cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Model for Chronic Mucosal Inflammation in IBD and Periodontitis

Chronic inflammation of mucosal surfaces is an aberrant immune response to luminal bacteria and generates an array of oxygen radicals leading to tissue destruction and loss of function, as noted in IBD and periodontitis. We hypothesized that mucosal injury after “oral delivery” of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) or TNBS for an extended period of 18 weeks is reflected by chronic inflammatory responses in a time-dependent fashion. Dextran sulfate sodium was administered in the diet biweekly; TNBS or sham controls was administered orally twice a week. Additional groups received TNBS or sham injections into gingival tissue. Animals tolerated oral applications with no severe clinical symptoms. The DSS-group developed diarrhea during the period of administration, and returned to normal during DSS abstinence. The TNBS-group developed no systemic clinical symptoms. Splenic length and weight increased in the DSS-group in a time-dependent fashion (P < 0.01) and remained normal in the TNBS-group. Colons from the DSS-group were significantly shortened (P < 0.001) and colonic weight increased compared with controls or the TNBS-group (P < 0.05). The DSS-group developed extensive dilation of the stomach wall, ileum, and megacolon, with abdominal fat deposits. In addition, the DSS-group showed dysregulated hepatic concentrations of antioxidants (i.e. cysteine, GSH, SAMe) in a time-dependent manner that correlated with a significance increase in alveolar bone resorption. Localized TNBS-mucosal delivery caused severe inflammation, granuloma formation, and rapid bone resorption. This model of mucosal stimulation eliciting chronic inflammatory responses in the gut and oral cavity mimics aspects of IBD and periodontal disease progression in patients.
HISTOLOGICAL AND SEROLOGICAL SEQUENCES IN EXPERIMENTAL HYPERSENSITIVITY

1. Groups of normal rabbits were given, single intravenous injections of foreign proteins in doses of 1 gm. per kilo, bled at regular intervals for serologic studies, and sacrificed after varying lengths of time for pathological studies. The protein solutions used were of crystallized bovine serum albumin, bovine serum gamma globulin, and bovine serum. The experiments were planned, first, to correlate the sequence of pathological and immunological changes, and second, to compare the responses to two chemically and immunologically distinct plasma protein fractions and to the whole serum of the same species. 2. (a) The principal pathological lesions in rabbits given bovine serum were similar to those which have been previously observed following, the injection of horse serum and were characterized by widely dispersed but segmental acute inflammatory lesions of the arteries. These lesions were at their height 2 weeks after injection and showed marked repair at 4 weeks. (b) Crystallized bovine serum albumin produced lesions almost exclusively confined to the arteries which were at their height at 2 weeks, were healing at 3, and healed by 4 weeks. The lesions were less numerous and less intense than in animals given whole serum and were only found in some of the animals. (c) Bovine serum gamma globulin elicited quite different histologic sequences. The most striking lesions involved the glomeruli of the kidneys, and to a lesser degree, the heart. Lesions in the liver and joints were present but less conspicuous, and arterial lesions were rare and slight in degree. The lesions not only differed from those in rabbits given albumin in distribution but in timing, since they were most widespread and acute at 1 week and were healing at 2 weeks after injection. Moreover, lesions were observed in almost every animal. 3. Results of immunological studies were consistent with the interpretation that the pathological lesions were due to an antigen-antibody reaction in the tissues, as shown by the following: (a) Acute lesions were only observed when antigen was present and before antibody appeared in the circulation. (b) Healing of lesions was only observed (with one exception) when antigen had almost or completely disappeared from the circulation, usually with the appearance of antibody. (c) There was a correlation between the rapidity of evolution of the lesions and the rapidity with which the antigen disappeared from the circulation. (d) There was a rough correlation between the proportion of animals showing lesions and the proportion developing antibodies after the injection of a particular protein solution.
Müllerian inhibiting substance as a novel biomarker of cisplatin-induced ovarian damage.

Mullerian inhibiting substance (MIS) has been investigated as a possible serum biomarker in human aging to estimate the number of female germ cells remaining. Cisplatin is an effective chemotherapeutic agent that is associated with ovarian injury. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that decreasing serum MIS can serve as a biomarker of ovarian damage after cisplatin. Adult female rats were treated with saline, 4.5, or 6.0 mg/kg cisplatin. The serum MIS levels were lower in both cisplatin groups, in a dose-related fashion. The ovarian lysates of both cisplatin groups had less MIS than control. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that the percentage of MIS-positive follicles was lower in the 6.0 mg/kg group. TUNEL assays showed that there was a dose related increase in the number of apoptotic follicles in the cisplatin groups. In summary, a decrease in serum MIS could serve as a biomarker to discriminate the degree of ovarian damage after cisplatin. These data are the first to establish in the rat that ovarian injury due to a chemotherapeutic agent could be monitored with the non-invasive serum biomarker MIS.
An adenine-to-guanine nucleotide change in the IRES SL-IV domain of picornavirus/hepatitis C chimeric viruses leads to a nonviable phenotype

The inability for the internal ribosomal entry site (IRES) of hepatitis C virus (HCV) to be readily studied in the context of viral replication has been circumvented by constructing chimeras such as with poliovirus (PV), in which translation of the genome polyprotein is under control of the HCV IRES. During our attempts to configure the PV/HCV chimera for our drug discovery efforts, we discovered that an adenine- (A) to-guanine (G) change at nt 350 in domain IV of the HCV IRES resulted in a nonviable phenotype. Similarly, a mengovirus (MV)/HCV chimera using the same configuration with a G at nt 350 (G-350) was found to be nonviable. In contrast, a bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV)/HCV chimera remained viable with G-350 in the HCV IRES insert. Second-site, resuscitating mutations were identified from the G-350 PV/HCV and MV/HCV viruses after blind passaging. For both viruses, the resuscitating mutations involved destabilization of domain IV in the HCV IRES. The nonviability of G-350 in the picornavirus/HCV chimeric background might be linked to translation efficiency as indicated by analyses with dual reporter and PV/HCV replicon constructs.
Can the Security Mindset Make Students Better Testers

Writing secure code requires a programmer to think both as a defender and an attacker. One can draw a parallel between this model of thinking and techniques used in test-driven development, where students learn by thinking about how to effectively test their code and anticipate possible bugs. In this study, we analyzed the quality of both attack and defense code that students wrote for an assignment given in an introductory security class of 75 (both graduate and senior undergraduate levels) at NYU. We made several observations regarding students' behaviors and the quality of both their defensive and offensive code. We saw that student defensive programs (i.e., assignments) are highly unique and that their attack programs (i.e., test cases) are also relatively unique. In addition, we examined how student behaviors in writing defense programs correlated with their attack program's effectiveness. We found evidence that students who learn to write good defensive programs can write effective attack programs, but the converse is not true. While further exploration of causality is needed, our results indicate that a greater pedagogical emphasis on defensive security may benefit students more than one that emphasizes offense.
Uric acid excretion in infectious mononucleosis: a function of increased purine turnover.

ABSTRACT Uric acid excretion was studied in patients with infectious mononucleosis during the acute and convalescent phases and in control groups of patients with nonspecific upper respiratory infections. Fifty-five percent of the patients with acute infectious mononucleosis had serum uric acids greater than 8.0 mg/100 ml. Urinary uric acid excretion and uric acid/creatinine ratios were significantly greater in the acute phase than in the convalescent or control groups, and draws attention to the possible development of uric acid nephropathy. The uric acid-creatinine ratio was greater than 0.60 in 80% of our patients and appears to be a suitable method for detecting increased purine turnover in infectious mononucleosis. This data supports the hypothesis that the hyperuricemia of infectious mononucleosis is due to increased purine turnover.
Loading rate and test temperature effects on fracture of In Situ niobium silicide-niobium composites

Arc cast, extruded, and heat-treatedin situ composites of niobium suicide (Nb5Si3) intermetallic with niobium phases (primary—Nbp and secondary—Nbs) exhibited high fracture resistance in comparison to monolithic Nb5Si3. In toughness tests conducted at 298 K and slow applied loading rates, the fracture process proceeded by the microcracking of the Nb5Si3 and plastic deformation of the Nbp and Nbs phases, producing resistance-curve behavior and toughnesses of 28 MPa√m with damage zone lengths less than 500μm. The effects of changes in the Nbp yield strength and fracture behavior on the measured toughnesses were investigated by varying the loading rates during fracture tests at both 77 and 298 K. Quantitative fractography was utilized to completely characterize each fracture surface created at 298 K in order to determine the type of fracture mode (i.e., dimpled, cleavage) exhibited by the Nbp. Specimens tested at either higher loading rates or lower test temperatures consistently exhibited a greater amount of cleavage fracture in the Nbp, while the Nbs, always remained ductile. However, the fracture toughness values determined from experiments spanning six orders of magnitude in loading rate at 298 and 77 K exhibited little variation, even under conditions when the majority of Nbp phases failed by cleavage at 77 K. The changes in fracture mode with increasing loading rate and/or decreasing test temperature and their effects on fracture toughness are rationalized by comparison to existing theoretical models.
Simultaneous HPLC Analysis of L-Ascorbic Acid, L-Ascorbyl-2-Sulfate and L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate

L-Ascorbic acid is a difficult vitamin to quantitate by HPLC due to its low retention and poor resolution using the previously available column technologies. This is particularly evident in aquatic...
Secure and resilient clock synchronization in wireless sensor networks

Wireless sensor networks have received a lot of attention recently due to its wide applications. An accurate and synchronized clock time is crucial in many sensor network applications. Several clock synchronization schemes have been proposed for wireless sensor networks recently to address the resource constraints in such networks. However, most of these techniques assume benign environments, but cannot survive malicious attacks in hostile environments, especially when there are compromised nodes. As an exception, a recent work attempts to detect malicious attacks against clock synchronization, and aborts when an attack is detected. Though this approach can prevent incorrect clock synchronization due to attacks, it will lead to denial of clock synchronization in such situations. This paper adopts a model where all the sensor nodes synchronize their clocks to a common source, which is assumed to be well synchronized to the external clock. This paper seeks techniques to provide redundant ways for each node to synchronize its clock with the common source, so that it can tolerate partially missing or false synchronization information provided by compromised nodes. Two types of techniques are developed using this general method: level-based clock synchronization and diffusion-based clock synchronization. Targeted at static sensor networks, the level-based clock synchronization constructs a level hierarchy initially, and uses (or reuses) this level hierarchy for multiple rounds of clock synchronization. The diffusion-based clock synchronization attempts to synchronize all the clocks without relying on any structure assumptions and, thus, can be used for dynamic sensor networks. This paper further investigates how to use multiple clock sources for both approaches to increase the resilience against compromise of source nodes. The analysis in this paper indicates that both level-based and diffusion-based approaches can tolerate up to s colluding malicious source nodes and t colluding malicious nodes among the neighbors of each normal node, where s and t are two system parameters. This paper also presents the results of simulation studies performed to evaluate the proposed techniques. These results demonstrate that the level-based approach has less overhead and higher precision, but less coverage, than the diffusion-based approach.
PCB MEMS-Based Tunable Coplanar Patch Antenna

In this paper, a tunable coplanar rectangular patch antenna (CPA) designed using a MEMS varactor is reported. The MEMS varactor is monolithically integrated with the antenna on duroid substrate using printed circuit processing techniques. Specifically, the MEMS varactor located at one of the radiating edges capacitively loads the CPA. The resonant frequency of the antenna is tuned electrostatically by applying a DC bias voltage between the MEMS varactor and the actuation pad on the antenna. The movable MEMS varactor membrane deflects downward towards the actuation pad due to electrostatic force of attraction caused by the applied DC bias voltage. The deflection of the varactor membrane decreases the air gap thereby increasing the loading capacitance. The increase in the loading capacitance results in a downward shift in the resonant frequency of the CPA. The CPA is center fed at the second radiating edge using a 50 Omega CPW feed line. The CPA operates in the frequency range from 5.185 to 5.545 GHz corresponding to the down and up states of the varactor. The tunable frequency range is about 360 MHz and the return loss is better than 40 dB in the entire tuning range. In this tuning range, the required DC voltage is in the range of 0-116 V.
Computer literature searches on dengue.

Abstract Many research workers, to save time, rely entirely on either on-line or off-line databases offered by an increasing number of information services. The characteristics of eight databases, including five on-line services, were analysed in the present study concerning the retrieval of information on dengue, the most important mosquito-borne viral disease of humans. Differences in the rate of retrieval among data-bases were apparent, depending on the main subject of publication as well as on the geographical location of the publisher. While rates of retrieval of references in molecular biology were generally satisfactory (mostly > 70%), those in clinical medicine and epidemiology were not (< 50%). The latter, as published in many dengue-endemic tropical countries, were found to be inadequately covered. For the global surveillance of dengue, which has increased in intensity and spread to many countries because of increased international travel, the development of a new database emphasizing tropical geographic medicine is highly desirable.
DD29: Wer sich Zeit nicht nimmt, braucht sie nimmermehr (Dezember 2006)

Besinnlich sollen die Weihnachtstage sein, friedlich und froh. Stille, von Heiligkeit durchdrungene Stille wunschen wir uns. Wie aber sollen wir all die viele Ruhe hinbekommen? Das ist der Stress pur!
Psychopathology and the initiation of disability payments.

OBJECTIVE: Longitudinal prospective data from the multisite Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) survey were examined to determine relationships between mental disorders, alcohol abuse or dependence, and transfer payments for disability. METHODS: ECA respondents who were not receiving disability benefits at baseline but who were receiving them at the one-year follow-up were identified. The effects of six psychiatric disorders on the risk of starting payments were examined. They were major depressive disorder, panic disorder, alcohol abuse or dependence, phobic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and schizophrenia. The odds of starting to receive payments were calculated for persons with these disorders, any mental or addictive disorder, or any two or more disorders, while the analysis controlled for sociodemographic characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 15,567 people were interviewed at baseline; 7 percent received disability payments. Among the 11,981 people interviewed at one year, 261 had begun to re...
Graphene: Its Fundamentals to Future Applications

Currently, graphene is a topic of very active research fields from science to potential applications. For various RF circuit applications, including low-noise amplifiers, the unique ambipolar nature of graphene field-effect-transistors can be utilized for high-performance frequency multipliers, mixers, and high-speed radiometers. Potential integration of graphene on silicon substrates with CMOS compatibility would also benefit future RF systems. The future success of the RF circuit applications depends on vertical and lateral scaling of graphene MOSFETs to minimize parasitics and improve gate modulation efficiency in the channel with zero or a small bandgap. In this paper, we highlight recent progress in graphene materials, devices, and circuits for RF applications. For passive RF applications, we show its transparent electromagnetic shielding in Ku-band and transparent antennas, where its success depends on the quality of materials. We also attempt to discuss future applications and challenges of graphene.
Neurotrophin regulation of cortical dendritic growth requires activity

Neurotrophins have been proposed to mediate several forms of activity-dependent competition in the central nervous system. A key element of such hypotheses is that neurotrophins act preferentially on active neurons; however, little direct evidence supports this postulate. We therefore examined, in ferret cortical brain slices, the interactions between activity and neurotrophins in regulating dendritic growth of layer 4 pyramidal neurons. Inhibition of spontaneous electrical activity, synaptic transmission, or L-type calcium channels each prevented the otherwise dramatic increase in dendritic arborizations elicited by brain-derived neurotrophic factor. In developing cortex, this requirement for conjoint neurotrophin signaling and activity provides a mechanism for selectively enhancing the growth and connectivity of active neurons.
Pottery of the U.S. South: A Living Tradition

This work is a exhibition review considering Pottery of the U.S. South: A Living Tradition, a project of the Museum of International Folk Art.
Standardization and improvement of care for pediatric patients with perforated appendicitis

Background/purpose Reduction of treatment variation and application of evidenced based care are increasingly important in the current care environment. Utilizing formal quality improvement methods, an evidenced based guideline was implemented at our institution. Methods A guideline was established regarding timing of surgery (immediate vs interval appendectomy) and duration of antibiotics. Twelve months of baseline data were collected prior to implementation. The guideline dictates immediate appendectomy (IA) and postoperative antibiotic therapy until discharge (regular diet, clinically improved, normal complete blood count (CBC)). Data was collected prospectively during hospitalization and at 30days postdischarge. Control charts document adherence to the overall guideline, IA, antibiotic guideline, and readmission for complications. Results Guideline implementation resulted in an increase in IA (79% vs 94%), decrease in the use of IV antibiotics post discharge (25% to 4%), no change in overall LOS, no change in postoperative abscess formation, and slight decrease in 30day readmission. Charges were decreased. Conclusion Implementation of an evidenced based guideline resulted in significant practice change for managing perforated appendicitis. The changes suggest more efficient care without compromising patient outcome. Utilization of quality improvement methods allows for implementing and tracking the change as well as creating a platform for future improvement.
Periapical abscess formation and resolution adjacent to dental implants: A clinical report

The vitality of teeth adjacent to dental implants should be considered in the treatment planning of dental implants. Both the restorability of an endodontically treated tooth and the risk of infection of the adjacent implant are important factors in planning for success. Given the illustrated difficulties and difficulties associated with resolving periapical infections of teeth and implants, it is essential to define the vitality of teeth by careful pulp testing and to consider the integrity of existing questionable, endodontically treated teeth before implant treatment. The risk of periapical infection at teeth adjacent to implants must be minimized.
Random amplified polymorphic DNA variation among remnant big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman) populations from Arkansas’ Grand Prairie

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis was used to characterize genetic diversity and genetic distinctiveness of Andropogon gerardii from remnant Arkansas prairies. Six oligonucleotide primers, which generated 37 RAPD bands, were used to analyse 30‐32 plants from six Grand Prairie populations, Baker Prairie (Arkansas Ozarks), two Illinois prairies and two cultivars. Genetic diversity of the Arkansas remnants ranged from 82.7 to 99.3%, with 89% of the total genetic variation within and 11% among populations. The partitioning of genetic variation was consistent with that reported for other outcrossing perennial grasses, using the more conservative allozyme markers. Principal component analysis indicated a northern and southern association within Arkansas’ Grand Prairie. Although there was no genetic structuring at the landscape level, the Illinois prairies and cultivars were different from all Arkansas prairies tested. There was significant within-population structuring in four of the seven Arkansas remnants, with a negative relationship between genetic similarity and geographical distance. The three nonstructured populations were from a linear railroad remnant, suggesting different population-level dynamics from nonlinear prairies. The results of this study indicated that small isolated remnant big bluestem populations were not genetically depauperate and that genetic relationships among populations could not be predicted solely on geographical proximity.
Isolation of Schizosaccharomyces pombe isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase cDNA clones by complementation and synthesis of the enzyme in Escherichia coli.

Isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) isomerase catalyzes an essential activation step in the isoprene biosynthetic pathway. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene for IPP isomerase, IDI1, was recently isolated and characterized (Anderson, M. S., Muehlbacher, M., Street, I. P., Proffitt, J., and Poulter, C. D. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 19169-19175), and the wild-type gene, IDI1, was disrupted with a LEU2 marker to create a diploid yeast strain heterozygous for the idi1::leu2 disruption, which revealed that IDI1 was an essential single-copy gene (Mayer, M.P., Hahn, F. M., Stillman, D. J., and Poulter, C. D. (1992) Yeast 8, 743-748). We now report the isolation of a cDNA clone from Schizosaccharomyces pombe by a plasmid shuffle-mediated complementation of the LEU2 disrupted yeast gene. The S. pombe clone encoded a 26,864-dalton polypeptide of 227 amino acids with a high degree of similarity to the S. cerevisiae IDI1 enzyme. S. pombe IPP isomerase contained the essential Cys and Glu catalytic residues identified in yeast isomerase (Street, I. P., Coffman, H. R., Baker, J., and Poulter, C. (1994) Biochemistry 33, 4212-4217) but was significantly smaller than the S. cerevisiae enzyme. The plasmid shuffle technique is an excellent procedure for screening expression libraries for IPP isomerase activity by complementation of the idi1 mutation.
Perceptions of School Violence as a Problem and Reports of Violent Events: A National Survey of School Social Workers

Awareness of violence as a problem is important in developing school-based interventions to reduce violence. How would social workers who reported a potentially lethal event in their schools within the past year rate the seriousness of the problem in their schools? What variables would be associated with the perception of a serious violence problem in a school? These questions were explored in a national survey of school social workers. The results suggest that school social workers did not perceive violence as a serious problem on the basis of a single event even when the event was life threatening. From a zero-tolerance perspective, school violence as a problem was underestimated in all community settings but more often in suburban and rural settings than in inner-city or urban settings. The social workers' perception of a serious problem was contingent on the presence of multiple types of violence and the community setting of the school.
Bronchodilator Effects of Nebulized Fenoterol: A Comparison With Isoproterenol

In an attempt to find the optimal single therapeutic dose of fenoterol inhalant solution administered by compressor-powered nebulization, bronchodilator and side effects of five different doses of fenoterol (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 mg) and of placebo were compared with those of the recommended therapeutic dose delivered from a metered dose canister in 16 patients with reversible airway obstruction. The fenoterol (except for the metered dose) and the placebo were given in a double-blind, cross-over manner. In comparison with placebo, all doses of fenoterol produced a significant increase in average values of FEV 1 , FEF 25-75% , FVC, and SG aw and decrease in FRC for five to eight hours. There was a trend for the bronchodilator action to become greater and more prolonged with increasing doses of fenoterol. Compared with 0.4 mg given from a metered dose canister, 0.5 mg of fenoterol delivered by compressor powered nebulization was equally effective in bronchodilator potency. Dose-by-dose comparison with isoproterenol indicates that fenoterol is a more potent and longer lasting bronchodilator and has no significant effect on heart rate and blood pressures. The most common side effects were shakiness or tremor of hands, which appeared to be dose-related in terms of incidence and intensity. The results of the present study suggest that 0.5 to 1.0 mg of fenoterol is a suitable single therapeutic dose when administered by compressor-powered nebulization.
Multivariable adaptive efficiency optimization digital controller

A multivariable adaptive digital controller to optimize DC-DC converter switching frequency and dead- time at the same time, for maximum efficiency under variable conditions, is presented in this paper. The multivariable adaptive digital controller (MVAC) adaptively adjusts the DC-DC converter switching frequency and dead-time while tracking the converter minimum input power (maximum efficiency) point under variable conditions including variable load and variable input voltage. In this paper, the MVAC method is discussed analyzed and its digital control algorithm and experimental results are presented.
Leadership in Science

In this article, there is a leadership discussion related to the development of leaders in nursing science–a topic rarely discussed. Given the recent dramatic shifts in funding as well as changes in methods of inquiry and data models, there is a clear need for individuals in nursing science who can not only negotiate the turbulent waters of funding but can also lead teams of others, and the discipline, to generate and translate knowledge that will truly be useful to providers, patients, and families. This requires leaders in science who can challenge the prevailing views and traditional paths to excellence held sacred by some.
Socioeconomic gradient in consumption of whole fruit and 100% fruit juice among US children and adults

The consumption of fruit is generally associated with better health, but also higher socioeconomic status (SES). Most previous studies evaluating consumption of fruits have not separated 100% fruit juice and whole fruit, which may conceal interesting patterns in consumption. To estimate demographic and socioeconomic correlates of whole fruit versus 100% juice consumption among children and adults in the United States. Secondary analyses of two cycles of the nationally representative National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2007–2010, by gender, age group, race/ethnicity and SES among 16,628 children and adults. Total fruit consumption (population average of 1.06 cup equivalents/d) fell far short of national goals. Overall, whole fruit provided about 65% of total fruit, while 100% juice provided the remainder. Whereas 100% juice consumption was highest among children and declined sharply with age, whole fruit consumption was highest among older adults. Total fruit and whole fruit consumption was generally higher among those with higher incomes or more education. By contrast, the highest 100% juice consumption was found among children, racial/ethnic minorities and lower-income groups. Consumption patterns for whole fruit versus 100% fruit juice showed different gradients by race/ethnicity, education, and income. The advice to replace 100% juice with whole fruit may pose a challenge for the economically disadvantaged and some minority groups, whose fruit consumption falls short of national goals.
On extremal self-dual ternary codes of lengths 28 to 40

The extremal self-dual ternary codes of lengths 28, 32, and 36 with monomial automorphisms of prime order r>or=5 and of length 40 with monomial automorphisms of prime order r>5 are enumerated. For each length and prime considered, all inequivalent extremal codes with an automorphism of that order are found. >
Strengthening strongly chordal graphs

An i-chord of a cycle C is a chord that forms a new cycle with a length-i subpath of C when i is at most half the length of C. Define a graph to be s-strongly chordal if, for every i ∈{2,…,s + 2}, every cycle long enough to have an i-chord always has an i-chord. The 0-strongly chordal and 1-strongly chordal graphs are, respectively, the chordal and strongly chordal graphs. Several characterizations of s-strongly chordal graphs are proved, along with details of the class of 2-strongly chordal graphs.
THE FORMATION OF SUBCALCIC GARNET IN SCHEELITE-BEARING SKARNS

Compositions ofgarnet from 18 tungsten-bearing skarns in the western Cordillera of North America, with additional examples from the literature, indicate that solid solution between grandite and plralspite is far more extensive than previously reported; garnet with up to 75 mole 9o andradite component can contain significant almandine - spessartine ("subcalcic") component. Detailed microprobe analyses show that skarn garnets are typically zoned toward more subcalcic compositions from core to rim and from periphery of skarn toward the inferred fluid-source. l\mong tungsten skarns, those that possess subcalcic garnet are more abundant, they generally possess higher tungsten grades and tonnages, and they appear to be more typical of occurrences in the Cordillera. A model for the occurrence of subcalcic gamet in a skarn requires relatively low oxidation-state, high manganese-ion activity, and low calcium-ion activity in skarn-forming fluids. These conditions are best met in skarns formed at moderate depths, in highly carbonaceous host-rocks and in zones chemically isolated from calcite marble. Semiquantitative calculations suggest that at oxidation states approximately at or below pyrite- magnetitepyrrhotite, changes in activity of calcium hydroxide in solution by a factor of 2 can produce the observed composi tional variations. Subcalcic garnet generally is characteristic of tungsten skarns because such skarns are tlpically found associated with relatively reduced plutons or wallrocks or found at relatively great depths.
Low Temperature Colloidal Synthesis of Silicon Nanorods from Isotetrasilane, Neopentasilane, and Cyclohexasilane

Isotetrasilane, neopentasilane, and cyclohexasilane were studied as reactants for silicon (Si) nanorod growth in solution. These polysilane hydrides were found to enable lower growth temperatures in solution than any other silane reactants used to date. Cyclohexasilane enabled the lowest growth temperature of 200 °C, using a single-step solution–liquid–solid (SLS) reaction from tin (Sn) seeds. The potential for nanorod growth is determined by the reactivity of the silane. Cyclohexasilane is the most reactive of the polysilane hydrides studied here, requiring the lowest energy for dehydrogenation. The formation of silylene by cycolhexasilane also facilitates chemisorption onto the Sn surface during nanorod growth. Relatively bright photoluminescence (emission quantum yields of 2%) could still be achieved from Si nanorods grown at these low temperatures.
Voluntary Cough Airflow Differentiates Safe Versus Unsafe Swallowing in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Dysphagia and aspiration are prevalent in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and contribute to malnutrition, aspiration pneumonia, and death. Early detection of at risk individuals is critical to ensure maintenance of safe oral intake and optimal pulmonary function. We therefore aimed to determine the discriminant ability of voluntary cough airflow measures in detecting penetration/aspiration status in ALS patients. Seventy individuals with ALS (El-Escorial criteria) completed voluntary cough spirometry testing and underwent a standardized videofluoroscopic swallowing evaluation (VFSE). A rater blinded to aspiration status derived six objective measures of voluntary cough airflow and evaluated airway safety using the penetration–aspiration scale (PAS). A between groups ANOVA (safe vs. unsafe swallowers) was conducted and sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve (AUC) and likelihood ratios were calculated. VFSE analysis revealed 24 penetrator/aspirators (PAS ≥3) and 46 non-penetrator/aspirators (PAS ≤2). Cough volume acceleration (CVA), peak expiratory flow rise time (PEFRT), and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) were significantly different between airway safety groups (p 76 ms had sensitivities of 91.3, 82.6, and 73.9 %, respectively, and specificities of 82.2, 73.9, and 78.3 % for identifying ALS penetrator/aspirators. Voluntary cough airflow measures identified ALS patients at risk for penetration/aspiration and may be a valuable screening tool with high clinical utility.
Moving Past Crisis...Promoting Parity: How Effective Intergovernmental Relations Can Help Build a More Co-Equal Branch

The crisis impacting the American judiciary is evident in budget cuts and, what some call, “court-curbing” legislation, which attempts to rein in court power. Courts, however, face an especially difficult political conundrum. Work by James Douglas and Roger Hartley in the 2000s noted that court needs do not command the same political salience or attention by political officials as do agencies in the justice system like public safety, prosecution, and correction. In addition, norms of judicial impartiality and the protection of judicial independence often drive what some might consider a passive approach to political engagement by judges and court officials. However, the very nature of the legislative and executive processes necessitate (and reward) active — and sometimes aggressive — political participation to secure needed resources, to build support for legislation that might favorably impact courts, and sometimes to fight off legislation that might harm the power of courts and the work of judges. This Article raises important questions about how courts enter the political process and how they might do so more effectively. While aggressive political action by court officials might draw a political backlash from the other branches and even demonstrate political bias, well-planned, active, and effective intergovernmental relations by courts is a necessary condition for moving past the present crisis in the judiciary.
Notes on the Biology of Paraphelinus Speciosissimus Girault.

It is well known that the Chalcidoids of the Tribe Aphelinini are among the most important parasites of Scale Insects, particularly of the Diaspinae , and that they also parasitize Aphididae and Aleyrodidae . The only exceptions appear to belong to the genus Paraphelinus , erected by Perkins in 1906 (Bull. 1, part 8, Report of Work of the Experiment Station of the Hawaiian Sugar Planter’s Association, 1906, p. 264) to contain his P. xiphidii . In describing the species P. tomaspinis , Dr. Howard has given a compact summary of the facts known regarding the biology of this genus (Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash., XVI, 1914, pp. 81–82), which is as follows:
Medical Parasitology Course Development Over 25 Years

Modifications in teaching methods and the learning environment in the laboratory component of a medical parasitology course resulted in significant changes in student performance as measured by practical examination. Mean scores from 745 students improved from 75.8% at the inception of the course to 92% at the end of the 25-year period studied. A retention study, conducted over a six-year period, revealed an average retention rate of 57% one year after the course was completed. Although this retention rate was not significantly different from the rate found in other studies in which retention of factual material was measured, it suggests that the students retain enough knowledge to complete the clinical parasitology course.
Lipoprotein and protein binding of the calcium channel blocker diltiazem.

AbstractThe plasma protein binding properties of the calcium channel blocker diltiazem were studied using a three-chamber equilibrium dialysis system. Diltiazem is 81% bound to human sera with significant inter-individual variation. The relative binding of diltiazem by lipoproteins and α1-acid glycoprotein was higher than by albumin. The binding to low density lipoprotein was strong and appeared not to be associated with the surface apoprotein.
The Effect of Carbon Arc Radiation on the Blood of Dogs.

As a preliminary to the investigation of the influence of radiation on anemia, three normal adult dogs (white, short haired) were exposed to known amounts of flaming carbon arc radiation. The first was irradiated abdominally for 45 minutes at 1 M (45 g. cal. per sq. cm.) and the dosage progressively increased to 1 hour at 60 cm. (166 g. cal. per sq. cm.) during a period of 13 daily exposures. The other 2 were given 4 massive abdominal irradiations (88 to 124 g. cal. per sq. cm.) at intervals of 2, 3 and 6 days, respectively. The results are of the same general nature in all.The primary result of an individual exposure is to increase blood volume by about 30 per cent with recovery to normal by the afternoon of the same day, the increase being principally due to an increase in plasma volume. With subsequent exposures, red cell number and volume and hemoglobin increase approximately 10 per cent. Platelets show a consistent drop in number and volume during irradiation with recovery to normal after each exposu...
HOW BUSINESS STUDENTS AND FACULTY QUANTIFY PROBABILITY EXPRESSIONS: ANOTHER LOOK

As shown in Table 2, when ordering the expressions according to the mean, students' perceptions differed from that of Zikmund as to the arrangement of the terms. The array exhibited by the faculty also differed. The students displayed a wide variation in their interpretation of expressions, with the dispersion relatively constant across terms. In contrast, faculty exhibited comparatively less variation, with minimum dispersion occurring at either end of the &splay. Both groups associated little variation with the expression "about even": the same val
Advantages of direct thrombin inhibition in high- and low-risk patients

For an anticoagulant to replace heparin (and possibly glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors) for the interventional cardiologist, it must be proven to be useful in preventing ischemic complications and minimize bleeding risk in low- and high-risk patients in the settings of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI), acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The optimal agent will also streamline care and be cost effective. Bivalirudin has desirable pharmacokinetic properties and has been shown to improve outcomes as an alternative to heparin and glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors in both high- and low-risk patients undergoing urgent and elective PCI. Ongoing studies are investigating the utility of this agent in patients with ACS and AMI.
Psychogenic Hypertension: Experimental Review

Exposure to environmental situations which are perceived as stressful can result in profound cardiovascular alterations. The relationship between such exposure and acute elevations in blood pressure and heart rate have been well documented. More problematic is the establishment of the relationship between repeated and/or prolonged exposure to stress and the pathogenesis of chronic hypertension. The purpose of this manuscript is the presentation of a series of fundamental experimental observations concerning this relationship. The authors are well aware of the difficulties associated with extrapolating data derived from laboratory studies in animals to the human condition. However, clinically oriented mental health professionals interested in the relationship between psychological functioning and hypertension should, at least in the authors’ opinion, be familiar with basic laboratory results.
The cultural context of aggression: the transition to junior high school

Starting with Bandura's 1979 formulation regarding the relationship between aversive experience and aggression, this paper asks the logically prior question—what are the cultural influences that lead attitudes or actions to be experienced as aversive? The focus is on aggression among junior high school students. The community culture of a middle-class suburb is identified as a significant contributor to the aggression found among these students.
Active noise cancellation using MEMS accelerometers for motion-tolerant wearable bio-sensors

An active noise cancellation method using a MEMS accelerometer is developed for recovering corrupted wearable sensor signals due to body motion. The method is developed for a finger ring PPG sensor, the signal of which is susceptive to the hand motion of the wearer. A MEMS accelerometer (ACC) imbedded in the PPG sensor detects the hand acceleration, and is used for recovering the corrupted PPG signal. The correlation between the acceleration and the distorted PPG signal is analyzed, and a low-order FIR model relating the signal distortion to the hand acceleration is obtained. The model parameters are identified in real time with a recursive least square method. Experiments show that the active noise cancellation method can recover ring PPG sensor signals corrupted with 2G of acceleration in the longitudinal direction of the digital artery.
Child Support for Post-Secondary Education: Empirical and Historical Perspectives

More than half of all American children younger than 18 are eligible for child support; if child support ends at age 18, the usual age of majority, many of these children may be unable to attend post-secondary school because they cannot afford it or, if they get loans to pay for school, will leave school with very large debts. In about a third of all jurisdictions – sixteen states and the District of Columbia – the law allows courts to award post-majority child support for education to address this problem. This paper addresses whether such laws have had a measurable effect, why more states do not have the laws, and whether current circumstances support a recommendation that other states enact such laws. The paper first reports the results of my empirical study of the effect of state laws allowing courts to order support for post-majority education. These laws are significantly correlated with a higher proportion of the young people in the state obtaining education beyond high school and graduating from college. Since it has probably been assumed all along that post-secondary educational support laws help increase the educational achievements of young people, other concerns must convince legislatures that they should not enact such laws. The most important is that requiring parents to provide financial help to their “adult” children unduly interferes with the parents’ judgments about when childhood should end and how to help their children become independent adults. The second part of the paper examines the history of the development of the legal child support duty, finding that since the earliest legal steps to make parents’ duties to support and educate legally enforceable were taken, opponents have objected and asserted that such matters should be within parental discretion. The study shows that over the last two centuries, as society has become more complex, the social understanding of teenagers’ place in society and how much education they require to be effective citizens has evolved. This change, combined with increases in family dissolution, has produced laws that dictate how much schooling children should have and, when necessary, when parents must pay for it. The third section of the paper examine current conditions, including the increasingly common expectation that young people will seek advanced education and the increasingly high costs of that education. Based on these changes and the efficacy of post-secondary child support laws, I argue that today courts should routinely have the authority to order parents who are not living with their children to continue providing financial assistance to the children for education beyond high school.
Two Competing Concepts of Residential Integration

The chapters in this edited volume were written by academics and practitioners who gave presentations at the Social Equity Leadership Conference held at the University of San Francisco in 2016. This book chapter identifies two popular--but competing--concepts of residential integration, demonstrates their distinct practical consequences, and calls for a frank conversation among social equity activists regarding which concept do we want to pursue. One concept, dubbed the “traditional integration model,” concerns the nature or quality of a community. It focuses on the complexion of a community as a geographical unit and the social relationships among members of different income groups or racial groups within it. This concept asks: Who lives there and how do they relate to each other? The second concept, “the individual access to the opportunity structure model,” focuses on how the physical location of a household relates to the opportunity structure of a community (e.g. good schools, good jobs, decent shopping, healthy neighborhoods). The primary focus of this model is maximizing the access of new residents to opportunities so that they can improve their lives. It does not inquire into the relationships among the members of the households who live in a community, but rather on the economic and social success of the individuals and families.