cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Beyond the ACE score: Examining relationships between timing of developmental adversity, relational health and developmental outcomes in children

Abstract Background The association between developmental adversity and children's functioning is complex, particularly given the multifaceted nature of adverse experiences. The association between the timing of experience and outcomes is underresearched and clinically under-appreciated. We examine how the timing of both adverse (including potentially traumatic) events and relational poverty are associated with developmental outcomes. Method Clinicians using the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT), an approach to clinical problem solving, reported on the timing of children's developmental experiences, their degree of current relational health, and current functioning in key brain-mediated domains ( N = 3523 6- to 13-year-old children). A regularized hierarchical model produced stable and generalizable estimates regarding associations between the timing of experiences across four developmental periods: Perinatal (0–2 mos), Infancy (2–12 mos), Early Childhood (13 mos to 4 years), and Childhood (4 to 11 years) and current functioning. Results Perinatal developmental experiences were more strongly associated with compromised current functioning than such experiences occurring during other periods. Perinatal relational poverty was a stronger predictor than perinatal adversity. During subsequent developmental periods, the influence of relational poverty diminished, while the influence of adversity remained strong throughout early childhood. Current relational health, however, was the strongest predictor of functioning. Conclusion Findings expand the understanding of the association between the timing of adversity and relationally impoverished experiences and children's functioning. Although early life experiences are significantly impactful, relationally enriched environments may buffer these effects.
Attitudes Toward Computers Across Adulthood From 1994 to 2013.

Background and objectives Regardless of the increased deployment of technologies in everyday living domains, barriers remain that hamper technology adoption by older adults. Understanding barriers to adoption such as individual differences in attitudes toward computers is important to the design of strategies to reduce age-related digital disparities. Research design and methods This article reports a time-sequential analysis of data from the Edward R. Roybal Center on Human Factors and Aging Research and the Center for Research and Education on Aging and Technology Enhancement (CREATE) on computer attitudes among a large (N = 3,917), diverse sample of community-dwelling adults aged from 18 to 98 years. The data were gathered from 1994 to 2013. Results The findings indicated that there are still age disparities in attitudes; older adults report less comfort with and less efficacy about using computers than younger people. We also found a cohort (birth year) effect; attitudes are generally more positive among more recent birth cohorts. Those who have more education and experience with computers also have more positive attitudes. Males generally have more positive attitudes than females; however, the gender difference decreases with increased age. Discussion and implications Technology affords potential benefits for older people, but lack of uptake in technology clearly puts older adults at a disadvantage in terms of negotiating today's digital world. This article provides insight into attitudinal barriers that may affect on technology uptake among older adults. The findings have implications for the design of technology training programs, design of technology systems, and policy.
Update on Prevention of Surgical Site Infections

This review summarizes recent surgical site infection (SSI) prevention guidelines/guideline updates that are relevant to surgery and wound care after injury and reviews a sample of recent literature relevant to SSI. The quality of evidence supporting guidelines/guideline updates is quite variable. The strongest support is for appropriately timed preoperative antibiotics when indicated and for alcohol-based skin preparation before incision when feasible. New guidelines for SSI prevention are available from the American College of Surgeons, the Centers for Disease Control, and the World Health Organization. There are recommendations common to all three reports that trauma/acute care surgeons should be aware of.
New technologies, new disparities: The intersection of electronic health and digital health literacy

Mobile health, or mHealth, is the implementation of digital health services with mobile and wearable devices, and has ample potential to enhance self-management of chronic conditions, especially cardiovascular risk factors (e.g., blood pressure control and supporting tobacco cessation and physical activity). It remains ambiguous, however, whether such technologies can improve cardiovascular outcomes. More importantly, mHealth carries the additional challenge of digital health literacy, which demands particular skills complementary to general and health literacy. Populations at risk for limited health literacy are similarly vulnerable to having challenges with digital health literacy. We identify such challenges and outline solutions to improve access to digital health services and their use for individuals with limited digital health literacy. We present an 18-point "Digital Universal Precautions" as a mandate for health care organizations committed towards addressing and facilitating eHealth literacy. As health care institutions increasingly advance mHealth through delivery of on-line material and patient portals, they face the challenge of ensuring that digital health services and content are available to all patients.
Effect of keratin on heavy metal chelation and toxicity to aquatic organisms

The presence of fresh scales and human hair in water can reduce the toxicity of lead nitrate at and above 6 ppb to fish. This ability is lost on drying and storage, but can be restored if dried hair or scales are treated with a solution of amino acids. The chelation ability of keratin in amino acid-treated scales or hair is retained for months on dry storage. Addition of these hair and/or scales to solutions of lead nitrate, mercuric chloride and a mixture of both, and cupric sulfate reduced the toxicity of these solutions to Daphnia magna and Dreissena polymorpha (zebra mussels). Toxicity of 10 ppm solutions of salts of 27 different metals to daphnids was similarly reduced after filtration through scales or hair. A mixture of a 2 ppb concentration of each of these 27 metals also became nonlethal to daphnids in the presence of, or filtration through, treated scales or hair. 0.25 g of treated hair or scale can be used indefinitely, again and again, to remove the mixture of these 27 metals from their fresh solution in 1 L water if the keratin is frequently rinsed with 0.1% nitric acid to remove the bound metals. The keratinmore » in scales, this, may be the most important ectodermal secretion in absorbing metals from polluted environments and in providing protection against their toxic levels.« less
Letting Go: Representation, Presentation, and Disney’s Art of Animation:

This article considers two linked developments in Disney animation at a major point of change for the studio. One is the effort to craft a new ‘logistics of perception’ or way of seeing and appreci...
Genome-wide, time-sensitive interrogation of the heat shock response under diverse stressors via ReporterSeq

Interrogating cellular stress response pathways is challenging because of the complexity of regulatory mechanisms and response dynamics, which can vary with both time and the type of stress. We developed a reverse genetic method called ReporterSeq to comprehensively identify genes regulating a stress-induced transcription factor under multiple conditions in a time-resolved manner. ReporterSeq links RNA-encoded barcode levels to pathway-specific output under genetic perturbations, allowing pooled pathway activity measurements via DNA sequencing alone and without cell enrichment or single cell isolation. Here, we used ReporterSeq to identify regulators of the heat shock response (HSR), a conserved, poorly understood transcriptional program that protects cells from proteotoxicity and is misregulated in disease. We measured genome-wide HSR regulation in budding yeast across thirteen stress conditions, uncovering novel stress-specific, time-specific, and constitutive regulators. ReporterSeq can assess the genetic regulators of any transcriptional pathway with the scale of pooled genetic screens and the precision of pathway-specific readouts.
Am I Playing Better Now?: The Effects of G-SYNC in 60Hz Gameplay

G-SYNC technology matches formerly regular display refreshes to irregular frame updates, improving frame rates and interactive latency. In a previous study of gaming at the 30Hz frame rates common on consoles, players of Battlefield 4 were unable to discern when G-SYNC was in use, but scored higher with G-SYNC and were affected emotionally. We build on that study with the first examination of G-SYNC's effects at the 60Hz frame rate more common in PC gaming and on emerging consoles. Though G-SYNC's effects are less at 60Hz than they were at 30Hz, G-SYNC can still improve the performance of veteran players, particularly when games are challenging. G-SYNC's effects on emotion and experience were limited.
Telegenetics for Inherited Retinal Diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose : Inherited Retinal Diseases (IRDs) are a group of rare genetic disorders that require a detailed approach and workflow for diagnosis. To facilitate optimal patient care while minimizing the hazard of direct person-to-person exposure during the COVID-19 pandemic, we developed a telehealth management protocol, or telegenetics, for complete or hybrid virtual visits. Methods : Our telegenetics protocol comprised of three key components: (1) Digitization of diagnostic imaging and electrophysiological testing for review by physicians remotely;(2) Telemedicine video visits performed using MyHealth, a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant platform. (3) Complete shift to remote genetic testing using IRB-approved e-consents (electronic consent forms) and remote genetic testing saliva kits. Results : Telegenetic care was provided for 113 patients, including 3 international patients (age range: 5-99 years). During the first eight months of this program, 25 return and 28 new patient evaluations were completed virtually. Sixty patients were seen in a hybrid manner (45 new and 15 return), where an in-person clinic visit was performed followed by remote consenting, and saliva collection, genetic testing, and genetic counseling. A spectrum of retinal dystrophies were diagnosed and pathogenic mutations were detected in several genes, including genes approved or under-investigation for gene therapy like RPE65, CHM, and RPGR. Four patients with cystoid macular edema were successfully treated with topical dorzolamide, and 26 were referred for low-vision rehabilitation Conclusions : Telegenetic services have proved to be a useful tool during the COVID pandemic. They provide a safer alternative by limiting the exposure of patients and staff to the virus while maintaining the same high quality of care that was provided to patients before the pandemic. With the added efficiency and convenience of virtual patient care, we expect that telegenetics will continue and expand into other medical genetic conditions long after the pandemic.
Contemporary Trends in the Treatment of Mild Ischemic Stroke with Intravenous Thrombolysis: Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Program

BACKGROUND Presentation with mild symptoms is a common reason for intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) nonuse among acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients. We examined the impact of IVT on the outcomes of mild AIS over time. METHODS Using the Paul Coverdell National Stroke Program data, we examined trends in IVT utilization from 2010 to 2019 among AIS patients presenting with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores ≤5. Outcomes adjudicated included rates of discharge to home and ability to ambulate independently at discharge. We used generalized estimating equation models to examine the effect of IVT on outcomes of AIS patients presenting with mild symptoms and calculated adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS During the study period, 346,762 patients presented with mild AIS symptoms. Approximately 6.2% were treated with IVT. IVT utilization trends increased from 3.7% in 2010 to 7.7% in 2019 (p < 0.001). Patients treated with IVT had higher median NIHSS scores upon presentation (IVT 3 [2, 4] vs. no IVT 2 [0, 3]). Rates of discharge to home (AOR 2.06, 95% CI: 1.99-2.13) and ability to ambulate at time of discharge (AOR 1.82, 95% CI: 1.76-1.89) were higher among those treated with IVT. CONCLUSION There was an increased trend in IVT utilization among AIS patients presenting with mild symptoms. Utilization of IVT increased the odds of being discharged to home and the ability to ambulate at discharge independently in patients with mild stroke.
Case Study: Methods and Analysis

This article reviews case study methods, also called ‘small-n’, ‘comparative,’ or ‘qualitative’ methods. It outlines within-case methods of analysis, including process tracing and congruence testing, and cross-case methods of comparison, including John Stuart Mill's methods of agreement and difference, Alexander George's method of ‘structured, focused comparison,’ and Charles Ragin's method of ‘qualitative comparative analysis.’ It argues that case studies can help develop typological theories, or contingent generalizations on the different causal patterns leading to a particular outcome (related notions include configurational analysis and fuzzy logic). This article notes philosophies of science relevant to case study methods, including scientific realism, Bayesian confirmation theory, and Imre Lakatos' methodology of scientific research programs. Finally, it summarizes the comparative advantages of case study methods, including conceptual validity, identification of new variables, and modeling of complex interactions effects, as well as their comparative limitations, including the potential for indeterminacy and the dangers of selection bias. The central conclusion is that the comparative advantages of case study methods, statistical methods, and formal modeling are different and complementary, and that research proceeds more effectively through the combination of these methods than through the use of any one method alone.
Domain structures of the dihydrolipoyl transacetylase and the protein X components of mammalian pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. Selective cleavage by protease Arg C.

Treatment of the dihydrolipoyl transacetylase-protein X-kinase subcomplex (E2-X-KcKb) with protease Arg C selectively converted protein X into an inner domain fragment (Mr ≌ 35,000) and an outer (lipoylbearing) domain fragment (Mr ≌ 15,500). These fragments were larger and much smaller, respectively, than the inner domain and outer domain fragments derived from the E2 component, supporting the conclusion that protein X is distinct from the E2 component. Protease Arg C cleaved the Kb subunit more slowly than protein X. An increase in kinase activity correlated with this cleavage of the Kb subunits. An even slower cleavage of E2 subunits generated an inner domain fragment (Mr ≌ 31,500) and a lipoyl-bearing domain fragment (Mr ≌ 49,000) which had Mr values at least 3,000 and 10,000 larger, respectively, than the corresponding E2 fragments generated by trypsin treatment of the subcomplex. Following various extents of cleavage with protease Arg C or trypsin, residual oligomeric subcomplexes were isolated and characterized. We found that selective removal of the lipoyl-bearing domain of protein X did not alter lipoyl-mediated regulation of the kinase indicating that the lipoyl residues bound to E2 subunits are effective, that the inner domain of protein X remained associated with the inner domain of E2 subunits following the complete removal of the outer domains of both E2 and protein X, that, with only 10% of the E2 subunits intact, nearly half of the catalytic (Kc) subunits of the kinase were bound by the residual subcomplex, and that removal of the remaining outer domains from E2 subunits released the Kc subunits. Thus, protein X is unique among the subunits of the complex in binding tightly to the oligomeric inner domain of the transacetylase, and the outer domain of the transacetylase serves to bind to and facilitate the regulation of the catalytic subunit of the kinase.
Marine and estuarine multi-species test systems

Environmental fate and effects studies of chemical contaminants conducted in marine and estuarine microcosm and mesocosm test systems are reviewed. Contaminant fate, persistence, and transport are discussed and related to exposure regimes that result in effects on marine biota. The value of these systems in providing controlled environments for studying contaminant issues at the individual, population, community, and system level of assessment lies in the ability to interrelate toxic effects at one level of assessment to changes observed at another. Examples of contaminant studies in microcosm and mesocosm test systems are presented to illustrate various approaches for ecotoxicological studies. Field calibration and validation of test systems are reviewed and example projects discussed.
Deregowski, Jan Bronislaw

Jan Deregowski was born in Pinsk, which was then in Poland, in 1933. Between 1960 and 1969 he spent considerable time in Africa, including four years as a fellow at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Zambia in Lusaka. Keywords: cross-cultural psychology; perception
Radiation-induced Apoptosis in a Murine T-Cell Hybridoma

Induction of an apoptotic cell death was studied in a mouse T-cell hybridoma. Apoptosis was induced in these cells following exposure to dexamethasone, X-radiation, 43 degrees C heat shock, A254 light, and hydrogen peroxide. In 5-Gy-exposed cells, a radiation-induced G2 phase cell cycle progression block was maximum by 8 h. The cells began to escape this progression block by 10 h. Nuclear DNA fragmentation and uptake of the vital dye trypan blue began at 12 and 14 h, respectively, and were complete by 28 h. X-radiation-induced cell death was diminished when cells were irradiated in the presence of dimethyl sulfoxide, indicating that cell death was induced by oxidative cell damage. Substitution of nuclear DNA with bromodeoxyuridine enhanced death in cells exposed to either X-radiation or A310 light, indicating that apoptosis could be induced by DNA damage. The results are consistent with radiation-induced apoptosis being stimulated by oxidative DNA damage. DNA damage stimulates a long-lived signal which controls the expression of apoptosis. Apoptosis is expressed in the G1 phase of the cell cycle subsequent to the cell irradiation.
WORLD-CLASS HIGH QUALITY MATHEMATICS EDUCATION FOR ALL K-12 AMERICAN STUDENTS

In September 1989, the United States' Governors Conference in Charlottesville, Virginia set an ambitious goal by declaring that "By the year 2000, United States students will be first in the world in mathematics and science achievements". However, recent results of the 'Programme for International Student Achievement' and 'Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study' indicate that the United States students' achievements in mathematics are far below world class standards. This paper seeks to discuss issues in an international context related to the goal of creating world-class high quality mathematics education for all K-12 American students. In particular, the author also shares his reflections and depicts lessons from Singapore's success story in mathematics education.
Mechanism of the absorption-induced electrode potential cells: Nature of the current for the system Ag/AgCl/HCl/AgCl/Ag

Abstract It has been shown that electrochemical cells comprised of a wettable, partially exposed, electrode, electrolyte, and a completely immersed counter electrode can be made sensitive to either ionizable or non-ionizable vapors (vapors which ionize or remain unionized in the cell electrolyte) by the judicious choice of electrode material and cell electrolyte. This type of electrochemical cell is particularly sensitive because the use of an exposed electrode with gas/liquid and liquid/solid interfaces allows an electroactive component of the gas phase to be brought to reaction at an electrode without prior dissolution in the bulk solution. The investigation of the absorption-induced electrode potential was undertaken in order to study the mechanism of the phenomenon and to determine the contribution of the electrolyte meniscus to the current and potential response of the AIEP cells. The current produced by an ionizable vapor (hydrogen chloride) injected into the gas stream entering a cell comprised of a partially exposed Ag/AgCl blade, aqueous hydrochloric acid electrolyte and an immersed Ag/AgCl wire counter electrode, has been investigated. The use of semi-silvered, sand-blasted, glass slides as the exposed electrodes has allowed us to probe the meniscus and film (formed on the exposed electrode) from bottom to top. With this probe, it has been shown that the response of this type of electrochemical cell can be attributed mainly to the upper part of the meniscus formed on the exposed electrode. In addition, the current also depended upon: (1) the volume of vapor injected, (2) the sign and magnitude of the external applied potential, and (3) the area of the exposed electrode covered by electrolyte.
Paired pulse depression in cultured hippocampal neurons is due to a presynaptic mechanism independent of GABAB autoreceptor activation

Most rapid synaptic inhibition in the vertebrate forebrain is mediated by GABA acting via GABAA and GABAB postsynaptic receptors. GABAergic neurotransmission exhibits frequency-dependent modulation; sequential inhibitory post-synaptic currents (IPSCs) evoked with interstimulus intervals between 25 msec and 4 sec routinely result in the attenuation of the amplitude of the second IPSC. This form of synaptic plasticity is known as paired pulse depression (PPD). The mechanism of PPD is presently unknown and the experiments performed in this study were designed to determine directly the location of the mechanism of PPD in hippocampal neurons maintained in low-density tissue culture. Evoked IPSCs were recorded between pairs of cultured neurons grown in relative isolation that were simultaneously being recorded with the whole-cell, patch-clamp technique. It was therefore possible to measure miniature IPSCs (mIPSCs) originating from the same synapses that were being stimulated to evoke release. PPD occurred routinely in this system, but the amplitudes of mIPSCs following IPSCs were unchanged. These results indicate that a presynaptic mechanism mediates PPD. The inability of GABAB receptor antagonists to block PPD revealed that this form of presynaptic plasticity was not due to autoinhibition of transmitter release via activation of presynaptic GABAB receptors. However, manipulations that significantly lowered the probability of release of neurotransmitter during the first action potential of a trial (e.g., lower calcium or baclofen) prevented the development of PPD. These results indicate that, under baseline conditions, the quantal content for IPSCs is relatively large for a single action potential, but the quantal content rapidly decreases, such that subsequent action potentials consistently result in much smaller IPSCs for periods as long as 4 sec.
Using the BACH trace collection mechanism to characterize the SPEC 2000 integer benchmarks

Computer systems are modeled before construction to minimize errors and performance bottlenecks. A common modeling approach is to build software models of computer system components, and use realistic trace data as input. This methodology is commonly referred to as trace-driven simulation. Trace-driven simulation can be very accurate if both the system model and input trace data represent the systems under test. The accuracy of the model is typically under the control of the research, but little or no trace data is available that accurately represents current of future workloads. The objective of this work is to describe the Brigham Young University Address Collection Hardware (BACH) and illustrate the types of traces that we can collect. These traces will be made available to others in a national trace repository(http://traces.byu.edu). We also provide some cache performance statistics for the SPEC 2000 integer benchmarks.
Hypertext-Based Kiosk Systems: Seven Challenges and an Empirical Study

Hypertext, perhaps more than any other interface philosophy to date, lends itself to very diverse applications. Hypertext is particularly appropriate for systems intended for public access and widely-accessible computing. One of the challenges facing designers of hypertext-based kiosk systems is to identify effective, non-keyboard based searching strategies. In the CHI'89 InfoBooth, the original searching mechanism encouraged a mixture of hierarchical and linear searching, but it was found, in practice, to be quite awkward.
Bureaucracy and Professionalism in the Social Services

A multidimensional approach to the study of bureaucracy and professionalism among 200 social service workers provides general support for two hypotheses. The conflict hypothesis is that, as perceived by the workers, the bureaucratic dimensions of hierarchy of authority, formalized rules, procedural specificity, and impersonality are inversely associated with workers' professionalism. The congruence hypothesis is that an extensive division of labor and a high degree of technical competence are positively associated with workers' professionalism. Results underscore the complexity of the relationship between bureaucracy and professionalism and suggests that only particular dimensions of bureaucracv are inhibitive of effective job performance by social work professionals. Conclusions point to directions for future research.
Thank God That Regressing Y on X is Not the Same as Regressing X on Y: Direct and Indirect Residual Augmentations

What does regressing Y on X versus regressing X on Y have to do with Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC)? It turns out that many strategies for speeding up data augmentation (DA) type algorithms can be understood as fostering independence or “de-correlation” between a regression function and the corresponding residual, thereby reducing or even eliminating dependence among MCMC iterates. There are two general classes of algorithms, those corresponding to regressing parameters on augmented data/auxiliary variables and those that operate the other way around. The interweaving strategy of Yu and Meng provides a general recipe to automatically take advantage of both, and it is the existence of two different types of residuals that makes the interweaving strategy seemingly magical in some cases and promising in general. The concept of residuals—which depends on actual data—also highlights the potential for substantial improvements when DA schemes are allowed to depend on the observed data. At the same time, there i...
Newer aspects of electron transfer in electrophilic Aromatic Nitration. Radical pairs as reactive intermediates by time‐resolved spectroscopy

Aromatic nitration is effectively carried out by the deliberate irradiation of the charge-transfer absorption band (hvCT) of the transient electron donor–acceptor complex [ArH, NO2Y+], where NO2Y+ represents common nitrating agents. Time-resolved spectroscopy demonstrates that the charge-transfer nitration effected in this way proceeds via an electron-transfer mechanism, in which the collapse of the reactive triad, [ArH+ ·, NO, Y] is critical to the formation of the Wheland intermediate. Comparative product analyses of toluene and anisole nitrations together with the ‘non-conventional’ products arising from NO+ catalysis, ipso attack and addition/elimination show that the activation process leading to charge-transfer (photochemical) nitration is indistinguishable from that leading to electrophilic (thermal) aromatic nitration.
Thermodynamic Roles of Metallic Elements in Carburization and Metal Dusting

This paper addresses the thermodynamic aspects of metallic elements (typically Fe, Ni, and Cr) in carburization and metal-dusting processes in CH4–H2, CO–CO2, and CO–H2O–H2 carburizing gas mixtures, and their possible contributions to understanding of carburization and metal-dusting phenomena. Carburization requires \(a_C \left( {gas} \right) > a_C \left( {M_Z C/M} \right) \cdot a_C \left( {M_Z C/M} \right)\) is solely temperature-dependent, while aC (gas) is dependent not only on temperature but also on gas chemistry and total pressure. In general, metallic elements tend to be carburized at higher temperatures in CH4–H2, but at lower temperatures in CO–CO2 and CO–H2O–H2 carburizing gas mixtures. For metal dusting to occur, \(a_C \left( {M_Z C/M} \right)\)(gas)> 1 (first-type) and \(a_C \left( {gas} \right) > a_C \left( {M_Z C/M} \right)\); 1 (second-type) should be satisfied. Possible regimes for first- and second-type metal dusting are discussed for pure Fe and Ni, and the range for first-type metal dusting of Ni is considerably broader than that for Fe.
Management of ocular disease in exotic species

Ophthalmic diseases in exotic species present various challenges. Although some conditions are identical to those encountered in domestic species, there are conditions that are unique to particular groups of exotic animals. Interspecific differences in ocular anatomy, physiology, and the pathological responses of the eye influence the type of diseases seen and affect the approach to therapy. The stress and risk of injury to the animal or care provider associated with repeated restraint for management of ocular disease in exotic species make it necessary to use innovative medical and surgical treatments whenever possible.
SU‐GG‐T‐17: Mathematical Framework to Optimize the Intensity Adaptive to Biological Response to Radiotherapy

Introduction: We propose a mathematical framework to optimize the beamlet intensity spatially and temporally that is adaptive to a patient's radiobiological response to radiotherapy as observed by advanced functional imaging or biomarkers that are soon to be available or as predicted by mathematical model. Methods and materials: Stochastic control approach was used to model and solve for optimal dose per voxel for any specific time period, i.e. fraction. Tumor cell density and BED for OAR were used to represent the system state, and beamlet intensity was the control variable. The final tumor cell density at the end of the treatment course was minimized by choosing the optimal sequence of beamlet intensities based on the observed or predicted patient's radiobiological response to radiotherapy. BED for OAR was constrained not to exceed its tolerance level and alpha/beta parameters for the tumor were varied stochastically. Results: For the special case of our stochastic control formulation where the stochasticity is ignored and additional information of the patient's response to radiotherapy is unknown, the constant dose per voxel for any given period is found to be optimal, which agrees with the current practice. Simulations revealed that there was almost 70% decrease in tumor cell density at the end of the treatment when the beamlet intensity was optimally adaptive to patient's response to radiotherapy compared to a constant dose per voxel as in current clinical practice. Conclusion: Our approach demonstrated the ability to simultaneously balance spatial and temporal aspects of the optimization problem in treatment planning from a biological perspective and adapt to the uncertainty in biological response to radiation over the treatment course. This is a first step in designing the individualized treatment plan that is adaptive biologically conformai radiotherapy and that exploits recent advances in functional imaging and/or mathematical modeling of tumorradiation response.
Analysis of Data on Drug Release from Emulsions III: Boundary Effect on Pyridine Release from Water-In-Oil Emulsions as a Function of pH

The influence of a membrane separating an unstirred emulsion from a well-stirred sink upon the drug release rate has been studied experimentally and theoretically. Experimental data have been compared to theory. Numerical methods were employed in the analysis with the help of the IBM 7090 computer.
Inactivation of sanitizer-injured Escherichia coli O157:H7 on baby spinach using X-ray irradiation

Abstract Chemical sanitizers are widely used to minimize cross-contamination during commercial flume washing of leafy greens. However, in addition to microbial inactivation, sanitizer exposure can also lead to sublethal injury. This study assessed the potential of sanitizer-induced cell injury to enhance resistance of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on baby spinach when X-ray irradiation was subsequently used as a microbial inactivation strategy. A 3-strain E. coli O157:H7 cocktail was exposed to a peroxyacetic acid-based sanitizer (PAS) at 5.2 ppm, a chlorine-based sanitizer (CS) at 5.2 ppm, both of which are commonly used in flume washing systems, or to a quaternary ammonium-based sanitizer (QAS) at 18 ppm to obtain 86–99% injury. Pre-irradiated, round-cut (2.54 cm diameter) baby spinach leaves were dip-inoculated by immersion in the injured cocktail for 5 min and then irradiated in Whirl-pak bags at doses of up to 0.063 kGy using a low-energy X-ray irradiator (Rayfresh Foods, Ann Arbor, MI). Healthy and injured survivors were respectively quantified by plating appropriate dilutions on Sorbitol MacConkey Agar (SMAC) overlayed with trypticase soy agar containing 0.6% yeast extract and SMAC. On inoculated spinach, E. coli O157:H7 injury decreased from 86–99 to 66, 63, and 1% for PAS-, CS-, and QAS-treated cells, respectively. D10-values for PAS-, QAS-, and CS-injured E. coli O157:H7 on baby spinach were 0.014 ± 0.000, 0.022 ± 0.001, and 0.024 ± 0.001 kGy, respectively. Prior exposure to PAS significantly (P
Pressure effects of argon and helium on the first diffuse series doublet of singly ionized barium

Abstract The shift and broadening of the first diffuse series doublet of Ba II in emission was observed under various relative densities of Ar (20–107) and He (35–121) at 2500°K. By comparing the present data with those of the shift of the principal series doublet from a previous paper, it is suggested that argon pressure causes a downward displacement for 6p2P and 6d2D levels and an upward one for 5d2D and 7s2S levels, with respect to the ground state of Ba II.
The Primacy of Superordinate-Level Category Questions in the Game of 20 Questions

-The initial questions of 180 males and females between the ages of 12 and 26 years were classified as they participated in a 20-questions problem-solving procedure. Three levels of questions (superordinate, basic, and subordinate) were observed for an array of conceptually organized exemplars. No age or gender differences were found but preference for superordinate-level initial questions was sigruficant.
Measurement of line intensities of linear molecules under low resolution

Spectral absorption measurements involving pure nitrous oxide were performed with the aid of a commercial grating spectrophotometer. A multiple reflection cell with a path length of 1.25 m was used in the investigation. The tests were conducted at pressures in the range from 5 to 8 atm. The obtained data were used to determine the apparent spectral absorption coefficients. Questions regarding the validity of a line approximation relation are discussed.
Normal state resistance behavior and superconductivity

Abstract It is found experimentally that s - d superconductors have anomalous curvatures in the temperature dependence of the normal state resistivity.
The effect of noise level and distribution on classification of easy gene microarray data

Many bioinformatics datasets suffer from noise, making it difficult to build reliable models. These datasets can also exhibit class imbalance (many more examples of the negative class than the positive class), which will also affect classification performance. It is not known how these two problems intersect: no previous study has considered to what extent the noise level (total quantity of noise) and noise distribution (amount of noise in each class) affect performance when considered at the same time. To explore this question, we injected artificial class noise into twelve clean bioinformatics datasets of varying levels of class imbalance (all of which were relatively easy to learn from), varying both the level and distribution of the noise. We discovered that when the number of noisy instances is less than or equal to 40% the total number of minority-class instances, the resulting noisy datasets (regardless of which classes suffered from noise injection) are nearly as easy to build models from as the original, clean data. However, with greater levels of noise injection, the distribution does matter, and in particular it matters in proportion to the imbalance of the original (clean) dataset. If the original dataset was mostly balanced, injecting noise into the minority class will not have much more effect than injecting into the majority class, but for highly imbalanced datasets, injecting into the minority class will give results much worse than those from injecting into the majority class.
Methotrexate in the treatment of steroid-dependent asthma☆

A double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study was designed to compare steroid requirements between placebo and methotrexate (MTX) treatment in subjects with corticosteroid-requiring asthma. Subjects began with a steroid taper and then were randomized to a 3-month trial of drug or placebo therapy. Subjects received 15 mg of MTX a week or identical placebo. A 1-month washout period was completed before the crossover trial. Symptom scores, peak flow rates, spirometry, and beta-agonist frequency were closely monitored. Ten subjects completed the study. The average dose of prednisone during the placebo-treatment period was 11.97 mg/day compared to 8.37 mg/day while subjects were taking MTX. This was a 30% reduction in daily steroid requirement (p less than 0.01). Symptom scores and spirometry did not differ between the crossover trials, and overall clinical status was not altered. Complications from MTX were mild and included anorexia, alopecia, and stomatitis. All complications resolved with dose reduction or when MTX was stopped at the end of the study. No subjects withdrew from the study because of MTX complications. Low-dose MTX significantly reduced the steroid requirement in this group of subjects with steroid-dependent asthma. This reduction in steroid requirement was obtained without altering clinical status and without significant complication.
Nutrient intakes are associated with adherence to a traditional diet among Yup'ik Eskimos living in remote Alaska Native communities: the CANHR Study.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether dietary westernization is associated with intake of select nutrients among Alaska Natives living in remote communities. To investigate participant characteristics associated with adherence to the traditional Alaska Native diet. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. METHODS: A 24-hour recall was collected from 241 men and 307 women aged 14-94 years living in seven remote communities of Western Alaska. Bivariate analyses and ANOVA were used to examine the relationship between energy from traditional foods (the primary variable of interest), participant characteristics and intake of select nutrients. RESULTS: Traditional foods accounted for 22% of energy intake.overall. This estimate varied by age, educational attainment, and geographic location. Participants in the highest quintile of traditional food intake consumed significantly more vitamin A, vitamin D, Vitamin E, Iron, and n-3 fatty acids than participants in the lowest quintile (p < 0.001). Intake of vitamin C, calcium, and total dietary fiber decreased with increased consumption of traditional foods (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The degree of dietary westernization contributes to nutrient intake, both positively and negatively, in a dose response manner. Participant characteristics, particularly age, must be addressed in the development of a nutrition education program since they are associated with distinct dietary intakes. Keywords: Alaska Natives; diet; dietary westernization; traditional foods (Int J Circumpolar Health 2007; 66(1):62-70)
Massively parallel image restoration

An image restoration method that performs piecewise smooth restorations on images corrupted with very high noise levels is presented. The restoration is based on a Markov random field (MRF) model using a neural network sigmoid nonlinearity between pixels to produce a restoration with sharp boundaries while providing noise reduction. The model is currently implemented using an efficient deterministic search algorithm that typically requires less than 200 iterations in a digital computer simulation. The algorithm is able to restore images with up to 71% of the pixels corrupted with sensor noise (non-gaussian). Results from simulation indicate that the MRF restoration is capable of operating at signal-to-noise ratios 5 to 6 dB lower than the median filtering. The same model can be applied to a large number of sensor measurements (Doppler, intensity, passive infrared, range, and video sensors) by simply adjusting a single parameter. This is especially relevant for hardware implementation, since a single chip can be used for processing a wide variety of imagery. The model has a massively parallel architecture with local neighbor interactions (four nearest neighbors), and can be implemented on a large parallel computer or a custom analog VLSI chip. Implementation of the model in analog VLSI would allow video rate restoration of 512 X 512 pixel images.
Computation of Absolute Hydration and Binding Free Energy with Free Energy Perturbation Distributed Replica-Exchange Molecular Dynamics (FEP/REMD)

Distributed Replica (REPDSTR) is a powerful parallelization technique enabling simulations of a group of replicas in a parallel/parallel fashion, where each replica is distributed to different nodes of a large cluster [Theor. Chem. Acc. 109: 140 (2003)]. Here, we use the framework provided by REPDSTR to combine a staged free energy perturbation protocol with different values of the thermodynamic coupling parameters with replica-exchange molecular dynamics (FEP/REMD. The structure of REPDSTR, which allows multiple parallel input/output (I/O), facilitates the treatment of replica-exchange to couple the N window simulations. As a result, each of the N synchronous window simulations benefit from the sampling carried out by the N-1 others. As illustrative examples of the FEP/REMD strategy, calculations of the absolute hydration and binding free energy of small molecules were performed using the biomolecular simulation program CHARMM adapted for the IBM Blue Gene/P platform. The computations show that a FEP/REMD strategy significantly improves the sampling and accelerate the convergence of absolute free energy computations.
Phenotypic expression in E. coli of a DNA sequence coding for mouse dihydrofolate reductase

The construction and analysis of bacterial plasmids that contain and phenotypically express a mammalian genetic sequence are described. Such plasmids specify a protein that has enzymatic properties, immunological reactivity and molecular size characteristic of the mouse dihydrofolate reductase, and render host cells resistant to the anti-metabolic drug trimethoprim.
Interaction of interplanetary MHD shock waves with the magnetopause

The interaction between a shock-wave and the magnetopause is formulated on the basis of one-dimensional magnetohydrodynamics. The magnetopause is assumed to be a tangential discontinuity, and the magnetic field is limited to the case of perpendicularity. Both the forward and reverse shocks' impact on the magnetopause are considered and analyzed separately. The forward shock-magnetopause interaction results in a transmitted shock, a tangential discontinuity, and a simple rarefaction wave. The reverse shock-magnetopause interaction creates a transmitted shock, a tangential discontinuity, and a reflected wave. The propagation of an SSC signal which is related to an interplanetary shock-induced geomagnetic storm's onset-time on Earth is discussed in general terms. It was found in earlier work (Shen and Dryer, 1972) that the propagation velocity of an inter-planetary shock is decreased by about 10∼15% following its impact with the earth's bow shock; the present study shows that its velocity is then suddenly increased by a factor of two to three after impact with the magnetopause. The fast propagating shock-wave inside the magnetosphere degenerates into a hydromagnetic wave as it advances into an increasing intensity of the distorted dipole geomagnetic field.
Formation of cis-enediyne complexes from rhenium alkynylcarbene complexes.

Dimerization of the alkynylcarbene complex Cp(CO)2ReC(Tol)C⋮CCH3 (8) occurs at 100 °C to give a 1.2:1 mixture of enediyne complexes [Cp(CO)2Re]2[η2,η2-TolC⋮CC(CH3)C(CH3)C⋮CTol] (10-E and 10-Z), sho...
Membrane modification through the cooperative action of vitamin A and lipid

Abstract Sheep red blood cells differ from the erythrocytes of several other species in that they are not lysed by simple exposure to vitamin A aldehyde (retinal). Lysis will occur however if the retinal treatment is followed by addition of lecithin. Lysis does not take place unless lecithin is added during a time period extending from 3 to 7 min after the retinal treatment is initiated; lecithin introduced earlier or later fails to disrupt the erythrocytes. Lysis mediated by the retinal-lecithin sequence is prevented if the red cells receive a preliminary treatment with retinal.
Accuracy of Prostate Needle Biopsy in Predicting Extracapsular Tumor Extension at Radical Retropubic Prostatectomy: Application in Selecting Patients for Nerve-Sparing Surgery

Abstract Objectives. To evaluate prostate biopsy outcomes along with other clinical parameters in an effort to define the cancer-specific safety of nerve-sparing surgery. Methods. Sixty-six consecutive men underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer (T1c = 36, T2 = 30). Preoperative prostate needle biopsies were performed on all patients, and radical prostatectomy specimens were processed in their entirety. Our pathologic end point was capsular perforation extending entirely through the prostatic capsule. Each prostatic side was analyzed individually, for a total of 132 specimens. The specimens were further divided into four categories on the basis of biopsy grade (no cancer = 44, low = 20, moderate = 60, high = 8). Additional study variables included preoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and number of positive biopsy cores. Results. Overall, 40 of the 132 specimens had evidence of capsular perforation. Of the 40 capsular perforations, 39 were observed in specimens (sides) that had cancer identified on biopsy. The one specimen with capsular perforation and a negative biopsy result occurred in the setting of high-grade contralateral cancer. PSA, digital rectal examination, and number of positive biopsy cores did not reliably predict capsular perforation. Conclusions. Our findings suggest that in patients with low- and moderate-grade tumors, the neurovascular bundle can be safely preserved on the side without evidence of cancer having obtained at least three biopsy cores. No safe parameters for considering nerve-sparing surgery were observed in the small number of patients with high-grade tumors, or in any specimen with cancer present on biopsy. Other clinical parameters, such as PSA or number of positive cores, did not aid in identifying candidates for nerve-sparing surgery.