cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A control study on agomelatine and paroxetine in treatment of senile depression

Objective To compare the clinical efficacy and safety of agomelatine and paroxetine for the senile depression. Methods A total of 98 cases of elderly patients diagnozed with depression were randomly divided into two groups, one group were treated with agomelatine,the other group were treated with paroxetine,treated for 6 weeks,using Hamilton depression scale(HAMD), adverse reaction scale(TESS) to evaluate the efficacy and adverse reactions.Results After 6 weeks of treatment, the HAMD scores showed that there were no significant differences in clinical efficacy of two groups, and the TESS showed the agomelatine had less adverse reaction than the paroxetine. Conclusion Agomelatine is a safe and effective antidepressant, suitable for elderly patients.
'Field v. Clark' and the Origins of Congressional Delegation

Field v. Clark (1892) represents a major shift in congressional-executive relations; here Congress grants policy-making authority to the executive with little by way of guidance or restrictions on the authority of the president to set tariff policy.
Transdiagnostic impairment of cognitive control in mental illness

Intact cognitive control or executive function has characteristic patterns in both behavior and functional neurocircuitry. Functional neuroimaging studies have shown that a frontal-cingulate-parietal-insular (i.e., "multiple demand") network forms a common functional substrate undergirding successful adaptation to diverse cognitive processing demands. Separate work on intact neurocognitive performance implicates a higher order factor that largely explains performance across domains and may reflect trait cognitive control capacity. In the current review we highlight findings from respective psychiatric disorders (i.e., psychotic, bipolar and unipolar depressive, anxiety, and substance use disorders) suggesting that cognitive control perturbations amidst psychopathology are most pronounced within these common brain and behavioral indices of adaptive cognitive functioning and moreover, are evident across disorders (i.e., transdiagnostically). Specifically, within each of the disorder classes impairments are consistent in the multiple demand network across a wide range of cognitive tasks. While severity varies between disorders, broad as opposed to domain-specific impairments consistently emerge in neurocognitive performance. Accumulating findings have revealed that phenotypically diverse psychiatric disorders share a common factor or vulnerability to dysfunction that is in turn related to broad neurocognitive deficits. Furthermore, we have observed that regions of the multiple demand network, which overlap with the salience network (dorsal anterior cingulate and bilateral anterior insula) are characterized by reduced gray matter transdiagnostically and predict weaker neurocognitive performance. In summary, transdiagnostic (as opposed to disorder-specific) patterns of symptomatic distress and neurocognitive performance deficits, concurrent with parallel anomalies of brain structure and function may largely contribute to the real-world socio-occupational impairment common across disorders.
A Comparative Study of Query-biased and Non-redundant Snippets for Structured Search on Mobile Devices

To investigate what kind of snippets are better suited for structured search on mobile devices, we built an experimental mobile search application and conducted a task-oriented interactive user study with 36 participants. Four different versions of a search engine result page (SERP) were compared by varying the snippet type (query-biased vs. non-redundant) and the snippet length (two vs. four lines per result). We adopted a within-subjects experiment design and made each participant do four realistic search tasks using different versions of the application. During the study sessions, we collected search logs, "think-aloud" comments, and post-task surveys. Each session was finalized with an interview. We found that with non-redundant snippets the participants were able to complete the tasks faster and find more relevant results. Most participants preferred non-redundant snippets and wanted to see more information about each result on the SERP for any snippet type. Yet, the participants felt that the version with query-biased snippets was easier to use. We conclude with a set of practical design recommendations.
Reticle inspection equipment productivity increase using SEMI specification for reticle and pod management

In this work, the SEMI specification for reticle and pod management (E109) with internal reticle library support has been integrated for the first time on KLA-Tencor’s TeronTM and TeraScanTM reticle inspection tools. Manufacturing Execution System scheduling reticle jobs and Automated Material Handling System scheduling to transfer pods simultaneously have also been integrated and tested. GLOBALFOUNDRIES collaboratively worked with KLA-Tencor to successfully implement these capabilities. Both library and non-library scenarios have been demonstrated for comparison in a real production environment resulting in productivity increase of approximately 29% by making use of the library. Reticle re-qualification test cases were used for the comparison in this work.
Studies of Effects of Variations in the Direction and Magnitude of the Gravitational-Inertial Force Environment on the Cardiovascular and Respiratory Systems

The cardiorespiratory effects of changes in the direction and magnitude of the gravitational- inertial force environment in man, chimpanzees and dogs have been studied over a number of years in this laboratory to determine the role of gravity in normal cardiopulmonary physiology (Banchero et al., 1967; Coulam et al., 1970a, b: Reed and Wood, 1970; Rutishauser et al., 1967; Vandenberg et al., 1968). Typically, intravascular and respiratory pressures and other variables from catheter strain-gauge manometer systems and other types of transducers are continuously recorded on paper photokymographs and magnetic tape throughout each centrifuge run.
Detection of Enzymatic Activity of Free Circulating Tyrosine Kinase in Patients with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) and the Demonstration of Lower Levels in Resistant Patients.

Abstract 4247 Tyrosine kinases (TKs) regulate a wide variety of cellular signaling events, and aberrant activation of TKs is directly associated with tumorigenesis and cancer progression. Targeted therapy using TK inhibitors (TKIs) is commonly explored for treating various types of cancers. Measuring TK activities for diagnosis and monitoring of therapeutic efficacy may be particularly important for patients treated with TKIs. In this study, we examined the clinical utility of measurement of free circulating TK (cTK) activity directly from plasma in CML patients. The study included 46 patients with newly-diagnosed CML, 24 drug (imatinib, dasatinib, or nilotinib)-resistant CML patients, and 38 apparently healthy control subjects. Plasma levels of cTK activity were measured using a chromogenic universal TK assay kit in which samples and standards were added to a 96-well microtiter plate immobilized with synthesized poly (Glu-Tyr) peptide substrates. Specific TK activity was determined by spectrophotometry. Measured cTK activity at baseline was ∼1000-fold higher in plasma than in paired serum specimens. Overall, plasma cTK activity was significantly higher in newly diagnosed CML patients (median=802 U/mL, range=18-3932 U/mL) than in healthy donors (median=83 U/mL, range=0.6-853 U/mL) or drug-resistant CML patients (median=202 U/mL, range=17-1215 U/mL) (P In conclusion, measuring circulating TK activity in plasma/serum may reflect the leukemic cells in CML patients and can be used to evaluate response to therapy. In addition, our plasma results support previous data showing that resistant cells in CML patients demonstrate lower TK activity as compared with naive leukemic cells. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Revision Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass to Biliopancreatic Long-Limb Gastric Bypass for Inadequate Weight Response: Case Series and Analysis.

The long-limb Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LLRYGB) was introduced in 1987 as a salvage operation for inadequate weight loss after a standard Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). We report on 53 consecutive patients (44 females) with conversion of a failed RYGB to a LLRYGB performed by a single surgeon between 2002 and 2014. No patient had an ascertainable anatomic abnormality to explain his/her weight regain. LLRYGB revision consisted of a 75-cm to 100-cm alimentary Roux limb and a 75-cm to 100-cm common channel; after 2011, in suitable patients, the Roux limb was lengthened to greater than 250 cm. Average values for weight (lbs) were as follows: pre-original RYGB = 329; lowest measured after RYGB = 196; at time of LLRYGB = 285; and at 1, 2, 3, 4, >5 years post LLRYGB = 225, 207, 199, 197, 195, for a sustained weight loss >90 lbs. Average values for BMI (kg/m2) were as follows: pre-original RYGB = 54.3; lowest measured after RYGB = 32.3; at time of LLRYGB = 47.2; and at 1, 2, 3, 4, >5 years post LLRYGB = 37.1, 34.4, 33.0, 32.8, 31.4, for a sustained BMI reduction >16.5 kg/m2. Zero operative mortality; 3 (5.7%) late deaths; 7 (13.2%) 30-day complications; 33 (62.3%) long-term complications with 23 (43.4%) needing TPN; and 14 (26.4%) requiring operative revision. A salvage LLRYGB procedure can be performed safely and is weight successful, but fraught with long-term nutritional problems and a high necessity for revision. A Roux segment over 250 cm may improve outcomes.
RNA structure, binding, and coordination in Arabidopsis

From the moment of transcription, up through degradation, each RNA transcript is bound by an ever-changing cohort of RNA binding proteins. The binding of these proteins is regulated by both the primary RNA sequence, as well as the intramolecular RNA folding, or secondary structure, of the transcript. Thus, RNA secondary structure regulates many post-transcriptional processes. With the advent of next generation sequencing, several techniques have been developed to generate global landscapes of both RNA–protein interactions and RNA secondary structure. In this review, we describe the current state of the field detailing techniques to globally interrogate RNA secondary structure and/or RNA–protein interaction sites, as well as our current understanding of these features in the transcriptome of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. WIREs RNA 2017, 8:e1426. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1426 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
Radiologic and Histopathologic Correlation of Different Growth Patterns of Metastatic Uveal Melanoma to the Liver

Purpose The purpose of this study was to correlate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radiographic results with histopathologic growth patterns of metastatic uveal melanoma (UM) to the liver. Design Clinicopathologic correlation. Participants Patients with metastatic UM to the liver. Methods A retrospective review of MRI images of patients with metastatic UM to the liver at a single institution between 2004 and 2016 was performed. The MRI growth patterns were classified as nodular or diffuse. The histopathologic findings of core liver biopsies of liver metastases identified by needle localization in a subset of these patients were reviewed. The core samples were evaluated by routine light microscopy, including immunohistochemical/immunofluorescent staining for CD31, CD105, and HMB45, and classified as exhibiting an infiltrative or nodular growth pattern. Main Outcome Measures Magnetic resonance images and core biopsy findings. Results A total of 32 patients were identified with metastatic UM to the liver that was imaged by MRI, and 127 lesions were identified. A total of 46 lesions were classified by MRI as infiltrative and 81 as nodular. There were 9 needle-localized core biopsies that corresponded to MRI of metastatic lesions. Of these 9 lesions, 3 that were classified as infiltrative on MRI exhibited stage I infiltrative histologic growth patterns; of the remaining 6 that were classified as nodular by MRI, 5 histologically demonstrated stage II or stage III infiltrative growth patterns and 1 histologically demonstrated a nodular growth pattern. Conclusions Magnetic resonance imaging of hepatic infiltrative growth patterns of metastatic UM corresponded to stage I histologic infiltrative growth in the sinusoidal spaces, whereas MRI nodular growth patterns corresponded to stage II/III histologic infiltrative growth that replaced the hepatic lobule or histologic nodular growth in the portal triad that effaced adjacent hepatic parenchyma.
Food insecurity transitions and housing hardships: Are immigrant families more vulnerable?

ABSTRACTFood insecurity and housing instability are pervasive issues in the United States and disproportionally affect immigrants and have many negative consequences for low-income families. Although evidence shows that food insecurity contributes to housing instability, how it affects immigrants, the duration of food insecurity, and the role of the neighborhood context in this relationship remain largely unknown. Using longitudinal data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, we find that the negative association of food insecurity is 3 times larger for immigrants than for nonimmigrants. In addition, persistently food insecure families have the highest risk of experiencing housing instability compared to families experiencing short-term food insecurity. The findings point to potential positive externality effects of anti-hunger and food assistance programs on reducing material hardships beyond food insecurity and the particular policy implications for immigrants.
Clostridium difficile colitis complicating Kawasaki disease in children: Two case reports

Clostridium difficile infection is increasingly diagnosed in children with a wide clinical spectrum ranging from asymptomatic carriage to fulminant colitis. Symptomatic patients typically present with diarrhea, with or without blood, fever, and abdominal pain. Kawasaki disease, a vasculitis of unknown etiology, occurs primarily in young children. Establishing the diagnosis of Kawasaki disease can be challenging given the lack of a confirmatory diagnostic test or pathognomonic features as well as the appearance of symptoms over time rather than simultaneously. In addition, commonly occurring nonspecific associated symptoms, such as diarrhea and abdominal pain, may confound the clinical presentation. We present two cases of children with Kawasaki disease presenting with fever and Clostridium difficile colitis to illustrate the importance of keeping a high index of suspicion for Kawasaki disease.
Which Objective Parameters Are Associated with a Positive Urine Culture in the Setting of Ureteral Calculi: The Ureteral Calculi Urinary Culture Calculator

Abstract Objective: To determine associations between laboratory values and subsequent culture positivity in the acute ureteral calculi patient. Specifically, we aim to develop a predictive model t...
Behavioral evolution drives hindbrain diversification among Lake Malawi cichlid fish

The evolutionary diversification of animal behavior is often associated with changes in the structure and function of nervous systems. Such evolutionary changes arise either through alterations of individual neural components (mosaically) or through scaling of the whole brain (concertedly). Here we show that the evolution of a specific courtship behavior in Malawi cichlid fish, the construction of mating nests known as bowers, is associated with rapid, extensive, and specific diversification of orosensory, gustatory centers in the hindbrain. We find that hindbrain volume varies significantly between species that build pit (depression) compared to castle (mound) type bowers and that hindbrain features evolve rapidly and independently of phylogeny among castle-building species. Using immediate early gene expression, we confirmed a functional role for hindbrain structures during bower building. Comparisons of bower building species in neighboring Lake Tanganyika show patterns of neural diversification parallel to those in Lake Malawi. Our results suggest that mosaic brain evolution via alterations to individual brain structures is more extensive and predictable than previously appreciated.
High accuracy least-squares solutions of nonlinear differential equations

Abstract This study shows how to obtain least-squares solutions to initial and boundary value problems of ordinary nonlinear differential equations. The proposed method begins using an approximate solution obtained by any existing integrator. Then, a least-squares fitting of this approximate solution is obtained using a constrained expression, derived from Theory of Connections. In this expression, the differential equation constraints are embedded and are always satisfied. The resulting constrained expression is then used as an initial guess in a Newton iterative process that increases the solution accuracy to machine error level in no more than two iterations for most of the problems considered. An analysis of speed and accuracy has been conducted for this method using two nonlinear differential equations. For non-smooth solutions or for long integration times, a piecewise approach is proposed. The highly accurate value estimated at the final time is then used as the new initial guess for the next time range, and this process is repeated for subsequent time ranges. This approach has been applied and validated solving the Duffing oscillator obtaining a final solution error on the order of 1 0 − 12 . To complete the study, a final numerical test is provided for a boundary value problem with a known solution.
470 MONITORING CARBON MONOXIDE DIFFUSING CAPACITY DEVICES WITH A SIMULATOR.

A DLCO simulator creates a precisely known target DLCO value by injecting known volumes and concentrations of gas into a DLCO instrument. DLCO simulations were performed weekly on each of three instrument models used in our pulmonary laboratory. High-precision test gases (± 1%) were used for both the simulator and instrument tested. An inspired volume of 4.5 L was used for all tests. At each test session eight simulations were done on each device, four each with midlevel and low-level simulated alveolar gas samples. The first trial of each set was discarded as a system flush. The remaining three trials were analyzed. A difference from target of ± 2.0 DLCO units (mL CO/min/mm Hg) was set as the threshold to initiate an investigation into possible causes of error. In addition, two bio-control subjects were concurrently tested weekly to check for trends. The graph shows DLCO differences from target for one device. When the DLCO difference from the target value was greater than ± 2.0 DLCO units, the device was taken out of service and carefully checked for possible sources of error. On four occasions the DLCO difference exceeded the ± 2.0 DLCO unit threshold. In each instance, specific problems were identified and fixed. During the weeks that errors were found, the bio-control data did not suggest that measurement errors were present. Regular use of a DLCO simulator can help maintain high-quality test results and identifies problems that bio-control testing may not immediately identify.
Toxic expanded GGGGCC repeat transcription is mediated by the PAF1 complex in C9orf72-associated FTD.

An expanded GGGGCC hexanucleotide of more than 30 repeats (termed (G4C2)30+) within C9orf72 is the most prominent mutation in familial frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) (termed C9+). Through an unbiased large-scale screen of (G4C2)49-expressing Drosophila we identify the CDC73/PAF1 complex (PAF1C), a transcriptional regulator of RNA polymerase II, as a suppressor of G4C2-associated toxicity when knocked-down. Depletion of PAF1C reduces RNA and GR dipeptide production from (G4C2)30+ transgenes. Notably, in Drosophila, the PAF1C components Paf1 and Leo1 appear to be selective for the transcription of long, toxic repeat expansions, but not shorter, nontoxic expansions. In yeast, PAF1C components regulate the expression of both sense and antisense repeats. PAF1C is upregulated following (G4C2)30+ expression in flies and mice. In humans, PAF1 is also upregulated in C9+-derived cells, and its heterodimer partner, LEO1, binds C9+ repeat chromatin. In C9+ FTD, PAF1 and LEO1 are upregulated and their expression positively correlates with the expression of repeat-containing C9orf72 transcripts. These data indicate that PAF1C activity is an important factor for transcription of the long, toxic repeat in C9+ FTD. The (G4C2)30+ repeat expansion is the most prominent mutation in familial FTD and ALS. Here the PAF1 complex is identified as a transcriptional regulator of this unique mutation. Data from FTD tissue positive for the C9orf72 mutation support the relevance of this complex in disease.
A Simple Dynamic Learning Rate Tuning Algorithm For Automated Training of DNNs

Training neural networks on image datasets generally require extensive experimentation to find the optimal learning rate regime. Especially, for the cases of adversarial training or for training a newly synthesized model, one would not know the best learning rate regime beforehand. We propose an automated algorithm for determining the learning rate trajectory, that works across datasets and models for both natural and adversarial training, without requiring any dataset/model specific tuning. It is a stand-alone, parameterless, adaptive approach with no computational overhead. We theoretically discuss the algorithm's convergence behavior. We empirically validate our algorithm extensively. Our results show that our proposed approach \emph{consistently} achieves top-level accuracy compared to SOTA baselines in the literature in natural as well as adversarial training.
Viral genetics and structure

Abstract Dengue virus is an enveloped, single-stranded RNA virus of positive polarity belonging to the Flavivirus genus in the Flaviviridae family. Dengue virus is one of the most significant arthropod-borne pathogens, responsible for more than 400 million yearly infections worldwide, with an estimated 3.6 billion people at risk, causing a significant global health burden. Its pathway to causing disease including uncoating, translation, replication, assembly, and maturation of virions is a complex process. The process is thought to be highly influenced by both virus-encoded proteins as well as host proteins and can very well be a factor of the variable presentations encountered in dengue virus infections. We believe that understanding the intricacies of the dengue virus genome and structure is of paramount importance, as only after understanding the former can we begin to explore ways to circumvent this life-threatening pathogen.
Learning Hierarchical and Shared Features for Improving 3D Neuron Reconstruction

Neuron tracing, also known as neuron reconstruction, studies 3D morphologies of neurons based on imaging data. Neuron reconstruction is of fundamental importance in computational neuroscience since it is a crucial step towards reverse engineering of the wiring and functions of a brain. On the other hand, it is not possible to manually trace all neurons due to the complexity and cost of this task. Hence, it raises the need of building a computational pipeline to perform automatic neuron reconstruction. In this work, we propose a deep learning approach for improving the accuracy of 3D neuron reconstruction. First, we propose to learn shared features among different images in the whole dataset. Such shared features are learned automatically by our model at different scales. Second, we propose to incorporate such features to guide the information flow in the network. Specifically, we propose to build skip connections between the encoder and the decoder of our networks by incorporating the hierarchical and shared features. Our proposed skip connections are built based on the attention mechanism, where the hierarchical shared features serve as the query matrix and the local input features serve as the key and value matrices. Since the parameters are learned automatically, we expect that only useful spatial information is transmitted to the decoder. We conduct both qualitative and quantitative experiments to demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed method. Experimental results show that our proposed model has the ability to capture detailed structural information for neurons. Our results also demonstrate that the proposed model is robust to noise. In addition, quantitative evaluations show that our method achieves better performance than other approaches.
Social Capital, carbon dependency, and public response to climate change in 22 European countries

Abstract Climate change is one of the most challenging issues facing the world today, and it is important to have effective policies to address its impact. One critical factor in shaping climate policy is public response to climate change. In this study, we theoretically and empirically focus on examining the impacts of personal social capital and national carbon dependency on citizens’ response to climate change in 22 European countries. Utilizing individual-level data from the 2016 European Social Survey and corresponding country-level data from multiple sources, we conduct multilevel regression analyses. Findings show that in these 22 European countries people with higher social capital are more likely to have climate-mitigation behavioral intention and show support for climate policy, while greater national carbon dependency tends to inhibit public response to climate change. We conclude by discussing this study’s contributions to the literature and policy implications and offer suggestions for future research.
Unexpected Detection of Latent Safety Threats by In Situ Simulation: About Two Cases in an Adult Intensive Care Unit

Abstract In situ simulation sessions can be useful to test a new organization and detect latent safety threats. Here we report two cases of routine in situ interprofessional simulation sessions in an intensive care unit that unexpectedly revealed latent safety threats in our emergency trolley. These latent safety threats included drug mislabeling, secondary to a recent change in stored medications. Corrective actions have been put in place. In doing so, we highlight that simulation can increase the patient safety.
Volleyball-related injuries in adolescent female players: an initial report.

To determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with musculoskeletal injuries sustained in female adolescent volleyball players. Volleyball players (n = 276; 13–18 years), with any level of...
An Examination of the Data Quality of Online Reviews: Who Do Consumers Trust?

This research synthesizes the information systems and marketing research by considering the usefulness of online product reviews in the context of Wang and Strong's Data Quality Framework. It examines the extent to which a review's intrinsic (review anonymity and use of personal pronouns), contextual (review length, verified purchase, rating, and rating extremity), and representational quality (spelling errors, grammar errors, readability) impact the perceived usefulness of a product review. The examination of Amazon reviews for an inexpensive experience product revealed number of words, verified purchase, and grammar errors have a significant positive impact on review usefulness. Rating and number of spelling errors have a negative effect, suggesting consumers use some discernment in assessing the believably of a review. Surprisingly, the opposite effect was found for grammar errors, with more grammar errors being associated with a more useful review.
Common Liabilities in Internalizing Symptoms and Cigarette Use in Adolescence

INTRODUCTION Substance use and mood disorders account for about 10% of the global burden of disease and, among adolescents, are a significant source of disability. The present study examined whether additive genetic or shared environmental factors influenced the covariance of internalizing symptoms and cigarette use during adolescence when both of these problems begin to increase. AIMS AND METHODS We used data (n = 1230 pairs of twins) from the Virginia Twin Study of Adolescent Behavioral Development (mean age = 15.3) to decompose the variance of internalizing symptoms, cigarette initiation, and quantity of cigarettes smoked in a variance decomposition model that included a beta coefficient to allow for estimates of cigarette initiation to influence quantity of cigarettes smoked. RESULTS In biometric models we were able to equate all parameter estimates by sex. After identifying the best fitting model, parameter estimates were calculated and the significance of overlapping paths between internalizing symptoms and cigarette initiation were tested. After accounting for the genetic architecture of cigarette initiation and quantity smoked, the covariance between internalizing symptoms and cigarette use was accounted for by sex-specific shared and unique environmental factors. CONCLUSIONS Among adolescents, the overlap in risk factors between internalizing symptoms and cigarette use is because of non-genetic, environmental factors. Further exploration of the environmental sources of variance involved in the onset of adolescents internalizing symptoms and cigarette use is warranted. IMPLICATIONS We find that during adolescence common environmental factors influence the association between internalizing symptoms and cigarette use. Correlated vulnerabilities because of environmental sources between internalizing and cigarette use may be open to intervention and likely will influence the progression of internalizing and cigarette use.
The association between transthoracic echocardiogram parameters and white matter hyperintensities.

Abstract Objective Identify abnormal cardiac chamber size and hemodynamic parameters on transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) as predictors of advancing cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Materials and methods A retrospective chart review of adults with a brain MRI and a 2-dimensional TTE was performed. WMH measured by the Fazekas score served as the primary outcome. We fit multivariate ordinal logistic regression models to the Fazekas score with the individual predictors of the TTE measurements and adjusted for potential confounders. Results 132 individuals were included. Cardiac functional markers were not significant, including tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (p = 0.818), right ventricular ejection fraction (p = 0.818) and left ventricular ejection fraction (p = 0.673). Cardiac structural markers included right atrial area (p = 0.247), right ventricular internal diameter (RVID, p = 0.020) and left atrial area (LAA, p = 0.041). RVID and LAA were identified as being predictors, although the direction of the association suggested that normal values resulted in more WMH. Analysis of isolated DWM or PVWM Fazekas scores were not associated with cardiac structure or function. Conclusions In our study, we found that normal LAA and RVID values were associated with an increased degree of WMH on MRI. This finding may represent earlier identification of WMH prior to TTE cardiac changes. Future studies are needed for more robust quantitative comparison as well as evaluation prospectively of the association between cardiac chamber sizes and development of WMH.
Sources of Students’ Difficulties with Proof By Contradiction

The literature on proof by contradiction (PBC) is nearly unanimous in claiming that this proof technique is “more difficult” for students than direct proof, and offers multiple hypotheses as to why this might be the case. To examine this claim and to evaluate some of the hypotheses, we analyzed student work on proof construction problems from homework and examinations in a university “Introduction to Proof” course taught by one of the authors. We also conducted stimulated-recall interviews with student volunteers probing their thought processes while solving these problems, and their views about PBC in general. Our results suggest that the knowledge resources students bring to bear on proof problems, and how these resources are activated, explain more of their “difficulties” than does the logical structure of the proof technique, at least for this population of students.
Beyond Stone and Mortar

Throughout the American Southwest are thousands of ancient structures, which were once the homes and ceremonial centers for the ancestors of modern day Pueblo people such as the Hopi, Zuni, Acoma, and many others. As the effects of natural and human caused deterioration take their toll on this ancient architecture, the need for preservation is a constant challenge for archaeologists and resource managers. The concept of ruins preservation, as it relates to these structures, is often discussed and carried out under strict scientific theories that originate within Western (European) ideologies. The end result is one in which the cultural beliefs of modern Pueblo descendants concerning appropriate preservation methods are often left unconsidered. This paper discusses the Hopi beliefs concerning preservation of the homes of their ancestors, but also how these beliefs connect to much larger concepts about the present and future of Hopi culture.
Electrical Conductivity in Ceramics: A Review

The electronic conductivity of a ceramic material is determined primarily by its band gap, the presence of aliovalent impurities and their mode of incorporation, and the direction and extent of nonstoichiometry. All of these factors are closely related to the chemical properties of the constituent elements, and this provides a convenient way to classify the materials into groups having related properties. In semiconducting and insulating oxides, the existence of alternative oxidation states for the host cation is the major criterion for determining the level of electronic conductivity. Some knowledge of the chemistry of the metallic elements is thus very useful for the development of an overall view of the properties of such materials.
Heterogeneity of phospholipid composition in the bacterial membrane.

Abstract Heterogeneity in the distribution or binding of the membrane phospholipids was demonstrated in the membrane fragments released from Haemophilus parainfluenzae by treatment with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)-tris(hydroxymethyl)-aminomethane (Tris). The membrane fragments released early in the EDTA-Tris treatment contained two- to fivefold higher proportions of cardiolipin and phosphatidylglycerol and less phosphatidylethanolamine as well as phospholipids with threefold lower specific activity of the phospholipid phosphate after a short pulse of 32P than were found in the residue. Heterogeneity was best demonstrated with shorter EDTA-Tris treatments and shorter periods of growth with 32P. EDTA-Tris treatment appeared to progressively strip phospholipids from the cells that were synthesized at progressively later times.
Investigation of scanning parameters for thyroid fine needle aspiration cytology specimens: A pilot study

Background: Interest in developing more feasible and affordable applications of virtual microscopy in the field of cytology continues to grow. Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the scanning parameters for the thyroid fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology specimens. Subjects and Methods: A total of twelve glass slides from thyroid FNA cytology specimens were digitized at ×40 with 1 micron (μ) interval using seven focal plane (FP) levels (Group 1), five FP levels (Group 2), and three FP levels (Group 3) using iScan Coreo Au scanner (Ventana, AZ, USA) producing 36 virtual images (VI). With an average wash out period of 2 days, three participants diagnosed the preannotated cells of Groups 1, 2, and 3 using BioImagene's Image Viewer (version 3.1) (Ventana, Inc., Tucson, AZ, USA), and the corresponding 12 glass slides (Group 4) using conventional light microscopy. Results: All three raters correctly identified and showed complete agreement on the glass and VI for: 86% of the cases at FP Level 3, 83% of the cases at both the FP Levels 5 and 7. The intra-observer concordance between the glass slides and VI for all three raters was highest (97%) for Level 3 and glass, same (94%) for Level 5 and glass; and Level 7 and glass. The inter-rater reliability was found to be highest for the glass slides, and three FP levels (77%), followed by five FP levels (69.5%), and seven FP levels (69.1%). Conclusions: This pilot study found that among the three different FP levels, the VI digitized using three FP levels had slightly higher concordance, intra-observer concordance, and inter-rater reliability. Scanning additional levels above three FP levels did not improve concordance. We believe that there is no added benefit of acquiring five FP levels or more especially when considering the file size, and storage costs. Hence, this study reports that FP level three and 1 μ could be the potential scanning parameters for the thyroid FNA cytology specimens.
Annual cycle of bacterial secondary production in five aquatic habitats of the okefenokee swamp ecosystem.

Rates of bacterial secondary production by free-living bacterioplankton in the Okefenokee Swamp are high and comparable to reported values for a wide variety of marine and freshwater ecosystems. Bacterial production in the water column of five aquatic habitats of the Okefenokee Swamp was substantial despite the acidic (pH 3.7), low-nutrient, peat-accumulating character of the environment. Incorporation of [3H]thymidine into cold-trichloroacetic acid-insoluble material ranged from 0.03 to 2.93 nmol liter−1 day−1) and corresponded to rates of bacterial secondary production of 3.4 to 342.2 μg of carbon liter−1 day−1 (mean, 87.8 μg of carbon liter−1 day−1). Bacterial production was strongly seasonal and appeared to be coupled to annual changes in temperature and primary production. Bacterial doubling times ranged from 5 h to 15 days and were fastest during the warm months of the year, when the biomass of aquatic macrophytes was high, and slowest during the winter, when the plant biomass was reduced. The high rates of bacterial turnover in Okefenokee waters suggest that bacterial growth is an important mechanism in the transformation of dissolved organic carbon into the nutrient-rich bacterial biomass which is utilized by microconsumers.
General class of scattering for dyadic elastic waves

Scattering amplitudes for a single object in isolation, multiple-scattering amplitudes for a fixed configuration of spherical scatterers, integral equations, energy theorems, and systems of algebraic equations for single- and multiple-scattering coefficients are given for dyadic elastic incident waves with general polarization vector. Monopole-dipole leading-term approximations for the dyadic scattering amplitudes are derived and the case of two spheres is treated.
Body Orientation Under Vertical Sinusoidal Vibration

Human performance during a low-frequency vibratory environment was investigated. The performance measures of interest were the accuracy and total time of a whole-body orientation task. A zero vibration condition as well as frequencies of 2, 5, and 8 Hz. were studied. Amplitude was held constant at 0.09 in., resulting in acceleration intensities from 0.04 to 0.58 g. Performance was studied before, during, and after exposure to the vibration environment. Twenty male subjects participated in the investigation in both sitting and standing body positions. Vibration exposure times were 20 min. for all sessions. The task used in this investigation was a body orientation task that required subjects to orient their bodies as quickly and as accurately as possible toward one of a series of colored lights located at angles of 15, 30, and 60° on either side of a zero reference plane. The results indicated that the shortest travel time was obtained under zero vibration conditions but that most accurate performance was ...
The Future of Surfactant Therapy for Patients with Acute Lung Injury – New Requirements and New Surfactants

New requirements must be considered when designing trials of new lung surfactants for patients with acute lung injury (ALI). Radiographic inclusion criteria must be carefully applied if they are to generate reproducible patient groups. Strategies for ventilation are now known to significantly affect outcome and also must be clearly defined and applied. Similar mortality rates in patients with different degrees of gas exchange and radiographic abnormalities suggest that prior clinical distinctions should be re-examined. Current trials of surfactant therapy for ALI are examining the efficacy of a natural surfactant, a surfactant containing recombinant SP-C and a surfactant based on an SP-B-like peptide.
The cell coat of inner ear sensory and supporting cells as demonstrated by ruthenium red.

Abstract The ultrastructure of the cell coat of sensory and supporting cells of chinchilla and lizard inner ears was studied using ruthenium red. On the apical surface of both cell types, in both animals, the glycoproteins in the cell coat stain positively with this cationic dye. The apical surface of the sensory hair cells displays no regional variations in cell coat thickness. The uniform staining along the length of the stereocilia is not influenced by the normal presence or absence of a tectorial membrane. Although no micro-domains in the glycoproteins that stain positively with ruthenium red were observed that might correlate with the ultrastructural localization of sites of initiation of the transduction event, the cell coat material on the apical cell surface might play an important role in sequestering ions (particularly calcium) which are required for the transduction process. cochlea, cell coat, cochlear hair cell, ruthenium red
Pre-launch and post-launch testing of the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) laser rangefinder

The NEAR spacecraft was launched on February 17, 1996. Qualification tests conducted on the NEAR laser rangefinder allowed evaluation of the instrument's performance and provided calibration data prior to launch. From these data, we were able to determine the system electronic delays, the receiver rangewalk, and the receiver noise floor. The first operational test occurred on April 25, 1996. This post- launch test of the rangefinder verified survival of the instrument and provided data on the calibration parameters listed above. This paper describes these parameters and their significance to rangefinder operations. An interference test was conducted on May 22, 1996. This test allowed engineers to evaluate the effect of laser operations on data from other instruments. The post-launch test and interference are described and the results from these test are presented.
Smooth function extension based on high dimensional unstructured data

Many applications, including the image search engine, image inpainting, hyperspectral image dimensionality reduction, pattern recognition, and time series prediction, can be facilitated by considering the given discrete data-set as a point-cloud P in some high dimensional Euclidean space R^s. Then the problem is to extend a desirable objective function f from a certain relatively smaller training subset C ⊂ P to some continuous manifold X ⊂ R^s that contains P, at least approximately. More precisely, when the point cloud P of the given data-set is modeled in the abstract by some unknown compact manifold embedded in the ambient Euclidean space R^s, the extension problem can be considered as the interpolation problem of seeking the objective function on the manifold X that agrees with f on C under certain desirable specifications. For instance, by considering groups of cardinality s of data values as points in a point-cloud in R^s, such groups that are far apart in the original spatial data domain in R^1 or R^2, but have similar geometric properties, can be arranged to be close neighbors on the manifold. The objective of this paper is to incorporate the consideration of data geometry and spatial approximation, with immediate implications to the various directions of application areas. Our main result is a point-cloud interpolation formula that provides a near-optimal degree of approximation to the target objective function on the unknown manifold.
LASER-ASSISTED ON DEMAND GROWTH OF SEMICONDUCTING NANOWIRES

We present laser-assisted direct synthesis of nanowires with site-, composition-, and shape-selectivity on a single substrate by employing a spatially confined laser heat source. Laser-assisted nanowire growth based on vapor-liquid-solid mechanism is conveniently studied with multiple growth parameters such as temperature, time, and illumination direction. On-demand direct integration of silicon and germanium nanowires are demonstrated in a hetero-array configuration by simply switching the reactant gases as the growth of nanowires is limited within the heat-affected zone induced by the laser. Since laser-induced local temperature field is able to drive the individual growth, each germanium nanowire is successfully synthesized with distinctively different geometric features from cylindrical to hexagonal pyramid shape. By regularly patterning gold catalysts prepared by electron beam lithography on Si(111), especially, we accomplished site- and shape-selective direct integration of germanium nanowires on a single substrate in vertical architecture. Considering that blanket furnace heating only produce nanowires with uniform size and shape, therefore, our work shows a route toward the facile fabrication of multifunctional nanowire based devices.
Cerebrospinal Impedance Response to Induced Epileptic Activit

Impedance levels in the cerebrospinal fluid in cats were measured prior to and during epileptic seizures. Seizures were induced with an intramuscular injection of penicillin during general anesthesia. Impedance levels were elevated to twice the threshold value up to 15 min prior to the onset of seizure activity. Seizures were monitored with a depth EEG electrode. The detection of a significant measurable preseizure event will aid in the development of an early warning detector to alert epileptics of an impending seizure. The millions of epileptics who cannot be treated surgically or pharmaceutically would not have to severely restrict their activities, as they would have ample warning of the onset of a seizure. This study is undertaken to develop the detection method to use in such a device.