cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electrical impedance myography detects age-related muscle change in mice

Loss of muscle mass and strength represents one of the most significant contributors to impaired function in older adults. Convenient and non-invasive biomarkers are needed that can readily identify and track age-related muscle change. Previous data has suggested electrical impedance myography (EIM) has the potential to serve in this capacity. In this study we investigated how changes in EIM compared with other standard measures of muscle structure and function in aged compared with young mice. A total of 19 male mice aged approximately 25 months and 19 male mice aged 3 months underwent surface multifrequency EIM of the right gastrocnemius muscle using standard methods. Fore and hind limb grip strength, sciatic compound muscle action potential amplitude, and in-situ force of the gastrocnemius were also measured; after sacrifice, gastrocnemius myofiber size was assessed using standard histology. Spearman correlation coefficients were calculated to investigate the association between EIM and muscle characteristics. EIM in aged animals demonstrated significantly lower 50 kHz impedance phase (p<0.001) and reactance (p<0.01) values as well as reduced multifrequency parameters. In contrast, absolute gastrocnemius muscle mass was no different between young and aged mice (p = 0.58) but was reduced in aged mice after normalization to body mass (p<0.001). Median myofiber size in the aged mice was not different from that of young mice (p = 0.72). Aged mice showed reduced muscle function on the basis of normalized fore limb (p<0.001) and normalized hind limb (p<0.001) grip strength, as well as normalized gastrocnemius twitch (p<0.001) and normalized maximal isometric force (p<0.001). Sciatic compound muscle action potential amplitude was reduced in aged mice (p<0.05). EIM parameters showed good correlation with reduced standard physiological and electrophysiological measures of muscle health. Our study suggests that EIM is sensitive to aged-related muscle change and may represent a convenient and valuable method of quantifying loss of muscle health.
[Cr8(PhCO2)16O4]·4CH3CN·2H2O: structural origin of magnetic anisotropy in a molecular spin cluster

The Cr(4)O(4) hetero-cubane-centered octachromium(III) cluster [Cr(8)(PhCO(2))(16)O(4)] crystallizes from fluorobenzene-acetonitrile as dodeca-mu(2)-benzoato-tetrabenzoatotetra-mu(4)-oxido-octachromium(III) acetonitrile tetrasolvate dihydrate, [Cr(8)(C(7)H(5)O(2))(16)O(4)].4C(2)H(3)N.2H(2)O, (I). Crystals produced by this method are significantly more stable than the originally published dichloromethane pentasolvate, [Cr(8)(PhCO(2))(16)O(4)].5CH(2)Cl(2) [Atkinson et al. (1999). Chem. Commun. pp. 285-286], leading to a significantly higher quality structure and allowing the production of large quantities of high-quality nondeuterated and deuterated material suitable for inelastic neutron scattering (INS) measurements. Compound (I) reveals a higher symmetry structure in which the cluster sits on a twofold rotation axis, and is based on an asymmetric unit containing four crystallographically independent Cr positions, two oxide ligands, eight benzoate ligands, two acetonitrile solvent molecules and one disordered water molecule. All the Cr atoms are six-coordinate, with an octahedral geometry for the inner cubane and a more highly distorted coordination environment in the outer positions. Despite the higher symmetry, the coordination geometries observed in (I) are largely similar to the dichloromethane pentasolvate structure, indicating that crystal-packing effects have little influence on the molecular structure of [Cr(8)(PhCO(2))(16)O(4)]. Close structural analysis reveals that the high magnetic anisotropy observed in the INS measurements is a consequence of the distorted coordination geometry of the four outer Cr atoms.
A Microfluidic Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction Method for the Simultaneous Analysis of Dozens of Antibiotic Resistance and Heavy Metal Resistance Genes

This study developed, optimized, and demonstrated a microfluidic quantitative polymerase chain reaction (MF-qPCR) method for the simultaneous quantification of 39 antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), five heavy metal resistance genes, three genes encoding the integrase of three different classes of integrons, and 16S rRNA genes (used as a measure of total bacterial biomass). Because the volume of the template is much smaller with MF-qPCR (a few nanoliters) than with conventional qPCR, a preamplification step was needed to improve the sensitivity and the limits of quantification of the MF-qPCR method to be similar to those of conventional qPCR. The MF-qPCR method was successfully demonstrated on untreated municipal wastewater, treated municipal wastewater, and drinking water samples. The treated municipal wastewater samples had higher concentrations of all genes compared to those in the drinking water samples. Similarly, the untreated municipal wastewater samples had higher concentrations for all but one of...
How Do We Memorialize Genocide? The Case of the German Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

We often acknowledge and memorialize events of human suffering through works of art. This sometimes begins as a personal statement, as was the case with Picasso’s Guernica . Oftentimes such acknowledgments take the form of a national statement, such as the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (Denkmal fur die ermordeten Juden Europas) in Berlin. The Berlin memorial raises challenging moral and aesthetic questions regarding the memorializing function of such public monuments. What sorts of experiences are such memorials intended to evoke in the viewer? Is there a tension between the aesthetic experience and the “real” emotions such memorials engender? Does the didactic nature of such works rest comfortably with their aesthetic function? Are these functions mutually exclusive? Such questions are addressed in this chapter.
Pilot Study of Dose-Response Effects of Exercise on Change in C-Reactive Protein, Cortisol, and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Cancer Survivors.

Abstract Fatigue, stress, and depression contribute to poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among cancer survivors. This study examined the effects of combined aerobic and resistance trainin...
Comparison of Surgical Invasiveness Between Microdiscectomy and 3 Different Endoscopic Discectomy Techniques for Lumbar Disc Herniation.

Objective Muscle injury is inevitable during surgical exposure of the spine. This study compared paraspinal muscle injury after 4 surgical techniques: microdiscectomy (MD), percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD), percutaneous endoscopic interlaminar discectomy (PEID), unilateral biportal endoscopic discectomy (UBED). Methods Eighty patients who underwent MD, PELD, PEID, and UBED were prospectively observed. Creatine phosphokinase (CPK) and C-reactive protein levels were measured on admission and postoperative days 1, 3, 5, and 7. CPK ratio was calculated as CPK on postoperative day 1/CPK on admission. Cross-sectional area of the high-intensity lesion in the paraspinal muscle was measured on magnetic resonance imaging after surgery. Operative time and hospital stay duration were also examined. Clinical outcome was evaluated using the visual analog scale for back and leg pain. Results MD group had the highest CPK levels on postoperative days 1 and 3 and CPK ratio (P Conclusions PELD is the least invasive spinal surgical technique.
Newcomer Socialization: The Impact of Corporate Cultural Intelligence and Corporate Culture

Organizational socialization is known as the process through which new employees move from being outsiders to becoming organizational insiders by learning and adapting to the new job setting and th...
Manipulation under Anesthesia

Manipulation under general anesthesia has been described in the orthopedic and osteopathic literature. Manipulation under regional anesthesia, however, has been described mostly for orthopedic surgical procedures. This article reviews the use of manipulation in the literature under general anesthesia as well as the limited information available on manipulation under regional anesthesia. Manual medicine techniques and regional anesthetic blocks are not new procedures or techniques. The authors attempt to stimulate the reader’s interest in the use of regional anesthetic blocks in combination with manual medicine procedures for patients who have been recalcitrant to less invasive types of treatment methods.
Scattering Theory for Hyperbolic Equations

The purpose of this note is to describe an approach to scattering theory, developed by Lax and Phillips, which is especially appropriate for hyperbolic equations. Since the classical steady-state theory of scattering was developed from the point of view of elliptic equations, it is to be expected that our approach will bring new insights into the problem. So far these new insights have resulted more in conjectures than in theorems, never-the-less a beginning has been made and we shall list some of the recent results obtained by P. D. Lax, D. Ludwig, C. S. Morawetz, and Phillips.
Mechanical properties of hexagonal lattice structures fabricated using continuous liquid interface production additive manufacturing

Abstract Additive manufacturing (AM) is a key enabler for architectured lattice materials, because of the geometric complexity of parts that can be produced. Recent advancements in AM have enabled rapid production speeds, high spatial resolution, and a variety of engineering polymers. An open question remains whether production grade AM can accurately and repeatably produce lattice parts. This study presents design, production, and mechanical property testing of hexagonal lattice parts manufactured using continuous liquid interface production (CLIP) based AM. We printed and tested 84 parts, in three polymer materials having relative density ranging from 0.06 to 0.23. Lattice wall structures were reliably printed when truss aspect ratio was in the range 5 to 20 and wall thicknesses were 0.35 or 0.5 mm. The printed lattice parts, each comprising hundreds of slender walls, were measured using high resolution optical scanning. The images were analyzed to evaluate the difference between the printed parts and their designs, and the effect of geometric deviations on the mechanical behavior. The measured elastic moduli of the printed parts are close to the values expected from the materials specifications. The measured strength of the printed parts deviates by 7% from the behavior predicted from the scanned geometry. The failure mode of the printed structures depends upon the material and part geometry. To our knowledge, this is the largest study on the accuracy and performance of AM lattice parts, and the first study of its type for lattice parts made using CLIP.
Continuous Flow Methods of Fabricating Catalytically Active Metal Nanoparticles.

One of the obstacles preventing the commercialization of colloidal nanoparticle catalysts is the difficulty in fabricating these materials at scale while maintaining a high level of control over their resulting morphologies, and ultimately, their properties. Translation of batch-scale solution nanoparticle syntheses to continuous flow reactors has been identified as one method to address the scaling issue. The superior heat and mass transport afforded by the high surface-area-to-volume ratios of micro- and millifluidic channels allows for high control over reaction conditions and oftentimes results in decreased reaction times, higher yields, and/or more monodisperse size distributions compared to an analogous batch reaction. Furthermore, continuous flow reactors are automatable and have environmental health and safety benefits, making them practical for commercialization. Herein, a discussion of continuous flow methods, reactor design, and potential challenges is presented. A thorough account of the imple...
Evaluating the Visually Impaired: Neuropsychological Techniques.

Techniques of neuropsychological assessment are discussed with emphasis on how some test batteries may be modified to be appropriate to the visually impaired population. Tests such as the Halstead-...
Deep Lifetime Clustering

The goal of lifetime clustering is to develop an inductive model that maps subjects into $K$ clusters according to their underlying (unobserved) lifetime distribution. We introduce a neural-network based lifetime clustering model that can find cluster assignments by directly maximizing the divergence between the empirical lifetime distributions of the clusters. Accordingly, we define a novel clustering loss function over the lifetime distributions (of entire clusters) based on a tight upper bound of the two-sample Kuiper test p-value. The resultant model is robust to the modeling issues associated with the unobservability of termination signals, and does not assume proportional hazards. Our results in real and synthetic datasets show significantly better lifetime clusters (as evaluated by C-index, Brier Score, Logrank score and adjusted Rand index) as compared to competing approaches.
Abstract 14: Echocardiographic Evaluation of Left Ventricular Recovery After Refractory Out-Of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

Introduction: Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) is increasingly used to treat cardiogenic shock and refractory cardiac arrest. However, the degree and mechanisms of myocard...
Nationwide Qualitative Study of Practice Leader Perspectives on What It Takes to Transform into a Patient-Centered Medical Home.

Despite widespread adoption of patient-centered medical home (PCMH), little is known about why practices pursue PCMH and what is needed to undergo transformation. Examine reasons practices obtained and maintained PCMH recognition and what resources were needed. Qualitative study of practice leader perspectives on PCMH transformation, based on a random sample of primary care practices engaged in PCMH transformation, stratified by US region, practice size, PCMH recognition history, and practice use of Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) PCMH survey. 105 practice leaders from 294 sampled practices (36% response rate). Content analysis of interviews with practice leaders to identify themes. Most practice leaders had local control of PCMH transformation decisions, even if practices adopted quality initiatives under the direction of an organization or network. Financial incentives, being in a statewide effort, and the intrinsic desire to improve care or experiences were the most common reasons practice leaders decided to obtain PCMH recognition and pursue associated care delivery changes. Leadership support and direction were highlighted as essential throughout PCMH transformation. Practice leaders reported needing specialized staff knowledge and significant resources to meet PCMH requirements, including staff knowledgeable about how to implement PCMH changes, track and monitor improvements, and navigate implementation of simultaneous changes, and staff with specific quality improvement (QI) expertise related to evaluating changes and scaling-up programs. PCMH efforts necessitated support and assistance to frontline, on-site practice leaders leading care delivery changes. Such change efforts should include financial incentives (e.g., direct payment or additional reimbursement), leadership direction and support, and internal or external staff with experience with the PCMH application process, implementation changes, and QI expertise in monitoring process and outcome data. Policies that recognize and meet the needs of on-site practice leaders will better promote primary care practice transformation and move practices further toward their PCMH transformation goals.
Sex Differences in Ground Reaction Force Profiles of Ballet Dancers During Single- and Double-Leg Landing Tasks.

It is well known that sex differences exist in landing biomechanics in athletes, and these differences are purported to underlie a prevalence of traumatic knee injuries in females compared to males. However, it remains unknown if these differences also apply to artistic athletes such as dancers. The purpose of this study was to investigate sex differences in ground reaction forces (GRFs) between male and female dancers during single- and double-leg dance-specific landing movements. Fourteen pre-professional and professional ballet dancers (seven female and seven male) performed grand jete (single-leg landing) and saute (double-leg landing) jumps onto two force platforms. Visual3D was used to calculate the resulting GRF time-series, and MAT-LAB to select discrete variables of interest including peak vertical GRF, loading rate, landing duration, and vertical impulse. Paired t-tests were used to compare mean GRF variables between male and female dancers. During single-leg landing male dancers had smaller peak vertical GRFs (p < 0.01), greater time-to-peak GRF (p = 0.03), and smaller loading rates (p < 0.01) than female dancers. No differences were observed in vertical impulse during single-leg landing or in any variables during double-leg landing. These results indicate that sex differences in landing GRFs are most evident in single-leg landing and may underlie divergent injury rates in male and female dancers. Further investigation of relevant lower extremity biomechanics during single- and double-leg landing in male and female dancers should be conducted to identify the mechanisms underlying these distinct GRF profiles.
Exploring Combinatorial Approaches to Polymer Diversification

Diversity-oriented strategies can facilitate the rapid exploration of chemical space during small-molecule synthesis, but similar approaches are underutilized for macromolecular substrates. Expandi...
Case Report: Delayed Presentation of Bowel Obstruction Caused by Blunt Abdominal Trauma.

Author(s): George, Nicholas H.; Baldi, Charles A.; Tonascia, James M.; Moayedi, Siamak | Abstract: Introduction: Bowel obstruction is a rare but well reported complication of blunt abdominal trauma (BAT). Obstruction is most often seen acutely caused by bowel wall hematomas and chronically as a result of post-traumatic strictures. Here, we present a novel case of BAT causing a subacute obstructing bowel wall hematoma.Case Report: A healthy, 32-year-old male presented to our emergency department with three days of nausea and vomiting. Chart review revealed he had been seen two weeks prior after a high-speed motor vehicle collision. During that initial visit, the patient had a benign abdominal exam and was discharged without imaging. On this return visit, the patient was found to have a large, obstructing colonic hematoma.Conclusion: Because emergency physicians care for patients in both the acute and subacute phases of trauma, clinicians should recognize the more subtle sequelae of BAT.
Tissue Chips and Microphysiological Systems for Disease Modeling and Drug Testing

Tissue chips (TCs) and microphysiological systems (MPSs) that incorporate human cells are novel platforms to model disease and screen drugs and provide an alternative to traditional animal studies. This review highlights the basic definitions of TCs and MPSs, examines four major organs/tissues, identifies critical parameters for organization and function (tissue organization, blood flow, and physical stresses), reviews current microfluidic approaches to recreate tissues, and discusses current shortcomings and future directions for the development and application of these technologies. The organs emphasized are those involved in the metabolism or excretion of drugs (hepatic and renal systems) and organs sensitive to drug toxicity (cardiovascular system). This article examines the microfluidic/microfabrication approaches for each organ individually and identifies specific examples of TCs. This review will provide an excellent starting point for understanding, designing, and constructing novel TCs for possible integration within MPS.
Flexoelectricity in soft elastomers and the molecular mechanisms underpinning the design and emergence of giant flexoelectricity

Soft robotics requires materials that are capable of large deformation and amenable to actuation with external stimuli such as electric fields. Energy harvesting, biomedical devices, flexible electronics, and sensors are some other applications enabled by electroactive soft materials. The phenomenon of flexoelectricity is an enticing alternative that refers to the development of electric polarization in dielectrics when subjected to strain gradients. In particular, flexoelectricity offers a direct linear coupling between a highly desirable deformation mode (flexure) and electric stimulus. Unfortunately, barring some exceptions, the flexoelectric effect is quite weak and rather substantial bending curvatures are required for an appreciable electromechanical response. Most experiments in the literature appear to confirm modest flexoelectricity in polymers although perplexingly, a singular work has measured a "giant" effect in elastomers under some specific conditions. Due to the lack of an understanding of the microscopic underpinnings of flexoelectricity in elastomers and a commensurate theory, it is not currently possible to either explain the contradictory experimental results on elastomers or pursue avenues for possible design of large flexoelectricity. In this work, we present a statistical-mechanics theory for the emergent flexoelectricity of elastomers consisting of polar monomers. The theory is shown to be valid in broad generality and leads to key insights regarding both giant flexoelectricity and material design. In particular, the theory shows that, in standard elastomer networks, combining stretching and bending is a mechanism for obtaining giant flexoelectricity, which also explains the aforementioned, surprising experimental discovery.
Analyzing Human-Robot Trust in Police Work Using a Teleoperated Communicative Robot

Recent advances in robotics have accelerated their widespread use in nontraditional domains such as law enforcement. The inclusion of robotics allows for the introduction of time and space in dangerous situations, and protects law enforcement officers (LEOs) from the many potentially dangerous situations they encounter. In this paper, a teleoperated robot prototype was designed and tested to allow LEOs to remotely and transparently communicate and interact with others. The robot featured near face-to-face interactivity and accuracy across multiple verbal and non-verbal modes using screens, microphones, and speakers. In cooperation with multiple law enforcement agencies, results are presented on this dynamic and integrative teleoperated communicative robot platform in terms of attitudes towards robots, trust in robot operation, and trust in human-robot-human interaction and communication.
Reproducible Response of Certain Polymers to Changes in the Surrounding Environment

This chapter briefly reviews a number of polymer systems that undergo a significant and reproducible change in properties in response to relatively minor changes in the external environment. The chapter is not intended to be an exhaustive review, but rather focuses on polymer systems that may have potential applications in the field of self-regulated drug delivery devices. Two types of polymers are considered: polymers that undergo reversible dimensional changes and polymers that undergo changes in the rate of erosion.
Optimization of superprism-based photonic crystal demultiplexers

The effect of various parameters on the efficiency of superprism-based photonic crystal demultiplexers is discussed. New measures are introduced for evaluation of the efficiency of superprism demultiplexers, and different photonic crystal geometries are optimized and compared for demultiplexing applications.
Magic Mountains and Social Cases: Poverty and the Politics of Romanian Tuberculosis Control

Romania is the site of Europe’s worst tuberculosis epidemics. According to the World Health Organization, TB incidence peaked in 2002 at approximately 151 per 100,000, a rate that gave Romania the unwelcome distinction of having the second highest rate of TB in all of Europe and Central Asia, second only to Tajikistan and more than 3 times higher than neighboring Bulgaria. The TB rates steadily climbed after the revolution, and skyrocketed during the economic crisis of the late 1990s and early 2000s. At least in rhetoric, TB has been a priority for Romanian public health authorities for over a decade. Public information campaigns have been launched and all TB treatment and diagnosis is free of charge (though still to subject small bribes and ‘envelope payments’). Despite these efforts, TB rates have only declined slightly in recent years and may rise again this year due to the economic crisis. TB is widely recognized as a ‘social disease’ (Dubos and Dubos 1951,) and because of this can be used as a lens through which the greater social and political situation in Romania can be understood. In particular, because TB overwhelmingly affects the poor, the Romanian TB epidemic highlights serious weaknesses and inefficiencies in the social welfare system. While all diseases to some degree are related to social conditions, TB susceptibility and one’s ability to be successfully cured relies just as much upon conditions such as nutritious food, rest and a safe, secure living environment. There is a heated debate over the future of Romania’s TB sanatoria, which are still a major part of TB control. In a region where Ukrainians strive to qualify for Chernobyl benefits (Petryna 2002) and Georgian prisoners “cheat” to test positive for TB to be relocated to TB colonies with more humane conditions (Koch 2006), this research explores the possibility that Romanian TB sanatoria may serve as sites of security where moral or citizenship based claims are made to avoid the negative effects of the transition from socialism. The transition years have brought a reduction in the social safety net for most Romanians. Many government social benefits have been withdrawn, and the kin and village based support systems have withered as individuals migrate to the cities and to other countries. The people left behind by these changes become “social cases” and as Friedman notes, their fates are ultimately left to the doctors who, for lack of options, extend their stays and even inflate their diagnoses (2009). This study is the product of over a year and a half of research, including intensive fieldwork at a Romanian TB sanatorium. This paper explores how in Romania, TB sanatoria which offer free care for patients are possibly being reimagined by doctors and patients as forms of shelter and support for social ills beyond TB.
Relations between youth antisocial and prosocial activities.

This study examines relations among antisocial and prosocial activities for boys and girls aged 10, 12, and 14 years. Antisocial activities included substance use and other deviant behaviors. Prosocial activities included physical activity, organized sports, organized nonsport activities, volunteer and religious activities. Household income and single-parent vs. two-parent family status were included as covariates. The sample comprised 356 youth (mean age = 12.06 years, 50% female, 73% White). A six-group (Age × Gender) multiple-sample structural equation model was employed to determine the existence of latent factors (substance use, deviant behaviors, prosocial activities) and relations among variables. Results showed a positive relationship among prosocial behaviors, and between substance use and other deviant behaviors. Organized sport and days of physical activity were inversely related to substance use. Higher income and living in a two-parent family were associated with less substance use and deviant behavior. There was little variation by gender and age.
Influence of absorbed moisture on fatigue crack propagation behaviour in polyamides

The effect of plasticization on the fatigue crack propagation response in polyamides was examined by conducting fatigue tests on specimens of nylon 66 (N66), nylon 6 (N6) and nylon 612 (N612) which had been equilibrated at various levels of absorbed water. In N66 and N6, crack growth rates decreased as the water content was increased to about 2.5wt%; with increasing moisture content, FCP rates increased and at saturation (8.5 wt% H2O) FCP rates were higher than those observed in the dry polymer. Crackgrowth rates in N612 decreased monotonically as the water content increased to saturation (3.2 wt% in this polyamide). These results were interpreted in terms of the competition between enhanced crack-tip blunting and lowering of the specimen modulus. Crack-tip blunting was believed to dominate fatigue behaviour at low water contents (⩽2.5wt%) and contributed to reduced FCP rates. The higher crack-growth rates observed at higher moisture levels were believed to be caused by reductions in material stiffness.
Literary Landscapes: Mapping Emergent American Identity in Transatlantic Narratives of Women’s Travel of the Long Eighteenth Century

Comparisons between maps from the Native American–European encounter to the establishment of the United States and transatlantic British and American narratives of women’s travel during the long ei...
Failures of response modulation: Impulsive behavior in anxious and impulsive individuals

Abstract Certain experimental results appear at odds with traditional characterizations of anxious individuals. Specifically, anxious subjects have been observed to behave in ways that might best be characterized as impulsive. To account for these data, we propose a general model of impulsive behavior that is primarily a synthesis of the theoretical perspectives of Gray (1987b) and Eysenck (1967) . The neuroticism construct, which we conceive as reflecting the lability or reactivity of Gray's nonspecific arousal system (NAS), plays a pivotal role in this synthesis. We suggest that neuroticism is a predisposition to experience heightened NAS activity, and describe three processes through which heightened NAS activity impairs response modulation, thus engendering impulsive behavior. The proposed model highlights a fundamental similarity between anxiety and impulsivity. Furthermore, our formulation may prove useful for resolving inconsistent laboratory findings related to impulsivity, as well as for explaining the maladaptive behavior displayed by anxious and impulsive individuals.
A Model-Based Approach to the Quantitative Analysis of Eyeblink EMG Response Components

Abstract A recently developed method of fragmentary decomposition (FD) of nonstationary physiological signals was extended to eyeblink EMG measurement to quantify all significant stimulus-induced components and identify their parameters. FD provides a representation of single-trial eyeblink EMG as a nonstationary signal with the generic mass potential (GMP) being the universal functional element. The current study uses this model-based signal-processing methodology to identify distinct stimulus-induced components of eyeblink EMG and to extract additional psychophysiological information from the eyeblink signal. Analysis of the single-trial eyeblink EMG records from 10 normal subjects showed that GMP is an adequate functional element of which an eyeblink EMG response is composed. In particular, both spontaneous and stimulus-induced single components of eyeblink EMG are produced by functionally similar mechanisms. However, we found that about 54% of GMPs are combined into complex patterns that respond diffe...
Molecular Glasses with High Fictive Temperatures for Energy Landscape Evaluations

With an interest in obtaining data on laboratory glass samples to compare with simulated glasses produced by molecular dynamics computer simulations, we have explored, using calorimetric techniques, the fictive temperatures that can be obtained using different laboratory quenching methods. We describe some useful analytical methods for characterizing quenched samples and, in the process, demonstrate a modified graphical treatment of DSC data that directly yields the m fragility index (“steepness” index) and permits the assembly of enthalpy relaxation data on different liquids in a fragility plot. Using these methods, we provide evidence for the trapping of high-Tg molecular glasses at fictive temperatures up to 1.16Tg and show that fictive temperatures up to and even beyond the crossover temperature for fragile glass formers should be possible using refined electrospray and fiber-spinning techniques. We discuss the relation of the low-T/Tg enthalpy relaxation, found in all hyperquenched glasses, to topogr...
Nonhemorrhagic pituitary macroadenoma producing reversible internal carotid artery occlusion: case report.

OBSTRUCTION OF THE internal carotid artery by a pituitary tumor is a rare occurrence, particularly in the absence of pituitary apoplexy. A case of occlusion of the right internal carotid artery caused by a nonhemorrhagic pituitary adenoma is reported. The patient presented with a 3-month history of headaches and a progressive loss of vision in his right eye, leading to sudden complete right-sided blindness on the day of admission. Except for the visual system, the patient's clinical examination revealed nothing remarkable. There was complete restoration of blood flow in the internal carotid artery after emergency transsphenoidal resection of the tumor was performed. The patient's vision also substantially improved shortly after the surgery. Neurodiagnostic correlation, using various imaging studies, is presented. This case also demonstrates the importance of using magnetic resonance imaging with and without contrast to demonstrate complete occlusion or thrombosis in the affected vessel.
Analysis of online social networks to understand information sharing behaviors through social cognitive theory

Analyzing the contents of online social networks is an effective process for monitoring and understanding peoples' behaviors. Since the nature of conversation and information propagation is similar to traditional conversation and learning, one of the popular socio-cognitive methods, social cognitive theory was applied to online social networks to. Two major news topics about colon cancer were chosen to monitor traffic of Twitter messages. The activity of “leaders” on the issue (i.e., news companies or people will prior Twitter activity on topics related to colon cancer) was monitored. In addition, the activity of “followers”, people who never discussed the topics before, but replied to the discussions was also monitored. Topics that produce tangible benefits such as positive outcomes from appropriate preventive actions received dramatically more attention and online social media traffic. Such characteristics can be explained with social cognitive theory and thus present opportunities for effective health campaigns.
SU-C-18A-01: Online Atlas Selection Using 3D Gabor Features

Purpose: To develop and validate 3D Gabor features for on-the-fly selection of the best atlas to improve atlas-based segmentation. Methods: Twenty-one planning CT images of head and neck cancer patients were acquired and the submandibular glands and esophagus were contoured manually by a head-and-neck oncologist. One image was randomly chosen as the test and the remaining became the atlases. All atlases were rigidly registered to the test image and the union of the transformed atlas contours defined a local region for each organ. A bank of 3D Gabor filters was created with different scales and directions in the 3D space. These filters were applied to each image in the defined local region to extract 3D Gabor features, which are composed of the mean and standard deviation of each Gabor filtered 3D data. A distance metric was defined for Gabor features to determine the similarity between an atlas and the test image. For validation, the organ contours of all atlases were deformed to the test image and compared with the manual contour using Dice similarity coefficient, which determined the actual similarity. Results: A number of 144 Gabor filters (4 scales and 36 directions) was created to extract Gabor features for submandibular glands. The best atlas identified by the Gabor features was actually the second best atlas determined by the Dice value (71.7%); however, it is very close to the actual best atlas (73.3%). Similarly, a number of 48 Gabor filters (3 scales and 16 directions) was created for selecting the best esophagus atlas. The Gabor features identified the three best atlases exactly as they were determined by the Dice values. Conclusion: The 3D Gabor features showed great potential for online atlas selection to improve atlas-based segmentation. This work was partially supported by a sponsored research grant from Varian Medical Systems.
Structure and reactivity in gas phase group five clusters. Nonreactive niobium clusters may have smooth surfaces

Abstract Niobium clusters and cluster cations are expected to adopt dense geometries that maximize total interatomic connectivities. Clusters that possess exclusively close-packed surfaces and are convex at edges are expected to possess lower reactivities than those with rougher surfaces. On this basis, structures for the [Nb10]+ and [Nb12]+ cations and the reactive and nonreactive isomers of the [Nb19]+ cluster cations are proposed.
Analysis of genetic mosaics shows that the extra epidermal cell divisions in Knotted mutant maize plants are induced by adjacent mesophyll cells

The technique of ‘fate-mapping’ or ‘mosaic mapping’ takes advantage of genetically marked progenitor cells that confer a phenotypic difference in order to determine the cells' contribution to the final organism. Pioneered by the gynandromorph studies of Sturtevant1, this technique has been used extensively to understand Drosophila development2. For certain plant species, naturally occurring chloroplast mosaics have been used to follow cell lineages3. In other plant species, mosaics can be generated by using X-ray-induced somatic mutations4,5. Here we have used X rays to create genetic sectors in maize that are lacking a mutation which alters leaf development—Knotted or Kn. From the sectors observed, we determined that the genotype of the mesophyll (internal cell layers) and not the genotype of the epidermis (outer layer) was critical for Kn expression, and that the mesophyll induced the epidermis to divide.
Update on stroke prevention.

It is now well recognized that stroke-prone individuals can be identified in the majority of instances and that effective preventive therapy is available. Cumulative risk factors enhance the potential for stroke. The challenge is to effectively intervene to substantially reduce stroke risk.
The structure of Apo R268A human aldose reductase: Hinges and latches that control the kinetic mechanism ☆

Aldose reductase (AR) catalyzes the NADPH-dependent reduction of glucose and other sugars to their respective sugar alcohols. The NADP+/NADPH exchange is the rate-limiting step for this enzyme and contributes in varying degrees to the catalytic rates of other aldo-keto reductase superfamily enzymes. The mutation of Arg268 to alanine in human recombinant AR removes one of the ligands of the C2-phosphate of NADP+ and markedly reduces the interaction of the apoenzyme with the nucleotide. The crystal structure of human R268A apo-aldose reductase determined to a resolution of 2.1 A is described. The R268A mutant enzyme has similar kinetic parameters to the wild-type enzyme for aldehyde substrates, yet has greatly reduced affinity for the nucleotide substrate which greatly facilitates its crystallization in the apoenzyme form. The apo-structure shows that a high temperature factor loop (between residues 214 and 226) is displaced by as much as 17 A in a rigid body fashion about Gly213 and Ser226 in the absence of the nucleotide cofactor as compared to the wild-type holoenzyme structure. Several factors act to stabilize the NADPH-holding loop in either the 'open' or 'closed' conformations: (1) the presence and interactions of the nucleotide cofactor, (2) the residues surrounding the Gly213 and Ser226 hinges which form unique hydrogen bonds in the 'open' or 'closed' structure, and (3) the Trp219 "latch" residue which interacts with an arginine residue, Arg293, in the 'open' conformation or with a cysteine residue, Cys298, in the 'closed' conformation. Several mutations in and around the high temperature factor loop are examined to elucidate the role of the loop in the mechanism by which aldose reductase binds and releases its nucleotide substrate.
MicroRNA Expression Profiling of Thyroid Tumors: Biological Significance and Diagnostic Utility

Objective: MicroRNA (miRNA) expression is deregulated in many types of human cancers. We sought to investigate the expression patterns of miRNA in all major types of thyroid tumors, including tumors carrying distinct oncogenic mutations, and to explore the utility of miRNA profiling for the preoperative diagnosis of thyroid nodules. Design: miRNA expression levels were detected in 60 surgically removed thyroid neoplastic and nonneoplastic samples and in 62 fine-needle aspiration (FNA) samples by RT-PCR using TaqMan MicroRNA Panel or individual miRNA sequence-specific primers. miRNA expression levels were calculated relative to normal thyroid tissue. All tumors were genotyped for most common mutations. Results: Various histopathological types of thyroid tumors, including those deriving from the same cell type, showed significantly different profiles of miRNA expression. Oncocytic tumors, conventional follicular tumors, papillary carcinomas, and medullary carcinomas formed distinct clusters on the unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis. Significant correlation between miRNA expression patterns and somatic mutations was observed in papillary carcinomas. A set of seven miRNAs (miR-187, miR-221, miR-222, miR-146b, miR-155, miR-224, and miR-197) that were most differentially overexpressed in thyroid tumors vs. hyperplastic nodules in the surgical samples was validated in the FNA samples, showing high accuracy of thyroid cancer detection. Conclusions: In this study, we demonstrate that various histopathological types of thyroid tumors have distinct miRNA profiles, which further differ within the same tumor type, reflecting specific oncogenic mutations. A limited set of miRNAs can be used diagnostically with high accuracy to detect thyroid cancer in the surgical and preoperative FNA samples.
Runtime Procedure for Energy Savings in Applications with Point-to-Point Communications

Although high-performance computing has always been about efficient application execution, both energy and power consumption have become critical concerns owing to their effect on operating costs and failure rates of large-scale computing platforms. Modern microprocessors are equipped with the capabilities to reduce their power consumption using techniques such as dynamic voltage and frequency scaling(DVFS) and CPU clock modulation (called throttling). Without careful application, however, DVFS and throttling may cause a significant performance loss due to system overhead. This work presents design considerations for a runtime procedure that dynamically analyzes blocking point-to-point communications, groups them according to the proposed criteria, and applies frequency scaling by analyzing both communication and architectural parameters without penalizing the performance much. Experiments, performed on NAS parallel benchmarks verify the proposed design by exhibiting energy savings of as much as 11% with a performance loss as low as 2%.
A MUSIC (multiple signal classification) algorithm for specifying azimuth, elevation, and range of multiple sources

The MUSIC (Multiple Signal Classification) algorithm uses the phase difference at different antenna elements of a receiving antenna array to determine the azimuth and elevation angles of a source. This algorithm can be extended to determine the range of multiple sources as well as their azimuth and elevation angles. In this report a generalized MUSIC algorithm is presented that accomplishes this task when the receiving antenna consists of a planar, rectangular, array of receiving elements. Greater range accuracies can be achieved by increasing the signal to noise ratio, increasing the number of PRIs per CPI, and searching for a solution over range space with a finer mesh. The mesh employed in this study had a range gate size that was 10% of the range space searched. An increase in range accuracy gained by the latter two methods comes at the price of increased processing time.
Exploring instructional strategies to develop prospective elementary teachers' children’s literature book evaluation skills for science, ecology and environmental education

This article is an auto‐ethnographic account of the development of a children’s literature book critique assignment by a science teacher educator sharing instructional dilemmas and pedagogical responses. Prospective elementary teachers enrolled in an elementary school science teaching methods course in the US selected and evaluated children’s literature books with science, environment and nature content. The book critique assignment sought to enhance prospective elementary teachers’ ability to evaluate the quality of children’s environmental literature books for use in elementary school classrooms. Prospective elementary teacher responses for two characteristics, scientific accuracy and anthropomorphism, are presented demonstrating a range of sophistication in their understanding of these concepts. The discussion explores insights into prospective elementary teachers’ thinking with implications for science, ecology, natural history and environmental education.
Hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy is associated with abnormal myocardial fatty acid metabolism and myocardial efficiency

Hypertension-induced left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and death by mechanisms not well characterized. Myocardial fatty acid (FA) metabolism and left ventricular (LV) mass were evaluated in 13 patients with hypertensive LVH with normal LV ejection fraction and 42 normal control subjects (primary cohort). Contractile performance was also evaluated in 5 hypertensive LVH patients and 5 matched normal control subjects (magnetic resonance [MR] substudy). Myocardial FA utilization (MFAU) and myocardial FA oxidation (MFAO) were assessed by positron emission tomography by use of 1-carbon-11 palmitate. Myocardial contractile function (strain and stress) was determined by cardiac MR imaging with tissue tagging and calibrated arterial pressure traces; myocardial external minute work and efficiency were derived. In the primary cohort decreased MFAO was predictive of increased LV mass (model r 2 = 0.61, P = .03). In the MR substudy decreased MFAO (corrected for myocardial oxygen consumption [MVO2]) in the hypertensive LVH group compared with the normal group (MFAU/MVO2, 26 ± 5 vs 37 ± 8; MFAO/MVO2, 24 ± 6 vs 35 ± 7; both P = .03) was paralleled by decreased myocardial external minute work (0.13 ± 0.03 J · g-1 · min-1 vs 0.17 ± 0.04 J · g-1 · min-1, P = .07) and decreased myocardial efficiency (5.2% ± 1.4% vs 7.1% ± 1.0%, P = .03). Abnormalities in myocardial FA metabolism are apparent in hypertensive LVH, and these abnormalities may be responsible, at least in part, for a reduction in myocardial efficiency. (J Nucl Cardiol 2006;13:369-77.)
Perceiving stimulus displacements across saccades

The visual world appears stable despite frequent retinal image movements caused by saccades. Many theories of visual stability assume that extraretinal eye position information is used to spatially adjust perceived locations across saccades, whereas others have proposed that visual stability depends upon coding of the relative positions of objects. McConkie and Currie (1996) proposed a refined combination of these views (called the Saccade Target Object Theory) in which the perception of stability across saccades relies on a local evaluation process centred on the saccade target object rather than on a remapping of the entire scene, with some contribution from memory for the relative positions of objects as well. Three experiments investigated the saccade target object theory, along with an alternative hypothesis that proposes that multiple objects are updated across saccades, but with variable resolution, with the saccade target object (by virtue of being the focus of attention before the saccade and res...