cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predictive value of semi-quantitative MRI-based scoring systems for future knee replacement: data from the osteoarthritis initiative

To evaluate, in a confirmatory fashion, whether baseline and change from baseline to 24-month follow-up in cartilage damage, bone marrow lesions and meniscal damage are predictors of knee replacement (KR) in subjects with a high risk of osteoarthritis (OA), independent of the level of physical activity, symptom severity and radiographic abnormalities. Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative’s (OAI) baseline and 24-month follow-up knee MRIs of 115 patients (age range: 45–78 years; 48 % female; BMI: 20.9–48.7) were analyzed. Cartilage, bone marrow and menisci were semi-quantitatively scored according to the Whole-Organ Magnetic Resonance Imaging Score (WORMS) and Boston-Leeds Osteoarthritis Knee Score (BLOKS) systems in all compartments. Baseline and 24-month interval changes in structural tissue damage assessed by BLOKS and WORMS were used as predictors of KR independent of clinical and radiographic parameters using Cox hazard analysis. Adjustments were performed for age, gender, BMI and physical activity (Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly: PASE), Western Ontario and McMaster Questionnaire (WOMAC) total score and radiographic Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) score. BLOKS and WORMS baseline cartilage scores were predictors of KR independent of the PASE, WOMAC and KL score. One score increase in the average baseline BLOKS full-thickness cartilage defect score was associated with a [hazard ratio (95 % CI)] 13.55 (3.61–50.89) times greater risk of KR independent of the PASE, WOMAC and KL score. Net reclassification improvements (NRIs) of the additional evaluation of 24-month follow-up MRI scores and assessment of changes were not significant for prediction of KR (NRI range: − 7.23 – 24.8 %). The BLOKS cartilage score for full-thickness cartilage defects had the highest hazard for KR. Follow-up MRI changes in structural tissue damage, detected by BLOKS and WORMS cartilage, bone marrow or meniscus scores (up to 24 months) had no significant predictive value in addition to the baseline MRI.
Social Stratification The Distribution of Food and Nutrition

An area of major interest to sociology since its inception is the study of social classes or social stratification. It is also the area of sociology that has had the most influence on the study of food behavior.
SU-E-T-812: Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy-Total Body Irradiation (VMAT-TBI) V.s. Conventional Extended SSD-TBI (cTBI): A Dosimetric Comparisom

Purpose: To perform a dosimetric evaluation on a new developed volumetric modulated arc therapy based total body irradiation (VMAT-TBI). Methods: Three patients were CT scanned with an indexed rotatable body frame to get whole body CT images. Concatenated CT images were imported in Pinnacle treatment planning system and whole body and lung were contoured as PTV and organ at risk, respectively. Treatment plans were generated by matching multiple isocenter volumetric modulated arc (VMAT) fields of the upper body and multiple isocenter parallel-opposed fields of the lower body. For each plan, 1200 cGy in 8 fractions was prescribed to the whole body volume and the lung dose was constrained to a mean dose of 750 cGy. Such a two-level dose plan was achieved by inverse planning of the torso VMAT fields. For comparison, conventional standing TBI (cTBI) plans were generated on the same whole body CT images at an extended SSD (550cm).The shape of compensators and lung blocks are simulated using body segments and lung contours Compensation was calculated based on the patient CT images, in mimic of the standing TBI treatment. The whole body dose distribution of cTBI plans were calculated with a home-developed GPU Monte Carlo dose engine. Calculated cTBI dose distribution was prescribed to the mid-body point at umbilical level. Results: The VMAT-TBI treatment plans of three patients’ plans achieved 80.2%±5.0% coverage of the total body volume within ±10% of the prescription dose, while cTBI treatment plans achieved 72.2%±4.0% coverage of the total body volume. The averaged mean lung dose of all three patients is lower for VMAT-TBI (7.48 cGy) than for cTBI (8.96 cGy). Conclusion: The proposed patient comfort-oriented VMAT-TBI technique provides for a uniform dose distribution within the total body while reducing the dose to the lungs.
Flujos de datos trans - frontera : importancia, impacto, politicas

Expresa en su ensayo que los rapidos avances basados en la microelectronica logrados en las tecnologias de informatica y telecomunicaciones, se han fundido ahora en la telematica. La internacionalizacion de este proceso ha dado paso a su vez, a los flujos de datos trans-frontera (FDT) a traves de sistemas transnacionales de comunicacion-computacion.
Why We Blog: An Essay in Four Movements

This essay comprises four parts, each by one of the co-bloggers at In the Middle (http://www.inthemedievalmiddle.com). Karl Steel argues that the benefits of academic blogging outweigh its potential humiliations, and that academic conferences should post their papers publicly and allow for comments so that conferences, in a sense, never end. Graduate students and junior scholars should be encouraged to blog to help build a community and a trade in ideas, and to accustom them to the feelings of exposure and humiliation common to all writing, which will thereby train them to become more confident scholars. Jeffrey Jerome Cohen examines some of the difficulties posed by the age of e-medieval: an internet culture of negativity. Blogging entails finding strategies for managing harsh or off topic comments, as well as for coping with unwanted attention. Drawing on the pedagogical distinction Nancy Sommers makes between process and product, Mary Kate Hurley examines the role blogs might play in creating a communal space in which to share unfinished ideas. Blogs might be an ideal medium for the process of thinking, rather than the finished work of having had thought. Eileen A. Joy argues there may be more value in thinking and “working through” our scholarship online, in an “open” environment that promotes and invites democratic, catholic, and convivial support, as well as the accidental tourist and silent voyuer, than there is in the traditional “finished product” of a journal article or book. It pleads, further, for a better awareness of the fact that intellectual property is always co-extensive and communal.
Saturation mutagenesis of a DNA region of bend: Base steps other than ApA influence the bend*

A 60 base-pair region of a simian virus 40 DNA fragment was mutagenized to determine base-pairs that are critical for the fragment to bend. The site-directed mutagenesis saturated this region with all possible single base-pair substitutions. The mobility of each mutated fragment was measured by polyacrylamide electrophoresis at 4°C and at 65°C to assess the degree of bend. Four conclusions can be drawn. First, interruptions within the A tracts and changes in the phasing of the A tracts alter the degree of bend. Second, G tracts phased at a half-helical turn from an A tract are additive to the bend. Third, guanine residues in a nearest-neighbor contact with the A tracts modify the bend. Fourth, some mutations that do not obviously relate to the A tracts also alter the DNA bend and suggest clearly that base steps other than ApA are involved in sequence-directed DNA bends.
Nonuniform Kolmogorov extractors

We establish tight bounds on the amount on nonuniformity that is necessary for extracting a string with randomness rate 1 from a single source of randomness with lower randomness rate. More precisely, as instantiations of more general results, we show that while O(1) amount of advice regarding the source is not enough for extracting a string with randomness rate 1 from a source string with constant subunitary random rate, \omega(1) amount of advice is.
Colloid straining within water‐saturated porous media: Effects of colloid size nonuniformity

[1] Groundwater suspensions consist of colloidal particles of nonuniform size, yet most published studies of colloid straining in porous media have been conducted with monodisperse colloidal suspensions. In this technical note, we report the results of column experiments on the straining of monodisperse suspensions (3.1 or 5.1 μm microspheres) and a bidisperse suspension (containing 3.1 and 5.1 μm microspheres) within water-saturated quartz sand. The experiments are similar to those described by Xu et al. (2006) in which chemical conditions were prescribed to minimize physicochemical deposition and straining represented the dominant mechanism of colloid immobilization. We find that the straining rates of the monodisperse suspensions can be quantified with published, empirically based expressions that use the ratio of colloid diameter to sand grain diameter as the predictor variable. The straining kinetics of the bidisperse suspension cannot be quantified with these empirical expressions when the mass-averaged microsphere size is used for the colloid diameter. Analysis of the data from the experiments with the bidisperse suspension suggests that retention of the 5.1 μm microspheres constricted pore spaces with dimensions between 3.1 and 5.1 μm, which enhanced the straining of the 3.1 μm microspheres. A model that accounts for this effect and that uses one fitting parameter in coordination with parameters estimated from column experiments with the monodisperse suspensions describes the observations made in the bidisperse experiment with good success.
Nerve commitment in Hydra: II. Localization of commitment in S phase☆

The kinetics of nerve differentiation were investigated during head regeneration in Hydra. In particular the cell cycle parameters of stem cells undergoing nerve commitment were determined. Head regeneration induces extensive nerve commitment localized at the regenerating tip (G. Venugopal and C. David, 1981, Develop. Biol.83, 353–360). The appearance of committed nerve precursors is followed 12 hr later by the appearance of newly differentiated nerves. Under these conditions the time from the end of S phase to nerve differentiation is about 9 hr and the time from the beginning of S phase to nerve differentiation is about 18 hr. Thus nerve commitment occurs in mid- to late S phase of the stem cell precursor.
3‐Methyl‐4‐nitropyridine‐1‐oxide

3-Methyl-4-nitropyridine-1-oxide reactant: One hundred and eighty grams (1.65 moles) of liquefied 3-methylpyridine-1-oxide reactant: 200 g. (2.15 moles) of freshly distilled 3-methylpyridine product: 3-Methyl-4-nitropyridine-1-oxide Keywords: nitration; 3-methylpyridine-1-oxide, preparation of
Ethanol inhibits liver regeneration in rats without reducing transcripts of key protooncogenes

The mechanisms responsible for ethanol-associated inhibition of liver regeneration are poorly understood but may involve the modulation of protooncogene expression. To test this hypothesis, the steady-state messenger RNA levels of several protooncogenes involved in cellular proliferation were measured in livers obtained from ethanol-fed rats and isocalorically maintained controls before and during surgically-induced liver regeneration. Regeneration was significantly inhibited in ethanol-fed rats as evidenced by delayed induction of ornithine decarboxylase activity and reduced thymidine incorporation, mitotic index, and restoration of liver mass after partial hepatectomy. As previously reported, partial hepatectomy induced the time-dependent expression of mRNA for c-fos, c-myc, and c-Ha-ras. However, the transcript levels of these protooncogenes were indistinguishable in ethanol and control livers at various time points between 0-72 hours after partial hepatectomy. Although regeneration after partial hepatectomy is significantly delayed in ethanol-fed rats, the transcription of certain protooncogenes, which encode for both DNA-binding and signal-transducing proteins, appears to proceed normally. Consequently, ethanol-associated impairment of liver regeneration cannot be explained by altered transcription of these protooncogenes. The results suggest that either the expression of these protooncogenes alone may not be sufficient to trigger liver regeneration or that ethanol inhibits protooncogene-mediated events at posttranscriptional levels.
PhyloScan: identification of transcription factor binding sites using cross-species evidence

When transcription factor binding sites are known for a particular transcription factor, it is possible to construct a motif model that can be used to scan sequences for additional sites. However, few statistically significant sites are revealed when a transcription factor binding site motif model is used to scan a genome-scale database. We have developed a scanning algorithm, PhyloScan, which combines evidence from matching sites found in orthologous data from several related species with evidence from multiple sites within an intergenic region, to better detect regulons. The orthologous sequence data may be multiply aligned, unaligned, or a combination of aligned and unaligned. In aligned data, PhyloScan statistically accounts for the phylogenetic dependence of the species contributing data to the alignment and, in unaligned data, the evidence for sites is combined assuming phylogenetic independence of the species. The statistical significance of the gene predictions is calculated directly, without employing training sets. In a test of our methodology on synthetic data modeled on seven Enterobacteriales, four Vibrionales, and three Pasteurellales species, PhyloScan produces better sensitivity and specificity than MONKEY, an advanced scanning approach that also searches a genome for transcription factor binding sites using phylogenetic information. The application of the algorithm to real sequence data from seven Enterobacteriales species identifies novel Crp and PurR transcription factor binding sites, thus providing several new potential sites for these transcription factors. These sites enable targeted experimental validation and thus further delineation of the Crp and PurR regulons in E. coli. Better sensitivity and specificity can be achieved through a combination of (1) using mixed alignable and non-alignable sequence data and (2) combining evidence from multiple sites within an intergenic region.
In vivo translation studies of plant viral RNAs using reporter genes.

This unit describes the analysis of the translation-regulating properties of viral RNAs in cell-based assays using a luciferase reporter system. Electroporation and polyethylene glycol–mediated introduction of luciferase reporter RNA into cowpea protoplasts are also presented. The Commentary section discusses employing the luciferase reporter system to study translational control by the 5′- and 3′-untranslated regions of a viral mRNA. Inoculum RNA quality and half-life after delivery to the protoplasts should be monitored closely for careful investigation of translational regulation elements. Keywords: luciferase; protoplasts; electroporation; polyethylene glycol; mRNA; RNA stability; RNA functional half-life
Variations in SET pulse shapes in the LM124A and LM111

We present a paper that shows remarkable variation in single-event transient (SET) pulse signal shape for the LM124 operational amplifier, and the LM111 voltage comparator. Both the data and the test methods used are presented.
Unusual Behaviour of a Mammalian Collagen in Deuterium Oxide

GROSS1 observed that heating a solution of collagen in phosphate buffer to 37° C resulted in the formation of an opaque gel of collagen fibres. That this occurred at 37° C, but not in the cold, suggests that some unfolding of the collagen molecule is required to form fibres or gels, and that newly synthesized collagen molecules, in vivo, are also not as highly ordered as possible, but are somewhat unfolded in order to form connective tissue fibres. To test this idea in vitro we proposed to conduct the Gross heat gelation in deuterium oxide. Harrington and von Hippel2 showed that in the case of ichthyocol collagen in deuterium oxide, the helix→coil transition occurs at a temperature 4° C higher than in water. If heat gelation of collagen in deuterium oxide were to require a higher temperature than in water, the hypothesis would be supported. When we attempted to carry out the experiment, unexpected results were obtained, of which a preliminary report is presented here.
Management of cosmetic intolerance syndrome.

Abstract For two decades, we have staffed a Contact Dermatitis Clinic for the diagnosis and management of exogenous dermatoses. This unique clinical experience presented many patient-oriented opportunities, only some of which have been reasonably explored. The dermatologist quickly thinks of overt irritant or allergic dermatitis from cosmetics. Classic examples consist of acute allergic dermatitis to hair dyes, fragrances, preservations, and other cosmetic ingredients. This chapter refers not to these overt dermatoses but to more occult arcane difficulties.
Plants are not just passive creatures

Transgenic plants producing foreign proteins can elicit both active and passive immunity in humans (pages 601−609).
A Theory Explaining the Functional Linkage Between the Self, Identity and Cultural Models

Abstract Self, identities and cultural models are interactive, dynamic and interdependent systems that connect the biological, psychological, social and cultural dimensions of human life. Identities are the means by which the self engages with the outside world and cultural models are the symbol complexes which the self, via an identity, relies on for generating sensible output and making sense of input. Thus, a theory of the self entails a theory of identities, which, in turn, entails a theory of cultural models. The primary function of the “self” is to bestow self-consciousness on an identity. Identities are sites of perspective – each is a self-organizing site of cultural models which provide it with dimensionality (e.g., gesture, emotional stance, logic, speech code, style, etc.). Over time a constellation of cultural models cohere to a particular identity to form a robust, but still dynamically contingent, system. When an identity is activated it automatically considers itself to be “the self”. Identities, themselves are organized into larger organization clusters, which I refer to as idniches (short for identity-niche). I argue that these higher-level, superordinate identity organizations serve the purpose of cognitive ease as they make it easier for the self to target an appropriate identity for any action. Three high-level idniches are proposed – the solitary or alone idniche, the intimate idniche, and the public idniche. This theory of self, identity and cultural models shows how each is functionally linked to the other and solves the problems of theories that deal with these three concepts independently.
Patient Image Selection Criteria for Cone Beam Computed Tomography Imaging

The recent introduction of cone beam imaging into dentistry, and specifically including orthodontics, offers valuable new information for patient diagnosis and treatment planning. However, cone beam imaging adds to patient costs, both in terms of dollars and radiation dose. We propose an algorithm for obtaining radiographs for the patient requiring orthodontic care. A full-mouth examination is recommended for patients with extensive periodontal or restorative needs. Otherwise bitewings and selected periapicals are recommended. A cone beam examination is recommended when the patient has severe facial asymmetry or facial disharmony, sleep apnea, impacted maxillary cuspids, or if minidental implants are being considered. In the absence of these conditions, a lateral cephalometric and panoramic views are recommended. Temporomandibular joint imaging is recommended for patients with persistent symptomatic joints and a carpal index is recommended for patients at the end stages of growth for whom orthognathic surgery is contemplated.
Gelation of poly(n‐butylisocyanate) in benzene

Poly (n-butylisocyanate)-benzene solutions prepared by solubilization at 45°C, followed by aging at room temperature were found to be metastable for months, although, eventually, they separated into a birefringent polymer-rich phase and an isotropic solution. These metastable solutions, as well as isothermally phase-separated biphasic samples, flowed and exhibited dynamic moduli indicative of low polymer connectivity. By contrast samples prepared by a freeze-thaw cycle were uniformly and highly birefringent and showed network (gel) behavior at room temperature. The mechanism of gel formation is most likely the exclusion of the polymer from the benzene crystal during crystallization, forcing the polymer to align and exist at grain boundaries. Films formed from solutions have different moduli than those formed from gels, and are consistent with the proposed mechanism.
A quantitative microchemical study of choline acetyltransferase and acetylcholinesterase in the cerebellum of several species.

Abstract Discrete areas of the cerebella of five species (rat, pigeon, guinea pig, rabbit, and cat) have been examined for their content of choline acetyltransferase activities. The various layers of the cerebellar cortex for all species was shown to have a much lower activity than that of other structures of the nervous system. The choline acetyltransferase activity of the subcerebellar nuclei, however, was found to be greater than any of the cortical strata. Whether this latter observation is related to extrinsic cerebellar afferent fibers, or indicative of an intrinsic cholinergic pathway derived from neurons present in the subcerebellar nuclei needs to be resolved. The quantitative determination of acetylcholinesterase in the various cerebellar layers of the different species was also studied. A comparison of the distribution of acetylcholinesterase and choline acetyltransferase in the five species studied suggests that there is no apparent correlation between the levels of these two enzymes in the various cerebellar strata or nuclei.
Light scattering in a fluid far from equilibrium

Abstract The integrated intensity is computed of each of the two Brillouin lines of a stationary fluid far from equilibrium in the presence of a temperature gradient. The difference in intensity found is due to mode-coupling effects and deviates appreciably from an extrapolation of earlier calculations near equilibrium.
Expanded modeling of temperature-dependent dielectric properties for microwave thermal ablation.

Microwaves are a promising source for thermal tumor ablation due to their ability to rapidly heat dispersive biological tissues, often to temperatures in excess of 100 °C. At these high temperatures, tissue dielectric properties change rapidly and, thus, so do the characteristics of energy delivery. Precise knowledge of how tissue dielectric properties change during microwave heating promises to facilitate more accurate simulation of device performance and helps optimize device geometry and energy delivery parameters. In this study, we measured the dielectric properties of liver tissue during high-temperature microwave heating. The resulting data were compiled into either a sigmoidal function of temperature or an integration of the time–temperature curve for both relative permittivity and effective conductivity. Coupled electromagnetic–thermal simulations of heating produced by a single monopole antenna using the new models were then compared to simulations with existing linear and static models, and experimental temperatures in liver tissue. The new sigmoidal temperature-dependent model more accurately predicted experimental temperatures when compared to temperature–time integrated or existing models. The mean percent differences between simulated and experimental temperatures over all times were 4.2% for sigmoidal, 10.1% for temperature–time integration, 27.0% for linear and 32.8% for static models at the antenna input power of 50 W. Correcting for tissue contraction improved agreement for powers up to 75 W. The sigmoidal model also predicted substantial changes in heating pattern due to dehydration. We can conclude from these studies that a sigmoidal model of tissue dielectric properties improves prediction of experimental results. More work is needed to refine and generalize this model.
Hereditary variation in the ability of a leafhopper to transmit two unrelated plant viruses.

Abstract Individuals of the leafhopper Agallia constricta (Van Duzee) were tested for their ability to transmit two unrelated plant viruses, wound-tumor virus (WTV) and the New Jersey strain of potato yellow-dwarf virus (PYDV). By selective breeding through six generations, four races of the leafhopper were obtained which differed in their relative transmitting abilities in relation to the two viruses. These races were designated WY, Wy, wY, and wy, the symbols representing the phenotypic responses of the races. The inbred races were difficult to maintain because of small numbers of progeny or slow growth or both. Races WY and wY were efficient and the races Wy and wy were inefficient in acquiring PYDV from, and transmitting it to, crimson clover. Insects of race wY were inefficient, whereas those of races Wy and WY were efficient, transovarial transmitters of WTV. These results indicate that hereditary mechanisms which determine the efficiency of the transfer of PYDV from plant to plant and the transovarial passage of WTV must be different. It is suggested that at least two alleles, if not two genes or more, are involved in determining the above responses. Results of a single experiment indicated that insects, freed of WTV and derived from ancestors which were selected for transmission of this virus in only one generation, could acquire WTV from, and transmit it to, crimson clover more efficiently than could unselected stock insects (Table 1 in the text). No transovarial passage of PYDV was observed in any races, whether they transmitted PYDV efficiently or inefficiently. This point remains to be conclusively established. However, high transovarial passage of WTV is probably associated with efficiency in acquiring the virus from and transmitting it to plants, though this remains to be demonstrated. Interference between WTV and PYDV was not detected in either the vector or in crimson clover plants.
The perception of causality in infancy

Michotte proposed a rationalist theory of the origin of the human capacity to represent causal relations among events. He suggested that the input analyzer that underlies the causal perception in launching, entraining, and expulsion events is innate and is the ultimate source of all causal representations. We review the literature on infant causal representations, providing evidence that launching, entraining and expulsion events are interpreted causally by young infants. However, there is as of yet no good evidence that these representations are innate. Furthermore, there is considerable evidence that these representations are not the sole source of the human capacity for causal representation.
Mycology: a successor to Cochrane

Fungal Physiology. By David H. Griffin. Pp.383. ISBN 0-471-05748-7. (Wiley: 1981.) £25.45, $43.25.
Designing and building a new emergency department: the experience of one chest pain, stroke, and trauma center in Columbus, Ohio.

144 n March 2004, Riverside Methodist Hospital, a 745I tertiary level II Trauma Center, Chest Pain Center, and Stroke Center with 80,000 annual visits, opened the McConnell Heart Hospital, a 6-story addition that includes the emergency department on the first f loor; catheterization laboratories, noninvasive laboratories, and electrophysiology and tilt laboratories on the second f loor; inpatient rooms and short-stay rooms on the third f loor; a state-of-the-art center for Continuing Medical Education & Innovation on the fourth f loor; and physician offices on the remaining f loors.
Linear coefficient of thermal expansion of the U-0.75 wt% Ti alloy

Etude de l'influence de la vitesse de trempe et en consequence la structure de phase sur le comportement expansif a differentes vitesses de chauffage
Imperfect verification, appeals, and limited liability

We examine the effect of an imperfect verification and a subsequent appeals process in regulatory settings where legal or institutional restrictions impose an upper bound on penalties. We show that the verification always enhances social welfare despite the limit on penalties. The subsequent appeals process, which allows the firm to challenge an unfavorable finding by the regulator, is never socially optimal when it is costless. However, when the appeals process is costly, it can be optimal even if it is less accurate than the verification. Moreover, social welfare can increase as the cost of the appeals process increases.
Predictable components in exchange rates

Abstract This study tests the validity of long-run PPP by applying the cointegration methodology of Johansen and Juselius (1990) to monthly exchange rate and price data for eleven countries. The results reveal that in all cases the theoretical PPP-vector [11-1] or [11-1, c] is not contained in the cointegration space. This finding is inconsistent with strict long-run PPP. Alternatively, evidence from unrestricted tests shows that, with one exception, one or two cointegrating relationships do exist. Given the existence of tariffs, transportation costs, and differences in the construction of price indices across countries, PPP may be consistent with a cointegrating vector other than [11-1] or [11-1, c]. In fact, the widespread evidence of cointegration obtained from the unrestricted tests suggests that the possibility of PPP for U.S. Dollar exchange rates for the recent floating rate period should not be dismissed.
A review of the possible role of oral and dental colonization on the occurrence of health care-associated pneumonia: underappreciated risk and a call for interventions.

The efficacy and cost-effectiveness of various intervention strategies for the prevention and control of nosocomial pneumonia, particularly for patients on mechanical ventilation, have been extensively reviewed. In 2004, the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an evidence-based guideline that lists graded recommendations addressing a wide range of issues, including the need to educate health care workers on risk-reduction practices, the safe handling and cleaning of respiratory care devices such as mechanical ventilators and humidifiers, the duration of use of disposable ventilator circuits and closed suction catheters, the suctioning of subglottic secretions, the placement of patients in semirecumbent positions, the use of stress ulcer medications, and the selective decontamination of the digestive tract. Two interventions that have emerged in the scientific literature as contributory to the prevention of pneumonia in hospitalized patients, and are currently not fully addressed in either the CDC pneumonia prevention guideline or other published sets of recommendations, are the performance and frequency of
A distance measure comparison to improve crowding in multi-modal optimization problems

Solving multi-modal optimization problems are of interest to researchers solving real world problems in areas such as control systems and power engineering tasks. Extensions of simple Genetic Algorithms, particularly types of crowding, have been developed to help solve these types of problems. This paper examines the performance of two distance measures, Mahalanobis and Euclidean, exercised in the processing of two different crowding type implementations against five minimization functions. Within the context of the experiments, empirical evidence shows that the statistical based Mahalanobis distance measure when used in Deterministic Crowding produces equivalent results to a Euclidean measure. In the case of Restricted Tournament selection, use of Mahalanobis found on average 40% more of the global optima, maintained a 35% higher peak count and produced an average final best fitness value that is 3 times better.
Neurocognitive and functional correlates of mobile phone use in middle-aged and older patients with schizophrenia.

Objectives: Our objective was to examine the association of mobile phone use and ownership with psychopathology, cognitive functioning, and functional outcome in 196 outpatients aged 40 years and older who were diagnosed with schizophrenia.Method: Participants reported their past and current mobile phone use on a standardized self-report scale and they were administered tests of global cognition, functional capacity, and informant-rated functional outcome.Results: The great majority of subjects had used a mobile phone (78%) but few currently owned one (27%). After adjusting for age (mean age 51), any past mobile phone use was associated with less severe negative symptoms, and higher global cognitive performance, functional capacity, and functional outcome. A total of 60% of participants reported being comfortable with mobile phones, but comfort was not associated with any cognitive or functional outcomes.Conclusion: Most of the older patients with schizophrenia have used mobile phones and lifetime mobile ...
Specificity of the serine protease inhibitor, phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride.

Abstract Clarified cell-free extracts were prepared from rapidly dividing Bacillus subtilis cells and from rabbit liver cells. These extracts were treated with [ 3 H]-phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) and analyzed by electrophoresis in isoelectric focusing polyacrylamide gels or detergent gels. Not less than 14 proteins in the B. subtilis extracts and not less than 15 proteins in rabbit liver extracts reacted covalently with PMSF. These results suggest that PMSF is not as specific for serine proteases as sometimes supposed, and its effects in physiological experiments should be interpreted with caution.
The immediate precursor of the nitrogen-containing ring of rapamycin is free pipecolic acid

Abstract Studies were carried out to determine the precursor of the nitrogen-containing ring of rapamycin. The addition of l -lysine and d,l -pipecolate to the medium of Streptomyces hygroscopicus did not affect the specific production of rapamycin. In a basal medium containing no l -lysine except for that in the yeast extract component, l - 14 C-lysine and d,l - 3 H-pipecolate were incorporated to a high degree into rapamycin, d,l - 3 H-pipecolate being incorporated at a higher efficiency. Unlabeled pipecolate reduced the incorporation of radioactive lysine much more than unlabeled lysine decreased the incorporation of radioactive pipecolate. These results indicate that pipecolate is the more direct precursor of rapamycin, lysine being converted to pipecolate and free pipecolate being incorporated directly into rapamycin. Rapamycin samples enriched with 14 C-lysine and 3 H-pipecolate were hydrolyzed and analyzed to provide evidence of specific incorporation of these precursors into the pipecolate moiety .
An essential role for NF-κB in the cardioadaptive response to ischemia

Abstract Background . Ischemic preconditioning (IP) is the phenomenon whereby brief episodes of ischemia protect the heart against a subsequent ischemic stress. We hypothesize that activation of the transcription factor NF-κB mediates IP. Methods . Rabbits were randomly allocated to one of three groups: (1) 45 minutes of myocardial ischemia followed by 2 hours of reperfusion (I/R); (2) three cycles of 5-minute ischemia and 5 minutes of reperfusion followed by I/R (IP + I/R); or (3) IP in the presence of ProDTC, a specific NF-κB inhibitor, followed by I/R (IP ProDTC + I/R). Infarct size, indices of regional contractility, and NF-κB activation were determined. Results . In preconditioned rabbits (IP + I/R), infarct size was reduced 83% compared with both I/R alone and IP ProDTC + I/R groups ( p ProDTC + I/R groups ( p ProDTC + I/R groups showed NF-κB activation with I/R that was absent in preconditioned animals. Conclusions . The cytoprotective effects induced by IP require activation of NF-κB.
Witnessing Brown Pursuit of an Equity Agenda in American Education

The 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision provides a critical opportunity to reflect on Brown's importance, impact, and the lessons it provides on achieving racial desegregation and its relationship to the progressive inclusion of students with disabilities into public schools across the United States. This article explores the parallels and intersections between the racial desegregation of America's public schools and the inclusion of students with disabilities in these schools.
Liquid-crystal micropolarizer array for polarization-difference imaging

Fabrication and applications are discussed for a visible-wavelength micropolarizer array consisting of a linear polarizer and a micropatterned liquid-crystal (LC) cell. LC alignment direction is controlled by means of depositing an optically transparent gold film at an oblique angle and coating the surface with an alkanethiol self-assembled monolayer. Microdomains of two perpendicular LC alignment directions are created by photolithography and etching of the gold layer, rotating the substrate 90 deg, and depositing a second oblique gold layer in the etched areas. The resulting array is used for polarization-difference imaging (PDI), a technique that enhances image contrast in the presence of scattering. Images obtained with the array require more processing than do conventional PDI images, but this method eliminates the need for an electronically activated LC filter and is especially suited to systems whose filters are closely integrated with optical sensor arrays.
Scaled Self-Aligned N-Polar GaN/AlGaN MIS-HEMTs With $f_{T}$ of 275 GHz

In this letter, we demonstrate state-of-the-art performance from N-polar GaN/AlGaN metal-insulator-semiconductor high-electron-mobility transistors. Self-aligned gate-first process was used for the fabrication of transistors. Graded InGaN and InN contact layers were used to achieve low ohmic contact resistance. The GaN channel thickness was scaled to 7 nm from previous generation of N-polar GaN devices to improve the aspect ratio and hence achieve better small-signal performance. The devices reported fT of 210 GHz for LG = 30 nm. To further improve the device performance, SiN sidewall spacers were etched and replaced with air gaps resulting in further boost in fT to a state-of-the-art value of 275 GHz.
Preservation of renal function in juxtarenal and suprarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm repair

Abstract Purpose: Deterioration in renal function is a common cause of morbidity in patients treated surgically for juxtarenal and suprarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms. We reviewed our experience over the last 8 years with 65 consecutive patients undergoing juxtarenal ( n = 31) or suprarenal ( n = 34) abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. Methods: The aneurysms were repaired with a transabdominal ( n = 8), thoracoabdominal ( n = 4), retroperitoneal ( n = 22), or thoracoretroperitoneal ( n = 31) approach. Proximal aortic clamps were placed at the suprarenal, supra-superior mesenteric artery, or supraceliac level. Renal hypothermia with cold heparinized saline solution renal artery perfusion was used to protect renal function in 38 patients with either preoperative renal insufficiency or with anticipated prolonged renal ischemia (> 30 minutes). Concomitant renal artery reconstruction was required in 30 patients. Results: Significant operative morbidity developed in 23 (35.3%) patients. There was one (1.53%) perioperative death (0 to 90 days). Temporary dialysis was necessary in two patients. Preoperative renal insufficiency was a significant risk factor on multivariate analysis for a decline in renal function during the first postoperative week. However, serum creatinine concentration had returned to baseline or improved in all patients but two (3.1%) at the time of discharge. In spite of significantly longer renal ischemia, discharge creatinine levels were, on univariate analysis, statistically less than baseline creatinine levels in patients with suprarenal aneurysms, patients requiring renal reconstruction, and patients treated with renal hypothermia. The location of the proximal aortic clamp was not a factor in postoperative morbidity. There was no significant difference between juxtarenal and suprarenal aneurysms with respect to operating room time, transfusion requirements, days intubated, resumption of oral diet, or the length of hospitalization. Conclusions: Careful consideration of the route of exposure, location of the proximal aortic clamp, and the preservation of renal function with renal hypothermia and with the repair of significant renal artery lesions will result in minimal morbidity and mortality in patients requiring surgery for juxtarenal or suprarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms. (J VASC SURG 1993;17:948-59.)
The price discovery process in credit derivative market: evidence from sovereign CDS market

The US subprime loan crisis in 2007 has caused astonishing domestic and international financial turmoil, both directly and indirectly. Being a main factor in facilitating mortgage securitisation, credit derivative market is now under the blame of underestimating credit risk and aggregating the impact of credit risk. It is worthy of revisiting the contribution of credit derivative products to their underlying bond markets in discovering the true level of credit risk. In this paper, I use sampled credit default swap (CDS) contracts written on sovereign borrowers, to investigate the pricing relationship between sovereign CDS and bond markets. My purpose is to find whether the newly innovated derivative market can help bond market to reveal more pricing information on credit risk, or just add more noise to it. Applying vector error correction model (VECM) to a data sample ranging from 1999 to 2002, I find no statistical evidences with regard to the pricing contribution of sovereign CDS market. Instead, sovereign bond market advances in price discovery process by at least one week. Moreover, there exists a significant price gap between the two measures of credit risk: CDS rate and the yield spread of its underlying bond. This further reduces the effectiveness of using sovereign CDS in credit risk hedge.
The Relationship among Psychopathy, Emotional Intelligence, and Professional Success in Finance

The current study examined the relationship between psychopathic traits, emotional intelligence, and professional success in finance. The literature suggests that possessing certain psychopathic personality traits and emotional intelligence can be conducive to advancing professionally in the financial sector. It was hypothesized that interpersonal-affective psychopathic traits and emotional intelligence would be associated with one another and would also show positive associations with professional success. Fifty-five individuals employed at financial institutions in the New York metropolitan area completed the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised, the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test, and answered questions about their employment and income. The current sample showed significantly higher levels of interpersonal-affective psychopathic traits than those reported in other community samples and significantly lower levels of emotional intelligence than those found in a comparison sample....
Complexity parameters for first order classes

We study several complexity parameters for first order formulas and their suitability for first order learning models. We show that the standard notion of size is not captured by sets of parameters that are used in the literature and thus they cannot give a complete characterization in terms of learnability with polynomial resources. We then identify an alternative notion of size and a simple set of parameters that are useful for first order Horn Expressions. These parameters are the number of clauses in the expression, the maximum number of distinct terms in a clause, and the maximum number of literals in a clause. Matching lower bounds derived using the Vapnik Chervonenkis dimension complete the picture showing that these parameters are indeed crucial.
The Impact of “Tuition-Paying” Policy on Retention and Graduation Rates at the University of Ghana:

African universities over the past decade have developed new modes of financial mobilization in search for fiscal solutions to the declining public support for higher education. The creation of the...
Gastroesophageal reflux disease: the ongoing saga of pill versus knife: Spechler SJ, Lee E, Ahnen D, et al., Long-Term Outcome of Medical and Surgical Therapies for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: Follow-Up of a Randomized Controlled Trial, JAMA 2001;285:2331–8

Abstract The Department of Veterans Affairs Cooperative Studies Program conducted a trial comparing the efficacy of medical and surgical therapy for complicated gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in the 1980s and found surgery to be more effective in improving symptoms and endoscopic signs of esophagitis for up to 2 yr. To determine the long term efficacy of medical and surgical therapies, Spechler et al. conducted a follow-up of the trial. Ninety-one medical and 38 surgical patients of the original 247 patients were asked to maintain 2-wk GERD symptoms diaries (1 wk on and 1 wk off antireflux medications). Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Activity Index (GRACI) scores were calculated, with the range being 74 (no symptoms) to 172 (worst symptoms). Patients also underwent upper endoscopy and 24-hr esophageal pH monitoring after stopping antireflux medications. One week after discontinuing medications, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Activity Index scores were found to be significantly lower in the surgical group (82) than in the medical group (96). There was no difference in the grade of esophagitis, occurrence of esophageal adenocarcinoma, frequency of treatment of esophageal strictures, quality of life scores, and overall satisfaction with antireflux therapy. More deaths were reported in the surgical group, though none of the deaths were related to surgery. Ninety-two percent of the medical and 62% of the surgical patients had continued to use antireflux medications regularly over a mean follow-up of 10.6 and 9.1 yr, respectively. Cancer incidence among patients with severe GERD without Barrett’s esophagus was found to be 0.07%/yr. The authors concluded that antireflux surgery should not be advised with the expectation that GERD patients will no longer require antireflux medications or that the surgery will prevent esophageal cancer among patients with GERD and Barrett’s esophagus.