cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The joint i3+3 (Ji3+3) design for phase I / II adoptive cell therapy clinical trials.

Adoptive cell therapy (ACT), such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, has demonstrated promising therapeutic effects with potentially non-monotonic dose–response curves. Building upo...
The Comparative Liberty-Dignity Context of Innovative Immigrant Entrepreneurship

This chapter combines the concept of “entrepreneurial alertness” (Kirzner in Competition and Entrepreneurship. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1978) with the bourgeois liberty and dignity perspective on modern growth (McCloskey in Bourgeois Dignity: Why Economics Can’t Explain the Modern World. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2011) to propose a comparative liberty-dignity framework for the allocation of creative (or innovative) immigrant entrepreneurship in the world. Assuming that both economic freedom and social honor matter, the conjecture is that the allocation of the global supply of creative entrepreneurs is a function of the relative differences across institutional and cultural contexts in the world and the differential payoffs associated with them. The direction of the flows of immigrant entrepreneurs is from countries with low degrees of liberty to countries with high degrees of liberty on the one side, and from cultures with low dignity to cultures with high dignity conferred to entrepreneurs, on the other side. Empirical illustrations, with net migration data from the World Bank and cultural-social data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, are used to investigate the strength of the relationships in the comparative liberty-dignity conjecture. The data seem to support that creative immigrant entrepreneurs are more likely to migrate towards destinations with high degrees of economic freedom and societal support towards the novelties and opportunities they create.
Estimating Cole-Impedance Parameters from Limited Frequency-Band Impedance Measurements

Particle-swarm optimization is applied to estimate the parameters of 4 different Cole-impedance models using impedance measurements limited to frequencies within 1 kHz to 1 MHz, representative of typical ranges for bioimpedance applications. The accuracy of extracted parameters are compared for cases with $N$ = 201, 25, and 5 datapoints collected using a Keysight E4990A impedance analyzer and $N$ = 8 collected using a MAX30001 integrated circuit. The Cole-impedance estimations using the 201 and 25 frequency datasets show < 0.5% relative error compared to the ideal values. Estimations using 5 and 8 frequency datasets do show significant deviations when measurements do not capture plateauing impedance regions at low and high frequency.
Mileage efficiency of cars

Abstract This paper proposes a mileage efficiency metric to enable direct comparison of energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emission of cars for various vehicle mass, fuel type, vehicle make, vehicle technology, road infrastructure, and drive schedule. This metric allows a unifying measure of vehicle mileage and fuel consumption regardless of the above factors. The proposed mileage efficiency metric is based on the concept of an ideal car (IC), which is defined as the one without internal or external losses; or an ideal powertrain car, which is defined as the one without internal losses. Mileage efficiency is defined as the ratio of a real-world car (RWC) fuel economy (in miles per gasoline gallon equivalent or mpgge) to that of an ideal car. As such, mileage efficiency is able to attribute efficiency loss of a RWC to internal and/or external losses. It is shown that mileage efficiency depends on car design and shows how good or bad RWCs are relative to ICs. The paper also highlights the importance of good road infrastructures in reducing transportation fuel consumption independent of fuel efficiencies of cars. This work provides a fundamental framework to set government policies and incentives for vehicle technology, alternative fuel choice, and infrastructure investments.
A general framework for identifying rare variant combinations in complex disorders

Genetic studies of complex disorders such as autism and intellectual disability (ID) are often based on enrichment of individual rare variants or their aggregate burden in affected individuals compared to controls. However, these studies overlook the influence of combinations of rare variants that may not be deleterious on their own due to statistical challenges resulting from rarity and combinatorial explosion when enumerating variant combinations, limiting our ability to study oligogenic basis for these disorders. We present a framework that combines the apriori algorithm and statistical inference to identify specific combinations of mutated genes associated with complex phenotypes. Our approach overcomes computational barriers and exhaustively evaluates variant combinations to identify non-additive relationships between simultaneously mutated genes. Using this approach, we analyzed 6,189 individuals with autism and identified 718 combinations significantly associated with ID, and carriers of these combinations showed lower IQ than expected in an independent cohort of 1,878 individuals. These combinations were enriched for nervous system genes such as NIN and NGF, showed complex inheritance patterns, and were depleted in unaffected siblings. We found that an affected individual can carry many oligogenic combinations, each contributing to the same phenotype or distinct phenotypes at varying effect sizes. We also used this framework to identify combinations associated with multiple comorbid phenotypes, including mutations of COL28A1 and MFSD2B for ID and schizophrenia and ABCA4, DNAH10 and MC1R for ID and anxiety/depression. Our framework identifies a key component of missing heritability and provides a novel paradigm to untangle the genetic architecture of complex disorders. SIGNIFICANCEWhile rare mutations in single genes or their collective burden partially explain the genetic basis for complex disorders, the role of specific combinations of rare variants is not completely understood. This is because combinations of rare variants are rarer and evaluating all possible combinations would result in a combinatorial explosion, creating difficulties for statistical and computational analysis. We developed a data mining approach that overcomes these limitations to precisely quantify the influence of combinations of two or more mutated genes on a specific clinical feature or multiple co-occurring features. Our framework provides a new paradigm for dissecting the genetic causes of complex disorders and provides an impetus for its utility in clinical diagnosis.
Field Synthesis with Azimuthally-Varying, Cascaded, Cylindrical Metasurfaces using a Wave Matrix Approach

In recent years, there has been extensive research on planar metasurfaces capable of arbitrarily controlling scattered fields. However, rigorous studies on conformal metasurfaces, such as those that are cylindrical, have been few in number likely due to their more complex geometry. Here, wave propagation in cascaded cylindrical structures consisting of layers of dielectric spacers and azimuthally-varying metasurfaces (subwavelength patterned metallic claddings) is investigated. A wave matrix approach, which incorporates the advantages of both ABCD matrices and scattering matrices (S matrices), is adopted. Wave matrices are used to model the higher order coupling between metasurface layers, overcoming fabrication difficulties associated with previous works. The proposed framework provides an efficient approach to synthesize the inhomogeneous sheet admittances that realize a desired cylindrical field transformation. Design examples are reported to illustrate the power and potential applications of the proposed method in antenna design and stealth technology.
Impact of a Ski Basin on a mountain watershed

Stream samples were taken at one control area above and two areas below the Santa Fe Ski Basin. Samples were analyzed for total coliform, fecal coliform, and fecal streptococci. The average ratio of fecal coliform to fecal streptococci below the ski basin was actually lower than the average ratio at the control site. The lower ratio would indicate no further contamination from human sources below the ski basin and the coliform colonies isolated were probably from mammals other than human or from human sources other than the sewage disposal system at the ski basin. The few colonies isolated from the stream would deem the water not potable during certain seasons.
Thirty-Fourth Annual Administrative Law Issue Modular Environmental Regulation

This Article proposes a modular conception of environmental regulation and natural resource management as an alternative to traditional approaches. Under traditional approaches, agencies tend to operate independently, and often at cross-purposes, using relatively inflexible regulatory tools, without significant stakeholder input, and without institutional mechanisms capable of adapting to changing conditions over time. Modularity, by contrast, is characterized by a high degree of flexible coordination across government agencies as well as between public agencies and private actors; governance structures in which form follows function; a problem-solving orientation that requires flexibility; and reliance on a mix of formal and informal tools of implementation, including both traditional regulation and contract-like agreements. The Article frames the enterprise of environmental regulation and resource management as an exercise in designing governance institutions capable of managing multiple and seemingly incompatible demands over the long term. This approach departs from the traditional legal framing of such environmental conflicts as shorter-term and zero-sum questions of jurisdiction, authority, entitlement, and prohibition. To illustrate modularity, the Article presents a detailed case study of the CalFed Bay-Delta Program, a multiagency effort to address competing demands on the water resources in the San Francisco Bay Delta. The story of CalFed illustrates many features of the modular ideal identified in the Article, and shows concretely how such an approach can achieve both procedural and substantive policy innovation while also producing measurable environmental improvements on the ground. The case study anchors the elaboration of the modular conception and its constituent elements presented in the latter part of the Article. Finally, the Article analyzes why the modular ideal is so hard to achieve in practice, yet it concludes that there is no alternative to moving toward modularity given the complex nature of the environmental and natural resource problems that we face.
Spectral Editing Techniques: Hydrocarbon Solids

The sections in this article are 1 Introduction 2 Background on Spectral Editing of Liquids 3 Challenges Posed by Solids 4 Experimental Considerations and Caveats 5 Summary 6 Acknowledgements 7 Biographical Sketch Related Articles
Voices of Courage and Hope: Gay and Lesbian Catholic Elementary School Teachers

This essay presents the stories of gay and lesbian Catholic elementary school teachers. Through interviews and dialogues, these teachers shared their fears, hopes, and the strategies they used in order to survive in the context of the Catholic elementary school. Results indicated that the teachers had come to accept the oppression, and they were working with the system, as opposed to against the system, to create a more inclusive school environment that truly echoed the gospel message of loving one another. Participants acknowledged that they continually experienced a conflict between their religion and their sexual identity. They did not feel safe to come out to their students, though they acknowledged there would be some benefits in doing so. They believed that they had to work harder than their heterosexual colleagues so it would be more difficult for the administration to dismiss them.
Nonlinear Simulations of Jupiter's 5-Micron Hot Spots

Large-scale nonlinear simulations of Jupiter's 5-micron hot spots produce long-lived coherent structures that cause subsidence in local regions, explaining the low cloudiness and the dryness measured by the Galileo probe inside a hot spot. Like observed hot spots, the simulated coherent structures are equatorially confined, have periodic spacing, propagate west relative to the flow, are generally confined to one hemisphere, and have an anticyclonic gyre on their equatorward side. The southern edge of the simulated hot spots develops vertical shear of up to 70 meters per second in the eastward wind, which can explain the results of the Galileo probe Doppler wind experiment.
Measuring Accountability in Authoritarian Legislatures: The Representativeness of Vietnamese National Assembly Delegates

Contributors to the literature on authoritarian institutions have linked semi-competitive elections and legislatures with greater regime longevity and increased economic output. Debate continues, however, over the direct causal link between these institutions and the correlation with such benefits. Different theories offer widely varying observable implications for delegate behavior in authoritarian parliaments, but due to data limitations, these differences have yet to be tested directly. In this paper, we take advantage of the recent publication of transcripts of biannual query sessions in the Vietnamese National Assembly, where delegates question the Prime Minister and Cabinet Members on important issues of the day. Using a content analysis of these questions as a proxy for legislative voting in assessing voting behavior, we are able to offer the first test of delegate behavior in non-democratic parliaments. We find evidence that some delegates exhibit patterns of downward accountability to their voters, but that representation is highly influenced by the nomination and electoral rules that led to an individual candidate’s election. Candidates nominated by the central leadership and those with safe seats, are far less likely than local candidates in competitive districts to challenge the policies and performance of central leaders.
Reciprocating air flow for Li-ion battery thermal management to improve temperature uniformity

Abstract The thermal management of traction battery systems for electrical-drive vehicles directly affects vehicle dynamic performance, long-term durability and cost of the battery systems. In this paper, a new battery thermal management method using a reciprocating air flow for cylindrical Li-ion (LiMn 2 O 4 /C) cells was numerically analyzed using (i) a two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model and (ii) a lumped-capacitance thermal model for battery cells and a flow network model. The battery heat generation was approximated by uniform volumetric joule and reversible (entropic) losses. The results of the CFD model were validated with the experimental results of in-line tube-bank systems which approximates the battery cell arrangement considered for this study. The numerical results showed that the reciprocating flow can reduce the cell temperature difference of the battery system by about 4 °C (72% reduction) and the maximum cell temperature by 1.5 °C for a reciprocation period of τ = 120 s as compared with the uni-directional flow case ( τ = ∞). Such temperature improvement attributes to the heat redistribution and disturbance of the boundary layers on the formed on the cells due to the periodic flow reversal.
General technique for discrete retardation-modulation polarimetry

The general theory and rigorous solutions of the Stokes parameters of light of a new technique in time-resolved ellipsometry are outlined. In this technique the phase of the linear retarder is stepped over three discrete values over a time interval for which the Stokes vector is determined. The technique has an advantage over synchronous detection techniques, as it can be implemented as a digitizable system.
Evaluation of the Constant Volume Sampler on Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle Cold Start Emission Testing

Previous study shows that the constant volume sampler incorrectly measures some of the exhaust gas when testing a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle in the cold start condition when comparing the CO2 ...
Regional significance of an early Holocene moraine in Enchantment Lakes basin, North Cascade Range, Washington

The upper Enchantment Lakes basin in the North Cascade Range of Washington displays two moraine belts, each recording an episode of glacier advance after the end of the last glaciation. The inner belt, the Brynhild, 0.1 to 0.5 km beyond existing glaciers, postdates Mount St. Helens Wn tephra (∼450 yr old), which lies only beyond the moraines. The morainal surface is only slightly weathered, is almost barren of lichens, and is devoid of soil, evidence suggesting that the Brynhild moraines are no more than a century old. The outer moraine, the Brisingamen, 0.3 to 0.7 km beyond existing glaciers, is weathered and is covered with large lichens. On and behind the Brisingamen moraine the Mazama ash (6900 yr old) is present beneath the Mount St. Helens Yn and Wn tephras. Despite more than 7 millennia of weathering, the rock surface behind the Brisingamen moraine is measurably less weathered than the surface beyond, which was last glaciated during the Rat Creek advance about 13,000 yr ago. The age of the Brisingamen moraine therefore is probably early Holocene. The Brisingamen moraine evidently correlates with moraines near Glacier Peak, near Mount Rainier, in northeastern and central Oregon, in the southern Canadian Rockies, and in the northern U.S. Rocky Mountains. These regional effects suggest that a climatic episode of cooling or increased snowfall affected the entire region some time during the early Holocene.
The roles of fractalkine signaling in neurodegenerative disease

Background The primary neuropathological characteristics of AD include intracellular, filamentous inclusions of hyperphosphorylated microtubule associated protein tau (MAPT) in neurons (neurofibrillary tangles, NFTs) and extracellular deposits of the beta-amyloid peptide (A-Beta) in senile plaques. While A-Beta plaques are unique to AD, NFTs are observed in a wide variety of neurodegenerative diseases, including AD, frontotemporal dementia, cortical basal degeneration and other disorders, collectively termed tauopathies. Microglia, the primary immune effector cells in the brain, continually monitor the tissue parenchyma for pathological alterations and become activated in AD and other tauopathies. Increasing evidence suggests that microglia contribute to the pathopysiology of AD including; correlational studies in human AD and mouse models, retrospective epidemiological studies demonstrating that use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) substantially reduces AD risk, genome-wide association studies of human AD and studies utilizing genetically modified mouse models. Neuronal-microglial communication through the chemokine fractalkine (CX3CL1) and its cognate receptor, CX3CR1, plays a critical role in neuroinflammation and neuroprotection. First, CX3CL1 is highly expressed by neurons while CX3CR1 is only expressed by microglia within the CNS. Second, CX3CL1 is neuroprotective in models of neuroinflammation. Finally, studies of Cx3cr1 knockout mice revealed enhanced neurodegeneration in mouse models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinson’s Disease (PD).
Warm Season Subseasonal Variability and Climate Extremes in the Northern Hemisphere: The Role of Stationary Rossby Waves

This study examines the nature of boreal summer subseasonal atmospheric variability based on the new NASA Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) for the period 1979-2010. An analysis of the June, July and August subseasonal 250hPa v-wind anomalies shows distinct Rossby wave-like structures that appear to be guided by the mean jets. On monthly subseasonal time scales, the leading waves (the first 10 rotated empirical orthogonal functions or REOFs of the 250hPa v-wind) explain about 50% of the Northern Hemisphere vwind variability, and account for more than 30% (60%) of the precipitation (surface temperature) variability over a number of regions of the northern middle and high latitudes, including the U.S. northern Great Plains, parts of Canada, Europe, and Russia. The first REOF in particular, consists of a Rossby wave that extends across northern Eurasia where it is a dominant contributor to monthly surface temperature and precipitation variability, and played an important role in the 2003 European and 2010 Russian heat waves. While primarily subseasonal in nature, the Rossby waves can at times have a substantial seasonal mean component. This is exemplified by REOF 4 which played a major role in the development of the most intense anomalies of the U.S. 1988 drought (during June) and the 1993 flooding (during July), though differed in the latter event by also making an important contribution to the seasonal mean anomalies. A stationary wave model (SWM) is used to reproduce some of the basic features of the observed waves and provide insight into the nature of the forcing. In particular, the responses to a set of idealized forcing functions are used to map the optimal forcing patterns of the leading waves. Also, experiments to reproduce the observed waves with the SWM using MERRA-based estimates of the forcing indicate that the wave forcing is dominated by sub-monthly vorticity transients.
337 Discordance between Ambulatory pH Esophageal Monitoring and Lung Lavage Bile Acids in Lung Transplant Recipients

Purpose: Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and aspiration of gastric contents have been labeled as risk factors for the development of BOS and surgical correction of GER by gastric fundoplication (GF) may be associated with increased freedom from BOS. The mechanisms underlying this relationship remains insufficiently elucidated. The aim of our study was to compare differential cell count and T/B cell characteristics of BAL cells between LTX patients with and without abnormal GER. Methods and Materials: GER was assessed using 24hrs impedance-pH monitoring, 1 year after LTx. BAL samples were obtained at the same time, cell count was performed and samples were analyzed by means of fluorescence immunophenotyping for the presence of CD8 & cells. Patients were considered to have increased GER if they had either an increased total number of reflux events (n 75), increased esophageal acid exposure ( 5.0%) or increased bolus exposure ( 2.0%). Results: 52 patients were recruited (40 SSLTx, 11 SLTx, 1 HLTx, 52% female; mean ( SD) age 50.4 12.1 years). 36% (19/52) of LTx patients had increased reflux. BAL characteristics of patients with and without GER are listed in the Table. Patients with increased GER had elevated levels of CD8 cells as compared to patients with normal GER [64.2 (56.2-79.0) vs 51.8 (41.3-69.0); p 0.0089]. The ratio CD4 /CD8 was significantly reduced in patients with increased GER [0.3(0.1-0.4) vs 0.5(0.25-1.1); p 0.0024].
Personality and creativity in realistic, investigative, artistic, social, and enterprising college majors

Despite much research on how interests are related to personality and creativity, comparatively little work has focused on how different college majors as categorized by the RIASEC model compare on these constructs. In this study, 3295 college students (207 Realistic, 1945 Investigative, 447 Artistic, 480 Social, and 216 Enterprising) completed a five-factor personality measure, a brief self-report of creativity, and the Compound Remote Associates Task (CRAT). Investigative and Artistic majors scored higher on openness and self-assessed creativity than Realistic and Social majors, and Investigative majors were much more agreeable than other majors.
Characterizing the structure and dynamics of folded oligomers: Pulsed ESR studies of peptoid helices

Helical peptoid oligomers were synthesized in which the positions of nitroxide radical spin probes along the backbone were systematically varied, allowing evaluation of intra-molecular distances and dynamics by electron spin resonance spectroscopy.
Effects of Sustained Spatial Attention in the Human Lateral Geniculate Nucleus and Superior Colliculus

The role of subcortical visual structures such as the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and the superior colliculus (SC) in the control of visual spatial attention remains poorly understood. Here, we used high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging to measure responses in the human LGN and SC during sustained spatial attention. Subjects covertly and continuously tracked one of two segments that rotated through the visual field, composed of either moving dots or transient colored shapes. Activity in both nuclei was generally enhanced by attention, independent of the stimulus type, with the voxels responding more sensitively to stimulus contrast (those dominated by magnocellular input) exhibiting greater attentional enhancement. The LGN contained clusters of voxels exhibiting attentional enhancement or weak suppression, whereas the SC exhibited predominantly attentional enhancement, which was significantly stronger than in the LGN. The spatial distribution of the attentional effects was unrelated to the retinotopic organization in either structure. The results demonstrate that each of the major subcortical visual pathways participates in attentional selection, and their differential magnitudes of modulation suggest distinct roles.
A Feedforward Loop Links Gaucher and Parkinson's Diseases?

Mutations in the GBA gene that encodes glucocerebrosidase cause the lysosomal storage disorder Gaucher disease but also increase the risk for Parkinson's disease. Mazzulli et al. (2011) uncover a possible mechanism to explain this connection: loss of glucocerebrosidase creates a positive feedback loop of reduced lysosomal function and α-synuclein accumulation, ultimately leading to neurodegeneration.
Treatment of photodamage with topical tretinoin: An overview

Topical administration of tretinoin has proved to be effective in treating clinical signs of photodamaged skin. In large-scale, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 6-month trials, 0.05% tretinoin emollient cream (Renova, Retinova) reduced fine wrinkles and skin roughness, and it produced histologic changes such as epidermal thickening, increased granular layer thickness, stratum comeum compaction, and decreased melanin content. Smaller changes were also observed at lower tretinoin concentrations. Continued for another 6 months, 0.05% tretinoin emollient cream produced some additional clinical improvement but the histologic changes observed in the epidermis (with the exception of melanin content) regressed toward baseline, raising questions as to what was responsible for the clinical improvement. After 12 months of treatment, there were additional signs of tissue normalization including deposition of new collagen in the papillary dermis and ultrastructural evidence of dermal reconstruction with improvement in the dermoepidermal junction and correction of keratinocyte degeneration, changes that presumably relate directly to tretinoin's mechanism of action. There was no suggestion of cytologic atypia in these studies or in biopsy specimens obtained after up to 4 years of continued use. Mild to moderate dermatitis was the only common adverse reaction to tretinoin use. Percutaneous tretinoin absorption is low, raising plasma levels by amounts that are negligible compared with the normally low endogenous tretinoin levels. No teratogenic effects have been observed in retrospective studies of topical tretinoin application during the first trimester of pregnancy. Thus, topical tretinoin is safe and effective in the treatment of photodamage.
The complementarity principle in biological and social structures

Complementarity is an epistemological principle derived from the subject-object or observer-system dichotomy, where each side requires a separate mode of description that is formally incompatible with and irreducible to the other, and where one mode of description alone does not provide comprehensive explanatory power. The classical physics paradigm, on which biological, social and psychological sciences are modeled, completely suppresses the observer or subject side of this dichotomy in order to claim unity and consistency in theory and objectivity in experimental observations. Quantum mechanical measurements have shown this paradigm to be untenable. Explanation of events requires both an objective, causal representation and a subjective, prescriptive representation that are complementary. The concepts of description and function in biological systems, and goals and policies in social systems, are found to have the same epistemological basis as the concept of measurement in physics. The concepts of rate-dependent and rate-independent processes are proposed as a necessary distinction for applying the principle of complementarity to explanations of physical, biological and social systems.
How power wheelchair users choose computing devices

People with motor impairments experience a range of challenges when interacting with computers. While much prior research has explored the effects of motor impairments on accessing computer input devices, such as keyboards, mice, and touch screens, we know relatively little about how real world use of a wheelchair affects why people in power wheelchairs choose specific computing devices, and how they switch between such devices. We interviewed 8 power wheelchair users about their use of computers and mobile devices. We found that participants often had difficulty switching between the various devices in their life, and that technology use was especially challenging on the go. Our findings suggest that there are numerous opportunities to make computing more wheelchair-friendly, by consolidating devices, improving reachability and portability of devices, and by creating technology that is robust to the challenges of moving around in a wheelchair.
Effect of Thin Prep(®) imaging system on laboratory rate and relative sensitivity of atypical squamous cells, high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion not excluded and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion interpretations.

Introduction: Automated screening of Thin Prep ® Papanicolaou Tests has become increasingly common in clinical practice. Increased productivity has initiated laboratory use of the Thin Prep ® Imaging System (TIS). Increased sensitivity is a potential additional benefit of TIS. Published studies have shown an increase in discovery of dysplastic cells. This study evaluates the effect of TIS on the incidence of atypical squamous cells high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion not excluded (ASC-H) and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HGSIL) results on Thin Prep ® Pap Tests by comparing TIS-assisted and manual screening findings and the diagnoses on subsequent follow-up in a screening population over a 1-year time period. Materials and Methods: A compilation of all ASC-H and HGSIL cases was prepared by conducting a computerized search over a 1-year period (7/06-6/07). The accumulated cases include Thin Prep Pap tests that were both TIS and manually screened. Follow-up results of cytologic and histologic cervical specimens were obtained for a time period extending to 2010. Interpretation utilizing TIS was in place 10 months prior to the study's initiation. Results: During the study period 70,522 Pap tests were performed in our laboratory. One third (33%) of Pap tests were screened with assistance of TIS. Manual screening was performed on 47,380 Pap tests of which 153 (0.32%) were interpreted as ASC-H and 164 (0.35%) were interpreted as HGSIL. During the same time period automated screening (TIS) was performed on 23,111 Pap tests. Interpretation of 62 (0.27%) cases provided an ASC-H result, while 71 (0.31%) were HGSIL. Follow-up cervical dysplasia by colposcopic biopsy and cone biopsy was distributed proportionally between TIS and manual screening for both ASC-H and HGSIL categories. Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN II/III) was identified on follow-up biopsy of 41% TIS cases and 45% manually screened cases for ASC-H. In the HGSIL subset 71% of TIS cases and 69% manually screened cases showed CIN II/III on follow-up. TIS was 26% less sensitive relative to manual screening for ASC-H cases and 3% less sensitive for HGSIL. Conclusion: The similar rate of detection using TIS with an equal percentage of histologic correlation for ASC-H and HGSIL lesions on follow-up histology suggests patients screened by the TIS method are being sent for appropriate follow-up surveillance and treatment. A high-grade or possible high-grade lesion is as likely to be detected by TIS as by a manual screen. The similarities in relative sensitivity and specificity in a direct comparison between manual and TIS screening methodologies indicate that TIS compared to manual screening does not affect detection in patients with high-grade cervical lesions.
The view from Abkhazia of South Ossetia ablaze

The Abkhazian and South Ossetian perspectives on the fighting between Georgians and South Ossetians in August 2008 could not be heard above the noise generated around the geopolitical implications of the larger Russian–Georgian clash. The population of Abkhazia experienced the violence in South Ossetia as though it was occurring on their own territory. This confirmed their complete lack of trust in the Georgian government's commitment to peaceful resolution of the conflicts. In addition, they were disappointed with what they regarded as the international community's absence of criticism of Georgia's actions and lack of concern for the safety and well-being of the South Ossetians. Russia's recognition of South Ossetia's and Abkhazia's independence has taken the question of Georgia's territorial integrity off the negotiation table indefinitely. It also has set back the formal peace process with both South Ossetia and Abkhazia. An essential way forward, toward establishing trust as a necessary foundation for...
Relativistic close-coupling calculation of photoionization and photorecombination of Fe XVI

Large-scale relativistic close-coupling calculation of photoionization and photorecombination of Fe XVI reveal strong resonance structures at low energies. The Breit-Pauli R-matrix method was employed in the calculations with the inclusion of 89 spectroscopic states in the close-coupling eigenfunction expansion. Our unified photorecombination cross sections show significant differences from previous results. The Gaussian averaged effective photorecombination cross sections to the 2p{sup 6}3d{sub 3/2,5/2} states of Fe XVI are shown to be 24% larger than those used for normalization by Brown et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 253201 (2006)]. This result should help resolve the issue raised in Brown's paper on the puzzling large discrepancy between theoretical and experimental electron impact excitation cross sections of Fe XVII.
Prenatal diagnosis of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection: A preliminary report

Eight patients were referred for prenatal diagnosis for suspected fetal cytomegalovirus infection (CMV): six for documented first-trimester infection and two for abnormal ultrasound evaluation suggestive of fetal infection. Three methods of diagnosis were employed: (1) amniotic fluid viral cultures and CMV-specific IgM in fetal serum; (2) amniotic fluid cultures and detection by polymerase chain reaction amplification of CMV-specific DNA in chorionic villi; and (3) detection of CMV-specific DNA in villus samples only. Amniotic fluid cultures detected all cases of infection, but CMV-specific IgM was not a reliable indicator of infection in any case. DNA analysis correlated well with both culture results and clinical outcome.
Validation of intent inferencing by a model-based operator's associate

OFMspert (Operator Function Model expert system) is an architecture for an intelligent operator's associate. The function of such an associate is to provide intelligent assistance for the human operator of a complex dynamic system. The basis for intelligent, context-sensitive advice and reminders is the ability of the associate to infer likely operator intentions in real time. This paper describes the implementation and validation of OFMspert's intent inferencing capability. In particular, a two-stage methodology for validation is proposed. This methodology is then used in the experimental validation of OFMspert's intent inferencing.
Effect of irradiance level on distribution of chlorophylls between PS II and PS I as determined from optical cross-sections

The number of antenna chlorophyll molecules transferring the energy of absorbed photons to the reaction center of either photosystem (PS) II or PS I (i.e., the ‘size’ of the PS), the numbers of RCII and I, and the Chl b/a ratio vary with growth irradiance level to optimize the efficiency of energy harvesting and utilization. The effects of photoadaptation on structural organization are best studied by methods measuring size-dependent properties in vivo. The effective optical cross-section, σ, or area available for photon capture, determined from the light-saturation characteristics of PS-specific signals following single-turnover flashes, provides this information. In these experiments, σ of PS II was calculated from the light-saturation of O 2 evolution, and that of PS I from the amplitude of a post-illumination respiratory oscillation. Cells grown under different irradiance levels were probed at wavelengths where both Chl a + b or only Chl a absorb. RC stoichiometries, Chl b/a ratios, and the in vivo absorption σ per chlorophyll were also measured. At all wavelengths studied, cross sections of both PS II and PS I were fit to a single size; deviation from Poissonian curves in regions of strong absorption were the result of absorption of actinic radiation within a single cell and not of heterogeneity of PS size. The yield of O 2 evolution following flashes at 723 nm was within 10% of that at shorter wavelengths. Photoadaptation to high light resulted in a greater decrease in the number of RCI than of RCII and in a decreased Chl b/a ratio in PS II. For all irradiance levels, the sum of the number of RC's times the number of chlorophylls per PS for PS II and PS I equals (±15%) the total extractable Chl/cell; therefore, to our knowledge for the first time, and by optical means, all chlorophyll can be assigned to the two photosystems.
Domino liver transplantation: a practical option in the face of the organ shortage.

This case study describes a domino liver transplantation in which a patient with familial amyloid polyneuropathy received a cadaveric liver, and the explanted liver was in turn transplanted into a second recipient. Familial amyloid polyneuropathy is an autosomal dominant inherited disease associated with a mutant form of the protein transthyretin. Liver transplantation is the only definitive treatment for this disease. Transplantation removes the source of mutant transthyretin, halts the progression of this otherwise fatal disease, and significantly palliates many underlying symptoms. This case study illustrates that domino transplantation is a practical option to provide a liver transplant for a patient with this disease and a second listed patient from a single cadaveric liver organ, thus alleviating the organ donor shortage. Transplantation offers the only cure for the genetic defect that causes familial amyloid polyneuropathy, appears to result in subjective and objective improvement in neurological f...
Immunoelectrophoretic determination of nitrate reductase in Neurospora crassa

Abstract Highly selective and sensitive methods for determining nitrate reductase levels independent of any expression of its enzymatic activity have been developed, based on immunoelectrophoretic procedures. Specific antisera raised against Neurospora crassa NADPH-nitrate reductase inhibited the overall NADPH-nitrate reductase activity of this enzyme as well as partial activities of the electron transfer process associated with the nitrate reductase reaction. Three immunological techniques were employed to detect the presence of nitrate reductase-related protein in various Neurospora extracts: (i) a protection against inhibition assay, (ii) rocket immunoelectrophoresis, and (iii) crossed immunoelectrophoresis. These three methods were then applied to an analysis of nitrate reductase gene expression in the nit mutants of N. crassa .
Predictors of recovery in activities of daily living among disabled older Mexican Americans.

Background and aims: Although functional ability decreases with age and is associated with poor health outcomes, decline in functional ability is reversible. The aim of this study is to describe the rate of recovery of functional ability and to identify factors associated with it over a two-year period among older Mexican Americans. Methods: 245 functionally disabled older Mexican Americans were included in a two-year prospective cohort study. Data are from the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiological Study of the Elderly (H-EPESE), a population-based study of non-institutionalized Mexican Americans in the South-western United States. Activities of daily living (ADL), lower body mobility (tandem balance, eight-foot walk, and repeated chair stands), depressive symptomatology, body mass index, and self-reported medical conditions were obtained. Results: Over a two-year period, of the 245 subjects at baseline who reported functional disability in at least 1 of 7 ADLs, 83 totally recovered their ADL ability, 108 remained disabled, 36 died, and 18 were lost to follow-up. Factors significantly associated with recovery included younger age (65–74) (OR 2.18, 95% CI 1.08–4.42), higher summary performance measure of lower body function (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.05–1.34), few depressive symptoms (OR 2.84, 95% CI 1.39–5.78), and a BMI ≥30 Kg/m2 (OR 3.08, 95% CI 1.17–8.07). Higher numbers of ADL limitations at baseline were associated with lower odds of ADL recovery. Conclusions: Two-year recovery from ADL disability among older Mexican Americans was high (33.9%). Factors independently associated with recovery include younger age, few depressive symptoms, good lower body function, and high BMI.
Gonadal hormones determine sex differences in timing of incubation by doves

Male and female ring doves express a sexually dimorphic pattern of incubation. The dimorphism is temporal rather than motoric. The male incubates for a block of time in the middle of the day and the female incubates the rest of the time. The present study explored the role of gonadal hormones in the control of the temporal dimorphism. Female-female pairs incubated their eggs, but it could not be predicted which of the partners would be sitting on the nest at any given time. Male-male pairs did not incubate and instead destroyed the nests that were provided and displayed aggressive behavior. Some intact males incubated when paired with gonadectomized males, although the castrates tended to ignore the nest. In contrast, when castrated birds were given heterotypical hormonal replacement therapy, they and their same-sex partners incubated the eggs that had been provided, with the gonadectomized birds sitting at a time appropriate to the hormonal state. The results indicate that gonadal hormones influence not only the expression of incubation behavior, but also its phase and duration.
Review of U.S. Medical Device Regulation

Medical device regulation plays a significant role in the design, development, and commercialization of new medical technologies. A comprehensive understanding of the various regulatory requirements and their practical implementation is thus an essential cornerstone of successful medical device innovation. In this paper, we review the background, mission, and statutory requirements of medical device regulation in the United States. As opposed to pharmaceuticals, which have been regulated since the early 1900s, medical device regulation was not enacted before 1976, when Congress signed into law the Medical Device Amendments to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has implemented a risk-based classification system, which is essential in determining the regulatory pathway for a given device. Our review of the different regulatory pathways discusses the specific steps and requirements associated with each pathway, and their implications for development and testing of different types of devices. The differences in these pathways are significant, and thus require careful consideration and analysis already at early stages of development. The FDA’s Quality Systems Regulation, which outlines specific requirements for development, testing, production, and postmarket surveillance, is another important aspect of device regulation. We present its elements and relationship to design controls and other operating procedures implemented by device manufacturers, and discuss their relevance in ensuring the safety and effectiveness of marketed devices. A summary of recent additions to device regulation, implemented by the FDA to allow for adequate regulation of products that combine drugs and devices or biologics and devices (so-called combination products), completes our review. Because of the significance of device regulation for medical device innovation, we strongly support increased efforts to educate the various stakeholders involved in the medical device development process, both at the academic and professional level.
Biscuit Conditionals: Quantification Over Potential Literal Acts

In biscuit conditionals (BCs) such as If you’re hungry, there’s pizza in the fridge, the if clause appears to apply to the illocutionary act performed in uttering the main clause, rather than to its propositional content. Accordingly, previous analyses of BCs have focused on illocutionary acts, and, this, I argue, leads them to yield incorrect paraphrases. I propose, instead, that BCs involve existential quantification over potential literal acts such as assertions, questions, commands, and exclamations, the semantic objects associated with declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamative sentences, respectively. Such an existential interpretation of BCs requires only that we add potential literal acts to our inventory of individuals, and it produces reasonable paraphrases in which if has its normal meaning: If you’re hungry,[there’s a (relevant/salient) assertion that] there’s pizza in the fridge. These potential literal act variables are introduced into semantic interpretations and then undergo Existential Closure. Hence, we would expect to see similar interpretations in contexts other than BCs, that is, with other if constructions, with connectives other than if, with potential literal acts other than assertion, and in root sentences. This prediction is borne out, along with the parallel prediction that we cannot quantify over purely illocutionary acts like offers, but only over potential literal acts, those conventionally associated with a particular morphosyntactic shape.