cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Correlation estimation and time-series modeling for nonstationary processes

Abstract Various types of statistical signal processing require the estimation of time-variant correlation functions and the fitting of time-variant models for nonstationary processes. In this paper, the situations for which nonstationary probabilistic correlation functions can be accurately estimated from a single sample path of a stochastic process are delineated. These include only (i) known form of nonstationarity, (ii) periodic or almost periodic nonstationarity, and (iii) slowly fluctuating nonstationarity. Known methods of estimation for each of these situations are reviewed within the unifying framework of orthogonal series expansions. The fact that estimators based on orthogonal series expansions for nonstationary correlation functions other than (i)–(iii) cannot be guaranteed to be accurate is established. Ramifications for time-variant autoregressive model fitting are discussed.
Bioavailability of vitamin D and its metabolites in black and white adults.

Vitamin D deficiency has become a global health problem that has been associated not only with metabolic bone disease but also with many chronic illnesses.1 The definition of vitamin D deficiency has been controversial, in part owing to the interpretation of surrogates associated with vitamin D status. The Institute of Medicine concluded that to maximize bone health, the level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D should be higher than 20 ng per milliliter.2 Others have relied on parathyroid hormone levels to assess vitamin D status, arguing that such levels reach a nadir and plateau when 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels are 30 to 40 ng . . .
Adriamycin, vincristine, dibromodulcitol, and hexamethylmelamine in advanced previously treated breast cancer: An ECOG pilot study

A combination of adriamycin, vincristine, dibromodulcitol, and hexamethylmelamine was piloted in patients with advanced breast cancer who had failed prior CMFP chemotherapy, as a part of ongoing trials by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group to improve second-line chemotherapy for this disease. The vincristine was given as an intensive 5 week induction regimen and hexamethylmelamine was administered on days 15-27 of a 28 day cycle, at the time of anticipated nadir peripheral blood counts. The study was terminated early after only 9 patients had been entered because of severe neurotoxicity related to the intensive schedule of vincristine as well as hematologic and gastrointestinal side effects. Three patients responded for 11, 18 and 21 weeks. The limited therapeutic benefit did not justify the toxicity produced, and suggested that intensive dosage schedules of vincristine, and use of low dose hexamethylmelamine during the time of anticipated hematologic nadir counts would not be of substantial benefit.
Deep learning for monaural speech separation

Monaural source separation is useful for many real-world applications though it is a challenging problem. In this paper, we study deep learning for monaural speech separation. We propose the joint optimization of the deep learning models (deep neural networks and recurrent neural networks) with an extra masking layer, which enforces a reconstruction constraint. Moreover, we explore a discriminative training criterion for the neural networks to further enhance the separation performance. We evaluate our approaches using the TIMIT speech corpus for a monaural speech separation task. Our proposed models achieve about 3.8~4.9 dB SIR gain compared to NMF models, while maintaining better SDRs and SARs.
The future of rare earth‐transition metal magnets of type RE2TM17 (invited)

A brief review of the development of RE2TM17 permanent magnets is followed by a summary of the state‐of‐the‐art. Excellent magnetic properties have been achieved in the laboratory for single‐phase 2:17 and two‐phase, precipitation hardened magnets of ∼2:15 stoichiometry. Both achieve reduction of cobalt content to ∼50 wt.% by transition metal substitution and the precipitation hardened type exhibit improved temperature characteristics. Recent improvements in coercivity make high volume application practical if the more abundant light rare earths can be successfully substituted for samarium.
Proximal humeral resection and reconstruction

Abstract Resection of the proximal humerus may be required for control of benign, primary malignant, or metastatic neoplasms. The defect created by such a resection may spare the shoulder cuff muscles and deltoid (Malawer type IA) or remove them (Malawer type IB). Reconstruction of these defects and restoration of some degree of shoulder function may be accomplished by a variety of techniques. A technique of reconstruction with a composite allograft and endoprosthesis for type IA resections and the use of a proximal humeral prosthesis for type IB resections are described, and alternative methods are discussed.
The Influence of Chemisorbed Organic Monolayers on Electrode Surface Oxidation

Abstract The chemisorption at monolayer coverages of various organic molecules from aqueous solutions onto smooth polycrystalline electrodes and the resistance of the resulting monolayers towards electrochemical oxidation have been studied. This survey represents the preliminary stage in a series of investigations aimed at better understanding, at the atomic level, of metal passivation by monolayer organic films. The electrodes studied (Rh, Pd, Ir, Pt, and Au) are those whose anodic dissolution is preceded by surface-oxide formation. For these metals, corrosion resistance can be associated with the retardation of the surface oxidation; hence, the extent of surface-oxide retardation is one measure of the passivation characteristics of an organic monolayer. Thirty-eight organic compounds containing at least one surface-active functional group were investigated: alkenes, alkynes, aromatics, heterocyclic aromatics, alcohols, phenols, sulfides, amines, amides, nitriles, CO, aldehydes, carboxylates, esters, and...
Electrophysiological evidence for size invariance in masked picture repetition priming

This experiment examined invariance in object representations through measuring event-related potentials (ERPs) to pictures in a masked repetition priming paradigm. Pairs of pictures were presented where the prime was either the same size or half the size of the target object and the target was either presented in a normal orientation or was a normal sized mirror reflection of the prime object. Previous masked repetition priming studies have found a cascade of priming effect sensitive to perceptual (N190/P190) and semantic (N400) properties of the stimulus. This experiment found that both early (N190/P190 effects) and later effects (N400) were invariant to size, whereas only the N190/P190 effect was invariant to mirror reflection. The combination of a small prime and a mirror reflected target led to no significant priming effects. Taken together, the results of this set of experiments suggests that object recognition, more specifically, activating an object representation, occurs in a hierarchical fashion where overlapping perceptual information between the prime and target is necessary, although not always sufficient, to activate a higher level semantic representation.
Genome-wide analysis of single-locus and epistasis single-nucleotide polymorphism effects on anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide as a measure of rheumatoid arthritis

The goal of this study was to identify single-locus and epistasis effects of SNP markers on anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) that is associated with rheumatoid arthritis, using the North American Rheumatoid Arthritis Consortium data. A square root transformation of the phenotypic values of anti-CCP with sex, smoking status, and a selected subset of 20 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers in the model achieved residual normality (p > 0.05). Three single-locus effects of two SNPs were significant (p < 10-4). The epistasis analysis tested five effects of each pair of SNPs, the two-locus interaction, additive × additive, additive × dominance, dominance × additive, and dominance × dominance effects. A total of ten epistasis effects of eight pairs of SNPs on 11 autosomes and the X chromosome had significant epistasis effects (p < 10-7). Three of these epistasis effects reached significance levels of p < 10-8, p < 10-9, and p < 10-10, respectively. Two potential SNP epistasis networks were identified. The results indicate that the genetic factors underlying anti-CCP may include single-gene action and gene interactions and that the gene-interaction mechanism underlying anti-CCP could be a complex mechanism involving pairwise epistasis effects and multiple SNPs.
Two Lamarckians: Walt Whitman and Edward Carpenter

Summarizes the work of French evolutionist Jean Lamarck (1744-1829) and demonstrates how his evolutionary theories--favored by Whitman over those of Darwin--informs Whitman's poetry and thought.
Major depression and emergency medical services utilization in community-dwelling elderly persons with disabilities

Objective To examine the association between major depression and emergency medical services (EMS) use by community-dwelling older adults with disabilities. Methods A prospective observational.study including 1,444 participants age 65+ in 19 counties in three US states that participated in the Medicare Primary and Consumer-Directed Care Demonstration. Eligibility criteria included needing or receiving help with either 2+ activities of daily living (ADLs) or 3+ instrumental ADLs, and having received recent significant healthcare services use. The presence of major depression was measured at baseline by the MINI Major Depressive Episode module. EMS utilization data for the following 2 years were obtained from a daily journal concurrently completed by each subject or a caregiver. Results More persons with major depression (43%) than without (35%) reported EMS use. When other factors were controlled in a logistic regression model, this effect was no longer statistically significant. However, of those with at least one episode of EMS transport, the depressed reported significantly (25%) more episodes (mean = 2.10) than the non-depressed (mean = 1.68). Major depression was significantly associated with more EMS episodes in both Poisson (Z = 1.99; p = 0.047) and ordinary least squares (t = 2.08; p = 0.038) regression models. Conclusions Depressed disabled older adults who utilize EMS have more EMS episodes than those without depression. This higher use may be driven in part by affective illness. Research is needed to determine whether more EMS episodes are necessary to address symptoms of major depression, especially suicidal ideation, or whether they are due to other illnesses that are exacerbated by symptoms of major depression. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Residual stresses in LENS-deposited AISI 410 stainless steel plates

The residual stress in thin plate components deposited by the laser engineered net shaping (LENS ® ) process was investigated experimentally and numerically. Neutron diffraction mapping was used to characterize the residual stress in LENS-deposited AISI 410 stainless steel thin wall plates. Using the commercial welding software SYSWELD, a thermo-mechanical three-dimensional finite element model was developed, which considers also the effect of metallurgical phase transformations. The model was employed to predict the temperature history and the residual stress field during the LENS process. Several simulations were performed with the geometry and process parameters that were used to build the experimental samples. The origin of the residual stress distribution is discussed based on the thermal histories of the samples, and the modeling results are compared with measurements obtained by neutron diffraction mapping.
Gene transfer methods for CNS organotypic cultures: a comparison of three nonviral methods.

Abstract Organotypic slice cultures from postnatal day 12 mouse cerebellum were transfected using three nonviral methods: biolistics (gene gun), lipotransfection, and electroporation. The plasmid transferred, pHD17-25Q-GFP, encoded a fusion protein with a green fluorescent protein (GFP) component. Optimal conditions for both lipotransfection and electroporation are the same as those previously found in live animal models. Electroporation (26 ± 6) and biolistics (34 ± 4.4) provide a better rate of transfer than lipotransfection (15 ± 2.2) in slice cultures and are comparable to each other. Each of the transfer methods produced positive signals in a heterogeneous population of glial and neuronal cells. These data provide a base for optimal transfection of slice cultures, allowing the development of therapeutic constructs, and support the idea that successful refinement of nonviral delivery methods for in vivo use is possible using brain slice cultures.
Elastic properties of polycrystalline La2−xSrxCuO4

Abstract We report on the temperature dependence of the shear (G) and Young's (E) moduli of polycrystalline La 1.85 Sr 0.15 CuO 4 and La 2 CuO 4 . We find that E∼3G, implying that the single crystal shear moduli are small, so that the polycrystalline E and G are determined by the single crystal shear moduli only. Contrary to expectations, there are large, but sample dependent, drops in moduli at T c for the superconducting Sr-alloy. The large shear softening associated with the tetragonal-orthorhombic transition at 180K is also very sample dependent, and does not appear simply related to the superconducting transition. The polycrystalline elastic moduli are very hysteretic below the structural transition, presumably due to the distortion driven variation in crystalline dimensions with temperature.
Production of variable energy linearly polarized photon beams

Abstract A practical facility, based on resonance scattering of n-capture γ-rays, is suggested for producing variable energ linearly polarized photon beams having intensities of the order of 10 4 photons/cm 2 · s · eV on the target.
Lessons learned: implementing a desktop replacement program

Many universities have determined that a regular desktop computer replacement cycle helps to standardize systems, lower increasing support needs, and regularize the budget. There are a variety of implementations of these programs, from mandated "bulldoze" replacements to voluntary rolling installations.This panel will showcase several universities that have instituted a desktop replacement program. The Princeton Desktop Initiative came out of a funded mandate from the Provost's office and affected all faculty and staff systems. At the University of Virginia, an inter-departmental group implemented a voluntary program, the Desktop Computing Initiative, that included supplemental funding for some departments. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill instituted a life cycle replacement program for its College of Arts and Sciences. Every faculty, staff and teaching graduate student received a computer in a collaborative program as part of its Carolina Computer Initiative program. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's program requires students to have a laptop. Faculty are included in the program through an application process.The focus of this panel presentation will be on the implementation strategies these universities followed, including lessons learned.
Molecular Imaging With Targeted Perfluorocarbon Nanoparticles: Quantification of the Concentration Dependence of Contrast Enhancement for Binding to Sparse Cellular Epitopes

Targeted, liquid perfluorocarbon nanoparticles are effective agents for acoustic contrast enhancement of abundant cellular epitopes (e.g., fibrin in thrombi) and for lower prevalence binding sites, such as integrins associated with tumor neovasculature. In this study, we sought to delineate the quantitative relationship between the extent of contrast enhancement of targeted surfaces and the density (and concentration) of bound perfluorocarbon (PFC) nanoparticles. Two dramatically different substrates were utilized for targeting. In one set of experiments, the surfaces of smooth, flat, avidin-coated agar disks were exposed to biotinylated nanoparticles to yield a thin layer of targeted contrast. For the second set of measurements, we targeted PFC nanoparticles applied in thicker layers to cultured smooth muscle cells expressing the transmembrane glycoprotein "tissue factor" at the cell surface. An acoustic microscope was used to characterize reflectivity for all samples as a function of bound PFC (determined via gas chromatography). We utilized a formulation of low-scattering nanoparticles having oil-based cores to compete against high-scattering PFC nanoparticles for binding, to elucidate the dependence of contrast enhancement on PFC concentration. The relationship between reflectivity enhancement and bound PFC content varied in a curvilinear fashion and exhibited an apparent asymptote (approximately 16 dB and 9 dB enhancement for agar and cell samples, respectively) at the maximum concentrations (approximately 150 microg and approximately 1000 microg PFOB for agar and cell samples, respectively). Samples targeted with only oil-based nanoparticles exhibited mean backscatter values that were nearly identical to untreated samples (<1 dB difference), confirming the oil particles' low-scattering behavior. The results of this study indicate that substantial contrast enhancement with liquid perfluorocarbon nanoparticles can be realized even in cases of partial surface coverage (as might be encountered when targeting sparsely populated epitopes) or when targeting surfaces with locally irregular topography. Furthermore, it may be possible to assess the quantity of bound cellular epitopes through acoustic means.
Monitoring for outliers and level shifts in kalman filter implementations of exponential smoothing

This paper presents a new application of a Kalman filter implementation of exponential smoothing with monitoring for outliers and level shifts. The assumption is that each observation comes from one of three models: steady, outlier, or level shift. This concept was introduced as a multiprocess model by Harrison and Stevens (1976). However, their handling of the models is different. In this paper four different model-selection criteria are introduced and compared by applying them to data. The new features of the application include the four model-selection criteria and the estimation of the required parameters by maximum likelihood.
Neutron diffraction study of the deformation behavior of beryllium–aluminum composites

Abstract Neutron diffraction measurements of the mean phase elastic strains during loading were performed on two different beryllium–aluminum composites. The first was Be–47.5Al–2.5Ag produced from hot isostatically pressed powder fabricated by rapid solidification using a centrifugal atomization process; the second was a commercially available Be–38Al extruded powder product. Under rapid solidification, Be–Al undergoes liquid phase separation, resulting in a three-dimensional interpenetrating morphology in which both phases are continuous. Elastic strains in the individual phases were measured as a function of tensile and compressive load at the Los Alamos Neutron Scattering Center using a pulsed neutron source. The deformation behavior was unusual due to the unique composite microstructure and elastic properties of beryllium. Notably, the aluminum developed compressive elastic strains in the direction perpendicular to the compressive loading axis. These strains were compared with predictions from finite element analyses to clarify the stress state in each phase during deformation.
Engineering plastics from lignin. XVII. Effect of molecular weight on polyurethane film properties

A series of five fractions with number average molecular weights (Mn) between 1500 and 10,000 daltons were isolated from a Kraft hydroxypropyl lignin (HPL). From 1H-NMR and UV analysis the chemical properties of the HPLs were found to vary slightly with molecular weight. The hydroxyl content decreased while the glass transition temperature (Tg) increased as the HPL molecular weight increased. The Fox-Flory equation adequately described the Mn vs. Tg relationship. The HPL fractions were used as polyols for the preparation of solvent-cast polyurethane networks (PU) in film form. The Tg of the PUs increased from 40° to 120°C as the Mn of the polyol rose from 1500 to 10,000 daltons. The molecular weight between crosslinks (Mc) of the networks was determined by swelling. An observed decrease in Mc with an increase in Mn was related to the functionality of the system. The strength properties of films prepared from fractionated HPLs were superior to those prepared from nonfractionated HPLs.
Load Tooth Contact Analysis for Double-Crowned Face Gear

In order to further reduce sensitivity to misalignments not only double crowned pinion but also profile and longitudinal geometry modified face gear have been studied. The profile geometry modification were realized by application of rack cutters, and applied parabolic motion of the center of grinding disk for the pinion and face gear longitudinal crowning. Tooth contact analysis (TAC) and Load Tooth contact analysis (LTCA) have been performed to simulate the meshing and contact of double-crowned face gear driver. The further avoidance of edge contact in presence of big magnitude misalignment was illustrated with numerical examples.
Supercritical fluid solid chromatography using novel porous glassy carbon. Evaluation of retention mechanisms

The use of a porous glassy carbon (PGC) material as a packed-column SFC stationary phase has been previously demonstrated [1]. The material is further characterized in terms of its retention characteristics. The effects of variations in mobile phase composition, pressure, and temperature conditions are evaluated. Variation of temperature and pressure yielded expected results, specifically, decreased solute capacity factors with increased mobile phase density. The choice of supercritical fluid mobile phase allows the most notable control of solute retention; this was evaluated by adding low percentages of organic modifiers of varying molecular weights to the supercritical carbon dioxide mobile phase. PGC-SFC provides reversed phase characteristics similar to those found for PGC-HPLC. Porous glassy carbon has selectivity characteristics previously unavailable in supercritical fluid chromatography. Use of porous glassy carbon in supercritical fluid chromatography may provide distinct advantages in difficult analytical separations, allowing separations of molecules with only slight structural differences.
Education for Engineers in Bio-Medical Research

Current bio-medical research is not only more demanding instrumentally, but inquires into biological phenomena which are far more complex physically and chemically than twenty years ago. It results that the instrumental requirements for significant observations are often misinterpreted by biologists because of inadequate concepts of the systems involved. Consequently, the engineer himself must understand the bio-systems and the design of the experiment to assess the adequacy of instrumentation and interpretation of readings. So complex are most bio-systems that this, in general, requires the most advanced engineering concepts. Education in engineering with some physiology to the master's level may yield adequate technical results, but does not produce or earn a satisfactory scientific relationship. For this a much higher scientific competence is needed in engineering, in biological understanding and in the interdisciplinary area. The latter is the special application of engineering science to bio-systems: a body of knowledge still barely begun, but rapidly growing. Discussed herein is the nature of such engineering, biological and interdisciplinary training, which should lead to a satisfying career as an engineering scientist in bio-medical research. For good reasons, this is seen as a collaborative relation.
Population dynamics and potential management of bowfin (Amia calva) in the upper Mississippi River

Summary Bowfin Amia calva are a common species throughout the Mississippi River basin. Although they are generally regarded as a ‘rough’ fish by management agencies and anglers, commercial harvest for their roe has increased in the upper Mississippi River (UMR) basin. Unfortunately, bowfin population dynamics have not received extensive study, resulting in a lack of information that can be used to guide management efforts, particularly in the UMR. The purpose of this study was to investigate the age structure, growth, and reproductive ecology (e.g. age at maturity, fecundity) of bowfin in Pools 11 and 13 of the UMR during the spring of 2007. 118 bowfin from Pool 11 and 138 bowfin from Pool 13 were sampled using modified fyke nets and electrofishing. Size structure, age structure, and growth were similar and sex ratios were near 1:1 in both pools. Female bowfin matured at age 3 and had gonadosomatic index (GSI) values around 9; male bowfin matured at age 2 and had GSI values near 1. Total annual mortality of age-4 and older fish was around 35% for both populations. In both pools, rates of total annual mortality of males were approximately 10% higher than those of females. Growth overfishing occurred in a simulated population with a 500-mm minimum length limit. Recruitment overfishing occurred with 500-mm, 559-mm, and 584-mm limits at moderate to high levels of exploitation; a 635-mm minimum prevented recruitment overfishing at all levels of exploitation.
Large Pineal Meningioma Causing Loss of Vision in a Teenager

Pineal tumors are rare, especially meningiomas. We report an 18-year old patient who presented with headaches, vision problems, walking difficulty, and drowsiness, who had a large pineal tumor that was resected. The tumor was a meningioma, WHO grade one. After surgery, the patient’s vision did not significantly improve except for some peripheral vision. doi:10.4021/jmc2010.07.111e
Charge Trapping in Bright and Dark States of Coupled PbS Quantum Dot Films

Analysis of photoluminescence (PL) from chemically treated lead sulfide (PbS) quantum dot (QD) films versus temperature reveals the effects of QD size and ligand binding on the motion of carriers between bright and dark trap states. For strongly coupled QDs, the PL exhibits temperature-dependent quenching and shifting consistent with charges residing in a shallow exponential tail of quasi-localized states below the band gap. The depth of the tail varies from 15 to 40 meV, similar to or smaller than exponential band tail widths measured for polycrystalline Si. The trap state distribution can be manipulated with QD size and surface treatment, and its characterization should provide a clearer picture of charge separation and percolation in disordered QD films than what currently exists.
Quantification of area at risk during coronary occlusion and reperfusion by means of MR perfusion imaging.

Purpose: Considerable clinical interest has focused on the size of ischemic myocardium. Fast MR imaging in conjunction with MR contrast media has the potential to identify hypoperfused and infarcte...
Structure and reactions of a thiazolino[3,2‐a]pyrimidine carbinolamine

Ethyl 4-chloroacetoacetate condenses with 4-amino-6-hydroxy-2-pyrimidinethiol to yield ethyl 3-hydroxy-5-oxo-7-aminothiazolino[3,2-a]pyrimidin-3-acetate (3), and not ethyl 3-hydroxy-5-amino-7-oxothiazolino[3,2-a]-pyrimidin-3-acetate, as previously reported. This compound reacts with ammonia to produce ethyl 4-(6′-amino-4′-oxo-2′-pyrimidinethiol)-3-aminocrotonate (8), the open chain structure of which accounts for the cyclization of 3 to the poly-cyclic lactam, 6a-hydroxy-5,6,6a,7-tetrahydro-8-thia-1,4-diazacycl[3.3.2]azine-2,5-dione, rather than the sterically more favorable lactone, when 3 was treated with triethylamine. Some other reactions of 3 are described, and the structures of 3 and 8 were comfirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.
Ten Years Later: A Follow-Up Study of Professors Still Working After Age 70

Little is known about the impact of the end of mandatory retirement on professors over the long term. This follow-up study investigated the ten-year experience of professors who chose not to retire from a major research university after the elimination of the age 70 mandatory retirement in 1994. The initial interview study was conducted in 1998 (Dorfman, 2000, 2002). All surviving professors (n = 13; age 80–84) agreed to be reinterviewed in 2007. The study investigated major reasons for continuing to work or retire, professional and nonprofessional activities, perceptions of departmental and institutional atmosphere and student and faculty attitudes toward older faculty, and preparation and plans for retirement. Content analysis of the tape-recorded open-ended questions revealed that employed professors continued to work mainly because they enjoyed it. Retired professors retired mainly because of age or felt it was time to retire. Retired professors as well as their employed counterparts continued profess...
A proof of the Vose-Liepins conjecture

A key result sufficient for the asymptotic stability of the mixing operator in infinite population genetic algorithms depended upon a conjecture. While empirical results supported the conjecture, no proof has been heretofore obtained. In this paper we supply a proof of the conjecture. In so doing, we obtain properties useful for the study of genetic algorithms.
Prevalence of health-related behaviors among alternative high school students as compared with students attending regular high schools

Purpose: To provide national data on health-risk behaviors of students attending alternative high schools and compare the prevalence of these risk behaviors with data from the 1997 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Methods: The national Youth Risk Behavior Survey uses a three-stage cluster sampling design. Data were collected from 8918 students in alternative high schools in 1998 (ALT-YRBS) and 16,262 students in regular high schools in 1997 (YRBS). The health-risk behaviors addressed include behaviors that contribute to unintentional injuries and violence, tobacco use, alcohol and other drug use, sexual behaviors, unhealthy dietary behaviors, and physical inactivity. A weighing factor was applied to each student record to adjust for nonresponse and varying probabilities of selection. SUDAAN was used to compute 95% confidence intervals, which were considered significant if the 95% confidence intervals did not overlap. Results: Students attending alternative high schools were at significantly greater risk than students in regular high schools for violence-related injury; suicide; human immunodeficiency virus infection or other sexually transmitted diseases; pregnancy; and development of chronic disease related to tobacco use, unhealthy dieting practices, and lack of vigorous activity. Conclusions: Many students in alternative high schools are at risk for both acute and chronic health problems. Because these youth are still in a school setting, alternative high schools are in a unique position to provide programs to help decrease the prevalence of risk-taking behaviors.
An Evaluation of the Early Pharmacodynamic Response After Simultaneous Initiation of Warfarin and Amiodarone

Amiodarone inhibits the metabolism of warfarin. Previous studies characterizing this drug interaction have focused on the effect of adding amiodarone to stable doses of warfarin. The objective of this study was to assess whether simultaneous initiation of warfarin and amiodarone results in early alteration of the international normalized ratio (INR) response to warfarin. Patients initiated on warfarin and amiodarone during the same hospitalization were included in the amiodarone (AMIO) group. Patients initiated on warfarin alone (n = 42) were identified for the CONTROL group. The AMIO and CONTROL groups were matched based on age, gender, and ejection fraction <40% using propensity score matching (final n = 18 patients per group). Total and average daily warfarin dose was lower in the AMIO group, yet INR values were similar on each day between the 2 groups. More patients in the AMIO group had an INR greater than 2 during the 5-day observation period as compared to the CONTROL group. In addition, there were trends toward greater deviation from INR values expected with a 5-mg daily warfarin dose among AMIO group patients. Simultaneous initiation of warfarin and amiodarone leads to an enhanced pharmacodynamic response to warfarin early in therapy. Although these data should be viewed as hypothesis generating, cautious dosing and monitoring with simultaneous initiation of warfarin and amiodarone may be warranted.
The Pediatric Pharmacology Research Unit (PPRU) Network and its role in meeting pediatric labeling needs.

This meeting marks a milestone in the quest for solutions to the phenomenon referred to by Harry Shirkey in this country 3 decades ago as the problem of the therapeutic orphan.1 I know that the European colleagues who have come to share their knowledge and experience have long concerned themselves with ways of overcoming this same phenomenon in their respective countries. The person who has been attacking this issue for the longest time in the United States is Sumner Yaffe, the progenitor of this meeting and the man responsible for the development of the Network of Pediatric Pharmacology Research Units (PPRU) from his position as director of the Center for Research on Mothers and Children of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Iam indebted to Sumner for the opportunity to chair the PPRU Network Steering Committee and to Jeffrey L. Blumer, the principal investigator (PI) at the Cleveland PPRU site for planning today's watershed event. There have been numerous reasons given by pharmaceutics manufacturers over the years for their failure to sponsor tests that would provide data sufficient to result in approved labeling for pediatric use when new drugs were introduced (for the purposes of this talk, I'll speak to the issues that we face in the United States only, but I recognize that similar issues exist in virtually every country represented at this conference). The advances made in several spheres of endeavor and the creation of the PPRU Network have primarily eliminated virtually all the arguments that have been used over the years to avoid the development of labeling for the use of most drugs for pediatric indications. The most commonly used excuses for failure to provide the results of pediatric studies for labeling of new drugs, or for new pediatric indications for …
Evaluation of physiological staining, cryoembedding and autofluorescence quenching techniques on fouling biofilms

Physiological staining, cryoembedding, cryosectioning and autoftuorescence quenching techniques were evaluated for their applicability to undefined mixed population biofilms collected from environmental or engineered systems. Four different biofilms from two cooling towers, a paper mill machine and the effluent ditch of a wastewater treatment plant were tested. The redox dye 5‐cyano‐2,3‐ditolyl tetrazolium chloride (CTC) was used in combination with the DNA stain 4’,6‐diamino‐2‐phenylindole (DAPI) to distinguish respiring and nonrespiring cells. Positive CTC staining, as evidenced by the development of pink or red color, was successful in all samples examined except for paper mill biofilm. The structural integrity of frozen sections deteriorated when biofilms contained rigid or fibrous material. Autofluorescence generally impaired the ability to distinguish specific staining from natural background fluorescence. Two physical and three chemical methods were tested to quench autofluorescence. Quenching with...
Copper (I) oxide powder generation by spray pyrolysis

Copper oxide powders were prepared by the spray pyrolysis of copper nitrate solutions over a range of temperatures (400–1300 °C) and residence times (3–7 s). Phase-pure [by x-ray diffraction (XRD)] copper (I) oxide was obtained at 800–1300 °C in an inert (nitrogen) atmosphere. The particles varied from smooth, solid spheres at 1300 °C to irregularly shaped and hollow particles at 800 °C with dense particles of Cu2O being made only at 1000 °C or higher. The particles were polycrystalline with an average crystallite size of 42 nm at 800 °C, while at 1000–1200 °C, the particles were single crystals. Spray pyrolysis in forming gas (7% H2–N2) atmosphere at 500–700 °C gave Cu while spray pyrolysis in air yielded CuO over 800–1000 °C and a mixture of Cu2O/CuO at 1200 °C. These results show that solid, phase-pure Cu2O particles can be produced by aerosol-phase densification at temperatures below its melting point (1235 °C).
Un poeta a gusto con su destino

Palabras escuchadas en un cafe de barrio. Rafael del Castillo. Universidad Externado de Colombia, Coleccion Un libro por centavos, num. 17, Bogota, 2005, 69 pag.
When dermatology meets gastroenterology: a case of odynophagia

A 60-year-old woman with a long standing history of cutaneous pemphigus vulgaris (PV), was admitted to our hospital complaining of progressive dysphagia and odynophagia to both liquids and solids over a 2-month duration. Patient suffered from limited oral caloric intake and a 30-pound weight loss. Current medication included oral Prednisone and recently started Azathioprine. On physical examination, she had multiple denuded hyperaemic lesions involving soft palate, gingiva, uvula, and oropharynx. Numerous hyperpigmented cutaneous macules …
Culture-independent analysis of the soil bacterial assemblage at the Great Salt Plains of Oklahoma

The Great Salt Plains (GSP) of Oklahoma is a natural inland terrestrial hypersaline environment that forms evaporite crusts of mainly NaCl. Previous work described GSP bacterial assemblages through the phylogenetic and phenetic characterization of 105 isolates from 46 phylotypes. The current report describes the same bacterial assemblages through culture-independent 16S rRNA gene clone libraries. Although from similar hypersaline mud flats, the bacterial libraries from two sites, WP3 and WP6, were quite different. The WP3 library was dominated by cyanobacteria, mainly Cyanothece and Euhalothece. The WP6 library was rich in anaerobic sulfur-cycle organisms, including abundant Desulfuromonas. This pattern likely reflects differences in abiotic factors, such as frequency of flooding and hydrologic push. While more than 100 OTUs were identified, the assemblages were not as diverse, based on Shannon indexes, as bacterial communities from oligohaline soils. Since natural inland hypersaline soils are relatively unstudied, it was not clear what kind of bacteria would be present. The bacterial assemblage is predominantly genera typically found in hypersaline systems, although some were relatives of microbes common in oligohaline and marine environments. The bacterial clones did not reflect wide functional diversity, beyond phototrophs, sulfur metabolizers, and numerous heterotrophs.
Protective effects of glutathione on bromodichloromethane in vivo toxicity and in vitro macromolecular binding in Fischer 344 rats.

Bromodichloromethane (BDCM), a carcinogenic water disinfection by-product, has been shown to be metabolized to intermediates that covalently bind to lipids and proteins, and this binding has been associated with trihalomethane-induced renal and hepatic toxicity. In this study, the effects of glutathione (CSH) on in vivo BDCM toxicity and in vitro BDCM macromolecular binding were evaluated. The in vivo toxicity of BDCM in animals pretreated with buthionine sulfoximine (BSO, a glutathione synthesis inhibitor) and in untreated male Fischer 344 rats was investigated. In another experiment, covalent binding to protein and lipid was quantified after [14C]BDCM was incubated with hepatic microsomal and S9 fractions and renal microsomes from F344 rats, under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, with and without added CSH. After oral dosing with BDCM, the BSO-pretreated animals had greatly increased levels of serum indicators of hepatotoxicity and serum and urinary indicators of nephrotoxicity compared to those in ani...
Impaired Associative Inference in Patients With Schizophrenia

The ability to learn, store, and retrieve information about relationships is impaired in schizophrenia. Here, we tested 38 control and 61 schizophrenia subjects for their ability to identify the novel pairing of stimuli, based on associations learned during training. Subjects were trained on 3 sets of paired associates: 30 face-house pairs (H-F1), 30 face-house pairs (H-F2, same house with new face), and 30 face-face pairs (F3-F4). After training, participants were tested on the 3 explicitly trained pair types, as well as 30 new face-face pairs (F1-F2), which could only be linked together via the same house during the H-F1/H-F2 training blocks. Of 99 subjects tested, 37 patients with schizophrenia and 36 age-matched healthy control subjects learned the premise pairs and performed the relational memory test. Healthy control subjects were significantly more accurate in identifying the inferential (F1-F2) pairs than the noninferential (F3-F4) pairs. In contrast, schizophrenia patients were equally accurate on inferential and noninferential pairs, providing evidence for a relational memory deficit in schizophrenia. However, the current version of the associative inference paradigm, suggested by the Cognitive Neuroscience Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia initiative, has limited feasibility, calling into question the generalizability of the findings for the larger schizophrenia population.
Characterization of a new xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase (XTH) from ripening tomato fruit and implications for the diverse modes of enzymic action

Xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolases (XTHs) are cell wall-modifying enzymes that align within three or four distinct phylogenetic subgroups. One explanation for this grouping is association with different enzymic modes of action, as XTHs can have xyloglucan endotransglucosylase (XET) or endohydrolase (XEH) activities. While Group 1 and 2 XTHs predominantly exhibit XET activity, to date the activity of only one member of Group 3 has been reported: nasturtium TmXH1, which has a highly specialized function and hydrolyses seed-storage xyloglucan rather than modifying cell wall structure. Tomato fruit ripening was selected as a model to test the hypothesis that preferential XEH activity might be a defining characteristic of Group 3 XTHs, which would be expressed during processes where net xyloglucan depolymerization occurs. Database searches identified 25 tomato XTHs, and one gene (SlXTH5) was of particular interest as it aligned within Group 3 and was expressed abundantly during ripening. Recombinant SlXTH5 protein acted primarily as a transglucosylase in vitro and depolymerized xyloglucan more rapidly in the presence than in the absence of xyloglucan oligosaccharides (XGOs), indicative of XET activity. Thus, there is no correlation between the XTH phylogenetic grouping and the preferential enzymic activities (XET or XEH) of the proteins in those groups. Similar analyses of SlXTH2, a Group 2 tomato XTH, and nasturtium seed TmXTH1 revealed a spectrum of modes of action, suggesting that all XTHs have the capacity to function in both modes. The biomechanical properties of plant walls were unaffected by incubation with SlXTH5, with or without XGOs, suggesting that XTHs do not represent primary cell wall-loosening agents. The possible roles of SlXTH5 in vivo are discussed.
Involving Parents of High-Risk Youth in Drug Prevention: A Three-Year Longitudinal Study in Boys & Girls Clubs

The study evaluated the incremental effect of a 3-year drug prevention program for high-risk early adolescents, combined with monthly youth activities and parent involvement (Family Advocacy Network [FAN] Club group) relative to: (a) the 3-year drug prevention program with monthly youth activities but without parent involvement (Prevention Plus Youth Activities group), (b) the 3-year drug prevention program alone (Prevention Only group), and (c) no program (Control group). Results showed positive effects for the FAN Club group for alcohol refusal, marijuana refusal cigarette refusal and marijuana attitudes. The Prevention Plus Youth Activities group and the Prevention Only group held fairly constant on those four variables. The Control group showed a decrease in reported ability to refuse alcohol, marijuana, and cigarettes; an increase in favorable attitudes toward marijuana use; and the least knwledge of the groups. Implications for youth organization prevention programs with parent involvement are discussed
Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Type I Diabetes Mellitus: Comparison to Presence of Incipient Nephropathy in Adolescents and Young Adults

AMBP measurements were obtained at 20-min intervals during the day and at 60-min intervals during the night in 38 adolescents and young adults (12–25 yr old) with type I diabetes, and in 36 healthy, nondiabetic control subjects of comparable age. The group of patients with elevated AER (>15 μg/min) had higher mean 24-h sBP, dBP, and BPB (defined as the prevalence of systolic readings >130 mm Hg or diastolic readings >85 mm Hg) compared with both the group of patients with type I diabetes and AER 15 was not statistically significant. Elevations in AMBP of the patient group with AER>15 were reflected in random BP measurements. Even though the mean random BP measurements of all groups were within the normal range for age, the mean random sBP and dBP of the type I diabetes patients with AER>15 was higher than both the control group and the group with type I diabetes and AER 99 Tc-DTPA, was associated negatively with measures of AMBP and AER in the group with AER>15. The mean 24-h sAMBP, dAMBP, and BPB of the type I diabetes patients with AER 15. AMBP measurement may be useful in monitoring interventions designed to prevent or delay the development of diabetic nephropathy .
A method for randomly generating capacitated networks

A description is given of an approach for randomly generating capacitated (s,t)-networks of 10 nodes or more. A generator program written in BASIC demonstrates the approach. The results of run time experiments conducted with the generator for various network sizes are also presented. The generator, which can produce large networks very quickly, is designed for use with capacitated network optimization models. >
More on Estimating Catchment Productivity in the Valley of Mexico

from the edge of the site; in other words, the total radius of the initial circle was equal to the settlement radius plus the constant catchment radius. This method, they argue, automatically gives larger sites larger catchments, thereby ensuring that a positive relationship between site size and catchment productivity will be found. They attempt to prove that my results are spurious by computing partial correlations; their claim is that if the differences in settlement radius are controlled for, the residual correlation between site size and catchment productivity drops to zero. This argument is beset with serious problems, not the least of which is that the partial correlations presented by Finsten et al. are statistically meaningless. Note that site size and site radius are not independently measured variables; rather, the value of the latter is always calculated directly from the former by means of a simple algebraic equation (Steponaitis 1981: 335; see equation 4 below). This lack of logical independence violates the basic assumptions of regression and partial correlation analysis, since the "control" variable is merely a transformed version of one of the variables being correlated. In effect, they have computed the partial correlation between productivity and size, controlling for size. The only reason they were able to obtain a value for the coefficient at all is that the