cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
E-038 Initial single center experience with the neuroform atlas stent

Introduction Endovascular coil embolization of wide neck saccular aneurysms with stent assistance is a durable and effective technique. However, the majority of currently available stents require a large diameter deployment microcatheter. The Neuroform Atlas Stent (NAS) has just received FDA humanitarian device exception (HDE) for treatment of aneurysms measuring 2–4.5 mm. This stent has a low profile, and can be deployed through a 0.016 inch microcatheter. We review the technical success, and immediate efficacy and outcomes for patients treated with the NAS in our institution after FDA approval. Materials and methods A retrospective chart review identified patients with wide neck aneurysms treated with the NAS from January to April 2018, after FDA humanitarian device exception approval. Patient demographics, data and angiographic imaging were reviewed for stent parameters and configuration, technical success, complications, hospital length of stay, pre and post treatment NIHSS and modified Rankin scores. Results Twenty-seven NAS were deployed in 19 patients for 20 wide neck saccular aneurysms. There were 14 female patients (74%) with a mean age of 63.9 years. There were 5 male patients (26%) with a mean age of 60.4 years. Seventeen patients had elective unruptured aneurysm treatment, and 2 patients were treated for ruptured aneurysms. Stents were placed for both anterior and posterior circulation aneurysm locations: 10 at the anterior communicating artery, 3 basilar apex, 3 middle cerebral artery bifurcation, 2 A2/A3 anterior cerebral artery, 1 internal carotid artery terminus, and 1 in the posterior communicating artery region. The most common configuration was a single stent at the anterior communicating artery. A single stent was used for 14 aneurysms, and 2 stents each for the remaining 6 lesions. All stents were deployed successfully without technical complications. There were no intra-procedural stent-related complications. The average hospital length of stay for elective unruptured aneurysms was 1.4 days. There was no change in the admission NIHSS (range 0–1) or modified Rankin score (range 0–1) for any of the elective patients upon discharge. Follow-up evaluation after hospitalization was available for 5 patients at an average of 31±16.7 days, which found no change in their clinical status. Conclusion Our early short term single center data after recent FDA HDE approval suggests that the NAS is safe and technically feasible for the treatment of wide neck aneurysms in anterior and posterior circulation locations. Further research is needed to determine the long term efficacy and safety of this device. Disclosures J. Hardman: None. J. Tsai: None. A. Witek: None. N. Moore: None. P. Rasmussen: None. M. Bain: 2; C; Stryker consultant. M. Elgabaly: None. M. Hussain: None. T. Masaryk: None. G. Toth: None.
Dredge spoil deposits and distributions of invasive Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb. (Celastraceae, Oriental bittersweet) in a riparian ecosystem1

Invasive plants often benefit from ecological disturbances that allow them to gain a foothold and to achieve competitive superiority. One form of anthropogenic disturbance in coastal ecosystems is the deposition of sediments dredged for navigation and other purposes. Examples can be found in New York's Hudson River Estuary, now colonized by many terrestrial and aquatic invasive plant species, whose success may be related in part to a variety of anthropogenic disturbances. We investigated spatial patterns of a widespread colonization by Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb., Oriental (or Asiatic) bittersweet, across the 425-ha Schodack Island State Park, Rensselaer and Columbia Counties, NY. Populations were mapped and surveyed on a fixed grid to determine general distribution patterns. Of 146 sites examined, 59% contained populations of the target species, with mean estimated liana age of 9.3 yr, indicating a relatively recent population expansion. Stem densities were 88% higher in sites with dredged material substrate, which was found to be coarser, lower in organic matter, and lower in major nutrients. High-density populations of C. orbiculatus (> 50% cane cover) were found only on sites with dredge spoil substrate. Experimental tests were performed at 25 locations (five different site types) based on substrate properties (dredged substrate or native forested floodplain) and local C. orbiculatus densities (absent, 50%). Ten greenhouse-grown seedlings and 100 wild-harvested seeds were planted at each site and then tracked for their survival, growth, and evidence of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) inoculation. Transplants survived and grew at similar rates among the site types, but mean field germination, although low overall (< 5%), was three times higher in the dredge spoil substrate. All recovered transplants were inoculated in the field by AM, with somewhat higher within-plant frequencies (99.0% vs. 80.0%) among fine root sections from dredge spoil substrate. No overall differences in inoculation were found among sites with different C. orbiculatus densities, suggesting generalist fungal mutualisms. Most sites with dredge spoil deposition lie above tidal flood zones and thus are out of contact with natural disturbance dynamics, which may help explain the observed differences between substrate types. Given the widespread distribution and high dispersal potential of this plant species, targeted management will be needed to protect ecologically sensitive areas of the park, and our work suggests that management should include efforts to restore and enhance contact with natural tidal dynamics.
Abstract P212: Splanchnic and Hepatic Portal Hemodynamics in the Hypotensive Actions of 5-HT

Circulating 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) regulates mean arterial pressure (MAP) under some conditions. Infusion of low doses of 5-HT into rats leads to a sustained decrease in MAP which is prevented ...
Measuring Spanish Comprehension in Infants from Mixed Hispanic Communities Using the IDHC: A Preliminary Study on 16-Month-Olds

The MacArthur Inventario del Desarrollo de Habilidades Comunicativas: Primeras Palabras y Gestos (IDHC) is a widely-used parent report measure for infant Spanish language comprehension. The IDHC was originally created for use with infants of Mexican background. According to the U.S. 2017 census, however, about 37% of U.S. Hispanics are not of Mexican origin. In Miami-Dade, a large county in South Florida, 98% of Hispanics do not identify Mexico as their country of origin. IDHC use in mixed Hispanic communities such as Miami may be problematic due to differences in dialect and object labels. This study explored whether excluding IDHC words flagged as unknown or not commonly used by adults from mixed Hispanic communities affects bilingual infants’ vocabulary size. Data were collected from Hispanic 16-month-old infants (N = 27; females = 13) from a mixture of Latin American backgrounds residing in Miami, FL, USA, and compared to archival data from the IDHC Mexican norming sample (N = 60; females = 31). Findings indicate significant differences in the rate of comprehension between the two samples with infants from mixed Latin American backgrounds demonstrating lower rates of comprehension for words flagged as unknown/uncommon. Moreover, Spanish vocabulary scores for infants from mixed Hispanic communities were significantly lower compared to the Mexican norming sample. Use of total vocabulary score (i.e., Spanish + English) attenuated these issues in administrating the IDHC to bilingual infants from mixed Hispanic communities. Results suggest that comprehension of some IDHC words is influenced by Hispanic family background. These preliminary findings highlight potential issues in IDHC administration that require further investigation in additional samples spanning the full age range of the IDHC and from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds to effectively tune how we assess infant Spanish language comprehension to cultural differences.
MCDD: Multi-class Distribution Model for Large Scale Classification

A parallel and distributed machine learning framework are in need to deal with a large amount of data. We have seen unsatisfactory classification performance especially with increasing the number of classes. In this paper, we propose a distributed deep learning framework, called Multi-Class Discriminative Distribution (MCDD) that aims to distribute classes while improving the accuracy performance of the deep learning models with large scale datasets. The MCDD framework works on an evidence-based learning model for the optimal distribution of classes by computing a misclassification cost (i.e., confusion factor). These observations about learning attempts have been used to extend a classifier into a classification model hierarchy by learning an optimal distribution of classes. As a result, a distributed deep neural network model with multi-class classifiers (MCDD) was built to optimize the accuracy and performance of the learning process. The MCDD model runs on parallel environments, such as Apache Spark and Tensor Flow using large real-world datasets (Caltech-101, CIFAR-100, ImageNet-1K) showing that MCDD can build a class distribution model with higher accuracy compared to existing models.
Towards a Parent-Inclusive Attorney-Client Privilege

The current attorney-client privilege fails to provide a lawyer with the ability to include parents in counseling and advising young adult clients without waiving the privilege. Although there have been previous attempts to legislate a parent-child privilege, they have not been successful. This paper proposes a much more narrowly tailored solution. This article proposes for the first time that inclusion of a client’s parent in attorney-client meetings in an advisory capacity, disclosure to a client’s parent of attorney-client communications, and discussion between parent and child of the contents of such communications should not be treated as waiving the attorney-client privilege, so long as the relevant communications are not disclosed to anyone else. This paper does not propose a general testimonial privilege or confidential communications privilege between parent and child. Nor does it advocate a reciprocal child-inclusive privilege, which might allow children to become privy to their parents’ attorney-client confidential matters. It is designed solely to allow parents to help their young adult children navigate a legal system that can intimidate the best of us. In jurisdictions that have chosen or ultimately choose to adopt broader parent-child privileges, the proposed rule complements such privileges, but recognition of any more general parent-child privilege is not a necessary prerequisite to adoption of the rule proposed here.
Efficient GPU implementation of the integral histogram

The integral histogram for images is an efficient preprocessing method for speeding up diverse computer vision algorithms including object detection, appearance-based tracking, recognition and segmentation. Our proposed Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) implementation uses parallel prefix sums on row and column histograms in a cross-weave scan with high GPU utilization and communication-aware data transfer between CPU and GPU memories. Two different data structures and communication models were evaluated. A 3-D array to store binned histograms for each pixel and an equivalent linearized 1-D array, each with distinctive data movement patterns. Using the 3-D array with many kernel invocations and low workload per kernel was inefficient, highlighting the necessity for careful mapping of sequential algorithms onto the GPU. The reorganized 1-D array with a single data transfer to the GPU with high GPU utilization, was 60 times faster than the CPU version for a 1K ×1K image reaching 49 fr/sec and 21 times faster for 512×512 images reaching 194 fr/sec. The integral histogram module is applied as part of the likelihood of features tracking (LOFT) system for video object tracking using fusion of multiple cues.
Nanotreating High-Zinc Al–Zn–Mg–Cu Alloy by TiC Nanoparticles

High-zinc Al–Zn–Mg–Cu alloys offer the highest strength among all aluminum alloys mostly due to high-volume precipitates after heat treatment. However, the high zinc content makes the alloys more sensitive to hot cracking and stress corrosion cracking during solidification and solid state processing. Recently, a revolutionary method, Nanotreating, becomes significant in metals processing by introducing ceramic nanoparticles into metals. It is an emerging method to modify the microstructures (both primary and secondary phases) during solidification, deformation and heat treatment. In this work, In situ TiC nanoparticles were added into Al–8.6Zn–2.8Mg–1.8Cu alloy to study the nanotreating effects. The grain size of the as-cast alloy has been reduced significantly from 272.3 μm to about 30.4 μm by 1 vol% TiC nanoparticles. The size of remaining large secondary phase after heat treatment were reduced significantly as well. Furthermore, the hardness was enhanced. Nanotreating is promising as an effective approach to modify the microstructure, relieve the manufacturing difficulty, and enhance the properties of the high-zinc Al–Zn–Mg–Cu alloys for widespread applications.
Three-dimensional printer emissions and employee exposures to ultrafine particles during the printing of thermoplastic filaments containing carbon nanotubes or carbon nanofibers

Recent studies have reported emission rates of up to 1012 ultrafine particles/min from fused filament fabrication three-dimensional printers when operated in unventilated or minimally ventilated test chambers. However, in these studies, there are no data to relate this rate to airborne concentrations in a manufacturing environment. An assessment of particle exposures of workers was conducted at a three-dimensional printing shop using multiple fused filament printers with unfilled and carbon nanotube and/or carbon nanofiber-infused polyetheletherketone filaments. The study simultaneously evaluated emissions in two environments: (1) in a field portable test chamber with one three-dimensional printer and (2) in the manufacturing area with multiple printers in use. Emission rates were calculated for a variety of filaments and ranged from 1.21 to 33.5 × 1011 particles/min, with geometric mean diameters ranging from 11.4 to 33.3 nm. The emission rates estimated by a scanning mobility particle sizer were much lower than from the fast mobility particle sizer due to differences in the lower size resolution. Samples collected in the chamber and manufacturing area by thermophoretic sampling included free (no polymer) carbon nanotubes and nanofibers and their bundles. The company reportedly never handled free carbon nanotubes or nanofibers, and prior research has indicated that the release of free nanomaterials through three-dimensional printing or mechanical action is highly unlikely. This presents the possibility that these materials are being released from the matrix during use or that these materials were brought into the facility through the supply chain, or by other means.
Essential Work Is Gender Segregated: This Shapes the Gendered Representation of Essential Workers in Political Office

Objective: To understand how gender structures the occupations of essential workers and which essential workers serve in political office. Methods: We first use population-level data by gender and occupation to examine the gender segregation of occupations deemed essential. Using the population composition as our baseline, we then examine descriptive representation using a new data set that codes the presence of essential workers in 30 state legislatures over 15 years. Results: We show that men and women make up similar shares of the occupations considered essential during COVID, but the occupations that they hold are highly gender segregated. We find that women essential workers and those from women-dominated occupations are dramatically underrepresented in state legislatures. Conclusion: Documenting the (lack of) representation of essential workers, and particularly those from women-dominated occupations, in decision-making bodies is a critical first step to understanding policy making in response to COVID-19.
Entropy property testing with finitely many errors

Let $\mathcal{P}$ be a class of distributions over natural numbers, and A be a subset of ℝ+. We study the problem of deciding, using i.i.d. samples X 1 ,X 2 ,… from an unknown $p \in \mathcal{P}$, whether the entropy H(p) is in A or not. The decision is updated based on every new observation X n —we are interested in decision rules that make only finitely many errors no matter what the underlying source is. We give necessary and sufficient conditions on the class $\mathcal{P}$ and A that can be decided with only finitely many errors. We show for example that such rules exist for testing the rationality of entropy within a given interval, for testing if the entropy falls in an interval of form (a,b], but no such decision rule exists to determine if the entropy is finite or if the entropy falls in an interval of form [a,b]. In the process, we also highlight the conceptual foundation this framework shares with regularization.
SUPERSYMMETRIC AXION-NEUTRINO MODEL WITH A HIGGS HYBRID

In 2001, a supersymmetric model was proposed to relate the axion scale to that of neutrino mass seesaw. Whereas this scenario is realistic, the particles associated with this mechanism are either too heavy or too weakly coupled for them to be observed (other than the axion itself or perhaps the axino). A variation of that model is here proposed which allows significant mixing of the Higgs boson with a new singlet related to the saxion (the scalar partner of the pseudoscalar axion), rendering it possible to be observed at the large hadron collider (LHC). With the addition of exotic color superfields, this also becomes a specific realization of how the production of such a Higgs hybrid may be suppressed or enhanced at the LHC, which is very relevant to ongoing experimental efforts to find the Higgs boson.
The local projective shape of smooth surfaces and their outlines

We examine projectively invariant local properties of smooth curves and surfaces. Oriented projective differential geometry is proposed as a theoretical framework for establishing such invariants and describing the local shape of surfaces and their outlines. This framework is applied to two problems: a projective proof of Koenderink's famous characterization of convexities, concavities, and inflections of apparent contours; and the determination of the relative orientation of rim tangents at frontier points.
The Unconventional Self-Cleavage of Selenoprotein K

Abstract Through known association with other proteins, human selenoprotein K (selenok) is currently implicated in the palmitoylation of proteins, degradation of misfolded proteins, innate immune response, and the life cycle of SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, neither the catalytic function of selenok’s selenocysteine (Sec), which, curiously, resides in an intrinsically disordered protein segment nor selenok’s specific role in these pathways are known to date. This report casts these questions in a new light as it describes that selenok is able -both in vitro and in vivo- to cleave some of its own peptide bonds. The cleavages not only release selenok segments that contain its reactive Sec, but as the specific cleavage sites were identified, they proved to cluster tightly near sites through which selenok interacts with protein partners. Furthermore, it is shown that selenok’s cleavage activity is neither restricted to itself nor promiscuous but selectively extends to at least one of its protein partners. Together, selenok’s cleavage ability and its features have all hallmarks of a regulatory mechanism that could play a central role in selenok’s associations with other proteins and its cellular functions overall.
Vico and the Transformation of Rhetoric in Early Modern Europe

Considered the most original thinker in the Italian philosophical tradition, Giambattista Vico has been the object of much scholarly attention but little consensus. In this new interpretation, David L. Marshall examines the entirety of Vico's oeuvre and situates him in the political context of early modern Naples. Marshall presents Vico's work as an effort to resolve a contradiction. As a professor of rhetoric at the University of Naples, Vico had a deep investment in the explanatory power of classical rhetorical thought, especially that of Aristotle, Cicero, and Quintilian. Yet as a historian of the failure of Naples as a self-determining political community, he had no illusions about the possibility or worth of democratic and republican systems of government in the post-classical world. As Marshall demonstrates, by jettisoning the assumption that rhetoric only illuminates direct, face-to-face interactions between orator and auditor, Vico reinvented rhetoric for a modern world in which the Greek polis and the Roman res publica are no longer paradigmatic for political thought.
The SECCHI Solar Plasma Imager for STEREO

Abstract The S un- E arth C onnection C oronal and H eliospheric I nvestigation (SECCHI) consists of two identical telescope clusters, each having five telescopes. These telescope clusters will be mounted on the two spacecraft of the NASA STEREO Mission. They will be aimed so as to observe the Sun and the entire path from Sun to Earth. The two spacecraft will be in heliocentric orbit at approximately 1 AU, with one moving out ahead of the Earth in its annual path around the Sun; the other trailing behind the Earth. The spacecraft will be called STEREO-A (Ahead) and STEREO-B (Behin!) Over the course of a mission that is designed to last at least two years, each spacecraft will drift slowly away from the Sun-Earth line at a rate of about 22 degrees per year so that at the end of two years they will be able to see, for the first time, the plasma cloud of a coronal mass ejection (CME) from view angles separated by about 90 degrees. This will enable modeling of the three-dimensional structure of such a plasma cloud, direct measurement of its frontal velocity and volumetric expansion and, for CMEs heading toward Earth, detection and measurement of their earthward progress with greatly improved precision compared to previous coronagraphic experiments for which viewing has always been restricted to the Sun-Earth line of sight.
Sebaceous Carcinoma of the Eyelid: Analogy to Extramammary Paget’s Disease

We present a 69-year-old woman with a sebaceous carcinoma of the left upper eyelid, which originated from the Meibomian gland of the tarsal plate. The intraepidermal extension involved not only the conjunctival epithelium but also the overlying skin with subsequent extension into the dermis. The discussion will include diagnostic, both clinical and microscopic, considerations along with comparison to mammary Paget’s disease. Just as mammary Paget’s disease, which originates from the glands in the dermis eventuating in the seeding of the overlying epidermis, so too does sebaceous carcinoma of the eyelid. Accordingly, just as mammary Paget’s disease is often misdiagnosed as an inflammatory condition, so too is sebaceous carcinoma.
Learning decision rules for scheduling problems: a classifier hybrid approach

ABSTRACT A series of experiments to learn general rules for simple job shop scheduling tasks suggest that the classifier system may work best as a component of a larger system. Preliminary results demonstrate the system's ability to learn binary decision rules as a component of a sorting routine.
On-line signature verification using a nonstationary autoregressive model representation

A method of signature authentication has been developed based on an autoregressive (AR) model representation. A signature is considered to be a shape that is short-time stationary but undergoes gradual or abrupt changes as the signature is traced from start to finish. Based on this premise the signature is divided into a number of segments, each of which is represented by a 2nd order AR model. With this representation, verification tests conducted on a database of almost 1000 signatures yielded excellent results with error rates of about 8%. >
Purification and properties of m1-toxin, a specific antagonist of m1 muscarinic receptors.

The venom of the Eastern green mamba from Africa, Dendroaspis angusticeps, was found to block the binding of 3H-quinuclidinyl benzilate to pure m1 and m4 muscarinic ACh receptors expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells. The principal toxin in the venom with anti- m1 muscarinic activity was purified by gel filtration and reversed- phase HPLC. This toxin has 64 amino acids, a molecular mass of 7361 Da, and an isoelectric point of 7.04. Its cysteine residues are homologous with those in curare-mimetic alpha-neurotoxins, and with those in fasciculin, which inhibits AChE. At low concentrations the toxin blocked m1 receptors fully and pseudoirreversibly while having no antagonist activity on m2-m5 receptors; the toxin is therefore named “m1-toxin.” At higher concentrations m1-toxin interacted reversibly with m4 receptors, and half of the toxin dissociated in 20 min at 25 degrees C. The affinity of m1-toxin is therefore much higher for m1 than for m4 receptors. By comparison with m1-toxin, pirenzepine has sixfold higher affinity for m1 than for m4 receptors. Autoradiographs of muscarinic receptors in the rat brain demonstrated that m1-toxin blocked the binding of 2 nM 3H-pirenzepine only in regions known to bind m1-specific antibodies. Thus, m1-toxin is a much more selective ligand than pirenzepine for functional and binding studies of m1 muscarinic receptors.
Gender Differences in the Risk of Ischemic Stroke Associated With Aortic Atheromas

Background and Purpose—Atherosclerotic plaque of the proximal portion of the aorta is associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke in the elderly. Different cutoffs of plaque thickness have been used in the literature for risk stratification and have been applied to both men and women. However, the assumption that the relationship between plaque thickness and stroke risk is the same in the 2 genders has not been proven. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the prevalence of different degrees of aortic plaque thickness differed in men and women with ischemic stroke. Methods—We performed transesophageal echocardiography in 152 patients aged >59 years with acute ischemic stroke (76 men and 76 women) and in 152 control subjects of similar age (70 men and 82 women). Odds ratios (ORs) for ischemic stroke with 95% CIs for different plaque thickness definitions were calculated for the overall group and separately for men and women by logistic regression analysis after adjusting for age, arterial ...
Antioxidant capacity and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity in peel and flesh of blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) cultivars

Abstract This study was designed to evaluate cultivar variations in phenolic content, anthocyanin content, and antioxidant activity of peel and flesh; and to determine their potential inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase in 33 blueberry ( Vaccinium species) cultivars, including 29 rabbiteye ( Vaccinium ashei Reade) blueberries, two V. ashei hybrid derivatives, and two northern highbush ( Vaccinium corymbosum L.). The relation of phenolic, anthocyanin, and antioxidant activity to α-glucosidase inhibition in blueberries also was investigated. It was found that peel tissue possessed higher levels of total anthocyanins (TA), total phenolics (TP), antioxidant capacity, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity than flesh tissue in all blueberries tested. The percentage contributions of peel to whole berry on scavenging capacity against peroxyl free radicals (ROO ), hydroxyl radicals ( OH), hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), and singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) radicals, were higher than those of flesh, even though the fruit contained much higher amounts of flesh than peel in terms of dry weight. Cultivars with high levels of phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacities, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities could be selected for use in blueberry breeding programs to develop new lines with improved health benefits.
Acute Exacerbations of COPD: Delay in Presentation and the Risk of Hospitalization

To determine if a delay in presentation to the emergency department (ED) after the onset of symptoms of an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) increases the risk of hospital admission. A prospective cohort study utilizing data from 396 patient visits to 29 North American EDs. Inclusion criteria were age > or = 55 years; a diagnosis of COPD; and presentation for treatment of AECOPD, as defined by increasing shortness of breath, worsening cough, or change in sputum production at presentation. The median age was 69 years and 54% were female. Most patients (70%) presented to the ED > 24 hours after symptom onset, and most (61%) were hospitalized. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, after adjusting for 12 potential confounders (including demographics, clinical features, other diagnoses, and bronchodilator use before arrival), a delay in presentation > or = 24 hours was associated with a over two-fold increase in the odds of admission (odds ratio = 2.2, 95% confidence interval 1.1-4.8). This increase in risk persisted for delay in presentation > or = 12 hours in place of 24 hours, after restricting the analysis to patients admitted outside the intensive care unit, and to those reporting the ED as their usual site of care. A majority of patients delay presentation to the ED for > or = 24 hours after symptom onset, and are at higher risk of hospitalization. Early presentation should be emphasized to patients and caregivers to advance efforts to decrease the morbidity, mortality, and costs of AECOPD treatment.
Application of photorefractive crystals to optical interconnection

ABSTRACT We discuss the application of photorefractive crystals (PRC) to optical interconnection and switching networks. Exa-mining the advantages and disadvantages of PRCs compared to existing optical interconnection approaches, we conclude thattheir major applications are reconfigurable interconnection networks. Systems using volume hologram superposition to pro-vide fast reconfiguration (compared to the photorefractive response time) are of particular interest. We describe three suchsystems currently being investigated at UCSD. 1. INTRODUCTION Optical interconnection is important for a variety of communications and information processing applications, but thispaper is primarily concerned with the application of optics to parallel computing. As the length and density of the communi-cation links increaie beyond some Critical value, a clear advantage is gained by replacing long electronic wires by opticalmodulators (or sources), interconnections, and detectors1 . The result is an optoelecironic parallel processor system2 whichcan provide increased information throughput and versatility. Photorefractive crystals can play a role in providing the denseand possibly reconfigurable interconnects required by these systems.In the following Section, we examine the requirements of interconnection systems in general, and the abilities of exist-ing technologies to meet these requirements. In Section 3, we look at the advantages and disadvantages of photorefractive
Pantheism for the unsuperstitious: philosophical rhetoric in the work of John Toland

Contrary to the prevailing scholarly view, this article claims that the example of the first modern author to extensively discuss the art of exoteric-esoteric writing provides decisive evidence that writing on more than one layer was not a device all modern authors had recourse to solely in order to avoid political, social, or religious persecution. By means of an analysis of the genealogy of the thought of this author, John Toland, the article shows that an ulterior reason for practicing the art of careful writing may be found in an attempt to avoid both classical superstition and public atheism. And by way of a discussion of the key concept Toland employed in order to make such an attempt successful, the concept of ‘pantheism,’ the article concludes that the relationship between faith and reason in modern times is not as straightforward and uncomplicated as it usually appears.
Five Trk Receptors in the Zebrafish

Using a homology-based cloning strategy we have identified five members of the Trk family in the zebrafish Danio rerio. They are homologous to the three mammalian Trk receptors in their conserved intracellular kinase regions and the organization of their extracellular regions. The five trk genes are differentially expressed in the developing brain, spinal cord, cranial ganglia, and retina. Full-length forms of three of the trk genes are expressed when neurons pioneer the major axon tracts, whereas the two other trk genes have a later onset of expression. Truncated transcripts and forms containing an extracellular juxtamembrane region insert were found. The degree of sequence variation and expression differences within the family suggest that each of the five zebrafish Trk receptors have a functionally distinct role. These findings demonstrate that the vertebrate Trk family is larger than previously appreciated.
Deep oxidation of chlorobenzene on the Pt(1 1 1) surface

Abstract The reaction between chlorobenzene and coadsorbed oxygen has been characterized on the Pt(1 1 1) surface using temperature programmed reaction spectroscopy (TPRS). Desorption of weakly bound molecular chlorobenzene is observed from the atomic oxygen saturated surface at 212 K. Coadsorbed chlorobenzene and oxygen react to form H 2 O over the range 200–445 K, CO 2 at 417 K, and CO at 455 K. After the coadsorbed oxygen is depleted, HCl is observed at 440 K, and the remaining H 2 from chlorobenzene desorbs over the range 555–770 K. During chlorobenzene oxidation a chlorophenyl like intermediate is believed to form in the 250 to 270 K region based on the observed yield of H 2 O and the absence of skeletal oxidation products in this temperature range. This intermediate is further oxidized with increasing temperature until the surface oxygen is depleted. Compared to chlorobenzene adsorbed alone, molecular desorption increases in the presence of coadsorbed atomic oxygen indicating that the low temperature reactivity of the surface is decreased by adsorbed atomic oxygen. Water formation is observed above 200 K indicating that oxydehydrogenation is dominant at low temperature. No hydrogen is available for reaction until all the adsorbed oxygen is depleted. The first hydrogenated product observed is HCl which is formed at 440 K in the temperature range where oxygen is depleted. Benzene formation is not observed in the presence of coadsorbed oxygen because of hydrogen depletion by oxidation. With excess coadsorbed oxygen, skeletal oxidation results in large CO 2 yields near 400 K. No CO partial oxidation product is observed until oxygen depletion begins near 430 K with excess chlorobenzene. These reactivity results indicate that dechlorination of the adsorbate/surface system is substantially inhibited by the presence of oxygen, since the favored low temperature dechlorination pathway is HCl formation.
Protein phosphatase 2A: a target for anticancer therapy.

Summary Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), one of the main serine–threonine phosphatases in mammalian cells, maintains cell homoeostasis by counteracting most of the kinase-driven intracellular signalling pathways. Unrestrained activation of oncogenic kinases together with inhibition of tumour suppressors is often required for development of cancer. PP2A has been shown to be genetically altered or functionally inactivated in many solid cancers and leukaemias, and is therefore a tumour suppressor. For example, the phosphatase activity of PP2A is suppressed in chronic myeloid leukaemia and other malignancies characterised by aberrant activity of oncogenic kinases. Preclinical studies show that pharmacological restoration of PP2A tumour-suppressor activity by PP2A-activating drugs (eg, FTY720) effectively antagonises cancer development and progression. Here, we discuss PP2A as a druggable tumour suppressor in view of the possible introduction of PP2A-activating drugs into anticancer therapeutic protocols.
Finite-range evaluation of (p-d,d-t) with momentum space techniques

A momentum space methodology is presented for calculating second order distorted wave Born approximation matrix elements without the use of the zero-range approximation. This methodology is applied to the sequential transfer term in (p,t) reactions. Examples are presented for /sup 208/Pb(p,t)/sup 206/Pb which show that: (1) finite-range effects can be large, (2) the shape of the calculated differential cross section can be strongly dependent on the contribution from a sequential transfer mechanism, and (3) the post-prior interchange usually used is probably the best realistic approximation. (AIP)
Neuromotor noise limits motor performance, but not motor adaptation, in children.

Children do not typically appear to move with the same skill and dexterity as adults, although they can still improve their motor performance in specific tasks with practice. One possible explanati...
Improved management of multiple brain abscesses: a combined surgical and medical approach.

Bacterial brain abscesses occur in approximately 1500 to 2500 patients each year in the United States. Multiple abscesses have been noted in 10 to 50% of these patients. The goal of this study was to better define the roles of surgery and medical management in patients harboring multiple brain abscesses and to develop an algorithmic approach to the treatment of these complex patients. Between 1976 and 1992, 16 patients with multiple brain abscesses were treated by a single physician (M.L.R.). The ages of the patients ranged from 1.5 to 73 years (median, 47 yr). In all patients, a diagnosis of multiple abscesses was made by computed tomography (15 patients) or magnetic resonance imaging (1 patient) brain scans. The number of abscesses per patient ranged from 2 to 30, and the abscesses were located in all regions of the brain. Thirteen received a combination of antibiotics and surgical drainage, and three received antibiotics only. Surgery was performed on abscesses larger than 2.5 cm or on those situated in critical areas of the brain or causing significant mass effect. Excision and open aspiration via craniotomy and stereotactic aspiration were analyzed on the basis of the location of the lesion and infecting organism. Any abscess that enlarged after 2 weeks of antibiotics or that failed to shrink after 3 to 4 weeks of antibiotics was again aspirated or excised. Forty-three surgical procedures were performed in 13 patients, and 8 (62%) of the patients operated on required more than one surgical procedure. No significant morbidity was observed in any of the surgical procedures. Antibiotics were administered intravenously for an average of 6 to 8 weeks and were adjusted according to organism type and sensitivity to antibiotics. One patient (6%) died, and the remaining 15 patients had resolution of all abscesses and good neurological recovery within 6 months. On the basis of these results, we propose a combined surgical and medical approach to the treatment of patients with multiple brain abscesses. We recommend the aggressive surgical drainage of all abscesses larger than 2.5 cm in diameter, combined with 6 to 8 weeks of intravenous antibiotics. Biweekly computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging is necessary to closely monitor patients for evidence of abscess growth or failure to resolve despite antibiotics, prompting another operation. The application of this combined approach should yield cure rates of more than 90% in patients with multiple brain abscesses, a result similar to that expected when treating patients with solitary lesions.
Rapid Screening Method for Determining Myristicin in Fresh and Frozen Carrots by Gas Chromatography

Abstract A rapid method (less than 20 min/sample from sample preparation through final determination) is described for the determination and confirmation of the plant toxin, myristicin [1-allyl-3-methoxy-4,5-methylenedioxybenzene], in fresh, frozen, and canned carrots at levels ranging from 5 to 20 ug/g. Myristicin is extracted from carrot homogenates with hexane in the presence of sodium bisulfite. An aliquot of the crude extract is separated from interfering lipids and pigments using a commercially available silica gel cartridge. The purified extract is concentrated and then analyzed by gas chromatography on a nonpolar stationary phase (OV-101) using flame ionization detection. Suspected positive findings are confirmed using a second stationary phase of moderate polarity (OV-225). Recoveries of added myristicin to fresh and processed carrots at levels from 5 to 20 ug/g averaged 95.6% with a coefficient of variation of 4.8%. Six samples of fresh carrots collected from different growing areas exhibited le...
Large‐scale distance learning initiatives

Multi‐campus/large scale distance learning initiatives increase the complexity of issues, and affect the impact of various quality factors that must be considered in the design and implementation of programs. The impact and interactions of distance education quality factors differs when designing large‐scale versus smaller‐scale distances learning programs. This article will look at the various quality considerations within a large‐scale model, and will look at how decisions were made to ensure quality in the design of the California Virtual University (CVU).
Can level of safety climate predict level of orientation toward safety in a decision making task

Establishing the relationship between level of safety climate and safety performance is a current challenge. This work examines the relationship between level of safety climate and orientation toward safety in the decision making process and choice. Alternatively, this work seeks to answer the question of whether level of safety climate can predict safety-oriented decision making. A generalized safety climate questionnaire and a decision making simulation are utilized to examine this relationship. The results indicate that level of safety climate is not a significant predictor of the decision process; however, it was found to be a significant predictor of the selection of safer choices.
Experiencing change and the evolution of adaptive skills: Implications for economic growth

Abstract We distinguish learning in a static environment from that in a dynamic environment to show the existence of an important interaction between the development of new technologies and human capital accumulation. Because technological progress creates a more dynamic environment, it complements education in the production of human capital by enhancing adaptive skills. Higher levels of adaptability and human capital in turn determine the profitability of new inventions and the incentive to invest in new R&D. Differences in the history of technological progress produce different levels of adaptability and our results suggest why countries that have comparable levels of education and per capita incomes may differ significantly in their growth performance.
Maternal high-fat diet programming of the neuroendocrine system and behavior.

Abstract This article is part of a Special Issue “SBN 2014”. Maternal obesity, metabolic state, and diet during gestation have profound effects on offspring development. The prevalence of neurodevelopmental and mental health disorders has risen rapidly in the last several decades in parallel with the rise in obesity rates. Evidence from epidemiological studies indicates that maternal obesity and metabolic complications increase the risk of offspring developing behavioral disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and schizophrenia. Animal models show that a maternal diet high in fat similarly disrupts behavioral programming of offspring, with animals showing social impairments, increased anxiety and depressive behaviors, reduced cognitive development, and hyperactivity. Maternal obesity, metabolic conditions, and high fat diet consumption increase maternal leptin, insulin, glucose, triglycerides, and inflammatory cytokines. This leads to increased risk of placental dysfunction, and altered fetal neuroendocrine development. Changes in brain development that likely contribute to the increased risk of behavioral and mental health disorders include increased inflammation in the brain, as well as alterations in the serotonergic system, dopaminergic system and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis.
(+)-2,3-Dehydro-10-oxo-α-isosparteine in Uresiphita reversalis larvae fed on Cytisus monspessulanus leaves

Abstract Quinolizidine alkaloids, found in the leaves of Cytisus monspessulanus L. (Leguminosae), were characterized in the cuticle of larvae of the pyralid moth Uresiphita reversalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) when the latter were fed on this weed. By GC–MS analysis of the methanolic extracts of the cuticle, four quinolizidine alkaloids, N -methylcytisine, cytisine, aphylline and anagyrine, were identified as possible defense substances. In addition, the quinolizidine alkaloid, (+)-2,3-dehydro-10-oxo-α-isosparteine was characterized in both the insect and host plant.
PedSeg: GPS tracks as priors for overhead image segmentation

We introduce PedSeg, a system for computing the boundaries of visually distinct geo-spatial objects. Knowing the precise boundaries or even bounding box approximations of geo-spatial objects is important for maintaining existing repositories such as gazetteers as well creating volunteered geographic information sources such as OpenStreetMap. PedSeg uses active contour image segmentation to determine an object's spatial extent from high-resolution overhead imagery. The novel aspect of this work is that the image segmentation is seeded with a GPS track acquired by simply walking around or otherwise traversing the approximate boundary of the target object (thus the prefix Ped). The technique is intended to be completely automated once the GPS track has been loaded into the system. This provides several advantages such as the user not needing to be skilled at image editing. In fact, the user does not even need to access, view, or interact with the imagery. The use of active contour image segmentation compensates for inaccuracies in the user acquired GPS tracks due to GPS error or the physical inaccessibility of the object boundary. We present examples of using PedSeg to compute the boundaries of a number of geo-spatial objects.
Constraining the Exhumation and Burial History of the SAFOD Pilot Hole with Apatite Fission Track and (U-Th)/He Thermochronometry

[1] The San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) pilot hole traverses the upper 2 km of a site 1.8 km west of the San Andreas fault (SAF) near Parkfield, California. In order to evaluate the burial and exhumation history of the site and its relationship to the kinematics and mechanics of the SAF, we use 15 apatite fission-track (FT) and 5 (U-Th)/He analyses from pilot hole samples to document their thermal history. Sample ages decrease with depth: FT and (U-Th)/He ages range from ∼60 and ∼31 Ma, respectively, in the upper 800 m of the hole to ∼3 and 1 Ma at the base of the hole (2.2 km depth, 93°C).Thermal modeling of the distribution of FT lengths indicates three events in the last 80 Ma: 1) cooling and exhumation of >60°C that culminated at ∼30 Ma; 2) reheating of ∼50°C from ∼30 to 8–4 Ma, probably as the result of basin subsidence and burial by 1–1.5 km of sediments; and 3) cooling of ∼30°C and estimated Coast Range exhumation of ∼1 km since 8–4 Ma.
Synthesis of certain tricyclic quinoline derivatives as potential antiamebal agents

Synthesis of the fused tricyclic systems, 1, 2, 3, 3a, 4, 5-hexahydropyrrolo[1, 2a]quinoline (I) and 2, 3, 4, 4a, 5, 6-hexahydro 1H-benzo[c]quinolizine (II), each bearing an ethoxyl substituent on the benzene ring, has been achieved. The compounds combine certain structural features of the alkaloid emetine and of 8-quinolinols.