cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Mechanical Study of Gap Motion in Cadaveric Femurs Using Short and Long Supracondylar Nails

Objective: To determine the relative stability achieved in unstable supracondylar femur fractures treated with long (36 cm) and short (20 cm) retrograde intramedullary nails using 1 or 2 proximal locking bolts. We hypothesized that longer nails would reduce fracture site motion compared with short nails and that 2 proximal locking bolts would improve stability compared with 1 proximal locking bolt. Design: Nine pairs of matched human cadaveric femurs were instrumented with 20-cm and 36-cm retrograde intramedullary nails (all 12-mm diameter, Biomet, Warsaw, IN) following reaming to 13 mm. Transverse supracondylar gap (6 mm) osteotomies were created. The femurs were mounted and cyclically tested separately in coronal plane bending and sagittal plane bending on a materials testing system. Fracture site translation was measured using a digital caliper in the respective plane. Setting: Orthopaedic biomaterials laboratory. Results: With 2 proximal locking bolts, average sagittal translation was 7.2 mm and 1.8 mm, respectively, for the 20-cm and 36-cm nails. Coronal translation was 6.3 mm and 4.3 mm, respectively. With a single proximal locking bolt, average sagittal translation was 7.6 mm and 2.2 mm, respectively, for the 20-cm and 36-cm nails. Coronal translation was 13.6 mm and 4.4 mm, respectively. A statistically significant difference in fracture site translation was found in each pairing by Student t test (P < 0.005), except coronal translation with 2 proximal locking bolts (P = 0.056). Free-body analysis predicts higher local stresses at the proximal interlocks of the shorter nail. Conclusions: Longer nails provide improved initial fracture stability when compared with short retrograde nails for supracondylar femur fractures due to a more stable mechanical interaction between the femoral diaphysis and the nail. A second proximal locking bolt in the long nail provides no additional stability.
Microprogrammed interval arithmetic

Computational methods using interval arithmetic allow the computer to provide rigorous error bounds along with approximate solutions for a wide and growing class of computational problems. A recent survey [1] lists over 700 references. The implementation of interval arithmetic using subroutine calls is inefficient - typically 10 to 100 times slower than floating-point arithmetic [2]. By microprogramming interval arithmetic, we can reduce this factor to around 2. This can be done by a user who has a machine with a writable control store or, better still, by a manufacturer into the read-only control store.
FE-simulation of the effects of machining-induced residual stress profile on rolling contact of hard machined components

Compared with grinding, hard turning may induce a relatively deep compressive residual stress. However, the interactions between the residual stress profile and applied load and their effects on rolling contact stresses and strains are poorly understood, and are difficult to measure using the current experimental techniques due to the small-scale of the phenomena. A new 2-D finite element simulation model of bearing rolling contact has been developed, for the first time, to incorporate the machining-induced residual stress profile instead of only surface residual stresses. Three cases using the simulation model were assessed: (a) measured residual stress by hard turning, (b) measured residual stress by grinding, and (c) free of residual stress. It was found that distinct residual stress patterns hardly affect neither the magnitudes nor the locations of peak stresses and strains below the surface. However, they have a significant influence on surface deformations. The slope and depth of a compressive residual stress profile are key factors for rolling contact fatigue damage, which was substantiated by the available experimental data. Equivalent plastic strain could be a parameter to characterize the relative fatigue damage. The magnitudes of machining-induced residual stress are reduced in rolling contact. The predicted residual stress pattern and magnitude agree with the test data in general. In addition, rolling contact is more sensitive to normal load and residual stress pattern than tangential load.
COMBINED VENTRICULAR HYPERTROPHY: A VECTORCARDIOGRAPHIC STUDY IN TETRALOGY OF FALLOT WITH SYSTEMIC-PULMONARY ANASTOMOSIS.

An attempt has been made to uncover the vectorcardiographic spectrum of combined ventricular hypertrophy by studying a group of 82 patients with cyanotic tetralogy of Fallot representing right ventricular hypertrophy with normal or less than normal left ventricular muscle mass and 140 patients with tetralogy of Fallot and surgically created systemic-pulmonary shunts representing right ventricular hypertrophy combined with varying degrees of increased left ventricular muscle mass. An analysis of the spatial orientation of the maximal QRS vectors has demonstrated a continuum of vectorcardiographic patterns. These extend starting with severe right ventricular hypertrophy through a series of ventricular hypertrophy patterns representing right ventricular hypertrophy with progressively increasing left ventricular potentials toward dominant left ventricular hypertrophy patterns of combined ventricular hypertrophy. An estimate of the relative contribution of the two ventricles to a given vectorcardiographic patt...
Nordihydroguaiaretic acid protects hippocampal neurons against amyloid β-peptide toxicity, and attenuates free radical and calcium accumulation

Abstract Recent findings indicate that amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) can be neurotoxic by a mechanism involving an increase in the concentration of intracellular free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) and the generation of free radicals. In the present study, the lipoxygenase inhibitor/antioxidant nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) protected cultured rat hippocampal neurons against the toxicity of Aβ in a concentration-dependent manner. Measurements of cellular oxidation (using the oxidation-sensitive dye 2,7-dichlorofluorescin) and intracellular free Ca2+ levels (using the Ca2+ indicator dye fura-2), showed that NDGA suppressed Aβ-induced accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and Ca2+; Ca2+ responses to glutamate were also suppressed by NDGA. NDGA prevented neuronal injury and accumulation of ROS induced by iron, indicating a role for NDGA as an antioxidant in NDGA-mediated neuroprotection. Another lipoxygenase inhibitor (AA861) also protected against Aβ and iron toxicity whereas the the 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein inhibitor L655,238 and the cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin were ineffective. These findings suggest that NDGA can interupt a neurodegenerative pathway relevant to the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease.
Size, Growth and Urban Life: A Study of Medium-Sized American Cities.

"Growth" is a key issue facing many American communities today. Although numerous cities have imposed growth-control measures in an effort to contain the perceived ill- effects of excessive growth, relatively little is actually known about the effects of size and growth on urban life. Using 18 indicators of various aspects of urban life, this study analyzes 115 geographically self-contained American cities, between 50,000 and 400,000 population in 1970, along with their surrounding urbanized areas. Employing Multiple Classification Analysis (MCA) methods, the effects of size and growth on these indicators are examined-both directly and taking into account the conjoint effects of nine addi tional test factors which conceivably might mediate the size and growth effects.
A CYTOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF MICROSPORES OF TRITICUM AESTIVUM (POACEAE) DURING NORMAL ONTOGENY AND INDUCED EMBRYOGENIC DEVELOPMENT.

Uninucleate microspores of Triticum aestivum cv. Pavon can be induced in vitro to alter their development to produce embryoids rather than pollen. Microspores expressed their embryogenic capacity through one of two division pathways. In the more common route, the first sporophytic division was asymmetric and produced what appeared to be a typical bicellular pollen grain. Here the generative cell detached from the intine, migrated to a central position in the pollen grain, and underwent a second haploid mitosis as the vegetative cell divided to give rise to the embryoid. In the second pathway, the first division was symmetric and both nuclei divided repeatedly to form the embryoid. This comparative analysis of normal pollen ontogeny and induced embryogenesis provided no evidence for the existence of predetermined embryogenic microspores in vitro or in vivo. Instead, microspores are induced at the time of culture, and embryogenesis involves continued metabolic activity associated with the gradual cessation of the gametophytic pathway and a redifferentiation into the sporophytic pathway. In conjunction with a previous study, it appears that embryogenic induction of wheat microspores involves switching off gametophytic genes and derepressing sporophytic genes.
Experiences with dynamic circuit creation in a regional network testbed

In this paper we share our experiences of enabling dynamic circuit creation in the GpENI network. GpENI is a network research testbed in the mid-west USA involving several educational institutions. University of Nebraska-Lincoln is involved in provisioning dynamic circuits across the GpENI network among its participating universities. We discuss several options investigated for deploying dynamic circuits over the GpENI network as well as our demonstration experiments at the GENI engineering conferences. UNL has also collaborated with ProtoGENI project of University of Utah and Mid-Atlantic Crossroads (MAX) facility of Washington DC to create inter-domain dynamic circuits.
Fabrication of Nanofiber Reinforced Protein Structures For Tissue Engineering.

Abstract Extracellular matrices and degradable nanofibers are two very promising materials in the field of tissue engineering; however both of these structures face limitations as tissue engineering scaffolds. Extracellular matrices, such as collagen, gelatin, and laminin, have excellent biocompatibility and allow cell in growth and survival, but structural weakness makes them difficult to handle and greatly limits their uses. Degradable nanofibers support cell attachment and can provide structural support and directional guidance, but individual degradable nanofibers are fragile and have a tendency to form dense fiber bundles which limit cell penetration into the spaces between the nanofibers, especially in the case of aligned nanofibers. To overcome these difficulties, degradable loose nanofibers were embedded in protein matrix in an attempt to fabricate a hybrid scaffold with improved properties, such as improved strength, guidance, spacing among nanofibers, etc. Polycaprolactone (PCL) was used as a model material for degradable nanofibers. Gelatin was employed as a model protein for matrix structure formation. Thin hybrid films (average thickness = 2.78 um) were fabricated by wetting the loose aligned undirectional nanofiber arrays or loose aligned bi-directional nanofiber grids with a gelatin aqueous solution, which also allows for live cell loading into the nanofiber-protein composite if cell are premixed with protein solution or on the surface of the films. Gelatin film alone without nanofiber reinforcement is difficult to handle due to the weakness of the thin membrane. Gelatin films with a fiber density as low as 3% v/v were structurally robust enough for handling, and manipulation into complex shapes. Mechanical testing confirmed that the addition of nanofibers enhanced the strength of gelatin films, in both dry and hydrated state. In vitro testing confirmed that nanofiber reinforced films were biocompatible and provided cells with directional guidance. Results demonstrate the promise of gelatin/PCL nanofiber composites as a tissue scaffolding material.
A Systematic Approach to Quantifying Evolutionary Functional Trends Across the Universal Tree of Life

The accumulation of genomic and proteomic data of many organisms presents an opportunity to analyze entire phylogenetic trees in a systematic, quantified manner. The universal tree of life, constructed by genomic data, provides an evolutionary context for proteomic data of individual organisms. Using proteomic information mapped to biological functions, we survey the tree of life for evolutionary trends, where trends are low p-value linear regressions of relative protein diversity against an evolutionary timeline. These trends provide quantified perspectives across evolution that would be otherwise difficult to discern from the large amount of available bioinformatic data. We analyzed 22,762 functions across 167 proteomes for approximately 3.8 million information content calculations. Of particular interest is the rise of protein-protein interactions along the path of mammalian evolution. Of general interest are the numerous uncovered trends that open the door to future queries of focused scope.
SRP SAMPLES NASCENT CHAINS FOR THE PRESENCE OF SIGNAL SEQUENCES BY INTERACTING WITH RIBOSOMES AT A DISCRETE STEP DURING TRANSLATION ELONGATION

The signal recognition particle (SRP) binds to ribosomes that synthesize nascent chains bearing signal sequences and catalyzes their targeting to the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. In S. cerevisiae, a temperature-sensitive mutation in the SEC65 gene, encoding an SRP subunit, results in lowered levels of SRP. Growth and protein translocation defects induced by this mutation can be suppressed specifically by sublethal doses of cycloheximide but not anisomycin, each inhibitors of different steps of translation elongation. Cycloheximide also suppresses protein translocation defects caused by depletion of a different SRP subunit. We propose that reduced elongation rates in the presence of cycloheximide allow otherwise insufficient SRP to interact efficiently with ribosomes. These results are consistent with a sampling model in which SRP cycles on and off of translating ribosomes at specific steps during the elongation cycle to inspect all nascent chains for the presence of signal sequences.
Low-Temperature Rate Coefficients for Reactions of the Ethynyl Radical (C2H) with C3H4 Isomers Methylacetylene and Allene

Low-temperature rate coefficients for the reactions C2H + C3H4 → products [C3H4 = methylacetylene (propyne) CH3CCH and allene (propadiene) CH2CCH2] are measured over the temperature range of 155−298 K. Absolute rate constants are determined using laser photolysis and transient infrared absorption spectroscopy. Both reactions are fast, approaching the kinetic limit and have either no temperature dependence or a slight negative temperature dependence. Over the experimental temperature range, the rate constants are fit to the following Arrhenius expressions: kCH3CCH = (1.6 ± 0.4) × 10-10 exp[(71 ± 50)/T] cm3 molecule-1 s-1 and kCH2CCH2 = (1.3 ± 0.6) × 10-10 exp[(103 ± 136)/T] cm3 molecule-1 s-1. The corresponding rate constants at 298 K are kCH3CCH = (1.9 ± 0.3) × 10-10 cm3 molecule-1 s-1 and kCH2CCH2 = (1.7 ± 0.3) × 10-10 cm3 molecule-1 s-1. These measurements provide new reaction rate coefficients for the ethynyl radical, C2H, with C3H4 unsaturated hydrocarbons. These are necessary to extend current photo...
The Resolution of Bankruptcy by Auction: Allocating the Residual Right of Design ??

Abstract In this paper, we examine the value of the right to choose the method of sale of corporate assets. We show that this right is valuable, and that its value comes from recognizing conflicting incentives of claimants at the time of sale. As with risky projects, senior and junior claimants are shown to have distinct preferences on a set of common auction procedures. They also differ on the issue of allocation of resources towards attracting bidders for the auction. As a consequence, the optimal allocation of the design right must depend on circumstances prevailing at the time of the sale. While, in general, selling the firm by auction does not guarantee the use of optimal selling arrangements, a suitable allocation of design rights may help mitigate inefficiency problems significantly.
Entropy-Shock Interactions Using the Unified Flow Solver

The unified flow solver, a hybrid continuum-rarefied code, is used to investigate the structure of a normal shock wave as an entropy perturbation is introduced upstream of the shock and allowed to propagate through the shock. The entropy spot is introduced into a two-dimensional domain over a range of Knudsen numbers (Kn = 0.01, 0.1, and 1.0) for Mach 2.0 in argon. Previous work on entropy-shock interactions has only been reported with an Euler-solution-method scheme. Here, results are presented in argon, using coupled Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook and Navier-Stokes solvers, using the hybrid nature of the unified flow solver code for a better examination and understanding of the propagation of entropy disturbances. Density, pressure, and temperature profiles, as well as the profiles of their gradients, are reported at discrete intervals after the entropy spot convects through the shock.
THE HELMINTH PARASITES OF THE RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS FROM SOUTH BASS ISLAND, OHIO, INCLUDING A CHECK LIST OF THE HELMINTHS REPORTED FROM THIS HOST

Fifty red-winged blackbirds, Agelaius phoeniceus, from South Bass Island, Ottawa County, Ohio, were examined for helminth parasites. Thirteen species of helminths were found, four species of trematodes, two of cestodes, five of nematodes, and one species of acanthocephalan. A check list of the helminth parasites reported from this host is included.
Cell-cell adhesion in the immune system.

Interactions between cells are essential for function and regulation of the immune system. Some of these interactions are mediated by soluble factors such as immunoglobulins or interleukins, which can serve as chemical messengers that transmit information between widely separated cells. In other cases interaction requires physical contact between the cells and cell-cell adhesion. In this review George Bell emphasizes adhesion mediated by specific cell-surface receptors and/or ligands, including instances in which the receptors have not been identified and are inferred from specificity of interaction rather than biochemical characterization.
Solution structure and metal-ion binding of the P4 element from bacterial RNase P RNA.

We determined the solution structure of two 27-nt RNA hairpins and their complexes with cobalt(III)-hexammine (Co(NH3)3+(6)) by NMR spectroscopy. The RNA hairpins used in this study are the P4 region from Escherichia coli RNase P RNA and a C-to-U mutant that confers altered divalent metal-ion specificity (Ca2+ replaces Mg2+) for catalytic activity of this ribozyme. Co(NH3)3+(6) is a useful spectroscopic probe for Mg(H2O)2+(6)-binding sites because both complexes have octahedral symmetry and have similar radii. The thermodynamics of binding to both RNA hairpins was studied using chemical shift changes upon titration with Mg2+, Ca2+, and Co(NH3)3+(6). We found that the equilibrium binding constants for each of the metal ions was essentially unchanged when the P4 model RNA hairpin was mutated, although the NMR structures show that the RNA hairpins adopt different conformations. In the C-to-U mutant a C.G base pair is replaced by U.G, and the conserved bulged uridine in the P4 wild-type stem shifts in the 3' direction by 1 nt. Intermolecular NOE cross-peaks between Co(NH3)3+(6) and RNA protons were used to locate the site of Co(NH3)3+(6) binding to both RNA hairpins. The metal ion binds in the major groove near a bulge loop, but is shifted 5' by more than 1 bp in the mutant. The change of the metal-ion binding site provides a possible explanation for changes in catalytic activity of the mutant RNase P in the presence of Ca2+.
Effect of Dynamic Compaction on the Retention of Tetragonal Zirconia and Mechanical Properties of Alumina/Zirconia Composites

Dynamic consolidation techniques were employed to investigate the retention of tetragonal zirconia and degree of consolidation in alumina/zirconia powder compacts. Heating the specimens prior to explosive shock compaction increased the tetragonal-phase retention significantly. Low shock pressures yielded no macrocracking, although final densities were low (60% to 70% of the theoretical density). Heat treatment following dynamic consolidation enhanced the retention of the tetragonal zirconia polymorph regardless of the shock pressure employed. Compact densities were increased to over 90% of theoretical at relatively low sintering temperatures (1300{degrees}C). Hardness, toughness, and Young's modulus of the compacts were comparable to those achieved in composites that were synthesized using more conventional techniques. Dynamic compaction offers an alternative method for the fabrication of zirconia-toughened alumina ceramics.
Thiamine deficiency in critically ill patients with sepsis

Abstract Objective The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of absolute thiamine deficiency (TD) in critically ill patients with sepsis and to examine the association between thiamine levels and lactic acidosis. Design This was a prospective, observational study. Setting The setting was an urban, tertiary care center with approximately 50 000 emergency department visits per year and intensive care units numbering approximately 50 total beds. Patients Thirty study patients admitted with clinical suspicion of infection and evidence of tissue hypoperfusion, as defined by a lactic acid level greater than 4 mmol/L or hypotension (systolic blood pressure Interventions There were no interventions. Measurements and Main Results Plasma thiamine levels were measured at 0, 24, 48, 72, and 162 hours for patients in the study group. Absolute TD was defined as less than or equal to 9 nmol/L derived from established abnormal ranges per Quest laboratory. In the study group, 3 (10%) of 30 had absolute TD upon presentation; and an additional 3 patients (6/30, 20%) developed TD within 72 hours. None of the 30 controls (0/30, 0%) exhibited absolute TD. Of the vasopressor-dependent population, 7.7% (2/26) displayed TD on presentation. For the group overall, there was no correlation between thiamine and lactic acidosis. However, in patients without liver dysfunction, thiamine was statistically significantly negatively correlated with lactic acidosis (r = −.50; P = .02). The relationship between thiamine and lactic acidosis held after multivariable regression analysis controlling for age, sex, and comorbid disease (P Conclusions These preliminary findings indicate that critically ill patients may present with TD or develop this deficiency during their acute illness. We also identified a potential association between thiamine levels and lactic acidosis in patients without significant liver injury.
Evaluating the disparity of female breast cancer mortality among racial groups - a spatiotemporal analysis.

Background: The literature suggests that the distribution of female breast cancer mortality demonstrates spatial concentration. There remains a lack of studies on how the mortality burden may impact racial groups across space and over time. The present study evaluated the geographic variations in breast cancer mortality in Texas females according to three predominant racial groups (non-Hispanic White, Black, and Hispanic females) over a twelve-year period. It sought to clarify whether the spatiotemporal trend might place an uneven burden on particular racial groups, and whether the excess trend has persisted into the current decade. Methods: The Spatial Scan Statistic was employed to examine the geographic excess of breast cancer mortality by race in Texas counties between 1990 and 2001. The statistic was conducted with a scan window of a maximum of 90% of the study period and a spatial cluster size of 50% of the population at risk. The next scan was conducted with a purely spatial option to verify whether the excess mortality persisted further. Spatial queries were performed to locate the regions of excess mortality affecting multiple racial groups. Results: The first scan identified 4 regions with breast cancer mortality excess in both nonHispanic White and Hispanic female populations. The most likely excess mortality with a relative risk of 1.12 (p = 0.001) occurred between 1990 and 1996 for non-Hispanic Whites, including 42 Texas counties along Gulf Coast and Central Texas. For Hispanics, West Texas with a relative risk of 1.18 was the most probable region of excess mortality (p = 0.001). Results of the second scan were identical to the first. This suggested that the excess mortality might not persist to the present decade. Spatial queries found that 3 counties in Southeast and 9 counties in Central Texas had excess mortality involving multiple racial groups. Conclusion: Spatiotemporal variations in breast cancer mortality affected racial groups at varying levels. There was neither evidence of hot-spot clusters nor persistent spatiotemporal trends of excess mortality into the present decade. Non-Hispanic Whites in the Gulf Coast and Hispanics in West Texas carried the highest burden of mortality, as evidenced by spatial concentration and temporal persistence.
The time-dependent transport of chromium in adult rats from the bloodstream to the urine

While chromium was proposed to be an essential trace element over 40 years ago and if essential should possess a specific transport and distribution mechanism, the details of its transport from the bloodstream to the urine have not been elucidated. However, chromium is known to be maintained in the bloodstream bound to transferrin and to be excreted in the urine bound to the oligopeptide chromodulin or a similar chromodulin-like species. Injection of 51Cr-labeled transferrin into the bloodstream resulted in a rapid and insulin-sensitive movement of chromium into the tissues as Cr transferrin; greater than 50% of the Cr is transported to the tissues within 30 min. Tissue levels of Cr are maximal 30 min after injection; decreases in tissue Cr with time are mirrored by increases in urine Cr. Approximately 50% of the 51Cr appears in the urine within 360 min of injection in the absence of added insulin; insulin treatment concurrent with injection of 51Cr-labeled transferrin results in approximately 80% of the label appearing in the urine within 180 min. The removal of 51Cr from the blood is faster than the appearance of 51Cr in the urine; the lag in time indicates that the Cr transferrin in the blood and Cr in the urine are not in direct equilibrium and that intermediates in the transport of Cr must be involved. This establishes a clear pathway of transport of Cr starting from transport by transferrin from the bloodstream into the tissues, followed by release and processing in the tissues to form chromodulin, excretion into the bloodstream, rapid clearance of chromodulin or a similar species into the urine, and ultimately excretion as this species. Insulin stimulates the processing of Cr in the tissues.
Distributed Watchpoints: Debugging Large Multi-Robot Systems

Tightly-coupled multi-agent systems such as modular robots frequently exhibit properties of interest that span multiple modules. These properties cannot easily be detected from any single module, though they might readily be detected by combining the knowledge of multiple modules. Testing for distributed conditions is especially important in debugging or verifying the correctness of software for modular robots. We have developed a technique we call distributed watchpoint triggers which can efficiently recognize such distributed conditions. Our watchpoint description language can handle a variety of temporal, spatial, and logical properties spanning multiple robots. This paper presents that language, describes our fully-distributed, online mechanism for detecting distributed conditions in a running system, and evaluates the performance of our implementation. We found that the performance of the system is highly dependent on the program being debugged, scales linearly with ensemble size, and is small enough to make the system practical in all but the worst case scenarios
Commentary: The Use of Health and Behavior Codes in a Pediatric Cardiology Setting

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect, occurring in approximately 6 in 1,000 live-births (Hoffman & Kaplan, 2002). Due to advances in diagnostic and surgical techniques and postoperative management strategies, the majority of children with CHD are surviving (Tweddell et al., 2009). However, these children are at increased risk for neurodevelopmental and psychosocial problems, likely due to multiple factors including abnormal prenatal brain development, perioperative management strategies, altered cerebral blood flow and oxygen delivery, and genetic syndromes (Wernovsky Shillingford, & Gaynor, 2005). Children with CHD have lower cognitive functioning and higher rates of attentional, behavioral, and emotional problems when compared to the normal population (Brosig, Mussatto, Kuhn, & Tweddell, 2007a,b; Karsdorp, Everaerd, Kindt, & Mulder, 2007; Snookes et al., 2010). In addition, increased parental stress, as well as impaired quality of life for both children with CHD and their parents has been reported (Brosig et al., 2007b; Landolt, Valsangiacomo Buechel, & Latal, 2008; Lawoko & Soares, 2003; Uzark & Jones, 2003). Given the aforementioned problems in this patient population, in July 2007, the Pediatric Cardiology Division at our institution employed a full-time pediatric psychologist to help address the neurodevelopmental and psychosocial concerns of these children and families. Cardiologists and nurses asked families about the child’s emotional, behavioral, and academic functioning during routine cardiac follow-up clinic visits. If there were concerns in any of these areas, a referral was made to the pediatric psychologist. Based on the clinical information provided, the psychologist determined whether a separate visit with the psychologist was needed, and what type of intervention was required (e.g., psychological testing, individual therapy, health and behavior intervention, etc.). The current report summarizes our experience with financial reimbursement for pediatric psychology services in the outpatient pediatric cardiology setting over the past 4 years. We have been using the health and behavior codes at our institution since 2002, and have reported on our experience using them for inpatient pediatric psychology consultation previously (Brosig & Zahrt, 2006). We were interested to learn about reimbursement rates for health and behavior codes as well as mental health codes in the outpatient pediatric cardiology setting, as both types of services are utilized by children with CHD and their families. Results will be used to inform strategies to improve reimbursement rates for pediatric psychology services for this population.
The handling of nonresponse error

This study was designed to describe and explore how nonresponse in Human Resource Development Quarterly (HRDQ) historically has been handled. All feature and article manuscripts (n = 158) published in HRDQ during the years 1990 through 1999 were analyzed using content analysis techniques. Study findings show that not mentioning nonresponse error as a threat to external validity of a study, not attempting to control for nonresponse error, or not providing a reference to the literature were unfortunately the norm and not the exception. Four recommendations for handling nonresponse error are comparison of early to late respondents, using “days to respond” as a regression variable, comparing respondents to nonrespondents, and comparing respondents on characteristics known a priori.
The unity and diversity of executive functions and their contributions to complex "Frontal Lobe" tasks: a latent variable analysis.

This individual differences study examined the separability of three often postulated executive functions-mental set shifting ("Shifting"), information updating and monitoring ("Updating"), and inhibition of prepotent responses ("Inhibition")-and their roles in complex "frontal lobe" or "executive" tasks. One hundred thirty-seven college students performed a set of relatively simple experimental tasks that are considered to predominantly tap each target executive function as well as a set of frequently used executive tasks: the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Tower of Hanoi (TOH), random number generation (RNG), operation span, and dual tasking. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the three target executive functions are moderately correlated with one another, but are clearly separable. Moreover, structural equation modeling suggested that the three functions contribute differentially to performance on complex executive tasks. Specifically, WCST performance was related most strongly to Shifting, TOH to Inhibition, RNG to Inhibition and Updating, and operation span to Updating. Dual task performance was not related to any of the three target functions. These results suggest that it is important to recognize both the unity and diversity of executive functions and that latent variable analysis is a useful approach to studying the organization and roles of executive functions.
An Independent Evaluation of a Novel Peptide Mimetic, Brilacidin (PMX30063), for Ocular Anti-Infective

Abstract Purpose: Brilacidin (BRI), a novel defensin mimetic, was evaluated as an ocular anti-infective. Methods: In vitro: Potency based on MIC90s was compared for 50 Staphylococcus aureus (SA), 50 Staphylococcus epidermidis (SE), and 25 each of Streptococcus pneumonia (SP), Streptococcus viridans (SV), Moraxella (MS), Haemophilus influenzae (HI), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA), and Serratia marcescens (SM). In vivo: Using established methods, ocular toxicity was graded with Draize testing. For efficacy testing, both corneas of 24 rabbits were infected with methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), whereas the corneal epithelium was removed in the left eye. After 4 h, 21 topical drops over 5 h were administered to 4 groups: BRI 0.5%, vancomycin (VAN) 5%, saline, and no treatment. The eyes were clinically graded and the corneas were harvested for colony counts. Results: In vitro: Both SA and SE had the lowest minimum inhibitory concentrations among the bacterial groups. The MIC90s to BRI for SP, SV, MS, HI, PA...
Online detection and estimation of parameter jumps

The problem of fast online detection and estimation of parameter jumps is discussed. The proposed solution uses a modified test of hypothesis to select the appropriate parameter estimation algorithm. The most significant feature of the test is the use of different thresholds for acceptance and for rejection of the null hypothesis. This feature creates a maybe region which can be used to advantage. The resulting combined filter algorithm can minimize the upper bound of missed-jump and false-alarm probabilities. Computer simulations using a single sample testing show good detection speed. >
Mat-8, a Novel Phospholemman-like Protein Expressed in Human Breast Tumors, Induces a Chloride Conductance in Xenopus Oocytes

Abstract We recently identified a novel 8-kDa transmembrane protein, Mat-8, that is expressed in a subset of murine breast tumors. We have now cloned a cDNA encoding the human version of Mat-8 and show that it is expressed both in primary human breast tumors and in human breast tumor cell lines. The extracellular and transmembrane domains of Mat-8 are homologous to those of phospholemman (PLM), the major plasmalemmal substrate for cAMP-dependent protein kinase and protein kinase C in several different tissues. PLM, which induces chloride currents when expressed in Xenopus oocytes, contains consensus phosphorylation sites for both cAMP-dependent protein kinase A and protein kinase C in its cytoplasmic domain. In contrast, the cytoplasmic domain of Mat-8 contains no such consensus phosphorylation sites and is, in fact, unrelated to the cytoplasmic domain of PLM. RNA blot analysis reveals that Mat-8 and PLM exhibit distinct tissue-specific patterns of expression. We show that expression of Mat-8 in Xenopus oocytes induces hyperpolarization-activated chloride currents similar to those induced by PLM expression. These findings suggest that Mat-8 and PLM, the products of distinct genes, are related proteins that serve as Cl channels or Cl channel regulators but have different roles in cell and organ physiology.
Performability study of a mission-critical system using reliability-analytic formalism

In this paper we present a performability study of the control rod mechanism in a nuclear reactor based on reliability analysis over reactor lifespan. The study uses a unified formalism framework that is applicable to various engineering disciplines. Study results reveal that mean reliability of the system degrades over time, as the uncertainty in the measurements increases. Results, also, show that reliability of the system is a function of the failure rate of the underlying system components; here as the failure rate values increase the system exhibits decreased levels of reliability. Results obtained are intuitive and consistent with those reported elsewhere in the literature. According to the study, the effect of incorporating redundancies was also investigated. Here, while one might envisage one single point of failure as a determining factor as to overall system performance, results show that introducing redundancies to other parts of the system does far better in as far as reliability issues are concerned. This is illustrated in the paper by means of redundancies introduced in different parts of the system under investigation. The results justify the fact that redundant linkages are not found in practice in the control rod mechanism of a nuclear reactor.
Individuals and Learning: The New Aptitudes:

or, in other terms, adapting educational environments to individual differences. I shall focus on the education of the young child in the pre-school and elementary school years, although what I have to say seems applicable to all levels of our educational system. The problem obviously has been a persistent one; it has been recognized and proclaimed at least since the beginning of this century, three generations ago. Very early in the century, Edward L. Thorndike (1911) published a monograph entitled "Individuality." His editor's introduction summarizes the then
Sustained negative contrast obtained following signaled shifts in sucrose reinforcement

A three-phase study was run in which 44 rats first received either 2-sec or 20-sec access to 18% sucrose reward. Then all subjects received 2-sec access to the reward, with half of each main group receiving a tone along with the reward. Following a 2-month rest period, the rats were tested again under the same reinforcement conditions as in the first shift phase. Strong NCEs were exhibited in both shift phases only by those subjects that were exposed to the tone.
Application of the infinite FSS spectral domain method in solving finite planar FSS problems with arbitrary illumination

Summary form only given. The scattered field from an infinite planar frequency selective surface (FSS) can be calculated conveniently by the spectral domain moment method. However, in typical FSS systems, the FSS is finite, curved, and/or has nonplanar illumination. An approximate method for solving the general FSS problem is the locally planar technique (LPT). However, the LPT can only be used when the incident field curvature and FSS surface curvature are small. For the case of the finite planar FSS, the infinite FSS theory can be applied to approximate surface truncation and arbitrary incident field effects. This method takes the infinite FSS's unit cell to be defined as the complete finite FSS. The distance between unit cells can be varied to achieve accuracy in the representation of the truncation effect. The arbitrary incident field is defined over each unit cell in terms of the spatial distribution in the finite problem. The aperture electric field for an inductive FSS is represented by one or more rooftop basis functions in each direction. The number of apertures is limited by the size of the matrix equation to be solved. >
Sources of autoantigens in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Purpose of reviewA hallmark of systemic lupus erythematosus is the production of autoantibodies that recognize nuclear antigens. However, the underlying events and mechanisms that lead to the selection of these molecules for the autoimmune response remain poorly understood. In this review, we will e
Mining Parenthetical Translations from the Web by Word Alignment

Documents in languages such as Chinese, Japanese and Korean sometimes annotate terms with their translations in English inside a pair of parentheses. We present a method to extract such translations from a large collection of web documents by building a partially parallel corpus and use a word alignment algorithm to identify the terms being translated. The method is able to generalize across the translations for different terms and can reliably extract translations that occurred only once in the entire web. Our experiment on Chinese web pages produced more than 26 million pairs of translations, which is over two orders of magnitude more than previous results. We show that the addition of the extracted translation pairs as training data provides significant increase in the BLEU score for a statistical machine translation system.
The tobacco scandal: where is the outrage?

On 8 September 1998, former United States Surgeon General C Everett Koop delivered the speech reproduced below to the National Press Club in Washington, DC. This text is based on a transcript prepared by the Federal News Service, a private firm located in Washington, DC. Dr Koop kindly consented to publication of his speech in “Tobacco Control”.—ED I was invited to speak here today, and when I heard that Dr Kessler was also going to be present, I presumed the subject would be tobacco. But I am not going to give you a blow-by-blow description of the tobacco wars. I think you know that history probably as well as anyone, and several of you are probably already writing books on the subject. Instead, I would like you to consider the anatomy of a scandal, and I’m not talking about the scandal that springs most readily to people’s minds. I’m talking about a scandal that really involves the entire nation and especially Washington. This is a scandal of some in Congress trading public health for PAC [Political Action Committee] money and believing the slick ads of the tobacco industry. This is a scandal of senators, well over half voting “yes” but still losing. This is a scandal of some hiding from the potential to save lives and choosing instead to posture. This is a scandal of politics for sale, and to my dismay, some Republicans are going to the highest bidder. If outsiders were to visit this land, their conclusion would have to be that the enormity of the burden of tobacco, the metastasis of this malignancy in the tobacco industry, and of the failure of Congress to respond to it, all constitute a scandal that should have pushed Monica Lewinsky to page seven of the second section. (Laughter.) Instead, this …
Primary or secondary? What came first and how to treat?

Most of the literature regarding the importance of accurately and efficiently differentiating neuropsychiatric symptoms as secondary to medical conditions or as a primary psychiatric illnesses is found in the emergency department setting. It has been reported that 6 to 12% of patients presenting to the emergency department have psychiatric complaints or behavioral disturbances. Patients with psychiatric or behavioral disturbances are generally “medically cleared” prior to transfer to psychiatric care. Assessing if a patient is “medically cleared” helps to identify medical illnesses that could cause or contribute to psychiatric or behavioral symptoms which may make treatment at a psychiatric facility inappropriate or even dangerous. Appropriate treatment in the emergency department setting, therefore, may prevent morbidity and mortality associated with misdiagnosing of a medical illness as a psychiatric illness and from improper treatment of psychiatric illnesses. When psychiatric, neurologic, or behavioral manifestations are secondary to medical conditions, the focus of treatment should be on the underlying condition. This can be said for any kind of signs or symptoms – rarely is a single or set of signs or symptoms addressed without an evaluation for the underlying root cause. Symptomatic treatment of the neuropsychiatric manifestations, however, should not be overlooked and should run parallel to the primary condition.
Role of Antiplatelets in Carotid Artery Stenting

To the Editor: We would like to compliment the authors of the article “The Role of Antiplatelet Therapy in Carotid Stenting for Ischemic Stroke Prevention” by Drs Chatuvedi and Yadav.1 They presented a much needed, comprehensive overview of the role of adjunct antiplatelet therapy in carotid artery stenting (CAS) and emphasized the proliferation of endovascular, stent-supported, carotid balloon angioplasty as a reasonable alternative to conventional surgery, carotid endarterctomy, in certain high-risk patients with both symptomatic and asymptomatic disease. Similarly, they projected, and we agree, this proliferation will soon supercede carotid endarterctomy surgery in the United States for stroke prevention because the …
Shape L’Âne rouge: Sliding wavelets for indexing and retrieval

Shape representation and retrieval of stored shape models are becoming increasingly more prominent in fields such as medical imaging, molecular biology and remote sensing. We present a novel framework that directly addresses the necessity for a rich and compressible shape representation, while simultaneously providing an accurate method to index stored shapes. The core idea is to represent point-set shapes as the square root of probability densities expanded in a wavelet basis. We then use this representation to develop a natural similarity metric that respects the geometry of these probability distributions, i.e. under the wavelet expansion, densities are points on a unit hypersphere and the distance between densities is given by the separating arc length. The process uses a linear assignment solver for non-rigid alignment between densities prior to matching; this has the connotation of ldquoslidingrdquo wavelet coefficients akin to the sliding block puzzle LpsilaAne Rouge. We illustrate the utility of this framework by matching shapes from the MPEG-7 data set and provide comparisons to other similarity measures, such as Euclidean distance shape distributions.
On the 'most normal' normal

Given a set of normals in ℛ3, two algorithms are presented to compute the ‘most normal’ normal. The ‘most normal’ normal is the normal that minimizes the maximal angle with the given set of normals. A direct application is provided supposing a surface triangulation is available. The set of normals may represent either the face normals of the faces surrounding a point or the point normals of the points surrounding a point. The first algorithm is iterative and straightforward, and is inspired by the one proposed by Pirzadeh (AIAA Paper 94-0417, 1994). The second gives more insight into the complete problem as it provides the unique solution explicitly. It would correspond to the general extension of the algorithm presented by Kallinderis (AIAA-92-2721, 1992). Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Regulation of Transient Site-specific Copy Gain by MicroRNA

Intra-tumor copy number heterogeneity is commonly observed in cancer; however, the molecular mechanisms that contribute to heterogeneity remain poorly understood. Up-regulation of the histone demethylase KDM4A promotes transient site-specific copy gain (TSSG) in cells; therefore, uncovering how KDM4A levels are controlled is important for understanding the regulation of copy number heterogeneity. Here, we demonstrate that KDM4A is regulated by hsa-mir-23a-3p, hsa-mir-23b-3p, and hsa-mir-137. Altering expression of these microRNAs (miRNAs) regulates KDM4A-dependent TSSG. miRNA inhibition promoted copy gains and increased expression of the drug-resistant oncogene CKS1B, which was further substantiated in primary breast tumors. Consistent with increased CKS1B expression, miRNA inhibition reduced breast cancer cell sensitivity to cisplatin. Our data identify these miRNAs as regulators of TSSG and copy gains of a drug resistance gene.