cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Trichobezoar presenting as a gastric outlet obstruction: A case report.

Abstract Introduction Rapunzel syndrome is a rare intestinal condition that starts with the ingestion of a trichobezoar. The condition is predominately found in females and can be associated with trichotillomania, or the compulsive urge to pull one’s own hair out. There are less than 40 cases described in the literature with the prevention of recurrence aimed at psychological treatment. Presentation of case The patient is a 7 year-old girl with a history of trichotillomania with trichophagia as a young child who presented with abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting, consistent with a gastric outlet obstruction. She had an exploratory laparotomy with gastrostomy performed revealing a 18 cm by 18 cm trichobezoar with extension into the small bowel. Discussion Bezoars, an already rare entity, can occasionally lead to gastric and small bowel obstructions. Small collections of ingested hair build up in the intestinal tract causing significant symptoms. These obstructions can sometimes be treated through minimally invasive techniques but, in our case described, it is unlikely to have been treated any other way due to the substantial size of the trichobezoar. Conclusion Early consideration of Rapunzel syndrome is important in young females presenting with a gastric outlet obstruction.
Advancing dengue vaccine development

Dengue virus (DENV) is a member of the viral genus Flavivirus , which also includes yellow fever virus (YFV) and Zika virus (ZIKV). DENV infection is a major and growing global health threat: There are ∼400 million cases of infection, ∼500,000 hospitalizations, and ∼12,500 deaths now estimated to occur each year ( 1 ). Dengue represents the most common mosquito-borne disease in humans ( 1 ). A remarkable 50% of the world's population now lives in regions where DENV transmission is manifest. Dengue is associated with a wide spectrum of clinical outcomes, ranging from mild febrile illnesses to dengue hemorrhagic fever to the most severe clinical presentation of dengue shock syndrome, which is characterized by profound systemic cytokine activation, vascular leakage, and shock—this carries a high risk of death. On page 929 of this issue, Katzelnick et al. ( 2 ) analyzed DENV infection outcome data gleaned from the long-term followup of a cohort of Nicaraguan children ( 2 ). They found that the risk of severe dengue disease upon subsequent DENV infection correlated with baseline DENV antibody concentrations (titers), which has implications for DENV vaccination approaches.
Three-dimensional evaluation of perirenal fat volume in patients with nephrolithiasis

The concept of adipose tissue as an organ unto itself represents a new medical construct; already differences in the volume of perirenal fat around a tumor-bearing kidney have been described. We hypothesized that renal calculi may have similar impact on perirenal fat or alternatively abnormalities in urinary metabolites may be the result of perirenal fat affecting renal metabolism and subsequent stone formation. Accordingly, we conducted a study utilizing three-dimensional imaging software to evaluate perirenal fat volume (PFV) in patients with nephrolithiasis. Among 40 patients with a history of unilateral nephrolithiasis who underwent percutaneous nephrolithotomy between 2010 and 2016, the following data were acquired: body mass index, past medical history, stone characteristics and composition (i.e., calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate, uric acid, and struvite calculi). In addition, patients were stratified by dominant stone composition (≥ 50% fraction). Bilateral PFV measurements were obtained using the preoperative computed tomography scan and specialized three-dimensional imaging software. The PFV of stone-bearing kidneys was significantly greater than non-stone-bearing kidneys (397.3 and 323 cc, respectively; p = 0.004), with the PFV difference in patients with CO-dominant stone-bearing kidneys reaching statistical significance (p = 0.003). Subgroup analysis showed greater PFV surrounding the stone-bearing kidney irrespective of gender (p = 0.03), with male patients possessing significantly greater stone-bearing (p = 0.01) and bilateral PFV (p = 0.01) compared to females. No significant correlations were found between PFV and stone volume or stone density. The PFV of calcium oxalate stone-bearing kidneys is significantly greater than non-stone-bearing kidneys for both male and female patients with nephrolithiasis.
Data-free metrics for Dirichlet and generalized Dirichlet mixture-based HMMs - A practical study

Abstract Approaches to design metrics between hidden Markov models (HMM) can be divided into two classes: data-based and parameter-based. The latter has the clear advantage of being deterministic and faster but only a very few similarity measures that can be applied to mixture-based HMMs have been proposed so far. Most of these metrics apply to the discrete or Gaussian HMMs and no comparative study have been led to the best of our knowledge. With the recent development of HMMs based on the Dirichlet and generalized Dirichlet distributions for proportional data modeling, we propose to design three new parametric similarity measures between these HMMs. Extensive experiments on synthetic data show the reliability of these new measures where the existing ones fail at giving expected results when some parameters vary. Illustration on real data show the clustering capability of these measures and their potential applications.
A 125 pJ/hit 5 mW 28 GHz Superregenerative Receiver with Automatic Gain Control and Energy Efficient Startup for Burst Mode IoE Applications

The nascent Internet of Everything will likely be dominated by bursty communication, shifting the focus away from power consumption, to an obsession with low energy per bit or per packet. We present a 28 GHz superregenerative receiver with symbol-by-symbol automatic gain control that is inspired by a famously successful IFF (identify friend-or-foe) receiver used extensively during WWII. The synthesizer-free receiver enables fast startup to reduce energy by close to an order of magnitude for short packets and achieves a steady-state energy consumption of 125 pJ/bit, The peak power dissipation of 5 mW and active area of 0.36 mm2 make it a particularly attractive receiver for the Internet of Everything.
Association Between Sarcopenia and Mortality in Patients Undergoing Surgical Excision of Head and Neck Cancer.

Importance Sarcopenia, or the loss of muscle mass, is associated with poor treatment outcomes in a variety of surgical fields. However, the association between sarcopenia and long-term survival in a broad cohort of patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) is unknown. Objective To determine whether sarcopenia is associated with long-term survival in patients undergoing major head and neck surgery for HNC. Design, Setting, and Participants A retrospective medical records review was conducted at a tertiary care academic hospital. Two hundred sixty patients undergoing major head and neck ablative procedures with cross-sectional abdominal imaging performed within 45 days prior to surgery were included in the analysis. The study was conducted from January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2016. Data analysis was performed from June 1, 2018, to February 28, 2019. Interventions Measurement of cross-sectional muscle area at the L3 vertebra level. Main Outcomes and Measures Two- and 5-year overall survival were the primary outcomes. Results Of the 260 patients included in the study, 193 were men (74.2%); mean (SD) age was 61.1 (11) years. Sarcopenia was present in 144 patients (55.4%). Two-year overall survival was 71.9% of the patients (n = 82) in the sarcopenia group compared with 88.5% of the patients (n = 85) in the nonsarcopenia group (odds ratio [OR], 0.33; 95% CI, 0.16-0.70). At 5 years, overall survival was 36.5% in patients (n = 23) with sarcopenia and 60.5% in patients (n = 26) without sarcopenia (OR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.17-0.84). On multivariate analysis, sarcopenia was a significant negative predictor of both 2-year (OR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.14-0.77) and 5-year (OR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.17-0.84) overall survival. Conclusions and Relevance Sarcopenia appears to be a significant negative predictor of long-term overall survival in patients with HNC undergoing major head and neck surgery. Sarcopenia may be accurately assessed on cross-sectional imaging and may be useful clinically as a prognostic variable and as an area for intervention to improve treatment outcomes.
The effects of temperature on political violence: global evidence at the subnational level

A number of studies have demonstrated an empirical relationship between higher ambient temperatures and substate violence, which have been extrapolated to make predictions about the security implications of climate change. This literature rests on the untested assumption that the mechanism behind the temperature-conflict link is that disruption of agricultural production provokes local violence. Using a subnational-level dataset, this paper demonstrates that the relationship: (1) obtains globally, (2) exists at the substate level — provinces that experience positive temperature deviations see increased conflict; and (3) occurs even in regions without significant agricultural production. Diminished local farm output resulting from elevated temperatures is unlikely to account for the entire increase in substate violence. The findings encourage future research to identify additional mechanisms, including the possibility that a substantial portion of the variation is brought about by the well-documented direct effects of temperature on individuals' propensity for violence or through macroeconomic mechanisms such as food price shocks.
Complex-Valued Neural Networks for Noncoherent Demodulation

Noncoherent demodulation is an attractive choice for many wireless communication systems. It requires minimal protocol overhead for carrier synchronization, and it is robust to radio impairments commonly found in low-cost transceivers. Machine learning techniques, such as neural networks and deep learning, offer additional benefits for these systems. Practical communication systems often include nonlinearities, non-stationarity, and non-Gaussian noise, which complicate mathematical derivation of optimum demodulators. Learning approaches can optimize demodulator performance directly from simulated or measured radio data, which is often plentiful in the design and verification of today’s integrated transceivers. This paper examines several candidate neural network topologies for use in noncoherent demodulation and provides a mathematical framework for their comparison. Each is based on a complex-valued feature detection layer, which may be characterized as coherent or noncoherent, followed by one or more real-valued classification layers. Backpropagation equations for the noncoherent feature layer include a synchronization term that facilitates training with noncoherent input data. The coherent layer does not synchronize training data, however a noncoherent demodulator can still be constructed by increasing the coherent layer capacity and adding a max pooling layer to marginalize the unknown signal phase. A frequency classification example highlights the differences between the topologies and confirms that optimum noncoherent demodulation can be learned in the presence of AWGN and random phase offsets. The topologies considered here are suitable for noncoherent demodulation of power-efficient modulations such as FSK and ASK, which are typical in today’s short-range wireless communication systems. It is hoped that such topologies will lead to a future common architecture that can support the wide range of modulation formats in this space.
Determining the Relationship Between Altmetric Score and Literature Citations in the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Literature.

Purpose We explored whether Altmetric scores (London, UK) correlate with traditional bibliometrics in the oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) literature. Materials and Methods This study analyzed the 7 OMS journals with the highest impact factors (IFs) and the 20 most-cited articles within those journals from 2013 and 2016. Citations, Altmetric scores, and media “mentions” were studied. Correlations between Altmetric scores, citations, and IF were examined using Pearson correlation coefficients and descriptive statistics. Twitter account data (San Francisco, CA) also were compared with other metrics. Results There was no correlation between citations and Altmetric scores (r = 0.146, P = .087) or between IF and Altmetric scores (r = 0.139, P = .100) in 2013. Altmetric scores also were not significantly correlated with citations (r = 0.116, P = .176) or IF (r = 0.104, P = .225) in 2016. Total Altmetric scores were 2.5 times higher in 2016 than in 2013, with news outlets, Facebook (Menlo Park, CA), and Twitter showing 257%, 243%, and 307% increases in mentions, respectively. Conclusions Compared with articles in other fields, OMS articles accrued lower Altmetric scores, representing a paucity of attention garnered on social media outlets. Altmetric scores are currently insufficient to replace traditional bibliometrics but can provide valuable information on public acquisition of knowledge, especially in the immediate post-publication interval.
Ranking ecosystem impacts on Chesapeake Bay blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) using empirical Gaussian Graphical Models

Moving toward ecosystem-based fisheries management requires integration of biotic and abiotic factors into our understanding of population dynamics. Using blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) in the Che...
High Torque Density Spoke-Type Ferrite Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine Assisted by Rare-Earth Magnets for Traction Applications

This paper proposes a new high torque density ferrite spoke-type permanent magnet synchronous machine assisted by rare-earth magnets to improve the utilization of rare-earth magnet and reduce the material cost. The topology of the proposed machine and design is introduced firstly. The influence of different key rotor design parameters on torque performance is investigated to maximize the average torque. Some design techniques are adopted to reduce the torque pulsation of the proposed machine, including rotor pole shaping and rotor skewing. The electromagnetic performance of the proposed design is verified and compared to a conventional spoke-type ferrite permanent magnet machine. The torque capability can be enhanced significantly by using rare-earth magnets assistance. Finally, the torque capability of the proposed design is compared to conventional interior permanent magnet traction motor using high-strength rare-earth magnets only. The mass of rare-earth magnet reduces from 1.23kg to 0.48kg to produce the same average torque. The utilization of rare-earth magnets extremely enhances and the material cost significantly reduces as well. The proposed machine is an attractive and practical alternative for electric vehicle traction applications with high torque density and low-cost features.
A 7-nm Compute-in-Memory SRAM Macro Supporting Multi-Bit Input, Weight and Output and Achieving 351 TOPS/W and 372.4 GOPS

In this work, we present a compute-in-memory (CIM) macro built around a standard two-port compiler macro using foundry 8T bit-cell in 7-nm FinFET technology. The proposed design supports 1024 4 b $\times $ 4 b multiply-and-accumulate (MAC) computations simultaneously. The 4-bit input is represented by the number of read word-line (RWL) pulses, while the 4-bit weight is realized by charge sharing among binary-weighted computation caps. Each unit of computation cap is formed by the inherent cap of the sense amplifier (SA) inside the 4-bit Flash ADC, which saves area and minimizes kick-back effect. Access time is 5.5 ns with 0.8-V power supply at room temperature. The proposed design achieves energy efficiency of 351 TOPS/W and throughput of 372.4 GOPS. Implications of our design from neural network implementation and accuracy perspectives are also discussed.
Reconfigurable complex emulsions: Design, properties, and applications

Reconfigurable complex emulsions, which consist of multiphase droplets that can change morphology between encapsulated and Janus shapes, have become of recent fundamental and applied interest due to their unique stimuli-responsive characteristics. The newfound ability to dynamically change the structure and interfaces of droplets provides exciting opportunities for exploiting the properties and applications of fluids in ways not before possible, such as to create tunable lenses or droplet-based sensors. Droplet morphological reconfiguration, which is easily induced upon alteration of the balance of interfacial tensions, can be triggered in response to stimuli including pH, light, enzymes, temperature, and surfactants. This review describes recent advances involving reconfigurable complex droplet design, properties, and applications, highlighting both the opportunities and challenges associated with harnessing complex emulsions as responsive materials. We focus primarily on emulsions in which all droplet phases are immiscible with each other and the continuous phase, such as multiphase oil droplets dispersed in water or multiphase aqueous droplets dispersed in oil. The ability to manipulate the ordering of liquid interfaces in an emulsion while maintaining droplet stability has greatly enabled new directions for emulsion research and applications. Harnessing the dynamic structure and properties of reconfigurable complex emulsions presents a new frontier in the design of responsive materials relevant to optics, sensing, and active matter.
Fabrication of monodisperse magnetic nanorods for improving hyperthermia efficacy

Hyperthermia is one of the promising cancer treatment strategies enabled by local heating with the use of tumor-targeting magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) under a non-invasive magnetic field. However, one of the remaining challenges is how to achieve therapeutic levels of heat (without causing damages to regular tissues) in tumors that cannot be effectively treated with anti-tumor drug delivery. In this work, we report a facile method to fabricate magnetic nanorods for hyperthermia by one-step wet chemistry synthesis using 3-Aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) as the shape-controlling agent and ferric and ferrous ions as precursors. By adjusting the concentration of APTMS, hydrothermal reaction time, ratios of ferric to ferrous ions, magnetic nanorods with aspect ratios ranging from 4.4 to 7.6 have been produced. At the clinically recommended field strength of 300 Oe (or less) and the frequency of 184 kHz, the specific absorption rate (SAR) of these nanorods is approximately 50 % higher than that of commercial Bionized NanoFerrite particles. This increase in SAR, especially at low field strengths, is crucial for treating deep tumors, such as pancreatic and rectal cancers, by avoiding the generation of harmful eddy current heating in normal tissues.
Contemporary International Investment Law Trends and Africa’s Dilemmas in the Draft Pan-African Investment Code

The Draft Pan-African Code is deeply informed by Africa’s experience with The Global North and shaped by its frustration. Such frustration, however, seems to have distorted the different realities of the intra-Africa dynamics. The objective of the PAIC is to aid Africa’s integration into a functioning common market. The protectionist approach that the Code adopts could potentially sabotage integration. This article argues that the Code itself is a codification of Africa’s dilemmas, and that the drafters must go back to the drawing board, eliminate the misdirected resentment, and redraft the Code (no matter its eventual form) with the ultimate objective of aiding the harmonization of rules and the creation of the African common market in mind.
P60 Parents Perceptions of Their Personal Eating Habits and Their Child's Eating Behaviors

Background Parent perception of their child's and their own eating habits may influence feeding and eating behaviors. Objective To evaluate associations between the parent's perceptions of their own eating habits and their perception of their child's eating habits. Study Design, Setting, Participants A cross-sectional online survey distributed via social media to parents/caregivers of children aged 3 to 8 years. The questionnaire included the ecSI 2.0, CEBQ and demographic items. Pearson's correlations were used to examine relationships between the ecSI 2.0TM and CEBQ subscale scores. Measurable Outcome/Analysis Ellyn Satter's 16-item Competence Inventory (ecSI 2.0TM), includes 4 subscales: eating attitudes, food acceptance skills, internal regulation skills and contextual skills of adults. The 35-item Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ) parent report measure assesses picky eating using 8 subscales; food responsiveness, emotional over-eating, enjoyment of food, desire to drink, satiety responsiveness, slowness in eating, emotional undereating and food fussiness. Chi-square, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and t tests were used to analyze ecSI 2.0TM and CEBQ subscale scores with demographics variables. Results The majority of respondents (n = 186) were female (93.5%), White (82.3%) and married (88.7%). Half (49.5%) were ≥36 years of age and most (75.8%) held college degrees. Half (53.2%) of the children were female, and child age was evenly distributed. The adults deemed eating competent differed by parent age and household income, χ²(5,186) = 12.57, P = 0.03 and χ²(1, 186) = 6.27, P = 0.01, respectively. There was a significant difference in child's enjoyment of food, t(184) = -2.30, P = 0.003, with higher scores found in eating competent parents. A significant difference in a child's desire to drink was found, t(184) = 2.59, P = 0.01, with lower scores among eating competent parents. Conclusion Findings suggest eating competence among parents may play a role in their child's eating behavior. Suggested relationships between parent eating competence and perceived child eating behavior warrant additional research and these can be used to provide insight on perceived child eating behavior studies.
Priming of intracellular calcium stores in rat CA1 pyramidal neurons.

Repetitive synaptic stimulation evokes large amplitude Ca2+ release waves from internal stores in many kinds of pyramidal neurons. The waves result from mGluR mobilization of IP3 leading to Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release. In most experiments in slices, regenerative Ca2+ release can be evoked for only a few trials. We examined the conditions required for consistent release from the internal stores in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons. We found that priming with action potentials evoked at 0.5–1 Hz for intervals as short as 15 s were sufficient to fill the stores, while sustained subthreshold depolarization or subthreshold synaptic stimulation lasting from 15 s to 2 min was less effective. A single episode of priming was effective for about 2–3 min. Ca2+ waves could also be evoked by uncaging IP3 with a UV flash in the dendrites. Priming was necessary to evoke these waves repetitively; 7–10 spikes in 15 s were again effective for this protocol, indicating that priming acts to refill the stores and not at a site upstream to the production of IP3. These results suggest that normal spiking activity of pyramidal neurons in vivo should be sufficient to maintain their internal stores in a primed state ready to release Ca2+ in response to an appropriate physiological stimulus. This may be a novel form of synaptic plasticity where a cell's capacity to release Ca2+ is modulated by its average firing frequency.
Planetary science: Snapshots of an ancient cover-up

Spectacular images from the Mars Orbiter Camera — an instrument on the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft — are providing new views of that planet. These images, and what can be inferred from them, add to knowledge of the processes that shaped the Martian surface; together with other data, they offer the hope that a self-consistent view of the planet's early climate can be pieced together.
Neural Engineering - A New Discipline for Analyzing and Interacting with the Nervous System

Objectives: The field of neural engineering focuses on an area of research at the interface between neuroscience and engineering. The area of neural engineering was first associated with the brain machine interface but is much broader and encompasses experimental, computational, and theoretical aspects of neural interfacing, neuroelectronics, neuromechanical systems, neuroinformatics, neuroimaging, neural prostheses, artificial and biological neural circuits, neural control, neural tissue regeneration, neural signal processing, neural modelling and neuro-computation. One of the goals of neural engineering is to develop a selective interface for the peripheral nervous system. Methods: Nerve cuffs electrodes have been developed to either reshape or maintain the nerve into an elongated shape in order to increase the circumference to cross sectional ratio. It is then possible to place many electrodes around the nerve to achieve selectivity. This new cuff (flat interface nerve electrode: FINE) was applied to the hypoglossal nerve and the sciatic nerve in dogs and cats to estimate the selectivity of the interface. Results: By placing many contacts close to the axons, three different types of selectivity were achieved: 1) The FINE could generate a high degree of stimulation selectivity as estimated by the individual fascicle recording. 2) Similarly, recording selectivity was also demonstrated and blind source algorithms were applied to recover the signals. 3) Finally, by placing arrays of electrodes along the nerve, small fiber diameters could be excited before large fibers thereby reversing the recruitment order. Conclusion: Taking advantage of the fact that nerves are not round but oblong or flat allows a novel design for selective nerve interface with the peripheral nervous system. This new design has found applications in many disorders of the nervous system such as bladder incontinence, obstructive sleep apnea and stroke.
Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer Observations of the Low-Redshift Lyβ Forest

We describe a moderate-resolution (20-25 km s-1) Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) study of the low-redshift intergalactic medium. We report on studies of seven extragalactic sight lines and 12 Lyβ absorbers that correspond to Lyα lines detected by Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph and Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph. These absorbers appear to contain a significant fraction of the low-z baryons and were a major discovery of the HST spectrographs. Using FUSE data, with 40 mA (4 σ) Lyβ detection limits, we have employed the equivalent width ratio of Lyβ/Lyα, and occasionally higher Lyman lines, to determine the Doppler parameter b and accurate column densities N for moderately saturated lines. We detect Lyβ absorption corresponding to all Lyα lines with Wλ ≥ 200 mA. The Lyβ/Lyα ratios yield a preliminary distribution function of Doppler parameters, with mean b = 31.4 ± 7.4 km s-1 and median 28 km s-1, comparable to values at redshifts z = 2.0-2.5. If thermal, these b-values correspond to T ≈ 50,000 K, although the inferred Doppler parameters are considerably less than the widths derived from Lyα profile fitting, b/bwidth = 0.52. The typical increase in column density over that derived from profile fitting is Δ log N = 0.3, but ranges up to 1.0 dex. Our data suggest that the low-z Lyα absorbers contain sizable nonthermal motions or velocity components in the line profile, perhaps arising from cosmological expansion and infall.
Hydatidiform mole and associated tumors of the chorion

Abstract A discussion of hydatidiform moles and their subsequent course with a review of 24 cases is presented. The mole may be benign, its passage complete and recovery may be uneventful. In others, approximately one-half of our cases, chorionic tissues remain in the uterine cavity or in the uterine walls, and cause persistent positive biologic pregnancy tests. We have classified these cases microscopically as syncytial endometritis or syncytioma (infiltration with syncytium only), malignant mole or chorioadenoma (syncytium, Langhans' cells and villi), or chorionepithelioma (Langhans' cells and syncytium). Those diagnosed on this basis as chorionepithelioma have died, while all of the others have survived.
The Inverse Erdős-Heilbronn Problem

The famous Erdős-Heilbronn conjecture (first proved by Dias da Silva and Hamidoune in 1994) asserts that if $A$ is a subset of ${\Bbb Z}/p{\Bbb Z}$, the cyclic group of the integers modulo a prime $p$, then $|A\widehat{+}A| \ge \min\{2|A| -3,p\}. $ The bound is sharp, as is shown by choosing $A$ to be an arithmetic progression. A natural inverse result was proven by Karolyi in 2005: if $A\subset {\Bbb Z}/p{\Bbb Z}$ contains at least 5 elements and $|A\widehat{+}A| \le 2|A| -3 We consider a large prime $p$ and investigate the following more general question: what is the structure of sets $A \subset {\Bbb Z}/p{\Bbb Z}$ such that $|A\widehat{+}A| \le (2+\epsilon)|A|$? Our main result is an asymptotically complete answer to this question: there exists a function $\delta(p) = o(1)$ such that if $200 0$, then $A$ is contained in an arithmetic progression of length $|A\widehat{+}A| -|A| + 3$. With the extra assumption that $|A| \le ({1\over 2}- {1\over\log^c p} ) p$, our main result has Dias da Silva and Hamidoune's theorem and Karolyi's theorem as corollaries, and thus, our main result provides purely combinatorial proofs for the Erdős-Heilbronn conjecture and an inverse Erdős-Heilbronn theorem.
Sources of Uncertainty, Imprecision, and Inconsistency in Information Systems

An information system is a computer model of the real world. Like any other model, it captures an abstracted version of the real world, using a level of abstraction that is implied by the expected applications. As with any other model, the most important consideration is the integrity of the model; i.e., the accuracy of the representation. Unfortunately, our knowledge of the real world is often imperfect, thus challenging our ability to create and maintain information systems of integrity.
Parental Distress: Caring for Medically Fragile Children at Home

Home care (rather than hospital care) for a diverse group of medically fragile children has expanded in the last decade without an adequate understanding of its impact on families. In this report, the psychological distress of parents was measured using family data and a standardized psychological distress instrument. Of 57 families studied, 59% of the mothers and 67% of the fathers reported significant levels of distress symptoms. Regressions analysis suggest that factors associated with increased family responsibility contribute to parents’ distress. The type and amount of professional support also affect parental distress. Copyright o 1993 by W. B. Saunders Company
Distinct Clonal Ig Diversification Patterns in Young Appendix Compared to Antigen-Specific Splenic Clones

The young rabbit appendix is a dynamic site for primary B cell repertoire development. To study diversification patterns during clonal expansion, we collected single appendix B cells from 3- to 9-wk-old rabbits and sequenced rearranged H and L chain genes. Single cells obtained by hydraulic micromanipulation or laser capture microdissection were lysed, PCR amplified, and products directly sequenced. Gene conversion-like changes occurred in rearranged H and L chain sequences by 3–4 wk of age. Somatic mutations were found in the D regions that lack known conversion donors and probably also occurred in the V genes. A few small sets of clonally related appendix B cells were found at 3–5 wk; by 5.5 wk, some larger clones were recovered. The diversification patterns in the clones from appendix were strikingly different from those found previously in splenic germinal centers where an immunizing Ag was driving the expansion and selection process toward high affinity. Clonally related appendix B cells developed different amino acid sequences in each complementarity-determining region (CDR) including CDR3, whereas dominant clones from spleen underwent few changes in CDR3. The variety of combining sites generated by diversification within individual clones suggests that at least some clonal expansion and selection, known to require normal gut flora, may be driven through indirect effects of microbial components rather than solely by their recognition as specific foreign Ags. This diversity of combining sites within B cell clones supports the proposed role of appendix in generating the preimmune repertoire.
Communication and Intimacy‐Enhancing Interventions for Men Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer and Their Partners

Introduction The sexual dysfunction following prostate cancer treatments often leads to a reduction in intimate contact for couples. A number of psychosocial interventions have been developed to enhance intimacy in these couples. This paper reviews three of these interventions and is a summary of a presentation given as part of a symposium at the 2011 Cancer Survivorship and Sexual Health Meeting.
Global Climate Modeling as Applied Science

In this paper I argue that the appropriate analogy for “understanding what makes simulation results reliable” in Global Climate Modeling is not with scientific experimentation or measurement, but—at least in the case of the use of global climate models for policy development—with the applications of science in engineering design problems. The prospects for using this analogy to argue for the quantitative reliability of GCMs are assessed and compared with other potential strategies.
Do Fences Make Good Neighbours? An Analysis of Israel's Security Policy Choices

Is Israeli security best assured by strategic contraction or expansion? Does Israel's decision to build a security fence and the nation's security policies of contracting, rather than expanding, mark a major strategic shift in policy to make Israel more secure in the long run? Or should more attention be focused on the 2006 invasion of Lebanon as signalling a return to the older security policies based on expansion of the country's security sphere, placing Israel more in context with the American-led war on terrorism, with an emphasis on pre-emption to eliminate short-run terrorist threats? This article analyses Israel's recent security policy choices, especially the decision to erect the wall separating Israelis from Palestinians, combined with the unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in August 2005, followed by the decision to return to Gaza and invade Lebanon in July 2006. Did these events represent the failure of Israeli security initiatives of the early 2000s and a return to old security dynamics of expan...
The effects of information redundancy on evaluations of social stimuli

Subjects were asked to estimate their liking for persons described by pairs of adjectives. These estimates were analyzed as a function of the favorableness of the adjectives in each pair and the redundancy of these adjectives. The degree of redundancy of an adjective B with a second adjective A was defined as the conditional probability of occurrence of B given A; these probabilities were estimated from normative data. Results supported the hypothesis that if adjectives are redundant with others presented, they have less effect upon evaluations. This study, which led to conclusions similar to those made by Dus tin & Baldwin (1966), eliminated several methodological difficulties in the earlier research.
Aliovalent Doping of CeBr3

Despite the outstanding scintillation performance characteristics of CeBr 3 and LaBr 3 :Ce, commercial availability and application is limited due to the difficulties with crystal growth of large, crack-free single crystals of these fragile materials. Aliovalent doping was employed to strengthen CeBr3 in an effort to ease crystal growth constraints and improve ingot yields. Six divalent (Ca 2+ , Sr 2+ , Ba 2+ , Zn 2+ , Cd 2+ and Pb 2+ ) and two tetravalent cations (Zr 4+ and Hf 4+ ) were investigated as dopants to strengthen CeBr3 without negatively impacting scintillation performance. Ingots containing nominal concentrations of 500ppm and 1000ppm of each dopant were grown. Fluorimetry, preliminary scintillation, and preliminary fracture toughness measurements are presented for these aliovalently-doped scintillators. While Ca 2+ , Zn 2+ , Cd 2+ , and Hf 4+ all exhibited little or no change in the peak fluorescence emission for 300nm excitation, Sr 2+ , Ba 2+ , Pb 2+ , and Zr 4+ exhibited varying degrees of red-shifting. As expected, Pb 2+ had a drastic detrimental effect on scintillation. Initial microindentation data indeed indicates a noticeable increase in the fracture toughness of the doped crystals as compared to undoped CeBr 3 .
Wavelength dependence of the shape of foveal absolute threshold probability of detection functions

Abstract Foveal probability of detection functions at absolute threshold were measured as a function of wavelength using a two-alternative, temporal-forced-choice technique. It was found that the slopes of the z transforms of the probability of detection functions varied with wavelength; the shallowest slopes occurred in the short wavelengths, the steepest slopes occurred in the middle portion of the spectrum, and the slopes were of the intermediate value in the long wavelengths.
Changing existing attitudes--a dissonance approach.

Two studies test techniques for changing existing attitudes. The first employs dissonant information, ostensibly from peers, as a lever. The second exposes Ss to the situation on which baseline attitudes have been established. In the first study, the dissonance approach results in a significant mean attitude change. In the second study, the resistance to change is also predicted by Festinger's theory, i.e., to have perceived information differently from that reflected in existing attitudes would have resulted in a state of dissonance.
Hemostatic control with flexible compression tape used during partial nephrectomy and organ salvage.

AbstractPurpose: A secure method of achieving hemostasis during partial nephrectomy to accomplish guillotine polar amputation is described.Materials and Methods: A common hardware item, the so-called cable tie, proved to be useful during removal of a block of neoplastic renal tissue from the lower central pole of a unilateral kidney.Results: Complete hemostasis and resection of the renal parenchyma were obtained with ease and minimal expense.Conclusions: The use of a flexible plastic compression tape has proved valuable to adhere to organ contours closely, maximally control bleeding and marking a line of incision during amputation of a portion of the renal substance. This device may prove useful for analogous surgical purposes with other vascular organs.
A Comparison of the Influence of Social Factors and Technological Factors on Adoption and Usage of Knowledge Management Systems

Knowledge management strives for effective capture and application of organizational knowledge, a valuable resource imperative in sustaining an organization. In an effort to better achieve knowledge management initiatives, consideration of factors influencing adoption and usage of knowledge management systems are of great interest. Implementation of technological solutions are often considered organizational innovations subject to potential problems of resistance deeming social factors equally important to technological factors. With Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT) as a foundation, this research examines factors influencing adoption and usage of knowledge management systems, with results indicating that some factors are important in determining adoption while others are important for continued usage. The IDT model is extended to include Reciprocity Expectation, a factor important when examining practices and technology used for knowledge management. Results of this research stress the importance for careful consideration and re-evaluation of both social and technological factors throughout all stages of technology implementation.
Sensitivity of multiangle imaging to the optical and microphysical properties of biomass burning aerosols

The treatment of biomass burning (BB) carbonaceous particles in the Multiangle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) Standard Aerosol Retrieval Algorithm is assessed, and algorithm refinements are suggested, based on a theoretical sensitivity analysis and comparisons with near-coincident AERONET measurements at representative BB sites. Over the natural ranges of BB aerosol microphysical and optical properties observed in past field campaigns, patterns of retrieved Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), particle size, and single scattering albedo (SSA) are evaluated. On the basis of the theoretical analysis, assuming total column AOD of 0.2, over a dark, uniform surface, MISR can distinguish two to three groups in each of size and SSA, except when the assumed atmospheric particles are significantly absorbing (mid-visible SSA approx.0.84), or of medium sizes (mean radius approx.0.13 pin); sensitivity to absorbing, medium-large size particles increases considerably when the assumed column AOD is raised to 0.5. MISR Research Aerosol Retrievals confirm the theoretical results, based on coincident AERONET inversions under BB-dominated conditions. When BB is externally mixed with dust in the atmosphere, dust optical model and surface reflection uncertainties, along with spatial variability, contribute to differences between the Research Retrievals and AERONET. These results suggest specific refinements to the MISR Standard Aerosol Algorithm complement of component particles and mixtures. They also highlight the importance for satellite aerosol retrievals of surface reflectance characterization, with accuracies that can be difficult to achieve with coupled surface-aerosol algorithms in some higher AOD situations.
Creating ontology-driven repositories based on topic maps

This tutorial will provide the participants with substantial knowledge about topic maps, their concepts, their application, and how to develop topic maps. Designing an ontology is an integral and important aspect of every Topic Map application. Practical examples will be used in applying ontology modeling based on task requirements. Furthermore, a workshop-like interactive creation of an example topic map will make the tutorial valuable for the attendees. By the end of the tutorial, the participants will learn how to apply topic maps to their own information resources and will be able to use and edit topic maps based on the freely available Topic Maps editor, TM4L.
Protein-tyrosine Phosphatase PTPN9 Negatively Regulates ErbB2 and Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Signaling in Breast Cancer Cells

ErbB family of the receptor protein-tyrosine kinase plays an important role in the progression of human cancers including breast cancer. Finding protein-tyrosine phosphatase (PTPs) that can specifically regulate the function of ErbB should help design novel therapies for treatment. By performing a small interfering RNA screen against 43 human PTPs, we find that knockdown of protein-tyrosine phosphatase PTPN9 significantly increases ErbB2 tyrosyl phosphorylation in the SKBR3 breast cancer cell line. In addition, knockdown of PTPN9 expression also enhances tyrosyl phosphorylation of the ErbB1/epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line. Conversely, increasing expression of PTPN9 wild type (WT) inhibits tyrosyl phosphorylation of ErbB2 and EGFR. To test whether ErbB2 and EGFR are substrates of PTPN9, PTPN9 WT, and a substrate trapping mutant (PTPN9 DA) are overexpressed in SKBR3 and MDA-MB-231 cells. Compared with vector control, expression of PTPN9 WT significantly inhibits whereas expression of PTPN9 DA dramatically enhances tyrosyl phosphorylation of ErbB2 and EGFR, respectively. In contrast, expression of PTPN9 WT or DA mutant does not affect tyrosyl phosphorylation of ErbB3 and Shc. Importantly, coimmunoprecipitation and glutathione S-transferase fusion protein pulldown experiments show that tyrosol-phosphorylated ErbB2 or EGFR is preferentially associated with PTPN9 DA compared with PTPN9 WT, indicating that ErbB2 and EGFR are substrates of PTPN9. Furthermore, PTPN9 WT expression specifically impairs EGF-induced STAT3 and STAT5 activation, and inhibits the cell growth in soft agar. Last, PTPN9 WT expression also reduces invasion and MMP2 expression of MDA-MB-231 cells. Our data suggest PTPN9 as a negative regulator of breast cancer cells by targeting ErbB2 and EGFR and inhibiting STAT activation.
Later comes earlier, nowadays.

> While we deliberate about beginning, it is already too late to begin. > > Quintilian, 35–96 BCE We all agree that early identification and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with “tight” control currently provide us our best opportunities to optimize outcomes for patients1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11. At present we seek drug-induced suppression of disease for prevention of inflammatory damage and consequent disability. We expect remissions in half or more patients we are able to treat early. We hope an occasional patient will retain a remission when drugs are tapered and even stopped. We are thrilled to have at least 9 conventional and 9 biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD) to choose from and combine. However, we are frustrated that we do not have better markers to allow us to select the best therapy for each patient without the trial-and-error process we now utilize. We are disappointed and saddened when treatments fail, and patients suffer rather than benefit from therapy, as still happens. We struggle, too often unsuccessfully, to provide expensive state-of-the-art medications to all we think should receive them. Early recognition and intervention for RA is one of the triumphs of an age of rheumatology that has truly transformed how we think about caring for patients. There is now urgency in finding RA patients and getting them to rheumatologists or comparable therapeutic programs. We now have new criteria that facilitate early classification of RA12. The 2010 revised classification criteria provide a framework to identify patients before the progression of disease (by eliminating the requirement of at least 6 weeks of disease or presence of nodules or erosions, and by focusing on the … Address correspondence to Dr. Panush. E-mail: panush{at}usc.edu
Modulation of cytokine patterns of human autoreactive T cell clones by a single amino acid substitution of their peptide ligand

We demonstrate that cognate peptide ligands altered at T cell receptor (TCR) contact residues and bound to class II major histocompatability complex can change the cytokine pattern of mature T cell clones. Myelin basic protein peptide 85-99-reactive Th0 T cell clones were stimulated with altered peptide ligands, which acted both as TCR antagonist and induced new mRNA synthesis and protein secretion of TGF-beta 1, while no longer inducing mRNA synthesis or protein secretion of IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, and IFN gamma. The modified peptides failed to induce a detectable calcium flux, p56lck activation, or thymidine incorporation, yet triggered nearly equal amounts of IL-4 secretion in the presence of ionomycin. Antigen-induced modulation of T cell cytokine secretion may be important in regulating the immune response.
Population and employment density functions revisited: a spatial interaction approach.

This article proposes a generalized urban spatial structure and transportation network and adapts the Garin-Lowry model to simulate both population and service employment densities in this hypothetical yet realistic city. The model is solved numerically while varying exogenous factors such as the distance friction coefficients and the spatial distribution of basic employment.... The results are generalized by estimating via regression analysis density functions over a large sample of simulated density patterns pointing to the critical importance of transportation costs and basic employment distribution and providing a basis for further empirical studies. (EXCERPT)