cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ectopic expression of miR160 results in auxin hypersensitivity, cytokinin hyposensitivity, and inhibition of symbiotic nodule development in soybean

Symbiotic root nodules in leguminous plants result from interaction between the plant and nitrogen-fixing rhizobia bacteria. There are two major types of legume nodules, determinate and indeterminate. Determinate nodules do not have a persistent meristem, while indeterminate nodules have a persistent meristem. Auxin is thought to play a role in the development of both these types of nodules. However, inhibition of rootward auxin transport at the site of nodule initiation is crucial for the development of indeterminate nodules but not determinate nodules. Using the synthetic auxin-responsive DR5 promoter in soybean (Glycine max), we show that there is relatively low auxin activity during determinate nodule initiation and that it is restricted to the nodule periphery subsequently during development. To examine if and what role auxin plays in determinate nodule development, we generated soybean composite plants with altered sensitivity to auxin. We overexpressed microRNA393 to silence the auxin receptor gene family, and these roots were hyposensitive to auxin. These roots nodulated normally, suggesting that only minimal/reduced auxin signaling is required for determinate nodule development. We overexpressed microRNA160 to silence a set of repressor auxin response factor transcription factors, and these roots were hypersensitive to auxin. These roots were not impaired in epidermal responses to rhizobia but had significantly reduced nodule primordium formation, suggesting that auxin hypersensitivity inhibits nodule development. These roots were also hyposensitive to cytokinin and had attenuated expression of key nodulation-associated transcription factors known to be regulated by cytokinin. We propose a regulatory feedback loop involving auxin and cytokinin during nodulation.
Modeling the impacts of child care quality on children's preschool cognitive development.

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care compared 3 statistical methods that adjust for family selection bias to test whether child care type and quality relate to cognitive and academic skills. The methods included: multiple regression models of 54-month outcomes, change models of differences in 24- and 54-month outcomes, and residualized change models of 54-month outcomes adjusting for the 24-month outcome. The study was unable to establish empirically which model best adjusted for selection and omitted-variable bias. Nevertheless, results suggested that child care quality predicted cognitive outcomes at 54 months, with effect sizes of .04 to .08 for both infant and preschool ages. Center care during preschool years also predicted outcomes across all models.
Drug release kinetics and transport mechanisms of non-degradable and degradable polymeric delivery systems

Importance of the field: The advancement in material design and engineering has led to the rapid development of new materials with increasing complexity and functions. Both non-degradable and degradable polymers have found wide applications in the controlled delivery field. Studies on drug release kinetics provide important information into the function of material systems. To elucidate the detailed transport mechanism and the structure-function relationship of a material system, it is critical to bridge the gap between the macroscopic data and the transport behavior at the molecular level.Areas covered in this review: The structure and function information of selected non-degradable and degradable polymers have been collected and summarized from literature published after the 1990s. The release kinetics of selected drug compounds from various material systems is discussed in case studies. Recent progress in the mathematical models based on different transport mechanisms is highlighted.What the reader wil...
The five factor model of personality and hypnotizability: little variance in common

The present study examined the responses of N = 285 undergraduate students on the NEO-PI-R (Costa and McCrae, 1992) and the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A (HGSHS:A; Shor and Orne, 1962). Participants' gender and their scores across the five domain scales of the NEO-PI-R accounted for approximately 8% (6% adjusted) of the variance in HGSHS:A scores. Individual facet scores on the NEO-PI-R accounted for approximately 21% (12% adjusted) of the variance in HGSHS:A performance. Results are consistent with previous attempts to associate hypnotizability with a measure of the five factor model of personality. Copyright © 2004 British Society of Experimental and Clinical Hypnosis
Su e of the yeast F1Fo-ATP synthase forms homodimers.

Abstract The yeast F1Fo-ATP synthase forms a dimeric complex in the mitochondrial inner membrane. Dimerization of two F1Fo monomeric complexes involves the physical association of two membrane-embedded Fo sectors and in a manner, which is dependent on the Fo subunit, Su e. Sequence analysis of Su e protein family members indicated the presence of a conserved coiled-coil motif. As this motif is often the basis for protein homodimerization events, it was hypothesized that Su e forms homodimers in the inner membrane and that formation of Su e dimers between two neighboring Focomplexes would facilitate dimerization of the F1Fo-ATP synthase complex (Arnold, I., Pfeiffer, K., Neupert, W., Stuart, R. A., and Schagger, H. (1998) EMBO J. 17, 7170–7178). Using a histidine-tagged derivative of yeast Su e, Su e-His12, combined with cross-linking and affinity purification approaches, we have directly demonstrated the ability of the yeast Su e protein to form homodimers. Functionality of the Su e-His12 derivative was confirmed by its ability to assemble into the ATP synthase complex and to support its dimerization in the Δsu e null mutant yeast cells. The close association of two neighboring Su e proteins was also demonstrated using cross-linking with Cu2+, which binds and cross-links a unique Cys residue in neighboring Su e proteins. Finally, we propose a model for the molecular basis of the homodimerization of the Su e proteins.
DNA methylation in hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin (HPFH-2)

Abstract Recent studies show that the region of DNA brought into close proximity to the fetal gamma-globin genes in deletional forms of hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin (HPFH) is selectively hypomethylated (and presumably active) in normal erythroid tissue. This region is normally located approximately 100 kilobases (kb) 3' to the fetal genes. The continued expression of fetal hemoglobin in adult life in these forms of HPFH has been ascribed to the effect of this erythroid-specific region in altering local chromosomal structure and allowing transcription. Because transcriptional activity is often associated with hypomethylation, we have examined the methylation status of the gamma-globin genes and the truncated psi beta gene on the HPFH chromosome to determine whether juxtaposition of this erythroid-specific region results in a generalized hypomethylation of the globin gene region upstream of the deletion breakpoint. Genomic DNA purified from nucleated red blood cells (nRBC) from a patient with HPFH-2/beta O thalassemia was digested with Msp I or Hpa II, and the methylation pattern determined on the HPFH chromosome by using secondary cleavage with restriction enzymes which span the deletion breakpoint. These studies show that in nRBC the HPFH-2 chromosome is hypomethylated in the 3'-juxtaposed region (3'JR) and in the region of the gamma-globin genes. In contrast, Msp I sites near the truncated psi beta-globin gene remain methylated, suggesting that only a subset of CpG sites upstream from the 3'JR become hypomethylated in HPFH-2. This subset of sites corresponds to those which are normally hypomethylated when fetal genes are active. The continued high level of fetal globin expression is, therefore, not associated with a generalized hypomethylation upstream from the deletion junction.
Digitally alloyed modulated precursor flow epitaxial growth of AlxGa1−xN layers with AlN and AlyGa1−yN monolayers

Abstract We propose a new growth scheme of digitally alloyed modulated precursor flow epitaxial growth (DA-MPEG) using metalorganic and hydride precursors for the growth of Al x Ga 1− x N layers with high-Al content at relatively low temperatures. The growth of high-quality, high-Al content Al x Ga 1− x N layers ( x Al >50%) that are composed of AlN and Al y Ga 1− y N monolayers on AlN/sapphire template/substrates by DA-MPEG was demonstrated. The overall composition of the ternary Al x Ga 1− x N material by DA-MPEG can be controlled continuously by adjusting the Column III mole fraction of the atomic Al y Ga 1− y N sub-layer. X-ray diffraction and optical transmittance results show that the AlGaN materials have good crystalline quality. The surface morphology of DA-MPEG AlGaN samples measured by atomic force microscopy are comparable to high-temperature-grown AlGaN and are free from surface features such as nano-pits.
The maximum squared correlation, total asymptotic efficiency, and sum capacity of minimum total-squared-correlation quaternary signature sets

In this paper, we derive closed-form expressions for the maximum squared correlation (MSC), total asymptotic efficiency (TAE), and sum capacity (C sum ) of minimum total squared correlation (TSC) quaternary signature sets. While TSC, MSC, TAE, and C sum are equivalent optimization metrics over the real/complex field, our developments show that such equivalence does not hold, in general, over the quaternary field. We establish conditions on the number of signatures and signature length under which simultaneous optimization can or cannot be possible.
Early Factors Leading to Later Obesity: Interactions of the Microbiome, Epigenome, and Nutrition

Obesity is a major public health problem in the United States and many other countries. Childhood obesity rates have risen extensively over the last several decades with the numbers continuing to rise. Obese and overweight children are at high risk of becoming overweight adolescents and adults. The causes are multifactorial and are affected by various genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors. This review aims to discuss a previously under-recognized antecedent of obesity and related chronic metabolic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Specifically, we highlight the relationship of the microbial ecology of the gastrointestinal tract during early development and the consequent effects on metabolism, epigenetics, and inflammatory responses that can subsequently result in metabolic syndrome. Although studies in this area are just beginning, this area of research is rapidly expanding and may lead to early life interventions that may have significant impacts in the prevention of obesity.
A Qualitative Examination of Topical Tweet and Retweet Practices

This work contributes to the study of retweet behavior on Twitter surrounding real-world events. We analyze over a million tweets pertaining to three events, present general tweet properties in such topical datasets and qualitatively analyze the properties of the retweet behavior surrounding the most tweeted/viral content pieces. Findings include a clear relationship between sparse/dense retweet patterns and the content and type of a tweet itself; suggesting the need to study content properties in link-based diffusion models.
Measuring cell-type specific differential methylation in human brain tissue

The behavior of epigenetic mechanisms in the brain is obscured by tissue heterogeneity and disease-related histological changes. Not accounting for these confounders leads to biased results. We develop a statistical methodology that estimates and adjusts for celltype composition by decomposing neuronal and non-neuronal differential signal. This method provides a conceptual framework for deconvolving heterogeneous epigenetic data from postmortem brain studies. We apply it to find cell-specific differentially methylated regions between prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. We demonstrate the utility of the method on both Infinium 450k and CHARM data.
Humans use visual and remembered information about object location to plan pointing movements.

We investigated whether humans use a target's remembered location to plan reaching movements to targets according to the relative reliabilities of visual and remembered information. Using their index finger, subjects moved a virtual object from one side of a table to the other, and then went back to a target. In some trials, the target shifted unnoticed while the finger made the first movement. We regressed subjects' movement trajectories against the initial and shifted target locations to infer the weights that subjects gave to remembered and visual locations. We measured the reliability of vision and memory by adding conditions in which the target only appeared after subjects made the first movement (vision only) and in which the target was initially present but disappeared during the first movement (memory only). When both visual and remembered information were available, movement trajectories were biased to the remembered target location. The different weights that subjects gave to memory and visual information on average matched the weights predicted by the variance associated with the use of vision and memory alone. This suggests that humans integrate remembered information about object locations with peripheral visual information by taking into account the relative reliability of the two sources of information. © ARVO.
Ascorbic acid supplementation attenuates exercise-induced bronchoconstriction in patients with asthma

Summary Background Previous research has shown that diet can modify the bronchoconstrictor response to exercise in asthmatic subjects. Objective Determine the effect of ascorbic acid supplementation on pulmonary function and several urinary markers of airway inflammation in asthmatic subjects with exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB). Methods Eight asthmatic subjects with documented EIB participated in a randomized, placebo controlled double-blind crossover trial. Subjects entered the study on their usual diet and were placed on either 2 weeks of ascorbic acid supplementation (1500mg/day) or placebo, followed by a 1-week washout period, before crossing over to the alternative diet. Pre- and post-exercise pulmonary function, asthma symptom scores, fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (F E NO), and urinary leukotriene (LT) C 4 –E 4 and 9 α , 11 β -prostagladin (PG)F 2 ] were assessed at the beginning of the trial (usual diet) and at the end of each treatment period. Results : The ascorbic acid diet significantly reduced ( p 1 (−6.4±2.4%) compared to usual (−14.3±1.6%) and placebo diet (−12.9±2.4%). Asthma symptoms scores significantly improved ( p E NO, LTC 4 –E 4 and 9 α , 11 β -PGF 2 concentration was significantly lower ( p Conclusion Ascorbic acid supplementation provides a protective effect against exercise-induced airway narrowing in asthmatic subjects.
Perfusion seeding of channeled elastomeric scaffolds with myocytes and endothelial cells for cardiac tissue engineering

The requirements for engineering clinically sized cardiac constructs include medium perfusion (to maintain cell viability throughout the construct volume) and the protection of cardiac myocytes from hydrodynamic shear. To reconcile these conflicting requirements, we proposed the use of porous elastomeric scaffolds with an array of channels providing conduits for medium perfusion, and sized to provide efficient transport of oxygen to the cells, by a combination of convective flow and molecular diffusion over short distances between the channels. In this study, we investigate the conditions for perfusion seeding of channeled constructs with myocytes and endothelial cells without the gel carrier we previously used to lock the cells within the scaffold pores. We first established the flow parameters for perfusion seeding of porous elastomer scaffolds using the C2C12 myoblast line, and determined that a linear perfusion velocity of 1.0 mm/s resulted in seeding efficiency of 87 ± 26% within 2 hours. When applied to seeding of channeled scaffolds with neonatal rat cardiac myocytes, these conditions also resulted in high efficiency (77.2 ± 23.7%) of cell seeding. Uniform spatial cell distributions were obtained when scaffolds were stacked on top of one another in perfusion cartridges, effectively closing off the channels during perfusion seeding. Perfusion seeding of single scaffolds resulted in preferential cell attachment at the channel surfaces, and was employed for seeding scaffolds with rat aortic endothelial cells. We thus propose that these techniques can be utilized to engineer thick and compact cardiac constructs with parallel channels lined with endothelial cells.
Thermomechanical reliability of through-silicon vias in 3D interconnects

This paper investigates two key aspects of thermomechanical reliability of through-silicon vias (TSV) in 3D interconnects. One is the piezoresistivity effect induced by the near surface stresses on the charge mobility for p- and n- channel MOSFET devices. The other problem concerns the interfacial delamination induced by thermal stresses including the pop-up mechanism of TSV with a ‘nail head’. We first analyze the three-dimensional distribution of the thermal stresses near the TSV and the wafer surface. The stress characteristics are inherently 3D in nature with the near-surface stress distributions distinctly different from the 2D solution. The energy release rate for interfacial delamination of TSV is evaluated under both cooling and heating conditions, using an analytical solution for a steady-state crack growth as an upper bound and numerical solutions by finite element analysis (FEA) for more detailed calculations. Based on these results, we examine the piezoresistivity effect induced by the near surface stresses on the charge mobility for p-and n- channel MOSFET devices, including the study of the effect of TSV scaling on the keep-out zone for MOSFET devices. This is followed by analyzing the energy release rate for interfacial delamiantion for a fully filled TSV and the potential mechanisms for TSV pop-up due to interfacial fracture.
Treatment patterns among breast cancer patients in the United States using two national surveys on visits to physicians' offices and hospital outpatient departments.

Abstract Background Despite the availability of previous studies, little research has examined how types of anti-neoplastic agents prescribed differ among various populations and health care characteristics in ambulatory settings, which is a primary method of providing care in the U.S. Understanding treatment patterns can help identify possible disparities and guide practice or policy change. Objectives To characterize patterns of anti-neoplastic agents prescribed to breast cancer patients in ambulatory settings and identify factors associated with receipt of treatment. Methods A cross-sectional analysis using the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey data in 2006–2010 was conducted. Breast cancer treatments were categorized by class and further grouped as chemotherapy, hormone, and targeted therapy. A visit-level descriptive analysis using visit sampling weights estimated national prescribing trends ( n = 2746 breast cancer visits, weighted n = 28,920,657). Multiple logistic regression analyses identified factors associated with anti-neoplastic agent used. Results The proportion of visits in which anti-neoplastic agent(s) was/were documented remained stable from 2006 to 2010 (20.47% vs. 24.56%; P > 0.05). Hormones were commonly prescribed (29.69%) followed by mitotic inhibitors (9.86%) and human epidermal growth factor receptor2 inhibitors (5.34%). Patients with distant stage were more likely than patients with in-situ stage to receive treatment (Adjusted Odds Ratio [OR] = 2.79; 95% CI, 1.04–7.77), particularly chemotherapy and targeted therapy. Patients with older age, being ethnic minorities, having comorbid depression, and having U.S. Medicaid insurance were less likely to receive targeted therapy ( P P Conclusions Anti-neoplastic treatment patterns differ among breast cancer patients treated in ambulatory settings. Factors predicting treatment include certain socio-demographics, cancer stages, comorbidities, metropolitan areas, and setting.
Magnesium metasomatism during hydrothermal alteration of new oceanic crust

A semiquantitative calculation of the amount of Mg fixation during greenschist-facies metamorphism of a 1-km-thick section of the oceanic crust beneath mid-ocean ridge crests shows that it is of the same order of magnitude as the “excess” (unbalanced) input of this element to the ocean. The estimate is based on a simple model of sea-water circulation through a crack system, infiltration into the rock walls of the cracks, and diffusions of Mg from the open cracks into the sea-water-saturated rock. The crack spacing must be on the order of metres or less, and the diffusional transport of Mg in addition to infiltration of sea water is essential if the overall process is to remove all the excess Mg influx into the oceans.
Polarization Induced Graded AlGaN p-n Junction grown by MBE

Wide bandgap lll-V nitride semiconductors have attracted a large interest in recent years due to their applications in high power and opto-electronic devices. However, the development of nitride based UV optical devices has been limited due to the difficulties in growth and processing of good quality p-type and n-type layers of high Al composition AIGaN, where both acceptor and donor dopants have very high activation energies. High acceptor activation energies of Mg acceptor atoms (~160 meV) combined with low mobilities of holes in nitrides result in very resistive p-type layers, limiting the optical and high frequency performance of any bipolar device. Recently we have demonstrated the ability to produce polarization-induced bulk n-type doping in AIGaN graded slabs . By using the polarization charges found in nitride semiconductors it is possible to controllably induce bulk doping in graded slabs without the introduction of any impurity dopants. By inverting the grading direction during growth the polarization charges will also be inverted, resulting in an induced bulk p-type doping without the need to dope the crystal with Mg atoms.
Potentiation of depolarization-induced glutamate release in young FAD mutant hAPP mice

control levels between 24 and 36 weeks. The hemosiderin staining was limited to vascular boundaries, most commonly within phagocytes. By 36 weeks of treatment, the gaps found in both the smooth muscle and collagen layers in affected vessels returned to control levels. Conclusions: Our data indicate that during VAB clearance by immunotherapy, microhemorrhage increases over baseline levels but is transient and resolves on a time-course that is consistent with normalization of vessel integrity.
An electro-enzymatic flexible molecular lactate sensor

We present the fabrication and electrochemical characterization of an electronic molecular lactate sensor comprised of an optimized three-electrode setup on a transparent, flexible polymer substrate. The sensors are functionalized with the flavoenzyme lactate oxidase as a selective, nanoscale recognition element. They exhibit an exceptionally high sensitivity in their linear range of ∼ 370 µAmM−1cm−2, a very low detection limit of ∼ 5 µM, and good thermal stability, with a working electrode area of only ∼ 0.19 mm2. We envision the sensors being utilized for one-time measurements of lactate levels in food or agricultural products for monitoring of their freshness, and show results of lactate level measurements for various dairy products.
Hildegard E. Peplau: The Psychiatric Nursing Legacy of a Legend

Hildegard Peplau is remembered by nurses worldwide as the "mother of psychiatric nursing." Her scope of influence transcended her psychiatric nursing specialty and had a profound effect on the nurs...
Critical Thinking Skills in a Doctoral Physical Therapist Program:The Development of a Skill-Building Workshop for Students

As a university professor teaching in a physical therapy program, I have been very interested in ways to improve the reflective critical thinking strategies of students who will soon be working in the clinical setting with patients. My research has therefore focused in part on the development, implementation and evaluation of the effectiveness of a workshop, created to help physical therapist students develop skills in clinical decision-making strategies that require reflective critical thinking. My hypothesis during the workshop conducted in 2008 was that there would be a significant increase in student Health Sciences Reasoning Test (HSRT; a version of the California Critical Thinking Skills Test) scores after attending the workshop when compared to a control group of students who did not yet attend the workshop. The development of this 2008 workshop was based upon the elements depicted in Bloom’s Taxonomy [1-3], incorporating strategies for metacognition [4] collaborative learning with attention to the zone of proximal development [5] and hands-on learning [6]. Students from two class cohorts were separated into two different groups using controlled random assignment. One group attended the workshop and one did not. All students (experimental and control) took the Health Science Reasoning Test (HSRT) before and after the first three-session workshop. Although there were gains in the problem solving and evaluation scores for the experimental group, these were not found to be statistically significant when compared to the control group. In a post hoc analysis of the experimental group alone, significant gains were found, between the total pre and post test HSRT scores for the African American participants (p=.027). The Caucasian group also showed increased total HSRT scores, but these were not shown to be statistically significant. Although the Caucasian group demonstrated much higher total HSRT scores than the African American group for the pre-test, the African American group’s post-test scores surpassed the scores of the Caucasian group after the workshop. Although the reason for this remains unclear, this information could help provide an indication of the teaching strategies that are most effective for various groups. One African American student surmised that the workshop helped her increase the HSRT score because it was information she “had never been exposed to before,” where many of her Caucasian counterparts had previously experienced some form of critical thinking course. She believed that the novelty of the activities in the workshop made it more effective. This research supports the assumption that the workshop was effective to build decision-making strategies that require reflective critical thinking for the African American student participants. Further research is currently being conducted to learn whether or not providing novelty to all students in the classroom might help improve scores for all students and not just a sub-group.
Dysgenic fertility and welfare: An elementary test

Mathematical manipulation of fertility data from the annually conducted National Longitudinal Survey (NLS) shows an inverse relationship between intelligence test scores and both cumulative Fertility to Date and Expected Lifetime Fertility among a nationwide probability sample of 25 to 34 year old females in the US at the end of the 1970s. The findings suggest the emergence of a dysgenic pattern among post-war birth cohorts. The relationship is more negative for Blacks than for Whites and for cumulative Fertility-to-Date than for Expected Lifetime Fertility. These findings are used to test the welfare hypothesis which states that the non-uniform distribution of per-capita births across IQ and socioeconomic class in the US is partly due to a welfare system which putatively requires the poor to have children to receive its services. The Aid for Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program is examined as there is much variation in its payment standards across states. In particular southern states have significantly less generous standards compared to northern and western states. Following the welfare hypothesis the inverse relationship between IQ and fertility should therefore be less negative in the southern states. A linear model using a dummy variable regression with an interaction term to test this prediction is developed. The model is fitted using the ordinary least-squares method to the NLS data separately for Blacks and Whites and for the 2 fertility measures. The sample provides rather weak support for the welfare hypothesis with respect to Blacks and no support at all for it with respect to Whites. A non-linear response of fertility to welfare is possible and worthy of investigation.
Quantifying melanin spatial distribution using pump-probe microscopy and a 2-D morphological autocorrelation transformation for melanoma diagnosis

Pump-probe microscopy is an emerging molecular imaging technique that probes the excited state dynamics properties of pigmented samples. This method has been particularly intriguing for melanoma because, unlike other methods available, it can provide nondestructive, quantitative chemical information regarding different types of melanins, with high spatial resolution. In this Letter, we present a method based on mathematical morphology to quantify melanin structure (eumelanin, pheomelanin, and total melanin content, uniquely available with pump-probe microscopy) to aid in melanoma diagnosis. The approach applies a two-dimensional autocorrelation function and utilizes statistical parameters of the corresponding autocorrelation images, specifically, the second moments and entropy, to parameterize image structure. Along with bulk melanin chemical information, we show that this method can differentiate invasive melanomas from noninvasive and benign lesions with high sensitivity and specificity (92.3% and 97.5%, respectively, with N=53). The mathematical method and the statistical analysis are described in detail and results from cutaneous and ocular conjunctival melanocytic lesions are presented.
Transluminal hypogastric artery occlusion with an Amplatzer vascular plug during endovascular aortic aneurysm repair

Objective To evaluate our initial experience with hypogastric artery occlusion using a nitinol vascular plug during endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR). Methods We reviewed the records and images of 23 consecutive patients who underwent transluminal vessel occlusion of the hypogastric artery with a nitinol plug, as well as a cohort of 19 patients who underwent hypogastric artery embolization with coils in conjunction with EVAR. Results There were no demographic differences between the two groups of patients. Hypogastric artery occlusion was successful in all cases when a nitinol vascular plug was used. When coils were used, there was one unsuccessful embolization which required a second procedure. The number of embolic devices used in the coil group was 7.53 (range, three to 13) compared with 1.35 (range, one to six) in the plug group (P Conclusion Our experience demonstrates the safety and effectiveness of the nitinol vascular plug for hypogastric artery occlusion during EVAR. When compared with coils for hypogastric embolization during EVAR, nitinol vascular plugs are less expensive, produce less technical complications, and are associated with a significantly lower incidence of gluteal claudication.
Convergence of a fluid–structure interaction problem decoupled by a Neumann control over a single time step

Abstract Building off of previous analytical results for recasting fluid–structure interaction into an optimal control setting, an a priori error estimate is given for the optimality system by means of BRR theory. The convergence of the steepest descent method is proven in a discrete setting for a sufficiently small time step and mesh size. A numerical study is included supporting the theoretical rate of convergence over a single time step. Additional results demonstrate optimal convergence in space and time over several time steps.
A Note on Questionable Payments in Business

Written to accompany "Questionable Payments" (UVA-E-0178), this note provides insights into the issue of questionable payments (e.g., bribery and extortion).
The Postsecondary Educational Plans of Rural Youth With Disabilities and Their Nondisabled Peers

A national sample of students with disabilities and their nondisabled peers in rural high schools responded to a survey about their postsecondary plans and how they were preparing for them. The study included 3,318 11th- and 12th-grade students from 73 randomly selected schools. Findings indicate that 78.5% of students with disabilities and 90.7% of their nondisabled peers plan to continue their education after high school. Only 4.5% of students with disabilities were enrolled in a college preparatory program. A greater percentage of students with disabilities participated in career exploration activities such as job mentoring, internships, and cooperative education programs than expected, and they found teachers and school staff important sources of information. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Impact of Erythroneura comes Say (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) on Caged ‘Concord’ Grapevines

Caged ‘Concord’ grapevines were artificially infested with “low” and “high” populations of the leafhopper, Erythroneura comes Say, between early July and late August from 1979 to 1982. Foliage injury became evident shortly after the first introductions and increased during the season. At harvest, the injury inflicted by the “high” populations in the caged vines was similar to or higher than the injury inflicted by natural populations of E. comes in commercial vineyards. The caged grapevines injured by E. comes produced fruit yields and juice quality that did not differ significantly from the noninfested caged vines. In addition, vine vigor was not reduced by the leafhopper injury. Concord vines may be able to withstand greater injury from first- and second-generation E. comes than was previously believed. Lacking in this study was foliage injury that may occur during June from overwintered leafhoppers as they first enter vineyards. This is the main period of berry and cluster primordia initiation, the major contributing factors to fruit production.
Role of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex in obsessive-compulsive disorder: converging evidence from cognitive neuroscience and psychiatric neurosurgery

OBJECTIVE Advances in understanding the neurobiological basis of psychiatric disorders will improve the ability to refine neuromodulatory procedures for treatment-refractory patients. One of the core dysfunctions in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a deficit in cognitive control, especially involving the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC). The authors' aim was to derive a neurobiological understanding of the successful treatment of refractory OCD with psychiatric neurosurgical procedures targeting the dACC. METHODS First, the authors systematically conducted a review of the literature on the role of the dACC in OCD by using the search terms "obsessive compulsive disorder" and "anterior cingulate." The neuroscience literature on cognitive control mechanisms in the dACC was then combined with the literature on psychiatric neurosurgical procedures targeting the dACC for the treatment of refractory OCD. RESULTS The authors reviewed 89 studies covering topics that included structural and functional neuroimaging and electrophysiology. The majority of resting-state functional neuroimaging studies demonstrated dACC hyperactivity in patients with OCD relative to that in controls, while task-based studies were more variable. Electrophysiological studies showed altered dACC-related biomarkers of cognitive control, such as error-related negativity in OCD patients. These studies were combined with the cognitive control neurophysiology literature, including the recently elaborated expected value of control theory of dACC function. The authors suggest that a central feature of OCD pathophysiology involves the generation of mis-specified cognitive control signals by the dACC, and they elaborate on this theory and provide suggestions for further study. CONCLUSIONS Although abnormalities in brain structure and function in OCD are distributed across a wide network, the dACC plays a central role. The authors propose a theory of cognitive control dysfunction in OCD that attempts to explain the therapeutic efficacy of dACC neuromodulation. This theoretical framework should help to guide further research into targeted treatments of OCD and other disorders of cognitive control.
Antigenicity of Mycoplasmatales

Consideration of mycoplasmas as agents of disease necessitates consideration of their antigens, the antibodies generated by the host against these antigens, and the interaction between the antigens and antibodies both in vitro and in vivo. Mycoplasmas, unlike bacteria, are devoid of a rigid cell wall, do not possess flagella or a capsule, and possess fewer enzymes; they, thus, present a less complicated antigenic picture than bacteria. However, the absence of certain of these features may be disadvantageous in some cases and present more challenges in the in-vitro detection of the mycoplasmal antigens and antibodies. For example, the lack of a carbohydrate capsule like that of the pneumococci eliminates the detection of specific soluble carbohydrates in body fluids before culture of the infecting organisms from the host. The lack of flagella eliminates a simple means of definitive identification of strains and species as is done with Salmonella. Possibly
Surveillance analysis of influenza in Tianjjin from 2010 to 2013

Objective To analyze the influenza activity and composition features of the epidemic strains in Tianjin area in the past three years,providing a reference for influenza prevention and control.Methods Throat swab specimens were collected from the ILI cases of the sentinel hospitals.Influenza virus nucleic acid testing positive specimens were isolated by MDCK cells.The identification of the isolates was carried out with hemagglutination and hemagglutination inhibition tests.Results A total of 1867throat swab specimens were collected for detection,and 436 strains of influenza virus were isolated,including new A(H1N1) subtype,A(H3N2) subtype and B type strains.B type strains appeared as predominant strains in the monitoring cycle from April2011 to March 2012,but in the other two monitoring cycles,the predominant strains were A type influenza virus,A(H3N2) subtype and the new A(H1N1) subtype were characterized by alternating apperance.Conclusion Influenza A(H3N2),new influenza A(H1N1),influenza B were predominant strains in turn in Tianjin area from April 2010 to March 2013.
Pharmacodynamic study of the Yifuqing granula on upper respiratory infection

Objective: To investigate the pharmaco-mechanism of the Yifuqing granula on upper respiratory infection.Methods: The Yifuqing granula was given to rabbit with febrilis caused by the TAB vaccine.The effects of the Yifuqing granula on the ache threshold value of Jimpy mice caused by Hot plate,on auricle inflammatory swelling of Jimpy mice caused by dimethyl benzene,on the bacterium of Jimpy mice in vivo,and on CPE caused by virus were observed.Result: The Yifuqing granula prominently relieved febrilis caused by the TAB vaccine,elevated the pain threshold of Jimpy mice caused by a hot plate,inhibited the swelling of Jimpy mice caused by dimethyl benzene,degraded the fatality of Jimpy mice infected by Staphylococcus aureus and effectively inhibited RSV and Ad3.Conclusion: The Yifuqing granula has an evident effect on relieving fever and pain,dephlogistication,bacteriostasis and anti-virus and it is effective in treating upper respiratory infection.
How do physicians learn to provide palliative care

Medical interns, residents, and fellows are heavily involved in caring for dying patients and interacting with their families. Due to a lack of formal medical education in the area, these house staff often have a limited knowledge of palliative care. The purpose of this study was to determine how, given inadequate formal education, house staff learn to provide palliative care. Specifically, this study sought to explore the extent to which physicians learn to provide palliative care through formal medical education, from physicians and other hospital staff, and by on-the-job learning. Twenty physicians were interviewed about their medical education and other learning experiences in palliative care. ATLAS/ti software was used for data coding and analysis. Analysis of transcripts indicated that house staff learn little to nothing through formal education, to varying degrees from attending physicians and hospital staff, and mostly on the job and by making mistakes.
Superconductivity and quark confinement: magnetic and electric order

The well-known Wilson criterion for quark confinement in quantum chromodynamics (QCD) deals with the vacuum expectation of the gauge-invariant operator $$A(C) = Tr\left[ {p\;exp\;ig\;\oint\limits_C {d{x^\mu }} {A_\mu }(x)} \right]$$ (1.1) where C is a directed closed path in 4-dimensional Euclidean space-time (x1, x2, x3, x0 = iτ). If, for sufficiently large C, $$ \sim {e^{ - \lambda \sum {(c)} }},(\sum (c) = area\,enclosed\,by\,C)$$ (1.2) then a static quark and antiquark, inserted into the QCD vacuum, will attract each other with a linear potential, for large separations between them. The linearity gives rise to linearly rising Regge trajectories for quark bound states (by qualitative reasoning) and is therefore not inconsistent with observations.
Me, Myself, and IRB A Rainbow Quest to Hu(e)manize Ethnography

This story discusses how my fieldwork with the Rainbow Family of Living Light shaped my understanding and definition of ethnographic “research” and how, if at all, my work has “fit” (or has not fit) within the institutional review board’s (IRB) definition of this concept. To explore this more fully, I situate this story within current debates surrounding ethnography and IRB oversight. By doing so, my goal is to propose a redefinition of IRB terms, offering an alternative ethical framework based on Rainbow philosophy, which positions ethnography as a type of “ethical spectacle.”
Stroke during pregnancy

Stroke during pregnancy poses a challenge to the rehabilitation team. A 10-year review of one hospital's records revealed five pregnancies complicated by stroke. The mean age was 29 years (range, 21 to 35 years). Cerebrovascular accidents associated with pregnancy may be due to many causes, with intracranial hemorrhage due to arteriovenous malformation or aneurysm, arterial occlusion due to thrombosis or embolus, venous thrombosis, and vasculitis representing the more common etiologies. Three of the strokes in this study were due to intracranial hemorrhage, and two were due to thrombosis secondary to CNS vasculitis. Two case studies and a review of the literature are presented. Stroke during pregnancy represents a high-risk obstetrical situation that may complicate the rehabilitation process.
Generalized Rank-Based Estimates for Linear Models with Cluster Correlated Data

This paper focuses on rank-based (R) estimation of parameters in a linear model with cluster correlated errors. The clusters are assumed to be independent, however, within a cluster the responses are allowed to be dependent. The method is applicable to general within cluster error structure. Application of a model which assumes the within cluster errors which follow an AR(1) process is developed. Discussion of an estimate of the AR(1) parameter is included. The algorithm first estimates the correlation structure by obtaining a robust rank-based estimate of the AR(1) parameter. The responses are then transformed to working independence and the model parameters are fit using ordinary rank regression. Estimates of standard errors—which utilize a sandwich estimate—are provided. An example and simulation results are discussed.
Variable Frequency Operations of an Offshore Wind Power Plant with HVDC-VSC: Preprint

In this paper, a constant Volt/Hz operation applied to the Type 1 wind turbine generator. Various control aspects of Type 1 generators at the plant level and at the turbine level will be investigated. Based on DOE study, wind power generation may reach 330 GW by 2030 at the level of penetration of 20% of the total energy production. From this amount of wind power, 54 GW of wind power will be generated at offshore wind power plants. The deployment of offshore wind power plants requires power transmission from the plant to the load center inland. Since this power transmission requires submarine cable, there is a need to use High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission. Otherwise, if the power is transmitted via alternating current, the reactive power generated by the cable capacitance may cause an excessive over voltage in the middle of the transmission distance which requires unnecessary oversized cable voltage breakdown capability. The use of HVDC is usually required for transmission distance longer than 50 kilometers of submarine cables to be economical. The use of HVDC brings another advantage; it is capable of operating at variable frequency. The inland substation will be operated to 60 Hz synched with the grid,more » the offshore substation can be operated at variable frequency, thus allowing the wind power plant to be operated at constant Volt/Hz. In this paper, a constant Volt/Hz operation applied to the Type 1 wind turbine generator. Various control aspects of Type 1 generators at the plant level and at the turbine level will be investigated.« less
G-Quartet Oligonucleotide T70923 Blocks GP Ib-VWF Mediated Platelet Aggregation under Static and Flow Conditions.

Abstract Hemostasis at site of the vessel injury is initiated by platelets being tethered to exposed subendothelium. The tethering events are mediated by interaction between subendothelial von Willebrand factor (VWF) and its platelet receptor GP Ib-IX-V complex. If the ligand-receptor interaction, when it occurs in intact vascular lumen or at the site of ruptured atherosclerotic plaques, results in life-threatening thrombosis found in patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura and myocardial infarction. The development of these thrombotic events suggests that the VWF-GP Ib interaction may be a potential target for therapeutic intervention. To explore such potentials, we have developed and examined the effects of a G-quartet oligonucleotide (T30923, GGGTGGGTGGGTGGGT) on the VWF-GP Ib interaction. G-rich DNA sequences, from which the G-quartets derive, were originally identified in the telomeres DNA and have the ability to form rigid G-quartet structures that interact with proteins. The T30923 structure was designed and determined by nuclear magnetic resonance to form an intramolecular G-quartet that is composed of two identical G-quartets in the center and two GTGT loops on the top and bottom of stacked G-quartets, respectively. Platelet aggregation was induced by four agonists: ristocetin, botrocetin, collagen, and ADP in the presence of either 20 mM of T30923 or the control oligonucleotide. We found that T30923 specifically and dose-dependently blocked platelet aggregation induced by ristocetin, but not by other agonists, with a maximal inhibition achieved at 20 mM. Computer-simulation based on the crystal structure of the VWF A1 domain and the N-terminal VWF-binding domain of GP Iba suggested that the G-quartet binds to multiple sites on VWF-A1. Since the action of ristocetin mimics that of fluid shear stress, we tested the ability of T30923 to block VWF-GP Ib interaction under flow condition. Shear-induced platelet aggregation at 100 dyn/cm2 was blocked 59.3%±11.8% by 20 mM of T30923, but not a control oligonucleotide. Furthermore, the G-quartet T30923 blocked over 80% of platelet adhesion to immobilized VWF, but not collagen under a constant wall shear stress of 30 dyn/cm2. These results demonstrate the potential of T30923 to serve as a VWF antagonist. Furthermore, alterations of DNA sequences and tertiary structure provide a large number of G-quartet variants to be generated and then screened for specific phenotypes. The approach may lead to a new class of potential G-quartet based antithrombotic agents.