cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Occurrence of multiple dentigerous cysts in a patient with the Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome (mucopolysaccharidosis, type VI)

The mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) are a group of genetic lysosomal storage diseases. These diseases result from a defect in specific lysosomal enzymes required for the degradation of specific mucopolysaccharides. These incompletely degraded saccharides accumulate in tissues and are excreted in the urine. A general characteristic of these diseases is dysostosis multiplex. Dental complications can be severe and include unerupted dentition, dentigerous cystlike follicles, malocclusions, condylar defects, and gingival hyperplasia. This report examines multiple dentigerous cysts in a patient with a deficiency in N-acetylgalactosamine-4-sulfatase, Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome (MPS VI). The inability to hydrolyze the sulfate group from N-acetylgalactosamine-4-sulfate residue of dermatan sulfate due to a deficiency in this enzyme results in the accumulation of dermatan sulfate in tissues and its excretion in the urine. Examination of dentigerous cyst fluid revealed glycosaminoglycan content of 397 microgram per milliliter. Compositional analyses revealed 60% hyaluronic acid, 30% chondroitin 4- and -6-sulfate, and only 10% dermatan sulfate. This was consistent with dentigerous cyst fluid derived from persons without mucopolysaccharide-storage disorders but distinctly different from glycosaminoglycans assayed from other body fluids of this patient.
Role of proximal electrode position in transvenous ventricular defibrillation

Transvenous defibrillation lead systems have been demonstrated to reduce operative morbidity and mortality associated with implantation of cardioverter-defibrillators. To determine the best position for the proximal electrode in transvenous systems, defibrillation thresholds were compared for three positions in a single-pathway, two-lead system. Two defibrillation lead electrodes were transvenously inserted into seven dogs. The distal electrode was positioned in the right ventricular apex. The proximal electrode was randomized to one of three positions: (1) the superior (cranial) vena cava (SVC) at he junction of the right atrium, (2) the left innominate vein at the junction of the SVC, or (3) the external jugular vein. Biphasic defibrillation thresholds for converting electrically induced ventricular fibrillation were determined for the three positions of the proximal electrode in each dog. The innominate vein position resulted in the lowest defibrillation threshold (555±123 V) as compared to the SVC (640±126 V;p=0.0612) and the jugular vein (709±117 V;p=0.0013). Lead impedance gradually increased with increasing dostamce between the two shocking electrodes: 58.4±11.4 Ω for SVC, 76.2±13.8 Ω for innominate vein, and 94.9±10.2 Ω for jugular vein proximal lead electrode position (p<0.05 for all pairwise comparisons). In two-electrode transvenous defibrillation lead systems, positioning the proximal electrode in the left innominate vein produced the lowest defibrillation threshold.
Alergias alimentarias en el ni?o

Las alergias alimentarias, sobre todo las mediadas por inmunoglobulina E, son cada vez mas frecuentes en el nino y cada vez mas preocupantes. Se estima una prevalencia aproximada del 8 % durante los 4 primeros anos de vida. La alergia alimentaria puede ser muy precoz, puede aparecer una sensibilizacion in utero desde los primeros meses de gestacion, lo que confirma la presencia de factores geneticos. Desde el punto de vista cronologico, la alergia alimentaria representa la primera manifestacion atopica de la «marcha alergica», caracterizada por la aparicion a lo largo del tiempo de manifestaciones digestivas, cutaneas como la urticaria y la dermatitis atopica, y trastornos respiratorios (asma, rinitis). La alergia alimentaria es una respuesta inmunitaria aberrante a diferentes antigenos que atraviesan, intactos o parcialmente digeridos, la barrera mucosa intestinal. Esta mucosa, a pesar de sus capacidades inmunitarias protectoras, no logra cumplir con sus funciones que, en condiciones fisiologicas normales, conducirian a la tolerancia oral. Las manifestaciones clinicas son variadas, se modifican y pueden empeorar con la edad. La distribucion de los alergenos tambien varia a lo largo del tiempo, con la aparicion de asociaciones de alergias alimentarias y polinicas en el nino, actualmente antes de los 10 anos de edad, lo que explicaria en parte las alergias cruzadas. El diagnostico, a menudo dificil, debe basarse en estudios estandarizados (tests cutaneos y biologicos) y principalmente en pruebas de provocacion. El tratamiento se basa esencialmente en medidas preventivas y en la eliminacion del alimento o alimentos responsables. El tratamiento farmacologico implica, en primer lugar, las medidas de urgencia y el empleo de adrenalina y, en determinadas circunstancias muy precisas, la utilizacion de farmacos inhibidores de la desgranulacion.
Dielectric optical waveguide sensors integrated with GaAs active devices

Dielectric optical waveguides exhibit properties that are well suited to sensor applications. They have low refractive index and are transparent to a wide range of wavelengths. They can react with the surrounding environment in a variety of controllable ways. In certain sensor applications, it is advantageous to integrate the dielectric waveguide on a semiconductor substrate with active devices. In this work, we demonstrate a tamper sensor based on dielectric waveguides that connect epitaxial GaAs-GaAlAs sources and detectors. The tamper sensing function is realized by attaching particles of absorbing material with high refractive index to the surface of the waveguides. These absorbers are then attached to a lid or cover, as in an integrated circuit package or multi-chip module. The absorbers attenuate the light in the waveguides as a function of absorber interaction. The absorbers are placed randomly on the waveguides, to form a unique attenuation pattern that is registered by the relative signal levels on the photodetectors. When the lid is moved, the pattern of absorbers changes, altering the photodetector signals. This dielectric waveguide arrangement is applicable to a variety of sensor functions, and can make use of resonant coupling properties between low refractive index dielectric waveguides and high-index absorbing materials.
Effects of core motion on static properties of the nucleon

The effects of core motion in the nucleon are calculated in a simple model in which the translation-invariant Hamiltonian describes a pion field interacting with a nucleon core. The ground state of the system is shown to be a self-consistent state in which the pion field binds the core, which, in turn, acts as an effective nonstatic source of the pion field. The form factor of the nonstatic source is softer than the intrinsic form factor of the corresponding Hamiltonian without core motion. The effects of core motion on the nucleon magnetic moments and charge radii are presented for the case that the core properties are computed in the bag model. It is found that for a given set of observed properties, the bag with core motion is smaller than the corresponding bag without core motion.
Lateral Torsional Buckling Strength of Tubular Flange Girders

I-shaped steel girders with tubular flanges have been studied for application in highway bridges because of their large lateral torsional buckling (LTB) strength relative to conventional I-shaped steel plate girders. This paper discusses the LTB strength of tubular flange girders, focusing on concrete-filled tubular flange girders (CFTFGs) where the concrete-filled tube is the compression flange. Using finite-element (FE) models of CFTFGs, a parametric study was conducted to investigate the influence of girder geometry and material strength on the LTB strength. Design flexural strength formulas, considering LTB, for construction conditions and for ultimate strength in the final constructed condition, were developed based on the results of the parametric study. These formulas estimate the LTB strength of CFTFGs that are perfectly braced laterally and torsionally at brace points. A similar FE study of conventional I-girders was conducted and the results are compared with those of CFTFGs.
The identification of a gibberellic-acid-insensitive gene in Secale cereale

Among 16 dwarfing genes identified in wheat (Triticum aestiuvm L. em Thell.), four are known to be associated with insensitivity to the externally-supplied growth hormone gibberellin (GA). Rht1 and Rht2 (Reduced height 1 and 2, respectively) have been the most extensively used, because of their positive effect on yield. To increase the germplasm pool for dwarfism, a spring rye (Secale cereale) population (UC-90, CI-174) was selected because it contains high variability and any useful genes would benefit triticale and wheat as well. Seedlings of the CI-174 rye population were treated with 50 ppm of GA to identify any insensitive types. GA-insensitive and -sensitive seedlings were identified and, after three generations of selfing, GA-insensitive and -sensitive lines were fixed. Rye insensitive was crossed to a sensitive wheat and to rye and, reciprocally, insensitive wheat was crossed to sensitive rye. The results indicated that a GA-insensitivity dwarfism system similar to that originally found in wheat also operates in rye and appears to be under simple inheritance. Rye GA-insensitivity was expressed in triticale. Therefore, it is possible to transfer this new source of insensitivity and dwarfism into triticale and wheat.
Realization of novel monolithic free-space optical disk pickup heads by surface micromachining.

A novel monolithic free-space optical disk pickup head has been fabricated by micromachined micro-optical bench technology. The pickup head contains a self-aligned semiconductor edge-emitting laser, a collimating lens, a beam splitter, two focusing lenses, and two 45° mirrors. All optical components are built monolithically on Si substrates. The 45° mirror directs the optical output beam in the surface-normal direction. This novel design could significantly reduce the size and the weight of the optical pickup head as well as the cost of the assembly processes. The weight reduction could also greatly increase the data access rate.
The arthritis severity locus Cia5a regulates the expression of inflammatory mediators including Syk pathway genes and proteases in pristane-induced arthritis

Cia5a is a locus on rat chromosome 10 that regulates disease severity and joint damage in two models of rheumatoid arthritis, collagen- and pristane-induced arthritis (PIA). In this study, we aimed to identify cellular and molecular processes regulated by Cia5a using microarray-based gene expression analysis of synovial tissues from MHC identical DA (severe erosive disease) and DA.F344(Cia5a) congenics (mild non-erosive disease) rats. Synovial tissues from six DA and eight DA.F344(Cia5a) rats were analyzed 21 days after the induction of PIA using the Illumina RatRef-12 BeadChip (21,922 genes) and selected data confirmed with qPCR. There was a significantly increased expression of pro-inflammatory mediators such as Il1b (5-fold), Il18 (3.9-fold), Cxcl1 (10-fold), Cxcl13 (7.5-fold) and Ccl7 (7.9-fold), and proteases like Mmp3 (23-fold), Mmp9 (32-fold), Mmp14 (4.4-fold) and cathepsins in synovial tissues from DA, with reciprocally reduced levels in congenics. mRNA levels of 47 members of the Spleen Tyrosine Kinase (Syk) pathway were significantly increased in DA synovial tissues compared with DA.F344(Cia5a), and included Syk (5.4-fold), Syk-activating receptors and interacting proteins, and genes regulated by Syk such as NFkB, and NAPDH oxidase complex genes. Nuclear receptors (NR) such as Rxrg, Pparg and Rev-erba were increased in the protected congenics, and so was the anti-inflammatory NR-target gene Scd1 (54-fold increase). Tnn (72-fold decrease) was the gene most significantly increased in DA. Analyses of gene expression in synovial tissues revealed that the arthritis severity locus Cia5a regulates the expression of key mediators of inflammation and joint damage, as well as the expression of members of the Syk pathway. This expression pattern correlates with disease severity and joint damage and along with the gene accounting for Cia5a could become a useful biomarker to identify patients at increased risk for severe and erosive disease. The identification of the gene accounting for Cia5a has the potential to generate a new and important target for therapy and prognosis.
Transplantation and in vivo imaging of multilineage engraftment in zebrafish bloodless mutants

The zebrafish is firmly established as a genetic model for the study of vertebrate blood development. Here we have characterized the blood-forming system of adult zebrafish. Each major blood lineage can be isolated by flow cytometry, and with these lineal profiles, defects in zebrafish blood mutants can be quantified. We developed hematopoietic cell transplantation to study cell autonomy of mutant gene function and to establish a hematopoietic stem cell assay. Hematopoietic cell transplantation can rescue multilineage hematopoiesis in embryonic lethal gata1-/- mutants for over 6 months. Direct visualization of fluorescent donor cells in embryonic recipients allows engraftment and homing events to be imaged in real time. These results provide a cellular context in which to study the genetics of hematopoiesis.
Trends in antimicrobial resistance in health care-associated pathogens and effect on treatment

Antimicrobial resistance in health care-associated pathogens is a growing concern for health care and for public health. A recent shift in the epidemiological profile of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has resulted not only in health care-associated infections but now, also, in community-associated infections. Reports have described S. aureus exhibiting decreased susceptibility and, even, resistance to vancomycin. The rate of vancomycin resistance among enterococci may be leveling; however, vancomycin resistance in Enterococcus faecium has already achieved high levels. Multidrug resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa is increasing, and carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella strains are emerging. Acinetobacter species cause a minority of health care-associated pneumonias due to gram-negative organisms, but a growing proportion is resistant to carbapenems and third-generation cephalosporins. Recent increases in the frequency and severity of Clostridium difficile-associated illness are associated with the emergence of a hypervirulent C. difficile strain with increased resistance to the fluoroquinolones. The presence of these and other resistant organisms in health care facilities limits the number of effective antimicrobials available for treatment.
Ocean science leadership—A desperate need that could be met

U.S. ocean science is at a critical stage. Though many exciting discoveries have been made recently, the field has been essentially level funded for several years, costs of operations are increasing faster than inflation, and there is no reasonable expectation for much improvement in the near future. At the same time, new technologies that are “off the shelf” or just over the horizon can provide orders of magnitude increases in precision, rates of data acquisition, and synoptic ocean-basinscale and even global-scale coverage of ocean phenomena. The use of these technologies (for a price) would result in substantial advances in understanding fundamental oceanographic problems (such as the global ocean circulation) during the next decade. Several large-scale, regional programs to start this process are on the drawing boards or in advanced stages of planning. Clearly, there are more ideas for utilizing the talents of our nation's oceanographers than there are reasonably obtainable funds or talent to undertake them.
Sensor Needs for Control and Health Management of Intelligent Aircraft Engines

NASA and the U.S. Department of Defense are conducting programs which support the future vision of "intelligent" aircraft engines for enhancing the affordability, performance, operability, safety, and reliability of aircraft propulsion systems. Intelligent engines will have advanced control and health management capabilities enabling these engines to be self-diagnostic, self-prognostic, and adaptive to optimize performance based upon the current condition of the engine or the current mission of the vehicle. Sensors are a critical technology necessary to enable the intelligent engine vision as they are relied upon to accurately collect the data required for engine control and health management. This paper reviews the anticipated sensor requirements to support the future vision of intelligent engines from a control and health management perspective. Propulsion control and health management technologies are discussed in the broad areas of active component controls, propulsion health management and distributed controls. In each of these three areas individual technologies will be described, input parameters necessary for control feedback or health management will be discussed, and sensor performance specifications for measuring these parameters will be summarized.
PROSODIC ELEMENTS TO IMPROVE PRONUNCIATION IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS: A SHORT REPORT

The usefulness of teaching pronunciation in language instruction remains controversial. Though past research suggests that teachers can make little or no difference in improving their students’ pronunciation, current findings suggest that second language pronunciation can improve to be near native-like with the implementation of certain criteria such as the utilization of prosodic elements. With the emphasis on meaningful communication and the understanding that speech production is affected by speech perception, there is a need to integrate prosodics with communicative activities providing situations to develop student pronunciation through listening and speaking. This short overview examines such elements.
Ant build maintenance with Formiga

"Build maintenance" refers to the changes made to the build system as a software project evolves over time and has been shown to impose a significant overhead on overall development costs, in part because changes to source code often require parallel changes in the build system. However, little tool support exists to assist developers with build maintenance, particularly for those changes that must accompany changes to the source code. Formiga is a build maintenance and dependency discovery tool for the Ant build system. Formiga's primary uses are to automate build changes as the source code is updated, to assist in build refactoring, to identify the build dependencies within a software project, and to clarify the dependency differences between different versions of build files. Formiga is implemented as an IDE plugin, which allows it to recognize when project resources are updated and automatically update the build system accordingly. This implementation also allows it to leverage existing metaphors used by developers to maintain source code, thus making it easier to use.
Phylogeny and historical biogeography of the cave‐adapted shrimp genus Typhlatya (Atyidae) in the Caribbean Sea and western Atlantic

Aim To infer phylogenetic relationships among five species of the cave-adapted shrimp genus Typhlatya in order to test competing hypotheses of dispersal and colonization of the disjunct cave localities occupied by these five species. Location Typhlatya species are found in caves and anchialine ponds across the northern margin of the Caribbean Sea, along the Mediterranean and Adriatic coasts and on oceanic islands in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific oceans. This study focuses on five species, one from Bermuda, one from the Caicos Islands and three from the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. Methods Partial sequences (c. 1400 bp) from the mitochondrial cytochrome b, 16S rDNA and COI genes were obtained from representative samples of the five species. Phylogenetic inference was carried out with maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood analyses. Parsimony networks were constructed for the Bermudian species Typhlatya iliffei and one Yucatan species Typhlatya mitchelli, to determine the degree of connectivity among populations inhabiting different cave systems. Results All three land masses were recovered as monophyletic. The two insular marine species from Bermuda and the Caicos Islands formed a clade, while the three continental freshwater species from the Yucatan Peninsula formed another. Within both Bermuda and the Yucatan, shared haplotypes were found in different cave systems, suggesting recent or ongoing gene flow among populations in both locales. Main conclusions The two insular marine Typhlatya species originated from an ancestral marine population, possibly already cave-adapted, that is suggested to have colonized the Caicos Islands and subsequently dispersed to Bermuda via the Gulf Stream. Divergence estimates suggest that colonization occurred before the formation of present-day anchialine cave habitat, which did not form on either island until the late Pliocene to early Pleistocene. Divergence estimates also indicate that the Yucatan freshwater species split before the formation of freshwater cave habitat in the Yucatan. These species could have inhabited crevicular marine habitats before the late Pliocene/early Pleistocene in the Yucatan or elsewhere in the Caribbean, and subsequently migrated to freshwater caves once they formed.
Normalization and comparison of surface temperatures across a range of scales

The Southern Great Plains 1999 (SGP99) Experiment, conducted in Oklahoma, July 8-21, 1999, provided an opportunity to observe spatial and temporal variations in surface temperature. During the experiment, aircraft (Passive/Active L/S-band airborne sensor) and satellite [Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) and TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS)] sensors collected surface temperature that was compared to in situ observations over the same time period to determine the accuracy and consistency of surface temperature measurements at different spatial resolutions using remotely sensed data. In addition, in situ surface temperature was observed in a 400/spl times/400 m field at various spatial grid spacing: 50 m, 10 m, and 1 m in order to quantify the variability of the spatially distributed behavior of surface temperature during a drydown period. Average differences between the in situ surface temperature observations and the aircraft and satellite sensors utilized during this study ranged from 0.7/spl deg/C (AVHRR High Resolution Picture Transmission) to more than 20/spl deg/C (AVHRR Global Area Coverage (GAC), TOVS). We have shown that the temporal adjustments of the remotely sensed surface temperatures (from aircraft and satellite sensors) shows a better comparison to in situ ground data. A ratio was set up using information derived from a mosaic land surface model to temporally locate the various estimates of surface temperature. The corrected surface temperature comparisons decreased the average differences (with in situ) to as much as 78% [AVHRR (GAC)] and as little as 6% (TOVS). The average difference between remotely sensed and in situ observations was around 48%.
An information theory based framework for optimal link state update

In this letter, based on information theory, we present a theoretical framework for the optimal link-state update, upon which efficient link-state update policies may be developed.
Experimental Measurements of Heat and Mass Transport in Heat Pipe Wicks

A novel experimental approach is developed for characterizing the performance of heat pipe wick structures. Mass transport measurements of the working fluid are obtained in addition to the temperature field in the porous wicks, under the action of a discrete heat source (evaporator). Open, partially submerged wicks are studied under partially saturated conditions, simulating normal heat pipe operation. The submerged portion of the wick simulates the condenser in a heat pipe. A vertical wick orientation, where the lift is in opposition to gravity, was selected to test the wicks under the most demanding conditions. The working fluid, supplied from the condenser pool, evaporates from the wick surface, and is condensed and collected into a collector separate from the pool, to yield mass flow rate results. Thus the liquid-pumping capability of the wick, coupled with flow impedance, can be measured with this approach at various applied heat fluxes. A simplified analytical model for the heat flow paths in the wick structure is also presented to explain the experimental measurements.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Smoking Behaviors Among Cancer Survivors: An Observational Clinical Study

Purpose: Smoking is a well-recognized risk factor for several cancers including cancers of the lung, bladder, and head and neck. Studies have shown that smoking can adversely affect the outcomes of different modalities of cancer treatment. This study examines smoking behaviors among cancer survivors to collect information necessary to create successful smoking cessation interventions. Methods: For this observational clinical study, questionnaires were sent to 1,000 randomly selected patients diagnosed with cancer between 2003 and 2007 in one cancer center. Data were statistically analyzed to determine the likelihood of a patient quitting smoking after being diagnosed with cancer. Results: We received 187 responses from the 1,000 surveys sent (18.7%). Of these, 166 were usable for analysis. The mean age of respondents was 64 ( 13) years. Men were more likely than women to be past smokers (55% of men and 32% of women respectively,P .003). Fifty-two percent of respondents reported having a history of smoking. However, only 20% of patients reported having been active smokers at the time they were diagnosed with cancer. Furthermore, only 44% of these reported having quit smoking after their diagnosis with cancer. Only 62% of all respondents reported that they had been informed of the dangers of smoking by their health care provider during cancer treatment. Conclusion: In our study sample, less than one half (44%) of smoking cancer patients quit smoking after their cancer diagnosis, and only 62% of smoking cancer patients received smoking cessation counseling from their physicians. Intervention programs are needed to help cancer survivors to quit smoking. Prospective clinical trials may help identify the ideal intervention for smoking cessation.
The Training and Validation of Behavior Observation and Description Skills

Teaching critical treatment-related skills to behavior change agents is an important task. One such treatment-related skill would seem to be the ability to observe and specifically describe ongoing appropriate and inappropriate behaviors. In this study, the effectiveness of a training "package" in teaching behavior specificity was demonstrated in two experiments. The package involved written instructions, practice in describing videotaped interactions, skill rehearsals, and detailed positive and corrective feedback. Multiple baseline designs were employed to experimentally,evaluate the effects of training on objective measures designed to reflect the degree of behavioral specificity of trainee descriptions. These objective measures were subsequently found to correlate highly with subjective ratings of the descriptions by child care workers and professional training and research personnel, thus providing evidence of the validity of the objective measures. The research suggests that important behavioral tre...
Plant and soil responses to neighbour removal and fertilization in Alaskan tussock tundra

Summary 1 Species interactions will probably be important in determining plant community structure as availability of soil nutrients changes due to climate warming or anthropogenic N deposition. We removed dominant species, combinations of species, and entire plant functional types, in fertilized and unfertilized plots in tussock tundra. 2 After 2 years, graminoids responded more strongly to fertilizer than other growth forms, and the responses of graminoids and deciduous shrubs to fertilizer were greater under neighbour removal than in the intact community. Deciduous shrubs, evergreen shrubs and graminoids increased their biomass with fertilization, whereas non-vascular plants decreased. 3 Dominant species from each growth form usually responded strongly to fertilization, but half of all subdominant species responded weakly or not at all. Few species responded to neighbour removal. 4 Soil nutrient availability, however, was elevated significantly by both fertilization and neighbour removal. Neighbour removal increased nutrient availability in fertilized plots by up to two orders of magnitude, and availability of and in some unfertilized removal treatments was greater than in the fertilized intact community. 5 The failure of many plant species to respond with enhanced growth to soil nutrients made available by neighbour removal, despite their response to fertilization, could be due to (i) tundra plants having such rigid niche complementarity that they are unable to utilize these additional resources, or (ii) insufficient time having elapsed for the remaining species to respond, because nutrients derived from neighbour removal probably became available later than nutrients added as fertilizer. 6 There may be a high potential for loss of available nutrients from the tundra ecosystem when species composition changes, if the remaining plants cannot adjust to use nutrients made available by the loss of their neighbours.
Motor-iconicity of sign language does not alter the neural systems underlying tool and action naming

Positron emission tomography was used to investigate whether the motor-iconic basis of certain forms in American Sign Language (ASL) partially alters the neural systems engaged during lexical retrieval. Most ASL nouns denoting tools and ASL verbs referring to tool-based actions are produced with a handshape representing the human hand holding a tool and with an iconic movement depicting canonical tool use, whereas the visual iconicity of animal signs is more idiosyncratic and inconsistent across signs. We investigated whether the motor-iconic relation between a sign and its referent alters the neural substrate for lexical retrieval in ASL. Ten deaf native ASL signers viewed photographs of tools/utensils or of actions performed with or without an implement and were asked to overtly produce the ASL sign for each object or action. The control task required subjects to judge the orientation of unknown faces. Compared to the control task, naming tools engaged left inferior and middle frontal gyri, bilateral parietal lobe, and posterior inferotemporal cortex. Naming actions performed with or without a tool engaged left inferior frontal gyrus, bilateral parietal lobe, and posterior middle temporal gyrus at the temporo-occipital junction (area MT). When motor-iconic verbs were compared with non-iconic verbs, no differences in neural activation were found. Overall, the results indicate that even when the form of a sign is indistinguishable from a pantomimic gesture, the neural systems underlying its production mirror those engaged when hearing speakers name tools or tool-based actions with speech.
Whisper-Island Detection Based on Unsupervised Segmentation With Entropy-Based Speech Feature Processing

Whisper island detection is a challenging research problem which has received little attention in the research community. Effective whisper-island detection is the first step necessary to ensure engagement of effective subsequent speech processing steps to address mismatch between whisper and neutral speech production. In this paper, we propose an effective approach for detecting whisper-islands embedded within normally phonated speech via BIC/T2-BIC using a proposed 4-D feature set. Performance is assessed using our proposed multi-error score (MES), which shows that the new proposed algorithm achieves the lowest MES (11.51) to date and along with a perfect 100% correct whisper/neutral vocal effort labeling. The results show that we can correctly and precisely detect vocal effort change points (VECP) between whisper-islands and neutral speech as well as label the vocal effort of the whisper-island. The proposed feature is sensitive to the vocal effort change between whisper and neutral speech and is gender independent. The result suggests that the proposed algorithm is effective and precise for the whisper-island detection.
Temperature dependent empirical modeling of proximity diffused Si esaki diodes and memory circuits

In this paper, the modified Sze model developed by the authors fits the measured IV characteristics very well for both forward and reverse biases at temperatures ranging from 23degC up to 200degC. Simulations of a TSRAM timing diagrams at multiple temperatures show the viability of using the developed model for accurate simulation and characterization of tunnel diode augmented CMOS circuits, including temperature effects.
A Wideband ΔΣ Digital-RF Modulator With Self-Tuned RF Bandpass Reconstruction Filter

A low power, wideband transmitter architecture utilizing ΔΣ direct digital modulation of an RF carrier is presented. Spurious signals associated with direct digital-RF conversion are eliminated through integration of a self-tuned passive LC bandpass filter. The digital-RF modulator is intended for OFDM systems and can provide data rates greater than 1 Gb/s using a bandwidth of 200 MHz centered at 5.25 GHz. Measured results show that the largest modulator spur is -44 dBc. The transmitter, including LO quadrature generator, quadrature digital-RF converter, and filter circuitry, consumes 50 mW and occupies a die area of 0.56 mm2 in a 0.13μm SiGe BiCMOS process.
The order completeness of some spaces of vector-valued functions

Let E be a Banach lattice. Necessary and sufficient conditions are given for the order completeness of the Banach lattices C(X, E) and L1(μ, E) in terms of the compactness of the order intervals in E. The results have interpretations in terms of spaces of compact and nuclear operators.
Ultrastructure of the zoosporangia of Albugo ipomoeae-panduratae as revealed by conventional chemical fixation and high pressure freezing followed by freeze substitution

Both conventional chemical fixation and high pressure freezing followed by freeze substitution (HPF/FS) were used to prepare zoosporangia of the oomycete Albugo ipomoeae-panduratae inside infected host leaves for study with transmission electron microscopy. Both fixations gave good preservation of ultrastructural details and data from the two sample types were highly complementary. However, HPF/FS gave better overall specimen contrast and superior preservation of microtubules, basal bodies and curved vacuoles closely associated with basal bodies. The basal body-associated vacuoles appear to represent cleavage vesicles involved in zoospore formation. Although HPF/FS did result in the rupture of some vacuoles and the extraction of lipid bodies, these problems did not interfere with our study. Overall zoosporangium morphology was similar to that reported previously for A. candida. Each zoosporangium was multinucleate and contained numerous mitochondria, lipid bodies, a variety of large and small vacoules/vesicles, and conspicuous arrays consisting of parallel strands of rough endoplasmic reticulum. Golgi cisternae and a pair of basal bodies were closely associated with each nucleus.
GLYPTOGRAPSIDAE, A NEW BRACHYURAN FAMILY FROM CENTRAL AMERICA: LARVAL AND ADULT MORPHOLOGY, AND A MOLECULAR PHYLOGENY OF THE GRAPSOIDEA

Abstract During an ongoing systematic revision of the Decapoda Grapsoidea (here defined as including the families Gecarcinidae, Grapsidae s. str., Plagusiidae, Sesarmidae, and Varunidae; see Schubart et al., 2000a), it became evident that adult and larval morphology of two Central American genera, Glyptograpsus and Platychirograpsus, differs greatly from that of all other genera within this superfamily. Several important morphological characters are shared by these two genera and represent synapomorphies when compared to the other grapsoids. Both of these genera lack a pleurobranch on the sixth thoracic segment. Adult males of Glyptograpsus and Platychirograpsus are all strikingly heterochelous with the major chela being conspicuously flattened anteriorly and showing a subproximal articulation with the carpus. The distal portion of the male gonopod is uncinate, with a narrowed, elongate terminus. The anteriormost portion of the sternum consists of a narrow, fused sternite terminated in a distinctly flange...
Formation of Interfacial Dislocations in Hetero-Epitaxial Layers Grown in Two-Dimensional Mode

High-resolution transmission electron microscopy has been used to study formation of interfacial defects related to misfit strain accommodation in Ge/Si heterostructures (mismatch 4%) grown in the two-dimensional mode. Special emphasis is placed on the conditions leading to a two-dimensional (layer-by-layer) growth mode. We discuss general features of a dislocation tangle resulted from glide-limited plastic relaxation, typical for highly mismatched (001)-diamond and zinc-blende heterostructures. The evolution of the dislocation network as a function of film thickness and thermal annealing is controlled by growth instabilities and dislocation interactions. The observed correlation in distribution of parallel misfit dislocations including pairing (at <2 nm) of misfit segments from intersecting glide planes and rearrangements in a nonequilibrium dislocation network driven by elastic interaction between 60° dislocation segments in the almost relaxed heterostructures are discussed in detail. Pairing of the 60° glide dislocations results either in their combination to form pure edge 90° dislocations or in the dissociation into partials. We propose and experimentally verify a model for the latter process involving the formation of extrinsic stacking faults in the heterolayers under compressive strain.
Bud Necrosis of Green Ash Nursery Trees Is Influenced by Nitrogen Availability and Fertilizer Type

A study was conducted to determine whether the nitrogen (N) status of nursery-grown green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica 'Summit') trees in the autumn is related to bud necrosis during the following spring. In 2005, different rates of N from urea formaldehyde (UF) or a controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) containing ammonium nitrate were applied during the growing season to green ash trees and leaves were sprayed or not with urea in the autumn. Biomass and N content was determined in Autumn 2005 and Spring 2006, and stem biomass and bud necrosis were evaluated for necrosis in Spring 2006. Trees with low N content in Autumn 2005 grew less in Spring 2006 but bud necrosis was more prevalent on trees grown at the highest N rate. Compared with trees grown with a similar amount of N from UF, growing trees with CRF altered N allocation in 2005 and the relationship between carbon (C) and N dynamics (import, export, and metabolism) in stems in 2006. Additionally, trees grown with CRF had less total shoot biomass in Spring 2006 and more bud failure than trees grown with a similar N rate from UF. Significant relationships between bud failure and N status and C/N ratios in different tissues suggest that a combination of tree N status and the balance between N and C in certain tissues plays a role in the occurrence of bud failure of green ash trees in the spring.
Peripheral blood lymphocyte receptors for B-lymphoblastoid cell lines (B-LCL)

Because interactions between B cells and T lymphoyctes are of fundamental importance in the generation of the immune response to most antigens, we attempted to identify the cells capable of binding B-lymphoblastoid cell lines (B-LCL), their tissue distribution, and their presence in other species. Cells bearing a surface receptor for B-LCL were found in human peripheral blood, tonsil, and bone marrow, as well as mouse and rat spleen. Binding cells were phenotypically heterogeneous. The majority are T cells as defined by their ability to bind sheep red blood cells (E-rosettes). However, a subpopulation of non-T-lymphocytes were capable of binding B-LCL. This was demonstrated by depleting T cells with an E-rosette centrifugation technique and then performing a double rosette assay. The wide distribution of T lymphocytes with receptors for B-lymphoblastoid cells within peripheral lymphoid organs and their presence in several species suggest that these surface molecules may represent one of the means by which T cells and B cells interact in the induction of the immune response to T-dependent antigens.
Enterprise System / Control System Integration Scheme

A new concept in manufacturing management information systems lets you create links between your relational database management system and your process control system. This basic transactional architecture provides a means to develop sophisticated systems where a Control System interacts directly with the Enterprise level databases. A Transaction Processor connects the Control System to the Enterprise Data System, which is generally one or more; multi-user databases, with associated Data Models designed to store the information required to operate an enterprise.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Experimental Traumatic Brain Injury.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability in the USA. Common causes of TBI include falls, violence, injuries from wars, and vehicular and sporting accidents. The initial direct mechanical damage in TBI is followed by progressive secondary injuries such as brain swelling, perturbed cerebral blood flow (CBF), abnormal cerebrovascular reactivity (CR), metabolic dysfunction, blood-brain-barrier disruption, inflammation, oxidative stress, and excitotoxicity, among others. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers the means to noninvasively probe many of these secondary injuries. MRI has been used to image anatomical, physiological, and functional changes associated with TBI in a longitudinal manner. This chapter describes controlled cortical impact (CCI) TBI surgical procedures, a few common MRI protocols used in TBI imaging, and, finally, image analysis pertaining to experimental TBI imaging in rats. Language: en
Radiology-Pathology Conference: Reviving the Art of Oral Case Presentation in Residency.

Rationale and Objectives To improve resident oral case communication and preparatory skills by providing residents an opportunity to prepare for and conduct a new interdisciplinary Radiology-Pathology (Rad-Path) conference series. Materials and Methods To assess whether conference goals were being achieved, we surveyed trainees and attendings in the radiology and pathology departments. Percentages were examined for each variable. Mann-Whitney U test for ordinal variable significance was applied to determine statistical significance between radiology trainee and attending survey responses. Results Most surveyed radiology trainees (57.1%) strongly agreed or agreed with: “I wish I felt more comfortable with oral presentations.” Sixty-five percent of radiology attendings (34 of 52) either agreed or strongly agreed that the residents should be more comfortable with oral case presentations. Of resident Rad-Path conference presenters, 69% (9 of 13) either agreed or strongly agreed that the conference improved their confidence and/or ability to present case information orally. Of responders who attended at least one Rad-Path conference in person, 83% of residents (19/23) and 61% (17/28) of attendings agreed or strongly agreed that the conference improved their ability to formulate a differential diagnosis. Using the Mann-Whitney U test, no significant difference was found between radiology trainees and attendings' responses. Conclusions Our Rad-Path correlation conference was specifically designed and structured to provide residents with focused experience in formal oral case preparation and presentation. We consider our conference a success, with 69% of resident presenters reporting that the Rad-Path conference improved their confidence and/or ability to present case information orally.
Applying a Visual Assessment Tool to Facial Linear Scars.

Previous scar scales have focused on verbal descriptions. A nonverbal visual assessment tool would provide a simple way for patients and physicians to quantify scar appearance. The authors sought to use a validated visual assessment tool for linear surgical scars to assess linear scars on the face and to determine whether patients and surgeons rate scars similarly. A total of 143 patients with linear facial scars resulting from repair of Mohs micrographic surgery defects used the visual assessment tool to rate their surgical scar. Six physicians used the tool to rate a subset of the patients' scar photographs. The scar ratings for patients and physicians were compared. Among the scars rated by both the patients and physicians ( n = 79), patients had a significantly lower mean (i.e., more favorable) rating compared with the physicians. This was a single-center study including only Caucasian patients. The visual assessment tool to rate linear surgical scars provided a simple method for both patients and physicians to assess the overall appearance of postsurgical scars. Difference in the scar ranking between patients and physicians indicate the importance of incorporating both patient and physician point of view when assessing scars.
Neuroprosthetic-enabled control of graded arm muscle contraction in a paralyzed human.

Neuroprosthetics that combine a brain computer interface (BCI) with functional electrical stimulation (FES) can restore voluntary control of a patients’ own paralyzed limbs. To date, human studies have demonstrated an “all-or-none” type of control for a fixed number of pre-determined states, like hand-open and hand-closed. To be practical for everyday use, a BCI-FES system should enable smooth control of limb movements through a continuum of states and generate situationally appropriate, graded muscle contractions. Crucially, this functionality will allow users of BCI-FES neuroprosthetics to manipulate objects of different sizes and weights without dropping or crushing them. In this study, we present the first evidence that using a BCI-FES system, a human with tetraplegia can regain volitional, graded control of muscle contraction in his paralyzed limb. In addition, we show the critical ability of the system to generalize beyond training states and accurately generate wrist flexion states that are intermediate to training levels. These innovations provide the groundwork for enabling enhanced and more natural fine motor control of paralyzed limbs by BCI-FES neuroprosthetics.
Determining selectivity of drugs by quantitative two-dimensional gel analysis. A study of tenidap, piroxicam, and dexamethasone.

Abstract In vitro pharmacologic measures of drug specificity are well established, i.e. drug interaction with a specific target such as an enzyme, receptor, or ion channel. However, in vitro measures of drug selectivity, defined as effects on secondary targets, are lacking. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-D gel) was examined as a measure of drug selectivity by comparing the effects of three drugs, tenidap, piroxicam, and dexamethasone, on the synthesis of intracellular proteins in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated murine macrophages. A set of 902 35S-methionine-labeled proteins were separated consistently, identified by their coordinates of apparent isoelectric point and molecular weight, and quantified. LPS altered the concentrations of 45 proteins. Tenidap, at 10 μM, affected a total of five proteins (suppressed three; stimulated two), whereas piroxicam, at 10 μM, suppressed two proteins. Dexamethasone at 0.01 μM suppressed eight proteins and stimulated one. Thus, none of the drugs reversed the LPS-induced changes. Two of the eight proteins suppressed by dexamethasone were also suppressed by tenidap and were identified as proIL-1α and proIL-1β. Since the subset of affected proteins provided a unique protein “fingerprint” for each drug, the three drugs were mechanistically differentiated by 2-D gel analysis. Compared to LPS (5% affected proteins), all three drugs were selective (⩽1% affected) with piroxicam > tenidap > dexamethasone. With identification of affected proteins, this technique can provide a useful in vitro assessment of drug selectivity.