cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
C7 nerve root sensory distribution in peripheral nerves: a bold functional magnetic resonance imaging investigation at 9.4 T.

Introduction: In this study we used a rat model to elucidate the linear make-up of each major nerve of the upper limb by the C7 root through sensory stimulation and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Methods: The C7 nerve root and major nerves of the right forelimb were stimulated electrically. Blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD fMRI) was performed concurrently. Voxel overlap within the primary sensory cortex was calculated. Results: C7 comprised sensation in <1% in the musculocutane- ous nerve, 6% in the ulnar nerve, 16% in the radial nerve, and 19% in the median nerve (P <0.005 for each). The overlap was always <25% for each major nerve. Conclusions: This study helps explain why C7 is a suitable donor for brachial plexus injury treatment and why there is only a transient sensory deficit after transfer. Muscle Nerve 49:40-46, 2014
A non-iterative DC analysis program for analog circuits

A DC analysis program which uses no iteration is described. The noniterative approach takes advantage of the fact that only certain types of nodes exist in a large majority of analog circuitry. The basic algorithm is discussed, and a description of a preliminary version of the program is given. An example and a performance comparison of the simulator versus a traditional SPICE simulator are also presented. It is noted that, even though this version of the program lacks the accuracy of higher-level SPICE simulations, there is potential to enhance the accuracy of the simulator results. >
ZINC 15 – Ligand Discovery for Everyone

Many questions about the biological activity and availability of small molecules remain inaccessible to investigators who could most benefit from their answers. To narrow the gap between chemoinformatics and biology, we have developed a suite of ligand annotation, purchasability, target, and biology association tools, incorporated into ZINC and meant for investigators who are not computer specialists. The new version contains over 120 million purchasable “drug-like” compounds – effectively all organic molecules that are for sale – a quarter of which are available for immediate delivery. ZINC connects purchasable compounds to high-value ones such as metabolites, drugs, natural products, and annotated compounds from the literature. Compounds may be accessed by the genes for which they are annotated as well as the major and minor target classes to which those genes belong. It offers new analysis tools that are easy for nonspecialists yet with few limitations for experts. ZINC retains its original 3D roots – ...
Improved bad data processing via strategic placement of PMUs

Bad data detection and identification is one of the essential functions performed by state estimators. Capability of a state estimator to detect bad data is directly related to the measurement configuration. Bad data associated with critical measurements can not be detected. Transforming critical measurements into redundant measurements requires adding extra measurements at strategic locations. In this paper, phasor measurement units (PMU) are used for this purpose. It is shown that with few extra PMUs, bad data detection and identification capability of a given system can be drastically improved. Description of the placement algorithm is given and case studies carried out on different size test systems are presented.
Multisignal time difference estimator with application to the sound ranging problem

A procedure is given for estimating time differences from a set of received microphone signals that could be used with a position estimator to locate a transient sound source. The procedure described consists of four basic parts: (1) selection of a rough starting point, (2) a prefiltering operation, (3) a pair by pair correlation, and (4) an overall least-square time fit. A Fortran program implementing the procedure was tested on data from the PASS experiment conducted at White Sands Missile Range and preliminary results show that good time difference estimates are obtained.
MRA contrast bolus timing with ultrasound bubbles

The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of using an ultrasound contrast agent test bolus to determine optimum bolus timing for three-dimensional (3D) gadolinium (Gd)-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). Small test doses of ultrasound contrast agent (0.3 ml Optison) were injected intravenously followed immediately by a 20 ml saline flush. Arrival of the contrast agent was detected by spectral Doppler ultrasound (US). This technique was implemented in patients undergoing peripheral vascular MRA and carotid MRA. Arrival of the US contrast agent test bolus was readily detected by the change in amplitude of the Doppler spectrum and by a huge increase in the audio signal amplitude. This contrast travel time measurement accurately guided bolus timing for 3D Gd MRA. Bolus timing for 3D contrast-enhanced MRA can be performed using US, thereby eliminating the problems and MR scanner time required for injecting a test bolus of Gd contrast. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 1999;10:389‐394. r 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Changing Face of the Intermediate Language Curriculum1

A b s t r a c t : F o reign language departments in institutions of higher education historically have faced a dilemma in formulating their intermediate curricula: How can they balance the needs of students completing language re q u i rements with the needs of students preparing for advanced language or literature studies? This article calls for instructors and departments to pioneer in changing the intermediate language curriculum. The article re p resents an appeal for action and lays out guiding principles for change. The article will first examine today’s foreign language teaching climate, especially as it affects the intermediate curriculum in higher education. It will then pro p o s e and explicate five curriculum guidelines that, when used together, meet the challenges posed by a changing academic environment. I n t ro d u c t i o n Faced with the challenge of striking a balance between institutional language re q u i rements and p reparation for more advanced language and literature studies, faculty and students alike have often viewed the intermediate curriculum as the ugly stepsister. Faculty find that the magic of the elementary level has faded; students face detailed review and refinement of familiar material that they thought they had already mastered. Perf o rmance at the intermediate level, whether it be written or oral communication, demands what Harlow and Muyskens (1994) call “active usage,” rather than mere coverage or exposure to material (141). Students frequently find the accurate perf o rmance re q u i red at this level daunting. Faced with genuine challenges, the faculty responsible for the intermediate curriculum must constantly reexamine its program to meet the changing needs of their institutions and students. This article re p resents an appeal to departments and instructors for action at the interm e d iate level and lays out guiding principles for change. The article will first examine today’s fore i g n language teaching climate, especially as it affects the intermediate curriculum in higher education. It will then propose and explicate five curriculum guidelines that, when used together, meet the challenges posed by a changing academic enviro n m e n t . T h roughout this article, the term “intermediate curriculum” will refer to the basic third- and f o u rth-semester courses that immediately follow the two-semester elementary program. The i n t e rmediate curriculum may also include an intensive block program in which two semesters of material are covered in a single semester. The intermediate block courses in French, Spanish, and Italian at Washington University are one such example. The intermediate curriculum constitutes an essential, often re q u i red, step in higher education language programs. Whether in the one- or two-semester format, intermediate courses are usually pre requisites for all advanced courses, such as composition, stylistics, and literature surveys. “Intermediate curriculum” in this a rticle, however, will exclude ancillary conversation or survival language courses that are not
A note on the first Betti number of submanifolds with nonnegative Ricci curvature in codimension two

We show that a complete submanifold in codimension two with nonnegative Ricci curvature which contains no lines and is covered by\(\bar M \times R\) has nonnegative sectional curvatures. This implies some results about the first Betti number of such a submanifold.
Elective inguinal node irradiation in early-stage T2N0 anal cancer: prognostic impact on locoregional control.

Summary In patients with nodenegative stage T2 anal cancer, inguinal relapse rates remain low. The omission of elective coverage of inguinal nodes remains a controversial issue, especially in patients with favorable T2N0 disease. The role of inguinal node radiation therapy in the treatment of early-stage anal carcinoma needs to be investigated in future prospective trials. Purpose: To evaluate the influence of elective inguinal node radiation therapy (INRT) on locoregional control (LRC) in patients with early-stage T2N0 anal cancer treated conservatively with primary RT. Methods and Materials: Between 1976 and 2008, 116 patients with T2 node-negative anal cancer were treated curatively with RT alone (nZ48) or by combined chemoradiation therapy (CRT) (nZ68) incorporating mitomycin C and 5-fluorouracil. Sixty-four percent of the patients (nZ74) received elective INRT. Results: Over a median follow-up of 69 months (range, 4-243 months), 97 (84%) and 95 patients (82%) were locally and locoregionally controlled, respectively. Rates for 5-year actuarial local control, LRC, cancer-specific, and overall survival for the entire population were 81.7% � 3.8%, 79.2% � 4.1%, 91.1% � 3.0%, and 72.1% � 4.5%, respectively. The overall 5-year inguinal relapse-free survival was 92.3% � 2.9%. Isolated inguinal recurrence occurred in 2 patients (4.7%) treated without INRT, whereas no groin relapse was observed in those treated with INRT. The 5-year LRC rates for patients treated with and without INRT and with RT alone versus combined CRT were 80.1% � 5.0% versus 77.8% � 7.0% (PZ.967) and 71.0% � 7.2% versus 85.4% � 4.5% (PZ.147), respectively. A trend toward ah igher rate of grade� 3 acute toxicity was observed in patients treated with INRT (53% vs 31%, PZ.076). Conclusions: In cases of node-negative T2 anal cancer, the inguinal relapse rate remains relatively low with or without INRT. The role of INRT in the treatment of early-stage anal carcinoma needs to be investigated in future prospective trials. 2013 Elsevier Inc.
Distribution of pairs of amino acid residues in proteins

Abstract The frequencies of occurrence of all pairs of peptide residues were computed using a large sampling of multifunctional proteins. Deviations in the frequency of occurrence from that expected for a random distribution for each pair of residues is characterized by a structure factor S(X-Y/X). Some pairs of residues are found much more often, or much less often, than would be expected on a random basis. No definite conclusions can be made about the function of any pair of peptide residues. However, some generalizations can be made concerning which residues can be expected to be partners in peptide pairs which are found more often than expected on a random basis.
Compact hardware architectures for BLAKE and LAKE hash functions

BLAKE, one of SHA-3 candidates, and LAKE hash functions show the characteristic that the block length of the internal state is double its initial and final states, which means more registers are required for the implementation of the hash functions. In this paper, we explore shift register based compact hardware architectures for the two hash functions. This includes the 32−, 64−, and 128-bit datapath architectures for BLAKE. We provide post Place&Route performance results on both ASIC and FPGA platforms. The power consumption for each design is also given. Our results show that BLAKE has comparable performance when compared with the previous standard hash function of Whirlpool and less performance advantages over SHA-256. The results also indicate that BLAKE outperforms LAKE in the hardware implementation.
A cognitive modeling account of simultaneous learning and fatigue effects

Current understanding of sources of fatigue and of how fatigue affects performance in prolonged cognitive tasks is limited. We have observed that participants improve in response time but decrease in accuracy after extended repetitive work in a data entry task. We attributed the increase in errors to accumulating fatigue and the reduction in response time to learning. The concurrent effects of fatigue and learning seem intuitively reasonable but have not been explained computationally. This paper presents a cognitive computational model of these effects. The model, developed using the ACT-R cognitive architecture (Anderson et al., 2004; Anderson & Lebiere, 1998), accounts for learning and fatigue effects through a time-dependent modification of architectural parameters. The model is tested against human data from two independent experiments. Best fit to human accuracy and total response time was found from a modulation of both cognitive and arousal processes. Implications for training and skill acquisition research are discussed.
A polynomial time algorithm for finding the absolute center of a network

The absolute center of a network is any vertex or point on an edge such that the distance from it to the vertex farthest from it is as small as possible. This paper presents a polynomial time algorithm for finding an absolute center. This algorithm is combinatorial in nature and requires only knowledge of the shortest path distances between all pairs of vertices.
"Tetrahedrality" and the relationship between collective structure and radial distribution functions in liquid water.

Molecular dynamics simulations of pure liquid water under ambient conditions using four common empirical water models have been analyzed to determine how well the oxygen−oxygen radial distribution function, gOO(r), used as the sole criterion of congruence with experiment, captures variations in the actual anisotropic collective structuring for these models. The largest systematic deviations from tetrahedrality were found to be due to deformations of the angle between the two closet hydrogen bond donor neighbors, but for intrinsic geometric reasons, these were found to contribute less to gOO(r) than deformations of the angles between one hydrogen bond donor neighbor and one hydrogen bond acceptor neighbor. Relying exclusively on a qualitative characterization of the second peak in gOO(r) seems to overemphasize the differences between the structuring in some of these models.
Thiophenol protecting groups for the palladium-catalyzed heck reaction: Efficient syntheses of conjugated arylthoils

Abstract A variety of S -thiophenol protecting groups have been evaluated for the Heck reaction. Of these, the S -acetyl group appears to be the best suited for facile removal under mild conditions to provide the corresponding free thiols in high yields.
Mean Convergence of Hermite Interpolation

We study weighted mean convergence properties of Hermite interpolation based on the zeros of certain generalized Jacobi polynomials such as necessary and sufficient conditions for such convergence for all continuously differentiable functions, convergence with given order E2n?2(??)/n, and convergence of the differentiated Hermite interpolation process.
Do genetic factors protect against Parkinson's disease? What I can learn from my healthy grandma.

Abstract Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder and it affects 4–5% of people age 85 years or older. The etiopathogenesis of PD is a consequence of interaction between two factors, environmental pathogens and genetic susceptibility. If an environmental agent such as a toxin or pathogen were to play a major role in the causality of PD, it would need to be something relatively ubiquitous in our environment since we cannot find a specific population at risk. On the other hand, all efforts to implicate specific genetic sequences in risk of PD were futile since the great majority of PD cases are sporadic; however, if the majority of the population is exposed to a culpable environmental factor and only 5% of the population 85 years or older manifest the disorder, this raises an important question: Why and how does vast majority of the population not manifest with PD? It seems that we should investigate the certain genome or epigenetic alterations of the unaffected 95%. This large non affected population might have PD but they are not yet symptomatic and some may not be so for at least another 10 or 20 years. To further address this issue, we should screen and study the population that have been exposed to the environmental factor but with high certainty are not yet affected. Therefore the perfect population would be non-PD subjects who are 90 years or older. We believe the following are the unmet research needs that deserve more attention in PD. (1) More genetic studies. Comparison should be between PD subjects and non-PD control subjects who are 90 years old and above. (2) Study the mechanism of action of the candidate genes, as a subsequent examination of their gene products may lead to the discovery of neuroprotective agents in the disease.
Elastic constants and volume changes associated with two high-pressure rhombohedral phase transformations in vanadium

We present results from ab-initio electronic-structure calculations of mechanical properties of the rhombohedral phase of vanadium reported in recent experiments (R Ia), and other predicted high-pressure phases (R Ib and bcc), focusing on properties relevant to dynamic experiments. We find that of the three transitions the largest volume collapse (1.3%) is for the R Ia to R Ib transition. Calculations of the single crystal and polycrystal elastic constants reveal a remarkably small discontinuity across the phase transitions even at zero temperature where the transitions are first order.
A simplified method for correction of polydispersities from gel permeation chromatography

A simple method is presented for correction of polydispersity obtained by gel permeation chromatography. The method proposed utilizes well-characterized polystyrene standards for both instrument calibration and construction of a correction curve which is then used for calculation of weight-average and number-average molecular weights and polydispersity of samples to be characterized.
Application of the R&M Case process for a UK Armoured Fighting vehicle programme

This paper provides a study of the practical application of the Reliability and Maintainability (R&M) Case process on the UK Scout Specialist Vehicles (SV) programme. Scout SV is a UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) procurement programme to deliver a Medium Weight Armoured Reconnaissance capability to the British Army. High levels of Availability/Reliability are considered to be essential for Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs) and reliability is a key system requirement for the Scout Manned Reconnaissance capability which often operates far from any support. There are numerous factors that present significant challenges to the achievement of reliability on the Scout SV project. The demanding functional requirements necessitate a complex design with reliance upon the integration of many subsystems with a mixture of development and off-the-shelf equipment/software. The programme is based upon the best of breed subsystems which has led to a multinational design and delivery organisation each with their differing approaches to R&M. Usual constraints with MoD procurement projects impact on the effort that can be applied to achieve the requirements, e.g. one off projects, small production quantities, costs and time constraints, etc.
Phylogeny and Genetic Variance in Terrestrial Microcoleus (Cyanophyceae) Species Based on Sequence Analysis of the 16S rRNA Gene and Associated 16S-23S ITS Region.

Thirty-one strains of Microcoleus were isolated from desert soils in the United States. Although all these taxa fit the broad definition of Microcoleus vaginatus (Vaucher) Gomont in common usage by soil algal researchers, sequence data for the 16S rRNA gene and 16S‐23S internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region indicated that more than one species was represented. Combined sequence and morphological data revealed the presence of two morphologically similar taxa, M. vaginatus and Microcoleus steenstrupii BoyePetersen. The rRNA operons of these taxa were sufficiently dissimilar that we suspect the two taxa belong in separate genera. The M. vaginatus clade was most similar to published sequences from Trichodesmium and Arthrospira. When 16S sequences from the isolates we identified as M. steenstrupii were compared with published sequences, our strains grouped with M. chthonoplastes (Mertens) Zanardini ex Gomont and may have closest relatives among several genera in the Phormidiaceae. Organization within the 16S‐23S ITS regions was variable between the two taxa. Microcoleus vaginatus had either two tRNA genes (tRNA Ile and tRNA Ala ) or a fragment of the tRNA Ile gene in its ITS regions, whereas M. steenstrupii had rRNA operons with either the tRNA Ile gene or no tRNA genes in its ITS regions. Microcoleus vaginatus showed no subspecific variation within the combined morphological and molecular characterizations, with 16S similarities ranging from 97.1% to 99.9%. Microcoleus steenstrupii showed considerable genetic variability, with 16S similarities ranging from 91.5% to 99.4%. In phylogenetic analyses, we found that this variability was not congruent with geography, and we suspect that our M. steenstrupii strains represent several cryptic species.
Experimental Characterization of Polaroid Ultrasonic Sensors in Single and Phased Array Configuration

Many mobile robots use Polaroid ultrasonic sensors for obstacle avoidance. This paper describes the experimental characterization of these sensors using a unique, fully automated testbed system. Using this testbed, we gathered large data sets of 5,000-16,000 data points in every experiment for characterization purposes; in a repeatable fashion and without human supervision. In the experimental characterization reported in this paper we focused on a comparison of the beamwidth of a single sonar with that of a dual sonar phased array. For the single sonar we found that flat walls trigger echo signals up to an angle of +/- 42 degree(s), which is well beyond the traditional assumed beamwidth of +/- 15 degree(s). We determined that these echoes result from the secondary and tertiary lobe of the well known multi-lobed propagation patterns of Polaroid ultrasonic sensors. In contrast, with the dual sonar phased array echo signals were triggered only up to beamwidths of 4-6 degree(s). The results in this paper were obtained for two test targets: a specular surface and a cylindrical object.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
RETROGRADE LEAK POINT PRESSURE FOR EVALUATING POSTRADICAL PROSTATECTOMY INCONTINENCE

Objectives To evaluate a technique of measuring the retrograde leak point pressure (RLPP) for assessing men with postradical prostatectomy stress urinary incontinence (SUI).
Selective Sorting and Abrasion of River Gravel. II: Applications

Most gravel rivers show a tendency for characteristic grain size to decrease in the downstream direction over scales of tens or hundreds of kilometers. It has been surmised that this downstream fin...
Fibronectin and polylysine requirement for proliferation of neuroblastoma cells in defined medium.

Abstract We have demonstrated in this study that we could eliminate the requirement of a serum preincubation for proliferation of B104 neuroblastoma cells in defined medium. When cells were plated directly into serum-free defined medium after trypsin or EGTA detachment, they had no difficulty in adhering or remaining attached to the plastic substratum but were incapable of cell division. However, the addition of human plasma fibronectin to serum-free defined medium and precoating the tissue culture dishes with polylysine at each subculture permitted cell division to occur. Fibronectin was only required at the time of subculture and did not need to be replenished at each medium change. In addition, we have shown that clonal growth and serial subculture are possible in serum-free defined medium provided that the cell inoculum encounters the appropriate substratum. These findings are consistent with a role for fibronectin and a positively charged substratum in the growth regulation of B104 neuroblastoma cells. This completely defined culture system will be of great benefit in studying the growth regulation and differentiation of these neuronal cells.
Expression and mutational analyses of the human MAD2L1 gene in breast cancer cells.

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disorder in which most tumors display some degree of aneuploidy, especially those at later stages of the disease. Aneuploidy and associated chromosome instability may be important in the progression of mammary tumorigenesis. Aneuploidy is prevented during normal cell division in part through regulation of a mitotic spindle checkpoint where mitotic arrest prevents segregation of misaligned chromosomes into daughter cells at anaphase. Mitotic arrest genes, including the MAD family, which was originally characterized in yeast, help regulate normal function of the mitotic spindle checkpoint. Decreased expression of the human gene MAD2L1 was previously reported in a breast cancer cell line exhibiting chromosome instability and aneuploidy. To explore further the potential role of MAD2L1 in breast cancer, we analyzed MAD2L1 gene expression in 13 minimally to grossly aneuploid human breast cancer cell lines and found significant differences of expression in three lines. Sequence analysis of MAD2L1 cDNA in these as well as nine additional aneuploid breast cancer and five immortalized normal human mammary epithelial cell lines revealed one heterozygous frameshift (572 del A) mutation in a cancer cell line that demonstrated a high level of transcript expression. In addition, two 3′UTR sequence variants were noted in breast cancer cell lines. The 572 del A mutation creates a truncated MAD2 protein product. Further functional studies in primary breast tumors are therefore warranted to determine the potential role MAD2L1 may play in breast cancer. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Should physicians have facial piercings

While physician appearance may not be the most important aspect of the doctor-patient relationship, it does play a role. Studies have shown that patients prefer that their physician wear certain attire such as a name tag and white coat,1–5 while others have correlated appearance with patients' perceptions of a physician's competence.6–8 Appropriate physician dress is not a static phenomenon. While the importance of physician appearance has been emphasized since the time of Hippocrates, the style of physician attire has been through dramatic changes. At times physician appearance has been unique to the profession and at other times has reflected societal fashion.1 Our present culture is experiencing a trend of body piercing (i.e., piercing of the body other than the traditional single piercing of a female's earlobes).9 Once associated with counterculture, the popularity of body piercing is increasing within mainstream culture, especially among adolescents and young adults.9,10 Although the prevalence of body piercing is difficult to ascertain due to its lack of permanency,11 a recent survey found the prevalence of body piercing at one undergraduate campus to be 51%.12 Visible nontraditional piercings are starting to appear on both physician and nonphysician health care providers. This study assesses the attitudes of patients and their visitors regarding physicians with visible body piercings as well as the perception of patients and their visitors of the competency and trustworthiness of physicians with visible piercings. Additionally, we have surveyed faculty physicians at our institution about their opinions concerning the appropriateness of facial piercings in the health care setting.
Sieve calibration using tacky dots

Abstract A novel method of mounting particles on regularly spaced adhesive circles has been developed. This method of mounting results in ordered array rather than the random chaos of usual methods and greatly facilitates particle examination, identification and analysis. The application of these ‘tacky dots’ to sieve calibration is described. Particle size analyses carried out using different sets of sieves tend to differ widely and available methods of calibration tend to be so time consuming that they are rarely used. The procedure described here is simple, gives high reproducibility and calibrates the sieves against volume diameter. An application of the procedure to crystal size determination is also covered.
Activated Protein Kinase C Isoforms Target to Cardiomyocyte Caveolae: Stimulation of Local Protein Phosphorylation

Abstract—Protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms constitute an important component of the signal transduction pathway used by cardiomyocytes to respond to a variety of extracellular stimuli. Translocation to distinct intracellular sites represents an essential step in the activation of PKC isoforms, presumably as a prerequisite for stable access to substrate. Caveolae are specialized subdomains of the plasma membrane that are reported to concentrate key signaling proteins and may represent a locus for PKC action, given that PKC activators have been reported to dramatically alter caveolae morphology. Accordingly, this study examines whether PKC isoforms initiate signaling in cardiomyocyte caveolae. Phorbol ester–sensitive PKC isoforms were detected at very low levels in caveolae fractions prepared from unstimulated cardiomyocytes; phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) (but not 4α-PMA, which does not activate PKC) recruited calcium-sensitive PKCα and novel PKCδ and PKCe to this compartment. The subcellular localiza...
Genetic and environmental influences on rapid naming and reading ability: A twin study

The present study assesses the genetic and environmental etiologies of reading, rapid naming (RN), and their covariation by fitting multivariate structural equation models to data from 587 twin pairs in which at least one member of the pair exhibited reading difficulties (low-range) and from 360 control (normal-range) twin pairs who were tested in the Colorado Learning Disabilities Research Center. Results from a bivariate phenotypic analysis with two hypothesized latent factors, READ and RN, indicated that the correlation between reading and rapid naming performance for the low-range sample was significantly higher than that of the normal-range sample. When this model was partitioned to include estimates of genetic, shared environmental, and nonshared environmental influences, resulting heritability estimates did not differ significantly for the low-range and normal-range samples for either READ or RN. However, similar to the phenotypic correlation, the genetic correlation between the READ and RN latent factors could not be equated for the two groups. Thus, the etiology of the relationship between reading performance and rapid naming may differ for children with reading difficulties and normally-achieving readers. Moreover, these results support previous findings that the best predictors of reading skills may differ for samples of children with normal reading levels and those with reading difficulties.
Formation of a ternary complex between formylatable yeast Met-tRNA, GTP and binding factor T of yeast and of E. coli.

Both formylatable and non-formylatable met-tRNAs of yeast bind to the elongation factor T which transfers aminoacyl-tRNA to the ribosome. This means that yeast cannot use the same mechanism as E. coli for distinguishing initiator tRNA from other aminoacyl tRNAs.
Aspects of the thermodynamics of liquid alloys of noble metals and transition metals

Abstract A review is presented of thermochemical data recently obtained in the author's laboratory for two different families of liquid alloys: (1) the binaries formed among the noble metals copper, silver, and gold, and (2) the liquid solutions of first row transition metals in copper. The results are compared with predictions derived from the semi-empirical model of Miedema et al. For both families of alloys comparisons between the new enthalpy data and excess Gibbs energies reported in equilibrium or e.m.f. studies provide new insight regarding the excess entropy of mixing.
Chemiluminescence reaction of thiazide compounds with tris(2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium(III)

Abstract The chemiluminescence reaction of five thiazide diuretic compounds with tris(2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenium(III) is studied by flow injection over a range of pH values of the carrier stream. The optimum pH range was generally 4–6. One compound, hydroflumethiazide, could be detected at the 0.06 pmole (1 ng ml −1 ) level. The detection limits for hydrochlorothiazide and cyclothiazide were at 1–2 pmole (13 and 41 ng ml −1 , respectively). Two other compounds, chlorothiazide and trichlormethiazide, are only detectable at μg ml −1 levels. Hydrochlorothiazide was quantified with a 103% recovery from a pharmaceutical capsule.
“The Discovery Channel Said So” and Other Barriers to Comprehension

With increasing attention focused on comprehension, there is a need for research regarding how to implement comprehension instruction for struggling readers and assess its effectiveness. This article describes reading instruction as it occurred over two years with one struggling reader in third and fourth grade. A comprehension checklist provided a framework for instruction that was both systematic and responsive to the reader's needs. The result was improved comprehension and metacognition for the student, though the progress was slow and often cyclical instead of sequential.
Tympanoplasty results in patients with cleft palate: An age- and procedure-matched comparison of preliminary results with patients without cleft palate

Abstract Objective: Because of continued eustachian tube abnormalities, the presence of a cleft palate repair has been thought to be associated with poor outcomes after tympanoplastic surgery. However, little published data exist regarding the results of major otologic surgery in patients with cleft palate. The objective of this study was to review our results of otologic surgery in these patients and compare results with those of age- and procedure-matched controls. Methods: Our otologic database was used to identify patients with a repaired cleft palate who underwent otologic surgery between March 1994 and December 1999. Two control patients were identified for each cleft palate patient. Results of hearing, graft take, and need for postoperative pressure-equalizing tubes were compared. Results: No significant difference existed between patients with a repaired cleft palate and control patients with regard to postoperative air-bone gap ( P = 0.6805), graft survival rate ( P = 1.00), and need for postoperative intubation ( P = 0.457). Conclusion: Results in patients with cleft palate appear to be similar to those in patients without cleft palate. (Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2002;126:518-23.)
CD40 ligation in vivo can induce T cell independent antitumor effects even against immunogenic tumors

Antitumor effects of CD40 ligation appear to involve distinct antitumor effector cells in different experimental models. In this study, we tested whether T cells were required for antitumor effects of agonistic anti-CD40 mAb (αCD40) against immunogenic versus poorly immunogenic tumors. Treatment of mice bearing poorly immunogenic B16 melanoma and its more immunogenic variant, B16-hsp72.1, with αCD40 resulted in a similar level of tumor growth suppression. Depletion of T cells did not reduce the antitumor effects in these 2 tumor models. To generate antitumor T cell responses, C57BL/6 mice were immunized with irradiated B16-hsp72.1. Treatment of these vaccinated mice challenged with a high dose of B16-hsp72.1 tumor cells with αCD40 induced tumor growth suppression, which was reduced by T-cell depletion, demonstrating that T cells were involved in the antitumor effect of αCD40. However, immunized mice depleted of T cells and treated with αCD40 were still able to suppress tumor growth as compared to tumor growth in immunized, T cell-depleted mice not treated with αCD40, suggesting that T cells were not required for the antitumor effect of αCD40. To confirm a lack of correlation between tumor immunogenicity and T-cell requirement in antitumor effects of CD40 ligation, we found that αCD40 induced tumor growth suppression in nude and SCID/beige mice bearing highly immunogenic tumors such as Meth A sarcoma, suggesting that macrophages may play a role. Indeed, both poorly immunogenic and highly immunogenic tumors were sensitive to in vitro growth inhibition by macrophages from αCD40-treated mice. Taken together, our results indicate that antitumor effects induced by αCD40, even against immunogenic tumors, can be observed in the absence of T cells and may involve macrophages.
NMR and EPR studies of the bis(pyridine) and bis(tert-butyl isocyanide) complexes of iron(III) octaethylchlorin.

The NMR and EPR spectra of a series of pyridine complexes [(OEC)Fe(L)2]+ (L = 4-Me2NPy, Py, and 4-CNPy) have been investigated. The EPR spectra at 4.2 K suggest that, with a decrease of the donor strength of the axial ligands, the complexes change their ground state from (dxy)2(dxzdyz)3 to (dxzdyz)4(dxy)1. The NMR data from 303 to 183 K show that at any temperature within this range the chemical shifts of pyrrole-8,17-CH2 protons increase with a decrease in the donor strength of the axial ligands. The full peak assignments of the [(OEC)Fe(L)2]+ complexes of this study have been made from COSY and NOE difference experiments. The pyrrole-8,17-CH2 and pyrroline protons show large chemical shifts (hence indicating large π spin density on the adjacent carbons which are part of the π system), while pyrrole-12,13-CH2 and -7,18-CH2 protons show much smaller chemical shifts, as predicted by the spin densities obtained from molecular orbital calculations, both Huckel and DFT; the DFT calculations additionally show ...
Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Test: Normative Data for a Sample of Saudi Arabian Technical Trainees

The Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Test was translated into Arabic and administered to 130 Saudi Arabian men in a technical training program. Psychometric data, percentile scores, and information specific to this cross-cultural testing experience are presented. In the aggregate the test results for the Saudi Arabian sample appear comparable to the norming data for selected American samples, but further analysis of item data is needed for both Saudi Arabian and American samples before the test can be used with confidence.
Scalable, Adaptive Streaming for Nonlinear Media

Streaming linear media objects has become ubiquitous on today's Internet. Interactive, nonlinear media objects, such as large 3D models and visualization databases, have proven difficult to stream. The channel set adaptation (CSA) framework lets clients request custom data flows for interactive applications using standard broadcast or multicast join and leave operations. CSA scales to support large user groups while providing interactive data access to clients.
Fatal asthma in children: a nurse managed model for prevention

In response to the rise in pediatric asthma-related deaths and the absence of guidance in the literature for prevention of such deaths, a nurse managed program was designed to prevent death in children at risk for death from asthma. Published guidelines for identification of children with life-threatening asthma were used to develop a comprehensive health care network designed to provide early, aggressive medical attention and rapid access to care for selected children. The program has been successful in assuring more aggressive and timely intervention for asthma attacks and there have been no deaths from lack of access to appropriate care since the program's inception.
Understanding of morphology evolution in local aggregates and neighboring regions for organic photovoltaics

Fluorescence intensity and its ratio mapping combined with time-dependent optical microscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to understand morphology evolution of local aggregates and neighboring regions for organic solar cells. Three solvents with different boiling points including chlorobenzene (CB), 1,3-dichlorobenzene (1,3-DCB) and 1,2-dichlorobenzene (1,2-DCB) were used to engineer morphology. These solvents affected morphology evolution factors such as solvent evaporation rate, formation (e.g., growth rate, size and/or quantity) of (6,6)-phenyl-C61-butric-acid methyl ester (PCBM)-rich aggregates, and packing/ordering of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). Three local regions (1, 2 and 3) including microscale aggregates and their surrounding areas were identified to explore the mechanism of morphology evolution. Region 1 was the PCBM-rich aggregates; region 2 was the PCBM-deficient area; and region 3 was the area composed of a relatively normal P3HT/PCBM composite beyond region 2 for each solvent. The intensity of fluorescence spectra decreased as region 1 > region 2 > region 3 in thermally annealed (140 °C, 20 min) P3HT/PCBM blend film from each solvent. The highest fluorescence intensity in region 1 was probably caused by the relatively poor phase separation where both PCBM and P3HT formed large isolated domains. The higher fluorescence intensity ratio (720 nm/650 nm) suggested a larger relative amount of PCBM molecules, supported by similar morphologies in fluorescence intensity ratio mapping compared to those in optical images. The fluorescence intensity ratio was with the order of region 1 > region 3 > region 2 in both CB and 1,3-DCB based films, but with region 1 > region 2 > region 3 for the 1,2-DCB based film. The order of effective area taken up by aggregates was CB > 1,3-DCB > 1,2-DCB in annealed (140 °C, 10 min) bulk blend films. The final solar cell performance agreed with morphology results. This work is imperative with regards to revealing the mechanism of morphology evolution in local aggregates and surrounding regions for organic photovoltaic films.
I. Analysis of the Immune Agglutination of Red Cells

An attempt has been made to clarify the basis of the agglutination reaction of red cells and to indicate how immunological factors such as antigen and antibody heterogeneity, number of antigenic sites and temperature influence this reaction. Experimentally the influence of antibody heterogeneity and temperature on the stability of the antigen-antibody complex was illustrated by quantitatively comparing the agglutination obtained by two chromatographic fractions of a human anti-A serum at three different temperatures. The influence of antigenic heterogeneity, and the number of antigenic sites per cell was illustrated by comparing antibody absorption by A1 and A2 cells at different temperatures. The agglutination reactions characteristic of the human A subgroups and the quantitation of agglutinin activity have been analyzed.
On the implementation of an automated acoustic output optimization algorithm for subharmonic aided pressure estimation

Incident acoustic output (IAO) dependent subharmonic signal amplitudes from ultrasound contrast agents can be categorized into occurrence, growth or saturation stages. Subharmonic aided pressure estimation (SHAPE) is a technique that utilizes growth stage subharmonic signal amplitudes for hydrostatic pressure estimation. In this study, we developed an automated IAO optimization algorithm to identify the IAO level eliciting growth stage subharmonic signals and also studied the effect of pulse length on SHAPE. This approach may help eliminate the problems of acquiring and analyzing the data offline at all IAO levels as was done in previous studies and thus, pave the way for real-time clinical pressure monitoring applications. The IAO optimization algorithm was implemented on a Logiq 9 (GE Healthcare, Milwaukee, WI) scanner interfaced with a computer. The optimization algorithm stepped the ultrasound scanner from 0% to 100% IAO. A logistic equation fitting function was applied with the criterion of minimum least squared error between the fitted subharmonic amplitudes and the measured subharmonic amplitudes as a function of the IAO levels and the optimum IAO level was chosen corresponding to the inflection point calculated from the fitted data. The efficacy of the optimum IAO level was investigated for in vivo SHAPE to monitor portal vein (PV) pressures in 5 canines and was compared with the performance of IAO levels, below and above the optimum IAO level, for 4, 8 and 16 transmit cycles. The canines received a continuous infusion of Sonazoid microbubbles (1.5 μl/kg/min; GE Healthcare, Oslo, Norway). PV pressures were obtained using a surgically introduced pressure catheter (Millar Instruments, Inc., Houston, TX) and were recorded before and after increasing PV pressures. The experiments showed that optimum IAO levels for SHAPE in the canines ranged from 6% to 40%. The best correlation between changes in PV pressures and in subharmonic amplitudes (r=-0.76; p=0.24), and between the absolute PV pressures and the subharmonic amplitudes (r=-0.89; p<0.01) were obtained for the optimized IAO and 4 transmit cycles. Only for the optimized IAO and 4 transmit cycles did the subharmonic amplitudes differ significantly (p<0.01) before and after increasing PV pressures. A new algorithm to identify optimum IAO levels for SHAPE has been developed and validated with the best results being obtained for 4 transmit cycles. The work presented in this study may pave the way for real-time clinical applications of estimating pressures using the subharmonic signals from ultrasound contrast agents.
Decompression for cervical myelopathy.

Abstract Background context Cervical spondylotic myelopathy is a degenerative condition of the cervical spine. Surgical decompression is considered the gold standard of treatment, yet multiple published studies failed to yield consistent clinical results. Properly designed clinical outcomes studies using physiological, functional, and self-reported measures have the ability to define the best intervention for this disease entity. Many validated outcomes measures for cervical spondylotic myelopathy already exist, ranging from the disease-specific Nurick grading scale to the generalized Short Form 36-item (SF-36) questionnaire. Purpose To review the literature concerning outcome measurements for cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Conclusion Future research must consistently use a broad array of outcome assessments to elucidate the correct utilization of surgical decompression for this disease entity.
ZDVUE: prioritization of javascript attacks to discover new vulnerabilities

Malware writers are constantly looking for new vulnerabilities to exploit in popular software applications. A successful exploit of a previously unknown vulnerability, that evades state-of-the art anti-virus and intrusion-detection systems is called a zero-day vulnerability. JavaScript is a popular vehicle for testing and delivering attacks through drive-by downloads on web clients. Failed attack attempts leave traces of suspicious activity on victim machines. We present ZDVUE, a tool for automatic prioritization of suspicious JavaScript traces, which can lead to early detection of potential zero-day vulnerabilities. Our algorithm uses a combination of correlation analysis and mixture modeling for fast and robust prioritization of suspicious JavaScript samples.On data collected between June and November 2009, ZDVUE identified a new zero-day vulnerability and its variant in its top results, as well as revealed many new anti-virus signatures. ZDVUE is used in our organization on a routine basis to automatically filter, analyze, and prioritize thousands of downloaded JavaScript files, for information to update anti-virus signatures and to find new zero-day vulnerabilities.