cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of structure of Mannich base prodrugs on their ability to deliver theophylline and 5-fluorouracil through hairless mouse skin

Abstract An extended series of N -Mannich base prodrugs of theophylline and 5-fluorouracil have been tested for their ability to deliver their parent drugs through hairless mouse skin from isopropyl myristate (IPM). There was a good correlation between the calculated solubility parameters of the parent drugs and their prodrugs, and the respective log experimental permeability coefficients. Although all of the prodrugs delivered more of the parent drug than the parent drugs did from IPM, increases in the solubility of the prodrug in the non-polar vehicle caused by synthesizing more lipid-like prodrug forms of the parent drug did not result in concomitant relative increases in delivery of the parent drug.
Probabilistic Framework for Strength Limit and Service Limit Checks of Drilled Shafts Considering Soil Spatial Variability

This paper presents a performance-based, probabilistic framework for design of a drilled shaft under axial and lateral loading that can consider spatial variability of soil properties at a project site. The performance criteria of a drilled shaft are stated in relation to the limiting tolerable deformations for strength limit and service limit, respectively. The computational algorithm for calculating the deformation of a drilled shaft is based on the commonly adopted load transfer method and the p-y method. "Geotechnical failure" is defined as an event in which the specified performance criteria are not met. Three failure modes are considered: axial movement, lateral deflection, and angular distortion. The spatial variability of soil properties is considered by using random field modeling techniques in which correlation length is introduced to account for site variability in addition to mean and variance. The method of fitting a sample autocorrelation function to a prescribed correlation function by usin...
Cross-borehole TEM for enhanced oil recovery: a model study

Abstract A computer algorithm was developed to model time-domain electromagnetic (TEM) fields for conductive structures radially symmetric about a horizontal loop transmitter. This algorithm improves on previous finite-difference algorithms by calculating the product of the radius times the electric field, which is more accurate than solving for the electric field directly, by using the Crank-Nicholson method of stepping through time which allows for coarser time steps and by using simplified boundary conditions which require less computational effort. These improvements allow models to be calculated on an IBM PC instead of main frame computers. The finite-difference algorithm was used to calculate results for simplified hot-water flood and streamflood simulations at four different stages of the flood front advance, and for thin layers. All the simulations used small horizontal coil sources and receivers and assumed the oil reservoir to be a resistive, horizontal layer (50 Ω·m) in a conductive (5 Ω·m) background. The TEM responses were dominated by the resistive reservoir layer. In model results, beds as thin as 1 24 the distance between the transmitting and receiving wells are detectable. For both the steam flood and the hot-water flood the greatest change in TEM responses between the flooded and the unflooded reservoirs occurs at early times, from 10 to 100 μs. The early-time responses can be qualitatively described as being influenced by the resistivity changes along a relatively narrow signal path which is a straight line in homogeneous regions and refracts along the high velocity reservoir boundary. As a conductive water flood front moves outward from the source borehole, the TEM response is delayed and attenuated for signal paths which pass through the flood zone but little change is seen for signal paths that do not cross the flood zone.
Stratigraphic filtering of SH waves in a spherical, layered earth

We present a derivation of the formula for filtering a transmitted SH wavelet by shortperiod multiples in a spherically layered Earth. We use a continuous, rather than a discrete formulation and regard the impedance and the velocity as random variables. The mean shear displacement represents the propagating wavelet as modified by short-period multiples. Standard procedures and approximations Lead to the dispersion relation of the mean displacement. To describe the stratigraphic filtering we introduce a complex quantityF such that a wavelet which has travelled a time ΔT is modified by the filter exp {iωFΔT}. The impact of the higher angular harmonic modes is shown to produce a relative enhancement of those modes over the low angular harmonic modes due to fluctuations in the shear-wave propagation velocity. Numerical estimates indicate that the sizes of the apparent attenuation of the mean field and the time delay introduced by the short-period multiples sit squarely in the regime where they produce a nonnegligible distortion of the SH modes of propagation in both phase and amplitude.
Multi-agent modeling of the South Korean avian influenza epidemic.

Several highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) outbreaks have been reported over the past decade. South Korea recently faced AI outbreaks whose economic impact was estimated to be 6.3 billion dollars, equivalent to nearly 50% of the profit generated by the poultry-related industries in 2008. In addition, AI is threatening to cause a human pandemic of potentially devastating proportions. Several studies show that a stochastic simulation model can be used to plan an efficient containment strategy on an emerging influenza. Efficient control of AI outbreaks based on such simulation studies could be an important strategy in minimizing its adverse economic and public health impacts. We constructed a spatio-temporal multi-agent model of chickens and ducks in poultry farms in South Korea. The spatial domain, comprised of 76 (37.5 km × 37.5 km) unit squares, approximated the size and scale of South Korea. In this spatial domain, we introduced 3,039 poultry flocks (corresponding to 2,231 flocks of chickens and 808 flocks of ducks) whose spatial distribution was proportional to the number of birds in each province. The model parameterizes the properties and dynamic behaviors of birds in poultry farms and quarantine plans and included infection probability, incubation period, interactions among birds, and quarantine region. We conducted sensitivity analysis for the different parameters in the model. Our study shows that the quarantine plan with well-chosen values of parameters is critical for minimize loss of poultry flocks in an AI outbreak. Specifically, the aggressive culling plan of infected poultry farms over 18.75 km radius range is unlikely to be effective, resulting in higher fractions of unnecessarily culled poultry flocks and the weak culling plan is also unlikely to be effective, resulting in higher fractions of infected poultry flocks. Our results show that a prepared response with targeted quarantine protocols would have a high probability of containing the disease. The containment plan with an aggressive culling plan is not necessarily efficient, causing a higher fraction of unnecessarily culled poultry farms. Instead, it is necessary to balance culling with other important factors involved in AI spreading. Better estimations for the containment of AI spreading with this model offer the potential to reduce the loss of poultry and minimize economic impact on the poultry industry.
Implications of body-mass estimates for dinosaurs

ABSTRACT Body-mass estimates have been made for 220 of the over 300 generally accepted dinosaur genera. The 1–10 ton body-mass category is the modal one for all dinosaur genera, dinosaurs on nearly every continent, dinosaurs during most stages of the Mesozoic, and dinosaurs in two of the three peak historical periods of dinosaur discoveries. Carnivorous dinosaurs were much smaller than herbivores during the Late Jurassic and again in the Late Cretaceous: at other times the two were roughly equivalent in mass. In terms of discovery of dinosaur genera over time, there has been a simultaneous increase in proportion of very small (under 10 kg) dinosaurs and a relative decline in giant dinosaurs (10–100 tons). This suggests that early researchers tended to collect giant dinosaurs.
Efficacy of a fenbendazole-triclabendazole combination against Fasciola hepatica and gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep.

Abstract A fenbendazole and triclabendazole combination was tested against experimentally induced 6- and 14-week-old infections of Fasciola hepatica and naturally acquired infections of gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep. Forty-eight sheep were divided randomly into six treatment groups of eight animals each. At 7.5 and 10.0 mg kg −1 body weight (BW) (3.75 and 5.0 mg kg −1 BW of each drug), the drug combination was 98.3 and 99.7% effective against 6-week-old F. hepatica infections, and 100 and 99.9% effective against 14-week-old infections. At the same drug dosages, the drug combination was effective against naturally acquired adult Ostertagia spp. (97.3–100%) and adult Nematodirus spp. (90.3–99.9%). No adverse effects associated with treatment were noted.
A structural and thermogravimetric investigation of the rare-earth formates

Abstract Anhydrous rare-earth triformates (Sc, Y, LaTm) and triformate dihydrates (HoLu) have been prepared by direct reaction of the sesquioxides with aqueous formic acid. The thermal decomposition of anhydrous and thermally dehydrated formates, which have been investigated by TGA and high temperature X-ray diffraction techniques, and by mass spectrometric gas analysis is consistent with the following scheme: R(OOCH) 3 → R 2 O(OOCH) 4 → RO(OOCH) → R 2 O 2 CO 3 → R 2 O 3 (R designates a rare-earth atom). The monoxytetraformate appears to exist as an amorphous intermediate only for the lighter elements (La, Pr); the other intermediates are observed across the series except for ytterbium and lutetium, which exhibit more complex decomposition paths involving the pentoxymonocarbonate, R4O5CO3. Lattice parameters obtained from powder and single crystal X-ray diffraction data for rhombohedral R(OOCH)3 (Y, LaTm), hexagonal LaO(OOCH), orthorhombic (Pmma) R(OOCH)3·2H2O (Y, Ho, Er), triclinic R(OOCH)3·2H2O (Yb, Lu), and monoclinic ( P2 1 c ) Sc(OOCH)3 and linear thermal expansion data for Pr(OOCH)3 are presented. The preparative results, decomposition schemes, and structural data are discussed and compared with those of previous reports.
Hardware demonstration of classical undergraduate control design methods using matlab real-time windows target environment

Engineering education has the objective of not only presenting the scientific principles, i.e., engineering science, but also of teaching students how to apply these to real problems. Therefore, hands-on laboratories have been an integral part of the engineering curriculum since its inception [1–3]. This presentation will demonstrate the use of a novel low-cost experimental apparatus for use in a typical undergraduate course in control systems taught to mechanical engineering students, i.e. students with limited exposure to electrical engineering. A simple to use, low cost system has been designed that provides a platform for experimentation in areas from basic open loop control, to frequency domain and digital control systems. This paper presents the design of the system, and demonstrates the ability of MATLAB tools such as Simulink Real Time Windows Target to illustrate implementation of various aspects of control design. The system setup consists of a DC micro-motor attached to a carbon fiber rod. The angular displacement is measured with an analog potentiometer, which acts as the pivot point for the carbon fiber rod. The DC micro-motor is powered by a low cost, custom circuit board, whos H-bridge allows the motor rotate in either forward or reverse directions. Attached to the micro-motor is a small propeller, providing thrust force to rotate the pendulum about its potentiometer. The circuit board communicates to the host computer using the USB protocol, utilizing usbser.sys to create a virtual COM port. MATLAB uses the serial port object to read and write from the control board. The control board is powered through two USB ports, requiring no external power adaptor or extra cabling. This paper shows the use of feedback linearization to arrive at a system where classical linear control design methods can be used. The project was tested in a classical control systems design class offered to senior-level mechanical engineering students. Student feedback and survey data on the effectiveness of the module is also presented.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Microscale synthesis of phosphorus trichloride labeled with high specific activity 33p

Milligram quantities of high specific activity 33P-labeled phosphorus trichloride are synthesized from carrier-free 33P-labeled phosphoric acid (33P-H3PO4). Special apparatus were constructed for this synthesis. Carrierfree 33P-H3PO4 is converted to lead phosphate in the presence of carrier by metathesis with lead oxide. Upon hydrogen reduction of the lead phosphate, elemental phosphorus is liberated and reacted with chlorine to form phosphorus pentachloride. Subsequent reduction in a specially constructed phosphorus reductor yields the phosphorus trichloride which is collected and sealed in an ampul. The procedures described are applicable to routine production of millicurie or multicurie quantities of several 33P-labeled phosphorus intermediates.
Equilibration times in clean and noisy systems

We study the equilibration dynamics of closed finite quantum systems and address the question of the time needed for the system to equilibrate. In particular, we focus on the scaling of the equilibration time ${T}_{\mathrm{eq}}$ with the system size $L$. For clean systems, we give general arguments predicting ${T}_{\mathrm{eq}}=O({L}^{0})$ for clustering initial states, while for small quenches around a critical point we find ${T}_{\mathrm{eq}}=O({L}^{\ensuremath{\zeta}})$ where $\ensuremath{\zeta}$ is the dynamical critical exponent. We then analyze noisy systems where exponentially large time scales are known to exist. Specifically, we consider the tight-binding model with diagonal impurities and give numerical evidence that in this case ${T}_{\mathrm{eq}}\ensuremath{\sim}B{e}^{C{L}^{\ensuremath{\psi}}}$ where $B,C,\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\psi}$ are observable-dependent constants. Finally, we consider another noisy system whose evolution dynamics is randomly sampled from a circular unitary ensemble. Here, we are able to prove analytically that ${T}_{\mathrm{eq}}=O(1)$, thus showing that noise alone is not sufficient for slow equilibration dynamics.
Wildfire severity mediates fluxes of plant material and terrestrial invertebrates to mountain streams

Abstract Wildfire effects upon riparian plant community structure, composition, and distribution may strongly influence the dynamic relationships between riparian vegetation and stream ecosystems. However, few studies have examined the influence of fire on these processes. To that end, we compared the quantity and composition of allochthonous inputs of plant material and terrestrial invertebrates among stream tributaries characterized by various degrees of burn severity 5 years post-fire in the Frank Church Wilderness of central Idaho, USA. The magnitude of inputs of coniferous leaf litter to unburned stream reaches was five times that of inputs to severely burned reaches. Deciduous leaf litter inputs to unburned reaches were 1.5 times, and inputs of terrestrial invertebrates were twice, the magnitude of inputs to severely burned reaches. NMS ordination and MRPP analysis indicated that the taxonomic composition of terrestrial invertebrate inputs to unburned stream reaches was significantly different than the composition of invertebrate inputs to either high-severity or low-severity reaches ( A = 0.057, p = 0.040). Unburned and low-severity stream reaches received greater inputs of large-bodied invertebrates belonging to the orders Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Orthoptera, and Diptera. Taken as a whole, our results indicate that fire can significantly alter terrestrial–aquatic connectivity via alterations in riparian-to-stream inputs of leaf material and arthropods. Given these findings, wildfire severity might be expected to be a critical factor in shaping stream–riparian food webs in fire-prone areas.
Non-invasive assessment of myocardial recovery on chronic left ventricular assist device: Results associated with successful device removal

Abstract Background Myocardial recovery may occur in patients with heart failure who are receiving left ventricular assist-device support, but identification of candidates for device removal remains challenging. We hypothesized that on-line quantitative echocardiography during trials of decreased device support alone or in combination with exercise cardiopulmonary testing can assess cardiac recovery to predict successful device removal. Methods We studied 18 patients with severe heart failure, aged 45 ± 19 years, who received 234 ± 169 days of assist-device support as a bridge to transplantation. We used echocardiographic automated border detection from mid-ventricular short-axis images and non-invasive arterial pressure to measure beat-to-beat responses in 2 to 5 minute trials of decreased device flow. We also assessed maximal oxygen consumption in 14 patients who could exercise. Results Six patients experienced myocardial recovery and underwent successful device removal; 12 remained device dependent. With transient, low assist-device flow, patients with device removal had increased echocardiographic stroke area of 27% ± 36% vs −24% ± 12% ( p p 4 in patients with successful device removal vs 1.2 ± 1.2 mW/cm 4 in patients who were device dependent ( p p r = 0.89, p 16 ml/kg/min, increased stroke area, >40% increase in fractional area change, or pre-load–adjusted maximal power >4.0 mW/cm 4 with low device flow were associated with successful device removal ( p Conclusions On-line quantitative echocardiography alone or combined with exercise cardiopulmonary testing can assess myocardial recovery of patients receiving left ventricular assist-device support and has the potential to identify patients who are clinical candidates for device removal.
The usefulness of computed tomography in detecting asbestos-related pleural abnormalities in people who had indeterminate chest radiographs: the Libby, MT, experience

This epidemiological study was conducted to determine whether high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) is useful to screen for pulmonary abnormalities in people exposed to vermiculite containing asbestos. During June-September 2001, we evaluated HRCT of 353 people in Libby, MT, who had been exposed to asbestiform minerals associated with vermiculite. Of these, 334 participants of the summer 2000 medical testing program underwent HRCT of the chest at St. John's Lutheran Hospital and 19 eligible people who recently had undergone an HRCT scan at the same facility and under the same testing protocol allowed the study reviewers to use that scan. All 353 study participants were former vermiculite mine/mill workers (n = 55), their household contacts (n = 99), and people exposed to vermiculite through recreational or other activities (n = 199). Participants' 2000 medical testing results indicated only one of the three B-reader chest radiograph reviewers had reported a pleural abnormality (indeterminate chest radiograph). Three expert computer tomography (CT) scan evaluators reviewed the HRCT scans and identified pleural abnormalities in 98 (27.8%) of the 353 participants whose previous chest radiographs were classified indeterminate. Of these 98 people, 69 (70.4%) were either former vermiculite mine/mill workers or household contacts, and 40 (40.8%) showed pleural calcification on HRCT. Thirty out of the 40 people with pleural calcification reported having no occupational exposure to either Libby vermiculite or asbestos. Our findings indicate that low-dose HRCT can be considered for screening certain former vermiculite mine/mill workers and their household contacts who have indeterminate chest radiographs and may be useful for diagnosing a suspicious finding on a chest radiograph, particularly in a high-risk person.
Testing Geometrical Discrimination within an Enzyme Active Site: Constrained Hydrogen Bonding in the Ketosteroid Isomerase Oxyanion Hole

Enzymes are classically proposed to accelerate reactions by binding substrates within active-site environments that are structurally preorganized to optimize binding interactions with reaction transition states rather than ground states. This is a remarkably formidable task considering the limited 0.1−1 A scale of most substrate rearrangements. The flexibility of active-site functional groups along the coordinate of substrate rearrangement, the distance scale on which enzymes can distinguish structural rearrangement, and the energetic significance of discrimination on that scale remain open questions that are fundamental to a basic physical understanding of enzyme active sites and catalysis. We bring together 1.2−1.5 A resolution X-ray crystallography, 1H and 19F NMR spectroscopy, quantum mechanical calculations, and transition-state analogue binding measurements to test the distance scale on which noncovalent forces can constrain the structural relaxation or translation of side chains and ligands along a...
A Fourier method for computing the perturbation to a two‐dimensional electric potential by a conductor of arbitrary shape

Introducing an electric conductor into a region pervaded by an initial electric potential perturbs that potential by inducing a charge distribution on the conductor's surface, necessary to guarantee that the surface is an equipotential of the total potential. Some numerical method is required to compute the perturbation potential, when the conductor's shape does not admit a standard analytic solution. For two-dimensional situations, a method is proposed for solving for the perturbation potential that involves expansion of the boundary perturbation potential and its normal derivative as truncated Fourier series. This boundary potential is known to within an additive constant from the requirement that its sum with the initial potential must be a constant. The standard representation theorem for the Dirichlet problem gives a consistency relation between the boundary function and its normal derivative, which here becomes a set of linear algebraic relations between Fourier series coefficients, with matrix entries found by appropriate applications of the fast Fourier transform. These are solved for the boundary derivative coefficients; at any point exterior to the conductor, the perturbation potential can then be evaluated from the two sets of Fourier coefficients, using further application of the fast Fourier transform. Examples are shown for two conductor shapes, with several initial potentials. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 17: 673–683, 2001
Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) and regeneration of transgenic plants.

Agrobacterium-mediated gene transformation of Populus tremuloides Michx was accomplished by co-cultivation of leaf disks excised from greenhouse plants with Agrobacterium tumefaciens containing a binary Ti-plasmid vector harboring chimeric neomycin phosphotransferase (NPT II) and s-glucuronidase (GUS) genes. Shoot regeneration in the presence of kanamycin was achieved when thidiazuron (TDZ) was used as a plant growth regulator. Transformation was verified by amplification of NPT II and GUS gene fragments from genomic DNA of transgenic plants with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and integration of these genes into nuclear genome of transgenic plants was confirmed by genomic Southern hybridization analysis. Histochemical assay revealed the expression of GUS gene in leaf, stem and root tissues of transgenic plants, further confirming the integration and expression of T-DNA in these plants. This protocol allows effective transformation and regeneration of quaking aspen using greenhouse-grown materials as an explant source. Whole plant regeneration from cuttings of fieldgrown mature quaking aspen and hybrid poplar (P. alba x P. grandidentata) was also readily achieved by using this protocol, which represents a potential system for producing transgenic quaking aspen and hybrid poplar of valuable genotypes.
What Can Communication Science Tell Us about Promoting Optimal Dietary Behavior

Four of the 10 leading causes of death can be attributed to poor dietary behaviors. Nutrition professionals continue to stuggle with the most effective ways to deliver nutrition messages that will result in changes in dietary behavior. On July 14-15, 2005, the National Cancer Institute and the Division of Nutrition Research Coordination, both of the National Institutes of Health, hosted a meeting to explore the state of the science concerning this issue. This paper provides an introduction to that meeting and the articles that resulted from it.
Computation of bessel functions in light scattering studies.

Computations of light scattering require finding Bessel functions of a series of orders. These are found most easily by recurrence, but excessive rounding errors may accumulate. Satisfactory procedures for cylinder and sphere functions are described. If argument z is real, find Yn(z) by recurrence to high orders. From two high orders of Yn(z) estimate Jn(z). Use backward recurrence to maximum Jn(z). Correct by forward recurrence to maximum. If z is complex, estimate high orders of Jn(z) without Yn(z) and use backward recurrence.
The new international economic order: The beneficiaries

Abstract The two substantive elements of the programme of action for a ‘new international economic order’ (NIEO) that have been most stressed by developing countries are those dealing with primary commodity prices and relief from debt service burdens. The provision of adequate amounts of official development assistance (ODA) has received less stress. An examination of 75 oil-importing developing countries for which adequate data were available grouped by per capita product, shows that if the priorities of the NIEO are carried out the principal beneficiaries would be the wealthier developing countries. For the very poorest countries, those for which the existing order has provided little in the way of material benefits, the most critical external element in helping them meet their development aspirations would be more ODA.
Is Low HDL Cholesterol a Marker or a Mediator of Cardiovascular Disease

In this chapter, we review HDL’s role in reverse cholesterol transport and point out to evidence supporting that HDL acts as a shuttle to transport cholesterol to other lipoproteins, with important roles that are not restricted to the cardiovascular system. We then discuss the atheroprotective roles of HDL in light of the several recent randomized clinical trials that were aimed at raising HDL cholesterol but failed to improve cardiovascular outcomes, and conclude that low HDL cholesterol is a marker, and not a mediator of cardiovascular disease.
Factors affecting water consumption by Holstein cows in early lactation.

Abstract Our objective was to examine relationships between water intake by dairy cows in early lactation and dry matter intake, milk production, sodium intake, and ambient temperature. After parturition, 19 multiparous Holstein cows were assigned randomly to one of four diets for 16 wk. Water consumption, dry matter intake, milk production, and maximum and minimum temperature were recorded daily and averaged weekly. There was no significant dietary effect on water intake, dry matter intake, or milk production; therefore, data were analyzed by stepwise multiple linear regression across diets. The final equation was: water intake (kg/day) = 15.99 + 1.58 (standard error .271)×dry matter intake (kg/day) + .90 (.157)×milk production (kg/day) + .05 (.023)×sodium intake (g/day) + 1.20 (.106)×minimum temperature (°C). Coefficient of multiple determination was .59. All temperature measures (mean, minimum, maximum) were closely correlated which justified the use of only one. Dry matter intake and milk production also were correlated but out of phase. Regression coefficients for milk production and sodium intake agreed with literature estimates. Major factors determining water consumption in early lactation have been identified and quantitated.
Tobacco, the Common Enemy and a Gateway Drug: Policy Implications.

Abstract For the four leading causes of death in the United States (heart disease, cancer, stroke and chronic respiratory disease), tobacco use is a common risk factor. Tobacco use is responsible for almost 450,000 deaths per year and impacts the health of every member of our society. Tobacco is a gateway drug for substance abuse. That role is critical to revisit and revalidate. From 490 schools, a total of 175,460 students in grades 6-12 participated in an alcohol, tobacco and other drug use survey, the descriptive analyses of the data being stated in a 2007 technical report. The secondary analyses of the data clearly demonstrated that a dose-response relationship pattern of association existed between increasing quantity of cigarette use and the use of alcohol and other drugs. Additionally, logit analysis revealed that selected demographic and other variables were statistically significant predictors of the past month's use of cigarettes. The secondary analyses were replicated for the 2008 survey, in wh...
Tests of Long-Term Abnormal Performance: Analysis of Power

In tests of long-term performance, researchers are faced with several research design choices. For instance, when estimating abnormal returns, what specific firm characteristics should be used as matching criteria to select control firms? What weights should be placed on each characteristic? Should an event firm be matched with one control firm or multiple control firms or with a reference portfolio? Should we use the calendar-time portfolio approach? We provide guidance to researchers on these questions by evaluating the power of the test using simulation analyses. We find that the quality of matching when selecting control firms has little impact on the power of the test. Among the alternative approaches studied, the Fama-French calendar-time portfolio approach obtains the highest power in random samples. Interestingly, we find that the higher power of this approach is attributable to the return aggregation method rather than the use of multiple risk factors or the in-sample fit of the model. In most nonrandom samples, the Fama-French approach obtains the highest power – the one exception being samples with extreme event-time clustering. Overall, for a reasonable sample size, the power of the best available methodology to detect economically significant abnormal returns is quite low.
Prototype of an Educational Video Game for Knowledge Retention in Youth Health Education

There is some debate about the most effective and least controversial means of sex education in schools. In several states, state law does not require education about Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (STDs and HIV/AIDS.) There is also debate about the effect and pervasiveness of sexual situations in video games and its effect on the healthy sexual development of adolescents. This research therefore aims to try to solve these two problems and answer the following question: Is it possible to represent sex in a more realistic and educational way through a video game while teaching more medically accurate and necessary information? The completion of this study will be able to provide some insights on the feasibility and benefits of widespread implementation of serious video games for health education in the United States and also point to the necessity of future research into this topic.
Simultaneous and exact interval estimates for the contrast of two groups based on an extremely high dimensional variable

Motivation: Analysis of high-throughput proteomic/genomic data, in particular, surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF MS) data and microarray data, has led to a multitude of techniques aimed at identifying potential biomarkers. Most of the statistical techniques for comparing two groups are based on qualitative measures such as P-value. A quantitative way such as interval estimation for the contrasts of two groups is more appealing. Results: We have devised a simultaneous confidence bands method capable of detecting potential biomarkers, while controlling for overall confidence coverage level, in high-dimensional datasets that discriminate two treatment groups using a permutation scheme. For example, for the SELDI-TOF MS data, we deal with the entire spectrum simultaneously and construct (1 − α) confidence bands for the mean differences between groups. Furthermore, peaks were identified based on the maximal differences between the groups as determined by the confidence bands. The analysis method herein described gives both qualitative (P-value) and quantitative data (magnitude of difference). The Clinical Proteomics Programs Databank's ovarian cancer dataset and data from in-house samples containing known spiked-in proteins were analyzed. We were able to identify potential biomarkers similar to those described in previous analysis of the ovarian cancer data, however, while these markers are highly significant between cancer and normal groups, our analysis indicated the absolute difference between the two groups was minimal. In addition, we found additional markers than those previously described with greater differences in average intensities. The proposed confidence bands method successfully detected the spiked-in peaks, as well as, secondary peaks generated by adducts and double-charged species. We also illustrate our method utilizing paired gene expression data from a prostate cancer microarray experiment by constructing confidence bands for the fold changes between cancer and normal samples. Availability: R-package, ‘seie.zip’ (license: GNU GPL), is publiclly available at http://research2.dfci.harvard.edu/dfci/MS_spike-in_data/ Contact: parkyuhyun@gmail.com Supplementary information: For supplementary data, please refer to Bioinformatics online.
Knowledge portals and the emerging digital knowledge workplace

A fundamental aspect of knowledge management is capturing knowledge and expertise created by knowledge workers as they go about their work and making it available to a larger community of colleagues. Technology can support these goals, and knowledge portals have emerged as a key tool for supporting knowledge work. Knowledge portals are single-point-access software systems intended to provide easy and timely access to information and to support communities of knowledge workers who share common goals. In this paper we discuss knowledge portal applications we have developed in collaboration with IBM Global Services, mainly for internal use by Global Services practitioners. We describe the role knowledge portals play in supporting knowledge work tasks and the component technologies embedded in portals, such as the gathering of distributed document information, indexing and text search, and categorization; and we discuss new functionality for future inclusion in knowledge portals. We share our experience deploying and maintaining portals. Finally, we describe how we view the future of knowledge portals in an expanding knowledge workplace that supports mobility, collaboration, and increasingly automated project workflow.
Nursing staff perceptions of physical function in hospitalized older adults

Physical function is a common complication of hospitalized older adults, resulting in increased morbidity, mortality, institutionalization, and cost. Nursing staff play a central role in the hospital experience for older adults, including the promotion of physical function. Although quality geriatric care requires an organizational approach, there are no empirically based guidelines to promote the physical function of hospitalized older adults. A first step to develop an organizational intervention is to identify nursing staff perceptions of physical function, defined as basic activities of daily living (eating, dressing, toileting, transferring, bathing, and continence), in hospitalized older adults, including their beliefs about prevalence, risk factors, onset, effective interventions, and institutional barriers and facilitators to promoting physical function. Using purposive sampling, six focus groups yielding 55 participants were conducted at one of two sites, a suburban community hospital in New Jersey and an urban teaching hospital in New York, using a semistructured interview. Each site provided three focus groups composed of nursing staff cohorts as follows: two groups of registered nurses (staff nurses, managers, advanced practice nurses, and educators) and one group of patient care associates. There were important similarities identified in the themes of each group. Participants identified a system-level approach to preventing functional decline, including multimodal interventions and system-level enablers.
Property Rights and Institutions: Congress and the California Land Act 1851

Governments frequently establish institutions to govern the transition in property rights when they acquire territory or experience radical changes in political regimes. By examining a specific example—the United States' acquisition of California from Mexico in 1848, this article investigates general questions about these institutions and institutional choice. The article fmds that the specific institution that Congress chose for California best balanced the interests of the federal government, American owners of land grants, and American squatters and settlers. Further, despite the lobbying, litigation, and delay associated with the institution, the institution was more efficient than prior institutions.
Dendritic Cells Continue To Capture and Present Antigens after Maturation In Vivo

Dendritic cell (DC) maturation is critical for the regulation of T cell responses. The downregulation of endocytosis on maturation is considered a key adaptation that dissociates prior Ag capture by DCs from subsequent T cell engagement. To study the dynamics of Ag capture and presentation in situ, we studied the capacity for Ag uptake by DCs matured in their natural tissue environment. We found that after maturation in vivo, mouse DCs retained a robust capacity to capture soluble Ags. Furthermore, Ags internalized by mature DCs were efficiently presented on MHC class II and cross-presented on MHC class I. These results suggest that under inflammatory conditions, mature DCs may contribute to T cell stimulation without exclusively relying on prior exposure to Ags as immature DC precursors.
Community and Academic Partnerships to Increase Breastfeeding Initiation, Duration, and Exclusivity among African-American Women

Implementation, Outcomes, and Evaluation The current obstetric telephone triage process was put into practice in June 2009. A standardized documentation form was developed for effective and efficient documentation of calls. Standardized algorithms were made available to nurses to reference for phone assessment and to provide advice based on the type of patient complaint that was provided. Since implementation, staff have demonstrated a significant increase in documentation adherence. Banner Thunderbird Medical Center obstetric triage nurses who voluntarily took an anonymous survey reported they agreed that the ability of obstetric triage nurses to provide safe patient care to telephone triage patients has been improved since the implementation of the obstetric telephone triage process.
The cohesive metaschema: a higher-level abstraction of the UMLS semantic network

The Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) joins together a group of established medical terminologies in a unified knowledge representation framework. Two major resources of the UMLS are its Metathesaurus, containing a large number of concepts, and the Semantic Network (SN), containing semantic types and forming an abstraction of the Metathesaurus. However, the SN itself is large and complex and may still be difficult to view and comprehend. Our structural partitioning technique partitions the SN into structurally uniform sets of semantic types based on the distribution of the relationships within the SN. An enhancement of the structural partition results in cohesive, singly rooted sets of semantic types. Each such set is named after its root which represents the common nature of the group. These sets of semantic types are represented by higher-level components called meta-semantic types. A network, called a metaschema, which consists of the meta-semantic types connected by hierarchical and semantic relationships is obtained and provides an abstract view supporting orientation to the SN. The metaschema is utilized to audit the UMLS classifications. We present a set of graphical views of the SN based on the metaschema to help in user orientation to the SN. A study compares the cohesive metaschema to metaschemas derived semantically by UMLS experts.
Gastroschisis in the United States 1988-2003: analysis and risk categorization of 4344 patients.

Gastroschisis is a rare congenital abdominal wall defect through which intraabdominal organs herniate and it requires surgical management soon after birth. The objectives of this study were to profile patient characteristics of this anomaly utilizing data from two large national databases and to validate previous risk stratification categories of infants born with this condition. An analysis was performed using 13 years of the National Inpatient Sample database (1988–1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002) and 3 years of the Kids' Inpatient Database (1997, 2000, 2003). These combined databases contain information from nearly 93 million discharges in the United States. Infants with gastroschisis were identified by International Classification of Disease-9 procedure code 54.71 (repair of gastroschisis) and an age at admission of <8 days. Variables of gender, race, geographic region, co-existing diagnoses, length of stay, hospital charges adjusted to 2005 dollars, complications and inpatient mortality were collected from the databases. Infants were divided into simple and complex categories based on the absence or presence of intestinal atresia, stenosis, perforation, necrosis or volvulus. Comparisons between groups were performed using Pearson's χ2 for categorical outcomes and the Kruskal–Wallis test for non-normally distributed continuous variables. A total of 4344 infants with gastroschisis were identified. These were comprised of 44.0% female infants (n=1910), 46.4% male infants (n=2017) whereas 9.6% were not reported (n=415). Racial analysis showed the largest subset being white in 40.9% of infants (n=1775) with Hispanic infants being the next highest group reported at 17.2% (n=745). Co-existing intestinal anomalies were the most common, affecting 9.9% (n=429) infants, whereas certain cardiac (6.8%, n=294) and pulmonary (1.7%, n=72) conditions were also identified. Simple gastroschisis represented 89.1% (n=3870) of the group whereas 10.9% (n=474) were complex in nature. Simple and complex patients differed in median length of stay (28 vs 67 days, P<0.01), inpatient mortality (2.9 vs 8.7%, P<0.01) and median inflation-adjusted hospital charges ($90 788 vs $197 871, P<0.01). These data represent a national analysis of the largest group of infants with gastroschisis to date which further aids the characterization and understanding of this serious congenital condition.
Postnatal Sulfur Dioxide Exposure Reversibly Alters Parasympathetic Regulation of Heart Rate

Perinatal sulfur dioxide exposure disrupts parasympathetic regulation of cardiovascular activity. Here, we examine the relative risks of prenatal versus postnatal exposure to the air pollutant and the reversibility of the cardiovascular effects. Two groups of animals were used for this study. For prenatal exposure, pregnant Sprague–Dawley dams were exposed to 5 parts per million sulfur dioxide for 1 hour daily throughout gestation and with their pups after birth to medical-grade air through 6 days postnatal. For postnatal exposure, dams were exposed to air, and after delivery along with their pups to 5 parts per million sulfur dioxide through postnatal day 6. ECGs were recorded from pups on postnatal day 5 to examine changes in heart rate. Whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology was used to examine changes in neurotransmission to cardiac vagal neurons in the nucleus ambiguus on sulfur dioxide exposure. Postnatal sulfur dioxide exposure diminished glutamatergic neurotransmission to cardiac vagal neurons by 40.9% and increased heart rate, whereas prenatal exposure altered neither of these properties. When postnatal exposure concluded on postnatal day 5, excitatory neurotransmission remained decreased through day 6 and returned to basal levels by day 7. ECGs showed that heart rate remained elevated through day 6 and recovered by day 7. On activation of the parasympathetic diving reflex, the response was significantly blunted by postnatal sulfur dioxide exposure through day 7 but recovered by day 8. Postnatal, but not prenatal, exposure to sulfur dioxide can disrupt parasympathetic regulation of cardiovascular activity. Neonates can recover from these effects within 2 to 3 days of discontinued exposure.
Asymmetric Permeators—A Conceptual Study

Abstract The asymmetric permeator concept of Ohno et. al. utilizing two different membranes for rare gas separation has been explored in general. Various geometrical arrangements and possible applications to gas separations other than rare gas-nitrogen mixtures have been discussed. The utility of an asymmetric permeator for multicomponent gas separations has been investigated. The separation factor of a ternary system in a perfectly mixed asymmetric permeator has been obtained. The amount of separation obtained with a ternary feed in a perfect crossflow stage having no axial mixing has been analytically determined for some limiting cases with an asymmetric permeator. The asymmetric permeator concept has been extended also to a high separation factor liquid solution separation process like reverse osmosis desalination. Preliminary calculations have been carried out to show that an asymmetric desalinator with reverse osmosis (RO) and piezodialysis (PD) membranes has a lower increase in brine concentration a...
Effect of Ampicillin and Chloramphenicol Alone and in Combination on Ampicillin-Susceptible and -Resistant Haemophilus influenzae Type B

To evaluate ampicillin (Amp) and chloramphenicol (Cm) alone and in combination against Haemophilus influenzae type b, we examined the viability of 5 log(10) colony-forming units (CFU) of early-log-phase organisms per ml after 4 and 8 h of incubation with the drug(s). Nine Amp-susceptible (Amp(s)) and five Amp-resistant (Amp(r)) systemic isolates were examined. Antibiotic concentrations included: the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Amp, 50% of the MIC of Amp, 25% of the MIC of Amp, the MIC of Cm, 50% of the MIC of Cm, 25% of the MIC of Cm, and nine combinations of these concentrations. Both Amp and Cm at their MIC significantly reduced bacterial titers of Amp(s)H. influenzae type b after 8 h of incubation (1.36 and 1.47 log(10) CFU/ml, respectively; both p < 0.01); only Cm at its MIC significantly reduced the number of viable organisms after 4 h (0.91 log(10) CFU/ml; P < 0.001). With Amp(r) organisms, significant reductions in mean bacterial titers occurred after 4 and 8 h of incubation in the presence of Amp at its MIC (1.66 and 2.06 log(10) CFU/ml, respectively; both P < 0.02); smaller but significant reductions were noted after 4 and 8 with Cm at its MIC (0.56 and 0.87 log(20) CFU/ml, respectively; both P < 0.025). Antagonism with Amp(s) or Amp(r) strains was not seen. We conclude that combinations of Amp and Cm have indifferent effects on Amp(s) and Amp(r)H. influenzae type b.