cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
African Trachelomonas saccasii found in a European mesotrophic pond (Czech Republic). Implication for euglenoid biogeography and recommendations for euglenoid flagship species

This work reports the identification of Trachelomonas saccasii in a small mesotrophic pond in the Czech Republic. Trachelomonas saccasii was originally described from a small lake in Ivory Coast (West Africa) in 2009. This report from the Czech Republic is the second known record of this taxon after the initial description of this species. Trachelomonas saccasii represents a new species of euglenoid for the Czech Republic and Europe. This finding highlights the current knowledge gaps regarding the biogeography and worldwide distribution of euglenoids. The first aim of this study is to describe the identification of Trachelomonas saccasii using light and scanning electron microscopy and to compare it with the description of the original material from Africa. Second, we discuss the current knowledge of euglenophyte biogeography and propose methods that could be used to explore biogeographical distributions using floristic databases. These methods could be useful especially for the following flagship species: Colacium epiphyticum, C. minimum, Lepocinclis crassicollis, Phacus plicatus, Trachelomonas argentinensis , T. hemispherica and T. magdaleniana . This study provides new data on the global distribution of euglenoids and proposes possible strategies to obtain further information about the global distribution of this group of microorganisms.
SN titer response comparisons among fourteen diagnostic laboratories for antibodies protecting against IBR, BVD and BRSV virus following the administration of modified live vaccine to weaning aged calves

Eleven yearling calves were vaccinated with BRSVVac® 41. Serum samples collected 35 days after vaccination were sent to 14 different diagnostic laboratories around the United States for assay of IBR, BVD and BRSV antibodies. A great deal of lab to lab variation was encountered. This variation was due in part to the virus strain used, lab technique and cell culture line utilized.
The Russian Orthodox Church, 1917–1948: from decline to resurrection

This monograph investigates the jurisdictional and territorial authority of the Russian Orthodox Church – what contemporary Russian Church leaders refer to as “canonical territory.” It is not a gen...
Organometallic Compounds of the Group I, II, and III Metals

The use of organometallic reagents in organic synthesis had its beginning around 1900 when Victor Grignard discovered that alkyl and aryl halides react with magnesium metal to give homogeneous solutions containing organomagnesium compounds. The “Grignard reagents” proved to be highly reactive carbon nucleophiles and have remained very useful synthetic reagents since that time. Organolithium reagents came into synthetic use somewhat later. This chapter will focus primarily on Grignard reagents and organolithium compounds. These reagents are highly reactive carbon nucleophiles with fundamental applications in organic synthesis. We will also consider zinc, cadmium, mercury, indium, and lanthanide organometallics. Each of these classes of compounds has more specialized places in synthetic methodology. Certain of the transition metals, such as copper, palladium, and nickel, are important in synthetic methodology and will be discussed in Chapter 8.
Esophagogastrectomy: Left Thoracoabdominal Approach

The left thoracoabdominal approach allows access to the distal esophagus. It is occasionally used for resection of tumors or strictures in this location. This chapter describes this approach.
Cure Kinetics of Epoxy Cresol Novolac Encapsulant for Microelectronics Packaging

A finished semiconductor device typically comprises diverse materials, including metal conductors, a patterned semiconductor substrate, and various interlayer or encapsulating dielectrics. Pronounced stresses can therefore be generated within the device as a result of mismatched thermal expansion coefficients. Both polyimides and epoxy molding compounds cured at elevated temperatures develop appreciable thermoelastic stresses upon cooling. During normal operation, temperature transients repeatedly strain wire bonds, which can lead to metallurgical fatigue. Large chip sizes for high levels of integration have resulted in new failure modes, including aluminum pattern deformation, passivation cracks, and chip fracture. The development of rubber-filled, low-stress molding compounds is largely motivated by the need to reduce these encapsulant-induced stresses.
Dynamic Finite Difference Analysis of an Axially Cracked Pressurized Pipe Undergoing Large Deformations

An axial through crack was suddenly introduced into the wall of a pipe which was pressurized by either hot water or air. The crack tip was assumed to advance along the pipe according to a fracture criterion based upon thecharacter of the deformation. For brittle elastic failure a maximum stress intensity factor was utilized, while for a plastic stress field, a maximum strain criterion was used. The fluid pressure in the pipe was calculated by a finite difference method in which the effect of the outflow through the crack was taken into consideration.
Improving Teacher Effectiveness in Physical Education Teacher Education Through Field-Based Supervision

A large amount of research on teacher effectiveness in physical education teacher education has identified clear benchmarks that contribute to effective teaching. The benchmarks most often identified in the literature are (a) establishing an appropriate learning environment through classroom management, (b) providing several opportunities for students to practice skills, and (c) ensuring student practice leads to success. Thus, the groundwork for educating preservice physical educators on these benchmarks must be established early in a teacher education program. This manuscript explores the implementation of a systematic framework for developing preservice physical educators, with the support of cooperating teachers and university supervisors, in field-based practica that emphasizes clear components of teacher effectiveness.Subscribe to TPE
Effect of critical care complications on perioperative mortality and hospital length of stay after hepatectomy: A multicenter analysis of 21,443 patients.

Abstract Objective To determine predictors of critical care complications (CCC) in patients undergoing hepatectomy. Methods All hepatectomy patients in NSQIP from 2012 to 2016 were analyzed. CCC included prolonged ventilation (>48 h), sepsis/septic shock, renal failure/insufficiency, cardiac arrest/AMI and pulmonary embolism. Results A total of 21,443 patients underwent hepatectomy during the study period. Overall rate of CCC was 11%, with the most common being sepsis/septic shock (6.1%) and respiratory failure (4.9%). On multivariate analysis the preoperative risk factors associated with CCC included ASA Class IV-V (OR:2.04, p 10% (OR: 1.35, p = 0.0026); pre-operative sepsis (OR: 2.14, p Conclusions ASA class, diabetes, COPD, pre-operative weight loss >10% and pre-operative sepsis are the strongest predictors of CCC after hepatectomy. The presence of CCC significantly increased the risk of peri-operative mortality 26-fold.
A Manganese Catalyst for Highly Reactive Yet Chemoselective Intramolecular C(sp3)—H Amination.

A novel manganese C-H amination catalyst is easily synthesized in one step from commercially available materials.
Griswold and the Defense of Traditional Marriage

Culture war battles over marriage and family have impacted a number of legal fields, but most particularly in constitutional law which is the focus of this article. Discussing the appropriate venues and methods for deciding controversial public policy issues, it examines the sources of individual rights under the Constitution, and places those rights in a culture wars context.
The Role of Institutional Agents in Supporting Undocumented Latinx College Students

Data from a qualitative study of 16 undocumented Latinx college students across the U.S. indicated that student affairs educators can support undocumented Latinx students by serving as institutiona...
Increasing and disparate use of neuroimaging for adults and children with non-traumatic headaches in the US emergency departments: Opportunities for improvement.

BACKGROUND Optimization of neuroimaging practices for headache is considered a national priority; however, nationwide patterns and predictors of neuroimaging use for headache in the US emergency departments (EDs) are unknown. OBJECTIVE To analyze temporal neuroimaging utilization trends for adults and children with non-traumatic headache in the US EDs and identify factors predictive of neuroimaging use in this patient population. METHODS Retrospective cross-sectional study using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Emergency Department Sample database for administrative encounter-level data analysis of a nationwide group of adult and pediatric patients with primary diagnosis of headache (ICD-9CM codes 784.0x, 339.xx, 346.xx) visited the US EDs between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2014. Temporal trends and independent predictors of neuroimaging use (e.g., patient and hospital characteristics, primary payment sources) were determined. RESULTS In 2006-2014, a weighted group of 18,146,302 patients with a primary diagnosis of non-traumatic headache visited US EDs. Advanced neuroimaging utilization increased from 18.6% (n = 350,777) to 34.8% (n = 756,895) in the total group, from 18.8% (n = 314,646) to 36.5% (n = 698,080) in the adult subgroup (+94.1%), and from 16.9% (n = 36,131) to 22.0% (n = 58,815) (+30.2%) in the pediatric subgroup (+87.0%) between 2006 and 2014. The strongest predictors of higher neuroimaging utilization were hospital location in the Northeast (OR 3.17, 95% CI 2.67-3.76) or South (OR 2.42, 95% CI 2.03-2.88) regions. Lower utilization of imaging was associated with weekend ED visits (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.92-0.93), female gender (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.81-0.83), and Medicare, Medicaid, or self-pay (vs. private insurance) encounters. CONCLUSION Neuroimaging utilization in patients with headache in US EDs nearly doubled in 2006-2014, and was used in 34.8% of all ED encounters in 2014. Utilization was higher and increased at faster rates for adults than children. In US EDs, imaging for headache is preferentially performed on commercially insured and male patients, at urban hospitals, in certain geographic regions, and on weekdays, raising concerns regarding disparate imaging use.
Vector Competence of Aedes albopictus Populations from the Northeastern United States for Chikungunya, Dengue, and Zika Viruses

The Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) is an important vector of a number of arboviruses, including Zika (ZIKV), dengue (DENV), and chikungunya (CHIKV) viruses, and has recently expanded its range in the eastern United States to southern New England and New York. Given the recent establishment and proliferation of Ae. albopictus in this region and the increasing amount of international travel between the United States and endemic countries, there is a need to elucidate the public health risk posed by this mosquito species in the Northeast. Accordingly, we evaluated the competence of four Ae. albopictus populations from Connecticut and New York, for two strains each of ZIKV, DENV serotype 2 (DENV-2), and CHIKV, currently circulating in the Americas, to evaluate the local transmission risk by this vector. We found that local Ae. albopictus populations are susceptible to infection by all three viruses but are most capable of transmitting CHIKV. Variation in competence was observed for ZIKV and CHIKV, driven by the virus strains and mosquito population, whereas competence was more homogeneous for the DENV-2 strains under evaluation. These results suggest that under optimal circumstances, Ae. albopictus could support localized transmission of these viruses and emphasize the importance of maintaining mosquito surveillance and control programs to suppress Ae. albopictus populations and limit further range expansion of this species.
Microscopic formulas for thermoelectric transport coefficients in lattice systems

A macroscopic description of thermoelectric phenomena involves several tensorial transport coefficients. Textbook microscopic Kubo formulas for them are plagued with ambiguities in the definitions of the current operators and the magnetization. We derive a version of these formulas for lattice systems that is free from ambiguities but contains additional terms compared to the textbook results. For symmetric components of thermoelectric tensors, we identify a large class of lattice systems for which the additional terms vanish with a natural choice of the energy current. To eliminate ambiguities in the skew-symmetric components, one needs to interpret them as relative quantities: only their differences for pairs of materials are well-defined.
Abstract 15541: Novel Molecular Entity for Effective Cardiac Regeneration: 5’ppp Microrna Induces Reprogramming and Accelerates Cardiomyocyte Maturation

We have shown that miR combo directly reprograms fibroblasts into cardiomyocytes. However, both in vitro and in vivo, the generated cardiomyocytes are immature. Recently, we discovered that cardiom...
Effectiveness of Telehealth Direct Therapy for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder

The field of applied behavior analysis (ABA) has utilized telehealth for clinical supervision and caregiver guidance with research supporting the use of both modalities. Research demonstrating effectiveness is crucial, as behavior analysts must ensure the services they provide are effective in order to be ethical. With the increased need for patients to access more services via telehealth, due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the current study evaluated the efficacy of telehealth direct therapy to teach new skills to individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examined the utility of natural environment teaching and discrete trial training strategies provided over a videoconferencing platform to teach new skills directly to seven individuals with varying ASD severity levels. The targeted skills were taught solely through telehealth direct therapy with varying levels of caregiver support across participants and included skills in the language, adaptive, and social domains. In a multiple baseline design, all seven participants demonstrated mastery and maintenance for all targets; in addition, generalization to family members was assessed for some targets. The evidence suggests that telehealth is a modality that is effective and can be considered for all patients when assessing the appropriate location of treatment.
Design principles for controlling soot deposition location in resistive PM sensors

Abstract Resistive soot sensors remain attractive due to their simplicity but tightening diesel particulate filter monitoring regulations necessitate more sensitive soot measurement. We studied the influence of inter-digital electrode (IDE) pattern design on deposition location control as a means to concentrate soot and improve resistive soot sensor response. Sensors with five electrode angles from 0° to 90° relative to flow as well as three electrode widths from 68 μm to 585 μm are included in our design study. We observe deposition primarily around the periphery of the IDE pattern on narrow electrode width samples, with increasing coverage as width increases. The flow-aligned electrode fingers are an exception to this behavior, exhibiting dendrites across much of the IDE pattern area. Samples with electrode fingers angled relative to flow primarily show deposition on the downstream side of IDE fingers, near the inter-electrode gap edge. Despite this control over how much of the IDE pattern collects signal-generating dendrites and control over the proximity of soot deposition trajectories to the inter-electrode gap, we do not observe dramatically improved sensitivity.
Race-Related Stressors and Resources for Resilience: Associations With Emotional Health, Conduct Problems, and Academic Investment Among African American Early Adolescents

Objective African American youths in the United States grow up in a society with a long, pervasive, and living history of interpersonal and institutional racism. This study examined whether race-related stressors (awareness and experiences of racism) and resources for resilience (racial–ethnic connectedness and perceptions of embedded achievement) were associated with emotional health, conduct problems, and academic investment among African American early adolescents. Embedded achievement is the belief that achievement is a part of one’s racial or ethnic group identity. Method Participants were recruited from an urban school and youth club (N = 75, mean age = 11.6 years, 71% male participants). Structured interviews were administered to youths. Results Adjusting for age and sex, racial–ethnic connectedness and embedded achievement were associated with fewer emotional problems and conduct problems. In addition, embedded achievement was associated with greater academic investment. Racial–ethnic connectedness modified associations between awareness and experiences of racism and emotional problems; racism was associated with more emotional problems, but only among youths with lower levels of racial–ethnic connectedness. Youths’ perceptions of embedded achievement modified an association between experiences of racism and conduct problems; experiences of racism were associated with more conduct problems, but only among youths with lower perceptions of embedded achievement. Conclusion Race-related resources for resilience appear to promote emotional, behavioral, and academic well-being among African American youths and to confer protection when youths are confronted with the stress and adversity of racism. Health professionals can advocate for policies and practices to combat racism and to foster racial pride and connectedness among youths of color.
Catalytic Activation of Bioorthogonal Chemistry with Light (CABL) Enables Rapid, Spatiotemporally-controlled Labeling and No-Wash, Subcellular 3D-Patterning in Live Cells using Long Wavelength Light

Described is the spatiotemporally controlled labeling and patterning of biomolecules in live cells through the catalytic activation of bioorthogonal chemistry with light, referred to as “CABL”. Here, an unreactive dihydrotetrazine (DHTz) is photocatalytically oxidized in the intracellular environment by ambient O2 to produce a tetrazine that immediately reacts with a trans-cyclooctene (TCO) dieno-phile. 6-(2-Pyridyl)-dihydrotetrazine-3-carboxamides were developed as stable, cell permeable DHTz reagents that upon oxidation pro-duce the most reactive tetrazines ever used in live cells with Diels-Alder kinetics exceeding k2 106 M-1s-1. CABL photocatalysts are based on fluorescein or silarhodamine dyes with activation at 470 or 660 nm. Strategies for limiting extracellular production of singlet oxygen are described that increase the cytocompatibility of photocatalysis. The HaloTag self-labeling platform was used to introduce DHTz tags to proteins localized in the nucleus, mitochondria, actin or cytoplasm, and high-yielding subcellular activation and labeling with a TCO-fluorophore was demonstrated. CABL is light-dose dependent, and 2-photon excitation promotes CABL at the sub-organelle level to selectively pattern live cells under no-wash conditions. CABL was also applied to spatially resolved live-cell labeling of an endogenous pro-tein target by using TIRF microscopy to selectively activate intracellular monoacylglycerol lipase tagged with DHTz-labeled small mole-cule covalent inhibitor. Beyond spatiotemporally controlled labeling, CABL also improves the efficiency of ‘ordinary’ tetrazine ligations by rescuing the reactivity of commonly used 3-aryl-6-methyltetrazine reporters that become partially reduced to DHTzs inside cells. The spatiotemporal control and fast rates of photoactivation and labeling of CABL should enable a range of biomolecular labeling applications in living systems.
Robust Adaptive Dynamic Programming: Recent results and applications

The field of adaptive dynamic programming and its applications to control engineering problems has undergone rapid progress over the past few years. A new theory called “Robust Adaptive Dynamic Programming” (for short, RADP) is developed for the design of robust optimal controllers for linear and nonlinear systems subject to both parametric and dynamic uncertainties. A central objective of this paper is to give a brief overview of our recent contributions to the development of the theory of RADP and to outline its potential applications in engineering and biology.
Interstate Marriage Recognition and the Right to Travel

Traditionally, the law of the domicile at the time of the marriage governs the validity of a marriage. However, various states have said that they will refuse to recognize a same-sex marriage validly celebrated in another domicile. This article examines the conditions under which states can refuse to recognize marriages validly celebrated elsewhere, arguing that the right to travel jurisprudence suggests that states must have important if not compelling reasons to justify their refusal to recognize a marriage validly celebrated in a sister domiciliary state.
Optimizing mobility support in large switched LANs

With the recent explosion in wireless mobile communication, a great deal of work is taking place to solve the problem of handling mobile users in the Internet. This problem encompasses the design of schemes for tracking and routing to mobile users in various networks and subnetworks that make up the Internet infrastructure. Switched LANs today employ the transparent learning protocol which allows switches to learn about the location of users by promiscuously listening to the traffic emitted by the users. Unfortunately, as this paper shows, fast moving users render the transparent learning protocol inefficient so that high bandwidth consumption and even packet loss may occur. To prevent packets from being mis-routed or even lost, one can employ a lightweight control-based mechanism for user tracking, based on an existing LAN-protocol known as the generic attribute registration protocol (GARP). However, this solution can lead to large databases at the switches, which can in turn significantly increase the cost of the Internet infrastructure. In this paper, we propose to combine and tune the transparent learning protocol and the GARP protocol in an efficient way as to jointly minimize packet loss, bandwidth consumption and the size of the tracking databases in a large switched network. Our optimization is shown to be effective for a wide range of mobility speeds and application characteristics, and consistent with the state of technology.
Pathways to Persistence: Female Offending from 14 to 25

While violent crime among females has nearly doubled, research on crime still tends to focus on male offending. To better understand the developmental patterns of female crime, this study identifies the trajectories of female offending from ages 14–25 years and examines the risk factors for persistent offending. Female trajectories and risk factors for offending are compared to those from a matched sample of males. Participants include 172 serious (largely felony level) offending females and a matched sample of 172 males from the Pathways to Desistance study. Group-based trajectory modeling was used to identify patterns of female and male offending behavior (assessed via self-report) across 7 years. Findings indicate that there is great heterogeneity in criminal behavior among serious female offenders with roughly 7 % of females’ criminal careers persisting into adulthood. Notable differences in the risk factors for male and female offending trajectories were found. Females who persist in their criminal careers tend to be exposed to more violence in their lives, have more mental health problems, and experience more adversarial interpersonal relationships compared to those who desist. Although the pathways of male and female offending may follow remarkably similar patterns, the underlying factors that distinguish among these trajectories are often different for females than for males. As such, there is great need for a more nuanced understanding of the most common precursors to persistent female offending.
Preliminary Method for Direct Quantification of Colistin Methanesulfonate by Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy

Colistin use has increased in response to the advent of infections caused by multidrug-resistant organisms. It is administered parenterally as an inactive prodrug, colistin methanesulfonate (CMS). Various formulations of CMS and labeling conventions can lead to confusion about colistin dosing, and questions remain about the pharmacokinetics of CMS. Since CMS does not have strong UV absorbance, current methods employ a laborious process of chemical conversion to colistin followed by precolumn derivatization to detect formed colistin by high-performance liquid chromatography. Here, we report a method for direct quantification of colistin methanesulfonate by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR FTIR).
Difficulties in Providing Intensive Care

The results of a pilot project investigating the feelings, attitudes, and behavior of physicians working in a pediatric intensive care unit are presented. With recent technologic advances in our capacity to help patients suffering from catastrophic illness, various segments of American society have become concerned about the unrestricted use of medical science. Questions have arisen about the economic costs, long-term medical out-come, emotional costs to patients and families, legal problems, and ethical implications of "heroic" therapy. By contrast, we have asked relatively few questions about the social processes involved in providing intensive care. We know little about the emotional and functional responses of the physicians in critical care facilities, and their decision making processes remain obscure. This investigation evolved from the conviction that environments comprised of sophisticated medical technology and extensive life support systems pose pressing problems for those working and learning in them.
Do Contracts Impact Comprehensive Financial Advice

Delegating management of financial decisions may involve both direct and agency costs. We hypothesize that contracting differences between financial planners and brokers may lead to differences in life insurance adequacy. Using nationally representative data, we estimate the impact of the use of planners and brokers on holding life insurance that replaces a minimum threshold of human capital. Descriptive and multivariate analyses of insurance adequacy are consistent with the hypothesis that contracting matters. Those who rely primarily on financial planners are more likely to have adequate life insurance holdings, while those who rely on the advice of brokers are no more likely to have adequate life insurance than respondents who receive no professional financial advice.
Endometrial Ablation in Women With Abnormal Uterine Bleeding Related to Ovulatory Dysfunction: A Cohort Study

Abstract Study Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of endometrial ablation (EA) for the treatment of abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) associated with ovulatory dysfunction. Design A retrospective cohort study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). Setting An academic medical center. Patients Women with AUB who underwent EA during an 8-year period. Interventions EA by radiofrequency or thermal balloon ablation techniques. Measurements and Main Results Women with AUB were divided into 2 groups: irregular bleeding with ovulatory dysfunction (AUB-O) or regular heavy bleeding related to a primary endometrial disorder (AUB-E). Outcome measures included rates of amenorrhea and treatment failure (ie, need for reablation or hysterectomy). Outcomes were compared between groups using survival analyses and chi-square tests. Known confounders were adjusted for using Cox and logistic regression models. Five-year cumulative treatment failure rates were 11.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.5%–16.9%) for AUB-O and 12.3% (95% CI, 8.4%–16.2%) for AUB-E (p = .62). The unadjusted hazard ratio for treatment failure was 0.87 (95% CI, 0.72–1.05, p = .16). After adjusting for known risk factors for failure, the hazard ratio was 1.48 (95% CI, 0.82–2.65, p = .19). The rates of amenorrhea were 11.8% for AUB-O and 13.8% for AUB-E with an unadjusted odds ratio of 0.84 (95% CI, 0.48–1.48, p = .55). After adjusting for factors for amenorrhea after EA, the odds ratio was 1.08 (95% CI, 0.62–1.84, p =.78). No pregnancies or endometrial cancers occurred after EA. Conclusion EA is effective in women with AUB-O and can be used as an alternative to hysterectomy or in patients with contraindications to medical management of AUB-O.
Insulin resistance in uremia: effect of dialysis modality

Insulin sensitivity was studied before and after 3 mo of continuous cycling peritoneal dialysis (CCPD) in seven uremic patients, before and after 3 mo of hemodialysis (HD) in another seven uremic patients, and in seven healthy controls. There were no significant differences in the height, weight, anthropometric measures, or intakes of protein and total calories between the CCPD and the HD groups before and after the 3 mo of dialysis therapy. There were no differences in other biochemical parameters between patients on CCPD and patients on HD either at the initiation of dialysis or at the end of 3 mo of dialysis therapy. Residual renal function was not different between the two groups. Mean Kt/Vurea in the CCPD group was 2.10/wk and that for the HD group was 1.20/session. The CCPD group and the HD group both had higher fasting glucose concentrations (p < 0.02), but normal fasting serum immunoreactive insulin concentrations compared with controls. The hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp technique was used to measure insulin sensitivity. Before dialysis, insulin sensitivity was low in both patient groups (CCPD 128 +/- 11 mg/m2/min; HD 130 +/- 11) compared with controls (320 +/- 26) (p < 0.01 in both cases) but not different between the patient groups. After 3 mo of dialysis therapy, insulin sensitivity increased by 80 +/- 7% in the CCPD group and by 38 +/- 4% in the HD group (p < 0.01 compared with predialysis values in both groups). Insulin sensitivity in both groups after 3 mo of dialysis was still lower than in the control group (p < 0.01 in both cases). However, both the percentage increase as well as the final insulin sensitivity were significantly higher in the CCPD group (230 +/- 19 mg/m2/min) than the HD groups (179 +/- 16) (p < 0.01 in both cases).
Soft-decision array decoding for volume holographic memory systems

We study the use of soft-decision array decoding in a volume holographic memory (VHM) system that is corrupted by interpixel interference (IPI) and detector noise. Soft-decision methods can unify equalization and error decoding. A highly parallel array decoder is presented in the context of two-dimensional low-pass channel mitigation and error correction. The new decoding algorithm is motivated by iterative turbo-decoding methods and is capable of incorporating a priori knowledge of the corrupting IPI channel during decoding. The resulting joint detection decoding algorithm is shown to offer VHM capacity and density performance superior to that of hard-decision n=255 Reed–Solomon codes in concatenation with a Wiener filter.
An unusual halogen exchange in a closo-carborane system

Abstract The 1/1 amine/bromocarborane adduct (CH33H.5-BrC2B5H6 undergoes quantitative Br/Cl exchange with CH2Cl2, forming 5-ClC2B5H6 and [(CH3)3NCH2Cl]+ Br-. From the results of control experiments it is suggested that a [5-(CH3)3N-2,4-C2B5H6]+ intermediate plays an important role in this exchange reaction.
Markov fields on branching planes

We investigate Ising models indexed by the sites of a branching plane $$\mathbb{T}$$ × ℤ, which is the product of a regular tree $$\mathbb{T}$$ and the lineℤ. There are three parameter regimes corresponding to: Our analysis is based on earlier work by Grimmett and Newman concerning independent percolation on $$\mathbb{T}$$ × ℤ, the Fortuin-Kasteleyn representation of Ising (and Potts) systems as dependent percolation models, and a “finite island” property of percolation models on $$\mathbb{T}$$ × ℤ.
Experimental acquisition and loss of allatostatin sensitivity by corpora allata of Diploptera punctata

Abstract In the cockroach, Diploptera punctata, acquisition of sensitivity to a low concentration of an allatostatin, the tridecapeptide APSGAQRLYGFGL-amide, occurs in the corpora allata (CA) of mated females between day 5 and day 6, just before choriogenesis, and corresponds to the shift between peak and declining JH synthetic rates [Pratt et al., Mol. Cell. Endocr. 70, 185–195 (1990)]. We show that the acquisition of allatostatin sensitivity is not affected by denervation of the CA, but is dependent on a humoral factor. Transplantation of day 5 CA to previtellogenic females prevents the acquisition of allatostatin sensitivity, whereas day 1 CA transplanted into post-vitellogenic females become sensitive. Ovariectomy in vitellogenic females disrupts both JH synthesis and the acquisition of allatostatin sensitivity. Removal of both ovaries and embryos in pregnant females does not impair the acquisition of sensitivity of day 1 CA in the post-vitellogenic endocrine milieu. Denervation of the CA in virgin females leads to a rapid decrease in allatostatin sensitivity and a slower increase in JH synthetic rates, both of which do not occur in vitro. Our results demonstrate that the sensitivity to allatostatins can be experimentally manipulated and suggests the existence of humoral factor(s) responsible for the important changes of CA sensitivity to this tridecapeptide.
SemEval-2007 Task 19: Frame Semantic Structure Extraction

This task consists of recognizing words and phrases that evoke semantic frames as defined in the FrameNet project (http://framenet.icsi.berkeley.edu), and their semantic dependents, which are usually, but not always, their syntactic dependents (including subjects). The training data was FN annotated sentences. In testing, participants automatically annotated three previously unseen texts to match gold standard (human) annotation, including predicting previously unseen frames and roles. Precision and recall were measured both for matching of labels of frames and FEs and for matching of semantic dependency trees based on the annotation.
Search for Hepatitis C Virus Negative-Strand RNA Sequences and Analysis of Viral Sequences in the Central Nervous System: Evidence of Replication

Patients with chronic hepatitis C are more likely to have significant changes in their physical and mental well-being than patients with liver disease of other etiology, and hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been occasionally implicated in diseases of the central nervous system. We analyzed the presence of the HCV negative-strand RNA sequence, which is the viral replicative intermediary, in autopsy brain tissue samples from six HCV-infected patients. Negative-strand HCV RNA was searched for by a strand-specific Tth-based reverse transcriptase PCR, and viral sequences amplified from brain tissue and serum were compared by single-strand conformational polymorphism analysis and direct sequencing. HCV RNA negative strands were detected in brain tissue in three patients. In two of these patients, serum- and brain-derived viral sequences were different and classified as belonging to different genotypes. In one of the latter patients, HCV RNA negative strands were detected in lymph node and, while being different from serum-derived sequences, were identical to those present in the brain. The results of the present study suggest that HCV can replicate in the central nervous system, probably in cells of the macrophage/monocyte lineage.
Measurement of contrast-to-noise ratio for differential phase contrast computed tomography

Differential phase contrast imaging has recently been demonstrated using both synchrotron and conventional xray sources with a grating interferometer. This approach offers the possibility of simultaneous CT reconstructions of both absorption and index of refraction from a single acquisition. This enables direct comparison of both types of reconstructed images under identical conditions. One of the most important performance metrics in CT imaging is that of contrast-to-noise ratio. These results measure the contrast-to-noise ratio for a grating interferometer-based differential phase contrast imaging system at a range of exposure levels and for several materials. For three of the four cases measured, the contrast-to-noise ratio of differential phase contrast CT images was superior to that of absorption CT images. The most dramatic improvement was noted in the contrast between PMMA and water, where the contrast-to-noise ratio increased from less than 1 in absorption CT images, to approximately 8 in the differential phase contrast CT images. Additionally, a breast tissue specimen containing a highly malignant carcinoma was scanned and reconstructed using both phase and absorption contrast reconstructions to illustrate the superior performance of the phase contrast imaging method.
Angiogenesis: the HETE is on.

In this issue of Blood , Singh and colleagues identify HMG-CoA reductase-dependent farnesylation of Rac-1 as critical for 15(S)-HETE-induced angiogenesis.[1][1] These findings establish a novel link between eicosanoid and cholesterol metabolism with important biologic and therapeutic implications
Design of nonlinear control laws for high-angle-of-attack flight

High-angle-of-attack flight control laws are developed for a supermaneuvera ble fighter aircraft. The methods of dynamic inversion and structured singular value synthesis are combined into an approach which addresses both the nonlinearity and robustness problems of flight at extreme operating conditions. The primary purpose of the dynamic inversion control elements is to linearize the vehicle response across the flight envelope. Structured singular value synthesis is used to design a dynamic controller which provides robust tracking to pilot commands. The resulting control system achieves desired flying qualities and guarantees a large margin of robustness to uncertainties for high-angle-of-attack flight conditions. High-fidelity nonlinear simulation results show that the combined dynamic inversion /structured singular value synthesis control law achieves a high level of performance in a realistic environment.
Molecular Dynamics Simulations of DOPC Lipid Bilayers: The Effect of Lennard-Jones Parameters of Hydrocarbon Chains.

The current Chemistry at Harvard Molecular Mechanics (CHARMM) force field cannot accurately describe the properties of unsaturated phospholipid membranes. In this paper, a series of simulations was performed in which the Lennard- Jones (L-J) parameters of lipid acyl chains of dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) were systematically adjusted. The results showed that adjustment of the L-J parameters in lipid acyl chains can significantly improve the current CHARMM force field. It was found that the L-J parameters have different influences on the order parameters of the top half and bottom half of the chain, separated by the cis double bond. The order parameters of the top half and the bottom half of the chain are related to the area/lipid and the length of the chain, respectively.
Bank Mergers, X‐Efficiency, and the Market for Corporate Control

A thick cost frontier methodology is used to estimate pre‐ and postmerger X‐inefficiency in 348 mergers approved by the OCC in 1987/88. Efficiency improved in only a small majority of mergers, and these gains were unrelated to the acquiring bank's efficiency advantage over its target. These results are not consistent with the traditional market for corporate control story, in which well‐managed firms acquire poorly managed firms and subsequently improve their performance. Rather, the results suggest motivations other than cost efficiencies were driving U.S. bank mergers in the late 1980s. Efficiency gains were concentrated in mergers where acquiring banks made frequent acquisitions, suggesting the presence of experience effects.
IgG4-related disease of the aortic valve: A report of two cases and review of the literature

IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a relatively recently described disorder that can affect multiple organ systems, including the cardiovascular system. While most reported cases of cardiovascular involvement are of the aorta, usually the abdominal aorta, rare isolated reports of involvement of the heart proper have been described. Herein, we describe two cases of IgG4-RD involving the aortic valve. Each case was found to be associated with increased levels of IgG4 in the tissue and one case resulted in the subsequent discovery of IgG4-related pancreatitis.
Individual differences among undergraduate women in methods of coping with stressful events: the impact of cumulative childhood stressors and abuse

Abstract Objective: The purpose of the current study was to determine if a history of greater exposure to different types of adverse and/or abusive experiences in childhood would influence coping strategies used by undergraduate women to deal with new stressful events in young adulthood. Method: A sample of 828 women undergraduates from a New England state university participated in this questionnaire study. Disengagement and engagement coping strategies used in response to recent stressors were compared in groups who had none, one, two, or three or more types of adverse and/or abusive childhood experiences (sexual abuse, physical abuse, witnessing domestic violence, having an alcoholic parent, and parental rejection). Results: There was an increased reliance on disengagement methods of coping (wishful thinking, problem avoidance, social withdrawal, and self-criticism) as a function of more extensive child abuse histories. Engagement methods of coping (problem solving, cognitive restructuring, social support, and express-emotions), however, did not show a corresponding decrease as a function of increased exposure to different types of childhood stressors and/or abuse. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that undergraduate women with cumulative adverse and/or abusive childhood histories are particularly at-risk of relying on maladaptive disengagement coping strategies to deal with various new stressors later in life.
c-Reactive protein levels as a biomarker of inflammation and stress in the Atlantic sharpnose shark (Rhizoprionodon terraenovae) from three southeastern USA estuaries

Circulating c-reactive protein (CRP) levels can be used as a bioindicator of the acute phase inflammatory response and as a possible biomarker of inflammation and neurogenic stress in vertebrates. Currently, there are no data describing the ranges of CRP levels in sharks living in different habitats, especially habitats of differing degrees of pollution. Developing antibodies against CRP is a first and critical step towards developing sensitive methods for quantifying CRP, and thus inflammatory and stress responses in sharks. Sharpnose shark, Rhizoprionodon terraenovae, serum C-reactive protein was purified sequentially over AH-sepharose 4B-PC and sepharose CL-4B columns and used to immunize balb/c mice for generating stocks of polyclonal anti-sera. Serum samples from 131 sharpnose sharks were collected from three different geographical regions along the coast of SC and GA, USA between June and November 2002. Total CRP concentrations were quantified by ELISA and found to be highest in the sharpnose shark population collected in the summer from Charleston, SC, compared to Beaufort, SC and Brunswick, GA. Seasonal comparisons indicated a higher CRP concentration in the summer of the Charleston, SC population compared to the fall. These data suggest that sharks living in the Charleston, SC harbor estuary may be exposed to a suite of pathogens or other stressors that are different than those found in the Beaufort, SC and Brunswick, GA estuaries. These data support the use of CRP as a bioindicator of health status in elasmobranchs.
A probabilistic production costing analysis of SO2 emissions reduction strategies for Ohio : emissions, cost, and employment tradeoffs

A new approach for state- and utility-level analysis of the cost and regional economic impacts of strategies for reducing utility SO2 emissions is summarized and applied to Ohio. The methodology is...
The role of race in predicting job attitudes of patrol officers

Abstract This study examines the differences in selected work-related attitudes of black and white patrol officers in Detroit, Michigan, and Oakland, California. Previous research has noted significant differences in work-related attitudes between black and white employees. Results of this data revealed significant differences in such attitudes between black and white officers, as well as variations between the Detroit and Oakland samples. Findings from this study suggest that future studies of racial differences in occupational studies will need to be very specific as to the occupation and work environment studied.
Abdominal fluid accumulations: measurement using electrical impedance.

Electrical impedance was used to measure the volume of fluid associated with ascites and haemoperitoneum simulated by the infusion of saline and blood, respectively, in dogs. The change in impedance was approximately 1·1 Ω per 100 ml for saline and 0·2 Ω per 100 ml for blood. The technique was applied to measure surgically-induced haemoperitoneum and effusion in a study of the efficacy of two haemostatic agents. Results from this study indicated a significant decrease in impedance associated with tissue oedema and hyperaemia in addition to free fluid in the abdomen.
A simple construction of string vertex operators

Abstract By analyzing the structure of the Virasoro equations we show that the construction of vertex operators describing propagating modes of the string can be greatly simplified. General formulas for the vertex operators of some tensor states at an arbitrary mass level are given.
City Politics in an Era of Federal Devolution

The author reports on the current status of cities in the devolving federal system and the resulting implications for city politics. In particular, he examines the strength of the fiscal link betwe...
Attenuation of brain high frequency electrocortical response after thiopental in early stages of Alzheimer's dementia

Rationale: Pathological brain regions generate proportionately less high-frequency (beta) activity than non-pathological regions, a phenomenon accentuated by barbiturate administration. Objectives: Previously, we reported a loss of high-frequency brain electrical response to thiopental in dementia of the Alzheimer’s type (DAT). The current study examines whether this phenomenon may be detected in early stages of the illness. Methods: Using quantitative electroencephalography, we examined power in the 20–28 Hz band in patients with early DAT (n=7, age 71.0±3.2 years, Folstein Mini Mental State Score, MMSE 26.2±0.8), normal controls (n=8, age 74.3±3.2 years, MMSE 29.0±0.3) and subjects with moderately severe DAT (n=6, age 76.6±3.0 years, MMSE=12.5±3.7) at baseline and following an intravenous bolus of thiopental (0.5 mg/kg). Results: No significant group differences in beta power were detectable at baseline. In response to thiopental, early DAT subjects compared to controls showed a significantly smaller beta power response in the frontal region at 1–3 min postinjection. Losses were smaller than those of subjects with moderately severe DAT and demonstrated a non-linear correlation with decreases in cognitive function as assessed by the MMSE score (r 2=0.75). Conclusion: In early stages of DAT, a barbiturate challenge may unmask abnormalities in brain electrical activity not seen at baseline. Such changes may reflect underlying cortical deafferentation.