cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Time Utilization and Refractive Prediction Enhancement Associated with Intraoperative Aberrometry Use During Cataract Surgery

Purpose To evaluate the time cost of intraoperative aberrometry (IA), to compare IA prediction error to the prediction error associated with conventional formulas using preoperative calculations (PC) and evaluate when IA provides clinically relevant benefit. Methods This is a retrospective study of eyes that underwent cataract phacoemulsification surgery with IA at an academic eye center. IA versus PC prediction error were compared amongst various preoperative and intraoperative characteristics. Additionally, a dichotomous variable indicating clinically relevant benefit of IA, where IA absolute prediction error was less than 0.5D and PC absolute prediction error greater than 0.5D, was associated with clinical factors. Results Five hundred eyes of 341 patients were included in the analysis. The quantitative difference between mean absolute prediction errors for IA versus PC was between 0.0D and 0.03D in most subgroups. For the 11.0% of eyes that had clinically relevant benefit to IA, the multivariable model identified the following strongest predictors: prior myopic corneal refractive surgery (Odds ratio (OR) 3.9, p<0.01 for myopic LASIK/PRK, OR 5.5, p=0.01 for radial keratotomy), toric or multifocal/EDOF lens implantation (OR 2.7, p=0.03 for toric monofocal lenses, OR 3.1, p=0.01 for EDOF/multifocal lenses), and short and long axial lengths (p<0.01). On average, IA implementation added 3.0 minutes to surgery (p<0.01). Conclusion For greatest likelihood of a clinically meaningful improvement in outcomes despite increased surgical time, surgeons and patients should consider using IA for eyes with extremes in axial length, eyes with prior myopic corneal refractive surgery, or when implanting lenses with toric or extended-depth-of-focus/multifocal properties.
Health And Economic Outcomes Up To Three Years After A Workplace Wellness Program: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Workplace wellness programs aim to improve employee health and lower health care spending. Recent randomized studies have found modest short-run effects on health behaviors, but longer-run effects ...
DISTANCE BE DAMNED: THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL PRESENCE IN A PANDEMIC CONSTRAINED ENVIRONMENT

COVID-19 forced marketing education online, physically separating faculty from their students complicating communication, and generally disrupting the social process of learning. COVID-19 changed education in unprecedented ways, leaving many marketing educators teaching courses online for the first time. The change in modality motivated our research to understand a students’ perspective of what practices have and have not worked in this pandemic-constrained learning environment. Using a phronetic, iterative approach, we analyze 110 student reflections from 3 different marketing courses that transitioned online in the lock-down. The qualitative exploration of this rapid transition from the classroom to online course delivery reveals the use of synchronous video-conference platforms enables student-centered practices that can increase social presence and enhance students’ motivation, engagement, and perceived learning. We develop a conceptual continuum between transactional distance and social presence where these important student-centered dimensions can be influenced by faculty practices. Based on our results we develop a pathway to successful learning. Actionable propositions are offered to aid faculty in increasing social presence in the online delivery of marketing education. This study provides student insights and faculty guidance to design virtual course offerings that demonstrate motivating and engaging to students despite physical separation between faculty and students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Marketing Education Review is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
REAL-TIME MEASUREMENTS OF DIESEL VEHICLE EXHAUST PARTICULATE USING PHOTOACOUSTIC SPECTROSCOPY AND TOTAL LIGHT EXTINCTION

There is a clearly demonstrated need to develop "real-time" methods for the measurement of diesel vehicle particulate emissions. Optical techniques provide one alternative for such methodology because of the rapid data acquisition times involved and the relatively simple sampling methods that can be used. This report describes two different approaches to this problem. The first, the spectrophone, measures light absorption by the diluted exhaust plume using photoacoustic spectroscopy, and the second, the long pathlength smokemeter, detemines total light extinction across the diluted exhaust plume.
Intuitionistic Set Theory

Publisher Summary This chapter describes Friedman's contributions to intuitionistic set theory. These contributions include Friedman's extension of Gael's negative interpretation and Friedman's extension of Kleene's recursive realizability. One of the first significant results about intuitionistic systems was obtained in 1932 by Godel who gave a syntactical translation of classical predicate calculus into Heyting's predicate calculus. Thus the consistency of a system with classical logic is reduced to the consistency of a system with intuitionistic logic, and furthermore the classical system can be viewed as a subsystem (or a special case) of an intuitionistic one. Finally, the chapter discusses the partially intuitionistic fragments of ZFC for which Excluded Middle holds for an important class of formulas.
Student Participation in Elementary Mathematics Classrooms: The Missing Link between Teacher Practices and Student Achievement?.

Engaging students as active participants in mathematics classroom discussions has great potential to promote student learning. Less well understood is how teachers can promote beneficial student participation, and how teacher-student interaction relates to student achievement. This study examined how the kinds of teacher practices that may encourage beneficial student participation relate to student achievement in elementary school mathematics classrooms. Using videotaped recordings, we examined the extent to which students explained their own ideas and engaged with others’ ideas and how teachers supported these kinds of student participation. Linking teacher practices, student participation, and achievement all at the individual student level, we found that student achievement was best predicted by the combination of teacher practices and student participation. The results show that taking into account student participation is necessary for understanding how teaching practices relate to student mathematics learning.
The effects of fertilizers and earthworms on entomopathogenic nematodes

v CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 Dissertation Organization 3 Literature Review 4 CHAPTER 2: EFFECTS OF FERTILIZERS ON THE VIRULENCE OF STEINERNEMA CARPOCAPSAE 13 ABSTRACT 13 INTRODUCTION 14 MATERIALS AND METHODS 15 RESULTS 21 DISCUSSION 23 CONCLUSION 26 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 27 REFERENCES 27 CHAPTER 3; EFFECTS OF FERTILIZERS ON BLACK CUTWORM SUPPRESSION BY STEINERNEMA CARPOCAPSAE 3 913 INTRODUCTION 14 MATERIALS AND METHODS 15 RESULTS 21 DISCUSSION 23 CONCLUSION 26 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 27 REFERENCES 27 CHAPTER 3; EFFECTS OF FERTILIZERS ON BLACK CUTWORM SUPPRESSION BY STEINERNEMA CARPOCAPSAE 3 9 ABSTRACT 39 INTRODUCTION 40 MATERIALS AND METHODS 41 RESULTS 44 DISCUSSION 45 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 48 REFERENCES CITED 48 CHAPTER 4: INTERACTIONS BETWEEN EARTHWORMS AND NEMATODES: ENHANCED DISPERSAL OF STEINERNEMA CARPOCAPSAE 54 Abstract 54 MATERIALS AND METHODS 56 RESULTS 58 DISCUSSION 59 LITERATURE CITED 6139 INTRODUCTION 40 MATERIALS AND METHODS 41 RESULTS 44 DISCUSSION 45 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 48 REFERENCES CITED 48 CHAPTER 4: INTERACTIONS BETWEEN EARTHWORMS AND NEMATODES: ENHANCED DISPERSAL OF STEINERNEMA CARPOCAPSAE 54 Abstract 54 MATERIALS AND METHODS 56 RESULTS 58 DISCUSSION 59 LITERATURE CITED 61
Jet tomography of harmonic fluctuations in the initial condition of heavy ion collisions

Abstract In this Letter we study the jet response (particularly azimuthal anisotropy) as a hard probe of the harmonic fluctuations in the initial condition of central heavy ion collisions. By implementing the fluctuations via cumulant expansion for various harmonics quantified by ϵ n and using the geometric model for jet energy loss, we compute the response χ n h = v n / ϵ n . Combining these results with the known hydrodynamic response of the bulk matter expansion in the literature, we show that the hard–soft azimuthal correlation arising from their respective responses to the common geometric fluctuations reveals a robust and narrow near-side peak that may provide the dominant contribution to the “hard-ridge” observed in experimental data.
Health Policymaking in the Contemporary Czech Republic

In the early 1990s, the Czech health system was fundamentally transformed from a Soviet-style health system in which the government paid for and provided all healthcare to citizens free at point of service to a new system with compulsory health insurance provided by multiple, quasi-private health insurance funds and a mix of public and private providers. Although costs had been low under the old system, healthcare expenditures rose dramatically under the new social insurance model and by the mid 1990s the financial sustainability of the post-communist health system was in question. Efforts to contain healthcare costs through legislative reform proved difficult to achieve. After the initial flurry of reform in the early 1990s, the most significant reform was a 1997 temporary bill passed by an interim government. Until 2007, no other significant healthcare reformed aimed at financing was passed. I examine three phases of health policymaking in the Czech Republic and argue that cost containment has failed due to the weakness of private health insurance funds within the health care system, the divisions within the Social Democratic Party over the appropriate course of reform, and high levels of public opposition to benefit cuts or out-of-pocket payments.
Efficient analysis of scattering from periodic structures composed of arbitrary inhomogeneous and anisotropic materials using FE-BI method accelerated by FFT

The design of absorbers for use in electromagnetic anechoic chambers has been a problem of interest for many years. The surface of such absorbers is created from periodically arrayed lossy materials, generally backed by an anisotropic ferrite material that absorbs low frequencies. To study the problem numerically and produce computer aided absorber designs, a computational scheme is required. In this work, the finite element-boundary integral (FF-BI) variant of the FEM is used because the method of moments is inefficient when applied to inhomogeneous structures, and because periodic boundary conditions are difficult to handle in FDTD. On the other hand, the FE-BI method has been already been efficiently and flexibly applied to the study periodic structures involving isotropic and inhomogeneous materials.
The Three “Matthean” Aphorisms in the Dialogue of the Savior 53

The Dialogue of the Savior (NHC 3, 5) is a literary dialogue between “the Savior” and a group of disciples, among whom three are named and have speeches attributed to them (Matthew, Judas, and Mary). Originally written—or better, compiled—in Greek, perhaps early in the second century CE, the writing is preserved only in a Coptic translation made before the end of the fourth century. Only recently has a critical edition been published; hence scholarship on this important document is in its infancy.
Nucleotide sequence of the Escherichia coli micA gene required for A/G-specific mismatch repair: identity of micA and mutY.

Abstract The Escherichia coli methylation-independent repair pathway specific for A/G mismatches has been shown to require the gene product of micA. Extracts prepared from micA mutants do not form an A/G mismatch-specific DNA-protein complex and do not contain an A/G mismatch-specific nicking activity. Moreover, a partially purified protein fraction containing both A/G mismatch-specific nicking and binding activities restores repair activity in micA mutant extracts. The DNA sequence of a 2.3-kb fragment containing the micA gene has been determined. There are two open reading frames (ORF) in this DNA fragment: one ORF encodes a 25.7-kDa protein whose function is still unknown, the other ORF codes for a protein with an Mr of 39,147, but this ORF can be transcribed and the mRNA can be translated to yield a protein with an apparent Mr of 36 kDa on a sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel. Deletion analysis showed that this 39.1-kDa ORF is the micA gene as judged by the capacity of the encoded protein to restore the A/G mismatch-specific nicking activity of micA mutant extracts. Furthermore, our results suggest that micA is the same gene as the closely mapped mutY, which encodes the A/G mismatch-specific glycosylase.
In vitro comparison of the holding power of 1.2 mm, 1.5 mm, and 2.0 mm orthopaedic screws in canine radii

The holding power of miniscrews in canine bone has not been investigated. This report compares the holding power of four different miniscrew types. The screw types tested were: 1.2 mm self-tapping screws, 1.5 mm tapped screws, 2.0 mm self-tapping screws and 2.0 mm tapped screws. They were randomly allocated to canine radius screw sites and screw pull-out strength was determined using a Mechanical Testing System (MIS) machine. The 1.2 mm self- tapping screw had a significantly weaker holding power than the other three screw types. Based upon these findings, the use of the 1.2 mm self-tapping screw cannot be recommended for use in thick cortical bone. There were not any significant differences in holding power of the other three screw types. The performance of the 1.5 mm tapped screws, versus the 2.0 mm tapped screws, was comparable and suggests that the 1.5 mm tapped screw can provide adequate holding power in miniscrew applications. The results were consistent with a linear relationship between the external thread diameter and the holding power. Hypothesis. The hypothesis of this study is that there are not any significant differences in the holding power of different miniscrews. We hypothesized that the effects of tapping prior to screw insertion, or using miniscrews of greater external thread diameter, would not provide any increase in the holding power of the screw.
Genetic testing and corresponding services among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

The purpose of this study was to assess use of genetic testing and corresponding genetic services for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Survey data from 397 parents of individuals with ASD was collected using the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities client registry. Participants reported that 41.2% of the individuals with ASD had undergone any type of genetic testing. However, only 21.3% of individuals with ASD had been referred to a genetics specialist. Diagnosis and level of functioning were significantly associated with both referral to a genetics specialist and having undergone any genetic testing. In addition, Hispanic ancestry was associated with increased referral to genetic testing. Concerns about the limited benefits of genetic testing and prohibitive costs were potential barriers to pursuing genetic testing. Overall, low numbers of individuals with ASD have a history of undergoing genetic testing or receiving genetic services. Possible reasons include low referral rates as well as concerns by parents about cost and relevance, and lack of availability. These findings confirm the historical trend for providing genetic testing and genetic services to those with the greatest impairments. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The effects of innervation on the properties of acetylcholine receptors in muscle

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses some of the effects of innervations on the localization and the properties of the receptor. It describes the properties of receptors in the normally innervated and discusses the effects of innervation on the properties of receptors. The inverse relation between the muscle activity and the number of acetylcholine (ACh) receptors is found both in vivo and in vitro. One possible mechanism by which activity might control receptor content is by way of the intracellular calcium concentration. The average intracellular calcium level increases with activity and this could inhibit the synthesis of receptors. The denervation of the electric organ of Electrophorus electricus is without effect on the extrajunctional receptor density. The chapter discusses the effects of the spontaneous fibrillation found both in vitro and in vivo following denervation as activity plays a role in the level of ACh receptor content.
Demographic & related differences in ethical views among small businesses

This study examines the effects of demographic characteristics on ethical perceptions. While earlier research has produced conflicting results regarding the predictive power of these variables, significant and definite insights were obtained with proper controls. The following predictors of ethical attitudes are examined: age, gender, marital status, education, dependent children status, region of the country and years in business, while controlling for job status. A nation-wide random sample of employees was used in obtaining a response rate of fifty-three percent (total n of 423). Indices of aspects of business ethical attitudes were constructed using factor analysis. Linear multiple regression analysis indicated the significant predictive variables. Age was found to be a most-significant predictor. Older workers had stricter interpretations of ethical standards. Gender and region predicted attitudes about job-discrimination practices only, with women and persons from the Midwest most strongly opposed to the practice. All the other variables proved to be unreliable ethics predictors.
Nitric Oxide Levels and Its Metabolites in Term Fetal Circulation: Relation to the Presence of Labor

Nitric Oxide Levels and Its Metabolites in Term Fetal Circulation: Relation to the Presence of Labor
Degradation of selected pesticide active ingredients and commercial formulations in water by the photo-assisted Fenton reaction

The destruction of pesticide active ingredients (AI) and commercial formulations in acidic aqueous solution with the catalytic photo-Fenton, Fe(III)/H2O2/UV, advanced oxidation process has been studied. The AI are alachlor, aldicarb, atrazine, azinphos-methyl, captan, carbofuran, dicamba, disulfoton, glyphosate, malathion, methoxylchlor, metolachlor, picloram and simazine. Complete loss of pure AI occurred in most cases in <30 min under the following conditions: 5.0×10−5 M Fe(III), 1.0×10−2 M H2O2, T=25.0°C, pH 2.8 and 1.2×1019 quanta l−1 s−1 with fluorescent blacklight UV irradiation (300–400 nm). Considerable mineralization over 120 min occurred in most cases as evidenced by the appearance of inorganic ions and the decline in total organic carbon (TOC) of the solution. Intermediate products such as formate, acetate and oxalate appeared in early stages of degradation in some cases. Observed rate constants calculated from initial rates varied by a factor of <∼3. The commercial products, Furadan (AI, carbofuran), Lasso 4EC (AI, alachlor) and Lasso Microtech (AI, alachlor) were also tested. The “inert ingredients” (adjuvants) present in these products had no effect (Furadan), a slight effect (Lasso 4EC), or a strong effect (Lasso Microtech) on the rate of degradation of the AI. Lasso Microtech, in which the AI is micro-encapsulated in a polymeric shell wall microsphere, required slightly elevated temperatures to effect removal of alachlor in a timely manner. The results show that many pesticides and their commercial formulations in dilute aqueous solution are amenable to photo-Fenton treatment.
Reply to T. Maughan et al

COIN (COntinuous chemotherapy versus INtermitent chemotherapy) trial investigators Maughan et al question the conclusions of the editorial on the OPTIMOX2 (Optimized Leucovorin-Fluorouracil-Oxaliplatin) trial that chemotherapy-free intervals should not be a routine standard of care. This follows as a result of the COIN trial, recently presented in abstract form at the European Society for Medical Oncology meeting in September. As these data have not been published, and there is still much to be known about this study, it is difficult to incorporate their results into a consideration of chemotherapy scheduling for advanced colorectal cancer. As noted in the letter, 1,630 patients were randomly assigned to fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) or capecitabine and oxaliplatin (CapeOX) continuously versus intermittent therapy consisting of 12 weeks of treatment followed by observation until the first signs of progression. The results presented and quoted in the letter show a hazard ratio of 1.08 favoring the continuous treatment, which does not fit their (admittedly strict) definition of noninferiority. Even in the COIN trial, 12-week induction therapy was inferior to continuous treatment. However, we should also note that the median overall survival for both arms was quite short at 15 months and did not reach the survivals reported in recent colorectal trials conducted in the United States and Europe. A general practice in the United Kingdom is to stop all chemotherapy at the time neurotoxicity is reached with FOLFOX or CapeOX regimens. COIN may therefore come down to a comparison of 12 weeks of FOLFOX versus a somewhat longer treatment of 20 to 24 weeks. Data on median number of doses given in both arms were not presented, but the investigators reveal that only a disconcerting 38% (309 of 815 patients) in arm C actually received additional therapy or an actual intermittent approach. Furthermore, for those in arm B, even with KRAS wild-type tumors, the addition of cetuximab did not improve PFS or OS, as compared with a number of other positive first-line trials adding anti-epidermal growth factor receptor antibodies to combination chemotherapy. Failure to optimize use of oxaliplatin, as done in the CONcePT (Combined Oxaliplatin Neurotoxicity Prevention Trial) study, would tend to dilute the added effect of any biologic. In short, COIN may be statistically valid, but clinically the results may be of limited applicability to US and European treatment paradigms. The COIN investigators have, in fact, echoed my editorial comments that better biomarkers or predictive tests are needed to prospectively identify those patients that we see in the clinic who have highly responsive tumors and a long, more indolent course. Such patients, as a matter of course, are treated intermittently, but until appropriate biomarkers are available, clinical observation still governs our management, and we should not routinely adopt chemotherapyfree intervals for all patients.
Synthesis and biological characterization of (3R,4R)-4-(2-(benzhydryloxy)ethyl)-1-((R)-2-hydroxy-2-phenylethyl)-piperidin-3-ol and its stereoisomers for activity toward monoamine transporters.

In this report we describe synthesis and biological evaluation of a series of asymmetric 4-(2(benzhydryloxy)ethyl)-1-((R)-2-hydroxy-2-phenylethyl)-piperidin-3-ol based dihydroxy compounds where the hydroxy groups are located both on the piperidine ring and also on the Nphenylethyl side chain exo-cyclically. In vitro uptake inhibition data indicates high affinity of these molecules for the dopamine transporter (DAT) in addition to their moderate to high affinity for the norepinephrine transporter (NET). Interestingly, compounds 9b and 9d exhibited affinities for all three monoamine transporters with highest potency at DAT and NET and moderate potency at the serotonin transporter (SERT) (Ki 2.29, 78.4 and 155 nM for 9b and 1.55, 14.1 and 259 nM for 9d, respectively). Selected compounds, 9a, 9d and 9d’ were tested for their locomotor activity effects in mice, and for their ability to occasion the cocaine discriminative stimulus in rats. These test compounds generally exhibited a much longer duration of action than cocaine for elevating locomotor activity, and dose-dependently completely generalized the cocaine discriminative stimulus.
Object-oriented design and analyses for advanced application development: progress towards a new frontier

As we approach the mid-1990s, we have continued to see an increase in the power and capacities of workstations, allowing us to design and develop advanced applications that transcend the limitations of even five years ago. If we are to develop these applications, we must find design techniques that can support their intricate and complex requirements. Additionally, if we can improve the design process, we can more precisely characterize these applications with respect to their requirements. To answer these ifs, this paper presents our ongoing research efforts on an object-oriented design model. The object-oriented design model offers a wide variety of design constructs and analysis techniques so that designers can: develop more accurate representations of their applications; and, critique and understand their applications by first identifying potential problems and inconsistencies, and then initiating corrections.
MENTAL ROTATION : A TASK FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF VISUOSPATIAL SKILLS OF CHILDREN

7 girls and 5 boys, ranging in age from 7 to 12 years, participated in the pilot testing of a mental rotation task developed for use in a comprehensive test battery of visuoperceptual abilities. Two asymmetric, three-dimensional objects were constructed from wood strips such that one object was the mirror-image of the other. Black and white photographs were taken of these objects in various spatial orientations along a horizontal plane. 16 photographs depicted the object right-side-up and in 16 the object was upside-down (rotated 180° in the vertical plane). These photographs were presented to the children who were asked to match each with the corresponding object. Analysis indicated correct judgements of the right-side-up images occurred more frequently than the upside-down images (t11=4.73, p<.001). Using these data, adjustments were made to the task instructions to provide greater clarity for the young participants.
Attitude similarity, interpersonal attraction, and evaluative social perception

Ss, differing in the degree to which they were led to believe that a stranger’s attitudes were similar to their own, observed the stranger (a confederate) in a verbal learning situation in which shock was supposedly administered for incorrect responses. The confederate’s performance jrcepuon was programmed so as to be the same for all Os. Attitude similarity was positively related to both pre- and postobservation attraction ratings. High similarity and high attraction Ss rated the stranger’s performance significantly more favorably and also exhibited a tendency to rate the shock supposedly experienced by him as being more painful than did low similarity and attraction Ss.
Cryptosporidium parvum and mucosal immunity in neonatal cattle

Cryptosporidium parvum is an important zoonotic protozoan pathogen that causes acute infection and self-limiting gastrointestinal disease in neonatal calves. There are currently no consistently effective antimicrobials available to control cryptosporidiosis. Therefore, immunotherapeutic and vaccination protocols offer the greatest potential for long-term control of the disease. In order to devise effective control measures, it is important to better define mucosal immunity to C. parvum in young calves. This review summarizes the information that has accumulated over the last decade which helps to define the intestinal mucosal immune system in neonatal calves, and the events that occur in the intestinal mucosa after infection by C. parvum.
Minimally invasive approach for the treatment of non-isolated congenital vertical talus.

Background: Traditional extensive soft-tissue release for the treatment of congenital vertical talus is associated with a myriad of complications. A minimally invasive approach has recently been introduced with good short-term results in patients with isolated vertical talus. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of this approach for the treatment of rigid vertical talus associated with neuromuscular and/or genetic syndromes. Methods: Fifteen consecutive patients (twenty-five feet) with non-isolated congenital vertical talus were retrospectively reviewed at a minimum of two years following treatment with serial casting followed by limited surgery. The surgery consisted of percutaneous Achilles tenotomy in all feet and either pin fixation of the talonavicular joint through a small medial incision to ensure joint reduction and accurate pin placement (five feet) or selective capsulotomies of the talonavicular joint and the anterior aspect of the subtalar joint (twenty feet). Patients were evaluated clinically and radiographically at the time of presentation, immediately postoperatively, and at the time of the latest follow-up. Radiographic data at the time of the latest follow-up were compared with age-matched normative values. Results: Initial correction was obtained in all cases. The mean number of casts required was five. Mean ankle dorsiflexion was 22° and mean plantar flexion was 25° at the time of the latest follow-up. Recurrence was noted in three patients (five feet), all of whom had had initial subluxation of the calcaneocuboid joint. All radiographic parameters measured at the time of the latest follow-up had improved significantly (p < 0.0001) compared with the values before treatment, and the mean values of the measured angles did not differ significantly from age-matched normal values. Conclusions: Serial manipulation and casting followed by limited surgery, consisting of percutaneous tenotomy of the Achilles tendon and a small medial incision to either palpate the talonavicular joint or perform capsulotomies of the talonavicular joint and the anterior aspect of the subtalar joint to ensure accurate reduction and pin fixation, result in excellent short-term correction of the deformity while preserving subtalar and ankle motion in patients with rigid congenital vertical talus associated with neuromuscular and/or genetic syndromes. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Numerical and experimental studies of damage generation in multi-layer composite materials at high strain rates

Abstract The behavior of a multi-layer material at high strain rate and the damage evolution–propagation inside the specimen were investigated by a combination of experimental and numerical techniques. Damage mechanisms were studied in multi-layer materials containing a ceramic front layer and composite backing layers subjected to large strains under high strain rate loading. This information was used to validate numerical models developed to aid in the design and optimization of multi-layer materials. The JH-2 model was used to simulate the damage evolution and dynamic failure of the ceramic. The feasibility of extending the current elastic numerical models for high strain rate loading of complex multi-layer materials into the higher strain and strain rate regimes where significant damage begins to occur was demonstrated. This work is currently being further developed to include damage modes in the composite backing plate and, hence, yield a complete overall description of deformation and damage processes.
Ab Initio Calculations of the Effects of Geminal Silyl Substituents on the Stereomutation of Cyclopropane and on the Singlet−Triplet Splitting in Trimethylene

(10/10)CASSCF and CASPT2N/6-31G* calculations predict that geminal silyl substituents at C(2) of the (0,0)-trimethylene diradical (2c) should strongly stabilize the lowest singlet state by hypercon...
Histopathologic grading of adult medulloblastomas

BACKGROUND. Histopathologic evaluation of the degree and extent of anaplasia is a useful prognostic parameter in pediatric medulloblastomas. Whether the same applies to adult medulloblastomas is not known. METHODS. The study included 74 adult patients with histologically confirmed medulloblastomas and retrospectively reassessed 67 cases with available slides for the presence of nodularity, collagen deposition (desmoplasia without nodules), and degree and extent of anaplasia. RESULTS. Patients included 43 men and 31 women with the following age distribution: 18–40 years (84%); 41–50 years (9%); and 51–70 years (7%). At last follow-up, 56 patients were alive with a mean follow-up of 6.3 years (range, 0.1–20.8 years). A variety of treatments were employed during the study period, including postoperative radiation (85%) and chemotherapy (27%). Precise treatment modalities were unknown in 12% of patients. Anaplasia was absent (34%), mild (34%), moderate (27%), or severe (5%). Severe anaplasia was diffuse in 2 cases and focal in 1, although in the latter cases severe anaplasia was diffusely present at the time of disease recurrence. Male sex was associated with decreased 10-year recurrence-free survival (40% vs 66%; P = .021) and overall survival (38% vs 68%; P = .005). Severe anaplasia at first resection was found to be an independent predictor of decreased recurrence-free survival (P = .005) and overall survival (P = .015). CONCLUSIONS. The incidence of severe anaplasia in adult medulloblastomas is lower than in the pediatric population. Male sex and the presence of severe anaplasia at the time of first resection are predictors of decreased recurrence-free and overall survival. However, the significance of severe anaplasia should be regarded with caution based on the small number of tumors with this feature in the current study. Cancer 2007. © 2007 American Cancer Society.
What is the Bereitschaftspotential

Since discovery of the slow negative electroencephalographic (EEG) activity preceding self-initiated movement by Kornhuber and Deecke [Kornhuber HH, Deecke L. Hirnpotentialanderungen bei Willkurbewegungen und passiven Bewegungen des Menschen: Bereitschaftspotential und reafferente Potentiale. Pflugers Archiv 1965;284:1-17], various source localization techniques in normal subjects and epicortical recording in epilepsy patients have disclosed the generator mechanisms of each identifiable component of movement-related cortical potentials (MRCPs) to some extent. The initial slow segment of BP, called 'early BP' in this article, begins about 2 s before the movement onset in the pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA) with no site-specificity and in the SMA proper according to the somatotopic organization, and shortly thereafter in the lateral premotor cortex bilaterally with relatively clear somatotopy. About 400 ms before the movement onset, the steeper negative slope, called 'late BP' in this article (also referred to as NS'), occurs in the contralateral primary motor cortex (M1) and lateral premotor cortex with precise somatotopy. These two phases of BP are differentially influenced by various factors, especially by complexity of the movement which enhances only the late BP. Event-related desynchronization (ERD) of beta frequency EEG band before self-initiated movements shows a different temporospatial pattern from that of the BP, suggesting different neuronal mechanisms for the two. BP has been applied for investigating pathophysiology of various movement disorders. Volitional motor inhibition or muscle relaxation is preceded by BP quite similar to that preceding voluntary muscle contraction. Since BP of typical waveforms and temporospatial pattern does not occur before organic involuntary movements, BP is used for detecting the participation of the 'voluntary motor system' in the generation of apparently involuntary movements in patients with psychogenic movement disorders. In view of Libet et al.'s report [Libet B, Gleason CA, Wright EW, Pearl DK. Time of conscious intention to act in relation to onset of cerebral activity (readiness-potential). The unconscious initiation of a freely voluntary act. Brain 1983;106:623-642] that the awareness of intention to move occurred much later than the onset of BP, the early BP might reflect, physiologically, slowly increasing cortical excitability and, behaviorally, subconscious readiness for the forthcoming movement. Whether the late BP reflects conscious preparation for intended movement or not remains to be clarified.
A computational study of proton and electron affinities

Proton and electron affinities were calculated for a series of 28 carbanions and radicals using MP2/6-31 and B3LYP methods. Structural and electronic factors that control anion and radical stabilization were examined by natural bond orbital analyses. New examples of hyperconjugation were found for lone pairs and radical centers and adjacent C-H∗ and C-C∗ orbitals. Correlations between %-s-character of CH bonds and anions with proton affinity were poor.
Hypoxia and seasonal temperature: Short-term effects and long-term implications for Acartia tonsa dana

Abstract Far more attention has been given to the short-term lethal impacts of reduced dissolved oxygen on commercially important fish and crabs than to the long-term sublethal impacts on these same species, or on lower trophic levels. This study demonstrates that chronic, sublethal effects of hypoxia on the copepod Acartia tonsa , a critical component of many pelagic coastal food webs, can lead to significant decreases in population growth. The results of laboratory experiments conducted at 15 °C (winter) and 25 °C (summer), under conditions of normoxia (Controls), sublethal hypoxia (1.5 ml l − 1 ) and lethal hypoxia (0.7 ml l − 1 ) show that egg production female − 1 day − 1 was significantly lower at 0.7 ml l − 1 compared to Controls at both temperatures, while egg production female − 1 day − 1 was significantly lower at 1.5 ml l − 1 compared to controls in both summer experiments and in one of the two winter experiments. Survival was significantly decreased in the 0.7 ml l − 1 treatment compared to Controls and the 1.5 ml l − 1 treatment. Copepods developed more slowly and matured at smaller adult body sizes at both temperatures under both lethal and sublethal hypoxia compared to normoxia. Under summer temperatures, egg production was reduced by hypoxia exposure on two counts: (1) exposure to hypoxia during development resulted in smaller adults, which translated into lower egg production, and (2) egg production was still significantly lower in hypoxia treatments compared to Controls even when differences in body size were taken into account. While copepods collected in winter and exposed to winter temperatures and hypoxia also matured at smaller body sizes than copepods exposed to normoxia, egg production in winter was almost entirely attributable to this reduction in body size. These results suggest that coastal hypoxia may have a significantly greater impact in the summer months, when copepod populations are most abundant and growing at their most rapid rate of the year. With the anticipated increases in global temperatures, hypoxia may have even greater impacts on pelagic food webs.
African convective system characteristics determined through tracking analysis

Abstract African convective systems have been tracked over the period July to December 2004. A total of 82,140 Convective Systems (CSs) were identified, of which 52% were classified as thunderstorms (i.e., containing Cloud-to-Ground (CG) lightning flashes), and 48% as rain showers (i.e., without CG flashes). The properties of the CSs at different stages of life maturity are investigated in terms of CG lightning flashes, cloud area dynamics, precipitation and vertical structure. This study employs CG lightning measurements from a long-range lightning detection network (named ZEUS), 1/2-hourly satellite infrared observations, and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission-Precipitation Radar (TRMM-PR) rainfall and vertical reflectivity profile data. The area expansion rate of the storms at their initiation stage (i.e., growth) is found to be strongly linked to their life duration and size. The growth stage of T-storms exhibits high CG lightning density, which decreases rapidly to zero at dissipation stage. The convective rain type, obtained by TRMM-PR, is shown to be the dominant rain type during the growth and mature stages of the convective systems. Vertical structure was shown to depend on the maturity stage and type (thunderstorms vs. rain showers) of the storm. Particularly, deep vertical reflectivity gradients are noted in the growth stage of thunderstorms (associated with the strong mixing due to updraft and downdraft activities), while the dissipation stage is associated with weaker vertical structure. Results from this study exemplify the need of storm tracking information for improving the ice scattering–rainfall relationships used in overland microwave retrievals.
Laser-driven fiber optic gyroscope with reduced noise

We demonstrate experimentally that a fiber optic gyroscope (FOG) using an air-core fiber coil can be operated with a laser and still exhibit a fairly low phase noise. This noise is measured to be 1000 μrad/√Hz with a single-frequency laser, and 150 μrad/√Hz when the frequency is swept. When the fiber is replaced with SMF-28 fiber, these figures drop to 100 and 14 μrad/√Hz, respectively. This last value is 35 times lower than the previous record. Comparison to a new model shows that this noise is limited by coherent backscattering, and that the backscattering coefficient inferred for the air-core fiber is ~11 times higher than for the SMF-28 fiber. By reducing the air-core fiber loss from its current high value (24 dB/km) to its theoretical limit (~0.15 dB/km), we predict that this laser-driven air-core FOG will have a noise of only ~0.3 μrad/√Hz, and thus outperform commercial FOGs in terms of not only noise, but also improved thermal and mean-wavelength stability.
Rapid Production of Nitrilase Containing Silica Nanoparticles Offers an Effective and Reusable Biocatalyst for Synthetic Nitrile Hydrolysis

Rapid and efficient immobilization of nitrilase within silica nanoparticles overcomes many hurdles associated with biocatalysis. A water-miscible dendrimer catalyzes the condensation of silicic acid to silica dioxide, entrapping electrostatically bound nitrilase molecules. Michaelis−Menten kinetics shows encapsulated nitrilase functions similarly to free nitrilase in solution. Additionally, HPLC analysis demonstrates that simple benchtop separation and recycling of the biocatalyst over 10 individual reactions are achieved without significant loss of enzyme and/or function. These findings broaden the use of nitrilases in the production of fine chemicals as well as general syntheses by overcoming some of the traditional barriers associated with enzyme reagents and nitrile conversion.
An Isoleucine to Valine Substitution in Escherichia coli Acyl Carrier Protein Results in a Functional Protein of Decreased Molecular Radius at Elevated pH

Escherichia coli acyl carrier protein (ACP) has been reported to exist in at least two distinct conformers in solution. A novel form of ACP having an increased electrophoretic mobility on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was noted previously during work on β-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein synthase II (fabF) mutants of E. coli (Jackowski, S., and Rock, C. O. (1987) J. Bacteriol. 169, 1469-1473). These workers reported that the increased electrophoretic mobility of the ACP from fabF strains occurred irrespective of prosthetic group attachment or the state of acylation of the prosthetic group. Since these workers were unable to detect a difference between the amino acid sequence of the ACP from the fabF mutants and that of wild type ACP, they suggested that the increased electrophoretic mobility was due to an unknown post-translational modification of the polypeptide chain. We have reinvestigated these mutants and report that the increased electrophoretic mobility is due to a mutation within the gene (acpP) that encodes ACP. This mutation results in substitution of isoleucine for valine 43 of ACP. Site-directed mutagenesis of a synthetic ACP gene demonstrated that the amino acid substitution at residue 43 is the cause of the increased electrophoretic mobility. Gel filtration experiments indicated that the increased electrophoretic mobility results from the more compact structure of V43I ACP at high pH. The altered residue lies within the ACP region of greatest conformational lability, and thus the V43I substitution may shift the equilibrium toward the more compact conformation(s). The disulfide-linked dimer of V43I ACP was readily formed and had an electrophoretic migration greater than the dimer of wild type ACP, suggesting that formation of ACP·ACP dimers does not require structural deformation of the protein.
TRAF2 is an NF-κB-activating oncogene in epithelial cancers

Aberrant nuclear factor (NF)-κB activation is frequently observed in human cancers. Genome characterization efforts have identified genetic alterations in multiple components of the NF-κB pathway, some of which have been shown to be essential for cancer initiation and tumor maintenance. Here, using patient tumors and cancer cell lines, we identify the NF-κB regulator, TRAF2 (tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor-associated factor 2), as an oncogene that is recurrently amplified and rearranged in 15% of human epithelial cancers. Suppression of TRAF2 in cancer cells harboring TRAF2 copy number gain inhibits proliferation, NF-κB activation, anchorage-independent growth and tumorigenesis. Cancer cells that are dependent on TRAF2 also require NF-κB for survival. The phosphorylation of TRAF2 at serine 11 is essential for the survival of cancer cells harboring TRAF2 amplification. Together, these observations identify TRAF2 as a frequently amplified oncogene.
Some stress distributions in an elastic plate due to rigid heated punches

Abstract Some thermoelastic stress distributions due to the combined loading of rigid, non-symmetrical, circular punches and an arbitrary steady-state temperature or heat flux are considered for a thick elastic plate. The result is shown to depend upon solutions of uncoupled Fredholm integral equations of the second kind. Approximate results are given for the case of axial symmetry when the radius of the punch is much smaller than the plate thickness.
Response of tall fescue to composted sewage sludge used as a soil amendment.

Abstract A pot experiment was conducted in the greenhouse to investigate the effects of composted sewage sludge as a soil amendment on growth and mineral composition of ‘Mustang’ tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.). Three desert soils (loamy sand, sandy loam, clay) were amended with two different composted sewage sludges (city and county) at rates of 0, 7.5, 15, 30 and 60% by volume. Tall fescue was grown in the amended soils for four months. Growth rates, measured as harvested clippings, increased with sludge loading rate and also with clay content of the soil. Higher growth rates were maintained with the city as compared to the county sludge, although for both sources, growth declined for most treatments after nine weeks. Turf color ratings and percent N in the tissue increased with sludge loading rate and were highly correlated. Tissue analysis indicated a varied response between soil types.