cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A successful combined endovascular and surgical treatment of a cranial base mucormycosis with an associated internal carotid artery pseudoaneurysm.

OBJECTIVE: We report a rare case of internal carotid artery pseudoaneurysm owing to rhinocerebral mucormycosis and review 40 reported cases from 1980 to present. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 38-year-old Caucasian man presented with a 3-day history of headache, diplopia, and numbness in the distribution of the left ophthalmic and maxillary branches of the trigeminal nerve. A complete left cavernous syndrome was discovered upon neurological examination. Magnetic resonance imaging scans revealed an inflammatory process involving the paranasal sinuses with extension into the left cavernous sinus, temporal fossa, and petrous bone. INTERVENTION: The patient was immediately treated with amphotericin B, atorvastatin, and daily hyperbaric oxygen sessions before surgical intervention. The patient underwent endovascular treatment of the associated mycotic pseudoaneurysm after carotid test occlusion in addition to a radical bilateral debridement of the paranasal sinuses and infratemporal and temporal fossa. CONCLUSION: Aggressive multimodal therapy is imperative for late-stage rhinocerebral mucormycosis. Extensive resection of infected tissue combined with amphotericin B, atorvastatin, and hyperbaric oxygen seems to be the best course of management. If the internal carotid artery is involved, endovascular intervention is clearly an option to attain this goal. Further research and longer follow-up periods are required to better understand the long-term implications of endovascular coiling and hyperbaric oxygen therapy for rhinocerebral mucormycosis.
A two-dimensional model of psychopathy and antisocial behavior: A multi-sample investigation using items from the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine whether a subset of items from the 20-item Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) could be used to construct a two-dimensional model (fearlessness, disinhibition) of adult temperament relevant to psychopathy and antisocial behavior. This theory-guided model was created by combining six items from the interpersonal and affective facets of the PCL-R into a single dimension (fearlessness) and taking four items from the lifestyle facet and forming a second dimension (disinhibition). A confirmatory factor analysis performed on a sample of 2753 adult offenders and forensic patients was used to compare the two-dimensional model to several alternate models. The results indicated that the two-dimensional model achieved a significantly better fit than a one-dimensional model and demonstrated better absolute fit than the traditional two-, three-, and four-factor models and the recently proposed triarchic model of psychopathy. In addition, latent factor scores derived from both dimensions of the two-dimensional model displayed incremental validity relative to Facet 4 (antisocial) of the PCL-R in predicting subsequent offending. These findings indicate that a theoretically derived two-dimensional model of temperament may be of assistance in clarifying psychopathy and other crime-related constructs.
Ferritin H is a novel marker of early erythroid precursors and macrophages.

Aims Macrophages play a critical role in iron homeostasis by recycling iron from red cells and storing it in ferritin, an iron storage protein. The recycled iron is delivered to erythroid precursors for erythropoiesis. In this study, we aimed to determine whether ferritin is highly expressed in macrophages and erythroid precursors, and whether it can be used as a marker for these two cell types. Methods and results A ferritin monoclonal antibody was developed, and immunohistochemistry was performed. In normal bone marrows, ferritin antibody stained early erythroid precursors and macrophages. In contrast, myeloid cells, lymphoid cells and megakaryocytes lacked ferritin expression. In leukaemic bone marrows, ferritin was selectively expressed in erythroid blasts (M6), whereas all other blasts were negative. In lymph nodes, ferritin was highly and specifically expressed in macrophages, whereas lymphocytes completely lacked ferritin expression. In non-haematopoietic tissues, ferritin antibody highlighted alveolar macrophages in the lung, as well as sinus macrophages in the liver and spleen. Conclusions We conclude that ferritin is a novel and reliable marker for macrophages and early erythroid precursors, and may be of clinical utility in the diagnosis of diseases associated with these two cell types.
Inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 elicits a CB1-mediated decrease of excitatory transmission in rat CA1 hippocampus.

Abstract Cannabinoid receptor (CB1) ligands decrease excitatory and inhibitory transmission in the hippocampus, but the influence of endogenously formed cannabinoids (eCBs) on basal excitatory transmission remains uncertain. Here, we investigated the influence of eCBs on synaptic transmission in CA1 hippocampus using the slice preparation. Blockade of CB1 with the selective receptor antagonists SR141716 (rimonabant) or AM251 augmented synaptic responses evoked upon stimulation of the Schaffer collaterals. This effect persisted in the presence of bicuculline or CGP55845 to block GABAA or GABAB receptors, revealing a tonic eCB influence on excitatory transmission. Selective inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) with meloxicam or NS-398 decreased excitatory responses partly in a CB1-dependent manner, independently of GABAA transmission. Paired-pulse paradigms suggested a presynaptic CB1 mechanism to decrease glutamate release. Inhibition of COX-1 or other routes of eCB degradation did not affect synaptic transmission. We conclude that COX-2 regulates the formation of CB1 ligands that decrease hippocampal excitatory transmission.
Experience of Mycophenolate Mofetil in 10 Patients With Autoimmune-Related Interstitial Lung Disease Demonstrates Promising Effects

Abstract Background Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a frequent manifestation of connective tissue disease (CTD), especially systemic sclerosis (SSc), polymyositis-dermatomyositis, and rheumatoid arthritis. ILD related to CTDs heralds a poor prognosis and is associated with high mortality and 60% of patients have evidence of ILD. Cyclophosphamide (CYC) is extensively used in SSc ILD with moderate initial response but a poor long-term outcome, and is associated with significant toxicity. Results Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) was administered to 10 patients with autoimmune-related ILD: 4 with SSc, 3 with rheumatoid arthritis, 2 with polymyositis, and 1 with systemic lupus erythematosus and Sjogren syndrome. Five patients received remote CYC infusion. Ten patients had improvement in alveolitis, symptoms (cough, dyspnea, and chest discomfort), perceived quality of life and activity levels. Four of 5 patients discontinued oxygen. Two of 8 repeat high-resolution computed tomography improved, 6 stabilized, none worsened. Pulmonary function testing in 1 of 9 patients showed worsening, 3 with improvement and 5 stabilized. Serial echocardiograms revealed no new pulmonary arterial hypertension and no worsening of preexisting pulmonary arterial hypertension. Very importantly, averaged prednisone dose decreased from 58 to 1.4 mg without worsening. Conclusion MMF is safe, well tolerated, and allows reduction or discontinuation of prednisone without worsening of symptoms or objective progression of disease. MMF is less toxic and its targeted antifibrotic properties make it a potentially more effective agent than CYC that may supplant it as a first-line agent or provide sensible post-CYC maintenance or synergistic strategy in the treatment of CTD-ILD.
cETX: Incorporating Spatiotemporal Correlation for Better Wireless Networking

In this work, we experimentally observe the existence of spatiotemporal correlation among adjacent wireless links within short time intervals. Such an observation calls attention to potential errors in existing popular metrics built upon the assumption of link independence. Specifically we propose cETX (correlated ETX), a generalized metric, to compensate for estimation errors suffered by the widely-adopted ETX in the presence of correlated interference. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work to introduce a unified metric embracing both temporal and spatiotemporal correlations. The highlight of the cETX metric is its broad applicability and effectiveness. Evaluations on ZigBee (802.15.4) and Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n) testbeds deployed in a lab, corridor, and on a bridge reveal that: Simply replacing ETX with cETX (i) cuts down the error by 70.2% and 62.1%, respectively, and (ii) saves averages of 22% and 37% communication cost in three unicast [4, 13, 17] and nine broadcast protocols [7, 18, 23, 24, 27, 30, 40] at the price of only 0.7% additional overhead.
Effects of altruism on mood.

Summary Three studies were conducted to discover both whether or not helping is perceived as leading to a good mood and whether or not helping actually does affect mood. A total of 157 male and 159 female college students participated. Ss believed that performing five different altruistic behaviors would raise their mood significantly but that a sixth, giving money to a panhandler, would lower it. Two field experiments revealed that (a) giving directions to a person requesting them had no effect on mood, but (b) Ss induced to help a female confederate search for a “lost” piece of paper reported a significantly more positive mood than control group Ss. It was concluded that some but not all types of helping can indeed produce a good mood.
INTESTINAL (MESENTERIC) VASCULOPATHY II: Ischemic Colitis and Chronic Mesenteric Ischemia

Ischemic colitis accounts for approximately half of all cases of mesenteric vasculopathy. The clinical presentation varies depending on underlying cause, extent of vascular obstruction, rapidity of ischemic insult, degree of collateral circulation, and presence of comorbidity. Ischemic colitis is usually diagnosed by colonoscopy. Only approximately 20% of patients require surgery because of signs or laboratory findings of peritonitis or because of clinical deterioration. Approximately 20% of patients develop chronic colitis from irreversible colonic ischemic injury, which manifests clinically as persistent diarrhea, rectal bleeding, or weight loss and endoscopically as a colonic stricture or mass. Chronic mesenteric ischemia is almost always caused by significant atherosclerotic stenosis involving at least two mesenteric arteries, usually the superior mesenteric artery and celiac axis. The classic symptomatic triad of postprandial pain, fear of eating, and involuntary weight loss occurs with advanced disease.
Quantum dynamical properties of quasicrystals

We discuss the dynamics of a quantum particle in quasi-crystalline environments. Detailed results are presented for the particular case of the Fibonacci sequence. This example exhibits anomalous transport at sufficiently large coupling.
PLACENTAL PATHOLOGY : A NEGLECTED LINK BETWEEN BASIC DISEASE MECHANISMS AND UNTOWARD PREGNANCY OUTCOME

The long-term goal of examining placentas from patients with adverse pregnancy outcomes has always been to understand better the basic underlying disease processes involved. Through a consideration of clinical, sonographic, laboratory, and anatomic pathological data this goal is now being realized. Placental pathology in the following four clinical scenarios is reviewed: preterm labor, intrauterine growth retardation, intrauterine fetal demise, and birth asphyxia with long-term adverse sequela.
Pyrometer modeling for rapid thermal processing

A model is described which determines pyrometer measurements of the temperature of silicon wafers. The wafers may have any combination of silicon polysilicon and 2 on it. The inputs to the model are the wavelength range of the pyrometer temperature film thicknesses and order doping levels and polysilicon grain size. Experimental data provides qualitative agreement to the model. Since the emissivity of the wafer is shown to generally vary with radiation wavelength conventional multi-wavelength pyrometry does not have any obvious ways of compensating for measurement differences due to varying wafer structures. However there may be an empiricalbased alternative for multi-wavelength corrections. 1 Background As rapid thermal processors find their way into commercial applications they are likely to face increasingly tighter requirements in the control of the transient and steady state temperature of the wafer. To achieve this level of control accurate closed loop temperature control is necessary for many commercial applications of rapid thermal processing. The temperature measurement tool usually employed in these closed loop control systems is one or more pyrometers. Pyrometers determine the temperature of the wafer by measuring the magnitude of the radiation being emitted from the wafer. The relationship between temperature and spectral radiant exitance can be expressed as follows: [7] M (1) where M is the spectral radiant exitance of the wafer Mb is the spectral exitance of a black body (both measured in Watts/rn3) and
An approach to determine diffusivity in hardening concrete based on measured humidity profiles

Abstract A novel method to numerically determine the diffusion coefficient of hardening concrete from measured pore relative humidity profiles is presented, which is based upon an inverse nonlinear diffusion analysis. A system for nondestructively measuring the development of pore relative humidity required for this analysis in a uniaxially drying concrete specimen is described. The diffusion equation is solved by the method of lines, with collocation in the space variable to reduce the problem to a system of ordinary differential equations. Based on the solution of the diffusion equation, an auxiliary formulation is derived by searching the calibration factor in diffusivity that minimizes the residual between the calculated relative humidity and the measured data at each measured point in each small time interval. A working algorithm and numerical results are presented in this paper.
Septal lesion effects on a two-way avoidance task with one-way avoidance task characteristics: A test of a fear-attenuation hypothesis

Two experiments were conducted to assess the hypothesis that septal lesions result in a decrement in conditioned fear and to investigate whether the different effects of septal lesions in one-way and two-way avoidance tasks are due to some procedural differences between these two tasks. Experiment 1 compared the septal and normal control rats in a two-way avoidance task that incorporated a safe platform under the subject after a response but did not involve handling the subject (one-way analogue task). Experiment 2 investigated the effects of septal lesions in conventional two-way and one-way analogue tasks with two levels of shock intensity. The results indicated that, in the absence of a moving partition or electrified grids on top of the hurdle, the one-way analogue task enhanced the performance of both the normals and septals with both levels of shock intensity. Shock intensity had no effect in the one-way analogue task, but the more intense shock degraded the performance of both septals and normals in the two-way task. These results are not predicted by the fear-attenuation hypothesis. An alternative hypothesis in terms of the septals’ deficiency in the utilization of spatial cues was tested and shown able to account for all of the present results.
Rabbit and human insulins: similar cross-reactivities with antibodies to porcine insulin.

L'insuline du lapin differe de l'insuline de l'homme et du porc par l'acide amine C-terminal de la B-chaine. Les experiences demontrent que les insulines humaine et cuniculine reagissent de la meme maniere envers l'anticorps du cobaye et l'insuline du porc. Par consequent, l'acide amine en question ne parait pas etre determinant pour la production des anticorps contre les insulines de l'homme et du lapin.
Breakdown and invertebrate colonization of dead wood in wetland, upland, and river habitats

Breakdown of woody debris in river and upland habitats as well as the interactions between wood and invertebrates have been well described. Studies of wood in wetlands are rare, and far less is known about breakdown and invertebrate use of wood in these transitional habitats. This study experimentally assessed breakdown and invertebrate colonization of wood in a floodplain wetland and directly related patterns in the wetland to adjacent river and upland habitats. Over a 2.7 year period, we monitored breakdown and invertebrate presence in 10 cm diameter × 150 cm long sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.) logs in a floodplain wetland (n = 8), river (n = 5), and upland (n = 4) habitat. Mass loss, decay condition change, and C/N ratios of wetland wood more closely resembled upland than river wood. The overall invertebrate assemblage associated with wetland wood was also more similar to that associated with upland than river wood. Breakdown and invertebrate colonization of wood in the floodplain wetland shared...
Repeating Low-Positive Nucleic Acid Amplification Test Results for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae: Assessment of Current Practice in Selected California Public- and Private-Sector Laboratories

Routine repeat testing of specimens with a low-positive result for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae by nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) is not recommended ([5][1]) because of the following. (i) The majority of positive specimens that are negative on confirmatory testing are true
Predicting climate change effects on vegetation, soil thermal dynamics, and carbon cycling in ecosystems of interior Alaska

Abstract A dynamic vegetation model has been used to predict patterns of recent past and potential future change in taiga forest ecosystems of interior Alaska. The model, called CASA (Carnegie Ames Stanford Approach), is a process-based ecosystem depiction of plant and soil processes, including all major cycles of water and carbon. CASA’s dynamic vegetation component is intended to facilitate coupling to general circulation models of the atmosphere, which require mechanistic fluxes and feedbacks from terrestrial vegetation. Simulation results for selected Alaska sites of Denali National Park suggest that the past 50-year climate trends of warming temperatures may shift the taiga ecosystem from dominance by evergreen needleleaf trees to a more mixed broadleaf–needleleaf tree composition. For other (higher elevation) areas of Denali, our model predicts that a difference of only about 3 °C in mean annual air temperatures appears to differentiate the permanent presence of tundra vegetation forms over taiga forest. The model predicts that over the 1950–1999 climate record at Denali station, the changing taiga ecosystems were net sinks for atmospheric CO2 of about 1.3 kg C m−2. During the warm 1990s, these forests were predicted to be net carbon sinks of more than 15 g C m−2 per year in 8 out of 10 years. Predicted NPP for the forest continues to increase with a projected warming trend for the next 25 years at a mean rate of about +1.2 g C m−2 per year. On the basis of these model results, a series of crucial field site measurements can be identified for inclusion in subsequent long-term ecological studies of the changing taiga forest.
Isolation and nucleotide sequence of a mouse histidine tRNA gene

We have sequenced a 1307 base pair mouse genomic DNA fragment which contains a histidine tRNA gene. The sequence of the putative mouse histidine tRNA differs from the published sequence of sheep liver histidine tRNA by a single base change in the D-loop. It does not contain an unpaired 5' terminal G residue, as reported for Drosophila and sheep histidine tRNAs. The gene does not contain introns. The 3' flanking region contains a typical RNA polymerase III termination site of 6 consecutive T residues. 523 residues after the 3' end of the his tRNA coding region, the mouse DNA contains a sequence 72% homologous to part of the consensus sequence of the B1 (alu) family.
Tillage and N-fertilizer influences on selected organic carbon fractions in a North Dakota silty clay soil

Abstract Physical, chemical, and biological fractions of SOC pools, such as coarse particulate organic matter C (CPOM-C), permanganate oxidizable C (KMnO 4 -C), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), and mineralizable C (Cmin) respond to changes in management practices and provide sensitive indication of changes in the SOC dynamics than commonly reported total soil C alone. We hypothesized that tillage and N-fertilizer managements induced changes in SOC at the surface 0–15 cm soil would predominantly be reflected by parallel changes in different fractions of SOC. Three field experiments (Expt1: 2008–2011, Expt2: 2005–2011, Expt3: 2005–2011) were conducted in a Fargo (Typic Epiaquerts)-Ryan (Typic Natraquerts) silty clay complex in Fargo, North Dakota, USA. Our objectives were (i) to evaluate the effects of tillage (conventional till [CT], strip till [ST] and no-till [NT] and different N-fertilizer managements on SOC, CPOM-C, KMnO 4 -C, MBC, and Cmin and (ii) to determine any relationships among these C fractions within corn ( Zea mays )-sugarbeet ( Beta vulgaris )-soybean ( Glycine max ) rotation. Compared with CT, ST and NT had significantly higher SOC concentration by 3.8 and 2.7%, SOC stock by 7.2% and 9.2%, CPOM-C by 22 and 25%, and KMnO 4 -C by 4.8 and 4.1%, respectively in Expt2 and had significantly higher SOC concentration by 3.9 and 6.6%, SOC stock by 11.9 and 8.7%, and CPOM-C by 33 and 45%, respectively in Expt3. The KMnO 4 -C and 30 d cumulative Cmin were greater under ST than CT by 3.3 and 23%, respectively in Expt3. The amounts of Cmin were consistently higher under ST and NT than CT throughout the incubation period except at 7 d, in Expt3. Across the study, CPOM-C was 16.3–22.1%, MBC was 3.4–4.5%, cumulative Cmin was 0.7–1.4%, and KMnO 4 -C was 1.6–1.7% of the total SOC. Significant correlations were observed among SOC, CPOM-C and Cmin in all the experiments. CPOM-C was the most sensitive fraction to tillage changes. Tillage influences on SOC fractions followed the order: physical (CPOM-C) > biological (cumulative Cmin) > chemical (KMnO 4 -C), however, the sequence change with soil type and crop rotation requires further investigation.
Effectiveness of Water Fluoridation

The efficacy of communal water fluoridation in reducing dental caries has been reviewed based on surveys conducted in the last decade of caries prevalence in fluoridated and nonfluoridated communities in the United States as well as in Australia, Britain, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand. The efficacy is greatest for the deciduous dentition, with a range of 30-60 percent less caries in fluoridated communities. In the mixed dentition (ages 8 to 12), the efficacy is more variable, about 20-40 percent less caries. In adolescents (ages 14-17), it is about 15-35 percent less caries. Current data on caries prevalence in adults and seniors are extremely limited and include several populations living in communities with higher than optimal fluoride levels. For these adults and seniors, a range of 15-35 percent less caries would also apply. Viewed in toto, the current data for children, adolescents, adults and seniors show a consistently and substantially lower caries prevalence in fluoridated communities. For an accurate measurement of the efficacy of water fluoridation in reducing dental caries, it is essential that only persons with a record of continuous or long-term residency in fluoridated versus nonfluoridated areas be included in such assessments. Because of the high geographic mobility in our society and the widespread use of fluoride dentifrices, supplements, and other topical fluoride agents, such comparisons are becoming more difficult to conduct. Accordingly, the effectiveness (rather than the efficacy) of water fluoridation has decreased as the benefits of other forms of fluoride have spread to communities lacking optimal water fluoridation.
Indirect retention in partial denture design

Abstract The principle of indirect retention is shown to be an application of a Class 2 lever. The so-called indirect retainer is a major connector stabilizer. A secondary fulcrum line is usually established when partial denture design includes indirect retention. Indirect retention prevents the retentive clasp tips from becoming a fulcrum about which the prosthesis could rotate when forces move the denture base away from the tissue.
Choosing the Right Pond: The Impact of Group Membership on Self-Esteem and Group-Oriented Behavior

Abstract The group value model (Tyler & Lind, 1992) proposes that two dimensions of group membership—pride and respect—shape people's self-esteem and their behavior in groups. People are concerned with the position of the groups to which they belong (pride) and with their position within those groups (respect). Study 1 shows that both pride and respect are significantly related to self-esteem and group-oriented behaviors in a study based upon people's self-identification with important groups and social categories. Study 2 replicates the same relationships in a context (campus sororities) in which distinctions between and within groups are especially salient and important. The results from both studies demonstrate the value of pride and respect for understanding the relationships among group membership, self-esteem, and group-oriented attitudes and behaviors.
Positive feedback between Cdc42 activity and H+ efflux by the Na-H exchanger NHE1 for polarity of migrating cells

A fundamental feature of cell polarity in response to spatial cues is asymmetric amplification of molecules generated by positive feedback signaling. We report a positive feedback loop between the guanosine triphosphatase Cdc42, a central determinant in eukaryotic cell polarity, and H+ efflux by Na-H+ exchanger 1 (NHE1), which is necessary at the front of migrating cells for polarity and directional motility. In response to migratory cues, Cdc42 is not activated in fibroblasts expressing a mutant NHE1 that lacks H+ efflux, and wild-type NHE1 is not activated in fibroblasts expressing mutationally inactive Cdc42-N17. H+ efflux by NHE1 is not necessary for release of Cdc42–guanosine diphosphate (GDP) from Rho GDP dissociation inhibitor or for the membrane recruitment of Cdc42 but is required for GTP binding by Cdc42 catalyzed by a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF). Data indicate that GEF binding to phosphotidylinositol 4,5–bisphosphate is pH dependent, suggesting a mechanism for how H+ efflux by NHE1 promotes Cdc42 activity to generate a positive feedback signal necessary for polarity in migrating cells.
Pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus: management issues in primary practice.

Purpose: To provide nurse practitioners (NPs) with an update on pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with an emphasis on management considerations for primary care practitioners. Data sources: An extensive literature review was conducted using both Medline and CINAHL databases. Research articles reflecting the most compelling findings were included in this review. Conclusions: NPs who care for children with SLE may be able to prevent or delay the morbidities associated with this disease and its treatments, if they keep abreast of the new information evolving in this realm of rheumatologic diseases. Implications for practice: As more is learned about pediatric SLE, better treatments have evolved such that the survival rates have increased. The primary care of pediatric SLE patients that is focused on preventing or delaying SLE morbidities may help to restore, maintain, or improve the quality of life for these patients.
A new universal GPC calibration method

A model of GPC separation phenomenon with a new calibration method has been developed based on the probability of molecular size exclusion from a porous packing material. The model was shown to give a theoretical explanation of instrument range and sensitivity. With data from the literature, the new calibration method was shown to be statistically superior to the standard method suggested by Grubisic.
Revised structures for fumaritridine and fumaritrine: Two indenobenzazepine type alkaloids

Abstract Fumaritridine and fumaritrine are not spirobenzylisoquinolines. Rather, they are indenobenzazepines so that fumaritridine is represented by expression 10 and fumaritrine by 11 . Treatment of dihydroparfumine ( 6 ) and dihydroparfumidine ( 7 ) uith trifluoroacetic anhydride folloued by quenching with methanol gives 10 and 11 , respectively.
FUNDAMENTAL STUDY OF CRYSTALLINE AND GLASSY PHASES IN WHITEWARE BODIES

A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitative determination of the crystalline constituents in kaolin-flint-feldspar blends has been developed with the Geiger-counter X-ray spectrometer. Two variations of this method were the use of (1) a powdered sample with a reference-material addition and (2) a polished normal body surface. The powdered-sample technique with a reference-material addition showed the greater accuracy and consistency of results. The polished-surface technique was slightly less accurate, but the preparation and nature of the test specimen make it very adaptable to control methods. With this technique the complete preparation and testing of the fired surface can be carried out in approximately 10 minutes. Standardization curves for the X-ray spectrometer technique were used to obtain quantitative information concerning the crystalline constituents in the following blends: (1) kaolin-flint, (2) kaolin-feldspar, (3) flint-feldspar, and (4) kaolin-flint-feldspar, as well as with additions of 1.2 and 2.8% lime and magnesia, and direct substitution of nepheline syenite for feldspar. Pressed 1 1/2-in. pellets of each body were subjected to 3- and 12-hour soaking periods at 1200° and 1400°C. Quartz, mullite, cristobalite, and wollastonite were identified as the crystalline constituents in the kaolin, flint, and feldspar blends studied. Quantitative X-ray information concerning the reduction of the free-quartz content, formation of cristobalite and mullite, and the amount of the total crystalline content was used to determine the effects of variations in composition and heat-treatment for the different blends.
Introduction: Asthma epidemiology and economic impact.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the bronchial tree characterized by episodic, usually reversible, bronchospasm and bronchial hyperresponsiveness to various stimuli.[1][1] It manifests as a variety of signs and symptoms, including cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, and chest tightness
Interference suppression performance of an adaptive direct sequence spread spectrum receiver

The code segments generated by a pseudorandom noise generator are divided into groups according to the number of the chips taking on the value -1 in each segment, or equivalently according to the imbalance in the numbers of -1s and 1s. The author examines the average residual interfering power seen at the receiver baseband when the segments from each group are used for the despreading operation. It is found that such a power either increases or decreases with the degree of imbalance, depending on whether an interfering state discriminator output is positive or negative. The suppression performance of the conventional direct-sequence spread-spectrum receiver by using code segments with either large or small imbalances. >
Erythropoietin mediated bone formation is regulated by mTOR signaling.

The role of erythropoietin (Epo) and Epo/Epo receptor (EpoR) signaling pathways for production of red blood cells are well established. However, little is known about Epo/EpoR signaling in non-hematopoietic cells. Recently, we demonstrated that Epo activates JAK/STAT signaling in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), leading to the production of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) and bone formation and that Epo also directly activate mesenchymal cells to form osteoblasts in vitro. In this study, we investigated the effects of mTOR signaling on Epo-mediated osteoblastogenesis and osteoclastogenesis. We found that mTOR inhibition by rapamycin blocks Epo-dependent and -independent osteoblastic phenotypes in human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSCs) and ST2 cells, respectively. Furthermore, we found that rapamycin inhibits Epo-dependent and -independent osteoclastogenesis in mouse bone marrow mononuclear cells and Raw264.7 cells. Finally, we demonstrated that Epo increases NFATc1 expression and decreases cathepsin K expression in an mTOR-independent manner, resulting in an increase of osteoclast numbers and a decrease in resorption activity. Taken together, these results strongly indicate that mTOR signaling plays an important role in Epo-mediated bone homeostasis.
Carl Rogers-Values, Persons, and Politics: The Dialectic of Individual and Community

The person-centered approach began as a strictly personal/psychological/ private approach, only belatedly applied to politics. Nonetheless, that political turn is an expression of intrinsic tendenc...
On detecting the orientation of polygons and polyhedra

This paper concerns the use of ray sensors to detect the orientation of polygonal and polyhedral objects moving on a belt or slide. The problem is abstracted to the computational domain and the following results obtained. For polygons of n vertices, n sensors are sufficient and (n/2) necessary. For convex polyhedra of n vertices, (6n) sensors are sufficient and (n/4) necessary. Non-convex polyhedra cannot be effectively handled with such sensors.
Nonneutral Evolution of the Transcribed Pseudogene Makorin1-p1 in Mice

Pseudogenes are nonfunctional relics of formerly functional genes and are thought to evolve neutrally. In some pseudogenes, however, the molecular evolutionary patterns are atypical of neutrally evolving sequences, exhibiting sequence conservation, codon-usage bias, and other features associated with functional genes. Makorin1-p1 is a transcribed pseudogene first identified in the mouse Mus musculus. The transcript of Makorin1-p1 can regulate the stability of the transcript of its paralogous functional gene Makorin1. Specifically, the half-life of Makorin1 mRNA increases significantly in the presence of Makorin1-p1 transcript, and targeted deletion of Makorin1-p1 is lethal in mice. Here, we show that Makorin1-p1 originated after the separation of Mus and Rattus but before the divergence of M. musculus and M. pahari. The transcribed region of Makorin1-p1 exhibits rates of point and indel substitutions that are two to four times lower than those in the untranscribed region, suggesting that the transcribed region is under functional constraint and is not evolving neutrally. Although the transcript of Makorin1-p1 likely functions by its sequence similarity to Makorin1, we find no evidence of gene conversion between them, indicating that functional conservation alone is sufficient to maintain their coordinated evolution. A duplication-degeneration model is proposed to explain how Makorin1-p1 was co-opted into the regulatory system of Makorin1. There are over 10,000 pseudogenes in a typical mammalian genome, and it is plausible that many functional but untranslatable pseudogenes exist. Our results illustrate the potential of using evolutionary analysis to identify such pseudogenes from genome sequences.
The Impact of Age and Type of Intervention on Youth Violent Behaviors

This study compared the impact of the Aban Aya Youth Project (AAYP; Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine 158: 377-384, 2004) social development classroom curriculum (SDC), school/family/community (SC) intervention curriculum, and a health enhancement curriculum (HEC) attention placebo control on changes over time in violent behaviors among participating youth. Grade 5 pretest and grades 5-8 posttest data were used to investigate the possibility of differential intervention effects, especially the extent to which the SDC and SC interventions were differentially efficacious across age. Unlike most previous investigations of AAYP intervention effects, this study included youth who joined the study after baseline data collection in the outcome analyses. Findings indicated that, regardless of age level, the SDC limited the growth of violence of participating students when compared to students in the control condition. In the SC, however, reduction in the growth of violence emerged only among older participants. Importantly, this included joiners who received less exposure to the intervention. Findings for the SDC are consistent with recent meta-analyses of school based programs, whereas SC findings suggest that violence prevention curricula alone are not sufficient for highly mobile students and that interventions for such populations need to engage multiple social ecological systems. Editors' Strategic Implications: The authors present promising violence prevention findings, and they also provide important answers to dosage and developmental timing questions with their analyses of these longitudinal data.
Orofacial edema: a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for the clinician

Background and Conclusion A case of a 41-year-old patient with a 5-year history of chronic recurrent angioedema, refractory to conservative treatment is presented. The results of the case report suggest that in differential diagnosis of angioedema, in addition to usual causes, the allergist-immunologist needs to consider Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome, which can present with a variety of symptom-combinations of the classic triad. The distinguishing characteristics of the Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome are its refractoriness to the usual anti-inflammatory therapy and the need to consider corrective cosmetic surgery, which may benefit some patients.
Achieving medical stability: Wives' experiences with heart failure.

The incidence of heart failure continues to rise as innovative treatments are developed. Despite life-prolonging interventions, morbidity and mortality in patients younger than 65 remain high. Few studies have focused on this younger cohort and/or their family caregivers as they navigate the complex illness trajectories manifested in heart failure. Instrumental case studies were employed to present exemplars for each of the five identified heart failure trajectories. Culling data from a longitudinal study of female spousal caregivers, each case study represents a wife’s discussion of caring for a husband (<65 years) in response to the husband’s changing heart failure trajectory. The goal of medical stability and the notion of uncertainty permeate throughout the case studies. Suggestions for supporting these wives are presented.
Effect of rear end low-speed collisions on the meniscus

Low-speed, rear end motor vehicle collisions may cause small but significant medial meniscal tears that have been previously unexplained in published literature. The medial meniscus can be torn when a compressive load is applied to the leg in the flexed position and is then twisted. Rear end collisions occurring at low speeds may produce loading patterns to the legs of the occupants that are capable of tearing ligaments within the knee, especially the medial meniscus. There is limited previous work on this topic and current research only supplies a small amount of data on the properties and characteristics of the knee during a compressive and twisting load. This study uses a three dimensional knee model to simulate loads to a flexed knee in the finite element software FEBio. The results of these simulations show that the inner edge of the posterior horn of the meniscus may be susceptible to injury and that both large compressive loads and applied torque increase the stresses and strains.
Assessment of the Tribological Requirements of Advanced Spacecraft Mechanisms

A survey was conducted of existing technologies for moving mechanical assemblies used in spacecraft applications. The purpose was to identify areas where future requirements for lifetimes in excess of ten years with anticipated speeds, loads, and temperatures might not be satisfied. Some specific mechanisms, such as momentum/reaction wheels, high-speed turbines, pointing and tracking mechanisms, despin mechanisms, and gimbal mechanisms, were identified as areas for potential application of existing but unused technologies. Two major problem areas identified involve boundary-regime lubrication and lubricant supply (active or passive) for long life. Areas where substantial, near-term improvements appear practical include the use of hybrid bearings, new synthetic fluid lubricants, new bearing retainer materials, and properly designed solid-film lubricants.
Coupled finite-element codes for armature design

This paper discusses the development of a design tool that couples two-dimensional (2-D) electromagnetics (EM) with three-dimensional (3-D) dynamic structural mechanics. The resulting model has the capability for rapid performance assessment of railgun and armature structures. The coupling of codes is one-way in that no deformations are provided to the EM code once the calculations begin. An efficient and accurate 2-D EM code is used to generate the thermal and mechanical loads. It is well known that the 2-D EM solution for a solid armature railgun grossly compromises the calculation as compared to the 3-D formulation for isolated regions in the armature and conducting boundary. However, despite this drawback, some success has been obtained in comparing experimental results to the 2-D computations with velocity skin effect, as well as favorable comparisons between 2-D and static 3-D computations. At the present time, there is no code available that accurately captures the entire launch process and physics leading up to and including transition of the armature contacts. It is anticipated that with development of design rules and methodology, the electromagnetic field solution can be extended to 3-D as well as automated to the point that very little computer time and user intervention are required.
Prismless diode-pumped femtosecond Nd:glass laser

Femtosecond lasers emitting in the wavelength range around 1 /spl mu/m are attractive sources for a variety of applications. At 1.06 /spl mu/m, neodymium-doped glass offers both the relatively broad gain bandwidth, which is necessary for femtosecond pulse generation, and a strong absorption band around 800 nm, which allows for direct diode-pumping. Femtosecond pulses from diode-pumped Nd:glass lasers were previously reported, using intracavity semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors (SESAMs) to obtain mode-locking. In these lasers prism pairs were used for compensation of intracavity material dispersion and of self-phase modulation, limiting the reliability and compactness of the systems. Towards more compact and reliable femtosecond lasers we demonstrate a SESAM-mode-locked Nd:silicate laser, which uses Gires-Tournois interferometer mirrors for dispersion compensation and which is pumped by only a single laser diode.
Approximate-model closed-loop minimal sampling method for HIV viral-load minima detection

We present a closed-loop method for determining the minimum of a viral rebound curve for an HIV patient undergoing a therapy transition. This method fits the parameters for a reduced approximate solution to the viral load measurements using a Simulated Annealing direct search algorithm. Gaussian white noise is added, and a family of fits is obtained. A safety tolerance measure is applied to the family of fits to obtain the next sample time. Using parameters identified from HIV data, we show that this method exhibits robust performance on noisy data generated from identified patient models, while greatly reducing the number of samples needed compared to a fixed-interval sampling approach.
Local Reconstruction of a Vector Field from Its Normal Components on the Faces of Grid Cells

We compare two local least squares approximations for the reconstruction of the Cartesian components of a vector field at the nodes of a logically rectangular grid, when this vector field is given by its components normal to the faces (edges in 2D) of the cells of the grid. Such a problem appears naturally, for example, for Lagrangian gas dynamics codes based on Godunov’s method, where the normal component of a vector on an edge between two cells is computed from the solution of a 1D Riemann problem [1], but the Cartesian components are needed at nodes in order to compute the nodal motion. This kind of reconstruction is also interesting in the framework of discrete vector analysis [2] as a map between different spaces of vector functions. Reconstructed vector fields are often used to compute discrete analogs of differential operators such as divergence and curl. Therefore, to estimate the quality of the reconstruction we need to evaluate not only the accuracy of the vector itself but also the accuracy of the approximate discrete div and curl. More specifically we are given the exact values at the edge centroids of the projection of a vector function on the directions normal to the sides of the cells (see Fig. 1a for notation). Our goal is to reconstruct the Cartesian components Ax i, j , A y i, j of the vector A at the node (i, j). The zero-order reconstruction algorithm described in [1] is based on choosing Ai, j to minimize the local quadratic functional ∑
Sparse Signal Recovery With Temporally Correlated Source Vectors Using Sparse Bayesian Learning

We address the sparse signal recovery problem in the context of multiple measurement vectors (MMV) when elements in each nonzero row of the solution matrix are temporally correlated. Existing algorithms do not consider such temporal correlation and thus their performance degrades significantly with the correlation. In this paper, we propose a block sparse Bayesian learning framework which models the temporal correlation. We derive two sparse Bayesian learning (SBL) algorithms, which have superior recovery performance compared to existing algorithms, especially in the presence of high temporal correlation. Furthermore, our algorithms are better at handling highly underdetermined problems and require less row-sparsity on the solution matrix. We also provide analysis of the global and local minima of their cost function, and show that the SBL cost function has the very desirable property that the global minimum is at the sparsest solution to the MMV problem. Extensive experiments also provide some interesting results that motivate future theoretical research on the MMV model.
Deviant Peer Affiliation and Antisocial Behavior: Interaction with Monoamine Oxidase A (MAOA) Genotype

Although genetic and environmental factors are separately implicated in the development of antisocial behavior (ASB), interactive models have emerged relatively recently, particularly those incorporating molecular genetic data. Using a large sample of male Caucasian adolescents and young adults from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), the association of deviant peer affiliation, the 30-base pair variable number tandem repeat polymorphism in promoter region of the monoamine oxidase-A (MAOA) gene, and their interaction, with antisocial behavior (ASB) was investigated. Weighted analyses accounting for over-sampling and clustering within schools as well as controlling for age and wave suggested that deviant peer affiliation and MAOA genotype were each significantly associated with levels of overt ASB across a 6-year period. Only deviant peer affiliation was significantly related to covert ASB, however. Additionally, there was evidence suggestive of a gene-environment interaction (G × E) where the influence of deviant peer affiliation on overt ASB was significantly stronger among individuals with the high-activity MAOA genotype than the low-activity genotype. MAOA was not significantly associated with deviant peer affiliation, thus strengthening the inference of G × E rather than gene-environment correlation (rGE). Different forms of gene-environment interplay and implications for future research on ASB are discussed.