cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How Health-Care Organizations Implement Shared Decision-making When It Is Required for Reimbursement: The Case of Lung Cancer Screening.

Background The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services stipulate shared decision-making (SDM) counseling as a prerequisite to lung cancer screening (LCS) reimbursement, despite well-known challenges implementing SDM in practice. Research Question How have health-care organizations implemented SDM for LCS? Study Design and Methods For this qualitative study, we used data from in-depth, semistructured interviews with key informants directly involved in implementing SDM for LCS, managing SDM for LCS, or both. We identified respondents using a snowball sampling technique and used template analysis to identify and analyze responses thematically. Results We interviewed 30 informants representing 23 health-care organizations located in 12 states and 4 Census regions. Respondents described two types of SDM for LCS programs: centralized models (n = 7), in which front-end practitioners (eg, primary care providers) referred patients to an LCS clinic where trained staff (eg, advanced practice nurses) delivered SDM at the time of screening, or decentralized models (n = 10), in which front-end practitioners delivered SDM before referring patients for screening. Some organizations used both models simultaneously (n = 6). Respondents discussed tradeoffs between SDM quality and access. They perceived centralized models as enhancing SDM quality, but limiting patient access to care, and vice versa. Respondents reported ongoing challenges with limited resources and budgetary constraints, ambiguity regarding what constitutes SDM, and an absence of benchmarks for evaluating SDM for LCS quality. Interpretation Those responsible for developing and managing SDM for LCS programs voiced concerns regarding both patient access and SDM quality, regardless of organizational context, or the SDM for LCS model implemented. The challenge facing these organizations, and those wanting to help patients and clinicians balance the tradeoffs inherent with LCS, is how to move beyond a check-box documentation requirement to a process that enables LCS to be offered to all high-risk patients, but used only by those who are informed and for whom screening represents a value-concordant service.
Type II Achalasia Is Increasing in Prevalence

Three manometric subtypes of achalasia were defined in the Chicago Classification approximately 10 years ago: type I (aperistalsis), type II (pan-pressurization), and type III (spastic). Since the widespread use of this classification scheme, the evolving prevalence of these subtypes has not been elucidated. We aim to determine the prevalence of each subtype a decade after the adoption of the Chicago Classification. This is a retrospective cohort analysis of patients diagnosed with achalasia on high-resolution manometry (HRM) at two major academic medical centers between 2015 and 2018. Patients were excluded if they had a diagnosis of another esophageal motility disorder, previously treated achalasia, or foregut surgery. Demographic data, manometric subtype, and esophageal dilatation grade on endoscopy were obtained. Prevalence of achalasia subtypes was compared with a published historical control population (2004–2007). Fischer’s exact and t tests were used for analysis. Of 147 patients in the contemporary cohort and 99 in the historical control cohort, the prevalence of type I achalasia was 8% versus 21%, type II 63% versus 50%, and type III 29% versus 29%, respectively (p = 0.01). The mean age in our population was 58 years compared to 57 years in the historical control, and the proportion of men 48% versus 47%, respectively (p = 0.78). Mean endoscopic dilatation grade in the contemporary cohort was 1.5 for type I patients, 0.9 for type II, and 0.4 for type III, compared with 1.5, 0.6, and 0.4, respectively. Overall mean dilatation grade was 0.8 in our cohort versus 0.7 in the historical control (p = 0.58). The prevalence of type II achalasia was significantly greater and prevalence of type I significantly less in our patient population compared to our predefined historical control. Other characteristics such as age and sex did not appear to contribute to these differences. Histopathological evidence has suggested that type II achalasia may be an earlier form of type I; thus, the increased prevalence of type II achalasia may be related to earlier detection of the disease. The adoption of HRM, widespread use of the Chicago Classification, and increased disease awareness in the past decade may be contributing to these changes in epidemiology.
Judgment in Moscow: Soviet Crimes and Western Complicity: Trans. Alyona Kojevnikov, English edition prepared by Paul Boutin, California: Ninth of November Press, 727 pp., $21.99, ISBN 978-0998041612, Publication Date: May 2019

Vladimir Bukovsky (1942–2019), a famous Soviet dissident and a legendary figure in the human rights movement in the Soviet Union, who had lived in political exile in the West since 1976, returned t...
Assessing Coral Reef Condition Indicators for Local and Global Stressors Using Bayesian Networks

Coral reefs are highly valued ecosystems currently threatened by both local and global stressors. Given the importance of coral reef ecosystems, a Bayesian network approach can benefit an evaluation of threats to reef condition. To this end, we used data to evaluate the overlap between local stressors (overfishing and destructive fishing, watershed-based pollution, marine-based pollution, and coastal development threats), global stressors (acidification and thermal stress), and management effectiveness with indicators of coral reef health (live coral index, live coral cover, population bleaching, colony bleaching, and recently killed corals). Each of the coral health indicators had Bayesian networks constructed globally and for Pacific, Atlantic, Australia, Middle East, Indian Ocean, and Southeast Asia coral reef locations. Sensitivity analysis helped evaluate the strength of the relationships between different stressors and reef condition indicators. The relationships between indicators and stressors were also evaluated with conditional analyses of linear and nonlinear interactions. In this process, a standardized direct effects analysis was emphasized with a target mean analysis to predict changes in the mean value of the reef indicator from individual changes to the distribution of the predictor variables. The standardized direct effects analysis identified higher risks in the Middle East for watershed-based pollution with population bleaching and in Australia for overfishing and destructive fishing with living coral. For thermal stress, colony bleaching and recently killed coral in the Indian Ocean were found to have the strongest direct associations along with living coral in the Middle East. For acidification threat, Australia had a relatively strong association with colony bleaching, and the Middle East had the strongest overall association with recently killed coral, although extrapolated spatial data were used for the acidification estimates. The Bayesian network approach helped to explore the relationships among existing databases used for policy development in coral reef management by examining the sensitivity of multiple indicators of reef condition to spatially distributed stress. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2021;17:165-187. Published 2020. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
A Critical Evaluation of Newer β-Lactam Antibiotics for Treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infections.

Objective:This article critically evaluates common Pseudomonas aeruginosa resistance mechanisms and the properties newer β-lactam antimicrobials possess to evade these mechanisms.Data Sources:An ex...
Soluble and Membrane ATPases of Mitochondria, Chloroplasts, and Bacteria: Molecular Structure, Enzymatic Properties, and Functions

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the molecular structure, enzymatic properties, and functions of soluble and membrane ATPases of mitochondria, chloroplasts, and bacteria. In the intact organelle (or membrane system in bacteria), the electrontransport process and ATP production are tightly coupled. Oxidation does not seem to occur unless the energy is utilized purposefully. There is evidence that the energized state can also be coupled directly to processes such as membrane transport. Once ATP is formed, it does not seem to be broken down unless the energy is utilized for a specific function. Thus, the high ATPase activity of membrane fractions derived from mitochondria are clearly artifacts. They are useful artifacts for designing experiments to understand some aspects of the mechanism of action of the enzyme system. The information obtained by examining the ATP binding, regulation of the binding properties, and identification of the subunits concerned with the binding and their regulation, are bound to be of immense value. Progress on this aspect may be fast since the standard methods in enzymology and protein chemistry can be applied readily. However, the hydrolytic step or process is of little value, and, in fact, may be a hindrance, in understanding the mechanism of coupling of oxidative energy to ATP synthesis. The coupling process occurs in a hydrophobic environment where the hydrophobic site seen in F 1 may not even exist, or if it exists, it may not be accessible to water and may well have quite a different conformation.
The Language of Democracy: Political Rhetoric in the United States and Britain, 1790–1900 by Andrew W. Robertson Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2005. 264 pp

(2006). The Language of Democracy: Political Rhetoric in the United States and Britain, 1790–1900 by Andrew W. Robertson Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2005. 264 pp. American Journalism: Vol. 23, No. 2, pp. 179-180.
Preparation of Butylchlorosilanes and Butyl Silicone Oil

Attempt has been made to prepare some butyl silicones by polymerization of the hydrolysis product of butylchlorosilanes which were obtained by the action of the Grignard reagent on silicon tetrachloride.
Optimal Control Design for Variable Structure Systems with Fixed Order Compensators

This paper addresses the design of fixed order dynamic compensators for variable structure control applied to a linear multivariable plant. The variable structure control law considered in this paper is a function of the outputs and the compensator states. A methodology is developed to design the sliding surface and the parameter matrices of the compensator simultaneously so that a specific performance criterion is minimized. The problem is formulated in such a way that well-known design techniques for optimal linear fixed order compensation can be applied directly. An example is given to illustrate how the sliding surface and the compensator parameters are selected using the procedures described.
Production of acetone, butanol and ethanol by Clostridium beijerinckii BA101 and in situ recovery by gas stripping

Summary We examined the effect of gas-stripping on the in situ removal of acetone, butanol, and ethanol (ABE) from batch reactor fermentation broth. The mutant strain (Clostridium beijerinckii BA101) was not affected adversely by gas stripping. The presence of cells in the fermentation broth affected the selectivities of ABE. A considerable improvement in the productivity and yield was recorded in this work in comparison with the non-integrated process. In an integrated process of ABE fermentation-recovery using C. beijerinckii BA101, ABE productivities and yield were improved up to 200 and 118%, respectively, as compared to control batch fermentation data. In a batch reactor C. beijerinckii BA101 utilized 45.4 g glucose l )1 and produced 17.7 g total ABE l )1 , while in the integrated process it utilized 161.7 g glucose l )1 and produced total ABE of 75.9 g l )1 . In the integrated process, acids were completely converted to solvents when compared to the non-integrated process (batch fermentation) which contained residual acids at the end of fermentation. In situ removal of ABE by gas stripping has been reported to be one of the most important techniques of solvent removal. During these studies we were able to maintain the ABE concentration in the fermentation broth below toxic levels.
A Global Green Recovery: The G20 and International STI Cooperation in Clean Energy

This paper makes the case that a new policy strategy to enhance a global green recovery is needed urgently. The new strategy requires two essential elements. First, G20 economies should follow the lead of South Korea and China and turn their green stimulus investments into a serious long-term commitment, and to support these investments, they should adopt environmental pricing policies and instigate pricing and regulatory reforms to reduce carbon dependency. Second, the G20 also needs to target and coordinate assistance to developing economies in science, technology and innovation (STI) for clean energy. Such assistance is essential to help developing economies to overcome the skills, technological and capital gap that they face in clean energy technologies over the long term. Reform of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is also necessary to establish a long-term global price signal for carbon, and to increase the coverage of developing economies, the sectors and technologies and the overall financing of clean energy projects. Formulating such a policy strategy should appeal to both the Asian-Pacific and Western economies comprising the G20, and by working together to formulate such a strategy, the G20 could lead the way toward a new era of global economic management and STI cooperation in clean energy.
WHEN DO DOLLARS FOR INFORMATION SERVICE MAKE SENSE

If you were asked to envision some information services in your library that could feasibly be offered for a fee, what would you choose? A list of such services probably would include many that are currently being offered for free and others that could be offered under the right circumstances.
Structured output prediction with support vector machines

This abstract accompanying a presentation at S+SSPR 2006 explores the use of Support Vector Machines (SVMs) for predicting structured objects like trees, equivalence relations, or alignments. It is shown that SVMs can be extended to these problems in a well-founded way, still leading to a convex quadratic training problem and maintaining the ability to use kernels. While the training problem has exponential size, there is a simple algorithm that allows training in polynomial time. The algorithm is implemented in the SVM-Struct software, and it is discussed how the approach can be applied to problems ranging from natural language parsing to supervised clustering.
Pseudomyxoma peritonei due to mucocele of the appendix. A report of four cases and review of the literature.

Abstract 1. 1. Four cases of pseudomyxoma peritonei secondary to ruptured mucocele of the appendix are presented. An important diagnostic clue is the presence of increasing abdominal girth, without symptoms of severe constitutional illness. The prolonged course furthermore is unusual in malignancy, or in cardiac or hepatic disorders. 2. 2. The etiology and pathogenesis of this disorder are discussed. The importance of the obstructed appendix with secondary mucocele formation and subsequent rupture and development of pseudomyxoma peritonei in both the experimental animal and in the human is discussed. 3. 3. Therapy at present is largely unsatisfactory and primarily directed toward the removal of whatever quantities of mucin can be mobilized by means of paracentesis or operation.
Trade Secrets and the 'Philosophy' of Copyright: A Crash of Cultures

When, in drafting the 1976 Copyright Act, Congress opted to initiate copyright at the point at which a work is fixed rather than published, copyrights and trade secrets began to occupy the same ground. Undisclosed works that might be secrets were also eligible for protection under copyright, but what would the availability of dual protection mean and how would it mesh with the traditional understanding of the role of public access as the public benefit of copyright? The answer was, 'not well.' In the aftermath of the new statute, not only was there confusion about the survival and nature of trade secrecy protection for unpublished works, but the door was also inadvertently opened to allowing widely circulated works to retain both copyright and the attributes of trade secrecy. This state of affairs threw into question the centrality of the access principle in ways that have still not fully played out. But as this paper shows, the entire confusion between trade secrecy and copyright did not occur as a result of clear policy decisions by Congress on these issues, but as the accidental fall-out of efforts to fix other problems in copyright. There is no evidence that, in making the changes that brought trade secrets into the realm of copyright, Congress intended to downgrade the importance of access (or was even aware that it might be seen as doing so).
HLA Class II Defects in Burkitt Lymphoma: Bryostatin-1-Induced 17 kDa Protein Restores CD4+ T-Cell Recognition

While the defects in HLA class I-mediated Ag presentation by Burkitt lymphoma (BL) have been well documented, CD4+ T-cells are also poorly stimulated by HLA class II Ag presentation, and the reasons underlying this defect(s) have not yet been fully resolved. Here, we show that BL cells are deficient in their ability to optimally stimulate CD4+ T cells via the HLA class II pathway. The observed defect was not associated with low levels of BL-expressed costimulatory molecules, as addition of external co-stimulation failed to result in BL-mediated CD4+ T-cell activation. We further demonstrate that BL cells express the components of the class II pathway, and the defect was not caused by faulty Ag/class II interaction, because antigenic peptides bound with measurable affinity to BL-associated class II molecules. Treatment of BL with broystatin-1, a potent modulator of protein kinase C, led to significant improvement of functional class II Ag presentation in BL. The restoration of immune recognition appeared to be linked with an increased expression of a 17 kDa peptidylprolyl-like protein. These results demonstrate the presence of a specific defect in HLA class II-mediated Ag presentation in BL and reveal that treatment with bryostatin-1 could lead to enhanced immunogenicity.
A methodology for designing robust multivariable nonlinear control systems

A new methodology is described for the design of nonlinear dynamic controllers for nonlinear multivariable systems providing guarantees of closed-loop stability, performance, and robustness. The methodology is an extension of the Linear-Quadratic-Gaussian with Loop-Transfer-Recovery (LQG/LTR) methodology for linear systems, thus hinging upon the idea of constructing an approximate inverse operator for the plant. A major feature of the methodology is a unification of both the state-space and input-output formulations. In addition, new results on stability theory, nonlinear state estimation, and optimal nonlinear regulator theory are presented, including the guaranteed global properties of the extended Kalman filter and optimal nonlinear regulators.
39AR‐40Ar ages for the Apollo 15 green and yellow volcanic glasses

The laser microprobe was used to extend the Ar-39-Ar-40 method to small, low potassium glassy objects in order to determine the ages of Apollo 15 yellow volcanic, green volcanic group A, and green volcanic group D glasses. The apparent solidification ages for these glasses are 3.62 + or -0.07, 3.41 + or -0.12, and 3.35 + or -.18 aeons, respectively. The ages for group A and d green glasses agree well with previously reported ages for aliquots of 'bulk' green glass. No significant difference in the solidification age was found between the A and D groups. The average exposure ages for the yellow and green glasses from 15426 and 15427 were indistinguishable, with ages between 300 and 275 m.y.
Squamous-cell carcinoma of the anal canal: predictors of treatment outcome

The incidence of anal canal squamous-cell carcinoma is increasing. Limited data exist on predictors of treatment failure. This study was designed to identify predictors for relapse/persistence after first-line therapy. Using one database, we identified 131 Stages I-III patients treated for primary anal canal squamous-cell carcinoma at our institution from December 1986 to August 2006, with minimum six-month follow-up. Demographic, pathologic, treatment, and outcome data were extracted. Treatment failure was defined as biopsy-proven persistence or relapse (local and/or distant). Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate survival analyses were performed. Of 131 patients (median age, 58.3 years; median follow-up, 2.9 (range, 0.6–11.2) years), 66 percent were females, 43.5 percent were Stage II, and 11 (8 percent) were HIV-positive. Surgery only (local excision) was uncommon (6.9 percent, n = 9). One hundred twenty-two patients (93.1 percent) received radiotherapy; two required preradiotherapy diversion. Although 114 (93.4 percent) completed radiotherapy, most required treatment breaks, making total duration of radiotherapy longer than planned. Almost all patients undergoing radiotherapy (96.7 percent, 118/122) also had chemotherapy: 118 (100 percent, Stages I-III) had concurrent chemotherapy: (98 (83.8 percent) mitomycin/5-fluorouracil, 12 (10.2 percent) cisplatin/5-fluorouracil, 8 (6.8 percent) 5-fluorouracil alone); 35 of 46 (76 percent) Stage III patients received induction chemotherapy (34 (97.1 percent) cisplatin/5-fluorouracil, 1 (2.8 percent) 5-fluorouracil alone). Many (44 percent Stages I/II, 48.9 percent Stage III) required dose adjustments. Thirty-seven patients (28.2 percent) failed first-line therapy. There were no differences between patients with relapse (n = 22) or persistence (n = 15) of disease. Bivariate analyses demonstrated that T stage (P = 0.0019), completion of radiotherapy, and total radiotherapy dose (P = 0.03) were all significantly associated with treatment failure. On multivariate analyses, disease stage (P = 0.05) and completion of radiotherapy (P = 0.01) remained significant predictors of relapse-free survival. Tolerance of chemoradiation seems to be an important predictor of treatment success. Effective therapies with less acute toxicity must be identified.
Microbiological Profile of Chicken Patty Products Containing Broiler Giblets

Abstract The microbiological quality of poultry meat patties as affected by the incorporation of 10% broiler giblets was evaluated. The major meat component was skinless broiler thigh meat. An emulsion consisting of broiler skin, salt, seasoning, water, and a soy concentrate was added to constitute 20% of the product. Total aerobic, coliform, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and KF streptococcal counts and Salmonella analyses were determined on ingredients and patty products initially and after storage at 2 and −10 C. The average log10 values of the total plate counts (TPC) of the ingredients were: thigh meat 7.0, hearts 4.0, livers 4.4, gizzards 4.7, and emulsion 5.4. The initial TPC of the four patty products was approximately log 7.0 and patties spoiled in 2 to 4 days at 2 C. Coliform counts were greater than log 3.4/g in both ingredients and products, whereas the averages, coli, S. aureus, and KF streptococcal counts were log 1.6, 1.5, and 2.4 in the ingredients and 1.3, 1.8, and 2.9 in the products, respectively. Salmonella was isolated from all ingredients except skinless thigh meat and from 75% of all four patty products before, during, and after storage at −10 C. Escherichia coli and S. aureus were not detected in any of the patty products after 30 days at −10 C.
Illuminating simple polygons by floodlights

We consider the problem of illuminating a simple polygon by flood-lights. We show that the problem of placing the minimum number of 90 degree(s) flood-lights to illuminate the interior of a polygon is NP-hard.
Real Heroes Need Less Control: Dawn of a New Breed of Educator.

Abstract A renewed quest for quality programs more responsive to all stakeholders (educators, students, parents, and business leaders) has prompted application of total quality management (TQM) methods to higher education, the success of which requires conversion of traditional control of the process from individuals in organizational positions to the collective wisdom of project teams. This article examines the application of TQM to higher education and gives examples of effective new faculty-administration collaborative efforts with group control and accountability.
The Luminescence of Titanium Oxide

Luminescence of titanium oxide.---(1) Cathode rays excite only very faintly some orange-red bands unless the oxide has been recently fused, when the light excited has a fine blue color and includes three bands with heads at.625,.550 and.425\ensuremath{\mu}. The fatigue is rapid. (2) Ultra-violet light from an iron spark was ineffective. (3) Under flame excitation, a sample of the oxide placed on a copper block showed luminescence which was grayish blue at 425\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}, a strong red to 677\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} when it suddenly changed to a yellow. (4) Heated to incandescence by an oxy-hydrogen flame, two distinct phases were observed. Phase R (hydrogen in excess) showed a reddish luminescence reaching a maximum intensity at about 985\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} C of about eleven times black body radiation. Phase O (oxygen in excess) showed a modified blue glow greatly in excess of black body radiation throughout all the visible and for all temperatures below 1200\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} C.
Broad host-range vector for efficient expression of foreign genes in gram-negative bacteria.

A broad host-range expression plasmid was constructed comprising the incQ rep-licon, the recA promoter from Escherichia coli and the g10-L. ribosome binding site (RBS) derived from bacteriophage T7. The structural genes for porcine soma-totropin (pst) and E. coli β-galactosidase (lacZ) were used to monitor gene expression in a diverse collection of Gram-negative bacterial hosts: Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas syringae, Pseudomonas putida, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pseudomonas testosteroni, Serratia marcescens and Erwinia herbicola. The E. coli recA promoter was functional in this wide range of hosts and was inducible by the addition of nalidixic acid. Moreover, the level of lacZ expression was often at least as high as that observed in E. coli. Previous studies had shown that the g10-L RBS was superior to a simple “consensus” RBS sequence for expression of foreign genes in E. coli. Here we demonstrate a 38 to 70 fold increase in expression in two Pseudomonas hosts using the g10-L RBS, indicating that the translational enhancer present in the g10-L RBS is also functional in other bacteria. The juxtaposition of these transcriptional and translational elements in a broad host-range vector provides a simple way to evaluate alternate hosts for recombinant protein production.
Allocating architected registers through differential encoding

Micro-architecture designers are very cautious about expanding the number of architected and exposed registers in the instruction set because increasing the register field adds to the code size, raises the I-cache and memory pressure, and may complicate the processor pipeline. Especially for low-end processors, encoding space could be extremely limited due to area and power considerations. On the other hand, the number of architected registers exposed to the compiler could directly affect the effectiveness of compiler analysis and optimization. For high-performance computers, register pressure can be higher than the available registers in some regions. This could be due to optimizations like aggressive function inlining, software pipelining, etc. The compiler cannot effectively perform compilation and optimization if only a small number of registers are exposed through the ISA. Therefore, it is crucial that more architected registers are available at the compiler's disposal, without expanding the code size significantly.In this article, we devise a new register encoding scheme, called differential encoding, that allows more registers to be addressed in the operand field of instructions than the direct encoding currently being used. We show that this can be implemented with very low overhead. Based upon differential encoding, we apply it in several ways such that the extra architected registers can benefit the performance. Three schemes are devised to integrate differential encoding with register allocation. We demonstrate that differential register allocation is helpful in improving the performance of both high-end and low-end processors. Moreover, we can combine it with software pipelining to provide more registers and reduce spills.Our results show that differential encoding significantly reduces the number of spills and speeds-up program execution. For a low-end configuration, we achieve over 14p speedup while keeping code size almost unaffected. For a high-end VLIW in-order machine, it can significantly speed-up loops with high register pressure (about 80p speedup) and the overall speedup is about 15p. Moreover, our scheme can be applied in an adaptive manner, making its overhead much smaller.
Understanding Middle Students' Beliefs About Knowledge and Learning Using a Multidimensional Paradigm

Recent theory (Schommer, 1990) suggests that personal epistemology is multidimensional. The multidimensional epistemology structure with middle school students was tested in this study. Over 1,200 students in Grades 7 and 8 completed an epistemological belief questionnaire. Prior theory, developed with college students, suggested 4 epistemological belief factors: Ability to Learn, Structure of Knowledge, Speed of Learning, and Stability of Knowledge. Confirmatory factor analysis applied to a random half of the sample indicated that a 3-factor model was a good fit to the data. That model was replicated with the second half of the data. Follow-up regression analyses indicated that the more students believed in gradual learning and incremental ability to learn, the higher GPA they earned.
The Safety and Effectiveness of an Er:YAG Laser for Caries Removal and Cavity Preparation in Children

Summary Purpose: The Erbium:YAG laser has been shown to be safe and effective for caries removal and cavity preparation in adults. In this study, we report a prospective parallel controlled randomized multicenter clinical trial of this laser for dental caries removal and cavity preparation in children. Methods: At two separate sites, a total of 124 patients from 4 to 18 years old, having at least one tooth with caries requiring restoration, were randomized for treatment in a 2:1 ratio, laser to conventional dental drill. Caries were removed, the teeth were restored and follow-up evaluations were completed after 3 months. Determination of safe and effective treatment included four criteria: 1) acceptable caries removal, 2) acceptable cavity preparation, 3) pulp vitality, and 4) intact and serviceable restoration. Results: All 42 drill procedures and 81 out of 82 laser procedures were found to be successful in terms of safety and effectiveness. No significant difference in pain reported was found between drill or laser treatments, and no complications or adverse events were reported after treatment or at any other time during the study. Subject satisfaction with treatment procedures as reported was equivalent in the laser and drill groups. The only significant difference found between treatment groups was in the greater use of anesthesia during drilling procedures. Conclusions: The Erbium:YAG laser is safe and effective for both caries removal and cavity preparation in children.
Solubilization of n-Hexanol in mixed micelles

Abstract The solubilization of n-hexanol by mixed anionic/nonionic and cationic/nonionic micelles was measured throughout a wide range of hexanol activities. The solubilization equilibrium constant for both kinds of mixed micelles is less than that predicted by assuming that the equilibrium constant varies linearly with nonionic/total surfactant mole ratio in the micelle. This effect is more pronounced for the anionic/nonionic mixture than for the cationic/nonionic mixture. The results are attributed to the decrease in micellar surface charge density upon insertion of nonionic surfactant in the micelle. This results in a decrease in ion-dipole attractive forces between the ionic surfactant hydrophilic group and the alcohol hydroxyl group.
A molecular basis for thymic selection: regulation of T11 induced thymocyte expansion by the T3-Ti antigen/MHC receptor pathway.

T-cell activation is mediated through either the T3-Ti molecular complex or the TII sheep erythrocyte bindingglycoprotein. The former represents the nominal antigen/MHC receptor whereas the latter is a surface component of an alternative pathway which appears much earlier in intrathymic differentiation. Recent studies indicate that the T3-Ti complex regulates the TII activation pathway. Here, taking account of the ontogeny and physiology of this pathway, Ellis Reinherz offers a simple model to account for the selection in thymus against T cells with high-affinity, potentially autoreactive antigen receptors.
Are the future and the past really opacity-creating operators?

Among logicians there exists the widely accepted view that classical logic as developed by Frege, Russell, Peano, Peirce and others is not able to master all the problems arising in connection with indirect speech and similar phenomena. There is a myth that classical or so-called extensional logic is good only for one part of our language, for extensional contexts, while a large area of our language, consisting of intensional or opaque contexts, needs a special, non-extensional or intensional logic. It is obvious that this point of view denies the universality of logic and logical rules.
Directivity of a uniformly excited N X N array of directive elements

The directivity characteristics of a uniformly excited N \times N array of high- or low-gain elements are described. The voltage patterns of the individual elements were assumed to be of the form cos^{m} \theta and J_{1}(K\theta)/K\theta , where m and K are parameters used to vary the element pattern beamwidths. Directivity curves are presented as a function of the element spacing in wavelengths with N as a parameter ( N = 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10 , and 12) for the Bessel element pattern. The array directivity characteristics using the cosine element pattern are not greatly different from those computed using the Bessel element pattern. Comparisons between the computed and measured directivities of two array configurations show good agreement.
Bridging to Lung Transplant: What Method and for Whom?

Worldwide experience and expertise in lung transplant are increasing. For patients with end-stage respiratory disease this therapy greatly improves symptoms, eliminates the need for home oxygen therapy, and restores overall capacity. A major obstacle to increasing its availability as a treatment option is the limited number of donor organs. Patients who develop severe and progressive respiratory failure and are believed to be candidates for this treatment may be eligible for urgent lung transplantation. While waiting for donor organs to become available, methods to support respiratory function are essential to facilitate survival to transplant. Use of extracorporeal support to maintain gas exchange was first described two decades ago and has since developed substantially. We review current techniques available for bridging patients to lung transplant, and the indications and procedures for such support. Recent and historical clinical experience in this field is also discussed.
The effect of surface charge on interfacial ion transport

Abstract Recent experiments have shown that the rate of ion flow through monolayers and bilayers varies with the surface charge density of the layer and the ionic strength of the aqueous solutions. In this paper, the observed dependence of ion transport on the properties of the two systems is explained by assuming that electrical double-layer theory describes the distribution of ions near an interface during ion flow. The agreement between the two sets of observations and the derived equations suggests that electrical double-layer theory is useful for systems that are not far from equilibrium. In addition, the ability to account for ion transport through monolayers and bilayers in this way suggests that the explanation also applies to related processes in natural membranes.
Fluid Core Size of Mars from Detection of the Solar Tide

The solar tidal deformation of Mars, measured by its k2 potential Love number, has been obtained from an analysis of Mars Global Surveyor radio tracking. The observed k2 of 0.153 +/- 0.017 is large enough to rule out a solid iron core and so indicates that at least the outer part of the core is liquid. The inferred core radius is between 1520 and 1840 kilometers and is independent of many interior properties, although partial melt of the mantle is one factor that could reduce core size. Ice-cap mass changes can be deduced from the seasonal variations in air pressure and the odd gravity harmonic J3, given knowledge of cap mass distribution with latitude. The south cap seasonal mass change is about 30 to 40% larger than that of the north cap.
Signal Separation and Reconstruction Method for Simultaneously Received Multi-System Signals in Flexible Wireless System

We previously proposed a unified wireless system called “Flexible Wireless System”. Comprising of flexible access points and a flexible signal processing unit, it collectively receives a wideband spectrum that includes multiple signals from various wireless systems. In cases of simultaneous multiple signal reception, however, reception performance degrades due to the interference among multiple signals. To address this problem, we propose a new signal separation and reconstruction method for spectrally overlapped signals. The method analyzes spectral information obtained by the short-time Fourier transform to extract amplitude and phase values at each center frequency of overlapped signals at a flexible signal processing unit. Using these values enables signals from received radio wave data to be separated and reconstructed for simultaneous multi-system reception. In this paper, the BER performance of the proposed method is evaluated using computer simulations. Also, the performance of the interference suppression is evaluated by analyzing the probability density distribution of the amplitude of the overlapped interference on a symbol of the received signal. Simulation results confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Asthma Home Visit Program: A Valuable Piece to a Complex Puzzle

This article provides an update on the status of asthma and its impact on the quality of life, as well as the financial impacts. Alternatives to care are discussed that address the decreased use of health care dollars that concurrently enhance the quality of life for children with asthma and their families.
Analysis of foundation-elastic halfspace interaction using a mixed-variational approach.

ABSTRACT Flexural behavior of thin square or rectangular raft foundations resting in smoot hcontact with an isotropic elastic halfspace is examined using a mixed-variational approach. The deflected shape and the flexural moments of the foundation are assumed as even functions of the spatial coordinates x and y and a number of unknown constants. The contact stress distribution at the foundation-halfspace interface is expressed as a direct function1 of the assumed deflected shape of the foundation. Numerical results are obtained for deflection, flexural moments and contact stress at the interface for different foundation frigidities. Comparison of results with the finite element solutions shows a good agreement for various relative rigidities. The proposed method is computationally efficient and can be used effectively to predict deflections and flexural moments of raft foundations.
Decreased activity of cathepsins L+B and decreased invasive ability of PC3 prostate cancer cells

Cancer metastasis involves multiple factors, one of which is the production and secretion of matrix degrading proteases by the cancer cells. Many metastasizing cancer cells secrete the lysosomal proteases, cathepsins L and B, which implicates them in the metastatic process. Cathepsins L and B are regulated by endogenous cysteine proteinase inhibitors (CPI) known as cystatins. An imbalance between cathepsin L and/or B and cystatin expression/activity may be a characteristic of the metastatic phenotype. To determine whether cystatins can attenuate the invasive ability of PC3 prostate cancer cells, cells were transfected with a cDNA coding for chicken cystatin. Expression of chicken cystatin mRNA was determined by PCR analysis. Total cysteine proteinase inhibitory activity, cathepsins L + B activity, and invasion through a Matrigel matrix were assessed. Stably transfected cells expressed the chicken cystatin mRNA and exhibited a significant decrease in secreted cathepsin L + B activity and a small increase in secreted cysteine proteinase inhibitor activity. The ability of cystatin transfected cells to invade the reconstituted basement membrane, Matrigel, was attenuated compared to nontransfected cells or cells transfected with vector alone. We have demonstrated that the cysteine proteinases cathepsins L and B participate in the invasive ability of the PC3 prostate cancer cell line, and we discuss here the potential of using cysteine proteinase inhibitors such as the cystatins as anti-metastatic agents.
Determination of the correct criteria for K-systems reconstruction

One of the essential components of the K-system reconstruction process is the determination of which state or substate contributes the greatest to the reconstruction. In the literature, there have been two competing criteria used, both of which are based upon a quantity known as the ‘information-theoretic transmission’, which is defined as , where k is the information in the actual substate, and k′ is the information in the reconstructed substate. One approach uses this quantity, while the other uses the quantity . It had been implicitly assumed that both approaches gave the same result (i.e. the substate that would make the greatest contribution to the reconstruction would have a maximum value for both of these quantities). In this paper, we show empirically that in general they do not give the same results, and that the latter criterion predicts the substate that yields the optimal reconstruction. We then derive the correct criterion and demonstrate that this result is consistent with fundamental princi...
The vibrational spectra and structure of organogermanes. VII. Low-wavenumber vibrations of some diphenyl-germanes

Abstract The IR spectra of the series (C6H5)2GeX2 (where X is H, D, Cl and Br) have been recorded from 4000 to 33 cm−1. The Raman spectra of the liquids have also been recorded and depolarization values measured. The spectral region below 900 cm−1 has been interpreted in detail and the phenyl vibrations assigned assuming C2v local ring symmetry. It has been possible to make consistent assignments for the low-wavenumber vibrations for the four molecules and these are consistent with previous investigations of similar diphenylsilane and diphenylstannane molecules.
How delinquent youths acquire guns: initial versus most recent gun acquisitions.

Background Access to firearms among delinquent youths poses significant risks to community safety. The purpose of the study was to describe how a group of criminally involved youths obtained guns.
Brewing by-products: their use as animal feeds

Brewers grains, a by-product of beer production, are often used as a livestock feed. Because brewers grains provide protein, fiber, and energy, they can be useful in a variety of diets. Protein in brewers grains can meet a significant portion of supplemental protein requirements; in addition, they provide fiber and needed bulk in the diets of ruminants and horses. Brewers grains and other brewers by-products have also been fed to pigs, sheep, and poultry. Currently, the primary market for wet brewers grains is as a dairy cattle feed; however, some may be fed to beef cattle in feedlots. Brewers grains have historically been marketed wet or dry, but wet brewers grains currently make up the majority of the marketed product. Brewers grains provide protein, energy, and fiber in livestock diets, but product variability can influence their utilization and necessitate a testing program to determine nutrient content.
Integrated water quality management

Components of the integrated water quality management and planning process are described. The process is initiated by the Use Attainability Analysis (UAA) in which the ambient water quality-use based standards are justified and/or modified for the water body for which water quality management is being considered. The UAA has three components: (1) Water Body Assessment, (2) The Total Maximal Daily Load (TMDL) Process, and (3) Socio-economic Analysis. The first component identifies whether the receiving water body and watershed have a water quality problem and, subsequently, separates such water bodies into those where the water quality problem is caused by natural loads or conditions and those where man-made pollution inputs cause unacceptable water quality deterioration. The TMDL process separates water bodies into those for which water quality goals can be achieved by present and future mandated abatement of point and nonpoint sources (effluent limited water bodies) and those mandated abatement will not achieve the water quality goals (water quality limited water bodies). Extensive water quality management and expenditure of public funds is justified for the latter cases. Watersheds and receiving water bodies which are adversely affected predominantly by nonpoint (unregulated) discharges are declared as impaired and should be managed. Both reduction of waste discharges and enhancement of waste assimilative capacity-habitat restoration of the receiving water body should be considered in management of water quality limited receiving waterbodies.
Enthalpies of mixing in Fe–C–Si melts

Abstract The enthalpy of mixing of molten Fe–C–Si alloys is a significant element in performing mass balances on iron production and steelmaking, but almost no experimental data has been reported on enthalpy determination in these melts. As a result, models expressing this property as a function of composition must be derived from measurements of component activity, which are more widely available. The use of three such models – the regular solution model, Wagner’s model for dilute solutions, and the unified interaction parameter model developed by Bale and Pelton – have been used to calculate enthalpies of mixing in Fe–C–Si melts. The results are compared with each other and with the experimental data of Vitusevich et al.
Application of protein engineering to enhance crystallizability and improve crystal properties.

Until recently, protein crystallization has mostly been regarded as a stochastic event over which the investigator has little or no control. With the dramatic technological advances in synchrotron-radiation sources and detectors and the equally impressive progress in crystallographic software, including automated model building and validation, crystallization has increasingly become the rate-limiting step in X-ray diffraction studies of macromolecules. However, with the advent of recombinant methods it has also become possible to engineer target proteins and their complexes for higher propensity to form crystals with desirable X-ray diffraction qualities. As most proteins that are under investigation today are obtained by heterologous overexpression, these tech­niques hold the promise of becoming routine tools with the potential to transform classical crystallization screening into a more rational high-success-rate approach. This article presents an overview of protein-engineering methods designed to enhance crystallizability and discusses a number of examples of their successful application.