cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
What is the optimal protocol to decontaminate a dropped custom polyethylene component

Abstract Background With advancements in manufacturing technology, custom orthopedic implants have become commercially available. A new concern with these implants is what to do when custom heat-sensitive components are contaminated. While intraoperative decontamination protocols for dropped autograft tissue have been described, no literature describes an intraoperative protocol for decontaminating one-of-a-kind polyethylene implants. The purpose of this work is to describe and evaluate polyethylene decontamination protocols using materials found in the average operating suite that could be used intraoperatively. Methods Sixteen custom polyethylene inserts were contaminated with potting soil and processed in one of four protocols: 1) hydrogen peroxide, 2) chlorhexidine gluconate, 3) povidone-iodine, or 4) control. Following processing, the implants were cultured with swabs or sonication. Each implant was evaluated with one aerobic, one anaerobic, and one fungal culture. Results All cultures from implants processed with both the chlorhexidine and povidone-iodine protocols were negative. One colony of Ralstonia species was isolated on the aerobic culture from one of the implants processed with hydrogen peroxide. The remainder of the cultures from implants processed with the hydrogen peroxide protocol were negative. All of the cultures for each culture modality from all of the control implants were positive with florid proliferation. Conclusion In the rare situation that a custom polyethylene insert becomes contaminated intraoperatively, the surgeon should consider all salvage options. Chlorhexidine and povidone-iodine decontamination protocols eliminated bacterial growth following culture swabs or sonicate taken from the contaminated polyethylene inserts while hydrogen peroxide failed in one case to completely eradicate growth.
Forensic Archaeologist or Crime Scene Investigator

The excavation of an archaeological site in many ways mimics that of crime scene examination. A forensic archaeologist acts in the dual role of outside expert and crime scene investigator when excavating a clandestine grave as part of a criminal investigation. As such, it is beneficial for the forensic archaeologist to have completed awareness training in a number of forensic fields. Are current degree programs meeting this need? If not, in what forensic techniques should a forensic archaeologist be trained to ensure optimal performance in the field?
Patient and Family Engagement During Treatment Decisions in an ICU: A Discourse Analysis of the Electronic Health Record.

Objectives Shared decision-making is recommended for critically ill adults who face major, preference-sensitive treatment decisions. Yet, little is known about when and how patients and families are engaged in treatment decision-making over the longitudinal course of a critical illness. We sought to characterize patterns of treatment decision-making by evaluating clinician discourse in the electronic health record of critically ill adults who develop chronic critical illness or die in an ICU. Design, setting, and patients We conducted qualitative content analysis of the electronic health record of 52 adult patients, admitted to a medical ICU in a tertiary medical center from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2016. We included patients who met a consensus definition of chronic critical illness (26 patients) and a matched sample who died or transitioned to hospice care in the ICU before developing chronic critical illness (26 patients). Interventions None. Measurements and main results Characterization of clinician decision-making discourse documented during the course of an ICU stay. Clinician decision-making discourse in the electronic health record followed a single, consistent pattern across both groups. Initial decisions about admission to the ICU focused on specific interventions that can only be provided in an ICU environment (intervention-focused decisions). Following admission, the documented rationale for additional treatments was guided by physiologic abnormalities (physiology-centered decisions). Clinician discourse transitioned to documented engagement of patients and families in decision-making when treatments failed to achieve specified physiologic goals. The phrase "goals of care" is common in the electronic health record and is used to indicate poor prognosis, to describe conflict with families, and to provide rationale for treatment limitations. Conclusions Clinician discourse in the electronic health record reveals that patient physiology strongly guides treatment decision-making throughout the longitudinal course of critical illness. Documentation of patient and family engagement in treatment decision-making is limited until available medical treatments fail to achieve physiologic goals.
Clozapine impact on clinical outcomes and aggression in severely ill adolescents with childhood-onset schizophrenia.

Objectif: Evaluer l'effet de la clozapine sur le comportement agressif et les resultats cliniques d'enfants et d'adolescents souffrant de schizophrenie ou de trouble schizo-affectif. Methodes : Nous avons etudie les dossiers de 6 enfants et adolescents hospitalises de facon consecutive dans un etablissement de soins de longue duree relativement aux resultats cliniques, y compris les incidents d'isolement et de contention avant et pendant le traitement a la clozapine. Nous presentons egalement un cas type representatif. Resultats : Nous avons note des ameliorations cliniques significatives de l'interaction sociale ainsi que des diminutions du nombre d'episodes violents et de pensees homicides ou suicidaires. Les scores a l'evaluation globale du fonctionnement (EGF) se sont ameliores de facon significative. La prise de poids etait significative. Conclusions : Ces cas illustrent les avantages du traitement a la clozapine pour la schizophrenie refractaire apparue dans l'enfance. Les resultats sont semblables a ceux decrits chez les adultes. Bien que les donnees ouvertes limitent les conclusions de cette etude, il est interessant qu'il y ait eu une amelioration cliniquement significative des comportements agressifs. Cela peut influer de facon importante sur le moral des patients, de leurs familles et du personnel soignant. Cela peut aussi servir a envoyer ces patients dans un milieu moins restrictif.
Disease Modifying Potential of Glatiramer Acetate in Huntington's Disease

Background: Deficiencies in brain-derived-neurotrophic-factor have been implicated in the pathogenesis of Huntington’s disease (HD). Objective: Glatiramer acetate, an FDA- approved drug used for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, has been shown to increase brain-derived-neurotrophic-factor levels in immune cells; hence, we investigated whether it could have similar effects in striatal cells. Wild-type and HD striatal cells were treated with glatiramer acetate for 48 hrs. HD transgenic and wild-type mice were injected with glatiramer acetate (1.5 to1.7 mg/mouse) for five days. These treatments were followed by protein measurements for brain-derived-neurotrophic-factor. Results: Glatiramer acetate elicited concentration-dependent increases in brain-derived-neurotrophic-factor protein levels in wild-type and HD striatal cells and in striatal tissue from N171-82Q transgenic mice. Glatiramer acetate also improved metabolic activity of HD striatal cells, and significantly reduced the early hyperactivity phenotype exhibited by N171-82Q transgenic mice. Conclusions: These findings suggest that glatiramer acetate may represent a useful therapeutic approach for HD. The excellent safety and tolerability record of this compound makes it an ideal candidate for drug repurposing efforts.
A Gas Phase Route to [18F]fluoroform with Limited Molar Activity Dilution.

Positron emission tomography (PET) is an important imaging modality for biomedical research and drug development. PET requires biochemically selective radiotracers to realize full potential. Fluorine-18 (t1/2 = 109.8 min) is a major radionuclide for labeling such radiotracers but is only readily available in high activities from cyclotrons as [18F]fluoride ion. [18F]fluoroform has emerged for labeling tracers in trifluoromethyl groups. Prior methods of [18F]fluoroform synthesis used difluoro precursors in solution and led to high dilution with carrier and low molar activity (Am). We explored a new approach for the synthesis of [18F]fluoroform based on the radiosynthesis of [18F]fluoromethane from [18F]fluoride ion and then cobaltIII fluoride mediated gas phase fluorination. We estimate that carrier dilution in this process is limited to about 3-fold and find that moderate to high Am values can be achieved. We show that [18F]fluoroform so produced is highly versatile for rapidly and efficiently labeling various chemotypes that carry trifluoromethyl groups, thereby expanding prospects for developing new PET radiotracers.
THE YIELD OF TRANSTHORACIC AND TRANSESOPHAGEAL ECHOCARDIOGRAMS IN ISCHEMIC STROKE WORK-UP

Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) are part of standard stroke protocols. However, data demonstrating the effectiveness of echocardiography in the work-up of cryptogenic ischemic stroke is limited. We sought to determine the yield of TTE and TEE in
RDMP-KV: Designing Remote Direct Memory Persistence based Key-Value Stores with PMEM

Byte-addressable persistent memory (PMEM) can be directly manipulated by Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) capable networks. However, existing studies to combine RDMA and PMEM can not deliver the desired performance due to their PMEM-oblivious communication protocols. In this paper, we propose novel PMEM-aware RDMA-based communication protocols for persistent key-value stores, referred to as Remote Direct Memory Persistence based Key-Value stores (RDMPKV). RDMP-KV employs a hybrid ‘server-reply/server-bypass’ approach to ‘durably’ store individual key-value objects on PMEM-equipped servers. RDMP-KV’s runtime can easily adapt to existing (server-assisted durability) and emerging (appliance durability) RDMA-capable interconnects, while ensuring server scalability through a lightweight consistency scheme. Performance evaluations show that RDMP-KV can improve the server-side performance with different persistent key-value storage architectures by up to 22x, as compared with PMEM-oblivious RDMA-‘Server-Reply’ protocols. Our evaluations also show that RDMP-KV outperforms a distributed PMEM-based filesystem by up to 65% and a recent RDMA-to-PMEM framework by up to 71%.
Per-pass analysis of recanalization and good neurological outcome in thrombectomy for stroke: Systematic review and meta-analysis:

Background and aimFirst pass effect (FPE) is defined as achieving a complete recanalization with a single thrombectomy device pass. Although clinically desired, FPE is reached in less than 30% of t...
Design Optimization of a Thermally Integrated Solid Oxide Fuel Cell with Triple Effect Absorption Chiller

The integration of a solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and a triple-effect absorption chiller (AC) is proposed to meet the electrical and cooling requirements of a data center. Utilizing waste heat in the exhaust stream of the SOFC, a triple-effect AC system can produce the required cooling. A 200-kW SOFC system is optimized to produce the required electricity at the maximum efficiency, while still producing enough thermal energy to run the 200-kW AC system. Similarly, the AC system is optimized to harness as much thermal energy from the SOFC as possible while meeting the cooling demand of the servers. The optimized system can meet both the electric and cooling demands to produce primary energy savings of 25.8%.
Why signal softly? The structure, function and evolutionary significance of low-amplitude signals

Acoustic signalling is a taxonomically widespread form of animal communication consisting of long-range, high-amplitude signals and short-range, low-amplitude signals. Research on acoustic communication has emphasized high-amplitude signals and often overlooked low-amplitude signals, even though they are produced in behavioural contexts that directly influence fitness. Low-amplitude signals are referred to by a variety of names such as soft songs, courtship songs, whispers, close calls, contact calls, grunts and moans, but all of these signals share a reduced amplitude and an active space that is limited to close-proximity receivers. In this review, we establish a general definition for low-amplitude signals and investigate the similarities and differences between low- and high-amplitude signals with respect to their acoustic structure and function. Then, we critically evaluate some proximate and ultimate evolutionary mechanisms that may explain why these signals are produced at low amplitude using examples from a variety of taxa. We conclude by suggesting priorities for future research on low-amplitude signals and highlighting how studying these signals will lead to a more complete understanding of how and why animals communicate acoustically.
I Am the Missing Pages of the Text I Teach: Gadamer and Derrida on Teacher Authority

In this essay, I am interested in the teaching authority that is enacted at the intersection of the teacher and the book. I am interested in the following questions: How is teaching authority related to the teacher’s knowledge of the texts that are read in class? What does it mean for an instructor to take a position that is something less than all knowing about the texts he or she teaches? How might the knowledge that a classroom text offers be itself intertwined with teacher authority? The scenario that follows has put me on the scent of this authority/teacher/book problematic.
Rights-Based Advocacy in Long-Term Care

Both long-term care (LTC) ombudsmen and nurses are committed to advocacy, but often find themselves at odds due to fundamentally divergent orientation to patient care and advocacy issues within the...
On the Ranked Points of A pi 0 1 Set.

The rank of an element of the Cantor space is considered and ranked points that are not π 2 0 singletons are constructed. Results about Turing equivalence in terms of ranks of points are givers
Selenium content of feeds and effect of dietary selenium on hair and blood serum.

Abstract A selenium depletion diet (.025ppm selenium) was fed to two male Holstein calves for its effect on concentrations of selenium in serum. By 90 days, selenium in serum was depressed from .022ppm to .013ppm, and one of two calves had died of "possible white muscle disease." Repletion was rapid in that a diet containing .200ppm selenium increased selenium in serum to .028ppm within 2 wk. Dietary .280ppm selenium increased it to .051ppm in 1 wk. Eleven cows and eleven calves showed averages of .030ppm in serum (range of .013 to .051ppm) fed a diet of corn silage (.039ppm) and supplement (.090ppm). A sampling of feedstuffs showed a wide range of selenium among feedstuffs (.023 for corn cobs to 2.663ppm for dried egg albumin) and a wide range within one type feedstuff (shelled corn, .017 to .219ppm).
Privacy-Preserving Multi-Keyword Search in Information Networks

In emerging information networks, it is crucially important to provide efficient search on distributed documents while preserving their owners’ privacy, for which privacy preserving indexes or PPI presents a possible solution. An understudied problem for the PPI techniques is how to provide differentiated privacy preservation in the presence of multi-keyword document search. The differentiation is necessary as terms and phrases bear innate differences in their semantic meanings. In this paper, we present $\epsilon$ -mPPI , the first work to provide the distributed document search with quantitatively differentiated privacy preservation. In the design of $\epsilon$ -mPPI , we identified a suite of challenging problems and proposed novel solutions. For one, we formulated the quantitative privacy computation as an optimization problem that strikes a balance between privacy preservation and search efficiency. We also addressed the challenging problem of secure $\epsilon$ -mPPI construction in the multi-domain information network which lacks mutual trusts between domains. Towards a secure $\epsilon$ -mPPI construction with practically acceptable performance, we proposed to optimize the performance of secure multi-party computations by making a novel use of secret sharing. We implemented the $\epsilon$ -mPPI construction protocol with a functioning prototype. We conducted extensive experiments to evaluate the prototype’s effectiveness and efficiency based on a real-world dataset.
Endoparasites of the hedgehog

There is an increasing number of sick and young hedgehogs presented to veterinarians each fall. These wild hedgehogs are often heavily infected with parasites. Helminths in the respiratory tract (Crenosoma striatum and Capillaria aerophila) cause lung dysfunction. Intestinal tract of these small mammals is often infected by Capillaria erinacei. Furthermore hedgehogs may be occasionally infected by other nematodes (Physaloptera clausa), trematodes (Brachylaemus erinacei) and cestodes (Hymenolepis erinacei). Occasionally hedgehogs are infected by coccidia (Isospora rastegaiev) and cryptosporidia (Cryptosporidium spp.). Increasing importance of hedgehogs in small animal practice requires adequate knowledge about their parasitoses in order to have a sufficient approach to diagnosis and treatment of those infections.
Asymmetric Learning from Price and Post-Earnings Announcement Drift

Motivated by research in psychology and experimental economics, we assume that investors update their beliefs about assets' values upon observing the equilibrium price, but only when the price clearly reveals that others inferred private information that differs from their own private information. We examine the implications of this form of learning from price in the context of trade around earnings announcements. We show that asymmetric learning from price results in post-earnings announcement drift, but only among firms whose earnings are expected (ex ante) to be persistent.
Annealing Vs. Invasion in Phage λ Recombination

Genetic recombination catalyzed by λ's Red pathway was studied in rec(+) and recA mutant bacteria by examining both intracellular λ DNA and mature progeny particles. Recombination of nonreplicating phage chromosomes was induced by double-strand breaks delivered at unique sites in vivo. In rec(+) cells, cutting only one chromosome gave nearly maximal stimulation of recombination; the recombinants formed contained relatively short hybrid regions, suggesting strand invasion. In contrast, in recA mutant cells, cutting the two parental chromosomes at non-allelic sites was required for maximal stimulation; the recombinants formed tended to be hybrid over the entire region between the two cuts, implying strand annealing. We conclude that, in the absence of RecA and the presence of non-allelic DNA ends, the Red pathway of λ catalyzes recombination primarily by annealing.
Hardware implementation of Log-MAP turbo decoder for W-CDMA Node B with CRC-aided early stopping

Based on the coding/multiplexing scenario specified for W-CDMA FDD (wideband-code division multiple access, frequency division duplex), CRC (cyclic redundancy check)-aided early stopping method is chosen for hardware implementation of the Log-MAP (logarithm-maximum a posteriori) turbo decoder for use in W-CDMA Node B. Modifications to decoder structure for efficient incorporation of the CRC-aided method are proposed. With negligible cost and no performance degradation, our modified decoder works more efficiently.
Correlates of Parental-Professional Congruency Scores in the Assessment of Young Handicapped Children

While the exact roles of parents during assessment procedures with young handicapped children have been debated in the literature, few attempts have been made to examine the influence of specific descriptors on parental-professional congruency scores. This article examines the relationships between two clusters of variables and parental-professional congruency scores for the Learning Accomplishment Profile—Diagnostic Edition: parent-related variables (age, educational level, income, and number of other children) and handicapped child-related variables (chronological age, length of time enrolled in an early intervention program, IQ, sex, and type of program model). For mother-professional congruency scores, family income had the most significant relationship. Type of program model in which the handicapped child was enrolled (home-based or center-based) had the most significant relationship to father-professional congruency scores, Implications for using parents as data sources during assessment procedures ...
Discoidin I-membrane interactions III. Interaction of discoidin I with living Dictyostelium discoideum cells

We have examined the interaction of exogenous 125I-discoidin I with living wild type (NC-4) Dictyostelium discoideum cells and the subcellular localization of endogenous discoidin I during development. The living cells bind 125I-discoidin I relatively rapidly, with an apparent steady state being reached within 40 min at 23°C. The rate of association is reduced to a similar extent by lowering the temperature to 4°C and by glutaraldehyde fixation of the cells. The level of steady-state binding is not developmentally regulated. Living cells do not degrade significant amounts of the 125I-discoidin I during incubations at 23°C. Differentiated cells bind the 125I-discoidin I via both the carbohydrate or C site receptors and the ionic or I site receptors, first identified on the corresponding glutaraldehyde-fixed cells (Bartles, J.R. and Frazier, W.A. (1982) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 687, 121–128). Depending on the concentration of 125I-discoidin I, 50% or more of the binding to the 8.5-h differentiated cells is via the I sites. Binding exhibits apparent positive cooperativity with respect to discoidin I. This causes the binding to appear nonsaturable, with a capacity for more than 107 discoidin I tetramers per cell. Independent verification of the nonsaturability of the interaction was obtained from experiments using diazotized [125I]iodosulfanilic acid to radiolabel the surfaces of cells treated with increasing concentrations of unlabeled discoidin I. The susceptibility of the surface radiolabeled discoidin I to various extractive treatments of the cellular particulate fraction suggests that as much as 10% is very tightly associated with cellular membranes. Dissociation experiments also suggest the existence of an irreversible component of binding, the magnitude of which increases with time of association. While the 8.5-h differentiated NC-4 cells exhibit maximal developmental cohesiveness and contain about 5·106 discoidin I tetramers per cell, cell surface labeling and radioimmunoassay indicate that they display only 1.3·103 tetramers per cell on their surface and only 6·103 tetramers per cell in their surrounding extracellular medium.
Monocular Color Blindness

Three cases of monocular color blindness here reported were found in examinations made for the U. S. Veterans' Bureau. In one the dominant eye was color blind but upon covering it he had normal color vision.
Soft biodegradable polymersomes from caprolactone-derived polymers

Polymersomes have promise for advanced theranostic delivery. We report here the design and characterization of a series of block copolymers that assemble into soft, bioresorbable, and non-toxic vesicles. The polymers are based on poly(ethylene glycol)–poly(caprolactone), but the caprolactone (CL) is copolymerized with a second monomer, 1,4,8-trioxaspiro-[4,6]-9-undecanone (TOSUO). Because TOSUO polymers have no crystalline character, copolymerizing TOSUO with CL should reduce the crystallinity of the polymersomes. After synthesizing polymers with different ratios of CL to TOSUO, we found that all copolymers assemble into both micron and nano-metric vesicles. Increasing the TOSUO content of the copolymer reduces the polymer crystalline melting temperature and the area expansion modulus of vesicle membranes. Membranes with partial crystalline structure exhibit hysteresis in the tension versus strain curve during aspiration. Vesicles are not cytotoxic and exhibit first-order release of encapsulated gemcitabine. These materials are promising for the development of deformable, biodegradable polymersomes for biomedical applications.
Structure–Activity Relationships Among Substituted N–Benzoyl Derivatives of Phenylalanine and Its Analogues in a Microbial Antitumor Prescreen III: Derivatives of p-Fluoro-DL-Phenylalanine

Twelve substituted benzoyl derivatives of p-fluoro-DL-phenylalanine were prepared and tested for growth-inhibitory activity in a Lactobacillu scase system used as an antitumor prescreen. The 12 substituted benzoyl groups were the same as those attached to o-fluorophenylalanine and m-fluorophenylalanine studied earlier. The activity of these compounds was compared vertically among themselves and horizontally with the corresponding derivatives of o-fluorophenylalanine and of m-fluorophenylalanine. It was found that the derivatives of p-fluorophenylalanine, like those of o- and m-fluorophenylalanine, exhibited remarkable inhibition, all but one, i.e., the o-nitrobenzoyl derivative, showing inhibition that is considered to be positive in the prescreen. Particularly potent compounds in this group were the m-chlorobenzoyl-, p-chiorobenzoyl, m-nitrobenzoyl, and p-nitrobenzoyl derivatives. Comparison of the activity of the substituted benzoyl derivatives of all three structural isomers of fluorophenylalanine at equimolar concentrations showed that the derivatives of m-fluorophenylalanine were generally better inhibitors than those of o-fluoro-or p-fluorophenylalanine. Study of the ID50 values of the more active substituted benzoyl derivatives of the fluorophenylalanines showed that the most active of this group was m-chlorobenzoyl-p-fluoro-DL-phenylalanine.
Microcavity polaritons: a new type of light switch.

Microcavity polaritons can be used to create optical switches, which could serve as the basic component of optical logic circuits.
An Adamsian Theory of Intrinsic Value

In this paper I develop a theological account of intrinsic value drawn from some passages in Robert Merrihew Adams’ book Finite and Infinite Goods. First I explain why Adams’ work on this topic is interesting, situate his theory within the broader literature on intrinsic value, and draw attention to some of its revisionist features. Next I state the theory, raise some problems for it, and refine it in light of those problems. Then I illustrate how the refined theory works by showing that it has the resources to deal with some seemingly formidable objections.
On diagonal and elastic symmetry of the approximate effective stiffness tensor of heterogeneous media

Abstract T he existence of diagonal symmetry in estimates of overall stiffness tensors of heterogeneous media is examined for several micromechanical models. The dilute approximation gives symmetric estimates for all matrix-based multiphase media. The Mori-Tanaka and the self-consistent methods do so for all two-phase systems, but only for those multiphase systems where the dispersed inclusions have a similar shape and alignment. However, the differential schemes associated with the self-consistent method can predict diagonally symmetric overall stiffness and compliance for multiphase systems of arbitrary phase geometry. A related question is raised about the equivalence of two possible approaches to evaluation of the overall thermal stress and strain tensors. A direct estimate follows from each of the above models, whereas L evin 's results [ Mechanics of Solids 2 , 58 (1967)] permit an indirect evaluation in terms of the estimated overall mechanical properties or concentration factors and phase thermoelastic moduli. These two results are shown to coincide for those systems and models which return diagonally symmetric estimates of the overall stiffness. Finally, model predictions of the overall elastic symmetry of composite media are discussed with regard to the spatial distribution of the phases.
SU-E-I-54: Evaluation of High Contrast Resolution for Model Based Iterative Reconstruction of Sinus Examinations.

Purpose: To evaluate high contrast resolution of Model Based Iterative Reconstruction used with typical sinus examination acquisition parameters. Methods: MBIR has recently become available as a recon option on a clinical scanner (Discovery HD750, GE Healthcare). In this work, we evaluate high contrast resolution for scan and reconstruction options that are available for sinus examinations. For this study we used our adult sinus CT protocol reconstructed with filtered back projection, and two alternative scans reconstructed with IR. Our conventional adult sinus CT protocol utilizes a high resolution scan mode which is not compatible with the scanner's IR recon option. The two additional scans are with high resolution option off, one with the head SFOV, and one with the body SFOV. Using IR and the head SFOV, reconstructed images have a 1024 × 1024 pixel matrix. Using IR and the body SFOV, reconstructed images have a 512 × 512 pixel matrix. Three evaluations of high contrast resolution are made for these images. A wire phantom is scanned for assessment of imagemodulation transfer function. The bar patterns of the ACR phantom are visually assessed for quality in both axial and coronal reformats. Results:MTF curves show 50% values of 6.8, 7.5, and 7.7 lp/cm for Body IR 512 × 512, Head IR 1024 × 1024, and filtered back projection with HD Bone kernel. The 10% MFT curves for these reconstructions are 11.2, 11.9, and 12.1 lp/cm. Visual evaluation of the ACR phantom at 15 cm display field of view demonstrates resolution of the 10 lp/cm bar patterns for all reconstructions with better visualization of the axial versus coronal recons. Conclusions: MBIR reconstruction demonstrates high contrast resolution that is comparable with our conventional sinus examination.
Explicit-implicit staggered procedure for multibody dynamics analysis

An explicit-implicit staggered time-integration procedure is presented for the solution of multibody dynamical equations involving large rotations and constraints. The algorithms adopts a two-stage modification of the central difference algorithm for integrating the translational coordinates and the angular velocity vector, and the midpoint implicit algorithm to solve the kinematical relation in terms of the Euler parameters for updating the angular orientations. The Lagrange multipliers to enforce the system constraints are obtained by implicitly integrating a parabolically regularized differential equation for the multipliers. The performance of the present procedure has been evaluated to applying the procedure to solve several sample problems. The results indicate that the procedure is robust in dealing with a variety of constraints and spatial kinematic motions, hence it is recommended for applications to general multibody dynamics analyses.
Composition control of the microstructure of Ba2YCu3O6+x

Abstract Although Ba 2 YCu 3 O 6+ x exhibits superconductivity at high temperatures, the critical current density ( J c ) in bulk polycrystallin e materials, prepared by sintering, is several orders of magnitude below useful values. One possible source of low J c in polycrystalline materials is the presence of resistive grain boundary junctions resulting from second phases or impurity segregation. Chemical composition plays a major role in determining the phases present and hence the grain boundary characteristics. Preliminary composition measurements of Ba 2 YCu 3 O 6+ x include the ratio of major elements, impurity concentrations at the trace level, compositional mapping of major elements by electron probe microanalyses, and observations of sintered microstructures. Results on liquid phase formation and carbon contamination introduced during powder processing and from exposure to atmospheric CO 2 indicate that a great degree of compositional control is required for any meaningful characterization of the Ba-Y-Cu-O system.
Unusual case presentation of lichen simplex chronicus, Hodgkin's lymphoma, and nonpuerperal hyperprolactinemia-galactorrhea.

ABSTRACT Objective To report the association of nonpuerperal galactorrhea and severe pruritus with clinical stage IIB Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Methods We present a detailed history, findings on physical examination, laboratory data, and results of diagnostic imaging in a 25-year-old woman. A review of the related literature and speculations about possible etiologic factors for this association are provided. Results Dermatologic evaluation of the patient revealed lichen simplex chronicus with multiple excoriations on the anterior chest area and lower extremities. High serum prolactin concentrations and easily expressible galactorrhea were present. Magnetic resonance imaging of the sella with 1-mm cuts, however, revealed a normal pituitary gland. Computed tomography showed multiple enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes, and a left supraclavicular lymph node biopsy revealed the presence of Reed-Sternberg cells and lymphocyte alterations consistent with the diagnosis of Hodgkin’s lymphoma. After one cycle of chemotherapy for management of the lymphoma, parallel reductions in serum prolactin concentrations and galactorrhea were noted. Conclusion Possible causes for this syndrome include afferent mammary nerve stimulation resulting from scratching of pruritic skin and cytokine-induced hypersecretion of prolactin attributable to the lymphoma. Although uncommon, this syndrome may serve as an important harbinger of developing Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and its disappearance may signify a therapeutic response. (Endocr Pract. 2001;7:388-391)
Non-condom use risk-reduction behaviours: can they help to contain the spread of HIV infection among men who have sex with men?

In this issue of the journal, Jin et al. [1] report a detailed analysis of the association between sexual risk-reduction behaviours other than condom use and incident HIV infection in a cohort of HIV-seronegative men who have sex with men (MSM) in Sydney, Australia. Sexual riskreduction behaviours that are studied here include ‘serosorting’, unprotected anal intercourse with HIVseronegative partners only; ‘negotiated safety’, unprotected anal intercourse with HIV-seronegative primary partners only; ‘strategic positioning’, unprotected insertive anal intercourse and ‘withdrawal’, unprotected receptive anal intercourse without ejaculation. In a world where condom use during anal intercourse has been the cornerstone of HIV prevention among MSM, it is remarkable that all these risk-reduction behaviours include anal intercourse without condom use. This inevitably raises the question why the sexual behaviour identified as the primary driver of the HIV epidemic in MSM has become the central component of HIV riskreduction behaviours employed by MSM.
Recumbent folding in the base of the Barnes Ice Cap, Baffin Island, Northwest Territories, Canada

Recumbent folds exposed in an ice cliff at the southeast side of the Barnes Ice Cap occur in banded ice and have hinges subparallel to the glacier margin. The folds appear similar in shape and attitude to others expressed on the glacier surface as a series of irregular lenses of white ice that are elongate parallel to the margin and are surrounded by blue ice. Such lenses are all around the margin of the south dome of the ice cap. Both sets of folds are thought to have a common origin. Fold geometry and fabric studies suggest that the ice is behaving homogeneously on the scale of the folds and that the banding is essentially passive. Flow considerations indicate that banding or foliation will tend to become parallel to the particle paths near the glacier base and toward the margin under steady-state conditions. However, departures from the steady state in the form of minor advances or retreats may change the flow pattern sufficiently for the particle paths to depart from parallelism with the banding, which may then become passively deformed and eventually folded. For this to occur, the bedrock surface must be appropriately irregular. A simple mathematical model describes this process and successfully accounts for the geometrical features of the folds observed. This theory is consistent with earlier observations of the Barnes Ice Cap, which suggest that there have been fluctuations in the position of the ice-cap margin in the last few centuries.
Simplification of Beam and Warming's implicit scheme for two-dimensional compressible flows

The way in which the decomposition of flux vectors can be used to either simplify or alter the implicit factored scheme for the compressible 2D Navier-Stokes equation (Beam and Warming, 1978), is demonstrated for the case of modifications which are localized in the implicit time-difference terms involving the Jacobian matrices. In effect, the R and S terms' spatial differentiation has been traded for the evaluation of the backward-time Jacobians P{sup n{minus}1} and Q{sup n{minus}1}. 3 refs.
Immediate effects of bilateral grade III mobilization of the talocrural joint on the balance of elderly women

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the immediate effects of a single treatment session of bilateral grade III mobilization of the talocrural joint on the balance of elderly women. Methods: Thirty-two elderly women (age, 65-80 years) with low physical activity levels completed balance evaluation using baropodometry, the Functional Reach Test and the Timed Up and Go Test, and plantar flexion and dorsiflexion range of motion (ROM), before and immediately after the mobilization (n = 16) or sham (n = 16). Each subject was submitted to a total of twelve 30-second grade III mobilizations, 6 for each ankle, in a single treatment session. Results: No significant difference was found for intragroup and intergroup comparisons in the balance of elderly women during the following evaluations: Functional Reach Test (P = .851), Timed Up and Go Test (P = .653), anteroposterior oscillation with eyes opened (P = .333) and with eyes closed (P = .652), and mediolateral oscillation with eyes opened (P = .486) and with eyes closed (P = .602). In addition, no significant difference was observed in right (P = .881) and left (P = .060) plantar flexion ROM and in right (P = .540) and left (P = .341) dorsiflexion ROM. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that a single session of bilateral grade III mobilization of the talocrural joint does not immediately improve balance and ROM in elderly women with low physical activity levels. (J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2012;35:549-555) Key Indexing Terms: Musculoskeletal Manipulations; Physical Therapy Modalities; Ankle; Balance
Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist (IL-1ra) Production by Human Amnion, Chorion, and Decidua

PROBLEM: This study was conducted to determine whether (1) conditioned media from unstimulated primary cultures of human amnion, chorion, or decidua contain detectable concentrations of IL-1ra in vitro, and (2) bacterial endotoxin (LPS), tumor necrosis factor-alpha ( TNF-alpha), or IL-1-beta (IL-1beta) stimulate amnion, chorion, or decidua to produce increased amounts of IL-1ra.
Legal and Institutional Aspects of River Basin Development

(1992). Legal and Institutional Aspects of River Basin Development. Water International: Vol. 17, No. 3, pp. 116-123.
Investigating the Content and Sources of Teacher Candidates' Personal Practical Theories (PPTs)

Research on teachers’ (personal) theories and beliefs and their (practical) knowledge derived from experience, whether held implicitly or stated explicitly as their personal practical theories (PPTs), indicates that such beliefs can influence teachers’ classroom practices and, therefore, the opportunities that their students have for learning. This study uses a content analysis of 472 self-reported PPTs collected from 94 prospective teachers to develop a model of categories of beliefs, and describes the relationship between the content and sources of teacher candidates’ beliefs, expressed as PPTs. The purpose of this study is to help teacher educators better understand beliefs that teacher candidates bring to their teacher education program as we try to influence their knowledge and practices.
Dry-cow therapy for Staphylococcus aureus mastitis.

Abstract In trials to assess the effectiveness of dry-cow therapy, 68% of untreated quarters having Staphylococcus aureus infections at drying-off time were still infected at the next lactation. In addition, new infections were observed in 26% of quarters. Dry-cow therapy with penicillin, novobiocin and neomycin eliminated 87% of infections from quarters. Dry-cow treatment with cephalonium was effective in eliminating infections only from quarters shedding S. aureus on 3 or fewer of the 4 sampling days before drying-off. The incidence of new infections in the dry period was 10% after the combined antibiotic therapy and 17% after cephalonium treatment. The small number of quarters persistently shedding S. aureus after calving following dry-cow treatment resulted in reinfection of the herd; after 7 weeks of lactation, the number of infected quarters approximately equalled that before drying-off. In the present trial, dry-cow therapy was unable either to eliminate all infections, or to prevent reinfection or...
Series-parallel functions and FPGA logic module design

The need for a two-way interaction between logic synthesis and FPGA logic module design has been stressed recently. Having a logic module that can implement many functions is a good idea only if one can also give a synthesis strategy that makes efficient use of this functionality. Traditionally, technology mapping algorithms have been developed after the logic architecture has been designed. We follow a dual approach, by focusing on a specific technology mapping algorithm, namely, the structural tree-based mapping algorithm, and designing a logic module that can be mapped efficiently by this algorithm. It is known that the tree-based mapping algorithm makes optimal use of a library of functions, each of which can be represented by a tree of AND, OR, and NOT gates (series-parallel or SP functions). We show how to design a SP function with a minimum number of inputs that can implement all possible SP functions with a specified number of inputs. For instances, we demonstrate a seven-input SP function that can implement all four-input SP functions. Mapping results show that, on an average, the number blocks of this function needed to map benchmark circuits are 12% less than those for Actel's ACT1 logic modules. Our logic modules show a 4% improvement over ACT1, if the block count is scaled to take into account the number of transistors needed to implement different logic modules.
Roles of high-fidelity acoustic modeling in robust speech recognition

In this paper I argue that high-fidelity acoustic models have important roles to play in robust speech recognition in face of a multitude of variability ailing many current systems. The discussion of high-fidelity acoustic modeling is posited in the context of general statistical pattern recognition, in which the probabilistic-modeling component that embeds partial, imperfect knowledge is the fundamental building block enabling all other components including recognition error measure, decision rule, and training criterion. Within the session’s theme of acoustic modeling and robust speech recognition, I advance my argument using two concrete examples. First, an acoustic-modeling framework which embeds the knowledge of articulatory-like constraints is shown to be better able to account for the speech variability arising from varying speaking behavior (e.g., speaking rate and style) than without the use of the constraints. This higher-fidelity acoustic model is implemented in a multi-layer dynamic Bayesian network and computer simulation results are presented. Second, the variability in the acoustically distorted speech under adverse environments can be more precisely represented and more effectively handled using the information about phase asynchrony between the un-distorted speech and the mixing noise than without using such information. This high-fidelity, phase-sensitive acoustic distortion model is integrated into the same multi-layer Bayesian network but at separate, causally related layers from those representing the speaking-behavior variability. Related experimental results in the literature are reviewed, providing empirical support to the significant roles that the phase-sensitive model plays in environment-robust speech recognition.
Sparticle spectroscopy from SO(10) GUT with a unified Higgs sector

We study the low energy implications, especially the particle spectroscopy, of SO(10) grand unification in which the SO(10) symmetry is broken to the Standard Model gauge group with a single pair of ($144+\overline{144}$)-dimensional Higgs multiplet (unified Higgs sector). In this class of models, the asymptotic relation ${Y}_{b}\ensuremath{\approx}{Y}_{\ensuremath{\tau}}\ensuremath{\approx}{Y}_{t}/6$ among the third generation quark and lepton Yukawa couplings can be derived. This relation leads to the prediction $\mathrm{tan}﻿\ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{\approx}14$, where $\mathrm{tan}﻿\ensuremath{\beta}$ is the well known Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model parameter. We find that this type of Yukawa coupling unification (YU) is realized only by employing nonuniversal soft supersymmetry breaking terms, dictated by SO(10) symmetry, for the gauginos. A 125 GeV Higgs boson mass is also found to be consistent with YU at the $\ensuremath{\sim}5%$ level. Without imposing a constraint on the relic abundance of dark matter in these models, the squark and slepton masses, with the exception of the top squark, exceed 2 TeV and the gluino is heavier than 1 TeV. We show that the neutralino in this model is an acceptable dark matter candidate through the neutralino--top squark coannihilation scenario, with the top squark being relatively light ($\ensuremath{\gtrsim}500\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$).
Vertical ionization energies of adenine and 9-methyl adenine.

Vertical ionization energies of 9-H adenine and 9-methyl adenine have been calculated with the following, ab initio, electron propagator methods: the outer valence Green’s function (OVGF), partial third-order theory (P3), and the third-order algebraic diagrammatic construction, or ADC(3). Basis set effects have been systematically examined. All methods predict near degeneracy in the π2−n1 and π3−n2 pairs of cationic, adenine final states and larger splittings of the corresponding, cationic states of 9-methyl adenine. P3 results for adenine predict the following order of the first six final states: π1, n1, π2, n2, π3, n3. Coupled-cluster calculations on the first three cationic states of adenine confirm these predictions. OVGF and ADC(3) calculations reverse the order of the second and third states and of the fourth and fifth states. All results confirm previous interpretations of experiments in which the second and third spectral bands correspond to the aforementioned pairs of final states and disagree wi...
2009 Special Issue: A motivationally-based simulation of performance degradation under pressure

The CLARION cognitive architecture has been shown to be capable of simulating and explaining a wide range of psychological tasks and data. Currently, two theories exist to explain the psychological phenomenon of performance degradation under pressure: the distraction theory and the explicit-monitoring theory. However, neither provides a detailed mechanistic explanation of the exact processes involved. We propose such a detailed theory within the CLARION cognitive architecture that takes into account motivation and the interaction between explicit and implicit processes. We then use our theory to provide a plausible explanation of some existing data. The data are simulated using the theory within the CLARION cognitive architecture.