cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical Management of LQTS Patients

The long QT syndrome (LQTS) is an inherited channelopathy disorder characterized by QT prolongation and propensity to life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Management of patients with LQTS should be multifactorial, aiming to decrease the risk of arrhythmic events by lifestyle modifications and preventive measures, antiadrenergic therapy with beta-blockers (and left cardiac sympathetic denervation in select high-risk patients), gene-specific pharmacotherapy, and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) in high-risk patients. With increasing access to genetic testing, management of LQTS patients should be personalized with gene-specific approach. Beta-blockers remain the therapy of choice in all genetic forms of the disease, being particularly effective in LTQ1 patients. Nadolol seems to be the most effective beta-blocker to decrease the risk of first arrhythmic events, whereas propranolol seems to be the least effective when preventing recurrent events. Beta-blockers are more effective in reducing cardiac events in LQT3 females than males. Sodium channel blockers (including mexiletine, ranolazine, and flecainide) should be considered in LQT3 patients with goal of reducing QTc to less than 500 ms, with best evidence for antiarrhythmic effect demonstrated for mexiletine. If the patient has one or more syncope despite full-dose beta-blockers, left cardiac sympathetic denervation and ICD should be considered with the final decision based on the individual patient characteristics including age, sex, previous history, and genetic subgroup including sometime mutation-specific features. ICD therapy has a class I indication for patients with a history of cardiac arrest and in patients in whom beta-blockers are ineffective or not tolerated. Gene therapy is an ultimate future of treatment of inherited arrhythmia disorders, but it is not yet available for clinical trials.
Advanced Laparoscopic Right Colectomy Techniques for Crohn’s and Reoperative Surgery

Right hemicolectomy is one of the more common colorectal resections that a majority of surgeons feel comfortable performing laparoscopically. However, there are instances where these cases can be expected to be more technically difficult such as Crohn’s disease (CD) and reoperative surgery. Primary and reoperative surgery for CD can be complicated by the degree of inflammation or friability; the presence of abscess, phlegmon, fistulas; as well as density and extent of adhesions. Both scenarios present unique challenges and require extensive laparoscopic experience and a careful stepwise approach. Despite the inherent complexity, even the most challenging right colon resections can still be approached laparoscopically. While the surgeon may be hesitant to approach these cases laparoscopically, the authors would argue that at least an attempt at laparoscopy is worthwhile and can have important short-term and long-term implications with significant reduction in morbidity. The laparoscopic approach will minimize abdominal wall trauma, decrease pain, shorten the recovery period, minimize postoperative complications, decrease incisional hernia rates, and preserve parts of the abdominal wall that may subsequently be needed later for reoperation and stoma creation. This chapter will focus on surgical techniques during laparoscopic surgery for complicated Crohn’s disease and reoperative surgery. Technical tips and tricks will focus on strategies that can be used during dissection and ileocolonic anastomosis creation. These recommendations are based on our large, laparoscopic operative experience in this complex patient population.
Reactive oxygen species explicit dosimetry for the evaluations of treatment efficiency of single and fractionated ALA-mediated photodynamic therapy

Reactive oxygen species explicit dosimetry (ROSED) has been recently developed and demonstrated to be able to better correlate with treatment outcome in both preclinical type I and type II PDT. ROSED involves direct measurements of in-vivo light fluence (rate), in-vivo photosensitizer concentration and tissue oxygenation to calculate for reacted ROS concentration ([ROS]rx) generated by PDT processes. In this study, we demonstrated ROSED in ALA-mediated PDT for mice bearing radiation-induced fibrosacorma (RIF) tumor. PDT treatments were performed using single or fractionated illumination to a same total fluence of 140Jcm-2. The effects of light fractionation on the total reacted [ROS]rx and treatment outcomes were evaluated.
The chemical nature of the young 120-Myr-old nearby Pisces–Eridanus stellar stream flowing through the Galactic disc

Recently, a new cylindrical-shaped stream of stars up to 700 pc long was discovered hiding in the Galactic disk using kinematic data enabled by the Gaia mission. This stream of stars, dubbed Pisces-Eridanus (Psc-Eri), was initially thought to be as old as 1 Gyr, yet its stars shared a rotation period distribution consistent with a population that was 120-Myr-old. Here, we explore the detailed chemical nature of this stellar stream. We carried out high-resolution spectroscopic follow-up of 42 Psc-Eri stars using McDonald Observatory, and combined these data with information for 40 members observed with the low-resolution LAMOST spectroscopic survey. Together, these data enabled us to measure the abundance distribution of light/odd-Z (Li, Na, Al, Sc, V), $\alpha$ (Mg, Si, Ca, Ti), Fe-peak (Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn), and neutron capture (Sr, Y, Zr, Ba, La, Nd, Eu) elements along the Psc-Eri stream. We find that the stream is (1) near solar metallicity with [Fe/H] = -0.03~dex and (2) has a metallicity spread of 0.07~dex (or 0.04 dex when outliers are excluded). We also find that (3) the abundance of Li indicates that Psc-Eri is $\sim$120 Myr old, consistent with its gyrochronology age. Additionally, Psc-Eri has (4) [X/Fe] abundance spreads which are just larger than the typical uncertainty in most elements, (5) it is a cylindrical-like system whose outer edges rotate about the center and, (6) no significant abundance gradients along its major axis except a potentially weak gradient in [Si/Fe]. These results show that Psc-Eri is a uniquely close, young, chemically interesting laboratory for testing our understanding of star and planet formation.
Ship collision impact on the structural load of an offshore wind turbine

Abstract When a maintenance and operations ship is berthing, there is a chance the ship may collide into the wind turbine. When these ships collide into wind turbine structures, this can result in significant changes to the foundation and structure of the wind turbine. In this paper, the structural load of a 4 MW offshore wind turbine was analyzed during a collision with an operations and maintenance ship. The variations in the wind speeds on hub height, waves, and the sea currents were measured. The dynamic simulation of the wind turbine was carried out using the test data as the input parameters. As a result, the load condition of the turbine without a collision was obtained. Finally, the measured turbine load was compared with the simulation results. This study shows that the collision of the operation and the maintenance ship increases the bending moments at the tower’s bottom and the blade’s roots.
Contextual Codes in the Hippocampus

The hippocampus is thought to support memory and decisions by binding relevant aspects of experiences within a context. A recent paper by Gulli et al. studies how activity in the macaque hippocampus varies according to different contextual requirements in the same space. This study demonstrates how a hippocampal cognitive map can flexibly reflect both spatial and nonspatial task demands.
Singing a New Future: Egypt’s Choir Project

This paper explores the creative production of Egypt’s Choir project, a collaborative musical and theatrical group that has provided a context for youth creative, social and political expression si...
Analyzing the Distribution of Microencapsulated Organic Phase Change Materials Embedded in a Metallic Matrix

This work aims to mitigate the overdesign of steady state packaging systems by combining an organic phase change material (o-PCM) and a metallic PCM (m-PCM) to create a passive cooling composite for pulse power applications. The organic constituent, melamine microencapsulated paraffin spheres, is manually mixed into a Field’s metal (32.5Bi/51In/16.5Sn wt%) matrix. Four concentrations are synthesized containing organic volumetric fractions (VF) of 21.8%, 40.3%, 50.1%, and 61.2%, with a liquid-solid melting temperature near 60°C. Several tools aid in determining the physical arrangement and thermal properties of the prepared PCM composites. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) shows preliminary o-PCM orientations on the composite surface at various magnifications. For interior o-PCM sphere distribution analysis, still images are taken from time-lapse videos created from a micro-computed tomographic (micro-CT) system. Binarization and pixel counting techniques are able to determine effective internal VFs within 3-5% of the prepared bulk VF. Differential scanning calorimetry is employed to determine the phase change onset temperature, heating peak temperature, and latent heat of the PCM composites. This novel PCM fabrication approach decreases the device package size, limits the associated weight, increases the system performance, and minimizes the composite cost.
Grassland ecosystem recovery after soil disturbance depends on nutrient supply rate.

Human disturbances alter the functioning and biodiversity of many ecosystems. These ecosystems may return to their pre-disturbance state after disturbance ceases; however, humans have altered the environment in ways that may change the rate or direction of this recovery. For example, human activities have increased supplies of biologically limiting nutrients, such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), which can reduce grassland diversity and increase productivity. We tracked the recovery of a grassland for two decades following an intensive agricultural disturbance under ambient and elevated nutrient conditions. Productivity returned to pre-disturbance levels quickly under ambient nutrient conditions, but nutrient addition slowed this recovery. In contrast, the effects of disturbance on diversity remained hidden for 15 years, at which point diversity began to increase in unfertilised plots. This work demonstrates that enrichment of terrestrial ecosystems by humans may alter the recovery of ecosystems and that disturbance effects may remain hidden for many years.
Incorporating Tumor-Associated Macrophages into Engineered Models of Glioma.

Summary Tumor progression is profoundly influenced by interactions between cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME). Among the various non-neoplastic cells present, immune cells are critical players in tumor development and have thus emerged as attractive therapeutic targets. Malignant gliomas exhibit a unique immune landscape characterized by high numbers of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). Despite encouraging preclinical results, targeting TAMs has yielded limited clinical success as a strategy for slowing glioma progression. The slow translational progress of TAM-targeted therapies is due in part to an incomplete understanding of the factors driving TAM recruitment, differentiation, and polarization. Furthermore, the functions that TAMs adopt in gliomas remain largely unknown. Progress in addressing these gaps requires sophisticated culture platforms capable of capturing key cellular and physical TME features. This review summarizes the current understanding of TAMs in gliomas and highlights the utility of in vitro TME models for investigating TAM-cancer cell cross talk.
Sex-Based Differences Among Experimental Swine Abdominal Aortic aneurysms.

Abstract Background Female sex protects against abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs); however, the mechanisms behind these sex-based differences remain unknown. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of sex and sex hormones in AAA formation among swine. Materials and methods Using a previous validated model, infrarenal AAA were surgically created in uncastrated male (n = 8), female (n = 5), and castrated male (n = 4) swine. Aortic dilation was measured on postoperative day 28 during the terminal procedure and compared to initial aortic diameter measured during the index procedure. Tissue was analyzed for immunohistochemistry, cytokine array, gelatin zymography, serum 17β-estradiol, and testosterone assay. Results Uncastrated males had significantly larger maximal aortic dilation compared to castrated males (113.5% ± 11.4% versus 38.1% ± 4.5%, P = 0.0012). Females had significantly higher mean aortic dilation compared to castrated males (96.2% ± 7.5% versus 38.1% ± 4.5%, P = 0.0004). Aortic diameters between females and uncastrated males were not significantly different on day 28. Female swine had significantly higher concentrations of 17β-estradiol compared with uncastrated males (1590 ± 873.3 ng/mL versus 95.2 ± 2.3 ng/mL, P = 0.047), with no significant difference between females and castrated males. Uncastrated male AAA demonstrated significantly more elastin degradation compared with female and castrated males (P = 0.01 and Conclusions Sex hormones, specifically 17β-estradiol and testosterone, influence experimental swine AAA formation as demonstrated by increased aneurysm size, collagen turnover, and elastolysis in uncastrated males in processes reflective of human disease.
Adequacy of small biopsy and cytology specimens for comprehensive genomic profiling of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer to determine eligibility for immune checkpoint inhibitor and targeted therapy

AIMS In advanced-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), incomplete genotyping for guideline-recommended genomic biomarkers poses a significant challenge to making informed and timely clinical decisions. We report our institution's experience in assessing the adequacy of small specimens for comprehensive genomic profiling for guideline-recommended lung cancer biomarker testing. METHODS We performed a retrospective evaluation of all image-guided procedures for NSCLC performed in our institution between October 2016 and July 2018, including core needle biopsy (CNB) and fine-needle aspiration (FNA) in patients who had undergone genomic profiling for lung cancer. Lung cancer biomarker adequacy, defined as successful testing of guideline-recommended biomarkers including, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR); serine/threonine protein kinase B-Raf (BRAF); anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK); proto-oncogene tyrosine protein kinase ROS (ROS1); Rearranged during Transfection (RET); Tyrosine protein kinase Met (MET); and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1), was evaluated. RESULTS A total of 865 cases were evaluated in this study, 785 of which included testing of all lung cancer biomarkers. Lung tissue was adequate for biomarker testing in 84% of cases; this rate increased to 87% when biomarker testing was combined with concurrently acquired FNA or CNB specimens. Biomarker testing success correlated strongly with DNA concentration (p<0.0001) and the use of 22G needles in endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) procedures (p=0.0035). Biomarker testing of CNB specimens showed a significantly higher success rate than did biomarker testing of cytology FNA specimens (p=0.0005). The adequacy of EBUS-TBNA samples was not significantly different from that of the transthoracic needle aspiration samples (p=0.40). Variables such as age, gender, lesion size, site, diagnosis and number of needle passes showed no significant correlation with success rates in lung cancer biomarker testing. CONCLUSION The growing numbers of therapeutic biomarkers in NSCLC requires judicious triage of limited-volume tissue from small specimens. Our study showed that thoracic small tissue specimens can be used successfully to provide prognostic and predictive information for the current guideline-recommended biomarkers for NSCLC in most cases.
Investigation of the Effects and Mechanisms of Anticancer Action of a Ru(II)-Arene Iminophosphorane Compound in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells.

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the breast cancers with poorer prognosis and survival rates. TNBC has a disproportionally high incidence and mortality in women of African descent. We report on the evaluation of Ru-IM (1), a water-soluble organometallic ruthenium compound, in TNBC cell lines derived from patients of European (MDA-MB-231) and African (HCC-1806) ancestry (including IC50 values, cellular and organelle uptake, cell death pathways, cell cycle, effects on migration, invasion, and angiogenesis, a preliminary proteomic analysis, and an NCI 60 cell-line panel screen). 1 was previously found highly efficacious in MDA-MB-231 cells and xenografts, with little systemic toxicity and preferential accumulation in the tumor. We observe a similar profile for this compound in the two cell lines studied, which includes high cytotoxicity, apoptotic behavior and potential antimetastatic and antiangiogenic properties. Cytokine M-CSF, involved in the PI3/AKT pathway, shows protein expression inhibition with exposure to 1. We also demonstrate a p53 independent mechanism of action.
Preface: Almanacs of Law

A life in the law involves at least some experience with the ugliness as well as the loveliness of humanity. Popular portrayals of the law and lawyers have always tended to highlight, and exaggerate, the extremes of that experience — and in days gone by almanacs of the sorts reproduced in this volume were very popular. (Indeed, pre-20th-century almanacs were, in some respects, analogous to both Google and Facebook today: they were the universally used go-to resources for useful information... and for confirmation of one’s own prejudices).
Treatment of severe refractory uveitis with intravenous cyclophosphamide.

OBJECTIVE We assessed the efficacy of intravenous (iv) cyclophosphamide therapy for patients with uveitis. METHODS Eleven patients with uveitis were treated with iv cyclophosphamide. Patients were from a tertiary care, referral practice, had failed oral corticosteroid therapy, and had disease that interfered with activities of daily living. RESULTS Only 5 patients benefitted and the improvement was sustained without additional immunosuppression in only 2 patients, one of whom had only mild eye disease and was receiving cyclophosphamide for a central nervous system vasculitis. Four patients worsened during the therapy. CONCLUSION Although iv cyclophosphamide may have fewer risks than daily, oral cyclophosphamide, the majority of patients with uveitis do not experience a sustained benefit from this therapeutic approach.
RNA Viral Vectors in Gene Therapy

Genes can be delivered into mammalian cells using synthetic nonviral vectors or recombinant viral vectors derived from DNA virsuses, retroviruses and, more recently, RNA viruses. Keywords: RNA viruses; gene transfer; poliovirus; measles virus; vesicular stomatitis virus; influenza virus; Sindbis virus
Status of experimental data base development relevant to space radiation transport and protection

This report describes the highlights and progress made in aprogram of measurements studying radiation transport through materials ofinterest to NASA. All measurements were preformed at acceleratorfacilities, primarily using GCR-like heavy-ion beams incident uponvarious elemental and composite targets. Both primary and secondaryparticles exiting the target were measured. The secondary particlesinclude both charged particles and neutrons. These measurements serve asuseful benchmarks and input to transport model calculations.
What does variability of the central sources tell us about jets

For radio-loud active galactic nuclei, and blazars in particular, the nonthermal radio continuum shows slow variation (months) that is successfully modeled by a shock propagating down a partially opaque jet. At frequencies above the millimeter band, the plasma is transparent to synchrotron radiation and the entire broadband continuum responds to brightness fluctuations together, suggesting that this part of the continuum is produced in a fairly uniform region. Optical outbursts precede radio flares by about a year in several objects, indicating that these spectral regions may represent two physically distinct parts of the same jet. However, the statistical properties of variability are different for the two wavebands, which may indicate the influence of shocks, optical depth effects, or radiative cooling.
Information systems architecture styles and business interaction patterns: Toward theoretic correspondence

During the past decade, so many corporations worldwide have adopted client/server or request/reply computing that it has become the dominant paradigm today. This includes the request/reply style of the Internet and the Web, which is embedded in the IP and HTTP protocols, respectively. However, despite its many successes, there are problems with client/server computing. Choosing it as the default architecture can result in a mismatch between the client/server system's request/reply style and the pattern of interaction inherent in a firm's business models. The adverse effects of such mismatching are many: high operating cost, bandwidth bottlenecks, and, in a worst-case scenario, a lack of system scalability. With the objective of clarifying choices and guiding decision making in the design and selection of architecture styles, I posit a descriptively relevant conceptual framework. Based in communication theory, speech-act theory, and the information systems strategy literature, this framework will lay down elements of fit upon which business requirements and information systems characteristics can be matched.
SPR name change to “Space Physics and Aeronomy”

In my candidacy for president-elect of the SPR section (Eos, Vol. 68, No. 40, Oct. 6, 1987), I stated that I felt that our section name did not properly reflect the type of research we do, and if elected, I promised to try to get a consensus on this topic from our section members. In 1989, I attempted to formally open up a discussion by drafting an article for Eos. Prior to submission, this article was passed around to about a dozen leaders in the field for critical comments. The article with comments included was published in the Eos Forum section on August 1, 1989.
Gamma Hadron Separation using Pairwise Compactness Method with HAWC

The High-Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Observatory is a ground based air-shower array deployed on the slopes of Volcan Sierra Negra in the state of Puebla, Mexico. While HAWC is optimized for the detection of gamma-ray induced air-showers, the background flux of hadronic cosmic-rays is four orders of magnitude greater, making background rejection paramount for gamma-ray observations. On average, gamma-ray and cosmic-ray showers are characterized by different topologies at ground level. We will present a method to identify the primary particle type in an air-shower that uses the spatial relationship of triggered PMTs (or "hits") in the detector. For a given event hit-pattern on the HAWC array, we calculate the mean separation distance of the hits for a subset of hit pairs weighted by their charges. By comparing the mean charge and mean separating distance for the selected hits, we infer the identity of the event’s primary. We will report on the efficiency for identifying gamma-rays and the performance of the technique with simulation.
Identification of a p53-based portable degron based on the MDM2-p53 binding region

In recent years the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) has garnered increasing interest as a target for chemotherapeutics. Due to the success of the proteasome inhibitors Bortezomib and Carfilzomib in the treatment of multiple myeloma, several new compounds have been developed to target E3 ubiquitin ligases and the proteasome in numerous human cancers. This has increased the need for new analytical methods to precisely measure intracellular enzyme activity in cells. A key component of a desired analytical method is a substrate that is capable of rapid intracellular ubiquitination yet easily incorporated into the next generation of more sophisticated UPS reporters. Portable degradation sequences, or degrons, have the ability to bind to E3 ligases and promote substrate ubiquitination when the sequence is presented in isolation or appended to other entities such as fluorescent peptide-based reporters. Previous work identified an E3 ligase (MDM2)-binding element at p53 amino acids 92-112, which was later demonstrated to be rapidly ubiquitinated in cytosolic lysates effectively functioning as a transportable degron. In this work, a shortened p53 sequence within amino acids 92-112 that displayed rapid ubiquitination kinetics was identified. A nine-member peptide library was synthesized using sequence elements of various sizes and lengths, all based on the initial 22 amino acid long sequence, containing a single ubiquitination site lysine. The ubiquitination kinetics were determined using a combination of gel electrophoresis and analytical high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to rank the members of the library and identify the optimal ubiquitination sequence. This analysis identified the five amino acid sequence, KGSYG, corresponding to residues 105-108 with an added N-terminal lysine, as a portable degron since this sequence demonstrated the most rapid ubiquitination kinetics.
Emulating a System Dynamics Model with Agent-Based Models: A Methodological Case Study in Simulation of Diabetes Progression

An agent-based simulation model hierarchy emulating disease states and behaviors critical to progression of diabetes type 2 was designed and implemented in the DEVS framework. This model was built to approximately reproduce some essential findings that were previously reported for a rather complex model of diabetes progression. Our models are translations of basicelements of this previously reported system dynamics model of diabetes. The system dynamics model, which mimics diabetes progression over an aggregated US population, was disaggregated and reconstructed bottom-up at the individual (agent) level. Four levels of model complexity were defined in order to systematically evaluate which parameters are needed to mimic outputs of the system dynamics model. The four estimated models attempted to replicate stock counts representing disease states in the system dynamics model while estimating impacts of an elderliness factor, obesity factor and health-related behavioral parameters. Health-related behavior was modeled as a simple realization of the Theory of Planned Behavior, a joint function of individual attitude and diffusion of social norms that spread over each agent’s social network. Although the most complex agent-based simulation model contained 31 adjustable parameters, all models were considerably less complex than the system dynamics model which required numerous time series inputs to make its predictions. All three elaborations of the baseline model provided significantly improved fits to the output of the system dynamics model, although behavioral factors appeared to contribute more than the elderliness factor. The results illustrate a promising approach to translate complex system dynamics models into agent-based model alternatives that are both conceptually simpler and capable of capturing main effects of complex local agent-agent interactions.
Adaptive WMMR filters for edge enhancement

In this paper, an adaptive WMMR filter is introduced, which adaptively changes its window size to accommodate edge width variations. We prove that for any given one dimensional input signal convergence is to fixed points, which are PICO (piecewise constant), by iterative application of the adaptive WMMR filter. An application of the filters to one-D data (non- PICO) and images of printed circuit boards are then provided. Application to images in general is discussed.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Selective dysmegakaryopoiesis in thrombocytopenic dogs (1996–2002)

Dysplastic megakaryocytes, in conjunction with dyserythropoiesis or dysgranulopoiesis, have been reported in canine myelodysplastic syndromes and in dysmyelopoiesis associated with various disease conditions. However, only a few cases of dysmegakaryopoiesis without accompanying dyserythropoiesis or dysgranulopoiesis have been reported. The purpose of this report was retrospectively to identify dogs with dysmegakaryopoiesis and determine if they were associated with disease conditions or treatments. Bone marrow reports were reviewed over a 6-year period. Dysmegakaryopoiesis was identified in 37 of 559 (6.6%) bone marrow reports. Dysmegakaryopoiesis, without accompanying dyserythropoiesis or dysgranulopoiesis, was identified in 17 (3.0%) dogs. Associated diseases included immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (n=5), immune-mediated thrombocytopenia and immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (n=2), lymphosarcoma (n=2), multiple myeloma (n=1), megakaryoblastic leukemia (n=2), disseminated mast cell tumor (n=1), granulocytic ehrlichiosis (n=1), myelofibrosis (n=1), and pure red cell aplasia (n=1). One dog had moderate thrombocytopenia that persisted for more than 2 years with no evidence of associated disease. Dysmegakaryopoiesis without accompanying dyserythropoiesis or dysgranulopoiesis was associated with the same spectrum of diseases as other types of dysmyelopoiesis. Therefore, there is no reason to identify dysmegakaryopoiesis as a distinct entity. However, it is important to identify dysmegakaryopoiesis associated with megakaryoblastic leukemia.
Optimization of reading conditions for flat panel displays.

Task Group 18 (TG 18) of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine has developed guidelines for Assessment of Display Performance for Medical Imaging Systems. In this document, a method for determination of the maximum room lighting for displays is suggested. It is based on luminance measurements of a black target displayed on each display device at different room illuminance levels. Linear extrapolation of the above luminance measurements vs. room illuminance allows one to determine diffuse and specular reflection coefficients. TG 18 guidelines have established recommended maximum room lighting. It is based on the characterization of the display by its minimum and maximum luminance and the description of room by diffuse and specular coefficients. We carried out these luminance measurements for three selected displays to determine their optimum viewing conditions: one cathode ray tube and two flat panels. We found some problems with the applicationof the TG 18 guidelines to optimize viewing conditions for IBM T221 flat panels. Introduction of the requirement for minimum room illuminance allows a more accurate determination of the optimal viewing conditions (maximum and minimum room illuminance) for IBM flat panels. It also addresses the possible loss of contrast in medical images on flat panel displays because of the effect of nonlinearity in the dependence of luminance on room illuminance at low room lighting.
20th-century reports on nursing and nursing education: What difference did they make?

At the beginning of the 21st century, public policy attention is being drawn to the profession of nursing by reports identifying demographic trends that are expected to lead to a significant shortage of nurses, given an aging population, a lengthening life span, and the increasing use of medical interventions to prevent or treat disease 5 . This shortage is alleged to be more profound than the cyclic shortages experienced during the previous century, primarily for 2 reasons: (1) the nursing workforce is older, on average, than other professional groups, with more nurses entering practice at older ages with shorter expected work life, 5 and (2) the capacity of the educational system to provide replacements for retiring nurses is inadequate due to a shortage of qualified faculty and limitations in clinical training sites. 7
Fabrication of long-span provisional restorations with multiple pontics: A modified method by using a vacuum-formed matrix

The vacuum-formed matrix has been applied in the fabrication of provisional restorations for about three decades, ls but for long-span provisional restorations with multiple pontics, excessive shrinkage of cold-curing acrylic resin in the pontic area is still a problem. The following procedure uses denture teeth in the pontic area, and the provisional restorations are fabricated with an indirect technique. This procedure can reduce the bulk of the cold-curing acrylic resin and can improve the situation with the reduction of excessive shrinkage of the provisional restorations.
Facility location with Service Installation Costs

We consider a generalization of the uncapacitated facility location problem which we call Facility Location with Service Installation Costs. We are given a set of facilities, F,a set of demands or clients D, and a set of services S. Each facility i has a facility opening cost fi, and we have a service installation cost of fli for every facility-service pair (i, l). Each client j in D requests a specific service g(j) ∈ S and the cost of assigning a client j to facility i is given by cij. We want to open a set of facilities, install services at the open facilities, and assign each client j to an open facility at which service g(j) is installed, so as to minimize the sum of the facility opening costs, the service installation costs and the client assignment costs.Our main result is a primal-dual 6-approximation algorithm under the assumption that there is an ordering on the facilities such that if i comes before i' in this ordering then for every service type l, fli ≤ fl i. This includes (as special cases) the settings where the service installation cost fli depends only on the service type l, or depends only on the location i. With arbitrary service installation costs, the problem becomes as hard as the set-cover problem. Our algorithm extends the algorithm of Jain & Vazirani [9] in a novel way. If the service installation cost depends only on the service type and not on the location, we give an LP rounding algorithm that attains an improved approximation ratio of 2.391. The algorithm combines both clustered randomized rounding [6] and the filtering based technique of [10, 14]. We also consider the k-median version of the problem where there is an additional requirement that at most k facilities may be opened. We use our primal-dual algorithm to give a constant-factor approximation for this problem when the service installation cost depends only on the service type.
Novel dioxotetrazamacrocyclic “sandwich” complexes – synthesis and structural characterization

Abstract Reaction of 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-2,9-dione with copper and cobalt perchlorate in water at 1:1 molar ratio afforded two new crystal-engineered 1:2 ‘sandwich’ type complexes. Both of them are isostructural analogues. Copper complex crystallized in monoclinic space group P21/c with a=9.6888(12), b=12.2956(16), c=10.5661(13), β=104.965(2)°, V=1216.0(3) A 3 , and Z=2. The Cu(II) ions are six-coordinated by four nitrogen atoms and two amide oxygen atoms. Their coordination geometry can be described as Jahn–Teller distorted octahedra, with elongated Cu–O distances. (2.310(2) A) Cobalt complex crystallized in monoclinic space group P21/c with a=9.7560(12), b=12.237(16), c=10.7130(13), β=105.194(3)°, V=1234.2(4) A 3 , and Z=2. The Co(II) ions are also six-coordinated by similar atoms as found in copper complex. But the bond lengths of Co–O 2.0881(13) A are slightly shorter than respective Co–N.
HALLUX VALGUS IN MEN : EFFECT OF THE DISTAL METATARSAL ARTICULAR ANGLE ON HALLUX VALGUS CORRECTION

The results of hallux valgus correction were reviewed for 34 male patients (41 feet). The severity of the preoperative deformity determined the operative technique of correction. A distal soft tissue procedure with proximal first metatarsal osteotomy was performed in 30 patients (35 feet) with an average correction of the hallux valgus angle of 22 degrees. A chevron procedure was performed in five cases and a McBride procedure in one other case, all with less severe deformities. Complications included one deep wound infection, one broken screw at the metatarsal osteotomy site, and three cases of hallux varus. No patients underwent reoperation. Undercorrection was noted in 10 of 35 cases (29%) where a distal soft tissue procedure with proximal first metatarsal osteotomy was performed. A nonsubluxated (congruent) metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint associated with a hallux valgus deformity was present in 15 of 41 (37%) of all cases and 10 of 35 (29%) of cases that underwent a distal soft tissue procedure with proximal metatarsal osteotomy (DSTR with PMO). A subluxated (noncongruent) MTP joint associated with hallux valgus was present in 26 of 41 (63%) of all cases and 25 of 35 (71%) of cases undergoing a DSTR with PMO. There was a highly significant difference in the average distal metatarsal articular angle (DMAA) as measured in the nonsubluxated (congruent) MTP joints (20.7 degrees) and the subluxated (noncongruent) MTP joints with hallux valgus (10 degrees) (P = 0.0001). The average distal metatarsal articular angle for all cases undergoing DSTR with PMO was 13 degrees. When the postoperative hallux valgus angle was compared with DMAA, the average residual hallux valgus angle was 10.1 degrees. With a subluxated (noncongruent) first MTP joint with hallux valgus (a low DMAA), the percent of hallux valgus correction (hallux valgus correction [in degrees]/preoperative hallux valgus deformity [in degrees]) was 77%. In patients with a nonsubluxated (congruent) first MTP joint with hallux valgus (a high DMAA), the percent correction was 46%, an almost twofold difference in percent correction. There was a close correlation between the preoperative DMAA and the postoperative hallux valgus angle in both the subluxated and congruent subgroups (P = 0.0003). With an intra-articular repair (a DSTP with PMO), the magnitude of correction of a hallux valgus deformity is limited at the MTP joint by the distal metatarsal articular angle.
Photosensitization in Biological Systems

Protoplasm, in general, is relatively insensitive to direct effects of visible and near ultraviolet light since most molecules of biological importance do not absorb appreciably in this wavelength range. However, in the presence of an appropriate photosensitizer, cells, organisms and many kinds of biomolecules are damaged and destroyed by light. We usually date the start of the study of photosensitization as an area of photobiology from the observation by Oscar Raab, a medical student in Munich, that acridines sensitize paramecia to killing by light (1). However, on this occasion, we should take note of the earlier work of Arturo Marccaci, a physiologist in Perugia, who reported in 1888 that low concentrations of quinine, which had no effect in the dark on grain germination, the development of amphibian eggs, etc. produced severe damage in the light (2). Photosensitized cells are killed by selective photochemical damage to certain cell organelles, with effects on the organelle resulting from selective alteration of macromolecules in the organelle; alteration of the macromolecule results in turn from selective damage to certain of its subunits. Thus, studies of photosensitization in biology range from an examination of the photophysics and photochemistry of sensitizer molecules to the physiology and pathology of the photosensitized injury and killing of mammals.
SnO2-carbon composites for lithium-ion battery anodes

Abstract A SnO 2 -carbon composite prepared by heat treating a mixture of colloidal SnO 2 and sucrose demonstrated a reversible lithium storage capacity of 680 mA h/g on the 1st cycle. The discharge curve of the composite did not exhibit the 1.0 V plateau characteristic of SnO 2 . The high reversible capacity of the composite suggests that lithium is stored in both tin and carbon. The composite demonstrated reduced capacity fade over SnO 2 as well as SnO:graphite and Sn:graphite composites.
Stepper self-metrology using automated techniques

"Stepper seif-metrology" refers to measurements of various stepper parameters by the stepper itself, as opposed to conventional metrology where resist patterns must be exposed, processed and measured. Seif-metrology enables fully automatic feedback loops in which some stepper parameter, e.g. focus offset, can be accurately optimized without operator intervention. We consider a GCA ALS-200 stepper with .4NA I-line optics utilizing an INSITU stage artifact. The INSITU signal is derived from a patterned chrome substrate which transmits light to a detector through some narrow slits. The slits are rapidly swept through the fixed aerial image, and in less than one second a full signal profile is obtained for both X and Y line images. Fully automated tests are available to optimize seven important stepper adjustments: focus offset, baseline error (X and Y), lens trapezoid error (X and Y), reduction error and reticle rotation. Data will be presented on the use of INSITU for routine stepper setup. In addition, detailed data will be presented on the effect of lens heating on focus.
Technique for collection of root exudates from mature trees

A technique is presented which permits the convenient field collection of root exudates from mature trees. The procedure involves a modified air-layering technique to obtain new woody roots. Root-exudate materials are then collected from these roots by a procedure similar to that employed to harvest seedling root exudates.
Test‐taking strategy instruction for adolescents with learning disabilities

Abstract The purpose of this investigation was to design and evaluate the effects of teaching a comprehensive test‐taking strategy to adolescents with learning disabilities. The strategy, which comprised a carefully sequenced set of cognitive and overt behaviors designed for the test‐taking task, was taught to six secondary students using a seven‐stage instructional methodology including description, modeling, verbal rehearsal, initial practice, advanced practice, posttesting, and generalization. We employed a multiple‐probe across‐subjects design to assess the students' acquisition of the strategy. Increases in the students' use of the strategy corresponded to their participation in instruction. Follow‐up probes indicated that the students maintained their use of the strategy for up to 11 weeks after we terminated instruction. Permanent‐product evidence indicated that all six students applied the strategy while taking tests in selected mainstream classes, and their test grades in those classes were highe...
The Clustering of Mg II Absorption Systems at z ~ 0.5 and Detection of Cold Gas in Massive Halos

We measure the large-scale clustering of Mg II {lambda}{lambda} 2796,2803 absorbers with respect to a population of luminous red galaxies (LRGs) at z {approx} 0.5. From the cross-correlation measurements between Mg II absorbers and LRGs, we calculate the mean bias of the dark matter halos in which the absorbers reside. We investigate possible systematic uncertainties in the clustering measurements due to the sample selection of LRGs and due to uncertainties in photometric redshifts. First, we compare the cross-correlation amplitudes determined using a flux-limited LRG sample and a volume-limited one. The comparison shows that the relative halo bias of Mg II absorbers using a flux-limited LRG sample can be overestimated by as much as {approx}20%. Next, we assess the systematic uncertainty due to photometric redshift errors using a mock galaxy catalog with added redshift uncertainties comparable to the data. We show that the relative clustering amplitude measured without accounting for photometric redshift uncertainties is overestimated by {approx}10%. After accounting for these two main uncertainties, we find a 1{sigma} anticorrelation between mean halo bias and absorber strength W{sub r} (2796) that translates into a 1{sigma} anticorrelation between mean galaxy mass and W{sub r} (2796). The results indicate that a significant fraction ofmore » the Mg II absorber population of W{sub r} (2796) = 1-1.5 A are found in group-size dark matter halos of log M{sub h} 1.5 A are primarily seen in halos of log M{sub h} < 12.7. A larger data set would improve the precision of both the clustering measurements and the relationship between equivalent width and halo mass. Finally, the strong clustering of Mg II absorbers down to scales of {approx}0.3 h {sup -1} Mpc indicates the presence of cool gas inside the virial radii of the dark matter halos hosting the LRGs.« less
Quantum computation: Spinning towards scalable circuits

Silicon devices form the backbone of modern computers. It turns out that they might also be a natural hardware platform for a new era of computing technology that uses the principles of quantum physics. See Letter p.541 Because silicon devices already form the basis for integrated electronic circuits, it would be ideal if future quantum-computing architectures could also be silicon-based, thus making use of the same well-developed fabrication technologies. A promising approach to constructing silicon qubits (quantum bits), first proposed more than a decade ago, is to make use of single dopant atoms in silicon. Jarryd Pla et al. have now made a nanoelectronic silicon device in which they can read out and control the electron spin of a single phosphorous donor atom, and demonstrate exceptionally long spin coherence times (of 200 microseconds). The combination of good qubit performance and practical fabrication approach opens the door to building scalable quantum-computing circuits.
Achromatic points in protanopes and deuteranopes.

Abstract Minimum spectral saturation, or achromatic points, were determined for protanopes and deuteranopes by a method of adjustment. Protanopic achromatic points were found to lie about 490 nm, whereas deuteranopic achromatic points ranged from 495 to 505 nm. The achromatic point distributions were invariant when intensity was increased by 1 log unit. In comparison to three alternative forcedchoice color-naming, the protanopic achromatic point fell in the region of the blue to green name transition and the deuteranopic achromatic point fell in the region of the green to yellow name transition.
Chern-Simons modified gravity as a torsion theory and its interaction with fermions

We study the tetrad formulation of Chern-Simons (CS) modified gravity, which adds a Pontryagin term to the Einstein-Hilbert action with a spacetime-dependent coupling field. We first verify that CS modified gravity leads to a theory with torsion, where this tensor is given by an antisymmetric product of the Riemann tensor and derivatives of the CS coupling. We then calculate the torsion in the far field of a weakly gravitating source within the parameterized post-Newtonian formalism, and specialize the result to Earth. We find that CS torsion vanishes only if the coupling vanishes, thus generically leading to a modification of gyroscopic precession, irrespective of the coupling choice. Perhaps most interestingly, we couple fermions to CS modified gravity via the standard Dirac action and find that these further correct the torsion tensor. Such a correction leads to two new results: (i) a generic enhancement of CS modified gravity by the Dirac equation and axial fermion currents; (ii) a new two-fermion interaction, mediated by an axial current and the CS correction. We conclude with a discussion of the consequences of these results in particle detectors and realistic astrophysical systems.