cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Innovative resource utilization to fashion individualized covered stents in the setting of aortic coarctation.

Objectives: We describe our experience with self-fabricated covered stents in the setting of coarctation of the aorta (CoA). Background: Balloon-expandable covered stents are increasingly being utilized to treat CoA in older children and adults. These stents however, are not available in the United States limiting the interventionalist's ability to treat this condition safely and effectively. Methods: Retrospective analysis and follow-up data review of our complete experience with self-fabricated covered stents for CoA. Stents were fashioned by suturing an appropriate length of tubular polytetraflouroethylene to a bare metal stent and deploying this stent across the coarctation in a standardized fashion. Results: Over a 9-year period we implanted 53 balloon-expandable stents in 49 patients with CoA. Of these 13 were self-fabricated covered stents deployed in 13 patients (7 male). Median age at implantation was 25.4 years (range, 8.7–49.5 years) with median weight of 65.5 kg (range, 28–168 kg). Indications for stent placement were native coarctation/aortic atresia (n = 9), aneurysm formation (n = 3), and re-coarctation (n = 1). The median systolic pressure gradient across the coarctation of 33 mm Hg (range, 12–69 mm Hg) was reduced to 3 mm Hg (range, 0–19 mm Hg) post procedure (P < 0.001). There were no deaths on median follow-up of 44 months (range, 1–83 months). One patient developed acute contained extravasation at implantation, treated with a self-expanding stent graft. Another patient required thrombectomy for femoral arterial thrombosis. Conclusions: Innovative application of available materials adds to the armamentarium of the interventionalist. Our self-fabricated covered stent provides effective gradient reduction with no compromise in stent delivery or durability on follow-up. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A Review of “The Party Decides: Presidential Nominations Before and After Reform”

The Party Decides is the most important book written on political parties and presidential nominations in more than a decade. Its immediate purpose is to explain presidential nominations, but the n...
Convergence Failure in CBOT Wheat Futures

CBOT wheat futures, the third largest agricultural futures market in the world, from 2006 to 2009 failed to converge to cash wheat prices at expiry. The reason is the presence of price controls for storage that are implicit in the contract specifications, which caused the textbook arbitrage mechanism to fail.
Cannibalization policies for a set of parallel machines

Industries that invest in expensive machinery, e.g., the automobile manufacturing industry, are faced with the problem of deciding how to specify maintenance policies and allocate maintenance resources such that performance targets are achieved. The corresponding maintenance decisions can influence operating costs in various areas. Due to the typically large costs associated with the critical components of these machines, cannibalization actions are often used to meet pre-defined operational targets, e.g., production capacity. This research is focused on the construction of a closed-network, multi-echelon, discrete-event simulation model that is used to investigate the effects of Cannibalization and other maintenance policies on a manufacturing system consisting of a set of parallel machines. The simulation model is used as a decision-support tool for making cost/performance trade-offs among different maintenance policies or investments. Using a numerical example, we demonstrate a methodology for using the model to recommend optimal spare levels, part shipment policies, and Cannibalization decisions for meeting maintenance investment objectives while adhering to production capacity constraints.
Power Calculations for Clinical Trials in Alzheimer's Disease

The Alzheimer research community is actively pursuing novel biomarker and other biologic measures to characterize disease progression or to use as outcome measures in clinical trials. One product of these efforts has been a large literature reporting power calculations and estimates of sample size for planning future clinical trials and cohort studies with longitudinal rate of change outcome measures. Sample size estimates reported in this literature vary greatly depending on a variety of factors, including the statistical methods and model assumptions used in their calculation. We review this literature and suggest standards for reporting power calculation results. Regardless of the statistical methods used, studies consistently find that volumetric neuroimaging measures of regions of interest, such as hippocampal volume, outperform global cognitive scales traditionally used in clinical treatment trials in terms of the number of subjects required to detect a fixed percentage slowing of the rate of change observed in demented and cognitively impaired populations. However, statistical methods, model assumptions, and parameter estimates used in power calculations are often not reported in sufficient detail to be of maximum utility. We review the factors that influence sample size estimates, and discuss outstanding issues relevant to planning longitudinal studies of Alzheimer's disease.
Solar pond heat removal using a submerged heat exchanger

The results of operating a submerged plastic-tube heat exchanger in the 1080 m/sup 2/ Research Salt Gradient Solar Pond at Argonne National Laboratory are presented. The heat exchange system simulates grain drying, in which the temperature of the ambient air is raised 8 to 15/sup 0/C when it passes through a liquid-to-air heat exchanger that is coupled to the submerged heat exchanger. Approximately 1.0 x 10/sup 11/ J (100 MMBtu) were extracted from the pond, and the operation had no adverse effects on the stability of the salt gradient.
Critical Literacy: Challenging the Assumptions of Mainstream Educational Theory.

The focus of traditional educational theory and practice has long been on the acquisition of functional literacy skills. The discourse that emerges from this perspective has been linked to the main...
Clinical impact of chemotherapy dose escalation in patients with hematologic malignancies and solid tumors.

PURPOSETo review published controlled clinical trials examining the benefit of escalated chemotherapy in patients with hematologic and solid malignancies.METHODSStudies were obtained by searching Medline and CancerLit and by review of bibliographies of published trials. We reviewed studies that examined dose-intense (DI) chemotherapy alone, in combination with hematopoietic colony-stimulating factors (CSFs), or high-dose therapy (HDT) with autologous bone marrow support (ABMT).RESULTSDI therapy without CSF or ABMT has not been shown to improve overall outcome in any tumor except consolidative therapy of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). In solid tumors, many published studies suggest that less than standard-intensity chemotherapy is suboptimal, but few studies that examined higher compared with standard-dose therapy have shown a significant difference in outcome. No studies have convincingly demonstrated improved overall survival (OS) with DI therapy with CSF support. The use of HDT with ABMT has been sho...
Brief Report: Assessing Clinical Significance Using the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems:

A great deal of attention has been focused on the symptomatic recovery of patients undergoing psychotherapy. Secondary to this is the degree to which psychotherapies affect patients’ interpersonal relations. The Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP) is a self-report instrument developed to assess interpersonal difficulties. This study was conducted to establish cutoff scores for judging clinically significant improvement in patients' interpersonal functioning in studies of psychotherapy outcome. It was demonstrated that the IIP can distinguish among three groups, namely: (a) an asymptomatic community sample, (b) a student sample, and (c) a patient sample. Cutoff scores were established that allow researchers and clinicians to estimate the degree to which patients return to an average and ideal state of interpersonal functioning.
Separation of Algal Pigments on Preformed Cellulose Layers

Abstract Excellent separations of the chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments in various types of algae were achieved by one-dimensional chromatography on preformed cellulose thin layers. Identification of the separated spots confirms in general the pigment complements for these organisms found by chromatography in sugar columns.
Bilingual Autobiographical Memory: Experimental Studies and Clinical Cases

This paper argues that the consecutive bilingual’s dual cultural-linguistic self-representations act as filters for memory retrieval of events from the personal past. Examination of work in experimental psychology on bilingual autobiographical memory and clinical case reports from psychoanalytic therapy with bilinguals suggests that memory retrievals for events from childhood and youth (in the country of origin) are more numerous, more detailed and more emotionally marked when remembering is done in the first language (‘mother tongue’) rather than in the second language. The mechanism accounting for this phenomenon has been identified as encoding specificity and state-dependent learning, where the bilingual’s languages are considered the operative ‘states’ at encoding and retrieval. The paper suggests that this notion of ‘states’ be refined to include cultural-linguistic self-representations attending language socialization in first and second cultures. Such language-specific self-representations act as l...
Heparin-Activated Clearing Factor Standardized Test, Agewise Application, and Clinical Observations

A possible relationship may exist between the concentration of heparin-activated plasma clearing factor and alterations in lipid metabolism associated with advancing age, atherosclerosis, and other diseases. To test this hypothesis, 121 men were evaluated in the development and application of a standardized in vitro method for the determination of clearing factor response to minimal heparin stimulation. Eighty-four men, ranging from 21 to 93 years, selected from this group, were evaluated in an age-wise study. Patients with diagnoses of recent myocardial infarction (presumptive evidence of coronary atherosclerosis), cirrhosis of the liver, and chronic alcoholism were also tested.
Call-by-need and continuation-passing style

This paper examines the transformation of call-by-need λ terms into continuation-passing style (CPS). It begins by presenting a simple transformation of call-by-need λ terms into program graphs and a reducer for such graphs. From this, an informal derivation is carried out, resulting in a translation from λ terms into self-reducing program graphs, where the graphs are represented as CPS terms involving storage operations. Though informal, the derivation proceeds in simple steps, and the resulting translation is taken to be our canonical CPS transformation for call-by-need λ terms. In order to define the CPS transformation more formally, two alternative presentations are given. The first takes the form of a continuation semantics for the call-by-need language. The second presentation follows Danvy and Hatcliff's two-stage decomposition of the call-by-name CPS transformation, resulting in a similar two-stage CPS transformation for call-by-need. Finally, a number of practical matters are considered, including an improvement to eliminate the so-called administrative redexes, as well as to avoid unnecessary memoization and take advantage of strictness information. These improvements make it feasible to consider potential applications in compilers for call-by-need programming languages.
Modeling multi-drug chemotherapy: tailoring treatment to individuals.

Abstract Background : Predicting and tailoring optimal cancer treatments presents a major challenge. Methods : A computational model (kinetically tailored treatment, or KITT model) is developed to predict drug combinations, doses, and schedules likely to be effective in reducing tumor size and prolonging patient life. Treatment strategies may be tailored to individuals based on tumor cell kinetics. The model incorporates intra-tumor heterogeneity and evolution of drug resistance, apoptotic rates, and cell division rates. Tumor growth may follow an exponential or a Gompertzian trajectory. Drug pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic models are used. Toxicity is modeled in several ways. Results : A key prediction of KITT is that including cytostatic drugs like tamoxifen and herceptin during treatment with cytotoxic drugs substantially increases the probability of cure and prolongs patient life. Results also suggest that altering drug scheduling may be more effective but not more toxic than dose escalation. CAF chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, and 5-fluorouracil) is predicted to be more effective than CMF (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and 5-fluorouracil). KITT also suggests that tumors with a high proliferative index ( PI ) may respond better to drug combinations incorporating two cell-cycle phase-specific drugs than do tumors with a low PI . Tumors with a low PI , in contrast, are predicted to respond better to regimens involving two cell-cycle phase-non-specific drugs than do tumors with a high PI . These predictions are borne out by clinical trial results published in the literature, which are discussed. Simulated predictions of the model match well with results from a clinical trial by Silvestrini et al. (2000. Int. J. Cancer 87 , 405). The results of simulating the growth of 26896 tumors are used to construct a decision tree for prognosis to identify the key tumor and treatment variables. Conclusion : Additional tests of the model are needed in which physicians collect information on apoptotic and proliferative indices, cell-cycle times, and drug resistance from biopsies of each individual's tumor. Computational models may become important tools to help optimize and tailor cancer treatments.
Changes in public health preparedness services provided to local health departments by regional offices in North Carolina: a comparison of two cross-sectional studies

In 2011, seven decentralized Public Health Regional Surveillance Teams (PHRSTs) were restructured into four centralized Public Health Preparedness and Response (PHPR field-based staff was reduced, saving approximately $1 million. The objective of this study was to understand the impact that restructuring had on services provided to local health departments (LHDs) throughout North Carolina. A survey to document services that regional offices provide to LHDs in North Carolina was administered by the North Carolina Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Center in 2013. The results were compared to a similar survey from 2009, which identified services provided by regional teams prior to restructuring. Of 69 types of assistance, 14 (20%) were received by 50% or more LHDs in 2012. Compared to 2009, there was a significant decrease in the proportion of LHDs receiving 67% (n = 47) of services. The size of the region served by regional offices was shown to inversely impact the proportion of LHDs receiving services for 25% of services. There was a slight significant decline in perceived quality of the services provided by regional teams in 2012 as comparison to 2009. Following a system-wide review of preparedness in North Carolina, the state’s regional teams were reorganized to refine their focus to planning, exercises, and training. Some services, most notably under the functions of epidemiology and surveillance and public health event response, are now provided by other state offices. However, the study results indicate that several services that are still under the domain of the regional offices were received by fewer LHDs in 2012 than 2009. This decrease may be due to the larger number of counties now served by the four regional offices.
X-ray linear dichroism dependence on ferroelectric polarization

X-ray absorption spectroscopy and photoemission electron microscopy are techniques commonly used to determine the magnetic properties of thin films, crystals, and heterostructures. Recently, these methods have been used in the study of magnetoelectrics and multiferroics. The analysis of such materials has been compromised by the presence of multiple order parameters and the lack of information on how to separate these coupled properties. In this work, we shed light on the manifestation of dichroism from ferroelectric polarization and atomic structure using photoemission electron microscopy and x-ray absorption spectroscopy. Linear dichroism arising from the ferroelectric order in the PbZr0:2Ti0:8O3 thin films was studied as a function of incident x-ray polarization and geometry to unambiguously determine the angular dependence of the ferroelectric contribution to the dichroism. These measurements allow us to examine the contribution of surface charges and ferroelectric polarization as potential mechanisms for linear dichroism. The x-ray linear dichroism from ferroelectric order revealed an angular dependence based on the angle between the ferroelectric polarization direction and the x-ray polarization axis, allowing a formula for linear dichroism in ferroelectric samples to be defined.
Conservation will always be with us

Abstract The rapidly changing energy situation has led to new analyses of energy conservation from both physical and economic perspectives. A physics perspective suggests that the technical prospects for improved efficiency remain very great. An economics perspective suggests that conserved energy may be used to offset new energy supplies. Together, they suggest a continuing and important role for energy conservation.
A Simple Apparatus for Maintaining Gas-Supersaturated Seawater in the Laboratory for Experimental Purposes

Abstract Gas bubble disease caused by supersaturated conditions is generally well understood for commercially important freshwater species, such as salmon and trout, but very little is known about impacts to marine finfish culture. We developed a relatively simple, low-cost apparatus to expose juvenile white seabass Atractoscion nobilis and striped bass Morone saxatilis to multiple gas saturation levels simultaneously. We found that the system was capable of operating under different temperatures and accommodating a range of juvenile fish sizes. Gas saturation treatments were maintained by mixing a supersaturated seawater source with a saturated one. The supersaturated seawater source was created by reducing pressure of an air- or oxygen-equilibrated water source maintained at a pressure of 623.2 mm Hg. The saturated seawater source was achieved by degassing seawater using a packed column. By mixing these two water sources manually by use of needle valves, differential gas pressures (ΔP) ranging from 0.0 ...
Analysis of anti-glycophorin monoclonal antibodies by flow cytometry.

Our previous efforts with monoclonal antibodies against red blood cell antigens generally involved flow cytometric analysis and fluorescence activated cell sorting of erythrocytes using immunolabeling [1, 2, 3]. Therefore, our analyses performed for this workshop were by flow cytometry. Because flow cytometry is a technically exact method for measuring fluorescence from a large number of cells, specificity and sensitivity of labeling can be measured with high precision. However, the values determined with this technique may be much different from specificity and sensitivity determined using other measurements (e.g., hemagglutination or immunoblotting) or under different labeling conditions (e.g., different pH or ionic strength). Thus, we emphasize that evaluation of antibody characteristics depends on the measuring system.
Spectroscopic diagnosis of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) in vivo using laser-induced fluorescence spectra at multiple excitation wavelengths.

Background and Objective The diagnostic contribution of cervical tissue fluorescence spectra acquired in vivo at 380 and 460 nm excitation were analyzed using a general multivariate statistical algorithm. Materials and Methods The primary steps of the algorithm are to: (1) preprocess data to reduce interpatient and intrapatient variation of tissue spectra from the same diagnostic category, without a priori information, (2) dimensionally reduce the preprocessed spectral data using Principal Component Analysis, and (3) develop a probability based classification scheme based on logistic discrimination using the diagnostically useful principal components. The algorithm was tested on cervical tissue spectra acquired from 165 sites at 380 nm excitation and from 147 sites at 460 nm excitation. A retrospective and prospective estimate of the algorithm's performance was determined. Results At 460 nm excitation, (1) SILs can be differentiated from normal squamous tissues with an average sensitivity and specificity of 91% ± 1.3 and 75.5% ± 1, respectively; furthermore, (2) high grade SILs can be differentiated from low grade SILs with an average sensitivity and specificity of 80% ± 4 and 76% ± 5, respectively. In addition, using tissue spectra at 380 nm excitation, SILs can be differentiated from normal columnar epithelia and inflammation with an average sensitivity and specificity of 77% ± 1 and 72% ± 9, respectively. Conclusions Fluorescence spectra at multiple excitation wavelengths are essential for the detection and differential diagnosis of SILs at colposcopy. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Energy Capture from Thermolytic Solutions in Microbial Reverse-Electrodialysis Cells

Reverse electrodialysis allows for the capture of energy from salinity gradients between salt and fresh waters, but potential applications are currently limited to coastal areas and the need for a large number of membrane pairs. Using salt solutions that could be continuously regenerated with waste heat (≥40°C) and conventional technologies would allow much wider applications of salinity-gradient power production. We used reverse electrodialysis ion-exchange membrane stacks in microbial reverse-electrodialysis cells to efficiently capture salinity-gradient energy from ammonium bicarbonate salt solutions. The maximum power density using acetate reached 5.6 watts per square meter of cathode surface area, which was five times that produced without the dialysis stack, and 3.0 ± 0.05 watts per square meter with domestic wastewater. Maximum energy recovery with acetate reached 30 ± 0.5%.
Controlled/“Living” Radical Polymerization. Homogeneous Reverse Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization Using AIBN as the Initiator

Atom transfer radical polymerization using AIBN/CuBr2/2dNbipy as the initiating system has been successfully carried out for styrene, methyl acrylate, and methyl methacrylate. Well-defined polymers with low polydispersities have been obtained. High apparent initiation efficiencies were observed for both styrene and methyl acrylate polymerizations at 110 °C. With an increase of the [AIBN]o/[CuBr2/2dNbipy]o ratio, apparent initiation efficiency decreased and polydispersity increased. Low initiation efficiencies were observed for the polymerizations of methyl methacrylate at both 110 and 90 °C, with higher polydispersities at higher temperature. The changes in polydispersity with respect to the changes in [AIBN]o/[CuBr2/2dNbipy]o ratio and the temperature can be explained by the differences in the rate of deactivation by the copper(II) halide species.
Circulatory Effects of Mitral Commissurotomy with Particular Reference to Selection of Patients for Surgery

Of 60 patients with mitral stenosis referred as proper candidates for commissurotomy, less than half (27) proved suitable after further study. One half of these (13) had a good postoperative result as judged not only clinically but by objective physiologic measurements. The latter represent the best criteria for the effects of surgery since subjective impressions may be unreliable. Eight subjects originally advised to undergo surgery would now be rejected inasmuch as myocardial insufficiency and not mitral block was their predominant difficulty. Clinical criteria appear as yet inadequate for the selection of the proper candidate for mitral commissurotomy, as there is no good clinical means of establishing in every instance the presence of pulmonary hypertension which remains the best evidence of a significant degree of mitral block.
Piggy-back adenopapillomas over lipomatosis of the ileocecal valve

Adenopapillomas on ileocecal valves affected by lipomatous hyperplasia were discovered incidentally at laparotomy in two asymptomatic patients in whom other polyps of the colon had been discovered during preherniorrhaphy barium-enema examinations. The incidence, diagnosis, and treatment of these rare lesions is discussed.
Susceptibility of “Enterobacteria” to Aminoglycoside Antibiotics: Comparisons with Tetracyclines, Polymyxins, Chloramphenicol, and Spectinomycin

The search for new antimicrobial agents continues at a brisk pace in efforts to develop agents with lower toxicity, better pharmacokinetics, and greater activity against a wider spectrum of important pathogens than the drugs that are already available. Early in 1972, we embarked on an attempt to compare the in vitro activity of most of the antibiotics then available and in general use with that of a number of related drugs considered by several manufacturers to be worthy of investigation. Some of these "new" antibiotics have since been approved and are already available for use in the United States, whereas others are still in various stages of investigation; some of the approved drugs have been the subjects of recent supplements to this journal.
Identifying Latent Study Habits by Mining Learner Behavior Patterns in Massive Open Online Courses

MOOCs attract diverse users with varying habits. Identifying those patterns through clickstream analysis could enable more effective personalized support for student information seeking and learning in that online context. We propose a novel method to characterize types of sessions in MOOCs by mining the habitual behaviors of students within individual sessions. We model learning sessions as a distribution of activities and activity sequences with a topical N-gram model. The representation offers insights into what groupings of habitual student behaviors are associated with higher or lower success in the course. We also investigate how context information, such as time of day or a user's demographic information, is associated with the types of learning sessions.
A Preference Order Dynamic Program for a Knapsack Problem with Stochastic Rewards

In this paper, we extend the knapsack problem to include more realistic situations by treating the rewards (or values) associated with each item included in the solution as random variables with distributions that are known (or may be estimated) rather than known integers, as in the usual formulation. We propose a dynamic programming solution methodology where the usual real-valued return function is replaced by a preference ordering on the distributions of returns from the items selected. In addition to extending previous solutions to the knapsack problem, we demonstrate the selection of a preference ordering criterion and illustrate the conditions required of the ordering to guarantee optimality of the procedure. A sample problem is shown to demonstrate the algorithm, and results of computational experience with 459 problems of varying sizes and parameters are presented.
Implication of Triticum searsii as the B-genome donor to wheat using DNA hybridizations

In vitro DNA:DNA hybridizations and hydroxyapatite thermal chromatography were employed to help identify the species ancestral to the B genome of the polyploid wheats. We hybridized 3H-Triticum aestivum DNA to the unlabeled DNAs of T. urartu, T. speltoides, T. sharonensis, T. bicorne, T. longissimum, and T. searsii. 3H-Labeled DNA of T. urartu was hybridized with the DNA of a synthetic tetraploid, AADD. The heteroduplex thermal stabilities indicated that T. searsii was most closely related to T. aestivum (ABD) and that the genome of T. urartu was more closely related to the A genome than the B genome. The degree of reassociation which may have occurred between the six diploid species and the D genome of T. aestivum was evaluated by hybridizing 3H-T. tauschii DNA with the DNAs of the diploids. The results indicated that T. urartu had the least sequence homology to T. tauschii, the D-genome donor lending additional support to the conclusion that T. urartu is related to the A genome. Thus, it is highly probable that T. searsii is the B-genome donor to the polyploid wheats or a major chromosome donor if the B genome is, in fact, polyphyletic in origin.
The Microstructural Causes of Intergranular Corrosion of Alloys 82 and 182

Abstract This paper reports a study of the microstructural causes of intergranular corrosion (IGC) in the nickel base weld metals designated as Alloy 182 and Alloy 82. Both unwelded electrode material and welds made from various production heats of the electrodes were examined. In all cases, it was found that Alloy 182 corroded significantly more than Alloy 82 after various thermal aging treatments. This difference could be attributed to the fact that the precipitation of chromium-rich carbides along the grain boundaries caused more chromium depletion in Alloy 182 than in Alloy 82. The greater amount of chromium depletion in Alloy 182 resulted from the fact that it contains more carbon and iron and less chromium in its matrix than Alloy 82. Welds of Alloy 82 could be made susceptible to IGC if they picked up carbon during the welding process.
The protective effect of intermittent calorie restriction on mammary tumorigenesis is not compromised by consumption of a high fat diet during refeeding

Previously we reported that intermittent calorie restriction (ICR) provided greater prevention of mammary tumors (MTs) than chronic calorie restriction (CCR). Here the impact of increased fat intake during refeeding in an ICR protocol was evaluated. MMTV-TGF-α female mice were assigned to one of three groups: ad libitum (AL) fed (n = 45) with free access to a moderately high fat diet (22 % fat calories); ICR (n = 45) 50 % calorie restricted for 3-week intervals followed by 3 weeks of 100 % of AL intake; and CCR (n = 45) fed 75 % of AL mice, matching each 6-week cycle of ICR mice. ICR mice were further designated as ICR-Restricted or ICR-Refed for data obtained during these intervals. All mice consumed the same absolute amount of dietary fat. Mice were followed to assess MT incidence, body weight and serum IGF-1, IGFBP3, leptin and adiponectin levels until 79 (end of final 3-week restriction) or 82 (end of final 3-weeks refeeding) weeks of age. Age of MT detection was significantly extended for CCR (74 weeks) and ICR (82 weeks) mice, compared to 57.5 weeks for AL mice. MT incidence for AL, ICR and CCR mice was 66.7, 4.4, and 52.3 %, respectively. Mammary and fat pad weights were reduced significantly following 50 % calorie restriction in ICR-Restricted mice compared to AL, CCR and ICR-Refed mice. IGF-1 and leptin levels also tended to be reduced in ICR-Restricted mice over the course of the study while adiponectin was not compared to AL, CCR, and ICR-Refed mice. The adiponectin:leptin ratio was consistently higher following 50 % restriction in ICR-Restricted mice. There was no relationship of IGF-1, leptin, or adiponectin with the presence of MTs in any groups. Thus the manner in which calories are restricted impacts the protective effect of calorie restriction independently of high fat intake.
Teacher Evaluations and Student Learning: A Reexamination.

AbstractThe study was conducted to reexamine the question of the relationship between teaching skill as evaluated by college students and teaching skill as evidenced by how much the instructor’s students learn. Mean scores on each of fourteen evaluation items for instructors of twenty sections of college algebra were correlated (across sections) with mean post-course performance of their respective students on the Cooperative Intermediate Algebra Test. For all evaluation items the relationship with amount learned was positive. These results are in direct conflict with results recently reported by Rodin and Rodin (7). Reasons for the discrepancy are discussed.
How Conics Govern Möbius Transformations

(2004). How Conics Govern Mobius Transformations. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 111, No. 9, pp. 779-790.
Influenza and pneumococcal vaccination of adults aged ≥65 : Racial/ethnic differences

Background Influenza and pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccination (PPV) rates among persons aged ≥65 years are significantly below national objectives of 90%, particularly among blacks and Hispanics. This study of the 2002–2003 influenza season examines factors that may be associated with low coverage. Methods A national sample of 1839 community-dwelling adults aged ≥65 years was surveyed by telephone during January–May 2003. Outcomes analyzed in 2004–2005 included self-reported influenza vaccination and PPV; place of vaccination; and among the unvaccinated, main reasons for nonvaccination, awareness of vaccination, and receipt of provider recommendation for vaccination. Results Influenza vaccine coverage was 67.8%, and PPV coverage was 60%. Coverage among blacks and Hispanics was ≥15 percentage points below that of whites. Half (52%) of persons who had not received PPV were aware it was recommended for persons their age, and Conclusions Improved adherence to vaccination guidelines by healthcare providers could substantially raise coverage in all racial/ethnic groups. Multiple factors contribute to racial/ethnic disparities, and their relative contributions should be further quantified.
The Neonate After Cardiac Surgery: What do You Need to Worry About in the Emergency Department?

Neonates with congenital heart disease are susceptible to several life-threatening complications after surgical correction or palliation of their cardiac lesion. This article focuses on common surgeries in neonates with congenital heart disease as well as postoperative complications that may be encountered in the emergency department. The recognition and management of hemodynamic, infectious, and intrathoracic derangements as well as common postoperative dysrhythmias will be discussed. Approaches to airway management, vascular access, and procedural sedation in this patient population will also be addressed.
Low nutrient medium and spiral-plate system for enumerating heterotrophic bacteria in soil

Identifying appropriate media to quickly and accurately enumerate bacteria in soil has been a continuing problem in microbiology research. Our objective was to determine the accuracy of the spiral plating technique to assess bacteria population in soil samples and its compatibility with low and high nutrient media. Colony numbers and the area covered by spreading organisms at 48, 72, and 144 hr were compared among four culture media (Standard Methods Agar [SMA] at 1%, 10%, and 100% strength, and Modified Egg Albumen Agar [MAA]) using two contrasting soils. The correlation between the spiral and the spread plating methods on MAA was tested using 17 soil samples. MAA gave the same or higher colony counts compared to full strength or diluted SMA. Colony size was larger on MAA than on 1% or 10% SMA. Confluent colonies that overgrew diluted and full strength SMA plates were largely absent from MAA plates. There were no differences between colony counts from spiral plating and spread plating methods using MAA. ...
The UAP dilemma.

Although studies show adverse patient outcomes with increased use of unlicensed assistive personnel (UAPs), improvement in their training and an appropriate staff mix may assure quality care.
N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)succinimide nephrotoxicity: evidence against the formation of nephrotoxic glutathione or cysteine conjugates.

Abstract The agricultural fungicide N -(3,5-dichlorophenyl)succinimide (NDPS) induces nephrotoxicity via one or more metabolites. Previous studies suggested that glutathione is important for mediating NDPS-induced nephropathy. The purpose of this study was to examine the possibility that a glutathione or cysteine conjugate of NDPS or an NDPS metabolite might be the penultimate or ultimate nephrotoxic species. In one set of experiments, male Fischer 344 rats were administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) NDPS (0.4 or 1.0 mmol/kg) 1 h after pretreatment with the gamma glutamyltranspeptidase inhibitor AT-125 (acivicin) (10 mg/kg, i.p.) and renal function was monitored at 24 and 48 h. In general, AT-125 pretreatment had few effects on NDPS-induced nephropathy. In a second set of experiments, rats were treated i.p. or orally (p.o.) with a putative glutathione ( S -(2-( N -(3,5-dichlorophenyl)succinimidyl)glutathione (NDPSG)), a cysteine ( S -(2-( N -3,5-dichlorophenyl)succinimudyl)cysteine (NDPSC) (as the methyl ester) or ( N - acetylcysteine ( S -(2-( N -(3,5- dichlorophenyl ) succinimidyl )- N - acetylcysteine ( NDPSN )) conjugate of NDPS (0.2, 0.4 or 1.0 mmol/kg) or vehicle and renal function was monitored at 24 and 48 h. An intramolecular cyclization product of NDPSC, 5-carbomethoxy-2-( N -(3,5-dichlorophenyl)carbomyl-methyl) -1,4-thiazene-3-one (NDCTO) was also examined for nephrotoxic potential. None of the compounds produced toxicologically important changes in renal function or morphology. The in vitro ability of the conjugates to alter organic ion accumulation by cortical slices was also examined. All of the conjugates tested caused a reduction in p -aminohippurate (PAH) accumulation at a conjugate bath concentration of 10 −4 M, but none of the conjugates reduced tetraethylammonium (TEA) uptake. In a third experiment, the ability of the cysteine conjugate beta-lyase inhibitor aminooxyacetic acid (AOAA) (0.5 mmol/kg, i.p.) to alter the nephrotoxicity induced by two NDPS metabolites, N -(3,5-dichlorophenyl) -2-hydroxysuccinimide (NDHS) of N -(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-2-hydroxysuccinamic acid (NDHSA) (0.2 mmol/kg, i.p.), was examined. AOAA pretreatment had no effect on NDHS- or NDHSA-induced nephrotoxicity. These results do not support a role for a glutathione or cysteine conjugate of NDPS or an NDPS metabolite as being the penultimate or ultimate nephrotoxic species.
Architectonic identification of the core region in auditory cortex of macaques, chimpanzees, and humans.

The goal of the present study was to determine whether the architectonic criteria used to identify the core region in macaque monkeys (Macaca mulatta, M. nemestrina) could be used to identify a homologous region in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and humans (Homo sapiens). Current models of auditory cortical organization in primates describe a centrally located core region containing two or three subdivisions including the primary auditory area (AI), a surrounding belt of cortex with perhaps seven divisions, and a lateral parabelt region comprised of at least two fields. In monkeys the core region can be identified on the basis of specific anatomical and physiological features. In this study, the core was identified from serial sets of adjacent sections processed for cytoarchitecture, myeloarchitecture, acetylcholinesterase, and cytochrome oxidase. Qualitative and quantitative criteria were used to identify the borders of the core region in individual sections. Serial reconstructions of each brain were made showing the location of the core with respect to gross anatomical landmarks. The position of the core with respect to major sulci and gyri in the superior temporal region varied most in the chimpanzee and human specimens. Although the architectonic appearance of the core areas did vary in certain respects across taxonomic groups, the numerous similarities made it possible to identify unambiguously a homologous cortical region in macaques, chimpanzees, and humans.
The Alcadd Test: An Extension of Norms

The construction and research application of the Alcadd are reviewed. Interscale relationships and age and education effects in a large alcoholic inpatient population are examined.
An Assessment of the All-Day Kindergarten Movement.

During the past decade the number of children attending an extended-day kindergarten program has swelled from a relative handful to include almost half of the 5-year-olds in the country. In this paper we offer a review of the literature suggesting that the enthusiasm for a longer, more academically oriented kindergarten day may have outstripped actual empirical support for the movement. Our analysis suggests that working parents, whose day care needs make a longer school day an attactive option, are still left with a day care dilemma for the hours between the end of school and the end of work. Children, on the other hand, are being asked to cope with longer periods of formal academic instruction with which they may or may not be developmentally equipped to deal. An alternative solution to the present all-day kindergarten is proposed, namely, combining a half-day of kindergarten with an optional half-day of high quality, in-school day care.
Derivation of Force Field Parameters for TiO2−H2O Systems from ab Initio Calculations

Periodic (CASTEP and DMol3) and cluster (Gaussian 98 and DMol3) ab initio calculations were carried out to develop force field parameters for the system Ti−O−H to model TiO2−H2O interfaces. A force field was derived from previously existing force fields for bulk TiO2 polymorphs (Matsui, M.; Akaogi, M. Mol. Simul. 1991, 6, 239) and water (SPC/E; Berendsen, H. J. C.; Grigera, J. R.; Straatsma, T. P. J. Phys. Chem. 1987, 91, 6269) that describes Ti in a variety of coordination environments, Ti−O−H bonding, and H-bonding on TiO2 surfaces. The force field was tested for its ability to reproduce ab initio structures of the hydrated (110) surface of α-TiO2 (rutile).
Upper extremity motor measures of Tap Test response in Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus

Abstract Objective The Tap Test (TT) is a commonly used method for predicting shunt responsiveness in patients with Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH). The present study investigates whether measures of upper extremity motor function are useful for assessing response to spinal fluid drainage. Methods 42 subjects undergoing evaluations for idiopathic NPH (iNPH) participated in this study. A standardized gait evaluation, a neuropsychological battery, and objective tests of upper extremity motor functions were administered. A Neurologist skilled in NPH assessment independently rated patients as TT Responders ( n =26) or Non-Responders ( n =16) based on clinical impression of change 2–4h after 40–50cm 3 drainage of spinal fluid by lumbar puncture (LP). In the subset of subjects who underwent shunt placement, operative outcome was also evaluated. Results TT Responders improved significantly more than TT Non-Responders in Upper Extremity Coordination / Speed tasks ( p Upper Extremity Coordination / Speed and post-shunt improvement. Among Upper Extremity Coordination / Speed measures, Line Tracing displayed the greatest sensitivity (76%) to change post-LP. Conclusions Our data suggest that measures of upper extremity motor functions may be useful as measures of Tap Test response in patients with iNPH. These upper extremity motor tasks can be rapidly administered (
Preschool Children's Pretend and Physical Play and Sex of Play Partner: Connections to Peer Competence.

This study was designed to examine associations between preschool children’s pretend and physical play with same-sex, other-sex, and mixed sex peers and children’s social competence with peers. Sixty predominately middle-class preschoolers (33 boys, 51 European-American) were observed on the playground at their school over a period of 4 months. Children’s same-sex, other-sex, and mixed-sex peer play was observed, and teachers and peers provided assessments of children’s social competence. Analyses revealed that children who engaged in more same-sex pretend play were better liked by peers and were viewed by teachers as being socially competent. In addition, girls who engaged in same-sex exercise play and boys who engaged in same-sex rough-and-tumble play were better liked by peers, whereas boys who engaged in rough-and-tumble play with other-sex peers were less liked by peers. The results suggest that child gender and gender of playmate are important factors in the association between pretend play and rough-and-tumble play and children’s social competence with peers.
Inspection and Repair Technology for BMI Penetrations

Historically, United States (US) nuclear power plant inspections of the reactor vessel bottom-mounted-instrument (BMI) penetrations have been limited to visual verification via a combination of walk-downs and pressure tests. However in France, more than 18 UT and weld-surface VT campaigns had been performed to inspect the BMI penetration nozzles and welds since 1992 with no observed failures through 2002. In April 2003, South Texas Project Unit 1 discovered apparent leakage from two nozzles during a bare-metal examination. Based on the French inspection experience, Framatome ANP was selected for inspection and repair services to address the leaking nozzles. Inspection activities included ultrasonic examination (UT) of the tube, enhanced visual test (VT) and eddy current testing (ECT) of the J-groove weld, bobbin ECT and profilometry of the tube ID, helium leak test, phased-array UT, borescopic VT, and boat-sample removal with destructive metallurgical analysis. Repair activities included sealing the top portion of the penetration, cutting out the old nozzles, and welding in new nozzles. This presentation discusses BMI inspection and repair technology focused particularly on the South Texas Project experience.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Histological Methods for the Demonstration of Gold in Tissues

Two methods for the demonstration of gold in tissues are described. The tissue is fixed in neutral formalin, embedded in paraffin, sectioned and run down to water. In the SnCl2 method, modified from that of Christeller, it is then incubated for 24 hours at 56° C. in a mixture of ten parts of 5% SnCl2·2H2O and one part of concentrated HCl. The interpretation of the results obtained by this method is frequently difficult because of the presence of accessory precipitates and the presence of the normal pigments of the tissue. This has led to the development of a new method, in which the sections are incubated for periods varying from 24 hours to 6 days at 37° C. in 3% H2O2. The gold is reduced to the metallic state, the interfering tissue pigments are bleached, and, since no metallic ions have been added, accessory precipitates do not occur. After both methods, the sections are washed thoroughly, run up, and mounted in damar.
The effect of infection with Lyme disease spirochetes (Borrelia burgdorferi) on the phototaxis, activity, and questing height of the tick vector Ixodes scapularis

Little is known about the effects of infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease, on its tick vectors. The purpose of this study was to determine the behavioural and ecological effects of infection by the bacterium in nymphal and adult black-legged (Ixodes scapularis) ticks. We found that the effects of infection were more pronounced in adults than in nymphs. Compared to uninfected adults, infected adults were less able to overcome physical obstacles, avoided vertical surfaces, were less active and quested at lower heights. Infected nymphs showed increased phototaxis and attraction to vertical surfaces. Infected nymphs also showed trends toward increased questing height and a greater tendency to overcome physical obstacles although these trends were not statistically significant. These altered behaviours in an infected tick may affect survival or pathogen transmission and may reflect kin selection in the bacterial pathogen.