cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Baseline-dependency of nicotine effects: a review.

'Rate-dependency', a founding observation of behavioral pharmacology, generally indicates that effects of drugs will be inversely related to the rate of operant responding under control conditions (i.e. decrease in high-rate behaviors and increase in low-rate behaviors). 'Baseline-dependency' encompasses rate-dependency and extends this notion to other drug effects, including those assessed by means other than 'rate' (such as subjective mood self-reports). Although little human research has specifically investigated the effects of nicotine as a function of baseline level of responding, a number of studies suggest baseline-dependent differences in the influence of nicotine on behavioral and cognitive task performance and on subjective mood responses. Results of many animal studies also are very consistent with these observations. Baseline-dependency, perhaps, is most clearly demonstrated in comparisons between groups selected on the basis of specific characteristics (e.g. high vs low 'trait hostility'), or within subjects as a result of acute environmental manipulations (e.g. high vs low 'stress' task). Moreover, baseline-dependency of the effects of nicotine may have broader applicability in explaining individual differences in vulnerability to nicotine dependence, particularly among those with psychiatric disorders (e.g. depression). While individual differences in responses to nicotine may be due to differences in pharmacological sensitivity to nicotine, as commonly assumed, they also may be due partly to individual and situationally determined differences in baseline level of responding on the measure of interest. Consideration of the conditions under which baseline-dependent effects of nicotine are observed may clarify both individual difference and situational influences on responses to nicotine.
Image content modeling for neuroscience databases

Most of the content-based image retrieval systems focuses on similarity-based retrieval of natural picture images by utilizing color, shape, and texture features. For the neuroscience image databases, we found that retrieving similar images based on global average features is meaningless to pathological researchers. To realize the practical content-based retrieval on images in neuroscience databases, it is essential to represent internal contents or semantics of images in detail. In this paper, we present how to represent image contents and their related concepts to support more useful retrieval on such images. We also describe the operational semantics to support these advanced retrievals by using object-oriented message path expressions. Our schemes are flexible and extensible, enabling users to incrementally add more semantics on image contents for more enhanced content searching.
Manipulation of isolated structures in experimental chaotic fluid flows

Abstract We present experimental demonstrations that isolated structures in chaotic flows can be analyzed – and even manipulated in a predictable way – using simple, numerically efficient, geometric tools. In addition, we show that these tools operate without the need for exact equations. Since this is typical in situations of practical interest, we conjecture that the method may be useful in practical applications.
INTEREST RATE SENSITIVITY OF BANK STOCK RETURNS: SPECIFICATION EFFECTS AND STRUCTURAL CHANGES

In this paper the interest rate sensitivity of bank stock returns under alternative econometric specifications and the changes in the sensitivity over time are studied. Results indicate that the sensitivity depends on the econometric specification and the period considered. Bank stock returns show a sensitivity to long-term government security returns and innovations, but not to short-term government security returns and innovations except under one specification. Since 1980, banks seem to have reduced their interest rate risk exposure. Finally, while long-term returns are positively associated with stock returns, short-term returns show a positive association only since 1980.
An approach to real-time flexible scheduling

Two types of flexibility are important in manufacturing scheduling in general and in real-time scheduling in particular. The first is flexibility with respect to the criteria that can be considered in the scheduling decisions. The second is flexibility with respect to the trade-off between decision quality and computational burden: that is, the ability to arrive at a solution that makes maximum use of theavailable computational capacity and computation time. This paper describes a procedure which meets the above requirements. The procedure is justified using a theoretical analysis based on probability. Experimental results of the procedure's performance are also presented. The results show that random selection (which is used in the procedure) can play a useful role in the real-time scheduling problem.
Pharmacological modifications of insulin release In vitro from fuel-responsive transplantable insulinomas

The response of insulinoma tissue to glucose, α-ketoisocaproate, and the modifiers of insulin release, tolbutamide, isoproterenol, and acetylcholine, was studied. Tumor tissue was transplanted under the kidney capsule of 14 rats, and the tumor-bearing kidneys were perfused in vitro about 8 weeks later. The plasma glucose concentration of these animals was 85.0 ± 7-0 mg/dl, while the plasma insulin concentration was 13.8 ± 1.5 ng/ml (normal, 180.5 ± 7.0 mg/dl and 2.6 ± 0.5 ng/ml, respectively; n = 26). Glucose (30 mM) evoked a 3- to 5-fold increase in insulin secretion, similar to the increase seen when either 100 μg/ml tolbutamide or 0.5 μg/ml isoproterenol were added to the perfusion medium containing 5 mm glucose. Proprariolol at 50 μg/ml, but not at 20 μg/ml, inhibited insulin release stimulated by isoproterenol. Acetylcholine (10 or 100 μM) did not stimulate insulin secretion. α-Ketoisocaproate caused the highest insulin release of all stimuli studied. Glucagon or somatostatin release was not seen in ...
Thyroid hormone affects the expression of neoplastic transformation induced by DNA-transfection.

Abstract Thyroid hormone can dramatically modulate oncogenic transformation of cells in culture. To further investigate this we have used DNA-mediated gene transfer (transfection) to transform cells grown in the presence (+T 3 ) or absence (−T 3 ) of thyroid hormones. Removal of thyroid hormones from the culture media greatly reduced the appearance of transformed foci subsequent to transfection. However, +T 3 or −T 3 media had no effect on the appearance of ouabain-resistant (oua r ) colonies following transfection of ouabain-sensitive (oua s ) cells with DNA isolated from oua r cells and selection in 3 mM ouabain. These results suggest that thyroid hormone does not effect the uptake or integration of exogenous DNA, but instead may modify the expression of transformation.
Why study diapause

This review highlights a number of reasons why insect diapause merits attention. Knowledge of diapause is essential for understanding the seasonal biology of an insect species, and such information is also required for the development of effective pest management strategies; manipulating domesticated species used in pollination and silk production; developing accurate predictive models used to forecast periods of pest abundance; and increasing the shelf-life of parasitoids and predatory mites used in the biological control industry. Mechanisms used by diapausing insects to survive low temperature may provide tips for cryopreserving insect stocks, a vital need within the research community. Diapause also presents an interesting model for probing fundamental questions in development, and we are indebted to diapause studies for early insights into insect hormones. In addition, I argue that insect diapause may provide insights into questions on aging, obesity and disease transmission, and diapausing insects offer a potentially rich source of pharmaceutical agents that may contribute to improvement of human health.
Arrays to atoms: the evolution of characterization

Characterization is one important component of the photovoltaics research and development effort. It has supported the evolution of the technology, and measurement techniques have evolved in response to the technology's needs. This paper highlights some important evaluation and verification techniques, covering macroscale through microscale characterization methods. Some emphasis is placed upon the nanoscale regime, in which the characterization and processing of semiconductors is leading to areas of atomic engineering of materials. >
+/-EffectWordNet: Sense-level Lexicon Acquisition for Opinion Inference

Recently, work in NLP was initiated on a type of opinion inference that arises when opinions are expressed toward events which have positive or negative effects on entities (+/-effect events). This paper addresses methods for creating a lexicon of such events, to support such work on opinion inference. Due to significant sense ambiguity, our goal is to develop a sense-level rather than word-level lexicon. To maximize the effectiveness of different types of information, we combine a graph-based method using WordNet 1 relations and a standard classifier using gloss information. A hybrid between the two gives the best results. Further, we provide evidence that the model is an effective way to guide manual annotation to find +/-effect senses that are not in the seed set.
Perceived Roles of Emergency Department Physicians Regarding Anticipatory Guidance on Firearm Safety

Abstract Background Several professional medical societies advocate for firearm safety counseling with patients. Little is known about Emergency Physicians' practices and perceptions of firearm safety counseling. Objective To assess Emergency Physicians' beliefs regarding firearm control and their confidence in counseling patients on firearm safety. Methods A national random sample (n = 500) of the members of the American College of Emergency Physicians was sent a valid and reliable questionnaire on firearm safety counseling. Results Of the 278 (56.8%) responding physicians, those who were non-white and those who were not members of the National Rifle Association (NRA) perceived firearm violence to be more of a problem than white physicians and those who were members of the NRA. The majority did not believe that patients would view them as a good source of information on firearm safety (63.3%) or that patients would accept them providing anticipatory firearm safety guidance (56.5%). The majority of the Emergency Department physicians did not believe firearm safety counseling would impact firearm-related homicides (75.2%) or suicides (70%). Conclusions The vast majority of Emergency Physicians had never been formally trained regarding firearm safety counseling, did not believe patients would see them as credible sources, and did not believe that anticipatory guidance on firearm safety would have any impact. These data may help inform Emergency Medicine residency programs on the training needs of residents regarding anticipatory guidance on firearm safety.
The Mitochondrial Dynamism-Mitophagy-Cell Death Interactome: Multiple Roles Performed by Members of a Mitochondrial Molecular Ensemble

Mitochondrial research is experiencing a renaissance, in part, because of the recognition that these endosymbiotic descendants of primordial protobacteria seem to be pursuing their own biological agendas. Not only is mitochondrial metabolism required to produce most of the biochemical energy that supports their eukaryotic hosts (us) but mitochondria can actively (through apoptosis and programmed necrosis) or passively (through reactive oxygen species toxicity) drive cellular dysfunction or demise. The cellular mitochondrial collective autoregulates its population through biogenic renewal and mitophagic culling; mitochondrial fission and fusion, 2 components of mitochondrial dynamism, are increasingly recognized as playing central roles as orchestrators of these processes. Mitochondrial dynamism is rare in striated muscle cells, so cardiac-specific genetic manipulation of mitochondrial fission and fusion factors has proven useful for revealing noncanonical functions of mitochondrial dynamics proteins. Here, we review newly described functions of mitochondrial fusion/fission proteins in cardiac mitochondrial quality control, cell death, calcium signaling, and cardiac development. A mechanistic conceptual paradigm is proposed in which cell death and selective organelle culling are not distinct processes, but are components of a unified and integrated quality control mechanism that exerts different effects when invoked to different degrees, depending on pathophysiological context. This offers a plausible explanation for seemingly paradoxical expression of mitochondrial dynamics and death factors in cardiomyocytes wherein mitochondrial morphometric remodeling does not normally occur and the ability to recover from cell suicide is severely limited.
Concordance among holdouts: extended abstract

When no agent has substantial influence on a public good outcome, he or she can demand the full surplus. Thus, in rich environments, private (voluntary and self-financing) provision of public goods---or bads such as land assembly---to a large number of self-interested citizens is impossible. This holdout problem is well-known and ubiquitous throughout economics: Holdout was first formalized by Cournot [2], and takes its precise modern form in the work of Mailath and Postelwaite [4]. Unlike in classical auction settings, where increasing competition may offset imperfections in market design ([1,3]), there is no easy way around the necessity of social engineering to solve holdout. Consequently, holdout concerns have informed wide-ranging policy decisions, including eminent domain and corporate takeover laws. In this paper, we study holdout in settings where a good owned by a disparate community of sellers is desired by a buyer only in its entirety; for concreteness, we focus on the particularly salient application of land assembly. In these settings, no mechanism can simultaneously achieve full efficiency and complete individual rationality ([4]). However, as we show, it is possible to strike an attractive balance between these two goals.We propose two desiderata for holdout-alleviating market mechanism design: bilateral efficiency -- outcomes should always be as efficient as a bilateral bargain between the prospective buyer and a single agent representing the community of sellers in its entirety -- and approximate individual rationality -- each individual should be assured of receiving as compensation at least an approximation to her value based on all but her own information. As we show, these two properties are mutually consistent. Moreover, they are satisfied by any mechanism in a simple and intuitive Concordance mechanism class that we introduce and characterize. Concordance mechanisms are asymptotically efficient under truthful reporting by sellers, and exhibit tradeoffs between incentive-compatibility and budget-balance familiar from auction design. To implement Concordance mechanisms, market organizers do not need to know sellers' subjective valuations; rather, they need only an approximation of each seller's share of the total community value. Extensions of our approach yield mechanisms for classical collaboration and public goods problems.
Effect of Dopants in Vapor Phase Synthesis of Titania Powders

Gas phase synthesis of titania from titanium tetrachloride (Ticl 4 ) oxidation in the presence of dopants (SiCl 4 and POCl 3 ) was systematically investigated in an aerosol reactor as a function of temperature (1300–1700 K) and dopant concentration (0–15 mole % of TiCl 4 ). The particle morphology was dramatically altered in the presence of dopants from polyhedral to spherical. Energy dispersive analysis indicated that the powders were homogeneous and that the dopants were not segregated at the surface or at the grain boundaries. Lattice parameter measurements from X-ray diffraction indicated that the dopant oxide was present in solid solution in titania. While titania synthesized in the absence of dopants was ∼80% anatase, the introduction of Si 4+ and P 5+ resulted in greater than 98 % anatase. The effects of foreign ions on titania phase composition, aggregate size and gas phase coalescence are explained by the creation of oxygen vacancies and reduction/enhancement of the titania sintering rates.
Immune thrombocytopenic purpura in pregnancy.

Purpose of review This review assesses the need for revision of the present guidelines for immune thrombocytopenic purpura in pregnancy based on evidence-based data from published articles of relevance. Recent findings The American Society of Hematology (ASH) and British Committee for Standards in Haematology (BCSH) guidelines indicate that at platelet counts below 70,000 or 80,000/microl, respectively, causes of thrombocytopenia other than gestational thrombocytopenia should be considered. The ASH guidelines indicate that for severe thrombocytopenia or thrombocytopenic bleeding in the third trimester, intravenous immunoglobulin is an appropriate first-line agent. No consensus was reached concerning the use of intravenous immunoglobulin or corticosteroids as first-line therapy at other gestational periods. Splenectomy is considered acceptable for patients with refractory immune thrombocytopenic purpura and severe thrombocytopenia with bleeding only in the second trimester. Laparoscopic splenectomy can be safely performed during pregnancy. The BCSH guidelines are consistent with contemporary practice in recommending that the mode of delivery of a pregnant patient with immune thrombocytopenic purpura should be determined based on maternal indications. Screening of articles published since the formulation of the BCSH guidelines in 2003 did not reveal new data that would lead to significant revisions in the guidelines. Summary Though outdated in some aspects, the ASH and BCSH guidelines still provide a useful framework for management of pregnant patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura.
ARmy: A study of multi-user interaction in spatially augmented games

We present ARmy, a two-player military strategy game that uses spatially augmented reality to combine physical tabletop games with the virtual elements and computation characteristic of modern video games. As players move plastic miniatures within a small scale physical environment, the application moderates and augments play by maintaining a 3D representation of the scene, which it uses to validate movement paths and perform automatic line-of-sight calculations for combat. We describe the design and implementation of the ARmy gaming system. Furthermore, we conducted a user study to gauge the effectiveness, in-tuitiveness, and robustness of the application. We describe the process of this user study, present quantitative data of the study results, and discuss general design principles for the design and implementation of other engaging spatially-augmented games.
Correlated lightning mapping array and radar observations of the initial stages of three sequentially triggered Florida lightning discharges

[1] Correlated Lightning Mapping Array and vertical-scan radar images are presented for three rocket-and-wire triggered lightning flashes that occurred sequentially within 17 min in the presence of a decaying multicellular convective storm system over north-central Florida. The initial stage (IS) of each flash propagated generally vertically to the altitude of the 0°C melting level, about 5 km, and then subsequently propagated for many kilometers horizontally along the melting level contour. Radar images suggest that the propagation paths of the IS channels below and above the melting level were heavily influenced by precipitation gradients. Flash UF 11-24 exhibited a 12.6 km unbranched IS channel, the longest unbranched channel observed in the study by a factor of three. During flash UF 11-25 (119 ms following the cessation of the measured IS current at ground and prior to the first return stroke), a natural cloud-to-ground discharge, perhaps induced by the IS, initiated between 2.5 and 4 km altitude and struck ground 5 to 7 km from the launching facility. The IS of flash UF 11-26 propagated upward through a descending precipitation packet and apparently induced a naturally appearing bi-level intracloud discharge via an upward-negative leader that initiated within the IS breakdown region 3.5 km from the launching facility. The upward-negative leader propagated from 5.6 to 9.3 km altitude in a time of 11 ms. The electrical current measured at ground during the IS of flash UF 11-26 exhibited a 57 ms polarity reversal, transferring 19 C of positive charge to ground.
Demonstration of fault tolerance for CORBA applications

This paper describes a fault tolerant CORBA infrastructure for a simple air defense application in which the interception management and guidance program is replicated over three computers to protect it against faults. The fault tolerant CORBA infrastructure maintains continuous service of the interception management and guidance program, through faults and recovery, and maintains strong replica consistency, despite asynchrony and faults. With the fault tolerant CORBA infrastructure, fault tolerance is achieved with minimal modification of the application program, no special programming skills and shorter program development timescales. The fault tolerant CORBA infrastructure being demonstrated was developed originally under DARPA sponsorship at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and is now available commercially from Eternal Systems Incorporated.
The Pyrolytic Conversion of Perhydropolysilazane Into Si 3 N 4 : X-Ray Diffraction Analysis

X-ray diffraction analysis was used to study the pyrolytic conversion of a preceramic polysilazane into Si3N4. Quantitative data for crystallite size, phase composition, and degree of crystallinity versus pyrolysis temperature and atmosphere (N2 and NH3) are presented. Pyrolytic products produced under N2 and NH3 atmospheres consist of microcrystals of silicon and α- and β-Si3N4. Under both atmospheres, a majority of the char is crystalline at ≈ l270°C, and the entire char is crystallized at l400°C. Pyrolysis under an NH3 atmosphere produces near stoichiometric Si3N4, while pyrolysis under N2 produces a silicon-rich material.
Dynamic simulation of suspensions of non-Brownian hard spheres

In this work, we investigate the suitability of models based solely on continuum hydrodynamics for Stokesian Dynamics simulations of sheared suspensions of non-Brownian hard spheres. The suspensions of interest consist of monolayers of uniform rigid spheres subjected to a linear shear field. Areal fractions ranged from ϕa = 0.2 to 0.6. For these suspensions, two sets of Stokesian Dynamics simulations were performed. For the first set, particle interactions were assumed to be strictly hydrodynamic in nature. These simulations are analogous to those of Brady & Bossis (1985) and Chang & Powell (1993). For the second set of simulations, particles were subjected to both hydrodynamic and short-range repulsive forces. The repulsion serves as a qualitative model of non-hydrodynamic effects important when particle separation distances are small. Results from both sets of simulations were found to be within the range of established experimental data for viscosities of suspensions. However, simulations employing the pure hydrodynamic model lead to very small separation distances between particles. These small separations give rise to particle overlaps that could not be eliminated by time-step refinement. The instantaneous number of overlaps increased with density and typically exceeded the number of particles at the highest densities considered. More critically, for very dense suspensions the simulations failed to approach a long-time asymptotic state. For simulations employing a short-range repulsive force, these problems were eliminated. The repulsion had the effect of preventing extremely small separations, thereby eliminating particle overlaps. At high concentrations, viscosities computed using the two methods are significantly different. This suggests that the dynamics of particles near contact have a significant impact on bulk properties. Furthermore, the results suggest that a critical aspect of the physics important at small particle separation distances is missing from the pure hydrodynamic model, making it unusable for computing microstructures of dense suspensions. In contrast, simulations employing a short-range repulsive force appear to produce more realistic microstructures, and can be performed even at very high densities.
The Influence of Fluoride on Apatite Formation from Unstable Supersaturated Solutions at pH 7.4

The present study was undertaken to examine the effect of fluoride on the formation of apatite in aqeous calcium phosphate suspensions prepared by spontaneous precipitation at pH 7.4. The most notable finding was that fluoride greatly curtailed or eliminated the appearance of octacalcium phosphate-like precursor phases in these preparations.
Gender differences and the electrocardiogram in left ventricular hypertrophy

We examined the relations of gender differences in electrocardiographic (ECG) voltages and QRS duration to differences in cardiac dimensions and body size between men and women and gender differences in test performance of ECG criteria for the detection of echocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy in 389 subjects (112 women and 277 men). ECG voltage-duration products were calculated as the product of QRS duration and voltages. Among subjects with normal left ventricular mass and also among subjects with left ventricular hypertrophy, men had longer QRS duration, higher Cornell voltage, higher 12-lead sum of QRS voltage, and higher Cornell and 12-lead voltage-duration products than did women. Significant gender differences in QRS duration, Cornell voltage, the 12-lead sum of voltage and their voltage-duration products remained after adjusting for the greater left ventricular mass, height, and weight in men than women. Comparison of areas under receiver operating characteristic curves using gender-specific criteria demonstrated higher performance of QRS duration, Cornell voltage, the 12-lead sum of QRS voltage, and the respective voltage-duration products for the identification of left ventricular hypertrophy in men than women. Thus, gender differences in body size and left ventricular mass do not completely account for gender differences in QRS duration and voltage measurements, and ECG criteria for left ventricular hypertrophy have lower accuracy in women even when gender differences in partition value selection are taken into account.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Marital Meaning: Exploring Young Adults’ Belief Systems About Marriage

The purpose of the study is to examine the meaning that the institution of marriage can hold for young, unmarried adults, based on their systems (or collections) of beliefs about marriage. Based on symbolic interactionism, it is argued that marital meaning has implications for how people behave prior to and during marriage that may relate to marital functioning. A qualitative content analysis of scholarly literature reveals that marital meaning is multifaceted and can be conceptualized as including five distinct dimensions. A confirmatory factor analysis identifies beliefs that are scaled to represent their respective dimensions. A cluster analysis categorizes participants into three groups based on participants’ scores along these dimensions. Similarities and distinctions across the three groups are discussed to highlight the complexity of belief systems that young adults can have about the institution of marriage.
On the application of numerical methods to Hallen's equation

The so-called Hallen integral equation for the current on a finite linear antenna center-driven by a delta-function generator takes two forms depending on the choice of kernel. The two kernels are usually referred to as the exact and the approximate or reduced kernel. With the approximate kernel, the integral equation has no solution. Nevertheless, the same numerical method is often applied to both forms of the integral equation. In this paper, the behavior of the numerical solutions thus obtained is investigated, and the similarities and differences between the two numerical solutions are discussed. The numerical method is Galerkin's method with pulse functions. We first apply this method to the two corresponding forms of the integral equation for the current on a linear antenna of infinite length. In this case, the method yields an infinite Toeplitz system of algebraic equations in which the width of the pulse basis functions enters as a parameter. The infinite system is solved exactly for nonzero pulse width; the exact solution is then developed asymptotically for the case where the pulse width is small. When the asymptotic expressions for the case of the infinite antenna are used as a guide for the behavior of the solutions of the finite antenna, the latter problem is greatly facilitated. For the approximate kernel, the main results of this paper carry over to a certain numerical method applied to the corresponding equation of the Pocklington type.
Early composite cranioplasty in infants with severe aplasia cutis congenita: a report of two cases.

Abstract Objective: Severe cutis aplasia congenita has traditionally been treated with initial soft tissue coverage and delayed cranioplasty. We advocate the technique of early composite reconstruction of both bone and soft tissues. Methods: Two cases of cutis aplasia congenita with large skull defects (6 × 10 cm, 8 × 8 cm) of superficial layers, skull, and dura are presented. In each case, composite reconstruction was undertaken before 2 weeks of age with restoration of bony and soft tissue coverage through autologous, full-thickness cranial bone grafts and scalp flaps. Both children have been followed up over 2 years with clinical examination and computed tomography (CT) scans. Results: In both cases, defects were completely repaired postoperatively and remained closed 2 years later. Complete regeneration of calvarial bone graft donor sites were documented by CT scan. Head shape and circumference were normal at 2-year follow up.
ZDOCK server: interactive docking prediction of protein-protein complexes and symmetric multimers.

Summary: Protein–protein interactions are essential to cellular and immune function, and in many cases, because of the absence of an experimentally determined structure of the complex, these interactions must be modeled to obtain an understanding of their molecular basis. We present a user-friendly protein docking server, based on the rigid-body docking programs ZDOCK and M-ZDOCK, to predict structures of protein–protein complexes and symmetric multimers. With a goal of providing an accessible and intuitive interface, we provide options for users to guide the scoring and the selection of output models, in addition to dynamic visualization of input structures and output docking models. This server enables the research community to easily and quickly produce structural models of protein–protein complexes and symmetric multimers for their own analysis. Availability: The ZDOCK server is freely available to all academic and non-profit users at: http://zdock.umassmed.edu. No registration is required. Contact: ude.demssamu@ecreip.nairb or ude.demssamu@gnew.gnipihz
Long-term health-related quality of life in bariatric surgery patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective Bariatric surgery results in significant weight loss in the majority of patients. Improvement in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an equally important outcome; however, there are few studies reporting long-term (≥5 years) HRQoL outcomes. This study assesses the quality of evidence and effectiveness of surgery on HRQoL ≥ 5 years. Methods PubMed, Cochrane Review, EmBase, CINANL, PsycInfo, obesity conference abstracts, and reference lists were searched. Keywords were bariatric surgery, obesity, and quality of life. Studies were included if (1) there was ≥5 years follow-up, (2) patients had class II or III obesity, (3) individuals completed a validated HRQoL survey, and (4) there was a nonsurgical comparison group with obesity. Two reviewers independently assessed each study. Results From 1376 articles, 9 studies were included in the systematic review (SR) and 6 in the meta-analysis (MA). Inconsistent results for long-term improvements in physical and mental health emerged from the SR. In contrast, the MA found significant improvements in these domains ≥5 years after surgery. Conclusions Study findings provide evidence for a substantial and significant improvement in physical and mental health favoring the surgical group compared with controls spanning 5 to 25 years after surgery.
Comparison of the crystal chemistry of selected MSi6O15-based silicates

The structures of four A(3)MSi(6)O(15)(. nH(2)O) silicates (A = Na or K, M = Nd or Y) recently determined by the authors are compared with one another and with the structures of related silicates. The 2:5 Si:O ratio in these compounds (silicate tetrahedra linked by sharing three O atoms per tetrahedron plus one unshared O atom) permits layer, double-chain, or double-ring configurations. In alpha-K3NdSi6O15. 2H(2)O, beta-K3NdSi6O15, and Na3NdSi6O15. 2H(2)O, the linkage is found to result in a corrugated layered structure, in beta-Na3YSi6O15 a double-chain structure, and in alpha-Na3YSi6O15 a unique double-ring structure. Although the factors that govern the stabilities of ring vs. chain vs. layered structures remain to be completely elucidated, it is apparent in the layered structures that larger M cations (such as Nd and Ce) produce a greater degree of corrugation than do Zr and Ti cations. The more open structures of neodymium and cerium silicates contain large channels that may serve as pathways for fast alkali ion transport.
NIST’s Advanced Technology Program: New Developments in Membrane Technology R&D

The Advanced Technology Program (ATP) is a unique partnership between government and private industry designed to accelerate the development of innovative, high-risk technologies for broad national benefit. Topics for ATP projects are proposed by industry, and awards are made on the basis of announced competitions that consider both the technical and business merits of the proposed work. Companies of any size may apply, and universities or governmental research institutions may partner with industry in ATP projects. Between 1990 and September, 2002, ATP provided a total of $2.0 billion in funding across all technology areas for 642 high-risk, industrial RD more than 60of all projects are led by small businesses. On average, more than half of all ATP projects include university participation, with more than 160 universities participating. Over 25 national laboratories participate.
Perfusion imaging with non-contrast ultrasound

A Doppler ultrasound clutter filter that enables estimation of low velocity blood flow could considerably improve ultrasound as a tool for clinical diagnosis and monitoring, including for the evaluation of vascular diseases and tumor perfusion. Conventional Doppler ultrasound is currently used for visualizing and estimating blood flow. However, conventional Doppler is limited by frame rate and tissue clutter caused by involuntary movement of the patient or sonographer. Spectral broadening of the clutter due to tissue motion limits ultrasound’s ability to detect blood flow less than about 5mm/s at an 8MHz center frequency. We propose a clutter filtering technique that may increase the sensitivity of Doppler measurements to at least as low as 0.41mm/s. The proposed filter uses an adaptive demodulation scheme that decreases the bandwidth of the clutter. To test the performance of the adaptive demodulation method at removing sonographer hand motion, six volunteer subjects acquired data from a basic quality assurance phantom. Additionally, to test initial in vivo feasibility, an arterial occlusion reactive hyperemia study was performed to assess the efficiency of the proposed filter at preserving signals from blood velocities 2mm/s or greater. The hand motion study resulted in initial average bandwidths of 577Hz (28.5mm/s), which were decreased to 7.28Hz (0.36mm/s) at -60 dB at 3cm using our approach. The in vivo power Doppler study resulted in 15.2dB and 0.15dB dynamic ranges between the lowest and highest blood flow time points for the proposed filter and conventional 50Hz high pass filter, respectively.
Direct processes in 54-MeV 7Li breakup reactions on 12C and 197Au targets, and the extraction of astrophysical cross sections.

Strong direct processes were observed for elastic breakup in 54-MeV $^{7}\mathrm{Li}$${+}^{12}$C $^{197}\mathrm{Au}$ reactions. In the case of $^{12}\mathrm{C}$, the observed $^{7}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}$+t direct-breakup yield was significantly larger than predicted by a Coulomb-breakup calculation, indicating the importance of the nuclear field. For $^{197}\mathrm{Au}$, final-state interactions produced a strong distortion in the fragment energy spectra, as well as a modulation of the coincidence efficiency for different detector geometries. Such Coulomb effects are found to severely complicate the extraction of radiative-capture cross sections from direct-breakup data.
Different Methods of Increasing the Mechanical Strength of Gold Nanocages

Using the ultrafast coherent modulation of the surface plasmon band intensity with the totally symmetric lattice vibration of gold nanocages, we were able to determine and use their frequencies as a measure of the cage's mechanical stability. The presence of an inner "stiff" transition-metal nanoshell with a higher value of the elastic modulus is found to increase the frequency of the lattice vibration of the outer soft gold nanoshell. This could also explain the observed increase in both the gold lattice vibrational frequency as well as the lattice vibration relaxation time in the Au-Pt and Au-Pd double-shell nanocages. It is also found that when these nanoparticles are assembled into monolayers on quartz substrates by the Langmuir-Blodgett technique, the oscillation frequency of the gold shell with the transition metal having the largest elastic constant suffers the least change in its oscillation frequency as a result of its resistance to distortion as a result of binding to the substrate.
Influence of hydrazine on the distributions of free amino acids in mouse liver.

SummaryTwo-dimensional paper chro-matographic methods were employed to study the changes produced in amino acid distribution in tissues of mice treated with hydrazine and in mice which had been pretreated with protective substances prior to the administration of hydrazine. The data indicate that the time of occurrence of the symptoms of acute hydrazine poisoning (tonic-clonic convulsions) coincided with significant changes in free amino acid distribution in liver but not with any major effects in brain. In all animals which had been injected with hydrazine increases in citrulline content were observed in liver, but not in other tissues or urine. When injection of arginine alone or arginine together with other substances was followed by hydrazine, remarkable increases in liver citrulline levels were found. There was no indication of the accumulation of argininosuccinic acid. The data suggested that in livers of hydrazine-poisoned animals the condensation reaction of citrulline with aspartic acid to give ar...
Curriculum-Based Measurement for Beginning Writers (K–2)

Assessment and instruction of reading tend to dominate current discussions of early literacy. Shifting the focus to writing, this article addresses the assessment of writing for students in kindergarten through second grade. Using curriculum-based measurement of written expression for beginning writers, teachers can measure growth of smaller increments of writing skill development (i.e., number of words written in a given time or using correctly sequenced letters or words) and may use this method repeatedly across the school year to show growth and identify weakness in students’ early writing skills.
Insider Trading and Net Order Flows: The Case of Technology Bubble

This study investigates insider trading activity and associated net order flows (buyer initiated minus seller initiated trades) during the high price - high volatility period of late 1990s. The results show that insiders of seemingly overpriced technology firms are heavy sellers during the rise of stock prices, and the firms which are sold extensively by insiders have lower stock returns in the correction period. The relation between net order flows and abnormal insider trading activity, on average, is positive and significant; which suggests insider trading helps price discovery. However, this positive relation disappears during this special period. Overall, the evidence supports the model of Abreu and Brunnermeier (2003) by showing that signals from insider trading is not impounded to stock prices during periods when sophisticated investors do not trade against price bubbles.
Realization of Anti-mistake Interlocking Function in Substation Measurement and Control Device

A novel substation bay level measuring and control device with anti-mistake interlocking function is introduced.Ethernet technology and proper transmission protocol are applied to information sharing probed of all devices.Reverse Polish Notation is used to calculate the anti-mistake logic.Anti-mistake operation is realized in substation automation system and A reliable security is supplied for substation operation.
The analysis on the effect of pre-stretch force on spring-back of rotary stretch bending of L-section extrusions based on power-law hardening model

To theoretically study of pre-stretch force effect on spring-back of L-section extrusions in rotary stretch bending,an analytical model of stress and strain distributions in section is presented with using power-law harden material constitutive model.The variations of stress distributions with pre-stretch force in section are analyzed and discussed as well as applied bending moment,and also a curve that spring-back angle varying with pre-stretch force is presented.The results compared with experimental data show that the analytical model is more accurate to predict spring-back than another one built by using bilinear harden constitutive model in rotary stretch bending.
Analysis of the epidemic situation of other infectious diarrhea from 2004 to 2007 in Shiyan

The epidemic situation of other infectious diarrhea from 2004 to 2007 in Shiyan was analyzed and found an annual average incidence of 28.66/100 000,among which the infection mainly happened in the scattered children in summer.
Improving resource-use-efficiency with no-till and crop diversity

Recently, we conducted a case study that showed a no-till, diverse cropping system increasing corn yields in a semiarid climate compared with a tilled, corn–soybean rotation. Further analysis showed that the no-till system improved resource-use-efficiency of corn; inputs were reduced 42% averaged across five resources. The largest reduction with inputs involved nitrogen fertilizer and fuel. Reduced fertilizer input was attributed to greater soil microbial activity. A surprising trend was that cost of weed management in corn was 45% lower in the no-till system, due to resistant weeds being present only in the tilled, corn–soybean system. Crop diversity in the no-till system suppressed development of weed resistance. Integrating a diversity of crops with no-till can improve efficient use of resources.
Integrated small copy number variations and epigenome maps of disorders of sex development

Small copy number variations (CNVs) have typically not been analyzed or reported in clinical settings and hence have remained underrepresented in databases and the literature. Here, we focused our investigations on these small CNVs using chromosome microarray analysis (CMA) data previously obtained from patients with atypical characteristics or disorders of sex development (DSD). Using our customized CMA track targeting 334 genes involved in the development of urogenital and reproductive structures and a less stringent analysis filter, we uncovered small genes with recurrent and overlapping CNVs as small as 1 kb, and small regions of homozygosity (ROHs), imprinting and position effects. Detailed analysis of these high-resolution data revealed CNVs and ROHs involving structural and functional domains, repeat elements, active transcription sites and regulatory regions. Integration of these genomic data with DNA methylation, histone modification and predicted RNA expression profiles in normal testes and ovaries suggested spatiotemporal and tissue-specific gene regulation. This study emphasized a DSD-specific and gene-targeted CMA approach that uncovered previously unanalyzed or unreported small genes and CNVs, contributing to the growing resources on small CNVs and facilitating the narrowing of the genomic gap for identifying candidate genes or regions. This high-resolution analysis tool could improve the diagnostic utility of CMA, not only in patients with DSD but also in other clinical populations. These integrated data provided a better genomic-epigenomic landscape of DSD and greater opportunities for downstream research.
CHARMM-GUI Molecular Dynamics Simulations of the Neo-Lacto Series in a Popc Bilayer

The Neo-Lacto Series currently consists of 11 glycolipids, which we attempted to observe by placing the glycolipids in membranes composed of POPC (1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) using the CHARMM-GUI membrane builder and CHARMM simulation runner. The glycolipids with an 18:1:18.0 ceramide tail were used in every system. Initially all the glycolipids consisted of 64:64 POPC per leaflet, but some had to be changed to 72:72, 90:90 or even 128:128 if the size and shape of the glycolipid exceeded the system size. Using the membrane builder, we ran 7 steps of production. Steps 1 through 5 oriented the glycolipid and placed it in a POPC membrane and steps 6 and 7 utilized the force constant to create a system that tried to match naturalistic conditions. We have data on z-position, tilt angle, and rmsd (root mean square distance) of the sugar. We now have a model of how each glycolipid looks in equilibrium in a membrane and we can try to determine how the structure of each of glycolipid plays a unique function for future projects.
Chemical and Physical Bonding

Electron Pair Orbitals. A practical understanding of ceramic processing requires some knowledge of chemical bonding. Weak bonds, strong bonds, and some bond types not ordinarily emphasized in first year chemistry courses are all involved in a typical ceramic process, even for an old method such as the slip casting of ball clay. An even deeper level of knowledge will be required in order to understand the functions (and occasional malfunctions) of those organic additives that are likely to be used in the future.
Analysis of multiple sources of variation: comparison of three techniques.

Three analytic techniques—multiple regression, automatic interaction detector (AID), and multisort—are applied to the analysis of data from an investigation of health services utilization and expenditure patterns in a national sample of 45 000 residents of Chile. The inherent weaknesses and strengths of each method are described and illustrated with special application to the sociodemographic factors associated with physician utilization, and the overall results given by the three methods are compared. Multisort was judged to be the most useful and convenient technique, but the most meaningful results were obtained from systematic application of all three approaches.
Optimal Sizing of Exfiltration Trenches

AbstractOptimal sizing of exfiltration trenches for both flood control and water-quality control is investigated for conventional and partially submerged trenches. An analytic formulation is presen...