cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of condylar control settings using three methods: A bench study

Articulators that program eccentric condylar pathways minimize occlusal adjustments of dental prostheses. This bench study compared three groups of methods for recording the immediate Bennett shift and the protrusive condylar path of the mandible. The experimental design restricted the variable associated with these methods. The various methods for recording protrusive excursions from best to worst were: (1) electronic pantography (Denar); (2) mechanical pantography (Denar); and (3) simplified mandibular motion analyzers (Whip-Mix and Denar). The methods of recording immediate side shift from best to worst were: (1) electronic pantograph; (2) polyether interocclusal records; (3) mechanical pantography (Denar) and simplified mandibular motion analyzer (Panadent); (4) simplified mandibular motion analyzer (Whip-Mix and Denar); and (5) zinc oxide interocclusal records.
Enhancement of Anodic Response for DMSO at Ruthenium Oxide Film Electrodes as a Result of Doping with Iron(III)

The oxidation of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) to dimethyl sulfone (DMSO2) is representative of numerous anodic oxygen-transfer reactions of organosulfur compounds that suffer from slow kinetics at noble metal electrodes. Anodic voltammetric data for DMSO are examined at various RuO2-film electrodes prepared by thermal deposition on titanium substrates. The response for DMSO is slightly larger at RuO2 films prepared in a flame as compared with films prepared in a furnace; however, temperature is more easily controlled in the furnace. Doping of the RuO2 films with Fe(III) further improves the sensitivity of anodic response for DMSO. Optimal response is obtained at an Fe(III)-doped RuO2-film electrode prepared using a deposition solution of 50 mM RuCl3 and 10 mM FeCl3 in a 1 : 1 mixture of isopropanol and 12 M HCl at an annealing temperature of 450 °C. The Levich plot (i vs. ω1/2) and Koutecky-Levich plot (1/i vs. 1/ω1/2) of amperometric data for the oxidation of DMSO at an Fe(III)-doped RuO2-film electrode configured as a rotated disk are consistent with an anodic response controlled by mass-transport processes at low rotational velocities. Flow injection data demonstrate that Fe(III)-doped RuO2-film electrodes exhibit detection capability for methionine and cysteine in addition to DMSO. Detection limits for 100-μL injections of the three compounds are ca. 3.2×10−4 mM, i.e., ca. 32 pmol.
Congenital Myopathy With Progressive External Ophthalmoplegia

Progressive external ophthalmoplegia is associated with an increasingly heterogeneous group of neuromuscular disorders. We describe a 16-year-old girl with delayed motor milestones and onset of progressive external ophthalmoplegia at age 3 years and proximal muscle weakness at age 10 years. Muscle biopsy specimen demonstrated type I myofiber predominance and type II myofiber atrophy. Although the pathological features of this congenital myopathy are quite nonspecific, the case further illustrates the pathogenetic heterogeneity of the progressive external opthalmoplegia phenotype. (J Child Neurol 1989;4:194-196).
Detection of Salmonella enteritidis in environmental samples by monoclonal antibody-based ELISA.

Abstract We have developed a enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using a monoclonal antibody (ASCII) for the detection of Salmonella enteritidis in environmental samples. ELISA was used to test for sensitivity and specificity of ASCII. 38 other species of bacteria, including 31 Salmonella species were included in cross-reactivity testing with ELISA. ASCII showed no reactivity with any other species tested. ASCII was found to be an IgGl specific for S. enteritidis lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The lower limits for S. enteritidis detection was 105 cells/ml for pure cultures and in 10% sludge (w/v). Environmental samples (raw wastewater, wastewater effluents, mixed liquor and aerobically digested sludge) were obtained twice from five sites and ELISA tested for the presence of S. enteritidis. ELISA results compared to the American Public Health Association (APHA) method of Salmonella detection were not significantly different (P > 0.05). The ELISA took 24 h for completion compared to 96–120 h for the APHA procedure. Results demonstrate the reliability of the ELISA and, more importantly, provides a rapid means of detection of S. enteritidis in environmental samples.
Effect of iron regulation on expression and hemin-binding function of outer-sheath proteins from Treponema denticola

Abstract The effect of the iron-chelating compounds EDDA and BPD on polypeptide regulation in the putative oral pathogen Treponema denticola was studied. SDS-PAGE analysis of the T. denticola strains grown in the presence of EDDA or BPD, i.e. iron-limiting environmental conditions, revealed the expression of 44 and 43 kDa polypeptides in the outer sheath, a 73 kDa polypeptide in the cell membrane, and a 16 kDa polypeptide in the soluble cell fraction. The hemin-binding activity of purified outer sheaths from T. denticola TD-4 grown in the presence of 6.4 mM EDDA was significantly greater than that observed in control (absence of EDDA) outer sheaths. Both activities were inhibited by proteinase K. SDS-PAGE, LDS-PAGE and TMBZ staining revealed the 44 and 43 kDa outer-sheath polypeptides to be expressed by T. denticola strains GM-1. MS-25, ATCC 33520 and ATCC 33404 (TD-4), strains which possessed strong hemin-binding activity. The 44 kDa hemin-binding polypeptide was purified by 1% CHAPS solubilization, HPLC, and SDS-preparative electrophoresis. N′-terminal sequence analysis indicated the purified 44 kDa polypeptide to belong to a new, undescribed group of polypeptides possessing hemin-binding activity.
Sensorless position control of a linear voice-coil transducer using sliding mode observers

There are numerous applications where a voice coil actuator is used for position control and it is not desirable to have a physical position sensor for feedback. This paper proposes a technique for sensorless position estimation of a linear voice coil transducer using sliding mode observers. The method exploits the fact that some voice coil designs possess position-dependent force and back-emf parameters due to their geometrical properties. Using an observer structure that incorporates these position-dependent parameters of the transducer allows the coil position to be observed from a current measurement. The nonlinear model developed for the voice coil is validated and experimental results are presented and discussed. Observability is proven and the results are incorporated into a sliding mode position feedback control algorithm.
Translational Regulation of Hsp90 mRNA: AUG-PROXIMAL 5′-UNTRANSLATED REGION ELEMENTS ESSENTIAL FOR PREFERENTIAL HEAT SHOCK TRANSLATION *

Heat shock in Drosophila results in repression of most normal (non-heat shock) mRNA translation and the preferential translation of the heat shock mRNAs. The sequence elements that confer preferential translation have been localized to the 5′-untranslated region (5′-UTR) for Hsp22 and Hsp70 mRNAs (in Drosophila). Hsp90 mRNA is unique among the heat shock mRNAs in having extensive secondary structure in its 5′-UTR and being abundantly represented in the non-heat shocked cell. In this study, we show that Hsp90 mRNA translation is inefficient at normal growth temperature, and substantially activated by heat shock. Its preferential translation is not based on an IRES-mediated translation pathway, because overexpression of eIF4E-BP inhibits its translation (and the translation of Hsp70 mRNA). The ability of Hsp90 mRNA to be preferentially translated is conferred by its 5′-UTR, but, in contrast to Hsp22 and -70, is primarily influenced by nucleotides close to the AUG initiation codon. We present a model to account for Hsp90 mRNA translation, incorporating results indicating that heat shock inhibits eIF4F activity, and that Hsp90 mRNA translation is sensitive to eIF4F inactivation.
The central tracking detectors for D

Abstract Three types of drift chambers are being constructed for the Fermilab Do experiment. The construction and readout of these chambers stress good spatial resolution, good two hit separation, and d E /d x measurement. A 106 MHz FADC system with hardware zero suppression is being constructed to read out this system.
Comparison of methods for estimating abundance of gopher tortoises

Estimates of abundance of threatened and endangered species are crucial for monitoring population status and recovery progress. For most wildlife species, multiple abundance estimation methods are available and the choice of method should depend on cost and efficacy. We field-tested the cost and efficacy of line transect, total count, sample count, and double observer methods for estimating abundance of gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) burrows in two habitats that differed in vegetation density (sparse and dense) at the Ordway-Swisher Biological Station in north-central Florida. In the dense vegetation stratum, density of burrows estimated using the line transect method (8.58 ± 0.94 burrows ha−1) was lower than that obtained from the total count method (11.33 burrows ha−1). In the sparse vegetation stratum, estimated burrow density using the line transect method (11.32 ± 1.19 burrows ha−1) was closer to the burrow density obtained from the total count method (13.00 burrows ha−1). Density of burrows estimated using the double observer method was identical to that obtained from the total count method in dense vegetation stratum, but slightly greater than that obtained from the total count method in sparse vegetation stratum. Density of burrows estimated using the sample count method varied widely depending on the proportion of plots sampled. The cost of sampling as well as estimates of burrow density varied with habitat type. The line transect method was the least costly of the methods, and we were able to sample a larger effective area with the same effort. Using burrow cameras and patch occupancy modeling approach, we also estimated the probability of burrow occupancy by gopher tortoises (active: 0.50 ± 0.09; inactive: 0.04 ± 0.04), and used these values to estimate abundance of gopher tortoises. Using estimates of burrow abundance based on the line transect method, density of gopher tortoises was 2.75 ± 0.74 ha−1 in the sparse vegetation stratum. We recommend that gopher tortoise monitoring programs use rigorous methods for estimating burrow abundance (e.g., line transect methods) and the probability of burrow occupancy by gopher tortoises (e.g., patch occupancy modeling approach).
Aspects of teaching psychotherapy to medical students

Much concern has centered on medical students' failure to choose psychiatry as a career. Little of this discussion focuses on the challenges of treating psychiatric patients. Although all students of psychotherapy face difficult training, the medical students' preparation is unique, especially in experiencing, tolerating, and using countertransference. Understanding and caring for psychiatric patients (whether pharmacologically, psychodynamically, or otherwise) involves exposure to extremes of emotion. A therapeutic response demands skills quite different from those culled by the medical admission process and the preclinical years. Appropriate handling of consequent problems is hampered when some of the psychotherapeutic aspects of clerk-patient relations go unrecognized and when supervisors avoid discussion of the student's reactions as an integral part of the work. Without specific attention to these areas, many students feel inadequate or frightened in the clerkship. With supervisory aid, such unwelcome situations can be converted to diagnostic and therapeutic tools of great value.
Focal Adhesions Formation and Cell Migration: Differential Roles of Orai1, STIM1 and PLA2G6

Store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE), and its major components (Orai1, STIM1 and PLA2G6) are known to be important for cell migration, but mechanism of their involvement in this complex process is unknown. In this study we used state-of-the-art imaging techniques and advanced molecular approaches to characterize the role of Orai1, STIM1 and PLA2G6 in lamellipodia and focal adhesion (FA) formation in HEK293 cells. We found that while transfection of the cells with siRNA against Orai1, STIM1 or PLA2G6 resulted in a similar reduction in the velocity and distance of cell migration, their effects on lamellipodia, FAs and the actin cytoskeleton were not the same. Downregulation of Orai1 or PLA2G6, but not STIM1 caused significant reduction in lamellipodia formation and affected actin cytoskeleton. Analysis of FAs showed that molecular downregulation of PLA2G6 changed the appearance and overall distribution of FAs. Compared to FAs in control (scrRNA treated) cells, mean area and aspect ratio of FAs in PLA2G6-deficient cells were significantly reduced. Moreover, FAs accumulated closer to the leading edge of polarized cells: about 80% of FAs were found within a short (up to 4 μm) distance from the leading edge, compared to less than 50% of FAs in control cells, and FAs beyond 10 μm distance virtually disappeared. In contrast, downregulation of STIM1 did not affect either mean area of FAs, or their aspect ratio. FAs in STIM1 siRNA treated cells showed much wider distribution throughout the lamellipodium, and could easily be found far beyond the leading edge. These data suggest that Orai1, PLA2G6 and STIM1 may be involved in different steps of FA formation, maturation and cytoskeleton integration that are all essential for accurate cell migration.
Steno Google doodle

Nicolas Steno, a seventeenth-century Danish Catholic bishop and scientist, is considered a founder of modern stratigraphy and geology for his work on linking modern shark teeth to objects found in rock formations, among many other studies and writings. Steno, whose non-Latinized name was Niels Stensen, gained newfound fame as the inspiration for a Google doodle published on 11 January to mark his 374th birthday. The doodle of the Google logo is a rainbow-colored block letter formation that suggests karst stratigraphic layers chock with fossils and shells. How did Steno end up being honored in this way? “The criteria for selecting a doodle subject are pretty simple: We like to celebrate anything that is geeky, quirky, and artistic,” Google's Jennifer Hom, who drew the doodle, told Eos. “Nicholas Steno happened to be a really geeky and innovative thinker whose work on stratigraphy is also visually interesting. Not only does he relate to our Google culture in that he was a groundbreaking (no pun intended) scientist, his work is also very artistically inspiring.”
Two-year outcome of unilateral sural nerve interposition graft after radical prostatectomy

Abstract Objectives To study 41 men treated for prostate cancer with unilateral nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy and contralateral sural nerve grafting from January 2000 to September 2003. Methods Patients were considered for sural nerve grafting if they were considered at high risk of extracapsular extension before or during surgery, were younger than 70 years of age with good preoperative erectile function, were sexually active, and had no significant risk factors for erectile dysfunction. Potency was assessed by patient-reported questionnaires, including the International Index of Erectile Function erectile domain and Rigiscan testing. Results The mean follow-up was 27.4 ± 14.5 months. At 24 months, 24 (63.2%) of 38 men had erections sufficient for intercourse, with or without phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor use. Four men had partial erections that were occasionally satisfactory (10.5%), and 10 men reported no sexual activity, no spontaneous erections, or partial erections unsatisfactory for intercourse (26.3%). In contrast, in a group of 49 men who underwent unilateral nerve-sparing prostatectomy without nerve grafting during the same period at our institution, 13 (26.5%) had rigid erections adequate for intercourse with or without phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor use at 24 months of follow-up. Conclusions At 24 months of follow-up, men who had undergone unilateral nerve-sparing prostatectomy with contralateral sural nerve interposition graft repair of a cut cavernosal nerve had a greater rate of return of erectile function than men undergoing unilateral nerve-sparing prostatectomy alone.
Effects of forskolin on bone resorption in the absence and presence of parathyroid hormone and calcitonin

Release of previously incorporated45Ca from fetal rat long bones was determined with the diterpene forskolin, both in the absence and presence of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and calcitonin (CT). In the absence of hormone, increased bone resorption was observed with 10−7M forskolin, but biphasic responses, consisting of initial decreases in45Ca release that were followed by increased calcium mobilization, were produced with 10−6M and 10−5M forskolin. Inhibition of45Ca release was pronounced and delayed more with 10−5M forskolin while the greatest stimulation of bone resorption was elicited by 10−6M forskolin, a response that was inhibited by 100 mU/ml CT. In the presence of 250 ng/ml PTH, a synergistic enhancement of45Ca release occurred with 10−7M forskolin treatment while, in contrast, calcium mobilization was inhibited by 10−6M and 10−5M forskolin. Inhibition by 10−6M forskolin was characterized by “escape” while that of 10−5M forskolin was continuous over a 5 day interval. Inhibition throughout the experimental period also was noted when 10−5M forskolin was combined with 2.5 ng/ml PTH, but no effect on calcium mobilization was observed upon addition of 10−7M forskolin and, rather than inhibition, an enhancement of45Ca release occurred when 10−6M forskolin was combined with 2.5 ng/ml PTH. Inhibition of 250 ng/ml PTH, but lack of inhibition of 2.5 ng/ml PTH by 10−6M forskolin suggests a 10−6M forskolin-sensitive portion of PTH-mediated calcium efflux. Absence of “escape” when 10−5M forskolin is combined with 250 ng/ml PTH suggests that heterologous desensitization may not play a major role in the “escape” which occurs with 10−6M forskolin.
Information-optimal adaptive feature-specific spectroscopy for rapid chemical classification

An information-optimal version of Adaptive Feature-Specific Spectrometry (AFSS) is presented. The system achieves dramatically shorter time-to-classification than traditional architectures in low SNR scenarios.
Inhaled Corticosteroids and the Beneficial Effect of Deep Inspiration in Asthma

Deep inspiration–induced bronchoprotection and bronchodilation are impaired in asthma. We evaluated the effect of inhaled glucocorticosteroids on these phenomena. Two groups of subjects with asthma, 9 with moderate/severe hyperresponsiveness to methacholine, and 12 with mild/borderline hyperresponsiveness to methacholine, received inhaled fluticasone (880 μg daily) for 12 weeks. Serial bronchoprovocations were performed at Weeks 0, 6, and 12. The impact of deep inspirations on the airway response to methacholine was evaluated on the basis of inspiratory vital capacity and FEV1. Fluticasone produced a wide spectrum of changes in the beneficial effects of deep inspiration, but the mean changes were not significant. The magnitude of the steroid-induced changes in bronchoprotection by deep inspiration correlated with baseline log PC20 (the provocative concentration of methacholine causing a 20% fall in FEV1; higher log PC20 predicted improvement of the deep inspiration effect). The steroid-induced changes led...
Fractal-based modeling and interpolation of non-Gaussian images

ABSTRACT In modeling terrain images corresponding to infrared scenes it has been found the images are characterizedby a long-range dependence structure and high variability. The long-range dependence manifests itself in a"1/f,, type behavior in the power spectral density and statistical self-similarity, both of which suggest theuse of a stochastic fractal model. The traditional stochastic fractal model is fractional Brownian motion,which assumes the increment process arises from a Gaussian distribution. This model has been found tobe rather limiting due to this restriction and therefore is incapable of modeling processes possessing highvariability and emanating from long-tailed non-Gaussian distributions. Stable distributions have been shownto be good models of such behavior and have been incorporated into the stochastic fractal model, resultingin the fractional Levy stable motion model. The model is demonstrated on a terrain image and is used inan interpolation scheme to improve the resolution of the image.Keywords: stochastic fractal, fractional Brownian motion, long-range dependence, stable distribution.
Mechanical Behavior of an Electrostatically Actuated Microplate

We present a nonlinear model of electrically actuated microplates. The model accounts for the nonlinearity in the electric forcing as well as mid-plane stretching of the plate. We use a Galerkin approximation to reduce the partial-differential equations of motion to a finite-dimension system of nonlinearly coupled second-order ordinary-differential equations. We find the deflection of the microplate under DC voltage and study the pull-in phenomenon. The natural frequencies and mode shapes are then obtained around the deflected position of the microplate by solving the linear eigenvalue problem. The effect of various design parameters on both the static response and the dynamic characteristics are studied.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Surface Topography of Symmetric and Asymmetric Polyolefin Block Copolymer Films

Finite film thickness constraints result in the formation of islands and holes on the surface of block copolymer films when the film thickness deviates from a conformal number of layers. This paper describes a comprehensive study of surface topography in model polyolefin diblock copolymers. We present results on the evolution of surface topography from the spun cast state, changes in the topology accompanying the thermal expansion/contraction of the film during annealing, and the influence of internal microstructure on the long term stability of the surfaces. Two distinct mechanisms of evolution and coarsening of islands and holes from the as cast state were observed. In one case the islands slowly nucleate and grow, while the other mechanism is characterized by a spontaneous evolution of surface structure followed by rapid coarsening. One of the most significant results of this work is the identification of a distinct asymmetry in the long term stability of the surface topography with respect to the block copolymer composition. Diblock copolymers containing a majority of the wetting component form islands and holes more readily, while those having a minor fraction remain flat for long periods of time (i.e., months) after annealing
A survey of self-reported skin disease in the elderly African-American population

Background In the USA, the geriatric population, almost 12% of which will be comprised of African-Americans, is expected to exceed 88 million by 2050. Data on dermatologic conditions in elderly African-Americans are deficient. Objectives This study aimed to identify prevalences of self-reported skin disease and skin-related concerns in elderly African-Americans, and to assess participants’ perceptions of skin disease and awareness of skin cancer. Methods Elderly African-Americans were recruited into a cross-sectional study and asked to complete a 17-item questionnaire. Results A total of 101 participants aged 60–91 years (median age: 71 years) completed the questionnaire. The majority (75.2%) of the subjects were female. The most common self-reported skin diseases were eczema/dermatitis (28.7%), fungal skin infections (16.8%), alopecia (6.9%), viral skin infections (4.9%), and urticaria (4.9%). The most common skin concerns were dry skin/pruritus (40.6%), moles (27.7%), hair loss (25.7%), skin discoloration (20.8%), and wrinkles (15.8%). Overall, 40.6% of participants reported concern about skin cancer, and 75.2% reported examining their skin regularly. However, 34.7% did not believe that people with darker skin types should be concerned about skin cancer. Conclusions This study provides an important overview of the most common self-reported skin conditions in elderly African-Americans. Substantial age-related differences in the frequencies of skin disorders were apparent. It is important to include the elderly population within campaigns to educate minority group members on skin cancer.
Impact of carbohydrate restriction with and without fatty acid loading on myocardial 18F-FDG uptake during PET: A randomized controlled trial.

Background Low-carbohydrate (LC) and high-fat, low-carbohydrate (HFLC) dietary preparations may enhance 18F-FDG-PET-based imaging of small, inflamed structures near the heart by suppressing myocardial FDG signal. We compared myocardial 18F-FDG uptake in patients randomized to LC, HFLC, and unrestricted (UR) preparations prior to 18F-FDG-PET.
Antistiction coatings for surface micromachines

Adhesion, friction, and wear are prevalent problems in a majority of MEMS devices. Understanding of surface interactions in MEMS is of paramount importance for controlling stiction phenomena. This paper will discuss various surface treatments employed to reduce adhesion and friction in polysilicon-based MEMS, their successes and their limitations.
EM: A simplified representation

Educators enjoy speculating about how much simpler it would be to impart knowledge if we could start over - if there were one agreed-upon international language - if there were but one system of weights and measures, etc. A more focused question in this vein which has intrigued the author for some time is this: Supposing it were possible to start from scratch and construct an electromagnetic theory, how would one do it in order to maximize clarity for the student? His personal answer to that question is sketched in the following paragraphs.
Adapting practice-based intervention research to electronic environments: opportunities and complexities at two institutions.

Background and Purpose: Primary care practice-based research has become more complex with increased use of electronic health records (EHRs). Little has been reported about changes in study planning and execution that are required as practices change from paper-based to electronic-based environments. We describe the evolution of a pediatric practice-based intervention study as it was adapted for use in the electronic environment, to enable other practice-based researchers to plan efficient, effective studies. Methods: We adapted a paper-based pediatric office-level intervention to enhance parent-provider communication about subspecialty referrals for use in two practice-based research networks (PBRNs) with partially and fully electronic environments. We documented the process of adaptation and its effect on study feasibility and efficiency, resource use, and administrative and regulatory complexities, as the study was implemented in the two networks. Results: Considerable time and money was required to adapt the paper-based study to the electronic environment, requiring extra meetings with institutional EHR-, regulatory-, and administrative teams, and increased practice training. Institutional unfamiliarity with using EHRs in practice-based research, and the consequent need to develop new policies, were major contributors to delays. Adapting intervention tools to the EHR and minimizing practice disruptions was challenging, but resulted in several efficiencies as compared with a paper-based project. In particular, recruitment and tracking of subjects and data collection were easier and more efficient. Conclusions: Practice-based intervention research in an electronic environment adds considerable cost and time at the outset of a study, especially for centers unfamiliar with such research. Efficiencies generated have the potential of easing the work of study enrollment, subject tracking, and data collection.
Attitudinal Versus Normative Influence in the Purchase of Brand‐Name Casual Apparel

The Fishbein behavioral intention model, which comprises attitudinal (personal) and normative (interpersonal) components of behavior, was used to predict behavioral (purchase) intention of brand-name casual apparel. The objective was to identify the relative importance of the attitudinal component versus the normative component as a determinant of behavioral intention. The sample consisted of 142 college students (87 men, 55 women). Multiple regression analysis showed that the attitudinal component and the normative component were statistically significant predictors of behavioral intentions; however, the attitudinal component played a more important role than the normative component. Moreover, structural aspects of the attitudinal component were examined using factor analysis. The attitudinal component was categorized into two dimensions: aesthetic andfunctional. Recommendations and implications were made for manufacturers and retailers, suggesting possible marketing strategies.
Seven year particulate matter air quality assessment from surface and satellite measurements

Using seven years of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aerosol optical thickness (AOT) data and ground measurements of particulate matter mass over one site in the Southeastern United States (33.55° N, 86.82° W) we present a comprehensive analysis of various aspects of particulate matter air quality. Monthly, seasonal and inter-annual relationships are examined with emphasis on sampling biases, quality indicators in the AOT product and various cloud clearing criteria. Our results indicate that PM 2.5 mass concentration over Northern Birmingham has decreased by about 23% in year 2006 when compared to year 2002 and air quality during summer months was poor when compared to winter months. MODIS-Terra AOT data was available only about 50% of the time due to cloud cover and unfavorable surface conditions. However, the mean difference in monthly mean PM 2.5 was less than 2.2 μg m −3 derived using all the data and from only those days when satellite AOT was available indicating that satellite data does not have sampling issues. The correlation between PM 2.5 and MODIS AOT increased from 0.52 to 0.62 when hourly PM 2.5 data were used instead of daily mean PM 2.5 data. Changing box size for satellite data around the ground station during comparisons produced less than ±0.03 difference in mean AOT values for 90% of observations. Application of AOT quality flags reduced the sample size but does not affect AOT-PM 2.5 relationship significantly. We recommend using AOT quality flags for daily analysis, whereas long time scale analysis can be performed by using all AOT retrievals to obtain better sampling. Our analysis indicates that satellite data is a useful tool for monitoring particulate matter air quality especially in regions where ground measurements are not available. While these results are representative for the region of interest, it is difficult to extrapolate these results to a larger context without detailed analysis using ancillary data sets.
Strength and Life Prediction for Hot‐Pressed Silicon Nitride

The strength of hot-pressed Si3N, was evaluated for constant stress rate, linear cyclic stress, and constant-stress loading. A stress-rupture rig was used to simultaneously test 10 samples under constant-stress loading. Exponential crack-growth-rate expressions were numerically integrated for constant stress rate and cyclic-stress loading and an approximate expression for the time-to-failure for these loading cases was developed. For either the power law or the exponential crack-growth-rate formulation, linear cyclic-stress and constant-stress-rate loading can be treated with the same fracture stress-time-to-failure representation. This correspondence was demonstrated for hot-pressed Si3N4. The exponential crack-growth formulation provided a consistent interpretation of the strength-degradation results, whereas the power-law formulation was inadequate.
Urban-rural comparisons of drug-taking behavior among Alaskan youth

This study explores drug-taking behavior among Alaskan youth in urban, rural, and semiurban communities. It finds significant differences among these locations, which are largely attributable to variations in age of first trying marijuana and alcohol. Racial group effects specific to initiation into marijuana, and gender differences related to initiation to alcohol, are also found. The implications of these findings for education and prevention of drug-taking behavior are discussed, with special emphasis on racial and cultural factors.
The efficiency of reading around learned backgrounds

Most metrics of medical image quality typically treat all variability components of the background as a Gaussian noise process. This includes task based model observers (non-prewhitening matched filter without and with an eye filter, NPW and NPWE; Hotelling and Channelized Hotelling) as well as Fourier metrics of medical image quality based on the noise power spectra. However, many investigators have observed that unlike many of the models/metrics, physicians often can discount signal-looking structures that are part of the normal anatomic background. This process has been referred to as reading around the background or noise. The purpose of this paper is to develop an experimental framework to systematically study the ability of human observers to read around learned backgrounds and compare their ability to that of an optimal ideal observer which has knowledge of the background. We measured human localization performance of one of twelve targets in the presence of a fixed background consisting of randomly placed Gaussians with random contrasts and sizes, and white noise. Performance was compared to a condition in which the test images contained only white noise but with higher contrast. Human performance was compared to standard model observers that treat the background as a Gaussian noise process (NPW, NPWE and Hotelling), a Fourier-based prewhitening matched filter, and an ideal observer. The Hotelling, NPW, NPWE models as well as the Fourier-based prewhitening matched filter predicted higher performance for the white noise test images than the background plus white noise. In contrast, ideal and human performance was higher for the background plus white noise condition. Furthermore, human performance exceeded that of the NPW, NPWE and Hotelling models and reached an efficiency of 19% relative to the ideal observer. Our results demonstrate that for some types of images human signal localization performance is consistent with use of knowledge about the high order moments of the backgrounds to discount signal-looking structures that belong to the background. In such scenarios model observers and metrics that either ignore the background or treat the background as a Gaussian process (Hotelling, Channelized Hotelling, Task-based SNR) under predict human performance.
Astrocytic adenosine: from synapses to psychiatric disorders

Although it is considered to be the most complex organ in the body, the brain can be broadly classified into two major types of cells, neuronal cells and glial cells. Glia is a general term that encompasses multiple types of non-neuronal cells that function to maintain homeostasis, form myelin, and provide support and protection for neurons. Astrocytes, a major class of glial cell, have historically been viewed as passive support cells, but recently it has been discovered that astrocytes participate in signalling activities both with the vasculature and with neurons at the synapse. These cells have been shown to release d-serine, TNF-α, glutamate, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and ATP among other signalling molecules. ATP and its metabolites are well established as important signalling molecules, and astrocytes represent a major source of ATP release in the nervous system. Novel molecular and genetic tools have recently shown that astrocytic release of ATP and other signalling molecules has a major impact on synaptic transmission. Via actions at the synapse, astrocytes have now been shown to regulate complex network signalling in the whole organism with impacts on respiration and the sleep–wake cycle. In addition, new roles for astrocytes are being uncovered in psychiatric disorders, and astrocyte signalling mechanisms represents an attractive target for novel therapeutic agents.
Dabigatran or warfarin for the prevention of stroke in atrial fibrillation? A closer look at the RE-LY trial.

Introduction: In the Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulant Therapy (RE-LY) trial, dabigatran 150 mg was shown to be superior to warfarin for the prevention of stroke or systemic embolism. However, there are some concerns with the RE-LY trial, such as its open-label design, potential unblinding of “blinded” adjudicators, the use of concomitant warfarin–aspirin (ASA), the disparity between baseline use of nonselective NSAIDs; the high unequal rate of drop-outs; unaccounted drop-ins; high rates of major bleeds in warfarin-treated patients, despite being a low risk population; and rates of major bleeds that do not match historic warfarin trials. Furthermore, although dabigatran offers potential advantages versus warfarin, there are disadvantages that must be taken into consideration before a patient is switched from the latter to the former. This review will summarize the flaws of the RE-LY trial as well as the clinically important advantages and disadvantages of dabigatran and warfarin. Areas cove...
Safety of early hospital discharge of selected febrile children and adolescents with cancer with prolonged neutropenia

Problem The safety of early hospital discharge (i.e., before the absolute neutrophil count [ANC] exceeds 500 cell/mm3) of febrile neutropenic children and adolescents with cancer who had experienced prolonged neutropenia (i.e., for more than 7 days) following admission has not been studied. Method of Study. Three hundred and thirty-nine consecutive admissions of children and adolescents with cancer for management of febrile neutropenia were reviewed. Early discharge criteria included absence of fever for 24 hours prior to discharge, sterile blood cultures for 24 hours, evidence of bone marrow recovery defined as a sustained increase in platelet count and ANC or absolute phagocyte count (APC), and control of local infection if present. Children hospitalized with febrile neutropenia who remained neutropenic for more than 7 days were analyzed to assess their outcomes following discharge if they had met criteria for early hospital discharge. Results Thirty-three patients inwhom neutropenia had persisted for more than 7 days were discharged before attaining an ANC greater than 500/mm3 when they met the early discharge criteria. Only two children (6%) required readmission for recurrent fever, a rate which was not different from that of patients discharged after a more transient episode of neutropenia (2 of 33 vs. 3 of 121, P = 0.3). Both patients who were readmitted had a source of local infection which worsened despite oral antibiotics. Both patients appeared clinically well at the time of readmission and had sterile cultures during their second hospitalization with resolution of local infection. Conclusion This study confirms that low-risk criteria used to select children with cancer for discharge before complete resolution of neutropenia can be safely applied to those patients whose neutropenia lasted more than 7 days following admission. Med. Pediatr. Oncol. 28: 191–195 © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
An interactive approach for specifying OWL-S groundings

OWL-S is an instance of the Web Ontology Language (OWL) that is used to describe and specify semantic Web services. While OWL-S provides a promising mechanism for specification, publication, discovery, integration, and access, the learning curve can be high. Current practices in Web services tend to focus on lightweight specification using automated tools that generate WSDL descriptions. One of the advantages of OWL-S is its flexibility in allowing the creation of many groundings or bindings for a single semantic Web service. In this paper, we propose an approach for generating groundings for a semantic Web service and demonstrate how the use of lightweight interactive tools facilitates creation of groundings for a semantic Web service.
Spatiotemporal/spatiotemporal-frequency representations for the integrated analysis of dynamic scenes

In this paper, we consider the use of spatiotemporal/spatiotemporal-frequency (st/stf) representations (an extension of time-frequency representations) for dynamic scene analysis. The joint nature of these representations, which provide frequency information localized to points in spacetime, provides a very natural framework for simultaneous spatial and temporal analysis. This greatly facilitates an integrated approach to the problem. Furthermore, as we demonstrate in this work, this integration is not obtained at the expense of an ability to formulate explicit spatial and temporal features.
Vertically laminated magnetic cores by electroplating Ni-Fe into micromachined Si

The fabrication and characterization of vertically laminated, electrodeposited Ni-Fe magnetic cores in micromachined silicon for the low megahertz frequency range is presented. Laminated cores were fabricated by etching vertical trenches (60-180 /spl mu/m wide and 525 /spl mu/m deep) through silicon wafers and directly plating Ni-Fe onto the etched sidewalls. The Ni-Fe was plated over a range of thicknesses (3-53 /spl mu/m) in order to study the influence of eddy currents. The measured impedances in the range 10 kHz-40 MHz confirm the reduction of eddy current losses. This work demonstrates a simple fabrication method for achieving high-aspect-ratio, vertically laminated magnetic cores where the geometry of the structures can be easily tailored for various applications.
Efficacy of macrocyclic lactone endectocides against Boophilus microplus (Acari: Ixodidae) infested cattle using different pour-on application treatment regimes

The efficacy of pour-on formulations of three macrocyclic lactone endectocides (moxidectin, ivermectin, and eprinomectin) was evaluated on cattle against Boophilus microplus (Canestrini) using two different treatment regimes. A single application treatment regime with each endectocide showed that fewer ticks per calf were recovered from all treated calves than from untreated cattle, but the level of control among the three treatments was similar (range; 78.7–87.7%) against all stages of ticks on the calves at the time of treatment. The engorged female and egg mass weights of all treated ticks were less than that of untreated ticks. Among the treated groups, the ivermectin and eprinomectin-treated females weighed less and produced lower weight egg masses than those from moxidectin-treated cattle. In a double application treatment regime with a 4-d interval between treatments, there were fewer ticks per calf recovered from the treated cattle than from untreated cattle. In addition, all treated females weighed less and produced lower weight egg masses than those from untreated cattle. Control with moxidectin (90.3%) was lower than with either ivermectin (98.9%) or eprinomectin (99.7%). The mean female and egg mass weight of the ivermectin and eprinomectin-treated groups was also less than that of the moxidectin treatment. A single application treatment against either 18- or 20-d-old adult ticks indicated that both moxidectin and ivermectin were less effective against 20-d-old ticks that were nearer to completing their parasitic development on the animal. In contrast, eprinomectin was the only endectocide tested that was equally effective against both 18- and 20-d-old ticks.
Renal hemodynamic effects of the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

Background To determine the effect of statins on renal hemodynamics in normal volunteers and those with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease either with mild or moderate renal dysfunction. Methods Thirty-two study subjects were enrolled in this study: 11 normal volunteers, 11 study subjects with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) and mild kidney disease and 10 study subjects with ADPKD and moderate kidney disease. Subjects in each group received simvastatin 40 mg once daily for a period of 4 weeks. Renal blood flow was measured based on para-amino-hippurate (PAH) clearance and with the use of a magnetic resonance (MR) scanner at the beginning and following 4 weeks of therapy with statins. Results At the end of the study, except for the lipid profile, which was significantly lower in all groups, other laboratory results showed no change. Four weeks of therapy with simvastatin resulted in no change in serum creatinine, 24-h urinary protein, sodium, iothalamate clearance, PAH clearance or renal blood flow as measured by MRI or based on PAH clearance. Conclusions Four weeks of therapy with simvastatin did not change renal blood flow in the study subjects with ADPKD with mild-to-moderate renal dysfunction or in healthy volunteers. Clinical trial registration number NCT02511418.
Can an organization's philanthropic donations encourage consumers to give? The roles of gratitude and boundary conditions

This study examines whether an organization's charitable donation will prompt consumers who closely identify with the organization to give to the charity as well. We posit that identifying with a benefactor will enhance the perception that consumers are involved in the donation process, which evokes grateful feelings. We also predict that the amount of the organization's donation will positively moderate the influence of organization identification on charity-evoked feelings of gratitude, while attitude toward the organization's charity will positively moderate the gratitude–donation relationship. In Study 1, we show how gratitude arises in the context of corporate social responsibility by demonstrating the mediating role of perceived donation contribution in the relationship between organization identification and gratitude. In Study 2, we demonstrate that organization identification has a significant indirect effect on donation intention through gratitude. Multigroup analyses show that the identification–gratitude link is more salient when the organization commits to donating a larger amount of money to a charity. Furthermore, the impact of gratitude on donation intent is significantly stronger for individuals who hold a favorable attitude toward the organization's corporate social responsibility activity. Our findings indicate that an organization's charitable giving also encourages consumers to give to the community via vicariously felt gratitude. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Further characterization and evidence for a precursor in the formation of plasma antinatriferic factor.

SummaryAntinatriferic factor was isolated from VE dog plasma on high pressure liquid chromatography. The use of an enzyme inhibitor while collecting plasma reduced the presence of this factor. A reverse-phase chromatography peptide map revealed 2 peptides whose presence was directly correlated with antinatriferic activity. The results suggest that antinatriferic factor is a small acidic peptide, formed from a precursor molecule. Reverse-phase chromatography may prove to be a chemical assay for antinatriferic factor.
Highly Efficient Aluminum-Catalyzed Hydro-amination/-hydrazination of Carbodiimides

The catalytic activity of commercially available [Al(NMe2)3]2 (1) and a dimethyl aluminum guanidinate complex toward the hydro-amination/-hydrazination of carbodiimides was studied. The guanidinate-supported complex 2 was prepared via salt metathesis reactions of AlMe2Cl and an in situ generated lithium guanidinate reagent. X-ray crystallographic studies revealed the influence of the guanidinate ligand on the Al metal center. Hydroamination reactions were successfully carried out at room temperature with 2 as the catalyst, while 1 proved to be ineffective under these conditions. On the contrary, both 1 and 2 were active toward the hydro-hydrazination of carbodiimides, which were run at elevated temperatures (120 °C). Consequently, the reaction temperature had a significant influence on the choice of the catalyst since the catalytically active species can be generated from various precatalysts under different conditions. The formation of guanidines and aminoguanidines showed a high functional group toleran...