cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Olanzapine in refractory schizophrenia after failure of typical or atypical antipsychotic treatment: an open-label switch study.

BACKGROUND When patients with schizophrenia fail to respond to an atypical antipsychotic, they are sometimes switched to another atypical compound. However, the benefits of such a switch have not been adequately studied. We present an open-label prospective 14-week trial with olanzapine in patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder whose treatment resistance to clozapine, olanzapine, risperidone, and haloperidol had been determined prospectively. METHOD The subjects were 45 inpatients with DSM-IV schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who failed to respond to treatment during a 14-week double-blind trial comparing clozapine, olanzapine, risperidone, and haloperidol. The patients had been selected for participation in the double-blind trial on the basis of a history of suboptimal response to previous treatment. Inclusion criteria for the present study were (1) completion of at least 8 weeks of the 14-week double-blind trial, (2) treatment resistance to 1 of the 4 compounds tested as evidenced by a decrease in total PANSS score of less than 20%, and (3) total PANSS score > or = 60. Subjects were cross-titrated from the previous double-blind treatment to open-label olanzapine, 10 to 40 mg/day, and were treated for 14 weeks without concomitant psychotropic medication. Patients were evaluated weekly with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Clinical Global Impressions scale, and Extrapyramidal Symptom Rating Scale. RESULTS Open-label olanzapine treatment yielded no significant change in PANSS total, positive subscale, or negative subscale scores. There was a significant improvement for the PANSS cognitive factor (mean +/- SD change = 0.92 +/- 2.27; F = 7.5, df = 1,44; p <.009) and a marginally significant worsening for the excitement factor (mean change = -1.36 +/- 4.64; F = 4.0, df = 1,44; p < .053). Nine percent of patients (N = 4) were classified as responders using the Kane et al. criteria. The worsening in the PANSS excitement factor was significantly associated with the length of illness (t = -2.10, df = 44, p < .04). There was a nonsignificant decrease in extrapyramidal side effects and a significant increase in weight (mean increase = 3.5 +/- 6.2 kg [7.8 +/- 13.8 lb]; F = 5.29, df = 1,42; p <.0005). CONCLUSION Our results indicate that in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia, a switch to olanzapine after treatment failure with an atypical agent or haloperidol may not reduce psychopathology in general, but may improve symptoms related to cognitive function.
The effect of high ionic strength on monomers, polyribosomes, and puromycin-treated polyribosomes.

Abstract 1. 1. Monomeric ribosomes of mammalian cells are quantitatively dissociated at high ionic strength. Ribosomes active in protein synthesis are stable under these conditions. 2. 2. Inactive ribosomes produced by a number of techniques are dissociated at high ionic strength. 3. 3. Ribosomal subunits produced at high ionic strength reassociate rapidly when exposed to low ionic strength buffer. 4. 4. Polyribosomes normally contain only ribosomes which are stable at high ionic strength. Polyribosomes from cells exposed briefly to puromycin contain ribosomes which dissociate at high ionic strength.
Vulvar Melanoma: A Microstaging Study'

Abstract A retrospective review and a histopathologic analysis were conducted of 18 cases of malignant melanoma of the vulvar. FIGO staging did not correlate well with survival. Microstaging, as defined by the combination of Clark's level and Breslow's depth of invasion, was the most significant prognostic factor.
Colocalization of peptide hormones in neuroendocrine cells of human fetal and newborn lungs: An electron microscopic study

This study investigated the colocalization of the peptide hormones bombesin or calcitonin with calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) in neuroendocrine cells (NE) in the lungs of human fetuses of varying gestational ages and in the lungs of newborn infants who died with acute or chronic lung disease in the first weeks or months after birth. Double immunolabeling of dense core granules for these peptides was also studied in this same patient population. On-grid double gold immunolabeling was carried out on 29 subjects using anti-bombesin and anti-CGRP and on 22 subjects using anti-calcitonin and anti-CGRP as primary antibodies, the secondary antibodies being labeled with different-size gold spheres. Colocalization of both bombesin and calcitonin with CGRP was demonstrated, not only in the same NE cell, but also on the same dense core granule. Colocalization was rarely found in normal fetuses, and most frequently found in newborn infants with acute lung disease, usually hyaline membrane disease (HMD), or with the development of chronic lung disease in the first weeks or months after birth. Double labeling of the same dense core granules might imply action of peptides in concert, or perhaps one peptide acting in a paracrine role (e.g., on bronchial or bronchiolar smooth muscle) and the second peptide acting in an autocrine fashion on the parent cell (e.g., in the regulation of granule production or release).
Preparation and densification of forsterite (Mg2SiO4) by nanocomposite sol-gel processing

A diphasic nanocomposite sol-gel processing has become an excellent way of producing stoichiometric homogeneous powders with many advantages over the solid state reaction method as well as the solution sol-gel method. This procedure is described for forsterite, Mg2SiO4, and resulting densities of 97% for the diphasic and 91% for the monophasic gel powder are reported. In addition, a small amount of enstatite, MgSiO3, was detected which is consistent with the findings of earlier researchers.
Forensic sexual abuse evaluations of older children: Disclosures and symptomatology

This study examines the results of forensic evaluations of 399 children between the ages of 8 and 15 who were seen at an urban evaluation center regarding allegations of sexual abuse. Data collected included demographic, family environment, and abuse variables, outcome of a multidisciplinary forensic evaluation, and psychological distress as measured by the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC Briere, in press). Children were grouped according to the outcome of the evaluation: nonabused, abused-disclosing, and abused-nondisclosing (composed of children for whom there was external evidence of abuse but who denied being abused). A number of variables predicted group membership, including subject race, sex, cognitive delays, mother's belief or disbelief in the allegation, and psychological distress. Sexually abused children who disclosed abuse reported particularly high levels of distress, abused but nondisclosing children reported the lowest levels, and nonabused children reported intermediate symptom levels. The data are discussed in terms of the role of denial, maternal support, and symptomatology in forensic evaluations.
Repair of directionally solidified superalloy GTD-111 by laser-engineered net shaping

GTD-111 directionally solidified superalloy was repaired by the Nd:YAG laser based laser-engineered net shaping (LENS) process. Selection of process parameters are discussed against the formation of deposits and occurrence of defects. Formation of microfissures, porosity, lack of fusion, and stray crystals in the deposit zone was studied. It was identified that formation of stray crystals in the directionally solidified alloy could be due to two types of sources: the shape of the melt pool, and the existence of second-phase particles at the melt pool fusion boundary.
Effect of clearing agents on scattering coefficient and anisotropy of scattering of dermis studied by reflectance confocal microscopy

Optical clearing of mouse dermis by glycerol was tested by reflectance-mode confocal microscopy (rCSLM) using 488- nm light. The reflectance signal R(z) was acquired as a function of the depth of the focus (z) within the upper 100 μm of freshly excised mouse dermis. The results specify the scattering coefficient (μs [cm -1 ]) and the anisotropy of scattering (g [dimensionless]). The absorption is too low to exert an effect. The results, published in Samatham et al., Journal of Innovative Optical Health Sciences 2010, 3(3):183-188, described how the clearing effect of glycerol was to increase g toward nearly 1.0, while having only a modest effect on μ s . In other words, glycerol caused light scattering to become very forward-directed, but did not strongly alter the number of scattering events per unit length of photon path. This paper discusses the possible mechanism of action that is responsible for this clearing effect.
Bacterivory by a chrysophyte in slow sand filters

Bacterivory previously was shown to be responsible for significant removal of bacteria in slow sand filters. This research was designed to identify the responsible bacterivores and to evaluate their ability to remove a significant fraction of bacteria. A small (3-μm diameter) chrysophyte was isolated from slow sand filter effluent. The ability of a pure culture of the chrysophyte to rapidly ripen a slow sand filter was demonstrated.
Neomedievalist feminist dystopia

This essay seeks to define the genre of twentieth-century British and North American neomedievalist feminist dystopia. I focus on two framed tales: Doris Lessing’s The Marriages between Zones Three, Four, and Five and Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. I observe how these two novels, written in the context of feminist responses to patriarchal and anti-feminist backlash discourses of the late 1970s and 1980s, construct stylized Middle Ages, to caution against recidivist and revanchist patriarchy and to also deconstruct the myth of romantic love.
INTER-RATER RELIABILITY AND THE ROLE OF EXPERIENCE IN SCORING EEG SLEEP RECORDS: PHASE 1.

The purpose of this study was to measure the reliability of scoring all-night EEG sleep records. To determine the amount of inter-rater agreement of scoring EEG sleep stages, 28 raters from 14 different sleep laboratories scored the same 398 minute sleep record. Statistical analyses showed varying amounts of inter-rater agreement across sleep stages with St. REM showing the highest reliability and delta stages the least inter-rater agreement. A comparison of raters with High, Medium, and Low experience revealed lower within-group variability for Stages 1, 2, 3, and 4 for the more experienced raters. It was concluded that increased reliability and comparability of results could be obtained readily by increased standardization of recording techniques and scoring criteria.
Paleowind directions from the magnetic fabric of loess profiles in central Alaska

Abstract Two parallel profiles of alternating loess and paleosol horizons from the Halfway House site west of Fairbanks, in central Alaska, were evaluated in terms of their potential for preserving paleowind directions. Combined, the profiles span SPECMAP marine oxygen isotope stages 1–6, approximately the last 150 ka. Our analytical tools consisted of measuring the sample’s anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility and characterizing the magnetic mineralogy by multiple approaches. Both primary eolian and secondary reworked magnetic fabrics are recognized along certain intervals of both profiles. Primary eolian fabrics display a horizontal magnetic foliation and a well defined magnetic lineation, corresponding to the paleodirection of sediment transport and deposition. A systematic change in transport direction is observed where long-term prevailing winds appear to shift from a NW–SE to N–S direction during glacial and interglacial periods, respectively.
Regulation of eutrophication susceptibility in oligohaline regions of a northern Gulf of Mexico estuary, Mobile Bay, Alabama.

The factors regulating the eutrophication susceptibility of seven oligohaline regions in the sub-estuaries of Mobile Bay, Alabama were examined in a comparative analysis. The oligohaline regions differed primarily by the dominant land-use of their upstream watersheds, with two of the regions being primarily urban, two being primarily agricultural, and three being primarily forested. A stepwise model selection procedure was used to determine a suite of multiple regression models describing eutrophication response, in terms of a chlorophyll a (chla) on a sampling event basis, in relation to estuarine mixing time scales, nutrient concentrations, light availability, and watershed delivery of freshwater and nutrients. The models indicated a strong positive relationship between chla and mixing time scales (i.e., residence time or freshwater flushing time). Mixing time scales longer than five days allowed maximum chla (64 l gl � 1 ), while lowest chla (<1 l gl � 1 ) occurred when mixing time scales were less than two days. Of the watershed inputs, chla exhibited opposing relationships with the components of freshwater load, having a negative relationship with discharge and a positive relationship with incoming freshwater nitrogen concentrations. Estuarine phosphorus concentrations and photosynthetically active radiation were also found to be good descriptors of chla. The comparative approach employed here allowed for the development of empirical models that were used to determine the nutrient concentration reductions required to achieve a trophic state of <20 l gl � 1 chla. The average reductions in nitrogen and phosphorus needed to achieve this trophic state ranged from 0 to 32%.
Altered Apoptosis-Related Signaling After Cardioplegic Arrest in Patients With Uncontrolled Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Background—We investigated the effects of cardioplegic arrest and reperfusion (CP/Rep) on myocardial apoptosis and key apoptotic mediators, such as apoptosis-inducing factor, caspase 3, caspase 8, caspase 9, poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase, B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family proteins, and protein kinase C (PKC), in uncontrolled type 2 diabetic, controlled type 2 diabetic, and nondiabetic patients. Methods and Results—Right atrial tissue was harvested pre- and post-CP/Rep from uncontrolled type 2 diabetic patients (hemoglobin A1c=9.6±0.25), controlled type 2 diabetic patients (hemoglobin A1c=6.5±0.15), and nondiabetic patients (hemoglobin A1c=5.4±0.12) undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (n=8/group). Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling staining was used for the identification of apoptotic cells. Total and modified apoptosis-inducing factor, Bcl-2 family proteins, phospho-PKC-α, phospho-PKC-β1, and poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase were quantified by i...
Dry electrodes and holder for electro.oculography

The temporal decrease in electrode-subject resistance was measured for dry silver electrodes placed bitemporally to measure the horizontal component of the electro-oculogram. It was found that the electrode-subject resistance decreased exponentially with time. The average time constant for ten determinations was 3·26 min. After about 20 min there was no further reduction in electrode-subject resistance. On average, the ratio of the final to the intial resistance was approximately 0·1.
Bacteremia in Narcotic Addicts at the Detroit Medical Center. II. Infectious Endocarditis: A Prospective Comparative Study

For one year all narcotic addicts admitted to the Detroit Medical Center with infectious endocarditis (74 cases) were compared with a control group of bacteremic addicts who had other infections (106 cases). Endocarditis was caused by Staphylococcus aureus (60.8% of cases), streptococci (16.2%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (13.5%), mixed bacteria (8.1%), and Corynebacterium JK (1.4%). S. aureus endocarditis most frequently involved the tricuspid valve; streptococci infected left-sided valves significantly more often than other organisms (P = .001). Biventricular and multiple-valve infections were commonest in patients with pseudomonas endocarditis (P = .05). Two-dimensional echocardiography, when combined with an abnormal chest roentgenogram, was highly predictive of endocarditis. Bacteremia in the absence of endocarditis was associated with primary skin and soft tissue infection, mycotic aneurysm at the site of narcotic injection, septic arthritis, septic thrombophlebitis, pneumonia, osteomyelitis, mediastinal abscess, and unclassified infection. Polymicrobial bacteremia in the nonendocarditis group was associated with markedly increased morbidity. Mild hyponatremia occurred in 41% of all patients and was also associated with significantly increased morbidity. Analysis of the two groups disclosed similarities and differences with implications for the pathophysiology and treatment of addicts with bacteremic infection.
The US Navy Tissue Bank: 50 Years on the Cutting Edge.

The US Navy Tissue Bank was established in 1949 by Dr. George Hyatt, an orthopaedic surgeon at the Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. The Navy program was the first of its kind in the world and established many of the standards that are followed today. During the 1950s, the identification of appropriate donor criteria for tissue donation, the development of procurement and processing methods, the establishment of a graph registry and documentation and the clinical evaluation of a variety of tissues were pioneered at this facility. Cryopreservation, freeze-drying, irradiation sterilization of tissue, as well as immunological principles of tissue transplantation, were developed during the 50 years of research and development by Navy scientists. Organ preservation, cadaveric bone marrow recovery and immunosuppressive protocols were also developed at the Navy Tissue Bank. The Navy was also instrumental in the establishment of the National Marrow Donor Program and the American Association of Tissue Banks in the US.Although the Navy Tissue Bank has ceased activity after 50 years of excellence, it should be recognized as the first standard setter for the world community of tissue banks.
Robotic Machine for Highway Crack Sealing

An operator-controlled crack-sealing machine was developed and tested at the Advanced Highway Maintenance and Construction Technology (AHMCT) Research Center at the University of California, Davis. The machine, integrated onto a single truck, provides ease of operation and a simple, automated method of sealing random pavement cracks. The operator provides the machine its tasks and is the decision maker; the machine automatically performs the repetitive and dangerous tasks of mapping pavement cracks, creating seal paths for the robot, and sealing the cracks. The operator communicates with the machine through a simple user interface adjacent to the driver. This operator control approach drastically reduces the machine's control complexity relative to fully automated crack-sealing machines. To be able to seal cracks within a full lane without intruding into adjacent lanes, a telescoping long-reach robotic arm was developed that can position the sealing head mounted to its end in a large 3.7- x 4-m (12- x 13-...
A Family Group Work Application of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy of Psychosis for Community Mental Health Settings

Recent interest in a recovery model for severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI) has opened doors for implementing psychosocial interventions with this population and their families. Cognitive behavioral therapy of psychosis (CBTp) is one such intervention that has extensive empirical support. Community mental health (CMH) providers offer a potential venue for incorporating aspects of CBTp into treatment planning for adults with SPMI diagnoses. Including a family-oriented group work component of CPTp in CMH settings could both reduce family stress and simultaneously enhance available support for clients. This article reviews relevant psychosis-specific strategies of CBTp and describes how these might be combined to develop a psychoeducational program for adults with SPMI diagnoses and their family members.
Reaction kinetics and adsorption equilibria in the vapor-phase dehydration of ethanol

This work is an experimental assessment of the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model of heterogeneous catalysis. The vapor-phase dehydration of ethanol to diethyl ether, as catalyzed by cation exchange resin in the acid form, was the reaction chosen for study. Initial reaction rate data, determined from the integral kinetic data obtained experimentally, allowed selection of the most suitable rate equation from among several plausible equations derived in accordance with the above model. The Langmuir equilibrium adsorption constants in the rate equation were compared with the corresponding constants determined directly from pure component studies in a static adsorption system. The adsorption constants determined for the three reacting components by these independent methods showed definite order-of-magnitude agreement. The adsorption studies also provided significant information about the nature of the catalytic site. The extent of agreement in the constants determined by these two independent approaches is considered to be evidence of the theoretical validity of this model. Additional interpretation of the adsorption and kinetic data via this model suggests that the ethanol dehydration reaction proceeds through the reaction of adjacently adsorbed ethanol molecules.
Age-Related Deficits in Reality Monitoring of Action Memories

The authors describe 3 theoretical accounts of age-related increases in falsely remembering that imagined actions were performed (A. K. Thomas & J. B. Bulevich, 2006). To investigate these accounts and further explore age-related changes in reality monitoring of action memories, the authors used a new paradigm in which actions were (a) imagined only, (b) actually performed, or (c) both imagined and performed. Older adults were more likely than younger adults to misremember the source of imagined-only actions, with older adults more often specifying that the action was imagined and also that it was performed. For both age groups, illusions that the actions were only performed decreased as repetitions of the imagined-only events increased. These patterns suggest that both older and younger adults use qualitative characteristics when making reality-monitoring judgments and that repeated imagination produces richer records of both sensory details and cognitive operations. However, sensory information derived from imagination appears to be more similar to that derived from performance for older adults than for younger adults.
State-specific trends in preterm delivery: are rates really declining among non-Hispanic African Americans across the United States?

Objectives: This study sought to examine state-specific trends in preterm delivery rates among non-Hispanic African Americans and to assess whether these rates are influenced by misclassification of gestational age. Methods: The sample population consisted of singleton non-Hispanic White and non-Hispanic African–American infants born in 1991 and 2001 to U.S. resident mothers. For both time periods, state-specific and national preterm delivery rates were calculated for all infants, stratified by infant race/ethnicity. Next, birth-weight distributions within strata of gestational age were studied to explore possible misclassifications of gestational age. Lastly, state-specific and national preterm delivery rates among infants who weighed less than 2,500 g were separately computed. Results: National analyses showed that the frequency of preterm delivery increased by 15.8% among non-Hispanic Whites but declined by 10.3% among non-Hispanic African Americans over the same period. For both subgroups, a bimodal distribution of birth weights was apparent among preterm births at 28–31 weeks of gestation. The second peak with its cluster of normal-weight infants was more prominent among non-Hispanic African Americans in 1991 than in 2001. After excluding preterm infants who weighed 2,500 g or more, the national trends persisted. State-specific analyses showed that preterm delivery rates increased for both subgroups in 13 states during this period. Of these 13, 6 states had a number of non-Hispanic African–American births classified as preterm that were apparently term births mistakenly assigned short gestational ages. Such misclassification was more frequent in 1991 than in 2001 and inflated 1991 rates. Conclusion: There is heterogeneity in state-specific preterm delivery rates. Such differences are often overlooked when aggregate results are presented.
Studying the evolution of the Eclipse Java editor

In evolutionary software development, knowing how design evolves with features can be valuable in guiding future projects. It helps answer questions like "How much upfront design should and can be done?" and "How and why are designs changed?" To shed light on these questions, we report on a study of the evolution history of the Eclipse Java editor. We find that the MVC-based design was cleanly laid out in the beginning of the project and carefully followed and maintained, which has contributed positively to the continuous growth of the editor features. Although design changes at the individual feature level happened for reasons like extensibility and reusability, they appear to be local and manageable. The AST facility is a key service that enables more than one half of the Java editor features.
Bone morphogenetic protein use in the cervical spine: questions about safety and effectiveness

COMMENTARY ON Goode AP, Richardson WJ, Schectman RM, Carey TS. Complications, revision fusions, readmissions, and utilization over a 1-year period after bone morphogenetic protein use during primary cervical spine fusions. Spine J 2014;14:2051-9 ( in this issue ).
Inverse finite element reduced mesh method for predicting multi-dimensional phase change boundaries and nonlinear solid phase heat transfer

An inverse finite element method is developed for simultaneous solution of multi-dimensional solid-liquid phase boundaries and associated three-dimensional solid phase temperature fields. The tech- nique, applicable to quasisteady phase change problems, fixes element nodes at known temperature locations and uses a coarse, spatially limited mesh. This approach is designed to: (1) reduce direct and overall solution costs, (2) eliminate iterative direct solutions associated with temperature dependent thermophysical properties, (3) limit calculations to the heat affected zone and (4) eliminate ad hoc assump- tions concerning the boundary heat flux distribution. The inverse algorithm couples a nonlinear solid phase conduction solver with conjugate gradient minimization. First-order regularization and upwind differencing are implemented to improve solution smoothness and stability and an analog welding experiment is used to investigate the technique's capabilities.
A new perspective on binaural integration using response time methodology: super capacity revealed in conditions of binaural masking release

This study applied reaction-time based methods to assess the workload capacity of binaural integration by comparing reaction time distributions for monaural and binaural tone-in-noise detection tasks. In the diotic contexts, an identical tone + noise stimulus was presented to each ear. In the dichotic contexts, an identical noise was presented to each ear, but the tone was presented to one of the ears 180o out of phase with respect to the other ear. Accuracy-based measurements have demonstrated a much lower signal detection threshold for the dichotic versus the diotic conditions, but accuracy-based techniques do not allow for assessment of system dynamics or resource allocation across time. Further, reaction times allow comparisons between these conditions at the same signal-to-noise ratio. Here, we apply a reaction-time based capacity coefficient, which provides an index of workload efficiency and quantifies the resource allocations for single ear versus two ear presentations. We demonstrate that the release from masking generated by the addition of an identical stimulus to one ear is limited-to-unlimited capacity (efficiency typically less than 1), consistent with less gain than would be expected by probability summation. However, the dichotic presentation leads to a significant increase in workload capacity (increased efficiency) – most specifically at lower signal-to-noise ratios. These experimental results provide further evidence that configural processing plays a critical role in binaural masking release, and that these mechanisms may operate more strongly when the signal stimulus is difficult to detect, albeit still with nearly 100% accuracy.
Thomas Eisner: Interpreter extraordinaire of nature's chemistry.

On March 25, 2011, Thomas Eisner died after a long and courageous battle with Parkinson's disease. His tremendous legacy included founding and nurturing the scientific discipline of chemical ecology. Tom, though, might be the only person in the field to dispute his rights to the title, “Father of Chemical Ecology”—indeed, in one interview (1), he wryly opined that such claims cried out for DNA paternity tests.
Staining of Viable and Nonviable Myotubes and of Myofibrils by the Fluorescent Dye Merocyanine 540

Merocyanine 540 (MC 540) has been reported to interact specifically with excitable plasma membranes in live cells [3]. Here we show that the MC 540 fluorescence staining pattern previously believed to be characteristic of viable myotubes [3] is observed in formaldehyde-fixed cells. In contrast, viable myotubes show an MC 540 fluorescence staining pattern that is characteristic of cell surface staining (no internal structures fluoresce). The specific I-band and H-zone fluorescence of isolated myofibrils is also consistent with the interpretation that the fluorescence patterns previously reported for viable myotubes are in fact characteristic of cells with disrupted plasma membranes. Time-course observations of MC 540 and trypan blue staining of myotubes suggest that when plasma membrane integrity is lost, MC 540 fluorescence can be visualized inside the cell 5–10 min before trypan blue absorbance. Thus the trypan blue viability assay can be misleading when applied to myotubes.
Measuring the radius of curvature of a spherical mirror with an interferometer and a laser tracker

We present a method to accurately measure the radius of curvature of a concave spherical mirror with a phase-measuring interferometer and a laser tracker. Use of a laser tracker eases the alignment of the testing system, eliminates the need to move the test piece during the mea- surement, and improves the accuracy of the distance mea- surement. Using this method, we measured the radius of curvature of a spherical mirror 0.5 m in diameter and about 2.5 m in radius of curvature. The accuracy of the measure- ment is better than ±20 m. © 2005 Society of Photo-Optical Instru- mentation Engineers. DOI: 10.1117/1.2047594
Simultaneous dual-wavelength pulses from an injection-seeded Ti:sapphire laser

Ti:sapphire lasers combine high output energies with wide tunability, making them interesting for applications requiring high-power and possibly Fourier transform-limited pulses. Injection seeding has proven to be an efficient way of producing these pulses in other systems; but cavity length requirements make this difficult to achieve in flashlamp-pumped Ti:sapphire lasers. The regenerative amplifier scheme remedies this problem, because it eliminates the need for resonance between master laser and slave cavity. Furthermore multiwavelength, injection-seeded operation becomes feasible. We present a laser system simultaneously operating at 761.1 nm and 789.2 nm that in addition has good locking capabilities to atomic lines and high spectral intensities for high nonlinear conversion efficiencies.
Impact of water intake on energy intake and weight status: a systematic review

The effects of consuming water with meals rather than drinking no beverage or various other beverages remain under-studied. This systematic review of studies reported in the English-language literature was performed to compare the effects of drinking water and various beverage alternatives on energy intake and/or weight status. Relevant clinical trials, epidemiologic studies, and intervention studies were identified and findings across the literature were summarized. From the clinical trials, average differences were calculated in total energy intake at test meals (ΔTEI) for each of several beverage categories in comparison with water. The available literature for these comparisons is sparse and somewhat inconclusive. However, one of the most consistent sets of findings was related to adults drinking sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) versus water before a single meal. In these comparisons, total energy intakes were 7.8% higher (ΔTEI range, −7.5 to 18.9) when SSBs were consumed. Studies comparing non-nutritive sweeteners with water were also relatively consistent and found no impact on energy intake among adults (ΔTEI, −1.3; range, −9 to 13.8). Much less conclusive evidence was found in studies replacing water with milk and juice, with estimated increases in TEI of 14.9% (range, 10.9 to 23.9%). These findings from clinical trials, along with those from epidemiologic and intervention studies, suggest water has a potentially important role to play in reducing energy intake, and consequently in obesity prevention. A need for randomized-controlled trials to confirm this role exists.
Detecting gene clusters under evolutionary constraint in a large number of genomes

Motivation: Spatial clusters of genes conserved across multiple genomes provide important clues to gene functions and evolution of genome organization. Existing methods of identifying these clusters often made restrictive assumptions, such as exact conservation of gene order, and relied on heuristic algorithms. Results: We developed a very efficient algorithm based on a ‘gene teams’ model that allows genes in the clusters to appear in different orders. This allows us to detect conserved gene clusters under flexible evolutionary constraints in a large number of genomes. Our statistical evaluation incorporates the evolutionary relationship among genomes, a key aspect that has been missing in most previous studies. We conducted a large-scale analysis of 133 bacterial genomes. Our results confirm that our approach is an effective way of uncovering functionally related genes. The comparison with known operons and the analysis of the structural properties of our predicted clusters suggest that operons are an important source of constraint, but there are also other forces that determine evolution of gene order and arrangement. Using our method, we predicted functions of many poorly characterized genes in bacterial. The combined algorithmic and statistical methods we present here provide a rigorous framework for systematically studying evolutionary constraints of genomic contexts. Availability: The software, data and the full results of this article are available online at http://www.ews.uiuc.edu/~xuling/mcmusec. Contact: [email protected] Supplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Quantitative D2 Dopamine Receptor PET and Structural MRI Changes in Late-Onset Schizophrenia

Late-onset schizophrenia (LOS) is likely a syndrome of diverse etiology. In a series of related studies, we compared LOS patients with normal controls, elderly patients with early-onset schizophrenia (EOS), and Alzheimer's disease patients, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and neuroreceptor positron emission tomography measures, which had previously been reported to be abnormal in EOS. EOS and LOS patients showed similar MRI changes. LOS drug-naive patients had elevated Bmax (receptor density) values for dopamine D2 receptors compared with age and gender norms, a phenomenon previously reported by our group in young schizophrenia patients.
In-Service Degradation and Life Extension of Nuclear Reactor Vessels: Combining Experiments and Modelling

The reactor pressure vessel (RPV) is the primary containment in a commercial nuclear power plant and represents the first line of defense in the case of an accident. Thus, the structural integrity of the RPV, constructed of ferritic low-alloy steels, is of paramount importance to the overall safe operation of the plant. The RPV operates at relatively high pressure and temperature and is subjected to neutron irradiation. As part of an overall investigation of RPV aging, the Heavy-Section Steel Irradiation Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), sponsored by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, includes irradiation and testing of mechanical property and fracture toughness specimens, as well as a task to determine the microstructural basis for radiation-induced property changes in RPV steels. This modeling and microstructural characterization task aids in understanding and applying the results obtained from the experiments through the development of predictive models used in forecasting the aging behavior of RPVs. A series of experiments have been conducted over the past three decades to determine the effects of neutron irradiation on the fracture toughness and crack-arrest toughness of RPV steels with fracture toughness specimens up to 100 mm and 250 mm thick in the irradiated and unirradiated conditions, respectively. Furthermore, experiments have also been conducted to investigate the effects of thermal annealing on mitigation of the irradiation-induced embrittlement as well as on the effects of reirradiation. The modeling research focuses on the development of an improved description of primary damage formation in irradiated materials and the further development and use of predictive models of radiation-induced microstructural evolution and its impact on the mechanical behavior of RPV materials. Molecular dynamics cascade simulations have been extended to higher energies and temperatures and have revealed significant observations regarding defect survival, interstitial clustering dependencies and vacancy cluster formation. The microstructural characterization research focuses on the methods of atom probe-field ion microscopy (APFIM) and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) to determine the matrix copper content and the chemical composition of radiation-induced precipitates. The new ORNL energy-compensated optical position-sensitive atom probe has been used for atom probe tomography (APT) studies of irradiated and thermally aged RPV welds. The results from SANS experiments are compared with those of the APFIM and APT investigations to provide detailed characterization of the features responsible for the observed changes in mechanical properties. Results from the modeling studies and the experiments are compared so that the models can be evaluated for modification and experiments can be planned with a view to providing the information needed for continued evolution of the models.
Concepts from Medical Anthropology for Clinicians

This article introduces the discipline of medical anthropology and presents concepts that may be useful for physical therapy clinicians. The terms culture and cultural orientations of the United States are defined, and examples of cultural conflict in patient care are given. I explain the differences between emic and etic viewpoints and analyze this distinction in relation to health care in the United States and especially the separation of the concept of disease and illness. Anthropological tools are presented for restructuring encounters between clinicians and patients to make clinicians more culturally sensitive.
Forensic Odontology: Teeth and Their Secrets

Forensic odontologists are dentists who have special skills in the areas of clinical dentistry, forensic medicine, and police investigation. They analyze any dental evidence, make forensic conclusions, and testify in court to support their conclusions. Forensic odontologists play an essential role in identifying either victims of disasters or victims and suspects of individual crimes. Forensic odontologists often have the chance to supply the crucial missing piece of a criminal or forensic puzzle that has eluded others.
Forms of external capital, sovereignty and economic development in Latin America

Latin American governments increasingly want to attract external capital to increase economic growth and adjust to external shocks. However, their concurrent desire to retain national sovereignty has frequently conflicted with the aim of creditors to receive payment for providing this capital. First, this paper examines how the participation of official and private sector actors, ability of these actors to coordinate their actions, form and maturity structure of external capital and existing political and international monetary environment have influenced the conditions demanded by creditors and the willingness of Latin American governments to accept constraints on national sovereignty during episodes of capital inflows since independence in the 1820s. Second, we investigate how the changing nature of creditor demands, new forms of capital inflows, implicit government guarantees and international monetary environment since 1990 influence the constraints placed on policy makers in the aftermath of the Mexican crisis.
Impact of Caffeine on Overactive Bladder Symptoms

Caffeine consumption is highly prevalent in the adult population. First-line treatment of overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms involves behavioral modification, which includes reduction of caffeine consumption. A literature review over the last 3 years has identified 10 peer-reviewed articles that investigated the effects and mechanisms of caffeine on OAB symptoms. The literature describes that caffeine can be associated to de novo OAB symptoms or their exacerbation. Those effects have been found to be dose dependent. Significant associations to age and gender cannot be made at this point due to limited studies. This review raises awareness of caffeine’s potential causal impact on OAB symptoms, which is important when counseling the general population and patients suffering from OAB. Since there is a lack of evidence-based data to support clinical recommendations, more controlled-randomized prospective studies are needed to assess the impact of caffeine on OAB symptoms that also control for dose, gender, and age.
Methods of Examination

Ophthalmologists were students of medicine or osteopathy before entering their subspecialty. The ocular examination begins by focusing on the entire patient, which takes advantage of the ophthalmologist’s full medical knowledge. There is no excuse for omitting the basics such as a good history of present illness, medical history, ocular history, review of systems, medications, and allergies. This general inquiry is then followed by a complete ocular examination.
Asserting presidential preferences in a regulatory review bureaucracy

Asserting presidential preferences in a regulatory review bureaucracy US presidents face many challenges in executing their duties as CEOs of a mammoth sprawling bureaucracy known as the nation’s executive branch. Included among the many offices and bureaus in 2014 were 78 regulatory agencies with more than 276,000 employees who in recent years turned out annually some 80,000 Federal Register pages of rules and rule modifications. A successful president, e.g., one who can be reelected or help to pave the way for the party in the next election, must find ways to steer bureau activities in his preferred direction while delivering on regulatory promises made in the process of being elected. White House review of proposed regulations provides an opportunity for presidents to affect regulatory outcomes in ways that reward politically important interest groups. Our review of all empirical work on White House review as well as our own institutional and statistical findings yield strong support to the notion that the review process provides opportunities to make presidential preferences operational.
Petrobras: Innovation with Party Rent-­Seeking

The Brazilian oil company Petrobras is a leader in the technically challenging offshore oil exploration and an innovation pioneer in this segment. In the last ten years it has discovered enough reserves to put Brazil in the group of oil exporters while serving as an anchor of an industrial policy focused on increasing domestic procurement of capital goods. These achievements made the company a poster child of developmentalists, an example of a state company that innovates and invests in long-term projects. However, recent corruption investigations revealed that former employees, suppliers and politicians were involved in a billionaire kickback scheme that used the company for illegal campaign financing and coalition building. This paper explains the puzzle of Petrobras’ as a technological leader at the same time that it was the center of party-clientelistic practices. It argues that given Brazil’s geological endowments, Petrobras could better serve open political purposes if the company continued to create rents through Schumpeterian innovation in deep offshore. Innovation supported Petrobras’ other activities, which later included politically-driven investments, bribe extraction, and gasoline price subsidies. Using a variety of data sources, including plea bargain statements and a spreadsheet of bribe rates of large projects, this paper shows how bribes and economic losses differed across industry segments, with the downstream concentrating more losses than the more innovative and subject to cost pressures upstream. Petrobras’ operational capabilities and a track record of innovation in oil extraction led to successful discoveries of new reserves that paradoxically facilitated political interference by easing historical constraints that had spared the company from political exchanges.
Parameter Estimation for HVAC System Models from Standard Test Data

Nearly all cooling systems, and an increasing proportion of heating systems, utilize the vapor compression cycle (VCC) to provide and remove heat from conditioned spaces. Even though the application of VCC’s throughout the built environment is ubiquitous, effective and accessible models of the performance of these systems remains elusive. Such models could be important tools for equipment and building designers, and building energy managers and those who are attempting to optimize building energy performance through the use of model-based control systems. A quasi-steady state, spreadsheet-based model has been developed which requires knowledge of 10 system-specific parameters. A method utilizing manufacturer’s test conditions to derive these values is presented.The model is applied to three commercially available units and a subset of test conditions is used to identify the model parameters. The model is validated over the entire range of conditions with modeling errors ranging from 2 to 4%.Copyright © 2016 by ASME
2604: Blood transfusion is not necessarily a sensitizing event precluding transplantation

BackgroundPatients seeking vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA) often had devastating injuries requiring multiple blood transfusions to ensure acute patient survival Transfusions carry ...
Optical sampling for high-speed, high-resolution analog-to-digital converters

The combination of phase-encoded optical sampling and optical time-division demultiplexing has been demonstrated to extend the performance of electronic analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). We report a 10-effective-bit, 505-MS/s ADC with a spur-free dynamic range in excess of 70 dB.
Modeling of complex decision making using forward simulation

The complexity of simulation models has increased during the last years in semiconductor foundries. Manual and automated decisions have to be modeled in detail to make the right conclusions from them. We describe an approach that uses forward simulation to minimize modeling effort and mimics fab behavior to a high degree. The approach is applied to the problem of controlling time link chains. Results are presented and other applications are discussed.