cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
5:00 Spinal surgery in patients with Parkinson disease

Abstract Purpose of study: Patients with Parkinson disease present a combination of poor bone quality and a severe neuromuscular disorder. It is our observation that these patients have a high rate of instrument-related complications, which has not been previously reported. We therefore reviewed the recent institutional experience with spine surgery in this population. Methods used: A computerized search by billing code identified 14 consecutive patients who had undergone spinal reconstruction for degenerative disease or deformity from January 1993 through December 2000. Their charts were reviewed, and those who had not been examined within 12 months were invited for follow-up and new X-rays. All had undergone rigorous preoperative evaluation. Indications and extent of surgery varied. of findings: Data on duration of Parkinson disease was available for 11 of 14 patients, averaging 5.5 years (range, 0 to 18 years). Twelve of 14 patients (86%) had 2 or more operations, with a combined total of 32 re-operations (mean, 2.7; range, 1 to 11). Eleven patients (79%) underwent 19 additional procedures (mean, 1.7; range, 1 to 6) for same or adjacent level instability or decompensation. Four patients (29%) had hardware failure or pullout, necessitating eight re-operations (mean, 2; range, 1 to 5). Three of five patients (60%) whose index procedure involved only one level required additional procedures at that level. Two patients (14%) had infections requiring serial procedures. Two patients (14%) had only one surgery, and one other patient's second procedure was at a remote level. Relationship between findings and existing knowledge: Patients with Parkinson disease undergoing spinal surgery are at a markedly increased risk of failure. Overall significance of findings: The primary mechanism of failure in these patients was relentless kyphosis or instability at the operated or adjacent levels. Hardware failure or pullout frequently resulted, followed by progressive instability. Although Parkinson disease may not be the proximate cause of these problems, these individuals frequently combine poor bone quality with their neuromuscular disorder, increasing their risk of significant complications. They should be appropriately counselled and closely followed for signs of failure. Disclosures: No disclosures. Conflict of interest: No conflicts.
Highly efficient cw TEM 00 Nd:YAG laser end-pumped by a laser diode

ABSTRACT The operation of efficient , CW , TEM00mode Nd : YAG laser end-pumped by a laser diode has been achieved.The maximum output was 0. 65w. A 51 %slope efficiency and 40. 6 % overall optical efficiency were obtained. Cou-pling optics and laser configuration are described in this paper.1. INTRODUCTIONIt has been well-known that diode-pumped solid-state lasers can present high conversion efficiency , good beam quality , stable operation and easy cooling. All the performances have been demonstrated by employing laser diode toend-pump gain medium. This pump method provides a significantly greater conversion efficiency for single tranversemode operation than that of side pump. It also results in a lower threshold and higher slope efficiency. Currently, the slope efficiency for TEM00 mode device is up to 40 % and the highest reached 60 % for multimode operation"2.The work in reference 3 also approached a 60 % slope efficiency for single tranverse mode operation , where the highquality monolethic medium and nonplanar resonator were employed. In our work ,
Becoming a Science Teacher in Texas

This study analyzes the competency of science teachers as it pertains to the passage of the TExES Content Exam. Teacher qualification is determined by the results of standardized tests because of the accountability standards imposed by No Child Left Behind (NCLB). In 2012 the State Board of Education adopted changes to high school graduation requirements which mandate four years of science for those students in the recommended and distinguished achievement high school programs. This change has added urgency for teacher preparation programs to certify even more qualified science teachers. The results of this study may guide policy makers in improving the preparation of science teachers by determining the areas in which effort and support is most needed.
Reducing risk for illicit drug use and prescription drug misuse: High school gay-straight alliances and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth

Previous research suggests that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth are at elevated risk for using illicit drugs and misusing prescription drugs relative to heterosexual youth. Previous research also indicates that LGBT youth who attend high schools with a gay-straight alliance (GSA) report having fewer alcohol problems and lower levels of cigarette smoking. The present study investigates whether the absence of a GSA is associated with risk for illicit drug use and prescription drug misuse in a sample of 475 LGBT high school students (M age=16.79) who completed an online survey. After controlling for demographic variables and risk factors associated with illicit drug use, the results of 12 logistic regression analyses revealed that LGBT youth attending a high school without a GSA evidenced increased risk for using cocaine (adjusted odds ratio [adjOR]=3.11; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]=1.23-7.86), hallucinogens (adjOR=2.59; 95% CI=1.18-5.70), and marijuana (adjOR=2.22; 95% CI=1.37-3.59) relative to peers attending a high school with a GSA. Youth without a GSA also evidenced increased risk for the misuse of ADHD medication (adjOR=2.00; 95% CI=1.02-3.92) and prescription pain medication (adjOR=2.00; 95% CI=1.10-3.65). These findings extend the research base related to GSAs and further demonstrate the importance of providing LGBT youth with opportunities for socialization and support within the school setting. Important limitations of the present study are reviewed.
Library exhibits and programs boost science education

Science museums let visitors explore and discover, but for many families there are barriers—such as cost or distance—that prevent them from visiting museums and experiencing hands-on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning. Now educators are reaching underserved audiences by developing STEM exhibits and programs for public libraries. With more than 16,000 outlets in the United States, public libraries serve almost every community in the country. Nationwide, they receive about 1.5 billion visits per year, and they offer their services for free.
SPATIAL AND AGE DEPENDENT PATTERNS OF GROWTH IN NEW ENGLAND BLACK BIRCH

Ring width chronologies from 127 black birch trees in the northeastern United States were used to study age dependent and spatial patterns in growth. The trees sampled show no evidence for increasing stability of growth with age, as measured by the year-to-year variance and autocorrelation. Large scale spatial patterns were studied using trees sampled from five localities separated by distances of 40 km to 325 km. Cluster analysis based on the last 30 years of growth is able to assign a tree to its locality of origin with approximately 80% accuracy. However, the degree of correlation between these chronologies does not decline as a function of the distance of separation of the localities. Fine scale patterns were studied using chronologies from 46 birches lying within a 50-m x 60-m plot. Strong neighborhood effects could not be detected in the rate of growth, the variance of growth, or the between-tree correlation. Dry-site trees, however, were found to be growing significantly faster and with less variability than wet-site trees. The results suggest that very local factors are important determinants of growth and dominate the environmental structure perceived by mesic forest trees. GROWTH is useful as a measure of the response of an individual to its environment. An extensive literature documenting between-tree and environment-tree correlations in growth (reviewed by Fritts, 1976) shows that tree ring chronologies reflect patterns of variation perceived by trees. This study investigates the ecological implications of spatial and age-dependent variation of growth in black birch (Betiula lenta L.) in the northeastern United States.
Almost all orbit types imply period-3

A special case of Sarkovskii’s theorem says that if a continuous function has a period-3 point then it has periodic points of every order. In this note we will investigate how often orbit types of period-n guarantee a period-3 point. An informal statement of our result is that as n goes to infinity the probability that a period-n orbit guarantees a period-3 point converges to 1. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. MSC: primary 37E15; secondary 26A18
Multiscale modeling of unsaturated flow in dual-scale fiber preforms of liquid composite molding III: reactive flows

Abstract The woven, stitched or braided fabrics used in liquid composite molding (LCM) display partial saturation behind moving flow-front in an LCM mold which is caused by delayed impregnation of fiber tows. In this part 3 of the present series of three papers, a novel multiscale approach proposed in parts 1 and 2 [1] , [2] is adapted for modeling the unsaturated flow observed in the dual-scale fabrics of LCM under non-isothermal, reactive conditions. The volume-averaged species or resin cure equation, in conjunction with volume-averaged mass, momentum and energy (temperature) equations, is employed to model the reactive resin flow in the inter-tow (gap) and intra-tow (tow) regions with coupling expressed through several sink and source terms in the governing equations. A coarse global-mesh is used to solve the global (gap) flow over the entire domain, and a fine local mesh in form of the unit-cell of periodic fabrics is employed to solve the local (tow) flows. The multiscale algorithm based on the hierarchical computational grids is then extended to solve the dual-scale flow under reactive conditions. The simulation is compared with a two-color experiment and a previously published two-layer model. Significant differences between the temperatures and cures of the gap and tow regions of the dual-scale porous medium are observed. The ratio of pore volumes in the tow and gap regions, the effective thermal conductivity in the tows, and the reaction rate are identified as the important parameters for temperature and cure distributions in the gap and tow regions.
Values of open admissions students, police students, and their teachers

This study compared the values of college open admissions students and of college police students to their teachers' values. It was found that for both groups new students differ from the faculty more than do advanced students, suggesting value changes in the direction of the faculty. Also found was no relationship between students' value similarity to the faculty and their academic success.
Shape-based interpolation

Extensions to a shape-based interpolation method in which pixels that share a boundary edge (one inside and the other outside the object) are considered to be at a distance between adjacent pixel centers are proposed. Using such an initialization for distance calculations, a generalization of the chamfer distance calculation is developed. The generalization allows the simultaneous calculation of distances within the object and its background by two consecutive chamfering processes. The performances of a number of variants of the methods are evaluated. It is shown that the shape-based interpolation using a near-optimal 3*3 distance and modified cubic spline between-slice interpolation has superior properties to previously proposed methods for estimating object locations in missing slices in tomographic radiology. >
Oleander tea: herbal draught of death

A woman died after drinking herbal tea prepared from oleander (Nerium oleander) leaves. This case demonstrates the cross-reactivity between the cardiac glycosides in oleander and the digoxin radioimmunoassay. Digoxin-specific Fab antibody fragments have not been used in oleander poisoning, but these might prove to be lifesaving. Treatment of oleander toxicity is aimed at controlling arrhythmias and hyperkalemia; inactivation of the NaK ATPase pump, however, can make treatment difficult.
Solitary neonatal hepatic abscess.

A solitary hepatic abscess was found at postmortem examination in a neonate who died at 25 days of age.Elevation of the right diaphragm was noted radiologically from the first day of life, suggesting congenital presence of the abscess. Recognition of the previously unsuspected association between hepatic abscess and congenital diaphragmatic elevation might have led to surgical intervention and have increased the infant's chance of survival.
Cloning of the pfaP gene of Leptospira borgpetersenii

Abstract A λgtll library constructed with Leptospira borgpetersenii DNA was screened with monoclonal antibodies (mAb) recognizing a periplasmic flagella-associated protein. A plaque expressing a fusion protein (λF15) which reacted with the mAb was isolated and the nucleotide sequence analyzed. The deduced amino-acid (aa) sequence indicates that the pfaP gene belongs to a group of bacterial genes whose products share aa sequence and possibly functional homologies with sppA, an Escherichia coli signal peptidase-encoding gene.
Threshold conditions for iodine-induced stress corrosion cracking of unirradiated zircaloy-4 tubing under internal pressurization

Abstract The results are presented of stress corrosion cracking (SCC tests in which nuclear power reactor grade zircaloy-4 tubing specimens were internally pressurized with a mixture of helium and iodine at ( 633 ± 5 ) K. Both as-received and artificially preflawed specimens were tested at an initial iodine availability of ~60 g/m2 zircaloy surface. It is shown that the failure times in these tests correlate more reliably with hoop stress than with nominal stress intensity or failure strain, and that a threshold hoop stress of ~295 MPa exists for SCC failure within test times up to 605 ks. The origin of this threshold stress is discussed and it is concluded that the observed behavior is consistent with either a critical stress or a critical strain rate being required for the formation of iodine-induced stress corrosion cracks in unirradiated zircaloy tubing.
Identification of an hemipteran juvenile hormone: In vitro biosynthesis of JH III by Dysdercus fasciatus

Corpora allata of the African cotton stainer, Dysdercus fasciatus Sign. (Hemiptera: Pyrrhocoridae), produce radiolabeled methyl-10,11-epoxy-3,7,11-trimethyldodeca-2E,6E-dienoate (JH III) when cultured in a medium containing L-[methyl-14C] methionine. Similar in vitro studies show JH III biosynthesis by cultured corpora allata of Lygaeid and Pentatomid species. This is the first identification of a juvenile hormone in Hemiptera.
Improvement of power rectifier and thyristor characteristics by lifetime control

It is shown that the ratings of rectifiers can be optimized by maximizing the ratio of the high level to the low level lifetime. An optimization criterion relating the recombination center location to its capture cross-section ratio for holes and electrons is derived. In the case of thyristors, the leakage current must also be considered in the optimization. This results in a criterion which relates the recombination center location to the resistivity and capture cross-section ratio. In addition, it is shown that the ideal recombination center must have large capture cross-sections for holes and electrons, a large capture cross-section ratio, and must lie at about EV + 0.70eV in order to fabricate devices with good VF - trr trade-off characteristics and low leakage currents over a broad range of resistivities and operating temperatures.
Patterns of planet occurrence from Doppler and Kepler

The currently observed architectures of extrasolar planetary systems trace the processes of planetary formation and evolution. Until recently, Jovian-size planets provided nearly all of the observational constraints. From Doppler studies, we detect a steeply rising planet mass distribution down to at least 3 Earth-masses for planets orbiting inside of 0.25 AU. The planet size distribution from Kepler also shows a steep rise with decreasing size, but with a plateau in the occurrence rate for 1{2.8 times Earth size. Analyses of the Kepler data support the bottom-up picture of planet formation by core accretion.
Toward a Socioliterate Approach to Second Language Teacher Education

This article proposes that effective language teacher preparation should facilitate candidates’ access to the shared knowledge, discursive practices, and instructional processes of language teaching (LT) as an inherently disparate discipline. Whereas the reflective orientation widely embraced in North American teacher education programs should be preserved, reflective practice should be promoted within a socioliterate framework. The author explores the position that teacher education must be grounded partly (though not exclusively) in what is commonly called “theory,” but that this theoretical dimension should be developed by systematically examining socioeducational practices. A genre–based, sociorhetorical approach to LT discourse, it is argued, can build candidates’ awareness of knowledge–construction practices, enhance their declarative knowledge, and develop their professional skills. By modeling analytic and reflective processes that focus on disciplinary knowledge, teacher education can help LT candidates to shape their own professional literacies, enabling them to participate meaningfully in the profession's many conversations.
Perceptions of highly identified fans regarding rival teams in US intercollegiate football and men’s basketball

Havard et al. (2013) developed and validated the sport rivalry fan perception scale (SRFPS) as a way to measure fan perceptions of four aspects regarding a rival team (indirect competition, academic prestige, sportsmanship, sense of satisfaction through direct competition). The current study investigated differences in SRFPS subscale mean scores of highly-identified intercollegiate football and men’s basketball fans in the USA regarding type of favourite team, proximity to favourite team, season ticket holder status of favourite team, and the outcome of the most recent rivalry contest. A series of MANCOVAs indicated that favourite team (football or basketball), season ticket holder status, and outcome of the most recent rivalry contest contributed to significant differences in rival perceptions after controlling for team identification. Discussion focuses on implications of these findings for academics and practitioners, as well as areas for future research.
The Utility of Kindergarten Teacher Ratings for Predicting Low Academic Achievement in First Grade.

The purpose of this study was to assess the predictive value of kindergarten teachers' ratings of pupils for later first-grade academic achievement. Kindergarten students were rated by their teachers on a variety of variables, including math and reading performance, teacher concerns, and amount of learning relative to peers. These variables were then analyzed with respect to outcome measures for math and reading ability administered in the first grade. The teachers' ratings of academic performance were significantly correlated with scores on the outcome measures. Analyses were also carried out to determine sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of the different teacher ratings. The results indicated high overall accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and negative predictive value for the ratings. Positive predictive value tended to be lower. A recommendation to follow from these results is that teacher ratings of this sort be used to determine which children should receive cognitive screening measures to further enhance identification of children at risk for learning disability. However, this recommendation is limited by the lack of empirically supported screening measures for math disability versus well-supported screening tools for reading disability.
Crohn's disease: a patient's perspective.

As healthcare providers for Crohn’s disease, we assume that we have a good understanding of the disease progression and its symptoms. The aim of this study was to gather information about what patients with Crohn’s disease think are relevant to their symptoms and what helps them cope with this lifelong benign disease. A questionnaire was sent to all patients with a diagnosis of Crohn’s disease seen in the Digestive Disease Center in the last 5 years. The returned forms were downloaded into a database and sent for analysis. Sixty-two percent of respondents were female. One third were between the ages of 35 and 50 years. Seventy percent were married. Thirty-eight percent had a graduate degree, 19% were unemployed. Fifty percent still smoked, half of them less than one pack a day. Sixty-eight percent said that their symptoms affected work, and one fourth changed jobs due to this. Foods worsened symptoms in 60%, with a decrease in symptoms while on low fiber foods and white meats. Lifestyle change worsened symptoms in 66%. A change in the caregiver was not a significant stressor. More than half used Remicade, with one third stating that it was helpful. Eight percent had never used steroids. Alcohol increased symptoms in 40%. Factors that did not cause a significant change were children at any age, pregnancy, menopause, and hormone replacement therapy. Surgery caused half the patients to improve for many years, although one third felt a lowered self-esteem postoperatively. Patients with Crohn’s disease should be managed in a more comprehensive manner to provide optimal care. Thus, a team approach that includes a dietician and counselor should be considered as an integral part of this team. This will allow patients to have enhanced skills to cope with changes in their symptoms, whether they are due to the disease itself or the changes in their routine.
Interactive motion planning for steerable needles in 3D environments with obstacles

Bevel-tip steerable needles for minimally invasive medical procedures can be used to reach clinical targets that are behind sensitive or impenetrable areas and are inaccessible to straight, rigid needles. We present a fast algorithm that can compute motion plans for steerable needles to reach targets in complex, 3D environments with obstacles at interactive rates. The fast computation makes this method suitable for online control of the steerable needle based on 3D imaging feedback and allows physicians to interactively edit the planning environment in real-time by adding obstacle definitions as they are discovered or become relevant. We achieve this fast performance by using a Rapidly Exploring Random Tree (RRT) combined with a reachability-guided sampling heuristic to alleviate the sensitivity of the RRT planner to the choice of the distance metric. We also relax the constraint of constant-curvature needle trajectories by relying on duty-cycling to realize bounded-curvature needle trajectories. These characteristics enable us to achieve orders of magnitude speed-up compared to previous approaches; we compute steerable needle motion plans in under 1 second for challenging environments containing complex, polyhedral obstacles and narrow passages.
Particle size studies on uranium aerosols from machining and metallurgy operations.

Cascade impactors and optical measurements were used to estimate the particle size distribution of uranium aerosols that were dispersed during machining and various metallurgical operations. The mass median diameter of air- borne foundry dust ranged from 2.0 to 4.5 ic . The largest mass median diameter range determined by cascade impactors was 0.4 to 3.9 ic in the machine shop. This was expected owing to the nature of the machining on uranium. The number median diameter on uranium fume calculated from the mass median diameter and the standard deviation ranged from 0.02 to 0.05 ic . The number median diameter on U/sub 3/O/sub 8/ resulting from furnace oxidation of uranium metal slag was measured from electron micrographs and found to be 0.08 ic . The cascade impactor has definite limitations in its use, although no satisfactory substitute has been available for field use. Fair agreement was obtained between mass median diameter values obtained at specific operations on both normal and enriched uranium. Normal uranium dust may be sized optically, but it would be impossible to size enriched uranium dust optically on field samples due to the small mass of enriched uranium compared with the mass of ordinary atmospheric dust collectedmore » on the same slides. The estimation of particle size by nuclear track counting and measurement of alpha track emitting particles is considered the best method for enriched uranium dust. Results indicate that mass median diameters obtained with our modification of the Casella impactor show satisfactory agreement with the Laskin impactor data. Differences in the values of the standard deviation have been found in many cases with the Laskin impactor giving better straight line plots and, hence, a more clearly defined value for the standard deviation. (auth)« less
Behavior, Knowledge, Attitude, and Other Characteristics of Men Who Had Sex With Female Commercial Sex Workers in Kenya:

We examined sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, behavior, and attitude of men who had sex with commercial sex workers (CSWs) in Kenya. About 15% of the men had sex with CSWs. Men who had two or more partners, were away from home five or more times in the past year, and used condoms consistently with their last three partners were likely to have had sex with CSWs (odds ratio [OR] = 2.70, p = .000; OR = 1.43, p = .044; OR = 2.50, p = .000, respectively). Men with better knowledge of HIV/AIDS prevention methods were likely to have had sex with CSWs (OR = 1.62, p = .004). As expected, having had sex with CSWs was associated with higher risk of sexually transmitted infection (OR = 3.62, p = .000). This unexpected association between knowledge and behavior could be bidirectional or reverse causality. Nonetheless, knowledge in prevention has not been translated to practice and change in behavior. These processes require continuous efforts, including assertive campaigns on sexual practices and behaviors.
Treatment of cancer with weekly intravenous 5-fluorouracil.

5-Flourouracil is usually administered by rapid intravenous injection of 15 mg/kg daily for 3 to 5 days and 7.5 mg/kg every 2 or 3 days to toxicity, repeated monthly (antitumor response about 10–30%). Drug morbidity and mortality have been excessive. Modifications of this course have shown similar response rates but decreased toxicity and mortality. In the present study, 129 patients with disseminated cancer were treated weekly with 5-fluorouracil, without a loading dose, by rapid intravenous injection, beginning at 15 mg/kg/wk for 1 month, increased to 20 mg/kg/wk (if necessary) to levels producing mild toxicity or an antitumor effect. Thirty patients had an objective remission (23.3% of the total 129, and 33% of the 91 adequately treated). Thirty-eight patients showed no drug toxicity, 75 mild, 14 moderate, and two severe toxicity. There were no drug deaths. This course enabled patients to be treated safely on an ambulatory basis.
Marriage and Divorce Trends for Graduates of the U.S. Air Force Academy

Numerous data support the benefits of a stable marriage and document the negative consequences of marital distress and divorce. An estimated 40% to 50% of first marriages in the United States end i...
Cultural Diversity and Gender Role Spillover: A Working Perspective

Summary One of the more sensitive topics within the diversity literature concerns gender issues. This paper explores the effect of gender role spillover in the workplace and examines the relationship of men and women in library administration. Most gender issues are based primarily upon cultural influences. These influences can bring rise to work-related conflicts pertaining to stereotypes, differences in leadership styles, occupational segregation, sexual harassment, and discrimination. Organizations must be proactive and create environments conducive to the success of both male and female workers.
A Resolution-Of-The-Identity Implementation of the Local Triatomics-In-Molecules Model for Second-Order Møller−Plesset Perturbation Theory with Application to Alanine Tetrapeptide Conformational Energies

In this work, we incorporate the resolution-of-the-identity (RI) approximation into the theoretical framework of the local triatomics-in-molecules (TRIM) second-order Moller−Plesset (MP2) perturbation theory model. The resultant model, RI-TRIM MP2, emerges as a robust fourth-order methodology that extends the regime of practical MP2 calculations. With RI-TRIM MP2, correlation energy corrections can easily be obtained for systems that contain more than 125 heavy atoms with a computational timing cost less than those of the prerequisite self-consistent field procedure and popular density functional theory (DFT) alternatives. In this work, the chemical performance of RI-TRIM MP2 is numerically assessed against untruncated RI-MP2 and DFT (B3LYP) in determining the relative energies of 27 different alanine tetrapeptide conformations at the cc-pVXZ (X = D, T, and Q) levels and the results are T → Q extrapolated to the complete basis set limit. As the quality of the basis set employed increases, we report a sign...
Causes of Variability in Pesticide and PCB Concentrations in Air near the Great Lakes

Data through 2001 from the Integrated Atmospheric Deposition Network (IADN) were used to investigate the causes of variability in gas-phase polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and pesticide concentrations measured near Lakes Michigan, Erie, and Superior. A multiple linear regression model that incorporates temperature and time was used explain the variability in the concentrations. Our approach used autocorrelation analyses of the residuals to help us determine the effectiveness of the regression. Autocorrelation plots for the in-use pesticide lindane indicated that an agricultural application cycle was also present in the regression residual data at all sites. The addition of parameters for this effect to the regression equation accounted for, on average, 16% more of the variability in the data. Similar analyses for the in-use pesticide endosulfan did not show an agricultural application effect. The banned compounds DDT and chlordane showed that temperature and time correctly accounted for the variability in ...
Robotic resection of bulky aorto-caval lymphadenopathy in a patient with serous fallopian tube carcinoma.

Objective:Inpatientswithovarian/fallopiantube/primary peritoneal cancer, maximum surgical effort is aimed at complete cytoreduction as it results in longer overall survival [1]. In selected patients, achieving this goal with robotic-assisted surgery provides the patient with the benefits of minimally invasive surgery [2,3]. The authors present resection of bulky aorto-caval lymph nodes in a patient with serous fallopian tube cancer. Methods: A 51-year-old underwent robotic hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oopherectomy by her gynecologist for bilateral complex adnexal masses and leiomyomatous uterus. The findings were consistent with a high-grade serous carcinomaarising from the right fallopian tube. The tumor size was 7 × 1.7 cm and was metastatic to bilateral ovaries. Pelvic washings and lymphovascular invasion were negative. After the patient was referred to gynecologic oncology with these findings, enhanced computed tomography demonstrated 4.5 × 2 cm lymphadenopathy at the level of aortic bifurcation and 2.5 × 2 cm
Insights into Oxidation Pathways, from Gaseous Products of Polypropylene with Selective Isotopic Labeling

Polymer degradation mechanisms are exceedingly complex, but their understanding is fundamental to improving material durability. We have initiated selective isotopic labeling as a means of tracking oxidation chemistry, and chose polypropylene (PP) to test this approach, since it has a simple structure (three unique carbon sites along the chain), and is of commercial importance. There has in fact been much interest in the stability of PP, and many prior studies have contributed to the ongoing development of understanding its degradation processes. In recent work, we applied ^(13)C NMR to examine the solid-phase oxidation products of isotopically labeled PP; in this Communication, we begin identifying the volatile products.
Supercomputers and distributed computing

Multiprocessor supercomputers and distributed systems share many common properties in a logical sense. The physical implementation of these systems may be quite different, particularly with respect to timing considerations. Some of the recent work on supercomputer hardware and software may be of use in the distributed processing community. We discuss some aspects of how to relate program and data structures to architectural models.
Idiom recognition framework using topological embedding

Modern processors support hardware-assist instructions (such as TRT and TROT instructions on the IBM System z) to accelerate certain functions such as delimiter search and character conversion. Such special instructions are often used in high-performance libraries, but their exploitation in optimizing compilers has been limited. We devised a new idiom recognition technique based on a topological embedding algorithm to detect idiom patterns in the input programs more aggressively than in previous approaches using exact pattern matching. Our approach can detect a pattern even if the code segment does not exactly match the idiom. For example, we can detect a code segment that includes additional code within the idiom pattern. We also propose an instruction simplification for the idiom recognition. This optimization analyzes all of the usages of the output of the optimized code for a specific idiom. If we find that we do not need an actual value for the output but only a value in a subrange, then we can assign a value in that subrange as the output. The code generation can generate faster code with this optimization. We implemented our new idiom recognition approach based on the Java Just-In-Time (JIT) compiler that is part of the J9 Java Virtual Machine, and we supported several important idioms for the special hardware-assist instructions on the IBM System z and on some models of the IBM System p. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our technique, we performed two experiments. The first experiment was to see how many more patterns we can detect compared to the previous approach. The second experiment measured the performance improvements over the previous approaches. For the first experiment, we used the Java Compatibility Kit (JCK) API tests. For the second experiment we used the IBM XML parser, SPECjvm98, and SPCjbb2000. In summary, relative to a baseline implementation using exact pattern matching, our algorithm converted 76p more loops in JCK tests. On a z9, we also observed significant average performance improvement of the XML parser by 54p, of SPECjvm98 by 1.9p, and of SPECjbb2000 by 4.4p. Finally, we observed that the JIT compilation time increased by only 0.32p to 0.44p.
RGC-32 Increases p34CDC2 Kinase Activity and Entry of Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells into S-phase

Proliferation of aortic smooth muscle cells contributes to atherogenesis and neointima formation. Sublytic activation of complement, particularly C5b-9, induces cell cycle progression in aortic smooth muscle cells. RGC-32 is a novel protein that may promote cell cycle progression in response to complement activation. We cloned human RGC-32 cDNA from a human fetal brain cDNA library. The human RGC-32cDNA encodes a 117-amino acid protein with 92% similarity to the rat and mouse protein. Human RGC-32 maps to chromosome 13 and is expressed in most tissues. Sublytic complement activation enhanced RGC-32 mRNA expression in human aortic smooth muscle cells and induced nuclear translocation of the protein. RGC-32 was physically associated with cyclin-dependent kinase p34CDC2 and increased the kinase activity in vivo and in vitro. In addition, RGC-32 was phosphorylated by p34CDC2-cyclin B1 in vitro.Mutation of RGC-32 protein at Thr-91 prevented the p34CDC2-mediated phosphorylation and resulted in loss of p34CDC2 kinase enhancing activity. Overexpression of RGC-32 induced quiescent aortic smooth muscle cells to enter S-phase. These data indicate that cell cycle activation by C5b-9 may involve p34CDC2 activity through RGC-32. RGC-32 appears to be a cell cycle regulatory factor that mediates cell proliferation, both as an activator and substrate of p34CDC2.
Challenges and opportunities in data mining contact lists for inferring relationships

The smartphone contact list has the potential to be a valuable source of data about personal relationships. To understand how we might data mine the information that people store in their contact lists, we collected the contact lists of 54 participants. Initially we found that the majority of contact list features were unused. However, a further examination of the "name" field revealed a broad variety of contact-naming behaviors. We observed contact "name" fields that included affiliations, relationship role labels, multiple names, phone types, and references to companies/services/places. People's appropriation and usage of contact lists have implications for automated attempts to merge or mine contact lists that assume people use the features and structure of the contact list tool as intended. They also offer new opportunities for data mining to better describe relationships between users and their contacts.
Characterization of the major mRNAs from adenovirus 2 early region 4 by cDNA cloning and sequencing

Abstract The sequences at the splice junctions of many early region 4 (E4) mRNAs from adenovirus 2 (Ad2) were determined by analysis of cDNA clones. The cDNAs were synthesized from poly(A)+ mRNA isolated from HeLa cells early during Ad2 infection. A standard library was constructed, in pBR322, from double stranded cDNAs initiated by oligo-dT priming. Approximately 1% of total recombinants contained E4 sequences, however among eighty clones analyzed in detail, only four contained the 5' leader sequence. A second library was prepared using a new method that led to a greatly increased representation of desired clones. This method employed oligo-dT to prime the synthesis of the first strand and an oligonucleotide ligated to pBR322, whose sequence was present in the 5' leader, to prime the synthesis of the second strand. With this method the percentage of recombinants containing E4 sequences ranged between 15 and 50% of the total colonies. Virtually all of these E4 cDNA clones contained the 5' leader sequence and several hundred were analyzed by comparing the results from single channel dideoxy sequencing reactions. Nine unique sequence patterns were identified and representative clones were completely sequenced.
Luminescent manipulation of sunlight for photovoltaics and biofuels

We explore opportunities to improve luminescent solar concentrators and diversify their application for photovoltaics and biofuels by photonically controlling the luminescent etendue in conjunction with nonimaging optical concentration.
Targeted disruption of the murine erythroid band 3 gene results in spherocytosis and severe haemolytic anaemia despite a normal membrane skeleton

Band 3 is the most abundant integral protein of the red blood cell membrane. It performs two critical biological functions: maintaining ionic homeostasis, by transporting Cl- and HCO3-ions, and providing mechanical stability to the erythroid membrane. Erythroid band 3 (AE1) is one of three anion exchangers that are encoded by separate genes. The AE1 gene is transcribed by two promoters: the upstream promoter produces erythroid band 3, whereas the downstream promoter initiates transcription of the band 3 isoform in kidney. To assess the biological consequences of band 3 deficiency, we have selectively inactivated erythroid but not kidney band 3 by gene targeting in mice. Although no death in utero occurred, the majority of homozygous mice die within two weeks after birth. The erythroid band 3 null mice show retarded growth, spherocytic red blood cell morphology and severe haemolytic anaemia. Remarkably, the band 3-/- red blood cells assembled normal membrane skeleton thus challenging the notion that the presence of band 3 is required for the stable biogenesis of membrane skeleton. The availability of band 3-/- mice offers a unique opportunity to investigate the role of erythroid band 3 in the regulation of membrane-skeletal interactions, anion transport and the invasion and growth of malaria parasite into red blood cells.
Performance evaluation and control of modular multilevel converter under system fault conditions

For industrial applications requiring medium and high-power supplies modular multilevel converter (MMC) based voltage source converters (VSC) offer advantages over traditional VSCs. These include achievement of higher voltage levels with utilization of lower voltage power semiconductor devices. The control structure of MMC for fault operating condition is proposed in this paper, and dynamic performance of the MMC based on the proposed control structures is further investigated in PSCAD/EMTDC environment. Real Time Digital Simulator (RTDS) results are also presented to verify the controller performance under normal and fault operating conditions.
Mesozoic Mammals from Arizona: New Evidence on Mammalian Evolution

Knowledge of early mammalian evolution has been based on Old World Late Triassic-Early Jurassic faunas. The discovery of mammalian fossils of approximately equivalent age in the Kayenta Formation of northeastern Arizona gives evidence of greater diversity than known previously. A new taxon documents the development of an angular region of the jaw as a neomorphic process, and represents an intermediate stage in the origin of mammalian jaw musculature.
Procedural modeling of urban land use

Cities are widely used as content in digital productions, and their complexity makes them very difficult for artists to model. The few tools that help artists in this work do not model land use, meaning artists must arrange the buildings in the cities they create manually. We describe a method for procedurally generating typical patterns of urban land use using agent-based simulation. Given a terrain description, our system returns a map of residential, commercial, industrial, recreational park and road land uses, including age and density of development. Artists can interact with the map via a painting interface to establish global developmental behavior, guide local development trends, or directly set desired land use. Our results conform to modern patterns of land use, but each generated city is unique. CR Categories: I.6.5 [Computing Methodologies]: Simulation and Modeling — Model Development; I.3.5 [Computing Methodologies]: Computer Graphics — Computational Geometry Figure 1: Vectorized output from our procedural city model at a three-mile width, showing residential (yellow), commercial (red), industrial (blue) and park (light green) development. The artist has painted ―honey‖ near the bay to create an unusually dense commercial zone, and left parcel boundaries quite loose. Note the neighborhoods with differing road layouts.
Contributions of the Combined Effects of Topoisomerase Mutations toward Fluoroquinolone Resistance in Escherichia coli

In defined, isogenic strains, at least three mutations, two of which must be in gyrA, were required to exceed the CLSI breakpoint for fluoroquinolone resistance. Strains with double mutations in both gyrA and parC had even higher MICs of fluoroquinolones than strains with totals of three mutations.
Nanotechnology Commercialization and Research in USA : Two Case Studies

Undoubtedly, nanotechnology has the potential to impact numerous facets of human life andsociety. Thus, the case for expeditious commercialization of this technology is strong. However,several factors, such as long time between nanotechnology research and development ofcommercial products, large capital investment needed for a viable commercial venture, andfinancial/operational risks associated with commercial applications of nanotechnology, havebeen an obstacle in the way of rapid adoption of this technology in the commercial domain.Substantial government funding and involvement of academic institutions and researchlaboratories are viewed as an effective response to these barriers. In USA, two progressiveinstitutions of higher learning, The Pennsylvania State University and The University at Albanyin New York state, have made very significant contributions in the domain of nanotechnologycommercialization. This has been accomplished through education/training initiatives forworkforce development, and through partnerships with large and small industrial organizationsfor conducting R & D, and commercialization programs. In this manuscript, the two leadingconsortia involving these universities, namely Albany Nanotech/ Tech Valley and Nanofabare described as role models for other educational institutions that are interested in conductingnontechnology R & D and commercialization projects.
Intelligence, Democratic Accountability, and the Media in France

This article examines the relationship between the media, the government, and its intelligence apparatus in contemporary France. In a country characterized by a traditionally strong state, the relationship between intelligence and the media has often been tense. The recent affaire des fadettes—in which the Central Directorate for Domestic Intelligence tapped a journalist’s phone to trace the source of an unauthorized disclosure of government information—epitomizes the precarious position of the press in France. Following recent reforms, the French system of intelligence accountability would benefit from a more collaborative relationship between the institutions of government and the media.
Deployment Dynamics of a Rolled Micro Air Vehicle Wing

In this study the structural deployment dynamics of a rollable micro air vehicle wing are investigated. The wing is composed of a single layer of woven, carbon-fiber composite and behaves like a tape-spring, remaining stiff in one direction (lift) while rolling easily in the other for storage. A finite element model is developed and evaluated for its comparison to an experimental model. A vacuum chamber is used to eliminate fluid effects on the structural deployment dynamics, which are recorded using a high-speed video camera. Modal testing and finite element updating are used to estimate unknown composite material properties for the analysis. A laser vibrometer is used to record wing mode shapes, and they are found to agree well with fitted mode shapes and their frequencies from the updated Abaqus finite element model. A wing deployment is simulated in Abaqus and compared with experimental deployments, and the time history displacements matched well. The deployment is found to be sensitive to the wing mo...
Paint adhesion, corrosion protection, and interfacial chemistry

Abstract Maintenance of adhesion under environmental exposure is a key performance parameter used to evaluate the protective capability of corrosion-protective paint systems. Interfacial chemical reactions involved in the establishment of paint adhesion, in the suppression of corrosion processes, and in the degradation and loss of paint adhesion have been extensively studied using modern surface analytical techniques. This paper reviews some of the phenomenological and mechanistic conclusions obtained from surface analytical studies. The chemistry of the interface, and the composition of the paint resin, play especially important roles in the initial stages of corrosion-induced paint adhesion loss. Physical degradation processes and their interaction with interfacial chemical processes need to be considered in evaluating the long-term durability of corrosion protective paint systems. Research needs related to paint adhesion, interfacial chemistry, and mechanisms of adhesion loss are discussed.