cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of maternal nicotine on the development of sites for [3H] nicotine binding in the fetal brain

The sites for [3H]nicotine binding in fetal brains were examined after administration of nicotine into pregnant rats. Administration of unlabelled nicotine into the pregnant rats increased Bmax values for the sites for [3H]nicotine binding without affecting Kd values in the fetal brains. Treatment with this regimen, however, did not show any significant change in the sites for [3H]quinuclidinyl benzylate (QNB) binding. In addition, treatment with this regimen increased Bmax values of the sites for [3H]nicotine binding in the brains of pregnant rats. α-Bungarotoxin had no effect on the sites for [3H]nicotine binding. It is inferred, therefore, that a similar response is elicited by nicotine binding sites to administered nicotine in both the fetal and maternal brains. Furthermore, a possible effect of nicotine in pregnant rats may be the facilitation of the development of nicotine acetylcholine receptors in the fetal brain.
Structure of ristocetin A in complex with a bacterial cell-wall mimetic. Corrigendum.

Two errors in sugar stereochemistry in the structure of ristocetin A have been corrected and the structure has been re-refined.
Constraint-induced movement therapy combined with conventional neurorehabilitation techniques in chronic stroke patients with plegic hands: a case series.

Abstract Objective To determine whether the combination of Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) and conventional rehabilitation techniques can produce meaningful motor improvement in chronic stroke patients with initially fisted hands. Design Case series. Setting University hospital outpatient laboratory. Participants Consecutive sample (N=6) >1 year poststroke with plegic hands. Interventions Treatment consisted of an initial period of 3 weeks (phase A) when adaptive equipment in the home, orthotics, and splints were employed to improve ability to engage in activities of daily living. This was continued in phase B, when CIMT and selected neurodevelopmental treatment techniques were added. Main Outcome Measures Motor Activity Log (MAL), accelerometry, Fugl-Meyer Motor Assessment (F-M). Results Patients exhibited a large improvement in spontaneous real-world use of the more-affected arm (mean lower-functioning MAL change=1.3±0.4 points; P ′ =3.0) and a similar pattern of increase in an objective measure of real-world more-affected arm movement (mean change in ratio of more- to less-affected arm accelerometer recordings=0.12±0.1 points; P =.016; d ′ =1.2). A large improvement in motor status was also recorded (mean F-M change=5.3±3.3 points; P =.005; d ′ =1.6). Conclusions The findings of this pilot study suggest that stroke patients with plegic hands can benefit from CIMT combined with some conventional rehabilitation techniques, even long after brain injury. More research is warranted.
Free-radical reactions of cyclic ethers and sulfides with bromotrichloromethane

The relative rates of hydrogen atom abstraction from a series of twelve saturated cyclic ethers and sulfides were determined at 70°C. The abstracting radical could be generated from bromotrichloromethane both photolytically or by the thermal decomposition of AIBN. The reaction rates did not show a dependence upon method of radical generation. Reaction occurred only at the position adjacent to the heteroatom. The reactivity of the cyclic ethers was in the order C4H8O > C6H12O > C3H6O > C5H10O. This trend would indicate appreciable influence by ring strain, however, the slightly greater reactivity of tetrahydrofuran relative to oxepane suggests a contribution by stereoelectronic factors as well. The reactivity of the cyclic sulfides, which reacted faster than the corresponding ethers, was in the order C4H8S > C5H10S > C6H12S. This would imply little influence of ring strain. The major structural effect would be that of variable electron donating ability of the sulfur atom. The rate of reaction of thietane was also determined. It was found to preferentially undergo SH2 attack at the sulfur atom followed by ring opening rather than hydrogen abstraction. The reactivities of both series of compounds were decreased by the inductive effect of a second heteroatom beta to the reaciton site.
Reduced Mechanical Efficiency in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease but Normal Peak VO2 with Small Muscle Mass Exercise

We studied six patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (FEV1 = 1.1 ± 0.2 L, 32% of predicted) and six age- and activity level–matched control subjects while performing both maximal bicycle exercise and single leg knee-extensor exercise. Arterial and femoral venous blood sampling, thermodilution blood flow measurements, and needle biopsies allowed the assessment of muscle oxygen supply, utilization, and structure. Maximal work rates and single leg VO2max (control subjects = 0.63 ± 0.1; patients with COPD = 0.37 ± 0.1 L/minute) were significantly greater in the control group during bicycle exercise. During knee-extensor exercise this difference in VO2max disappeared, whereas maximal work capacity was reduced (flywheel resistance: control subjects = 923 ± 198; patients with COPD = 612 ± 81 g) revealing a significantly reduced mechanical efficiency (work per unit oxygen consumed) with COPD. The patients had an elevated number of less efficient type II muscle fibers, whereas muscle fiber c...
Optimal Monetary Policy Rules in an Estimated Sticky-Information Model

This paper uses a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) model with sticky information as a laboratory to study monetary policy. It characterizes the model's predictions for macro dynam ics and optimal policy at prior parameters, and then uses data on five US macroeconomic series to update the parameters and pro vide an estimated model that can be used for policy analysis. The model answers a few policy questions. How does sticky information affect optimal monetary policy? What is the optimal interest rate rule? What is the optimal elastic price-level targeting rule? How does parameter uncertainty affect optimal policy? Are the conclu sions for the Euro area different? (JEL E13, E31, E43, E52)
Deleterious Renal Functional Outcomes After Radical Nephrectomy

to 4 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 per year. In this data set, 80% of patients underwent radical nephrectomy (RN) for the treatment of their tumors. Missing was information on tumor staging or sizes; hence, it cannot be stated with certainty what percentage of patients were potentially eligible for kidney-sparing procedures but underwent RN instead. In the United States, median tumor size for operated renal cortical tumors is <4.0 cm and 70% are now incidentally detected after imaging studies for nonspecific abdominal or musculoskeletal complaints or unrelated cancer follow-up. As in this Canadian experience, partial nephrectomy (PN) remains underutilized in the United States (<20%) despite a wealth of information indicating oncologic equivalence to RN and improved secondary outcomes related to renal functional preservation. Of the 1151 patients available for analysis who underwent nephrectomy, 23 (2%) developed end-stage renal disease (ESRD), 84 (7.3%) developed CKD (eGFR <30 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 ), 24 (2.4%) developed rapidly progressive CKD, and 153 (13.3%) died. The authors reported that 10.5% of the patients who developed an adverse renal-function outcome were older and more likely to have documented proteinuria; lower baseline eGFR; and concomitant diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease; and hence, a greater overall burden of comordid illness than those who did not. RN (vs PN) had a hazard ratio for an adverse renal outcome of 1.75. Particularly vulnerable were those patients undergoing RN who had preexisting proteinuria. A historical misconception exists that RN can cause a detectable and permanent rise in serum creatinine due to the sacrifice of normal renal parenchyma not involved by tumor but will not cause serious long-term side effects as long as the patient has a normal contralateral kidney. The renal transplant literature is often cited as the clinical evidence to support this view since patients undergoing donor nephrectomy have not been reported to have higher rates of kidney failure requiring dialysis or death. However, distinct differences between kidney donors and kidneytumor patients exist. Donors tend to be carefully screened for medical comorbidities and are generally young (age 45 yr) [2,3]. In contrast, renal-tumor patients are not screened, are older (mean age: 61 yr), and many have significant comorbidities that can affect baseline kidney function, including metabolic syndrome, hypertension, coronary artery disease, diabetes, heavy cigarette smoking, obesity, and vascular disease, alone or in combination. A change in thinking regarding the optimal surgical
The associations among childhood headaches, emotional and behavioral difficulties, and health care use.

BACKGROUND. Headaches are common among children and adolescents, particularly migraine and tension-type headaches. They contribute to missed school days, affect children9s peer and family relationships, and significantly impact children9s quality of life, often times into adulthood. OBJECTIVES. This study, based on responses to the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, was designed to examine difficulties and impairments related to emotions, concentration, behavior, and social functioning among children with frequent or severe headaches (FSH). METHODS. We used a cross-sectional study of 9264 children aged 4–17 years from the 2003 National Health Interview Survey, an ongoing, computer-assisted personal interview survey of the noninstitutionalized US population. RESULTS. Approximately 6.7% of children experienced FSH during the previous 12 months. Overall, children with FSH were 3.2 times more likely than children without FSH to have a high level of difficulties and 2.7 times more likely to have a high level of impairment, suggesting potential mental health issues. More specifically, analyses revealed that children with FSH were significantly more likely than those without FSH to exhibit high levels of emotional, conduct, inattention-hyperactivity, and peer problems and were significantly more likely than children without FSH to be upset or distressed by their difficulties and to have their difficulties interfere with home life, friendships, classroom learning, and leisure activities. CONCLUSION. Because children with FSH experience notable pain, mental health issues, and functional limitations, integrated care using a biopsychosocial approach is warranted.
Generalizations of Chromatic Derivatives and Series Expansions

Chromatic series expansions of bandlimited functions provide an alternative representation to the Whittaker-Shannon-Kotel'nikov sampling series. Chromatic series share similar properties with Taylor series insofar as the coefficients of the expansions, which are called chromatic derivatives, are based on the ordinary derivatives of the function. Chromatic derivatives are linear combinations of ordinary derivatives in which the coefficients of the combinations are related to a system of orthonormal polynomials. But unlike Taylor series, chromatic series have more useful applications in signal processing because they represent bandlimited functions more efficiently than Taylor series. The goal of this article is to generalize the notion of chromatic derivatives and then extend chromatic series expansions to a larger class of signals than the class of bandlimited signals. In particular, we extend chromatic series to signals given by integral transforms other than the Fourier transform, such as the Laplace and Hankel transforms.
RNA interference inhibition of Mus81 reduces mitotic recombination in human cells.

Mus81 is a highly conserved endonuclease with homology to the XPF subunit of the XPF-ERCC1 complex. In yeast Mus81 associates with a second subunit, Eme1 or Mms4, which is essential for endonucleas...
Using Relocatable Bitstreams for Fault Tolerance

The regular structure and addressing scheme for the Virtex-IIfamily of field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) allows the relocation of partial bitstreams through direct bitstream manipulation. Our bitstream translation program relocates modules on an FPGA by changing the partial bitstream of the module. To take advantage of relocatable modules, three fault tolerant circuit designs are developed and tested. While operating through a fault, these designs provide support for efficient and transparent replacement of the faulty module with a relocated fault-free module. The architecture of the FPGA and static logic significantly constrain the placement of relocatable modules, especially when a microprocessor is placed on the FPGA.
Modeling the Corrosion Rate of Steel Reinforcement in FRP-Wrapped Concrete

AbstractA model to predict the corrosion rate of steel reinforcing bars in fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) wrapped concrete columns is presented. A model proposed by the author to predict the reinforcement corrosion rate and cracking of the concrete cover due to diffusion of chloride ions and oxygen in concrete members is modified to predict the corrosion rate of reinforcing bars inside FRP-wrapped columns. As corrosion progresses and rust layers build up, oxygen has to diffuse through three different layers to be consumed in the cathodic reaction: the FRP wrap, the concrete cover, and the rust layer. As the rust layer thickness increases, the corrosion rate decreases until it reaches a very slow steady-state descent. The predicted corrosion rate is compared with experimental results reported in the literature. Initially, the model proposed previously by the author was used to predict the corrosion rate of an unwrapped pile to calibrate parameters such as the diffusion coefficient of oxygen with experiment...
Computer Program for a High-Current Electron Accelerator

A comprehensive computer program for a high-current accelerator operating in the 100 ampere/ 10 MeV range has been developed. The accelerator is a narrow-bandwidth, coupled-cavity device with or without feedback between input and output cavities. Equations for the transient behavior of both the pumped or buildup pnase and the accelerator phase have been programmed to allow for a wide range of design parameters such as number of cavities, cavity-cavity coupling, beam-cavity coupling, cavity loss or Q, stagger tuned cavities, input-output cavity coupling, and injected current as a function of timne. The sinusoidal electric field in each cavity is expanded with the resonant modes, excited by the beam and boundary-matching magnetic current on the center holes. The irrotational field is computed as the unretarded Coulomb field of the beam as a collection of discs and their images. Feedback and feedforward waves in a waveguide which couples input and output cavities are represented by cutoff and propagating waveguide modes decomposed into Fourier components. Some computational properties of the program are discussed.
An improved method for studying grass leaf epidermis.

Leaf epidermis of grasses is elaborate and important in the systematica of the Poaceae at subfamily and genus level. Most available techniques used in preparing leaf epidermis for microscopic studies are time-consuming and often produce preparations inadequate for studying histological detail. A combination of the hand scraping and maceration methods with modifications is proposed in this paper to prepare epidermal peels comparatively rapidly. One epidermal layer was scraped off and the mesophyll tissue removed from the epidermis to be studied by maceration in HNO, The recovered epidermal peel was neutralized in NaOH and stained with malachite green or safranin O. Preparations made by this technique are suitable for studies of epidermal features, measurements of special structures and determinations of trichome indices. This method has been used in a study investigating intraspecific variation in southern African pasture grasses.
Spirituality in Terminal Illness: An Alternative View of Theory

I use data and insights gained from 10 years of research and practice on psychosocial and spiritual aspects of living with HIV to outline a critique of extant knowledge on spirituality and to propose an alternative. Nurses are in an excellent position to experience the human spirit. We can use the resultant understandings to be present with others and to become more self-aware and self-loving. I present here my philosophy and personal rules for understanding the spirit that were taught to me by patients and knowledgeable research participants as they helped me to see how my professional objectivity and application of professional knowledge were anathema to their self-discovery. I present a critique of some of the confining aspects of nursing theory, particularly that which is built on developmental frameworks to show how our vision is skewed negatively by these frameworks, and how it may cause us to look down at patients rather than at them as equals.
Building and analyzing protein interactome networks by cross-species comparisons.

Background: A genomic catalogue of protein-protein interactions is a rich source of information, particularly for exploring the relationships between proteins. Numerous systems-wide and small-scale experiments have been conducted to identify interactions; however, our knowledge of all interactions for any one species is incomplete, and alternative means to expand these network maps is needed. We therefore took a comparative biology approach to predict protein-protein interactions across five species (human, mouse, fly, worm, and yeast) and developed InterologFinder for research biologists to easily navigate this data. We also developed a confidence score for interactions based on available experimental evidence and conservation across species. Results: The connectivity of the resultant networks was determined to have scale-free distribution, small-world properties, and increased local modularity, indicating that the added interactions do not disrupt our current understanding of protein network structures. We show examples of how these improved interactomes can be used to analyze a genome-scale dataset (RNAi screen) and to assign new function to proteins. Predicted interactions within this dataset were tested by co-immunoprecipitation, resulting in a high rate of validation, suggesting the high quality of networks produced. Conclusions: Protein-protein interactions were predicted in five species, based on orthology. An InteroScore, a score accounting for homology, number of orthologues with evidence of interactions, and number of unique observations of interactions, is given to each known and predicted interaction. Our website http://www. interologfinder.org provides research biologists intuitive access to this data.
Post-graduate assessment of CS students: experience and position paper

This paper describes first-hand experience with post-graduate skill assessment of newly hired CS students at a small software development company. The assessment included technical and cognitive skills. The paper focuses on the cognitive skills (mainly critical thinking and problem solving), and it represents the author's position on the re-enforcing critical thinking and problem solving throughout the CS curriculum. The experience described in this paper does not represent a formal study of student skill assessment. The group of students involved in the assessment task represents a very small sample, and the outcomes do not represent the general population of CS students. The paper highlights most noticed deficiencies and recommends remedies that can help students overcome such problems.
A Short Copper-Copper Distance in a (μ-1,2-Peroxo)dicopper(II) Complex Having a 1,8-Naphthyridine Unit as an Additional Bridge.

A copper-copper separation of about 2.84 A is determined by extended X-ray absorption fine structure studies for the (μ-1,2-peroxo)dicopper(II) species 1, which has only a 1,8-naphthyridine unit as an additional bridge. Complex 1 was prepared by the reaction of O2 with a dicopper(I) complex formed from BPMAN.
Effect of Strain on the Modulus of Sealants Exposed to the Outdoors

The effects of applied strain on sealants exposed to outdoor weathering were examined for two sealant formulations, Sealants A and C. Both static and dynamic strain was applied to the sealants during the summer in a Gaithersburg, MD outdoor location. Both sealants exhibited a reversible change in equilibrium distance. Stress relaxation studies on all samples revealed that, for Sealant A, two mechanisms affected modulus change; exposure without applied strain increased the modulus while additionally applied strain decreased the modulus. Only one mechanism that decreased the modulus was found for Sealant C. A 7 % dynamic strain and a 25 % static strain were observed to produce equivalent modulus changes in both systems.
Adenosine Inhibits Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Cardiac Expression of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α

Abstract —Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is elevated in the failing heart. Very little is known about regulation of TNF-α in cardiomyocytes. TNF-α expression by macrophages is diminished by adenosine. Therefore, we hypothesized that a similar mechanism might occur in the heart. Neonatal rat myocytes were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and TNF-α was measured by ELISA. In the absence of LPS, myocytes did not release TNF-α in the medium. After exposure to LPS, TNF-α increased to 70.1±3.5 pg/mL at 6 hours. Immunofluorescent staining confirmed that TNF-α was expressed in myocytes. Adenosine decreased TNF-α in a dose-dependent manner (1 to 100 μmol/L, 37% to 65% decrease, P <.01). Adenosine also decreased TNF-α in cell homogenates by 78% ( P <.0001). The effect of adenosine could be replicated by the A2 agonist PD-125944 (DPMA), by cAMP agonists 8-bromo-cAMP, forskolin, and Ro 20–1724, but not by A1 and A3 agonists. Conversely, the effect of adenosine could be suppressed by the adenylate cyclase inhibitor MDL-12,330. Adenosine also inhibited TNF-α in adult rat ventricular myocytes (−60%, P <.005) and rat papillary muscles (−55%, P <.05). In neonatal myocytes, adenosine normalized LPS-induced calcium changes and improved LPS-induced negative inotropic ( P <.01) and negative lusitropic ( P <.01) effects. Our results demonstrate that adenosine can significantly diminish TNF-α levels in the heart. The effect appears to be mediated by the A2 receptor and transduced through a G protein–adenylyl cyclase pathway. These results may explain some cardioprotective effects of adenosine and provide a novel pharmacological intervention in congestive heart failure.
Genomic distribution and functions of uptake signal sequences in Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans.

Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans is naturally competent for transformation, with a transformation system similar to that of Haemophilus influenzae that preferentially takes up DNA bearing uptake signal sequences (USS) with the same 9-base USS core. This study examined the function of the extended 29-base USS, which comprises a highly conserved 1st region (containing the 9-base core) and 2nd and 3rd semi-conserved AT-rich regions, in transformation of A. actinomycetemcomitans. Transformation frequency was not affected by either location (in middle or at 5′ end) or quantity (one or two) of USS in donor DNA. Relative transformation efficiencies (in comparison to the positive control) were 28–67 % for linear DNA with single-base mutations in the USS 1st region, and 47 % and 73 %, respectively, for linear DNA with USS that contained either a non-consensus 2nd or a non-consensus 3rd region. Plasmids with a stand-alone 1st or a stand-alone 2nd–3rd region exhibited 21 % and 6 % relative transformation efficiencies, respectively. It was also noted that A. actinomycetemcomitans and H. influenzae were similar in the frequencies and distribution patterns of USS in their genomes. In conclusion, all three regions of the extended 29-base USS are required for optimum transformation in A. actinomycetemcomitans.
Use of Ileum as Ureteral Replacement in Urological Reconstruction

Purpose: We reviewed indications and outcomes in patients undergoing ileal ureter replacement for ureteral reconstruction.Materials and Methods: Between December 1989 and September 2007, 105 patients underwent ileal ureter replacement, of whom 14 were excluded from study due to incomplete data. The remaining 91 patients (99 renal units) comprised the study cohort.Results: Mean patient age was 46.8 years and mean followup was 36.0 months. Indications for an ileal ureter were stricture following genitourinary surgery in 29 cases (31.9%), radiation induced stricture in 17 (18.7%), nonurological surgery iatrogenic injury in 16 (17.6%) and retroperitoneal fibrosis in 11 (12.1%). Only 4 patients (4.4%) had primary ureteral cancer. Long-term complications included anastomotic stricture in 3 patients (3.3%) and fistula in 6 (6.6%). Serum creatinine decreased or remained stable in 68 patients (74.7%) and hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis developed in 3. No patient complained of excessive urinary mucous production....
Fresh Pork Quality and Shelf-Life Characteristics of Meat from Pigs Supplemented with Natural Astaxanthin in the Diet

The objective of this research was to evaluate the quality and shelf life of meat from pigs given dietary supplementation of natural astaxanthin. Pigs were fed either a control diet or the same diet supplemented with 66.7 mg/kg of natural astaxanthin for 42 d. Astaxanthin supplementation had no affect (P ≥ 0.117) on growth performance or ham and loin lean quality at fabrication. Loin chops from pigs supplemented with dietary astaxanthin were darker (P < 0.002) and less yellow (P = 0.006) than loin chops from control pigs during 7 d of retail display. Ground patties from picnic shoulders of pigs supplemented with dietary astaxanthin were darker (P < 0.001) and more red (P < 0.001) than ground patties from control pigs during 7 d of retail display. This initial experiment documents the viability of dietary astaxanthin supplementation as a method to improve shelf life of pork products.
Management of early glottic cancer

A detailed retrospective analysis of 136 patients with early glottic cancer treated at the University of Louisville, Radiation Center from October, 1953 to December, 1975 was done. Majority of the patients were in the age range of 55 to 74 years. Of them, 89% were male and 85% were Caucasian. The most common histological type was squamous cell carcinoma. The adjusted 5-year survival rate was 84%, with a standard error of 3%. Of these patients, 18% had local failures, and 68% of which were salvaged by surgery. The overall local control rate was 93%. The median time to recurrence was 23 months. There was no case of laryngeal necrosis, and a good function of larynx was achieved in a majority of the patients. Eighteen second cancers were diagnosed in 17 patients during the follow-up. A brief review of the literature is also done in the paper.
Accelerated Monte Carlo for Kullback-Leibler divergence between Gaussian mixture models

Kullback Leibler (KL) divergence is widely used as a measure of dissimilarity between two probability distributions; however, the required integral is not tractable for gaussian mixture models (GMMs), and naive Monte-Carlo sampling methods can be expensive. Our work aims to improve the estimation of KL divergence for QMMs by sampling methods. We show how to accelerate Monte-Carlo sampling using variational approximations of the KL divergence. To this end we employ two different methodologies, control variates, and importance sampling. With control variates we use sampling to estimate the difference between the variational approximation and the the unknown KL divergence. With importance sampling, we estimate the KL divergence directly, using a sampling distribution derived from the variational approximation. We show that with these techniques we can achieve improvements in accuracy equivalent to using a factor of 30 times more samples.
Clues on chemical mechanisms from renormalizability: The example of a noisy cubic autocatalytic model

Abstract We study the effect of external power-law noise on the renormalizability of a specific reaction–diffusion system of equations describing a cubic autocatalytic chemical reaction. We show that changing the noise exponent modifies the divergence structure of loop integrals and thus the renormalizability of the model. The effects of noise-generated higher order interactions are discussed. We show how noise induces new interaction terms that can be interpreted as a manifestation of some (internal) “chemical mechanism”. We also show how ideas of effective field theory can be applied to construct a more fundamental chemical model for this system.
Putin’s Crackdown on Mortality: Rethinking Legal Nihilism and State Capacity in Light of Russia’s Surprising Public Health Campaigns

Facing a demographic crisis, the Russian government recently introduced public health measures to reduce alcohol consumption, traffic fatalities, and tobacco use. The relative success of these measures challenges common assumptions about Russia’s culture of “legal nihilism” and lack of state capacity. Drawing on two original surveys of smokers at Russian universities, we provide evidence that low legal compliance results from expectations about low enforcement, not from a unique legal culture. To account for unexpectedly stringent enforcement of public health laws, we offer a theory of selective state capacity. In contemporary Russia, the top leadership’s personal endorsements of policy initiatives make clear to lower-level officials which rules must be enforced.
Hot and Cold Visual Selective Acuity

Hot and Cold Visual Selective Acuity happens when a visual image affectively influences viewer behavior. This research extends earlier work demonstrating that visual behavior is context dependent (See Yarbus 1967 and Baron-Cohen 1995) and recent work by Dodd, Hibbing and Smith 2009 who found evidence showing that political orientation may influence human gaze behavior. Data will be gathered and analyzed from individual eye scan topographies. Search strategies will be analyzed via four main criteria; Scan-path total distance, modal focal point/resting gaze frequency, text sentence attention span (scan/read), return point frequency (most viewed space). This paper theorizes that eye scan search patterns contain predictable involuntary similarities based on political context. Specifically, this research tests whether politically conservative viewers and politically liberal viewers demonstrate different visual behavior under the same affectively charged viewing conditions.
Substituted 1,3-bis(imino)isoindole diols: a new class of proton transfer dyes.

A new class of excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) dyes based on a 1,3-bis(imino)isoindole diol motif has been prepared. These molecules exhibit orange emission (∼600 nm) with a large apparent Stokes shift (>6000 cm−1) and quantum efficiencies up to 45%. Selective modification of the substitutents can be used to shift the equilibrium between the enol and keto forms of the molecule in both the ground and excited states.
One-Step Synthesis of Cross-Linked Block Polymer Precursor to a Nanoporous Thermoset

Using a simultaneous block polymerization/in situ cross-linking from a heterofunctional initiator approach, we produced a nanostructured and cross-linked block polymer in a single step from a ternary mixture of monomers and used it as a precursor for a cross-linked nanoporous material. Using 2-(benzylsulfanylthiocarbonylsulfanyl)ethanol as a heterofunctional initiator, simultaneous ring-opening transesterification polymerization of d,l-lactide in the presence of tin 2-ethylhexanoate as a catalyst and reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization of styrene at 120 °C produced a polylactide-b-polystyrene (PLA-b-PS) block polymer. Incorporation of divinylbenzene in the polymerization mixture allowed in situ cross-linking during the simultaneous block polymerization to result in the cross-linked block polymer precursor in one step. This material was converted into cross-linked nanoporous polymer by etching PLA in a basic solution.
THE USE OF DATA ASSIMILATION TO IMPROVE WAVE HINDCAST RESULTS

A sequential data assimilation scheme was used to assimilate wind speed and direction measured at land and buoy platforms into a modeled wind field over the Gulf of Mexico during January 1996. The resulting wind field is more accurate than the modeled field alone for locations near the coast where winds are affected locally by transition from land to water. The assimilated winds result in improved hindcasts of wave height over modeled winds alone when compared to wave measurements from buoys.
Implementation and Results of Solar Feed-In-Tariff in Gainesville, Florida

AbstractIn the United States, the City of Gainesville in Florida was the pioneer in the implementation of a long-term feed-in-tariff model to purchase solar electricity generated by privately owned systems located in the public utility’s service territory, accelerating the investments in renewable energy. Based on the German model, the city implemented the feed-in-tariff program using 20-year agreements with suppliers. This program is funded by the electricity ratepayers through an increment in the electricity bill. A flat purchase rate is calculated using solar electric system costs and varies based on the type and size of installation. This cost-based purchase rate ensures a safe return margin to investors and is reduced annually for new contracts as market installation costs go down to promote the technology development in the region and encourage investors to act. Gainesville adopted this renewable energy policy in 2009 to diversify its generation portfolio, respond to community demands and meet carbo...
Kinetics of the carbamylation of cholinesterase.

The kinetics of inhibition of acetylcholinesterase by three methylcarbamates was explored, and it was shown that the observations of both short-term and steady-state inhibitions were satisfactorily accounted for if one assumed that a reversible complex was formed prior to carbamylation of the enzyme. New kinetic evidence for the existence of such a complex was also provided. Both the complex formation and the carbamylation steps were inhibited by the substrates acetylthiocholine and 1-naphthyl acetate. The decarbamylation step was not affected by 2-pyridine-aldoxime methiodide. 1-Naphthyl methylcarbamate did not affect a muscle preparation containing acetylcholine receptor.
Overexpression of Thiamin Biosynthesis Genes in Rice Increases Leaf and Unpolished Grain Thiamin Content But Not Resistance to Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae

Thiamin diphosphate (ThDP), also known as vitamin B1, serves as an enzymatic cofactor in glucose metabolism, the Krebs cycle, and branched-chain amino acid biosynthesis in all living organisms. Unlike plants and microorganisms, humans are not able to synthesize ThDP de novo and must obtain it from their diet. Staple crops such as rice are poor sources of thiamin. Hence, populations that mainly consume rice commonly suffer thiamin deficiency. In addition to thiamin’s nutritional function, studies in rice have shown that some thiamin biosynthesis genes are involved in resistance to Xanthomonas oryzae (Xoo), which causes a serious disease in rice fields. This study shows that overexpression of two thiamin biosynthesis genes, 4-methyl-5-β-hydroxyethylthiazole phosphate synthase and 4-amino-2-methyl-5-hydroxymethylpyrimidine phosphate synthase involved in the first steps of the thiazole and pyrimidine synthesis branches, respectively, increased thiamin content up to five-fold in unpolished seeds that retain the bran. However, thiamin levels in polished seeds with removed bran were similar to those found in polished control seeds. Plants with higher accumulation of thiamin did not show enhanced resistance to Xoo. These results indicate that stacking of two traits can enhance thiamin accumulation in rice unpolished grain. We discuss potential roadblocks that prevent thiamin accumulation in the endosperm.
Elementary functions used in calculus

This chapter is a brief introduction to the exponential, trigonometric, and hyperbolic functions, and their inverses. These functions, together with the polynomial and rational functions of Chap. 1, are used throughout calculus.
Bayesian penalized-likelihood iterative reconstruction of PET/CT for evaluation of lung nodules.

2735 Objectives The goal of our research was to compare the recently FDA approved Bayesian penalized-likelihood (BPL) iterative reconstruction of PET/CT to current standard forms of iterative reconstruction. Specifically, we asked if BPL improves evaluation of lung nodules. Methods FDG PET/CT scans for the indication of “lung nodule” from 8/5/14 to 12/31/14 were retrospectively reviewed. Scans of patients previously treated for cancer were excluded. All patients reviewed were scanned on a GE Discovery PET/CT 710 camera per standard clinical protocol. All PET scans were reconstructed using 3D OSEM, Time of Flight (TOF), and BPL. For each lung nodule SUVmax and an adjacent background lung activity was measured. Additional measurements were made in the blood pool and liver. When SUVmax of a nodule was greater than blood pool, it was called “positive”. Images were interpreted on an OsiriX 64 bit workstation and a Nuclear Radiologist confirmed all measurements. Statistical analysis was performed with JMP software. Results 34 lung nodules in 20 patients were reviewed (mean age 73 +/- 7.5 yrs; glucose 107 +/- 25 mg/dL; BMI 26.5 +/- 5.0). The average nodule diameter was 20.7 +/- 17.5 mm. 23 (68%) of nodules were “positive” on 3D, 27 (79%) on TOF, and 29 (85%) on BPL reconstructed images. Nodules below 5mm were not "positive" on any reconstruction. The mean SUVmax was 6.7 +/- 5.1 for 3D, 7.0 +/- 5.0 for TOF (11.3 +/- 16.5% increase over 3D, p Conclusions FDG PET/CT reconstructed with BPL resulted in significantly increased SUVmax and SNR of lung nodules. This resulted in higher numbers of nodules and smaller nodules being identified as “positive”.
Topical vanadate enhances the repair of median laparotomy incisions

Abstract Background There are over two million laparotomies performed in the United States each year with an incisional hernia rate between 2% and 11%. A total of 100,000 ventral hernia repairs are undertaken each year with recurrences as high as 50%. Materials and methods Full thickness midline fascia incisions from the xiphoid to the pubic symphysis were made in rats. The fascia and/or muscular layer was sutured closed and a gel with 300 μM of sodium orthovanadate or saline was placed over the suture line with the skin closed over it. On day 10, 1-cm strips from the superior, middle, and inferior regions of the abdominal wall were tested for breaking strength and processed for histology. Results The mean wound breaking strength of vanadate-treated wounds was 18.6 ± 2.7 N compared with 9.4 ± 3.6 N for controls (P Conclusions In rat laparotomy wounds, a single application of vanadate increases wound breaking strength, through enhanced connective tissue organization. These combined data suggest topical application of vanadate immediately after fascial closure will increase wound strength, possibly reducing hernia recurrences in the repaired abdominal wall.
Techniques for Establishing Appropriate Dose Regimens of Digitalis

Much recent attention has been directed to the problem of bioavailability. While oral digitoxin appears to be essentially completely absorbed [28], the bioavailability of oral digoxin appears to be somewhere between 85% [3–5] and 50% [7]. Other digoxin preparations may be even less well absorbed. Because of this, parenteral doses of digoxin probably should be reduced to 50–85% of the corresponding oral dose when using oral digoxin of good bioavailability, while little or no such reduction appears necessary for digitoxin.
Frozen section analysis of SLNs in trunk and extremity melanoma has a high false negative rate but can spare some patients a second operation.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of frozen section (FS) analysis of sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) in melanoma. METHODS Five hundred seventy-one patients underwent FS analysis of SLN between 1/2000 and12/2010. Surgical and pathological characteristics, recurrence, and survival were analyzed. Comparisons were made using χ2 and Fisher's exact t-test. RESULTS One hundred thirty-three (23%) patients were SLN positive of which 63 (47.4%) were identified on FS. 16/70 SLN metastases not identified on FS (23%) were seen only on immunohistochemistry. FS analysis detected 84% of SLN metastasis >2 mm. SLN FS false negative rate was 53%, positive predictive value 100%, negative predictive value 88%, and overall accuracy 89%. Among patients with a FS positive SLN, 17/63 (27%) had additional positive nodes on CLND, versus 1 of 70 (1.4%) with a positive SLN identified only on permanent section pathology (P < 0.0001). The nodal recurrence rate following a negative SLN biopsy was 5%. CONCLUSIONS FS analysis for SLNs spared approximately half of patients a second operation. Patients with a positive SLN detected on FS were more likely to have further nodal involvement. In our experience intraoperative pathologic analysis of melanoma SLNs does not impair our ability to detect SLN metastasis or lead to a high rate of false positive results or nodal recurrences. J. Surg. Oncol. 2016;114:879-883. © 2016 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Vaccine Refusal Revisited - The Limits of Public Health Persuasion and Coercion.

Many scientific, ethical, and political challenges that physicians and public health officials face today in dealing with vaccine refusal would be familiar to their counterparts of past eras. Their task entails balancing the use of coercive and persuasive approaches.
Prompting Teacher Geometric Reasoning through Coaching in a Dynamic Geometry Software Context

This study investigated the ways in which four middle grades teachers developed mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) geometry as they implemented dynamic geometry software in their classrooms with the assistance of a coach. Teachers developed various components of MKT by observing coaches teach, by dynamic discourse with students, which is discourse with respect to dynamic geometry software images, and by discussions with coaches. The dynamic geometry software environment proved productive as coaches guided teachers’ growth in explanations, examples, and definitions. The environment also helped teachers discover unnoticed abilities among their low achievers. Moreover, teachers developed confidence to teach with more expert uses of dynamic geometry software.
Editor’s Highlight: Evaluation of a Microelectrode Array-Based Assay for Neural Network Ontogeny Using Training Set Chemicals

Thousands of compounds in the environment have not been characterized for developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) hazard. To address this issue, methods to screen compounds rapidly for DNT hazard evaluation are necessary and are being developed for key neurodevelopmental processes. In order to develop an assay for network formation, this study evaluated effects of a training set of chemicals on network ontogeny by measuring spontaneous electrical activity in neural networks grown on microelectrode arrays (MEAs). Rat (0-24 h old) primary cortical cells were plated in 48 well-MEA plates and exposed to 6 compounds: acetaminophen, bisindolylmaleimide-1 (Bis-1), domoic acid, mevastatin, sodium orthovanadate, and loperamide for a period of 12 days. Spontaneous network activity was recorded on days 2, 5, 7, 9, and 12 and viability was assessed using the Cell Titer Blue assay on day 12. Network activity (e.g. mean firing rate [MFR], burst rate [BR], etc), increased between days 5 and 12. Random Forest analysis indicated that across all compounds and times, temporal correlation of firing patterns (r), MFR, BR, number of active electrodes and % of spikes in a burst were the most influential parameters in separating control from treated wells. All compounds except acetaminophen (≤ 30 µM) caused concentration-related effects on one or more of these parameters. Domoic acid and sodium orthovanadate altered several of these parameters in the absence of cytotoxicity. Although cytotoxicity was observed with Bis1, mevastatin, and loperamide, some parameters were affected by these compounds at concentrations below those resulting in cytotoxicity. These results demonstrate that this assay may be suitable for screening of compounds for DNT hazard identification.
Myopia is an adaptive characteristic of vision: Not a disease or defect.

This article proposes that myopia (nearsightedness) is an adaptive characteristic of human vision. Most theories of the evolution of vision assume myopia is a disease or defect that would have resu...
Health Benefits and Cost-Effectiveness of Asymptomatic Screening for Hypertension and High Cholesterol and Aspirin Counseling for Primary Prevention

PURPOSE Our aim was to update estimates of the health and economic impact of clinical services recommended for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) for the comparative rankings of the National Commission on Prevention Priorities, and to explore differences in outcomes by sex and race/ethnicity. METHODS We used a single, integrated, microsimulation model to generate comparable results for 3 services recommended by the US Preventive Services Task Force: aspirin counseling for the primary prevention of CVD and colorectal cancer, screening and treatment for lipid disorders (usually high cholesterol), and screening and treatment for hypertension. Analyses compare lifetime outcomes from the societal perspective for a US-representative birth cohort of 100,000 persons with and without access to each clinical preventive service. Primary outcomes are health impact, measured by the net difference in lifetime quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), and cost-effectiveness, measured in incremental cost per QALY or cost savings per person in 2012 dollars. Results are also presented for population subgroups defined by sex and race/ethnicity. RESULTS Health impact is highest for hypertension screening and treatment (15,600 QALYs), but is closely followed by cholesterol screening and treatment (14,300 QALYs). Aspirin counseling has a lower health impact (2,200 QALYs) but is found to be cost saving ($31 saved per person). Cost-effectiveness for cholesterol and hypertension screening and treatment is $33,800 per QALY and $48,500 per QALY, respectively. Findings favor hypertension over cholesterol screening and treatment for women, and opportunities to reduce disease burden across all services are greatest for the non-Hispanic black population. CONCLUSIONS All 3 CVD preventive services continue to rank highly among other recommended preventive services for US adults, but individual priorities can be tailored in practice by taking a patient’s demographic characteristics and clinical objectives into account.
The thinning problem

Abstract The problem addressed in this work is to confine a set of sequential processes, that interact through a finite set of resources, to a subset of their feasible behaviors, while optimizing some performance criterion. A canonical characterization of the problem is provided for the case that the optimized performance criterion is the maximization of the system throughput.
Trust Promotes Unethical Behavior

Trust is critical for our cooperation and effective working relationships, but trust also enables exploitation and unethical behavior. Prior trust research has disproportionately focused on the benefits of trust, even though some of the most egregious unethical behaviors occur because of misplaced trust. Targets of exploitation often overweight the wrong trust cues and are exploited by people who either opportunistically or strategically take advantage of trusting targets. We call for future work to explore the critical link between trust and unethical behavior.