cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of renal fellowship training for subsequent clinical practice.

To assess whether nephrologists perceive disparities between the skills learned during fellowship training and those necessary for clinical subspecialty practice, we surveyed the perception of board-certified American nephrologists regarding the effectiveness of their clinical training. A questionnaire was sent to all Diplomates of the American Board of Internal Medicine in the subspecialty of Nephrology who successfully passed the qualifying examination in 1974, 1980, and 1986, regarding the effectiveness of academic instruction within the clinical fellowship program as regards traditional academic subject matter, patient management, performance of procedures, and interpretation of laboratory data. Questionnaires were returned by 42.1%. Although respondents were generally satisfied with training in academic nephrologic subject matter, dissatisfaction with training in pediatric nephrology, transplant immunology, nephrolithiasis, nutrition, and renal function and disease in pregnancy was evident. Training was thought to be ineffective in theoretical and practical aspects of management of end-stage renal disease. In addition, respondents were dissatisfied with the effectiveness of their training in interpretation of radiologic tests and procedures such as gaining access to the circulation. More recently trained nephrologists were dissatisfied with training in outpatient management and interpretation of radiographic tests. Differences between perceptions of older and younger nephrologists were most marked regarding their preparation for gaining access to the circulation, interpretation of intravenous pyelography, and training for continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). To prepare fellows in training for the exigencies of clinical practice, Nephrology training programs will have to emphasize the teaching of the cognitive and manual bases of performing procedures, and provide more outpatient experience for trainees. We suggest that rapid changes in renal replacement therapeutics necessitate ongoing programs for updating established practioners in evolving technologies.
R(sub nu)-dependent optical and near-ultraviolet extinction

We have derived extinctions A(lambda)/A(V) at the wavelengths of the uvby filters for 22 stars, with a range of values of R(sub nu), from the sample of Cardelli, Clayton, & Mathis (1989, hereafter CCM). We have fit these extinctions, and also UBVRIJHKL, IUE and ANS extinction measurements, with linear relations A(lambda)/A/(V) = a+b/R(sub nu) and fit a and b as a function of x(=1/lambda) with polynomials to obtain an R(sub nu)-dependent mean extinction law (A(x)/A(V) = a(x) + b(x)/R(sub nu))in the optical and near-ultraviolet (1.1/micrometer less than or equal to 3.3/micrometer). This law is virtually identical to the CCM extinction law for large values of R(sub nu)(R(sub nu) approximately 5) but is slightly lower in the near-ultraviolet for smaller R(sub nu) (R(sub nu) approximately 3). The extinction law presented here agrees much better with a high-resolution extinction curve for the diffuse interstellar medium (R(sub nu) approximately 3.1), presented by Bastiaansen (1992), than CCM. The deviations of individual extinction curves from the mean are dominated by observational errors. The wavelength resolution of this work is not high enough to show evidence for or against the existence of very broad structure in optical extinction curves.
Effects of Disease, Nitrogen Source, and Risk on Optimal Nitrogen Fertilization Timing in Winter Wheat Production

Nitrogen source and timing can interact with glume blotch (Stagonospora nodorum) and take-all root rot (Gaeumannomyces graminis var. trittici) to affect risk in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production. The objectives of this research were to evaluate the effects of N source, N timing, and disease severity on expected yield and risk and to evaluate the risk-return trade-offs between N sources for farmers with different risk preferences. A Just-Pope model was used to estimate separate mean yield and yield variance (risk) effects in evaluating the N timing decision. Wheat yields for 1998 through 2000 were obtained from an experiment on Collins silt loam (coarse-silty, mixed, active, acid, thermic Aquic Udifluvents). The experimental design was a split plot with five replications. Main plots were fertilized on 15 February, 1 March, 15 March, 1 April, and 15 April. The N sources and fertilization rate were ammonium nitrate (AN) and urea ammonium nitrate (UAN), both applied at 101 kg N ha -1 . Glume blotch occurred in 1998, and take-all occurred in 2000. Nitrogen timing, glume blotch severity, and take-all severity significantly increased risk for AN but not for UAN. Nevertheless, at average disease ratings, fertilization with AN on 8 March was the utility-maximizing N source and date regardless of risk preferences. The finding that AN was the optimal N source is worth $40.74 ha -1 to net-return-maximizing wheat farmers who fertilize with AN instead of UAN. With take-all severity at its higher 2000 level, risk increased for AN relative to UAN, but the net-return advantage of AN was still positive at $26.41 ha -1 .
The monosodium iodoacetate model of osteoarthritis: a model of chronic nociceptive pain in rats?

Abstract Osteoarthritis (OA) is a widespread condition affecting the elderly population. One of the most prominent features but least studied symptoms is chronic pain associated with OA. The study objective was to determine pain endpoints in rats with monosodium iodoacetate (MIA) induced OA, and to investigate the efficacy of common nociceptive agents. Sprague–Dawley rats received an intraarticular injection of either 25 μl 80 mg/ml MIA or 25 μl 0.9% sterile saline into the right knee joint. Changes in von Frey thresholds and latencies to stroking with a cotton bud (punctate and dynamic allodynia, respectively) were measured pre- and for up to 10 weeks post-intraarticular injection. Changes in hind paw weight distribution were also determined. Both punctate allodynia and a weight bearing deficit were observed in MIA-treated rats for up to 10 weeks. Interestingly, dynamic allodynia was not detected at any time point tested. Morphine (0.3–3 mg/kg, s.c.) and tramadol (3–100 mg/kg, p.o.) dose-dependently inhibited punctate allodynia and partially reversed weight bearing deficit. In conclusion, the MIA model of OA is reproducible and mimics OA pain in humans. Analgesic drug studies indicate this model may be useful for investigating chronic nociceptive pain.
Finding lost wrenches: Using continuum robots for contact detection and estimation of contact location

This paper presents a novel modeling framework for contact detection and estimation of contact location on multi-backbone continuum robots. The paper presents modified kinematics for constrained continuum robots and introduces the concept of Fixed Centrode Deviation (FCD) for continuum robots. It is shown that the change in fixed centrode locus may be used for detection of contact and for contact location estimation. An alternative method for contact detection using Joint Force Deviation (JFD) is investigated and a lower bound for contact detectability is derived while considering uncertainties in joint forces. An estimation framework for the location of contact is presented based on FCD and the constrained kinematics Jacobian of the continuum robot. These methods are validated by simulation and experiments. This framework may be used for enhancing the safety of robotic surgical slaves and for exploration of unknown environments such as in scenarios of search and rescue.
Antisymmetric tensors and spontaneous symmetry breaking

Abstract The action for an antisymmetric tensor interacting with a massive Higgs field is derived via a Legendre transformation on the abelian Higgs model. It is shown that vortices in the abelian Higgs model have equivalent representations in terms of the antisymmetric tensor, and in the limit of very thin vortices we obtain the Kalb-Ramond action for fundamental strings. The system described here has applications to superfluid helium and axion cosmology.
A Diminutive New Tyrannosaur from the Top of the World

Tyrannosaurid theropods were dominant terrestrial predators in Asia and western North America during the last of the Cretaceous. The known diversity of the group has dramatically increased in recent years with new finds, but overall understanding of tyrannosaurid ecology and evolution is based almost entirely on fossils from latitudes at or below southern Canada and central Asia. Remains of a new, relatively small tyrannosaurine were recovered from the earliest Late Maastrichtian (70-69Ma) of the Prince Creek Formation on Alaska's North Slope. Cladistic analyses show the material represents a new tyrannosaurine species closely related to the highly derived Tarbosaurus+Tyrannosaurus clade. The new taxon inhabited a seasonally extreme high-latitude continental environment on the northernmost edge of Cretaceous North America. The discovery of the new form provides new insights into tyrannosaurid adaptability, and evolution in an ancient greenhouse Arctic.
Recent diagonostic results for the steady state - DC atmospheric pressure plasma discharge

Summary form only given. We have made the following advances for our DC, steady state atmospheric pressure plasma discharge in air. We have measured the free electron concentration in our discharge by converting the 1/2 cm. gap, parallel-plate discharge into a parallel-plate transmission line. The frequency used was 6 GHz, corresponding to a free-space wavelength of 15 cm. The path length for the microwaves in the plasma was about 15 cm. The discharge was pulsed to high current (about 50 mA) using a capacitor bank and a spark gap. Under these conditions, a collisional attenuation of 20% was observed, yielding a free electron concentration of about 1 exp 12 electrons per cc. Extrapolating to the usual steady-state discharge operating conditions of 10 mA, we conclude that the normal operating free electron density is about 2 exp 11 electrons per cc, agreeing with earlier probe estimates. Note that at atmospheric pressure and the frequency used, the plasma is resistive, not reactive. We note that the attenuation decays in time on the order of 10 microseconds after each pulse. We attribute this decay of the attenuation to the recombination of the free electrons to form negative ions. Previous probe experiments reveal negative-positive ion plasma of 1 exp 12 ions per cc. We have replaced the water in our water-loaded conducting ceramic electrode with a 30% hydrogen peroxide solution. The net result is that a multisecond second exposure completely eliminates all E-coli bacteria on our test Petri dishes, although we have increased the initial bacteria concentration by a factor of one million (over one hundred million initial bacteria per plate). We have found that the sterilizing effect penetrates through normally sealed mailing envelopes. In conclusion, we have found that the free electron density in DC atmospheric pressure air plasma can be measured easily using a transmission line technique. Also using hydrogen peroxide instead of water in the moistened ceramic electrode can enhance the sterilizing effect of the DC atmospheric pressure discharge
Synthesis of a Mevinic Acid Lactone Precursor

Abstract A synthesis of (S)-l-phenyl-2-(tert-butyldiphenylsilyloxy)ethyl (2R, 4R. 6S 4-tert-butyldiphenylsilyloxy-6-hydroxymethyl-3, 4, 5, 6-tetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yl ether, a potentially valuable precursor to the mevinic acid lactone, is described. The synthesis begins with commercially available racemic sodio-3, 4-dihydro-2H-pyran-2-carboxylate and utilizes a chromatographic resolution of diastereomeric (S)-methyl mandelyl; pyranosides and a directed epoxidation. The overall yield, 21% over 10 steps. is competitive with routes from carbohydrates to comparable mevinic acid lactone precursors.
Normative implications of the relationship between reading vocabulary and Boston naming test performance

Abstract The 60-item Boston Naming Test (BNT) was published in 1983 with norms described as provisional. One recent finding (Thompson & Heaton, 1989) suggests that verbal intelligence, and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WA1S)—Revised Vocabulary subtest, in particular, is strongly correlated with BNT performance, and that education is moderately so. High false-positive rates for naming deficit may conceivably result from the application of the published norms with subjects of lower verbal abilities or limited educational backgrounds. To further explore the relationship of naming to other verbal abilities, analyses were undertaken of the correlations between Level 7–9 Gates-MacGinite Reading Vocabulary Test (G-MRVT) and BNT data from 97 schizophrenic, bipolar, and normal subjects. Reading vocabulary is strongly correlated with BNT performance, and the nature of this relationship is essentially the same across the three diagnostic groups. Application of the published norms would have resulted in a high falsepositive rate for naming deficit in all groups among subjects with reading vocabularies equivalent to twelfth grade or less. As a word-recognition based reading exercise, the G-MRVT is likely to provide a brain-compromise-resistant index against which the adequacy of naming performances can be assessed. Accordingly, G-MRVT based BNT performance expectation guidelines are presented for use as a complement to the published norms. Other implications are discussed.
Prestige or Socioeconomic Scales in the Study of Occupational Achievement

Current research on status attainment usually employs either a scale of prestige or of socioeconomic status to rank order occupation titles. Consistently, in the United States (and in limited international comparisons), correlations among variables in basic stratification models which rest upon data in the metric of socioeconomic status are higher than those reflecting occupational prestige. Earlier work advanced a substantive argument for this outcome to the effect that occupational stratification is fundamentally socioeconomic and not prestige mobility. Here we underscore the substantive argument by ruling out two artifactual explanations for these higher correlations. Neither the differential metric properties of the two scales (e.g., the longer "tails" of the Duncan Socioeconomic Index than the NORC prestige scale) nor the component properties of the Duncan scale account for these correlational differences.
Outcomes of Adults with Pediatric Onset Spinal Cord Injury

A major aim of caring for children with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) is to create a productive and satisfying life during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. It is therefore critical to delineate long-term outcomes of adults who sustained their SCI during childhood. Additionally, it is important to assess the stability of long-term outcomes and to determine factors that significantly impact key adult outcomes, such as financial independence, community integration, employment, independent living, medical complications, and life satisfaction. This knowledge should help guide the rehabilitative efforts of pediatric SCI programs to maximize long-term adult outcomes.
A visual beat detection system for grid-based interactive percussion and synchronization

This document introduces a conceptually novel, simple and ordinarily robust computer-vision-based method of extracting musical beats from regular physical gestures of a performer, implemented in VisiBeat: a grid-based percussion system on the Max/MSP/Jitter platform for collaborative interactive music.
Phenol Tolerance in Populations of Mosquitofish from Polluted and Nonpolluted Waters

Abstract The phenol tolerances of three Alabama populations of mosquitofish Gambusia affinis were compared; two populations lived in industrially polluted streams and one in a nonpolluted lake. In 48-hour static tests, the median lethal concentration (LC50) of phenol was significantly higher for mosquitofish from a stream that received coke-treatment wastewater from a steel plant than for the other two populations. Especially at low phenol concentrations, most mortality occurred during the first few hours of exposure, indicating that some individuals were much more susceptible to phenol than others. Eight-hour assays of fish from the lake and the most polluted stream confirmed the presence of distinctly phenol-resistant and phenol-susceptible groups of fish. The differences in LC50 values for these two populations reflect differing proportions of resistant individuals. Resistant fish made up 67–80% of the polluted-stream population with the high LC50 and only 23–27% of the nonpolluted-lake population. Rep...
The Roles of the RIIβ Linker and N-terminal Cyclic Nucleotide-binding Domain in Determining the Unique Structures of the Type IIβ Protein Kinase A A SMALL ANGLE X-RAY AND NEUTRON SCATTERING STUDY

Protein kinase A (PKA) is ubiquitously expressed and is responsible for regulating many important cellular functions in response to changes in intracellular cAMP concentrations. The PKA holoenzyme is a tetramer (R2:C2), with a regulatory subunit homodimer (R2) that binds and inhibits two catalytic (C) subunits; binding of cAMP to the regulatory subunit homodimer causes activation of the catalytic subunits. Four different R subunit isoforms exist in mammalian cells, and these confer different structural features, subcellular localization, and biochemical properties upon the PKA holoenzymes they form. The holoenzyme containing RIIβ is structurally unique in that the type IIβ holoenzyme is much more compact than the free RIIβ homodimer. We have used small angle x-ray scattering and small angle neutron scattering to study the solution structure and subunit organization of a holoenzyme containing an RIIβ C-terminal deletion mutant (RIIβ(1–280)), which is missing the C-terminal cAMP-binding domain to better understand the structural organization of the type IIβ holoenzyme and the RIIβ domains that contribute to stabilizing the holoenzyme conformation. Our results demonstrate that compaction of the type IIβ holoenzyme does not require the C-terminal cAMP-binding domain but rather involves large structural rearrangements within the linker and N-terminal cyclic nucleotide-binding domain of the RIIβ homodimer. The structural rearrangements are significantly greater than seen previously with RIIα and are likely to be important in mediating short range and long range interdomain and intersubunit interactions that uniquely regulate the activity of the type IIβ isoform of PKA.
A Mechanical Explanation for Cytoskeletal Rings and Helices in Bacteria

Several bacterial proteins have been shown to polymerize into coils or rings on cell membranes. These include the cytoskeletal proteins MreB, FtsZ, and MinD, which together with other cell components make up what is being called the bacterial cytoskeleton. We believe that these shapes arise, at least in part, from the interaction of the inherent mechanical properties of the protein polymers and the constraints imposed by the curved cell membrane. This hypothesis, presented as a simple mechanical model, was tested with numerical energy-minimization methods from which we found that there are five low-energy polymer morphologies on a rod-shaped membrane: rings, lines, helices, loops, and polar-targeted circles. Analytic theory was used to understand the possible structures and to create phase diagrams that show which parameter combinations lead to which structures. Inverting the results, it is possible to infer the effective mechanical bending parameters of protein polymers from fluorescence images of their shapes. This theory also provides a plausible explanation for the morphological changes exhibited by the Z ring in a sporulating Bacillus subtilis; is used to calculate the mechanical force exerted on a cell membrane by a polymer; and allows predictions of polymer shapes in mutant cells.
Reptilian dorsal column nucleus lacks GAD immunoreactive neurons.

Brains of reptiles, Caiman crocodilus, were processed by standard immunocytochemical methodology using a polyclonai antibody to glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) as well as several monoclonal antibodies to GAD. No neurons immunoreactive for GAD, GAD(+), were observed in the dorsal column nucleus, although GAD(+) puncta were seen. These findings suggest that in Caiman, the dorsal column nucleus, like the dorsal thalamus, lacks local circuit neurons.
Reliability of a Computerized Neurocognitive Test in Baseline Concussion Testing of High School Athletes

OBJECTIVE:: Baseline assessments using computerized neurocognitive tests are frequently used in the management of sport-related concussions. Such testing is often done on an annual basis in a community setting. Reliability is a fundamental test characteristic that should be established for such tests. Our study examined the test-retest reliability of a computerized neurocognitive test in high school athletes over 1 year. DESIGN:: Repeated measures design. SETTING:: Two American high schools. PARTICIPANTS:: High school athletes (N = 117) participating in American football or soccer during the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 academic years. INTERVENTIONS:: All study participants completed 2 baseline computerized neurocognitive tests taken 1 year apart at their respective schools. The test measures performance on 4 cognitive tasks: identification speed (Attention), detection speed (Processing Speed), one card learning accuracy (Learning), and one back speed (Working Memory). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:: Reliability was assessed by measuring the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) between the repeated measures of the 4 cognitive tasks. Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients were calculated as a secondary outcome measure. RESULTS:: The measure for identification speed performed best (ICC = 0.672; 95% confidence interval, 0.559-0.760) and the measure for one card learning accuracy performed worst (ICC = 0.401; 95% confidence interval, 0.237-0.542). All tests had marginal or low reliability. CONCLUSIONS:: In a population of high school athletes, computerized neurocognitive testing performed in a community setting demonstrated low to marginal test-retest reliability on baseline assessments 1 year apart. Further investigation should focus on (1) improving the reliability of individual tasks tested, (2) controlling for external factors that might affect test performance, and (3) identifying the ideal time interval to repeat baseline testing in high school athletes. CLINICAL RELEVANCE:: Computerized neurocognitive tests are used frequently in high school athletes, often within a model of baseline testing of asymptomatic individuals before the start of a sporting season. This study adds to the evidence that suggests in this population such testing may lack sufficient reliability to support clinical decision making. Language: en
Spectral sensitivity of the foveal cone photopigments between 400 and 500 nm

Abstract A comparison was made between the shape of the iodopsin absorption spectrum calculated for appropriate optical density to (1) a set of Konig-type fundamentals in which the tritanopic copunctal point was set on the alychne and (2) data obtained from red-green dichromats using high intensity heterochromatic flicker procedures which eliminated participation by the short-wavelength sensitive mechanism. The transformation of normal color mixture data resulted in two fundamentals which gave a reasonable prediction of the tritanopic coefficients. The dichromatic HFP data corrected individually to average macular pigment agreed with their respective fundamental above 430 nm. The HFP data and transformation were converted to a retinal level, quantized and plotted as a function of wavenumber. For the middle-wavelength-sensitive mechanism, the protanopic HFP data and its Konig-type fundamental agreed with the predicted absorption spectrum above 460 nm. The deviations below 460 nm had the shape of the lens absorbance curve. For the long-wavelength sensitive mechanism, the deuteranopic data and its Konig-type fundamental agreed with the predicted absorption spectrum above 520 nm. The deviations below 520 nm could not be fit solely by the lens absorbance factor used above, but needed in addition, added macular pigment of optical density at 460 nm of ca . 0.12. This result was checked by calculating predicted tritanopic coefficients for the two predicted absorption spectra, when the long-wavelength sensitive spectrum was screened by a slight amount (o.d. of 0.12 at 460 nm) of macular pigment. These predicted coefficients agreed with the Wright tritanopic coefficients. We conclude (a) that the shape of the iodopsin absorption spectrum provides a reasonable basis for computation of absorption spectra of the middleand long-wavelength sensitive cone pigments and (b) that long-wavelength sensitive cones of deuteranopes. tritanopes, and normal trichromats are subject to a selective screening filter of optical density at 460 nm of 0.12 and spectral shape similar to macular pigment.
INTERACTIVE ANALYSIS OF SPATIAL SUBSURFACE DATA USING GIS-BASED TOOL

Much of the spatial information that is an inherent part of geotechnical and geoenvironmental investigation programs has been underutilized due to the unavailability of analysis tools designed to take advantage of the spatial attributes of the information. This paper describes a system developed to provide a quantitative estimate of the adequacy of coordinate-based information used to make particular decisions, with particular emphasis on geotechnical and geoenvironmental site investigation information. The system was developed using a geographic information system (GIS) as a platform that was integrated with an existing commercial geostatistical software package to allow for more comprehensive analysis and optimization capabilities.
Electron Paramagnetic Resonance of Magnetically Dilute Cupric (3d9, 2D) Ion in Single Crystals of Zinc 3‐Pyridine Sulfonate

Single crystals of cupric 3‐pyridine sulfonate diluted in the diamagnetic zinc compound were prepared and observed for paramagnetic resonance. The symmetry of the magnetic complex is orthorhombic, with two of the g values only slightly different. The ground state of the ion is dz2 which exhibits practically no orbital angular momentum along z. An analysis of the cupric hyperfine structure at room temperature has been performed, arriving at a value of the polarization of the core in very good agreement with the theoretical estimate. No nitrogen superhyperfine structure is resolved at room temperature, although experiments at 77°K show conclusively interaction with two equivalent nitrogens, which is interpreted in detail.
EPIDERMAL GROWTH FACTOR AND PLATELET-DERIVED GROWTH FACTOR REGULATE THE ACTIVITY OF THE INSULIN-LIKE GROWTH FACTOR I GENE PROMOTER

The expression of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is regulated by hormones, oncogenes, and other growth factors, and is markedly decreased or even absent in senescent human diploid fibroblasts. In previous articles, we have reported that the SV40 large T antigen increases the production of IGF-I and that the expression of the IGF-I gene is negatively regulated by an E2F binding site in the IGF-I promoter. We have now investigated the activity of the IGF-I promoter, in response to stimulation of cells by either PDGF or EGF. Both growth factors stimulate the activity of the IGF-I promoter, indicating that they regulate the levels of expression of IGF-I. When the E2F binding sequence in the IGF-I promoter is mutated, the IGF-I promoter is constitutively active and no longer responds to the action of growth factors.
A Moonlighting Enzyme Links Escherichia coli Cell Size with Central Metabolism

Growth rate and nutrient availability are the primary determinants of size in single-celled organisms: rapidly growing Escherichia coli cells are more than twice as large as their slow growing counterparts. Here we report the identification of the glucosyltransferase OpgH as a nutrient-dependent regulator of E. coli cell size. During growth under nutrient-rich conditions, OpgH localizes to the nascent septal site, where it antagonizes assembly of the tubulin-like cell division protein FtsZ, delaying division and increasing cell size. Biochemical analysis is consistent with OpgH sequestering FtsZ from growing polymers. OpgH is functionally analogous to UgtP, a Bacillus subtilis glucosyltransferase that inhibits cell division in a growth rate-dependent fashion. In a striking example of convergent evolution, OpgH and UgtP share no homology, have distinct enzymatic activities, and appear to inhibit FtsZ assembly through different mechanisms. Comparative analysis of E. coli and B. subtilis reveals conserved aspects of growth rate regulation and cell size control that are likely to be broadly applicable. These include the conservation of uridine diphosphate glucose as a proxy for nutrient status and the use of moonlighting enzymes to couple growth rate-dependent phenomena to central metabolism.
Adjustment across Task in Maternal Scaffolding in Low-Income Latino Immigrant Families:

This study contrasts maternal adjustments in scaffolding in a school-like learning task and in a home-like learning task within one low-income Latino population. The authors observed 12 immigrant Latino mother-child dyads performing both school-like and home-like tasks. Quantitative and qualitative analyses showed that in the home-like task, mothers purposefully scaffolded their children’s learning, consistently and effectively adjusted their scaffolding to variation in task, demonstrated a greater range and variety of scaffolding strategies, and accomplished various scaffolding goals based on their social class and cultural blueprints. Implications for the integration of effective taskspecific maternal scaffolding into the design of intervention programs to support learning for immigrant Latino children are discussed.
Genetic counseling, activism and 'genotype-first' diagnosis of developmental disorders.

This paper presents a sociological examination of the role of genetic counselors as advocates, not only for patients and their families, but also for genetic conditions themselves. In becoming activists for new disorders, genetic counselors are helping to create new categories that will shape expectations and treatment regimens for both existing patients and those who are yet to be diagnosed. By virtue of their expertise and their position at the intersection of several key professions and constituencies, genetic counselors are likely to play a central role in the way the genetic testing technologies, and especially ‘genotype-first’ diagnosis, impacts the way we understand and categorize developmental difference. I outline some of the promises and dangers that this kind of activism holds for people with developmental disabilities, and particularly the challenge presented by systemic ascertainment bias in the face of genotype-phenotype uncertainty. I argue that new testing techniques like microarray analysis that do not need to be targeted on the basis of clinical presentation throw these challenges into sharp relief, and that the genetic counseling community should consider how to marry advocacy for new genetic conditions with an emphasis on the indeterminate developmental potential of every child.
Syntheses of the cylindrospermopsin alkaloids

Abstract An intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition has efficiently constructed the A-ring portions of the cylindrospermopsin alkaloids. A nitro-aldol addition of an elaborated nitroalkane to a pyrimidine aldehyde followed by an intramolecular reductive guanidinylation has enabled the syntheses of all three alkaloids in this family in 18–19 steps. We report the first asymmetric synthesis of cylindrospermopsin, unambiguously assigning its absolute configuration.
On production batches, transfer batches, and lead times

In this paper we extend a model proposed by Karmarkar for studying the relationship between batch sizes and production lead times. In our extended model we differentiate between production and transfer batches and examine the effect of having smaller transfer batches on lead times. The model is used to obtain optimal transfer batch sizes and determine their relationship to the size of production batches. Further extensions are made to include multiple machines and material-handling considerations and to evaluate their effect on batching decisions. Conditions under which either type of batching can be useful are identified and the corresponding optimal batch sizes are described.
Jews and the Imperial State: Identification Politics in Tsarist Russia

Eugene M. Avrutin, Jews and the Imperial State: Identification Politics in Tsarist Russia (2010), xi + 216 (Cornell University Press, Ithaca and London, $39.95). How did tsarist policies towards Je...
Carbon nanotube yarn strain sensors

Carbon nanotube (CNT) based sensors are often fabricated by dispersing CNTs into different types of polymer. In this paper, a prototype carbon nanotube (CNT) yarn strain sensor with excellent repeatability and stability for in situ structural health monitoring was developed. The CNT yarn was spun directly from CNT arrays, and its electrical resistance increased linearly with tensile strain, making it an ideal strain sensor. It showed consistent piezoresistive behavior under repetitive straining and unloading, and good resistance stability at temperatures ranging from 77 to 373 K. The sensors can be easily embedded into composite structures with minimal invasiveness and weight penalty. We have also demonstrated their ability to monitor crack initiation and propagation.
Is the triple parameter hypothesis generalizable

A method for identifying values for a genetic algorithm's probability of crossover, mutation rate, and selection pressure that promote the evolution of better results in fewer generations has recently been proposed. This approach, termed the Triple Parameter Hypothesis (TPH), derives these values from schema theory. However, the experiments previously used to test the hypothesis used schema distances that were the extreme ends of the spectrum. In the work presented here, we evaluate the parameters predicted by the hypothesis in a series of maintenance scheduling experiments which use schema distances in between these extremes. Results show that evolutionary runs which use parameters that satisfy the hypothesis statistically significantly outperform runs that use parameters that do not satisfy the hypothesis.
Effect of Rarefaction, Dissipation, and Accommodation Coefficients on Heat Transfer in Microcylindrical Couette Flow

This paper examines the effects of rarefaction, dissipation, curvature, and accommodation coefficients on flow and heat transfer characteristics in rotating microdevices. The problem is modeled as a cylindrical Couette flow with a rotating shaft and stationary housing. The housing is maintained at uniform temperature while the rotating shaft is insulated. Thus, heat transfer is due to viscous dissipation only. An analytic solution is obtained for the temperature distribution in the gas filled concentric clearance between the rotating shaft and its stationary housing. The solution is valid in the slip flow and temperature jump domain defined by the Knudsen number range of 0.001 < Kn < 0.1. The important effect of the momentum accommodation coefficient on velocity reversal and its impact on heat transfer is determined. The Nusselt number was found to depend on four parameters: the momentum accommodation coefficient of the stationary surface σ uo , Knudsen number Kn, ratio of housing to shaft radius r o /r i , and the dimensionless group [γ/(γ+1)](2σ to -1)/(σ to Pr). Results indicate that curvature, Knudsen number, and the accommodation coefficients have significant effects on temperature distribution, heat transfer, and Nusselt number.
Recognition of facial emotions among maltreated children with high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study is to examine processing of facial emotions in a sample of maltreated children showing high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Maltreatment during childhood has been associated independently with both atypical processing of emotion and the development of PTSD. However, research has provided little evidence indicating how high rates of PTSD might relate to maltreated children's processing of emotions. Method Participants’ reaction time and labeling of emotions were measured using a morphed facial emotion identification task. Participants included a diverse sample of maltreated children with and without PTSD and controls ranging in age from 8 to 15 years. Maltreated children had been removed from their homes and placed in state custody following experiences of maltreatment. Diagnoses of PTSD and other disorders were determined through combination of parent, child, and teacher reports. Results Maltreated children displayed faster reaction times than controls when labeling emotional facial expressions, and this result was most pronounced for fearful faces. Relative to children who were not maltreated, maltreated children both with and without PTSD showed enhanced response times when identifying fearful faces. There was no group difference in labeling of emotions when identifying different facial emotions. Conclusions Maltreated children show heightened ability to identify fearful faces, evidenced by faster reaction times relative to controls. This association between maltreatment and atypical processing of emotion is independent of PTSD diagnosis.
Policy Choices for Medicaid and Medicare Waivers

This article reviews the authority and processes for issuing Medicare and Medicaid waivers, highlights waiver-based differences in states' home- and community-based (HCB) service systems, and critiques emerging efforts to capitate, integrate, and privatize the long-term care system. Potential pitfalls relate to payment rates, risk, service substitution, accountability, and drains on HCB infrastructure. Before merging HCB services into larger prepaid systems, policy makers are advised to examine implementation challenges, resist ad hoc fixes, clarify HCB entitlements, and strengthen current infrastructure.
Frailty, HIV infection, and mortality in an aging cohort of injection drug users.

Background Frailty is associated with morbidity and premature mortality among elderly HIV-uninfected adults, but the determinants and consequences of frailty in HIV-infected populations remain unclear. We evaluated the correlates of frailty, and the impact of frailty on mortality in a cohort of aging injection drug users (IDUs). Methods Frailty was assessed using standard criteria among HIV-infected and uninfected IDUs in 6-month intervals from 2005 to 2008. Generalized linear mixed-model analyses assessed correlates of frailty. Cox proportional hazards models estimated risk for all-cause mortality. Results Of 1230 participants at baseline, the median age was 48 years and 29% were HIV-infected; the frailty prevalence was 12.3%. In multivariable analysis of 3,365 frailty measures, HIV-infected IDUs had an increased likelihood of frailty (OR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.24–2.21) compared to HIV-uninfected IDUs; the association was strongest (OR, 2.37; 95% CI, 1.62–3.48) among HIV-infected IDUs with advanced HIV disease (CD4<350 cells/mm3 and detectable HIV RNA). No significant association was seen with less advanced disease. Sociodemographic factors, comorbidity, depressive symptoms, and prescription drug abuse were also independently associated with frailty. Mortality risk was increased with frailty alone (HR 2.63, 95% CI, 1.23–5.66), HIV infection alone (HR 3.29, 95% CI, 1.85–5.88), and being both HIV-infected and frail (HR, 7.06; 95%CI 3.49–14.3). Conclusion Frailty was strongly associated with advanced HIV disease, but IDUs with well-controlled HIV had a similar prevalence to HIV-uninfected IDUs. Frailty was independently associated with mortality, with a marked increase in mortality risk for IDUs with both frailty and HIV infection.
Estimation of correlated cochannel signals using the constant modulus array

The steady-state behavior of the cascade multistage constant modulus (CM) array is analyzed for correlated cochannel signals. It is demonstrated that the capture performance of the cascade system gradually deteriorates with increasing source cross-correlation. To overcome this loss, we consider using a parallel version of the multistage CM array that is appropriately initialized by a direction-finding algorithm. The proposed method of initialization is based on a single-stage CM array and a signal canceller adapted in tandem. Computer simulations are presented to illustrate the signal capture properties of the parallel multistage CM array.
Assessing the Effects of Multiple Rows on the Condition Number of a Matrix

Abstract Given a matrix X of n observations on k variables, it is known that the singular values of X can change substantially when few rows are omitted from X. Hadi (1988) shows that no general closed-form equation can relate the singular values of X to the singular values of X with one row deleted and gives closed-form approximations to the relationship between the singular values of the two matrices. In this article, we extend Hadi's results to the more general case of multiple-row deletion, carry out systematic numerical investigations to determine the goodness and the speed of the approximation, and give an example using real-life data to illustrate the usefulness of the results in diagnosing jointly influential observations in linear regression. The methods presented in this article deal with the computational as well as the data analytic aspects of problems arising in multivariate data analysis. These methods are applicable in situations where the eigenstructure of a matrix is of interest.
Effects of long‐term administration of N‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) derivatives in ovariectomized (OVX) mice

We studied the beneficial effects of dietary consumption of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and two selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) derivatives (SERM-I and SERM-II) and their combined effect on serum lipids, skin dermis and adipose layers, bone marrow adipogenesis, and cytokine secretion in mice. Two different ovariectomized (OVX) models were studied: treatment began immediately post-OVX in one and 3 months post-OVX in the other. Our results showed that n-3 PUFA and both SERMs decreased triglyceride levels in the serum, and that SERMs also decreased serum cholesterol levels while n-3 PUFA had no similar effect. SERMs had no effect on IL-6, IL-1 beta, or IL-10 levels, but they decreased ex vivo tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha). N-3 PUFA decreased secretion of non-induced IL-6 and TNF-alpha from cultured BMC and IL-1 beta levels in vivo (i.e., in bone marrow plasma), but its main effect was a significant elevation in the secretion of IL-10, a known anti-inflammatory cytokine. OVX-induced B-lymphopoiesis was not affected by LY-139481 (SERM-I) while LY-353381 (SERM-II) exhibited an estrogen-antagonistic effect in sham and OVX mice and elevated the amount of B-cells in bone marrow. Fish oil consumption prevented the elevation in B-lymphopoiesis caused by OVX, but had no curative effect on established augmented B-lymphopoiesis. This activity could be mediated via the elevation of IL-10 which was shown to suppress B-lymphopoiesis. Both SERMs and n-3 PUFA inhibited the increase in adipose tissue thickness caused by OVX in mice. Our results showed that n-3 PUFA, could prevent some of the deleterious outcomes of estrogen deficiency that were not affected by SERMs. We observed no significant beneficial effects of the combined administration of SERM-I, SERM-II, and PUFA on the studied parameters.The exact mechanism by which polyunsaturated fatty acids exert their activities is still not clear, but peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) might be involved in processes which are modulated by n-3 PUFA.
Applying Social Return on Investment to Risk-Based Transportation Asset Management Plans in Low-Volume Bridges

State departments of transportation implement risk-based transportation asset management systems to standardize risk-oriented procedures and to help decision makers allocate available funds. These procedures can help agencies effectively allocate funding to repair, replace, or maintain their assets in a way that provides the highest overall value to all stakeholders. Because reliable tools with which to measure and compare the socioeconomic impact of distribution of bridge maintenance funds are lacking, decisions are driven by annual average daily traffic (AADT) and the experience of decision makers. Although AADT measures the number of users that would benefit if funding were allocated for a given bridge project, it fails to account for the impact that a given bridge has on the state’s or region’s economic growth. A reliance on AADT puts low-volume bridges on farm-to-market roads at a disadvantage in competition for scarce funding, as shown by the many structurally deficient low-volume bridges located in...
Emergence and virulence of encephalitogenic arboviruses

Each arbovirus that causes encephalitis is geographically restricted by the availability of appropriate vectors and reservoir hosts. These viruses evolve regionally by recombination, reassortment and point mutation and can “emerge” as cau ses of human encephalitis through extension to new geographic region s or by selection of more virulent or more efficiently transmitted virus variants. The properties of arboviruses that result in encephalitis involve efficient replication in peripheral tissues after initiation of infection, production of a viremia, entry into the central nervous system and efficient replication in neurons with spread to additional populations of neurons. Many of these step s are determined by properties of the envelope glycoproteins responsible for cellular attachment, but changes in noncoding regions of the genome, as well as in other structural and nonstructural proteins, also contribute to neurovirulence.
Study of factors limiting ESD diode performance in 90nm CMOS technologies and beyond

The on-resistance and failure current of electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection diodes in 90 nm and 65 nm bulk CMOS technologies is determined largely by the resistance and failure of metal lines, contacts or vias. With design optimization, P/sup +//N-well ESD diodes fabricated in a 90 nm bulk CMOS technology achieved a forward voltage drop of 1.66 V at 2 A, an on-resistance of 0.27 /spl Omega/ and a 100 ns TLP failure current greater than 5 A with a junction capacitance of only 125 fF, area of 330 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ and anode perimeter of 300 /spl mu/m.
SIMULATION OF REVERSE OSMOSIS PROCESSES CONCENTRATING INDUSTRIAL WASTES

Abstract The process parameters of a reverse osmosis system concentrating industrial wastewater in a closed‐loop operation have been studied. The model describes system solute concentration as a function of operating time and can be used to predict separation efficiency and permeate flux. The model uses seven parameters that are obtained from membrane and solution data. Simulation of a simple salt system was compared to the experimental data of an inorganic chemical effluent composed of typical plating metals. The results indicate variance from predicted mass transfer and overall membrane performance. The model is useful in predicting performance when membrane fouling is not a major problem.
RECENT PROGRESS ON D SEMILEPTONIC DECAYS FROM LATTICE QCD

This is a brief review of recent lattice calculations of D semileptonic decays. This presentation includes only calculations that do not use the quenched approximation. A new state-of-the-art calculation from the HPQCD collaboration is discussed and compared with other calculations and experimental measurements.