cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Drug-Induced Mania in the Elderly

Mania is a rare complication of prescribed drug use in elderly persons. The drugs most likely to produce mania include corticosteroids and dopamine agonists. It is uncertain if antidepressants cause mania or only increase the propensity for latent bipolar mania to be expressed. Drug-induced mania may promote poor judgment, risk-taking behaviours and medical noncompliance. The majority of episodes of drug-induced mania are short-lived and respond to discontinuation of the drug. Antipsychotic agents may hasten resolution of this psychiatric syndrome. Lithium may prevent corticosteroid-induced mania, but the role of lithium in the treatment of other drug-induced manic episodes has not been studied adequately.
Thumb in the plane of the hand: characterization and results of surgical treatment.

Purpose The purpose of this retrospective investigation is to characterize a congenital deformity, the thumb in the plane of the hand (TPH), and to evaluate the results of abduction–rotation osteotomy of the thumb metacarpal with thumb web space deepening (WSD). Methods We performed a comprehensive analysis of the medical records, hand therapy notes, and radiographs to evaluate clinical features of the TPH deformity. We evaluated clinical and radiographic outcomes and incidence of deformity recurrence after abduction–rotation osteotomy and thumb WSD. Results Thirteen patients (7 girls and 6 boys) with 14 affected hands treated with an abduction–rotation osteotomy of the thumb metacarpal and formation of a deepened thumb–index web space met inclusion criteria. All TPH deformities were associated with other congenital conditions, including symbrachydactyly, syndactyly, central deficiency, and ulnar deficiency. During the course of treatment, patients had a mean of 4 surgeries per hand; 3 hands required osteotomy revision with or without revision WSD, and 6 additional hands required revision of thumb WSD alone. None of the affected hands were capable of thumb opposition to any finger before surgery, whereas after surgery, all 14 hands could actively perform key pinch, and 9 of the 14 hands could actively oppose the thumb to at least 1 finger. Conclusions The TPH deformity occurs in association with other congenital abnormalities of the hand. An abduction–rotation osteotomy of the thumb metacarpal with thumb WSD can restore thumb opposition and improve function; nonetheless, multiple surgical procedures are often required, and thumb function may remain limited. Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic IV.
Function of carotenoid pigments in non-photosynthetic bacteria.

IT has been shown by several workers that the carotenes of photosynthetic bacteria protect the organisms against a lethel photodynamic reaction in which intracellular bacteriochlorophyll is the photosensitizer1,2. It has been suggested that the carotenes found in many non-photosynthetic bacteria may have the same protective function in these organisms1. Here, some other compound would be the photosensitizer in place of bacteriochlorophyll.
COMMUNICATION SCREENING OF PEDIATRIC POPULATIONS

Communication Screening Stamps were developed to be “stamped” in the child's medical chart and administered by a nurse or pediatrician. The STAMPS consists of 5 to 7 items to be administered or queried at each of 9 chronologic age intervals coinciding with pediatric immunization schedules from 2-24 months. In contrast to the ELM, a marketed screening instrument for children 0-36 months of age, the STAMP is less time-consuming to administer and less complex to score. Results of data analysis for a sample of 236 children revealed that the STAMPS yield high sensitivity and specificity in relation to the ELM (93% and 91% respectively). When both screening instruments were used with populations at high risk for communication deviance (N=33), the STAMPS showed increased sensitivity over the ELM (100% vs. 83%) in relation to the presence of communication deviance (as revealed thorugh formal speech/language assessment). Specificity for the STAMPS (80%) in high-risk populations was based on a small number of children who either passed or failed the STAMPS and passed the follow-up speech-language assessment. Interjudge reliability computed for the STAMPS for three judges over six trials was 100%. Results of ongoing studies specificity with children of varied handicapping conditions will be reported.
Monitoring the transformation of mackinawite to greigite and pyrite on polymer supports

Abstract The objective of this study was to study the transformation of powdered mackinawite (FeS) to greigite (Fe3S4) and pyrite (FeS2) under geochemical conditions similar to those in pristine or contaminated aquifers. To observe the transformation without altering or damaging the crystal structures, mackinawite particles were immobilized on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) supports, and mineralogical changes monitored by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDS). Powders of mackinawite immobilized on PMMA supports were placed in aqueous solutions containing polysulfides and mildly elevated temperatures (75–78 °C) to promote the transformation to greigite and pyrite. SEM–EDS results were consistent with previously reported X-ray diffraction analysis that showed the transformation of mackinawite to greigite and pyrite. The similarities in sizes between most crystals over the course of the transformation from mackinawite to pyrite, as well as the coexistence of solids with morphologies and elemental compositions characteristic of mackinawite, greigite, and pyrite, are consistent with a solid state transformation. In some cases, however, much smaller pyrite crystals were formed, which may have resulted from direct nucleation from solution. The results reported here extend the applicability PMMA supports for studying mineralogical transformations (Birkefeld et al., 2005) to particles with dimensions from 100 nm to 2 μm, and to elevated temperatures. Such supports can be used to monitor iron–sulfur mineralogical changes in pristine and contaminated environments.
Correction for source decay in bioluminescence tomography

Time variation of the bioluminescence source can cause artifacts in the tomographic images. We showed that the a priori knowledge of the light kinetics could be used to eliminate these artifacts. We performed two-dimensional simulations. We considered a 40-mm-diameter circular region with an inclusion of 6-mm-diameter located 10-mm away from the center. The measurement data was simulated using a finite element based forward solver. We modeled the non-contact measurements such that four-wavelength data was collected from four 90-degree-apart views. The results showed that the ratio of the total imaging time to the half-life of the exponentially decaying bioluminescent source was the deciding factor in the reconstruction of the source. It was also demonstrated that a priori knowledge of the source kinetics was required to perform tomographic bioluminescence imaging of short half-life bioluminescent sources and the use of spatial a priori information alone was not adequate.
Cooling the intermediate area of the ventral medullary surface affects tracheal responses to hypoxia.

Abstract The intermediate area of the ventral medullary surface (VMS) influences changes in airway tone caused by hypercapnia and intrapulmonary irritant receptor activation. These studies evaluated the effects of cooling the intermediate area of the VMS on the reflex hypoxic responses of the trachealis smooth muscle and of the phrenic nerve. Anesthetized, paralyzed cats were hyperventilated with 100% oxygen to produce phrenic neural apnea. Tracheal tone was measured indirectly by evaluating pressure changes in an innervated tracheal segment and the phrenic electroneurogram was determined from the central end of a cut cervical root. Switching the inspired gas to 12% O2 increased tracheal pressure of 11 of 12 cats but caused phrenic activity to reappear in only 6 of the animals. Ventilation with 6% O2 significantly increased tracheal constriction prior to phrenic activity. After intravenous administration of atropine methyl nitrate tracheal responses to hypoxia were abolished but phrenic neural responses were unaltered. Neither the tracheal pressure not the phasic phrenic electroneurogram responded to hypoxia after cutting the carotid sinus nerves. When the intermediate area of the VMS was cooled to 20°C prior to ventilation with the hypoxic gases, both tracheal and phrenic responses were significantly diminished. While the cats were hyperventilated with 6% O2, cooling of the intermediate area significantly diminished tracheal pressure and phrenic nerve activity and both returned to the same levels after rewarming. Cooling of the intermediate area blunted tracheal and phrenic responses to carotid body stimulation by NaCN. However, the appearance of tracheal constriction prior to the onset of phasic phrenic activity may suggest that increased trachealis tone may occur independent of cyclical respiratory activity.
Nitrogen leaching and plant uptake from controlled-release fertilizers

Controlled-release N fertilizers are commonly used in the production of container-grown ornamental crops, yet the relative effects of various nutrient sources on N leaching are not well known. A 27-week experiment was conducted to evaluate N leaching loss and plant growth following two applications of six controlled-release N fertilizers and one soluble N fertilizer to container-grownEuonymus patens Rehd. The controlled-release fertilizers evaluated were (noncoated) isobutylidene diurea, oxamide, urea formaldehyde, and (coated) Osmocote, Prokote Plus, and sulfur-coated urea. Of the fertilizers tested, the coated fertilizers generally out-performed the noncoated fertilizers in reducing N leaching losses, stimulating plant growth, and increasing tissue N concentrations. Low N concentrations in the leachate of some treatments indicated efficient nutrient use by the plant. In other treatments, low N concentrations in the leachate merely reflected incomplete N release from the fertilizer. A daily application of NH4NO3 resulted in a constant rate of N loss but was not the most effective in promoting growth. Plant growth, tissue N concentrations, and N leaching losses were all increased by doubling the fertilizer application rate from 1 kg N m−3 to 2 kg N m−3.
On the Design of a Large Aperture Radar for Target Imaging

This paper describes the design, construction, and performance of an experimental radar, in which an electronically scanned X-band array is employed as the receiving antenna. Backscatter from targets uniformly illuminated from a separate transmitting antenna is intercepted by 128 horn antennas, unequally spaced over a nine-foot circular aperture. The received signals are processed electronically to provide a complete scan of a 30X30 degree field every ten milliseconds. Resulting target images were displayed on a cathode ray tube and recorded on 16-mm motion picture film, for varying conditions of target motion using monochromatic and frequency-modulated X-band illumination. Sequences of motion picture frames obtained from a rotating copper cone are presented, which demonstrate significant changes in the image and side-lobe interference patterns for small changes in target aspect angle. Side-lobe interference effects were reduced by integrating many antenna scans as the target rotated; a clear image of a foil letter R is presented that demonstrated this result. The main objective of this work was to test this radar technique as an approach to target recognition.
Pathophysiology and Management of Calcium Stones

Nephrolithiasis is a common disorder that accounts for significant cost, morbidity, and loss of work. There is a one in eight lifetime chance of being diagnosed with urinary stones. Calcium is the most common component of renal stones in individuals in industrialized nations. Calcium stones form as a result of a variety of environmental and metabolic abnormalities that change the urinary environment and increase supersaturation of stone-forming salts. Understanding the pathophysiology of stone disease can help direct treatment toward correction of the underlying abnormalities. Current medical and dietary therapeutic regimens have been shown to significantly reduce the risk of recurrent stone formation.
Diagnosis and treatment of exotropia with a high accommodation convergence-accommodation ratio.

Background Patients with exotropia often have a slow-to-dissipate fusional mechanism at near, which masks the true near deviation. Consequently, determination of the accommodation convergence–accommodation (AC/A) ratio in patients with exotropia must be based on near measurements obtained after prolonged monocular occlusion (typically 1 hour). When determined in that manner, the presence of a high AC/A ratio before surgery in an exotropic patient has been reported to be predictive of an esotropia at near after surgery. Objective To investigate the diagnosis and management of exotropia with a high AC/A ratio. Methods Three hundred four consecutive patients with exotropia were studied. In addition to the usual measurements, measurements were obtained at near after 1 hour of monocular occlusion, with and without additional +3.00-diopter lenses. Also, a gradient AC/A ratio was obtained by using additional minus lenses at distance fixation. Results One hundred fifty-four (50.7%) of 304 patients would have been thought to have a high AC/A ratio if that diagnosis was based on measurements obtained before prolonged monocular occlusion. In fact, only 22 patients (7.2%) actually had a high AC/A ratio; 132 patients (43.4%) had a pseudo–high AC/A ratio. Six of 22 patients with a high AC/A ratio underwent surgery to correct the exotropia. The presence of a high AC/A ratio before surgery had sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of 100% for predicting a postoperative esotropia at near associated with a high AC/A ratio. The remaining 16 patients with high AC/A ratios were treated with overcorrecting minus lens therapy (including a bifocal). Ten of them have been followed up to at least 18 years of age, by which time 9 have shown normalization of the AC/A ratio. Conclusions Near measurements used to calculate the AC/A ratio in exotropic patients must be made after prolonged monocular occlusion. Otherwise, many patients with a pseudo–high AC/A ratio will be thought to have a true high AC/A ratio. The presence of a high AC/A ratio is infrequent in patients with esotropia, but it is highly predictive of a postoperative esotropia at near fixation.
Vancomycin-resistant enterococci in intensive care units: high frequency of stool carriage during a non-outbreak period.

Background We aimed to define the epidemiological associations of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) in intensive care units (ICUs) during a non–outbreak period by examining prevalence, risk factors for colonization, frequency of acquisition, and molecular strain types. Design A prospective cohort design was followed. Consecutive patient admissions to 2 surgical ICUs at a tertiary care hospital were enrolled. The main outcome measures were results of serial surveillance cultures screened for VRE. Results Of 290 patients enrolled, 35 (12%) had colonization with VRE on admission. The VRE colonization or infection had been previously detected by clinical cultures in only 4 of these patients. Using logistic regression, VRE colonization at the time of ICU admission was associated with second- and third-generation cephalosporins (odds ratio [OR]=6.0, P P =.01) greater than 1 prior ICU stay (OR=9.6, P =.002), and a history of solid-organ transplantation (OR=3.8, P =.021). Eleven (12.8%) of 78 patients with follow-up cultures acquired VRE. By pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, 2 strains predominated, one of which was associated with an overt outbreak on a non-ICU ward near the end of the study period. Conclusions Colonization was common and usually not recognized by clinical culture. Most patients who had colonization with VRE and were on the surgical ICU acquired VRE prior to surgical ICU entry. Exposure to second- and third-generation cephalosporins, but not vancomycin, was an independent risk factor for colonization. Prospective surveillance of hospitalized patients may yield useful insights about the dissemination of nosocomial VRE beyond what is appreciated by clinical cultures alone.
Transection or electrical stimulation of the hypoglossal nerve increases glial fibrillary acidic protein immunoreactivity in the hypoglossal nucleus.

Abstract Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunoreactivity within rat hypoglossal (XIIth) nuclei was examined 1–50 days following either unilateral nerve transection or modest electrical stimulation using indirect immunofluorescence and PAP immunohistochemistry. Both nerve transection and stimulation provoked an increase in the immunodetected GFAP within the XIIth nucleus.
Transcriptional Responses of Mycoplasma gallisepticum Strain R in Association with Eukaryotic Cells

Mycoplasma gallisepticum is an etiologic agent of chronic respiratory disease in chickens and infectious sinusitis in turkeys. Other than proteins important for cytadherence, few M. gallisepticum factors or pathways contributing to host cell interactions have been identified. In this study, an oligonucleotide-based microarray was utilized to investigate transcriptional changes in M. gallisepticum strain Rlow upon exposure to eukaryotic cells. Fifty-eight genes were either up- or downregulated upon exposure to MRC-5 lung fibroblasts grown in vitro, including genes encoding transport-, metabolism-, and translation-associated proteins. Twenty of the 58 regulated genes have no assigned function. These results indicate that M. gallisepticum regulates gene expression upon exposure to eukaryotic cells, revealing genes and pathways likely to be important for host-bacterium interaction.
Identification of biomarkers in breast cancer metastasis by integrating protein-protein interaction network and gene expression data

Identification of biomarkers for breast cancer metastasis is a well studied problem. Recently, several large-scale studies used gene expression data to identify markers related to metastatic process. However, it was shown that these gene expression based markers often have low reproducibility across different data sets, for a number of reasons. These include small sample sizes compared to the number of genes, gene expression variations between individuals that do not contribute to the metastasis process, and the limitation for microarray technology being unable to detect changes beyond transcriptional level. Here a graph-theoretical approach based on the topology of protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks is proposed for biomarker discovery. The idea is to identify a set of genes that give connectivity to differentially expressed (DE) genes in a PPI network, based on the key observation that biomarkers may provide functional linkage to DE genes in PPI networks. Our approach is applied to two breast cancer microarray datasets for biomarker discovery. Those biomarkers have a significant number of known cancer susceptibility genes among them and are significantly enriched in biological processes and pathways that are involved in carcinogenic process. Furthermore, markers selected by our method have a higher stability across the two datasets than in the previous studies. Therefore, the approach described in this study is a new way to identify novel biomarkers for cancer metastasis and can potentially improve the understanding of carcinogenesis dynamics.
Bugs or anomalies? Sequence mining based debugging in wireless sensor networks

WSN applications are prone to bugs and failures due to their typical characteristics, such as being extensively distributed, heavily concurrent, and resource restricted. In this paper, we propose and develop a flexible and iterative WSN debugging system based on sequence mining techniques. At first, we develop a data structure called the vectorized Probabilistic Suffix Tree (vPST), an elastic model to extract and store sequential information from program runtime traces in compact suffix tree based vectors. Then, we build a novel WSN debugging system by integrating vPST with Support Vector Machines (SVM), a robust and generic classifier for both linear and nonlinear data classification tasks. Finally, we demonstrate that the vPST-SVM debugging system is efficient, flexible, and generic by three different test cases, two on the LiteOS operating system and one on the TinyOS operating system.
Lanthanum Binding to Murine Neuroblastoma Cells

: The binding of lanthanum to murine neuroblas-toma cells (clone N1E-115) was studied by means of electron microscopy and x-ray microanalysis. Lanthanum bound only to cellular membranes, in a nonuniform manner. This lanthanum binding was reduced by pharmacological agents that affect muscarinic receptors of these cells or the function of the receptors. These results suggest that this binding of lanthanum is to sites closely related to muscarinic receptors in the cells.
Limit analysis of two and three dimensional soil mechanics problems

Abstract Previous work on the implieations of assuming soil to be a perfectly plastic body is extended. A brief discussion is given of suitable general forms of the yield or sliding criterion for soils. Coulomb's equation is interpreted in terms of a modified Tresca as well as a modified Mises rule. Particular attention is given to a soil unable to take tension but which exhibits both cohesion and internal friction in sliding action. Indication is given of an interesting development of complete solutions. The stability of unbraced vertical-walled cuts is then treated. A brief description of the application of the general limit theorems to inhomogeneous soil is also included to demonstrate their power.
Neutral associated production by 8-, 10.7-, and 15.7-GeV/c $pi$$sup -$ incident on protons

We present differential and total cross sections for two reactions: ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{K}^{0}\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ and ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{K}^{0}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}^{0}$. The incident pion momenta were 8, 10.7, and 15.7 $\frac{\mathrm{GeV}}{c}$. The results are based on an analysis of approximately 22 600 events of the two reactions where the ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}$ and ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ from the decay of the ${K}_{S}^{0}$ were detected in the forward leg of the Double Vee Magnetic Spectrometer. The separation of $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ recoils from ${\ensuremath{\Sigma}}^{0}$ recoils was accomplished by the missing-mass technique.
Spectroscopic and computational investigation of second-sphere contributions to redox tuning in Escherichia coli iron superoxide dismutase.

In Fe- and Mn-dependent superoxide dismutases (SODs), second-sphere residues have been implicated in precisely tuning the metal ion reduction potential to maximize catalytic activity (Vance, C. K.; Miller, A.-F. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1998, 120, 461–467). In the present study, spectroscopic and computational methods were used to characterize three distinct Fe-bound SOD species that possess different second-coordination spheres and, consequently, Fe3+/2+reduction potentials that vary by ∼1 V, namely, FeSOD, Fe-substituted MnSOD (Fe(Mn)SOD), and the Q69E FeSOD mutant. Despite having markedly different metal ion reduction potentials, FeSOD, Fe(Mn)SOD, and Q69E FeSOD exhibit virtually identical electronic absorption, circular dichroism, and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectra in both their oxidized and reduced states. Likewise, variable-temperature, variable-field MCD data obtained for the oxidized and reduced species do not reveal any significant electronic, and thus geometric, variations within the Fe liga...
The Vectorcardiogram in Acute Left Anterior Hemiblock

In patients without myocardial infarction, acute left anterior hemiblock produces specific changes in the initial and maximal QRS vectors. The orientation of the initial 10 to 20 msec vectors in left anterior hemiblock (inferiorly and to the right) is different from that of left posterior hemiblock (superiorly and to the left) and that of left bundle branch block (inferiorly and to the left). Early left ventricular depolarization appears to be a function of conduction through the “main” left bundle as well as of the anterior and posterior divisions. The study of postsurgical hemiblock corroborated previous assumptions made from deductive clinical electrocardiography. Surgically induced left anterior hemiblock obscured the signs of right ventricular hypertrophy when associated with complete right bundle branch block in cases of congenital heart disease. However, the diagnosis of right ventricular hypertrophy could still be made when isolated left anterior hemiblock (that is, without complete right bundle branch block) appeared after mitral valve replacement.
Development and implementation of the TrAC (Tracking After-hours Calls) database: a tool to collect longitudinal data on after-hours telephone calls in long-term care.

Introduction Effective telephone communication between long-term care (LTC) nurses and physicians is an integral part of high-quality care, yet little is known about this key aspect of LTC practice. The authors describe the development and implementation of the TrAC (Tracking After-hours Calls) system, an electronic database designed to collect longitudinal data on after-hours telephone calls from LTC facilities. Development A relational database was developed to systematically record key characteristics of calls received from LTC facilities, including the date, time, location and reason for each call (new symptom/event, lab or x-ray report, verify admission orders, order clarification, other). Physicians also recorded their actions based on the call and their impression of 5 aspects of the telephone encounter. A daily report of after-hours calls was generated using the electronic call log software and delivered to patients’ primary care providers and LTC facility personnel. Implementation Eight geriatric medicine fellows and 40 internal medicine interns participated in the initial implementation of the database. Over a 10-month period, data were collected on 2015 calls. Call reporting was sustained over time (mean calls per week 47.6, SD 8.2) and data collection was complete ( Conclusion Use of the TrAC database was a feasible way to collect longitudinal data on telephone communication between nurses and physicians in LTC. The system can be used for the development and evaluation of quality improvement programs and as an educational tool in geriatrics training programs.
Public forest policy making in post-Communist Estonia

Abstract This paper presents a case study of forest sector development during the first 10 years of economic transition in Estonia in the period 1991–2000. The analysis is based on an examination of consecutive steps in the evolution of the country's forest sector, allowing speculations and conclusions to be drawn on why some forest policy actions have been more successful than others. Using Douglass C. North's concept of ‘scaffolds’ and the factors that most influence economic progress, the author follows the interplay between the formal and informal institutions in Estonian forestry during this period. The author finds that participatory policy-making procedures, while strongly advocated in the IPF Proposals for Action, do not alone necessarily guarantee desirable policy outcomes. The existing social norms and individual decision-makers’ actions also make significant contributions to the success of forest policy implementation.
Early activation of mTORC1 signalling in response to mechanical overload is independent of phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt signalling

The mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) functions as a central integrator of a wide range of signals that modulate protein metabolism and cell growth. However, the contributions of individual pathways regulating mTORC1 activity in skeletal muscle are poorly defined. The purpose of this study was to determine the regulatory mechanisms that contribute to mTORC1 activation during mechanical overload-induced skeletal muscle hypertrophy. Consistent with previous studies, mechanical overload induced progressive hypertrophy of the plantaris muscle which was associated with significant increases in total RNA content and protein metabolism. mTORC1 was activated after a single day of overload as indicated by a significant increase in S6K1 phosphorylation at T389 and T421/S424. In contrast, Akt activity, as assessed by Akt phosphorylation status (T308 and S473), phosphorylation of direct downstream targets (glycogen synthase kinase 3 β, proline-rich Akt substrate 40 kDa and tuberous sclerosis 2 (TSC2)) and a kinase assay, was not significantly increased until 2–3 days of overload. Inhibition of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) activity by wortmannin was sufficient to block insulin-dependent signalling but did not prevent the early activation of mTORC1 in response to overload. We identified that the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-dependent pathway was activated at day 1 after overload. In addition, a target of MEK/ERK signalling, phosphorylation of TSC2 at S664, was also increased at this early time point. These observations demonstrate that in vivo, mTORC1 activation at the early phase of mechanical overload in skeletal muscle occurs independently of PI3K/Akt signalling and provide evidence that the MEK/ERK pathway may contribute to mTORC1 activation through phosphorylation of TSC2.
PhDs for the Masses? (That’s Personal Health Decision support)

My objective in Part IV is twofold: first, to make the case that we cannot and should not rely either on intuition or on simplistic models to manage a system as complex and important as our bodies; and second, to demonstrate the feasibility and potential utility of a new generation of dynamic computer-based tools for personal weight and energy regulation.
Dispatcher Training Course: Program, Facilities, and Support Requirements

A Dispatcher Training Course was developed with the main objective being to educate power system dispatchers in the fundamental principles and practices of interconnected system operation and performance.
Transfer-of-Training Effects in Processing Instruction: The Role of Form-Related Explicit Information.

This study compares the effects of processing instruction (PI), structured input (SI), and form-related explicit information (FREI) on a primary target form (i.e., third-person Spanish accusative clitics) and on a secondary form (i.e., third-person Spanish dative clitics). Participants included 151 adult learners enrolled in a beginning-level Spanish course. Findings revealed that SI is as effective on the primary target form as PI immediately after treatment; however, the FREI component of PI may play a positive role at the delayed posttest, as exhibited by the fact that the PI group maintained gains, whereas the SI group, although improved from the pretest, did not. Learners exposed to both PI and SI also demonstrated gains on the secondary target form, which suggests a transfer-of-training effect for both interventions. As such, we discuss the theoretical and methodological ramifications of these findings.
Effect of in situ synthesized TiB2 on the reaction between B4C and Al in a vacuum infiltrated B4C–TiB2–Al composite

The in situ reaction equation of B4C and TiO2 was identified using thermodynamic calculations and XRD analysis. The optimum presintering process was determined according to investigating the effect of presintering temperature on the flexural strength and porosity of the porous B4C–TiB2 preform. The effect of in situ synthesized TiB2 on the reaction products and initial reaction temperature of B4C and Al was discussed based on DSC and XRD analysis. The results showed that the in situ synthesized TiB2 could effectively improve the mechanical properties of the B4C–TiB2–Al composite, elevate the initial reaction temperature of B4C and Al, change the reaction products, and moderate the reaction of B4C and Al. The mechanism of reaction between B4C and Al was discussed.
Optical deconvolution for multilayer reflected data

Reflections from a multilayer medium overlap when a source pulse is longer than the travel time between layers, as arises in geophysics and ground penetrating radar for mine detection. We propose an optical system to deconvolve out the source pulse by spectral factorization. The received signal is entered into a liquid crystal joint transform correlator to compute an autocorrelation function. The autocorrelation function is used in an optical dataflow computer to compute the linear prediction or autoregressive coefficients which are then used to provide the reflection coefficients for each layer.
Social Justice Teacher Activism and Social Movement Unionism: Tensions, Synergies, and Space

Though the titles and acronyms of policies differ from one country to another, throughout the world a political project has taken root with the assumption that to reduce poverty and inequality, governments should privatize school systems, alter teaching from a career to contract labor, use standardized tests to make students and teachers accountable, and curtail the power and legal rights of teachers unions. This article explores how teacher activists might help reverse neoliberal educational politics by developing mutually-respectful collaborations among teachers, parents and youth in poor communities, in school-based and system-wide partnerships that involve teachers unions. Analyzing events as they were experienced and influenced by a New York City-based NGO of teachers committed to educational justice, the author examines the landscape of educational reform politics and the creation of new spaces and organizational forms not confined by collective bargaining jurisdictions and traditional bargaining demands. The study suggests that development of a social movement of teachers that might edge teachers unions in the direction of social movement teacher unionism may not occur in a linear fashion. Rather, a complex push-pull dynamic occurs with each change, opening and retracting space, remaking networks and influencing longstanding personal ties among activists.
A Novel Atrial Natriuretic Peptide Based Therapeutic in Experimental Angiotensin II Mediated Acute Hypertension

M-atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP; M-ANP) is a novel next generation 40 amino acid peptide based on ANP, which is highly resistant to enzymatic degradation and has greater and more sustained beneficial actions compared with ANP. The current study was designed to advance our understanding of the therapeutic potential of M-ANP in a canine model of acute angiotensin II-induced hypertension with elevated cardiac filling pressures and aldosterone activation. We compare M-ANP with vehicle and equimolar human B-type natriuretic peptide, which possesses the most potent in vivo actions of the native natriuretic peptides. M-ANP significantly lowered mean arterial pressure and systemic vascular resistance. Importantly, despite a reduction in blood pressure, renal function was enhanced with significant increases in renal blood flow, glomerular filtration rate, diuresis, and natriuresis after M-ANP infusion. Although angiotensin II induced an acute increase in pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, M-ANP significantly lowered pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, pulmonary artery pressure, and right atrial pressure. Further, M-ANP significantly suppressed angiotensin II-induced activation of aldosterone. These cardiovascular and renal enhancing actions of M-ANP were accompanied by significant increases in plasma and urinary cGMP, the second messenger molecule of the natriuretic peptide system. When compared with human B-type natriuretic peptide, M-ANP had comparable cardiovascular actions but resulted in a greater natriuretic effect. These results suggest that M-ANP, which is more potent than ANP in normal canines, has potent blood pressure lowering and renal enhancing properties and may, therefore, serve as an ANP based therapeutic for acute hypertension.
Pharmacodynamic studies in aortic regurgitation

Abstract Responses to infusions of isoproterenol and methoxamine and to acute administration of ouabain have been studied in 17 patients with aortic insufficiency. Cardiac output was consistently increased and left heart filling pressures were reduced with isoproterenol. Forward stroke volume and the effective emptying ratio of the left ventricle both increased. These effects were related to increased inotropy, decreased impedance to left ventricular outflow and a diminished regurgitant volume. Methoxamine caused a marked rise in left heart pressures but the cardiac output remained unchanged or fell, the result of augmented systemic resistance with no associated direct inotropic effect. Ouabain caused no gross hemodynamic alterations, as has been noted previously in patients not in heart failure. These findings suggest that isoproterenol might be of considerable use in the clinical management of patients with aortic regurgitation. Methoxamine would be disadvantageous as a vasopressor drug in such patients, and perhaps in all situations requiring vasopressor therapy. The role of cardiac glycosides in treating patients with cardiac dilatation but without overt heart failure is questionable.
Ferric sulfates on Mars

Evidence is presented for the possible existence of ferric sulfato complexes and hydroxo ferric sulfate minerals in the permafrost of Mars. A sequential combination of ten unique conditions during the cooling history of Mars is suggested which is believed to have generated an environment within Martian permafrost that has stabilized Fe(3+)-SO4(2-)-bearing species. It is argued that minerals belonging to the jarosite and copiapite groups could be present in Martian regolith analyzed in the Viking XRF measurements at Chryse and Utopia, and that maghemite suspected to be coating the Viking magnet arrays is a hydrolysate of dissolved ferric sulfato complexes from exposed Martian permafrost.
Perceptions of Emotion Expression and Sibling–Parent Emotion Communication in Latino and Non-Latino White Siblings of Children With Intellectual Disabilities

OBJECTIVE Examine general emotion expression and sibling-parent emotion communication among Latino and non-Latino white (NLW) siblings of children with intellectual disabilities (ID) and matched comparisons. METHODS 200 siblings (ages 8-15 years) completed the newly developed Sibling-Parent Emotion Communication Scale and existing measures of general emotion expression and psychosocial functioning. Preliminary analyses evaluated scale psychometrics across ethnicity. RESULTS Structure and internal consistency of the emotion expression and communication measures differed by respondent ethnicity. Latino siblings endorsed more general emotion expression problems and marginally lower sibling-parent emotion communication than NLW siblings. Siblings of children with ID reported marginally more general emotion expression problems than comparisons. Emotion expression problems and lower sibling-parent emotion communication predicted more internalizing and somatic symptoms and poorer personal adjustment, regardless of ID status. Siblings of children with ID endorsed poorer personal adjustment. CONCLUSION Cultural differences in emotion expression and communication may increase Latino siblings' risk for emotional adjustment difficulties.
Declarative Constraint Framework for SOA Deployment and Configuration

A generalized declarative constraint framework is proposed in this paper to address challenges of applying constraints to model-driven SOA deployment and configuration. By representing deployment metamodel and domain knowledge as patterns, constraints can be easily described, automatically validated and analyzed. This framework reduces the human-intensiveness and error-proneness in the activity of applying constraints to a SOA deployment topology. We implemented this framework over a model-driven SOA deployment platform leveraging OCL as the declarative constraint language, and verified it in industry deployment scenarios.
Fractal nature of regional ventilation distribution.

High-resolution measurements of pulmonary perfusion reveal substantial spatial heterogeneity that is fractally distributed. This observation led to the hypothesis that the vascular tree is the principal determinant of regional blood flow. Recent studies using aerosol deposition show similar ventilation heterogeneity that is closely correlated with perfusion. We hypothesize that ventilation has fractal characteristics similar to blood flow. We measured regional ventilation and perfusion with aerosolized and injected fluorescent microspheres in six anesthetized, mechanically ventilated pigs in both prone and supine postures. Adjacent regions were clustered into progressively larger groups. Coefficients of variation were calculated for each cluster size to determine fractal dimensions. At the smallest size lung piece, local ventilation and perfusion are highly correlated, with no significant difference between ventilation and perfusion heterogeneity. On average, the fractal dimension of ventilation is 1.16 in the prone posture and 1.09 in the supine posture. Ventilation has fractal properties similar to perfusion. Efficient gas exchange is preserved, despite ventilation and perfusion heterogeneity, through close correlation. One potential explanation is the similar geometry of bronchial and vascular structures.
Accountability in Teenage Dating Violence: A Comparative Examination of Adult Domestic Violence and Juvenile Justice Systems Policies

Unlike in the adult criminal justice system, where domestic violence policies hold perpetrators accountable for their violence, the juvenile justice system rarely addresses teenage dating violence. Although the adult criminal justice system has pursued policies toward intimate partner violence grounded on a "zero tolerance" ideology, the juvenile justice system was originally founded on an ideology of "child saving" to rehabilitate youths and divert them from the justice system. The implication of policy disparity between the adult criminal justice system and the juvenile justice system may be one contributing reason why teenage dating violence has received a different societal response than adult domestic violence. This article, a comparative examination of juvenile justice and domestic violence policies, reveals very different histories, philosophies, and trajectories of policy development. Teenage dating violence may be "falling through the cracks" between two policy approaches. Perhaps the juvenile justice system could find a balanced approach to adopting the philosophy of zero tolerance or holding teenage perpetrators accountable for their choice to use violence, as the adult criminal justice system does, while at the same time maintaining the "rehabilitative" philosophy of the original juvenile justice policies.
Constrained and general dynamic rate shaping of compressed digital video

We introduce the concept of dynamic rate shaping, a technique to adapt the rate of compressed video bitstreams (MPEG-1, MPEG-2, H.261, as well as JPEG) to dynamically varying bit rate constraints. The approach provides an interface (or filter) between the encoder and the network, with which the encoder's output can be perfectly matched to the network's quality of service characteristics. Since the presented algorithms do not require interaction with the encoder, they are fully applicable to precoded, stored video (e.g., video-on-demand systems). By decoupling the encoder and the network, universal interoperability can be achieved. In essence, DRS bridges the gap between CBR and VBR video, allowing a continuum of possibilities between the two. A set of low-complexity algorithms for so-called unconstrained dynamic rate shaping are presented, and both optimal and extremely fast designs are discussed. Experimental results are provided using actual MPEG-2 bitstreams.
Simple local partition rules in multi-bit decision fusion

A parallel decision fusion system is studied where local detectors (LDs) collect information about a binary hypothesis, and transmit multi-bit intermediate decisions to a data fusion center (DFC). The DFC compresses the local decisions into a final binary decision. The objective function is the Bayesian risk. Equations for the optimal decision rules for the LDs and the DFC have been derived by Lee-Chao (1989), but the computational complexity of solving them is formidable. To address this difficulty, we propose several suboptimal LD-design schemes. For each one we design a DFC, which is optimally conditioned on the fixed LD rules. We calculate the exact performance of each scheme, thus providing a means for selection of the most appropriate one under given observation conditions. We demonstrate performance for two important binary decision tasks: discrimination between two Gaussian hypotheses of equal variances and different means; and discrimination between two Gaussian hypotheses of equal means and different variances. >
Validity of Markers for Epithelial Cells and Mesenchymal Cells

Stem cells are best known for their potential of differentiation. However, those so-called differentiated cells are not exactly lack of plasticity. This can be easily seen during wound healing, in which a lot of epithelial cells transform into fibroblasts or myofibroblasts to repair the tissue damage. Once the wound is healed, these cells can return to their original identity. This is commonly called epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) or vice versa. Normally, these events are highly regulated and coordinated at the molecular level, so that tissues and organs can maintain their normal functions afterwards. However, when these processes are out of control due to various pathological reasons, adverse events like fibrosis can happen, or even worse, cancer cells can also take this advantage and become metastatic. Therefore, it is critical to identify these signs as early as possible, so that corrections can be made when it is necessary. Dozens of molecules have been used as markers to distinguish epithelial cells from mesenchymal cells, while emerging evidence questions their validity. The truth of the matter is each of these markers can be expressed in both groups at certain time point. EMT or vice versa is a progressive and highly dynamic process, and therefore, the molecular phenotype of a cell is volatile. It is the cumulative effect of all these so-called “markers” that finalize the cell identity, epithelial or mesenchymal.
Influence of various thickness metallic interlayers on opto-electric and mechanical properties of AZO thin films on PET substrates

Abstract Various thickness metallic interlayers to improve the opto-electric and mechanical properties of aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films deposited on flexible polyethylene terephtalate (PET) substrates are studied. The effects of the interlayers on the resistance and transmittance of the AZO thin films are discussed. The result shows that the metallic interlayers effectively improve the electric resistance but reduce the optical transmittance of the AZO thin films. These phenomena become more obvious as the interlayer thickness increases. However, the AZO with an aluminum interlayer still behaves an acceptable transmittance. Moreover, mechanical tests indicate that the aluminum interlayer increases the hardness and modulus, and reduce the residual stress of the AZO thin films. In contrast, the silver and copper interlayers decrease the AZO's mechanical properties. Comparing to those without any interlayer, the results show that the best interlayer is the 6 nm thick aluminum film.