cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Compound Motor Action Potential Measures Acute Changes in Laryngeal Innervation.

OBJECTIVE Vocal fold paralysis is caused by injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN). Current clinical measures of laryngeal innervation are often nonquantitative. Compound motor action potentials (CMAP) measure motor innervation. The goal of this study was to determine whether CMAP can quantify laryngeal innervation following acute nerve injury. STUDY DESIGN Animal study. METHODS Twelve canine hemilaryngeal preparations were used. The RLN was serially stimulated with increasing intensities until the nerve was maximally stimulated. The CMAP amplitude was measured for each intensity stimulation and correlated. Next, the RLN was incompletely transected, and the reduction in CMAP amplitude was correlated to the percentage of transected axons. The percentage of transected axons was determined using horseradish peroxidase (HRP) staining. RESULTS Combining all hemilaryngeal preparations, the submaximal stimulation of the RLN linearly correlated with the resultant CMAP amplitude (r = 0.83; 95% CI, 0.76-0.88). Following partial RLN transection, the percentage of remaining axons linearly correlated with the CMAP amplitude (r = 0.87; 95% CI, 0.34-0.98). CONCLUSIONS CMAP amplitude is a quantitative measure that may correlate with the degree of vocal fold innervation in canines. Following RLN injury, CMAP may help clinicians quantify the number of intact axons, assess the likelihood of recovery, and counsel patients on their prognosis.
Cardiorenal complications of immune checkpoint inhibitors

The development of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has driven a revolutionary change in cancer treatment. Although traditional chemotherapeutic agents remain the first-line option for most cancers, targeted immune therapies are emerging as standard treatments for advanced-stage cancers. These agents target cell surface checkpoint proteins to stimulate the recognition and destruction of cancer cells by the immune system. Clinical studies have demonstrated these immunotherapeutics to elicit favourable antitumour responses in a variety of chemotherapy-refractory malignancies. However, use of these agents can also induce immune-related adverse events (irAEs) in off-target organs, including the heart and kidney. The most common manifestations of heart and kidney damage are myocarditis and acute interstitial nephritis, respectively, but other manifestations have been reported and, although rare, these off-target effects can be life threatening. Available data suggest that ICIs induce their off-target effects through several mechanisms, including direct binding to cell surface proteins expressed in healthy tissue, activation of T cells that cross-react with off-target tissues, generation of autoantibodies or by increasing levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Greater understanding of the adverse effects of cancer immunotherapies and the underlying mechanisms will facilitate the development of biomarkers to identify at-risk patients and approaches to prevent these irAEs.
Trie-based rule processing for clinical NLP: A use-case study of n-trie, making the ConText algorithm more efficient and scalable.

Abstract Objective To develop and evaluate an efficient Trie structure for large-scale, rule-based clinical natural language processing (NLP), which we call n-trie. Background Despite the popularity of machine learning techniques in natural language processing, rule-based systems boast important advantages: distinctive transparency, ease of incorporating external knowledge, and less demanding annotation requirements. However, processing efficiency remains a major obstacle for adopting standard rule-base NLP solutions in big data analyses. Methods We developed n-trie to specifically address the token-based nature of context detection, an important facet of clinical NLP that is known to slow down NLP pipelines. N-trie, a new rule processing engine using a revised Trie structure, allows fast execution of lexicon-based NLP rules. To determine its applicability and evaluate its performance, we applied the n-trie engine in an implementation (called FastContext) of the ConText algorithm and compared its processing speed and accuracy with JavaConText and GeneralConText, two widely used Java ConText implementations, as well as with a standalone machine learning NegEx implementation, NegScope. Results The n-trie engine ran two orders of magnitude faster and was far less sensitive to rule set size than the comparison implementations, and it proved faster than the best machine learning negation detector. Additionally, the engine consistently gained accuracy improvement as the rule set increased (the desired outcome of adding new rules), while the other implementations did not. Conclusions The n-trie engine is an efficient, scalable engine to support NLP rule processing and shows the potential for application in other NLP tasks beyond context detection.
Double-resonance studies of electronically autoionizing states of molecular nitrogen

Double-resonance excitation of molecular nitrogen, N2, via selected rotational levels of the a′′ 1Σg+, v′ = 0 state has been used to probe the first two bands in the new Ogawa series [M. Ogawa, Can...
The maximum size of a partial spread II

Let n and t be positive integers with t2. The exact value of the maximum size partial (t1)-spread has been recently determined for t>r by the authors of this paper (see Nstase and Sissokho [21] (2016)).
Disciplining Race; Or, Racialized Disciplining?

“And all these [bodily] movements are made not out of habit but out of implicit knowledge. A slow composition of myself as a body in the middle of a spatial and temporal world—such seems to be the ...
Hydrotropic function of ATP in the crystalline lens.

Abstract The hypothesis proposed herein is presented to explain the unexpectedly high concentration of ATP and provide evidence to support its hydrotropic function in the crystalline lens determined using 31P NMR. The lens, historically considered to be a metabolically quiescent organ, has the requisite machinery to synthesize ATP, such that the homeostatic level is maintained at about 3 mM. This relatively high concentration of ATP has been found to be consistent among multiple mammalian species including humans. This millimolar quantity is many times greater than the micromolar amounts required for the other known functions of ATP. The recent postulation that ATP at millimolar concentrations functions as a hydrotrope in various cell/tissue homogenates preventing protein aggregation coupled with observations presented herein, provide support for extending the hypothesis that ATP functions as a hydrotrope not only in homogenates but in an intact functioning organ, the crystalline lens. Concentrations of ATP of this magnitude are hypothesized to be required to maintain protein solubility and effectively prevent protein aggregation. This concept is important considering protein aggregation is the etiology for age-related cataractogenesis. ATP is a common ubiquitous intracellular molecule possessing the requisite hydrotropic properties for maintaining intracellular proteins in a fluid, non-aggregated state. It is proposed that the amphiphilic ATP molecule shields the hydrophobic regions on intralenticular fiber cell protein molecules and provides a hydrophilic interfacial surface comprised of the ATP negatively charged triphosphate side chain. Evidence is presented that this side chain is exposed to and has been reported to organize intracellular interstitial water to form an interfacial rheologically dynamic water layer. Such organization of water is substantiated with the effect of deuterium oxide (heavy water) on ATP line widths of the side chain phosphates measured ex vivo by 31P NMR. A novel model is presented to propose how this water layer separates adjacent lens fiber cell proteins, keeping them from aggregating. This hypothesis proposes that ATP can prevent protein aggregation in normal intact lenses, and with declining concentrations can be related to the disease process in age-related cataractogenesis, an affliction that affects every older human being.
Caring for Patients With Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension

Abstract Spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) is a form of intracranial hypotension that often lacks uniformity in its presentation on physical assessment and radiological imaging studies among patients. SIH can be mistaken for a number of other unrelated conditions, and because it is also quite rare, many health care providers and patients are not familiar with this condition. These factors make SIH difficult to recognize and diagnose. This article seeks to bring greater awareness to health care professionals about SIH to direct patients affected by SIH to more appropriate and timely care. This work also offers suggestions for management of patients receiving an epidural blood patch, a common treatment for SIH.
Frequent Import and Multiple Sources of Dengue Fever have Changed the Epidemic Situation of the Disease in Fujian Province, China

Objective The aim of this study was to update the epidemic situation of dengue fever (DF) and provide new insights for the consideration of disease control in Fujian province, China. Methods Details about DF cases in Fujian reported during 2004–2017 were collected and analyzed. The envelope (E) genes of isolates of dengue virus (DENV) were sequenced for phylogenetic analysis. Results The number of imported DF cases had increased dramatically since 2013, and the source regions expanded from Southeast Asia to South Asia, America, Oceania, and Africa, as well as the surrounding provinces. This resulted in local outbreaks and indigenous cases of DF that occurred more frequently, with 10 of 13 local outbreaks and 85.9% (1,252/1,458) of indigenous cases reported in 2013–2017. Compared with only two coastal cities before 2013, four coastal and one inland city in 2013–2017 experienced the local DF outbreaks. The phylogenetic analysis of E genes confirmed that the import of DENV, not only from abroad but also from the surrounding provinces, played an important role in dissemination and local outbreaks of DF in Fujian. Conclusions The frequent import of DF cases from not only abroad but also the surrounding provinces resulted in increased incidence, frequent local outbreaks, and expansion of distribution in Fujian in recent years. There is a need for urgent measures to improve disease control in this province.
On Emerging Technology: What to Know When Your Patient Has a Microchip in His Hand

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology uses an antenna to respond to an incoming signal by sending an outgoing message. This technology has been in use for over 50 years and is common in daily activities such as tapping a credit card to a reader, swiping an ID badge to open a door, paying highway tolls, and operating keyless entry cars. This technology can be implanted, such as in the microchips used to identify domestic pets. Since 1998, RFID chips have also been implanted in humans. This practice is little studied but appears to be increasing; rice-sized implants are implanted by hobbyists and even offered by some employers for uses ranging from access to emergency medical records to entry to secured workstations. These implants are of special concern to hand surgeons because they are most commonly placed in the subcutaneous dorsal first web space. The US Food and Drug Administration first approved this technology in 2004, with stated potential risks including adverse tissue reaction, migration of the implanted transponder, compromise of information security, electrical hazards, and magnetic resonance imaging incompatibility. Here, we explain implanted RFID technology, its potential uses, and what is and is not known about its safety. We present images of a patient with an RFID chip who presented to our clinic for acute metacarpal and phalangeal fractures, to demonstrate the clinical and radiographic appearance of these chips.
Mechanistic Insights into C–H Borylation of Arenes with Organoiridium Catalysts Embedded in a Microporous Metal–Organic Framework

Organometallic iridium catalysts can be used in conjunction with bispinacolatodiboron (B2Pin2) to effect the borylation of a variety of substrates such as arenes, alkanes, heteroarenes, and oxygena...
Training Load and Injury Among Middle School-Aged Athletes.

Context Young athletes are encouraged to participate in high-intensity sport programs. However, most research on the association between training volume (TV) and injury has been performed on adult or professional athletes. Objective To evaluate the association between acute and chronic TV (hours/week) and reported injury (yes/no) and evaluate the relationship between acute : chronic TV and injury while controlling for sex, age, and prior injury in young athletes. Design Cohort study. Setting Online surveys. Patients or other participants Middle school-aged adolescents. Main outcome measure(s) We conducted a baseline survey at the start of the 2017-2018 academic year. The baseline survey solicited information regarding demographics, injury history, and primary sport. Subsequent surveys were delivered electronically at the start of each week. Information obtained with the weekly survey included weekly TV and injuries sustained the previous week. Injuries were reported and classified (eg, acute or gradual onset) by the participants. Weekly TV was aggregated as rolling averages over the prior 2, 3, and 4 weeks. Acute:chronic TV was calculated for each participant for every week as the prior week TV divided by the TV during the prior 2 (1 : 2), 3 (1 : 3), and 4 (1 : 4) weeks of the study period. Results A total of 244 recruits participated. Higher average TV over the prior 4 weeks (odds ratio [OR] = 0.97; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.93, 1.00; P = .05) was associated with fewer reported injuries. Additionally, higher average TV over the prior 2 (OR = 0.96; 95% CI = 0.93, 0.99; P = .04), 3 (OR = 0.95; 95% CI = 0.91, 0.99; P = .02), and 4 (OR = 0.95; 95% CI = 0.91, 0.99; P = .05) weeks was associated with fewer reported acute injuries the following week. Acute:chronic TV and any injury type were not related. Conclusions Consistent, higher levels of physical activity may offer protection against acute injury in young athletes.
EGFR phosphorylates HDAC1 to regulate its expression and anti-apoptotic function.

HDAC1 is the prototypical human histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzyme responsible for catalyzing the removal of acetyl group from lysine residues on many substrate proteins. By deacetylating histones and non-histone proteins, HDAC1 has a profound effect on the regulation of gene transcription and many processes related to cell growth and cell death, including cell cycle progression, DNA repair, and apoptosis. Early studies reveal that, like most eukaryotic proteins, the functions and activities of HDAC1 are regulated by post-translational modifications. For example, serine phosphorylation of HDAC1 by protein kinase CK2 promotes HDAC1 deacetylase enzymatic activity and alters its interactions with proteins in corepressor complexes. Here, we describe an alternative signaling pathway by which HDAC1 activities are regulated. Specifically, we discover that EGFR activity promotes the tyrosine phosphorylation of HDAC1, which is necessary for its protein stability. A key EGFR phosphorylation site on HDAC1, Tyr72, mediates HDAC1’s anti-apoptotic function. Given that HDAC1 overexpression and EGFR activity are strongly related with tumor progression and cancer cell survival, HDAC1 tyrosine phosphorylation may present a possible target to manipulate HDAC1 protein levels in future potential cancer treatment strategies.
Advanced Hemodynamic Support

The advances in interventional cardiology have resulted in the shift towards PCI as opposed to CABG in high-risk complex lesions, especially in surgically non-amenable lesions. The use of LV assist devices has increased the odds of success and has decreased mortality, morbidity, and overall healthcare costs [1–4]. Cardiogenic shock complicates 5–8% of STEMI and is a major cause of in-hospital mortality up to 50% [5]. Unloading of the myocardium mechanically may limit infarct size, maintain end-organ perfusion, and decrease myocardial oxygen demand [6–8].
Nicotine-related misperceptions among faculty and students at a Midwestern dental school.

Purpose/objectives To determine the perceptions about the ill-effects of nicotine in students and faculty at a Midwestern dental school. This information will help inform the school and improve teaching on this subject during a time when electronic nicotine delivery systems are increasingly popular. Methods An online survey of dental students and faculty of a Midwestern dental school was deployed in November, 2020 to determine their level of misperception about the ill effects of nicotine. An online Qualtrics survey was administered to approximately 212 predoctoral students at a dental institution and approximately 100 part- and full-time faculty at the same school. Results The response rate for faculty was 55.1% and that for students was 37.5%. The majority of faculty and students "agreed" or "strongly agreed" that nicotine causes cancer, birth defects, cardiovascular disease, oral inflammation, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Conclusions Dental school faculty and students linked the risks of smoking tobacco to nicotine. Based on the results of this study, we feel our institution's curriculum should consider including information specific to nicotine in addition to tobacco in general.
1 – Introduction to normative public sector theory

Publisher Summary This chapter presents an introduction to the normative public sector theory. Public sector economics is the study of government economic policy. Its primary goal is to determine whether government policies promote a society's economic objectives. The advanced Western market economies experienced enormous growth in the size and influence of their government sectors during the past half of the twentieth century and economic analysis of the public sector has reflected this growth. The macroeconomic theory of the public sector, commonly referred to as fiscal policy, has received little attention. The normative theory considers what governments ought to do in accordance with norms that are broadly accepted by a society. A normative analysis must make assumptions about how agents will respond to various government polices; otherwise, it cannot predict whether a given policy will achieve particular norms. The chapter concludes with a review of the empirical literature on various responses to government policies.
FAA’s National Simulation Capability

The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is beginning a major thrust to define and develop the 21st century aviation system for the United States. During the 1980’s the FAA began a major upgrade of the communication, navigation/landing, surveillance, and air traffic control (ATe) automation systems that make up the aviation system’s infrastructure. The National Weather Service has invested billions of dollars in ,upgrading its infrastructure and will, in partnership with the FAA, be able to provide much more timely and accurate weather data and forecasts to the aviation community in the years ahead. Satellite navigation and communication systems are coming into place and their use in aviation is predicted to increase dramatically by the turn of the century. Increasingly sophisticated avionics in the cockpit will lead to dramatic changes in the way aircraft interact with the rest of the aviation system. Finally, the ever increasing power of the computer will let us give the air traffic controller and flow manager of tomorrow more sophisticated tools to manage traffic more efficiently and to control the traffic with greater safety.
Tri-Gate Transistor Architecture with High-k Gate Dielectrics, Metal Gates and Strain Engineering

We have combined the benefits of the fully depleted tri-gate transistor architecture with high-k gate dielectrics, metal gate electrodes and strain engineering. High performance NMOS and PMOS trigate transistors are demonstrated with IDSAT=1.4 mA/mum and 1.1 mA/mum respectively (IOFF=100nA/mum, VCC =1.1V and LG=40nm) with excellent short channel effects (SCE)-DIBL and subthreshold swing, DeltaS. The contributions of strain, the lang100rang vs. lang110rang substrate orientations, high-k gate dielectrics, and low channel doping are investigated for a variety of channel dimensions and FIN profiles. We observe no evidence of early parasitic corner transistor turn-on in the current devices which can potentially degrade ION-IOFF and DeltaS
Evidence of population-level lateralized behaviour in giant water bugs, Belostoma flumineum Say (Heteroptera: Belostomatidae): T-maze turning is left biased.

Lateralized behaviour occurs in diverse animals, but relatively few studies examine the phenomenon in invertebrates. Here we report a population-level left turn bias in the giant water bug Belostoma flumineum Say (Heteroptera: Belostomatidae) in an underwater T-maze. Individuals made significantly more left turns than right turns, including when they were naive and first introduced to the maze. Water bugs also showed significantly longer runs of consecutive left turns than right turns (i.e. LLLLL). The length of these runs, however, did not increase with experience in the maze, suggesting that the effect is not the result of learning. There were also no differences in turning bias between male and female water bugs. The proximate mechanism(s) underlying the left turn bias is unknown, but directional cues in the environment were eliminated by rotating the maze 180 degrees between experiments, suggesting the mechanism(s) is endogenous. To our knowledge this is the first study of lateralized behaviour in the Heteroptera or in a swimming invertebrate animal.
Electromodulated infrared transmission spectra of blue bronze

The infrared transmission of the quasi-one dimensional charge-density-wave (CDW) conductor blue bronze (K0.3MoO3) is affected by polarization of the CDW, and therefore by application of a voltage near or above the threshold for CDW depinning. In this paper, we compare the spectra associated with the relative change in transmission taken for different temperatures and oscillating voltages. We find that the phonon spectrum is affected by CDW polarization; the linewidths or frequencies of most phonons change by cm-1. However, no new intragap states that can be associated with current injection are observed; i.e. the spectra associated with polarization of the CDW in the crystal bulk is identical to that associated with CDW current injection near the contacts. Our results indicate that, for light polarized perpendicular to the conducting chains, the density (n), cross-section , and bandwidth of intragap states are related by: n (Acm-1)-1. For expected values of the cross-section and bandwidth, this implies that the intragap states can be optically excited for a time less than s.
Monitoring the inconclusive rate in quantum key distribution

Based on recent analyses of the inconclusive rate as a disturbance measure in quantum cryptography [Phys. Rev. A 62, 042310 (2000)], the least-effective inconclusive-rate monitoring threshold is calculated for a POVM quantum key receiver disturbed by a general unitary probe.
A modified steam-methane-reformation reaction for hydrogen production

Abstract Hydrogen is mostly produced by the Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) reaction which adds many tonnes of carbon emissions to the environment for each tonne of hydrogen. A modified scheme for carbon-emission free production of hydrogen, which involves sodium hydroxide, methane and steam, has been explored here. The modification of the SMR reaction is CH 4 + 2NaOH + H 2 O = Na 2 CO 3 + 4H 2 The modified reaction has several advantages: it does not require catalysis, the temperature of reaction is considerably reduced and the products are industrially important. By this process, we can produce hydrogen without any carbon dioxide emission as shown in this theoretical and experimental study. The reaction has been studied in the temperature range of 873–1073 K in an open configuration for 30 min and at various methane and constant water vapor flow. It is determined that at a methane flow rate of 25 ml/min the reaction is 98% complete at 873 K.
Circumferential Intimal Tear Causing Obstruction of the Aortic Arch: An Unusual Complication of Aortic Dissection

Abstract A 66-year-old man was first seen because of occlusive disease of the aortic arch vessels secondary to a Type I aortic dissection. At operation, circumferential detachment of the intima was found with intussusception of this flap into the descending aorta causing obliteration of the arch vessels. There has been only one previous report of circumferential intimal intussusception complicating aortic dissection.
Infra-Red Is Not A Panacea - Use Discretion

Infra-red thermography by itself, despite much wishful thinking, will not quantify heat losses, nor is it always cost-effective when used for other purposes, but it does have a place as a useful tool when used with discretion.© (1976) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Super-resolution in positron emission tomography

ABSTRACT A method that promises to substantially improve the quality of images obtained by positron emission tomography (PET)' is reviewed. The technique increases the spatial resolution of PET images by applying signal recovery to data obtained by ascanning data acquisition system. Many modes of motion can be used in conjunction with signal recovery to enhance resolution along various spatial dimensions. We bnefly discuss two such motion strategies: axial motion and wobble. 1. INTRODUCTION The 1990s have been designated by the U.S. Congress as the "Decade of the Brain" to acknowledge the significant advances being made in understanding the brain and its workings. Among the most important tools at the forefront of this effort is PET, which provides quantitative information about the function of the living brain through tomographic measurements of the spatial distribution of radioactive tracer materials introduced into the subject. By acquiring PET images of the brain under
Detection of multiscatter targets in K -distributed clutter

Results are obtained for the probability of single-pulse detection of an N -glint target immersed in K -distributed clutter. The results are applicable to low-grazing-angle detection of realistic targets in heavy ground and sea clutter.
Line-Scanning Reflectance Confocal Microscopy of Human Skin: Comparison of Full-pupil and Divided-pupil Configurations

Line-scanning, with pupil engineering and the use of linear array detectors, may enable simple, small, and low-cost confocal microscopes for clinical imaging of human epithelial tissues. However, a fundamental understanding of line-scanning performance within the highly scattering and aberrating conditions of human tissue is necessary, to translate from benchtop instrumentation to clinical implementation. The results of a preliminary investigation for reflectance imaging in skin are reported.
Generalizing foraging theory for analysis and design

Foraging theory has been the inspiration for several decision-making algorithms for task-processing agents facing random environments. As nature selects for foraging behaviors that maximize lifetime calorie gain or minimize starvation probability, engineering designs are favored that maximize returned value e.g. profit or minimize the probability of not reaching performance targets. Prior foraging-inspired designs are direct applications of classical optimal foraging theory OFT. Here, we describe a generalized optimization framework that encompasses the classical OFT model, a popular competitor, and several new models introduced here that are better suited for some task-processing applications in engineering. These new models merge features of rate maximization, efficiency maximization, and risk-sensitive foraging while not sacrificing the intuitive character of classical OFT. However, the central contributions of this paper are analytical and graphical methods for designing decision-making algorithms guaranteed to be optimal within the framework. Thus, we provide a general modeling framework for solitary agent behavior, several new and classic examples that apply to it, and generic methods for design and analysis of optimal task-processing behaviors that fit within the framework. Our results extend the key mathematical features of optimal foraging theory to a wide range of other optimization objectives in biological, anthropological, and technological contexts.
Asymmetric PVDF hollow-fiber membranes for organic/water pervaporation separations

Abstract Asymmetric PVDF hollow-fiber pervaporation membranes, with an inner diameter of 0.05–0.06 cm, an outer diameter of 0.07–0.08 cm, and a dense layer (≈ 3 μm in thickness) on the inner fiber wall, have been fabricated and tested for the removal of ppm concentrations of organics from water. Membranes were made by air-drying the outside of the fibers for ca. 20 s and passing a fluid through the fiber bore. The set of casting conditions that produced the best hollow fiber, with a benzene separation factor of 1834 (for a 120 ppm benzene-in-water feed solution at 25°C and a downstream pressure of 0.025 atm) and a tensile strength 26.8 MPa, was a spinning solution of 25 wt% PVDF/30 wt% dimethylacetamide/45 wt% acetone and a bore fluid of 70 vol% water/25 vol% acetone/5 vol% dimethylacetamide. These membranes also effectively separated toluene, chloroform, and styrene from water. A small module containing 6–30 PVDF hollow fibers performed equally well for organic extraction from water with either a bore-side or shell-side feed when the feed-flow rate was sufficiently high to eliminate concentration polarization. Changes in organic flux and separation factor for variations in the organic feed concentration, downstream pressure, and temperature were qualitatively similar to those observed with asymmetric flat sheet PVDF pervaporation membranes.
The community practice program at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, U.S.A.

The Community Dentistry Department of the University of Michigan has coordinated a community practice program since fall 1971. The program provides a broad range of experiences, including work with penal institutions, a major hospital, homes for the retarded, rural and urban clinics, an institution training dental assistants, and a summer migrant program. The purpose of the third year field experiences is to allow dental students to observe the relationship of dental and other health problems to individuals and social groups in a community setting and to become familiar with factors affecting the distribution of dental disease. The senior year experiences afford students an opportunity to perform clinical dental procedures in a community health environment and to become aware of social, economic, political and cultural factors affecting dental health and dental practice. It has been found that combining clinically-related experiences with community-related experiences results in much higher student motivation and enthusiasm. All dental students are required to spend seven days on community practice during their junior and senior years. The school feels that these extramural experiences bring about an awareness of and interest in the many opportunities that exist for guiding a community toward better dental health.
Evidence and mechanism of Hurricane Fran‐Induced ocean cooling in the Charleston Trough

Evidence of enhanced sea surface cooling during and following the passage of Hurricane Fran in September 1996 over an oceanic depression located on the ocean margin offshore of Charleston, South Carolina (referred to as the Charleston Trough), [Pietrafesa, 1983] is documented. Approximately 4C° of sea surface temperature (SST) reduction within the Charleston Trough following the passage of Hurricane Fran was estimated based on SST imagery from Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) on the NOAA-14 polar orbiting satellite. Simulations using a three-dimensional coastal ocean model indicate that the largest SST reduction occurred within the Charleston Trough. This SST reduction can be explained by oceanic mixing due to storm-induced internal inertia-gravity waves.
Dwelling in the Text: Houses in American Fiction

What is a house? And what can architecture tell us about individual psychology, national character and aspiration? The house holds a central place in American mythology, as Marilyn Chandler demonstrates in a series of "house tours" through American novels, beginning with Thoreau's "Walden" and ending with Toni Morrison's "Beloved" and Marilynne Robinson's "Housekeeping". Chandler illuminates the complex analogies between house and psyche, house and family, house and social environment, and house and text. She traces a historical path from settlement to unsettledness in American culture and explores all the rituals in between: of building, decorating, inhabiting, and abandoning houses. She notes the ambivalence between our desire for rootedness and our romanticization of wide open spaces, relating these poles to the tension between materialism and spirituality in our national character.At a time when housing has become a problem of unprecedented dimensions in America, this look at the place of houses and homes in the American imagination reveals some sources of the attitudes, assumptions, and expectations that underlie the designing and building of the homes we buy, sell, and dream about.
A high performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of albuterol enantiomers in human serum using solid phase extraction and chemical derivatization

A high performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for the simultaneous assay of R(-)- and S(+)-albuterol in human serum. The assay involves solid phase extraction as a sample clean-up step and derivatization of racemic albuterol to its diastereomeric thioureas with 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl isothiocyanate. Chromatographic separation was accomplished under isocratic conditions using an octadecylsilane column and a mobile phase consisting of 29:71 acetonitrile:distilled water containing 0.1% triethylamine, pH 4.0 (adjusted with concentrated phosphoric acid) at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min. The diastereomers were detected using a fluorescence detector set at 223 nm excitation and no emission filter. Racemic bamethane was used as internal standard. Drug to internal standard peak-height ratios were linear over a 2-20 ng/mL range for each enantiomer. The limit of detection of each analyte was 1.0 ng/mL (S/N = 3).
Liposome-mediated DNA uptake and transient expression in Thermotoga.

We report here the successful application of a PCR-based method to detect genetic transformation of Thermotoga neapolitana and Thermotoga maritima. Plasmid vectors were constructed using pRQ7, an 846-bp plasmid found in Thermotoga species strain RQ7, which replicates by a rolling circle mechanism. The vector pJY1 was constructed by placing a gene encoding a thermostable chloramphenicol acetyltransferase from Staphylococcus aureus under the control of the tac promoter and joining this with pRQ7 in a pBluescript vector. A second vector, pJY2, was similarly constructed using a gene encoding a kanamycin nucleotidyltransferase previously engineered for thermostability. Genetic transformation of T. neapolitana and T. maritima spheroplasts was achieved using cationic liposomes. The transforming DNA was detected in cells grown in liquid cultures using polymerase chain reaction amplification of the cat or kan genes. T. neapolitana could maintain pJY1 for at least 25 generations in liquid medium containing chloramphenicol. The pJY2 vector conferred kanamycin resistance to T. maritima cells grown in liquid culture. Isolation of stable transformants on solid media after 2–3 days of incubation at 77°C was not possible with either vector, probably because of the instability of both vectors and antibiotics under these conditions. However, this transformation procedure provides, for the first time, a method to introduce DNA into this hyperthermophilic bacterium for potential applications such as targeted gene disruption analyses.
Precambrian lithospheric controls on the development of the East African rift system

We propose a new kinematic framework for the East African rift system linking the development of the Eastern and Western rifts via stress transmission across the Archean Tanzania craton. The proposal is based on three observations. (1) A new map of uppermost-mantle P-wave velocities beneath Tanzania, in combination with the results of other seismic, gravity, heat-flow, and xenolith studies, reveals that the craton's thick, cold lithosphere has largely resisted modification by the Cenozoic extensional tectonism and has therefore behaved as a rigid tectonic block. (2) As the southward-propagating Eastern rift reached the craton margin ca. 12–10 Ma, the Western rift began to develop. (3) Subsequently, the Western rift enlarged into a 2500-km-long system of en echelon rift basins while development of the Eastern rift stalled where it ran into the craton. These observations suggest that when the Eastern rift reached the margin of the rigid craton ca. 12–10 Ma, the transmission of extensional stresses across the strong cratonic lithosphere caused rift faulting to develop in the weaker mobile-belt lithosphere on the west side of the craton. This new kinematic framework for rift development is consistent with models for both active and passive rifting in East Africa.
Education in Farm Production: The Case of Taiwan

The role of education in production is studied for the medium-stage developing agriculture of Taiwan. Results suggest that, in a densely populated agriculture where production is typically carried out by small family farms, education of farmers of a moderate level (about six years of schooling on average) is able to contribute to production when rapid development is in progress. Unlike in U.S. agriculture, the contribution of worker effect surpasses that of allocative and scale effects, suggesting that the relative importance of these effects may vary with farm size and with the average level of education.
Growth and Properties of Hybrid Organic‐Inorganic Metalcone Films Using Molecular Layer Deposition Techniques

Molecular layer deposition (MLD) is a useful technique for fabricating hybrid organic-inorganic thin fi lms. MLD allows for the growth of ultrathin and conformal fi lms using sequential, self-limiting reactions. This article focuses on the MLD of hybrid organic-inorganic fi lms grown using metal precursors and various organic alcohols that yield metal alkoxide fi lms. This family of metal alkoxides can be described as “metalcones”. Many metalcones are possible, such as the “alucones” and “zincones” based on the reaction of trimethylaluminum and diethylzinc, respectively, with various organic diols such as ethylene glycol. Alloys of the various metalcones with their parent metal oxide atomic layer deposition (ALD) fi lms can also be fabricated that have an organic-inorganic composition that can be adjusted by controlling the relative number of ALD and MLD cycles. These metalcone alloys have tunable chemical, optical, mechanical, and electrical properties that may be useful for designing various functional fi lms. The metalcone hybrid organic-inorganic materials offer a new tool set for engineering thin fi lm properties.
Unipedal stance testing in the assessment of peripheral neuropathy.

Abstract Hurvitz EA, Richardson JK, Werner RA. Unipedal stance testing in the assessment of peripheral neuropathy. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2001;82:198-204 Objective: To define further the relation between unipedal stance testing and peripheral neuropathy. Design: Prospective cohort. Setting: Electroneuromyography laboratory of a Veterans Affairs medical center and a university hospital. Patients: Ninety-two patients referred for lower extremity electrodiagnostic studies. Main Outcome Measures: A standardized history and physical examination designed to detect peripheral neuropathy, 3 trials of unipedal stance, and electrodiagnostic studies. Results: Peripheral neuropathy was identified by electrodiagnostic testing in 32%. These subjects had a significantly shorter ( p Conclusions: Unipedal stance testing is useful in the clinical setting both to identify and to exclude the presence of peripheral neuropathy.
Thermal properties of metamorphic buffer materials for growth of InP double heterojunction bipolar transistors on GaAs substrates

Metamorphic double heterojunction bipolar transistors (MDHBT) using InP or InAlP as metamorphic buffer layers were grown on GaAs substrates. For devices using InP buffer layers on GaAs substrates, measured junction-ambient temperature rise at 7.5 mW power dissipation is comparable to those of devices grown on InP substrates, while much larger temperature rises are observed when InAlP buffer layers are employed. By comparing the measured temperature rise with that computed as a function of the known transistor geometry and unknown buffer-layer thermal conductivity, we estimate that the thermal conductivity of a uniform InP buffer layer is 35/spl plusmn/5 W/k-m, while a linearly graded InAlP buffer layer with 0.2 /spl mu/m InP upper layer has 8/spl plusmn/3 W/k-m effective thermal conductivity. These results strongly suggest the use of InP metamorphic buffer layers in metamorphic InP-based DHBTs grown on GaAs substrates.
Observations of large-scale fluid transport by laser-guided plankton aggregationsa)

Diel vertical migration of plankton has been proposed to affect global ocean circulation to a degree comparable to winds and tides. This biomixing process has never been directly observed, however, due to the inability to predict its occurrence in situ or to reproduce it in a laboratory setting. Furthermore, it has been argued that the energy imparted to the ocean by plankton migrations occurs at the scale of individual organisms, which is too small to impact ocean mixing. We describe the development of a multi-laser guidance system that leverages the phototactic abilities of plankton to achieve controllable vertical migrations concurrently with laser velocimetry of the surrounding flow. Measurements in unstratified fluid show that the hydrodynamic interactions between neighboring swimmers establish an alternate energy transfer route from the small scales of individually migrating plankton to significantly larger scales. Observations of laser-induced vertical migrations of Artemia salina reveal the appearance of a downward jet, which triggers a Kelvin-Helmholtz instability that results in the generation of eddy-like structures with characteristic length scales much larger than the organisms. The measured energy spectrum is consistent with these findings and indicates energy input at large scales, despite the small individual size of the organisms. These results motivate the study of biomixing in the presence of stratification to assess the contribution of migrating zooplankton to local and global ocean dynamics. The laser control methodology developed here enables systematic study of the relevant processes.
A survey of communication skills in computerscience/software engineering (CS/SE) abet-accredited programs

The project aims to understand how communication education is typically integrated into a school's curriculum, and to determine whether they continuously integrate, utilize a dedicated communications class, or deliver in another format. This extension of the NC State University and Miami University project titled "CPATH II: Incorporating Communication Outcomes into the Computer Science Curriculum" aims to improve reading, writing, speaking and teaming (RWST) education for college students majoring in computer science and/or software engineering (CS/SE) nationwide. An initial survey of student outcomes in ABET-accredited CS/SE program curricula, which revealed that the largest amount of explicitly and implicitly stated communication outcomes were in capstone, senior design, and software engineering course objectives. As part of this research, our team is collecting information about how and where technical and professional communication skills are taught in the variety of ABET-accredited CS/SE undergraduate programs nationwide. Online surveys sent through email to department chairs, program heads, and undergraduate coordinators will collect descriptions of each school's CS/SE program and how they incorporate RSWT skills in their curricula. We expect to learn of any variables that affect how and when a communication outcome is incorporated into a curriculum, and to understand the amount of communication that is being taught in these programs. This is valuable because it determines the degree of communication skills that are being taught in CS/SE programs, a necessary baseline for future CS/SE curriculum research.
Acute, Bilateral, Concurrent Central Retinal Artery Occlusion in Sickle Cell Disease After Use of Tadalafil (Cialis)

Importance Sickle cell disease (SCD) is characterized by vaso-occlusive crisis. In the eye, central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is a rare complication in SCD, with only 1 previous report of bilateral, concurrent CRAO. We report a case of bilateral, concurrent CRAO in a patient with SCD, possibly precipitated by the use of phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors. Observations A 37-year-old African American woman with a known medical history significant for SCD and pulmonary arterial hypertension who was receiving treatment with tadalafil, a phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor, developed bilateral, concurrent CRAO that persisted after exchange transfusion. Conclusions and Relevance Bilateral CRAO secondary to SCD is extremely rare, with only 1 previous case report in the literature. The use of phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors is an additional risk factor and may have contributed to the development of concurrent CRAO in this patient.
High In-hospital mortality after percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy: results of a nationwide population-based study.

Background & Aims It is important to carefully select patients who undergo endoscopic procedures, to optimize health care. Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is a frequently performed invasive endoscopic procedure that has been associated with high short-term mortality. We used a national database to determine the incidence of, and factors associated with, in-hospital mortality among patients undergoing PEG. Methods We conducted a nested, case-control, retrospective study using the US Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) to analyze data from all hospitalizations in 2006 with an International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision, procedure code for PEG. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed using demographic and clinical variables to identify predictors of in-hospital mortality after the procedure. A separate analysis using a propensity score matching technique was conducted to compare mortality with a control cohort. Results were validated in an independent analysis of 2007 NIS data. Results In-hospital mortality was 10.8% among 181,196 patients who underwent PEG in 2006 (95% confidence interval, 10.3%–11.3%). Odds of death increased with age (1%/y), congestive heart failure, renal failure, chronic pulmonary disease, coagulopathy, pulmonary circulation disorders, metastatic cancer, and liver disease. The indication for PEG was associated strongly with mortality. Women and patients with diabetes mellitus or paralysis had a lower risk of death. PEG was associated with slightly higher odds of in-hospital mortality compared with patients who did not undergo PEG. Qualitatively and quantitatively similar results were obtained when 2007 NIS data were analyzed. Conclusions The mortality rate is almost 11% among hospital inpatients after PEG. We have identified factors that increase and decrease the risk of death after PEG; these factors could improve patient selection for those most likely to benefit from this procedure.