cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reconstruction of inverse synthetic aperture radar image using adaptive time-frequency wavelet transform

Inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) uses target's motion to generate images on the range- Doppler plane. The conventional ISAR uses Fourier transform to compute Doppler spectrum for each range cell. Due to the target irregular translational and rotational motion, the Doppler frequency in fact is time-varying. By using Fourier transform, the reconstructed image becomes blurred. To represent time-varying Doppler spectrum, time-frequency transform should be utilized. Adaptive time-frequency wavelet transform is a very useful tool in analysis of signals with time-varying spectrum. We applied adaptive time-frequency wavelet transform to ISAR image reconstruction and developed a simulation procedure to describe the characteristics of the algorithm. By replacing the conventional Fourier processor with the adaptive wavelet processor, a 2-D range-Doppler Fourier ISAR frame becomes a 3-D time- range-Doppler wavelet ISAR cube. By sampling in time, a time sequence of 2-D range- Doppler images can be viewed. Each individual wavelet ISAR image provides not only superior resolution but also the temporal information within each frame time. Both simulated and real ISAR data have been tested. The result from simulated ISAR data is illustrated in this paper.
Two-dimensional simulation of MODFET and GaAs gate heterojunction FET's

Previous simulation studies on heterojunction devices have been limited to idealized device structures (mostly 1-D) which neglect important parasitic effects. In order to realistically simulate heterojunction devices, a general two-dimensional device simulator has been developed which includes for the first time features essential to designing and modeling realistic devices, for example, multiple heterolayers, a modified mobility model for the 2-D electron gas, Fermi level pinning at the surfaces, and deep traps in the substrate. Two specific types of high electron mobility heterojunction devices have been studied and compared. The first type is the recessed-gate MODFET and the second type is the GaAs gate heterojunction FET. At 77 K, simulation results showed that high transconductances (450-500 mS/mm) can be obtained for both types of structures with similar geometries. For GaAs gate FET's, the device operation is found to be sensitive to the surface defect density in the ungated gap of the self-aligned T-gate structure, while for a similar MODFET structure with an analogous gap between the actual recessed edge and the gate edge, the dependency on the surface defect density is relatively weak because the AlGaAs layer is rather heavily doped. The causes for the transconductance degradation of MODFET's have been identified as either the neutralization of the ionized impurities in the AlGaAs layer or the saturated resistor under the ungated gap in the recessed region.
Radionuclides in hydrothermal systems as indicators of repository conditions

Hydrothermal systems in tuffaceous and older sedimentary rocks contain evidence of the interaction of radionuclides in fluids with rock matrix minerals and with materials lining fractures, in settings somewhat analogous to the candidate repository site at Yucca Mountain, NV. Earlier studies encompassed the occurrences of U and Th in a ``fossil`` hydrothermal system in tuffaceous rock of the San Juan Mountains volcanic field, CO. More recent and ongoing studies examine active hydrothermal systems in calderas at Long Valley, CA and Valles, NM. At the Nevada Test Site, occurrences of U and Th in fractured and unfractured rhyolitic tuff that was heated to simulate the introduction of radioactive waste are also under investigation. Observations to date suggest that U is mobile in hydrothermal systems, but that localized reducing environments provided by Fe-rich minerals and/or carbonaceous material concentrate U and thus attenuate its migration. 11 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.
Antibody treatment of lower respiratory tract infections

Antibody treatment of lower respiratory infection has a long history of success and is receiving renewed interest. A variety of polyclonal and monoclonal preparations are clinically available. Although used primarily for infection prophylaxis, these agents have limited applications in the treatment of established infections. Immune serum was the first effective treatment for pneumococcal pneumonia. Although long-supplanted by the advent of antibiotics, passive immunotherapy for pneumococcal and other infections is being revisited in an era of increasing antibiotic resistance and growing numbers of immunocompromised individuals. Limited clinical evidence supports the use of immune globulins in the treatment of pertussis and severe streptococcal infection. Bone marrow transplant recipients with lower respiratory infections caused by cytomegalovirus or respiratory syncytial virus also may benefit by adjunctive treatment with immune globulins. Additional indications for antibody treatment of respiratory infection may develop with further investigation.
Studies on eye regeneration in a snail, Helix aspersa

Part I is a study of the fine structure of the regenerating optic tentacle of a pulmonate snail, Helix aspersa. Electron microscopy demonstrates marked similarity between regeneration and embryonic development of the eye and its photoreceptoral microvilli, lens-forming secretory droplets, clear photic vesicles, neurites, pigment granules, and bundles of tonofilaments. A cell type, heretofore undescribed, prominent in the regeneration of the tentacle, is a pigmented interstitial cell. This cell is characterized, and its presumed role in the tentacle is discussed. Part II is an attempt to test the importance of nerve fibers in the induction of a regenerating eye in the newly formed epithelium of the outer tentacular sheath. Ligatures were placed around the inner tentacular sheath above the stumps of severed optic and tentacular nerves. No eye regenerated in snails with the ties in place, some as late as 90 days postoperative. The results suggest that nerve fibers exert an influence on the regeneration of the eye in Helix aspersa.
Observations of currents and density structure across a buoyant plume front

Observations of the Mobile Bay, Alabama, plume during a flood event in April 1991 reveal significant differences in the current field on either side of a front associated with the buoyant plume. During a strong southeasterly wind, turbid, low salinity water from Mobile Bay was pushed through an opening in the west side of the ebb-tidal delta and moved parallel to the coast. A stable front developed between the low salinity water of the buoyant plume (11‰) and the high salinity coastal water (>23‰) that was being forced landward by the prevailing winds. Despite the shallow water depth of 6 m, measurements of currents, temperature, and salinity show large shears and density gradients in both the vertical and the horizontal directions. At a station outside of the buoyant plume, currents at 0.5 m and 1.5 m below the surface were in the same direction as the wind. Inside the plume, however, currents at 0.5 m below the surface were parallel to the coast, 45°, off the direction of the wind and the magnitude was 45% larger than the magnitude of the surface currents outside the plume. Beneath the level of the plume, the currents were identical to the wind-driven currents in the ambient water south of the front. Our observations suggest that the wind-driven surface currents of the ambient water converged with the buoyant plume at the front and were subducted beneath the plume. The motion of the ambient coastal surface water was in the direction of the local wind stress, however, the motion of the plume had no northerly component of motion. The plume also did not show any flow toward the front, suggesting a balance between the northerly component of wind stress and the southerly component of buoyant spreading. In addition, the motion of the plume did not appear to affect the motion of the underlying ambient water, suggesting a lack of mixing between the two waters.
A comment on the suspected solar neutrino -- solar activity connection

Recently, it has been proposed that there exists a highly statistically significant (at ≥98% level of confidence) relationship between37Ar production rate (viz., solar neutrinos) and the Ap geomagnetic index (viz., solar particles), based on the X -square goodness-of-fit test and correlation analysis, for the interval 1970–1990. While a relationship between the two parameters, indeed, seems to be discernible, the strength of the relationship has been overstated. Instead of being significant at the afore-mentioned level of confidence, the relationship is found to be significant at only ≥95% level of confidence, based on Yates' modification to the X -square test for 2 × 2 contingency tables. Likewise, while correlation analysis yields a value ofr = 0.2691, it is important to note that such a value suggests that only about 7% of the variance can be ‘explained’ by the inferred correlation and that the remaining 93% of the variance must be attributed to other sources.
Family Togetherness and the Suburban Ideal

An examination of the history of suburbanization in the United States shows that the suburban ideal has, from its beginnings, been associated with a vision of family togetherness, meaning that husband, wife, and children choose to spend their leisure time with one another. While the migration to the suburbs has been in part fueled by a desire to escape the mix of classes and ethnic groups of urban areas, and by government- and market-shaped economic incentives, the suburban ideal has stressed finding an environment in which family ties can be strengthened. The social and spatial structure of suburbia promotes familial isolation through a lack of public space and through an emphasis on home maintenance and home-centered entertainments. It is argued that by providing such optimal conditions for togetherness, suburbia may actually undermine familial harmony by exacerbating the strain of trying to live up to an essentially unattainable ideal.
Evaluation of Silica-Coated Tubing for the Measurement of Hydrogen Peroxide in Hot Water

A commercial silica coating for stainless steel tubing was investigated for its ability to inhibit the decomposition of aqueous hydrogen peroxide on the tubing surface. Although the coating proves effective at preventing decomposition up to 200 {sup o}C, above this temperature, the coating degrades, as evidenced by enhanced decomposition of the hydrogen peroxide.
Lightning flash density versus altitude and storm structure from observations with UHF‐ and S‐band radars

The UHF-(70.5 cm wavelength) and S-band (10 cm wavelength) radar at NASA/Wallops Island Research Facility in Virginia, U.S.A. have been used to relate lightning activity with altitude and with the reflectivity structure of thunderstorms. Two centers of lightning flash density were found; one between 6 and 8 km altitude and another between 11 and 15 km. Previously announced in STAR as N83-31206
Automatic field shaping for conformal radiation therapy

A computer method has been developed to shape the radiation field to conform to the shape of the target as visualized through the beam's eye view (BEV) perspective for conformal radiation therapy. Initially, a series of 2D target contours to define the target size are input into the computer. These target contour data are mapped onto a 3D surface and thereafter projected onto a BEV plane. The projection's outer boundary of the target is auto-contoured. After auto-contouring, a margin is automatically added to define the radiation beam cross section. Since the BEV plane is arbitrarily oriented about the target, the beam orientation can be non-coplanar to the plane of the target contours. For a chosen beam orientation, the conformal treatment beam cross section can be generated automatically using this computer technique and output to either a laser printer, a plotter or stored on files for transfer to the linear accelerator computer system.
X-ray measurement of regional blood flow distribution using radiopaque contrast medium: influence of gravity

X-ray CT measurement of regional blood flow distribution in the lungs is potentially biased because the contrast medium used to track the flow is denser than blood. To evaluate this gravity effect, cross-sectionally uniform boluses (Reno 60, density 1.3) were delivered at the upstream end of a horizontal tube connected to a downstream axisymmetric bifurcation. When the plane of the bifurcation was vertical and actual flow through the two branches was equal, the fraction of contrast medium passing through the downward- directed branch increased with decreasing Reynolds number, increasing length-to-diameter ratio of the horizontal tube, and decreasing bolus volume. In the lungs, Reynolds number decreases and pathway length increases with decreasing vessel diameter. Thus, the results suggest that the spatial resolution of CT flow measurement within the lungs may be limited by density differences between contrast medium and blood.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
OCCURRENCE OF BRAIN CALCIFICATIONS, IRON DEPOSITS, AND TONIC-CLONIC CONVULSIONS FOLLOWING EXPERIMENTAL INFECTIONS WITH CANDIDA ALBICANS.

During the prolonged presence ofCandida albicans in the spleen of Wistar rats, two cases of calcium deposits in the brain were observed. In one case there was one big calcium deposit at some distance from the cortex. In this case, thickening in a limited area of the leptomeninges was found. The animal had generalized tonicclonic convulsions which lead to death. In the second case, calcium deposits formed two separate agglomerations in the posterior part of the thalamus. Serial sections made at six micron intervals showed the presence of calcium deposits to a depth of forty-eight microns. At twenty-four microns other calcium deposits were observed in the thalamus symmetrically located to those described above.
Temporal variability in dissolved phosphorus concentrations in the subtropical North Pacific Ocean

Dissolved phosphorus pool measurements were made on approximately monthly intervals during the period October 1988-November 1994 at an oligotrophic, deep-ocean station near Hawaii (Station ALOHA; 22 °45′N, 158 °W). Data include depth profiles (0–200 m) of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), measured by two independent techniques (a high-sensitivity, magnesium-induced coprecipitation (MAGIC) method, and standard autoanalysis procedure), and total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) based on UV photo-oxidation treatment followed by automated SRP analysis. Considerable variability in SRP was observed both with depth and with time over the 6-yr period. Upper water column (0–100 m) SRP concentrations varied in time from > 150 to 60 nM, respectively. Throughout the entire 6-yr observation period, the upper water column (0–100 m) inventory of SRP displayed a systematic decrease from ∼ 10 to ∼ 5 mmol m−2 P, a result that is consistent with the hypothesized role of N2 fixation and P control of new and export production at Station ALOHA. Three independent, but not mutually exclusive, models are presented to explain these time-varying SRP concentrations: (1) convective mixing; (2) atmospheric deposition; and (3) upward P flux. The upward P flux model including both passive (upward particle flux) and active (biological transport) processes, is the most consistent model for the available data set.
Sex, politics, and money

Women and girls men and boys bear an unacceptable burden of sexual and reproductive ill health and the raw statistics that illustrate this burden are shocking. Women and girls bear the brunt of the load. A quarter of women in developing countries suffer illness injury or disability often hidden as a result of pregnancy and childbirth. They are denied their sexual and reproductive health rights and subjected to appalling gender inequalities. Neemas story is just one example. Neema is a 17-year-old Tanzanian girl who was raped when she was 15. Her family arranged for her to marry the rapist--in exchange for six cows. Neema soon became pregnant. After a long painful labour she had a caesarean section but the baby was stillborn and she developed a fistula and was leaking urine. Her husband no longer wanted her but accepted her back after surgery to repair the fistula. He started beating her when he could not immediately resume sexual relations so Neema ran away. Now she sells vegetables in a market and sleeps there at night making her vulnerable to physical and sexual assault. (excerpt)
The Impact of Music Therapy on Language Functioning in Dementia

Dementias, such as Alzheimer's disease, include a progressive deterioration of language functioning. While some researchers have reported an increase in patients' self-expression following music therapy, it is not clear whether these changes specifically reflect improved language skills or whether simple interpersonal interaction with a therapist could account for the improvement. In this study, the effects of music therapy were compared to conversational sessions on language functioning in dementia patients. Participants were selected according to the following criteria: (a) residing in a facility specializing in Alzheimer's and related disorders; (b) possessing sufficient verbal ability to answer simple questions and to comply with requests to speak, participate, or sit down; and (c) attaining the written consent of the patient's guardian or representative. All participants had been in music therapy twice per week for at least 3 months prior to the study onset. One week prior to the beginning of the study, subjects were assessed for cognitive functioning using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and language ability via the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB). A within-subjects design was used, with order of condition (music or group conversation first) counter-balanced between participants. Subjects participated in groups of 2 to 4, twice per week for 20-30 minutes for a total of 8 sessions (4 music therapy and 4 conversation sessions or vice-versa), and were re-tested on the WAB at the end of each 2 week (4 session) interval. Results from 20 participants revealed that music therapy significantly improved performance on both speech content and fluency dimensions of the spontaneous speech subscale of the WAB (p =.01). While the difference in overall Aphasia Quotient (AQ) for music and conversation sessions (mean AQ = 76 vs. 70, respectively) did not reach statistical significance, data were only available for 10 participants (5 per condition). Hopefully, these findings will stimulate additional research on the use of music therapy interventions with demented patients, as it may offer a noninvasive mechanism to enhance communication between victims and their caregivers.
Derivation pairs on algebras of analytic functions

for every choice of elementsf, g E A. The purpose of this paper is to give an explicit characterization of derivation pairs on A. This characterization enables us to answer questions posed by Rubel in [l]; in particular, we recapture his results without hypotheses of continuity. 2. If L(f) = 0 f or all
High-contrast, all-silicon waveguiding platform for multi-octave integrated photonics

A novel all-silicon optical platform (ASOP) is demonstrated, enabling low-loss propagation in wavelengths of 1.2-8.5 μm. The robust platform offers enhanced CMOS compatibility for electronic-photonic integration in the broadest possible transparency range of silicon.
Knowledge discovery in distributed cardiac imagebases

Based on knowledge discovery and data mining methodologies, we present research with the overall objective of developing a clinically useful, computer based system to aid in accurate and reliable assessment of coronary artery disease (CAD). The emphasis is placed on designing, implementing and testing a methodology for "mining" distributed clinical databases in order to discover potential associations and interdependencies that may be imbedded in geographically dispersed databases. Subsequently, all newly discovered (and validated) knowledge will be used to enrich a knowledge base designed to interpret both myocardial perfusion imagery and other relevant patient information. The validated knowledge base will ultimately be integrated into an interactive and visual consultation framework, which will be placed in the context of Internet-based communications to provide widespread access to remote users.
Characterization of X-ray induced increase of mitotic cross-overs in Glycine max.

Three types of spots can be identified on the leaves of heterozygous light green, Y/y, Glycine max (L.) Merrill: dark green (D) and aurea (A) single spots (resembling the phenotypes of the homozygotes) and double (Db) spots consisting of adjacent D and A tissue. X-irradiation increased the frequency of each type of spot on simple and first compound leaves. The Db spots, indicative of mitotic crossing-over (MCO), increase linearly with increasing dosage. Moisture content of the seeds was independent of the rate of spot increase. At high dosages morphological alterations were observed, including spots on homozygotes, leaf area reduction, smaller seedlings, and abnormal leaf shapes. The frequency of light green spots on normal dark green, Y/Y, seedlings was tabulated and, as with all other spot types, increased with increasing X-ray dosage. Dormant soybean seeds contain leaf primordia of both simple and first compound leaves. Mature simple leaves contained more spots, reflecting a larger primordial cell number, while first compound leaves had larger spots, since each affected cell underwent more mitoses prior to leaf maturation. Within first compound leaves, the terminal leaflets developed asynchronously in relation to the lateral leaflets. Terminal leaflets were shown to be initiated first, have a larger percentage of the leaflet area covered with spots, and have larger mature leaflet area. The spontaneous rate of MCO, 3.39×10−5 MCO events per mitosis, was increased 282-fold by 1600 R. We also ascertained that Mitomycin C is more specific for Db spot induction than X-rays. These results are compared with our similar irradiation experiments on tobacco shoot apices.
Defect Interactions and Their Effect upon the Intrinsic Defect Concentrations for AgCl

The effect of defect interactions upon the equilibrium concentration of intrinsic Frenkel defects in the silver halides was investigated employing the formalism developed by Allnatt and Cohen. Using the value of the Frenkel pair free formation energy obtained by Abbink and Martin, the intrinsic defect concentrations were calculated for temperatures between 400°K and the melting temperature. It was found that the results using this theory were in reasonable agreement with results obtained from the well‐known Debye–Huckel‐type theory of Lidiard for temperatures below ∼620°K, significant differences appearing above this temperature. Defect concentrations were also evaluated using the free formation energy determined by Muller. In all calculations, significant effects were associated with the temperature dependence of the dielectric constant.
Executive dysfunction predicts nonresponse to fluoxetine in major depression

Background: Functional brain imaging studies of major depression have consistently revealed hypometabolism or hypoperfusion in specific regions of the prefrontal cortex and basal ganglia. Studies of cognitive functioning in major depression have suggested that some but not all subjects exhibit cognitive deficits that are consistent with frontal-subcortical dysfunction, although the reasons for this heterogeneity are unclear. In this study, we explored this heterogeneity among depressed subjects by examining the relationship between cognitive functioning and treatment outcome. Method: Subjects with major depression were administered a complete neuropsychological test battery prior to treatment with fluoxetine. Results: There were no significant differences between responders and nonresponders to fluoxetine in terms of age, educational achievement, number of past episodes of depression, and estimated premorbid IQ. However, nonresponders performed significantly worse than responders on several pretreatment measures of executive functioning, after controlling for baseline group differences in depression severity. Limitations: The results are based on a small sample of primarily female subjects, resulting in low statistical power and less generalizability to samples of male subjects with depression. Conclusions: The findings suggest that subtle prefrontal dysfunction in subjects with major depression may be predictive of poor response with particular medications. Assessment of the executive functions may play a particular role in pretreatment identification of subjects likely to respond to specific medications.
It's not or isn't it? Using large corpora to determine the influences on contraction strategies

In analyzing not-negation variation in English it becomes clear that specific strategies are used for prosodic emphasis and reduction of not in different social situations, and that contraction strategies vary independently of prosodic reduction. This article focuses on the factors influencing contraction strategies that are clearly dialect related and attempts to tease out those factors that are related to register and speaker stance. First, we review background information critical to an adequate analysis of not-negation and not-contraction. We then describe the corpora chosen for the present study, the research methods employed in the analysis, and the results of the analysis. The variable under analysis is the choice between uncontracted and not-contracted forms and between not-contracted and Aux-contracted forms in wellformed declarative sentences, for verbs which permit both. We end with some suggestions for corpus composition that will enable meaningful comparisons between social situations and between speakers, or characters, within one corpus. As researchers we can assure that future corpora will permit increasingly inclusive and interesting comparative studies; we close with some suggestions for those who wish
A microcomputer transmission loss database

Abstract This paper describes a microcomputer databank and retrieval system developed at the Centre for Building Studies, Concordia University, for the rapid compilation or searching of information concerning the sound transmission loss of walls and windows, and their defining physical parameters. The databank may be implemented on a CP/M operating system such as an Apple II with Z80 card or on an IBM personal computer running MS-DOS.
Sentinel node biopsy before and after wide excision of the primary melanoma.

Background: Initially, the technique of sentinel node biopsy involved the use of blue dye alone and was later supplemented with the use of an intraoperative probe after radiocolloid injection near the melanoma site. Ideally, it should be done before wide excision. To our knowledge, there is no information in the literature regarding the applicability or reliability of this technique after wide excision.
Isolation and characterization of the two major intracellular Glut4 storage compartments.

In rat adipose cells, intracellular Glut4 resides in two distinct vesicular populations one of which contains cellugyrin whereas another lacks this protein (Kupriyanova, T. A., and Kandror, K. V. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 36263–36268). Cell surface biotinylated MPR and125I-labeled transferrin are accumulated in cellugyrin-positive vesicles and to a lesser extent in cellugyrin-negative vesicles. An average cellugyrin-positive vesicle carries not more than one molecule of either Glut4, insulin-responsive aminopeptidase (IRAP), or transferrin receptor (TfR), whereas cellugyrin-negative vesicles contain five to six molecules of Glut4, more than 10 molecules of IRAP, and still one molecule of TfR per vesicle. Cellugyrin-negative vesicles are translocated to the cell surface after insulin stimulation, whereas cellugyrin-positive vesicles maintain intracellular localization both in the absence and in the presence of insulin and, therefore, may be involved in interendosomal protein transport. Both cellugyrin-positive and cellugyrin-negative vesicles are present in extracts of non-homogenized cells and therefore may represent the major form of Glut4 storage in vivo.
Modeling of sea surface effects in FLIR performance codes

The performance of the Tactical Environmental Support System FUR tactical decision aid program UFLR was reported upon previously. In using this code it was assumed that the temperature difference between ship and sea is fixed. In actuality the temperature difference changes with sea state, aspect, cloud cover, and visibility conditions. In this article a simple predictive temperature contrast taking these effects into account is described and validated against experimental data. A modified ThA code UFLRB including this input is compared with observed ranges. The modified procedure shows up to 36% improvement in detection range prediction at night.
Critical microjets in collapsing cavities

Inward microjets are commonly observed in collapsing cavities, but here we show that jets with exceptionally high velocities and accelerations occur in certain critical flows dividing jet formation from bubble pinch-off. An example of the phenomenon occurs in the family of flows which evolve from a certain class of initial conditions: the initial flow field is that due to a moving point sink within the cavity.A numerical study of the critical flow shows that in the neighbourhood of microjet formation the flow is self-similar. The local accelerations, velocities and distances scale as tβ-2, tβ-1 and tβ respectively, where β = 0.575. The velocity potential is approximately a spherical harmonic of degree ¼.
The VALID project: Goals, development, and results

We recapitulate the work done in the ESPRIT-II VALID project, the aim of which was to develop methods and tools for the Validation of Knowledge-Based Systems. the project's goal was to undertake a comprehensive approach to the problem of Validation for existing KBS. In order to do so, several methods for different Validation issues were created, and different KBS were considered. the project concrete result is a Validation environment in which different KBS can be validated. It includes a Validation toolkit comprising seven tools, ranging from inconsistency detection to KBS inspectors, that the knowledge engineer can interact with. Validation tools produced by the VALID project have been tested on existing KBS and have been useful in improving their performance. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Withdrawal of operative consent.

An 84-year-old man with mild Alzheimer’s disease signed informed consent for a colon resection last evening. He has now arrived in the OR, is very agitated, and unalterably refuses surgery. A psychiatric consultant declared him competent during a lucid period a month ago. He has had a colon prep, and his operative indication is a near-obstructing sigmoid cancer. He is mentally competent during lucid periods, and there are no known relatives. The most ethical course of management is: A. Give him I.V. sedation until he calms down and proceed with the operation. B. Return him to his room, negotiate a “Ulysses contract,” and operate as soon as possible C. Return him to his room and sign off the case. D. Consult another psychiatrist to reevaluate his mental competence to refuse essential care. E. Restrain him, roll him into the OR, and ask the anesthesiologist to provide “crash induction.” The best response is B; the worst is E. One of the most stable, well-understood concepts in medical and surgical ethics is that a competent adult patient has the right to accept or reject medical or surgical intervention, even when therapy is necessary to preserve the patient’s health or life. The strength of this right, whether its exercise should be respected and implemented, is based on an assumption that the patient’s decisionmaking capacity is intact and directed toward serving the patient’s best interest. When a patient’s reasoning ability is significantly impaired, his right to refuse diminishes commensurately. Patients whose organic brain syndromes have significantly affected their perceptual and intellectual processes cannot truthfully be said to exercise a right to make their own healthcare decisions. They are entitled to surrogate decision-makers to protect their right to treatment and life that their errors in judgment would otherwise threaten.1 Surrogate decisionmakers can be assigned by the patient or by legal authorities, but part or all of the decision-making process often falls to the surgeon. Surgeons should appreciate that failures in communication with patients can sometimes result in refusal of surgical management.2,3 When this occurs, surgeons should review basic information, especially including risks and benefits, about the proposed operation with their patients, reiterating and remaining alert to a special need for clarity of information and the likelihood of patient misunderstanding.1 Finally, it is well-understood in medical and surgical ethics that a patient’s refusal of indicated surgery, including urgently indicated surgery as in this case, is not, by itself, evidence of significantly diminished decision-making capacity. At the same time, a patient’s refusal of indicated surgery should prompt the conscientious surgeon to question whether the patient’s decision-making capacity is intact.1,4 When patients refuse indicated surgery that can be safely postponed, the surgery should be postponed. The clinical situation described here can only be briefly postponed. Although the patient had appeared to understand the elements of the informed consent process and seemed otherwise Ethics
Minimizing tissue damage in electroosmotic sampling.

Electroosmotic sampling is a potentially powerful method for pulling extracellular fluid into a fused-silica capillary in contact with the surface of tissue. An electric field is created in tissue by passing current through an electrolyte-filled capillary and then through the tissue. The resulting field acts on the counterions to the surface charges in the extracellular space to create electroosmotic fluid flow within the extracellular space of a tissue. Part of the development of this approach is to define conditions under which electroosmotic sampling minimizes damage to the tissue, in this case organotypic hippocampal slice cultures (OHSCs). We have assessed tissue damage by measuring fluorescence resulting from exposing sampled tissue to propidium iodide solution 16−24 h after sampling. Sampling has been carried out with a variety of capillary diameters, capillary tip-tissue distances, and applied voltages. Tissue damage is negligible when the power (current x potential drop) created in the tissue is ...
Update on Clinical Data Combining Capecitabine with Targeted Agents in Newly Diagnosed Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a worldwide public health problem, with nearly 800,000 new cases diagnosed each year, resulting in approximately 500,000 deaths. When advanced metastatic disease is diagnosed, CRC is associated with a poor prognosis, and 5-year survival rates are in the range of 5%-8%. Chemotherapy has been the mainstay approach for patients with advanced CRC. For nearly 40 years, the main drug used for this disease was the fluoropyrimidine 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Significant advances have been made in chemotherapy treatment options for patients with metastatic disease, such that improvements in 2-year survival are now being reported with median survival rates of 21 months to 24 months. Over the past 10 years, 3 new cytotoxic chemotherapy agents have been approved by the FDA for metastatic CRC. These compounds include the topoisomerase I inhibitor irinotecan, the third-generation platinum analogue oxaliplatin, and the oral fluoropyrimidine capecitabine. Since 2004, 3 novel biologic agents have been approved by the FDA, and they include the anti-epidermal growth factor receptor antibodies cetuximab and panitumumab and the anti-vascular endothelial growth factor bevacizumab. The oral fluoropyrimidine capecitabine has been effectively and safely combined with irinotecan (CAPIRI) and/or oxaliplatin (CAPOX). Three randomized phase III studies have now shown that CAPOX is equivalent to FOLFOX (5-FU/leucovorin/oxaliplatin)-based regimens. Significant interest has centered around combining capecitabine-based cytotoxic regimens with the biologic agents, and specifically, bevacizumab and cetuximab. This review will update the current status of these capecitabine-based combination regimens.
The Evaluation of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Veterans With Mental Health Conditions

Purpose: To assess the feasibility of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for veterans with mental health conditions and to evaluate its efficacy on psychological well-being and stress reduct...
Thermoelectricity at the Organic-Inorganic Interface

Electronic transport in molecular junctions has been studied through measurements of junction thermopower to evaluate the feasibility of thermoelectric (TE) energy generation using organic-inorganic hybrid materials. Energy transport and conversion in these junctions are heavily influenced by transport interactions at the metal-molecule interface. At this interface the discrete molecular orbitals overlap with continuum electronic states in the inorganic electrodes to create unique energy landscapes that cannot be realized in the organic or inorganic components alone. Over the past decade, scanning probe microscopes have been used to study the electronic conductance of single-molecule junctions[1–5]. Recently, we conducted measurements of junction thermopower using a modified scanning tunneling microscope (STM)[6]. Through our investigations, we have determined: (i) how the addition of molecular substituent groups can be used to predictably tune the TE properties of phenylenedithiol (PDT) junctions[7], (ii) how the length, molecular backbone, and end groups affect junction thermopower[8], and (iii) where electronic transport variations originate[9]. Furthermore, we have recently found that large (10 fold) TE enhancement can be achieved by effectively altering a (noble) metal junction using fullerenes (i.e., C60 , PCBM, and C70 ). We associate the enhancement with the alignment of the frontier orbitals of the fullerene to the chemical potential of the inorganic electrodes. We further found that the thermopower can be predictably tuned by varying the work function of the contacts. This yields considerable promise for altering the surface states at interfaces for enhanced electronic and thermal transport. This paper highlights our work using thermopower as a probe for electronic transport, and reports preliminary results of TE conversion in fullerene-metal junctions.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Transverse Lusternik–Schnirelmann category of Riemannian foliations

Abstract The transverse Lusternik–Schnirelmann category of a foliation is an invariant of foliated homotopy type. In this paper we show that the category of a Riemannian foliation is infinite if there exists a non-compact leaf verifying certain conditions. Examples of the obstruction to construct categorical coverings in such foliations are given.
Uremic Pericarditis Clinical Features and Management

Uremic pericarditis occurred in 41% of 83 patients admitted to the chronic dialysis program at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital. In the vast majority of these patients the pericarditis was present before dialysis and cleared clinically after beginning therapy. Instances of pericarditis that developed during regular dialysis were associated with metabolic stress such as surgery or infection or inadequate dialysis. When the pericarditis failed to resolve the patients usually died with sepsis or had severe tamponade which necessitated early pericardiectomy. The two cases reported illustrate resorption of massive pericardial effusions with dialysis. The utility of percutaneous pericardial catheterization as a treatment for uremic pericardial tamponade is demonstrated.
Investigations with maleic hydrazide on potatoes I. Effect of time of application and concentration upon potato performance

Maleic hydrazide was applied to the foliage of five varieties of potatoes grown at two California locations, Shafter and Tulelake. Plants were sprayed two and three weeks before harvest, and harvested tubers were held for six months at 45°–55° and 68° F. No significant differences in yield or specific gravity of tubers due to MH-40 spray treatments were found. Increasing concentrations of MH-40 spray resulted in a reduction in sprout development and loss of tuber weight in stored potatoes. Application three weeks before harvest was more effective in reducing losses in storage than application two weeks before harvest. A greater loss in tuber weight and more sprouting occurred at 68° F. than at 45°–55° F. Applications of MH-40 caused no change in chipping or cooking quality of tubers.
Low level lead exposure in the prenatal and early preschool periods: early preschool development.

The hypothesis that low level lead exposure in the fetal and early preschool years is related to neuropsychological deficit was examined in a prospective study of child development. We also tested the hypothesis of reverse causality, i.e., that lead level is a function of prior developmental status. Fetal lead exposure was measured in maternal and cord blood while preschool lead level was measured in venous blood samples at ages six months, two years and three years. These blood lead measures (PbB) were related to concurrent and ensuing scores on developmental measures at six months, one year, two years, and three years. With statistical control of covariate measures (age, sex, race, birth weight, birth order, gestational exposure to other toxic substances, maternal intelligence, and several indicators of the quality of the caretaking environment) as well as potentially confounding risk factors (gestational exposure to alcohol and other toxic substances), most statistically significant associations of PbB with concurrent and later development were completely attenuated. Effects of lead exposure, significant or not, were not consistent in direction. In reverse-causality analyses, PbB was not related significantly to prior measures of developmental retardation or acceleration. It was concluded that the relationship of lead level and measures of development in these early years was primarily a function of the dependence of each on the quality of the caretaking environment.
A domain perturbation study of steady flow in a cone-and-plate rheometer of non-ideal geometry

The method of domain perturbation developed by Joseph is used to calculate velocity and stress profiles in a slightly misaligned cone-and-plate rheometer where the cone is spinning and the plate is stationary. Results for a Newtonian fluid, a Criminale-Ericksen-Filbey fluid, an upper-convected Maxwell fluid, and a White-Metzner fluid are presented and compared with earlier results in which the cone is stationary and the plate is spinning (Dudgeon and Wedgewood, 1993). Streamlines calculated for the Newtonian fluid show a very small recirculation region near the stationary plate. Velocity and stress contours are symmetric around the plane of largest gap width. For the elastic fluids studied, streamlines are asymmetric. The fluid response lags where the fluid is dominated by memory effects. Much larger recirculation regions are calculated for fluids dominated by shear thinning. These recirculation regions contain a large fraction of the fluid in the apparatus and have the effect of changing the shape of the flow domain for the remaining fluid that rotates around the cone's axis. Elasticity also has a pronounced effect on the stress profile, indicating that the accuracy of the cone and plate may be compromised even for small mis-alignments.
Prevalence of abnormal median nerve conduction in applicants for industrial jobs.

There has been much debate regarding the work relatedness of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and whether workers diagnosed with CTS had pre-existing disease at the time they were hired. To elucidate the latter issue, we examined the prevalence of abnormal median nerve conduction within the carpal tunnel in applicants for industrial jobs. Nerve conduction studies (NCS) were performed on both hands of 1,021 applicants following a conditional offer of employment. Each applicant completed a self-administered symptom survey specific to the upper extremity. Applicants had worked previously for an average of 4.4 (range 0-33) years and had a mean age of 30.1 (S.D. 8.9) years. Nerve conduction studies were performed in a private medical clinic. Sensory palmar latencies were determined over an 8 cm segment for the median and ulnar nerves. The difference between the median and ulnar sensory latencies was the primary electrophysiologic measurement used to determine median neuropathy. Using a very conservative criterion for abnormal median nerve conduction, 17.5% of the applicants were classified with neuropathy in at least one hand. Despite the relatively high prevalence of median neuropathy, relatively few (10%) with positive NCS acknowledged symptoms associated with CTS. Males had a higher percentage of median neuropathy than did females. We conclude that a large percentage of industrial workers have objective evidence of abnormal median nerve conduction within the carpal tunnel when hired. The high prevalence of abnormal median nerve conduction without corresponding symptoms may suggest a subclinical entity associated with CTS.
The Maternally Localized RNA Fatvg is Required for Cortical Rotation and Germ Cell Formation

Fatvg is a localized maternal transcript that translocates to the vegetal cortex of Xenopus laevis oocytes through both the METRO and Late RNA localization pathways. It is a member of a gene family that functions in vesicular trafficking. Depletion of the maternal store of fatvg mRNA results in a dual phenotype in which embryos are ventralized and also lack primordial germ cells. This complex fatvg loss of function phenotype is the result of stabilization of the dorsalizing factor β-catenin at the vegetal pole and the inability of the germ cell determinants to move to their proper locations. This is coincident with the inhibition of cortical rotation and the abnormal aggregation of the germ plasm. Fatvg protein is located at the periphery of vesicles in the oocyte and embryo, supporting its proposed role in vesicular trafficking in the embryo. These results point to a common fundamental mechanism that is regulated by fatvg through which germ cell determinants and dorsalizing factors segregate during early development.
Coupled-Channels Analysis of Inelastic Proton Scattering from C 12 at 0.8 GeV

We present an analysis of new data for 0.8-GeV inelastic proton scattering to the ${2}^{+}$ (4.4 MeV) and ${4}^{+}$ (14.1 MeV) states of $^{12}\mathrm{C}$, using both distorted-wave Born-approximation and coupled-channels calculations with empirical, spherical, and deformed optical potentials. Both the deformation of the optical potential and the two-step transition via the ${2}^{+}$ state are shown to influence strongly the shape and magnitude of the calculated ${4}^{+}$ inelastic angular distribution.