cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Virtual Tour of the Cell: Impact of Virtual Reality on Student Learning and Engagement in the STEM Classroom.

Virtual reality (VR) is an immersive experience designed for users to explore a digital overlay that is completely independent of their true surroundings. The user is provided with a VR headset (often called a Head Mounted Display [HMD]) providing visual and audio stimuli and multiple sensors that track physical movement in relationship to a virtual world. Virtual reality is widely used in the gaming industry and has steadily extended to a variety of fields, especially the healthcare industry. Virtual reality is now used by patients, including autism and Alzheimer’s patients as a form of therapy (1–5). Similarly, VR is also used in the education of healthcare professionals, for example to practice surgeries and dental work (6–9). Virtual reality in healthcare is highly represented in the primary literature. However, there are relatively few publications on VR in the undergraduate STEM classroom (10–13). It is also uncertain how many colleges and universities have begun to use VR in the classroom. A recent international study indicates that active learning in STEM classrooms is rare compared with the lower-impact traditional lecture (14). An immersive VR experience which allows students a hands-on approach to interacting with the subject matter can provide students with a unique active-learning experience suited to a variety of STEM topics. Cell biology is a challenging course, and this is greatly exacerbated by the fact that the cell is so tiny that the parts cannot be viewed in a typical light microscope. The concepts are therefore abstract and difficult to visualize. Virtual reality gives students the ability to “travel inside the cell” and even “handle” organelles that would only be one micron or less in a real eukaryotic cell. Here we describe the very first in-class use of VR at our university and the educational benefits derived from providing students with the experience as part of a STEM laboratory period.
Halting the March: Primary Prevention of Atopic Dermatitis and Food Allergies

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is one of the most common inflammatory skin conditions, affecting 15% to 30% of children and 2% to 10% of adults. Population-based studies suggest that having AD is associated with subsequent development of other atopic diseases, in what is known as the "atopic march." We will provide an overview of studies that investigate primary prevention strategies for the first 2 diseases in the march, namely, AD and food allergies (FA). These strategies include emollients, breastfeeding, microbial exposures, probiotics, vitamin D and UV light, water hardness, and immunotherapy. Some studies, including randomized controlled trials on emollients and microbial supplementation, have found encouraging results; however, the evidence remains limited and contradictory. With regard to breastfeeding, microbial and lifestyle exposures, vitamin D and UV light, water hardness, and immunotherapy, the lack of randomized controlled trials makes it difficult to draw definitive conclusions. Current American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines support the idea that breastfeeding for 3 to 4 months can decrease AD incidence in children less than 2 years old. Recommendations regarding a direct relationship between breastfeeding on FA, however, cannot be made because of insufficient data. Regarding microbial supplementation, most guidelines do not recommend probiotics or prebiotics for the purpose of preventing allergic diseases because of limited evidence. Before definitive conclusions can be made regarding these interventions, more well-designed, longitudinal, and randomized controlled trials, particularly in at-risk populations, are required.
Convention, correlation and consistency

Peter Vanderschraaf’s Strategic Justice provides a defense of the egalitarian bargaining solution. Vanderschraaf’s discussion of the egalitarian solution invokes three arguments typically given to support the Nash bargaining solution. Overall, we reinforce Vanderschraaf’s criticism of arguments in favor of the Nash solution and point to potential weaknesses in Vanderschraaf’s positive case for the egalitarian solution.
A Near- and Mid-Infrared Study of the Interacting Galaxy Pair UGC 12914/12915: “Taffy”

We report on an infrared 1 to 17 μm study of the nearby (cz = 4600 km s-1) interacting spiral galaxy system UGC 12914/12915, using the ground-based Palomar 200 inch (5 m) telescope and PFIRCAM near-infrared detector and space-based mid-infrared imaging and spectral observations using ISOCAM and PHT-S on the Infrared Space Observatory. The system consists of two counterrotating spirals having suffered a nearly face-on collision only ~2 × 107 yr ago. In conjunction with radio observations we explore the complex gas/dust morphology of the postcollision disks, ring structures, current epoch of star formation, and the remnant connecting bridge: It is the unusual radio synchrotron bridge that this study was largely aimed at understanding. Strong line emission from aromatic band features at 6.2, 7.7, and 11.3 μm are seen in both the mid-IR imaging and PHT-S spectrophotometry centered on the nuclei. Theaverage mid-IR (5–17 μm) flux density is ~0.42 Jy, or about 7% of the 60 μm IRAS flux density. Ournear-/mid-IR data support the hypothesis that the restricted form of galaxy-galaxy interaction—counterrotating direct head-on collision among comparably massed spirals—has produced a large-scale dynamically expanding "ring" of recent star formation and gas "bar" structure within the disk of UGC 12914. The nucleus and northwestern disk of UGC 12915 are undergoing vigorous star formation probably triggered by the interaction. UGC 12914 appears to be more quiescent in comparison, although there are signatures of massive star formation as revealed in direct comparison between the radio, mid-IR, and Hα imaging. Within the connecting bridge region, the mid-IR imaging reveals dust grains intermixed with the atomic hydrogen gas. The heating mechanism for the hot dust is likely to be UV photons diffusing out from the galactic disks and the H II complex located along the extreme northeastern portion of the bridge: The dust emission, or mid-IR intensity per atomic hydrogen column density ratio, is consistent with heating from the local (bridge) interstellar radiation field.
Scaling positive random matrices: concentration and asymptotic convergence.

It is well known that any positive matrix can be scaled to have prescribed row and column sums by multiplying its rows and columns by certain positive scaling factors (which are unique up to a positive scalar). This procedure is known as matrix scaling, and has found numerous applications in operations research, economics, image processing, and machine learning. In this work, we investigate the behavior of the scaling factors and the resulting scaled matrix when the matrix to be scaled is random. Specifically, letting $\widetilde{A}\in\mathbb{R}^{M\times N}$ be a positive and bounded random matrix whose entries assume a certain type of independence, we provide a concentration inequality for the scaling factors of $\widetilde{A}$ around those of $A = \mathbb{E}[\widetilde{A}]$. This result is employed to bound the convergence rate of the scaling factors of $\widetilde{A}$ to those of $A$, as well as the concentration of the scaled version of $\widetilde{A}$ around the scaled version of $A$ in operator norm, as $M,N\rightarrow\infty$. When the entries of $\widetilde{A}$ are independent, $M=N$, and all prescribed row and column sums are $1$ (i.e., doubly-stochastic matrix scaling), both of the previously-mentioned bounds are $\mathcal{O}(\sqrt{\log N / N})$ with high probability. We demonstrate our results in several simulations.
Offering vs. Choice in 401(k) Plans: Equity Exposure and Number of Funds

Records of more than half a million participants in more than six hundred 401(k) pension plans indicate that participants tend to use a small number of funds: The number of participants using a given number of funds peaks at three funds and declines after more than three funds. Participants tend to allocate their contributions evenly across the funds they use, with the tendency weakening with the number of funds used. The median number of funds used is between three and four, and is not sensitive to the number of funds offered by the plans, which ranges from 4 to 59. A participant's propensity to allocate contributions to equity funds is not very sensitive to the fraction of equity funds among those offered by his plan. The paper also comments on limitations on inference available from experiments and from aggregate-level data analysis.
Comparative analysis of RNA enrichment methods for preparation of Cryptococcus neoformans RNA sequencing libraries

RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) experiments focused on gene expression involve removal of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) because it is the major RNA constituent of cells. This process, called RNA enrichment, is done primarily to reduce cost: without rRNA removal, deeper sequencing must be performed to compensate for the sequencing reads wasted on rRNA. The ideal RNA enrichment method removes all rRNA without affecting other RNA in the sample. We tested the performance of three RNA enrichment methods on RNA isolated from Cryptococcus neoformans, a fungal pathogen of humans. We find that the RNase H depletion method is more efficient in depleting rRNA and more specific in recapitulating non-rRNA levels present in unenriched controls than the commonly-used Poly(A) isolation method. The RNase H depletion method is also more effective than the Ribo-Zero depletion method as measured by rRNA depletion efficiency and recapitulation of protein-coding RNA levels present in unenriched controls, while the Ribo-Zero depletion method more closely recapitulates annotated non-coding RNA (ncRNA) levels. Finally, we leverage these data to accurately map the C. neoformans mitochondrial rRNA genes, and also demonstrate that RNA-Seq data generated with the RNase H and Ribo-Zero depletion methods can be used to explore novel C. neoformans long non-coding RNA genes.
Cation-exchanged conductive Mn2DSBDC metal–organic frameworks: Synthesis, structure, and THz conductivity

Abstract Conductive metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are an emerging class of materials that rely upon crystallographically-defined charge-transport pathways that can be synthetically designed. Such conductive MOFs, including Mn-based MOFs, have not yet found applications in electrocatalysis at least partly due to restrictions in their tunability, as compositional or structural changes may interrupt the purposefully-designed charge-transport pathways. In this work, we provide an original strategy to exchange a portion of the Mn2+ cations in the conductive MOF Mn2DSBDC (where DSBDC = 2,5-dimercaptoterephthalate) for either Ni2+, Cu2+, or Co2+. The bulk and local structures were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction and element-specific X-ray absorption spectroscopy, respectively, to understand the structural effects of cation exchange, supporting that cation exchange does not alter the overall structure of the MOF. Importantly, using time-domain THz spectroscopy, it was discovered that the cation exchange does not alter the conductivity of the MOF. This finding opens the door to functionalization and tunability with respect to the cation composition in Mn2DSBDC, strongly suggesting applications in electrocatalysis.
Tip-of-the-Basilar Stroke secondary to Fat Embolization after Hip Arthroplasty (P4.3-006)

Objective: We present a rare case of distal basilar artery stroke from fat embolism after right hip arthroplasty, who underwent emergent thrombectomy with recanalization of the basilar artery. Background: Fat embolism syndrome (FES) is a known complication of long bone and pelvic fractures. The classic triad consists of hypoxemia, petechial rash, and altered mentation, typically developing within the first 24–72 hours after injury. CFE is a rare cause of embolic stroke. MRI brain shows a “star-field pattern” acutely, indicative of scattered punctate embolic infarcts without the visible emboli; this correlates to the degree of clinical impairment. Very rarely, CFE can cause intracranial vessel occlusions causing large territorial infarcts. CT head demonstrates a “hypodense artery sign” which indicates the presence of a macroscopic fat embolus, as opposed to the hyperdense artery sign seen with acute thrombosis. Design/Methods: Case Report Results: This is a 70-year-old female who was found unresponsive, hypotensive, and hypoxic after a right total hip arthroplasty necessitating re-intubation. She was comatose and had absent cranial nerve reflexes except for intact cough reflex. She had an extensor response in her upper extremities and triple flexion of her lower extremities to stimuli. Brain CT demonstrated a hypodensity of the basilar artery suggestive of a fat embolism. She was not administered thrombolytic therapy due to major surgery. She underwent emergent thrombectomy with successful revascularization of her basilar artery. She was also found to have a 1.5 cm patent foramen ovale. Unfortunately, due to lack of clinical improvement, her family decided to withdraw care. Conclusions: This is a rare case of an intracranial vessel occlusion caused by a fat embolism that was successfully retrieved by thrombectomy. Mechanical thrombectomy can be an option in patients with fat embolism causing large vessel occlusion. Similar to atheroembolic conditions, these patients require timely re-canalization to improve neurological outcome. Disclosure: Dr. Gopal has nothing to disclose. Dr. Thakur has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lakhani has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hinduja has nothing to disclose.
Spotlight on the Dance: The Cha Cha Cha and the Merengue

(1956). Spotlight on the Dance: The Cha Cha Cha and the Merengue. Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation: Vol. 27, No. 6, pp. 54-55.
Evaluation of RxNorm for Medication Clinical Decision Support

We evaluated the potential use of RxNorm to provide standardized representations of generic drug name and route of administration to facilitate management of drug lists for clinical decision support (CDS) rules. We found a clear representation of generic drug name but not route of administration. We identified several issues related to data quality, including erroneous or missing defined relationships, and the use of different concept hierarchies to represent the same drug. More importantly, we found extensive semantic precoordination of orthogonal concepts related to route and dose form, which would complicate the use of RxNorm for drug-based CDS. This study demonstrated that while RxNorm is a valuable resource for the standardization of medications used in clinical practice, additional work is required to enhance the terminology so that it can support expanded use cases, such as managing drug lists for CDS.
Studies on the structural proteins of vaccinia virus. II. Kinetics of the synthesis of individual groups of structural proteins.

Abstract The time course of the synthesis of certain structural vaccinia virus proteins in mouse L fibroblasts was determined by pulse-labeling infected cells at intervals throughout the multiplication cycle and determining the degree of labeling of individual proteins of progeny virus after polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Overall viral structural protein synthesis reaches a peak in these cells at between 6 and 8 hours after infection, but then continues at a relatively high rate throughout the infection cycle. Different groups of viral structural proteins exhibit different patterns of synthesis. The synthesis of two proteins which are constituents of viral cores commences very early, as does that of a protein which is situated near the surface of the virion. These proteins are also synthesized in the presence of cytosine arabinoside, when viral DNA replication is inhibited, and are thus “early” proteins. The synthesis of the two early core proteins, but not that of the surface protein, appears to be subject to switch-off; however, switch-off is not absolute, and small amounts of these proteins continue to be synthesized throughout the infection cycle. The presence of structural viral proteins in “soluble” cell extracts (supernatant solutions after centrifuging at 20,000 g for 60 minutes) was also examined. The structural viral protein complement of such cell extracts bears only limited resemblance to that of virions. Some structural viral proteins appear to be synthesized in the form of polypeptide chains larger than those actually incorporated into virions; other viral proteins appear to aggregate rapidly after their synshesis. This is true particularly of those structural proteins which are the latest to be synthesized. The implications of these results are discussed.
Comparison of reaction times while walking

This paper studies human reaction time to six different stimulus modalities while standing and while walking: visual, auditory, vibration on the toe, vibration on the thigh, vibration on the waist, and vibration on the wrist. The modalities were chosen as possible means of sensory feedback for a smart lower limb prosthesis. Reaction times were measured from start of stimulus to press of a hand-held button. Results show that the reaction times while standing were comparable for all modalities, but walking disproportionately affects perception of the thigh and toe stimuli.
X-RAY INDUCED MUTATIONS IN SPERMATOGONIAL CELLS OF DROSOPHILA AND THEIR DOSE-FREQUENCY RELATIONSHIP.

Spermatogonial x-ray induced mutation rates were determined in adult Drosophila males. The mutation frequency was found to be proportional to dose for doses of 3000 to 12000 r. (auth)
Safety profile of long-term intraventricular access devices in pediatric patients receiving radioimmunotherapy for central nervous system malignancies.

Background The use of Ommaya catheters or ventriculoperitoneal shunts with programmable valves (pVP-shunts) for intraventricular drug administration is increasingly more common. Procedure We reviewed the safety and complication rate associated with ventricular access devices in patients receiving compartmental intraventricular radioimmunotherapy (cRIT). Results One hundred fifty one patients with recurrent primary or metastatic central nervous system (CNS) tumors (1–34 years) had a ventricular access device (143 Ommaya reservoirs, 8 VP shunts with programmable valves) placed for drug administration and cerebrospinal fluid acquisition. Patients received 2–5 serial injections 124I- or 131I- labeled monoclonal antibody 3F8 or 8H9. For each injection, catheters remained accessed for pharmacokinetic studies up to 48 hours or were individually accessed 3–6×/injection. Thereafter catheters were accessed for periodic routine cytology. Six patients (4%) had complications including three with catheter migration in the newly-placed setting requiring surgical revision. Two patients had pericatheter cyst formation (with cyst formation before radioimmunotherapy administration in one patient) resulting in elective removal and endoscopic cystoventriculostomy in both patients. There were no catheter-related infections, hemorrhages, seizures, focal deficits, or valve malfunctioning. Four patients later required Ommaya conversion to VP shunts because of hydrocephalus secondary to disease progression. Conclusions We report a long-term safety profile of ventricular access devices in patients receiving cRIT. Minimal acute complications are observed despite the frequency of cerebrospinal fluid acquisition; long-term complications are rare. Programmable VP shunts appear to be a safe and effective alternative to Ommaya catheters. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2014;61:1590–1592. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Imaging of gene expression in vivo with photoacoustic tomography

In the post-genomic era, there is an increasing interest in visualizing the expression of functional genes in vivo . With the assistance of the reporter gene technique, various imaging modalities have been adopted for this purpose. In vivo gene expression imaging promises to provide biologists with a powerful tool for deepening our understanding of developmental biology, expanding our knowledge of the genetic basis of disease, and advancing the development of medicine. In this paper, we demonstrate the feasibility of imaging gene expression with photoacoustic imaging, which offers unique absorption contrast with ultrasonic resolution in vivo . We mark tumors in rats with the lacZ reporter gene. The lacZ gene encodes an enzyme β-galactosidase, which yields a dark blue product when acting on a colorimetric assay called X-gal. Photoacoustic tomography at 650nm clearly visualizes the presence of this blue product. The spectroscopic method can also potentially improve specificity. Considering how many staining methods are used in traditional biology, we believe that photoacoustic techniques will revolutionize the field of molecular imaging. The further development of reporter gene systems with high absorbing products in the NIR region is needed.
The Gm(2) and Inv(1) factors in human inner ear fluid

Abstract The authors successfully carded out investigations on the possibility of determining the Gm(2) and Inv(1) factors in human inner ear fluid.
Integration Of Detector Responses For Texture Segmentation

Machine vision algorithms designed to model the human preattentive perception of texture boundaries often define the texture of a region on the basis of a single perceptual property. In addition, humans can segment textures even when the regions are spatially non-homogeneous in the texture properties of the primitive texture elements. This paper proposes a model of texture segmentation, and a texture segmentation algorithm based on the model, which can produce segmentations which agree with human perception.
The Systematics of a New Upper Ordovician Edrioasteroid Pavement from Northern Kentucky

A large, edrioasteroid-bearing hardground surface from the base of the Bellevue Member of the Grant Lake Formation near Maysville, Mason County, Kentucky is described. Four species are represented including Streptaster vorticellatus (Hall), Carneyella ulrichi Bassler and Shideler, Carneyella pilea (Hall), and Curvitriordo stecki n. sp. Specimens of S. vorticellatus and C. pilea add little to the known morphologies of these species. However, prior to this study C. ulrichi was known from the unique holotype, and Curvitriordo stecki n. sp. adds greatly to out understanding of Curvitriordo which was previously known from two species comprising three poorly preserved specimens. Curvitriordo stecki shows a bimodal size frequency distribution suggesting seasonal breeding whereas Carneyella ulrichi shows a left skewed size frequency suggesting low juvenile mortality. Streptaster vorticellatus shows a tight unimodal size frequency distribution suggestive of a single spat fall accumulation.
Managing Impressions Online: Self-Presentation Processes in the Online Dating Environment

This study investigates self-presentation strategies among online dating participants,exploring how participants manage their online presentation of self in order to accom-plish the goal of ﬁnding a romantic partner. Thirty-four individuals active on a largeonline dating site participated in telephone interviews about their online dating experi-ences and perceptions. Qualitative data analysis suggests that participants attended tosmall cues online, mediated the tension between impression management pressures andthe desire to present an authentic sense of self through tactics such as creating a proﬁlethat reﬂected their ‘‘ideal self,’’ and attempted to establish the veracity of their identityclaims. This study provides empirical support for Social Information Processing theoryin a naturalistic context while offering insight into the complicated way in which ‘‘hon-esty’’ is enacted online.doi:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2006.00020.x
TEST ELEMENTS IN FINITELY GENERATED ABELIAN GROUPS

We determine which finitely generated abelian groups have test elements and give examples when they exist.
Short forms of individual intelligence tests for children: Review and critique

Abstract The composition of abbreviated forms of the Stanford-Binet, WISC, WPPSI (and briefly the WAIS) are described. Methodological problems in constructing, validating, and using short forms are presented and evaluated. Short forms are seen as practical and some judged to be valid for certain populations in predicting full scale intelligence. However, traditional methods of devising short forms are generally judged to be inadequate. Multiple correlation techniques which retain only certain subtests drastically reduce the flavor of the full scale, and arbitrary or random deletion of items from whole scales or subtests does not guarantee retention of the most predictive tasks. Statistically grounded item analysis is offered as a meaningful model to future researchers who seek to construct shortened individual intelligence tests. However, the question of whether the expense in research time is worthwhile in this regard is posed and answered in the negative. Alternate suggestions for evaluation of intelligence that may increase both validity and information per unit of assessment time are given.
The Estado da India and the Estado do Brasil . Opportunities for Research in Portuguese Overseas History

In this year marking the sexcentenary of the birth of Prince Henry, known erroneously to the English speaking world as ‘the Navigator’, and the 450th anniversary of the Portuguese arrival in Japan, it is fitting to take stock of what has been achieved and what remains concerning research on Portuguese overseas history. In November 1969 a conference was held at the Newberry Library in Chicago to ‘stimulate in the United States scholarly interest in research on Brazil's colonial past’. In November 1978 an International Seminar on Indo-Portuguese History was held in Goa occasioned by ‘an awareness of a relative stagnation in the field of Indo-Portuguese historical studies, especially in India’. This was prompted by the feeling of a dearth of new interpretations, shortage of studies in English, and neglect of political history, biography and social and economic history. Whereas the tone of the Newberry Library meeting was upbeat as to what junior scholars were achieving, and Charles Boxer pointed with pride to scholarly accomplishments since 1950, by 1984 a lecture to mark the occasion of the centennial of the American Historical Association noted grounds for concern regarding studies in the United States on colonial Brazil and this situation has deteriorated further during the decades of the 80s and early 90s. By way of contrast, in 1981 Charles Boxer noted the vitality of the Estado da India in its broadest geographical meaning as a subject for historical research by Portuguese and how ‘after years — I might even say centuries – of neglect by foreigners, the history of the old Estado da India has lately come into its own in the wider world’. This was seconded by M.N. Pearson who noted that ‘Goan historiography seems to be on the verge of a renaissance’.
Spectroscopic and relaxation study of the 3H6 state in Pr3+:LaF3

Abstract The relaxation behavior and hyperfine structure of the terminal 3 H 6 level of the 3 P 0 - 3 H 6 transition (5985 A) in Pr 3+ :LaF 3 were studied using an excited state photon echo technique. The echo intensity was recorded as a function of pulse separation over nine decades of intensity. The echo signal decays exponentially with a T 2 of 250 ns and Fourier analysis of the echo modulation yields the nuclear level splittings of the 3 H 6 level. The fast decay is anomalous and remains so after examination of several possible explanations of this rate. We present stimulated echo data taken on the same transition which confirms the presence of a fast relaxation and indicates that it is due to a population decay out of the 3 H 6 level. Temperature relaxation data is also presented.
Hepatitis C infection in children who received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Abstract Objective: To determine the prevalence of antibody to hepatitis C virus (HCV) in a cohort of neonates who received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy, and to determine risk factors associated with seropositivity. Design: Eighty-three patients who had been treated with ECMO as neonates (from August 1986 through January 1992) at Children's Hospital, Boston, were tested for antibodies to HCV. The medical records were reviewed, and information regarding neonatal history was obtained. Anti-HCV seronegative and seropositive children were compared using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Seven patients (8%) were anti-HCV seropositive. Of the seven seropositive children, four (57%) currently have ALT values of more than 1.5 times the upper limit of normal; only five of the 52 (9.6%) seronegative patients have values this high ( P Conclusion: Neonates treated with ECMO are at risk for the development of HCV infection. Neonates who received blood products from donors screened by surrogate markers or ELISA-1 anti-HCV testing should be considered at risk. Neonates who had an abnormal ALT value at the time of discharge are most likely to be anti-HCV seropositive.
Lead poisoning among young children in Russia: concurrent evaluation of childhood lead exposure in Ekaterinburg, Krasnouralsk, and Volgograd.

The Gore-Chernomyrdin Commission encouraged a binational collaboration to evaluate pediatric lead poisoning in Russia. The study evaluated children in three Russian cities: Krasnouralsk, a small city with minimal traffic centered around a copper smelter; and Ekaterinburg and Volgograd, both of which are large cities with multiple factories and heavy vehicular traffic. This project was the first international use of portable blood lead analysis instruments. In each city, at least 90% of children attending selected neighborhood kindergartens participated. We selected kindergartens on the basis of their proximity to industrial areas and major traffic corridors. We obtained capillary blood samples and analyzed for lead content and hemoglobin (Hgb) levels in the field, and collected environmental samples (i.e., indoor dust, tap water, play area soil, and interior and exterior paint) and analyzed for each participating school and in the homes of about 10% of the children who had elevated blood lead levels (BLLs; greater than or equal to 10 microg/dL). We calculated all age-, sex-, and city-specific geometric means using generalized estimating equations to account for covariance within kindergartens, and used multivariate logistic regression models to identify variables predictive of elevated BLLs. Overall, 23% of study children had elevated BLLs and 2% were anemic, defined as Hgb < 11 g/dL. Krasnouralsk had the highest geometric mean BLL (10.7 microg/dL), the highest percentage of children (60%) with elevated BLLs, and the highest percentage of anemic children (4%). All soil samples in Krasnouralsk had detectable lead levels. Volgograd was the only city that had paint samples with elevated lead levels. We found apparent city-specific differences in the percentages of children with elevated BLLs. Lead-contaminated soil and dust, which can result from lead-based automotive fuel and from lead-related industrial emissions, appear to be the most important routes of lead exposure of those evaluated in this study. Elevated lead levels found in paint samples from Volgograd may indicate old undercoats of lead-based paint that could represent a regionally rather than nationally important source of exposure.
Vision-based dynamic coverage control for nonholonomic agents

This paper considers dynamic coverage control for nonholonomic agents along with collision avoidance guarantees. The novelties of the approach rely on the consideration of anisotropic sensing, which is realized via conic sensing footprints and sensing (coverage) functions for each agent, and on a novel form of avoidance functions. The considered sensing functions encode field-of-view and range constraints, and also the degradation of effective sensing close to the boundaries of the sensing footprint. Thus the proposed approach is suitable for surveillance applications where each agent is assigned with the task to gather enough information, such as video streaming in an obstacle environment. The efficacy of the approach is demonstrated through simulation results.
Para doxical Embolization in an Adult Patient With Cystic Fibrosis

To our knowledge, we describe the first reported case of paradoxical embolization via a patent foramen ovale (PFO) in an adult with moderately severe cystic fibrosis (CF) and advanced lung disease. Fluctuating neurologic symptoms and signs suggestive of cerebrovascular disease in an adult patient with advanced CF may be due to paradoxical embolization via a PFO. The possibility of a PFO should be considered before placement of a totally implantable venous access device to avert unnecessary risk of stroke in CF patients. Further study is needed to determine whether the use of a totally implantable venous access device increases the risk of paradoxical embolization in adult CF patients with a PFO.
Social Workers and Delivery of Evidence-Based Psychosocial Treatments for Substance Use Disorders

Social workers encounter individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) in a variety of settings. With changes in health care policy and a movement toward integration of health and behavioral health services, social workers will play an increased role vis-a-vis SUD. As direct service providers, administrators, care managers, and policy makers, they will select, deliver, or advocate for delivery of evidence-based SUD treatment practices. This article provides an overview of effective psychosocial SUD treatment approaches. In addition to describing the treatments, the article discusses empirical support, populations for whom the treatments are known to be efficacious, and implementation issues.
Effect of an oxidative environment on the creep compliance of poly(ether urethane urea)

Secondary creep of unstabilized poly(ether urethane urea) (PEUU) in an oxidative environment appears as a linear time-dependent component superimposed on the logarithmic, viscoelastic response. The surfaces of unstabilized PEUU crept in H2O2/CoCl2 have been characterized by scanning electron microscopy and ATR–FTIR. By examining PEUU crept for various periods of time, it is found that surface damage proceeds at gradually increasing size scales, culminating in large voids. It is hypothesized that the initial chain scission creates a flaw that grows in size under the influence of the applied load into a “nano-pit,” which grows further by coalescence into a pit and, finally, a void. The initial stages of voiding occur during an induction period when there is no measurable effect on the creep response. It is possible to estimate the average compliance of the damaged PEUU by assuming a composite model with an undamaged center layer sandwiched between damaged surface layers. When the contribution of the surface layers to the creep compliance is estimated from the creep curves, the average compliance of the damaged layer is found to be about 1.6 times higher than that of the undamaged PEUU. Independent calculations of the damaged layer compliance from the void fraction indicate that the damaged layer behaves as a flexible foam in the early stages, then as a more rigid foam at longer creep times. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Electronic structure and stability of palladiumhydrogen (deuterium) systems, PdH(D)n, 1≤n≤3

Abstract Total energy calculations as a function of lattice constant were performed for PdH, PdH2 and PdH3. Earlier calculations (A. C. Switendick, J. Less-Common Met., 130 (1987) 249) for PdH2 are corrected. The addition of hydrogen expands and hardens the lattice. Only PdH forms a stable hydride. Hydrogen-hydrogen separations greatly exceed those of the hydrogen molecule.
Differential Scanning Calorimetry and Cantilever Deflection Studies of Polymerization Kinetics and Stress in Ultraviolet Curing of Multifunctional (Meth)acrylate Coatings

Polymerization kinetics and stress development were measured during the UV curing of multifunctional acrylate and methacrylate coatings by photodifferential scanning calorimetry and a cantilever deflection method. Higher light intensity leads to higher double-bond conversion but unfortunately also to higher stress. Higher monomer functionality unfortunately leads both to lower conversion and to higher stress; substituting methacrylate for acrylate does likewise. Longer monomer chain length and more plasticizer, though, lead both to higher conversion and to lower stress. In all cases, it is shown that significant stress starts to develop only late in reactionat the vitrification conversion. The vitrification conversion falls as more rigid networks are formed (with higher functionality, shorter monomer chain length, lower plasticizer concentration, or methacrylate rather than acrylate), but it is not affected by the light intensity. After vitrificationin the vitrified statethe stress rises monotonically wit...
Excited state dynamics of bacteriorhodopsin revealed by transient stimulated emission spectra

Abstract The femtosecond photoisomerization of bacteriorhodopsin (bR), pumped at either 550 nm or 405 nm, was probed between 640 nm and 950 nm. The 550 nm pump spectra exhibit net gain signals peaking at > 950 nm. A transient absorption is proposed to partially cancel the emission. The 405 nm pump transients exhibit nonexponential kinetics and display this new absorption, due to the presence of hot molecules. The absence of time dependence of the shape of the stimulated emission spectra is inconsistent with conventional models invoking low-frequency motion out of the Franck-Condon region following excitation. The time independence is reminiscent of the photoisomerization of cis-stilbene.
Optical coherence tomography in diabetic macular edema

Purpose of reviewBecause optical coherence tomography (OCT) has developed quite rapidly in recent years, the purpose of this review is to synthesize much of the recent literature on the use of OCT in the diagnosis and management of diabetic macular edema (DME).Recent findingsOCT has become increasin
Rôle of purple sulfur bacteria in swine waste reclamation

Abstract Growth characteristics and treatment capacity of a mixed population of Chromatiaceae (purple sulfur bacteria) were determined using settled, sieved swine waste as a growth medium. The bacteria were cultured in Erlenmeyer flasks under incandescent illumination at a temperature of 26°C. They survived ephemeral sulfide concentrations of up to 528 mg liter −1 , while growing well at continuous sulfide concentrations of 7–28 mg liter −1 . Optimum pH was 7–8 and optimum waste solids concentration was 0·9%. Specific growth rates ranged up to 0·75 day −1 and averaged 0·4–0·5 day −1 . Bacteriochlorophyll a yields reached 40 mg liter −1 . Soluble BOD 5 and soluble COD were reduced by 92% and 70%, respectively, over a period of 12 days in waste-grown Chromatiaceae cultures. Ammonia-nitrogen and soluble phosphorus were reduced by 30% and 49%, respectively, over the same period of time. Protein yield was 1·8 g liter −1 .
Odontogenic tumors in mammals and fish.

Abstract Evaluation of the older literature on odontogenic tumors in mammals and fish is extremely difficult, since most examples are poorly documented. Possibly fish or short-muzzled dogs may serve as experimental animals for investigation of the genesis of odontogenic tumors. However, these tumors have no exact counterpart in man. Cooperation between oral and veterinary pathologists should be encouraged for mutual benefit.
Understanding Retention Outcomes: Using Multiple Data Sources to Distinguish between Dropouts, Stopouts, and Transfer-Outs:

Both assessment practitioners and administrators often view retention as a stay versus go outcome, but first-year outcomes are much more complex, as some students decide to stay, others to transfer, some simply take some time off, and others decide to discontinue their education altogether. This article discusses empirical problems in confining retention studies to stay-versus-go outcomes, and reviews data resources such as exit surveys, transcript requests, withdrawn student surveys, state transfer student databases, and the National Student Clearinghouse's Enrollment Search program that can all be used to gain a richer understanding of first-year outcomes.
Intra-aortic balloon pumping in children with dilated cardiomyopathy as a bridge to transplantation.

Children with dilated cardiomyopathy awaiting transplantation who fail maximal pharmacologic therapy may benefit from intra-aortic balloon pumping. Between July 1993 and August 1999, a total of 4 children with dilated cardiomyopathy underwent pre-transplant balloon pumping for 6.0 ± 5.8 (1 to 12) days. One child (pumped for 12 days) died awaiting transplant, and the remaining 3 were successfully transplanted. Intra-aortic balloon pumping timed precisely with M-mode echocardiographic markers offers a relatively simple and safe intermediate level of mechanical support for children with dilated cardiomyopathy who fail pharmacologic support.
Relation between intracellular Ca2+ signals and Ca2+-activated Cl− current in Xenopus oocytes

Abstract Activation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP 3 ) signalling in Xenopus oocytes causes intracellular Ca 2+ mobilization and thereby activates a Ca 2+ -dependent Cl − membrane conductance. Measurements of cytosolic Ca 2+ levels using fluorescent indicators, however, revealed little correspondence with Cl − currents. Intracellular photorelease of InsP 3 from a caged precursor evoked transient currents that peaked while the Ca 2+ -fluorescence signal was rising, and subsequently declined within a few seconds, even though the Ca 2+ signal remained elevated much longer. Also, Cl − currents evoked by agonist activation showed transient spikes while a wave of Ca 2+ liberation swept across the cell, but then decreased when the Ca 2+ signal attained a maximal level. Thus, the Cl − current corresponded better to the rate of rise of intracellular free Ca 2+ , rather than to its steady state level. Experiments using paired flashes to photolyse caged InsP 3 and caged Ca 2+ indicated that this relationship did not arise through desensitization or inactivation of the Cl − conductance. Furthermore, fluorescence measurements made at different depths into the cell using a confocal microscope revealed no evidence that a rapid decline of local Ca 2+ levels near the plasma membrane was responsible for the decay of Ca 2+ -activated Cl − current. Instead, Cl − channels may show an adaptive or incremental response to Ca 2+ , which is likely to be important for the encoding and transmission of information by Ca 2+ spikes.
Transmission electron microscopy studies of metal-induced crystallization of amorphous silicon

The metal-induced crystallization of a-Si films in contact with Ni, Pd, Al, and Au was studied by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy after rapid thermal annealing. In no case did crystallite nucleation initiate at the initial Si-metal interface and growth progress toward the substrate; in all cases the microstructures were equiaxed rather than columnar. Interfacial silicides were not found for the Ni or Pd cases, although palladium silicide was detected in the bulk of the film. The microstructures of the Al and Au catalyzed samples were comparable to the microstructure of a sample crystallized by an excimer laser pulse, suggesting the possibility of an explosive-type crystallization process in which a crystallization front is initiated at the metal-Si interface and propagates through the Si at a rate greater than that possible for solid-state epitaxial grain growth.
Abstract 654: The effect of lung cancer screening awareness on smoking behavior among U.S. adults

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Background: Emphasizing the risk of lung cancer can encourage smoking cessation, but use of spiral low-dose CT scans reduced lung cancer mortality in a recent randomized screening trial. It is unknown if awareness of lung cancer screening will influence smoking behavior. Aim: To evaluate the awareness of lung cancer screening and to determine if awareness of lung cancer screening affects smoking cessation-related behavior among current smokers. Methods: We identified 7,282 adult respondents who answered questions concerning their smoking-related behavior in the 2007 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS). We used logistic regression models to evaluate the association of smoking status with awareness of lung cancer screening and we also investigated the association of lung cancer screening awareness with smoking cessation behaviors among current smokers. Results: The mean age of responders was 54.1 years and 61.2% were females. There were 3,813 (52.4%) never smokers; 2,222 (30.5%) former smokers; and 1,247 (17.2%) current smokers. Overall, 2,183 (30.6%) of respondents had heard of a lung cancer screening test (29.6% never smokers, 33.4% former smokers, and 28.5% current smokers; P value = 0.002). Chest X-ray (64.4%) and CT scan (5.7%) were among the screening tests that they have heard of. Among current smokers, awareness of lung cancer screening had no effect on smoking cessation behavior after adjusting for age, sex, race, education, income and marital status (Table). Conclusion: Awareness of lung cancer screening tests did not affect smoking cessation behavior of current smokers. However, smoking cessation should be recommended for all current smokers and those with a history of smoking should be informed about lung cancer screening with CT scan. ![Figure][1] Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 654. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-654 [1]: pending:yes
Context-aware clustering of DNS query traffic

The Domain Name System (DNS) is a one of the most widely used services in the Internet. In this paper, we consider the question of how DNS traffic monitoring can provide an important and useful perspective on network traffic in an enterprise. We approach this problem by considering three classes of DNS traffic: canonical (i.e., RFC-intended behaviors), overloaded (e.g.,black-list services), and unwanted (i.e., queries that will never succeed). We describe a context-aware clustering methodology that is applied to DNS query-responses to generate the desired aggregates. Our method enables the analysis to be scaled to expose the desired level of detail of each traffic type, and to expose their time varying characteristics. We implement our method in a tool we call TreeTop, which can be used to analyze and visualize DNS traffic in real-time. We demonstrate the capabilities of our methodology and the utility of TreeTop using a set of DNS traces that we collected from our campus network over a period of three months. Our evaluation highlights both the coarse and fine level of detail that can be revealed by our method. Finally, we show preliminary results on how DNS analysis can be coupled with general network traffic monitoring to provide a useful perspective for network management and operations.
Changes in brain tryptophan and tyrosine following acute and chronic morphine administration.

Abstract Morphine increased brain concentrations of tryptophan and tyrosine 1–2 hr after administration in a dose-dependent manner in male rats. Concentrations of these amino acids in blood serum decreased 30–45 min post-injection and then rose towards control values. The rise in brain amino acids was antagonized by pretreatment with naloxone. In addicted rats there was only a slight increase in brain tryptophan and no increase in tyrosine. Thirty minutes after naloxone-precipitated withdrawal, tryptophan and tyrosine concentrations were elevated in brain, in contrast to the decline in these amino acids seen after naloxone administration in acutely morphinized rats. These results support the hypothesis that the elevated turnover of brain monoamines induced by morphine administration is related to increased availability of precursor amino acids in morphinized animals.