cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of a Clinician Training on Referring Chemically Addicted Clients to Mutual Aid Groups

An in-service training was provided to 19 clinicians employed by one chemical dependency treatment facility. The goal of the training was to help substance abuse clinicians gain knowledge of several options for mutual aid fellowships, and strategies for referring clients to fellowships that correspond to clients' values and preferences. After participating in the training, clinicians were more familiar with, more knowledgeable about, and more likely to refer to a range of self-help options for ameliorating substance abuse issues. From pre- to posttest, clinicians also increased their scores on six out of nine self-efficacy items related to their ability to refer clients to mutual aid groups.
Optimization of benzyloxazoles as non-nucleoside inhibitors of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase to enhance Y181C potency

Design of non-nucleoside inhibitors of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase with improved activity towards Tyr181Cys containing variants was pursued with the assistance of free energy perturbation (FEP) calculations. Optimization of the 4-R substituent in 1 led to ethyl and isopropyl analogs 1e and 1f with 1–7 nM potency towards both the wild-type virus and a Tyr181C variant.
Introducing Aesthetic Plastic Surgery to Evidence-Based Medicine

We at the editorial office are constantly trying to improve the transparency and integrity of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. We have undertaken efforts such as double-blinding manuscripts when they go out for review and increasing the number of reviewers for each manuscript to three. To further these efforts, the journal soon will introduce an evidenced-based medicine (EBM) element to the review process. When EBM was first introduced in the orthopedic literature, it was called ‘‘a new paradigm in medical practice, equal in enormity to the human genome project’’ [1]. The practice of EBM has since become fully integrated into the orthopedic literature and has been introduced slowly into our field over the past 2 years. In EBM as it relates to our journal, we are interested in quantifying the quality of evidence presented in manuscripts. This practice will both strengthen the science at the center of this journal and increase the transparency of the journal. Ultimately, readers will be given an additional tool to help them evaluate what is before them. The standard measure for EBM in the United States remains the scale published by the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force in 1989 [2]. This scale originally gave evidence ranked as 1, 2a, 2b, 2c, and 3 but has since been adapted to a simpler scale of 1 to 5:
JOSEPH RICHMAN'S SIGNS FOR DISTINGUISHING GENUINE FROM SIMULATED SUICIDE NOTES

Scores from two independent judges indicated that criteria derived from the clinical experience of a suicidologist were successful in differentiating genuine from simulated suicide notes.
Robust topological features for deformation invariant image matching

Local photometric descriptors are a crucial low level component of numerous computer vision algorithms. In practice, these descriptors are constructed to be invariant to a class of transformations. However, the development of a descriptor that is simultaneously robust to noise and invariant under general deformation has proven difficult. In this paper, we introduce the Topological-Attributed Relational Graph (T-ARG), a new local photometric descriptor constructed from homology that is provably invariant to locally bounded deformation. This new robust topological descriptor is backed by a formal mathematical framework. We apply T-ARG to a set of benchmark images to evaluate its performance. Results indicate that T-ARG significantly outperforms traditional descriptors for noisy, deforming images.
Quaternary Faulting beneath Memphis, Tennessee

A geologic investigation of the city of Memphis and southern Shelby County, Tennessee reveals Quaternary faulting. Structure contour maps and cross-sections of the top of the Pliocene-Pleistocene Upland Complex (Lafayette gravel), Eocene Upper Claiborne Group, and Eocene Lower Claiborne Group reveal two 20-m down-to-the-northwest faults that strike approximately N30°E The western fault is herein called the Memphis Fault and the eastern, the Ellendale Fault. The Ellendale Fault is projected to pass beneath the Wolf River flood plain in east Memphis. At this location, a cut bank exposes flood-plain sands that are folded into an anticline with a wavelength of ∼ 100 m, an amplitude of ∼4 m, and a hinge oriented 10°N7°W. The folded sands are truncated by overlying, flat-lying, clayey silt overbank sediments. A 1-m-wide earthquake liquefaction sand dike was found above the crest of the anticline, in the overbank sediments. 14C dates reveal that the folding occurred between A.D. 390 and 450, and the liquefaction occurred post A.D. 450. Seismic-reflection lines indicate that the fold extends to more than 60 m depth into the Lower Claiborne Group, has a length of more than 1 km, and is thus tectonic in origin. The reflection lines also reveal a N25°E down-to-the-west fault with 5 m of displacement in the Upper Claiborne Group that we believe is within the Ellendale Fault zone. We believe the anticline formed during ∼5 m of Quaternary right-lateral strike-slip movement on the N25°E-trending fault. Based on these observations, we also believe that the Ellendale Fault, and perhaps the Memphis Fault, may pose seismic threats to the city of Memphis and Shelby County, Tennessee.
RNA interference in mammals: behind the screen

The discovery of RNA interference (RNAi) and the development of technologies exploiting its biology have enabled scientists to rapidly examine the consequences of depleting a particular gene product in a cell or an animal. The availability of genome-wide RNAi libraries targeting the mouse and human genomes has made it possible to carry out large scale, phenotype-based screens, which have yielded seminal information on diverse cellular processes ranging from virology to cancer biology. Today, several strategies are available to perform RNAi screens, each with their own technical and monetary considerations. Special care and budgeting must be taken into account during the design of these screens in order to obtain reliable results. In this review, we discuss a number of critical aspects to consider when planning an effective RNAi screening strategy, including selecting the right biological system, designing an appropriate selection scheme, optimizing technical aspects of the screen, and validating and verifying the hits. Similar to an artistic production, what happens behind the screen has a direct impact on its success.
Velocity and transport of the Makassar Strait throughflow

[1] Analyses of ocean current measurements from two moorings in the Makassar Strait (MAK-1, December 1996 to July 1998, and MAK-2, December 1996 to February 1998) with newly processed acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) data provide a new estimate of transport and vertical velocity structure for this important passageway of the Indonesian Throughflow. The 7-month record of the MAK-1 ADCP and the 3-month record of the MAK-2 ADCP, nominally set at depths of 150 m, are extrapolated to the end of the mooring period using a surface layer relationship to the shallowest current meter at 200 m and to the regional winds. The southward transport within Makassar Strait is confined for the most part to the upper 750 m, above the blocking topographic sill of Makassar Strait. The transport maximum occurs within the thermocline (100–300 m). After the temporal mean flow has been removed, the vertical structure of the along channel flow in the upper 750 m is decomposed using the empirical orthogonal function (EOF) method. The first two modes contain 91% of the total variance. For the entire mooring period, the total depth-integrated transport was 8.1 ± 1.5 Sv (Sv = 1 × 106 m3/s), with 7.9 ± 1.2 Sv for calendar year1997. During the peak of 1997/1998 El Nino from September 1997 to mid-February 1998, the first mode time series displays northward flow, enhancing the vertical shear within the thermocline and reducing the mean throughflow to 4.6 ± 0.9 Sv.
Linking landuse and groundwater quality in the Mississippi delta Using MODIS satellite data

The 16-day NDVI composites of MODIS data for the cropping season were examined for their relationship with the harvested area and the yield of soybean and cotton and the fertilizer ingredients (Ammonium nitrogen, Nitrate nitrogen, Phosphates, and Potassium) found in the groundwater within the Delta region of Mississippi, United States. The best relationship was found in the case of phosphates.
Authentication tests and the structure of bundles

Suppose a principal in a cryptographic protocol creates and transmits a message containing a new value v, later receiving v back in a different cryptographic context. It can be concluded that some principal possessing the relevant key has received and transformed the message in which v was emitted. In some circumstances, this principal must be a regular participant of the protocol, not the penetrator. An inference of this kind is an authentication test. We introduce two main kinds of authentication test. An outgoing test is one in which the new value v is transmitted in encrypted form, and only a regular participant can extract it from that form. An incoming test is one in which v is received back in encrypted form, and only a regular participant can put it in that form. We combine these two tests with a supplementary idea, the unsolicited test, and a related method for checking that keys remain secret. Together, these techniques determine what authentication properties are achieved by a wide range of cryptographic protocols. In this paper we introduce authentication tests and prove their soundness. We illustrate their power by giving new and straightforward proofs of security goals for several protocols. We also illustrate how to use the authentication tests as a heuristic for finding attacks against incorrect protocols. Finally, we suggest a protocol design process. We express these ideas in the strand space formalism (Thayer et al. J. Comput. Security 7 (1999) 191-230), which provides a convenient context to prove them correct.
Family divided: the class formation of Honduran transnational families

Although there is a growing literature on transnational families, we know little about the class formation of such families and even less about how transnational migration and generation interact in this process. In this article I draw from ethnographic research with Honduran immigrant parents in the USA and transnational youths in Honduras to theorize the class formation of transnational families. Based on Bryceson and Vuorela's concepts of frontiering and relativizing, I show how economic remittances bolster the expectations and improve the lifestyles of transnational youths to the detriment of their parents' welfare in the USA. That parents often relativize their communication, choosing not to tell children about their struggles, can contribute to increased inequalities within families. Finally, my data suggest that it will be difficult for transnational youths to meet their newfound expectations and maintain their lifestyles without a permanent flow of remittances and thus the ongoing separation of family.
The presence of a Leu-Gly-Asn repeat-enriched protein (LGN), a putative binding partner of transducin, in ROD photoreceptors.

PURPOSE Heterotrimeric G proteins are regulated by receptors that act as guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) and by RGS proteins, which act as guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) activating proteins (GAPs). Guanosine diphosphate (GDP) dissociation inhibitors (GDIs), such as activators of G protein signaling (AGS)-1 and -3 and Leu-Gly-Asn repeat-enriched (LGN) proteins regulate the Gi family of G proteins. AGS3 and LGN contain four characteristic G protein regulator (GPR) domains that are responsible for its GDI function. This study investigates the presence of a GDI for transducin in photoreceptor cells. METHODS Western blot analysis of bovine and mouse retina was performed using specific antibodies to AGS and LGN proteins. The subcellular localization of LGN in retina was studied by immunofluorescence microscopy of mouse retinal sections and fractionation of retinal lysates, using sucrose density gradients. The interaction of LGN with transducin was studied using pull-down assays with GST-fused LGN constructs, co-immunoprecipitation and assays for GTPgammaS binding. RESULTS LGN, but not AGS3 and AGS1, was present in the retina, where it was localized mostly in the inner segments and outer plexiform layer of photoreceptor cells in both light and dark conditions. LGN was present in the cytosol, membrane, and the detergent-resistant cytoskeletal fraction. The amount of LGN relative to transducin was at least 1:15. The alpha subunit of transducin in its GDP-bound state interacted with endogenous and recombinant LGN, and the recombinant GPR domain of LGN reduced the rate of GTP exchange. CONCLUSIONS Photoreceptor inner segments contain LGN, which can bind to the alpha subunit of transducin and potentially regulate its function.
Determination of lead, cadmium and other trace metals in annually-banded corals

Sample preparation and analytical methodology are described for determining lattice-bound trace-element concentrations in annually-banded scleractinian corals. Time-series studies have been performed for Pb (10–100 ppb), Cd (0.4–8 ppb), Mn (8–20 ppb), Zn (20–70 ppb), and V (50 ppb) in corals from a variety of locations. Coral bands which have been mapped by X-radiography are sectioned, crushed, sieved and subjected to an intense sequence of oxidative and reductive treatments accompanied by repeated leaching in dilute nitric acid. The cleaning sequence effectively removed detrital, organic and handling/storage associated contaminants in five of seven coral genera studied. Differences in coral morphology and growth habitat may, however, require modifications in cleaning strategy. Prior to analysis, samples are dissolved and residual lattice-bound metals are non-selectively coprecipitated as dithiocarbamate chelates in the presence of a Co carrier. This procedure isolates the metals of interest from the coral calcium matrix to allow more precise analysis by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The coral distribution coefficient (KD) of unity estimated for Cd resembles that of other elements reported in the literature (e.g., Ra, Ba, Nd, Sm, Sr, Co) which possess large 2+ effective ionic radii. Pb and Mn are exceptional in demonstrating KD=2.3 and 0.1, respectively, indicating preferential uptake of Pb and discrimination against Mn. A Zn time series measured in a Bermudian coral is suspect due to an unusually large estimated KD of 11 and lack of an anticipated anthropogenic signal. V exhibits KD=0.026 which reflects its speciation in seawater as the vanadate complex, VO2(OH)2−3. Thus far, only Pb and Cd have demonstrated clear temporal variability associated with industrialization and/or natural perturbations in ocean circulation. Based on size, charge, and coordination constraints, a number of other metals are predicted to demonstrate lattice compatibility in aragonitic corals (e.g., rare-earth elements, Hg, Fe). Anticipated low concentrations and contamination problems, however, will have to be overcome in order to accomplish these measurements.
Identification of Erwinia amylovora Genes Induced during Infection of Immature Pear Tissue

ABSTRACT The enterobacterium Erwinia amylovora is a devastating plant pathogen causing necrotrophic fire blight disease of apple, pear, and other rosaceous plants. In this study, we used a modified in vivo expression technology system to identify E. amylovora genes that are activated during infection of immature pear tissue, a process that requires the major pathogenicity factors of this organism. We identified 394 unique pear fruit-induced (pfi) genes on the basis of sequence similarity to known genes and separated them into nine putative function groups including host-microbe interactions (3.8%), stress response (5.3%), regulation (11.9%), cell surface (8.9%), transport (13.5%), mobile elements (1.0%), metabolism (20.3%), nutrient acquisition and synthesis (15.5%), and unknown or hypothetical proteins (19.8%). Known virulence genes, including hrp/hrc components of the type III secretion system, the major effector gene dspE, type II secretion, levansucrase (lsc), and regulators of levansucrase and amylovoran biosynthesis, were upregulated during pear tissue infection. Known virulence factors previously identified in E. (Pectobacterium) carotovora and Pseudomonas syringae were identified for the first time in E. amylovora and included HecA hemagglutinin family adhesion, Peh polygalacturonase, new effector HopPtoCEA, and membrane-bound lytic murein transglycosylase MltEEA. An insertional mutation within hopPtoCEA did not result in reduced virulence; however, an mltEEA knockout mutant was reduced in virulence and growth in immature pears. This study suggests that E. amylovora utilizes a variety of strategies during plant infection and to overcome the stressful and poor nutritional environment of its plant hosts.
Effectiveness of Antilock Braking Systems in Reducing Motorcycle Fatal Crash Rates

Objective: Overbraking and underbraking have been shown to be common factors in motorcycle crashes. Antilock braking systems (ABS) prevent wheels from locking during braking and may make riders less reluctant to apply full braking force. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of ABS in fatal motorcycle crashes. Methods: Motorcycle drivers involved in fatal crashes per 10,000 registered vehicle years were compared for 13 motorcycle models with optional ABS and those same models without the option during 2003–2008. Motorcycles with optional ABS were included only if the presence of the option could be identified from the vehicle identification number. Results: The rate of fatal motorcycle crashes per 10,000 registered vehicle years was 37 percent lower for ABS models than for their non-ABS versions. Conclusion: ABS appears to be highly effective in preventing fatal motorcycle crashes based on some early adopters of motorcycle ABS technology.
Barriers to Outpatient Care in Community-Dwelling Elderly with Dementia The Role of Caregiver Life Satisfaction

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between informal caregiver life satisfaction and receipt of outpatient medical care in persons with dementia. We obtained data from the National Longitudinal Caregiver Survey (NLCS), a survey of 1,269 veterans with dementia and their primary informal caregivers. NLCS data were merged with 12 months of Veteran Administration outpatient claims. Outpatient visits were classified as (a) primary, (b) specialty, or (c) mental health care. Greater levels of caregiver-reported life dissatisfaction were associated with decreased likelihood of care-recipient outpatient visits for both primary and mental health care. In addition, we found that care-recipients with African American caregivers were less likely to receive a mental health visit, and those coresiding with their caregiver were more likely to receive a specialty care visit. Our findings suggest that low caregiver life satisfaction may signal an impending breakdown in care-recipients' access to prima...
A Motif for Infinite Metal Atom Wires

A new motif for infinite metal atom wires with tunable compositions and properties is developed based on the connection between metal paddlewheel and square planar complex moieties. Two infinite Pd chain compounds, [Pd4(CO)4(OAc)4Pd(acac)2] 1 and [Pd4(CO)4(TFA)4Pd(acac)2] 2, and an infinite PdPt heterometallic chain compound, [Pd4(CO)4(OAc)4Pt(acac)2] 3, are identified by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. In these new structures, the paddlewheel moiety is a Pd four-membered ring coordinated by bridging carboxylic ligands and μ2 carbonyl ligands. The planar moiety is either Pd(acac)2 or Pt(acac)2 (acac=acetylacetonate). These moieties are connected by metallophilic interactions. The results showed that these one-dimensional metal wire compounds have photoluminescent properties that are tunable by changing ligands and metal ions. 3 can also serve as a single source precursor for making Pd4Pt bimetallic nanostructures with precise control of metal composition.
Evaluation of Commercial Ginseng Products

The variation in panaxoside content of roots and commercial products of Panax ginseng and P. quinquefolium was evaluated by a new spectrodensitometric TLC method. The method is rapid and applicable to all commercial products, and it has a relative standard deviation of 6.4%. Panaxoside patterns of slurry-filled capsules and root extracts most closely resembled those of whole roots. Tablets did not contain detectable panaxosides while teas and granules for infusion yielded only low concentrations. The wide variation among these products indicates the need for more rigid control.
Detection of four oxidation sites in viral prolyl‐4‐hydroxylase by top‐down mass spectrometry

Oxidative inactivation is a common problem for enzymatic reactions that proceed via iron oxo intermediates. In an investigation of the inactivation of a viral prolyl-4-hydroxylase (26 kD), electrospray mass spectrometry (MS) directly shows the degree of oxidation under varying experimental conditions, but indicates the addition at most of three oxygen atoms per molecule. Thus, molecular ion masses (M + nO) of one sample indicate the oxygen atom adducts n = 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 of 35, 41, 19, 5 ± 3, and <2%, respectively; “top-down” MS/MS of these ions show oxidation at the sites R28–V31, E95–F107, and K216 of 22%, 28%, and 34%, respectively, but with a possible (~4%) fourth site at V125–D150. However, for the doubly oxidized molecular ions (increasing the precursor oxygen content from 0.94 to 2), MS/MS showed an easily observable ~13% oxygen at the V125–D150 site. For the “bottom-up” approach, detection of the ~4% oxidation at the V125–D150 site by MS analysis of a proteolysis mixture would have been very difficult. The unmodified peptide containing this site would represent a few percent of the proteolysis mixture; the oxidized peptide not only would be just ~4% of this, but the uniqueness of its mass value (~1–2 kD) would be far less than the 11,933 Dalton value used here. Using different molecular ion precursors for top-down MS/MS also provides kinetic data from a single sample, that is, from molecular ions with 0.94 and 2 oxygens. Little oxidation occurs at V125–D150 until K216 is oxidized, suggesting that these are competitively catalyzed by the iron center; among several prolyl-4-hydroxylases the K216, H137, and D139 are conserved residues.
FPGA performance versus cell granularity

An experimental approach was used to investigate the relationship between the performance of an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) and its basic cell granularity. Over a large set of design examples it was found that a four or five input cell achieves minimum average critical path delay for a wide range of programmable switch time constant, tau /sub s/. As expected, the 'optimal' cell granularity was found to increase gradually as tau /sub s/ increases. >
Endocrine disruptors and the obesity epidemic.

The highlighted article brings together research on the site and mechanism of endocrinedisrupting chemicals that have the potential to have a significant impact on human health and research on obesity, which is known to seriously impact human health. The effect of exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals on the initiation or exacerbation of obesity, which may significantly alter the perception of the etiology of obesity and impact intervention and prevention efforts, is an important emerging area needing even further research emphasis.
Mass transfer and bed expansion of solid‐slurry fluidized beds

Etude experimentale pour le cas d'une fluidisation par un liquide. Le lit est fluidise par de l'eau et contient des particules d'acide benzoique ainsi que de nombreuses particules fines de dimensions variees
EVOLUTION OF THE INCOME DISTRIBUTION AND EDUCATION VOUCHERS

In this paper, I study the effect that switching to a voucher system of educational finance has on the distribution of income. The model is calibrated to U.S. data, and simulated for two different forms of education finance: a voucher system and a completely private system of schools. All voucher policies considered result in welfare gains and reductions in income inequality. A private system entails a welfare loss and an increase in income inequality. The more important the peer group is to future income, the smaller the welfare gains and reductions in inequality associated with voucher systems, and the greater the welfare cost and increase in inequality associated with a private system.
Replicated distributed processes in Manetho

The authors present the process-replication protocol of Manetho, a system whose goal is to provide efficient, application-transparent fault tolerance to long-running distributed computations. Manetho uses a novel negative-acknowledgment multicast protocol to enforce the same receipt order of application messages among all replicas of a process. The protocol depends on a combination of antecedence graph maintenance, a form of sender-based message logging, and the fact that the receivers of each multicast execute the same deterministic program. This combination allows the protocol to void the delay in application message delivery that is common in existing negative-acknowledgment multicast protocols, without giving up the advantage of requiring only a small number of control messages. >
Hypoxic boundary layers surrounding skin-breathing aquatic amphibians : occurrence, consequences and organismal responses

We have used oxygen microelectrodes to characterize the relationship between the partial pressure of oxygen (P(O2)) and the distance from the skin in a variety of amphibians immersed in unstirred normoxic water. A substantial hypoxic boundary layer surrounded the skin in nearly every case, with the P(O2) at the skin-medium interface typically varying between 2 and 4 kPa at both 10 and 20-degrees-C. The degree of hypoxia varied little among the anatomical sites examined.
Bioterrorism preparedness. I: The emergency department and hospital.

Fundamental precepts in hospital-based planning for bioterrorist events include having a comprehensive well-rehearsed disaster plan that is based on a threat and vulnerability analysis. JCAHO Environment of Care Standards and an "all-hazards" approach to disaster planning and management form the basis for a solid bioterrorism response plan. During preparation, education and training are imperative. Clinicians must maintain a high index of suspicion for use of bioterrorism agents, be able to make a rapid diagnosis, and promptly initiate empiric treatment. Other personnel from administration, security, public relations, laboratory, pharmacy, and facilities management should be familiar with the plan, know when and how to activate it, and understand their roles in the response. A recognized incident command system should be used. Hospital leadership must be aware of the facility's capabilities and capacities, and should have plans for expansion of services to meet the surge in demand. The command center should coordinate emergency personnel teams, decontamination, security, acquisition of supplies, and notification of public health and other authorities and the media. If the plan is ever implemented, stress management with psychologic support will play an important role in recovery. Language: en
Plato: A Selective Context Model for Entity Resolution

We present Plato, a probabilistic model for entity resolution that includes a novel approach for handling noisy or uninformative features, and supplements labeled training data derived from Wikipedia with a very large unlabeled text corpus. Training and inference in the proposed model can easily be distributed across many servers, allowing it to scale to over 10^7 entities. We evaluate Plato on three standard datasets for entity resolution. Our approach achieves the best results to-date on TAC KBP 2011 and is highly competitive on both the CoNLL 2003 and TAC KBP 2012 datasets.
Distinct Regulatory Mechanisms for Interferon-α/β (IFN-α/β)– and IFN-γ–Mediated Induction of Ly-6E Gene in B Cells

The murine Ly6-E gene is transcriptionally induced by interferon-α/β (IFN-α/β) and IFN-γ in a variety of distinct cell types. The mechanism of IFN inducibility in B-cell lines was investigated by deletion analysis of the promoter and by identifying DNA binding proteins in mobility shift assays. A region located in the distal part of the promoter at −2.3 kb contributed to inducibility by both types of IFNs. This region contains a novel element in addition to the previously well-characterized IFN-stimulated response element (ISRE). The probes containing ISRE detected IFN-inducible complexes in mobility shift assays and the signal transducer and activator of transcripition–1 was found to be in these complexes from cells treated with either type of IFN. An additional element present in the proximal part of the promoter at position −109 is also required for IFN-α/β–mediated induction. These data suggested a cooperative interaction between these physically disparate regulatory regions. A crucial role for HMGI(Y) protein in this cooperative multiprotein complex is supported by the evidence that inhibition of HMGI(Y) expression via antisense RNA results in the loss of IFN-α/β–mediated induction of the Ly6-E gene. These results show the complexity involved in achieving cell-type specificity in IFN-mediated gene regulation.
Abstract T P108: MRI Measurements of Intracranial Atherosclerosis in the ARIC Neurocognitive Study: Methods, Reliability and Descriptive Statistics

Introduction: A 3D high resolution MRI (HRMRI) vascular protocol was designed to measure intracranial atherosclerosis in a biracial population from the multicenter ARIC Neurocognitive (ARIC-NCS) study. Hypothesis: HRMRI provides reliable intracranial vessel wall measurements in a population-based study. Methods: 1980 ARIC-NCS participants (mean age, 77.2±5.3 years; 40% male; 71% white, 28% black) underwent a brain HRMRI protocol designed to identify atherosclerosis in major intracranial arteries, that included 3D time-of-flight MRA and 3D black blood MRI (both acquired at 0.5-mm 3 resolution). Among 1980 participants, 102 were recruited for repeat MRI exams to estimate scan and reader variability. Participants were selected based on identification of at least one intracranial plaque on the baseline MRI scan with adequate or excellent image quality. Exam pairs were read by the same reader to exclude inter-reader variation. Presence of plaque by vessel segment was recorded. Quantitative MRI measurements included lumen size and stenosis, wall/plaque thickness, area, and volume, normalized wall index over each vessel segment, and the largest plaque identified for each vascular territory (Table 1). Reliability was assessed by percent of agreement, kappa statistics and intraclass correlations (ICC). Results: There were 272 pairs of repeated interpretations. Percent agreement, of plaque identification per participant was 87.0% (inter-reader), 89.2% (intra-reader), and 89.9% (between scans). The reliability for plaque identification was not impacted by the vessel segment. Repeat scan and repeat reader reliability (ICC) for quantitative measurements ranged from 0.69 to 0.98 (Table 1). Conclusion: HRMRI provides reliable MRI measurements of intracranial vessels, and reliability was not impacted by plaque location.
Optimal Switching in Anti-Lock Brake Systems of Ground Vehicles Based on Approximate Dynamic Programming

Approximate dynamic programming, also known as reinforcement learning, is applied for optimal control of Antilock Brake Systems (ABS) in ground vehicles. As an accurate and control oriented model of the brake system, quarter vehicle model with hydraulic brake system is selected. Due to the switching nature of hydraulic brake system of ABS, an optimal switching solution is generated through minimizing a performance index that penalizes the braking distance and forces the vehicle velocity to go to zero, while preventing wheel lock-ups. Towards this objective, a value iteration algorithm is selected for ‘learning’ the infinite horizon solution. Artificial neural networks, as powerful function approximators, are utilized for approximating the value function. The training is conducted offline using least squares. Once trained, the converged neural network is used for determining optimal decisions for the actuators on the fly. Numerical simulations show that this approach is very promising while having low real-time computational burden, hence, outperforms many existing solutions in the literature.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Competitive Convergence in the Financial Services Markets

This paper is a preliminary inquiry into the comparative taxation of financial services firms and the products or services that those firms offer their customers. The paper is premised on the belief that, as nominally different financial services businesses and the products that they offer converge in the marketplace, it will become increasingly important to ensure that different species of financial services firms are taxed comparably in respect of comparable financial services that they offer, and that consumers of the products or services offered by those firms similarly face comparable tax burdens when choosing among economically similar products or services sold under different names. This article proposes, as an analytical approach to the challenges posed by convergence, first, a more explicit acknowledgment of the different functions traditionally assumed to predominate in each class of financial services firm, and second, the development of tax rules designed to tax "cross-over" products in accordance with the function that the products perform, not the label that the product bears or that defines the predominant activity of the financial services firm. The article further proposes that the classic functions of banks, securities firms and property and casualty insurers can best be approached as an inquiry into the differing risk management strategies of each.
A Two-Dimensional (2D) Distributed-Deflection Sensor for Tissue Palpation With Correction Mechanism for Its Performance Variation

This paper presents a proof-of-concept study on a two-dimensional distributed-deflection sensor for tissue palpation and the associated correction mechanism for its performance variation. The core of the sensor is one whole polydimethylsiloxane microstructure embedded with a $3\times 3$ sensing-plate/transducer array. Upon pressing the sensor against a tissue, the sensing-plate array translates its elasticity distribution to the deflection distribution, which registers as resistance changes by the transducer array and is further converted into the stiffness distribution. The connection of the sensing-plate/transducer array into one piece allows the sensor interacting with a tissue in a continuous manner and, thus, unifies misalignment errors from non-ideal normal contact between the sensor and the tissue. A correction mechanism is developed to remove the effect of performance variation among the sensing-plate/transducer array on the measured stiffness distribution of a tissue. The stiffness distribution normalized to the minimum stiffness across a tissue is utilized to identify the existence and location of a tumor. The related measurement errors are both theoretically and experimentally examined.
Development and Results for Stressed-lap Polishing of Large Telescope Mirrors

The University of Arizona Mirror Laboratory polishing program relies on the stressed-lap tool. Its implementation is discussed for recent mirrors including the off-axis Giant Magellan Telescope and Large Synoptic Survey Telescope mirrors.
Effect of Content Knowledge on Angoff-Style Standard Setting Judgments.

Evidence to support the credibility of standard setting procedures is a critical part of the validity argument for decisions made based on tests that are used for classification. One area in which there has been limited empirical study is the impact of standard setting judge selection on the resulting cut score. One important issue related to judge selection is whether the extent of judges’ content knowledge impacts their perceptions of the probability that a minimally proficient examinee will answer the item correctly. The present article reports on two studies conducted in the context of Angoff-style standard setting for medical licensing examinations. In the first study, content experts answered and subsequently provided Angoff judgments for a set of test items. After accounting for perceived item difficulty and judge stringency, answering the item correctly accounted for a significant (and potentially important) impact on expert judgment. The second study examined whether providing the correct answer to the judges would result in a similar effect to that associated with knowing the correct answer. The results suggested that providing the correct answer did not impact judgments. These results have important implications for the validity of standard setting outcomes in general and on judge recruitment specifically.
Online Real-time Error Monitoring System of AC Sampling Measuring Unit

AC sampling measurement device,conducting the electrical parameters acquisition quickly and accurately,is an important device for power dispatching automation and electrical parameters in-service monitoring.In this paper,the basic principles and hardware-software design are described and the technical measures to ensure the accuracy and stability of metering equipments are presented.By applying the running result of two circuit protection techniques,online-auto checking and remote monitoring can be carried out for the real-time error of the AC sampling measurement device.
Escherichia coli host strains

To successfully perform molecular genetic techniques it is essential to have a full understanding of the properties of the various Escherichia coli host strains commonly used for the propagation and manipulation of recombinant DNA. E. coli is an enteric rod-shaped Gram-negative bacterium with a circular genome of 4.6 Mb (1). It was originally chosen as a model system because of its ability to grow on chemically defined media and its rapid growth rate. In rich media, during the exponential phase of its growth, E. coli doubles every 20–30 min; thus, during an overnight incubation period, a single selected organism will double enough times to yield a colony on an agar plate, or 1–2 billion cells per milliliter of liquid media. The ease of its transformability and genetic manipulation has subsequently solidified the role of E. coli as the host of choice for the propagation, manipulation, and characterization of recombinant DNA. In the past 60 yr E. coli has been the subject of intensive research and more is now known about these bacilli than any other organisms on earth. A wide variety of E. coli mutants have been isolated and characterized. Almost all strains currently used in recombinant DNA experiments are derived from a single strain: E. coli K-12, isolated from the feces of a diphtheria patient in 1922 (2). This chapter will discuss characteristics of E. coli host strains that are important for recombinant DNA experiments in order to aid in the choice of a suitable host and circumvent possible problems that may be encountered. Common mutations and genotypes that are relevant to recombinant DNA experiments are summarized in Table 1. A complete listing of genetically defined genes has been compiled by Berlyn et al. (3).
Inset of Unilateral Dual Microvascular Breast Reconstruction Using Nonabdominal Free Tissue Transfer

Large breasted patients are difficult to reconstruct using free tissue transfer after mastectomy when abdominal tissue is inadequate. For these, two unilateral free flaps may be required. This study reviews the authors’ experience using transverse upper gracilis and profunda artery perforator flaps. Through retrospective chart review, subjects were divided into three groups based on vascular anastomotic orientation: group 1, thoracodorsal and internal mammary; group 2, noncrossed internal mammary; and group 3, crossed internal mammary. Statistical comparison determined differences between groups for peri-operative “take-backs” and flap survival. Twenty-one subjects underwent 42 free tissue transfers for unilateral breast reconstruction. Perioperative complications requiring return to the operating room occurred as follows for each group: group 1, two of four flaps (50 percent); group 2, two of two flaps (100 percent); and group 3, two of 36 flaps (5.5 percent). Long-term flap survival was as follows: group 1, three of four flaps (75 percent); group 2, zero of two flaps (0 percent); and group 3, 36 of 36 flaps (100 percent). Both the incidence of perioperative complications (p = 0.0011) and flap survival (p = 0.0008) were statistically significant in the three groups. Use of double free tissue transfer consisting of transverse upper gracilis or profunda artery perforator flaps is a feasible option for unilateral autologous breast reconstruction. In the authors’ experience, horizontal inset with crossed pedicles to the internal mammary system is the safest and most reliable technique for flap and pedicle inset.
Antidepressant Exposure and Risk of Dementia in Older Adults with Major Depressive Disorder

Objectives To identify whether duration of antidepressant use in depressed elderly veterans differed between those who later developed dementia and those who did not. Design Single-center, retrospective, observational, electronic chart review. Setting Medical charts from a Veterans Affairs Mental Health Clinic. Participants Veterans aged 65 and older with history of depression. Measurements Information on sociodemographic characteristics; duration of antidepressant, antipsychotic, and benzodiazepine therapy; diagnosis of dementia; and comorbid disease states was collected. Medication use since August 1, 1998 was recorded. Results Of 1,547 charts reviewed, 605 met inclusion criteria; 128 were excluded on the basis of psychiatric comorbidities. Of the remaining 477, 41 developed incident dementia. Thirty-seven of those were matched to individuals with depression without dementia according to age, cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and substance use. There were no differences between the groups with (n = 37) and without (n = 37) dementia with respect to baseline characteristics, antidepressant types, or benzodiazepine or antipsychotic use. Median duration of antidepressant use was 891 days in the group with dementia and 1,979 days in the group without (P = .03, W = −260, z = −2.13). Significantly fewer participants with dementia received antidepressant treatment for at least 5 years [n = 8 with dementia, n = 20 without dementia, P = .004, odds ratio = 0.235, 95% confidence interval = 0.085–0.647). Conclusion Older veterans with depression who developed dementia were treated with antidepressants for a significantly shorter duration than matched veterans who did not develop dementia.
Urban development in the southern Great Plains: effects of atmospheric NO x on the long-lived post oak tree ( Quercus stellata )

Concentrated human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels have resulted in chronic nitrogen (N) additions to urban ecosystems. We predicted that urban development in North Texas (NTX; the largest “megapolitan” region in the Great Plains) would be positively correlated with atmospheric concentrations of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and with the leaf tissue quality (lower C:N ratio) and herbivory of the long-lived native tree, post oak (Quercus stellata). Data from air monitoring stations were used to calculate distance-weighted estimates of atmospheric NOx for 11 sites of differing urban development across NTX. Soil samples were collected at each site along with post oak leaves, estimates of herbivory, and measurements of tree size. Percent urban development was strongly positively correlated with atmospheric NOx concentrations, though there was no correlation between atmospheric NOx and soil N. There was a positive relationship between soil N and leaf tissue quality, but only where atmospheric NOx was relatively low, possibly due to factors that covary with urban development. Herbivory was not significantly correlated with leaf tissue quality, but leaves from the two most urban sites had the greatest amount of insect herbivory. The NOx concentrations in NTX were lower than other industrialized cities, which may be due to climate and topography differences or the relatively young age of this urban area. This study adds to the expanding body of literature examining how urban ecosystems are affected (or not) by N deposition and suggests that interactions among NOx, soils, and plants are complex and sometimes, counterintuitive.
Corporate Governance: The Jack Wright Series (a): Board Selection and Organization

Jack Wright, CEO of Dryden Corporation, led his company to strong growth and profitability levels during the previous 10 years. Now he has been approached to join the board of directors of the Mega Corporation. The case requires students to consider the pros and cons of board membership and to decide whether they would recommend Wright join the board. This updated case is the first case study in a series of cases on corporate governance. It is meant to replace UVA-OM-1083. It is used in Darden's "Corporate Governance" elective. Excerpt UVA-OM-1514 Aug. 5, 2014 CORPORATE GOVERNANCE: The Jack Wright Series (A) Board Selection and Organization Introduction Jack Wright, 55, the CEO of Dryden Corporation (Dryden), which was located in the Midwest, had led his company to strong growth and profitability levels during the previous 10 years. He headed a group of local investors who bought controlling interest in Dryden when it was floundering from mismanagement, product obsolescence, and foreign competition. Currently, he personally owned 10% of the stock. . . .
Tomorrow’s Fans Gone Today: Assessing Constraints to Student Attendance at College Football Games

The purpose of this study was to assess constraints to student attendance at college football games. Surveys were distributed on and around six college campuses (2 “Power 5”, 2 “Group of 5”, 2 FCS) during a college football game. Using intercept sampling, students not in attendance at the game were asked to rate the extent to which 33 constraints affected their decision not to attend. Results revealed differences in constraints based on conference tier affiliation, frequency of game attendance, and timing of decision not to attend. Implications for practitioners are discussed. Subscribe to JASM
Pediatric Posttonsillectomy Analgesia Before and After the Black Box Warning Against Codeine Use.

This study of insurance claims data investigates whether the 2012 issuance of a black box warning against codeine use following tonsillectomy was followed by changes in prescribing patterns.