cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of Inhibitors of Oligosaccharide Processing on P0Protein Synthesis and Incorporation into PNS Myelin

Four inhibitors of oligosaccharide processing were used to investigate their effects on the transport of PNS myelin glycoproteins through the secretory pathway, as well as to gain further insight into the structure of the oligosaccharide chains of the P0 and 19-kDa glycoproteins. Several different inhibitors of oligosaccharide processing were incubated with chopped peripheral nerves from young rats (21-24 days of age) and the uptake of 14C-amino acid and [3H]fucose or [3H]mannose was measured in P0 and the 19-kDa glycoprotein after separation of homogenate and myelin proteins on polyacrylamide gels. [3H]Mannose was not found as suitable as [3H]fucose as an oligosaccharide precursor because glucose used as an energy source profoundly inhibited the uptake of [3H]mannose. The substitution of pyruvate as an energy source, however, resulted in incomplete glycosylation, poor amino acid uptake, and truncated oligosaccharide chains. Endoglycosidase H cleaved approximately 50% of the P0 labeled with [3H]fucose and 14C-amino acid. The lower molecular weight protein resulting from endoglycosidase H cleavage contained approximately one-half the [3H]fucose label on the protein, whereas one-half remained on the oligosaccharide chain of the undegraded P0, indicating that at least one-half the P0 has a hybrid structure. Deoxynojirimycin, deoxymannojirimycin, and castanospermine inhibited incorporation of [3H]fucose into the oligosaccharide chains of P0 and the 19-kDa glycoprotein as predicted from their action in blocking various stages of trimming of high mannose structures before the addition of fucose. P0 synthesized in the presence of these inhibitors was cleaved to a greater extent by endoglycosidase H than the normal protein, indicating increased vulnerability to this enzyme with arrest of normal processing. Similar results were obtained for the 19-kDa glycoprotein. Both the incompletely processed P0 and the 19-kDa glycoprotein formed in the presence of these inhibitors appeared to be transported normally into myelin.
An ontological website models-supported search agent for web services

In this paper, we advocate the use of ontology-supported website models to provide a semantic level solution for a search engine so that it can provide fast, precise and stable search results with a high degree of user satisfaction. A website model contains a website profile along with a set of webpage profiles. The former remembers the basic information of a website, while the latter contains the basic information, statistics information, and ontology information about each webpage stored in the website. Based on the concept, we have developed a Search Agent which manifests the following interesting features: (1) Ontology-supported construction of website models, by which we can attribute correct domain semantics into the Web resources collected in the website models. One important technique used here is ontology-supported classification (OntoClassifier). Our experiments show that the OntoClassifier performs very well in obtaining accurate and stable webpages classification to support correct annotation of domain semantics. (2) Website models-supported Website model expansion, by which we can collect Web resources based on both user interests and domain specificity. The core technique here is a Focused Crawler which employs progressive strategies to do user query-driven webpage expansion, autonomous website expansion, and query results exploitation to effectively expand the website models. (3) Website models-supported Webpage Retrieval, by which we can leverage the power of ontology features as a fast index structure to locate most-needed webpages for the user.
Formation of defect-free 6FDA-DAM asymmetric hollow fiber membranes for gas separations

Abstract This paper reports the formation of defect-free 6FDA-DAM asymmetric hollow fiber membranes. 6FDA-polyimides are of great interest for advanced gas separation membranes, and 6FDA-DAM polyimide is a representative polymer in this family with attractive dense film properties for several potential applications. The work reported here for the 6FDA-DAM polyimide provides insight for the challenging fabrication of defect-free asymmetric hollow fiber membranes for this class of 6FDA-polyimides, which behave rather different from lower free volume polymers. Specifically, the 6FDA based materials show relatively slow phase separation rate in water quench baths, which presents a challenge for fiber spinning. For convenience, we refer to the behavior as more “non-solvent resistant” in comparison to other lower free volume polymers, since the binodal phase boundary is displaced further from the conventional position near the pure polymer-solvent axis on a ternary phase diagram in conventional polymers like Matrimid ® and Ultem ® . The addition of lithium nitrate to promote phase separation has a useful impact on 6FDA-DAM asymmetric hollow fiber formation. 6FDA-DAM phase diagrams using ethanol and water as non-solvent are reported, and it was found that water is less desirable as a non-solvent dope additive for defect-free fiber spinning. Phase diagrams are also reported for 6FDA-DAM dope formulation with and without the addition of lithium nitrate, and defect-free asymmetric hollow fiber membranes are reported for both cases. The effect of polymer molecular weight on defect-free fiber spinning was also investigated. Gas transport properties and morphology of hollow fibers were characterized. With several thorough case studies, this work provides a systematic guideline for defect-free fiber formation from 6FDA-polymers.
An improved technique for nasal inhalation challenge tests.

Abstract An improved technique for nasal inhalation challenge tests is described. It includes an improved delivery system utilizing a Maxi-Myst air compressor delivering a flow of room air controlled by an in-line, electronically timed solenoid which precisely controls the duration of compressor activity. A No. 251 DeVilbiss atomizer will deliver 0.1 + 0.01 gm/spray when the flow rate is 11.5 L/min, the duration of atomizer activity is approximately 0.1 sec, and the amount of liquid in the atomizer insert is kept between 0.75 and 2.0 ml. Nasal aerosol challenge of 0.1 ml of isotonic phosphate-buffered saline per nostril produced less variability in nasal airway resistance (NAR) response than 0.2 ml, and the smaller volume proved satisfactory for 6 consecutive saline challenges at 15-min intervals. A new face mask, which did not impinge on the bridge of the nose or paranasal structures, yielded lower baseline values of nasal airway resistance and much less variability in these measurements. Techniques employed in objectively quantitating nasal responses to various exogenous substances are briefly but critically reviewed.
THE ROLE OF THE VITAMINES OF THE BCOMPLEX IN ESTROGEN METABOLISM

BISKIND AND Biskind (1942) have demonstrated that vaginal cornification does not occur in castrated female rats, fed a normal diet, in which estrone pellets have been implanted intrasplenically. This finding was interpreted as being due to the inactivation of estrone by the liver. However, when the animals were subsequently fed a Bcomplex deficient diet, most of them displayed vaginal estrus. Supplementation of the diet with yeast returned the animals to the anestrous state. We have previously reported (Segaloff, 1943) the inactivation by the rat liver of estrone and -αestradiol intrasplenically injected. In the near future a similar report will be made for diethylstilbestrol. The rats used in this study were all females of the Sprague-Dawley strain purchased from a local dealer. The basal colony diet was “Rockland Farms” rat chow upon which all animals had been maintained before being placed on the experimental diets. All rats were spayed prior to the shift to experimental diets.
Interconnection of FDDI LANs

Local area networks (LANs) have emerged as the technology of choice for inter-computer communication. As computers get faster, so must the LAN environment that supports them. Today there are several successful competing LANs in the 100 Mbps arena, and we are now starting to look forward to the next generation of network to take over when the current generation cannot provide the necessary bandwidth and connectivity. The paper discusses some of the architectural trade-offs available to designers of the next generation LAN, and proposes an architecture which provides for convenient interconnection of multiple FDDI networks (and network segments). The underlying network architecture is based on FDDI protocols, an attractive feature for those who have invested into FDDI. Scaleability appears to be a required feature for any future network design and is addressed in detail. The ultimate goal of this research is to present an alternative next generation networking solution that could be adopted by ANSI as the FDDI follow on standard. >
Change in Cognitive Functioning Following Acute Antidepressant Treatment in Late-Life Depression

Objective: Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most commonly prescribed medications for geriatric depression. The association of late-life depression and cognitive impairment has been well documented. However, there have been few placebo-controlled trials examining the impact of SSRIs on cognitive functioning. Design: Prepost neuropsychological (NP) data collected as part of an 8-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of citalopram in depressed patients aged 75 years and older were used to examine change in cognitive functioning. Setting: University-affiliated outpatient psychiatry clinics. Participants: One hundred seventy-four community-dwelling men and women aged 75 years or older with nonpsychotic unipolar depression. Measurements: NP assessments included mental status (Mini-Mental State Examination), psychomotor speed (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III Digit Symbol Subtest), reaction time (Choice Reaction Time), visual-spatial skill (Judgment of Line Orientation), executive functioning (Stroop Color/Word Test), and memory (Buschke Selective Reminding Test). Results: Differences in the pattern of change by treatment group depended on responder status. Citalopram nonresponders were the only group to decline on verbal learning and psychomotor speed. Citalopram responders showed significant improvement in visuospatial functioning, when compared with nonresponders in either condition, but their improvement was not greater than responders on placebo. Citalopram responders showed greater improvement on psychomotor speed than citalopram nonresponders, but their improvement was not greater than placebo responders or nonresponders. Conclusions: Medication may have a deleterious effect on some aspects of cognition among patients aged 75 years and older who have not responded. This suggests that patients should not be maintained on a medication if they have not had an adequate response. (Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2009; 17:881–888)
Guaranteeing Safety of Switching Adaptive Control Systems

This paper addresses the control of highly uncertain systems. A formal theoretical explanation of the model-mismatch instability problem often associated with adaptive control design schemes is proposed, and a generic solution is provided. A primary task of adaptive control is formulated as finding an asymptotically optimal, stabilizing controller, given the feasibility of adaptive control problem (the existence of a stabilizing solution in a continuously parametrized candidate controller set). The result extends previous theoretical results in hysteresis switching control, and provides a generalization by allowing the class of candidate controllers to have arbitrary cardinality, structure or dimensionality, and by strengthening the concept of tunability.
The Importance of English Language Competency in the Academic Success of International Accounting Students

The authors investigate the information content of two commonly used admission tests, namely the Graduate Management Admission Test and the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The analysis extends prior research by investigating the incremental information content of individual components from one admission test conditional on the information contained in the other admission test and undergraduate grade point average. The results suggest that for international applicants in master of accountancy programs, the TOEFL test is the only one that yields statistically significant incremental information content about academic success. If admissions officers were to eliminate one of the tests, it should not be the TOEFL.
Use (and abuse) of expert elicitation in support of decision making for public policy

The elicitation of scientific and technical judgments from experts, in the form of subjective probability distributions, can be a valuable addition to other forms of evidence in support of public policy decision making. This paper explores when it is sensible to perform such elicitation and how that can best be done. A number of key issues are discussed, including topics on which there are, and are not, experts who have knowledge that provides a basis for making informed predictive judgments; the inadequacy of only using qualitative uncertainty language; the role of cognitive heuristics and of overconfidence; the choice of experts; the development, refinement, and iterative testing of elicitation protocols that are designed to help experts to consider systematically all relevant knowledge when they make their judgments; the treatment of uncertainty about model functional form; diversity of expert opinion; and when it does or does not make sense to combine judgments from different experts. Although it may be tempting to view expert elicitation as a low-cost, low-effort alternative to conducting serious research and analysis, it is neither. Rather, expert elicitation should build on and use the best available research and analysis and be undertaken only when, given those, the state of knowledge will remain insufficient to support timely informed assessment and decision making.
Practical considerations for non-blocking concurrent objects

An important class of concurrent objects are those that are nonblocking, that is, whose operations are not contained within mutually exclusive critical sections. A nonblocking object can be accessed by many threads at a time, yet update protocols based on atomic compare-and-swap operations can be used to guarantee the object's consistency. The author examines the compare-and-swap operation in the content of contemporary bus-based shared memory multiprocessors, although the results generalize to distributed shared memory multiprocessors. He describes an operating system-based solution that permits the construction of a nonblocking compare-and-swap function on architectures that only support more primitive atomic primitives such as test-and-set or atomic exchange. Several locking strategies are evaluated that can be used to synthesize a compare-and-swap operation, and it is shown that the common techniques for reducing synchronization overhead in the presence of contention are inappropriate when used as the basis for nonblocking synchronization. A simple synchronization strategy is described that has good performance because it avoids much of the synchronization overhead that normally occurs when there is contention. >
Interaction of Lipids with the Plasma Membrane of Sperm Cells. I. The Antifertilization Action of Cholesterol

The inhibitory action of cholesterol-containing suspensions on fertilizing capacity in uterine-capacitated rabbit sperm cells showed a direct dependence on the concentration of sterol. Dispersion with synthetic phosphatidylcholine as a nonsonicated suspension or as liposomes did not alter this antifertilization effect. Esterification of the sterol, however, caused a complete loss of inhibitory activity. Cholesterol inhibited induction of the acrosome reaction among epididymal rat spermatozoa incubated under chemically defined conditions. Other agents with a negative effect on the acrosome reaction were seminal plasma membrane vesicles and palmitic acid. Egg lecithin-liposomes and bovine serum albumin, especially after being delipidated, facilitated it. These results corroborate the viewpoint that changes in the lipid bilayer of sperm plasma membrane significantly influence fertilizing capacity among mammalian spermatozoa.
The future of electronics in automobiles

The present 14 V automotive electrical system will soon become 42 V. New electrical features and electrification of present mechanically driven functions will provide commercial opportunities for a new high volume application of power electronics. Cost and the thermal environment present difficult challenges to device designers. SiC is shown as a promising material for this environment. A new high efficiency power supply design using the existing automotive alternator is presented.
Real-time data assimilation

We investigate the idea of using the information obtained by observing a real system while simulating the real system to improve the accuracy of a prediction about the real system made based on the result of the simulation. Our approach runs multiple simulators simultaneously in parallel, where parameters of a simulation model are varied across the simulators. Based on the observation from a real system, some of the simulators are replicated, and others are terminated. We verify the effectiveness of our approach with numerical experiments. In addition, we provide a theoretical justification for our approach, using kernel density estimation.
THE CET-CES-GENERALIZED LEONTIEF VARIABLE PROFIT FUNCTION: AN APPLICATION TO INDIAN AGRICULTURE

The authors examine the pattern of resource utilization and output supply in Indian agriculture, using a panel of 46 plots observed through six growing seasons. The examination is concluded using a generalization consisting of replacing the Leontief base with a more flexible constant elasticity base, at a cost of one additional parameter to be estimated. For estimation the authors develop a feasible nonlinear generalized least squares estimator that controls for the fact that many plots grow only one crop. These two features generate empirical results that are plausible in light of the neoclassical model of profit maximizing behavior. Coauthors are C. A. Knox Lovell, Robert A. Pollak, and Robin C. Sickles. Copyright 1992 by Royal Economic Society.
Fatal disseminated cytomegalovirus infection in an apparently normal adult.

• An ostensibly normal 43-year-old man had intermittent fever, erythema multiforme, and leukopenia that evolved into fulminant hepatic and bone marrow necrosis. The cause of his illness was compatible with cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection since there was a fourfold increase in immunofluorescent antibody titer. This report suggests that CMV can produce a rapidly progressive and overwhelming infection in an apparently healthy adult. (Arch Intern Med1983;143:372-373)
Segregation phenomena at growing alumina/alloy interfaces

The chemistry and structure at the scale/alloy interface are important factors governing scale adhesion. The chemical changes can occur from segregation of impurities in the alloy, such as sulphur and carbon, or alloying elements such as chromium, aluminium and reactive elements. This paper reviews studies of the changes of interfacial composition with oxidation time for Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} formed on several model alumina-forming alloys, and tries to relate that to the interfacial strength. Results show that sulphur segregation to oxide/metal interfaces can indeed occur, but the type and amount of segregants at the interface depend on the alloy composition and the interface structure. Co-segregation of impurities with alloying elements can also occur, resulting in multi-layer segregants at the interface. Sulphur-containing interfaces are indeed weaker, but the major role of sulphur is to enhance interfacial void formation. Reactive elements in the alloy not only gather sulfur but also exert an additional positive effect on scale adhesion.
Accuracy of Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging for the Detection of Arteriovenous Shunting in Vascular Malformations of the Brain

Background and Purpose—To determine the accuracy of susceptibility-weighted MRI (SWI) for the detection of arteriovenous shunting (AVS) in vascular malformations of the brain (BVM). Methods—We retrospectively identified 60 patients who had been evaluated for known or suspected BVM by both SWI and digital subtraction angiography, without intervening treatment, during a 3-year period. SWI images were retrospectively assessed by 2 independent reviewers for the presence of AVS as determined by the presence of signal hyperintensity within a venous structure in the vicinity of the BVM. Discrepancies were resolved by consensus among a panel of 3 neuroradiologists. Accuracy parameters of SWI for the detection of AVS were calculated using digital subtraction angiography as the reference standard. Results—A total of 80 BVM were identified in the 60 patients included in our study. Of the 29 BVM with AVS on digital subtraction angiography, 14 were untreated arteriovenous malformations, 10 were previously treated arte...
Youth engagement in high schools: Developing a multidimensional, critical approach to improving engagement for all students

What keeps students interested and engaged in school? Unfortunately, in today’s climate of increased rigor in classrooms, we are simultaneously losing sight of the need to provide students with an education that is both challenging and stimulating. In this paper, we discuss youth disengagement and offer suggestions to improve our overall knowledge of academic engagement issues. We discuss the historical concept of engagement, more specifically, its shift from a uni-dimensional to multidimensional concept, and suggest that research concentrate on better understanding the interplay among setting and identity when examining issues of youth engagement in schools. Fundamentally, we strongly assert that engagement research needs to adopt a more critical stance that provides students with opportunities to examine and to critique the educational system in which they participate (or sometimes refuse to participate). Only when students see the purpose of engaging in schools, as students and agents of change, will engagement and students’ academics and lives improve.
Distance-based location update scheme with isotropic random user motion with drift

Location tracking in wireless networks is essential for ubiquitous communication service. Since a user may move freely, the network has to keep track of the location of the mobile terminal to deliver messages or calls. There has been significant effort to address the problem of user mobility; however, most of the mobility models introduced in the previous work do not take the movement direction into account - the parameter called CMR (call to mobility ratio) which is commonly used in the literature is the ratio between the call arrival rate and the cell boundary crossing rate of the mobile. In this paper, we introduce Brownian motion with drift as our mobility model and discuss the effect of movement direction and call arrivals on the performance of the distance-based location update scheme in the predictive and the non predictive mode.
Demo overview-Matryoshka: design of NDN multiplayer online game

Massive multiplayer online games (MOG) have become increasingly popular over the past decade. Peer-to-peer structures were explored for commercial online games. However, maintaining security and availability while scaling users has driven most multiplayer online games towards a client-server or client-superpeer architecture.Client-server multiplayer games face certain problems: a small number of points of failure and traffic centralizing at several servers. Users of popular games complain about the decrease in quality of service, largely caused by these two factors. In order to tackle the problems of traditional clientserver online games, this demo presents Matryoshka, a pure peer-to-peer multiplayer online game using the named data networking[1] (NDN) future internet architecture.NDN has several major strengths over IP; among them are natural multicast support, content-based security and mobility support. By utilizing the strength of multicast and content caching, we believe that a pure peer-to-peer MOG design in NDN can avoid challenges and limitations found in IP.Synchronization in a serverless distributed environment is a key problem for pure peer-to-peer structure. Namespace synchronization in just such a situation has been studied for other serverless NDN applications like chat and file sharing. The ChronoSync[2] model is proposed for both use cases. Other cases like vehicular network also study synchronization in a physical environment.The challenges faced by an online game are different, which we explore in this project. In this case, the environment is a virtual world. Each player has an area of interest, and it only needs to know things in this virtual area instead of everything happening in the game, and this we define as 'locality in the game world'. In addition, players whose areas of interest intersect with each other should reach consistent conclusions about things in the intersected area, which introduces the synchronization problem.NDN's content caching and natural multicast support feature may facilitate the distribution of game synchronization data. We utilize these features by statically and recursively partitioning the whole virtual environment into octants, thus providing a shared namespace for every peer running the game. Then, all the peers that care about the same region can share the data brought by synchronization interests towards the same nodes in the octree. Figure 1 presents the octree partition of the game world.
Analysis of glycaemic control and weight change in patients initiated with human or analog insulin in an US ambulatory care setting.

Background: Insulin is a mainstay in the treatment of type 1 diabetes and is a recommended option in patients with type 2 diabetes who fail to maintain glycaemic control on other non-insulin therapies. The purpose of this study was to describe patient characteristics and evaluate changes in glycaemic control and weight in patients treated with insulin in an ambulatory care setting. Methods: Patients with diabetes were identified from the General Electric electronic medical record (EMR) database (1 September 2004 to 30 April 2008). Patients were ≥18 years, insulin nai ve, newly treated with monoinsulin therapy (index date). Baseline characteristics were identified overall and stratified by insulin type (basal, mixed, and rapid). Basal insulins were described by human versus analog and for insulin detemir and insulin glargine. Change in haemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) and weight from baseline (45 days pre- to 15 days postindex date) to 6 months (±90 days) were compared. Regression analyses were used to evaluate HbA1C outcomes across insulins and for the likelihood of gaining 0.9 kg (2 lbs) for detemir versus glargine controlling for baseline characteristics. Results: A total of 12 136 patients were included. A majority were initiated on a basal insulin (64.7%) followed by mixed (20.8%) and rapid (14.4%). Basal users had significantly higher mean body weight and lower mean baseline HbA1C than mixed users (p 0.05). Patients using detemir were 30% less likely to gain 0.9 kg or more than glargine users (p < 0.05). Conclusions: HbA1C outcomes in the ambulatory care setting were generally not different between insulin classes. The likelihood of weight gain was less with insulin detemir than with insulin glargine. Thus, real-world weight outcomes for basal analog insulin may differ by specific product.
The Patient Self-Determination Act: not now.

The Patient Self-Determination Act: Not Now The Patient Self-Determination Act is an idea whose time has not yet come. It aims for a laudable objective. Indeed, as poll after poll has shown, the American people overwhelmingly support that objective: ensuring that people's wishes about life-sustaining treatment are respected. But not only is the Act unlikely to achieve its objective; worse yet it will probably delay the existing movement toward that objective. Might federal intervention -- the use of a financial stick against institutions that receive Medicare and Medicaid funds--ever be justified? Were hospitals and other institutions intentionally thwarting patients' rights, Uncle Sam might have to threaten to cut off funds to get them to comply with existing policies. But this is a heavy-handed response that is often ineffectual, as illustrated by the three sets of federal "Baby Doe" regulations. Even the federal officials in charge of the original "Baby Doe Squads" were hard pressed to demonstrate any beneficial effects of their interventions; the only sure consequence was a great deal of resentment on the part of physicians and hospital personnel, along with more trips to the courthouse induced by fear of liability. In light of this experience, federal threats seem appropriate only as a last resort. No such provocation exists regarding living wills and durable powers of attorney. Over the past quarter century "advance directives" have evolved from merely hortatory statements to legally binding documents. The barriers to their use that remain--in personal reluctance to employ them and in ingrained professional attitudes--are rapidly being overcome. The Act will do little or nothing to reduce those barriers and is likely to erect new ones. Supporters of the Act say that it is just one more means of spreading the word about living wills and durable powers. But in actual implementation, the requirement that hospitals must inform patients of their rights to accept or refuse care and to appoint a surrogate to decide on their behalf will be less innocuous for several reasons. First, the moment when one enters the hospital and is confronted by an admissions clerk with various forms to be signed is not the right time to bring up living wills and the like. Nor is the person who plays this role likely to be able to explain the possible documents well and to enter into a discussion that would be truly educational rather than merely formalistic. The main concern of hospitals will be to get patients' signatures on a "Notice of Disclosure of Rights" or the like. Indeed, the "waiver" that patients would probably be asked to sign might well lead--in recognition of the leadership on this issue provided by the senior Senator from Missouri--to the query "Was the patient Danforthed? …
Comparison of clinical periodontal status among habitual smokeless‐tobacco users and cigarette smokers

Aim Investigating the comparative effect of cigarette smoking and smokeless-tobacco use on periodontal health. Background There is a dearth of studies comparing the effects of smoking and smokeless tobacco on periodontal health. Smokeless tobacco is emerging as a major public health hazard, but is often neglected as a risk factor by many clinicians. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study of 286 subjects was conducted. The participants were divided into mutually exclusive groups (i.e. any subject who had the habit of both smoking as well as smokeless tobacco usage was excluded from the study), as follows: a smoking group (SG; n = 121); a smokeless-tobacco group (ST; n = 81); and a non-tobacco-consuming group (NT; n = 84). Data were obtained using a questionnaire and by clinical examination. The Periodontal Disease Index (PDI) and Oral Hygiene Index-Simplified (OHI-S) were used to clinically evaluate the periodontal and dental health status of the subjects. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify statistical correlations. Results The Plaque Index was higher in the ST group than in the SG group and was statistically significantly higher in the ST group than in the NT group. Probing depth and gingival inflammation (components of the PDI) were also higher in the ST group than in the SG and NT groups, but this was not statistically significant. Conclusions Within the limits of the study, and for this study population, the impact on the periodontium as a result of smokeless tobacco use appeared to be comparable with that of smoking tobacco. The results of this study affirm the need to consider smokeless tobacco as a possible contributory factor to periodontal disease, in addition to smoking, and to counsel patients accordingly. Further randomised clinical trials are necessary to validate the long-term impact of smokeless tobacco on periodontal disease.
Four Commonly Confused Hairstreaks (Lycaenidae, Theclinae, Eumaeini): Three Need Names, One Does Not

ABSTRACT. The taxonomy of four relatively common Neotropical eumaeine hairstreak species has been confused. Newly described are Iaspis andersoni Robbins, new species, differentiated from I. talayra (Hewitson), I. castitas (Druce), and I. exiguus (Druce); Michaelus joseph Robbins, new species, differentiated from M. ira (Hewitson); and Ignata caldas Robbins, new species, differentiated from I. gadira (Hewitson). Iaspis andersoni is unnamed because of a taxonomic misidentification made more than a century ago. The latter two are undescribed because the types of M. ira and I. gadira are not the species that they had been thought to be. Populations in the Arawacus togarna (Hewitson) species complex from Mexico and Costa Rica have been treated as two distinct species, but new data on geographical variation of wing pattern and male genitalia suggests that this classification is incorrect. A lectotype for Thecla exiguus Druce, 1907 is designated because taxonomy of the Iaspis talayra group in the Amazon Region i...
Young Adults' Access to Fertility Preservation Services at National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program Minority/Underserved Community Sites: A Qualitative Study

Purpose: This qualitative study aims to characterize the factors that influence access to fertility preservation (FP) resources and services after cancer diagnosis at NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) minority/underserved community sites, which serve patient populations comprising at least 30% racial/ethnic minorities or rural residents. Methods: Phone interviews were conducted from 2014 to 2015 with interested and knowledgeable healthcare providers practicing at NCORP minority/underserved community sites, using a semi-structured interview guide. Data were transcribed, de-identified, and analyzed using qualitative analysis software, Dedoose, to determine the most common themes in access to FP resources and services. Results: Interviews were conducted with 10 board-certified physicians practicing at 10 of the 12 NCORP minority/underserved community sites; five respondents identified as oncologists, and five were reproductive endocrinology/infertility specialists (n = 4) or obstetricians/gynec...
Laboratory Detection of the C7H Radical

The linear carbon chain radical C7H has been detected in the same acetylene-argon discharge in which C8H was recently observed. Fifty rotational transitions, 23 in the ground 2Π1/2 state and 27 in the 2Π3/2 state (37 K higher in energy), were measured. Precise values for the rotational, fine structure, and lambda-doubling constants have been derived which allow calculation of the entire microwave and millimeter-wave spectrum to an accuracy of 0.2 km s-1 or better. With the recent discovery of C8H in space, C7H is an excellent candidate for astronomical detection. To aid future observations, the transition frequencies for the most interesting astronomical lines are tabulated.
Pressure pulses generated by gas released from a breached fuel element

In experimental measurements of liquid pressure pulses generated by rapid release of gas from breached fuel elements in a nuclear reactor, different peak pressures were observed at locations equidi...
UV-Curable bismaleimides part I: Synthesis and photo-cure kinetics

Abstract A new series of hydroxyl-substituted bismaleimide (BMI) oligomers were successfully prepared based on 2,2′-Bis[4-(3,4-dicarboxyphenoxy)phenyl]propane dianhydride (BPADA), 2,2-Bis(amino-4-hydroxyphenyl)hexafluoropropane (BIS-AP-AF), and different diamines. To develop BMI oligomers with improved UV-curing efficiency, the methacryloyl groups were incorporated into the oligomers using. The hydroxyl-substituted BMIs as well as the methacrylated BMIs oligomers were characterized by 1 HNMR, 13 C NMR, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), mass spectroscopy, and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The photo-cure kinetics of the methacrylated BMI oligomers was investigated by real-time FT-IR, photo-DSC, and photo-rheometry. Although the presence of oxygen (O 2 ) delayed the polymerization of methacryloyl moieties, it did not affect the polymerization of the maleimide groups. In general, the overall conversion of these systems was reduced in the O 2 atmosphere compared to the nitrogen (N 2 ) atmosphere. In addition, the maleimide groups exhibited higher conversions than the methacrylic groups in both O 2 and N 2 atmospheres .
Cost-Savings Analysis of AR-V7 Testing in Patients With Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Eligible for Treatment With Abiraterone or Enzalutamide

INTRODUCTION Identification of cancer biomarkers that inform clinical decisions and reduce the use of ineffective therapies is a major goal of precision oncology. An abnormal splice variant of the androgen receptor, AR-V7, was recently found to confer resistance to novel hormonal therapies (abiraterone and enzalutamide) in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), but did not negatively affect responses to taxane chemotherapies, suggesting that early use of chemotherapy may be a more effective option for AR-V7(+) patients. METHODS We calculated the cost savings of performing AR-V7 testing in mCRPC patients prior to starting abiraterone/enzalutamide (and avoiding these drugs in AR-V7(+) men) versus treating all mCRPC patients empirically with abiraterone/enzalutamide (without use of the biomarker). RESULTS We determined that AR-V7 testing would result in substantial cost savings as long as the true prevalence of AR-V7 was >5%. In our prior studies, we estimated that approximately 30% of mCRPC patients may have detectable AR-V7 in circulating tumor cells (CTCs). In this population, upfront testing of AR-V7 status (at a price of $1,000 per test) would result in a net cost savings of $150 Million in the United States per year. CONCLUSIONS AR-V7 testing in mCRPC patients would be cost-beneficial when considering the current price of treatment, and may reduce the ineffective use of abiraterone/enzalutamide, leading to a significant net cost savings to the healthcare system. Clinical-grade AR-V7 testing is currently available at our institution. Prostate 76:1484–1490, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Administrator Work in Leveraging Technologies for Students With Disabilities in Online Coursework

This article describes a study of online educators’ use of technology as part of the accommodations they provided to students with disabilities at their school. Specifically, research focused on fo...
Energy harvesting from asphalt pavement roadways vehicle-induced stresses: A feasibility study

Roadways are major infrastructure for connecting people and providing access and mobility. The traffic-induced strains and stresses generated by the vehicles can be potentially used for energy harvesting purposes. Piezoelectric devices are ideal candidates for harvesting energy in asphalt pavement roadways as they convert mechanical strain energy into electric voltage. In this study, an experimental program was conducted to evaluate the potential of harvesting energy from roadways using piezoelectric materials. A prototype consisting of piezoelectric disks sandwiched between two copper plates was assembled in between asphalt mixtures. A uniaxial compression test was performed to measure the output power under different numbers and arrangements of piezoelectric disks. Moreover, the sensitivity of the power to loading frequency, vertical load, test temperature, and loading time was also studied. The experiment results show that the quantity and arrangement of the piezoelectric sensors alter the applied stresses leading to variations in the generated output power. The effect of temperature on the output power was found to be negligible. In addition, the magnitude and loading time significantly affect the output power. Considering the best combination of variables, the piezoelectric devices could be ideal candidates for harvesting energy in asphalt pavement roadways.
Kafka S “the Judgment” and the Interpretation of Dreams

(1973). Kafka S “the Judgment” and the Interpretation of Dreams. The Germanic Review: Literature, Culture, Theory: Vol. 48, No. 3, pp. 212-228.
Modeling geophysical properties of the Algodones Dunes from field and laboratory hyperspectral goniometer measurements using GRIT and comparison with G-LiHT imagery

We measure and describe the angular dependence of field and laboratory hyperspectral reflectance measurements of sediments from the Algodones Dunes, CA using the Goniometer of the Rochester Institute of Technology (GRIT) and compare with NASA G-LiHT hyperspectral imagery. G-LiHT imagery was acquired concurrently during a joint field experiment in March 2015 conducted by NASA Goddard, South Dakota State University, University of Arizona, University of Lethbridge, and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Radiative transfer models1 and our own observations10 demonstrate that the angular dependence observed in the bidirectional reflectance distribution (BRDF)1,2,3,4,5,6 is strongly influenced by factors such as density, grain size distribution, moisture content, and surface roughness.5,6,7,8,9 Hapke’s model applied to a uniform sediment predicts increasing reflectance as density increases, however, we have observed that multiple scattering and the presence of optically contrasting mineral fractions can lead to the opposite trend.9,10 The degree of multiple scattering is influenced by incident illumination zenith angle, which determines whether the Hapke prediction is observed or the opposite trend.10 To better match observations, modifications of the model are necessary.10 In this paper, we consider some initial work showing the relationship between NASA G-LiHT hyperspectral imagery and GRIT10 field and laboratory BRDF and GRIT-Two (GRIT-T)11 laboratory BRDF. We also discuss preliminary work using this data for retrieval of geophysical properties of the sediment such as density from multi-angular measurements.
Computer Aided Performance Analysis of Multi-h CPM Data Transmission Systems in Practical Environments

This paper describes a technique for applying Monte Carlo simulation methods to a digital communication system employing a high-level carrier phase modulation scheme known as multi-h CPM [1], [2]. This modulation format provides a means for achieving gains in the power/bandwidth tradeoff at the expense of increased complexity. Most papers in the literature on multi-h CPM deal with ideal environments in the respect that the effect of channel perturbations and nonideal modem implementations are not considered. The computer simulations described in this paper provide a means for gathering performance data for systems operating under channel bandlimiting, channel nonlinearities, phase error in the coherent reference at the receiver, symbol timing error, and decision depth in the Viterbi algorithm data detector. The simulations also provide detailed performance characterizations of algorithms designed for joint estimation of noisy carrier phase and data detection. Typical results for these cases are presented.
Evidence for local and global redox conditions at an Early Ordovician (Tremadocian) mass extinction

Abstract Profound changes in environmental conditions, particularly atmospheric oxygen levels, are thought to be important drivers of several major biotic events (e.g. mass extinctions and diversifications). The early Paleozoic represents a key interval in the oxygenation of the ocean–atmosphere system and evolution of the biosphere. Global proxies (e.g. carbon (δ13C) and sulfur (δ34S) isotopes) are used to diagnose potential changes in oxygenation and infer causes of environmental change and biotic turnover. The Cambrian–Ordovician contains several trilobite extinctions (some are apparently local, but others are globally correlative) that are attributed to anoxia based on coeval positive δ13C and δ34S excursions. These extinction and excursion events have yet to be coupled with more recently developed proxies thought to be more reflective of local redox conditions in the water column (e.g. I/Ca) to confirm whether these extinctions were associated with oxygen crises over a regional or global scale. Here we examine an Early Ordovician (Tremadocian Stage) extinction event previously interpreted to reflect a continuation of recurrent early Paleozoic anoxic events that expanded into nearshore environments. δ13C, δ34S, and I/Ca trends were measured from three sections in the Great Basin region to test whether I/Ca trends support the notion that anoxia was locally present in the water column along the Laurentian margin. Evidence for anoxia is based on coincident, but not always synchronous, positive δ13C and δ34S excursions (mainly from carbonate-associated sulfate and less so from pyrite data), a 30% extinction of standing generic diversity, and near-zero I/Ca values. Although evidence for local water column anoxia from the I/Ca proxy broadly agrees with intervals of global anoxia inferred from δ13C and δ34S trends, a more complex picture is evident where spatially and temporally variable local trends are superimposed on time-averaged global trends. Stratigraphic sections from the distal and deeper part of the basin (Shingle Pass and Meiklejohn Peak) preserve synchronous global (δ13C and δ34S) and water column (I/Ca) evidence for anoxia, but not at the more proximal section (Ibex, UT). Although geochemical and paleontological evidence point toward anoxia as the driver of this Early Ordovician extinction event, differences between I/Ca and δ13C–δ34S signals suggest regional variation in the timing, extent, and persistence of anoxia.
Seawater-Based Agriculture as a Food Production Defense Against Climate Variability

A limiting factor for food production in the sunny, productive regions of the world is the scarcity of fresh water. Also, many irrigated soils are becoming saline. This paper reviews the use of seawater to increase agricultural production and reduce climate vulnerability by adapting conventional crops to salt tolerance, by using seawater for environmental control, by culturing aquatic animals, and, in the work described in detail, by domesticating wild halophytes—plants which have evolved in hypersaline conditions—for livestock feed. Halophytes irrigated exclusively with seawater equalled or surpassed alfalfa in yield and protein, excess salts were removed by leaching, and initial animal trials were promising.