cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of the fixation of total hip femoral components using adina

Abstract There are well over 100,000 total hip replacements done per year in the U.S., and over 250,000 per year worldwide. Extending the service life of these implants is a high priority due to the large number of patients and the increasing use of joint replacement in younger patients. In an older population, total hip replacements usually outlast the patient, due to advanced age and the relatively low physical demands placed on the prosthesis. Younger, more active, and heavier patients often require revision of their total hip due to progressive implant loosening and the pain which results. Revised total hips do not last as long as the original, and a younger patient can sometimes require more than three revisions. In a standard total hip replacement, a steel prosthesis is fixed to the thigh bone using polymethyl methacrylate bone cement. The fatigue characteristics of the bone cement, and of the prosthesis-cement interface have been identified as the critical areas which initiate failure in this structure. In this study, the stresses within the cement and at the cement-metal interface have been studied using a large-scale linear finite element analysis. Also, to assess the effects of cement-prosthesis debonding, a 3D contact study was conducted which assessed the effect of several different areas of debonding between the prosthesis and the cement. The results of finite element analysis showed that the most likely sites for failure initiation are in the proximal antero-medial region and at the distal prosthesis tip. The loading situation which appeared to put the interface in the most danger for failure is that encountered in stair climbing. The stresses during normal walking did not seem as critical. Simulation of cement-metal debonding showed that a drastic increase in cement stresses occurred under both gait and stair climbing loads, and that stair climbing loads also produced much higher stresses with debonding. The effect of pores which often occur in bone cement was assessed using an analytical elasticity solution for a spherical void in an infinite medium, which allowed a calculation of the maximum tensile stress at the surface of a pore. These stresses were sufficient to initiate fractures near the distal tip of the implant in many cases, and near the proximal medial region of the implant in stair climbing. This study concurs to a remarkable degree with a study of well-functioning total hip replacements recovered at autopsy. The initiating failure events seen in the retrieved femoral components matched closely with the predicted areas of failure initiation. The conclusions of the study were that the cement-prosthesis interface should be strengthened, porosity in bone cement should be minimized, and that total hip patients should not use their prosthetic hip when climbing stairs.
Motion and Deformation of a Water Droplet Under the Influence of an Electric Field

Due to its molecular polarity, a water droplet suspended in a dielectric medium experiences a force under the influence of an electric field. However, unlike a charged rigid particle, a water droplet undergoes a significant deformation due to its liquid state. Thus, the dynamic behavior of the water droplet cannot be fully analyzed without accounting for the interaction between the electric and fluid fields. In an effort to broaden our understanding of this phenomenon, a parallel plate electrode system was constructed inside a glass chamber. A water droplet was suspended in the glass chamber filled with insulated oil. After applying a high voltage across the plates, the droplet motion was recorded with a camera and analyzed using an image processing program. The effects of several parameters including, droplet size, droplet conductivity, and initial droplet position were investigated. Results obtained from this investigation help gain a better understanding of the droplet deformation and breakup mechanisms spanning several fields, some of which include oil-water separation, electrocoalescence, and electrospraying.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Atrial fibrillation ablation during mitral valve surgery using the Atricure™ device

The Maze III procedure was first performed by Dr. James Cox in 1988 at our institution. This operation is the gold standard for the surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). On long-term follow-up, over 90% of patients are free of AF. The great majority of these patients also are off antiarrhythmic drugs. 1 However, this procedure has not been widely adopted due to its invasiveness, technical difficulty, and complexity. To decrease the morbidity of the cut-and-sew CoxMaze procedure, our group has evaluated replacing many of the surgical incisions with linear ablation using bipolar radiofrequency (RF) energy. The RF ablation device is manufactured by Atricure, Inc. (Cincinnati, Ohio). Radiofrequency energy is delivered between two closely approximated 5-cm 1-mm electrodes embedded in the jaws of a specially designed clamp. Bipolar RF has several advantages over other energy sources that have been used for surgical AF ablation. By measuring the drop in tissue conductance between the two electrodes, the transmurality of the ablation can be measured online and be used to control the time of energy delivery. Extensive experimental evaluation in our laboratory has revealed that using this conductance algorithm, lesions are always transmural. 2-4 Moreover, because of the focused delivery of energy between two closely approximated electrodes, the lesions are discrete and thin, measuring between 1 and 3 mm in width. Thus, this device eliminates the possibility of collateral tissue injury or scar contraction. In our experimental evaluation, there was no evidence of late pulmonary vein stenosis at 1 month, as evaluated by high resolution magnetic resonance imaging. 3 Our research also demonstrated no evidence of injury to the coronary sinus or to the tricuspid or mitral valve leaflets by bipolar RF ablation. Over the last 2 years, we have performed over 50 clinical procedures with this device. In the following paragraphs, we summarize our present surgical technique with this less invasive Cox-Maze procedure.
Ultrasonic startle behavior in bushcrickets (Orthoptera; Tettigoniidae).

1. In the present work, we show that in flight, bushcrickets not previously known to respond to ultrasound alter their flight course in response to ultrasonic stimuli. Such stimuli elicit in flying Neoconocephalus ensiger an extension of the front and middle legs along the body and a rapid closure of all 4 wings (Fig. 1). This is a short latency acoustic startle response to ultrasound, consistent with acoustic startle responses of other insects. 2. The percentage of trials on which acoustic startle responses were elicited was maximum (90%) for sound frequencies ranging from 25 to at least 60 kHz. No acoustic startle response was observed at frequencies of 5 or 10 kHz (Fig. 2). The threshold for the response was roughly 76 dB between 25 to 60 kHz (Fig. 2) and the behavioral latency was 45 ms (Fig. 3). Recordings from flight muscles show that they cease discharging during the acoustic startle response (Fig. 4). 3. The characteristics of the acoustic startle response match those of an auditory interneuron called the T-neuron. The frequency sensitivity of this neuron is greatest for sound frequencies ranging from 13 to 60 kHz (Fig. 6). Moreover, we found that the neuron produces many more spikes to ultrasound (30 kHz) of increasing intensitites than to a conspecific communication sound, whose dominant frequency is 14 kHz (Fig. 7).
Release of antidiuretic hormone in quadriplegic subjects in response to head-up tilt.

Plasma antidiuretic hormone (ADH) levels during head-up tilt were measured in quadriplegic patients and normal healthy subjects. In normal subjects, neither rapid tilt (from horizontal to 70° head-up in 20 seconds and remaining head-up for 5 minutes) nor gradual tilt (from horizontal to 70° head-up over 15 minutes) significantly changed the plasma ADH level. In contrast, rapid tilt elevated plasma ADH levels approximately fourfold in quadriplegic subjects. A less dramatic elevation in plasma ADH levels followed gradual tilt in quadriplegic subjects. These data, along with the possibility that the pressor potency of ADH is enhanced in quadriplegic subjects, suggest that ADH is involved in the maintenance of blood pressure in quadriplegics in a head-up position.
Modal noise reduction in analog fiber optic links by superposition of high-frequency modulation

ABSTRACT In this paper modal noise reduction by superposition of high frequency modulation is analyzed. Detailedanalysis revealed the dependence of the modal noise reduction factor on the modulation frequency and fiberlength, for both direct and external modulation. Experimental results confirmed that for multimode fiber,the reduction of the modal noise depends almost only on the modulation depth. 1.0 INTRODUCTION Although multimode fibers lost their battle with single-mode fibers in long-haul applications, they arestill first choice for such applications, like local area networks, or airplane industry. Main reason for this istheir insensitivity to alignment constraints (opposite to single mode fibers). Other advantages are their lowcost and the use of cheap lasers with low coherence time, as well as the use of GaAs OEIC technology at 800nm. However, because of the waveguide properties of the multimode fibers, together with the source powerspectrum (especially if it is high-coherence LD), the level of the modal noise may easily become very high,which leads to high BER, or poor signal/noise ratio.The modal noise is result of the interference among mode patterns of the different fiber modes, whenthe source is highly coherent. On the other side, phases are constantly fluctuating, which causes the specklepattern at each connector to fluctuate. For these reasons, the transmission through misaligned connectorsis dependent on the portion of speckles captured by the fiber. Speckle pattern is very sensitive to externaldisturbances, like temperature changes, vibrations etc.
Glycomic Approaches to Study GlcNAcylation: Protein Identification, Site-mapping, and Site-specific O-GlcNAc Quantitation

O-Linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) is an enzyme-catalyzed posttranslational modification of serine or threonine side chains of nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins. O-GlcNAc is present in all metazoans and in viruses that infect eukaryotic cells. GlcNAcylation is dynamic and has a high cycling rate on many proteins in response to cellular metabolism and various environmental stimuli. The rapid cycling of O-GlcNAc modulates many biological processes, including transcriptional regulation, stress responses, cell cycle regulation, and protein synthesis and turnover. Despite the importance of O-GlcNAc, progress during the past two decades in this field has been slow. One of the major obstacles is the lack of simple and sensitive tools for efficient O-GlcNAc detection and localization. Recently developed O-GlcNAc derivatization and enrichment approaches, together with new techniques in mass spectrometric instrumentation and methods, have provided breakthroughs in O-GlcNAc site localization and site-specific quantitation. In this review, we will discuss how the current techniques are expanding our knowledge about O-GlcNAc proteomics/glycomics and functions.
Effects of a surrounding conducting medium on antenna analysis

Analysis of antennas immersed in conducting media is, in many ways, quite different from the corresponding analysis for antennas in air. The usual simple techniques applied for determining radiation resistance for antennas in the air break down for antennas in conducting media. The normal concepts of antenna gain and antenna pattern break down when the antenna is in a conducting medium. The pattern, for example, becomes highly dependent upon the choice of the origin of the coordinate system. These effects are due to the dissipation of most of the energy in the immediate vicinity of the antenna. Such dissipation is caused by the fields which, for antennas in air, are associated with stored, but not dissipated, energy. The primary purpose of this paper is to illustrate failure of standard antenna analysis techniques when the antennas are in conducting media. Surprisingly, the biconical antenna, whose input impedance requires rather extensive calculations in air, turns out to be extremely simple to analyze in a conducting medium. A discussion of this is presented to show how an analysis can be simplified by the presence of the conducting medium. Comparison of a redefined gain for the biconical, loop, and two forms of straight wire antennas, indicates that there is very little difference between the gains of the different configurations provided the sizes are approximately the same. Although the loop antenna is considered only for dimensions small compared with the wavelength, no such limitation is placed on the other antennas.
Models of stress and meanings of unemployment: Reactions to job loss among technical professionals

Abstract The same potentially stressful event may have different meanings to different individuals. Such variation may be explained by reference to different models of stress. Two such models, one based on the concept of person-environment ‘transactions’ and the other on that of a ‘psychosocial transition,’ are applied to studies of reactions to job loss among technical professionals.
Carrier current telephony

An abridgment of a paper for which the University of Pennsylvania Branch was awarded the cup offered by The Drexel Institute for the best paper presented at the Student Convention held at that institution on March 21, 1927.
Classical spinning magnetic dipole in classical electrodynamics with classical electromagnetic zero-point radiation

A classical spinning magnetic dipole is considered within classical electrodynamics with classical electromagnetic zero-point radiation. The stationary probability distribution for the angle of alignment between the spinning magnetic dipole and an external magnetic field is calculated when the system is located in an arbitrary spectrum of random classical radiation. It is found that for the Rayleigh-Jeans spectrum the probability distribution for alignment is just the Boltzmann distribution. However, in classical zero-point radiation the alignment probability distribution is independent of the magnetic field causing alignment. Moreover, for large classical spin angular momentum $Sgg\ensuremath{\hbar}$, the average component of the spin in the direction of alignment is given by $〈{S}_{z}〉=S\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{2}\ensuremath{\hbar}$, where $\ensuremath{\hbar}$ is Planck's constant (divided by $2\ensuremath{\pi}$) used to set the scale of the classical zero-point radiation spectrum. The results seem suggestive of the idea of space quantization in quantum theory. The model discussed here was first considered by S. Sachidanandam (unpublished).
Germanium nanowires: from synthesis, surface chemistry, assembly to devices

In order to continue the ever impressive and successful scaling pace of MOSFETs, tremendous research efforts have been spent to seek new materials to complement or replace Si as the Si-based ones are predicted to reach theoretical limits soon. Ge has low band gaps and high carrier mobilities, thus offering appealing potentials as a candidate of choice for future electronics. For the same purpose of discovering new materials, another area of interest is low dimensional nanostructures such as nanowires (NWs), owing to the facile synthesis, high structure perfection and superior properties. In this context, Ge NW has combined advantages and is particularly promising. I focus on this subject and have advanced in a wide range, from understanding and controlling synthesis and surface chemistry, to highly ordered assembly and devices with excellent performance.
Supravital staining of leukocytes from ragweed-sensitive individuals☆

HIS STUDY was undertaken to determine whether differences exist in the staining properties of leukocytes from ragweed-sensitive individuals when these leukocytes have been exposed in vitro to ragweed antigen when compared with the results obtained when the same cells have not been exposed to antigen. Many reports indicate that the white blood cells from sensitive individuals or sensitized animals behave differently in various respects when exposed to a specific antigen, when contrasted with behavior of cells from the same individual or animal not exposed to the antigen. It has been reported, fol example, that leukocytes from ragweed-sensitive individuals, when exposed to a final concentration of 1:lOOO ragweed extract, undergo a significant degree of lysis,l although in another study2 this could not be verified. A similar study, in which a much higher concentration of antigen was used,” reported a marked degree of immobilization and lysis of leukocytes, although in other observers’ hands4 the same technique did not produce significant results. There has been more agreement on results in bacterial sensitivity studies in which leukocyt,es from tuberculin-sensitive individuals were exposed to either PPD or to old tuberculin. A significant amount of cytolpsis occurs when such leukocytes are exposed to tuberculin.” Likewise, exposure to specific antigen of rabbit leukocytes from animals sensitized to ovalbumin or bovine gamma globulin has produced a significant degree of cell lysis when compared with cells processed similarly but not exposed to the antigen.” Since the nuclear staining of leukocytes by neutral red stain is said to occur in dying or dead cells,’ it, was t,hought that the uptake of neutral red by leukocytes from ragweed-sensitive individuals might serve as a precise indicator of the reaction of such cells to the presence of ragweed antigen. The same principle has been used to determine the death of cells in tissue culture.h Accordingly, the following studies were undertaken.
A simple perturbative renormalization scheme for supersymmetric gauge theories

Abstract We show that the manifestly supersymmetric and gauge-invariant results of Supersymmetric Dimensional Renormalization (SDR) are reproduceable through a simple, and mathematically consistent perturbative renormalization technique, where regularization is attained via a map that deforms the momentum space Feynman integrands in a specific way. In particular, it introduces a multiplicative factor of [(p + q)/Λ]−δ in each momentum-space loop integral, where p is the magnitude of the loop momentum, q is an arbitrary constant to be chosen as will be explained, thus compensating for loss of translation invariance in p, Λ is a renormalization mass, and δ is a suitable non-integer: the analog of e in dimensional schemes. All Dirac algebra and integrations are four-dimensional, and renormalization is achieved by subtracting poles in δ, followed by setting δ → 0. The mathematical inconsistencies of SDR are evaded by construction, since the numbers of fermion and boson degrees of freedom remain unchanged but analytic continuation in the number of dimensions is by-passed. Thus, the technique is equally viable in component and in superfield formalisms, and all anomalies are realized. The origin of the chiral anomaly is that no choice of q satisfies both gauge and chiral Ward identities simultaneously.
Adiabatic resistivity from the force balance equation

Abstract In this report we examine the higher order divergent terms of van Hove's “λ 2 t ” -series for adiabatic resistivity using the force balance equation for the electron-impurity system together with Argyres' superoperator technique. We confirm that the frictional force due to the electron-impurity scattering vanishes and, in addition, we show that a macroscopic drift of relative electrons is erroneously induced by the neglect of noncanonical terms in the commutation relations for relative electrons. When this drift is compensated, we find that the total current density vanishes jointly with the frictional force, in such a way that zero vs zero ratio yields the correct adiabatic impurity resistivity formula λ 2 / . The effect on the resistivity due to inter-carrier collisions will also be discussed.
SU-E-J-22: Effect of MLC Leaf Width on MLC Leaf Shifting Algorithm for Concurrent Treatment of Prostate and Pelvic Lymph Nodes.

Purpose: Our previous study showed that adjusting selected MLC leaf pairsto follow prostate movement is an effective strategy to account for daily prostate displacement during concurrent treatment with pelvic lymph nodes. MLC leaf width affects the quality of MLC shifting plans for longitudinal prostate motion compensation. This study is to investigate the effect of the MLC leaf width in compensation of the prostate movement. Methods: Fifty‐one daily CT on‐rail scans from three patients were available for this study. On these CTs, the prostate, bladder and rectum were manually contoured, and the lymph nodes contours were transferred from the planning CT after rigid bony registration. For each patient, three different IMRT plans were created based on a planning CT using leaf width of 2.5, 5, and 10 mm, respectively. For each CT, the prostate displacement was determined by dual imaging registration and compensated by shifting MLC resulting in a total of 153 MLC shifted plans. Results: Among 51 daily CTs, the average prostate movement along the superior/inferior direction was 1.1±3.7 mm (range: −6 to 6.5 mm). The differences in D99 of the prostate between the dose of the day and dose of the plan were 2.3±3.3%, 1.3±2.0%, and 4.4±5.1% for 2.5, 5, and 10 mm leaf width plans, respectively (p<<0.05). The corresponding differences in D99 of the lymph nodes were 0.7±0.9%, 0.6±0.9%, and 1.4±0.8%. The mean differences in D50 were 0.8%, 1.6%, and 2.7% for the bladder, and 10.0%, 3.9%, and 5.7% for the rectum, respectively. Conclusions: Using the MLC Shifting method to compensate for prostate movement in the longitudinal direction depends on the MLC leaf width and the magnitude of the prostate motion. The use of leaf width of 5 mm can provide sufficient tumor coverage without significantly affecting doses to the critical structures.
Three-dimensional reconstruction of helical polymers.

The field of three-dimensional electron microscopy began more than 45 years ago with a reconstruction of a helical phage tail, and helical polymers continue to be important objects for three-dimensional reconstruction due to the centrality of helical protein and nucleoprotein polymers in all aspects of biology. We are now witnessing a fundamental revolution in this area, made possible by direct electron detectors, which has led to near-atomic resolution for a number of important helical structures. Most importantly, the possibility of achieving such resolution routinely for a vast number of helical samples is within our reach. One of the main problems in helical reconstruction, ambiguities in assigning the helical symmetry, is overcome when one reaches a resolution where secondary structure is clearly visible. However, obstacles still exist due to the intrinsic variability within many helical filaments.
The Power of Narratives: The Effect of Entertainment Television Organ Donation Storylines on the Attitudes, Knowledge, and Behaviors of Donors and Nondonors

Drawing on theories of social learning, social representations and the organ donation model, online surveys were used to examine the impact of organ donation storylines of 4 U.S. television dramas (CSI: NY, Numb3rs, House, and Grey’s Anatomy) on viewers’ attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors. Results revealed that viewers acquired knowledge from the content of each drama, despite the fact that some content was inaccurate. Viewers who were not organ donors prior to exposure to the dramas were more likely to decide to donate organs if the drama explicitly encouraged donation, portrayed characters revealing how they had become donors and discussed the merits of donating. Viewers were also more likely to become an organ donor if they were emotionally involved in the narrative. Implications for using dramas to educate and motivate the public were discussed. doi:10.1111/j.1460-2466.2008.01408.x With the U.S. transplant waiting list now approaching 100,000 people (www.unos.org), the importance of encouraging organ donation has never been greater. Unfortunately, consent rates have not kept pace with the continually growing demand. This need is in part due to high rates of some common diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, and thus affects members of minority groups disproportionately, particularly African Americans. Former U.S. Secretary of Human Services Tommy Thompson perceived the need to be so urgent that he launched several national incentives during his tenure in order to support public education about organ donation. Unfortunately, even when members of the public understand the need for more people to become organ donors, perceived barriers prevent them from giving consent to donating their own or deceased loved ones’ organs. Some barriers are simply a matter of perception that can be relatively easily resolved through more focused public education, such as the belief that organ donation leads to additional medical
Observability of atmospheric glories and supernumerary rainbows

The finite spatial coherence width of sunlight at the Earth imposes restrictions on the production of scattering phenomena based on the interference of light waves. With the spatial coherence properties of sunlight taken into account, the visibility of the supernumerary rainbow sequence adjacent to the primary rainbow and the radii of the water droplets that produce the optimum glory intensity were calculated. A substantial reduction was found in the contrast of all the supernumeraries beyond the first few, and the peak observability of the glory occurred for water droplets with radii between 10 and 20 μm.
Sorption Isotherms and Light Stabilities of Aluminum Laked Riboflavin 5′-Phosphate

Aluminum oxide was used to insolubilize (i.e. to lake) riboflavin 5′-phosphate (FMN) to improve the light stability of vitamin B2. HPLC was used to determine adsorption percentage and light stabilities of laked FMN. The adsorption of FMN on aluminum oxide was very effective. An FMN content of 55% in lake was achievable, with adsorption of 91%. The adsorption isotherm was of the Langmuir class, and differed from the desorption isotherm. The stabilities of laked FMN at different light intensities and aw values were significantly (p=0.05) higher than those of free FMN.
The Application of Pulse-Forming Networks

This paper is intended to aid engineers-especially modulator and component engineers with their pulse-forming network application problems. The discussion includes an analysis of the circuitry in which pulse-forming networks are used, a discussion of case size limiting parameters, and a procedure indicating the calculations required to determine the approximate case size of new network requirement.
Process of Protein Transport by the Type III Secretion System

The type III secretion system (TTSS) of gram-negative bacteria is responsible for delivering bacterial proteins, termed effectors, from the bacterial cytosol directly into the interior of host cells. The TTSS is expressed predominantly by pathogenic bacteria and is usually used to introduce deleterious effectors into host cells. While biochemical activities of effectors vary widely, the TTSS apparatus used to deliver these effectors is conserved and shows functional complementarity for secretion and translocation. This review focuses on proteins that constitute the TTSS apparatus and on mechanisms that guide effectors to the TTSS apparatus for transport. The TTSS apparatus includes predicted integral inner membrane proteins that are conserved widely across TTSSs and in the basal body of the bacterial flagellum. It also includes proteins that are specific to the TTSS and contribute to ring-like structures in the inner membrane and includes secretin family members that form ring-like structures in the outer membrane. Most prominently situated on these coaxial, membrane-embedded rings is a needle-like or pilus-like structure that is implicated as a conduit for effector translocation into host cells. A short region of mRNA sequence or protein sequence in effectors acts as a signal sequence, directing proteins for transport through the TTSS. Additionally, a number of effectors require the action of specific TTSS chaperones for efficient and physiologically meaningful translocation into host cells. Numerous models explaining how effectors are transported into host cells have been proposed, but understanding of this process is incomplete and this topic remains an active area of inquiry.
Meaningful silences: how dopamine listens to the ACh pause

Mesostriatal dopaminergic neurons (DANs) and striatal cholinergic neurons (tonically active neurons, TANs) participate in signalling the behavioural or reward-related significance of stimuli in the environment. An antagonistic balance between dopamine (DA) and ACh is well known to regulate postsynaptic signal integration in the striatum. Recent findings have revealed additional presynaptic ACh–DA interactions of previously unappreciated sophistication. Striatal ACh acts presynaptically to polarize powerfully how opposing DAN activities are transduced into DA release. Furthermore, characteristic reward-related activities of TANs and DANs are temporally coincident but differently variant with reward probability. Reward-related DA signals could therefore be governed by the concomitant activity in TANs. This article discusses the dynamic implications for DA signalling when these phenomena act in concert. TAN pauses might powerfully enhance the contrast, or salience, of DA signals offered by reward-related bursts, and even by reward omission-related pauses, in DANs. Through such mechanisms, TAN–DAN interactions would be functionally cooperative.
Calpain inhibition as a potential treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer’s disease is a debilitating, progressive, chronic inflammation that influences memory defects and cognitive decline. Although there are some examples of early Alzheimer’s disease associated with single-gene abnormalities, the vast majority of patients with the disease exhibit sporadic, perhaps multigenic, pathogenesis. Its frequency increases with age. Thus, in industrialized societies, the frequency of Alzheimer’s disease is increasing and is posing a major burden on families and society. Attempts to reverse the cognitive decline of Alzheimer’s disease have met with very limited success, although some experimental procedures and clinical trials now being considered seem to offer some promise. There are two reasons for this relative lack of success—the difficulty in making unequivocal diagnoses in patients during the early phases of the disease, and the paucity of agents that produce a clearly favorable outcome.
Reply to Ember

presented in New Orleans to a receptive audience of anthropologists and students of Hispanic culture attending the AAA's 1973 symposium on Spain. While I regret that they were not included in iQud Gitano!, I cannot agree that the deep song chapter should have been expunged because of its "romantic" content. Deep song involves a temperamental element organic to Andalusian Gypsy culture. This element is intensely romantic and the writers attempted to present it with understanding. To deal with a subject which is itself romantic is quite different from failing in accuracy because of an author's "romantic" or subjective point of view. To ignore the temperamental characteristics on which deep song focuses, as Dunn suggests, would constitute less than an objective approach. In summary, ;Que Gitano! was meant to describe some cultural elements transmitted, shared, and perpetuated by Andalusian Gypsies in general, and Granada's sedentary Gypsies in particular. It has been well received by colleagues whose primary professional interests have involved extensive fieldwork in southern Spain. Fortunately, they know that dancing bears are not indigenous to the area.
The dynamic stability of a 10T SRAM compared to 6T SRAMs at the 32nm node using an accelerated Monte Carlo technique

An accelerated Monte Carlo technique is proposed to analyze the dynamic stability margin of SRAM cells. This technique greatly improves accuracy of the desired failure probabilities by, not approximating or making assumptions of fail tail distributions, enhancing fail rate with acceleration, while reducing computations by several orders of magnitude. An application comparing three 6 T SRAM cells and a novel 10 T SRAM cell at the 32 nm node is discussed.
Listening Competency in the Workplace: A Model for Training:

Listening is a desirable skill in organizational settings; good listening can improve worker productivity and satisfaction. The challenge facing consul tants is how to train employees to be compete...
Big Planets with Small Telescopes

In an era where exciting breakthroughs in science typically emerge with technological advances and bigger pieces of glass, the detection of extrasolar planets stands as a tribute to small telescopes equipped with high resolution spectrographs.
Apoptosis and necrosis in the ischemic zone adjacent to third degree burns.

Objectives: Burns are characterized by a central zone of necrosis surrounded by a zone of potentially reversible ischemia. The authors explored the contribution of necrosis and apoptosis to cell death in the zone of ischemia. Methods: A previously established rat contact thermal injury model that utilizes a brass comb to produce four distinctive burns sites separated by three ‘‘interspaces’’ of unburned skin was used. The interspaces represent the zone of stasis or ischemia while the burn sites represent the zone of coagulation. With this model, most unburned interspaces progress to necrosis over 2 to 3 days. Full-thickness 3-mm biopsies were obtained from the interspaces, burns, and normal skin controls at 30 minutes, 24 hours, and 48 hours after injury. Slides were stained with hematoxylin and eosin as well as activated cleaved caspase-3 (CC3a) for evidence of apoptosis and high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) for evidence of necrosis. Results: Necrosis was not seen at 30 minutes, but was found in a large number of cells within the epidermis, sebaceous glands, and follicles at 24 and 48 hours. Faint nuclear CC3a staining indicative of apoptosis was present in a minority of cells within the epidermis, dermal fibroblasts, dermal follicles, and dermal sebaceous glands at 30 minutes and to a lesser degree at 24 and 48 hours. Conclusions: Both early apoptosis and delayed necrosis are present in the zone of ischemia, contributing to injury progression. Necrosis appears to play a larger role than apoptosis in injury progression in the comb burn model. ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2008; 15:549–554 a 2008 by the Society for Academic Emergency
Run-time reconfigurable hardware blocks for multimedia applications

In this paper, we build on an ongoing project that consists of a run-time reconfigurable system-on-chip (RTR-SoC) and we target it for multimedia applications. This is achieved by designing several hardware blocks (HBs) that can be reconfigured at run-time by the aforementioned system. The latter enables the HBs to execute simultaneously in a multi-purpose environment. The HB functions consist primarily of image processing operations, including 2D high-pass and low-pass image filters and basic digital watermarking algorithms. We conclude with preliminary results of the HB, including simulation results of the HB interface when the latter is accessed by several sources simultaneously
Graphitic nanofillers in PMMA nanocomposites—An investigation of particle size and dispersion and their influence on nanocomposite properties

Mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of graphite/PMMA compo- sites have been evaluated as functions of particle size and dispersion of the graphitic nanofiller components via the use of three different graphitic nanofillers: ''as received graphite'' (ARG), ''expanded graphite,'' (EG) and ''graphite nanoplatelets'' (GNPs) EG, a graphitic materials with much lower density than ARG, was prepared from ARG flakes via an acid intercalation and thermal expansion. Subsequent sonication of EG in a liquid yielded GNPs as thin stacks of graphitic platelets with thicknesses of � 10 nm. Solution-based processing was used to prepare PMMA composites with these three fillers. Dynamic mechanical analysis, thermal analysis, and electrical imped- ance measurements were carried out on the resulting composites, demonstrating that reduced particle size, high surface area, and increased surface roughness can signifi- cantly alter the graphite/polymer interface and enhance the mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of the polymer matrix. V
Signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs): Novel targets of chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic drugs.

Abstract A family of latent cytoplasmic transcription factors, signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs), mediates the responsiveness of cells to several cytokines and growth factors. Although mutations of STATs have not been described in human tumors, the activity of several members of the family, such as STAT1, STAT3 and STAT5, is deregulated in a variety of human tumors. STAT3 and STAT5 acquire oncogenic potential through constitutive phosphorylation on tyrosine, and their activity has been shown to be required to sustain a transformed phenotype. Disruption of STAT3 and STAT5 signaling in transformed cells therefore represents an excellent opportunity for targeted cancer therapy. In contrast to STAT3 and STAT5, STAT1 negatively regulates cell proliferation and angiogenesis and thereby inhibits tumor formation. Consistent with its tumor suppressive properties, STAT1 and its downstream targets have been shown to be reduced in a variety of human tumors and STAT1 deficient mice are highly susceptible to tumor formation. In recent years we have gained mechanistic understanding of the pathways whereby STATs convey signals from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. In addition, several endogenous regulators of the JAK/STAT pathway have been described - and their mechanism of action revealed - that profoundly affect signaling by STATs. Both should greatly facilitate the design of drugs with potential to modulate STAT signaling and to restore the homeostasis in tissues where STATs have gone awry.
Preschool-onset depression predicts major depressive disorder and other psychiatric disorders in later childhood and early adolescence

COMMENTARY ON: Luby JL, Gaffrey MS, Tillman R, et al. Trajectories of preschool disorders to full DSM depression at school age and early adolescence: continuity of preschool depression. Am J Psychiatry 2014;171:1768–76[OpenUrl][1]. Preschool-onset depression is defined by age-adjusted subthreshold criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) in children aged 3–6 years.1 Preschool-onset depression has shown preliminary evidence of validity as a psychiatric disorder,2 but the long-term outcomes of preschool-onset depression are still unclear. Identifying the earliest manifestations of depression will help target intervention efforts.3 This is a prospective, observational study. Children (n=246) aged 3–6 years were recruited from primary care and day care sites in St. Louis. Children with depressive symptoms were oversampled using the Preschool Feelings Checklist, a brief screening measure—children whose caregivers endorsed two or more depression symptoms were recruited for this study; children with symptoms … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DAm%2BJ%2BPsychiatry%26rft.volume%253D171%26rft.spage%253D1768%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx
Mammography Rates 3 Years After the 2009 US Preventive Services Task Force Guidelines Changes

Purpose In November 2009, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) changed its mammography recommendations from every 1 to 2 years among women age ≥ 40 years to personalized screening decisions for women age 40 to 49 years and screening every 2 years for women age 50 to 74 years. Methods We studied mammography trends among 5.5 million women age 40 to 64 years enrolled in a large national health insurer. We used 2005 to 2009 mammography trends to predict 2012 rates. Our primary measure was the estimated difference between observed and predicted 2012 annual and biennial mammography rates. We stratified results by age group and race/ethnicity. Results Among women age 40 to 49 years, 2012 mammography rates declined by 9.9% (95% CI, −10.4% to −9.3%) relative to the predicted 2012 rate. Decreases were lowest among black women (−2.3%; 95% CI, −6.3% to 1.8%) and highest among Asian women (−17.4; 95% CI, −20.0 to −14.8). Annual mammography rates among women age 50 to 64 years declined by 6.1% (95% CI, −6.5% ...
Esophageal-subarachnoid fistula: a case of spontaneous tension pneumocephalus in the setting of esophageal cancer.

Background Pneumocephalus occurs as a result of traumatic or iatrogenic violation of the dura. Tension pneumocephalus, whereby air continues to accumulate with no mechanism for escape, can cause significant morbidity and mortality. Methods This case report reviews the underlying pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of tension pneumocephalus. Results We present the case of a 68-year-old man who presented to the Emergency Department with headache thought to be the result of a newfound intracranial mass. After admission, he became obtunded and was found to have tension pneumocephalus requiring emergent evacuation. A cervical esophagus carcinoma caused an esophageal-subarachnoid fistula that resulted in tension pneumocephalus after a retching episode. Conclusion This case illustrates the importance of considering alternative sources of pneumocephalus in the absence of more typical differential diagnosis. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 36: E52–E56, 2014
Eliminating Native American Mascots: Ingredients for Success

Many scholars have written about the problems with Native American mascots. Yet no scholar has systematically studied what factors affect the outcomes of struggles over Native American mascots. In this study, the author compares seven cases in which Native American mascots were eliminated to seven cases, where they in which retained to discover factors that affect these outcomes. In all 14 cases, the author interviewed two opponents and two supporters of the mascots. In this article, the author not only describe her findings, the factors that influence outcomes of struggles over Native American mascots, but also utilizes these findings to make concrete suggestions for activists and practitioners who are attempting to eliminate these mascots.
Photodynamic therapy for esophageal malignancy: A prospective twelve-year study

Background. We wanted to determine factors affecting survival rates of benefits to, and complications in patients with esophageal cancer treated with photodynamic therapy. Methods. From 1982 to January 1994, we used photodynamic therapy to treat 77 patients with esophageal carcinoma and evaluated survival to July 1994. All patients had failed, refused, or were ineligible for surgical intervention, ionizing radiation therapy, or chemotherapy. Results. The only significant variable affecting survival was clinical stage. Median survival after photodynamic therapy was as follows: all patients, 6.3 months (mean survival, 9.2 months); stage I, not reached; stage II, 12 months; stage III, 6.2 months; and stage IV, 3.5 months. For stages III and IV, a Karnofsky performance status of 70 or higher had a significant effect. For stage III, the median survival was 6.3 months when the Karnofsky performance status was equal to or greater than 70 and 3.5 months when it was less than 70. For stage IV, the median survival was 5.5 months when the Karnofsky performance status was equal to or greater than 70 and 2.5 months when it was lower than 70. Seven stage I patients with no treatment prior to photodynamic therapy had an estimated 5-year survival rate of 62%. Three patients with stage I invasive adenocarcinoma and Barrett's mucosa diagnosed when they underwent endoscopy for dysphagia were alive with no evidence of disease 17, 44, and 59 months after photodynamic therapy. Conclusions. Photodynamic therapy for esophageal carcinoma caused minimal complications and no procedure-related deaths. Photodynamic therapy can be considered an alternative treatment for patients with Barrett's esophagus with severe dysplasia or patients with stage I carcinoma who are under consideration for operation but are high surgical risks. The length of palliation for patients having "noncurative" treatment was equal to or better than that reported historically for most other treatment regimens.
The morphology and development of Drosophila eye. I. In vivo and in vitro pigment deposition.

The development of pigment in the eye of Drosophila melanogaster and other insects has been the subject of many studies and much controversy. It has been established that the red color of eyes of wild-type D. melanogaster is due to the presence of two classes of pigments, ommochromes and pteridines (Ziegler, 1961). The relationships among the various members of each class are still obscure; the biosynthetic pathways are yet to be elucidated. No specific enzyme involved in the synthesis of any member of either group has been isolated or characterized. It has been suggested, however (Hadorn, 1955), that these metabolic pathways may involve several organs, including the eye, but that the final deposition and conversion occur only in the eye. The recent development of a satisfactory technique for the culture of Drosophila organs (Schneider, 1964) has made possible the study of pigment development in the isolated eye and in eyes associated with selected organs.
Effect of Age on Long-Term Facilitation and Chemosensitivity during NREM Sleep

The reason for increased sleep-disordered breathing with a predominance of central apneas in the elderly is unknown. We speculate that ventilatory control instability may provide a link between agi...
Applying spectrum-based fault localization to generate debugging suggestions for student programmers

While automated grading systems are useful for generating real-time feedback for students, they also highlight some obstacles. In particular, when a student's program contains bugs, automated systems report this fact, but not how to locate or correct them. This paper reports on a study inspired by current research on automatic fault localization — techniques to programmatically locate bugs within a piece of code under test. The goal is not to "identify" or diagnose the bug, but simply to locate where it is in the code, to give the student a direction to investigate. Before employing this technique live with students, this study validates that automated fault localization can be performed with the level of accuracy needed to give meaningful guidance. We used the GZoltar statistical fault localization library for Java to analyze 135 CS2-level student programs, and then manually debugged the programs to find the locations of their faults. This paper provides the analysis of this information, which produced a feasible strategy for providing accurate, automated suggestions to students for "where to look" in order to fix their own programs.