cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New developments in migraine prophylaxis.

Migraine is a common neurological disorder that afflicts ≥ 12% of the adult US population. Severe, frequent and disabling attacks require effective prophylaxis. Traditional preventive drugs such as β-blockers, antidepressants and calcium antagonists, despite their documented efficacy, fail to offer relief for a significant proportion of migraine sufferers. Multiple threads of research over the last 15 years have led to the concept that migraine is generated from a hyperexcitable brain. This opens new perspectives in terms of preventive options, especially regarding the anticonvulsants agents. Additionally, different groups of substances, some of which nominated as non-orthodox agents, have been recently subjected to clinical trials and found to be effective. The aim of this review is to present and discuss the new options for migraine prevention.
Evaluation of a multidimensional program for sixth-graders in transition from elementary to middle school

The transition from elementary to middle school has been characterized as one of many “normative life crises” that involves both an increased opportunity for psychological growth and a heightened vulnerability to psychological disturbance. In the present study, students evincing a poor academic transition to middle school were placed into one of two 15-week treatment conditions. The “full-treatment” condition consisted of group support (including training in problem-solving and social skills, goal-setting, self-monitoring, and incentives), parental support, and increased teacher support; the “partial-treatment” condition consisted of heightened teacher support only. A contrast group of good academic transition students was included in the study for comparative purposes. Measures of depression, anxiety, stress, and self-esteem were administered to students at pretreatment, posttreatment, and follow-up, and behavior problem checklists were completed by teachers at the same points in time. At pretreatment, important differences were found between treatment and comparison students, most notably along behavioral and academic dimensions. Following treatment, the full-treatment group showed a significant improvement in grade point average (GPA), depression, and teacher-reported behavior problems (e.g., socialized aggression). The results of the present study are discussed relative to the findings of other prevention efforts, and directions for future research are considered.
Oxidation in vitro of Radioactive Œstradiol by Preparations of Human Tissue

THE oxidation of œstradiol to œstrone and œstriol in the pathway of degradation of the œstrogens has been inferred from in vivo studies in which œstrone and œstriol were found in the urine of the male human1 and œstrone in the urine of other mammals2 after the administration of large amounts of œstradiol. More recently, Ryan and Engel3 found an in vitro interconversion of œstradiol and œstrone by tissue-slice preparations of several organs of the rat and man. Using counter-current distribution to achieve separation of the steroids, an accumulation of either œstradiol or œstrone was found when the other œstrogen was present in the substrate. These workers were not able to demonstrate formation or utilization of œstriol. We have observed the de novo formation of œstrone and œstriol from labelled œstradiol by human-tissue slice and homogenate preparations from a variety of organs.
High-Frequency Sediment-Level Oscillations in the Swash Zone

Sediment-level oscillations with heights of about 6 cm and shore-normal lengths of order 10 m have been measured in the swash zone of a high-energy, coarse-sand beach. Crests of oscillations were shore parallel and continuous alongshore. The oscillations were of such low steepness (height-to-length ratio approximately 0.006) that they were difficult to detect visually. The period of oscillation ranged between 6 and 15 min and decreased landward across the swash zone. The sediment-level oscillations were progressive landward with an average migration rate in the middle to upper swash zone of 0.8 m min−1. Migration was caused mostly by erosion on the seaward flank of the crest of an oscillation during a period of net seaward sediment transport. Thus, the observed migration was a form migration landward rather than a migration involving net landward sediment transport. The observed sediment-level oscillations were different than sand waves or other swash-zone bedforms previously described.
Characterization of [3H]Vesamicol binding in rat brain preparations

The binding of (1)-[3H]vesamicol was characterized in several subcellular fractions and brain regions of the rat. Binding to a lysed P2 fraction from the rat cerebral cortex reached equilibrium within 4 min at 37°C and was reversible (dissociation half-time 4.9 min). At least two binding affinities were found in P2 fractions from the cerebral cortex (Kd:21 nM and 980 nM), striatum (Kd:28 nM and 690 nM), and cerebellum (Kd:22 nM and 833 nM). High affinity Bmax values were highest in striatum (1.17 pmol/mg protein), followed by cerebellum (0.67 pmol/mg protein), and cerebral cortex (0.38 pmol/mg protein). Low affinity Bmax values were highest in cerebellum (5.2 pmol/mg protein), with similar values for cerebral cortex (3.7 pmol/mg protein) and striatum (3.8 pmol/mg protein). High affinity but not low affinity binding in each brain region was stereospecific. Another inhibitor of vesicular ACh-transport also displaced 1-vesamicol binding potently (IC50:17 nM) and efficaciously (over 90%). Both high affinity and low affinity Bmax values for [3H]vesamicol-binding were highest in a partially purified synaptic vesicle fraction, followed by puriffied synaptosomes, crude membranes and P2 fractions. Specific binding was not observed in a mitochondria-enriched fraction. Crude membrane preparations of primary, neuron-enriched whole brain cultures also exhibited high (64 nM) and low affinity (1062 nM) [3H]vesamicol binding. Isoosmotic replaement of 0.18 M KCl in the binding-buffer with NaCl had no effect on binding. These results suggest that at least some high affinity [3H]vesamicol binding in rat brain preparations may be associated with synaptic vesicles, some of which may not be cholinergic in origin.
Clear cells of Toker in accessory nipples.

Background: Clear cells of Toker are intraepithelial cells with clear to pale staining cytoplasm and bland cytologic features found in approximately 10% of normal nipples. Toker cells have been hypothesized as a precursor of extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD), although the distribution of Toker cells outside of the nipples has not been studied. Using immunohistochemistry, we studied 20 cases of accessory nipples for the presence of Toker cells. Methods: A retrospective study of 20 cases of accessory nipples was performed using routine hemotoxylin and eosin staining, as well as immunohistochemical staining for CK7, CK20, EMA, and GCDFP-15. Results: Thirteen out of 20 accessory nipples (65%) demonstrated Toker cells with CK7 staining. Toker cells in six of the 13 cases were also positive for EMA. Only one case with Toker cells showed immunoreactivity for antibodies to GCDFP-15. Conclusions: Toker cells occur outside the normal nipple epidermis in the epidermis of accessory nipples. The distribution of Toker cells along the milk line correlates with the distribution of most cases of EMPD along the milk line, especially in the groin and axillae. Further studies are necessary to define the relationship between Toker cells and EMPD.
Quantification of Volume Flaw Sizes in Ceramics by Image Processing of 3D X‐Ray Tomographic Data Sets

This paper introduces a technique to quantify internal flaws in a ceramic body. The approach uses data images obtained from 3D X-ray computed tomography. An approach called guided segmentation uses image processing methods applied to a series of the data images to quantify the flaw volumes. The techniques is tested on synthesized data for spheres. The technique is than applied to real images of known size to examine its use.
Alzheimer's Aβ Peptides Containing an Isostructural Backbone Mutation Afford Distinct Aggregate Morphologies but Analogous Cytotoxicity. Evidence for a Common Low-Abundance Toxic Structure(s)?†

Amyloid β (Aβ) peptide amyloidogenesis, involving the formation of numerous distinct quaternary structures, appears to cause Alzheimer's disease. However, the precise identification of the toxic st...
Apprehension about Evaluation, Paralanguage Cues and the Experimenter-Bias Effect:

Previous research had implicated the magnitude of evaluation apprehension in subjects and the existence of vocal paralanguage cues in experimenter instructions as critical to the transmission of experimenter-bias effects. To examine the interrelationship of these variables, 106 female nursing students participated in the standard Rosenthal picture-rating task. The 3×2×2 factorial design included three types of paralanguage cues: strongly positive, strongly negative, and neutral; high and low apprehension about evaluation; and a third condition transposing the sequence of presentation of the paralanguage cues and the manipulation of apprehension about evaluation. No significant main effects were demonstrated and only the interaction of important paralanguage cues and apprehension about evaluation achieved statistical significance. Contrary to predictions, the subjects high in apprehension about evaluation responded negativistically to differential-emphasis cues, whereas the control subjects or those low in...
Novel popout without novelty

Localization of a novel word in an array with several familiar words is typically enhanced relative to localization in an all-novel array (between-array novel popout) and sometimes enhanced relative to familiar words in one-novel arrays (within-array novel popout). Christie and Klein (1996) have questioned the reality of the latter effect, suggesting that it may be an artifact of guessing bias. The present Experiment 1 replicated within-array novel popout with the novel word probed at chance (i.e., on only one quarter of trials). Experiments 2 and 3 demonstrated a similar popout effect for a categorically unrelated word among three categorically related words, despite superior performance on all-related arrays relative to all-unrelated arrays. Repetition of constant sets of words within the experimental context is therefore unnecessary for a popout effect, contrary to assertions by Johnston and Hawley (1994). Interitem associations appear to be sufficient to produce a popout effect; as such, “novel popout” appears to be a misnomer for a phenomenon that does not depend on novelty.
Crowdseeding Robot Design

Crowdsourcing is a well-known method in which intelligence tasks are completed by an anonymous group of human participants. These are tasks that cannot yet be adequately performed by computers. Rather than performing an intelligence task outright, one crowdsourcing strategy is to use human intelligence to complement machine intelligence. A key point in determining the potential of such a strategy is understanding the ways that human abilities most effectively complement the strengths of machine intelligence. We shed light on this relationship by 'crowdseeding' robot design: we find morphological features common to human-generated robot designs and incorporate them as an additional fitness objective in an evolutionary algorithm that searches over the same space of designs. We demonstrate that this approach outperforms the same evolutionary algorithm that is not crowdseeded in this way.
Left tuberculous empyema treated by “extraperiosteal fluid prombage thoracoplasty (Kinchu method)” with improvement of the respiratory function ; a case report

症例は66歳男性, 28歳時に左肺結核治療のため人工気胸術を受けている.1989年12月風邪症状からH-JIV度の呼吸困難が出現, 喀痰量も増加し左結核性有瘻性全膿胸と診断された.本例に “extraperios-tealfluidplombagethoracoplasty” (近中法) を施行し膿胸を治癒せしめた.術後4ヵ月目には, レソトゲン写真上左肺に含気が認められるようになり, H-JII度まで改善した.呼吸機能検査では, 術前の% VC37%が術後4ヵ月には57%に, また1秒量0.62L が1.09L に増加した.換気シンチからの比率で配分すると, 左肺換気量は術前60ml が術後150mlに90ml 増加であり, FVC 増加量780mlのうち690ml (88.5%) は右肺の増加と考れた.術前後における換気・血流シンチでは, 術後左肺の換気比率の増加を認めたが, 換気に見合うほどの血流比率の増加は見られなかった.
Identification of severe right ventricular dysfunction and pressure overload by stress radionuclide myocardial perfusion SPECT imaging with gating.

In this case the diagnosis was unclear from the clinical presentation. Myocardial perfusion imaging with gating, though initially performed to look for myocardial ischemia, revealed a strikingly enlarged and dysfunctional right ventricle with the interventricular septum abnormally deviated toward the left ventricle, consistent with right ventricular pressure overload and pulmonary hypertension. These findings led to the performance of ventilation/perfusion lung scanning that showed evidence of pulmonary emboli.
Infant Behaviors as Indicators of Established Acute Pain

ISSUES AND PURPOSE. Many infant pain assessment tools use infant behaviors indicative of increased arousal. These tools were developed and tested using clinical situations involving acute immediate pain responses. Are these behaviors valid, clinical indicators of acute established pain (non-procedurally caused) pain? Can these tools be used to assess acute established infant pain? This article explores research findings to answer these questions. CONCLUSIONS. Findings suggest that behaviors indicative of increased arousal (e.g., crying, facial expressions that accompany crying) are nonspecific indicators of distress rather than independent indicators of established acute pain. Thus, the use of behaviors representing acute immediate pain responses to assess acute established pain, or the use of tools that incorporate these behaviors, can be misleading. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. Always use acute immediate pain behavioral responses (behaviors indicative of increased arousal) in conjunction with clinical data concerning “likelihood of pain“ and consolability.
The tertiary structure of full-length bovine adrenodoxin suggests functional dimers.

Abstract The three-dimensional X-ray crystal structure of full-length oxidized bovine adrenodoxin (Adx) has been determined at 2.5 A resolution by molecular replacement using a structure of a truncated form as a starting model. Crystals of Adx belong to a primitive monoclinic space group P2 1 with four Adx molecules in an asymmetric unit. The unit cell dimensions are a = 59.44 A, b = 77.03 A, c = 59.68 A, and β = 94.83°. The structure has been refined to an R factor of 23.5%. Structures of the four molecules of full-length Adx (127 amino acids) in the asymmetric unit were compared with each other and also with that of the truncated Adx (4–108). The overall topology of full-length Adx remains the same as described earlier for the truncated protein. Differences that do occur are almost wholly confined to alternate side-chain conformations that reflect differing lattice contacts made by two proteins. Extensive interactions found between molecules 1 and 2 in the full-length Adx asymmetric unit may reflect the ability of Adx to form dimers in vivo and are consistent with hydrodynamic measurements which show that in solution there is an equilibrium between monomeric and dimeric forms of Adx. Dimerization of Adx could explain why the truncated form has greater affinity for the P450 redox partner than the full-length form. From these results it can be considered that the mechanism of electron transfer is not necessarily the same in different mitochondrial P450 systems.
Measurement of Group Self-Concept of Intermediate Students through Systematic Observation and Parallel Self-Reports.

The assumption that persistent and stable behaviors of intermediate groups of students indicated a collective and dominant self-concept was investigated. Descriptive indicators of overt behaviors were organized to form a systematic observation schedule and a parallel self-report instrument. Pairs of trained observers independently and simultaneously rated groups of students in grades four, five, and six for a period of 20 minutes. All of the students within the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades responded to the self-report instrument. Interrater agreement was established on the observation schedule. A reliability coefficient of .84, p < .05 on the self-report was gained through test-retest procedures. Factor analysis of self-report data revealed interpretable underlying factors. Content validity was established on both instruments.
Ladle brick from Borovich-Lyubytinsk clays

Chamotte with a water absorption of less than 5% should be used for making high-density ladle brick from Borovich-Lyubytinsk clay; it is also necessary to add 20–25% chamotte milled in a tube mill to grain size of less than 0.088 mm, with small quantities in the batch of average fractions 0.5–0.088 mm; the brick should be made on a toggle press with six cycles a minute; the apparent density of the green brick should be 2.30 g/cm3 or higher (higher density of green products and lower porosity in the fired bricks can be obtained by using a hydraulic press). The firing temperature of the brick is 1370–1380°C.
Open Rotor Tone Shielding Methods for System Noise Assessments Using Multiple Databases

Advanced aircraft designs such as the hybrid wing body, in conjunction with open rotor engines, may allow for significant improvements in the environmental impact of aviation. System noise assessments allow for the prediction of the aircraft noise of such designs while they are still in the conceptual phase. Due to significant requirements of computational methods, these predictions still rely on experimental data to account for the interaction of the open rotor tones with the hybrid wing body airframe. Recently, multiple aircraft system noise assessments have been conducted for hybrid wing body designs with open rotor engines. These assessments utilized measured benchmark data from a Propulsion Airframe Aeroacoustic interaction effects test. The measured data demonstrated airframe shielding of open rotor tonal and broadband noise with legacy F7/A7 open rotor blades. Two methods are proposed for improving the use of these data on general open rotor designs in a system noise assessment. The first, direct difference, is a simple octave band subtraction which does not account for tone distribution within the rotor acoustic signal. The second, tone matching, is a higher-fidelity process incorporating additional physical aspects of the problem, where isolated rotor tones are matched by their directivity to determine tone-by-tone shielding. A case study is conducted with the two methods to assess how well each reproduces the measured data and identify the merits of each. Both methods perform similarly for system level results and successfully approach the experimental data for the case study. The tone matching method provides additional tools for assessing the quality of the match to the data set. Additionally, a potential path to improve the tone matching method is provided.
The fragmentation of polyfluorinated benzylic alcohols: the first observation of pentafluorophenyl anion as a good leaving group

Abstract Treatment of a series of pentafluorobenzylic alcohols with sodium methoxide in DMSO results in a rapid carbon–carbon cleavage reaction, yielding a ketone or aldehyde as well as pentafluorobenzene, which undergoes subsequent nucleophilic aromatic substitution (NAS). In methanol solvent, the fragmentation is very slow, and NAS without fragmentation occurs almost exclusively. In methanol/DMSO mixtures, both processes are observed simultaneously. This appears to be the first report of the fragmentation of pentafluorobenzylic alcohols.
HOST GALAXY STATISTICS

The galaxies observed within the error boxes of gamma-ray bursts are inconsistent with the host galaxies predicted by the simplest \minimal" cosmological model where bursts emit 61 0 50 ergs but are consistent with a standard candle energy of 10 53 ergs (if radiated isotrop- ically). Although these calculations utilize the host galaxy data but not the burst intensities, we have developed the methodology to use all the available observations to model the redshift and intensity distributions.
Improving Technology Literacy: Does It Open Doors to Traditional Content?.

This study investigated whether an identifiable link existed between gains in technology literacy and achievement in the areas of reading, mathematics, and language arts. Normal curve equivalent (NCE) content score changes from TerraNova assessments were calculated for approximately 5,000 students from fourth- to fifth-grade and 5,000 students from seventh- to eighth-grade. These changes were compared to relative gains from a pre- to post-assessment in technology literacy. The rationale that a correlation might be expected is grounded in two ideas: (1) technology literacy gains lead to heightened subject specific confidence, and (2) technology literacy gains reflect improved ability to use technology as a mediator of new learning. If correct, both of these conjectures would predict increased academic achievement among students experiencing gains in technology literacy. Results provided evidence of such connections between technology literacy gains and language arts skills.
Using a Prescreening Rubric for All-State Violin Selection: Influences of Performance and Teaching Experience

Performance assessment is an integral part of young musicians' development. Students enrolled in music programs frequently participate in adjudication festivals and many audition for select ensembles. Outcomes of such events are deemed consequential among all concerned: students, parents, teachers, and administrators. Furthermore, the number of all-state applicants for some individual instruments in many states exceeds 100 and in some states approaches or exceeds 200. This is an inordinate number of recordings or live auditions for individuals or judging panels to evaluate. It seems paramount to utilize an efficient yet fair and accurate audition process to assess large numbers of performances in a short period of time. To explore ways of addressing this issue, the authors designed a prescreening rubric with the goal of reducing the number of full-length recordings heard by judges to a more manageable number. The authors then compared ratings of listeners who used the rubric and heard only the etude portion of the audition to scores of trained and experienced judges who heard the entire audition.
A very low phase-noise voltage-controlled-oscillator at X-band

An X-band VCO is designed by employing a compact tunable high-Q negative-resistance resonator. The implemented active resonator not only provides a high degree of frequency-selectivity, but also initiates and sustains the oscillations. The loaded-quality-factor of the resonator is 510. As a result, a simple and compact VCO has been designed by eliminating the need for the parallel feedback amplifier and external load coupling network. Therefore, size and DC power consumption are significantly reduced without degrading the phase-noise performance. The fabricated VCO operates at 8.2 GHz with 105 MHz tuning range. It shows a measured phase-noise of −149.5 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz frequency offset, and achieves a figure-of-merit (FOM) value of −211.7 dBc/Hz. To the best of author's knowledge, the VCO presented in this paper achieves the lowest phase-noise and FOM compared to other planar oscillators reported to date.
Modification of an index of biotic integrity and development of reference condition expectations or dunal, palustrine wetland fish communities along the southern shore of Lake Michigan

Abstract I modified and calibrated an index of biotic integrity (IBI) to assess wetland quality of dunal, palustrine wetlands along the southern shore of Lake Michigan. Fish communities were sampled using a combination of electrofishing and seining techniques to collect a representative sample. A combination of 50 historical and recent sites were sampled from northeast. Illinois and northwest Indiana to develop reference expectations for dunal wetlands less than 35 ha surface area. I examined 36 attributes of wetland fish communities to derive a dunal, palustrine IBI. Several metrics from the original IBI were retained including: total number of species, number of sensitive species, and percent tolerant species. Trophic composition characters included the percentage of omnivores and insectivores. Fish condition was evaluated using the catch-per-unit of effort and the percentage of deformities, eroded fins, lesions, and tumours (DELT). Several metrics were modified from the original IBI to better reflect water resource quality in dunal wetlands. The number of darter species was replaced by a combination of the ecologically similar number of darter and madtom species; number of sunfish species was modified to the number of centrarchid species, which included the black bass species; number of sucker species was replaced by the number of minnow species since few sucker species were anticipated in dunal wetlands; and I substituted percent carnivores with percent pioneer species. Pioneer species reflect wetland stability and water permanence. Hybrids were not important constituents of wetland communities and did not show a relationship with wetland degradation, so I substituted the percentage of lake-obligate species to reflect species that were dominant in lentic waters.
Nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria (free-living and diatom endosymbionts): their use in southern California stream bioassessment

A weight-of-evidence approach was used to examine how nutrient availability influences stream benthic algal community structure and to validate nutrient-response thresholds in assessing nutrient limitation. Data from 104 southern California streams spanning broad nutrient gradients revealed that relative abundance of N2-fixing heterocystous cyanobacteria (Nostoc, Calothrix), and diatoms (Epithemia, Rhopalodia)-containing cyanobacterial endosymbionts, decreased with increasing ambient inorganic N concentrations within the low end of the N gradient. Response thresholds for these N2 fixers were 0.075 mg l−1 NO3-N, 0.04 mg l−1 NH4-N, and an N:P ratio (by weight) of 15:1. The NO3-N threshold was independently validated by observing nitrogenase gene expression using real-time reverse transcriptase PCR. Morphometric analysis of cyanobacterial endosymbionts in Epithemia and Rhopalodia indicated that endosymbiont biovolume per diatom cell decreased with increasing NO3-N. Our findings indicate that abundance of heterocyst-containing cyanobacteria and endosymbiont-containing diatom cells are good indicators for rapid nutrient biomonitoring. Because heterocystous cyanobacteria and Epithemia/Rhopalodia were not always recorded together at N-limited sites, examining both assemblages jointly may provide a more comprehensive assessment of stream nutrient limitation than using either assemblage alone.
Readiness to change alcohol and illicit drug use among a sample of emergency department patients

Objective: This study sought to (1) provide estimates of alcohol and illicit drug use, alone and in combination, among a sample of adult emergency department patients and (2) examine readiness to change.Methods: Consecutive emergency department patients ≥18 years of age from a large regional hospital in Camden, NJ, were enrolled from May to December 2005. Patients provided information on alcohol and illicit drug use, as well as on interest in quitting each of these substance classes.Results: Of the 1549 subjects surveyed, 98 (6%) indicated weekly use of both alcohol and illicit drugs, and 58 (4%) indicated problems associated with use of both substance classes. Problem users of illicit drugs felt that quitting drugs was more important, that they were more ready and that they were more confident in quitting than problem users of alcohol.Conclusion: Problem use of multiple substances was relatively common in this emergency department sample. A substantial proportion of problem users of both substance classe...
Shear wave propagation in anisotropic soft tissues and gels

The propagation of shear waves in soft tissue can be visualized by magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) to characterize tissue mechanical properties. Dynamic deformation of brain tissue arising from shear wave propagation may underlie the pathology of blast-induced traumatic brain injury. White matter in the brain, like other biological materials, exhibits a transversely isotropic structure, due to the arrangement of parallel fibers. Appropriate mathematical models and well-characterized experimental systems are needed to understand wave propagation in these structures. In this paper we review the theory behind waves in anisotropic, soft materials, including small-amplitude waves superimposed on finite deformation of a nonlinear hyperelastic material. Some predictions of this theory are confirmed in experimental studies of a soft material with controlled anisotropy: magnetically-aligned fibrin gel.
Determination of free and total cyst(e)ine in plasma of dogs and cats

Background In human blood, the amino acid cysteine forms disulfide bonds with itself and with other sulfhydryl compounds in their free form and with sulfhydryls in protein. Protein-bound cysteine is lost when plasma proteins are removed before amino acid analysis. Objective The purpose of this study was to assess the time course and extent of cyst(e)ine (cysteine + half-cystine) loss in dog and cat plasma. Methods An equal volume of 6% sulfosalicylic acid was added to plasma aliquots at 0, 2, 4, 10, 16, 24, 36, 48, 60, and 72 hours after separation of blood cells. Tris-2-carboxyethyl-phosphine hydrochloride (TCEP - HCl), a reducing agent, was used to regenerate total plasma cyst(e)ine after 3 months of sample storage (-20 degrees C). Results Initial free cyst(e)ine concentrations (mean +/- SEM) were higher in canine plasma (77 +/- 4 micromol/L) than in feline plasma (37 +/- 3 micromol/L). Free plasma cyst(e)ine concentrations in dogs and cats decreased after first-order kinetics, with a half-life of 23 and 69 hours, respectively. Total plasma cysteine after TCEP - HCl treatment was similar for dogs (290 micromol/L) and cats (296 micromol/L), but the percentage of free cysteine was higher (P = .02) in dogs (27%) than in cats (13%). Over half of the cyst(e)ine, homocysteine, cysteinylglycine, and glutathione were bound in vivo to plasma proteins. Conclusion These results emphasize the importance of removing plasma proteins within 1 hour after blood collection for reliable assay of free plasma cyst(e)ine.
Fibrillogenesis and therapy of amyloidosis: an equilibrium approach

Amyloid diseases are characterized by the deposition of normally soluble proteins as insoluble fibrillar aggregates. In most cases amyloidogenesis is an insidious disease often proceeding undetected for many years. Diagnosis is generally made when the amyloid burden (or precursor protein) reaches a concentration at which it disrupts normal physiological functions. The occurrence of amyloid deposits, their organ distribution and extent is dependent upon numerous physiological factors including: the site and rate of synthesis of the amyloidprecursor protein1–5; posttranslational modification of the precursor6; selective proteolysis7; tissuespecific ‘receptors’ 8,9; the introduction of amyloid-enhancing amino acid mutations10,11, and the inherent stability of the protein’s three-dimensional structure 12–18. At present more than 21 proteins have been identified as clinical constituents of amyloid fibrils19.
Mg fractionation in crustose coralline algae: Geochemical, biological, and sedimentological implications of secular variation in the Mg/Ca ratio of seawater

The Mg/Ca ratio of seawater has varied significantly throughout the Phanerozoic Eon, primarily as a function of the rate of ocean crust production. Specimens of the crustose coralline alga Neogoniolithon sp. were grown in artificial seawaters encompassing the range of Mg/Ca ratios shown to have existed throughout the Phanerozoic. Significantly, the coralline algae’s skeletal Mg/ Ca ratio varied in lockstep with the Mg/Ca ratio of the artificial seawater. Specimens grown in seawater treatments formulated with identical Mg/Ca ratios but differing absolute concentrations of Mg and Ca exhibited no significant differences in skeletal Mg/ Ca ratios, thereby emphasizing the importance of the ambient Mg/Ca ratio, and not the absolute concentration of Mg, in determining the Mg/Ca ratio of coralline algal calcite. Specimens grown in seawater of the lowest molar Mg/Ca ratio (mMg/Ca = 1.0) actually changed their skeletal mineralogy from high-Mg (skeletal mMg/Ca > 0.04) to low-Mg calcite (skeletal mMg/Ca < 0.04), suggesting that ancient calcitic red algae, which exhibit morphologies and modes of calcification comparable to Neogoniolithon sp., would have produced low-Mg calcite from the middle Cambrian to middle Mississippian and during the middle to Late Cretaceous, when oceanic mMg/Ca approached unity. By influencing the original Mg content of carbonate facies in which these algae have been ubiquitous, this condition has significant implications for the geochemistry and diagenesis of algal limestones throughout most of the Phanerozoic. The crustose coralline algae’s precipitation of high-Mg calcite from seawater that favors the abiotic precipitation of aragonite indicates that these algae dictate the precipitation of the calcitic polymorph of CaCO3. However, the algae’s nearly abiotic pattern of Mg fractionation in their skeletal calcite suggests that their biomineralogical control is limited to polymorph specification and is generally ineffectual in the regulation of skeletal Mg incorporation. Therefore, the Mg/Ca ratio of well-preserved fossils of crustose coralline algae, when corrected for the effect of seawater temperature, may be an archive of oceanic Mg/Ca throughout the Phanerozoic. Magnesium fractionation algorithms that model algal skeletal Mg/Ca as a function of seawater Mg/Ca and temperature are presented herein. The results of this study support the empirical fossil evidence that secular variation of oceanic Mg/Ca has caused the mineralogy and skeletal chemistry of many calcifying marine organisms to change significantly over geologic time.
A new blind method for detecting novel steganography

Steganography is the art of hiding a message in plain sight. Modern steganographic tools that conceal data in innocuous-looking digital image files are widely available. The use of such tools by terrorists, hostile states, criminal organizations, etc., to camouflage the planning and coordination of their illicit activities poses a serious challenge. Most steganography detection tools rely on signatures that describe particular steganography programs. Signature-based classifiers offer strong detection capabilities against known threats, but they suffer from an inability to detect previously unseen forms of steganography. Novel steganography detection requires an anomaly-based classifier. This paper describes and demonstrates a blind classification algorithm that uses hyper-dimensional geometric methods to model steganography-free jpeg images. The geometric model, comprising one or more convex polytopes, hyper-spheres, or hyper-ellipsoids in the attribute space, provides superior anomaly detection compared to previous research. Experimental results show that the classifier detects, on average, 85.4% of Jsteg steganography images with a mean embedding rate of 0.14 bits per pixel, compared to previous research that achieved a mean detection rate of just 65%. Further, the classification algorithm creates models for as many training classes of data as are available, resulting in a hybrid anomaly/signature or signature-only based classifier, which increases Jsteg detection accuracy to 95%.
The sense of personal ineffectiveness in patients with eating disorders: One construct or several?

The sense of personal ineffectiveness in eating disorders was investigated as a complex construct referring to various aspects of functioning rather than as the unidimensional trait assumed by prior studies. Eighteen patients and 18 controls were given a number of measures in order to test for ineffectiveness from several perspectives. The results indicated that patients with eating disorders experience a sense of ineffectiveness in many areas of their lives. Their more general attitudes about personal control appear to be dominated by their lack of control over their eating behaviour. However, these patients also exhibit distinct and specific difficulties in the areas of social effectiveness, personal independence, and self-esteem. These findings support the notion that ineffectiveness in eating disorders is not a single attitudinal style but a complex construct referring to a range of behaviors.
Comparison of Same-Sex Couples Who Were Married in Massachusetts, Had Domestic Partnerships in California, or Had Civil Unions in Vermont:

This study compared 55 men and 78 women who had same-sex marriages in Massachusetts, 101 men and 120 women who had domestic partnerships in California, and 35 men and 86 women who had civil unions in Vermont, all in 2004. Couples were surveyed on demographic and relationship information, conflict, contact with family of origin, social support, politics, and leisure activities. There were few interstate differences, although couples in Massachusetts were more politically liberal and more sympathetic toward feminism than were couples in other states. There were, however, a number of gender differences. As compared to women, men were older and had waited longer to legalize their relationships; they were also more exclusively gay and less likely to have children. More than 90% of all couples were registered to vote and had voted in the last national election.
Expanded HTA: Enhancing Fairness and Legitimacy

All societies face the need to make judgments about what interventions (both public health and personal medical) to provide to their populations under reasonable resource constraints. Their decisions should be informed by good evidence and arguments from health technology assessment (HTA). But if HTA restricts itself to evaluations of safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness, it risks being viewed as insufficient to guide health decision-makers; if it addresses other issues, such as budget impact, equity, and financial protection, it may be accused of overreaching. But the risk of overreaching can be reduced by embedding HTA in a fair, deliberative process that meets the conditions required by accountability for reasonableness.
Discontinuity edge overdraw

Reduction of aliasing artifacts along discontinuity edges of a rendered polygon mesh is achieved by overdrawing the edges as antialiased lines. The discontinuity edges are oriented consistently and blended as they approach silhouettes in the mesh to avoid popping at the edge, thereby achieving a temporal smoothness at the silhouettes. This temporal smoothness is balanced with a competing desire to maintain spatial sharpness by utilizing an asymmetric blending technique. To further improve results, the discontinuity edges can be sorted by depth prior to overdrawing them. These processes are effective at reducing the temporal artifact known as “crawling jaggies”.
Geometrically engineering the standard model: Locally unfolding three families out of E 8

This paper extends and builds upon the results of [J. L. Bourjaily, arXiv:0704.0444.], in which we described how to use the tools of geometrical engineering to deform geometrically engineered grand unified models into ones with lower symmetry. This top-down unfolding has the advantage that the relative positions of singularities giving rise to the many ``low-energy'' matter fields are related by only a few parameters which deform the geometry of the unified model. And because the relative positions of singularities are necessary to compute the superpotential, for example, this is a framework in which the arbitrariness of geometrically engineered models can be greatly reduced. In [J. L. Bourjaily, arXiv:0704.0444.], this picture was made concrete for the case of deforming the representations of an $S{U}_{5}$ model into their standard model content. In this paper we continue that discussion to show how a geometrically engineered $\mathbf{16}$ of $S{O}_{10}$ can be unfolded into the standard model, and how the three families of the standard model uniquely emerge from the unfolding of a single, isolated ${E}_{8}$ singularity.
Impact of Health Education on Women in Residential Substance Abuse Treatment: A Pilot Study

There is limited knowledge on the assessment of health education needs in women who are in substance abuse treatment. This pilot study tests the use of a health education program designed to increase health knowledge among a small group of women in active treatment, living in a residential center. The USDHHS Office on Women's Health has published model guides for women's health education in A Lifetime of Good Health—Your Guide to Staying Healthy (2009) and the Women's Health Calendar (2008). The health education program EMPOWER was developed from these materials and presented to 16 women over a 7 week period. Impact was measured by (1) responses to a health perception survey (SF-36v2) before and after the intervention, and (2) review of weekly reflective journal entries. Findings suggest that women did have improved perceptions of health in important physical and mental health domains. This study also reveals a need for development of a more accurate tool for measuring health education. Women express fear...
Dual Nanoparticle/Substrate Control of Catalytic Dehydrogenation

Saturated hydrocarbons, or alkanes (C{sub n}H{sub 2n+2}), are abundant in petroleum and can be converted to alkenes (C{sub n}H{sub 2n}) by dehydrogenation. Alkenes, also known as unsaturated hydrocarbons, are easy to polymerize and are the primary feedstock of the petrochemical industry, especially ethene (n=2) and propene (n = 3). Efficient catalytic dehydrogenation is therefore a major industrial objective. It has been found that oxidative catalytic dehydrogenation, that is, a process assisted by both a solid catalyst and a flow of oxygen gas, is most practical because of higher system longevity. Chromia/alumina catalytic systems have been widely adopted by industry. They have also been the subject of scientific studies seeking understanding that may help optimization of the process.
Attainment of Educational Levels in Patients with Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis

Purpose To assess the educational level attained by patients legally blind with Leber's congenital amaurosis (LCA). Design Cross-sectional assessment. Intervention None. Main Outcome Measure Highest educational level attained by 55 patients with LCA. Results A total of 55 patients with LCA were included in the study. Of the 55, 54 finished high school. In addition, 36 patients (65%) completed a college education and received a bachelor's degree, and 5 additional patients (9%) were recently accepted to college, whereas 3 others (5%) were currently attending college classes. Further, 18 patients were either pursuing (n = 3) or had attained (n = 15) an educational level beyond a bachelor's degree. Conclusions Compromised visual function does not preclude the successful attainment of an academic education in patients with LCA who are substantially visually impaired from birth. These data have clinically relevant implications for the parents of children with LCA and for the patients themselves in providing a tone of optimism for their potential of attaining competitive academic achievements.
Apollo: Towards factfinding in participatory sensing

This demonstration presents Apollo, a new sensor information processing tool for uncovering likely facts in noisy participatory sensing data1. Participatory sensing, where users proactively document and share their observations, has received significant attention in recent years as a paradigm for crowd-sourcing observation tasks. However, it poses interesting challenges in assessing confidence in the information received. By borrowing clustering and ranking tools from data mining literature, we show how to group data into sets (or claims), corroborating specific events or observations, then iteratively assess both claim and source credibility, ultimately leading to a ranking of described claims by their like-lihoold of occurrence. Apollo belongs to a category of tools called fact-finders. It is the first fact-finder designed and implemented specifically for participatory sensing. Apollo uses Twitter as the underlying engine for sharing participatory sensing data. Twitter is widely popular, can be interfaced to cell-phones that share sensor data, and comes with a powerful search API, as well as a publish-subscribe mechanism. We evaluate it using a participatory sensing application that collects and posts noisy vehicular traffic data on Twitter, as well as a set of 60,000 (human) tweets collected during the Haiti tsunami and a set of 500,000 tweets collected about Cairo during its recent unrest. Viewers of the demonstration will interact with Apollo for various fact-finding tasks.
An investigation on the robustness, accuracy and simulation performance of a physics-based deep-submicronmeter BSIM model for analog/digital circuit simulation

We present an accurate and unified MOSFET model with benchmark test results for analog/digital circuit simulation. The results show that the model can pass most benchmarks suggested for a model used in circuit simulation by SEMATECH recently, and ensures good scalability and accuracy. The model has been implemented in HSpice, Spectre, SmartSpice and Spice3e2.
Higher angular momentum pairing from transverse gauge interactions

= 1=2 and the normal state of optimally doped cuprate superconductors. Our study thus addresses the question of whether or not non-Fermi liquids, like Fermi liquids, are unstable towards the formation of superconductivity. The results are (i) the non-Fermi liquid is stable against superconductivity below a critical gauge coupling, (ii) above this critical coupling, the ground state is an unconventional superconductor with angular momentum ‘ 2. Our results are obtained from a solution of the Dyson-Nambu equation. Note that in this problem there is a quantum critical point between a non-Fermi liquid state and the superconducting state, as the critical coupling is nonzero. This is in contrast to a weakly coupled metal, which exhibits superconductivity for innitesimally weak interaction regardless of its sign.
LifeShirt ® acquisition system to monitor ECG from ambulatory swine and the implementation of an arrhythmia detection algorithm

A wearable cardiopulmonary monitoring system, a LifeShirt®, was used to acquire continuous electrocardiograms (ECGs) from ambulatory swine. The animals received intracoronary injections of autologous mesenchymal stem cells, and the LifeShirt® was used for long-duration ECG monitoring in pre-defined periods post cell infusion. The system used here was developed for measurements from non-human primates and canines; however, we demonstrated that it could be used to non-invasively measure ECGs from swine without creating undue stress or restricting movement. A MATLAB-based analysis algorithm was developed to automatically detect premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) that arose 8-10 hours after cell delivery with spontaneous resolution 2-3 days post-infusion. Template based cross-correlation was used to detect the PVCs and identify regions of consecutive ventricular rhythm. The final algorithm was highly specific and sensitive when tested on records from the MIT-BIH arrhythmia database. The algorithm was subsequently used to automatically identify and quantify PVCs from over 200 hours of ECG data obtained from nine ambulatory swine.