cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transoral Endoscopic Parathyroidectomy Vestibular Approach (TOEPVA)—Choosing the Right Patient

Parathyroidectomy is the surgical treatment for primary hyperparathyroidism. A single parathyroid adenoma is the most common cause of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) making it amenable to a focused surgery whereby the putative hyperfunctional parathyroid gland is excised. Parathyroid surgery, like thyroid surgery, is typically performed through a cervical incision usually measuring 4–5 cm. Though most surgical scars heal well over time, the presence of a scar may affect a patient’s quality of life (Goldfarb and Casillas, Thyroid. 26(7):923–32, 2016; Choi et al., Ann Dermatol. 26(6):693–9, 2014). Surgeons may perceive scars differently and more favorably than patients. Variables such as scar length do not always correlate with patient satisfaction (Arora et al., Int J Surg. 25:38–43, 2016; Toll et al., Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 269(1):309–13, 2012; Linos et al., Surgery 153(3):400–7, 2013). Remote access approach to the parathyroid: Remote access approaches such as transoral and axillo-bilateral-breast approaches have been proposed to access the suspected hyperfunctional parathyroid gland similar to the thyroid to avoid a scar in the neck (He et al., J Laparoendosc Adv Surg Tech. 25(4):311–3, 2015). Transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach (TOETVA) for thyroidectomy introduced by Anuwong is gaining popularity as a remote access approach with feasibility demonstrated by several groups (Dionigi et al., J Endocrinol Invest. 40(11):1259–63, 2017; Russell et al., Thyroid. 28(7):825–829, 2018; Anuwong et al., Surg Endosc. 32(1):456–65, 2018). Focused parathyroid surgery may also be completed via this approach (TOEPVA) (Sasanakietkul et al., Surg Endosc. 31(9):3755–63, 2017).
A re-evaluation of the chemical composition of avian urinary excreta

Osmoregulation in birds is complicated, with different organs acting concurrently to regulate this physiological process. Of particular interest is how the urinary excretions of birds can remove excess nitrogen while minimizing the need for dietary water and balancing the physiological demands of oviparity. It has long been concluded from chemical analyses, and more recently from genetic studies, that uric acid is the principal constituent of urine in Aves. However, research has also demonstrated that waste material may be modified in the ceca immediately prior to it being expelled. Here, we quantify the chemical composition of the urine component of excreta of six avian species using X-ray diffraction techniques to test the hypothesis that it is principally composed of uric acid, as commonly reported. None of the analyzed samples were found to contain uric acid. Instead, a variety of compounds including ammonium urate, struvite (magnesium ammonium phosphate), and two unknown compounds, were found. Our results show that the uric acid pathway is indeed the system by which nitrogen is removed in these birds, but that additional modification occurs in the urine prior to excretion. These results raise questions for future research on the urinary excretions of birds, including identification of the unknown compounds found in the present study.
Immune Basis of Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome

Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome, or FPIES, is a non-IgE-mediated food allergy that presents in infancy and is outgrown in most but not all individuals in the first few years of life. It has commonly been referred to as a cell-mediated food allergy, but the pathophysiology of the disease remains difficult to explain, and there is a lack of conclusive evidence for a role of antigen-specific humoral or cellular immunity in FPIES. However, it is clearly an inflammatory disease triggered by specific foods. In this chapter, the evidence for an immune basis of FPIES will be reviewed.
Post-concussion driving management among athletic trainers.

Primary objective: To describe and compare athletic trainer (AT) post-concussion driving management practices and opinions.Research design: Cross-sectional.Methods & procedures: A survey was sent via email to 8,723 ATs (10.8% response rate[945/8723]) to capture demographics, management practices, and opinions (agreement on a seven-point Likert scale). We used Kruskal-Wallis tests to compare the percentage of patients instructed to refrain from driving across the highest earned a degree, setting, and years certified (alpha = 0.05).Main outcomes & results: When asked whether they recommended patients with concussion refrain from driving, 58.5%(n = 553/945) of ATs responded "sometimes", 37.9%(n = 358/945) responded "always", and 3.6%(n = 34/945) responded "never". ATs responding "sometimes" or "always" estimated that they instruct 57.6 ± 37.6% of patients with concussion to refrain from driving. ATs most commonly: recommended that patients refrain from driving until symptom resolution(44.7%,n = 399/892); utilized their clinical exam (patient interview/history) to determine when a patient could resume driving(64.9%,n = 579/892); and provided instructions verbally(94.2%,n = 840/892). High school(60.5 ± 37.6%) and clinical ATs(66.5 ± 31.2%) trended toward higher percentages of patients they instruct to refrain from driving relative to college(52.3 ± 38.2%; χ2(2) = 5.92,p = .052).Conclusions: ATs recommend driving restrictions to some, but not all, patients with concussion. Overall, ATs recognize post-concussion driving dangers, but do not strongly endorse refraining from driving after a concussion. High school and clinical ATs may manage more adolescent novice drivers and, therefore, act more conservatively.
Energetic hot electrons from exciton-to-hot electron upconversion in Mn-doped semiconductor nanocrystals.

Generation of hot electrons and their utilization in photoinduced chemical processes have been the subjects of intense research in recent years mostly exploring hot electrons in plasmonic metal nanostructures created via decay of optically excited plasmon. Here, we present recent progress made in generation and utilization of a different type of hot electrons produced via biphotonic exciton-to-hot electron “upconversion” in Mn-doped semiconductor nanocrystals. Compared to the plasmonic hot electrons, those produced via biphotonic upconversion in Mn-doped semiconductor nanocrystals possess much higher energy, enabling more efficient long-range electron transfer across the high energy barrier. They can even be ejected above the vacuum level creating photoelectrons, which can possibly produce solvated electrons. Despite the biphotonic nature of the upconversion process, hot electrons can be generated with weak cw excitation equivalent to the concentrated solar radiation without requiring intense or high-energy photons. This perspective reviews recent work elucidating the mechanism of generating energetic hot electrons in Mn-doped semiconductor nanocrystals, detection of these hot electrons as photocurrent or photoelectron emission, and their utilization in chemical processes such as photocatalysis. New opportunities that the energetic hot electrons can open by creating solvated electrons, which can be viewed as the longer-lived and mobile version of hot electrons more useful for chemical processes, and the challenges in practical utilization of energetic hot electrons are also discussed.
Semantic influences on the perception of degraded speech by individuals with cochlear implants

This study investigated whether speech intelligibility in cochlear implant (CI) users is affected by semantic context. Three groups participated in two experiments: Two groups of listeners with normal hearing (NH) listened to either full spectrum speech or vocoded speech, and one CI group listened to full spectrum speech. Experiment 1 measured participants' sentence recognition as a function of target-to-masker ratio (four-talker babble masker), and experiment 2 measured perception of interrupted speech as a function of duty cycles (long/short uninterrupted speech). Listeners were presented with both semantic congruent/incongruent targets. Results from the two experiments suggested that NH listeners benefitted more from the semantic cues as the listening conditions became more challenging (lower signal-to-noise ratios and interrupted speech with longer silent intervals). However, the CI group received minimal benefit from context, and therefore performed poorly in such conditions. On the contrary, in the conditions that were less challenging, CI users benefitted greatly from the semantic context, and NH listeners did not rely on such cues. The results also confirmed that such differential use of semantic cues appears to originate from the spectro-temporal degradations experienced by CI users, which could be a contributing factor for their poor performance in suboptimal environments.
Lessons Learned From a Descriptive Review of Rural Individualized Education Programs

Students who are eligible for special education and related services are entitled to a free appropriate public education (FAPE), which is delineated by the Individualized Education Program (IEP). T...
Patient-Reported Activity Levels Correlate With Early Cartilage Degeneration After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction:

Background:The association between activity level after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR) and development of posttraumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) remains unclear. This study inv...
Where Are the Baryons? III. Nonequilibrium Effects and Observables

A significant fraction (40%-50%) of baryons at the present epoch are predicted to be shock-heated to the warm-hot intergalactic medium (WHIM) by our previous numerical simulations. Here we recompute the evolution of the WHIM with several major improvements: (1) galactic superwind feedback processes from galaxy and star formation are explicitly included; (2) major metal species (O V to O IX) are computed explicitly in a nonequilibrium way; and (3) mass and spatial dynamic ranges are larger by factors of 8 and 2, respectively, than in our previous simulations. We find the following: (1) Nonequilibrium calculations produce significantly different results than do ionization equilibrium calculations. (2) The abundance of O VI absorption lines based on nonequilibrium simulations with galactic superwinds is in remarkably good agreement with the latest observations, strongly validating our model, while the predicted abundances for O VII and O VIII absorption lines appear to be lower than the still very uncertain observations. The expected abundances for O VI (as well as Lyα), O VII, and O VIII absorption systems are in the range 50-100 per unit redshift at equivalent width EW = 1 km s-1, decreasing to 10-20 per unit redshift at EW = 10 km s-1, to one to three lines for O VII and O VIII and negligible for O VI at EW > 100 km s-1. (3) Emission lines, primarily O VI and Lyα in the UV and O VII and O VIII in soft X-rays, are potentially observable by future missions, and different lines provide complementary probes of the WHIM in the temperature-density-metallicity phase space. The number of emission lines per unit redshift that may be detectable by planned UV and soft X-ray missions are of order 0.1-1.
Measure Extension and Decomposition

Outer measure, Caratheodory extension, Lebesgue measure, shift and rotation invariance, Hahn and Jordan decompositions, Lebesgue decomposition and differentiation, Radon–Nikodym theorem, Lebesgue–Stieltjes measures, finite-variation functions, signed measures, atomic decomposition, factorial measures, right and left continuity, absolutely continuous and singular functions, Riesz representation.
A Shared Evaluation Platform for Medical Training.

A Shared Evaluation Platform for Medical Training The debate about changing the scoring system for the USMLE Step 1 exam is both a manifestation of dysfunction in the medical education pathway and ...
Clinical implications and predictive values of early PASI responses to tildrakizumab in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

To evaluate whether early Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) improvements can predict week 28 tildrakizumab responders and nonresponders.Psoriasis patients pooled from two tildrakizumab phase 3 t...
Human performance evaluation of user interfaces for spatially-constrained text portrayal and access

Abstract To maximize visualization effectiveness, graphical data are commonly augmented with text to provide detailed information and define specific values. This text is often displayed in a pop-up dialog box pertaining to an object, permitting simultaneous display of the object and associated alphanumeric information. However, a human operator performance cost may be incurred when the resulting portrayal occludes critical information within the visualization. To address this issue, we developed and evaluated three alternative, spatially constrained, text portrayal techniques. These techniques and their associated access interface were designed to reduce occlusion while providing rapid access to desired alphanumeric data. Each technique was evaluated against the pop-up dialog using a dual-task human performance paradigm. Performance measures included accuracy, response time, display occlusion, and subjective feedback. The basis for the spatially-constrained text access technique design, their implementation affordances, and limitations are discussed. The alternative techniques and their user interface concepts resulted in mixed accuracy and response time performance compared to the pop-up dialog. Specific design features reduced data access time to one third of the time required to access the spatially-constrained text access techniques. Overall, equivalent performance was obtained among the variants while the potential for occlusion was reduced during use of the novel designs.
Vascular smooth muscle-derived Trpv1+ progenitors are a source of cold-induced thermogenic adipocytes

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) and beige fat function in energy expenditure in part due to their role in thermoregulation, making these tissues attractive targets for treating obesity and metabolic disorders. While prolonged cold exposure promotes de novo recruitment of brown adipocytes, the exact sources of cold-induced thermogenic adipocytes are not completely understood. Here, we identify transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 (Trpv1)+ vascular smooth muscle (VSM) cells as previously unidentified thermogenic adipocyte progenitors. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of interscapular brown adipose depots reveals, in addition to the previously known platelet-derived growth factor receptor (Pdgfr)α-expressing mesenchymal progenitors, a population of VSM-derived adipocyte progenitor cells (VSM-APC) expressing the temperature-sensitive cation channel Trpv1. We demonstrate that cold exposure induces the proliferation of Trpv1+ VSM-APCs and enahnces their differentiation to highly thermogenic adipocytes. Together, these findings illustrate the landscape of the thermogenic adipose niche at single-cell resolution and identify a new cellular origin for the development of brown and beige adipocytes.
Bots, fake comments, and E-rulemaking: the impact on federal regulations

E-rulemaking, adopted over a decade ago, allows federal agencies to use technology to provide electronic submission of public comment for a rule through the Federal Register. Some scholars suggeste...
Classification of Task-Specific Confidence from Kinematic Features

The ability to detect an individual's confidence in motor performance may be useful in physical rehabilitation paradigms. This is particularly relevant in ambient settings where kinematic features can be easily obtained from wearable sensors. The purpose of the current approach is to determine the extent to which kinematic features can be used to classify task-specific confidence. Ten unimpaired adults performed a goal-directed target reaching task. Kinematic features and instruments sensitive to multiple constructs of confidence were obtained for all participants. We found a subset of kinematic parameters (percent time to peak velocity, peak velocity) were sensitive to task difficulty as measured by reaching self-efficacy (RSE, $p ). Additionally, our results indicate that a $k$ -nearest neighbors classifier with $k=8$ was capable of distinguishing task difficulty (i.e., target distance) based on kinematic features. Future work will focus on further investigation of this paradigm in a larger variety of more challenging tasks.
Fire, land cover, and temperature drivers of bat activity in winter

Understanding the effects of disturbance events, land cover, and weather on wildlife activity is fundamental to wildlife management. Currently, in North America, bats are of high conservation concern due to white-nose syndrome and wind-energy development impact, but the role of fire as a potential additional stressor has received less focus. Although limited, the vast majority of research on bats and fire in the southeastern United States has been conducted during the growing season, thereby creating data gaps for bats in the region relative to overwintering conditions, particularly for non-hibernating species. The longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) ecosystem is an archetypal fire-mediated ecosystem that has been the focus of landscape-level restoration in the Southeast. Although historically fires predominately occurred during the growing season in these systems, dormant-season fire is more widely utilized for easier application and control as a means of habitat management in the region. To assess the impacts of fire and environmental factors on bat activity on Camp Blanding Joint Training Center (CB) in northern Florida, USA, we deployed 34 acoustic detectors across CB and recorded data from 26 February to 3 April 2019, and from 10 December 2019 to 14 January 2020. We identified eight bat species native to the region as present at CB. Bat activity was related to the proximity of mesic habitats as well as the presence of pine or deciduous forest types, depending on species morphology (i.e., body size, wing-loading, and echolocation call frequency). Activity for all bat species was influenced positively by either time since fire or mean fire return interval. Overall, our results suggested that fire use provides a diverse landscape pattern at CB that maintains mesic, deciduous habitat within the larger pine forest matrix, thereby supporting the diverse bat community at CB during the dormant season and early spring.
Factors Influencing Role Ambiguity and Role Conflict Among Intensive Care Unit Nurses Providing End of Life Care.

AIM The aim of this study was to determine the relationship of compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, and death anxiety with role ambiguity and role conflict in intensive care unit (ICU) nurses providing care at end of life. BACKGROUND Understanding the factors that impact care for patients and families at the end of life is important for nursing practice and nursing leaders. METHODS A quantitative nonexperimental correlation design was used, with 216 critical care nurses recruited using an Internet-based website. Data were analyzed using, Pearson product-moment correlation, χ2 test of independence, and the independent-samples t test or analysis of variance as appropriate. RESULTS Role ambiguity and role conflict were negatively related to compassion satisfaction and were positively related to compassion fatigue and death anxiety. There was no relationship between increased years of ICU experience and role ambiguity and role conflict. CONCLUSION Compassion satisfaction is a significant predictor for role ambiguity, whereas burnout is best predicted by role conflict for ICU nurses providing end of life care.
A sparse superlinearly convergent SQP with applications to two-dimensional shape optimization.

Discretization of optimal shape design problems leads to very large nonlinear optimization problems. For attaining maximum computational efficiency, a sequential quadratic programming (SQP) algorithm should achieve superlinear convergence while preserving sparsity and convexity of the resulting quadratic programs. Most classical SQP approaches violate at least one of the requirements. We show that, for a very large class of optimization problems, one can design SQP algorithms that satisfy all these three requirements. The improvements in computational efficiency are demonstrated for a cam design problem.
Abstract 17266: Impact of Dietary Salt Intake on Heart Failure Related Hospitalizations in Patients with Preexisting Heart Failure: a Sub study of the HART Trial (NCT00018005)

Background: Salt restriction is advised in patients with heart failure (HF). Data on salt restriction and outcomes in HF are inconsistent. Emerging data suggest that strict dietary salt restriction in HF is associated with poorer outcomes. We sought to assess the impact of dietary salt intake on HF hospitalizations. Methods: We analyzed data from HART (Heart failure Adherence and Retention Trial) which enrolled NYHA class II/III patients with HF. Patients were divided into 3 groups based on their daily salt intake as assessed by a validated food frequency questionnaire; restricted ( 4000 mg). Univariate cox regression models were used to determine univariate predictors of HF hospitalizations. Multivariate Cox regression model was fit to determine the impact of salt intake on HF hospitalization, adjusted for significant univariate predictors of outcome. Results: HART enrolled 902 patients. Data on salt intake was available on 761 patients; restrictive, moderate and liberal groups had 151, 367 and 243 patients, respectively; median follow up was 30 months. Comparing restricted vs. moderate vs. liberal salt intake groups, the restricted group was dominated by women (56% vs 50% vs 38%) and Caucasians (65% vs 68% vs 55%), covered least distance on 6 minute walk test (716 m vs 851 m vs 887 m), and were more likely to be on β-blockers (80% vs 73% vs 66%); all P valves Conclusions: Salt restriction does not seem to significantly impact HF hospitalization after correcting for covariates. Reverse causality bias (sicker patients were most salt restricted) is a plausible explanation of these findings. Thus, randomized controlled trials to determine safe and effective salt intake target range are needed.
Dependence on pH of the free energy and enthalpy of interaction of monosaccharides and disaccharides with lysozyme.

Abstract Heats of association of lysozyme with N-acetylglucosamine and β-methyl-N-acetylglucosaminide were measured calorimetrically at 0.1 ionic strength and 30° over the pH range 2 to 7. The values found for ΔH0 at pH 5 are -5900 cal per mole for N-acetylglucosamine and -5500 cal per mole for the glycoside. The value of ΔH0 for binding of the glycoside is 1600 cal per mole more positive at acid pH than at neutral pH. The pH dependence of ΔH0 defines an apparent pK of 3.8 for a group in the lysozyme active site. Kinetic studies of the lysozyme-catalyzed hydrolysis of the hexasaccharide of N-acetylglucosamine (Banerjee, S. K., Kregar, I., Turk, V., and Rupley, J. A. (1973) J. Biol. Chem. 248, 4786) previously have demonstrated that an ionization that is important for catalysis also exhibits an apparent pK of 3.8 and is assignable to Asp-52. Equilibrium constants for the association of lysozyme with N-acetylglucosamine and the β-methyl glycoside were determined using absorbance measurements over the pH range 0 to 9 at 0.1 ionic strength and 25°. The dependence on pH of the free energy of association for the methyl glycoside indicates that complex formation perturbs two ionizable groups of lysozyme, reducing the apparent pK of one (Asp-66) from 1.5 to 1.2 and increasing the apparent pK of the other (Glu-35) from 6.1 to 6.6. Because of enthalpyentropy compensation, the group of pK 3.8 that is observed in calorimetric experiments with β-methyl-N-acetylglucosaminide is not distinguished by the free energy measurements. The pH dependence of the interaction of N-acetylglucosamine with lysozyme is consistent with perturbation of three ionizable groups through complex formation. Heats of reaction and equilibrium constants for the association of lysozyme with the disaccharides N-acetylglucosaminyl-β(1→4)-glucose and -xylose were determined at 0.1 ionic strength, 30° and pH 2.5 or 5. The enthalpies of association at pH 5 for the disaccharides are -2700 and -500 cal per mole, respectively. The free energies of association are similar to that for N-acetylglucosamine.
Solving goals in equational languages

Solving equations in equational Horn-clause theories is a programming paradigm that combines logic programming and functional programming in a clean manner. Languages like Eqlog, Slog and Rite, express programs as conditional rewrite rules and goals as equations to be solved. Procedures for completion of conditional equational theories, in a manner akin to that of Knuth and Bendix for unconditional theories, also require methods for solving equations appearing in conditions. Rewrite-based logic-programming uses (conditional) narrowing to solve equational goals. Recently a different, topdown equation solving procedure was proposed for unconditional rewrite systems. In this paper, we express equational goal solving using conditional rules. Some refinements are described: the notion of operator derivability is used to prune useless paths in the search tree and our use of oriented goals eliminates some redundant paths leading to non-normalized solutions. Our goal-directed method can also be extended to handle conditional systems.
Quantification and remote detection of nitro explosives by helium plasma ionization mass spectrometry (HePI-MS) on a modified atmospheric pressure source designed for electrospray ionization.

Helium Plasma Ionization (HePI) generates gaseous negative ions upon exposure of vapors emanating from organic nitro compounds. A simple adaptation converts any electrospray ionization source to a HePI source by passing helium through the sample delivery metal capillary held at a negative potential. Compared with the demands of other He-requiring ambient pressure ionization sources, the consumption of helium by the HePI source is minimal (20-30 ml/min). Quantification experiments conducted by exposing solid deposits to a HePI source revealed that 1 ng of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) on a filter paper (about 0.01 ng/mm(2)) could be detected by this method. When vapor emanating from a 1,3,5-trinitroperhydro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) sample was subjected to helium plasma ionization mass spectrometry (HePI-MS), a peak was observed at m/z 268 for (RDX●NO(2))(-). This facile formation of NO(2)(-) adducts was noted without the need of any extra additives as dopants. Quantitative evaluations showed RDX detection by HePI-MS to be linear over at least three orders of magnitude. TNT samples placed even 5 m away from the source were detected when the sample headspace vapor was swept by a stream of argon or nitrogen and delivered to the helium plasma ion source via a metal tube. Among the tubing materials investigated, stainless steel showed the best performance for sample delivery. A system with a copper tube, and air as the carrier gas, for example, failed to deliver any detectable amount of TNT to the source. In fact, passing over hot copper appears to be a practical way of removing TNT or other nitroaromatics from ambient air.
Reduced FEA-state space modeling of stationary magnetic devices

A method to automatically create low order state-space models for magnetic devices is set forth. The method begins with geometrical and materials data from which the finite element analysis is used to build a high order state-space model. It is shown that this model, while accurate within the tolerance of the material properties data, contains far more state variables than are necessary to achieve such accuracy. It is shown that the full-order model can be reduced methodically without additional assumptions. The method is applicable directly to magnetically linear systems, but applies to a wide range of power electronics applications and can be a basis for future nonlinear device modeling. The method reduced an example inductor model from 882 state variables to two and is verified experimentally.
Strongly Regular Graphs and Designs with Three IntersectionNumbers

We investigate BIBDs with three intersection numbers, x, y, and z, such that the relation on the block set given by A\sim B iff the cardinality of the intersection of A and B is not equal to x is an equivalence relation. With such a design, we associate a family of strongly regular graphs with the same parameters. Two constructions producing infinite families of such designs are given.
X-Ray Evidence for the Acceleration, Containment, and Emission of High Energy Flare Particles

An instrument aboard the Fifth Orbiting Solar Observatory has observed hard solar X-rays from January 1969 to May 1972. A large number of X-ray bursts generated by solar cosmic ray flares have been observed. The X-ray bursts consist, in general, of two non-thermal components. The earliest occurring non-thermal component, coincident with the explosive phase, consists of a group of one to about ten X-ray bursts that are, for each burst, approximately 10 s duration and symmetrical in rise and decay. The time structure and multiplicity of these bursts is remarkably similar to that found in type III radio bursts in the meterwave band. The spectra of these bursts steepens sharply at energies greater than 100 keV indicating a limit at this energy for electron acceleration during the explosive or flash phase of the flare. For several flares these multiple X-ray bursts have occurred in coincidence with a group of type III bursts.
Retinal axon guidance by region-specific cues in diencephalon

Retinal axons show region-specific patterning along the dorsal-ventral axis of diencephalon: retinal axons grow in a compact bundle over hypothalamus, dramatically splay out over thalamus, and circumvent epithalamus as they continue toward the dorsal midbrain. In vitro, retinal axons are repulsed by substrate-bound and soluble activities in hypothalamus and epithalamus, but invade thalamus. The repulsion is mimicked by a soluble floor plate activity. Tenascin and neurocan, extracellular matrix molecules that inhibit retinal axon growth in vitro, are enriched in hypothalamus and epithalamus. Within thalamus, a stimulatory activity is specifically upregulated in target nuclei at the time that retinal axons invade them. These findings suggest that region-specific, axon repulsive and stimulatory activities control retinal axon patterning in the embryonic diencephalon.
Placement with symmetry constraints for analog layout using red-black trees

The traditional way of approaching placement problems in computer-aided design (CAD) tools for analog layout is to explore an extremely large search space of feasible or unfeasible placement configurations, where the cells are moved in the chip plane (being even allowed to overlap) by a stochastic optimizer. This paper presents a novel analog placement technique operating on the set of tree representations of the layout, where the typical presence of an arbitrary number of symmetry groups of devices is directly taken into account during the exploration of the solution space. The computation times exhibited by this novel approach are typically 3-6 times better than those of the algorithms using the traditional exploration strategy. This superior efficiency is due to the use of red-black trees, a data structure introduced by Guibas and Sedgewick to support operations on dynamic sets of intervals.
Capital Structure and Cost-of-Capital for the Multinational Firm

This paper reviews recent developments in models dealing with capital structure and cost of capital for the multinational firm. A number of issues which bear upon the financing decisions of the multinational corporation are addressed, and related to underlying theoretical and empirical questions with regard to the degree of segmentation or integration of international money and capital markets and the efficiency of the foreign exchange market. Data problems, areas of conflict, and topics for future research are identified. The paper concludes with a summary of financial policy prescribed for the firm by the present state of knowledge.
Unique Applications Of Computer-Generated Diffractive Optical Elements

Several aspects of computer-generated diffractive optical elements (DOE), including, design, fabrication, and applications in the areas of lens elements, beamsplitters, optical servo systems, and laser diode optics are addressed.
The need for new anti‐smoking advertising strategies that do not provoke smoker defiance

The misguided effort to change the smoking behavior of college students using the same anti‐smoking messages created for young teens apparently stems from the misplaced marketing belief that ads designed to prevent young teens from smoking can also effectively encourage college‐student smokers to quit. When college students were asked to respond to current anti‐smoking messages, non‐smokers championed the anti‐smoking cause while smokers responded with defiance, denial, and other counter‐productive behaviors. These studies show that persuading legal‐age young adults to quit would require new message strategies which show greater respect for the individual, greater support for the effort in quitting, and ways to counter faulty logic.
Disappearance of dislodgable residues of five organophosphate pesticides on citrus leaves and fruit during dry and wet weather in Florida

Citrus leaf discs and fruit taken from trees sprayed at recommended levels and twice recommended levels with ethion, parathion, azinphosmethyl, carbophenothion, and dioxathion were shaken with water and wetting agent for removal of dislodgable residues at 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 14 and 21 days following treatment. The first portion of the field experiment was performed during a period of no rainfall (April) and the second when there was rainfall (July) in 1973. Four replicates of 50 leaf discs and 4 fruit, respectively, were averaged from each sampling to give data reported. A gas chromatograph equipped with a flame photometric detector was used for analysis. Dislodgable residues found decreased with increasing time following application and samples from the wet period were lower than those from the dry period. Moisture and temperature could account for the differences in the two sampling period.
Dead Sea Rift: Impact of Tectonics and Climate on Patterns of Sedimentation: ABSTRACT

The Dead Sea Rift, a classic strike-slip basin, occurs along a transform that connects the Red Sea, where sea-floor spreading is occurring, to the Taurus Mountains, where plate convergence is occurring. The rift formed primarily from left-lateral displacement of about 105 km (65 mi) since the Miocene, producing uplift and normal faulting along its shoulders. Sedimentation within the transform occurs primarily in elongate, asymmetric pull-apart basins such as the Dead Sea, as transform segments pass each other along the zone of strike slip. Pleistocene and Recent patterns of sedimentation were mapped on a scale of 1:50,000 along the west bank of the Dead Sea for a distance of 50 km (30 mi). Three sedimentologic units are recognized: an older sequence of debris flows and shallow-water fans; a medial unit of fan deltas interfingering with shallow-to-moderately deep-water lacustrine deposits; and an upper unit comprised of beach gravels, deltaic sands, and playa deposits. Their combined thickness is about 3,500 m (11,500 ft) along the western border fault, where they exhibit repetitive small-scale cyclical patterns of deposition within a general fan delta complex that prograded into the Dead Sea; there, geophysical studies show that the prograding subsea fans have been intruded by salt diapirs. Such patterns of deposition clearly are related to recurrent movement along the border faults, producing rhomb-shaped basins, high-relief topography, and a unique rift climate. As the moist air rises over the shoulders of the rift, it cools adiabatically yielding as much as 800-1,000 mm (31-39 in.) of rain per year to high discharge ephemeral streams that transport huge quantities of coarse clastics into the basin. Conversely, as the air descends into the basin, it warms adiabatically, evaporating more than 2,000 mm (80 in.) of water per year, thus causing a concomitant drop in the Dead Sea level, precipitation of evaporites, change in the base level, and progradation of fans into deeper water. End_of_Article - Last_Page 503------------
Role of nicotine dependence in smoking relapse: results from a prospective study using population-based recruitment methodology.

Results of a prospective examination of factors influencing smoking relapse are reported for a sample of smokers (N=522) obtained through population-based recruitment. All subjects were given a modified Fagersirom Tolerance Questionnaire (modified FTQ), which is a 5-item self-report instrument characterizing smokers according to their degree of nicotine dependence. At 30 days postcessation. those placing in the lowest quartile of the modified FTQ at baseline had the highest survival rate (79%) and those placing in the highest quartile at baseline had the lowest survival (non-relapse) rate (43%). The difference in survival among the groups was statistically significant (p > .001). At 12 months, those placing in the lowest quarrtile of baseline cigarette consumption had the highest survival rate (34%) and those placing in the highest quartile had the lowest survival rate (14%; p > .001), It seems increasingly clear that level of dependence, even as indexed by comparatively crude self-report measures such as amount smoked is associated with the rate and pattern of smoking relapse.
Learning Time and Retention Differences between Nondisabled Students and Students with Learning Disabilities.

This study examined differences between LD and NLD students in terms of time needed for learning (TNL) and time spent in learning (TSL) on short reading passages and 10-item criterion tests. TNL refers to the number of learning trials, or exposures to a passage, needed to obtain 100% accuracy on a criterion test covering the passage content; TSL refers to the number of self-determined trials spent on an alternate task form. Retention of material learned under both conditions was assessed one day later. Overall, students needed close to five learning trials to achieve mastery (TNL), but self-determined only three learning trials (TSL). As predicted, retention dropped when subjects self-determined fewer trials than necessary. Differences were observed between LD and NLD students. Compared to NLD Ss, LD Ss exhibited significantly higher TNL, equal TSL, and greater TNL-TSL discrepancy. Retention was also consistently lower for students with LD. Results are discussed in the context of theory and research on le...
Naturally occurring HCA1 missense mutations result in loss of function: potential impact on lipid deposition

The hydroxy-carboxylic acid receptor (HCA1) is a G protein-coupled receptor that is highly expressed on adipocytes and considered a potential target for the treatment of dyslipidemia. In the current study, we investigated the pharmacological properties of naturally occurring variants in this receptor (H43Q, A110V, S172L, and D253H). After transient expression of these receptors into human embryonic kidney 293 cells, basal and ligand-induced signaling were assessed using luciferase reporter gene assays. The A110V, S172L, and D253 variants showed reduced basal activity; the S172L mutant displayed a decrease in potency to the endogenous ligand l-lactate. Both the S172L and D253H variants also showed impaired cell surface expression, which may in part explain the reduced activity of these receptors. The impact of a loss in HCA1 function on lipid accumulation was investigated in the adipocyte cell line, OP9. In these cells, endogenous HCA1 transcript levels rapidly increased and reached maximal levels 3 days after the addition of differentiation media. Knockdown of HCA1 using siRNA resulted in an increase in lipid accumulation as assessed by quantification of Nile Red staining and TLC analysis. Our data suggest that lipid homeostasis may be altered in carriers of selected HCA1 missense variants.
ROS at every level: using the robot operating system in CS 0, 1, 2, and beyond (abstract only)

After many years, the robotics research community has settled on standard middleware: the Robot Operating System (ROS). This standard presents a great opportunity for educational robotics. This hands-on workshop will engage participants in ROS-based curricula for CS 02 and advanced undergraduates. The workshop will highlight how ROS has simplified, enabled, and expanded flipped robotics curricula in CS 02. Our advanced materials show how ROS enables easy access to the robotics research community, permitting larger and more research-representative projects. This workshop is two long hands-on sessions punctuated with short reports from the presenters' experience. Participants will implement the first two assignments of our CS 2 curriculum. http://www.cs.hmc.edu/dodds/ROSatSIGCSE2013.
The effects of testosterone and estrogen on the rate of long-calling vocalization in juvenile laughing gulls, Larus atricilla.

Abstract The frequency of long-calling in untreated and hormone-treated juvenile laughing gulls was compared. While both estrogen and testosterone increased the calling rate, testosterone was more effective for both sexes. Both estrogen- and testosterone-treated males called more often than similarly treated females. As both sexes normally call in laughing gulls, these results were compared to the more usual situation where only males of the species sing. Possible control mechanisms were discussed.
Disease-related cardiac troponins alter thin filament Ca2+ association and dissociation rates.

The contractile response of the heart can be altered by disease-related protein modifications to numerous contractile proteins. By utilizing an IAANS labeled fluorescent troponin C, , we examined the effects of ten disease-related troponin modifications on the Ca2+ binding properties of the troponin complex and the reconstituted thin filament. The selected modifications are associated with a broad range of cardiac diseases: three subtypes of familial cardiomyopathies (dilated, hypertrophic and restrictive) and ischemia-reperfusion injury. Consistent with previous studies, the majority of the protein modifications had no effect on the Ca2+ binding properties of the isolated troponin complex. However, when incorporated into the thin filament, dilated cardiomyopathy mutations desensitized (up to 3.3-fold), while hypertrophic and restrictive cardiomyopathy mutations, and ischemia-induced truncation of troponin I, sensitized the thin filament to Ca2+ (up to 6.3-fold). Kinetically, the dilated cardiomyopathy mutations increased the rate of Ca2+ dissociation from the thin filament (up to 2.5-fold), while the hypertrophic and restrictive cardiomyopathy mutations, and the ischemia-induced truncation of troponin I decreased the rate (up to 2-fold). The protein modifications also increased (up to 5.4-fold) or decreased (up to 2.5-fold) the apparent rate of Ca2+ association to the thin filament. Thus, the disease-related protein modifications alter Ca2+ binding by influencing both the association and dissociation rates of thin filament Ca2+ exchange. These alterations in Ca2+ exchange kinetics influenced the response of the thin filament to artificial Ca2+ transients generated in a stopped-flow apparatus. Troponin C may act as a hub, sensing physiological and pathological stimuli to modulate the Ca2+-binding properties of the thin filament and influence the contractile performance of the heart.
From Stem Cells to Oligodendrocytes: Prospects for Brain Therapy

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that destroys myelin-forming oligodendrocytes of the CNS. While the damage can be partially controlled using anti-inflammatory cytokines and steroids, endogenous repair is insufficient to replace lost cells. Until now cell replenishment (transplant therapy) has been viewed as unlikely to succeed due to allograft rejection in this sensitized immune environment. However, advances in stem cell biology give new hope for deriving patient-specific, autologous oligodendrocytes which may tip the balance to favor repair. The challenge will be to engineer these cells to respond to cues that can target their migration into lesions for brain and spinal cord repair.
A Simulation Study Exploring the Effects of Sensor Spatial Resolution on Estimates of Cloud Cover from Satellites

Simulation of sensor spatial resolution effects on estimates of cloud cover from satellites
Generalized motor programme and parameterization accuracy in apraxia of speech and conduction aphasia

The present study examined three aspects of motor programming (generalized motor programme (GMP) accuracy, temporal parameterization accuracy, and amplitude parameterization accuracy) in subjects with apraxia of speech (AOS) or conduction aphasia (CA) and normal speaking participants. Subjects were presented with a movement pattern on a monitor that they were required to produce with the jaw, after the target pattern had been removed from view. Analyses examined differences in relative (parameterization) and absolute (GMP) timing and amplitude between the target and actual movement. Examination of individual subject performance revealed inter-subject variability within the AOS group, with two of the four subjects demonstrating unimpaired GMP accuracy but poor parameterization accuracy, while the other two subjects exhibited the opposite pattern, impaired GMP accuracy but normal parameterization. No clear pattern of deficit was noted for the subjects with CA. Results are discussed with respect to motor control theories of AOS and CA.
Outcomes of Partial Mastectomy in Male Breast Cancer Patients: Analysis of SEER, 1983-2009

Although mastectomy is considered the gold standard for male breast cancer (MBC), the utilization of lumpectomy and its impact on outcomes in MBC patients has not been previously studied. The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database was used to identify all MBC patients who underwent either mastectomy or less than mastectomy (i.e., lumpectomy) between 1983 and 2009. A total of 4707 (86.8 %) men underwent mastectomy and 718 (13.2 %) underwent lumpectomy. A greater proportion of patients underwent lumpectomy later in the study period (1983 to 1986, 10.6 %, vs. 2007 to 2009, 15.1 %). A greater percentage of lumpectomy patients were 80 years or older (21.3 % vs. 16.3 %), had stage IV disease (7.3 % vs. 3.1 %), and received no lymph node sampling (34.3 % vs. 6.9 %). Only 35.4 % of patients underwent adjuvant radiotherapy after lumpectomy. Ten-year breast cancer-specific survival and overall survival were 82.8 % and 46.9 %, respectively, in lumpectomy patients vs. 77.3 % and 46.4 %, respectively, in mastectomy patients. On Cox proportional hazards regression, lumpectomy was not independently associated with worse breast cancer-specific survival (odds ratio 1.09, 95 % confidence interval 0.87–1.37) or overall survival (odds ratio 1.12, 95 % confidence interval 0.98–1.27) after controlling for age, race, stage, and grade, as well as whether radiotherapy was received. Lumpectomy is performed in a small but growing proportion of MBC patients. These patients are not only older and more likely to have advanced disease at the time of diagnosis, but they also are less likely to receive standard of care therapy, such as lymph node sampling and adjuvant radiotherapy. Despite these observations, breast cancer-specific survival is unaffected by the type of surgery.