cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Secrecy Capacity Region of Fading Binary Z Interference Channel With Statistical CSIT

We characterize the secrecy capacity region of a fast Fading Binary 2-user Z-Interference Channel (FBZIC), assuming that only the Statistical Channel State Information is available at the Transmitters (S-CSIT). The converse is proved by constructing a new channel which is stochastically stronger than both the direct and cross-links emerging from the interfering transmitter. We also show that a capacity optimal code for a point-to-point binary erasure channel can be used at the non-interfering transmitter, a secrecy capacity optimal code for a binary erasure wiretap channel can be used at the interfering transmitter, and received signals can be decoded treating interference as erasure , to achieve all the secrecy rate pairs within the secrecy capacity region of the FBZIC. It turns out that the secrecy capacity region is a trapezoid and we explicitly characterize its corner points in terms of erasure probabilities of the various links of the channel. Comparing it with the capacity region of a fast fading no-secrecy binary 2-user ZIC, we quantify the loss due to the additional secrecy constraint. Our results reveal that, when the non-interfering user operates at its maximum rate, the interfering user cannot operate at a non-zero secrecy rate.
Partial loss of endothelial nitric oxide leads to increased cerebrovascular beta amyloid.

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is present in over half of the elderly population and in 80–90% of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients. CAA is defined by the deposition of beta amyloid (Aβ) in smal...
Scaled dielectrics for scaled devices

Ultrathin calcium fluoride layers can provide an effective gate dielectric for two-dimensional transistors.
Characterizing Self-Similar Blow-Up

The purpose of this paper is to give a precise description of the asymptotic behavior of the radially symmetric solutions u(x,t) of $$ {\text{u}}_{\text{t}} - \Delta u = f\left( {\text{u}} \right) $$ (1) which blow up in finite positive time T and to determine where blow-up occurs for the perturbed semilinear equation $$ {\text{u}}_{\text{t}} - \Delta u = f\left( {\text{u}} \right){\text{ + g}}\left( {\text{t}} \right). $$ (2)
Evaluation of methoprene-treated packaging against Trogoderma granarium Everts and Trogoderma inclusum LeConte larval development and packaging penetration or invasion

Abstract Trogoderma granarium Everts, khapra beetle, and Trogoderma inclusum LeConte, larger cabinet beetle, are highly destructive insect species that can infest a variety of food sources. Methoprene is an insect growth regulator, IGR, and recently has been incorporated into packaging materials as a treatment option for packaged grain, food, birdseed, and feed products, and labeled for this use by the US Environmental Protection Agency. The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of continual exposure to this novel packaging technology on the development of T. inclusum and T. granarium larvae, and its potential use as a packaging treatment to prevent the penetration or invasion of T. inclusum and T. granarium into food packages. The methoprene-treated packaging incorporated into Kraft paper, woven bag material, polyethylene-polyethylene (PE-PE) material, and a polyethylene terephthalate-polyethylene (PET-PE) material, reduced normal adult emergence of exposed larvae. No normal adult emergence was observed on the inside surface of the PET-PE material. The polymer-based materials were the most effective at preventing penetration or invasion by Trogoderma spp. Only 2% of packages were invaded among all packaging treatment combinations compared to 16.7% invasion of untreated packages. The materials were ranked in effectiveness as Kraft
COVID-19 in Pregnant Women: Case Series from One Large New York City Obstetrical Practice.

Objective This study aimed to report a case series of pregnant women in New York City with confirmed or presumed coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection. Study Design Beginning March 22, 2020, all pregnant women from one large obstetrical practice in New York City were contacted regularly to inquire about symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath, malaise, anosmia), or sick contacts. A running log was kept of these patients, as well as all patients who underwent COVID-19 testing. For this report, we included every patient with suspected COVID-19 infection, which was defined as at least two symptoms, or a positive COVID-19 nasopharyngeal polymerase chain reaction test. Results From March 22, 2020 until April 30, 2020, 757 pregnant women in our practice were evaluated and 92 had known or suspected COVID-19 (12.2%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 10.0–14.7%). Of these 92 women, 33 (36%) had positive COVID-19 test results. Only one woman required hospital admission for 5 days due to COVID-19 (1.1%, 95% CI: 0.2–5.9%). One other woman received home oxygen. No women required mechanical ventilation and there were no maternal deaths. One woman had an unexplained fetal demise at 14 weeks' gestation around the time of her COVID-19 symptoms. Twenty one of the 92 women have delivered, and all were uncomplicated. Conclusions Among 92 women with confirmed or presumed COVID-19, the overall morbidity was low. These preliminary results are encouraging for pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Key Points
The Link Between Adversity and Dating Violence Among Adolescents Hospitalized for Psychiatric Treatment: Parental Emotion Validation as a Candidate Protective Factor:

Adolescents are at risk for becoming victims or perpetrators for a variety of forms of dating violence, including cyber violence, physical violence, psychological abuse, and sexual abuse. Interesti...
Leveraging large genomic datasets to illuminate the pathobiology of autism spectrum disorders

"Big data" approaches in the form of large-scale human genomic studies have led to striking advances in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) genetics. Similar to many other psychiatric syndromes, advances in genotyping technology, allowing for inexpensive genome-wide assays, has confirmed the contribution of polygenic inheritance involving common alleles of small effect, a handful of which have now been definitively identified. However, the past decade of gene discovery in ASD has been most notable for the application, in large family-based cohorts, of high-density microarray studies of submicroscopic chromosomal structure as well as high-throughput DNA sequencing-leading to the identification of an increasingly long list of risk regions and genes disrupted by rare, de novo germline mutations of large effect. This genomic architecture offers particular advantages for the illumination of biological mechanisms but also presents distinctive challenges. While the tremendous locus heterogeneity and functional pleiotropy associated with the more than 100 identified ASD-risk genes and regions is daunting, a growing armamentarium of comprehensive, large, foundational -omics databases, across species and capturing developmental trajectories, are increasingly contributing to a deeper understanding of ASD pathology.
Active Shooter Detection in Multiple-Person Scenario Using RF-Based Machine Vision

Emerging applications of radio frequency (RF) vision sensors for security and gesture recognition primarily target single individual scenarios which restricts potential applications. In this article, we present the design of a cyber-physical framework that analyzes RF micro-Doppler signatures for individual anomaly detection, such as a hidden rifle among multiple individuals. RF avoids certain limitations of video surveillance, such as recognizing concealed objects and privacy concerns. Current RF-based approaches for human activity detection or gesture recognition usually consider single individual scenarios, and the features extracted for such scenarios are not applicable for multi-person cases. From a machine learning perspective, the RF sensor spectrogram images are conducible for training using deep convolutional neural networks. However, generating a large labeled training dataset with an exhaustive variety of multi-person scenarios is extremely time consuming and nearly impossible due to the wide range of combinations possible. We present approaches for multi-person spectrogram generation based on individual person spectrograms that can augment the training dataset and increase the accuracy of prediction. Our results show that the spectrogram generated by RF sensors can be harnessed by artificial intelligence algorithms to detect anomalies such as a concealed weapon for single and multiple people scenarios. The proposed system can aid as a standalone tool, or be complemented by video surveillance for anomaly detection, in scenarios involving single or multiple individuals.
Relative Equilibria in the Spherical, Finite Density Three-Body Problem

The relative equilibria for the spherical, finite density three-body problem are identified. Specifically, there are 28 distinct relative equilibria in this problem which include the classical five relative equilibria for the point-mass three-body problem. None of the identified relative equilibria exist or are stable over all values of angular momentum. The stability and bifurcation pathways of these relative equilibria are mapped out as the angular momentum of the system is increased. This is done under the assumption that they have equal and constant densities and that the entire system rotates about its maximum moment of inertia. The transition to finite density greatly increases the number of relative equilibria in the three-body problem and ensures that minimum energy configurations exist for all values of angular momentum.
Are online behaviors damaging our in-person connections? Passive versus active social media use on romantic relationships

Social media has been extensively researched, and its impact on well-being is becoming more clear. What is less clear, however, is the role of social media on romantic relationships, with the few existing studies finding mixed results. In an attempt to reconcile these discrepancies, the current study explored types of social media use (i.e., active use and passive use) as moderators between frequency of social media use and relationship health (i.e., relationship satisfaction and commitment). Participants were 432 adults in a romantic relationship for at least three months. Results showed that women who passively use social media at moderate to high levels exhibited negative associations between hours per day of social media use and relationship satisfaction, and hours per day of social media use and commitment. On the other hand, active use may ameliorate the negative association between hours per day of social media use and relationship health for both women and men. Specifically, men and women reporting low levels of active use exhibited a stronger negative association between hours per day of social media use and relationship health than those who reported moderate levels of active use. Additionally, there was no association between hours per day of social media use and relationship health for men and women reporting high levels of active use. Implications of these findings are discussed, as well as future directions based on these findings.
Forbidding your cake and eating it too: health performance strategies in U.S. middle class families

Interviewing 67 primarily middle-class parents and children in a southern U.S. city, we learned that families know a great deal about the dangers of excess sugar consumption. However, in the private spaces of family life, families let down their guard and enjoy sugary treats, often treating them as symbolic markers of love and comfort. Theoretical concepts emerging from the dramaturgical perspective of Erving Goffman (1959) and from contemporary symbolic interactionists illuminate how sugar consumption is simultaneously shunned and celebrated in private family life. Moving beyond previous research, we track the ways sugary products facilitate love, sanity, and privacy to make daily family life bearable for both parents and children. We call the rhetorical and physical practices that enable excusable sugar indulgence Health Performance Strategies. Our findings on how families engage in these health performance strategies have broader implications for many other efforts to govern the health habits of families.
Marx generator using dense plasma switches

Summary form only given. The design and preliminary operation of a Marx style pulse generator using advanced dense plasma switches (Pseudospark) are presented. The bank consists of three 150 nF/40 kV capacitors connected with three floating plasma switches. These switches can hold off 35 kV and pass up to 10 kA at repetition rates approaching 1 kHz. The expected lifetime of >200 kC and the relatively low housekeeping power of <50 W make the dense plasma switch an excellent candidate in compact Marx generator applications. In the Marx bank application the important issues to be resolved are the stability and reproducibility of delay and jitter among all the switches and the practicality of a highly efficient, compact floating power supplied to each switch. These are interrelated issues, as the delay is a strong function of the trigger pulse shape and amplitude as well as of the exact gas pressure inside the switches. Thus, the main design and implementation problem lies in the floating housekeeping power units of each switch.
Separation Pair Detection

A separation pair of a biconnected graph is a pair of vertices whose removal disconnects the graph. The central part of any algorithm that finds triconnected components is an algorithm for separation pairs. Recently Miller and Ramachandran have given a parallel algorithm that runs in O(log 2 n) time using O(m) processors. We present a new algorithm for finding all separation pairs of a biconnected graph that runs in O(log n) time using O(m) processors. A direct consequence is a test for triconnectivity of a graph within the same resource bounds.
A Comparison of LBG and ADPCM Speech Compression Techniques

Speech compression is the technology of converting human speech into an efficiently encoded representation that can later be decoded to produce a close approximation of the original signal. In all speech there is a degree of predictability and speech coding techniques exploit this to reduce bit rates yet still maintain a suitable level of quality. This paper is a study and implementation of Linde-Buzo-Gray Algorithm (LBG) and Adaptive Differential Pulse Code Modulation (ADPCM) algorithms to compress speech signals. In here we implemented the methods using MATLAB 7.0. The methods we used in this study gave good results and performance in compressing the speech and listening tests showed that efficient and high quality coding is achieved.
The Loewner framework and transfer functions of singular/rectangular systems

Abstract A connection is established between the Loewner framework for model reduction and the generalized inverses of singular and rectangular matrices. In this context both the Moore–Penrose and the Drazin inverses are involved. As a consequence this approach yields transfer functions for singular and rectangular systems. Thus the Loewner framework constitutes a natural and direct way for constructing models from measured input/output data.
Segmentation of Brain Tissue from MR Images

Segmentation of medical imagery is a challenging problem due to the complexity of the images, as well as to the absence of models of the anatomy that fully capture the possible deformations in each structure. In this paper, we present a method for segmentation of a particularly complex structure, the brain tissue, from MRI. Our method is a combination of three existing techniques from the Computer Vision literature: adaptive segmentation, binary morphology, and active contour models. Each of these techniques has been customized for the problem of brain tissue segmentation from gradient echo images, and the resultant method is more robust than its components. We present the results of a parallel implementation of this method on IBM’s supercomputer Power Visualization System for a database of 10 brains each with 256×256×124 voxels.
Biomedical Informatics and the Future of Medicine

One year ago Mayo Clinic decided to significantly invest in three newly-created centers: the Center for Individualized Medicine (CIM), the Center for the Science of Healthcare Delivery (CSHD) and the Center for Regenerative Medicine (CRM). The development of these three centers has been prioritized by Mayo as a strategic investment into the future of the Clinic and the future of medicine. Biomedical informatics at Mayo Clinic, including the four fields of Medical Information, Bioinformatics, Biostatistics and Medical Imaging, will play a significant role in the successful implementation of these three centers. As one of the Program Directors of the Center for Individualized Medicine, I will discuss the contribution of biomedical informatics to the future success of this center. I will provide an overview of the systems that we have developed and will describe how these systems leverage our biomedical informatics expertise to accelerate translational research activities, enhance medical practice and support the deployment of individualized medicine at Mayo Clinic.
Northmen and Native Americans: The Politics of Landscape in the Age of Longfellow

A supposed early New England Viking settlement and reviews of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's Song of Hiawatha exhibit a pattern of racial misdirection that serves to erase Native America. This essay argues for landscape as ideology and critiques current theories of transnationalism by resurrecting this politically reactionary episode of literary history.
A profile solver for specially structured symmetric-unsymmetric equation systems

A small library of FORTRAN IV subroutines is presented for the in-core solution of sparse symmetric, unsymmetric and specially structured symmetric/unsymmetric linear equation systems stored in profile form. These equations arise from the application of implicit—explicit finite element procedures to symmetric and unsymmetric operators characterizing physical systems. 1 In particular, an efficient algorithm is developed to solve linear equation systems which can be partitioned into symmetric and unsymmetric parts. In addition, the software allows partial factorization thus allowing even more efficient solution of those systems whose symmetric part is derived from a linear operator.
Treatment of a phobia by use of a video-taped modeling procedure: A case study

An incapacitating fear of the dissection of live animals in a prenursing student was successfully treated by a video-taped modeling technique. Following 3 1/2 weeks of treatment, the client was able to dissect live animals and reported that her subjective feelings of discomfort associated with such behavior had greatly decreased.
Reduction in sucrose reward magnitude without generalization decrement

Groups of albino rats were trained for 24 days in a straight runway with one of two different liquid sucrose concentrations, 30% or 3%, as reward. Training trials were administered 2/day with an intertrial interval (ITI) of 3-5 min. This preshift phase was followed by an additional 24 days in which both groups received the 3% solution. A significant main effect of reward magnitude developed early in the preshift phase and persisted throughout the postshift phase. Since the number of daily trials and the ITI employed in this experiment have been shown in other designs to be optimal for the conditioning of the sensory consequences of responding with sucrose rewards, the data argue against a generalization decrement account of the successive contrast effect.
Parent--child relations and offending during young adulthood.

There is a long tradition of studying parent–child relationships and adolescent delinquency. However, the association between parent–child relationships and criminal offending during young adulthood is less well understood. Although the developmental tasks of young adulthood tend to focus on intimate relationships, employment, and family formation, the parent–child bond persists over the life course and likely continues to inform and shape behavior beyond adolescence. Using data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS), the influence of parental involvement on patterns of offending among respondents interviewed first as adolescents (mean age of 15 years), and later as young adults (mean age of 20 years), is examined. The TARS sample used for our study (N = 1,007) is demographically diverse (49.5% female; 25.3% Black; 7.2% Hispanic) and includes youth beyond those enrolled in college. The influences of both early and later parenting factors such as support, monitoring and conflict on young adults’ criminal behavior are examined. Results show that early monitoring and ongoing parental support are associated with lower offending in young adulthood. These effects persist net of peer influence and adolescent delinquency. This suggests the importance of examining multiple ways in which parental resources and support influence early adult behavior and well-being.
Size-density scaling in protists and the links between consumer-resource interaction parameters.

Summary Recent work indicates that the interaction between body-size-dependent demographic processes can generate macroecological patterns such as the scaling of population density with body size. In this study, we evaluate this possibility for grazing protists and also test whether demographic parameters in these models are correlated after controlling for body size. We compiled data on the body-size dependence of consumer–resource interactions and population density for heterotrophic protists grazing algae in laboratory studies. We then used nested dynamic models to predict both the height and slope of the scaling relationship between population density and body size for these protists. We also controlled for consumer size and assessed links between model parameters. Finally, we used the models and the parameter estimates to assess the individual- and population-level dependence of resource use on body-size and prey-size selection. The predicted size-density scaling for all models matched closely to the observed scaling, and the simplest model was sufficient to predict the pattern. Variation around the mean size-density scaling relationship may be generated by variation in prey productivity and area of capture, but residuals are relatively insensitive to variation in prey size selection. After controlling for body size, many consumer–resource interaction parameters were correlated, and a positive correlation between residual prey size selection and conversion efficiency neutralizes the apparent fitness advantage of taking large prey. Our results indicate that widespread community-level patterns can be explained with simple population models that apply consistently across a range of sizes. They also indicate that the parameter space governing the dynamics and the steady states in these systems is structured such that some parts of the parameter space are unlikely to represent real systems. Finally, predator–prey size ratios represent a kind of conundrum, because they are widely observed but apparently have little influence on population size and fitness, at least at this level of organization.
Whisker Toughening: A Comparison Between Aluminum Oxide and Silicon Nitride Toughened with Silicon Carbide

Two whisker-toughened materials have been studied, with the objective of identifying the mechanisms that provide the major contribution to toughness. It is concluded that, for composites with randomly oriented whiskers, bending failure of the whiskers obviates pullout, whereupon the major toughening mechanisms are the fracture energy consumed in creating the debonded interface and the stored strain energy in the whiskers, at failure, which is dissipated as acoustic waves. The toughening potential is thus limited. High toughness requires extensive pullout and, hence, aligned whiskers with low fracture energy interfaces.
Fourier Inversion Of Deficient Data

Abstract. Image construction by Fourier inversion may be hindered by various deficiencies in the data. Examples of defects include data presented on a nonrectangular array of points and missing data values. Among special cases that are commonly encountered are measurements made in polar coordinates and the existence of sectors where data may be entirely missing. An exact method of interpolation analogous to sincfunction interpolation in the rectangular situation is described. However, inverting such data involves not merely a problem of mathematical interpolation, but also account must be taken of the character of the object, the kind of information desired, and the penalties to be associated with errors, considerations that go beyond what is involved under conditions where the one-to-one correspondence between function and transform may be invoked and the Fourier inversion formula is applicable.© (1984) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Use of denuder/filter apparatus to investigate terpene ozonolysis

A denuder/filter apparatus was used to collect the gaseous and particulate reaction products from ozonlysis of α-pinene, limonene and α-terpineol in an effort to develop sampling techniques for characterizing indoor environment chemistry. Carboxylic acids found in the particulate phase were derivatized to 2,2,2-trifuoroethylamides by reaction with 3-ethyl-1-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) and 2,2,2-trifluoroethylamine hydrochloride (TFEA). Carbonyl compounds collected in both gas phase and particulate phase were derivatized to their respective oximes by reaction with O-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluoro-benzyl)hydroxylamine hydrochloride (PFBHA). The ozonolysis of α-pinene yielded the carboxylic acids: cis-pinonic acid and pinic acid and the proposed carboxylic acids methanetricarboxylic acid and terpenylic acid; the carbonyls: 4-oxopentanal, norpinonaldehyde, pinon aldehyde and the proposed carbonyl methylidenepropanedial. The ozonolysis of limonene yielded the carboxylic acids: limonic acid and pinic acid and the carbonyls: 1-(4-methylcyclohex-3-en-1-yl)ethanone (4AMCH), glyoxal, methyl glyoxal, 4-oxopentanal and 6-oxo-3-(prop-1-en-2-yl)heptanal (IPOH). The ozonolysis of α-terpineol yielded the proposed carboxylic acids: terpenylic acid and homoterpenylic acid and the carbonyls: (5E)-6-hydroxyhept-5-en-2-one, methyl glyoxal and 4-oxopentanal.
ARTEFACTUAL CHROMATID ABERRATIONS IN UNTREATED AND X-RAY-TREATED HUMAN LYMPHOCYTES.

RECENTLY, there has been a disquieting number of reports of observations of chromatid aberrations in human lymphocytes as a result of various treatments and conditions varying from measles to X-ray1–4. Although there has been no good reason to doubt the nature of these chromatid aberrations, neither has there been a good test of whether or not their induction could be attributed to phenomena other than the agents indicated in the various reports.
Temporal aspects of breathing in superior reading and speaking performances

(1955). Temporal aspects of breathing in superior reading and speaking performances. Speech Monographs: Vol. 22, No. 5, pp. 284-289.
Thermodynamic and fluorescence studies of the underlying factors in benzyl alcohol-induced lipid interdigitated phase.

Abstract To further investigate factors contributing to the action of alcohol in the solute-induced lipid interdigitation phase, thermodynamic and fluorescence polarization measurements were carried out to study the interaction of benzyl alcohol with dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine bilayer vesicles. The obtained results were compared with those previously reported for ethanol and cyclohexanol (L. G. Roth and C-H. Chen,Arch. Biochem. Biophys.296, 207, 1992). Similar to ethanol, benzyl alcohol was found to exhibit a biphasic effect on the enthalpy (ΔHm) and the temperature (tm) of the lipid-phase transition and the steady-state fluorescence polarization (P) monitored by 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene. At a total concentration of benzyl alcohol
Gender Differences in the Social Functioning of Adolescents with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been associated with social difficulties. Boys with IBD may have increased risk for social problems due to delayed growth and puberty, but gender differences in social functioning have not been investigated. This study examined gender differences in multiple areas of social functioning for adolescents with IBD compared to healthy adolescents. Participants were 92 adolescents 11–17 years (50 with IBD, 42 healthy) and parents who completed questionnaires assessing social functioning. IBD was associated with poorer social functioning in the areas of social competence and social problems. Boys with IBD had worse social competence, with no gender differences for social problems. Gender predicted the use of social contact as a coping strategy, but no significant group differences were found for other areas of social functioning. Adolescents with IBD experience significant social difficulties in some areas, and boys are at risk for poor social competence. However, previously reported social difficulties may not extend to all areas of social functioning.
Stable rankings for different effort models

There exists a large and growing number of proposed estimation methods but little conclusive evidence ranking one method over another. Prior effort estimation studies suffered from "conclusion instability", where the rankings offered to different methods were not stable across (a) different evaluation criteria; (b) different data sources; or (c) different random selections of that data. This paper reports a study of 158 effort estimation methods on data sets based on COCOMO features. Four "best" methods were detected that were consistently better than the "rest" of the other 154 methods. These rankings of "best" and "rest" methods were stable across (a) three different evaluation criteria applied to (b) multiple data sets from two different sources that were (c) divided into hundreds of randomly selected subsets using four different random seeds. Hence, while there exists no single universal "best" effort estimation method, there appears to exist a small number (four) of most useful methods. This result both complicates and simplifies effort estimation research. The complication is that any future effort estimation analysis should be preceded by a "selection study" that finds the best local estimator. However, the simplification is that such a study need not be labor intensive, at least for COCOMO style data sets.
Risk factors for liver abscess formation after hepatic chemoembolization.

PURPOSE To assess the frequency and risk factors for liver abscess after hepatic chemoembolization. MATERIALS AND METHODS The authors performed retrospective analysis of 397 chemoembolization procedures in 157 patients. All patients received prophylactic intravenous antibiotics before the procedure and 5 days of oral antibiotics after the procedure. The association between abscess formation and risk factors was determined with use of χ 2 analysis and the Fisher exact test and expressed as an odds ratio. RESULTS Liver abscess occurred in seven of 157 patients (4.5%) after eight of 397 procedures (2.0%) at a mean of 19 d ± 7 after chemoembolization. No patients had neutropenia. Organisms isolated reflected intestinal flora. Six patients required percutaneous drainage for 35 d ± 29. The seventh patient required drainage for the remainder of life as a result of a nonhealing biliary fistula. Three of 24 patients with neuroendocrine tumors had abscesses (12.5%; odds ratio, 4.6; 95% CI, 0.96–22.1; P ± .07), as did three of 14 patients with gastrointestinal sarcomas (21%; odds ratio, 9.5; 95% CI, 1.9–47.8; P ± .016), and one of two with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Six of the seven patients with abscesses underwent a Whipple procedure before chemoembolization. Only one patient with a history of a Whipple procedure did not develop an hepatic abscess. In the absence of a bilioenteric anastomosis, abscess occurred in only one of 150 patients (0.7%), or one of 383 procedures (0.3%). The odds ratio for liver abscess among patients with a bilioenteric anastomosis was 894 (95% CI, 50–16,000; P CONCLUSION Earlier bilioenteric anastomosis is the major determinant of liver abscess formation after hepatic chemoembolization. The prophylaxis regimen used failed to prevent abscess formation in patients with earlier bilioenteric anastomosis.
Attractive interactions in dispersions of identical charged colloidal particles: a Monte Carlo simulation.

Using the Debye-Huckel pair potential, the collective interactions between identical charged particles were examined via Monte Carlo simulations. The results have shown that when the number of charges per particle and the particle volume fraction were sufficiently large, the pair long-range electrostatic repulsion generated an effective attractive interaction between identical charged particles because of many-body effects. Disordered liquid-like structures, ordered crystal-like structures, ordered structures dispersed in disordered ones, and disordered structures dispersed in ordered ones have been found. The structures are dependent on the volume fraction and charge of the particles, as well as on the electrolyte concentration.
It's Not So Simple: A More Complex Behavioral and Psychological Perspective on Genetic Enhancement (and Diminishment)

Ruiping Fan (2010), employing a Confucian values framework, appropriately critiques Michael Sandel's (2007) absolutist rejection of genetic enhancement. As described by Fan, Sandel believes genetic...
Huston Smith replies to Barbour, Goodenough, and Peterson

Responses and clarifications are given to the three respondents to my recent book, Why Religion Matters, in which I discuss what I see as the drawbacks and inconsistencies of Darwinism. While certain of their criticisms are understandable, others are based on a misreading of my work. Finally, my critics fail to show that my book is mistaken in its central claim that the modern loss of faith in transcendence, basic to the traditional/religious worldview, is unwarranted, because science has not been able to disprove the metaphysical claim that transcendence exists.
Immunological interactions between Trichinella spiralis and Heligmosomoides polygyrus: cross reactivity between muscle larvae and antibodies raised to unrelated antigens

It is documented that concurrent infections in mice with the 2 unrelated nematode parasites, Heligmosomoides polygyrus and Trichinella spiralis, can result in delayed rejection of the latter species. The basis of this immunological interference is not completely understood, but a possibility exists that antibodies induced by 1 species may interact with antigens produced by the other parasite. Therefore, it was investigated whether H. polygyrus infections may induce the production of antibodies which could cross react with T. spiralis muscle larval (m.l.) antigens. The results shown here indicate that this assumption is correct, and there is cross reactivity between antibodies produced against H. polygyrus, and T. spiralis m.l. antigens. Furthermore, antibodies which were not specific for either species were also able to bind to T. spiralis m.l. This is in agreement with recent evidence which has shown that antibodies that are not specific for H. polygyrus may still be absorbed by an H. polygyrus homogenate. It is considered that the binding of these antibodies may be involved in manipulation of the host immune response by T. spiralis.
Physical determinants of independence in mature women

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship in mature women between muscle strength and whole body oxidative capacity and the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL). Sixty-one women (mean age 69 years) without major disease or disability were recruited from either a community exercise center or a personal care facility. Physiological measurements consisted of peak oxygen consumption on a cycle ergometer (VO 2 peak) and one repetition maximum strength of nine muscle groups (1-RM). Ability to perform ADL was measured with a balance and gait test, "Bag Carrying Test", and ADL questionnaires. Significant correlations were found with VO 2 peak and calf muscle strength and ability to perform ADL, with weaker or no correlations for other muscle groups. For some relationships, it was possible to identify the minimum level of physiological functioning associated with successful performance of independence tasks. In summary, physiological capacities, particularly VO 2 peak and strength of the calf muscles, predicted ability to perform activities needed for functional independence in healthy mature women.
Identification of RS as a flagellar and head sperm protein.

RS is 20-kDa microtubule-associated protein found in several human tissues. Sequence analysis showed that the polypeptide is highly related to a rat protein whose level has been previously reported to be correlated with sperm fertility. The present study examines the intracellular distribution of RS in spermatozoa from both humans and rats employing a specific antibody to the polypeptide and immunofluorescence microscopy. We demonstrate that in humans, RS is mainly a flagellum protein, but in rats, it is also abundant in the sperm head. In the sperm tail, RS was found to be co-localized with beta-tubulin, a major component of the axoneme, suggesting that RS is also associated with the flagellum axoneme. Contrary to a previous report, incubation of isolated spermatozoa from both humans and rats in the presence of ornidazole, a reported male contraceptive drug in rats, did not result in modulation in the level of RS, suggesting that the drug does not act directly on sperm RS. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 55:189-196, 2000.
Left ventricular mass and volume/mass ratio determined by two-dimensional echocardiography in normal adults

This study prospectively defined the range of left ventricular mass and volume/mass ratio determined by two-dimensional echocardiography in 84 normal adults. A modified Simpson's rule algorithm was used to calculate ventricular volumes from orthogonal two and four chamber apical views. An algorithm based on a model of the left ventricle as a truncated ellipsoid was used to calculate ventricular mass. Like left ventricular volumes, left ventricular mass values were larger in normal men than in women (mean 148 versus 108 g, p less than 0.001) and remained larger after correction for body surface area. Volume/mass ratios, however, were constant at end-diastole (0.80) and end-systole (0.26). The influence of age and heart rate on all variables in this normal group was minimal, and no correction for these variables was necessary. The definition of normal mass, volume and volume/mass ratios by two-dimensional echocardiography will facilitate the noninvasive, quantitative diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy and help clarify the relation between hypertrophy and systolic wall stress.
Single Molecule Förster Resonance Energy Transfer Studies of the Fc Region of a Human Antibody

The crystallizable fragment (Fc) region of IgG antibodies interacts with a variety of molecules in the immune system. The removal of the oligosaccharides bound to this region affects the ability of antibodies to generate an immune response. A comparison of the structures of the Fc region with and without the oligosaccharides present can indicate if a structural change is the basis for this effect. To carry out these studies, we have labeled the Fc region of a human IgG antibody with donor and acceptor dye molecules. Enzymatic removal of the oligosaccharides was used to generate an oligosaccharide-free antibody. Both ensemble and single molecule Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) spectroscopy were used to examine the structures of the Fc region. All single molecule FRET measurements performed involved the examination of photon bursts from freely diffusing donor-acceptor labeled antibodies, from which a histogram of the conformations present was constructed.
Asset management framework for state departments of transportation to meet transit fleet requirements

State departments of transportation that provide the bulk of matching funds to local transit agencies for the purchase of new buses are duly concerned about the escalating costs of new buses and the lack of sufficient funds to keep up with their replacement costs. An asset management framework is presented that can be used by state departments of transportation to (a) allocate capital dollars for the dual purpose of purchasing new buses and rebuilding existing buses within the constraints of a fixed budget when the needs of all constituent agencies in a peer group are considered and (b) distribute funds among the agencies equitably. The proposed framework includes two optimization models. Model 1 attempts to maximize the weighted fleet life of all the buses being purchased and rebuilt for a given peer group within the constraints of a fixed budget. Model 2 is designed to maximize the remaining life of the entire peer group, including the existing buses and those being replaced or rebuilt. Case studies presented to demonstrate the application of the models show that the framework is viable and can be used for the designated purpose with fleet data currently available from transit agencies. Further research on testing the framework is recommended to ensure its applicability under different sets of circumstances.
Prevention and Management of Skull Base Injury

Skull base defects and injuries are rare, but may occur during endoscopic sinus surgery, as a result of facial trauma, or as a result of tumors in the anterior cranial fossa. Injury to the skull base can lead to catastrophic outcomes such as meningitis, brain abscess, neurological deficits, brain hemorrhage, and death. The content presents ways in which a surgeon may work to prevent or minimize injury to the skull base and describes management of skull base injuries when they do occur, reviews the current literature, and describes various reconstruction techniques used in free tissue grafts and pedicled grafts.
Effects of artificially induced increases in intracranial pressure on epileptic activity.

Summary: The effects of induced increases in intracranial pressure (ICP) on epileptic activity, following topical application of penicillin on the cerebral cortex or dorsal hippocampus were investigated in rabbits. Enhanced basal epileptic activity was brought about by the rise in the ICP, obtained with repeated lumbar infusions of saline. In some animals, this increased activity was already evident during the test, while in others it became obvious only at the end of the procedure. When induced, the increased epileptic activity could persist even after the ICP had returned to within normal limits. RESUME Les auteurs etudient chez le lapin les effets d'un accroissement artificiellement provoque de la pression intra-cranienne (PIC) sur l'activiteepileptique penicillinique du cortex cerebral ou de l'hippocampe dorsal. Un renforcement de l'activiteepileptique de base a ete provoque par (augmentation de la PIC obtenue par injection lombaire repetee de serum sale. Chez quelques animaux le dit renforcement est deja apparent pendant le cours des injection tandis que chez d'autres il ne devient evident qu'a la fin de l'experience. Le renforcement, enfin, peut persister une fois que la PIC est revenue a la nor male. RESUMEN Se investigo en conejos el efecto del aumento de la presion intracraneal (ICP) sobre la actividad epileptica inducida por medio de la aplicacion topica de penicilina sobre la corteza cerebral o el hipocampo dorsal. El aumento de la ICP obtenido por via de infusiones lumbares repetidas de suero salino incremento la actividad epileptica basal. En algunos animates este increment fue ya evidente mientras se realizaba la prueba, mientras que en otros solo se observo al final de la misma. Una vez inducido un aumento de la actividad epileptica, se observo una persistencia de las descargas paroxisticas, incluso cuando la ICP volvio a valores normales. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Die Wirkungen des erholten intrakraniellen Drucks auf die epileptische Aktivitat als Folge einer lokalen Applikation von Penicillin auf den cerebralen Cortex oder den dorsalen Hippokampus wurde bei Kaninchen untersucht. Eine Verstarkung der basalen epileptischen Aktivitat wurde durch die Erhohung des intrakraniellen Druckes (ICP) mit Hilfe wiederholter lumbaler Infusionen von Salzlosungen bewirkt. Bei einigen Tieren war eine solche Verstarkung schon wahrend des Tests deutlich, bei anderen erst am Ende der Prozedur. Die einmal auf diese Weise erhohte epileptische Aktivitat konnte bestehen bleiben, auch wenn der intrakranielle Druck inzwischen zu normalen Werten zuruckgekehrt war.
Billy Graham and the rise of the Republican South

by Steven P. Miller, Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2009, 320 pp., $29.95 (cloth), ISBN 978‐0812241518 In March 1953, a young evangelical minister named Billy Graham had what he wo...
Laryngeal anesthetization for the treatment of acquired disfluency: a case study

Abstract The subject of this case study is an adult who became severely disfluent after a motor vehicle accident in which he did not suffer significant injuries. His disfluency persisted for 4 months notwithstanding a short trial of speech therapy. Hyperfunctional phonation subsystem disturbances were identified on follow-up evaluations. Laryngeal anesthetization was achieved via a transcutaneous lidocaine injection. The patient improved dramatically within 15 min of the procedure. More than 18 months later, he has retained normal speech fluency without any additional post-injection intervention. Theoretical discussions are rendered to help interpret this treatment outcome. Educational objectives: The reader will be able to describe (1) the laryngeal movements and adjustments commonly associated with stuttered speech; (2) the speech dysfunctions a patient evidenced following a motor vehicle accident; and (3) the author’s treatment rationale for resolving the patient’s speech disorder.
Sinorhizobium meliloti CtrA Stability Is Regulated in a CbrA-Dependent Manner That Is Influenced by CpdR1

ABSTRACT CbrA is a DivJ/PleC-like histidine kinase of DivK that is required for cell cycle progression and symbiosis in the alphaproteobacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti. Loss of cbrA results in increased levels of CtrA as well as its phosphorylation. While many of the known Caulobacter crescentus regulators of CtrA phosphorylation and proteolysis are phylogenetically conserved within S. meliloti, the latter lacks the PopA regulator that is required for CtrA degradation in C. crescentus. In order to investigate whether CtrA proteolysis occurs in S. meliloti, CtrA stability was assessed. During exponential growth, CtrA is unstable and therefore likely to be degraded in a cell cycle-regulated manner. Loss of cbrA significantly increases CtrA stability, but this phenotype is restored to that of the wild type by constitutive ectopic expression of a CpdR1 variant that cannot be phosphorylated (CpdR1 D53A ). Addition of CpdR1 D53A fully suppresses cbrA mutant cell cycle defects, consistent with regulation of CtrA stability playing a key role in mediating proper cell cycle progression in S. meliloti. Importantly, the cbrA mutant symbiosis defect is also suppressed in the presence of CpdR1 D53A . Thus, regulation of CtrA stability by CbrA and CpdR1 is associated with free-living cell cycle outcomes and symbiosis. IMPORTANCE The cell cycle is a fundamental process required for bacterial growth, reproduction, and developmental differentiation. Our objective is to understand how a two-component signal transduction network directs cell cycle events during free-living growth and host colonization. The Sinorhizobium meliloti nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with plants is associated with novel cell cycle events. This study identifies a link between the regulated stability of an essential response regulator, free-living cell cycle progression, and symbiosis.