cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Infant Cognitive Psychophysiology

Psychophysiology may be defined as “the study of relations between psychological manipulations and resulting physiological responses, measured in the living organism, to promote understanding of the relation between mental and bodily processes” (Andreassi, 1989). The main impetus of psychophysiology is to relate psychological behavior to underlying physiological systems. Psychophysiology is also the study of parallel relations between psychological behavior and physiological systems. Psychophysiological research typically uses noninvasive recording methods and human subjects. Other scientific areas, such as physiological psychology, psychobiology, and behavioral neuroscience study physiological-psychological relations. These fields use more invasive physiological measures and, as a result, use animal models rather than human subjects in the study of behavior.
Mechanisms of rubber abrasion in unsteady state

Abstract Abrasion of rubber under the action of mechanical stress appears to involve two basic processes: micromolecular fracture and macrodelamination. The formation of ridges mainly results from the effect of tearing and tensile rupture, but the production of small particles is mainly due to the effect of microcutting. Ridge and small particle formation are basic characteristics of rubber abrasion. The physical processes during dry wear are gradual tearing leading to crack growth and also rupture of the tongue tip. A new concept of rupture length per revolution has been introduced, which is itself a function of the number of revolutions that have occurred during the unsteady state. Based on this, a quasi-theoretical relation for the rate of wear has been proposed. It reflects the influence of several factors on the rate of wear in a comprehensive way, and, it was verified by the experimental results. In the unsteady state of abrasion, the rate of wear and the spacing of the abrasion pattern not only dep...
Subregions of rostral ventral medulla control arterial pressure and regional hemodynamics

The cardiovascular effects of inactivating rostral ventromedial medulla (RVMM) under conditions of normal (2.5 ml) and reduced (1.5 ml) tidal volume were studied in urethan-anesthetized rats. Bilateral microinjection of lidocaine (200 nl, 4%) reduced mean arterial pressure (MAP), renal, mesenteric, and particularly hindquarter vascular resistance. These effects were not significantly altered by reducing tidal volume. Electrical stimulation of RVMM increased MAP and regional vascular resistances, again with the hindquarter change most prominent. The integrated cardiovascular response to stimulating rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) appears to require integrity of RVMM; however, the converse is not true. Overall, these studies indicate that 1) the potential for RVMM to maintain neurogenic control of arterial pressure is as great as RVLM; 2) RVMM is capable of playing a proportionally greater role in the controlling hindquarter vascular resistance; 3) the integrity of RVMM appears to be important for responses elicited from RVLM; and 4) unlike RVLM, neural control of arterial pressure is sustained by RVMM under conditions of reduced tidal volume. We conclude that RVLM and RVMM are functionally and anatomically distinct subregions of rostral ventral medulla with equivalent capacity to maintain vasomotor tone.
Synthesis and Reactivity of Trivalent Tp*U(CH2Ph)2(THF): Insertion vs Oxidation at Low-Valent Uranium–Carbon Bonds

The synthesis of a rare uranium(III) bis(benzyl), Tp*U(CH2Ph)2(THF) (2), was achieved by salt metathesis of Tp*UI2(THF)2 with 2 equiv of KCH2Ph at low temperature. This was characterized by 1H NMR, infrared, and electronic absorption spectroscopy as well as X-ray crystallography. Addition of benzophenone to 2 forms the uranium(IV) radical coupling product Tp*U(CH2Ph)2(OC(Ph)2CH2Ph) (3), whereas N3Mes produces the imido derivative Tp*U(NMes)(CH2Ph)(THF) (4). Adding a further 1 equiv of N3Mes to tetravalent 4 results in U–C insertion to form the U(IV) triazenido species Tp*U(NMes)[(CH2Ph)N3(Mes)-κ2N1,2](THF) (5). Compound 2 also reacts with the redox-active 4,6-di-tert-butyl-2-[(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imino]quinone (DIPPiq) to form the oxidized amido(phenolate) Tp*U(CH2Ph)(DIPPap) (6).
An International Study on Shareholder Protection in Minority M&A Transactions

We define minority M&A transactions as those initiated by target controlling shareholders to acquire minority shareholders' ownership in the same target firm. Existing studies provide diverse evidence with regard to whether minority shareholders are expropriated by controlling shareholders in minority merger deals. Rather than studying transactions in a particular country, we use an international minority merger sample covering 55 countries. Furthermore, we examine multiple merger outcomes to present a comprehensive analysis of minority shareholder rights protection. We find, in countries with stronger corporate governance and legal enforcement, the merger premium and the probability of cash payment are higher but the deal completion rate is lower, suggesting stronger minority shareholder rights in these transactions. Our study provides new evidence of minority shareholder protection in the international scope. Our results suggest the different observation of minority shareholder protection can be attributed to the country-level corporate governance and legal enforcement.
Sequential Monte Carlo in Action

The previous chapter outlines a general Monte Carlo framework based on the sequential buildup strategy. Several essential elements are (a) the choice of the trial densities, (b) the resampling method, (c) the marginalization strategy, and (d) the rejection control. This chapter will illustrate how these generic strategies are applied to various application problems.
Ground Motion Characteristics of the 2015 Gorkha, Nepal, Earthquake and Its Effects on a Prototype Unreinforced Masonry Building

AbstractThe 7.8-magnitude Nepal earthquake on April 25, 2015, caused more than 9,000 fatalities and tremendous damage to civil infrastructures. Some unique characteristics of this earthquake and it...
Large-scale submodular greedy exemplar selection with structured similarity matrices

Exemplar clustering attempts to find a subset of data-points that summarizes the entire data-set in the sense of minimizing the sum of distances from each point to its closest exemplar. It has many important applications in machine learning including document and video summarization, data compression, scalability of kernel methods and Gaussian processes, active learning and feature selection. A key challenge in the adoption of exemplar clustering to large-scale applications has been the availability of accurate and scalable algorithms. We propose an approach that combines structured similarity matrix representations with submodular greedy maximization that can dramatically increase the scalability of exemplar clustering and still enjoys good approximation guarantees. Exploiting structured similarity matrices within the context of submodular greedy algorithms is by no means trivial, as naive approaches still require computing all the entries of the matrix. We propose a randomized approach based on sampling sign-patterns of columns of the similarity matrix and establish accuracy guarantees. We demonstrate significant computational speed-ups while still achieving highly accurate solutions, and solve problems with up-to millions of data-points in around a minute or less on a single commodity computer.
Phentermine/Topiramate (Qsymia) for Chronic Weight Management

Phentermine/topiramate has been shown to be a good option for sustained weight loss in patients who are unable to lose weight with diet and exercise alone. It should not be given to patients with a history of significant heart disease, and women of childbearing age should use contraception and have regular pregnancy tests when taking phentermine/topiramate.
Propagation of Firebush (Hamelia patens) by Stem Cuttings

Abstract The influence of bottom heat, rooting medium, type of cutting (i.e. terminal vs. subterminal), and commercial auxin formulations on greenhouse propagation of firebush (Hamelia patens Jacq.) by leafy stem cuttings during winter was investigated. Without bottom heat, mid-day rooting medium temperature averaged about 22 ± 3°C (72 ± 5°F). Percent rooting of auxin-treated cuttings without bottom heat was 50% and mean length of the longest root and visual rating scores of root development were low. Maintaining the rooting medium at 29–39°C (85–10 1°F) increased percent rooting for auxin-treated cuttings to 96–100% and increased root length and visual rating scores several-fold. Rooting percentage, root length, and visual rating scores were consistently high in perlite and low in peat moss. Terminal stem-tip cuttings and subterminal stem segment cuttings with basal stem diameters of 3–5 mm (0.13–0.20 in) rooted slightly better than subterminal stem segment cuttings which had basal stem diameters of 6–8 ...
ON A CONTINUUM MODELLING OF DAMAGE

A brief review of the papers presented in the Session “Damage and Continuum Modelling” is given. It is followed by several remarks of general character on continuum modelling of damage.
Flow boiling of dilute emulsions

Abstract Measurements of heat transfer coefficients are presented for flow boiling of a dilute emulsion in meso-scale channel flow. The emulsions comprises droplets of FC-72 and pentane in water at a droplet concentration of one percent or less by volume. Droplet size is on the order of 5–10 μm. The experimental apparatus comprises a bottom heated flat channel with a gap height of 0.25 mm and constant wall heat flux of 10–50 W/cm 2 . Mass flux is held constant at ∼100 kg/m 2 s. Heat transfer coefficients are enhanced on the order of 20–60% when the wall temperature exceeds the saturation temperature of the dilute component but is less than the saturation temperature of the carrier fluid. This increase is attributed to agitation due to the liquid-vapor transition of the suspended component. As the wall temperature approaches the saturation temperature of the carrier fluid, boiling of it commences, and heat transfer coefficients increase dramatically as in single-component flow boiling. Thus, the emulsion exhibits more desirable heat transfer characteristics across the spectrum from single-phase through two-phase flow. At very low heat flux, there is little to no differentiation of heat transfer coefficients of carrier fluid alone and that of the emulsion because the droplets require a degree of superheat before evaporating. The present results provide a useful experiential framework for categorizing flow boiling conditions associated with dilute emulsions and complement existing data on pool boiling.
Social activism in the United States: Digital collection and primary sources

The United States is currently going through a time of increasing political and social activism, from the Black Lives Matter movement to health care activism. This has brought on a renewed interest in the history of social activism to both learn lessons from the successful movements of the past, as well as gain a deeper understanding of the forces that have shaped our current environment. Studying the history of activism and social movements is essential to understanding how once radical ideas like women’s suffrage and civil rights have been able to move increasingly into the mainstream.
Simulated Altitude via Re-Breathing Creates Arterial Hypoxemia but Fails to Improve Elements of Running Performance

Acclimatization to altitude has been shown to improve elements of performance. Use of simulated altitude is popular among athletes across the sports spectrum. This work was on a handheld, re-breathing device touted to enhance performance. Seven recreationally-trained athletes used the device for 18 hours over the course of the 37-day intervention trial. The elevations simulated were progressively increased from 1,524m to 6,096m. To ascertain potential efficacy, four performance trials were included (familiarization, baseline, and 2 follow-ups). Hematological (hematocrit, hemoglobin, and lactate), physiological (respiratory exchange ratio, heart rate, and oxygen consumption), and perceptual (Borg's RPE) variables were monitored at rest, during two steady state running economy stages, and at maximal effort during each visit. The device is clearly capable of creating arterial hypoxemic conditions equating to high altitude. This fact is exemplified by average pulse oximetry values of approximately 78.5% in the final 6-day block of simulation. At the same time, there were no changes observed in any hematological (p>0.05), physiological (p>0.05), or perceptual (p>0.05) variable at either follow-up performance trial. Relative VO2 data was analyzed with a 15-breath moving average sampling frequency in accordance with our recent findings (Scheadler et al.) reported in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. Effect sizes are reported within, but most were trivial (d=0.0-0.19). Overall, findings align with speculation that a more robust altitude stimulus than can be offered by short-term arterial hypoxemia is required for changes to be evidenced. The device has shown some promise in other work, but our data is not supportive.
Screening Mammography Findings From One Standard Projection Only in the Era of Full-Field Digital Mammography and Digital Breast Tomosynthesis.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to compare outcomes of findings seen on one view only from screening full-field digital mammography (FFDM) and FFDM plus digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT)...
Outcome following Stroke

As the second most common cause of death in the world 1 and a major cause of long-term disability, stroke continues to have a great effect on public health. 2 In the United States, there are an estimated 731,000 strokes and 4 million stroke survivors annually, 3 4% to 15% of whom suffer a recurrent stroke within a year after incident stroke and 25% by 5 years. 4 Stroke accounts for the greatest number of hospitalizations for neurologic disease. 5 The estimated lifetime cost of first strokes in the United States was approximately $40.6 billion in 1990—$5.6 billion for SAH, $6.0 billion for ICH, and $29.0 billion for ischemic stroke. 6 Costs for acute care incurred in the 2 years after a first stroke accounted for 45%, long-term ambulatory care accounted for 35%, and nursing home costs accounted for 17.5% of aggregate lifetime costs of stroke. Despite the growing knowledge about novel strategies of stroke prevention, including the results from randomized clinical trials of blood pressure-lowering drugs on the risk reduction of initial and recurrent stroke, 7 8 9 10 the real challenge still remains: to successfully implement these strategies in stroke prevention programs worldwide.
THE CRITICAL LIQUID VOLUME FRACTION USED TO REPRESENT AND PREDICT LIQUID-VAPOR COEXISTENCE DENSITIES OF ETHYLENE

The design and proper operation of liquefiers, refrigerators, and equipment incorporating power cycles depend on the knowledge of saturation properties. Accurate saturated liquid densities are also needed for economic storage and custody transfer operations. Also, liquid-vapor density data, including that in the triple point and critical point regions, are important in the development of equations of state originating at the coexistence boundary.
Molecular mechanisms of platelet exocytosis: role of SNAP-23 and syntaxin 2 in dense core granule release

To characterize the molecular mechanisms of platelet secretion, we focused on the calcium-induced exocytosis of dense core granules. Platelets contain several known t-SNAREs (soluble N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor [NSF] attachment protein receptors) such as syntaxins 2, 4, and 7 and SNAP-23 (synaptosomal associated protein 23). By using an in vitro exocytosis assay, we have been able to assign roles for some of these t-SNAREs in dense core granule release. This calcium-induced secretion relies on the SNARE proteins because it is stimulated by the addition of recombinant alpha-SNAP and inhibited by a dominant negative alpha-SNAP-L294A mutant or by anti-alpha-SNAP and anti-NSF antibodies. SNAP-23 antibodies and an inhibitory C-terminal SNAP-23 peptide both blocked dense core granule release, demonstrating a role for SNAP-23. Unlike other cell types, platelets contain a significant pool of soluble SNAP-23, which does not partition into Triton X-114. Of the anti-syntaxin antibodies tested, only anti-syntaxin 2 antibody inhibited dense core granule release. Immunoprecipitation studies showed that the 2 t-SNAREs syntaxin 2 and SNAP-23 do form a complex in vivo. These data clearly show that SNAPs, NSF, and specific t-SNAREs are used for dense core granule release; these data provide a greater understanding of regulated exocytosis in platelets.
Gastritis and Duodenitis

Gastritis is characterized by gastric epithelial cell injury and regeneration accompanied by mucosal inflammation …
Porohyperelastic theory and finite element models for soft tissues with application to arterial mechanics

Biological structures composed of soft tissues can be studied. using poroelastic models, i.e., the material is viewed as a highly deformable porous solid skeleton that is saturated by mobile tissue fluid. These structures exhibit nonlinear material behavior and undergo finite strains. A ‘porohyperelastic’ (PHE) field theory is presented as a natural extension of classical hyperelasticity. Eulerian and Lagrangian forms for the field equations are given for materials in which both the solid skeleton and the fluid are incompressible. These forms allow proper identification of two fundamental material property functions, the effective strain energy density function and the hydraulic permeability. Eulerian and Lagrangian mixed finite element models (FEMs) are presented that include the PHE material response and finite strains. Applications of PHE theory and FEMs developed using the ABAQUS program are described for the study of large arteries. Representative functional forms for the material properties are given that include the necessary material constants in the strain energy density function and the hydraulic permeability. Both steady-state and transient cyclic pressurization of a large artery are simulated using ABAQUS FEMs of an axisymmetric segment of a PHE tube constrained in finite plane strain.
DNS of Compressible Reacting Mixing Layers with Parallel Compact Scheme

The complexity associated with the DNS calculation of chemically-reacting high-speed mixing layers is briefly reviewed in this paper, with a focus on recent understanding of the three-mode mixing mechanism. The extension of the foregoing is of interest but requires the implementation of high-order finite difference formulas on supercomputers in order to take advantage of the massive parallelization. The high-order differencing and filtering formulas are complicated to parallelize. This paper therefore presents the progress that has been made toward the development of an efficient and scalable parallel procedure for investigating nonlinear three-mode mixing mechanisms.
Stable Mixed-Valent Complexes Formed by Electron Delocalization Across Hydrogen Bonds of Pyrimidinone-Linked Metal Clusters

Electron transfer across a mixed-valent hydrogen-bonded self-dimer of oxo-centered triruthenium clusters bridged by a pair of 4(3H)-pyrimidinones is reported. Spectroelectrochemical studies in methylene chloride reveal that 1 rapidly self-dimerizes upon one-electron reduction, forming the strongly coupled mixed-valent hydrogen-bonded dimer (12)−. In the mixed-valent state, significantly broadened, partially coalesced ν(CO) bands are observed, allowing estimation of the electron transfer rate (kET) by an optical Bloch line shape analysis. Simulation of the FTIR line shapes provides an estimate of kET on the order of 1011 s–1, indicating a highly delocalized electronic structure across the hydrogen bonds. These findings are supported by the determination of the formation constant (KMV) for (12)−, which is found to be on the order of 106 M–1, or nearly 4 orders of magnitude higher than that for the neutral isovalent dimer (12). This represents a stabilization of approximately 5.7 kcal/mol (1980 cm–1) arising...
Effects of Chair Support on Biomechanical Exposures on the Neck During Mobile Phone Use

The goal of this study was to evaluate how chair support (armrest and back support) affect the head/neck kinematics and muscle activity as compared to no chair support among four different phone po...
Exploring Natural Materials: Creative Stress-Reduction for Urban Working Adults

ABSTRACTThe authors explored the therapeutic potential of introducing creative expression with nature-sourced materials in an indoor setting to urban working adults who were in good physical and me...
Buckling of elastic columns with initial imperfections and load eccentricity

Abstract Imperfections in buckling analyses are often assumed to take the form of either initial member imperfections or load eccentricity, but these effects are typically treated separately. In this paper, these two imperfections are treated simultaneously, focusing on the case in which the two effects neutralize each other. A linear analysis is performed to determine the critical ratio of load eccentricity to member imperfection amplitude at which the column switches its direction of buckling. The results are validated through a series of experimental tests leveraging the capability of 3D-printing to incorporate prescribed geometric imperfections.
Novel Neighborhood Blanker Processing of Radar Signals for Enhanced Delay-Doppler Resolution

We study the design of radar waveforms and signal processing mimicking the characteristics of biological echolocation. Real biological systems use information in a neighborhood surrounding the response in a process called lateral inhibition, present in neural processing in both the eye and the ear, to sharpen resolution. Any system ignoring the neighborhood response cannot fully exploit the resolution characteristics present in the received signal. Therefore, we investigate neighborhood nonlinear processing using a novel blanker filter. We show that using neighborhood nonlinear processing can separate two targets that are much closer together and the sidelobes are easily reduced.
Vaginitis, Mucopurulent Cervicitis, and Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

A previously healthy 17-year-old girl is seen in the emergency department with complaints of left lower quadrant abdominal pain, vomiting, and fevers for the last 2 days. She does not have a prior history of urinary tract infections. Her appendix was removed when she was 6 years old. She states that she is sexually active and has had three male partners over the past 3 months, with intermittent condom use. Her temperature is 38 °C, with normal vital signs otherwise. On physical examination, she has tenderness of the left lower quadrant of her abdomen, without rebound or guarding. On pelvic exam, her cervix is friable with motion tenderness. On bimanual exam, she has moderate left adnexal tenderness. Results of laboratory studies include a total white blood cell count of 26,000 cells/μL with 85% neutrophils and 15% lymphocytes, an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and an elevated C-reactive protein. Swabs of the cervix, taken during the pelvic exam, were sent to the laboratory for a wet mount, KOH prep, and nucleotide acid amplification testing for gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomonas. The laboratory calls with positive results for both gonorrhea and chlamydia. A screening blood test for syphilis and a fourth-generation HIV test are negative. The girl is hospitalized for treatment of pelvic inflammatory disease. After 4 days of treatment with intravenous cefoxitin and oral doxycycline, her pain is well-controlled, and she is fever free for 48 hours. Results of a repeat erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein are improved. The girl is discharged home to complete a 14-day course of doxycycline. Her sexual partners are contacted by the local health department and advised to seek medical attention and treatment for chlamydia and gonorrhea.
Significance of a Solid Electrolyte Interphase on Separation of Anode and Cathode Materials from Spent Li-Ion Batteries by Froth Flotation

The separation of electrode active materials from spent Li-ion batteries (LIBs) by froth flotation is challenging due to the changes in surface properties of electrode active materials from cycling...
Good Faith, Suretyship, and the Ius Commune

Scholars of the late medieval and early modern Roman law worked out answers to important problems that American courts and commentators are only beginning to consider. The specific questions that this Article considers come from the realm of commercial law: Is there a reciprocal duty of good faith between a surety or guarantor and the principal obligor, independent of any explicit contractual provision to that effect? If so, what is the relationship between that duty and the surety's indemnification rights against the principal obligor? Part I of this Article surveys the contexts in which these suretyship issues arise in modern commercial law. Part II shows that American courts are split on the questions of the existence and extent of any duty of good faith on the part of the surety, and the effect of that duty on a surety's indemnification rights. Part III describes the overall approach to those questions offered by the recent Restatement (Third) of Suretyship and Guaranty. While the Restatement implicitly recognizes a duty of good faith performance of the surety contract, it makes no attempt to explain how that duty relates to a surety's extensive indemnification rights when the surety performs over a defense available to it. Moreover, the rules articulated in the Restatement for this situation--where it attempts to articulate rules at all--are unsatisfactory, conceptually and practically. Part IV of this Article demonstrates that, unlike the Restatement, the early modern Roman lawyers considered in some detail the relationship between the duty of good faith and the surety's indemnification rights. These lawyers, working within the ius commune (i.e. the European legal system influenced by the Roman law), concluded that the duty of good faith required a surety to conduct at least a minimal investigation into the defenses against the creditor potentially available to the surety and to assert those that were not frivolous. Although the surety could perform despite the availability of technical defenses (apices iuris) without impairing its indemnification rights, the duty of good faith severely circumscribed the surety's ability to do so. Indeed, the surety's rights under the Roman law were much more limited than under the Restatement.
Magnetohydrodynamic Effects on Exothermal Waves

Summary Elementary magnetohydrodynamic effects on exothermal, plane, supersonic waves are examined. One-dimensional steady flow with heat addition in the presence of a plane magnetic field transverse to the direction of motion is studied. Basic equations are derived and solved numerically for several ideal conditions which correspond to gaseous detonations and thermonuclear shocks. The magnetic field acts on the flow in a way which tends to counteract the heat-addition effects. The singular solution still exhibits the classical Chapman-Jouguet conditions. Some properties of high-temperat ure gas mixtures are presented including the electrical conductivity of air shocks and fuel-air detonations. Experimental implications of the analysis and numerical results are discussed. AGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS is a subject in which one studies the motion of electrically conductive fluids subject to magnetic fields. This area of study, once the sole domain of the astrophysicist, has recently attracted the interest of investigators in many diverse fields. We seek here to investigate the question of what role magnetohydrodynamics may play in exothermal flow, such as gaseous detonations or thermonuclear shocks. The analysis considers only macroscopic phenomena with emphasis upon the behavior of the fluids. Ideal­ ized cases are studied to formulate the important phys­ ical parameters and to gain an understanding of the effects that might be expected. In particular, one- dimensional steady flow with heat addition is analyzed for the case in which the magnetic field is plane and transverse to the direction of motion. The equations that describe such a flow are solved numerically and graphs are presented showing the kinds of effects to be anticipated for stoichiometric detonations and fusion- type shock waves. It is shown that in the presence of a magnetic field the analogue of the Chapman-Jouguet detonation (singular-point solution) has a product Mach number still equal to one and the product en­ tropy is stationary. Calculations were performed to obtain the electrical conductivity of the product flow of fuel-air strong deto­ nations and air shocks, and these results are shown up to a Mach number of twenty (about 12,000°R.). Experimental implications are discussed. The effect of the Earth's magnetic field on previous combustion studies is shown to be negligible.
Statistical Analysis of Thermal Analysis Margin

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center requires that each project demonstrate a minimum of 5 C margin between temperature predictions and hot and cold flight operational limits. The bounding temperature predictions include worst-case environment and thermal optical properties. The purpose of this work is to: assess how current missions are performing against their pre-launch bounding temperature predictions and suggest any possible changes to the thermal analysis margin rules
Massive hypertrophy of the breasts and axillary breasts in successive pregnancies.

Abstract 1. 1. A case is presented of massive hypertrophy of the breasts and axillary breasts in pregnancy. 2. 2. Amputations of the breasts and axillary breasts were performed.
The posterior petrosal approach: technique and applications in pediatric neurosurgery.

Object Various lesions occur in deep locations or at the skull base in pediatric patients and require skull base approaches for resection. Skull base surgery confers the advantages of improved line of sight, a wider operative corridor, and reduced brain retraction. The posterior petrosal approach provides simultaneous access to lesions in the posterior middle fossa and posterior fossa from the top of the clivus to the level of the jugular foramen. It allows visualization of the ventrolateral brainstem and may be combined with various other supra- and infratentorial approaches, thus giving the surgeon a wide array of access routes to the lesion. Methods The authors conducted a retrospective review of all cases involving pediatric patients undergoing a posterior petrosal approach, either alone or in combination with other cranial approaches. Preoperative and postoperative data were collected, including presentation, neurological examination, imaging findings, pathological condition, operative details, perio...
THE DIGITAL PRODUCTION GAP IN GREAT BRITAIN

In the iCS article, ‘Who Creates Content?’ (April 2013), Blank contends that digital production inequality depends on the type of online content in question. Using 2010 survey data from the UK, he uses a principle component analysis to cluster content activities into three types and conducts a logistic regression analysis with an eye toward social class. He finds some levels of inequality but also finds parity with two of his content categories. These findings differ from a substantial body of literature from the United States. Rather than explaining these differences between Britain and the United States with substantive and theoretical reasons, Blank attempts to find fault with the methodology of this existing literature. In this comment, the author shows how Blank's analysis does not reveal as much digital production equality as he claims it does because of his misinterpretation of causal paths of inequality, as well as problems with his operationalization of online content, which conflates Internet ac...
Outcomes of clomiphene citrate treatment in young hypogonadal men

UNLABELLED Study Type - Therapy (case series) Level of Evidence 4. What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? Hypogonadism is a prevalent problem, increasing in frequency as men age. It is most commonly treated by testosterone supplementation therapy but in younger patients this can lead to testicular atrophy with subsequent exogenous testosterone dependency and may impair spermatogenesis. Clomiphene citrate (CC) may be used as an alternative treatment in these patients with hypogonadism when maintenance of fertility is desired. This study shows that CC is a safe and efficacious drug to use as an alternative to exogenous testosterone. Not only have we validated previous findings of other papers but have proven our findings over a much longer period (mean duration of treatment 19 months). This prospective study is the largest to date assessing both the objective hormone response to CC therapy as well as the subjective response based on a validated questionnaire. OBJECTIVE • To prospectively assess the andrological outcomes of long-term clomiphene citrate (CC) treatment in hypogonadal men. PATIENTS AND METHODS • We prospectively evaluated 86 men with hypogonadism (HG) as confirmed by two consecutive early morning testosterone measurements <300 ng/dL. • The cohort included all men with HG presenting to our clinic between 2002 and 2006 who, after an informed discussion, elected to have CC therapy. CC was commenced at 25 mg every other day and titrated to 50 mg every other day. The target testosterone level was 550 ± 50 ng/dL. • Testosterone (free and total), sex hormone binding globulin, oestradiol, luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone were measured at baseline and during treatment on all patients. Once the desired testosterone level was achieved, testosterone/gonadotropin levels were measured twice per year. • To assess subjective response to treatment, the androgen deficiency in aging males (ADAM) questionnaire was administered before treatment and during follow-up. RESULTS • Patients' mean (standard deviation [sd]; range) age was 29 (3; 22-37) years. Infertility was the most common reason (64%) for seeking treatment. The mean (sd) duration of CC treatment was 19 (14) months. • At the last evaluation, 70% of men were using 25 mg CC every other day, and the remainder were using 50 mg every other day. • All mean testosterone and gonadotropin measurements significantly increased during treatment. • Subjectively, there was an improvement in all questions (except loss of height) on the ADAM questionnaire. More than half the patients had an improvement in at least three symptoms. • There were no major side effects recorded and the presence of a varicocele did not have an impact on the response to CC. CONCLUSION • Long-term follow-up of CC treatment for HG shows that it appears to be an effective and safe alternative to testosterone supplementation in men wishing to preserve their fertility.
Helmholtz's theorem based parametric non-rigid image registration

Helmholtzs theorem states that, with suitable boundary condition, a vector field is completely determined if both of its divergence and curl are specified everywhere. Based on this, we developed a new parametric non-rigid image registration algorithm. Instead of the displacements of regular control grid points, the curl and divergence at each grid point are employed as the parameters. This leads to a very simple mathematical model - two Poisson equations in 2-D or three Poisson equations in 3-D which will be used to solve for the displacement field. The similarity measure used in the method is sum of squared difference. And multi-resolution is applied on the gradient descent optimization. In this dissertation, two closest related works are reviewed. The first one is the fast parametric elastic image registration which the parameters are the B-spline coefficients of the displacement field at each control grid point. However, in the fast parametric elastic image registration method, it is very likely to result in grid folding in the final deformation field if the distance between adjacent control grid points (knot spacing) is less than 8. This implies that the high frequency components in the deformation field can not be accurately estimated. Another relevant work is the parametric non-rigid image registration method based on Helmholtz decomposition. In that work, the deformation is considered as the result of two types of particles, namely the vortex particles and sink and source particles. Three types of parameters are associated with each particle: (1) the vorticity (curl) or divergence strength, (2) the influence domain, (3) position. Their method leads to a very complicated mathematic model and cannot be generalized to 3-D case easily. On the contrary, in our case, the divergence and curl, used as the only control parameters, are associated with each grid point. This leads to a very simple mathematical model and can be applied to 3D case easily. Though the present work does not guarantee the regularity (no mesh folding) of the resulting deformation field, it is rarely occurred in the practical case. However, to keep the completeness of the proposed method, we set the parameters as the divergence and curl of the B-spline coefficients of displacement field which further strengthen the regularization to be strong enough to warrant a folding free deformation field. In the experiments, we illustrate that the proposed method has the capability to handle various real medical images for both 2-D and 3-D. Also, an experiment was devised to show the proposed method can overcome the aperture problem.
Theory of diamagnetic response of the vortex liquid phase of two-dimensional superconductors

We calculate the magnetization of a two-dimensional superconductor in a perpendicular magnetic field near its Kosterlitz-Thouless transition and at lower temperatures. We find that the critical behavior is more complex than assumed in the literature and that, in particular, the critical magnetization is not field independent as naive scaling predicts. In the low-temperature phase we find a substantial fluctuation renormalization of the Abrikosov mean-field result. We compare our analysis with the data on the cuprates.
Explorations in the uses of language in psychotherapy: complex empathic statements.

I submit these ideas with hesitation. They seem to rest on a particular assumption widely at variance with contemporary practice and itself difficult to state. The prevailing assumption has been that the content of a person's mental life, symptoms, or experience lay in that person's mind, and that by asking questions, listening, in various ways making ourselves receptive, we could penetrate that mental life. In this traditional manner of thinking, the language of penetration has been secondary to the material being reached. In contrast, I suspect that the language of investigation and therapy is as important as the matter being investigated or treated--that in fact the two bear a symbiotic relationship to each other.
Multiple structural proteins are required for both transcriptional activation and negative autoregulation of Caulobacter crescentus flagellar genes.

Abstract The periodic and sequential expression of flagellar (fla) genes in the Caulobacter crescentus cell cycle depends on their organization into levels I to IV of a regulatory hierarchy in which genes at the top of the hierarchy are expressed early in the cell cycle and are required for the later expression of genes below them. In these studies, we have examined the regulatory role of level II fliF operon, which is located near the top of the hierarchy. The last gene in the fliF operon, flbD, encodes a transcriptional factor required for activation of sigma 54-dependent promoters at levels III and IV and negative autoregulation of the level II fliF promoter. We have physically mapped the fliF operon, identified four new genes in the transcription unit, and determined that the organization of these genes is 5'-fliF-fliG-flbE-fliN-flbD-3'. Three of the genes encode homologs of the MS ring protein (FliF) and two switch proteins (FliG and FliN) of enteric bacteria, and the fourth encodes a predicted protein (FlbE) without obvious similarities to known bacterial proteins. We have introduced nonpolar mutations in each of the open reading frames and shown that all of the newly identified genes (fliF, fliG, flbE, and fliN) are required in addition to flbD for activation of the sigma 54-dependent flgK and flbG promoters at level III. In contrast, fliF, fliG, and flbE, but not fliN, are required in addition to flbD for negative autoregulation of the level II fliF promoter. The simplest interpretation of these results is that the requirements of FlbD in transcriptional activation and repression are not identical, and we speculate that FlbD function is subject to dual or overlapping controls. We also discuss the requirement of multiple structural genes for regulation of levels II and III genes and suggest that fla gene expression in C. crescentus may be coupled to two checkpoints in flagellum assembly.
Roy Walford and the immunologic theory of aging

Roy Walford died on April 27, 2004, at the age of 79. His contributions to gerontological research in such diverse areas as caloric restriction, genetics of lifespan, immunosenescence, DNA repair and replicative senescence were truly remarkable in their depth and innovation. Significantly, most of the areas that he pioneered during his illustrious research career remain the "hot" areas of current gerontological research. In this sense, he has achieved the most important type of immortality. His death was a major personal and professional loss to numerous scientists within the gerontological community. In launching this new journal on Immunity and Ageing, it is highly fitting, therefore, to remember him on the anniversary of his death by briefly reviewing the contributions of Roy Walford to this important facet of gerontology. Indeed, it was Roy who actually first coined the commonly used term "immunosenescence".
Complex etiologies of emerging diseases in lobsters (Homarus americanus) from Long Island Sound1

Several diseases have recently emerged in lobsters (Homarus americanus) from Long Island Sound (LIS). Various stressors have been implicated as contributory factors, including increased bottom temperatures, extensive eutrophication with commensurate hypoxia, storm-induced thermal destratification, possible exposures to pesticides and metals, and fishery-induced stressors. Such stressors increase host susceptibility by weakening the host immune defenses and act to increase the transmission and severity of pathogens. The lobster mortality in western LIS in 1999 was linked to Neoparamoeba pemaquidensis, but a complex of stressors resulted in outright mortality from hypoxia or consequent immune suppression that increased susceptibility to the ameba. Similar stressors have been implicated in the etiology of epizootic shell disease and calcinosis. The role of environmental stressors has been hard to delineate, but recent declines in landings indicate that epizootic shell disease has had a negative impact on the...
Layered Nanocomposites of Aggregated Dyes and Inorganic Scaffolding

Layer-by-layer thin films were prepared by the alternate deposition of clay particles and ionic organic compounds from solution onto a rigid support. The organic component comprised a monomeric cyanine dye or poly-l-lysine with the same cyanine chromophore appended to it, a dye polymer. Physical measurements indicated that layers of the organic and inorganic materials could be deposited alternately in a repeated fashion with each layer only one to two nanometers thick. Within the film structure the cyanine chromophore exhibits J-aggregate spectroscopic properties, either as the result of adsorption to the clay in the case of the monomeric dye or because it preexisted in this form in the case of the dye polymer. This composite assembly can potentially serve as a model for a light-harvesting photoantenna system. We attempted to demonstrate that by capping the multilayer film with another layer of a different cyanine dye, whose J aggregate absorption band overlapped the fluorescence wavelength of the dye inc...
The interaction between macrospheres in solution

Abstract A molecular theory of the interaction of macrospheres in solution is obtained from the Ornstein-Zernike equations for a few large spheres in a fluid. This theory is a natural extension of the DLVO theory with the oscillatory contribution to the force arising from the hard core exclusions among the water molecules and with the extra repulsion arising from the alignment of the water dipoles near the spheres. The agreement with the experimental results of Israelachvili, et al., is good. Also the force between macrospheres in a fluid is examined near the critical point of a fluid and is found to vanish at the critical point.
Torsades de pointes associated with ziprasidone.

Received February 11, 2005; revised June 2, 2005; accepted June 23, 2005. From the Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI. Send correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Heinrich, Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226. e-mail: theinric@mail.mcw.edu 2006 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine Medication-induced prolongation of the Q–T interval, which may result in arrhythmias such as torsades de pointes, has long been associated with the antiarrhythmic class of medications. Recently, however, many classes of non-cardiac medications, such as antihistamines, antipsychotics, and antimicrobials, have been associated with secondary Q–T interval prolongation and the risk of torsades de pointes. This potentially deadly treatment complication came to psychiatry’s general attention in the United States with the failed new drug application of sertindole. Sertindole was linked to cases of sudden cardiac death, syncope, and Q–T interval prolongation. The failure of sertindole to make it to the marketplace, coupled with the reports of arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death with other antipsychotics, have ensured that Q–T interval and torsades de pointes will remain a significant clinical issue for psychiatrists for years to come. It is with these important points in mind that we would like to present a case where torsades de pointes developed in a young woman who was being treated with multiple non-cardiac medications, one of which was ziprasidone. This case represents the first report in which torsades de pointes developed in an individual being treated with ziprasidone. This case also underscores the critical importance of communication between consultation psychiatrists, medical consultees, and the patient’s primary psychiatrist. Case Report