cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Femtosecond subsurface photodisruption in scattering human tissues using long infrared wavelengths

Approximately 5 million people worldwide are blind due to complications from glaucoma, and an estimated 105 million have the disease. Current surgical techniques often fail due to scarring that is associated with disruption of the ocular surface tissues using conventional surgical methods. Demonstrated in the transparent cornea, femtosecond lasers can create a highly precise incision beneath the surface of a tissue. Since sclera is highly scattering with one micron light, the same wavelength used in cornea cannot be focused to the small spot necessary for photodisruption far beneath the surface of sclera. We now demonstrate completely subsurface incisions in human sclera by selecting a laser wavelength that is focusable beneath the surface, namely 1700 nm. Similar techniques may be used in other translucent tissues such as skin. Subsurface femtosecond photodisruption may be a useful for in vivo surgical technique to perform a completely subsurface surgery.
Assessing the potential of a “color effect” for hair analysis of 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol: Analysis of a large sample of hair specimens

Abstract It has been hypothesized that hair color may play a role in the concentration of various drugs of abuse in hair. Several studies have shown that melanin in hair appears to play a binding role for at least some commonly abused drugs. However, these studies have been limited by a number of factors when assessing the clinical significance of a hypothesized melanin or color effect. This study evaluates the possible effect of hair color on the concentration of 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (c-THC) in human hair. The analysis is based on 3,886 positive c-THC hair specimens drawn from a universe of approximately 80,000 specimens of scalp hair harvested from the posterior vertex of the head. Analysis of variance of color categorization by c-THC concentration shows that c-THC concentration does not have a significant association with hair color (Hair Color F = 1.148, p = .332) and therefore does not have a demonstrable “color effect”.
Strong Lewis Acid−Lewis Base Interactions between Supercritical Carbon Dioxide and Carboxylic Acids: Effects on Self-association

The equilibrium constants for dimerization of three different carboxylic acids in near-critical and supercritical carbon dioxide and ethane at various temperatures and densities are presented. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to determine the equilibrium constants by examining the CO stretching frequencies of the monomer and dimer of the acids in solution. The equilibrium constants for formic acid, propionic acid, and trifluoroacetic acid decrease with temperature for both ethane and CO2 solvents and strongly depend on CO2 solvent density. The modified lattice fluid hydrogen-bonding (MLFHB) model was used to interpret this density dependence of the equilibrium constants. The density dependence provides evidence for specific solvent−solute interactions between CO2 and the carboxylic acid functional group, which is attributed to strong Lewis acid−Lewis base interactions. Since carboxylic acids contain both a Lewis acid and a Lewis base moiety, the examination of a strong acid such as trifluo...
Scattering from loaded grooves

Electromagnetic scattering from a two-dimensional groove recessed in an arbitrarily thick conducting screen is studied. The groove may be empty or loaded with a lossy material which may or may not completely fill the cavity. For the partially loaded groove, the filling material is assumed electrically dense so that the standard impedance boundary condition is applicable at the top surface of the material. Employing a full-wave analysis, integral equations are derived for the tangential components of the electric field over the aperture. It is shown that the equations are identical for both partially loaded and completely loaded (or empty) cases provided that the aperture admittance of the groove is treated as the equivalent admittance of the internal medium looking into the aperture, thus simplifying the integral equations. When the groove is completely filled by a dense material, the formulation reduces to that corresponding to a direct application of the impedance boundary condition over the aperture.
Enhanced mortality from perfluorocarbon administration in a rat model of kerosene aspiration.

Background: Aspiration of low-viscosity hydrocarbons may lead to fulminant pneumonitis and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Animal and human studies suggest that partial liquid ventilation with perfluorocarbon improves gas exchange and pulmonary function in acute respiratory failure. The objective of this investigation was to determine the effect of intratracheal perfluorocarbon administration and a brief period of partial liquid ventilation on survival in a rat model of severe hydrocarbon aspiration. Methods: Two randomized, nonblinded, controlled experiments were performed. First, male Wistar rats (n = 12) were given 0.3 mL/kg kerosene via direct intratracheal instillation and after 5 minutes were randomized to partial liquid ventilation or standard gas ventilation (control) groups. Partial liquid ventilation rats (n = 6) received 20 mL/kg of pre-oxygenated FC-77 intratracheally and positive–pressure gas ventilation (FiO2 = 1.0),and control rats (n = 6) received positive-pressure gas ventilation alo...
TCF7L2 and Glucose Metabolism: Time to Look Beyond the Pancreas

Noncoding genetic variation in the locus encoding for the Wnt signaling effector TCF7L2 remains the strongest genetic determinant of type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk in humans. This association raises the hypothesis that disease variants alter the quantitative, spatial, and/or temporal expression patterns of this gene. Understanding the mechanisms by which TCF7L2 and Wnt signaling regulate glucose metabolism may reveal novel insights into the pathogenesis of T2D, as well as highlight cellular and genetic pathways amenable to becoming novel therapeutic targets. Therefore, a large body of work has emerged over the past 4 years describing previously unknown glucose metabolism roles of TCF7L2. Curiously, most of this work has focused on TCF7L2 actions in pancreatic β-cells, despite evidence that canonical Wnt signaling is not active in adult β-cells (1). The extensive evaluation of TCF7L2 actions or Wnt signaling effects in β-cells have resulted in contradictory findings at the molecular (2,3), cellular (1,4), and whole-animal physiology levels (5–7). Particularly difficult to reconcile is the incongruence of data showing that the presumed diabetogenic effects of TCF7L2 in β-cells, such as a blunted glucose-stimulated insulin secretion response, arises from reducing TCF7L2 expression (3,8). In contrast, evidence from human genetics and genomics studies suggests the risk alleles associated with T2D lead to increased expression of TCF7L2 (2,9–11), a notion recently confirmed by mouse models harboring germline null alleles …
Outcomes from sudden cardiac arrest in US high schools: a 2-year prospective study from the National Registry for AED Use in Sports

Background Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of death in athletes during exercise. The effectiveness of school-based automated external defibrillator (AED) programmes has not been established through a prospective study. Methods A total of 2149 high schools participated in a prospective observational study beginning 1 August 2009, through 31 July 2011. Schools were contacted quarterly and reported all cases of SCA. Of these 95% of schools confirmed their participation for the entire 2-year study period. Cases of SCA were reviewed to confirm the details of the resuscitation. The primary outcome was survival to hospital discharge. Results School-based AED programmes were present in 87% of participating schools and in all but one of the schools reporting a case of SCA. Fifty nine cases of SCA were confirmed during the study period including 26 (44%) cases in students and 33 (56%) in adults; 39 (66%) cases occurred at an athletic facility during training or competition; 55 (93%) cases were witnessed and 54 (92%) received prompt cardiopulmonary resuscitation. A defibrillator was applied in 50 (85%) cases and a shock delivered onsite in 39 (66%). Overall, 42 of 59 (71%) SCA victims survived to hospital discharge, including 22 of 26 (85%) students and 20 of 33 (61%) adults. Of 18 student-athletes 16 (89%) and 8 of 9 (89%) adults who arrested during physical activity survived to hospital discharge. Conclusions High school AED programmes demonstrate a high survival rate for students and adults who suffer SCA on school campus. School-based AED programmes are strongly encouraged.
Clustering and mapping related news about violence events on their time-lines

Keeping track of news stories and events as they progress can be a tedious job, but as every day routine most of the web users read and follow many stories and events in news. If an analyst in her area has to follow and map all these according to the time-line they happen, the task quickly becomes overwhelming. We present an online tool which attempts to ease the analyst's task of finding all news articles about an event, and sorting and mapping them on a time-line. We implemented an incremental clustering algorithm working on real-time incoming news, experimenting with different feature sets, including named entities and sentence overlap methods. We evaluated these approaches using Document Understand Conference (DUC) datasets.
Tyrosine phosphorylation of the Kv1.3 potassium channel

Kv1.3, a voltage-dependent potassium channel cloned from mammalian brain and T lymphocytes, contains multiple tyrosine residues that are putative targets for tyrosine kinases. We have examined the tyrosine phosphorylation of Kv1.3, expressed transiently in human embryonic kidney (or HEK) 293 cells, by endogenous and coexpressed tyrosine kinases. Tyrosine phosphorylation is measured by a strategy of immunoprecipitation followed by. Western blot analysis, using antibodies that specifically recognize Kv1.3 and phosphotyrosine. Coexpression of the constitutively active tyrosine kinase v-src, together with Kv1.3, causes a large increase in the tyrosine phosphorylation of the channel protein. This phosphorylation of Kv1.3 can be reversed by treatment with alkaline phosphatase before Western blot analysis. Coexpression with a receptor tyrosine kinase, the human epidermal growth factor receptor, also causes an increase in tyrosine phosphorylation of Kv1.3. The effects of endogenous tyrosine kinases were examined by treating Kv1.3-transfected cells with the specific membrane-permeant tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor pervanadate. Pervanadate treatment causes a time- and concentration-dependent increase in the tyrosine phosphorylation of Kv1.3. This increased tyrosine phosphorylation of Kv1.3 is accompanied by a time-dependent decrease in Kv1.3 current, measured by patch-clamp analysis with cell-attached membrane patches. The pervanadate-induced suppression of current and much of the channel tyrosine phosphorylation are eliminated by mutation of a specific tyrosine residue, at position 449 of Kv1.3, to phenylalanine. Thus, there is a continual phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of Kv1.3 by endogenous kinases and phosphatases, and perturbation of this constitutive phosphorylation/dephosphorylation cycle can profoundly influence channel activity.
Does Training Matter? Evidence from Performance Management Reforms

Training is much discussed but rarely studied in public management. Using multiple waves of survey data, the authors examine the effects of training on the implementation of performance management reforms in the U.S. federal government, asking whether those exposed to training are more likely to use performance data and strategic goals when making decisions. Training is positively associated with reform implementation, but there is little evidence that this association can be explained by the development of specific capacities to overcome performance management challenges. The findings offer two implications for the practice and study of training. The authors propose that training is likely to succeed if it is designed and funded to close specific capacity gaps needed for successful reform implementation. However, it is also necessary to better understand alternative causal mechanisms by which training facilitates reform implementation, such as explaining and justifying reforms. Practitioner Points Training can facilitate the implementation of new policies by providing information about the policies, justifying why they are needed, and giving employees the capacity to put the new policies in place. Using training to build specific employee capacities is more complex, resource intensive, and rare than using training to provide information and justify reforms. Effective training in government requires not just more resources but also better understanding of the specific capacities needed and how to create them—research can help by identifying the most significant capacity gaps in policy implementation.
Detecting nuclear materials smuggling: using radiography to improve container inspection policies

This paper proposes a layered container inspection system for detecting illicit nuclear materials using radiography information. We argue that the current inspection system, relying heavily on the Automated Targeting System (ATS) and passive radiation detectors, is inherently incapable of reliably detecting shielded radioactive materials, especially highly enriched uranium (HEU). This motivates the development of a new inspection system, which is designed to address a fundamental flaw of the ATS-based system, allowing for improved defense against sophisticated adversaries. In the proposed inspection system, all cargo containers go through x-ray imaging equipment first. From the x-ray image, a hardness measure of the container is computed. This hardness measure characterizes how likely it is that shielded HEU, if it does exist in the container, will not be detected in a subsequent passive detection step. Depending on the value of the hardness, the lower-hardness containers are sent to passive detection and the high-hardness containers are sent directly to active detection. This paper explores the trade-off between the detection probability of the new inspection system and the expected sojourn time a container spends in the system. The solution details and decision-making tools for using such a system are provided. Comparisons are made between the proposed system and the current ATS-based nuclear inspection system.
Major carbohydrate structures at five glycosylation sites on murine IgM determined by high resolution 1H-NMR spectroscopy

Abstract Mouse myeloma immunoglobulin IgM heavy chains were cleaved with cyanogen bromide into nine peptide fragments, four of which contain asparagine-linked glycosylation. Three glycopeptides contain a single site, including Asn 171, 402, and 563 in the intact heavy chain. Another glycopeptide contains two sites at Asn 332 and 364. The carbohydrate containing fragments were treated with Pronase and fractionated by elution through Bio-Gel P-6. The major glycopeptides from each site were analyzed by 500 MHz 1H-NMR and the carbohydrate compositions determined by gas-liquid chromatography. The oligosaccharide located at Asn 171 is a biantennary complex and is highly sialylated. The amount of sialic acid varies, and some oligosaccharides contain α1,3-galactose linked to the terminal β1,4-galactose. The oligosaccharides at Asn 332, Asn 364, and Asn 402 are all triantennary and are nearly completely sialylated on two branches and partially sialylated on the triantennary branch linked β1,4 to the core mannose. The latter is sialylated about 40% of the time for all three glycosylation sites. The major oligosaccharide located at Asn 563 is of the high mannose type. The 1H-NMR determination of structures at Asn 563 suggests that the high mannose oligosaccharide contains only three mannose residues.
Soft active aggregates: mechanics, dynamics and self-assembly of liquid-like intracellular protein bodies

Intracellular bodies consisting of dynamic aggregates of concentrated proteins and often RNA are a ubiquitous feature of the cytoplasm and nucleus of living cells. Dozens of different types of protein bodies are involved in diverse physiological processes including ribosome biogenesis, RNA splicing, and cell division. Unlike conventional organelles, they are not defined by an enclosing membrane. Instead, these bodies represent dynamic patterns of locally concentrated macromolecules which turn over on timescales of seconds. Here we discuss recent findings suggesting that intracellular protein bodies are active liquid-like drops that self-assemble within an intrinsically structured cytoplasm.
SUBJECT-DEPENDENT CO-OCCURRENCE AND WORD SENSE DISAMBIGUATION

We describe a method for obtaining subject-dependent word sets relative to some (subject) domain. Using the subject classifications given in the machine-redable version of Longman's Dictionary of Contemporary English, we established subject-dependent co-occurrence links between words of the defining vocabulary to construct these "neighborhoods". Here, we describe the application of these neighborhoods to information retrieval, and present a method of word sense disambiguation based on these co-occurrences, an extension of previous work.
A COMPARISON OF THE BILATERAL FILTERAND TV-NORM MINIMIZATION FOR IMAGE DENOISING

In this paper we compare two non-linear filters: the bilateral filter (BF) and total variation norm (TV-Norm) minimization. Bilateral filter preserves edges while removing noise by means of non-linear combination of domain and range filters. TV-Norm minimization technique minimizes the total-variation of the input image subject to constraints. We use Mean squared error estimation and L1-norm to evaluate the performance of the two filters. Bilateral filters with different spatial windows and TV-Norm minimization are applied to 2D brain images with different levels of noise. The effect of the parameters and spatial window size on bilateral filter and performance of these two filters with respect to edge preservation is observed
In Vitro Organogenesis of Liver Tissuea

The high metabolic rate of hepatocytes severely limits the mass of cells which can be transplanted without a vascular supply. We are developing an alternative approach in which vascularized tissue is grown ex vivo for anastamosis into the portal vein. Here, we discuss the key design issues for in vitro organogenesis of vascularized hepatic tissue, describe a fabrication approach for making complex degradable polymer scaffolds to organize cells in three dimensions on the scale of hundreds of microns, and demonstrate the feasibility of using these scaffolds for in vitro tissue organization in mixed-cell cultures.
Calcium-rich tundra, wildlife, and the "Mammoth Steppe"

Moist calcareous tundra has many ecosystem properties analogous to those of the hypothesized ‘Mammoth Steppea or steppe tundra of glacial Beringia, and today it is an important range land for arctic wildlife. Moist calcium-rich tundras are associated with moderately drained "ne-grained arctic soils with relatively high soil pH. Compared to tussock tundra, moist calcareous tundra has 10 times the extractable Ca in the active layer, half the organic layer thickness, and 30% deeper active layers. The vegetation is less shrubby than that of tussock tundra, has twice the vascular-plant species richness, greater habitat diversity at multiple scales, and contains plants with fewer antiherbivory chemicals and more nutrients (particularly calcium). It has some properties that are unlike the hypothesized steppe tundras, including abundant sedges and a mossy understory. Moist calcium-rich tundra is common north of the acidic shrubby southern tundras and south of the sparsely vegetated polar deserts. Successionally, this tundra type occurs between the present-day dry calcareous dune vegetation and tussock tundra. Thus, at least conceptually, moist calcareous tundra is intermediate between the steppe tundra and tussock tundra and provides insights regarding the transitions from cold arid Beringian ecosystems to present-day moist acidic tundra. ( 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Atherogenic Lipoprotein Phenotype and Diet-Gene Interactions

Studies employing analysis of LDL subclasses have demonstrated heterogeneity of the LDL response to low fat, high carbohydrate diets in healthy nonobese subjects. In individuals with a genetically influenced atherogenic lipoprotein phenotype, characterized by a predominance of small dense LDL (LDL subclass pattern B), lowering of plasma LDL cholesterol levels by diets with < or =24% fat has been found to represent a reduction in numbers of circulating mid-sized and small LDL particles, and hence an expected lowering of cardiovascular disease risk. In contrast, in the majority of healthy individuals with larger LDL (pattern A, found in approximately 70% of men and a larger percentage of women), a significant proportion of the low fat diet-induced reduction in plasma LDL cholesterol is made by depletion of the cholesterol content of LDL particles. This change in LDL composition is accompanied by a shift from larger to smaller LDL particle diameters. Moreover, with progressive reduction of dietary fat and isocaloric substitution of carbohydrate, an increasing number of subjects with pattern A convert to the pattern B phenotype. Studies in families have indicated that susceptibility to induction of pattern B by low fat diets is under genetic influence. Thus, diet-gene interactions affecting LDL subclass patterns may contribute to substantial interindividual variability in the effects of low fat diets on coronary heart disease risk.
Identification of Parametric Variations of Structures Based on Least Squares Estimation and Adaptive Tracking Technique

An important objective of health monitoring systems for civil infrastructures is to identify the state of the structure and to detect the damage when it occurs. System identification and damage detection, based on measured vibration data, have received considerable attention recently. Frequently, the damage of a structure may be reflected by a change of some parameters in structural elements, such as a degradation of the stiffness. Hence it is important to develop data analysis techniques that are capable of detecting the parametric changes of structural elements during a severe event, such as the earthquake. In this paper, we propose a new adaptive tracking technique, based on the least-squares estimation approach, to identify the time-varying structural parameters. In particular, the new technique proposed is capable of tracking the abrupt changes of system parameters from which the event and the severity of the structural damage may be detected. The proposed technique is applied to linear structures, including the Phase I ASCE structural health monitoring benchmark building, and a nonlinear elastic structure to demonstrate its performance and advantages. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed technique is capable of tracking the parametric change of structures due to damages.
Classroom Research for Young Children with Disabilities: Assumptions that Guided the Conduct of Research.

During the past 30 years, substantial research activity generated a great deal of knowledge about teaching young children with disabilities in classrooms. This research was conducted by a large num...
A macro/micro modeling approach to the simulation of cellular manufacturing systems

A bi-level modeling approach to the simulation of cellular manufacturing systems is described. At the plant level, a 'macromodel' simulates the overall production system, modeling the production inventory control system as well as the manufacture of batches of parts and their assembly into end product items. At the manufacturing cell level, a 'micromodel' simulates the processing of batches of parts one-at-a-time over the individual machines in the cell. The micromodel can be animated to graphically depict the behavior of the cell. Although model development in two languages (SLAM-II and SIMAN) is reported, modeling could actually involve a single language or an assortment of languages. >
Association of MicroRNA Expression with Microsatellite Instability Status in Colorectal Adenocarcinoma

MicroRNAs (miRNA), small noncoding RNAs, are potential diagnostic and prognostic markers, as well as therapeutic targets. miRNA profiles of colorectal carcinomas have not been studied extensively in the context of microsatellite instability (MSI) status. We therefore evaluated 55 paired colorectal adenocarcinomas (CRC) and non-neoplastic mucosa samples using a panel of 24 miRNAs selected by literature review and prior studies in our laboratory. Stem-loop reverse transcriptase quantitative (real-time) polymerase chain reaction assays were done on RNA extracted from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue of resection specimens. When miRNA expression was compared with clinicopathologic features and MSI status, eleven miRNAs (miR-183, -31, -20, -25, -92, -93, -17, -135a, -203, -133b, and -223) were over-expressed in CRC relative to mucosa, and nine (miR-192, -215, -26b, -143, -145, -191, -196a, -16, and let-7a) were under-expressed in CRC. Relative expression of miR-92, -223, -155, -196a, -31, and -26b were significantly different among MSI subgroups, and miR-31 and miR-223 were overexpressed in CRC of patients with hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer syndrome (Lynch syndrome). Our findings indicate that miRNA expression in CRC is associated with MSI subgroups, including low MSI and HNPCC-associated cancers, and that miRNAs may have posttranscriptional gene regulatory roles in these MSI subgroups and possible effects on the clinicopathologic and biomarker characteristics.
Craniotomy for Glioma Resection: A Predictive Model

Background Regulatory agencies are standardizing quality metrics on the basis of which surgical procedures will be evaluated. We attempted to create a predictive model of perioperative complications in patients undergoing craniotomies for glioma resection. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study involving patients who underwent craniotomies for glioma resection from 2005–2011 and were registered in the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database. A predictive model for complications was developed and validated. Results Overall, 21,384 patients underwent glioma resection. The respective inpatient postoperative risks were 1.6% for death, 25.8% for discharge to rehabilitation, 4.0% for treated hydrocephalus, 0.7% for cardiac complications, 0.5% for respiratory complications, 0.8% for deep wound infection, 0.6% for deep venous thrombosis (DVT), 3.1% for pulmonary embolus (PE), and 1.3% for acute renal failure (ARF). Predictive models for individual complications were developed on the basis of a logistic regression analysis and subsequently validated in a bootstrapped sample. The models demonstrated good discrimination with areas under the curve (AUC) of 0.71, 0.71, 0.69, 0.71, 0.74, 0.70, 0.73, 0.64, and 0.81 for postoperative risk of death, discharge to rehabilitation, hydrocephalus, cardiac complications, respiratory complications, deep wound infection, DVT, PE, and ARF, respectively. Additionally, the Hosmer-Lemeshow test was used to assess the calibration of all models. Conclusions The presented models can assist in the preoperative estimation of the complication risk for glioma patients and be used as an adjunct for outcome benchmarking in this population.
Algorithms for optimal introduction of redundant logic for timing and area optimization

In this paper we study algorithms for systematically introducing redundant into a circuit for timing and formulations of the optimization problem. First we study a logic-level versions of the problem and show that they are NP-hard, but not in the strong sense. We then propose pseudo-polynomial algorithms for these problems. Second, we introduce a layout level problem formulation in which selection of fanout trees is constrained by physical locations of sink pins. For this version of the problem we formalize this constraint by imposing a sink ordering and propose an efficient algorithm based on shortest paths computations in a directed graph derived from the problem instance.
On the use of probabilistic envelope processes in resource allocation

Recent experimental studies have shown that several traffic classes exhibit higher variability than the one captured by currently used traffic models. As a result of this, more flexible models based on /spl alpha/-stable stochastic processes have been proposed. They have been satisfactorily justified and proven to capture different levels of long-range dependence and variability. An important application of traffic models is to determine the magnitude of the network resource required to support data transfer with quality of service guarantees. To this end, some probabilistic envelope processes have been defined for earlier models. We generalize this concept to the /spl alpha/-stable case and describe some applications in the context of resource allocation. We also show that envelope processes help to understand the sharp difference in performance between theoretical queuing models with /spl alpha/-stable input and their real-life counterparts.
Testing the accuracy of an observation-based classifier for rapid detection of autism risk

Current approaches for diagnosing autism have high diagnostic validity but are time consuming and can contribute to delays in arriving at an official diagnosis. In a pilot study, we used machine learning to derive a classifier that represented a 72% reduction in length from the gold-standard Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Generic (ADOS-G), while retaining >97% statistical accuracy. The pilot study focused on a relatively small sample of children with and without autism. The present study sought to further test the accuracy of the classifier (termed the observation-based classifier (OBC)) on an independent sample of 2616 children scored using ADOS from five data repositories and including both spectrum (n=2333) and non-spectrum (n=283) individuals. We tested OBC outcomes against the outcomes provided by the original and current ADOS algorithms, the best estimate clinical diagnosis, and the comparison score severity metric associated with ADOS-2. The OBC was significantly correlated with the ADOS-G (r=−0.814) and ADOS-2 (r=−0.779) and exhibited >97% sensitivity and >77% specificity in comparison to both ADOS algorithm scores. The correspondence to the best estimate clinical diagnosis was also high (accuracy=96.8%), with sensitivity of 97.1% and specificity of 83.3%. The correlation between the OBC score and the comparison score was significant (r=−0.628), suggesting that the OBC provides both a classification as well as a measure of severity of the phenotype. These results further demonstrate the accuracy of the OBC and suggest that reductions in the process of detecting and monitoring autism are possible.
Estimating the economic benefits of maintaining residential lake levels at an irrigation reservoir: A contingent valuation study

[1] The contingent valuation method (CVM) was used to estimate homeowners' willingness to pay for water leasing to maintain stable lake levels at an irrigation reservoir in a residential neighborhood. A binary logit model was used to analyze households' voter referendum responses for maintaining the lake level. The median willingness to pay (WTP) was found to be $368 per year for lakefront residents and $59 per year for off-lake residents. The median WTP for lakefront residents was significantly different from off-lake residents at the 90% confidence level. Using the median WTP for lakefront and nonlakefront residents, we found that the increase in homeowner association fees would generate approximately $43,000, enough money to lease sufficient water to reach the target higher lake level in a normal water year.
Comparison of viscoelastic, structural, and material properties of double-looped anterior cruciate ligament grafts made from bovine digital extensor and human hamstring tendons.

Due to ready availability, decreased cost, and freedom from transmissible diseases in humans such as hepatitis and AIDS, it would be advantageous to use tendon grafts from farm animals as a substitute for human tendon grafts in in vitro experiments aimed at improving the outcome of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructive surgery. Thus the objective of this study was to determine whether an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) graft composed of two loops of bovine common digital extensor tendon has the same viscoelastic, structural, and material properties as a graft composed of a double loop of semitendinosus and gracilis tendons from humans. To satisfy this objective, grafts were constructed from each tissue source. The cross-sectional area was measured using an area micrometer, and each graft was then pulled using a materials testing system while submerged in a saline bath. Using two groups of tendon grafts (n = 10), viscoelastic tests were conducted over a three-day period during which a constant displacement load relaxation test was followed by a constant amplitude, cyclic load creep test (first day), a constant load creep test (second day), and an incremental cyclic load creep test (third day). Load-to-failure tests were performed on two different groups of grafts (n = 8). When the viscoelastic behavior was compared, there were no significant differences in the rate of load decay or the final load (relaxation test) and rates of displacement increase or final displacements (creep tests) (p > 0.115). To compare both the structural and material properties in the toe region (i.e., 0.261). The theoretical effect of any differences in properties between these two grafts on the results of two types of in vitro experiments (i.e., effect of surgical variables on knee laxity and structural properties of fixation devices) are discussed. Despite some statistical differences in the properties evaluated, these differences do not translate into important effects on the dependent variables of interest in the experiments. Thus the bovine tendon graft can be substituted for the human tendon graft in both types of experiments.
Analysis of the mechanically-uncoupled electric resonance in tapered-thickness piezoelectric transducers

A staircase model of tapered piezoelectrics is used to show that contrary to the case of conventional transducers, which are either mass-controlled below resonance or stiffness-controlled above resonance, thickness tapering produces periodically alternating regions of mass control and stiffness control along the length of a device. Interaction between these mass and stiffness regions contributes to a resonance peak in the electric input impedance, which is shown not to be coupled to the distributed half-wavelength resonances of the device. The theoretical pulse response obtained with the model is shown to be in close agreement with the measured wideband, uniform amplitude pressure profile of a tapered piezoelectric transducer. >
Polyisocyanates in Occupational Environments: A Critical Review of Exposure Limits and Metrics

Background Determination of polyisocyanates is important because they are a major contributorofexposuretotheisocyanatefunctionalgroupinmanyworkplaceenvironments and are capable of inducing sensitization and asthma. However, with multiple different measurement metrics in use, comparison of isocyanate exposure data between studies and development of occupational exposure limits (OELs) for polyisocyanates is difficult. Methods An analysis of existing problems in the measurement and regulation of isocyanates is presented based on the published analytical, toxicological, and regulatory literature, and the authors’ own analytical data and experience with isocyanates. Results This analysis supports a need for standardization of isocyanate measurement metrics and provides a framework for the development of an OEL for polyisocyanates. Conclusions Thetotalisocyanategroup(mgNCO/m 3 )isrecommendedasthemostfeasible and practical metric (unit) by which to express polyisocyanate exposures for research, control, and regulatory purposes. The establishment of a comprehensive isocyanate OEL that simplifies the current agent-by-agent approach and expands coverage to polyisocyanates is also recommended. Am. J. Ind. Med. 46:480–491, 2004. 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Performance of School Age Reading Disabled Students on the Phonological Awareness Subtests of the Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP)

This study examined the performance of reading disabled children on the two Phonological Awareness Subtests of the Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP). Participants performed significantly different on these two subtests with a poorer performance on the Elision subtest than Blending Words. In addition, the two subtests were not correlated for this group. Results suggest that, for reading disabled children, interpretation of the composite score may not be as useful as considering the individual subtests scores.
Description and clinical outcomes of peritoneal dialysis: analyses from the United States Renal Data System.

USRDS studies provide results that are consistent when considering the effect of time since the onset of ESRD in comparisons of PD and HD outcomes. The results are representative of patient selection and practice in the U.S., but may not apply in other countries, where patients are selected to PD using very different criteria. In international comparisons, even adjustment for comorbid conditions may not fully compensate for selection. The analytical experience from the USRDS may serve as a model for similar analyses in environments where different practices and registries are used.
Open reduction through medial exposure for gartland III supracondylar fractures of the humerus in children

Objective:To explore open reduction through medial exposure for Gartland Ⅲ supracondylar fractures of the humerus in children.Methods:216 cases with Gartland Ⅲ supracondylar fractures of the humerus received open reduction through media exposure plus crossed Kirschner wire internal fixation.Results:All cases were followed up for 1 month to two years and four months.According to Flynn criteria,the excellent and good rate was 92.13%.Conclusions:Open reduction through media exposure plus crossed Kirschner wire internal fixation is a safe and effective treatment for Gartland Ⅲ supracondylar fractures of the humerus in children.Incision scar is at the medial elbow and concealed.Correction of ulnar deviation,ulnar tilt and internal rotation can be effective in reducing the incidence of cubitus varus.
Effect of Iron on Iron Deficiency Anemia in Pregnancy Women

Objective To observe the efficacy of treating iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy women by small dosage of iron.Metheds 265 patients were divided into two groups.220 patients were given 50 mg of Compound Ferrous Sulfate Granules per day for two months.Before and after the therapy the patients' hemoglobin(Hb) and serum ferrum protein were measured and compared.45 patients' Hb and serum ferrum protein who refused to take the drug and promised to take iron-rich food were measuered at the beginning and after two months,and also compared.Results The patients' mean Hb and mean serum ferrum protein who took the drug are much higher after two months than those two months ago(P0.01).The differences of mean Hb and mean serum ferrum protein of the patients who refused to take the drug have no significance.Conclusion Small dosage of iron can improves iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy women effectively.
Endogenous and Exogenous Melatonin, the Sleep–Wake Cycle, and the Circadian Component of Affective Disorders

Melatonin is important in understanding and treating the biological rhythm component of affective disorders. Over the past four decades, two schools of thought have proposed either a circadian misalignment model or a photoperiodic model (although not synonymous, also referred to as a melatonin duration model). With regard to the former hypothesis, low-dose melatonin administration and bright light exposure are the two phase-resetting agents that can correct circadian misalignment between those rhythms that are tightly coupled to the endogenous pacemaker and those that are related to the sleep–wake cycle. Circadian misalignment can be of the phase-advance type or of the phase-delay type; contrary to what was originally proposed, phase-delayed circadian misalignment (and not phase-advanced circadian misalignment) appears to predominate in depression.
Should we perform elective inguinal hernia repair in the elderly

Many surgeons are reluctant to offer elective inguinal and femoral hernia repair (IHR) to the elderly due to concerns of increased risk. The authors sought to evaluate the outcomes of elderly patients undergoing IHR compared to the general population. We performed a retrospective review of the 2011 NSQIP database evaluating 19,683 patients undergoing IHR. Patients were divided by age into three categories: 80. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess impact of comorbid conditions and type of surgery on outcomes. Patients were analyzed for mortality and complications based on their age and the types of surgery (elective, urgent, emergent, laparoscopic versus open) and comorbid conditions. There were 17,375 male patients (88 %). 92.7 % were elective. 70 % were performed using an open technique. Age distribution was 63.4 % 80. Mortality was similar across age groups in elective repair. Mortality was increased in emergency repair in all age groups (p 80 (OR = 57, p 80 OR 56.5 and 14.9, respectively). Elective inguinal hernia repair carries a similar mortality in the elderly compared to the general population. Emergent IHR carries a very high risk of death in the elderly. The authors recommend considering elective IHR regardless of age.
The Association Between Periodontitis and Preterm Labor (PTL)

Pregnancy is a time when periodontitis is commonly diagnosed and treated. Periodontal disease has been raised as a possible cause of preterm labor (PTL). There have been many studies testing for this association directly or by assessing the effects of periodontal treatment on PTL. In this chapter we review the literature with special attention to studies on the effects of periodontal treatment on rates of PTL. We point out a number of design problems regarding single-use scaling and root planning of teeth as a method of testing the hypothesized relationship that could explain why these treatments did not forestall PTL. We also describe positive studies that tested mechanical cleaning and/or antibacterial treatment and showed promising results against PTL. Finally, we describe a recent finding of genetic abnormality that appears to link PTL and periodontitis.
Evaluation of Human Machine Interface HMI on a Digital and Analog Control Room in Nuclear Power Plants Using a Fuzzy Logic Approach

Nuclear Power Plants NPPs are nowadays facing a transition from analog to digital control rooms, mainly in the form of new interfaces for displaying sensor information as of Human Machine Interface HMI were one-sided, taking into consideration either the human or the machine perspective. The approach presented in the present article considers human machine interfaces met in nuclear power plants as a joint system, where the performance of the NPP operator is evaluated according to the cooperation level achieved with the machine. In particular, the purpose of this study is to provide a methodology to evaluate the degree of flexibility of an operator during the transition period from an analog to a digital system. The proposed methodology has been implemented by utilizing fuzzy logic inference and realized with the fuzzy toolbox embedded in Matlab software.
How Content Preferences Limit the Reach of Voting Aids

Voters are often uninformed about the political candidates they choose between. Governments, media outlets, and civic organizations devote substantial resources to correcting these knowledge defici...
355 A comparative study of vitamin d levels in autoimmune and non-autoimmune disease

Background and aims Studies have shown an association between levels of Vitamin D and incidence and activity of autoimmune diseases. The purpose of this study was to examine correlation between vitamin D levels in RA and SLE patients compared to controls without autoimmune disease. Our hypothesis was that low vitamin D is ubiquitous in the general population and not related to specific autoimmune disease. Methods This was a retrospective, single centre, hospital-affiliated outpatient cohort study. A systematic review of the electronic medical record generated a patient list with the diagnosis codes for RA, SLE, osteoarthritis (OA) and Fibromyalgia. Vitamin D levels were characterised as follows: deficiency ( 30 ng/ml). A total of 115 patents were included, and, SAS9.3 statistical tool was used to analyse the data. Results A total of 23 patients had RA, 27 had SLE and 65 had non-inflammatory disease (OA and fibromyalgia). There was no statistically significant difference in the vitamin D levels in RA, SLE versus the non-inflammatory group. We did note of interest that in the RA group, a body mass index (BMI) above 35 had lower Vitamin D levels, as opposed to the lupus and control group groups. Conclusions In our study, we found no relationship between the levels of vitamin D levels and the presence or absence of autoimmune disease. We did find a relationship between the BMI and Vitamin D levels, and this will need further study.
Relational professionalism in a bilingual teacher association: Promoting occupational identities and pedagogic agency

ABSTRACTRelational professionalism in education is a way of regarding teaching as a profession which privileges relationality, or engaged and connected relationships with the self, with others and one’s teaching practice. In this article, I examine a bilingual teacher association who use their annual conference as a vehicle to support and strengthen their membership by adopting relationality as a core value of the association. I analyze how bilingual teachers in this association described the impact of relational professionalism on the association, the conference and on their teaching. Through their interviews, I found that these bilingual teachers described how relational professionalism allowed them to reflect on their bilingual teacher occupational identities, promoted a greater sense of confidence in their own pedagogic practice and agency. It also offered diverse opportunities for working together on self-defined goals, or relational agency.
Beyond Title IX: Federal Legislative Antidotes to the Bullying & Harassment of Actual or Perceived LGBT & Gender Non-Conforming Students

A hostile learning environment denies actual or perceived lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (“LGBT”) and gender non-conforming students an education. Although Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”) can protect actual or perceived LGBT and gender non-conforming students from harassment, it sometimes fails. This Article argues that Congress should pass the Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 and the Safe Schools Improvement Act of 2013 to remedy the legal shortcomings of Title IX and protect actual or perceived LGBT and gender non-conforming students from the harassment and bullying they endure.