cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sealing/Infiltration of Non-cavitated Proximal Carious Lesions May Lead to Lesion Arrest

Article Title and Bibliographic Information Is non-cavitated proximal lesion sealing an effective method for caries control in primary and permanent teeth? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Ammari MM, Soviero VM, da Silva Fidalgo TK, Lenzi M, Masterson D, Ferreira TP, Mattos CT, Ribeiro de Souza IP, Maia LC. J Dent 2014;42(10):1217-27. Reviewer Mathilde C. Peters, DMD, PhD Purpose/Question Is non-cavitated proximal lesion sealing an effective method for carious lesion control in primary and permanent teeth? Source of Funding Information not available Type of Study/Design Systematic review with meta-analysis of data Level of Evidence Level 2: Limited-quality, patient-oriented evidence Strength of Recommendation Grade Grade A: Consistent, good-quality patient-oriented evidence
A histamine-independent itch pathway is required for allergic ocular itch.

Non-histaminergic TRPA1 neural pathway is required for the development of allergic ocular itch. Pharmacological inhibition of TRPA1 channel can lead to novel therapeutic strategies to treat ocular itch in severe allergic conjunctivitis.
Analysis and Modeling of a Single-Phase Brushless DC Motor Drive System

Brushless dc motors are becoming widely used in low-power applications such as blower motors, computer disk-drive spindle motors, and in copiers and laser printers. For these applications, the brushless dc motor offers the following advantages: small size, reliability, no carbon dust from brushes, precise speed control, and potentially high efficiency. The most commonly used brushless dc motors are twoor three-phase permanent-magnet ac machines driven by a dc-to-ac inverter. The three-phase machine combined with a six-pulse full-bridge inverter often represents the best trade-off of machine iron and copper utilization with the cost of the inverter. Because of the prevalence of two-and three-phase devices, they are the brushless dc motors which have been analyzed the most extensively. On the other hand, there has been little investigation into the operation of the single-phase brushless dc motor. Single-phase motors, in general, suffer from slower starting characteristics, less efficient utilization of machine iron and copper, and higher losses. Therefore, single-phase motors are limited to low-power applications where rapid response and high efficiency are not required. The primary advantage of single-phase devices is the simplified source requirements. For example, a single-phase brushless dc motor requires only one-third the number of transistors and position sensors needed by a three-phase motor and can be powered by a single dc voltage source. Thus, in applications where cost is of greater importance than performance, the single-phase motor may be a superior alternative to a two-or three-phase motor.
Osteonecrosis of the Knee — Which Joint Preservation Procedures Work?

There is no consensus with respect to the best procedures to preserve the knee joint in patients with osteonecrosis of the knee. We performed a systematic review of the literature between 1999 and 2012. Only 10 of 1057 studies met our inclusion criteria. Core decompression prevented additional surgical treatment in pre-collapse knees with a failure rate of 10.4% (7 of 67 knees). Autogenous and osteochondral grafts decreased the need for additional surgery in both pre-collapse (0%, 20 of 20) and post-collapse knees (10.5%, 8 of 76 knees). Although these results are quite promising multi-center randomized trials are needed to identify the optimal procedures to treat this disease.
Low-temperature thermal conductivity of two fibre-epoxy composites

Abstract Thermal conductivity data are presented for two fibre-epoxy composites. The fibre in one composite is glass and an aramid-class polymer in the other. Measurements were conducted on a glass-epoxy specimen in the direction perpendicular to the fibres at temperatures from 14 to 100 K. The aramid-epoxy specimen was measured parallel to the fibres at 5, 76, 196, and 276 K. Data are presented both in graphical and tabular form.
Disability glare: effects of temporal characteristics of the glare source and of the visual-field location of the test stimulus

One of the main early complaints of cataract patients, even when these patients exhibit only mild glare problems as measured by standard tests, is that glare impairs their night driving. To provide a better measure of the patients' impairment, glare tests should include measurements of the glare effect in conditions more similar to those found in night driving. During night driving the ambient light is very low, and oncoming headlights present a transient temporal pattern. Furthermore, the objects of interest often appear initially in the peripheral visual field. Thus three important characteristics of glare in night driving are that the ambient illuminance is in the scotopic-mesopic range, the detection stimulus is in the periphery, and the glare source is transient. Most of the current glare testers measure glare only at photopic levels, and all the glare tests that we know of use only steady sources of glare with foveal discriminations. All these conditions are dealt with. The transient glare source raised thresholds by 0.5-0.75 log unit more than the steady glare source, and the transient glare effect was more pronounced and more long lasting in the periphery. Standard glare testers seriously underestimate disability glare effects in everyday life.
Polycomb-Mediated Gene Silencing in Arabidopsis thaliana

Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are conserved chromatin regulators involved in the control of key developmental programs in eukaryotes. They collectively provide the transcriptional memory unique to each cell identity by maintaining transcriptional states of developmental genes. PcG proteins form multi-protein complexes, known as Polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1) and Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2). PRC1 and PRC2 contribute to the stable gene silencing in part through catalyzing covalent histone modifications. Components of PRC1 and PRC2 are well conserved from plants to animals. PcG-mediated gene silencing has been extensively investigated in efforts to understand molecular mechanisms underlying developmental programs in eukaryotes. Here, we describe our current knowledge on PcG-mediated gene repression which dictates developmental programs by dynamic layers of regulatory activities, with an emphasis given to the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana.
Building bridges between social, developmental and clinical psychology.

(2002). Building bridges between social, developmental and clinical psychology. Attachment & Human Development: Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 216-222.
HCV and HBV testing acceptability and knowledge among urban emergency department patients and pharmacy clients.

Abstract Objective Hepatitis C and hepatitis B are public health problems in the United States and remain largely undiagnosed. In response to the availability of rapid, point of care hepatitis tests, we assessed hepatitis knowledge and acceptability of hepatitis testing during an emergency department (ED) or pharmacy visit. Methods From June 2010 to May 2011, an anonymous prospective survey was administered to a convenience sample of New York City ED patients and pharmacy clients. Results The study population (N = 2078) was 54% female, 36% Hispanic and 41% black. Mean age was 39, SD ± 15 years. The majority (72%;1480/2,2060) of the participants responded that they would get tested if free testing were offered, and 67% (1272/1912) of those responded that they would test for hepatitis B/C in conjunction with HIV. Participants who had previously tested for hepatitis had higher mean knowledge scores than those who had never tested. Pharmacy clients, those of black race, and those with higher mean knowledge scores would be more willing to accept hepatitis B/C testing if offered. Conclusions Urban ED patients and pharmacy clients were receptive to hepatitis testing. Most individuals would elect to be tested for hepatitis with HIV, which raises the possibility of integrated testing.
Eaton Longhouses: Considering the Development of a Standardized Architecture

Three longhouses were discovered at the Eaton site in western New York between 1975-2000. From the postmold evidence obtained, these structures resemble most Iroquoian longhouses constructed throughout Iroquoia. Yet, particular dimensions of the Eaton longhouses are collectively distinct. When compared to other western New York sites and the whole of Iroquoia, the longhouses suggest that some Iroquoian peoples utilized a standard longhouse design. The question is why would Iroquoian builders use a standard.
The effect of rubrospinal tractotomy on a conditioned limb response in the cat

Five cats were trained to perform a forelimb conditioned response to a paired tone CS/shock UCS. Rubrospinal tract section ipsilateral to the trained limb was carried out following criterion CR performance. Lesion sites were identified histologically and further confirmed by observation of cellular changes in the red nucleus contralateral to the trained limb. Tractotomy resulted in total or near-total loss of the CR. Prolonged postoperative training resulted in no increase in CR performance levels. The UCR remained unaffected, as did limb placing, accuracy of striking at moving objects, grooming, running and walking. Training of the opposite limb in two subjects resulted in mean scores of 90 and 85% within three sessions. Control lesions in those subjects resulted in no changes in CR performance scores. The red nucleus receives a substantial input from sensorimotor cortex and cerebellum, both of which have been shown to represent essential parts of the brain circuitry involved in associative learning and memory. Since pyramidotomy has no effect on limb CR performance [Vonedia TJ. Exp Neurol 1976;19:483-493], the possible role of the red nucleus/rubrospinal tract is discussed in terms of a critical trigger area for the expression of a learned motor response.
Utility of stress Doppler echocardiography in patients undergoing percutaneous mitral balloon valvotomy

A subset of patients with mitral stenosis have symptoms out of proportion to the resting hemodynamics. Exercise Doppler echocardiography is a useful diagnostic modality to determine which patients are limited by their valve obstruction and would therefore benefit from percutaneous mitral balloon valvotomy. We analyzed 11 patients who showed a peak exercise mean mitral gradient that doubled from baseline or a final gradient of > 15 mm Hg. The mean mitral gradient increased from 7 +/- 2 mm Hg at rest to 19 +/- 6 mm Hg (P < .001) with exercise. All patients reported improvement in symptoms of at least 1 functional class after valvotomy.
Integration of multiple soil parameters to evaluate soil quality: a field example

Development of a method to assess and monitor soil quality is critical to soil resource management and policy formation. To be useful, a method for assessing soil quality must be able to integrate many different kinds of data, allow evaluation of soil quality based on alternative uses or definitions and estimate soil quality for unsampled locations. In the present study we used one such method, based on non-parametric geostatistics. We evaluated soil quality from the integration of six soil variables measured at 220 locations in an agricultural field in southeastern Washington State. We converted the continous data values for each soil variable at each location to a binary variable indicator transform based on thresholds. We then combined indicator transformed data for individual soil variables into a single integrative indicator of soil quality termed a multiple variable indicator transform (MVIT). We observed that soil chemical variables, pools of soil resources, populations of microorgansims, and soil enzymes covaried spatially across the landscape. These ensembles of soil variables were not randomly distributed, but rather were systematically patterned. Soil quality maps calculated by kriging showed that the joint probabilities of meeting specific MVIT selection were influenced by the critical threshold values used to transform each individual soil quality variable and the MVIT selection criteria. If MVIT criteria adequately reflect soil quality then the kriging can produce maps of the probabilty of a soil being of good or poor quality.
Investigation of the Feasibility and Feedstock Management Strategies of a Flexible Biomass to Ethanol Plant via Process Simulation

Current US transportation sector mainly relies on liquid hydrocarbon derived from petroleum oil and about 60% of the petroleum oil consumed is from areas where supply may be disturbed by regional instability. This has led to serious concerns on global warming and energy security. To address these issues, numerous alternative energy carriers have been proposed. Among them, second generation biofuel is one of the most promising technologies. Gasification based thermo-chemical conversion can utilize a wide range of biomass wastes and residues and bring flexibility to both feedstock and production sides of a plant, thus presents an attractive technical route. In this paper, a flexible feedstock thermo-chemical ethanol production process is investigated. This research focuses mainly on the evaluation of the feasibility of the process through numerical simulation. An existing thermo-chemical ethanol production model developed by NREL has been updated to handle the cases when different biomass feedstock and feedstock combinations are used. It is found that the ethanol yield is positively proportional to the feedstock feeding rate, while the total conversion efficiency is negatively proportional to the feeding rate. To demonstrate a feedstock management strategy, a plant located near a major city with a population of 200,000 and above is considered and MSW, legume straw and wood chips are selected as potential feedstock. Simulation results indicate that with wood chips as the backup feedstock the plant can be operated under extreme conditions when legume straw availability is significantly reduced without major equipment modification.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
A branch-and-bound approach for machine selection in just-in-time manufacturing systems

SUMMARY Equipment selection issues are very important in the early stages of implementation of just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing systems. This paper addresses the problem of determining the number of machines for each stage of a JIT system by minimizing production, imbalance and investment costs. The problem is modelled as a mixed-integer nonlinear optimization program and a branch-and-bound algorithm is developed for its solution. This algorithm guarantees the global optimum of the problem and is enhanced by simple, yet very effective, upper bounding heuristics. The solutions obtained by the developed branch-and-bound approach are compared to solutions that have appeared in the literature using heuristic approaches. The comparisons indicate that the proposed algorithm leads to significant economic savings, averaging 17% on a set of problems from the literature. The paper also considers the application of the algorithm to large-scale, industrially-relevant, problems with up to 10 stages and 200 products. E...
A higher radiotherapy dose is associated with more durable palliation and longer survival in patients with metastatic melanoma.

BACKGROUND. Oncologists are often reluctant to recommend radiotherapy (RT) to palliate metastatic melanoma due to a perception that this tumor is ‘‘radioresistant.’’ The Mayo Clinic experience was analyzed to determine the efficacy of palliative RT. METHODS. Eighty-four consecutive patients with 114 lesions that were not metastatic to the central nervous system (CNS) were evaluated for the response of the presenting symptom, the duration of response, and survival after RT. The median dose delivered was 30 grays (Gy) and the median biologic effective dose (BED) was 39.0 Gy10. Performance status was not uniformly available for all patients. RESULTS. Complete resolution of the presenting symptom occurred in 10 lesions (9%). Of the lesions treated, there was partial improvement in 86 (75%), no change in 12 (11%), and worsening in 6 (5%) lesions. The median survival was 3.8 months and freedom from disease progression (FFP) for individual lesions was 6 months. Patients treated with >30 Gy had significantly longer FFP compared with patients given � 30 Gy (P 5 .01). In addition, patients treated with >30 Gy had a significantly longer survival than those given a lesser dose (median of 2 months vs 8 months; P 39.0 Gy10 also were found to have longer FFP (P 5 .03) and survival (median of 2 months vs 8 months; P 30 Gy and a BED >39.0 Gy10 were found to be associated with
Cytogenetic Analysis of a Scapular Chondromyxoid Fibroma

Chondromyxoid fibroma (CMF) is a rare cartilaginous tumor of bone. It typically presents in the lower extremities of young males. Cytogenetic analysis of two chondromyxoid fibromas has been previously reported. We studied a scapular CMF from an 11-year-old female by cytogenetic and molecular cytogenetic methods and found an unbalanced reciprocal translocation between the short arm of chromosome 3 and the long arm of chromosome 6. In this translocation, several bands from chromosome 3 (3p12, 3p13, 3p14, 3p21) are lost and several bands on chromosome 6 (6q21, 6q22, 6q23) appear rearranged. Two known cartilage-related genes are located in the regions affected by this unbalanced rearrangement: the type X collagen gene (COL10A1) located at 6q21-q22 and the parathyroid hormone/parathyroid hormone-related peptide receptor gene (PTH/PTHrP) located at 3p21.1-p22. These genes function to control growth and maturation of endochondral bone, the site of origin of cartilaginous tumors.
Adaptive importance sampling (digital communication)

Parametric adaptive importance sampling (IS) algorithms that adapt the IS density to the system of interest during the course of the simulation are discussed. This approach removes the burden of selecting the IS density from the system designer. The performance of two such algorithms is investigated for both linear and nonlinear systems operating in Gaussian noise. In addition, the algorithms are shown to converge to the optimum improved importance sampling density for the special case of a linear system with Gaussian noise. >
Surrogate-based optimisation of automotive structures under multiple crash and vibration design criteria

The traditional crashworthiness optimisation problem is augmented by inclusion of additional design criterion associated with vehicle vibration characteristics. Through finite element (FE) simulations, full frontal, offset frontal and side crashes of a full vehicle model are analysed for peak acceleration, intrusion distance and internal energy. Moreover, the FE crash model of the vehicle is modified to develop a vibration-analysis model for evaluation of natural frequencies and mode shapes. Design of computer experiments through Latin hypercube sampling is used to sample the design space defined by the wall thicknesses of 22 parts. Radial basis functions are used to generate separate surrogate models for the selected crash responses measured at multiple sites as well as the fundamental natural frequencies in bending and torsion. A nonlinear surrogate-based mass minimisation problem is formulated and solved under crash and vibration constraints with the results verified through FE simulations. The optimum vehicle design under multiple design criteria is presented and the vehicle's characteristics are compared with those of the baseline design as well as those associated with the optimum design based on crash responses alone.
r and K strategies in some larval and pupal parasitoids of the gypsy moth

The investigations of the bionomics and parasitoid-host interactions of some gypsy moth parasitoids provide an opportunity to consider the role of r and K strategies in the life history of some tachinid and hymenopterous parasitoid species. Available historic data as well as results of recent studies are utilized in an attempt to evaluate the degree to which the data conform to this paradigm. Few studies have provided the information required to evaluate this concept particularly in a parasitoid complex. The concept of r and K also is discussed in relation to biological control strategies, and the implications of this analysis for those arguments are discussed.
Homing alone? CD18 in infectious and allergic disease

CD18 (integrin β2) is an adhesion molecule that is crucial for host defense, but a comprehensive understanding of CD18 in immunity has been elusive. Studies now show that, through the control of homing and other cellular adhesive events, CD18 is important for innate (especially neutrophil-dependent) immunity but not adaptive Th1 defense mechanisms. Furthermore, Th2 cells, which are associated with allergic disease and impair the clearance of Th1-dependent pathogens, require CD18 integrins for homing to sites of inflammation. These findings suggest that the therapeutic targeting of CD18 integrins to exclude the homing of pathogenic Th2 cells might be effective in the treatment of allergic and Th1-dependent infectious diseases.
Two‐dimensional numerical simulations of Arctic leads: Plume penetration height

[1] During the Arctic winter, leads can be a significant source of heat and water vapor for the atmosphere due to the extreme temperature differences between the sea surface and the atmosphere. Because of their relatively small scales, however, these openings in the pack ice cannot be explicitly resolved by large-scale models. In the present study, a two-dimensional cloud-resolving model is employed to examine the development of the convective plumes that can form in the vicinity of leads. Two important considerations with respect to leads are the enhanced surface fluxes over the warm water surface and the height to which the resulting plumes penetrate, which represents the depth of the atmosphere that is directly affected by these enhanced fluxes. The dependence of plume height on ambient wind speed, orientation, and lead width is investigated. Comparisons to earlier large-eddy simulation results generally show good agreement, while comparisons with simple analytical expressions for plume height show good agreement for cases with no cross-lead large-scale flow and poor agreement for cases with significant cross-lead winds. Sensitivity experiments are run to gauge the impacts of interactive microphysical and radiative processes. When these processes are included in the simulations, plume depths increase up to 20% over the baseline case, which is in general agreement with earlier one-dimensional results. Finally, it was found that by generalizing the surface buoyancy flux to include latent and radiative fluxes, the analytical expression for plume height could be successfully applied to the case where there is no large-scale cross-lead wind.
Net treasury borrowing and interest-rate changes

As noted by Arora and Dua (1993, 1995), studies investigating the relationship between budget deficits and short-term interest rates have generated inconsistent results. This study performs Granger causality tests on four short-term interest rates using changes instead of level measures. In lieu of deficit, the level of net treasury borrowing will serve as thex variable.
The nature of the chromium trioxide intercalation in graphite

Abstract X-ray diffraction, thermal, and chemical techniques have been used to demonstrate that chromium trioxide will intercalate graphite in the presence of a glacial acetic acid solvent. The product is a third stage ionic compound of graphite with an identity period Ic of 14·92 A, which may be hydrolyzed to give a molecular intercalate. Contrary to previous reports, it appears that chromium trioxide and graphite do not react directly to form an analogous intercalation product, yielding instead a mixture of lower oxides of chromium and unreacted graphite.
Policies and Procedures for Reviewing Medical Images From Portable Media: Survey of Radiology Departments

Purpose The purpose of this study was to survey current practices for portable media (CDs and DVDs) use for medical imaging in both academic and nonacademic radiology departments in the United States. Methods This survey was a stratified, nonrandom sample, 22-question electronic survey, using SurveyMonkey, of members of the Association of Administrators in Academic Radiology, the Association for Medical Imaging Management, and the University HealthSystem Consortium, conducted in November 2009. Questions were grouped by media production and media viewing practices. Results One hundred and two individual responses to the survey were received. Ninety-eight percent of respondents said that their institutions produced Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM)-compliant media, with only 2.0% uncertain. Only 22.2% of respondents claimed that their institutions produced Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) Portable Data for Imaging (PDI)-compliant media, while 71.6% were uncertain. Rates of DICOM and IHE PDI compliance did not differ between academic and nonacademic centers. As for testing digital media produced at the institutions for DICOM and IHE PDI compliance, only 16.0% of respondents' institutions routinely did so. Conclusions Three main problem areas regarding portable media became evident from this study: (1) access, (2) importability, and (3) viewing issues, and problems with any of the 3 can delay patient care. Noncompliance and a lack of knowledge about compliance were found to be major issues in the present study, more so for IHE PDI than for DICOM, and there is much room for improvement. Recommendations include that radiology practices should routinely generate only media compliant with DICOM and IHE PDI and should test for compliance.
Survival of patients with glioblastoma multiforme is not influenced by altered expression of p16, p53, EGFR, MDM2 or Bcl-2 genes.

Deregulated expression of one or more growth control genes including p16, p53, EGF receptor (EGFR), MDM2 or Bcl-2 may contribute to the treatment resistance phenotype of GBM and generally poor patient survival. Clinically, GBM have been divided into two major groups defined by (1) histologic progression from a low grade tumor (“progressive” or “secondary” GBM) contrasted with (2) those which show initial clinical presentation without a prior history (“de novo” or “primary” GBM). Using molecular genetic analysis for p53 gene mutations together with immunophenotyping for overexpression of EGFR, up to four GBM variants can be distinguished, including the p53+/EGFR progressive or the p53-/EGFR+de novo variant. We examined the survival of 80 adult patients diagnosed with astrocytic GBM stratified by age category (>40, 41–60 or 61–80) to determine whether alterations in any one given growth control gene or whether different genetic variants of GBM (progressive versus de novo) were associated with different survival outcomes. Survival testing using Kaplan-Meier plots for GBM patients with or without altered expression of p16, p53, EGFR, MDM2 or Bcl-2 showed no significant differences by age group or by gene expression indicating a lack of prognostic value for GBM. Also the clinical outcome among patients with GBM showed no significant differences within each age category for any GBM variant including the progressive and de novo GBM variants indicating similar biologic behavior despite different genotypes. Using a pair-wise comparison, one-third of the GBM with normal p16 expression showed accumulation of MDM2 protein and this association approached statistical significance (0.01 < P < 0.05) using the Bonferroni procedure. These GBM may represent a variant in which the p19ARF/MDM2/p53 pathway may be deregulated rather than the p16/cyclin D-CDK4/Rb pathway.
A Provisional Reclassification of Granite

The term “granite” could be usefully reserved for massive or weakly oriented plutonic rocks of colour index less than 20 per cent and quartz content between 20 per cent and 40 per cent by volume. A symbolic classification of rocks meeting these requirements is presented. The various classes are based on the relative proportions of plagioclase and alkali feldspar, and sub-classes based on the ternary dominance ratio quartz-alkali feldsparplagioclase are also proposed. The symbols are simple and easily remembered. A few of the common names now in use are retained for class designations.
A Lamb in Wolf's Clothing: Postmodern Realism in A. M. Homes's Music for Torching and This Book Will Save Your Life

Often read but rarely critically discussed, A. M. Homes's fiction creates a by-now familiar postmodern world plagued by solipsism and its resulting social alienation, then solves these problems in a shockingly retro appeal to the moral certitude and narrative closure of realism. Her novels harness the realist aesthetic, via our frustrated readerly expectations of both realist and postmodern literature, for the entirely new end of exposing the narrative conventions that define all literature as literature. This article argues that Homes's fiction deserves critical attention for its unparalleled ability to return to the pleasures of realist meaning-making while maintaining a postmodern attentiveness to the structures of fiction themselves.
A comparison of tissue esterases in the genus Barbus by vertical gel electrophoresis

Abstract 1. 1. The multiplicity of soluble esterases in Barbus tetrazona (tiger barb), B. conchonius (rosy barb), B. sachsi (gold barb) and B. titteya (cherry barb) have been compared utilizing polyacrylamide (vertical) gel electrophoresis. 2. 2. Eight separable zones of esterolytic activity were observed from liver and intestinal extracts of B. tetrazona, B. conchonius and B. sachsi , and nine separable zones in B. titteya . 3. 3. Tissue esterases within each species showed a specific profile, with species sharing common geographic origins displaying esterases with similar properties. 4. 4. Esterases were classified by employing eserine sulfate, DFP and sulfhydryl-group inhibitory agents.
What Improves with Increased Missing Data Imputations

When using multiple imputation in the analysis of incomplete data, a prominent guideline suggests that more than 10 imputed data values are seldom needed. This article calls into question the optimism of this guideline and illustrates that important quantities (e.g., p values, confidence interval half-widths, and estimated fractions of missing information) suffer from substantial imprecision with a small number of imputations. Substantively, a researcher can draw categorically different conclusions about null hypothesis rejection, estimation precision, and missing information in distinct multiple imputation runs for the same data and analysis with few imputations. This article explores the factors associated with this imprecision, demonstrates that precision improves by increasing the number of imputations, and provides practical guidelines for choosing a reasonable number of imputations to reduce imprecision for each of these quantities.
EVALUATION OF TADS 12253 AND KARATE FOR CONTROL OF INSECT PESTS OF SOYBEANS, 1998

The experiment was conducted at the TAMU Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Beaumont, TX, in 1998 and was designed as an RCB with three treatments and four replications. Plot size was six rows x 50 ft long (30 inches between rows). Treatments are described in the tables. Plots were planted with ‘Haskell’ (Maturity Group VII) on 9 Jun. Seeding rate was eight viable seeds per ft of row. Soybeans emerged 16 Jun. On 7 Oct, when stink bug populations were increasing, selected plots were sprayed with the treatment insecticides. Insecticides were applied with a two-person, 20-ft spray rig (11 nozzles) pressurized with CO2. Nozzle tip size was 800067 and nozzles were equipped with 50 mesh screens. Final spray volume was 29 gpa. Five days before treatment applications, plots were sampled for arthropods with a 15-inch-diameter sweep net. Ten consecutive sweeps were taken in each plot. Arthropods from each sample were transferred to a plastic bag, which was frozen. At a later date, the contents of the bags were thawed, identified, and counted. One, 3, 9, 16, and 23 d after treatment applications, plots were sampled as described above. On each sample date, stage of development of soybeans was recorded. Plots were not harvested because of summer drought conditions that drastically reduced soybean yields. Arthropod counts were transformed using, O x + 0.5 and all data analyzed by ANOVA and means separated by DMRT (P = 0.05).
Low Rates of Lateral Gene Transfer among Metabolic Genes Define the Evolving Biogeochemical Niches of Archaea through Deep Time

Phylogenomic analyses of archaeal genome sequences are providing windows into the group's evolutionary past, even though most archaeal taxa lack a conventional fossil record. Here, phylogenetic analyses were performed using key metabolic genes that define the metabolic niche of microorganisms. Such genes are generally considered to have undergone high rates of lateral gene transfer. Many gene sequences formed clades that were identical, or similar, to the tree constructed using large numbers of genes from the stable core of the genome. Surprisingly, such lateral transfer events were readily identified and quantifiable, occurring only a relatively small number of times in the archaeal domain of life. By placing gene acquisition events into a temporal framework, the rates by which new metabolic genes were acquired can be quantified. The highest lateral transfer rates were among cytochrome oxidase genes that use oxygen as a terminal electron acceptor (with a total of 12–14 lateral transfer events, or 3.4–4.0 events per billion years, across the entire archaeal domain). Genes involved in sulfur or nitrogen metabolism had much lower rates, on the order of one lateral transfer event per billion years. This suggests that lateral transfer rates of key metabolic proteins are rare and not rampant.
Testing for the equality of area under the curves when using destructive measurement techniques

The area under a curve (AUC) of metabolite concentration or drug concentration over time has biological meaning in many situations, and the test of AUC equality among a set of different dosing regimens is often of interest. For the situation where the experimental unit must be sacrificed in order to obtain an estimate of the metabolite or drug concentration, it is noted that linear combinations of mean concentrations at time points for a particular dosing regimen can be used to estimate the AUC for that regimen. Contrasts among AUC estimates are readily constructed and tested within this derivation.
Office-Based 532-nm Pulsed KTP Laser Treatment of Glottal Papillomatosis and Dysplasia

Objectives:Treatment of glottal papillomatosis and dysplasia was mirror-guided and done in surgeons' offices in the 19th century. It migrated to the operating room in the 20th century to accommodat...
Efficient Gene Silencing in Metastatic Tumor by siRNA Formulated in Surface-modified Nanoparticles

We have developed a nanoparticle (NP) formulation for systemically delivering siRNA into metastatic tumors. The NP, composed of nucleic acids, a polycationic peptide and cationic liposome, was prepared in a self-assembling process. The NP was then modified by PEG-lipid containing a targeting ligand, anisamide, and thus was decorated for targeting sigma receptor expressing B16F10 tumor. The activity of the targeted NP was compared with the naked NP (no PEGylation) and non-targeted NP (no ligand). The delivery efficiency of the targeted NP was 4-fold higher than the non-targeted NP and could be competed by excess free ligand. Luciferase siRNA was used to evaluate the gene silencing activity in the B16F10 cells, which were stably transduced with a luciferase gene. The gene silencing activity of the targeted NP was significantly higher than the other formulations and lasted for 4 days. While confocal microscopy showed that the naked NP provided no tissue selectivity and non-targeted NP was ineffective for tumor uptake, the targeted NP effectively penetrated the lung metastasis, but not the liver. It resulted in 70-80% gene silencing in the metastasis model after a single i.v. injection (150 microg siRNA/kg). This effective formulation also showed very little immunotoxicity.
Effect of lung volume reduction surgery in a rabbit model of bullous lung disease.

Clinical use of staple lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) has proliferated for treatment of emphysema despite limited data regarding efficacy or optimal techniques. Recent studies in animal models of obstructive lung disease describe the decrease in lung compliance and increase in airway support as mechanisms of an improvement in pulmonary functions analogous to human data. We describe contrasting results in an animal model of bullous lung disease with a mixed but predominantly restrictive pattern of lung disease. Mixed restrictive and bullous lung disease was induced in 17 New Zealand white rabbits with i.v. Sephadex beads and endotracheally instilled carrageenan. Unilateral stapled lung volume reduction surgery was performed at 5 weeks postinduction of emphysema on the right lower lobe by lateral thoracotomy using a pediatric stapler. Static trans-pleural pressures were measured at 60, 40, and 20 cm3 inflation at preinduction (baseline), pre- and postoperatively, and 1 week postoperatively in anesthetized animals. Lungs were then harvested en bloc and examined histopathologically. The effects of volume reduction surgery on static lung compliance, lung conductance, and forced expiratory flows (FEF) were assessed. Five weeks after induction of lung disease, the animals had no significant change in static compliance and forced expiratory volume in 0.5 s (FEV0.5) or lung conductance compared to baseline. Immediately following LVRS, the animals showed a significant decrease in static compliance, FEV0.5, and conductance. One week postoperatively, compliance increased to approximately baseline levels along with a slight increase in FEFs and conductance toward preoperative levels. Histology examination revealed restrictive and bullous lung disease. Thus, we have demonstrated the feasibility of using an animal model for evaluation of volume reduction therapy for restrictive-obstructive lung disease. Physiologically, this model showed decrease conductance and decreased forced expiratory flows following lung volume reduction despite increased recoil. This is in contrast to increased conductance and flows seen in humans with severe emphysema following surgery and suggests that current criteria excluding patients with a significant restrictive component to their lung disease from LVRS surgery may be justified.
In vivo uptake and metabolism of [3h]progesterone and [3H]5α-dihydroprogesterone by rat cns and anterior pituitary: Tissue concentration of progesterone itself or metabolites?

Abstract In mammals, progesterone has diverse effects which could result from the action of progesterone itself and/or specific metabolites. In neuro-endocrine tissues, progesterone is rapidly metabolized principally to 5α-dihydroprogesterone and 3α-hydroxy-5α-pregnan-20-one, and it is unclear whether progesterone and/or metabolite.(s) mediate cellular responses. Below we report on the selective tissue accumulation of progesterone and certain of its metabolites. [ 3 H]-progesterone or [ 3 H]-5α-dihydroprogesterone (5α-DHP) was injected intravenously (i.v.) into ovariectomized rats for 10 or 30 min or into oestrogenprimed ovariectomized rats for 10 min. Isotopic dilution analyses of the accumulated tritium in plasma and selected tissues were made for progesterone, 5α-DHP, 3α-hydroxy-5α-pregnan-20-one, 20α-dihydroprogesterone, 20α-hydroxy-5α-pregnan-3-one and 5α-pregnane-3α, 20α-diol. Significant differences between tissues were noted in terms of which steroidal compounds were accumulated above plasma and non-target tissue levels. The pituitary accumulated large amounts of [ 3 H]-5α-DHP from either injected steroid but progesterone levels did not differ from plasma and non-target tissues. The hypothalamus accumulated significant amounts of both 5α-UHP and progesterone in all groups. The midbrain-tectum accumulated 5a-DHP comparable to hypothalamus and pituitary levels in all groups after injection of either steroid. The pineal had the greatest accumulations of progesterone in all groups but there were no accumulations of 5α-DHP above non-target tissue levels following [ 3 H]-progesterone injections. The pineal also accumulated some 20α-metabolites. In uterus there was significant accumulation of progesterone only with oestrogen priming and little accumulation of 5α-DHP. These results and others suggest that the diverse effects of progesterone may result from progesterone per se , from metabolites or from combinations.
Physics of unbounded, broadband absorption/gain efficiency in plasmonic nanoparticles

Anomalous resonances in properly shaped plasmonic nanostructures can in principle lead to infinite absorption/gain efficiencies over broad bandwidths of operation. By developing a closed-form analytical solution for the fields scattered by conjoined hemicylinders, we outline the fundamental physics behind these phenomena, associated with broadband adiabatic focusing of surface plasmons at the nanoscale. Over a continuous frequency range, our proposed composite nanostructure shows finite amount of absorption/amplification even in the limit of infinitesimally small intrinsic material loss/gain. Detailed physical insights are provided to justify the nature of this apparent paradox, and its counterintuitive behavior is discussed for potential applications in nonlinear optics, spasing, sensing, and energy-harvesting devices.
The environmental consequences of decentralizing the decision to decentralize

Abstract Environmental statutes that initiate devolution frequently contain provisions that allow tiers of government to control the final assignment of policymaking authority. These provisions may allow one tier of government to propose a re-assignment of authority and may give other tiers of government the power to veto the proposed transfer of authority. Using data from the devolution of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act in California, we empirically model a dual-selection process in which a lower tier government (i.e. a city) may assume policymaking authority from an upper tier government (i.e. a county), but only if the upper tier entity chooses not to veto the petition. Using simulation methods, we compare the consequences of this policy with those of two alternative devolution policies. Each devolution policy results in the setting of different levels of public goods across tiers of government. Each policy also produces markedly different levels of compliance with state environmental standards.
Effects of Exam Frequency on Student Performance, Evaluations of Instructor, and Text Anxiety:

(1981). Effects of Exam Frequency on Student Performance, Evaluations of Instructor, and Test Anxiety. Teaching of Psychology: Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 90-93.
Polymorphic Fibril Formation by Residues 10–40 of the Alzheimer's β-Amyloid Peptide

Abstract We report investigations of the morphology and molecular structure of amyloid fibrils comprised of residues 10–40 of the Alzheimer's β -amyloid peptide (A β 10–40 ), prepared under various solution conditions and degrees of agitation. Omission of residues 1–9 from the full-length Alzheimer's β -amyloid peptide (A β 1–40 ) did not prevent the peptide from forming amyloid fibrils or eliminate fibril polymorphism. These results are consistent with residues 1–9 being disordered in A β 1–40 fibrils, and show that fibril polymorphism is not a consequence of disorder in residues 1–9. Fibril morphology was analyzed by atomic force and electron microscopy, and secondary structure and inter-side-chain proximity were probed using solid-state NMR. A β 1–40 fibrils were found to be structurally compatible with A β 10–40 : A β 1–40 fibril fragments were used to seed the growth of A β 10–40 fibrils, with propagation of fibril morphology and molecular structure. In addition, comparison of lyophilized and hydrated fibril samples revealed no effect of hydration on molecular structure, indicating that A β 10–40 fibrils are unlikely to contain bulk water.
Via Minimization with Pin Preassignments and Layer Preference

The problem of minimizing the number of vias subject to pin preassignments and layer preferences comes up in VLSI respectively printed circuit board design. It can be formulated as a max-cut problem. In this paper, we discuss the application of approximative algorithms for the max-cut problem to minimize the number of vias of (real-world) electronic circuits. Das Problem der Via-Minimierung mit Anschlusvorbelegungen und Lagenbevorzugung tritt beim VLSI- bzw. Leiterplatten-Entwurf auf. Es kann als Problem des maximalen Schnittes in einem Graphen formuliert werden. In diesem Aufsatz berichten wir uber die Anwendung approximativer Algorithmen fur dieses Problem zur Minimierung der Anzahl der Vias industriell gefertigten elektronischen Schaltkreisen.
Malignant mixed mullerian tumor of the ovary and bilateral breast cancer: an argument for BRCA3, or a coincidental cluster of unconnected cancers?

Abstract Background Malignant mixed mullerian tumors (MMMTs) of the ovary are a rare, aggressive subtype of ovarian cancer without a clear relationship to familial breast–ovarian cancer syndromes. Case We present the case of a woman with bilateral breast cancers who subsequently developed a stage IIIc MMMT of the ovary. The patient had a first-degree female relative with breast and ovarian cancer (not MMMT), as well as second- and third-degree female relatives each with bilateral breast cancers. BRCA1 and BRCA2 sequencing of germline DNA revealed no evidence of a heritable mutation. Discussion Ovarian MMMTs may be a hallmark of breast/ovarian cancer secondary to genetic risk independent of classic BRCA1/2 pathways.
Enhanced susceptibility to kindling by chlordimeform may be mediated by a local anesthetic action.

The formamidine pesticides amitraz and chlordimeform have recently been shown to be potent proconvulsants (Gilbert 1988). Two main neuroactive properties have been identified as mediators of formamidine neurotoxicity, α-2 adrenergic agonism and local anesthetic actions. These two proposed mechanisms of formamidine action were contrasted using electrical kindling of the amygdala. Male rats were administered 0, 10 and 40 mg/kg of the local anesthetic lidocaine, 0, 0.01 and 0.10 mg/kg of the α-2 adrenergic agonist clonidine or 0, 10 and 30 mg/kg chlordimeform, IP, once per day. After each injection, kindling stimulation was delivered through chronically-implanted electrodes. The high dosage of chlordimeform and both dosages of lidocaine enhanced the rate of kindling development (\(\bar X\)sessions to stage 5 seizures=8.6±1.16, 10.15±1.04 and 8.5±0.95, respectively) relative to controls (\(\bar X\)=14.59±1.36). Afterdischarge (AD) durations were increased over the first seven sessions by both treatments, but the total cumulative AD did not differ from controls. Clonidine, by contrast, delayed kindling development (\(\bar X\)=27.57±1.97) and shortened the mean AD duration over the first seven sessions. These data provide support for a local anesthetic action of chlordimeform and stand in contrast to several recent demonstrations of α-2 activity of formamidines as a primary contributor to formamidine toxicity.
Tate–Shafarevich groups in anticyclotomic ℤ p -extensions at supersingular primes

Let E/Q be an elliptic curve and p a prime of supersingular reduction for E. Denote by K∞ the anticyclotomic Zp-extension of an imaginary quadratic field K which satisfies the Heegner hypothesis. Assuming that p splits in K/Q, we prove that X(K∞, E)p∞ has trivial Λ-corank and, in the process, also show that HSel(K∞, Ep∞) and E(K∞)⊗Qp/Zp both have Λ-corank two.