cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of the Round Window microcatheter in the treatment of Meniere's disease

Objectives/Hypothesis Transtympanic gentamicin is an increasingly popular treatment for Meniere's disease. The present report examines the 2-year follow-up of our first 27 patients with Meniere's disease treated with the use of microdose gentamicin through the Round Window Microcatheter. We applied the 1995 American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery criteria to this patient group to analyze the results of treatment. Study Design This study is an evaluation of consecutive patients with predetermined data collection on each patient. Methods Patients with confirmed Meniere's disease underwent placement of the Round Window Microcatheter, which was filled with 10 mg/mL gentamicin, after placement into the round window niche was confirmed. Ten milligrams per milliliter of gentamicin was injected into the catheter by hand on two occasions after device placement in the first several patients. The remaining patients had continuous infusion of 10 mg/mL gentamicin at 1μL/h for the next 10 days. The catheter was removed 10 days after placement. All patients underwent an extensive set of hearing and vestibular tests on several occasions before, during, and after treatment. Results In the patients in the study, vertigo was eliminated in 92.6%, with 3.7% of patients (1/27) demonstrating a mild permanent threshold shift in hearing. Tinnitus and pressure were significantly reduced in more than 65% of patients. Only one patient demonstrated a reduction of vestibular function after treatment. Conclusions Results of this study on this group of patients indicate that vertigo can be controlled in the long term using microdose gentamicin without a significant reduction in cochlear or vestibular function in most of the patients in our series. Our results are compared with the published literature examining transtympanic injection. In addition, the underlying science supporting this type of treatment is examined.
A Passive, Vapor Compression Refrigerator for Solar Cooling

A completely passive vapor compression refrigerator is described in this paper. This refrigerator combines elements of the heat pipe and the vapor jet refrigerator and is referred to here as a heat pipe refrigerator. It may be driven with heat from low temperature solar collectors or with industrial waste heat and used to provide cooling. Compression work is provided by gas dynamic processes and liquid pumping may be obtained using gravitational or capillary forces. No power is required for operation. The device has no moving parts and may be externally similar to a heat pipe with three heat transfer zones. The working fluid is chosen to match the desired operating temperature range. Water, at subatmospheric pressure, is an appropriate fluid for operation around room temperature. Theoretical considerations indicate that the thermal coefficient of performance of the heat pipe refrigerator will depend strongly on the magnitude of the temperature difference over which it is designed to operate. results from a laboratory test confirm the concept.
Intact 3′ end of 16S rRNA is not required for specific mRNA binding

INITIATION of protein synthesis in bacteria requires that ribosomes bind to specific regions of messenger RNA (mRNA) in a complex which also contains fMet-tRNA, GTP, initiation factors1 and involves the ribosomal proteins S1 and S12 (refs 2–5). Shine and Dalgarno proposed a mechanism for initiation of protein synthesis in which certain purine-rich nucleotide sequences near the initiator codon of prokaryotic messages were postulated to form base pairs with the nucleotide sequence (5′) ACCUCCUUA(3′) near the 3′ end of the 16S ribosomal RNA6,7. The formation, in vitro, of a complex between the 3′ end of the 16S rRNA from Escherichia coli ribosomes and the initiator region of phage R17 A-protein mRNA has been demonstrated8. This binding supports the involvement of such base pairing in the binding of mRNA to ribosomes, at least for this message.
Low-dose recombinant interleukin-2 and low-dose cyclophosphamide in metastatic breast cancer.

We undertook a preliminary study to examine the response rate of recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) in patients with advanced measurable breast cancer, in a phase II clinical trial. The regimen we utilized was designed to allow outpatient administration. A treatment cycle consisted of low-dose cyclophosphamide (350 mg/m2) given on day -3 followed by the bolus administration of rIL-2 (3.6 × 106 Cetus units/m2) on days 1–5, and 8–12. Toxicity was significant but acceptable. One partial remission was seen in 13 evaluable patients. In 2 additional patients clear evidence of an antitumor response was observed. The study was terminated prematurely owing to a shortage of rIL-2. Additional evaluation of rIL-2 in breast cancer appears warranted.
ON THE ORIGIN OF LASER‐SPECIFIC LUMINESCENCE UPON PULSED‐LASER EXCITATION OF BENZOPHENONES IN FREONS†

–Excimer laser excitation (308 nm) of benzophenone in Freon-113, as well as in Freon-11, results in an intense emission with λmax at approx. 530 nm in addition to triplet phosphorescence. This emission is shown to result from an excited free radical bearing the diphenylmethylene moiety which is generated in a two-photon process and which luminesces upon sensitization by the benzophenone triplet. On the basis of its spectroscopic properties and the chemical nature of the system, it is suggested that the fluorescer in this system may be the hypochlorite radical, Ph2COCl.
Organization of the core structure of the postsynaptic density

Much is known about the composition and function of the postsynaptic density (PSD), but less is known about its molecular organization. We use EM tomography to delineate the organization of PSDs at glutamatergic synapses in rat hippocampal cultures. The core of the PSD is dominated by vertically oriented filaments, and ImmunoGold labeling shows that PSD-95 is a component of these filaments. Vertical filaments contact two types of transmembrane structures whose sizes and positions match those of glutamate receptors and intermesh with two types of horizontally oriented filaments lying 10–20 nm from the postsynaptic membrane. The longer horizontal filaments link adjacent NMDAR-type structures, whereas the smaller filaments link both NMDA- and AMPAR-type structures. The orthogonal, interlinked scaffold of filaments at the core of the PSD provides a structural basis for understanding dynamic aspects of postsynaptic function.
Perfluorooctane Sulfonyl Fluoride as an Initiator in Hot-Filament Chemical Vapor Deposition of Fluorocarbon Thin Films

We have demonstrated the successful use of an initiator species in hot-filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD) of poly(tetrafluoroethylene) thin films from the precursor hexafluoropropylene oxide (HFPO). The introduction of perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride (PFOSF) in small concentrations allows the enhancement of deposition rates and increased control over film composition. Endcapping by CF3 groups is possible, which may provide benefits such as enhanced thermal stability and higher hydrophobicity for HFCVD films. Conversion of the PFOSF is high, and HFPO utilization efficiency can be increased significantly. The generation of an initiator radical via the pyrolysis of PFOSF may contribute to enhanced nucleation rates during film growth. Initiation and/or nucleation is rate-limiting at low filament temperatures, and mass transport limitations dominate at higher filament temperatures.
Use of a trabecular metal patella for marked patella bone loss during revision total knee arthroplasty

This study evaluates the short-term results following patellar resurfacing with a trabecular metal patella shell in the setting of marked patellar bone loss at the time of revision total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Twenty consecutive patients undergoing revision TKA with the use of a trabecular metal patella were evaluated at a mean 23-month follow-up. All patients had marked patellar bone loss at surgery precluding resurfacing with a standard cemented patellar button. Results were good or excellent in 17 of 20 patients. There were no displacements of any trabecular metal patella shells, and the fixation appeared excellent despite the poor quality of bone remaining. Complications included 3 patients with polar patella fractures postoperatively. Qualitatively, these results compare favorably with patellar resection arthroplasty in this setting.
Three-dimensional digital evaluation of breast symmetry after breast conservation therapy.

Background Breast conservation therapy is proved as efficacious as modified radical mastectomy in the treatment of early-stage breast cancer. Although cosmesis is widely considered an advantage to this approach, objective evaluations of esthetic results are sparse. Study Design Twenty-three patients were subjected to three-dimensional, digital imaging of their breasts using a 3dMD camera (3Q Corporation). Differences in volume and surface area were assigned an asymmetry score based on software calculations. Additional variables were queried, and results were compared with a control group of 35 age-matched patients. Results Mean asymmetry score for the control population was 3.02 and for the breast conservation therapy population was 4.59 (p = 0.001). There was a positive correlation between percentage of breast parenchyma excised and asymmetry (p = 0.036). The location of the cancer, age of the patient, and need for multiple operations did not influence cosmetic results. Conclusions Breast conservation therapy appears to affect breast symmetry when evaluated objectively using three-dimensional imaging. In this series, the degree of asymmetry is related to the amount of tissue resected in relation to the breast volume but not on the location of the tumor, age of the patient, or need for reoperation.
Origin of interhemispheric fibers in acallosal opossum (with a comparison to callosal origins in rat)

The neocortical origins of the anterior commissure in the acallosal, marsupial opossum were studied with the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) method. Following complete surgical transection of the anterior commissure, HRP was applied directly to the cut fiber tips. This procedure resulted in very large numbers of vividly labeled cells within the neocortex. The labeled cells were plotted and counted for comparison among cytoarchitectonic areas and among cortical layers. For comparative purposes, the neocortical origins of the corpus callosum are studied with the same procedure in the rat. No cytoarchitectonic area was entirely devoid of labeled cells in either species. The concentration of labeled cells throughout the entire neocortex averaged 25.2 cells/0.05 mm3 in opossum and 31.2 cells/0.05 mm3 in rat. The concentrations of labeled cells were correlated for the eight cytoarchitectonic areas common to the two species, though they were different enough in number to be statistically reliable. The distribution of labeled cells both among and within cytoarchitectonic areas was often more homogeneous in opossum than in rat. Although cortical layer 1 had no labeled cells in either species, the distribution of labeled cells across the remaining cortical layers differed sharply between the two species. In opossum, layer 3 had the most labeled cells (averaging 55% of the total number) while layer 5 had considerably less (averaging 12%). In rat, layer 5 had as many labeled cells as layer 3--both layers averaging 43% of the total number of labeled cells. In both species, striate cortex deviated markedly from other cytoarchitectonic areas. Although both species had very few labeled cells in striate cortex, those that were labeled were invariably supragranular in opossum and infragranular in rat. The similarities and dissimilarities in the topographic distribution of the origins of the two types of interhemispheric fiber systems seem to parallel the degree of cortical (and thalamic) differentiation in the two animals. However, the differences in laminar distribution are much greater and in particular, the small contribution of layer 5 in opossum as opposed to rat may well be functionally significant.
A Behavioral Adaptation Approach to Identifying Visual Dependence of Haptic Perception

Both haptic and visual senses play a role in how we explore our environment. Previous studies have shown that vision plays a very strong role in perception of object stiffness, yet quantification of the contributions of both haptic and visual feedback remains elusive. This study uses a behavioral adaptation approach in order to better understand how humans perceive stiffness. Namely, subjects make targeted reaches across a virtual surface of varying stiffness, adapting to the new environment. The hand's cursor position is visually distorted to seem more stiff for one group, less stiff for another, and no distortion for the control group. Area reaching deviation (ARD) and post-adaptation interface forces, used in previous studies, were the two outcome measures used to determine differences between groups. We compare the slopes of the post-adaptation force-stiffness relations to quantify the effect of visual distortion. Our results indicate that making a stiff surface look more compliant has a greater effect on humans than making a compliant surface look more stiff
Hydrogen absorption and magnetic moment of Nin clusters

Abstract Theoretical studies to investigate the effect of H absorption on the magnetic moment of small Ni n clusters have been carried out using gradient corrected density functional approach. Our studies on clusters containing up to 4 Ni and 2 H atoms show that the successive addition of H atoms to Ni n clusters leads to an oscillatory change in the magnetic moment. Electronic structure analysis shows that, in most cases, the changes in the magnetic moment can be related to the relative position of the majority and minority lowest unoccupied molecular orbital of the preceding cluster. Ni 2 H 2 is found to be marked by energetically close isomers with spin singlet and triplet multiplicities.
Proliferation of hematopoietic cell lines induced by a soluble factor derived from human squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck

The supernatant of a cell line of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN), PCI-50, was previously shown to induce activation, promote proliferation and increase antitumor cytotoxicity of freshly purified human natural killer (NK) cells and CD4+ T lymphocytes [Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg (1994) in press]. This supernatant was found also to promote the growth of a variety of hematopoietic cell lines, including Jurkat, THP-1, K562, NK-92 or Epstein-Barr-virus-transformed B cell lines. The Jurkat cell line was selected as a reporter cell in an 18-h proliferation assay established to measure the growth-promoting activity of PCI-50 supernatant. The presence of soluble tumor-derived factors able to induce proliferation of Jurkat cells was demonstrated in the supernatant produced by several other SCCHN cell lines but not in that produced by a gastric cancer cell line (HR) or renal cell carcinoma line (5117G8). The growth-promoting PCI-50 supernatant was shown to contain 28±0.5 pg/ml interleukin-6, (IL-6) in vitro but was negative for interferon γ, IL-1, IL-2, IL-4, tumor necrosis factor α, granulocyte/macrophage-colony-stimulating factor and IL-12. The addition of any of these recombinant cytokines to Jurkat cell cultures did not significantly promote growth, while PCI-50 supernatant was consistently growth-stimulatory. This supernatant neither enhanced intracellular Ca2+ concentration in Jurkat cells nor induced up-regulation of activation antigens on the cell surface, although it supported growth of Jurkat cells in the absence of IL-2. The growth-promoting activity in the PCI-50 supernatant was acid-labile at pH 2 for 4 h, heat-resistant at 96 °C for 1 h and sensitive to treatments with trypsin and pepsin. Preincubation of the PCI-50 producer cells with tunicamycin or cyclohexamide reduced the level of growth-promoting activity in the supernatant. A partial purification of this activity was achieved using Amicon filtration, chromatography on concanavalin-A-Sepharose and then a hydroxyapatite column and high-pressure liquid chromatography gel filtration. The partially purified glycoprotein had a molecular mass of 50–70 kDa, as detemined by gel filtration.
The surface EEG in relation to its sources

Abstract We have presented a mathematical model to demonstrate the attenuating effects of a shell of different conductivity on the potentials produced by a single dipole located in a homogeneous conducting sphere. In the monkey, recordings of evoked responses to clicks can be interpreted as showing attenuating and “smearing” effects of the various layers that overlie the cortex. In agreement with the mathematical model, highly conducting layers show the greatest attenuating effects. Responses which were recorded from only a small area of exposed pial surface were especially affected and were, for all practical purposes, not detectable through the overlying layers.
Redox reactions on the reducing side of photosystem II in chloroplasts with altered herbicide binding properties

Abstract Measurements of chlorophyll fluorescence have been used to monitor electron transfer from Q (the primary electron acceptor of photosystem II) to B (the bound quinone which serves as the secondary acceptor) in chloroplasts isolated from atrazine-susceptible and atrazine-resistant pigweed chloroplasts. The Q − → B electron transfer was at least 10-fold slower in the plastids from resistant plants. Binary oscillations in the rate of Q − decay after a series of flashes were of opposite phase in the two types. The data are interpreted to indicate that the apoprotein of B is altered in the photosytem II complex of the two types of plants—this is correlated to altered binding affinity of herbicides to this component and may be related to altered redox properties of the bound quinone cofactor.
A Color Variant of Cranberry Fruitworm, Acrobasis vaccinii, and Host Records of Acrobasis amplexella (Lepidoptera: Phycitidae)

The problem of identifying insects correctly in blacklight collections is often difficult. This is especially true of Lepidoptera that may be rubbed or when closely related species are involved. Records of cranberry fruitworm moths, Acrobasis vaccinii Riley, trapped in blacklight traps, have been reported by Tomlinson (1962, 1966). Laboratory-rearing studies reported in this paper reveal that some moths were misidentified and counted as cranberry fruitworm, and others were overlooked in the records of the years before 1964.
Selecting COTS processors for graphics display engines

This paper shall attempt to detail the processes used in trying to select a COTS-based general-purpose high-powered graphics engine for cockpit displays. The computer industry has shown tremendous growth in the use of high-powered graphics for games and visualization software. This growth has brought with it workstation graphics power to be the PC desktop. Trying to harness this power for a cockpit display graphics engine has many problems that need to be overcome by the avionics supplier. This paper intends to show the processes used in the development of our latest graphics display engine. The emphasis of the paper is the process used in determining the graphics and host processor for the engine. This paper includes the summaries of the trade and requirement studies used to select the host processor and the graphics accelerator. Also discussed are the difficulties that arose in trying to deal with graphic accelerator COTS manufacturers and what was done to overcome them.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Long Distance Chromatin Interactions

The dynamics of chromatin folding has an important role in regulating gene expression in higher eukaryotes. Detailed studies of several model loci, such as beta-globin, have shown that the formation of loops mediated by the interaction between specific regulatory elements that are located hundreds of kilobases away is crucial in gene control. This observation gives rise to an important question: how can a set of widely spaced elements communicate in order to regulate a specific target gene.Recently a computational model has been proposed by Mukhopadhyay et al to explain the formation of long-range chromatin loops. This model is based on attractive nucleosome-nucleosome interaction, allowing the monomers of a chromatin polymer to stick to each other temporarily when in the vicinity of each other. This model shows the enhanced long range contact behavior consistent with shown in recent studies and predicts suppression of pseudoknot formation in chromatin folding. However, it remains to be understood why the chromatin polymer model behaves this way. To answer this question, we propose to look at the structure of the temporarily collapsed configurations of a polymer in certain ranges of lengths and attraction strengths. In particular, our aim is to calculate the crossover scale between the collapsed polymer at longer distance and the folded branched polymer at shorter distance. Such theoretical predictions from a polymer model combined with simulations of polymer conformations (both lattice polymer models and bead-spring models), would tell us whether, in the realistic model, there are certain parameter combinations that has to be fine-tuned to get the suppression of pseudoknots. We hope this study leads to a better understanding of the role of non-specific interactions of the polymer physics of chromatin.
Synthesis of 5-(trifluoromethyl)cyclohexane-1,3-dione and 3-amino-5-(trifluoromethyl)cyclohex-2-en-1-one : new trifluoromethyl building block

A simple synthesis of 5-(trifluoromethyl)cyclohexane-1,3-dione and 3-amino-5-(trifluoromethyl)cyclohex-2-en-1-one from the sodium salt of methyl or ethyl-4-hydroxy-2-oxo-6-(trifluoromethyl)cyclohex-3-en-1-oate is demonstrated. The compounds represent highly functionalized reactive intermediates for the synthesis of organic and heterocyclic compounds containing a trifluoromethyl group.
Recent tsunami highlights need for awareness of tsunami duration

On Wednesday, 15 November 2006, Crescent City Harbor, in Del Norte County, Calif., was hit by surges resulting from the tsunami generated by the Mw= 8.3 Kuril Islands earthquake. The strong currents caused an estimated US $700,000 to $1 million in losses to the small boat basin at Citizen's Dock, destroying or damaging three floating docks and causing minor damage to several boats (Figure l).The event highlighted a persistent problem for tsunami hazard mitigation: Most people are still unaware that the first tsunami waves rarely are the largest and that the potential for damaging waves may last for many hours.
Postoperative complication in a patient with a silicone intraocular lens

A 58-year-old white male patient developed corneal complications following cataract surgery and implantation of a silicone posterior chamber intraocular lens. At the time of penetrating keratoplasty, the implant was noted to be partially dislocated into the anterior chamber, surrounded by a dense fibrovascular membrane. Histopathological features were consistent with pseudophakic bullous keratopathy.
The art and science of hydration.

UNLABELLED It is understood that water is the most essential nutrient for life, yet research elucidating the fine points of hydration and fluid needs is still in its youth. Public recommendations based on scientific evidence are not always translated by the media into useful and practical guidelines. CONCLUSION Further research investigating the benefits of all fluids, and water in particular, as beverages to meet hydration and health needs will help clarify the controversies over how much water we should drink every day. Health practitioners must further work to assist patients with designing practical fluid intake strategies to ensure adequate hydration.
Gary Weissman. Fantasies of Witnessing: Postwar Efforts to Experience the Holocaust . Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2004. 288 pp.

This is a compelling, meticulously argued, subtle, and literate book on an important subject—although the question of what that subject is remains oddly open. Gary Weissman interprets a number of authoritative and popular representations of the Holocaust (principally those by Elie Wiesel, Lawrence Langer, Stephen Spielberg, and Claude Lanzmann) as evidence of their—and presumably their audiences'—post-Holocaust “efforts to experience the Holocaust” and somehow to recapture that horrific reality in feeling. These efforts, Weissman shows in a measured discussion that contrasts with the high-pitched register of much Holocaust writing, encounter what he sees as fundamental difficulties—and not only because of Primo Levi's chilling reminder that if direct experience is a requirement for authenticity, the only true witnesses of the Holocaust are not those who survived but those who died. The difficulties he identifies vary in the works discussed, and his book's concluding chapter, in which he ends up questioning the warrant for any “fantasies of witnessing,” provides only a brief conspectus. He thus leaves his readers to make their own way back to the Holocaust from the post-Holocaust—from which, when the survivors are gone, everyone will set out.
Resistance in Rhizoctonia solani to tolclofos-methyl

Isolates ofRhizoctonia solani were adapted in vitro to grow on a medium amended with tolclofos-methyl at a concentration 500 times that which initially almost completely inhibited growth.
Preganglionic Stimulation Increases Calcium Uptake by Sympathetic Ganglia

Isolated superior cervical ganglia of rats accumulate more calcium during preganglionic stimulation than do unstimulated controls; uptake of calcium-45 is approximately doubled by stimulation of 12 impulses per second. The extra uptake is markedly reduced by a high concentration of magnesium, but not by mecamylamine hydrochloride or tetraethylammonium chloride, although all three agents eliminate the postsynaptic action potential. Uptake of calcium-45 is also greatly increased by a high external concentration of potassium.
The Importance of the Exchange Rate Regime in Limiting Misalignment

Summary This paper explores how the choice of a country’s exchange rate regime may affect exchange rate misalignment for developing and developed countries. A measure of misalignment is obtained by using a panel cointegration vector estimator. This paper finds that for developing countries, an intermediate exchange rate regime (a regime falling somewhere between a pure float and a hard peg) is most effective in preventing exchange rate misalignment. Additionally, the choice of an exchange rate regime as a means to limit misalignment matters for developing countries, but does not seem to matter for developed countries.
Neuropsychological functioning in adolescent children of mothers with a history of bipolar or major depressive disorders.

Background Growing evidence demonstrates an association of neuropsychological deficits with mood disorders, but it is not yet clear whether these deficits are risk factors or are concomitant with the symptoms. This study examines the neuropsychological functioning of a group of adolescent offspring who are at risk for a mood disorder by virtue of being raised by mothers who have been diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) or bipolar disorder (BPD). Methods Adolescent offspring of mothers with BPD ( n = 43) or MDD ( n = 72) and of psychiatrically well parents ( n = 50) completed a battery of neuropsychological tests to assess executive functioning, memory, and attention. Results Children of mothers with BPD showed deficits in executive functioning and selective deficits in spatial memory and attention, in comparison with children of well mothers. Deficits were not found for children of MDD mothers. Conclusions Knowledge of these neurocognitive processes could aid ultimately in determining whether neurocognitive deficits precede BPD, whether unique profiles are associated with various types of mood disorders, and who may benefit from interventions.
The Major Nuclear Envelope Targeting Domain of LAP2 Coincides with Its Lamin Binding Region but Is Distinct from Its Chromatin Interaction Domain

LAP2 is an integral protein of the inner nuclear membrane which binds lamins and chromosomes and is suggested to have an important role in nuclear envelope organization. In a previous study we identified an internal 76-amino acid region of LAP2 which is required for stable targeting of the protein to the nuclear envelope. Here, we have mapped the lamin binding region of LAP2 and demonstrate that it coincides with this nuclear envelope targeting domain. In contrast, we found that the portion of LAP2 involved in binding to chromosomes resides in a separate region of the protein near its NH2 terminus. The minimal lamin binding region of LAP2 is capable of conferring stable nuclear envelope localization when attached to the transmembrane and partial lumenal domains of a protein that shows no nuclear envelope targeting activity. This directly supports the notion that a major mechanism for localization of integral membrane proteins at the inner nuclear membrane involves binding to lamins, which would constrain diffusion through the continuous nuclear envelope/endoplasmic reticulum membrane system.
Overlapping community detection using seed set expansion

Community detection is an important task in network analysis. A community (also referred to as a cluster) is a set of cohesive vertices that have more connections inside the set than outside. In many social and information networks, these communities naturally overlap. For instance, in a social network, each vertex in a graph corresponds to an individual who usually participates in multiple communities. One of the most successful techniques for finding overlapping communities is based on local optimization and expansion of a community metric around a seed set of vertices. In this paper, we propose an efficient overlapping community detection algorithm using a seed set expansion approach. In particular, we develop new seeding strategies for a personalized PageRank scheme that optimizes the conductance community score. The key idea of our algorithm is to find good seeds, and then expand these seed sets using the personalized PageRank clustering procedure. Experimental results show that this seed set expansion approach outperforms other state-of-the-art overlapping community detection methods. We also show that our new seeding strategies are better than previous strategies, and are thus effective in finding good overlapping clusters in a graph.
3-D Microscopic Measurement and Analysis of Chemical Flow and Transport in Porous Media

Chemical flow and transport have been studied at the pore-scale in an experimental porous medium. Measurements have been taken using a novel nonintrusive fluorescence imaging technique. The experimental setup consists of a cylindrical column carved out of a clear plastic block, packed with clear beads of the same material. A refractive index-matched fluid was pumped under laminar, slow-flow conditions through the column. The fluid was seeded with tracer particles or a solute organic dye for flow and chemical transport measurements, respectively. The system is automated to image through the porous medium for collecting microscopic values of velocity, concentration, and pore geometry at high-accuracy and high-resolution. Various geometric, flow, and transport quantities have been obtained in a full three-dimensional volume within the porous medium. These include microscopic (pore-scale) medium geometry, velocity and concentration fields, dispersive solute fluxes, and reasonable estimates ofa representative elementary volume (REV) for the porous medium.
Supervisory Decision-Making: In Semi/Autonomous Systems

Supervisory Decision-Making (SDM) refers to human supervision of several semi-autonomous (nonhuman) systems in a collaborative manner to accomplish a goal. This study defined SDM and distinguished it from traditional supervisory control and decision-making. An examination of diverse literature in organization design, biology, robotics, innovation diffusion, and trust in automation, yielded no directly applicable or comprehensive models. Field observations were made of large-scale war-games, where operators interacted with semi/autonomous sensors and defense-management systems. Four cognitive models were subsequently developed describing 1) adaptive partnering with automation, 2) technology adoption, 3) trust in automation, and 4) dealing with advice from decision aids. The latter quantitatively models individual, dynamic decisions to accept or reject recommendations made by automated battlespace advisors. The anticipated benefits of this work include more effective human-robot coordination, communication,...
The Bethe approximation for lattice gauge theories

Abstract The Bethe approximation is defined for general lattice gauge theories. It amounts to solving the model on an infinite Cayley lattice of cubes. The approximation is tested on the 4-d Z4 model, where it is shown to reproduce accurately most of the phase diagram. It also suggests which mass vanishes in the Coulomb phase.
Mutational analysis of the guanylyltransferase component of Mammalian mRNA capping enzyme.

RNA guanylyltransferase is an essential enzyme that catalyzes the second of three steps in the synthesis of the 5‘-cap structure of eukaryotic mRNA. Here we conducted a mutational analysis of the g...
Triplet state EPR spectra

A characterization of triplet EPR spectra in terms of the eight phenomenological parameters of the spin Hamiltonian is given. Closed-form solutions for the three possible resonant fields between triplet energy levels are presented, and thus the calculation is valid over a wide range of spin-spin interaction strengths. The importance of the halffield (g = 4) spectra for extracting information about the Hamiltonian parameters is demonstrated, and a recipe is presented for fitting triplet EPR data using computergenerated spectra.
Neurodevelopment and quality of life for children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome: current knowns and unknowns

The aim of this review is to describe the current state of knowledge related to neurodevelopmental outcomes and quality of life for children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and to explore future questions to be answered for this group of children.
Opioids, respiratory function, and dyspnea:

Dyspnea, the sensation of difficult breathing, is a common debilitating symptom in advanced cancer and chronic progressive cardiopulmonary disease. Primary treatment is correction of the underlying etiology. In incurable illness wherein the cause is irreversible and the goal is palliation, opioids are the drugs of choice for symptomatic relief. This article reviews current knowledge in the pathophysiology of dyspnea, proposed opioid mechanism of action, and evidence of efficacy.
Scenario generation for emergency rescue training games

Procedural methods have long been used for generation of art assets, but procedural generation of scenarios has lagged behind. In particular, training games for emergency rescue workers would benefit from procedural scenario generation guided by pedagogical goals. In such a game, users could select what skills they wish to train for, and the system would generate a unique level containing the elements necessary to train those skills. In this paper, we present a system that uses HTN planning to generate collapsed structure training scenarios that are both internally consistent and allow the user to train for the desired goals.
Energy and Water Use in Arizona Agriculture

Increasing energy and water concerns in Arizona are the driving forces to improve the efficiency of agricultural production within the state. In this article we address the energy and water uses in...
Screening of newborn infants for cytomegalovirus infection

Infants in a newborn nursery of a general hospital were studied for the presence of congenital cytomegalovirus infection. During a period of 13 weeks, 8 infected infants were detected. Intracerebral calcifications were demonstrated in one of these infants; the remaining 7 appeared normal in the newborn period.
The Juno mission to Jupiter launch campaign and early cruise report

Juno, NASA's second New Frontiers Mission, is a Jupiter polar orbiter carrying a nine-instrument payload designed to complete an in-depth study of Jupiter's atmospheric composition and structure, magnetic and gravity fields, and the polar magnetosphere. Juno was launched from CCAFS (Cape Canaveral Air Force Station) on August 5, 2011 and is enroute to Jupiter arriving in July 2016 for a 1-year science mission. This paper provides a description of Juno's launch campaign (including a description of technical challenges that the team dealt with), a report on early cruise operations and a short discussion of some key lessons learned from Juno's development. It is a follow-on paper to two previous Juno papers listed in the References section.
Absorption of short duration pulses by small, scalable, tapered granular chains

Making shock proof layers is an outstanding challenge. Elastic spheres are known to repel softer than springs when gently squeezed but develop strong repulsion upon compression and the forces between adjacent spheres lead to ballistic-like energy transfer between them. Here we demonstrate that a small alignment of progressively shrinking spheres of a strong, light-mass material, placed horizontally in an appropriate casing, can absorb ∼80% (∼90%) of the incident force (energy) pulse. The system can be scaled down in size. Effects of varying the size, radius shrinkage and restitutive losses are shown via computed “dynamical phase diagrams.”
The effect of ethanol and high cholesterol diet on tissue lipids

Abstract The effect of moderate amounts of alcohol in rats on a high lipid diet were studied. It was found that alcohol tended to lower the cholesterol in the serum, kidney and liver and raise the triglyceride in the serum and aorta.
Alpha‐smooth muscle actin expression enhances cell traction force

Using an established corneal stromal cell differentiation model, we manipulated a-smooth muscle actin (a-SMA) protein expression levels in fibroblasts by treating them with TGF-b1, bFGF, TGF-b type I receptor inhibitor (SB-431542), and siRNA against a-SMA. The corresponding cell traction forces (CTFs) were determined by cell traction force microscopy. With all these treatments, we found that a-SMA is not required for CTF induction, but its expression upregulates CTF. This upregulation involves the modification of stress fibers but does not appear to relate to non-muscle myosin II expression or b-actin expression. Moreover, there exists a linear relationship between a-SMA protein expression level and CTF magnitude. Finally, CTFs were found to vary among a population of myofibroblasts, suggesting that a-SMA protein expression levels of individual cells also vary. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 64:248–257, 2007. ' 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Inconspicuous Nutrient Laden Surface Runoff from Mature Forest Sierran Watersheds

It is generally held that surface runoff in heavily forested ecosystems is minimal and therefore nutrient fluxes via runoff are unimportant. This is based in large measure on the absence of direct observation or remnant physical evidence. It is further held that protected forests with heavy understory and litter serve as a nutrient sink due to maximum uptake and interception. Our Sierran studies have detected the presence of surface runoff at several sites in the form of both overland and litter interflow with concentrations of NH4-N as high as 87.2 mg L−1, NO3-N as high as 95.4 mg L−1, and PO4-P as high as 24.4 mg L−1. Data suggest that nutrients are derived from the mature O-horizons, and that there has been little contact with the mineral soil or root zone where strong retention and/or uptake of these ions would be expected. Such contributions from overland/interflow could be particularly important in areas where ultra-oligotrophic lakes (e.g., Lake Tahoe) are now trending towards meso-oligotrophic status. We believe that fire exclusion in these systems may have exacerbated N and P inputs to Lake Tahoe and elsewhere by allowing unnatural buildups of O-horizons that are apparently a source of nutrients to surface runoff.
Time-resolved Fourier spectroscopy for phosphor characterization

The first results from a new method of time-resolved Fourier-transform spectroscopy using a continuously scanning spectrometer are presented. An energy-transfer problem in the rare-earth-activated crystal (Yb,Ho):KYF 4 is studied to demonstrate the potential of the new technique for characterization of phosphors.
Vertical Gaze Palsies From Medial Thalamic Infarctions Without Midbrain Involvement

Background Although the supranuclear pathways for vertical gaze control are not well defined, lesions of the mesencephalic reticular formation including the nucleus of Darkschewitsch, the rostral interstitial medial longitudinal fasciculus, the interstitial nucleus of Cajal, and the posterior commissure are known to produce vertical gaze palsies. MRI studies have not previously reported isolated thalamic lesions as the cause of vertical gaze palsies. Case Descriptions Three patients with acute paralysis of vertical gaze were imaged with MRI. Sagittal T1 and axial T1, T2, and proton-weighted images were obtained. All three patients had repeated scans performed from 3 days to 6 weeks after the original study. Two patients exhibited unilateral right thalamic infarcts (polar and paramedial territory), and one patient had a bilateral paramedian thalamic infarction. There was no evidence of midbrain involvement on any of the images. Conclusions Vertical gaze palsies are known to be produced by lesions of the rostral interstitial medial longitudinal fasciculus. This MRI study reveals thalamic infarctions without associated midbrain infarctions in three patients with vertical gaze palsies. This may be explained by interruption of supranuclear inputs.
Bloodless nasal alar surgery: another innovative use of the chalazion clamp.

Cutaneous tumors located on the nasal ala often pose challenges to a Mohs surgeon because of the ala’s unique anatomy. Hemostasis is difficult and, if not accomplished quickly and fully, leads to an obscured surgical field. Intraoperative trauma can result in both patient and surgeon due to frequent blotting and blood clearing attempts in a small anatomic area. The usual method of pressure application with gauze also leads to an obscured field and operative delays. Electrocautery is effective but results in charred and necrotic tissue in the wound, thereby risking potentially poor scarring and delayed healing in a cosmetically sensitive location. In addition, another problem in alar surgery is stabilization of the alar structure because it is firm but collapsible and contains a cosmetic unit–free margin.
Assessment of peripheral dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry measurements in peri-implant bone defects in dogs.

Background: The goal of this study was to assess the variability of peripheral dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (pDEXA) measurements in peri-implant bone defects in dogs. Methods: Ninety dental implants were inserted in edentulous areas of nine foxhound dogs and standardized peri-implant bone defects were created on the mesial and distal aspect of each fixture (N = 144 total). The animals were sacrificed at 1, 2, and 3 months, respectively. Bone mineral density measurements (BMD) were performed with the use of pDEXA. The calibration of the system was determined by generating four quality control plots using a phantom of known density value. A series of three repeated measurements of the peri-implant sites were made with repositioning of the region of interest. The measurements were performed at the mesial and distal peri-implant sites. The variability of the three BMD measurements was expressed as the coefficient of variation (CV), which is calculated as ([SD/mean] × 100). The difference in the CV between the mesial and distal sites was evaluated using an analysis of variance model for repeated measures accounting for timing of sacrifice (month 1, 2, 3), dog (1 through 9), side (left, right), and adjacent defect regions between implants (1 through 4). Results: The calibration of the pDEXA measured by means of the phantom resulted in a deviation of 0.17%, 0.52%, –0.17%, and 0.00%, respectively, for each of the four assessments. The average CV for the 72 mesial and 72 distal peri-implant sites was 5.22% ± 4.22% (median 3.50%; range 0.46% to 18.83%) and 5.37% ± 3.54% (median 4.64%; range 0.22% to 15.35%), respectively. After accounting for timing of sacrifice, dog, side, and position, there was not a statistically significant difference in the CV between the mesial and distal peri-implant sites (P = 0.75). This indicates that the peri-implant site did not significantly affect the variability of the BMD measurements. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the pDEXA is a non-invasive, convenient, and fast method to assess BMD around dental implants in animal studies. Limitations of the technique may have a negative impact in the precision of pDEXA when measuring small regions. J Periodontol 2004;75:658-662.
Comment and Reply on "Fossil vertebrate footprints in the Coconino Sandstone (Permian) of northern Arizona: Evidence for underwater origin"

Brand and Tang (1991) proposed that certain unusual vertebrate trackways "point to subaqueous deposition for at least part of the Coconino Sandstone." They supported their conclusions by demonstrating that western newts produce similar trackway configurations in aquarium experiments. While it is encouraging to see vertebrate ichnology play such a prominent role in fundamental questions concerning paleoenvironmental analysis, caution must be exercised when using track ways for radical reinterpretation of long-standing hypotheses (Lockley, 1991). As reviewed by Walker and Middleton (1979), several authors suggested a subaqueous origin for the Jurassic Navajo Sandstone, traditionally regarded as a classic eolian deposit. The presence of tracks, fossil wood, and root zones was subsequently used to argue convincingly for the original interpretation of an eolian origin (Stokes, 1978). Loope (1984) presented similar evidence to argue for an eolian, not subaqueous, origin for the Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone in eastern Utah. The interpretations of Brand and Tang therefore use vertebrate tracks to revive a controversial debate. The question becomes, Can the presence of footprints in a particular facies be used to suggest a subaerial origin while unusual trackway configurations in the same track assemblages are used to argue for subaqueous deposition? While Brand and Tang are to be congratulated for a thoroughexperimental study, which presents more Coconino track data than have appeared at any time since the inaugural studies of Gilmore (1926, 1927), several points warrant further comment. The majority of trackways in question can be assigned to the ichnogenus Laoporus, which has usually been attributed to some type of synapsid (see Baird in Spamer, 1984; McKeever, 1991). Moreover, such
Period Analysis of the Electroencephalogram: Normative Data

This paper presents results from research which utilized the technique of period analysis to evaluate electroencephalograms (EEGs) from a control population. Twenty-six subjects were selected for testing. EEGs were done in a special electrically shielded testing environment. Two hundred min of continuous KEG data were obtained. Electrodes were placed according to the International Federation 10–20 technique. Processing and analysis of the data were accomplished on a small laboratory computer. Eight “major periods” (4 Hz band width each) of the analog EEG signal were calculated. The normative data corresponding to this analysis is presented. No statistically significant differences were noted between opposing hemispheres. The findings present evidence and encouragement for the utilization of automated EEG analysis in a routine clinical setting.