cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Trends and correlates of Internet support group participation for mental health problems in the United States, 2004-2018.

Abstract Purpose This study sought to examine the trends in Internet support group (ISG) participation among U.S. adults and to investigate the sociodemographic and behavioral health profiles of ISG participants. Methods Data was derived from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2004–2018, n = 625,883). Logistic regression was used to examine significance of trend year and correlates of ISG participation. Latent class analysis was conducted to identify subtypes of ISG participants. Results The proportion of U.S. adults participating in ISG increased significantly from 2.29% (2004–2007) to 3.55% (2016–2018). ISG participants were less likely to be male, 35 or older, be part of an ethnic/racial minority group, or have household incomes between $20,000 and $49,999. Black/African American participants and those classified as “other” race showed the largest percent increases, while Hispanics showed no change. ISG participants were more likely to have experienced a depressive episode and to have used cannabis. Three subtypes of ISG participants were identified, including the Lower Behavioral Health Risk group (62%), the Elevated Behavioral Health Risk group (24%), and the Depression, Cigarettes, and Cannabis group (14%). Conclusion Overall, we found an increasing trend in seeking mental health care through ISG among US adults since the early 2000s. While disparities among some disadvantaged groups such as Blacks/African Americans and individuals with lower household income were diminishing, continuing efforts to engage men, older adults, and Hispanics in ISG are needed. This investigation also identified distinct subtypes of ISG participants and provides important implications for future research on ISG.
Management of Hydrocephalus in Children: Anatomic Imaging Appearances of CSF Shunts and Their Complications

OBJECTIVE. This article addresses the management of hydrocephalus and the CSF shunts used to treat this entity. CONCLUSION. CSF shunts have a high failure rate. Imaging plays a pivotal role in assessing CSF shunt failure and determining the need for surgical revision. An in-depth knowledge of CSF shunt components, their failure modes, and the corresponding findings on anatomic imaging studies is necessary to ensure timely diagnosis and prevent permanent neurologic damage.
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis in Jordan: Single center experience

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a heterogeneous group of disorders, including all forms of arthritis, which develops in children who are less than 16 years old. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical and laboratory features of JIA in a single center in Jordan. A retrospective analysis of the electronic medical records of Pediatric patients diagnosed with JIA based on the International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR) criteria during the period from 2015 to 2019 at the Pediatric Rheumatology Clinic in the Queen Rania Children’s Hospital. All patients were below the age of 14 years at the time of diagnosis and followed for at least 6 months. Collected data consisted of age, gender, age at initial presentation and diagnosis, JIA subtype, laboratory data, treatment options, and outcome. A total of 210 patients were included in this cohort (94 males and 116 females) with the mean age at diagnosis and mean age at onset of 5.33 ± 3.40 years and 5.08 ± 3.40 years (range: 7 months – 14 years), respectively. Oligoarticular JIA was the commonest subtype (54.7%), followed by systemic arthritis (17.1%) and polyarticular arthritis (12.3%). ANA was positive in 70 patients (33.6%). Uveitis occurred in 30 (14.2%) patients. To the best of our knowledge, this study on this cohort is the first report on JIA in Jordan, in comparison with other regionally and internationally published reports. Oligoarticular JIA was found to be the most common subtype. For detailed knowledge on JIA characteristics and patterns, a population-based, rather than a single center study, should be conducted in Jordan.
Climate disasters, carbon dioxide, and financial fundamentals

Abstract I propose a rare disaster model of an economy where the probability and intensity of climatic disasters are proxied by CO2 levels that are determined by inputs of carbons from the firms in the economy. Disasters affect the budgets, the labor allocations and investment decisions of households; the production and investment decisions of firms; and, monetary policy. Six propositions are developed relating carbon dioxide and climatic economic damages to financial variables: the risk-free rate, the price dividend ratio, and the risk premium. The six propositions are tested empirically using a unique data set for the United States over the period from March 1958 to December 2018. The data support the six propositions. For the strongest results, the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are negatively related in the long run to the risk-free rate. Carbon dioxide levels are positively related to the risk premium in the long run.
Towards Robust Speech Super-Resolution

Speech super-resolution (SR) aims to increase the sampling rate of a given speech signal by generating high-frequency components. This paper proposes a convolutional neural network (CNN) based SR model that takes advantage of information from both time and frequency domains. Specifically, the proposed CNN is a time-domain model that takes the raw waveform of low-resolution speech as the input, and outputs an estimate of the corresponding high-resolution waveform. During the training stage, we employ a cross-domain loss to optimize the network. We compare our model with several deep neural network (DNN) based SR models, and experiments show that our model outperforms existing models. Furthermore, the robustness of DNN-based models is investigated, in particular regarding microphone channels and downsampling schemes, which have a major impact on the performance of DNN-based SR models. By training with proper datasets and preprocessing, we improve the generalization capability for untrained microphone channels and unknown downsampling schemes.
Ripple effects of borrower’s default decisions on P2P markets

Default is the most critical concern in any financial market. We study the ripple effects of borrower’s default behavior in online peer-to-peer lending with a longitudinal and comprehensive dataset...
Display Stream Compression Decoders for Fine-Grained Many-Core Processor Arrays

This brief presents two software Display Stream Compression (DSC) video decoder designs for many-core processor arrays. The first design exploits fine-grained task-level parallelism and is able to decode pictures configured into one column of slices; it is implemented with 88 processors and 2 shared memory modules. The second design facilitates higher performance by leveraging scalable slice-level parallelism and is tailored for pictures configured into multiple columns of slices; one implementation of this design is mapped to 359 processors and 6 shared memory modules. At 1.75 GHz and 1.1 V, the proposed decoders decode 1080p video sequences in 4:2:0, 4:2:2, and 4:4:4 pixel formats—achieving up to 94.7 frames per second (fps), 95.6 fps, and 47.9 fps, while dissipating 23.9 nJ, 26.7 nJ, and 47.2 nJ per pixel, respectively. Our designs achieve up to $159\times $ higher throughput and $841\times $ lower energy per pixel than a DSC decoder implemented on one core of an Intel i7-7700HQ processor.
Animacy and animate imagery improve retention in the method of loci among novice users

Recently, researchers have identified word animacy as a strong predictor of recall. In contrast, the method of loci is an ancient mnemonic technique which takes advantage of highly structured encoding and recall processes alongside a strong imagery component to create easily remembered “memory palaces.” The present experiments examine the combined effectiveness of these techniques: Experiment 1 (N = 154) demonstrates that the method of loci and word animacy have additive effects, while Experiment 2 (N = 200) demonstrates that the additive effect of animacy is likely related to both the animate nature of words themselves and animate imagery associated with them. These results have implications for hypotheses about the proximate mechanism of animacy effects (ruling out temporal order and imagery as explanations), implications regarding the nature of animacy (as being both static and dynamic), and practical implications for memory athletes and educational settings alike: The method of loci and use of animate imagery can be taught easily, and they produce high levels of recall.
Effects of Biophilic Nature Imagery on Indexes of Satisfaction in Medically Complex Physical Rehabilitation Patients: An Exploratory Study.

Objective:Exposure to nature has been shown to influence various dimensions of human experience in the healthcare environment. This mixed method study explores the effects of the presence of biophi...
Female Editorial Authorship Trends in High-Impact Ophthalmology Journals

Importance Individuals with perceived experience and expertise are invited by editorial boards to provide commentary through editorials. Female representation among editorialists is not yet defined. Objective To determine female representation as editorial authors in 3 high-impact general ophthalmology journals. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional study investigates the proportion of female authorship in editorials published between 2005 to 2009 and 2015 to 2019 in 3 journals: Ophthalmology, JAMA Ophthalmology, and American Journal of Ophthalmology. Data were collected from April to June 2020. Main Outcomes and Measures Proportions of female first and senior (last or solo) authors between 2005 to 2009 compared with 2015 to 2019. Secondary outcome measures include representation by sex across degree types and subspecialties. Comparisons were made for all editorialists and ophthalmologist editorialists. Results Of 814 editorial articles, there were 1179 (first and senior) authors identified. Women held 301 (25.5%) of these authorships, including 116 of 365 first authorships (32.9%) and 185 of 814 senior authorships (23.9%). Overall, female first and senior authorships grew by 68.0% between 2005 to 2009 and 2015 to 2019 (85 of 469 [18.1%] vs 216 of 710 [30.4%]; difference, 12.3%; 95% CI, 7.4-317.2; P < .001). Between 2005 to 2009 and 2015 to 2019, first and senior authorships by women increased (first: 33 of 133 [24.8%] vs 83 of 232 [35.8%]; difference, 11.0%; 95% CI, 1.4-320.6; P = .03; senior: 52 of 336 [15.5%] vs 133 of 478 [27.8%]; difference, 12.3%; 95% CI, 6.8-317.9; P < .001). JAMA Ophthalmology most substantially contributed to the increase in female first and senior authorships (13.8% and 16%), although the test for homogeneity among the 3 journals was not significant. The proportion of female ophthalmologist first authors was greater than the proportion of American Board of Ophthalmology-certified female ophthalmologists (81 of 281 [28.9%] vs 123 of 672 [18.3%]; difference, 10.6%; 95% CI, 5.3-315.9; P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance The proportion of female senior authors increased by 68.0% between 2005 to 2009 and 2015 to 2019, but female authors represented only 25.5% of editorialists. Compared with male ophthalmologists, female ophthalmologists were more commonly first than senior authors. Additionally, female authors were more likely to be nonophthalmologists or to hold nonmedical, non-PhD degrees. While the swelling rank of female editorialists has paralleled the rising proportion of female ophthalmologists over time, parity by sex has yet to be attained. Greater awareness of disparities and strategies to mitigate them may help equalize representation.
MR Lymphatic Imaging of Thoracic Lymphatic Disorders

Pulmonary lymphatic disorder has been one of the most poorly understood groups of chest disease, primarily due to lack of dedicated lymphatic imaging. The recent development of intranodal lymphangiography and dynamic contrast-enhanced MR lymphangiography (DCMRL) allowed for discovery of a new pathophysiological mechanism, demonstrating the abnormal pulmonary lymphatic flow responsible for pulmonary symptoms. In this chapter, we will review the technique and applications of the imaging, the lymphatic system, in patients with pulmonary lymphatic disorders.
Editorial Comment: Accelerated Joint MRI With Deep Learning Reconstruction-A Promising Approach to Increasing Imaging Speed Without Compromising Image Quality.

This Editorial Comment discusses the following AJR article: Image Quality and Diagnostic Performance of Accelerated Shoulder MRI With Deep Learning-Based Reconstruction.
Early visual processing as a marker of disease, not vulnerability: Event-related potential (ERP) evidence from 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, a population at high risk for schizophrenia

We investigated visual processing in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS), a condition characterized by an increased risk for schizophrenia. Visual processing differences have been described in schizophrenia but remain understudied early in the disease course. Electrophysiology was recorded during a visual adaptation task with different interstimulus intervals to investigate visual processing and adaptation in 22q11.2DS (with (22q+) and without (22q-) psychotic symptoms), compared to control and idiopathic schizophrenia groups. Analyses focused on early windows of visual processing. While increased amplitudes were observed in 22q11.2DS in an earlier time window (90-140 ms), decreased responses were seen later (165-205 ms) in schizophrenia and 22q+. 22q11.2DS, and particularly 22q-, presented increased adaptation effects. We argue that while amplitude and adaptation in the earlier time window may reflect specific neurogenetic aspects associated with a deletion in chromosome 22, amplitude in the later window may be a marker of the presence of psychosis and/or of its chronicity/severity.
The Human-Information-Processor Model View of e-Government

Without a universally accepted definition of what e-Government really is, e-Government research has focused on Government e-services; which are but a peripheral part of e-Government. ICT use in provision of Government e-services and the attendant issues are not unique to e-Government; rather, they are part of any other deployment of information systems and technologies. This treatise is a two-level conceptual discussion in which, first, a proposed approach to defining eGovernment using the Stimulus-Organism-Response Model is proposed. And second, a representation of e-Government using the Human Information Processor Model is demonstrated. The cognitive mapping of Government functions onto the Human Information Processor model presents new lenses through which a holistic view of e-Government emerges with the potential of providing a shared cognitive focal view for e-Government research.
Effects of poultry litter biochar on soil enzyme activities and tomato, pepper and lettuce plants growth

Biochar application to soils is being considered as a means to sequester carbon (C) while concurrently improving soil functions. A greenhouse experiment was carried out to determine the effects of biochar from the pyrolysis poultry litter (PL) on the soil enzyme activities, organic matter content and growth of tomato, pepper and lettuce plants. In the experiment, the combination of 15.15.15 composite fertilizer with 0, 200, 400 and 600kg/da doses of PL biochar were applied into the clay loam soil. Compared to the control and chemical fertilizer alone, the soil organic matter was significantly increased after biochar amendments. β-glucosidase, alkaline phosphatase, urease and arylsulphatase enzyme activities in soils were increased by the biochar applications significantly (P<0.05). Plant fresh and dry weight of tomato, pepper and lettuce plants were higher in 4kg/ha PL biochar treatment than in the other treatments. The results showed that PL biochar amendment to soils in the agricultural use increased yield of plants and enzyme activities with increasing soil organic matter content as well as improving soil properties.
GPES: a preemptive execution system for GPGPU computing

Graphics processing units (GPUs) are being widely used as co-processors in many application domains to accelerate general-purpose workloads that are computationally intensive, known as GPGPU computing. Real-time multi-tasking support is a critical requirement for many emerging GPGPU computing domains. However, due to the asynchronous and non-preemptive nature of GPU processing, in multi-tasking environments, tasks with higher priority may be blocked by lower priority tasks for a lengthy duration. This severely harms the system’s timing predictability and is a serious impediment limiting the applicability of GPGPU in many real-time and embedded systems. In this paper, we present an efficient GPGPU preemptive execution system (GPES), which combines user-level and driverlevel runtime engines to reduce the pending time of high-priority GPGPU tasks that may be blocked by long-freezing low-priority competing workloads. GPES automatically slices a long-running kernel execution into multiple subkernel launches and splits data transaction into multiple chunks at user-level, then inserts preemption points between subkernel launches and memorycopy operations at driver-level. We implement a prototype of GPES, and use real-world benchmarks and case studies for evaluation. Experimental results demonstrate that GPES is able to reduce the pending time of high-priority tasks in a multitasking environment by up to 90% over the existing GPU driver solutions, while introducing small overheads.
DWI denoising using spatial, angular, and radiometric filtering

In this paper, we study the effectiveness of the concurrent utilization of spatial, angular, and radiometric (SAR) information for denoising diffusion-weighted data. SAR filtering smooths diffusion-weighted images while at the same time preserves edges by means of nonlinear combination of nearby and similar signal values. The method is noniterative, local, and simple. It combines diffusion signals based on both their spatio-angular closeness and their radiometric similarity, with greater preference given to nearby and similar values. Our results suggest that SAR filtering reveals structures that are concealed by noise and produces anisotropy maps with markedly improved quality.
Types and Measures of Uncertainty

This paper is an overview of the current state of affairs in the area of measuring uncertainty. Three basic types of uncertainty are introduced: nonspecificity and conflict, which result from information deficiency, and fuzziness, which results from linguistic imprecision. Well-justified measures of these types of uncertainty in fuzzy set theory, possibility theory, Dempster-Shafer, theory as well as in classical set theory and probability theory are overviewed.
On the structure and stability of Si(111)-(7 × 7) fragments created during growth of {Ag}/{Si(111)-( 3 × 3) }

Abstract During reactive growth of Ag on Si(111) we observe remnants of the Si(111)-(7 × 7) surface which do not react to form the ( 3 × 3 ) structure. In one case the fragment that remains is smaller than a half unit cell of (7 × 7) and appears to have undergone a (7 × 7) to (5 × 5) phase transformation. The height variation of the adatoms in this fragment correlates with observations at the (7 × 7) ( 3 × 3 ) interface and provides insight into the local structure and electronic properties of this interface. A mechanism for the formation of such silicon fragments is proposed.
A multiyear assessment of biological pertubations of CO 2 in the Northeast Channel of the Gulf of Maine

The University of New Hampshire (UNH), in collaboration with the University of Maine at Orono (UMO) and the University of Montana, has been monitoring surface ocean dissolved carbon dioxide and oxygen in the Northeast Channel, at a site on the northeast flank, of the Gulf of Maine for the last several years. UMO has maintained a buoy at this site (Buoy N) since 2004, and UNH has deployed two instruments (the SAMI-CO 2 Sensor (Sunburst Sensors, LLC) and an Aanderraa Instrument Oxygen Optode 3835) since March 2008. The controls on the CO 2 system are examined to determine the dominating biological seasonal influences that occur alongside physical processes. We evaluate several approaches to isolate these factors and processes using the buoy data and following previous studies. Preliminary results suggest measurable interannual biochemical variability may be attributed to water mass dynamics at this site.
Ultrasound-guided caudad epidural access for the lumbosacral neurostimulation: case report and technical note.

Objectives: This is a case report and description of a new ultrasound-guided caudad epidural needle placement for percutaneous stimulation of the lumbosacral roots. Materials and Methods: Case report. Results: Using ultrasonography pertinent spinal and neuroaxial anatomy was visualized. In-plane approach with continuous monitoring of the needle advancement was utilized. The needle was seamlessly placed in the epidural space on the first attempt. Conclusions: Spinal sonography is a promising imaging method to facilitate percutaneous caudad epidural access.
Pilot prognostic model of extremely poor survival among high‐risk hepatocellular carcinoma patients

BACKGROUND: Populations with low income, economic barriers, and cultural and/or linguistic access barriers to medical care are at risk for worse cancer-related outcomes. Medically underserved patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have decreased survival compared with those in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Given this suboptimal outcome, the high cost of HCC treatment, and unknown risk-to-benefit ratios of invasive therapies, the authors sought to identify a predictive model of extremely poor overall survival (OS). METHODS: A retrospective review of an institutional HCC database was conducted. Payor status, race, treatment, clinicopathologic, and outcome parameters were recorded. The primary outcome was OS <1 month. A logistic regression model predictive of OS <1 month was developed using backward, stepwise elimination and bootstrapping techniques. RESULTS: In total, 337 patients HCC (272 men and 65 women) were identified. Only 4% of patients had Medicare coverage; whereas 96% relied on publicly funded, safety-net health programs. OS 1 month. A higher percentage of patients who had an OS <1 month had advanced stage disease and did not receive therapy for HCC. Advanced liver disease, as measured by laboratory parameters and a composite score (Child-Pugh and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease [MELD]), alpha fetoprotein level, creatinine level, disease stage, and lack of treatment were predictors of OS <1 month. CONCLUSIONS: Survival for medically underserved patients with HCC remains poor. Advanced clinical stage and liver disease appear to preclude treatment, and novel methods to identify those who may benefit from palliative care/symptom control may be indicated for patients who are predicted to have poor survival. Cancer 2012. © 2012 American Cancer Society.
Roots exert a strong influence on the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration

The temperature sensitivity of soil respiration will largely determine the effects of a warmer world on net carbon flux from soils to the atmosphere. CO2 flux from soils to the atmosphere is estimated to be 50–70 petagrams of carbon per year and makes up 20–38% of annual inputs of carbon (in the form of CO2) to the atmosphere from terrestrial and marine sources1,2. Here we show that, for a mixed temperate forest, respiration by roots plus oxidation of rhizosphere carbon, which together produce a large portion of total effluxed soil CO2, is more temperature-sensitive than the respiration of bulk soil. We determine that the Q10 value (the coefficient for the exponential relationship between soil respiration and temperature, multiplied by ten) is 4.6 for autotrophic root respiration plus rhizosphere decomposition, 2.5 for respiration by soil lacking roots and 3.5 for respiration by bulk soil. If plants in a higher-CO2 atmosphere increase their allocation of photosynthate to roots3,4,5,6 these findings suggest that soil respiration should be more sensitive to elevated temperatures, thus limiting carbon sequestration by soils.
Modern Mesoamerica: The Politics of Identity

Politics and Privilege in a Mexican City. Richard R. Fagen and William S. Tuohy Being Indian in Hueyapan: A Study of Forced Identity in Contemporary Mexico. Judith Friedlander. Panajachel: A Guatemalan Town in Thirty-Year Perspective. Robert E. Hinshaw. Poblacion y sociedad: Cuatro comunidades del Acolhuacan. Marisol Perez Lizaur. Princes of the Earth: Subcultural Diversity in a Mexican Municipality. Barbara Luise Margolies. Servants of the Saints: The Social and Cultural Identity of a Tarascan Community in Mexico.
Brain oscillatory activity during motor preparation: effect of directional uncertainty on beta, but not alpha, frequency band

In time-constraint activities, such as sports, it is advantageous to be prepared to act even before knowing precisely what action will be needed. Here, we studied the relation between neural oscillations during motor preparation and amount of uncertainty about the direction of the upcoming target. Ten right-handed volunteers participated in a cued center-out task. A brief visual cue identified the region of space in which the target would appear. Three cue sizes were used to vary the amount of information about the direction of the upcoming target. The target appeared at a random location within the region indicated by the cue, and the participants moved a joystick-controlled cursor toward it. Time-frequency analyses showed phasic increases of power in low (delta/theta: 30 Hz) frequency-bands in relation to the onset of visual stimuli and of the motor response. More importantly in regard to motor preparation, there was a tonic reduction of power in the alpha (8-12 Hz) and beta (14-30 Hz) bands during the period between cue presentation and target onset. During motor preparation, the main source of change of power of the alpha band was localized over the contralateral sensorimotor region and both parietal cortices, whereas for the beta-band the main source was the contralateral sensorimotor region. During cue presentation, the reduction of power of the alpha-band in the occipital lobe showed a brief differentiation of condition: the wider the visual cue, the more the power of the alpha-band decreased. However, during motor preparation, only the power of the beta-band was dependent on directional uncertainty: the less the directional uncertainty, the more the power of the beta-band decreased. In conclusion, the results indicate that the power in the alpha-band is associated briefly with cue size, but is otherwise an undifferentiated indication of neural activation, whereas the power of the beta-band reflects the level of motor preparation.
Control of upper-limb prostheses: a case for neuroelectric control.

A discussion is presented on the control aspects of upper-limb prostheses, with emphasis on the areas of necessary improvements in current designs. Arguments are presented to indicate that it should be possible to obtain a substantial improvement in prostheses control by properly training the amputee, improving the dynamics responst of the prostheses, and improving the quality of the forward-path control signal. Augmentation of feedback information, although useful, may not be essential. The limitations of the myoelectric (muscle) signal as a forward-path control signal, especially for multiplc degrees-of-freedom prostheses, is discussed. Most of the limitations of the myoelectric signal can be overcome if the neuroelectric (nerve) signal is used as a forward-path control signal. Results of a series of experiments which demonstrate the feasibility of constructing an electrode capable of being implanted around severed nerves and of detecting neuroelectric signals for prolonged periods of time are presented...
Introductory Essay for '2004 Privacy Law Year in Review'

This essay introduces the first edition of a new annual review of privacy law. The Privacy Year in Review series is published by I/S: A Journal of Law and Policy for the Information Society, published in partnership by the Moritz College of Law of the Ohio State University and the Heinz School of Carnegie Mellon University. The Privacy Year in Review has been adopted by the International Association of Privacy Professionals for distribution to all of its over 2,000 members. The essay describes the main themes of five chapters that we expect to produce each year, on medical privacy, financial privacy, Internet privacy, government data collection, and international (non-U.S.) topics. Each year we also have special topics, which in this edition cover VoIP and Privacy, biometrics, RFIDs, and the privacy torts. This year's volume is about 450 pages, and subscriptions are now available. Our goal has been to develop a trustworthy, non-ideological, and clearly written annual review of developments in privacy law. The format seeks to serve both experts in each sub-field and people who are looking at a topic for the first time. Each article has a clear table of contents. Each article introduces the key legal materials, such as HIPAA or the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, so that persons who are inexperienced in that area can get a basic orientation. The article also provides more detailed analysis and citations for recent developments. The essay, by the Faculty Editor, describes the growing professionalization of privacy law in the United States in recent years. Chief privacy officers and privacy compliance have spread through many public and private institutions, and few persons are able to stay current on the multiple sub-fields that have developed. A goal of Privacy Year in Review is to create an annual volume that will serve as a handy reference for all those wishing to understand developments in privacy law.
Diagnosis of osteoid osteoma using computed tomography

Osteoid osteoma is a benign lesion of bone generally diagnosed using conventional radiography or conventional tomography. Computed tomography can be used in difficult cases to localize a clinically suspected lesion. In this report we present two patients in whom an osteoid osteoma was detected using computed tomographic scanning; in an additional patient computed tomography failed to localize a lesion, probably because the slice thickness was too great. Because the nidus of the lesion is small-general ly several millimeters in diameter-accurate CT localization requires that narrowly collimated, closely spaced sections be obtained. Bone neoplasms, diagnosis; Bone neoplasms, computed tomography; Osteoid osteoma, computed tomography Osteoid osteoma is a benign lesion of bone that is often difficult to diagnose radiographically. We present three patients in whom computed tomography (CT) was used to localize a clinically suspected lesion. The importance of proper CT technique is emphasized.
Time-Related Effects of Monosodium Glutamate on the Reproductive Neuroendocrine Axis of the Hamster*

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) was used to produce a lesion in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) of the hypothalamus in the neonatal hamster. In Exp I, hamsters were given a single sc injection of saline or 8 mg MSG/g BW on days 1-15 of the neonatal period. The severity of the lesion was measured by studying the percentage of neurons in the ARC that were morphologically intact 6 h after the injection. There was a decline in the percentage of intact neurons from 82% in animals given MSG on day 1 to 14–19% in those injected on days 7–11. There was an increase in the percentage of intact neurons in the ARC to 71% by day 15. In Exp II, female hamsters were treated with saline or MSG in a similar manner on days 4-15 of the neonatal period. The animals were sacrificed as adults at approximately 2 months of age and the following parameters were studied: the severity of the lesion in the ARC, the occurrence and regularity of estrous cycles, ovarian histology, weights of the anterior pituitary glands, and the concentrations o...
RADIATION-INDUCED CATALYSIS ON OXIDE SURFACES : DEGRADATION OF HEXACHLOROBENZENE ON GAMMA -IRRADIATED ALUMINA NANOPARTICLES

There is a need to understand fundamentally the radiolytic processes occurring on metal oxide surfaces, processes which may determine the fate of pollutants in high level nuclear storage tanks and may also be used to remediate contaminated materials, such as soils. Radiation-induced, surface chemical processes on alumina (Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) were studied to determine if the phenomena of charge separation and subsequent charge-transfer resulted in the catalytic degradation of an adsorbed compound, hexachlorobenzene (HCB). Radiolytic transformation of HCB adsorbed to alumina and potassium bromide (KBr) was monitored by suite of analytical methods including diffuse reflectance, UV, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), as well as GC-ECD and GC-MS. {gamma} irradiation of solid samples was conducted over a dose range of 0--83 kGy. On alumina in the presence of air, HCB was reductively dechlorinated to penta- and tetrachlorobenzene. No HCB reaction was observed on KBr, which served as a noncatalytic support to check the extent of direct radiolytic reaction, HCB conversion to dechlorinated products decreased as a function of increasing surface coverage on alumina, indicating the critical, catalytic role played by the support material. A reaction scheme is proposed.
Species‐typical and Individually Distinctive Acoustic Features of Crow Calls of Red Jungle Fowl

Crow calls of red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus) were analyzed for the purposes of (a) determining the extent of commonality and variability of acoustic features within and between individual roosters, and (b) characterizing the modal crow call of this species. Comparisons were made between crow calls of jungle fowl and those of domestic fowl to assess the extent to which domestication has affected these motor patterns.
Four-node axisymmetric element based upon the Hellinger-Reissner functional

Abstract The Hellinger-Reissner functional is used to formulate axisymmetric elements of the correct rank using seven and eight parameter stress fields. The resulting elements exhibit excellent performance in bending problems and at the nearly incompressible limit. The stress field is developed in conjunction with an orthogonal projection so that the resulting stiffness matrix requires only block diagonal inversion. Several numerical examples are given to demonstrate the performance of the suggested formulation.
Extension splinting of palmar plate avulsion injuries of the proximal interphalangeal joint

Hyperextension injuries of the proximal interphalangeal joint have traditionally been immobilized in flexion. This may lead to a proximal interphalangeal flexion contracture of the joint. In an effort to prevent flexion contracture and to simultaneously avoid hyperextension laxity, we have immobilized these injuries in zero degrees of extension for 7 to 10 days. Immobilization is followed by buddy taping and active range of motion until 3 weeks after injury. Protective buddy taping is used until the 6-week point. We report our results using this treatment for only palmar plate avulsion fractures. We did not include proximal interphalangeal joint injuries associated with dorsal dislocation or major collateral ligament injury. Twenty-two of 45 patients were available for follow-up evaluation. Length of follow-up averaged 30 months (range, 6 to 36 months). A high percentage of patients had good or excellent results. In no patient did hyperextension laxity develop and in only one was there a flexion contracture. On the basis of these results, we recommend this treatment protocol for hyperextension injuries of the palmar plate of the proximal interphalangeal joint associated with small avulsion fractures.
Approaches to reduce neurologic complications during cardiac surgery.

As outcome measures of cardiac surgery are carefully analyzed, neurologic outcomes are a prominent determinant of overall outcome. Sensitive measures of pre- and postoperative neuropsychologic performance and intraoperative emboli reveal a risk group of patients at an advanced age, with severe generalized atherosclerosis who require cardiac surgery. By using the results of observational studies, we have developed a protocol that uses innovative intraoperative techniques to minimize injury and thus improve outcome.
High- p T Hadron-Hadron Correlations in Vacuum and in Matter

Two-particle correlations within a single jet produced in deeply inelastic scattering (DIS) off a large nucleus as well as in heavy-ion collisions are studied. This is performed within the framework of the medium modi fied dihadron fragmentation functions. The modification occurs due to gluon bremsstrahlung induced by multiple scattering. The modified fragmentation functions for dihadrons are found to follow closely that of single hadrons leading to a weak nuclear suppression of their ratios as measured by HERMES in DIS experiments. Meanwhile, a moderate medium enhancement of the nearside correlation of two high-pT hadrons is found in central heavy-ion collisions, partially due to trigger bias caused by the competition between parton energy loss and the initial Cronin effect.
Further Analysis of Lorenz’s Maximum Simplification Equations

Abstract The goal of this paper is to provide a complete picture of the long-term behavior of Lorenz’s maximum simplification equations along with the corresponding meteorological interpretation for all initial conditions and all values of the parameter.
COMMENTS ON CIEUTAT'S "EXAMINER DIFFERENCES WITH THE STANFORD-BINET IQ"

The methodological, sampling, and statistical problems encountered in Cieutat's (1965) study indicate that his findings cannot be accepted with confidence.
Notes on the Compositae of the Guayana Highland—I. A new species of Stomatochaeta and the reduction of Guaicaia to Glossarion (Compositae: Mutisieae)

Described from Angasima-tepui in Edo. Bolivar, Venezuela is a new species ofStomatochaeta, a generic segregate ofStenopadus. The distinctions between these two genera are briefly discussed and a key to the new species,Stomatochaeta acuminata, and the other species ofStomatochaeta is given. Bilabiate flowers are reported for the first time inGlossarion, which formerly was thought to have only ligulate flowers.Guaicaia, erected to house a single species with bilabiate flowers but otherwise similar in critical features to the reportedly ligulateGlossarion, is reduced to synonymy. Accordingly, the new combinationGlossarion bilabiatum is proposed. An emended generic description ofGlossarion and a key to its species are presented.
Health problems after childbirth

Of the entire maternity care cycle, the postpartum period occupies the lowest priority in practice, teaching, and research. Despite this, data from research outside the United States show that health problems after birth are very common, may persist over time, and are often under-recognized by care providers. Women's health would be favorably impacted by updating patterns of postpartum care, and by obtaining baseline population data in midwifery practices on the extent of postnatal morbidity.
A clinically effective breast cancer screening program can be cost-effective, too

Abstract The logistics of complying with current American Cancer Society breast cancer screening recommendations in a large health maintenance organization, serving more than 50,000 women age 40 or older, are described. An alternative screening approach estimated to be at least as health-effective as the American Cancer Society recommendations has been developed and appears to solve the problem and is financially feasible. Cost-effectiveness depends on optimal use of mammography and health-care personnel resources. The authors show how the start-up and maintenance costs of an organized program can be offset by future cost savings resulting from reduced long-term disability in patients diagnosed at Stages 0–1 as opposed to Stages 2 and later. Careful selection of the delivery model before implementation can make a breast cancer screening program cost-effective as well as health-effective.
Qualitative stability analysis of geologic systems, with an example from river hydraulic geometry

Many geologic systems are at present only partially specified, in that the variables and positive and negative feedback loops are known but the exact functional relationships among variables are not. It is still possible to describe the response of these systems to a perturbation by analyzing the eigenvalues derived from the coefficient matrix of the system equations evaluated near an equilibrium point. The method predicts that a simple model of stream at-a-station hydraulic geometry is metastable provided the relative rates of change of friction factor, hydraulic radius, and slope are large, intermediate, and small, respectively.
Activation and Inhibition of TMEM16A Calcium-Activated Chloride Channels

Calcium-activated chloride channels (CaCC) encoded by family members of transmembrane proteins of unknown function 16 (TMEM16) have recently been intensely studied for functional properties as well as their physiological roles as chloride channels in various tissues. One technical hurdle in studying these channels is the well-known channel rundown that frequently impairs the precision of electrophysiological measurements for the channels. Using experimental protocols that employ fast-solution exchange, we circumvented the problem of channel rundown by normalizing the Ca2+-induced current to the maximally-activated current obtained within a time period in which the channel rundown was negligible. We characterized the activation of the TMEM16A-encoded CaCC (also called ANO1) by Ca2+, Sr2+, and Ba2+, and discovered that Mg2+ competes with Ca2+ in binding to the divalent-cation binding site without activating the channel. We also studied the permeability of the ANO1 pore for various anions and found that the anion occupancy in the pore–as revealed by the permeability ratios of these anions–appeared to be inversely correlated with the apparent affinity of the ANO1 inhibition by niflumic acid (NFA). On the other hand, the NFA inhibition was neither affected by the degree of the channel activation nor influenced by the types of divalent cations used for the channel activation. These results suggest that the NFA inhibition of ANO1 is likely mediated by altering the pore function but not through changing the channel gating. Our study provides a precise characterization of ANO1 and documents factors that can affect divalent cation activation and NFA inhibition of ANO1.
New nuclear evidence for the oldest divergence among neognath birds: the phylogenetic utility of ZENK (i).

Abstract To date, there is little consensus concerning the phylogenetic relationships among neognath orders, which include all extant birds except ratites and tinamous. Different data sets, both molecular and morphologic, have yielded radically different and often unresolved ordinal topologies, especially within the neoaves clade. This lack of resolution and ongoing conflict indicates a need for additional phylogenetic characters to be applied to the question of higher-level avian phylogeny. In this study, sequences of a single-copy nuclear gene, ZENK, were used to reconstruct an ordinal-level phylogeny of neognath birds. Strong support was indicated for the oldest divergence within Neognathae; the chicken- and duck-like birds formed a clade that was sister to all other modern birds. In addition, many families of traditional taxonomic orders clustered together in the ZENK tree, indicating the gene’s general phylogenetic reliability. However, within the neoaves clade, there was little support for relationships among orders, which is a result similar to all other recent molecular studies of higher-level avian phylogeny. This similarity among studies suggests the possibility of a rapid radiation of the major neoaves lineages. Despite the ongoing lack of neoaves resolution, ZENK’s sequence divergence and base composition patterns indicate its general utility as a new phylogenetic marker for higher-level avian systematics.
Increased hexokinase II expression in the renal glomerulus of mice in response to arsenic

Epidemiological studies link arsenic exposure to increased risks of cancers of the skin, kidney, lung, bladder and liver. Additionally, a variety of non-cancerous conditions such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease have been associated with chronic ingestion of low levels of arsenic. However, the biological and molecular mechanisms by which arsenic exerts its effects remain elusive. Here we report increased renal hexokinase II (HKII) expression in response to arsenic exposure both in vivo and in vitro. In our model, HKII was up-regulated in the renal glomeruli of mice exposed to low levels of arsenic (10 ppb or 50 ppb) via their drinking water for up to 21 days. Additionally, a similar effect was observed in cultured renal mesangial cells exposed to arsenic. This correlation between our in vivo and in vitro data provides further evidence for a direct link between altered renal HKII expression and arsenic exposure. Thus, our data suggest that alterations in renal HKII expression may be involved in arsenic-induced pathological conditions involving the kidney. More importantly, these results were obtained using environmentally relevant arsenic concentrations.
Molecular Dynamics Study of Interfacial Confinement Effects of Aqueous NaCl Brines in Nanoporous Carbon

In this paper, studies of aqueous electrolyte solutions in contact with a family of porous carbon geometries using classical molecular dynamics simulations are presented. These simulations provide an atomic scale depiction of ion transport dynamics in different environments to elucidate power of aqueous electrolyte supercapacitors. The electrolyte contains alkali metal and halide ions, which allow for the examination of size trends within specific geometries as well as trends in concentration. The electrode pores are modeled as planar graphite sheets and carbon nanotubes with interstices ranging from one to four nanometers. Ordered layers form parallel to the carbon surface, which facilitates focused ion motion under slightly confining conditions. As a result, the ion’s diffusivities are enhanced in the direction of the slit or pore. Further confining the system leads to decreased ion diffusivities. The ions are fully hydrated in all but the smallest slits and pores with those sizes showing increased ion ...
Regulation of food intake and body weight by insulin

A feedback system for the regulation of food intake and body weight, consisting of two elements is proposed. One is related to the quantitiy and quality of the food ingested. It consists of neural afferents, psychosocial conditioning factors, and peptide signals from the gastrointestinal tract released by specific nutrient intake. The other is also sensitive to nutrient intake, but importantly modulated by relative adiposity. We present evidence to suggest that insulin serves as the key feedback signal to the central nervous system to serve this second function (body adiposity signal). Insulin has been found in cerebrospinal fluid where its concentration is increased by systemic infusions of glucose or insulin and is proportional to its concentration in plasma. When insulin (10 and 100 μU/kg/day) is infused into the lateral cerebral ventricles of free feeding baboons a dose dependent suppression of food intake and body weight is found. Intravenous infusion of 25% and 50% of total calories as glucose elevates endogenous insulin concentrations and suppresses food intake. These findings suggest that the amount of insulin secreted per day and more modulates food intake to maintain a constant body weight.