and $\mathrm{He}_{2}^{+}$ ions in the afterglow of a low pressure helium discharge are studied using a mass spectrometer to analyze the positive ions and microwave techniques to determine the electron density. The change of positive ion and electron density with time is explained by considering three dominant processes in the afterglow: the production of ${\mathrm{He}}^{+}$ ions and electrons by collisions between pairs of metastable atoms, the ambipolar diffusion of the ions and electrons, and the conversion of ${\mathrm{He}}^{+}$ ions to $\mathrm{He}_{2}^{+}$ ions by three-body collisions with neutral atoms. The time constants for the decay of the electron density at low pressures yield the ambipolar diffusion coefficient for ${\mathrm{He}}^{+}$ ions of 560 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$/sec and a frequency for the conversion of ${\mathrm{He}}^{+}$ ions into $\mathrm{He}_{2}^{+}$ ions of 65 ${\mathrm{sec}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, both at 1 mm pressure and 300\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. The mobility coefficient for ${\mathrm{He}}^{+}$ ions in helium obtained from the measured ambipolar diffusion coefficient is 14 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$/volt-sec at 300\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K and 760-mm pressure and agrees satisfactorily with the value of 12 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$/volt-sec calculated using the quantum-mechanical interaction of the ${\mathrm{He}}^{+}$ ion and the neutral helium atom.
Equality Rights in Indian Employment

The Indian National Congress had opposed reservations (affirmative action) for India's so-called "Other Backward Classes" (OBCs) since drafting India's Constitution. But when a coalition government expanded reservations for OBCs in public employment in 1990, Congress changed its position, potentially bringing the party into conflict with the judges it had previously appointed. But this conflict never occurred. Instead, Congress officials subsequently worked with aligned justices to develop a new doctrinal framework governing reservations in employment. When these justices adopted divergent positions, however, Congress frequently overruled them with constitutional amendments. Unlike the American case, however, India's Supreme Court subsequently reviewed these amendments under the basic structure doctrine, affording them the opportunity to exercise a final say. But, in each instance, these aligned justices capitulated while nonetheless preserving a voice in important constitutional deliberations, which is consistent with the book's argument.
Computational study of Li 3 BO 3 and Li 3 BN 2 I: Electrolyte properties of pure and doped crystals

Both ${\mathrm{Li}}_{3}{\mathrm{BO}}_{3}$ and ${\mathrm{Li}}_{3}{\mathrm{BN}}_{2}$ materials have promising properties for use in all-solid-state batteries and other technologies dependent on electrolytes with significant ionic conductivity. As the first of a two-part study, this paper reports the analysis of detailed simulations of Li ion diffusion in the monoclinic forms of these materials. Using both NEB and MD methods, it is clear that Li ion migration via vacancy mechanisms provides the most efficient ion transport in each material. While the results suggest that interstitial defects in these materials do not play a direct role in Li ion migration, their relative stability seems to enhance vacancy production via the formation of Frenkel-type defects. This may partially explain why the Li ion conductivities computed from MD simulations of samples initially containing a single Li ion vacancy are in reasonable agreement with measured values of this work for ${\mathrm{Li}}_{3}{\mathrm{BO}}_{3}$ and those reported in the literature for poorly crystalline samples of both materials. The possibility of increasing vacancy concentrations by substitutional doping (F for O in ${\mathrm{Li}}_{3}{\mathrm{BO}}_{3}$ and C for B in ${\mathrm{Li}}_{3}{\mathrm{BN}}_{2}$) is also examined, finding simulated conductivities comparable to those of the ideal vacancy model.
Unconformity development in retroarc foreland basins: implications for the geodynamics of Andean-type margins

Unconformities in foreland basins may be generated by tectonic processes that operate in the basin, adjacent fold-thrust belt, and broader convergent margin. Foreland basin unconformities represent shifts from high accommodation to nondepositional or erosional conditions in which the interruption of subsidence precludes net sediment accumulation. This study explores the genesis of long duration (>1–20 Myr) unconformities and condensed stratigraphic sections by considering modern and ancient examples from the Andes. These cases highlight potential geodynamic mechanisms of accommodation reduction and hiatus development in Andean-type retroarc foreland settings, including: (a) shortening-induced uplift in the frontal thrust belt and proximal foreland; (b) growth and advance of a broad, low-relief flexural forebulge; (c) uplift of intraforeland basement blocks; (d) tectonic quiescence with regional isostatic rebound; (e) cessation of thrust loading and flexural subsidence during oblique convergence; (f) diminished accommodation or sediment supply due to changes in sea level, climate, erosion, or transport; (g) basinwide uplift during flat-slab subduction; and (h) dynamic uplift associated with slab window formation, slab breakoff, elevated intraplate (in-plane) stress, or related mantle process. These contrasting mechanisms can be distinguished on the basis of the spatial distribution, structural context, stratigraphic position, paleoenvironmental conditions, and duration of unconformities and condensed sections. Thematic collection: This article is part of the Fold-and-thrust belts collection available at: https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/fold-and-thrust-belts
Individualistic and Functionalistic Explanations in the Light of Game Theory: The Example of Social Status1

Publisher Summary There are two major theoretical approaches in use in the social sciences—the rationalistic approach and the functionalistic approach. The rationalistic approach based on the assumption that people's behavior in society can be largely explained as a more or less rational pursuit of various personal objectives and interests the functionalistic approach based on the assumption that social institutions and various forms of social behavior can be explained in terms of their social functions, that is, in terms of the social needs they serve and in terms of the contributions they make to the survival of the society and to the maintenance of its existing institutional framework. The rationalistic approach represents an individualistic methodology while the functionalistic approach represents a form of collectivism. This chapter suggests that the advent of game theory and several other recent theoretical developments have helped in the analysis of non-economic social behavior in individualistic terms.
Access and Opportunity for Latina/o Undocumented College Students: Familial and Institutional Support Factors.

This article focused on the educational experiences of Latina/o undocumented college students attending a public Hispanic-Serving Institution. Familial and institutional factors that promote educational opportunities are explored. A total of 15 semi-structured interviews serve as the data source for this exploratory, qualitative study. Interview transcripts were coded into central themes within the broader categories of familial and institutional agent support and influences. Findings indicated that familial support factors included “non-traditional” forms of encouragement. Specifically, familial factors sorted into the themes of 1) listening and understanding; 2) goal- setting; and 3) motivation. Meanwhile, support factors from institutional agents were mixed in regard to effectively facilitating the college-going process. Recommendations for policy and practice are presented in light of the findings. This article contributes to the conversation regarding the education of Latinas/os by sharing their voice and using their experiences to promote greater access, opportunity, and success in higher education.
Chapter 19 Magnetic stimulation

Publisher Summary This chapter describes magnetic stimulation, which means the electrical stimulation from magnetic field-induced eddy-currents rather than from direct stimulation by the magnetic field. Current induced from magnetic stimulation can excite not only the motor cortex but also the motor roots in the region of the intervertebral foramina, as well as peripheral nerves and plexuses. With the use of a specially constructed coil, magnetic stimulation may activate the pyramidal decussations but not the spinal cord. This technique has limited application in the assessment of the peripheral nerve for two reasons: (1) the inability to pinpoint the exact activation site; and (2) difficulty to stimulate selectively a specific nerve under consideration. Advances in coil design may further improve the technical precision and clinical utility of transcranial magnetic stimulation in the study and diagnosis of the peripheral nerve diseases.
Reliability of direct mesa flip-chip bonded VCSELs

We have demonstrated flip chip bonded vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) that have been bonded directly to the mesa. We have seen that flip chip bonding to the mesa has given lowered thermal impedance compared to side flip-chip and die bonded VCSELs. An array of devices has been run for 1600 hours without failure.
A Cyber-archaeology Approach to Social Movement Research: Framework and Case Study

This paper presents a cyber-archaeology approach to social movement research. The approach overcomes many of the issues of scale and complexity facing social research in the Internet, enabling broad and longitudinal study of the virtual communities supporting social movements. Cultural cyber-artifacts of significance to the social movement are collected and classified using automated techniques, enabling analysis across multiple related virtual communities. Approaches to the analysis of cyber-artifacts are guided by perspectives of social movement theory. A case study on a broad group of related social movement virtual communities is presented to demonstrate the efficacy of the framework, and provide a detailed instantiation of the proposed approach for evaluation.
On t-error correcting/all unidirectional error detecting codes

The authors present families of binary systematics codes that can correct t random errors and detect more than t unidirectional errors. The first step of the construction is encoding the k information symbols into a codeword of an (n', k, 2t+1) error-correcting code. The second step involves adding more bits to this linear error-correcting code in order to obtain the detection capability of all unidirectional errors. Asymmetric error-correcting codes turn out to be a powerful tool in the proposed construction. The resulting codes significantly improve previous results. Asymptotic estimates and decoding algorithms are presented. >
Allograft reconstruction of theanterior cruciate ligament: Basic science

Abstract During the past decade, the specific use of allograft tissue for the reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) deficient knee has increased significantly. The use of an allograft to reconstruct the ACL is appealing because there is no donor site morbidity for the recipient and it allows the harvesting of larger and more varied graft material. The disadvantage of an allograft includes limited availability, sterility and immunologic considerations, and potential variations in the biological response of the recipient in comparison with an autograft. Although the risk is extremely low, the greatest current concern among informed recipients is the potential for disease transmission.
Expression of HLA antigens by human thymic epithelial cells

Abstract Human thymuses were examined by tissue section staining with antibodies specific for monomorphic and polymorphic HLA-A, B, C, and DR determinants. The principal cell type expressing high levels of HLA antigens has the distribution of epithelial cells. Immunoelectron microscopy confirmed their epithelial nature. As in the mouse, both medullary and cortical epithelial cells express high levels of class II (DR) antigens, a finding that is remarkable in that these antigens were originally thought to be restricted to lymphoid and accessory cells. Class I (A, B, and C) antigens are also present on thymic epithelial cells. They are easily detectable on medullary epithelial cells, but two distinct patterns of cortical straining were observed. One group of antibodies produced intense dendritic staining throughout the cortex: the other group produced only faint or no corticol dendritic staining at all. These different staining patterns do not correlate with known properties of the antibodies and thus appear to be due to intrinsci properties of the different A, B, and C antigens.
Theory of hydrostatic lubrication for two like-charge polymer hydrogel coated surfaces

It is argued on the basis of a solution of the Poisson–Boltzmann equation and scaling arguments that two hydrogels in contact should be separated by a thin fluid layer, which is likely to be responsible for their excellent lubricating capability, until the gels are under sufficient load to reduce their thicknesses down to the thickness at which the fluid, with which the gel is swollen, is driven out. The observed velocity dependence of the friction is discussed on the basis of this model.
Theory of characteristic modes for conducting bodies

A theory of characteristic modes for conducting bodies is developed starting from the operator formulation for the current. The mode currents form a weighted orthogonal set over the conductor surface, and the mode fields form an orthogonal set over the sphere at infinity. It is shown that the modes are the same ones introduced by Garbacz to diagonalize the scattering matrix of the body. Formulas for the use of these modes in antenna and scatterer problems are given. For electrically small and intermediate size bodies, only a few modes are needed to characterize the electromagnetic behavior of the body.
Incidence of malignant pleural mesothelioma after thoracic radiotherapy

BACKGROUND Although usually associated with asbestos exposure, a number of case reports have noted the occurrence of malignant pleural mesothelioma in patients who received radiotherapy (RT) to the thorax. METHODS The authors performed a retrospective cohort study utilizing 251,750 women registered with breast carcinoma in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program of the U.S. National Cancer Institute from 1973-1993, 24.8% of whom received RT as part of their initial management, and 13,743 people with Hodgkin's disease, 50.6% of whom received RT as part of their initial management. RESULTS Six cases of malignant pleural mesothelioma were found: two in breast carcinoma patients treated with RT and four found in women not treated with RT. No cases occurred in the patients with Hodgkin's disease. The overall estimated relative risk for malignant pleural mesothelioma after RT was 1.56 (95% confidence interval, 0.18-5.63). CONCLUSIONS To the authors' knowledge, this is the first controlled study to investigate thoracic radiation exposure and malignant pleural mesothelioma, and no association was found. Cancer 1997; 80:948-50. © 1997 American Cancer Society.
Immuno-spin trapping analyses of DNA radicals

Immuno-spin trapping is a highly sensitive method for detecting DNA radicals in biological systems. This technique involves three main steps: (i) in situ and real-time trapping of DNA radicals with the nitrone spin trap 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO), thus forming DMPO–DNA nitrone adducts (referred to here as nitrone adducts); (ii) purification of nitrone adducts; and (iii) analysis of nitrone adducts by heterogeneous immunoassays using Abs against DMPO. In experiments, DMPO is added prior to the formation of free radicals. It diffuses easily through all cell compartments and is present when DNA free radicals are formed as a result of oxidative damage. Due to its low toxicity, DMPO can be used in cells at high enough concentrations to out-compete the normal reactions of DNA radicals, thus ensuring a high yield of DNA nitrone adducts. Because both protein and DNA nitrone adducts are formed, it is important that the DNA be pure in order to avoid misinterpretations. Depending on the model under study, this protocol can be completed in as few as 6 h.
Heat transfer by simultaneous conduction and radiation for two absorbing media in intimate contact

Abstract Energy transfer by simultaneous conduction and radiation between two media in an intimate contact is considered with principle emphasis on the mathematical formulation of the radiative flux. To gain some insight into the effects introduced by radiative transfer, the formidable general problem is simplified to one-dimensional, steady-state, diffusion between two partially transparent media in intimate thermal contact. The numerical method of solution for the resulting coupled, non-linear, integro-differential equations is described in detail. The results are presented as a series of dimensionless temperature and corresponding flux distributions for a variety of optical and physical properties. Interpretation of these results is given both on the basis of physical reasoning and relative to the mathematical formulation.
A disease-associated host protein in viroid-infected tomato

Abstract A protein has been identified as the antigen responsible for induction in rabbits of an antibody that reacts with sap from TPMV-infected, but not with sap from healthy plants. Double diffusion tests between antiserum and sap from healthy or infected plants disclosed that the protein is a host-specific and not a viroid-coded protein: it occurs in small amounts in healthy plants and accumulates in tomato plants infected with three viroids other than TPMV and one satellite RNA; it could not be detected in other plant species infected with some of the same viroids. Other evidence indicates that the protein is associated with pathogenicity, and not with viroid replication per se: it is not detectable in chrysanthemum stunt viroid-infected, symptomless tomato; it accumulates in leaves after symptom appearance; its distribution within a plant correlates with symptom severity and its subcellular distribution does not correlate with that of the viroid. The disease-associated protein has not been detected in tomato plants infected with either one of two conventional viruses, thus its accumulation is not a general consequence of infection but, among the pathogens tested, it is restricted to viroid and satellite RNA infection. The protein has been purified by ammonium sulphate fractionation, followed by gel filtration and preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Comparison with marker proteins indicates that the native protein has a molecular weight of about 140 000 and apparently consists of two Mr 70 000 subunits.
The expression and characterization of human recombinant proinsulin-like growth factor II and a mutant that is defective in the O-glycosylation of its E domain

In humans, newly synthesized proinsulin-like growth factor II (pro-IGF-II), i.e. IGF-II with an E domain extension of 89 amino acids, is 0-glycosylated on Thr75. As an approach to define the role that glycosylation of the E domain serves in the processing, secretion, and biological activities of IGF-II and to identify the sites of endoproteolytic processing, we constructed a mutant that encodes carbohydrate-free prepro-IGF-II. The mutant and wild-type prepro-IGF-II were expressed in NIH-3T3 cells, and the protein products were analyzed by SDS-PAGE followed by immunoblots with antipeptide antibodies to human and homologous rat E domain sequences. Transfectants that express glycosylated pro-IGF-II, i.e. xz97 and G11 cells, have intracellular forms of the growth factor with apparent Mr (appMr) of 21, 23, and 27K. NIH-3T3 xz95 cells, i.e. transfected with DNA that is missing the 0-glycosylation sequence, could also synthesize pro-IGF-II with an appMr of 21K. However, they did not accumulate the 23K and 27K fo...
Disassociation of Heart Cells by Collagenase

THE disassociation of cells from various parent tissues by digestion with trypsin has been often applied by workers on tissue cultures1–3. There are, however, several defects in the trypsinization method when the goal is use of the cells for physiological investigations. We have examined various possible methods for avoiding these difficulties and have found that the substitution of collagenase for trypsin satisfied most of our requirements.
Live transplantation in children with biliary atresia and vascular anomalies

Eight of 29 infants and children undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation for extrahepatic biliary atresia had associated major vascular anomalies. A distinctive and highly unusual vascular malformation consisting of absent inferior vena cava, anomalous origin of the hepatic artery, and preduodenal portal vein was encountered in three of these children. Although at times technically difficult, single anomalies of hepatic vasculature were satisfactorily handled. In contrast, transplantation attempts were lethal in all three infants having the complex vascular malformation. The suggestion is made that this specific subgroup of patients with biliary atresia be identified in advance and that, at the moment, children with this composite anomaly are highly questionable candidates for liver transplantation.
The publications of Kristian Fauchald and the polychaete taxa named in those works

Between 1961 and 2002, Kristian Fauchald produced, 72 single and co-authored publications and named three families, thirty four genera and 256 species of polychaetes. A bibliography of his publications, excluding abstracts, book reviews, thesis and dissertation, along with a list of the polychaete taxa named in these works are given here.
Vibrational Spectrum Associated with the Reduction of Tyrosyl Radical D• in Photosystem II: A Comparative Biochemical and Kinetic Study†

Photosystem II (PSII) contains a redox-active tyrosine, D. Difference FT-IR spectroscopy can be used to obtain structural information about this species, which is a neutral radical, D*, in the photooxidized form. Previously, we have used isotopic labeling, site-directed mutagenesis, and kinetics to assign a vibrational line at 1477 cm-1 to D*; these studies were performed on highly resolved PSII preparations at pH 7.5 ?Kim et al. (1998) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1364, 337-360; publisher's correction, Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1366, 330-354?. Here, we use kinetics to assign vibrational features to tyrosyl radical, D*, in PSII membranes. EPR and fluorescence controls identify a time regime in which D* decay occurs independently of redox changes involving the PSII quinone acceptors. Difference FT-IR spectra, acquired over this time regime, exhibit decreases in the amplitude of a 1477 cm-1 line; quantitative comparison with EPR transients supports the assignment to D*. Conditions, requiring the use of phosphate/formate, have been described for observation of a dissimilar FT-IR spectrum, which has been assigned to tyrosyl radical D*; this spectrum lacks a 1477 cm-1 line ?Hienerwadel et al. (1997) Biochemistry 36, 14712-14723?. Under these conditions, we have observed (1) an acceleration in the rate of D* decay and a decrease in D* yield attributable to the presence of formate, (2) a proportional decrease in the amplitude of FT-IR spectra acquired over the time regime in which D* decays, (3) frequency shifts in the D* - D FT-IR spectrum, (4) large-scale structural changes, as assessed by the amide I line shape, and (5) contributions to the FT-IR spectrum from the phosphate/formate buffer in the absence of PSII. We conclude that changes in the FT-IR spectrum, observed in the presence of phosphate/formate, are caused by alterations in the environment of D* and by direct phosphate/formate contributions to the spectrum.
Comparison of bond strengths of polymethyl methacrylate and alpha cyanoacrylate

Abstract A method of fabricating similar methyl methacrylate cylinders was used to produce specimens to test the bond strength of alpha cyanoacrylate and autopolymerizing methyl methacrylate. Each group was tested immediately and after storage in 37 °C water bath for 90 days. Statistical analysis supported the finding that the autopolymerizing methyl methacrylate produced a better bond even without undercuts or mechanical retention.
Exact elasticity solution for the vibration of functionally graded anisotropic cylindrical shells

Abstract An exact elasticity solution is presented for the free and forced vibration of functionally graded cylindrical shells. The functionally graded shells have simply supported edges and arbitrary material gradation in the radial direction. The three-dimensional linear elastodynamics equations, simplified to the case of generalized plane strain deformation in the axial direction, are solved using suitable displacement functions that identically satisfy the boundary conditions. The resulting system of coupled ordinary differential equations with variable coefficients are solved analytically using the power series method. The analytical solution is applicable to shallow as well as deep shells of arbitrary thickness. The formulation assumes that the shell is made of a cylindrically orthotropic material but it is equally applicable to the special case of isotropic materials. Results are presented for two-constituent isotropic and fiber-reinforced composite materials. The homogenized elastic stiffnesses of isotropic materials are estimated using the self-consistent scheme. In the case of fiber-reinforced materials, the effective properties are obtained using either the Mori–Tanaka or asymptotic expansion homogenization (AEH) methods. The fiber-reinforced composite material studied in the present work consists of silicon-carbide fibers embedded in titanium matrix with the fiber volume fraction and fiber orientation graded in the radial direction. The natural frequencies, mode shapes, displacements and stresses are presented for different material gradations and shell geometries.
Learning to Predict Code-Switching Points

Predicting possible code-switching points can help develop more accurate methods for automatically processing mixed-language text, such as multilingual language models for speech recognition systems and syntactic analyzers. We present in this paper exploratory results on learning to predict potential code-switching points in Spanish-English. We trained different learning algorithms using a transcription of code-switched discourse. To evaluate the performance of the classifiers, we used two different criteria: 1) measuring precision, recall, and F-measure of the predictions against the reference in the transcription, and 2) rating the naturalness of artificially generated code-switched sentences. Average scores for the code-switched sentences generated by our machine learning approach were close to the scores of those generated by humans.