cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Why Intensive Interventions Matter: Longitudinal Studies of Adolescents With Reading Disabilities and Poor Reading Comprehension

We describe findings from a series of longitudinal studies utilizing a response to intervention framework implemented over 3 years with students in Grades 6 through 8 with reading disabilities and poor reading comprehension. Students were identified based on reading comprehension scores in Grade 5 (n = 1,083) and then randomized to treatment or comparison conditions. Beginning in sixth grade, students assigned to intervention were provided treatment for 1, 2, or 3 years based on their response to instruction in each preceding year. Screening procedures, progress monitoring tools, tiers of instruction, and findings from each year of the study are reported. Additional studies investigating reading and behavioral outcomes through multi-level, growth modeling, and studies of the cognitive and neural correlates of inadequate response are also reported.
Embedding in space forms

The goal of this paper is to give explicit procedures and equations for performing metric multidimensional scaling to surfaces. More specifically, we describe a method for determining a configuration of points in a closed and orientable surface (i.e., the MDS space) for which the interpoint distances closely approximate a given set of dissimilarities. More generally, these constant sectional curvature surfaces are examples of space forms (spaces which are quotients of Euclidean, spherical, or hyperbolic space by a subgroup of the isometry group of the space). We will cast our work in this language, thereby allowing the theory to easily be generalized to higher dimensions.
Brain on stress: How the social environment gets under the skin

Stress is a state of the mind, involving both brain and body as well as their interactions; it differs among individuals and reflects not only major life events but also the conflicts and pressures of daily life that alter physiological systems to produce a chronic stress burden that, in turn, is a factor in the expression of disease. This burden reflects the impact of not only life experiences but also genetic variations and individual health behaviors such as diet, physical activity, sleep, and substance abuse; it also reflects stable epigenetic modifications in development that set lifelong patterns of physiological reactivity and behavior through biological embedding of early environments interacting with cumulative change from experiences over the lifespan. Hormones associated with the chronic stress burden protect the body in the short run and promote adaptation (allostasis), but in the long run, the burden of chronic stress causes changes in the brain and body that can lead to disease (allostatic load and overload). Brain circuits are plastic and remodeled by stress to change the balance between anxiety, mood control, memory, and decision making. Such changes may have adaptive value in particular contexts, but their persistence and lack of reversibility can be maladaptive. However, the capacity of brain plasticity to effects of stressful experiences in adult life has only begun to be explored along with the efficacy of top-down strategies for helping the brain change itself, sometimes aided by pharmaceutical agents and other treatments.
GaAs device passivation using sputtered silicon nitride

This letter describes the passivation of GaAs field‐effect transistors (FET’s) using sputtered silicon nitride films. A low‐power reactive sputtering process for silicon nitride film deposition was developed and applied to both metal‐semiconductor FET (MESFET) and high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) passivation. It is shown that the shifts in the FET parameters such as threshold voltage, breakdown voltage, and transconductance, after nitride deposition, depend not only on the stress states of the nitride films but also on the surface composition and recess geometry of the passivated surfaces. With proper deposition parameters, the sputtered silicon nitride film can be successfully used for both MESFET and HEMT passivation with only minor degradation (less than 10%) of the device performance.
Colliding Beams: Present Status; and the SLAC Project

The present status of colliding beam devices is reviewed, and the limitations on their performance are discussed. Recent modifications to the design of the Stanford electron position storage ring are also discussed.
A generative programming approach to interactive information retrieval: insights and experiences

We describe the application of generative programming to a problem in interactive information retrieval. The particular interactive information retrieval problem we study is the support for ‘out of turn interaction' with a website – how a user can communicate input to a website when the site is not soliciting such information on the current page, but will do so on a subsequent page. Our solution approach makes generous use of program transformations (partial evaluation, currying, and slicing) to delay the site's current solicitation for input until after the user's out-of-turn input is processed. We illustrate how studying out-of-turn interaction through a generative lens leads to several valuable insights: (i) the concept of a web dialog, (ii) an improved understanding of web taxonomies, and (iii) new web interaction techniques and interfaces. These notions allow us to cast the design of interactive (and responsive) websites in terms of the underlying dialog structure and, further, suggest a simple implementation strategy with a clean separation of concerns. We also highlight new research directions opened up by the generative programming approach to interactive information retrieval such as the idea of web interaction axioms.
Effect of poles on subwavelength focusing by an LHM slab

The poles of the electric field inside a slab with negative permittivity and negative permeability are analyzed. The theoretical solution shows that there is a pole on the integral path which moves toward infinity along the imaginary kz axis as the permittivity and permeability both approach the real value of −1. The surface plasmon wave and the resolution ability of the slab are shown to be determined by this pole. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 45: 49–53, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.20719
Oxidation of human hemoglobin by sodium nitrite-effect of β-93 thiol groups

Abstract The influence of β-93 sulfhydryl groups on the oxidation of human hemoglobin by sodium nitrite was studied. It is shown that the blocking of these groups by iodoacetamine counteracts the inhibition of the hemoglobin oxidation reaction caused by inositol hexaphosphate. This effect is not present under anaerobic condition. However, in the absence of free oxygen (deoxyhemoglobin), blocking of the β-93 sulfhydryl groups accelerates markedly the rate of oxidation which is otherwise very slow. In the light of these observations, it is concluded that the hemoglobin β-93 free-SH groups play a protective role for the heme iron against oxidation. The rapid oxidation of modified hemoglobin by nitrite under anaerobic condition as well as the abolishment of the effect of IHP under aerobic condition by β-93-SH groups blockage argue against the assumption that R conformation is primarily responsible for the rapid oxidation of oxyhemoglobin by nitrite.
Pulmonary Function Abnormalities and Asthma Are Prevalent in Children with Sickle Cell Disease and Are Associated with Acute Chest Syndrome

Pulmonary diseases form major sources of morbidity and mortality in children with sickle cell disease (SCD). The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of lung function abnormalities and asthma and their association with acute chest syndrome (ACS) in children with SCD. This was a cross-sectional retrospective study of 127 children with SCD; we collected information regarding ACS and asthma and pulmonary function test (PFT) data. Based on PFT results, the patients were assigned to one pattern of lung function [normal, obstructive lung disease (OLD), restrictive lung disease (RLD)]. Statistical analyses included Pearson correlation, prevalence odds ratio (POR), cross-tabulation, and multiple binary logistic regression. OLD was noted in 35% and RLD in 23% of the patients, with the remainder exhibiting a normal PFT pattern. Forty-six percent of patients had asthma, 64% of whom had a history of ACS. OLD (r = .244, P = .008, POR = 2.8) and asthma (r = .395, P < .001, POR = 5.4) were significantly associated with a history of ACS. There was a negative correlation between having normal PFT data and a history of ACS (r = -.289, P = .002, POR = .3). Asthma and pulmonary function abnormalities are prevalent in children with SCD, with OLD being more common than RLD. There is an association between asthma, OLD, and ACS, however causality cannot be proven due to the study design. We stress the importance of actively investigating for a clinical diagnosis of asthma in all patients with SCD and suggest that PFT data may help detect patients at lower risk for ACS.
Evidences of a structure in gelatin gels

Bancroft1 recently reported some conclusions drawn from unpublished data of a Mr. Cartledge who dried gelatin gels of different concentrations down to a 96 per cent. gelatin content and then allowed these dried sheets to again imbibe water. It was found that “each swelled rapidly to the original concentration and then took up water slowly.”We have conducted experiments similar to those of Cartledge and have secured comparable results. Thus a 10 per cent. gelatin gel dried down to less than 3 per cent. moisture content had imbibed at the end of 72 hours 6.45 grams of water per gram dry gelatin as contrasted with 4.30 grams water for a 40 per cent. gel similarly treated. Comparable differences were observed when the dried sheets were ground and uniform sized particles sieved out and tested for hydration rate and maximum hydration capacity.Our experiments indicate that gelatin gels have a structure and that this structure is fixed at the time of gelation and is not appreciably altered by drying the gel at ro...
Dislocation of bipolar hemiarthroplasty: rate, contributing factors, and outcome.

Dislocation of bipolar hemiarthroplasty of the hip is a rare complication. The objectives of our study were to assess the incidence, contributing factors, and outcomes of bipolar prosthesis dislocation. From 1974 to 2001, 1812 primary bipolar hemiarthroplasties were done at our institution. Seventy-
Explosive Percolation in Random Networks

Networks in which the formation of connections is governed by a random process often undergo a percolation transition, wherein around a critical point, the addition of a small number of connections causes a sizable fraction of the network to suddenly become linked together. Typically such transitions are continuous, so that the percentage of the network linked together tends to zero right above the transition point. Whether percolation transitions could be discontinuous has been an open question. Here, we show that incorporating a limited amount of choice in the classic Erdos-Renyi network formation model causes its percolation transition to become discontinuous.
How Can Evolutionary Psychology Successfully Explain Personality and Individual Differences

Although evolutionary psychology has been successful in explaining some species-typical and sex-differentiated adaptations, a large question that has largely eluded the field is this: How can the field successfully explain personality and individual differences? This article highlights some promising theoretical directions for tackling this question. These include life-history theory, costly signaling theory, environmental variability in fitness optima, frequency-dependent selection, mutation load, and flexibly contingent shifts in strategy according to environmental conditions. Tackling the explanatory question also requires progress on three fronts: (a) reframing some personality traits as forms of strategic individual differences; (b) providing a nonarbitrary, evolutionary-based formulation of environments as distributions and salience profiles of adaptive problems; and (c) identifying which strategies thrive and which falter in these differing problem-defined environments.
Two-dimensional electrophoretic analysis of in vivo and in vitro synthesis of proteins in peas inoculated with compatible and incompatible Fusarium solani

Abstract Protein synthesis patterns of peas were examined after exposing the pea tissue to Fusarium solani f. sp. pisi (a pathogen), Fusarium solani f. sp. phaseoli (a non-pathogen), and chitosan (a component pf the fungal cell wall). Proteins labeled with [ 35 S] methionine, both in vivo and in vitro , were separated with 2-dimensional polyacrylamide electrophoresis, and fluorographed. The mRNA isolated from treated and non-treated pea tissue was translated with the rabbit reticulocyte system. A total of 25 proteins showed a relative change in intensity in response to all treatments compared to water controls. Twenty-one of these proteins increased in intensity while 4 decreased. Both fungal forms and chitosan elicited a similar response. The altered patterns of protein synthesis appear to be due to altered activities of mRNA.
Multivariable neural network vibration control based on output feedback

This paper presents a multivariable direct adaptive control concept for vibration suppression in flexible space structures. The adaptive controller is implemented by a combination of forward neural networks. Tuning of the controller gains (neural network synaptic weights) takes place in real-time and is performed by a nonlinear least squares algorithm. The control scheme is based on output rather than state feedback, an approach motivated from the fact that, in most applications, the system state is not readily available. The results are demonstrated by simulation using a high fidelity 6-input 6-output dynamic model of the testbed at the JPL/USAF-PL Large Spacecraft Control Laboratory. >
Structures of the Oligosaccharides of I-A k Antigen and Localization of Antigenic Sites to A α k and A β k Chains

The molecules which have come to be known as the murine Ia antigens were initially described in 1974 merely as molecules controlled by genes within the I region of the H-2 complex. By the time of the Third Ir Gene Workshop in December 1976 there was a growing body of evidence suggesting that the Ia antigens were, indeed, the Ir gene products, but the apparent complexity of the I region -- biochemistry and function as well as genetics -- made such a simple model at best a reasonable hypothesis but one clearly in need of testing. At the present time, and on the occasion of this, the Fifth Ir Gene Workshop, there is now ample evidence to support the hypothesis that the Ia antigens are the Ir gene products. However, formal proof, in the strictest biochemical sense, is still lacking. It is for this reason that we are studying the details of the structure of the Ia antigens so that we can progress from a thorough knowledge of their structure to a detailed analysis of the structural-functional relationships of these fascinating molecules. We will report on two separate, but potentially inter-related, aspects of our studies.
Angular homeostasis. VIII. Pursuit of a slowly moving target in a plane: relevance to lateralization in cardiovascular ontogeny.

We explore the pursuit in a plane of a target moving at constant slow speed in a straight line. Two models of the pursuit are given. In the continuous case, the pursuer is moving at constant speed and is subject to proportionate angular homeostasis with correction constant b. In the discrete version movement occurs at a constant speed in a sequence of straight line segments of constant length (called the step size, s) the end of the segments being called the vertices. The pattern considered is not the absolute position of the pursuer, but its distance and orientation relative to the target. Both the transients and the asymptotic orbit are addressed. A key quantity is r, the speed of the target expressed as a fraction of that of the pursuer. If the speed of the pursuer is defined as unity, r is also the ratio of the speeds. There exists a critical speed fraction, R(b, s), a function of b and s, that defines what the term slow designates. R(b,s), which has to be found numerically, has the following property. For r < R(b, s), the asymptotic path is a simple closed curve. In the discrete case the vertices converge to a simple closed curve. The larger r, the more the path (or in the discrete analogue its set of vertices) departs from a circle, and the more eccentric the target is with respect to it. Interest centers on two issues. First we address the transient patterns of the path, notably whether or not the sense of any particular path (clockwise or counterclockwise) is the same throughout, or changes at some stage. These studies have a bearing on ontogenetic lateralization of the viscera; its relationship to the classification of dextrocardia is addressed. Second, we considor the asymptotic form of the path and its relationship to the parameters. The critical values of R (b, s) are extensively explored.
The Limitations of Estimation

Estimation is crucial element of software project planning. Hundreds of documented software estimation methodologies, tools, and models exist. Some of the earliest ones estimated the software cost as a percentage of the hardware cost. For most, the output is an estimation of staff effort from a wide variety of inputs. many of the methods use an analytical formula based on cost drivers, which typically are project characteristics such as system size, system domain, complexity, and development methodology. The tools and methodologies are primarily based on data from past projects
Limbic associated pelvic pain: A hypothesis to explain the diagnostic relationships and features of patients with chronic pelvic pain

Limbic associated pelvic pain is a proposed pathophysiology designed to explain features commonly encountered in patients with chronic pelvic pain, including the presence of multiple pain diagnoses, the frequency of previous abuse, the minimal or discordant pathologic changes of the involved organs, the paradoxical effectiveness of many treatments, and the recurrent nature of the condition. These conditions include endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, irritable bowel syndrome, levator ani syndrome, pelvic floor tension myalgia, vulvar vestibulitis, and vulvodynia. The hypothesis is based on recent improvements in the understanding of pain processing pathways in the central nervous system, and in particular the role of limbic structures, especially the anterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus and amygdala, in chronic and affective pain perception. Limbic associated pelvic pain is hypothesized to occur in patients with chronic pelvic pain out of proportion to any demonstrable pathology (hyperalgesia), and with more than one demonstrable pain generator (allodynia), and who are susceptible to development of the syndrome. This most likely occurs as a result of childhood sexual abuse but may include other painful pelvic events or stressors, which lead to limbic dysfunction. This limbic dysfunction is manifest both as an increased sensitivity to pain afferents from pelvic organs, and as an abnormal efferent innervation of pelvic musculature, both visceral and somatic. The pelvic musculature undergoes tonic contraction as a result of limbic efferent stimulation, which produces the minimal changes found on pathological examination, and generates a further sensation of pain. The pain afferents from these pelvic organs then follow the medial pain pathway back to the sensitized, hypervigilant limbic system. Chronic stimulation of the limbic system by pelvic pain afferents again produces an efferent contraction of the pelvic muscles, thus perpetuating the cycle. This cycle is susceptible to disruption through blocking afferent signals from pelvic organs, either through anesthesia or muscle manipulation. Disruption of limbic perception with psychiatric medication similarly produces relief. Without a full disruption of both the central hypervigilance and pelvic organ dysfunction, pain recurs. To prevent recurrence, clinicians will need to include some form of therapy, either medical or cognitive, targeted at the underlying limbic hypervigilance. Further research into novel, limbic targeted therapies can hopefully be stimulated by explicitly stating the role of the limbic system in chronic pain. This hypothesis provides a framework for clinicians to rationally approach some of the most challenging patients in medicine, and can potentially improve outcomes by including management of limbic dysfunction in their treatment.
The Hilbert transform and scattering

To the memory of Mischa Cotlar, my teacher and my friend Abstract. Through the prism of abstract scattering, and the invariant forms acting in them, we discuss the Hilbert transform in weighted L p spaces in one and several dimensions.
Transient Response Time of Thin Circular Foil Heat Flux Gauges - Back Radiation Effects

The transient response of a thin foil heat flux gauge is needed to determine the time for the gauge to achieve a steady state, to determine the transient irradiation from the output of the gauge, and to assist in the design of a compensation circuit. Here, the transient response of a thin circular foil heat flux gauge is analyzed accounting for backradiation to determine its effects on the response of the gauge. The non-linear heat equation is solved for a constant irradiation flux, using an explicit numerical scheme. It is found, with back radiation and when the gauge parameter is large, the foil equilibrates at a much lower temperature and has a shorter response time than without back radiation. An analytic expression for the history of the temperature at the center of the gauge is obtained, from an asymptotic approximation of the non-linear heat equation. Then an exponential expression is developed to approximate the asymptotic solution. The effective time constant used in the exponential expression is dependent on the irradiation and the dimensionless temperature at the center of the gauge besides the thermo-physical and geometric properties of the gauge. A series solution and a linear solution of the heat equation are also developed from which analytic expressions for the dimensionless temperature at the center of the gauge are obtained with and without back radiation. For reference, the steady state solution previously published by this author is summarized in an appendix. When the gauge parameter is small, the analytic solutions compare well with the numerical solution and previous analyses that do not account for back radiation. The irradiation on the foil during a transient is determined from the sum of: i) the back radiation; ii) the heat conduction in the foil; and iii) the transient heat stored in the foil. The last one is important at initial times. The conduction term is important for small gauge parameters. The back radiation term is important for large gauge parameters and when the irradiation is large.
MAXIMUM TUBULAR REABSORPTION OF PHOSPHATE (TmP) IN HYPERPARATHYROIDISM

ABSTRACT Maximum tubular reabsorption of phosphate (TmP) was measured by infusing neutral isotonic phosphate solution until tubular reabsorption of phosphate (calculated by creatinine clearance and urinary phosphate levels) became a constant value. Eight patients with surgically proven hyperparathyroidism were studied. It was possible to define what appeared to be a TmP in each instance. The values ranged from 1.1 mg. to 4.9 mg. per minute with a mean of 3.7 mg. per minute, and overlapped widely with normal values obtained by others. In 5 patients, TmP measurements were repeated postoperatively. TmP rose in 1, remained unchanged in 2, and fell in 2 patients. The mean value was 3.15 mg. per minute preoperatively and 3.67 mg. per minute postoperatively. Other indices of phosphate excretion in the 8 patients (tubular reabsorption of phosphate and phosphate clearance) failed to differ consistently from the normal range. It was concluded that TmP, measured as described, did not correlate consistently with para...
Maternal Ethanol Ingestion Effects on Fetal Rat Brain Vitamin A as a Model for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Fetal embryo, head, and brain tissue from different gestational age were analyzed for retinol content, nuclear retinoic acid receptor and cytosolic retinoic acid binding protein levels after maternal ethanol ingestion and compared with fetal levels in control diet pregnancies. Retinol levels in fetal embryo and brain of ethanol-ingesting pregnancies were 2- to 3-fold higher than fetal embryo and brain of ethanol-ingesting pregnancies were 2-to 3-fold higher than fetal embryo and retinol of control pregnancies. Nuclear retinoic acid receptor was lower in 10-day embryo of ethanol pregnancies and apparently unaffected in fetal head and brain by maternal ethanol consumption at other days of gestation. In fetal head there was a significant overall ethanol effect on cytosolic retinoic acid binding protein, with increased levelsin fetal tissue from ethanol-consuming pregnancies. These observations of altered embryo, fetal head, and fetal brain retinol and receptor protein levels support the hypothesis of a possible role of vitamin A in fetal alcohol syndrome.
Nifty assignments panel

Introduction • The output, activity, and bugs of the program all express themselves visually. The Nifty Assignments panel is a practical forum for the sharing of assignment ideas — demonstrating good assignment features and tradeoffs, and providing concrete materials for the CSE community to use. • It is extensible in various ways. Examples: multiple implementations of the region list, one using an array, the other using a linked list; support of colored squares within regions (clicking on an uncolored area creates a square, and clicking on a colored square erases it). Each panelist will introduce the basic idea of their assignment, give a quick demo, and describe its niche in the curriculum — its strengths and weaknesses. The live presentation is merely an introduction to each assignment. Fortunately, the following web page has handouts, data files, etc. for each of the assignments... Stuart Reges Personality Test (CS1) This assignment is based on a personality/temperament test developed by Keirsey and Bates in the pop-psych book Please Understand Me. The first part of the assignment is a straightforward application of 70 multiple choice questions. Collecting answers to these questions is a fine CS1 problem which may or may not be used as part of the assignment (if not, there are tools to do it). http://cse.stanford.edu/nifty/
Salvage of an Infected Periprosthetic Failed Fracture Fixation in a Nonagenarian

Infected nonunions resulting in segmental bone loss are a devastating complication for patients and a difficult problem for surgeons. Adequate soft tissue coverage, return of mobility, fracture stability, and long-term freedom from infection are all important goals of treatment. Although there are numerous published studies that provide some treatment guidelines, there are patients who require unique and individualized solutions. In this report, we present a case in which an antibiotic-impregnated cement spacer was used as a component of the definitive treatment in a geriatric patient with segmental bone loss of the femur secondary to severe infection as a salvage technique to avoid amputation.
The Econometrics of Commodities in International Economic Linkages

International economic interrelations have come increasingly into the foreground as internationally linked economic instability has mounted since the early 1970s, as a result of broad movements in prices of fuels and other commodities. It is fortunate that economists are also increasingly better able to handle global econometric systems and to integrate commodity price impacts into these models. In this paper we ask how far econometric approaches have been developed to deal with commodities in international economic linkages.
Optofluidic devices with integrated solid-state nanopores

This review (with 90 refs.) covers the state of the art in optofluidic devices with integrated solid-state nanopores for use in detection and sensing. Following an introduction into principles of optofluidics and solid-state nanopore technology, we discuss features of solid-state nanopore based assays using optofluidics. This includes the incorporation of solid-state nanopores into optofluidic platforms based on liquid-core anti-resonant reflecting optical waveguides (ARROWs), methods for their fabrication, aspects of single particle detection and particle manipulation. We then describe the new functionalities provided by solid-state nanopores integrated into optofluidic chips, in particular acting as smart gates for correlated electro-optical detection and discrimination of nanoparticles. This enables the identification of viruses and λ-DNA, particle trajectory simulations, enhancing sensitivity by tuning the shape of nanopores. The review concludes with a summary and an outlook.
Abstract 32: Variation in Discharge Practices and Use of Life-Sustaining Procedures: Potential Pitfalls for Adjusted Mortality Quality Measures

Introduction: The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is developing a risk-standardized stroke mortality measure intended for public comparison of hospital-level quality of care. We sought to determine the impact of discharge practices and use of life sustaining procedures on risk-standardized mortality. We could then address questions such as, how much does mortality differ between hospitals that routinely discharge patients to hospice and those that don’t? Methods: We estimated risk standardized stroke inpatient mortality for all hospitals in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 2008-9, using hierarchical logistic regression following a similar approach used for existing CMS mortality measures. Hospital-level adjusted stoke mortality was then categorized as below average, average or above average using standardized Hospital Compare methodology. We then developed individual and hospital level variables to characterize hospital-level practices of interest: discharge to long term acute care (LTAC), discharge to hospice and a life-sustaining procedure index which combined the rates of gastrostomy, tracheostomy, hemicraniectomy and ventriculostomy. These variables were added to the base model in a second hierarchical logistic regression model. This model was used to compare differences in risk-standardized mortality from hospitals grouped in the highest and lowest practice quintiles and to estimate the effects of the hospital practices on grades. Results: A total of 186,689 stroke patients were identified. Median age was 72 (IQR 60-82) and 52% were female. Seventy six percent of strokes were ischemic, 19% were ICH and 5% were SAH. Of the 1,366 hospitals in the sample 1,210 received average, 73 below average and 83 above average grades for stroke mortality using the base model. Hospitals that more commonly discharged patients to hospice or LTAC or used more life-sustaining procedures had lower mortality. Mean risk standardized mortality was higher in the lowest quintile of hospice utilizing hospitals compared to the highest (11.4% vs. 10.0%, p Conclusions: Variation in discharge practices and use of life-sustaining procedures alters hospital mortality rankings and distorts perceptions of comparative hospital quality. ns of comparative hospital quality.
Clinical significance of sperm antibodies in infertility

Sperm antibody (AB) titers, determined by passive hemagglutination and cytotoxicity assays, were found to be elevated in 62 males and 46 females of 103 couples with primary infertility; 15 males and 12 females of 25 couples with secondary infertility; 10 males and 8 females of 18 couples with histories of repeated abortion; 21 males and 17 females of 25 couples in which the husband had a history of prostatitis; and 29 males and 17 females of 38 couples in which the husband had oligospermia. Of the couples in which one or both partners had elevated sperm AB titers, only 4 achieved pregnancy: 3 from the group with secondary infertility, all of which ended in spontaneous abortions, and 1 in which the husband was Oligospermic. This suggests an etiologic role of sperm immunity in infertility. Immunosuppressive treatment of autoimmune males with prednisone (15mg/day for 3weeks to 6months) resulted in significant decreases in AB titers. Pregnancies were achieved by 9 of 25 couples after treatment (36%). The observed increase in pregnancy rate in the prednisone-treated versus untreated groups of couples with elevated sperm AB titers was significant ( P
New Technique of Exposed Glaucoma Drainage Tube Repair: Report of a Case.

We present the case of successful repair of an exposed glaucomadrainage tube by cornea graft fixation with tissue adhesive,and without subsequent coverage by adjacentconjunctivaor donor tissues. Patient with history of keratoglobuswith thincornea and sclera, and phthisical contralateral eye, underwentthree unsuccessful corneal grafts followed by Boston type 1keratoprosthesis in the right eye. Ahmed drainage device withsclera patch graft was implanted to control the intraocularpressure. Two years later the tube eroded through sclera graftand conjunctiva. Repair was performed by covering the tubewith a corneal patch graft secured by tissue adhesive after theconjunctiva in this area was dissected away. The cornea graftwas left uncovered due to fragility of adjacent conjunctiva.The healing of ocular and graft surfaces was complete priorto the 1 month follow-up. Conjunctival epithelium covered thecorneal patch graft. At 12 months follow-up, the graft and thetube remained stable. Our report suggests that corneal patchgraft fixation to the sclera by means of tissue adhesive, withoutclosing the conjunctiva, can be considered as an effectivealternative surgical approach for managing exposed glaucomadrainage tube, accompanied by adjacent conjunctiva tissuedeficiency.
Rubberbanding and Holding Out

(1992). Rubberbanding and Holding Out. The College Mathematics Journal: Vol. 23, No. 2, pp. 148-149.
Abstract 4997: The expression PHLPP is regulated by the mTOR-P70S6K signaling pathway

PHLPP is a novel family of protein phosphatases serving as negative regulators of Akt by directly dephosphorylating the kinase. Our previous studies have indicated a tumor suppressor role of PHLPP in human colon cancer. However, the regulation of PHLPP expression in cancer cells remains unknown. Here, we report that the expression of PHLPP protein is regulated by the mTOR-p70S6K pathway in colon and breast cancer cell lines. Treating cells with rapamycin, an inhibitor of mTOR, induces a marked decrease of PHLPP protein expression, and this rapamycin-mediated down-regulation of PHLPP expression is blocked by overexpression of a constitutively active mutant of p70S6K. Stable knockdown of TSC2, a negative regulator of mTOR, using lentiviral-based RNAi results in an increase of PHLPP expression, while knockdown of mTOR decreases the expression level of PHLPP protein. In addition, knockdown of 4E-BP1, a translation initiation inhibitor and a downstream effector of mTOR, results in an increase of PHLPP expression and resistance to rapamycin or Torin1 induced decrease of PHLPP expression in cells. Furthermore, amino acid starvation of cells, which inactivate the mTOR signaling, decreases PHLPP expression, and this is reversed by resupplying amino acids. Control experiments show that the rate of PHLPP degradation was not alerted significantly by rapamycin treatment or knockdown of TSC2. The real-time RT-PCR analysis reveals that the mRNA level of PHLPP remains constant in the TSC2 and mTOR knockdown or rapamycin treated cells. Taken together, these results suggest that the translation of PHLPP proteins is controlled by mTOR. Our studies identify a compensatory feedback regulation of Akt signaling in which the activation of Akt is negatively regulated by up-regulation of PHLPP protein in an mTOR-dependent manner. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4997.
Down by the Riverside: A CRT Perspective on Education Reform in Two River Cities.

In this article, the authors utilize core ideas from Critical Race Theory (CRT) to examine the nature of education reform in two river cities. Similar to other cases of education reform in urban districts, the reforms in the two focal cities reflect at least four characteristics in common: (1) a form of portfolio management; (2) the growth of human-capital organizations; (2) the active involvement of philanthropic organizations; and (4) the role of politics. The authors consider these conditions in light of concepts from CRT and argue that this analysis provides insight into the burden of reform in urban schools.
IT/Technology: Design and Development of Computer Games

This chapter describes the activities conducted as part of the IT/Technology team in the FI3T project, which focuses on familiarizing students with computing and software development through game development. We first give an overview of the computing field and its relationship to K-12 education. Then, we outline the major college degrees and programs as well as career opportunities related to computing. We discuss the skills required from and learned by students in computing. Then, we describe major activities conducted as part of the IT/Technology group during a two-year period and relate those activities to high school state and national standards. Finally, we summarize some of the projects (computer games) developed by students and compile a list of resources for technology teachers/students use.
Test research on anchorage force of prestressing anchorage cable in loessland

In order to direct the application of the prestressing anchorage cable in loessland,in-situ test and mathematical analysis are took as research means and the anchorage cable's deformation are measured on tensile test through the resistance foil gauge.The strain curve is derived in diffirent state of tension in loessland.Using the formula of Philips and uniform binding stress to analyze the test data,two formula of calculating anchorage force have been deduced.It is pointed out that the theory of Philips can show more veritably the character of anchorage force in loessland.
Sequence analysis on complete genome of an enterovirus 71 strain(2010FJLY008) isolated in Fujian Province

To investigate genetic background of current EV71 isolates in Fujian province and track possible mutations occurred in circulating EV71 strains,the complete genome of EV71 strain 2010FJLY008 was sequenced,which were isolated from specimens of an HFMD patient in Fujian in 2010,and the homology comparison and phylogenetic analysis were conducted.Sequence analysis revealed that the full-length of 2010FJLY008 strain was 7403bp,sharing the high homology with Fuyang17.08-2 both in nucleotide and amino acid sequences,with 98.2% identity in nucleotides and 99.5% in amino acids,respectively.The full-length VP1 region and genome-based phylogenetic analysis also indicated that strain 2010FJLY008 had the near genetic relationship with Fuyang17.08-2,in that both belonged to the same subgenotype,C4a.EV71 strain 2010FJLY008 had the close relationship with Fuyang17.08-2 in genomic structure,homology comparison of nucleotides and amino acids,the full-length VP1 region and genome-based phylogenetic analysis,however,no obvious antigenic drift or mutations were observed.
Theorizing about the epistemic

AbstractI argue that epistemologists’ use of the term ‘epistemic’ has led to serious confusion in the discussion of epistemological issues. The source of the problem is that ‘epistemic’ functions largely as an undefined technical term. I show how this confusion has infected discussions of the nature of epistemic justification, epistemic norms for evidence gathering, and knowledge norms for assertion and belief.
Mutagenicity of a Model DNA-Peptide Cross-Link in Human Cells: Roles of Translesion Synthesis DNA Polymerases

DNA–protein cross-links are formed upon exposure of cellular DNA to various agents, including antitumor drugs, UV light, transition metals, and reactive oxygen species. They are thought to contribute to cancer, aging, and neurodegenerative diseases. It has been proposed that DNA–protein cross-links formed in cells are subject to proteolytic degradation to the corresponding DNA-peptide cross-links (DpCs). To investigate the effects of DpCs on DNA replication, we have constructed plasmid DNA containing a 10-mer Myc peptide covalently linked to C7 of 7-deaza-dG, a hydrolytically stable mimic of N7-dG lesions. Following transfection in human embryonic kidney cells (HEK 293T), progeny plasmids were recovered and sequenced. Translesion synthesis (TLS) past DpC was 76% compared to that of the unmodified control. The DpC induced 20% targeted G → A and G → T plus 15% semitargeted mutations, notably at a guanine (G5) five bases 3′ to the lesion site. Proteolytic digestion of the DpC reduced the mutation frequency c...
Social responsible activities of small and medium sized enterprises

The article deals with corporate social responsibility in specific area of small and medium sized enterprises. Corporate social responsibility as a way of global advocated sustainable development can be characterised as an integration of not only economical aspects but also social and environmental ones to the corporate decision making. The aim of the article is to analytically describe motivate factors related with engagement to the corporate social responsibility and especially to analyse the most important social responsible activities of small and medium sized enterprises. Primary data were obtained via grant project GAJU 047/2011/S-Dalikova through the quantitative method of electronic questionnaire survey on random sample of 100 small and medium sized enterprises reside in Havlickův Brod district. The results show five main social responsible activities which small and medium sized enterprises should follow.
Checks and Balances: Rpd3 Issues Executive Orders in Developmental Enhancer Regulation

Stem cells use poised enhancers of developmental regulators to maintain pluripotency and for subsequent activation in differentiating progeny. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Janssens et al. (2017) demonstrate that the erm enhancer is maintained in a poised state in neural stem cells by the histone deacetylase Hdac1/Rpd3.
Radiation response of oxide-dispersion-strengthened alloy MA956 after self-ion irradiation

Abstract We studied the radiation-induced microstructural evolution of an oxide-dispersion-strengthened (ODS) ferritic alloy, MA956, to 180 dpa using 3.5 MeV Fe2+ ions. Post-irradiation examination showed that voids formed rather early and almost exclusively at the particle-matrix interfaces. Surprisingly, voids formed even in the injected interstitial zone. Comparisons with studies on other ODS alloys with smaller and largely coherent dispersoids irradiated at similar conditions revealed that the larger and not completely coherent oxide particles in MA956 serve as defect collectors which promote nucleation of voids at their interface. The interface configuration, which is related to particle type, crystal structure and size, is one of the important factors determining the defect-sink properties of particle-matrix interfaces.
Film and Affect, Theories Entwined: The Case of the War Genre in Saving Private Ryan (Steven Speilberg, 1998)

This essay on film and affect explores one of the most important developments in film studies in the last thirty years: the shift from psychoanalytic “screen” theories to a more cognitivist and/or phenomenological﻿ understanding of affect in the 1980s-present. Elaborating in part on phenomenological theories of cinema (especially Vivian Sobchack), theorists like David Bordwell, Carl Plantinga, Steven Shaviro, and Eugenie Brinkema, among others, understand viewers of cinema very differently: they underscore how not only actors or apparatus work with affect and emotion , but also how narrative itself relies on, fosters, and reaches its zenith by manipulating the affective responses and emotional investments of viewers. To explain and explore such theories, the essay analyzes war films, including Spielberg’s much celebrated Saving Private Ryan, to explore the workings of affect in cinema.
Scalable Privacy-Preserving Participant Selection for Mobile Crowdsensing Systems: Participant Grouping and Secure Group Bidding

Mobile crowdsensing (MCS) has been emerging as a new sensing paradigm where vast numbers of mobile devices are used for sensing and collecting data in various applications. Auction based participant selection has been widely used for current MCS systems to achieve user incentive and task assignment optimization. However, participant selection problems solved with auction-based approaches usually involve participants’ privacy concerns because a participant's bids may contain her private information (such as location visiting patterns), and disclosure of participants’ bids may disclose their private information as well. In this paper, we study how to protect such bid privacy in a temporally and spatially dynamic MCS system. We assume that both sensing tasks and mobile participants have dynamic characteristics over spatial and temporal domains. Following the classical VCG auction, we carefully design a scalable grouping based privacy-preserving participant selection scheme, where participants are grouped into multiple participant groups and then auctions are organized within groups via secure group bidding. By leveraging Lagrange polynomial interpolation to perturb participants’ bids within groups, participants’ bid privacy is preserved. In addition, the proposed solution does not affect the operation of current MCS platform since the groups act as regular users to the platform. Both theoretical analysis and real-life tracing data simulations verify the efficiency and security of the proposed solution.
THIRTY-DAY READMISSIONS AFTER CAROTID ARTERY STENTING AND ENDARTERECTOMY: INSIGHTS FROM THE NATIONWIDE READMISSIONS DATABASE

Carotid artery stenting (CAS) and endarterectomy (CEA) reduce the risk of stroke among patients with carotid artery stenosis. Contemporary, nationwide data on readmission following CAS and CEA are limited. Patients undergoing CAS or CEA in the 2013-2014 Nationwide Readmissions Database were