cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Social disparities in women's health service use in the United States: a population-based analysis

Abstract Purpose Poor and disparate reproductive health outcomes in the United States may be related to inadequate and differential receipt of women's health care. We investigated trends in and determinants of adult U.S. women's health service use, 2006–2010. Methods We analyzed population data from 7897 women aged 25–44 years in the National Survey of Family Growth from 2006 to 2010 using multivariable logistic regression. Results Women's health service use in the past year was reported by 74% of the sample. Among noninfertile, sexually active women, 47% used contraceptive services; fewer used pregnancy (21%) and sexually transmitted infection (14%) services. In multivariable models, the odds of service use were greater among older, poor, unemployed women and women with less educational attainment than younger and socioeconomically advantaged women. Black women had greater odds of using pregnancy, sexually transmitted infection and gynecologic examination services than white women (odds ratio, 1.4–1.6). Lack of insurance was associated with service use in all models (odds ratio, 0.4–0.8). Conclusions Although age-related differences in women's health service use may reflect fertility transitions, social disparities mirror reproductive inequalities among U.S. women. Research on women's health service use and outcomes across the reproductive life course and forthcoming sociopolitical climates is needed.
Separation of decomposed products of phenobarbital sodium by paper chromatographic technique.

The decomposed products of phenobarbital sodium have been reported as consisting of phenylethylacetyl urea, phenylethyl acetic acid, and urea. Several solvent systems have been suggested for use in separating the various barbiturates from mixtures by paer chromatographic procedures. A paper chromatographic method has been developed to separate and identify the various decomposed products of phenobarbital sodium in aqueous solutions.
THE PH OF UREA SOLUTIONS.

It has been confirmed that urea increases the measured pH of aqueous solutions. Conductance measurements on acetic acid and colorimetric measurements on p -nitrophenol show that urea increases the dissociation of weak acids. From conductance and pH measurements on ammonium hydroxide-ammonium chloride in urea solution, it is concluded that urea increases the ionization of water. The same conclusion is reached from pH measurements on potassium hydroxide in urea solutions. It is postulated that urea at high concentrations drastically reduces the activity of hydrogen ions, leaving the activities of the other ions more or less unchanged.
Compartmentalization response of two clones of hybrid-poplar

A 14-day bioassay indicated the effectiveness of Compartmentalization evident 24 months following wounding of two clones of hybrid-poplar. The boundary pattern adjacent to columns of wound-initiated discoloration indicated that column boundary layer formation was not the sole determinant for the effectiveness of Compartmentalization.
Lack of in vivo correlation between indinavir and saquinavir exposure and cytochrome P450 3A phenotype as assessed with oral midazolam as a phenotype probe.

Study objective To investigate a potential correlation between exposure to oral midazolam, a commonly used cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A probe, and saquinavir and indinavir exposure. Design Open-label, prospective, pharmacokinetic study. Setting Outpatient research center. Subjects Thirty-six healthy volunteers aged 22-50 years. Intervention Subjects received a single oral dose of midazolam 8 mg; 4 hours later, blood was drawn to determine their serum midazolam concentrations. Midazolam phenotyping was followed by successive administration of the protease inhibitors indinavir and saquinavir, with blood sampling and pharmacokinetic analyses performed at steady state. Measurements and main results Pharmacokinetic parameters of each protease inhibitor were evaluated to assess for a potential relationship with 4-hour concentrations of midazolam. No correlations between phenotype results for midazolam and any pharmacokinetic parameter for indinavir or saquinavir were identified (r(2)=0.00002-0.073). When the results were analyzed based on race, significant correlations were identified in five African-American subjects, including correlations between 4-hour midazolam levels and apparent oral clearance of saquinavir (r(2)=0.734, p=0.064), area under the plasma concentration-time curve from 0-8 hours (r(2)=0.914, p=0.011), minimum concentration (r(2)=0.857, p=0.024), and maximum concentration (r(2)=0.969, p=0.002). These findings for African-American subjects were not seen with indinavir. No correlation was found between indinavir and saquinavir pharmacokinetic parameters (r(2)=0.017-0.261). Conclusion Oral midazolam was not a useful probe for predicting saquinavir or indinavir exposure at steady state. Reasons for the lack of correlation likely included differences between midazolam and protease inhibitor P-glycoprotein specificity, differences in the relative contribution of CYP3A5-mediated metabolism, and/or variation in intestinal and hepatic CYP3A specificity. The strong correlation between midazolam phenotype and pharmacokinetic parameters for saquinavir in African-American subjects indicated a racial difference in one or more of these confounding variables.
The 5-HT(7) receptor in learning and memory.

The 5-HT(7) receptor is a more recently discovered G-protein-coupled receptor for serotonin. The functions and possible clinical relevance of this receptor are not yet fully understood. The present paper reviews to what extent the use of animal models of learning and memory and other techniques have implicated the 5-HT(7) receptor in such processes. The studies have used a combination of pharmacological and genetic tools targeting the receptor to evaluate effects on behavior and cellular mechanisms. In tests such as the Barnes maze, contextual fear conditioning and novel location recognition that involve spatial learning and memory there is a considerable amount of evidence supporting an involvement of the 5-HT(7) receptor. Supporting evidence has also been obtained in studies of mRNA expression and cellular signaling as well as in electrophysiological experiments. Especially interesting are the subtle but distinct effects observed in hippocampus-dependent models of place learning where impairments have been described in mice lacking the 5-HT(7) receptor or after administration of a selective antagonist. While more work is required, it appears that 5-HT(7) receptors are particularly important in allocentric representation processes. In instrumental learning tasks both procognitive effects and impairments in memory have been observed using pharmacological tools targeting the 5-HT(7) receptor. In conclusion, the use of pharmacological and genetic tools in animal studies of learning and memory suggest a potentially important role for the 5-HT(7) receptor in cognitive processes.
Surface determinants of neuronal survival and growth on self-assembled monolayers in culture

Abstract We have studied the modulation of hippocampal neuron morphological development in vitro using surfaces derivatized with aminosilane self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). The efficacies of model SAMs, alone, or in combination with adsorbed heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan (HS), are related to the physical and chemical properties of the surfaces. These properties are determined using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), optical ellipsometry, and wettability measurements. The ability of surfaces to promote somal adhesion and the maintenance of discrete neurites appears to be sensitive to the density and accessibility of positively charged amine or amide groups, and has less of an apparent relationship to the surface density of uncharged amines. Aromatic ring-containing aminosilanes are ineffective in promoting neuron growth, while adsorbed HS augments the neurite-promoting capacity of one marginally adhesive SAM. These results are relevant to an improved understanding of the ‘non-specific’ contributions of the substrate in affecting neuronal development and the rational design of model surface coatings for neuronal culture.
On the suppression of variables in Boolean equations

The resultant of suppression of variables from a Boolean equation is a Boolean equation, derived from the parent equation, whose solutions are exactly those of the parent equation that do not involve the suppressed variables. Two examples in the literature are discussed, in which it is necessary to solve a Boolean equation while excluding solutions involving certain variables. In such cases it would be advantageous to solve the resultant of suppression of those variables rather than solving the original equation and filtering the desired solutions from the results.
Sol to gel reaction in the K2OAl2O3SiO2 system

Abstract A sol to gel transition reaction of three metal alkoxides with water in the preparation of gel in the K 2 OAl 2 O 3 SiO 2 system was investigated using in situ viscosity measurements and the Raman scattering technique. The viscosity measurements reveal that the viscosity of the solution and the dependence of the reduced viscosity on polymer concentrations change abruptly near the gelation point. The Raman scattering results suggested that the hydrolysis of the TMOS was the rate-limiting step of the overall reaction. It was also found that a basic solution with excess amounts of water was needed to synthesize a transparent crack-free gel.
Scanning-tunneling-microscopy study of Ge/GaAs(110). II. Coalescence and layer-by-layer growth.

Scanning tunneling microscopy has been used to study the postnucleation growth of Ge on GaAs(110) at 420 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C. In the deposition range from 1 to 10 monolayers (ML), there is lateral overlayer growth through static coalescence with little change in the island height. For depositions above \ensuremath{\sim}10 ML, the surface is completely covered by Ge and layer-by-layer growth is observed. Our results show that rough surfaces with isotropic islands and smooth surfaces with elongated islands can be obtained by simply varying the deposition rate or the growth temperature. Arsenic atom segregation is also observed, and the surface reconstructions reflect the As concentration. We propose a surface structure model consisting of As zigzag chains and As dimers.
Effects of Pulsed Turbidity and Vessel Traffic on Lake Herring Eggs and Larvae

Proposals to extend commercial shipping in the St. Marys River (connecting Lakes Superior and Huron) to include winter months have raised concerns regarding its effect on lake herring (Coregonus artedi). Because lake herring spawn in fall and their eggs overwinter in the river and hatch in spring, their hatching success could be impacted by early opening of the locks in spring. Our laboratory studies showed that under the range of turbidities expected in the river due to vessel traffic, lake herring eggs hatched and larvae fed adequately. Field incubation studies produced about 75% survival and 70% hatching success of lake herring eggs at two of three study sites. Collections in the river throughout the month following ice-out showed that sufficient plankton of appropriate size were available to ensure growth and survival of larval lake herring. We did not detect any negative impacts on the early life stages of lake herring as a result of sedimentation in the laboratory or field. However, detailing the spawning sites of lake herring and defining the normal survival-to-hatch in these areas are necessary before making accurate predictions of the effects of early season vessel traffic on lake herring hatching success.
When the Educated Leave the East: Romanian and Hungarian Skilled Immigration to the USA

In this study, we use quantitative and qualitative data to analyze how historical events shaped skilled emigration and integration of two Eastern European groups into the USA. Some of these migrants lost all interest in their country of origin and seek to fully assimilate to the new society. Others developed a new type of identity, as global citizens rather than of a particular country. They are willing to learn and understand the new society, but at the same time, they keep in touch with the home country. These two fundamental avenues of skilled migrant integration are related to individual characteristics as well as structural forces, and may highlight potential subsequent moves, addressing the global circulation of skilled international migrants.
The frequency principle for comparative judgments)

This experiment supplements a recetlf study of the effects of an interpolated weight upon memory for a standard (Parducci, Marshall, & Degner, 1966). The earlier data suggested that the stimulus-averaging approach as represented by the theory of adaptation level should be modified to incorporate the principle that Ss use alternative categories with equal frequency. The present data support this modification by demonstrating that even when the stimulus mean is held constant, judgments are affected by the relative frequencies of the comparison stimuli.
Male signaling behavior and sexual selection in a wolf spider (Araneae: Lycosidae): a test for dual functions

Male signaling behaviors are often studied in a single context but may serve multiple functions (e.g., in male–male competition and female mate choice). We examined the issue of dual function male signals in a wolf spider species Schizocosa ocreata (Hentz) that displays the same species-specific signaling behaviors in both male–male and male–female contexts. These signaling behaviors have been described as either aggression or courtship according to the context observed. We tested the possibility of dual functions by comparing the relationship between behaviors and outcome of male–male contests (winner/loser) and male–female mating encounters (mating success). Frequency, rate, and mean duration of signaling behaviors did not vary with outcome of male–male contests, which appears instead to be based upon relative size and body mass. Winners of contests had significantly greater body mass than losers, and greater mass relative to opponents was significantly associated with probability of winning. Overall, signaling rates were much higher in male–female interactions than in male–male contests and were higher for males that successfully mated than for those that did not mate. Mean duration of some male displays was also greater for males that successfully mated. However, male size was not associated with probability of mating. Taken together, results suggest an intersexual selection context for the current function of male signals in these wolf spiders and that increased display vigor is associated with male mating success.
Hydrogen fluoride overtone chemical laser technology

The Hydrogen Fluoride Overtone Chemical Laser Technology Program has exploited the technology base developed over the last two decades For hydrogen fluoride lasers and successfully demonstrated a short wavelength chemical laser. This technology development centers on overtone lasing of the hydrogen fluoride molecule to produce laser radiation at 1.33 μm rather than the conventional fundamental lasing at 2.8 μm. The overtone wavelength can lead to significant improvements in brightness potential as well as atmospheric propagation properties
The effect of lymphokines on the growth, the metabolism, and the functions of the cellular membrane of Chang liver cells in vitro

Abstract The effect of lymphokines on certain metabolic pathways and functions of the cell membrane was studied in Chang liver cells in vitro . The pathways studied were DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis; the membrane functions examined were cellular 51 Cr release, 86 Rb and α-amino[1- 14 C]isobutyric acid transport and pinocytosis. Culture supernatants of phytohemagglutinin stimulated lymphoid cells were used as a source of lymphokines. It was found that lymphokines inhibited the biosynthesis of DNA more markedly and earlier than the synthesis of RNA and protein. Marked reduction of DNA synthesis occurred without any demonstrable effect on 51 Cr release, cellular 86 Rb accumulation or pinocytosis. Lymphokines inhibited amino acid transport, but the latter effect followed in time the inhibition of DNA synthesis. The data suggest that lymphokines act on an intracellular process, that this action is not mediated by functional alterations of the cell membrane and that the target of lymphokine action is likely but not certainly to be DNA. The immunological and cellular physiological significance of the data is discussed.
Free-energy model for the inhomogeneous hard-sphere fluid in D dimensions: Structure factors for the hard-disk (D=2) mixtures in simple explicit form.

A free-energy model for the inhomogeneous hard-sphere fluid mixture was derived recently [Phys. Rev. Lett. 63, 980 (1989)], which is based on the fundamental geometric measures of the particles. It yields explicit analytic predictions for the direct correlations of the uniform fluid in three dimensions, which are in overall good agreement with extensive Monte Carlo simulation results for the pair and triplet functions. In the present paper, general features of the model are further explicated, with special emphasis on those features enabling a straightforward application to the inhomogeneous hard-disk fluid mixture. In particular, an analytic theory for the structure factors of the hard-disk mixture is derived. The present results should be useful as reference for the statistical-thermodynamic analysis of two-dimensional systems.
Co-trained generative and discriminative trackers with cascade particle filter

Visual tracking is a challenging problem, as the appearance of an object may change due to viewpoint variations, illumination changes, and occlusion. It may also leave the field of view (FOV), then reappears. In order to track and reacquire an unknown object with limited labeling data, we propose to learn these changes online and incrementally build a model that encodes all appearance variations while tracking. To address this semi-supervised learning problem, we propose a co-training framework with cascade particle filter to label incoming data continuously and online update hybrid generative and discriminative models. Each of the layers in the cascade contains one or more either generative or discriminative appearance models. The cascade manner of organizing the particle filter enables the efficient evaluation of multiple appearance models with different computational costs; thus improves the speed of the tracker. The proposed online framework provides temporally local tracking that adapts to appearance changes. Moreover, it provides an object-specific detection ability that allows to reacquire an object after total occlusion. Extensive experiments demonstrate that under challenging situations, our method has strong reacquisition ability and robustness to distracters in clutter background. We also provide quantitative comparisons to other state of the art trackers.
Effect of ancillary ligands on the DNA interaction of [Cr(diimine)3]3+ complexes containing the intercalating dipyridophenazine ligand.

The synthesis of photoluminescent Cr(III) complexes of the type [Cr(diimine)2(DPPZ)]3+ are described, where DPPZ is the intercalating dipyridophenazine ligand, and diimine corresponds to the ancillary ligands bpy, phen, DMP, and TMP (where bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, DMP = 5,6-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline, and TMP = 3,4,7,8-tetramethyl-1,10-phenanthroline). For TMP, DMP, and phen as ancillary ligands, the complexes have also been resolved into their Λ and Δ optical isomers. A comparison of the photophysical and electrochemical properties reveal similar 2Eg → 4A2g (Oh) emission wavelengths and lifetimes, and a variation of 110 mV in the 2Eg excited state oxidizing power. A detailed investigation has been undertaken of ancillary ligand effects on the DNA binding of these complexes with a range of polynucleotides. For all four complexes, emission is quenched by the addition of calf thymus B-DNA, with the emission lifetime data yielding bimolecular quenching rate constants close to the ...
Polaris, a Protein Involved in Left-Right Axis Patterning, Localizes to Basal Bodies and Cilia

Mutations in Tg737 cause a wide spectrum of phenotypes, including random left-right axis specification, polycystic kidney disease, liver and pancreatic defects, hydrocephalus, and skeletal patterning abnormalities. To further assess the biological function of Tg737 and its role in the mutant pathology, we identified the cell population expressing Tg737 and determined the subcellular localization of its protein product called Polaris. Tg737 expression is associated with cells possessing either motile or immotile cilia and sperm. Similarly, Polaris concentrated just below the apical membrane in the region of the basal bodies and within the cilia or flagellar axoneme. The data suggest that Polaris functions in a ciliogenic pathway or in cilia maintenance, a role supported by the loss of cilia on the ependymal cell layer in ventricles of Tg737 orpk brains and by the lack of node cilia in Tg737 D2-3bGal mutants.
Dormant season foliar sprays of broad-spectrum insecticides: an effective component of integrated management for Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) in citrus orchards.

Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), is a global pest of citrus and vector of Candidatus Liberibacter, a bacteria that causes huanglongbing or greening, a devastating disease of citrus. Mature citrus trees are dormant in winter and produce most new shoots in spring, followed by sporadic canopy growth in summer and fall. Young shoots are required for oviposition and nymphal development, but adults can survive and overwinter on hardened leaves. Surviving adults reproduce in spring shoots and their progeny are probably responsible for a large portion of disease spread as they disperse to search for food. Therefore, foliar sprays of broad-spectrum insecticides applied to mature trees in winter were evaluated in a commercial citrus orchard as tactic to reduce pest populations and insecticide use in spring and summer when beneficial insects are most active. A single spray of chlorpyrifos (2.8 kg a.i.
Pediatric High-Grade Glioma

Brain tumors are the second-most common neoplasm in children, and the most common solid tumor. Glial tumors comprise about 40% of the primary brain tumors that occur in children. Slightly more than 50% of the glial neoplasms are low-grade tumors, and these are almost all pilocytic astrocytom as that occur in the cerebellum, optic apparatus, and diencephalon. As with adults, HGG in children may occur anywhere in the central nervous system (CNS). However, in children, there tends to be a greater percentage of tumors that are localized in the deep gray matter, cerebellum, and especially within the brainstem. Despite technological advances in neuroimaging, improvements in surgical techniques, advances in radiotherapy, and the proliferation of new anti-neoplastic agents, the prognosis for survival of high-grade glioma in children has only improved marginally over the past several decades. Although the prognosis for survival of supratentorial high-grade glioma is not as ominous in children as in adults, this survival advantage may be in part a result of stronger constitution of children as well as differences in the molecular genetic substrate of the neoplasm.
Stimulation of 2-deoxy-D-glucose uptake in rat thymocytes in vitro by physiological concentrations of triiodothyronine, insulin, or epinephrine.

The effects of T3, epinephrine, and insulin, both alone and in varying combinations, on the uptake of 2-deoxy-Dglucose (2-DG) by rat thymocytes in vitro was examined. Each of the three hormones was demonstrated to induce a dose-related increase in 2-DG uptake, and the lowest concentrations at which a significant effect was evident were 1 nM for T3, 1 μM for epinephrine, and 10 nM for insulin. Although supraphysiological concentrations were required when the hormones acted alone, each hormone could be shown to have a significant stimulatory effect at a physiological concentration when it was added together with both of the other hormones. Minimum effective concentrations of each of the three hormones when added with the other two were 5 pM for T3, 10 nM for epinephrine, and 0.1 nM for insulin. Similar results with respect to the effects of physiological concentrations of T3 were observed in experiments with 3-O-methylglucose, which traverses the sae transport mechanism as 2-DG but, unlike 2-DG, does not un...
Liver transplantation for type I and type IV glycogen storage disease.

Progressive liver failure or hepatic complications of the primary disease led to orthotopic liver transplantation in eight children with glycogen storage disease over a 9-year period. One patient had glycogen storage disease (GSD) type I (von Gierke disease) and seven patients had type IV GSD (Andersen disease). As previously reported [19], a 16.5-year-old-girl with GSD type I was successfully treated in 1982 by orthotopic liver transplantation under cyclosporine and steroid immunosuppression. The metabolic consequences of the disease have been eliminated, the renal function and size have remained normal, and the patient has lived a normal young adult life. A late portal venous thrombosis was treated successfully with a distal splenorenal shunt. Orthotopic liver transplantation was performed in seven children with type N GSD who had progressive hepatic failure. Two patients died early from technical complications. The other five have no evidence of recurrent hepatic amylopectinosis after 1.1–5.8 postoperative years. They have had good physical and intellectual maturation. Amylopectin was found in many extrahepatic tissues prior to surgery, but cardiopathy and skeletal myopathy have not developed after transplantation. Post-operative heart biopsies from patients showed either minimal amylopectin deposits as long as 4.5 years following transplantation or a dramatic reduction in sequential biopsies from one patient who initially had dense myocardial deposits. Serious hepatic derangement is seen most commonly in types I and IV GSD. Liver transplantation cures the hepatic manifestations of both types. The extrahepatic deposition of abnormal glycogen appears not to be problematic in type I disease, and while potentially more threatening in type IV disease, may actually exhibit signs of regression after hepatic allografting.
Can Survey Data Be Used to Estimate Physician Practice Costs

Health policy makers rely on survey estimates of physician practice costs to set reimbursement rates. The Health Care Financing Administration has just funded a multimillion dollar effort to collect survey data that will be used to revise payments under the Medicare Fee Schedule. However, the ability of largescale physician surveys to obtain accurate information about practice costs is not apparent. This article examines several of the key obstacles encountered when trying to obtain accurate estimates. Rates of both unit and item nonresponse over time are described; in general, there is a trend toward lower unit response rates and higher item response rates. The article also examines logical inconsistencies in data The results suggest thatphysician surveys may not be the most appropriate source of data about physician practice expenses. Health policy makers concerned about provider reimbursement issues should seriously scrutinize the accuracy of results from physician practice cost surveys. This article c...
Transesophageal echocardiography utilization in high-volume liver transplantation centers in the United States.

Objective Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) during liver transplantation (LT) has been shown to be helpful in managing fluid therapy, monitoring myocardial function, and identifying intraoperative LT complications. The present study sought to investigate the current utilization of TEE by anesthesiologists during LT as well as issues of training and credentialing in this monitoring modality. Design A survey distributed by electronic mail. Setting LT centers in the United States in which more than 50 liver transplantation procedures were performed annually. Participants Survey respondents were contact persons in the LT divisions of the anesthesiology department of selected centers. Interventions Data collection only. Measurement and Main Results A total of 40 high-volume LT centers were identified, and survey responses were received from 30 of those. Among 217 anesthesiologists, 86% performed TEE in some or all LT cases. Most users performed a limited-scope examination, although some performed a comprehensive TEE examination during LT. Most users acquired their TEE skills informally. Only 12% of users were board certified to perform TEE, and only 1 center reported having a policy related to credentialing requirements for TEE. Conclusions There is high utilization of intraoperative TEE by anesthesiologists to perform limited-scope examinations during LT cases. Training to perform such examinations is mostly informal, and credentialing processes are lacking. An opportunity exists to establish guidelines, training programs, and standards for quality assurance in the use of this valuable monitoring modality.
The Relationship Between Admission Criteria and Practice Preferences

A continual decline in the number of occupational therapists selecting mental health as their practice area has resulted in a personnel shortage. This study aimed at examining admission criteria to one occupational therapy program and the relationship of these criteria to practice preferences at admission. The question of whether current admission criteria are biased against those applicants preferring mental health practice is pertinent if the personnel shortage in mental health is to be alleviated. An analysis of the differences in practice preferences between accepted, alternate, and rejected groups of applicants indicated that such a bias did not exist. When admission was recalculated with only grade point average instead of the current procedure of a weighted combination of grade point average and interview, it was found that the admitted class would have contained more students preferring mental health practice. Additional research is recommended to further examine admission criteria and their relationship to practice.
Performance of an adaptive MIMO controller for a multiple-element ultrasound hyperthermia system.

A prototype adaptive automatic control algorithm was implemented to regulate temperatures measured at several points in a tumour by adjusting the power applied to several ultrasound transducers. The goal was to control the temperatures under the elements of a mosaic applicator individually without any a priori knowledge of which probes are under which elements. The control algorithm was devised for clinical applications where the position of each probe with respect to the heat sources is difficult to determine precisely. Instead, the program 'learns' the relationship between the inputs (power levels) and the outputs (temperatures) automatically. Based on the observed transfer function relating the power at m sources to the temperatures n probes, where n and m are not necessarily the same, a new method was used to implement a feedback controller. This method simplifies the design of the controller for a multiple-input/ multiple-output (MIMO) system, while taking into account the coupling that may exist bet...
Thermodynamics of calmodulin binding to cardiac and skeletal muscle ryanodine receptor ion channels.

The skeletal muscle (RyR1) and cardiac muscle (RyR2) ryanodine receptor calcium release channels contain a single, conserved calmodulin (CaM) binding domain, yet are differentially regulated by CaM. Here, we report that high-affinity [35S]CaM binding to RyR1 is driven by favorable enthalpic and entropic contributions at Ca2+ concentrations from <0.01 to 100 μM. At 0.15 μM Ca2+, [35S]CaM bound to RyR2 with decreased affinity and binding enthalpy compared with RyR1. The rates of [35S]CaM dissociation from RyR1 increased as the temperature was raised, whereas at 0.15 μM Ca2+ the rate from RyR2 was little affected. The results suggest major differences in the energetics of CaM binding to and dissociation from RyR1 and RyR2. Proteins 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Gastric Myoelectrical Activity in Patients With Gastric Outlet Obstruction and Idiopathic Gastroparesis

Gastric myoelectrical activity in patients with gastric outlet obstruction and idiopathic gastroparesis
Seasonal dynamics of native and converted cerrado physiognomies with MODIS data

The Cerrado or Brazilian savanna represents 23% of the land surface of the country. This important bid me, however, has been subjected to rapid rates of land conversion to agriculture and pasture. This has important environmental consequences to local and regional climate change and carbon fluxes. Therefore, a study of seasonal cerrado dynamics, including forest and converted areas, was conducted with four years of data (February 2000 to December 2003) from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). The 16-day composite vegetation index (VI) data were used to analyze the seasonal patterns of photosynthetic vegetation activity and examine the separability of cerrado formations of varying physiognomies in Brasilia National Park and surrounding areas. The results showed that the cerrado formations exhibited a high seasonality contrast with a pronounced dry season from June through August and wet season from November to March. Discrimination within cerrado formations was difficult due to similarities in their seasonal dynamic behavior. Maximum contrast among all the cerrado formations occurred during dry season, suggesting this as the best time for cerrado physiognomy discrimination. The converted agricultural areas had a higher contrast than the native cerrado, and the forest formation had the lowest seasonal contrast. This enabled an operational method to discriminate the cerrado formation from the converted areas and adjoining forests. Thus, MODIS offers a useful tool to monitor the threatened cerrado biome
Synthesis and Characterization of Ferroferriborate (Fe3BO5) Nanorods

Fe 3 BO 5 nanorods with diameters from 4 nm to 16 nm and length from 43 nm to 60 nm are synthesized by a facile thermal decomposition of iron acetylacetonate and t-butylamine borane (TBAB). TBAB is used to control the 1 D growth and the aspect ratio of the nanorods. These Fe 3 BO 5 nanorods are antiferromagnetic with T N = 174 K, which is higher than that of bulk Fe 3 BO 5 (114 K).
Synthetic Analogs of the Adrenal Cortical Hormones. II. Synthesis of 4,4′-bis(acetoxyacetyl)-α,α′-diethylstilbene

A continuation of the study of synthetic analogs of the adrenal cortical hormones has been undertaken. 4,4′-Bis(acetoxyacetyl)-α,α′-diethylstilbene (I) has been prepared by way of the following intermediates: p-bromopropiophenone; p-bromopropiophenone hydrazone; p-bromophenylethyldiazomethane; 1,2-bis(p-bromophenyl)-1,2-diethylethylene sulfone; trans-4,4′-dibromo-α,α′-diethylstilbene; 4,4′-dicyano-α,α′-diethylstilbene; α,α′-diethyl-4,4′-stilbene dicarboxylic acid chloride; 4,4′-bis(diazoacetyl)-α,α′-diethylstilbene. Further studies on the hydrolysis of (I) and the preparation of other derivatives are now in progress.
Continuity in the Lives of Elder Catholic Women Religious

Data from life review interviews with thirty-nine elder Catholic women religious (68-98) show these women's lives do not conform to a sequential pattern of late life developmental stages. Their lives can best be understood in terms of continuous themes throughout individual lives. The majority of the women reach ego integrity in young old age and continue to reestablish this by adhering to themes in their life stories. Themes serve as a framework of the self. The main themes of the participants are: faith, family, education, friends, community, caring for others, and prayer. Communal aspects of religious life support the women in their continuous development of identity. Generativity is evidenced in their lives as an ongoing component of self-identity. These data show the continuous process of establishing ego integrity throughout late life. The life review data can best be explained using the continuity theory of identity development.
Arterial blood gas tension and acid base balance during exercise in horses with pharyngeal lymphoid hyperplasia

Arterial blood gas and acid-base values during maximal exercise over a 1.2 km distance were recorded in four Thoroughbred horses before and after the chemical induction of pharyngeal lymphoid hyperplasia (PLH). Samples were collected after galloping 0.8 km and 1.2 km, immediately upon stopping and 5 mins after exercising. In only one horse was any difference noted in the pre and post PLH induction results. The horse was more hypercapnoeic at the 1.2 km mark and also took much longer to complete the gallop when it had PLH. However, it also had signs of lower respiratory disease. In the other horses, the only changes which could be attributed to PLH were seen immediately upon stopping. It seems that PLH does not inhibit gas exchange during exercise unless the lesions are extremely severe.
Managerial career concerns and investments in information

We extend the “implicit incentives” literature by analyzing how career concerns affect a riskneutral manager’s decision about how much to learn about a project before investing in it. The manager has unknown ability that determines the probability with which a good project is available, so the market updates ability assessments from project outcomes. While project choice is efficient in equilibrium, an unobservable investment in the precision of project evaluation allows the manager to control the probabilities of future reputational states. This distorts his investment in precision above first best when project payoffs can be observed only on accepted projects.
A study of Martian topography by analytic photogrammetry

Many overlapping pictures, potential data for the construction of topographic maps, were obtained by the television cameras on Mariner 9. An analysis of the sources of error in photogrammetric determinations of relief from these pictures singles out photo resolution as the primary limiting factor. Topographic maps of several Martian surface features, derived by an original analytic scheme, are presented. The observed errors in relief determinations using this technique are in good agreement with the independent error analysis.
Symbol-balanced quaternionic periodicity transform for latent pattern detection in DNA sequences

A new approach towards computing the periodicity transform of DNA sequences is proposed. The approach is based on the mapping of DNA symbols to pure quaternions. The resulting quaternionic periodicity transform outperforms the previously proposed complex periodicity transform due to enhanced, symbol-balanced sensitivity to DNA patterns. The theoretical finding is supported by a performance comparison of the two transforms and by an application example.
Prediction of craniofacial growth: The state of the art

M ost predictions of growth are based on some mathematical model of the growth process, two kinds of which can be distinguished: (1) the transformed coordinate method of D’Arcy Thompson,Z5 applied to human growth by MedawaPg and to craniofacial growth by Moorrees and Lebret,2z and (2) equations producing curves descriptive of processes--some intended to be of general application (for example, Gompertz’ equation, Weiss and Kavanaugh’P model, and the compound Gompertz-linear equation of LairdIE). Others were intended only for specific kinds of growth, such as Huxley’sle allometric equation and Tanner’sz4 equation. Useful though these equations may be for the analysis and description of growth, they have in common one unavoidable shortcoming so far as prediction is concerned: They do not adequately describe any single growth series. The orthodontist wishes to predict the future sizes and relationships of parts of a single person whose growth is usually abnormal and who may not be represented in any populations thus far studied. This article considers the state of the art in quantitative prediction of craniofacial measures of particular interest to orthodontists.
Sucralfate gel as a radioprotector against radiation induced dermatitis in a hypo-fractionated schedule: a non-randomized study.

External beam radiotherapy with high doses provokes many acute skin reactions, such as erythema and moist desquamation. Many topical preparations are used in radiation oncology departments in the skin care. Sucralfate humid gel, a colloidal physical form of the anti-ulcer drug sucralfate, promotes epithelial regeneration and activates cell proliferation. Based on this knowledge, we performed a non-randomized clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of topical sucralfate gel in 30 breast cancer patients receiving postoperative accelerated hypofractionated photon beam therapy. The comparison was performed with 30 patients as historical controls. The acute reaction of the skin was significantly lower in the group receiving the sucralfate gel (p<0.05, Mann Whitney test), while 90% of the patients had no evidence of radiation induced skin toxicity. There was no sucralfate gel related toxicity reported by any patient in this study. More patients in a randomized way are needed for more definite results. Hippokratia 2013, 17, 2: 126-129
Regulation of AP-1 and NFAT Transcription Factors during Thymic Selection of T Cells

The ability of thymocytes to express cytokine genes changes during the different stages of thymic development. Although CD4- CD8- thymocytes are able to produce a wide spectrum of cytokines in response to a T-cell receptor (TcR)-independent stimulus, as they approach the double-positive (DP) CD4+ CD8+ stage, they lose the ability to produce cytokine. After the DP stage, thymocytes become single-positive CD4+ or CD8+ thymocytes which reacquire the ability to secrete cytokines. In an attempt to understand the molecular basis of this specific regulatin, we use AP-1-luciferase and newly generated NFAT-luciferase transgenic mice to analyze the transcriptional and DNA-binding activities of these two transcription factors that are involved in the regulation of cytokine gene expression. Here, we show that both AP-1 and NFAT transcriptional activities are not inducible in the majority of DP cells but that during the differentiation of DP cells to the mature single-positive stage, thymocytes regain this inducibility. Subpopulation analysis demonstrates that this inducibility is reacquired at the DP stage before the down-modulation of one of the coreceptors. Indeed AP-1 inducibility, just like the ability to express the interleukin-2 gene, is reacquired during the differentiation of DP TcRlow CD69low heat-stable antigen (HSA)high thymocytes to DP TcRhigh CD69high HSAhigh cells, which is considered to be the consequence of the first signal that initiates positive selection. We therefore propose that the inability of DP thymocytes to induce AP-1 and NFAT activities is one of the causes for the lack of cytokine gene expression at this stage and that this inducibility is reacquired at the latest stage of DP differentiation as a consequence of positive selection. This could be a mechanism to prevent the activation of DP thymocytes before selection has taken place.
The Geriatric Resource Nurse Model: a culture change.

The introduction of the Geriatric Resource Nurse (GRN) Model and the Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders (NICHE) program has changed the culture at Waukesha Memorial Hospital. The number one key to successfully implementing them has been the overwhelming administrative and staff support. The following article contains an outline of the initial steps taken to implement the GRN model and a NICHE program, the way both became fully integrated into the culture of care, and evidence of positive patient and staff outcomes. (Geriatr Nurs 2002;23:140-4)
Robust multipose face detection in images

Automatic human face detection from images in surveillance and biometric applications is a challenging task due to variations in image background, view, illumination, articulation, and facial expression. We propose a novel three-step face detection approach to addressing this problem. The approach adopts a simple-to-complex strategy. First, a linear-filtering algorithm is applied to enhance detection performance by removing most nonface-like candidates rapidly. Second, a boosting chain algorithm is adopted to combine the boosting classifiers into a hierarchical "chain" structure. By utilizing the inter-layer discriminative information, this algorithm reveals a higher efficiency than traditional approaches. Last, a postfiltering algorithm, consisting of image preprocessing; support vector machine-filter and color-filter, is applied to refine the final prediction. As only a few candidate windows remain in the final stage, this algorithm greatly improves detection accuracy with small computation cost. Compared with conventional approaches, this three-step approach is shown to be more effective and capable of handling more pose variations. Moreover, together with a two-level hierarchy in-plane pose estimator, a rapid multiview face detector is built. Experimental results demonstrate a significant performance improvement for the proposed approach over others.
CMOS circuits for cell-level design of a racetrack memory

This paper deals with a so-called racetrack memory (also commonly known as a domain-wall memory). Novel circuits for implementing the write, the read and the shift operations of the racetrack cell are introduced; the proposed circuits are very efficient in terms of numerous figures of merit, such as delay, power dissipation, and power delay product (PDP). An extensive analysis of variation in the operation of a racetrack memory is also presented; this analysis shows that the racetrack memory offers significant advantages when non-volatile storage is required.
An Open Corpus of Everyday Documents for Simplification Tasks

In recent years interest in creating statistical automated text simplification systems has increased. Many of these systems have used parallel corpora of articles taken from Wikipedia and Simple Wikipedia or from Simple Wikipedia revision histories and generate Simple Wikipedia articles. In this work we motivate the need to construct a large, accessible corpus of everyday documents along with their simplifications for the development and evaluation of simplification systems that make everyday documents more accessible. We present a detailed description of what this corpus will look like and the basic corpus of everyday documents we have already collected. This latter contains everyday documents from many domains including driver’s licensing, government aid and banking. It contains a total of over 120,000 sentences. We describe our preliminary work evaluating the feasibility of using crowdsourcing to generate simplifications for these documents. This is the basis for our future extended corpus which will be available to the community of researchers interested in simplification of everyday documents.