cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
E-046 Safety and efficacy of cangrelor in neurointervention

Background Acute ischemic stroke with tandem cervical and intracranial disease is a morbid entity. Despite the advances in endovascular therapies (EVT), a significant percentage of treated patients develop symptomatic intracranial hemorrhagic conversion. The risk increases with the use of intravenous Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (GPI) during acute stenting. Cangrelor is a novel intravenous P2Y12 inhibitor that has been established as an effective alternative to GPI in cardiac interventions. However, little is known about the safety and efficacy of Cangrelor in neuro-interventions. Methods This is a series of all cerebrovascular patients treated with EVT in whom Cangrelor was used between January 2019 and August 2019 in a single tertiary center. We describe patient characteristics, technical and pharmacological details and outcomes. Results Our cohort included 16 patients treated with Cangrelor, 56.3% were male patients, and the median age was 66 years (IQR=18). The majority of patients (75%) were stroke cases, while 3 (18.8%) were diagnosed with aneursyms and 1 (6.3%) received Cangrelor post-op. Out of the 12 stroke patients, 7 patients had a tandem occlusion and 5 patients had intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) of a single vessel (table 1). Standard dosing was used in all patients, with median bolus of 2.36 mg (IQR=0.52) and a median infusion dose of 58.8 mg (IQR=84). Platelet reactivity unit test (PRU) was performed in 7 patients, 10–30 minutes after the bolus dose with a median value of 7 (IQR=63). 62.5% of patients were transitioned to clopidogrel and 25% to ticagrelor. All patients had follow-up vessel imaging 2 days after the procedure. Only 2 patients experienced re-occlusion of their stents while the rest of the stents remained patent. Only 1 patient experienced a symptomatic subarachnoid hemorrhage. Median cost of Cangrelor was $1796 per patient. M, Male; F, female; icad, Intracranial atherosclerotic disease; L, Left; r, right; ica, internal carotid artery; cica, cervical internal carotid artery; va, vertebral artery; m1–3, m1–3 segments of the middle cerebral artery; sah, subarachnoid hemorrhage. Conclusions Cangrelor has a safer and more effective profile in comparison with GPI in patients undergoing emergent endovascular treatment of cerebrovascular pathologies requiring stenting, particularly patients with tandem occlusion. Further prospective studies are warranted to expand its use in neuro-interventions. Disclosures A. Ouf: None. S. ElSayed: None. N. Musallam: None. N. Davis: None. M. Tanprayoon: None. J. Fifi: None. J. Mocco: None. H. Shoirah: None.
Micro-Actuated Tunable Hierarchical Silver Nanostructures to Measure Tensile Force for Biomedical Wearable Sensing Applications.

Commercially available biomedical wearable sensors to measure tensile force/strain still struggle with miniaturization in terms of weight, size, and conformability. Flexible and epidermal electronic devices have been utilized in these applications to overcome these issues. However, current sensors still require a power supply and some form of powered data transfer, which present challenges to miniaturization and to applications. Here, we report on the development of flexible, passive (thus zero power consumption), and biocompatible nanostructured photonic devices that can measure tensile strain in real time by providing an optical readout instead of an electronic readout. Hierarchical silver (Ag) nanostructures in various thicknesses of 20–60 nm were fabricated and embedded on a stretchable substrate using e-beam lithography and a low-temperature dewetting process. The hierarchical Ag nanostructures offer more design flexibility through a two-level design approach. A tensional force applied in one lateral (x- or y-) direction of the stretchable substrate causes a Poisson contraction in the other, and as a result, a shift in the reflected light of the nanostructures. A clear blue shift of more than 100 nm in peak reflectance in the visible spectrum was observed in the reflected color, making the devices applicable in a variety of biomedical photonic sensing applications.
Statistics as an Academic Discipline

All but a few of the existing Statistics and Biostatistics departments have been created within the past 50–60 years. In many departments, the founders and the movers and shakers who fostered the growth of the department have been retiring and gradually leaving us. As an unfortunate consequence, the institutional memory of the early days of many departments is disappearing rather rapidly. This book is designed to capture the information about the development of academic departments that were founded by the mid-1960s in the U.S.
Spectroscopy of the Cadmium isotopes

The cadmium isotopes have now been characterized across the entire 50 < N < 82 shell. A brief review is given of the identifiable structures. Some discussion of open questions is made, especially of vibrations.
Image Representation and Description

This chapter contains sections titled: Run-Length Coding Binary Tree and Quadtree Contour Representation Skeletonization by Thinning Medial Axis Transformation Object Representation and Tolerance References ]]>
The Macy study: a framework for consensus.

In September 2004, the Center for Community Health Partnerships at the Columbia University Medical Center received a three-year grant from the Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation to examine the growing financial problems of dental schools and to explore new educational models or strategies that will provide
Asymmetric Synthesis of the (S)-1,1-Dioxido-isothiazolidin-3-one Phosphotyrosine Mimetic via Reduction of a Homochiral (R)-Oxido-isothiazolidin-3-one

[structure: see text]. The first asymmetric synthesis of the (S)-1,1-dioxido-isothiazolidin-3-one ((S)-IZD) pTyr mimetic, which has been incorporated into the recently reported potent protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) inhibitors, is presented herein. The key reaction is the reduction of the (R)-oxido-isothiazolidin-3-one heterocycle with excellent regiochemical and stereochemical control (>98% ee; 82% yield).
Oral contraceptives and depressive symptomatology: Biologic mechanisms

The biological mechanisms through which oral contraceptives influence the central nervous system and produce depression were examined. Oral contraceptives reduce the level of serotonin and norepinephrine available at the central adrenergic receptor sites alter folate and B12 levels and perhaps influence hypothalamic releasing hormone levels. The level of serotonin is influenced in the following manner. The estrogens in oral contraceptives increase tryptophan available for the brain to convert to serotonin and tryptamine. Depression is associated with lower levels of serotonin tryptamine and perhaps tryptophan in the brain. Estrogens in oral contraceptives may also alter pryridoxal phosphate which in turn affects the production of serotonin. Oral contraceptives possibly lower norepinephrine levels by 1) decreasing tyrosine; 2) influencing coenzymes necessary to norepinephrine production; and 3) increasing monoamine oxidase levels. Oral contraceptives apparently inhibit the metabolism of folate and B12 and lower levels of these substances are associated with depressive symptoms. Decreased norepinephrine and serotonin levels may inhibit the release of gonadotrophin-releasing hormones and these hormones may in turn influence behavior. Recommendations to clinicians were: 1) patients should be screened for a history of depression prior to prescribing oral contraceptives; 2) pill users should be monitored for depression; and 3) 25 mg daily of pyxidoxine should be administered if a patient taking oral contraceptives is deficient in B6.
Professional Responsibility to and for Patients and the Ethics of Health Policy

Nancy Jecker (2013) mounts a sustained and formidable critique of Norman Daniels's prudential lifespan account (PLA) as a reliable basis for justice between age groups in the responsible allocation...
Pleiotropic Effects of a Schweinfurthin on Isoprenoid Homeostasis

The schweinfurthins, a family of natural products derived from the isoprenoid biosynthetic pathway (IBP), have marked growth inhibitory activity. However, the biochemical basis for the schweinfurthins cellular effects has remained ill-defined. Here, the effects of the synthetic schweinfurthin, 3-deoxyschweinfurthin (3dSB) on multiple aspects of isoprenoid homeostasis are explored. Cytotoxicity assays demonstrate a synergistic interaction between 3dSB and the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor lovastatin but not with other IBP inhibitors in a variety of human cancer cell lines. The cytotoxic effects of 3dSB were enhanced in cells incubated in lipid-depleted serum. 3dSB was found to enhance the lovastatin-induced decrease in protein prenylation. In addition, 3dSB decreases intracellular farnesyl pyrophosphate and geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate levels in both established cell lines and primary cells. To determine whether 3dSB alters the regulation of expression of genes involved in isoprenoid homeostasis, real-time PCR studies were performed in human cell lines cultured in either lipid-replete or -deplete conditions. These studies demonstrate that 3dSB abrogates lovastatin-induced upregulation of sterol regulatory element-containing genes and lovastatin-induced downregulation of ABCA1. In aggregate, these studies are the first to demonstrate that a schweinfurthin exerts pleiotropic effects on isoprenoid homeostasis.
Lithium Treatment of Aggressive Behavior in Depressed, Drug-Dependent Patients

Four non-bipolar I methadone-mainte-nance patients with irritability and aggressiveness were treated with lithium. Three had met criteria for childhood conduct disorder and all four had adult antisocial features. In each case there was a noticeable reduction in aggression and an improvement in functioning. This finding suggests that there is a treatable subgroup of drug-dependent patients with antisocial behavior.
Nanopatterned multilayer hyperbolic metamaterials for enhancing spontaneous light emission

We show that nanopatterned hyperbolic metamaterials made of Ag-Si multilayers enhance the spontaneous emission rate of dye molecules by 76-fold at tunable frequencies and the emission intensity by ~80 fold compared to metamaterials without nanostructuring.
Phosphatidylinositol 4-kinases: hostages harnessed to build panviral replication platforms

Several RNA viruses have recently been shown to hijack members of the host phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) 4-kinase (PI4K) family of enzymes. They use PI4K to generate membranes enriched in phosphatidylinositide 4-phosphate (PtdIns4P or PI4P) lipids, which can be used as replication platforms. Viral replication machinery is assembled on these platforms as a supramolecular complex and PtdIns4P lipids regulate viral RNA synthesis. This article highlights these recent studies on the regulation of viral RNA synthesis by PtdIns4P lipids. It explores the potential mechanisms by which PtdIns4P lipids can contribute to viral replication and discusses the therapeutic potential of developing antiviral molecules that target host PI4Ks as a form of panviral therapy.
Evaluation of the use of the argon laser in repairing rat and primate nerves

The argon laser coagulates blood selectively, making it an adherent material. Argon laser energy is almost completely absorbed by red blood cells and does not seem to affect white nerve tissue. To demonstrate the technical feasibility of laser repair for severed nerves, we cut the sciatic nerves of rats and the median nerves of nonhuman primates and then repaired them by use of an argon laser beam delivered through a 400 μm optical fiber and handpiece that was developed in our laboratory. Autogenous blood was spread around the group of fascicles at the repair site and was then coagulated with the laser to form a minitubule around each fascicle group. Transmission and scanning electron microscopy showed that the repairs appeared technically superior to control sutured nerves and that the laser apparently had no untoward effects on either the repair site or on the control nerve. The minitubules seemed to channel the axon sprouts into the distal tubules extremely well and to prevent ingrowth of scar tissue at the juncture site.
Host Response to Translocated Microbial Products Predicts Outcomes of Patients With HBV or HCV Infection

Background & Aims Chronic infection with hepatitis B or C virus (HBV or HCV) is a leading cause of cirrhosis by unknown mechanisms of pathogenesis. Translocation of gut microbial products into the systemic circulation might increase because of increased intestinal permeability, bacterial overgrowth, or impaired clearance of microbial products by Kupffer cells. We investigated whether the extent and progression of liver disease in patients with chronic HBV or HCV infection are associated with microbial translocation and subsequent activation of monocytes. Methods In a retrospective study, we analyzed data from 16 patients with minimal fibrosis, 68 with cirrhosis, and 67 uninfected volunteers. We analyzed plasma levels of soluble CD14 (sCD14), intestinal fatty acid binding protein, and interleukin-6 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) by the limulus amebocyte lysate assay, at presentation and after antiviral treatment. Results Compared with uninfected individuals, HCV- and HBV-infected individuals had higher plasma levels of LPS, intestinal fatty acid binding protein (indicating enterocyte death), sCD14 (produced upon LPS activation of monocytes), and interleukin-6. Portal hypertension, indicated by low platelet counts, was associated with enterocyte death ( P = .045 at presentation, P P = .02 for aspartate aminotransferase, P = .002 for ferritin) and fibrosis ( P P = .01 for alkaline phosphatase, P P = .01) and more hepatic CD14 + cells ( P = .0002); each increased risk for disease progression ( P = .0009 and P = .005, respectively). Conclusions LPS-induced local and systemic inflammation is associated with cirrhosis and predicts progression to end-stage liver disease in patients with HBV or HCV infection.
Boron controls suspensor development in embryogenic cultures of Larix decidua

Suspensor formation in somatic embryos of Larix decidua Mill. was studied in relation to its dependence on nutritional factors of the culture medium. Protoplasts exhibiting embryogenic competence were prepared from an embryogenic suspension culture, immobilized in Ca-alginate and cultured in liquid media. Developmental patterns showed qualitative differences in the two basic media used. In one medium, containing 100 μM boric acid, compact colonies developed, most of which displayed formation of polar suspensors after 3 to 4 weeks. In contrast, suspensor development never occurred in the other medium, containing 10 μM borate, yet colonies of loosely connected cytoplasmically dense cells were regenerated without loss of embryogenic competence. Detailed examination of the constituents of the two media led to the conclusion that suspensor development is dependent on boron concentration: below 35 μM boron, suspensor formation is blocked completely, whereas with an increase up to 1 mM boron there is a progressively faster development of suspensor-bearing embryos.
Correlation functions for chiral primaries in D = 6 supergravity on AdS3 × S3

Six dimensional supergravities on AdS3 × S3 present interest due to the role they play in the AdS/CFT correspondence. The correspondence in this case states the equivalence between supergravity on the given background and a still unknown conformal field theory. The conformal field theory in question is expected to appear by deforming the SN orbifold conformal field theory on T4 in a way which preserves the superconformal symmetry. The purpose of this paper is to compute the first nontrivial corrections to the equations of motion for the chiral primary fields coming from supergravity. Using the methods already developed which involve nontrivial redefinitions of fields, we compute three-point correlation functions for scalar chiral primaries and notice similarities between their expressions and those obtained in the orbifold conformal field theory.
Paramyxovirus membrane fusion: Lessons from the F and HN atomic structures

Paramyxoviruses enter cells by fusion of their lipid envelope with the target cell plasma membrane. Fusion of the viral membrane with the plasma membrane allows entry of the viral genome into the cytoplasm. For paramyxoviruses, membrane fusion occurs at neutral pH, but the trigger mechanism that controls the viral entry machinery such that it occurs at the right time and in the right place remains to be elucidated. Two viral glycoproteins are key to the infection process-an attachment protein that varies among different paramyxoviruses and the fusion (F) protein, which is found in all paramyxoviruses. For many of the paramyxoviruses (parainfluenza viruses 1-5, mumps virus, Newcastle disease virus and others), the attachment protein is the hemagglutinin/neuraminidase (HN) protein. In the last 5 years, atomic structures of paramyxovirus F and HN proteins have been reported. The knowledge gained from these structures towards understanding the mechanism of viral membrane fusion is described.
Acoustics. In a fly's ear.

Organisms often identify the source of a sound by comparing the noises that arrive at the two ears. Using some interesting tricks, a minute fly has mastered this feat as accurately as humans.
Bone mineral density in glycogen storage disease type Ia and Ib

The aim of this study was to characterize the pathogenesis of low bone mineral density in glycogen storage disease type Ia and Ib. A retrospective chart review performed at the University of Florida Glycogen Storage Disease Program included patients with glycogen storage disease type Ia and Ib for whom dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry analysis was performed. A Z-score less than −2 SD was considered low. Analysis for association of bone mineral density with age, gender, presence of complications, mean triglyceride and 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, duration of granulocyte colony–stimulating factor therapy, and history of corticosteroid use was performed. In glycogen storage disease Ia, 23/42 patients (55%) had low bone mineral density. Low bone mineral density was associated with other disease complications (P = 0.02) and lower mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration (P = 0.03). There was a nonsignificant trend toward lower mean triglyceride concentration in the normal bone mineral density group (P = 0.1). In patients with glycogen storage disease type Ib, 8/12 (66.7%) had low bone mineral density. We did not detect an association with duration of granulocyte colony–stimulating factor therapy (P = 0.68), mean triglyceride level (P = 0.267), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (P = 0.3), or 25-hydroxyvitamin D (P = 0.63) concentration, and there was no evidence that corticosteroid therapy was associated with lower bone mineral density (P = 1). In glycogen storage disease type Ia, bone mineral density is associated with other complications and 25-hydroxyvitamin D status. In glycogen storage disease type Ib, bone mineral density was not associated with any covariates analyzed, suggesting multifactorial etiology or reflecting a small sample. Genet Med 2012:14(8):737–741
The development and fine structure of centrifuged eggs of Chironomus thummi

Abstract A total of 630 eggs of Chironomus thummi were centrifuged at 8000 g for 10 minutes, and their subsequent development was observed. Of these eggs 509 survived. Eggs were centrifuged with either the anterior or the posterior end in the centrifugal position. The majority of the eggs developed normally, but about 20% of the time, double abdomen or double cephalon was produced, confirming the observations of Yajima (1960) . The two types of duplications were produced irrespective of the orientation of the egg. In eggs centrifuged with the posterior end directed centrifugally, the number of duplications was ten times as great as with the opposite orientation. The fine structure of the cortical region of normal and centrifuged eggs was examined. All the components of this region exclusive of the plasma membrane appeared to be shifted by centrifugation. These results are discussed in connection with conflicting observations and it is concluded that cytoplasmic regions controlling development of body axes are shiftable with centrifugation.
Overview of challenger space shuttle tape-data recovery study

Degraded magnetic tapes recovered from the Challenger space shuttle, after being immersed in seawater for six weeks, could not be unwound without damaging the recording surface. The recording side had become cemented to the backside. During unwinding, the fragments from the recording side, mostly at tape edges, transferred to the backside, and remained firmly adherent. Magnesium hydroxide was found to be the substance adhering the recording surface to the backside. It is thought Io have precipitated due to the increased concentration of magnesium ions resulting from the corrosion of the magnesium alloy flanges of the reel assembly. In addition, we found that low-molecular weight degraded magnetic-coating binder was present on large areas of the backside of the tape. Matrix experiments showed that the presence of magnesium hydroxide was primarily responsible for the interlayer adhesion. We found that magnesium salts could be removed with a treatment of 0.5 molar nitric acid, and low-molecular weight binder could be dissolved with a methanol rinse. We devised a method to chemically treat the damaged reels. We first removed the eroded magnesium hub and placed the reel on a spring-loaded plastic ring. The reel was then treated in a wash tank. The reel was treated under partial vacuum with nitric acid and methanol. As a last step, the treated reel was relubricated to replenish it with lubricant. After treatment, the reels were carefully unwound without any damage to the recording surface. The reels had to be manually unwound in a 180° peel mode at a very slow rate of about 0.15 meters per minute. The digital data from the unwound reels were recorded in analog mode for optimizing reprocessing using a commercial drive which operates under low tape tension and speed. The copied reels were then digitized by NASA. Over 90% of the data blocks from a recorder were readable and 100% of the voice data blocks were recovered.
Digital fingerprints for low-cost platforms using MEMS sensors

With the Internet of Things on the horizon, correct authentication of Things within a population will become one of the major concerns for security. Physical authentication, which is implementing digital fingerprints by utilizing device-unique manufacturing variations, has great potential for achieving this purpose. MEMS sensors that are used in the Internet of Things have not been explored as a source of variation. In this paper, we target a commonly used MEMS sensor, an accelerometer, and utilize its process variations to generate digital fingerprints. This is achieved by measuring the accelerometer's response to an applied electrostatic impulse and its inherent offset values. Our results revealed that MEMS sensors could be used as a source for digital fingerprints for run-time authentication applications.
What makes triangles point: Local and global effects in configurations of ambiguous triangles

Abstract Perceived pointing of ambiguous triangles was investigated in three experiments. The results show that the probability of seeing an equilateral triangle point in a given direction is strongly influenced by (a) the direction of the ambiguous alternatives, (b) the orientational characteristics of the configuration of elements surrounding the triangle, and (c) the shape of the surrounding elements. These findings are interpreted as supporting the hypothesis that perceived pointing is determined by perceptual reference frames induced at multiple levels of globality: one for the general visual field, one for the entire configuration, and one for the local elements of the configuration.
Using the Delphi method to assess community health needs

Abstract Comprehensive health planning must ultimately be based upon information about the people to be served. Their needs as potential patients or clients of the various service systems being planned must be identified and evaluated. Regional cooperation on meeting these health care needs is premised on some agreement amongst the population as to the existing problems and their relative priorities. In order to investigate how such a health needs assessment might be undertaken a study was conducted using a panel of citizens selected from a 10-country central Texas region. The results demonstrate the fesibility of employing the Delphi method for achieving consensus on some health care issues; the information obtained can become valuable input to the overall health planning process.
Rational cops, rational robbers, and information

The effectiveness of punishment as a deterrent to crime is commonly held to be a function of the severity and certainty of sanctions. The negative association found between crime rates and lagged clearance rates, which previously has been interpreted as a deterrence effect, is shown in this analysis to be largely an artifact of a misspecified measurement procedure. A more plausible hypothesis that police decision makers are informed and thus respond to changes in crime by allocating resources and making more arrests is supported by evidence from St. Louis data.
Asymmetric synthesis and absolute stereochemistry of LY248686

Abstract Reduction of 3-(dialkylamino)-1-aryl-1-propanones with a 2:1 complex of [(2R,3S-(+)-4--dimethylamino-l,2-diphenyl-3-methyl-2-butanol] (8) and lithium aluminum hydride (LAH) provided the corresponding 1,3-aminoalcohols in high ee's (80–88%). This process was developed and applied to the synthesis of LY248686 (1), a potent inhibitor of serotonin (5HT) and norepinephrine (NE) uptake. Absolute configurations have been established by single crystal x-ray analysis.
Contributions of autoionizing resonances to the n = 2−2 electron collisional excitation rates for Be-like ions

Abstract The contributions of autoionizing resonances to the electron-impact excitation-rate coefficients for the n = 2 to n = 2 transitions in Be-like ions have been evaluated for six ions with atomic numbers Z = 30, 34, 36, 42, 47, and 54. The calculations were carried out in the isolated-resonance approximation. Interference between direct and resonance channels was neglected. The detailed Auger and radiative rates were computed using the multiconfiguration Dirac-Fock model. Results for the 45 transitions among 10 states from 1s22l2l′ configurations are listed. For electric-dipole-allowed transitions, the contributions from the autoionizing resonances are quite small. However, the autoionizing resonances can enhance the excitation rates by a factor of 2 to 4 for dipole-forbidden transitions.
Classifiers for driver activity monitoring

The goal of this work is the detection and classification of driver activities in an automobile using computer vision. To this end, this paper presents a novel two-step classification algorithm, namely, an unsupervised clustering algorithm for grouping the actions of a driver during a certain period of time, followed by a supervised activity classification algorithm. The main contribution of this work is the combination of the two methods to provide a computationally fast solution for deployment in real-world scenarios that is robust to illumination and segmentation issues under most conditions experienced in the automobile environment. The unsupervised clustering groups the actions of the driver based on the relative motion detected using a skin-color segmentation algorithm, while the activity classifier is a binary Bayesian eigenimage classifier. Activities are grouped as safe or unsafe and the results of the classification are shown on several subjects obtained from two distinct driving video sequences.
Preparation of metal carbonylate anions by hydride reduction

Abstract Reductive cleavage of [Mn(CO) 5 ] 2 , [Co(CO) 4 ] 2 , [(Ph 3 P)Co(CO) 3 ] 2 , [(C 5 H 5 )Mo(CO) 3 ] 2 , and [(C 5 H 5 )Fe(CO) 2 ] 2 by KH in THF or HMPA/THF affords KMn(CO) 5 , KCo(CO) 4 , K(Ph 3 P)Co(CO) 3 , K(C 5 H 5 )Mo(CO) 3 , and K(C 5 H 5 )Fe(CO) 2 , respectively, in near quantitative yields.
Effects of pre-service teachers’ receptive vocabulary knowledge on their interactive read-alouds with elementary school students

There are individual differences in the amount and type of vocabulary that adults produce to young children in the home environment before the children enter school. How many words a mother knows is a significant predictor of a child’s vocabulary. The current study addressed the question of whether there were individual differences in the amount and type of vocabulary that pre-service teachers produced in their first read-aloud lessons to first and second grade students. Specifically, would pre-service teachers with higher vocabulary scores differ from those with lower vocabulary scores in their choice of books to read and in the language they used to discuss the books? Results indicated that pre-service teachers with more advanced vocabulary scores chose books with more vocabulary diversity and sophistication. When they chose narrative texts, they also chose books that were more difficult in terms of their semantic cohesion. Both the receptive vocabulary of pre-service teachers and the language in the books that they chose had an effect on the “teacher talk” that they used in the lesson surrounding the book reading. Just as parents show individual differences in the richness of the language input provided to their children before they enter school, pre-service teachers own knowledge of language varies, and this influences the linguistic input that they provide to their students.
Follow‐Up Preventive Dental Visits for Medicaid‐Enrolled Children in the Medical Office

Objective: To describe the frequency and determinants of follow-up preventive oral health visits at medical offices among children screened for dental disease, receiving fluoride varnish and counseling. Methods: Parents of Medicaid children enrolled in a clinical trial completed a baseline questionnaire before their child's medical visit. The providers completed patient dental encounter forms at each visit, documenting dental services, caries risk, and dental disease. Questionnaires, encounter forms, and Medicaid claims were linked to create a database with information on visits, child and caregiver characteristics, and oral health practices. Descriptive and multivariate analyses assessed associations of variables with likelihood of follow-up visits. Results: A total of 744 children with mean age of 15 months at enrollment had 1,415 oral health visits. Children averaged 0.9 follow-up oral health visits and 1.3 follow-up well-child visits. Fewer children had follow-up oral health visits (55 percent) than well-child visits (70 percent), but children with a baseline preventive dental visit at a younger age had more visits with shorter intervals. Caregivers reporting greater numbers of children and putting the child to bed with the bottle had more subsequent visits. Older age of child, male child, and caregiver education ≤12 years were associated with fewer follow-up visits. Conclusions: Children with preventive dental services in medical offices have similar numbers of oral health and well-child visits, with both below recommended numbers. Strategies to increase these services may need to be tied to those aimed at increasing compliance with well-child visits, taking advantage of nonwell-child visits, and implementing Medicaid policies that allow for optimal timing of visits.
Heterogeneity of EAE mediated by multiple distinct T-effector subsets

Both TH1 and TH17 lymphocytes are implicated in inducing EAE. In mice lacking IFNγ, TH17 are assumed to be the subset responsible for inflammation induction. Here, we demonstrate that IFNγ KO mice have two additional effector subsets, one that up-regulates TH17-associated pro-inflammatory genes, but does not make IL-17 protein, and a second that utilizes IL-12-related elements of the TH1 pathway in an IFNγ-independent manner. In vivo, these two subsets induce demonstrably different disease. By using homogeneous T cell lines, we can dissect the population of autoimmune effector cells, and demonstrate the multiplicity of pro-inflammatory pathways important in disease processes.
Concerning filtrations on commutative rings

We discuss the following three questions concerning multiplicative filtrations on commutative rings: (1) Must every filtration with finite power type be an AP-filtration? (2) Is the intersection of two AP-filtrations always an AP-filtration?, and (3) Does the multiplicity limit for a module of finite type with respect to a O-dimensional filtration on a noetherian ring always exist? We give examples to show that all three questions have in general negative answers for noetherian rings. However, in case of Dedekind domains the questions all have affirmative answers.
Influence of nitrous oxide upon regional brain levels of methionine-enkephalin-like immunoreactivity in rats

Abstract The influence of a 60-min exposure to 75% nitrous oxide/25% oxygen upon concentrations of methionine-enkephalin-like immunoreactivity (MELI) in discrete brain regions was investigated in conscious rats. Compared to room air-exposed control animals, nitrous oxide-exposed rats had 12–18% increases in MELI in the brainstem, spinal cord, hypothalamus and corpus striatum. There were no significant differences between control and nitrous oxide-exposed rats in levels of MELI in the cerebral cortex or diencephalon.
Molecular binding and enhanced photoluminescence of bromocresol purple in marine derived DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) extracted and purified from salmon roe and milt sacs, a waste product of the fishing industry was studied for molecular binding and photoluminescence effects using bromocresol purple (BCP). Since BCP is both water and alcohol soluble it was investigated for binding efficiency in DNA/water solutions and modified DNA-CTMA/butanol solutions. Circular dichroism studies show that there is a maximum binding concentration of BCP in the DNA/water solution at ~5% by weight of BCP:DNA. In contrast, DNA-CTMA/butanol solutions showed increased binding concentrations up through 10wt% BCP:DNA-CTMA. This apparent binding affinity of DNA-CTMA for BCP also resulted in a significantly higher (6x) photoluminescence in thin film form when compared to BCP:PMMA films of the same doping concentration.
Generating best-effort preservation metadata for web resources at time of dissemination

HTTP and MIME, while sufficient for contemporary webpage access, do not provide enough forensic information to enable the long-term preservation of the resources they describe and transport. But what if the originating web server automatically provided preservation metadata encapsulated with the resource at time of dissemination? Perhaps the ingestion process could be streamlined, with additional forensic metadata available to future information archeologists. We have adapted an Apache web server implementation of OAI-PMH which can utilize third-party metadata analysis tools to provide a metadata-rich description of each resource. The resource and its forensic metadata are packaged together as a complex object, expressed in plain ASCII and XML. The result is a CRATE: a self-contained preservation-ready version of the resource, created at time of dissemination.
Joint Solar Power Industry and Department of Energy Solar Resource and Meteorological Assessment Project (SOLRMAP)

The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory has embarked on a collaborative effort with the solar industry to establish high quality solar and meteorological measurements. This Solar Resource and Meteorological Assessment Project (SOLRMAP) provides high quality measurements to support deployment of concentrating solar thermal power projects in the United States. The no-funds-exchanged collaboration brings NREL solar resource assessment expertise together with industry needs for measurements. The end result will be high quality data sets to support the financing, design, and monitoring of large scale solar power projects for industry in addition to research-quality data for NREL model development. NREL provides consultation for instrumentation and station deployment, along with instrument calibrations, data acquisition, quality assessment, data distribution, and summary reports. Industry participants provide equipment, infrastructure, and station maintenance.
Uniform central limit theorems for kernel density estimators

Let $${\mathbb{P}}_{n} \ast K_{h_{n}}(x) = n^{-1}h_{n}^{-d}\sum_{i=1}^{n}K\left((x-X_{i})/h_{n}\right)$$ be the classical kernel density estimator based on a kernel K and n independent random vectors X i each distributed according to an absolutely continuous law $${\mathbb{P}}$$ on $${\mathbb{R}}^{d}$$ . It is shown that the processes $$f \longmapsto \sqrt{n}\int fd({\mathbb{P}}_{n} \ast K_{h_{n}}-{\mathbb{P}})$$ , $$f \in {\mathcal{F}}$$ , converge in law in the Banach space $$\ell ^{\infty }({\mathcal{F}})$$ , for many interesting classes $${\mathcal{F}}$$ of functions or sets, some $${\mathbb{P}}$$ -Donsker, some just $${\mathbb{P}}$$ -pregaussian. The conditions allow for the classical bandwidths h n that simultaneously ensure optimal rates of convergence of the kernel density estimator in mean integrated squared error, thus showing that, subject to some natural conditions, kernel density estimators are ‘plug-in’ estimators in the sense of Bickel and Ritov (Ann Statist 31:1033–1053, 2003). Some new results on the uniform central limit theorem for smoothed empirical processes, needed in the proofs, are also included.
A Digital PFC Controller without Input Voltage Sensing

This paper introduces a novel digital PFC (DPFC) control approach that requires no input voltage sensing or current loop compensation, yet results in low-harmonic operation over a universal input voltage range and loads ranging from high-power operation in continuous conduction mode down to near-zero load. The controller is based on low-resolution DPWM and A/D converters, requires no microcontroller or DSP programming, and is well suited for a simple, low-cost integrated-circuit realization, or as an HDL core suitable for integration with other power control functions. Experimental verification results are shown for a 500 W boost PFC rectifier.
Regional development and renewable resource exploitation

Abstract A two-sector model of regional production is stated with a disaggregated, renewable resource sector. Pontryagin's maximum principle is used to ascertain optimal pathways of accumulation and investment. These pathways are seen to be consistent with growth trends and structural changes, whereby the fractional share of primary production in the aggregate economy diminishes through time. Externalities are introduced into the model, and optimal outcomes are ascertained through intuitive arguments. Environmental degradation is seen to be a feature of myopic growth planning, in which only the value of physical output is considered in defining a development objective.
Oxytocin-induced labor augments IL-1β-stimulated lung fluid absorption in fetal guinea pig lungs

We tested the hypothesis that oxytocin-induced labor augmented IL-1β-induced/-stimulated lung fluid absorption in preterm guinea pig fetuses. IL-1β was administered subcutaneously daily to timed-pr...
Fitness Factors in Vibrios: a Mini-review

Vibrios are Gram-negative curved bacilli that occur naturally in marine, estuarine, and freshwater systems. Some species include human and animal pathogens, and some vibrios are necessary for natural systems, including the carbon cycle and osmoregulation. Countless in vivo and in vitro studies have examined the interactions between vibrios and their environment, including molecules, cells, whole animals, and abiotic substrates. Many studies have characterized virulence factors, attachment factors, regulatory factors, and antimicrobial resistance factors, and most of these factors impact the organism's fitness regardless of its external environment. This review aims to identify common attributes among factors that increase fitness in various environments, regardless of whether the environment is an oyster, a rabbit, a flask of immortalized mammalian cells, or a planktonic chitin particle. This review aims to summarize findings published thus far to encapsulate some of the basic similarities among the many vibrio fitness factors and how they frame our understanding of vibrio ecology. Factors representing these similarities include hemolysins, capsular polysaccharides, flagella, proteases, attachment factors, type III secretion systems, chitin binding proteins, iron acquisition systems, and colonization factors.
Cross-Sectional Inflation Asymmetries and Core Inflation: A Comment on Bryan and Cecchetti

This paper reexamines the evidence relating core inflation to cross-sectional inflation asymmetry using statistical measures that are robust to the criticism of Bryan and Cecchetti. The results her...
USE OF NONLINEAR VIBRATION FREQUENCIES AND ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY MEASUREMENTS IN THE SEPARATION OF INTERNAL AND BOUNDARY DAMAGE IN STRUCTURES

The paper addresses one of the key problems in structural health monitoring — how to separate defects, both microscopic and macroscopic, accumulated in structural members from damage in the joints and boundaries. It is suggested to use a simultaneous set of measurements — nonlinear vibration frequencies and electrical conductivities — to distinguish between three distinct types of defects. Nonlinearities occur as a result of breathing internal cracks and slapping in damaged joints. The use of proper orthogonal decomposition and a local equivalent linear stiffness method allows for model updating to account for the damage. The theory is presented for full three-dimensional elastic solids and illustrated via the problem of a beam damaged both internally as well as at the boundaries.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
RHEOLOGY AND THERMAL PROPERTIES OF SYRUPY COMPOSITES OF SACCHARIDES AND MILKFAT

Viscous syrups with between 20 and 34% moisture were made from homogenized slurries of sugars, nonfat dry milk, anhydrous butteroil and emulsifiers. Homogenized mixtures were condensed under vacuum at 45C for 35 min, to form ordered structures with a syrup-like consistency. Complex viscosity determined through dynamic spectrometry increased with increasing fat content. At low frequency, high fructose corn syrup and maltose-based syrups showed more solid-like behavior (G″ > G″) while the sucrose-based syrup was more liquid (G″ > G′). Thermal analyses showed all composites to have a uniform melting range (95–140C), whereas the original components melted in the range 20–200C. The rheological and thermal properties suggest that these syrups could be useful confectionery ingredients.
Ultrastructural effects of Helminthosporium maydis race T toxin on mitochondria of corn roots and protoplasts

Zea mays inbred W64A in Texas (T, toxin sensitive) male sterile and non-male sterile (N, toxin resistant) cytoplasms were utilized. Roots of freshly germinated seeds were treated for 15 min of 2 hr with culture filtrate from liquid grown Helminthosporium maydis Race T, or with a chloroform extractable purified fraction from the culture filtrate. In the susceptible W64A T line, toxin treatment, both crude and purified, caused swelling and loss of matrix densiy in mitochondria of root cap and vacuolated cells in the region of elongation. One hour treatment with the chloroform extractable toxin fraction caused similar effects or mitochondria of isolated leaf protoplasts. This is the first report of such rapid in vivo effects of HmT toxin on mitochondria. Difficulty in obtaining consistent preservation of meristem mitochondria precluded drawing firm conclusions concerning that region of the root. In the resistant W64A N line, protoplast and root mitochondria were unaffected by the toxin.
p -version hybrid/ mixed finite element method

Abstract In this paper, the p-version hybrid/mixed finite element formulation using the Hu–Washizu principle is presented. The shape functions are assumed to be hierarchical for the displacement variables. The stresses and the strains are interpolated using Legendre polynomials so that the computation of the stiffness matrix will be simplified. For 2-D problems, the higher-order hierarchical shape functions start following the 8-node, quadrilateral shape functions. The geometry mapping of each element is also performed using an 8-node parametric mapping. Numerical examples for a plate with a circular hole and circular inclusion are included.
High-fidelity computer models for prospective treatment planning of radiofrequency ablation with in vitro experimental correlation.

Purpose To evaluate the accuracy of computer simulation in predicting the thermal damage region produced by a radiofrequency (RF) ablation procedure in an in vitro perfused bovine liver model. The thermal dose end point in the liver model is used to assess quantitatively computer prediction for use in prospective treatment planning of RF ablation procedures. Materials and Methods Geometric details of the tri-cooled tip electrode were modeled. The resistive heating of a pulsed voltage delivery was simulated in four dimensions using finite element models (FEM) implemented on high-performance parallel computing architectures. A range of physically realistic blood perfusion parameters, 3.6–53.6 kg/sec/m 3 , was considered in the computer model. An Arrhenius damage model was used to predict the thermal dose. Dice similarity coefficients (DSC) were the metric of comparison between computational predictions and T1-weighted contrast-enhanced images of the damage obtained from a RF procedure performed on an in vitro perfused bovine liver model. Results For a perfusion parameter greater than 16.3 kg/sec/m 3 , simulations predict the temporal evolution of the damaged volume is perfusion limited and will reach a maximum value. Over a range of physically meaningful perfusion values, 16.3–33.1 kg/sec/m 3 , the predicted thermal dose reaches the maximum damage volume within 2 minutes of the delivery and is in good agreement (DSC > 0.7) with experimental measurements obtained from the perfused liver model. Conclusions As measured by the computed volumetric DSC, computer prediction accuracy of the thermal dose shows good correlation with ablation lesions measured in vitro in perfused bovine liver models over a range of physically realistic perfusion values.
Quantitative studies on selenite metabolism in Escherichia coli

Abstract Selenite metabolism in Escherichia coli has been observed to involve at least two phases. One phase represents the reduction of selenite to elemental selenium. A second phase represents the incorporation of selenium into organic molecular structure (selenomethionine, etc.). Although elemental selenium is soluble in CS 2 , it was found that the solvent would not completely extract Se from the cells. Complete extraction was possible only after enzymic hydrolysis of the protein material, an indication that part of the elemental selenium was tightly bound to the protein. It was observed that although selenite reduction depended upon cell growth, it was not directly correlated to cell density. Continuous culture of cells in selenite media led to increased selenite reduction but with a decrease in cell population. Furthermore, it was found that normal cell suspensions, when incubated in selenite buffer, were capable of reducing selenite, thus indicating the presence of a reductase system in the normal cells. However, preliminary attempts to show the reductase activity in a cell free preparation were unsuccessful.