cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Photochemical generation, intramolecular reactions, and spectroscopic detection of oxonium ylide and carbene intermediates in a crystalline ortho-(1,3-dioxolan-2-yl)-diaryldiazomethane.

Photochemical excitation of a diaryldiazomethane with an ortho-acetal both in solution and in crystals led to products that originate from the expected diarylcarbene and form an intramolecular oxonium ylide. While crystals strongly favored the formation of a benzocyclobutane by intramolecular hydrogen abstraction in the triplet carbene, reactions in benzene led exclusively to products that derive from the oxonium ylide. Studies in methyl cyclohexane glasses and in mixed crystals at 77 K led to the spectroscopic detection of triplet carbene 3C, which partially transformed into a new species that we assign as the sought-after oxonium ylideY. The formation of a formally ionic intermediate suggests that the scope of reactions by reactive intermediates in crystalline solids may be broader than it is generally assumed.
Molecular Interactions of Normal and Abnormal Hemoglobin in Cell-free Systems

Increased viscosity, fragility and distortion of erythrocytes from patients with inherited defects of hemoglobin (Hb) have been related to sol-gel and solcrystal transformation. A method has been developed in this labortory which permits definition of the nature of molecular assembly underlying abnormal hemoglobin interactions. Cell free solutions of HbAA, HbAS, HbSS, HbSC, HbCC, and HbF combined with phosphate buffer, or phosphate buffer containing sodium metabisulfite, formed solid gels, crystals or amorphous precipitates. Gels of reduced HbSS, HbAS and HbSC consisted of masses of 170 A rods identical to those observed in intact sickled erythrocytes. Gels of oxy HbSS, HbAS, HbAA and reduced HbAA contained 240 A hollow tubular polymers similar to microtubules. Fresh samples of oxy HbSC and HbCC rapidly formed crystals, but a gel stage could be demonstrated by stirring solutions during transformation. Solutions of oxy and reduced HbF developed amorphous precipitates, but did not gelor form crystals. Inability of HbF to form polymers may relate to its inhibitory effect on the assembly of HbS into rods. The capacity of oxy or reduced HbAA to transform into microtubules, on the other hand, reflects its ability to combine with HbS in rod-like polymers which distort cells containing HbAS. Molecular interactions of HbC favor crystallization, but as in all other examples, the gel state appears to precede crystallization. These findings indicate that hemoglobin molecules in intact normal and abnormal erythrocytes are in a high degree of molecular association or pre-gel state. Slight alterations in hemoglobin molecular structure can produce rapid and profound changes in the organization of hemoglobin into gels or crystals.
Loss of activity-induced phosphorylation of MeCP2 enhances synaptogenesis, LTP and spatial memory

DNA methylation-dependent epigenetic mechanisms underlie the development and function of the mammalian brain. MeCP2 is highly expressed in neurons and functions as a molecular linker between DNA methylation, chromatin remodeling and transcription regulation. Previous in vitro studies have shown that neuronal activity-induced phosphorylation (NAIP) of methyl CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) precedes its release from the Bdnf promoter and the ensuing Bdnf transcription. However, the in vivo function of this phosphorylation event remains elusive. We generated knock-in mice that lack NAIP of MeCP2 and found that they performed better in hippocampus-dependent memory tests, presented enhanced long-term potentiation at two synapses in the hippocampus and showed increased excitatory synaptogenesis. At the molecular level, the phospho-mutant MeCP2 protein bound more tightly to several MeCP2 target gene promoters and altered the expression of these genes. Our results suggest that NAIP of MeCP2 is required for modulating dynamic functions of the adult mouse brain.
Current management of patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumor receiving the multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor sunitinib.

AbstractBackground:Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), a form of soft tissue sarcoma, is often detected incidentally or at an advanced stage. The tyrosine kinase inhibitor sunitinib malate (Sutent) is established as second-line treatment for the management of GIST after disease progression on, or intolerance to, first-line imatinib treatment. Several published reviews give guidance on management of side effects in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma treated with sunitinib, but fewer publications cover side-effect management in patients with GIST.Scope:Using published articles and abstracts, prescribing information, and personal experience in managing patients with GIST at a specialized center of excellence for cancer care, I review side-effect management recommendations for patients with GIST treated with sunitinib and provide an overview of GIST.Findings:Sunitinib has a well described side-effect profile: most side effects occurring in patients with GIST can be easily managed by standard medic...
Angiotensin-converting Enzyme Overexpression in Mouse Myelomonocytic Cells Augments Resistance to Listeria and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Gene targeting in ES cells was used to substitute control of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) expression from the endogenous promoter to the mouse c-fms promoter. The result is an animal model called ACE 10/10 in which ACE is overexpressed by monocytes, macrophages, and other myelomonocytic lineage cells. To study the immune response of these mice to bacterial infection, we challenged them with Listeria monocytogenes or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). ACE 10/10 mice have a significantly enhanced immune response to both bacteria in vivo and in vitro. For example, 5 days after Listeria infection, the spleen and liver of ACE 10/10 mice had 8.0- and 5.2-fold less bacteria than wild type mice (WT). In a model of MRSA skin infection, ACE 10/10 mice had 50-fold less bacteria than WT mice. Histologic examination showed a prominent infiltrate of ACE-positive mononuclear cells in the skin lesions from ACE 10/10. Increased bacterial resistance in ACE 10/10 is directly due to overexpression of ACE, as it is eliminated by an ACE inhibitor. Critical to increased immunity in ACE 10/10 is the overexpression of iNOS and reactive nitrogen intermediates, as inhibition of iNOS by the inhibitor 1400W eliminated all in vitro and in vivo differences in innate bacterial resistance between ACE 10/10 and WT mice. Increased resistance to MRSA was transferable by bone marrow transplantation. The overexpression of ACE and iNOS by myelomonocytic cells substantially boosts innate immunity and may represent a new means to address serious bacterial infections.
Decision Methodology for Temperature Control of Pavements

About 2.5 million miles of paved roads, which would cover an area about the size of the state of Georgia, exist in the United States. Pavements accumulate and dissipate solar energy in daily cycles. The increased heat in the pavement has many detrimental effects, including the accelerated degradation of the pavement, which results in increased costs to departments of transportation, and urban warming, which results in increased costs for cooling nearby inhabited structures and possibly contributes to microclimate change. Techniques such as heat exchangers that capture heat energy and transfer it to other forms of energy can reduce the extreme temperatures in pavements. Laboratory and some small-scale field trials of these systems have been conducted; however, the technology has not received wide implementation to date. Challenges to such implementation include limited documentation on the effectiveness of pavement cooling, a lack of accepted standard designs, a lack of evidence of long-term performance, t...
Pooling Under Misspecification: Some Monte Carlo Evidence on the Kmenta and the Error Components Techniques

Two different methods for pooling time series of cross section data are used by economists. The first method, described by Kmenta, is based on the idea that pooled time series of cross sections are plagued with both heteroskedasticity and serial correlation.The second method, made popular by Balestra and Nerlove, is based on the error components procedure where the disturbance term is decomposed into a cross-section effect, a time-period effect, and a remainder.Although these two techniques can be easily implemented, they differ in the assumptions imposed on the disturbances and lead to different estimators of the regression coefficients. Not knowing what the true data generating process is, this article compares the performance of these two pooling techniques under two simple setting. The first is when the true disturbances have an error components structure and the second is where they are heteroskedastic and time-wise autocorrelated.First, the strengths and weaknesses of the two techniques are discussed. Next, the loss from applying the wrong estimator is evaluated by means of Monte Carlo experiments. Finally, a Bartletfs test for homoskedasticity and the generalized Durbin-Watson test for serial correlation are recommended for distinguishing between the two error structures underlying the two pooling techniques.
Cylindrical Dritt Chambers with Two Dimsional Readout

We have built and used a set of three cylindrical drift chambers with delay line readout. The azimuthal coordinate is obtained in the conventional way; the resolution obtained is about 300 microns. The axial coordinate is obtained fran signals induced on printed circuit delay lines with a resolution of ±5 mn FWHM. The chambers are 120 cm long and have diamters of 29.3 cm, 70.1 cm and 118.5.
Cell biology of pathologic renal calcification: contribution of crystal transcytosis, cell-mediated calcification, and nanoparticles.

Introduction The earliest lesion in the kidneys of idiopathic calcium oxalate stone formers is deposition of calcium phosphate in the interstitium, termed a Randall9s plaque. Yet the cellular and molecular factors leading to their formation are unknown. Methods The influence of urinary proteins on adhesion of preformed calcium oxalate crystals to rat continuous inner medullary collecting duct (cIMCD) cells was studied in vitro, and cIMCD cells were also exposed to calcifying media containing β-glycerophosphate for up to 28 days. Renal tissue was obtained from a stone-forming and non-stone-forming individual at the time of nephrectomy. These nanoparticles, isolated from renal stones obtained at the time of surgical resection, were analyzed and propagated in standard cell culture medium. Results Urinary proteins influence crystal adhesion to renal epithelial cells, and this activity is abnormal in the urine of stone-forming patients. cIMCD cells assumed an osteoblastic phenotype when exposed to the calcifying medium, expressing two bone matrix proteins (osteopontin and bone sialoprotein) that were also identified in the kidney of the stone-forming patient and associated with crystal deposition. Nanoparticles were propagated from the majority of renal stones. Isolates were susceptible to selected metabolic inhibitors and antibiotics and contained conserved bacterial proteins and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Conclusions These results suggest new paradigms for Randall9s plaque formation and idiopathic calcium oxalate stone disease. It seems unlikely that these events are driven solely by physical chemistry; rather, they are critically influenced by specific proteins and cellular responses, and understanding these events will provide clues toward novel therapeutic targets.
DRYING RATE OF WOOD PARTICLES WITH LONGITUDINAL MASS TRANSFER.

The drying of small wood particles of shape L:W:t = 3 to 5:2:1 is examined by three numerical models, and results are compared to measurements. (i) A one-dimensional rectangular model has liquid water concentrated in the center of a particle, and this is removed as an evaporation front propagates into the liquid. (ii) The one-dimensional model is also treated by the volume-averaged, or “smeared” approach, for which the moisture at any point is a distribution of liquid and vapor. For the simple rectangular geometry, the frontal and smeared models give similar results. (iii) Equivalent spherical particles are analyzed by a smeared model which includes capillarity. Reasonable agreement is obtained between the spherical results and the measurements, though an overprediction in drying rate occurs for slender particles.
Evaluation of “effective angular momentum function” formulations with respect to core‐mantle coupling

[1] In this work, various formulations describing the excitation of Earth rotation, originating with the effective angular momentum functions of Barnes et al. [1983], are assessed in the context of zero or complete coupling between the core and the mantle. Popular formulations have assumed zero coupling for the length of day component but are ambiguous for polar motion. Versions are developed here for the case of arbitrary core-mantle coupling, and employed to derive consistent formulations for both extremes of coupling. Even for complete decoupling, all of the formulations can differ from each other noticeably, depending on the treatment of the oceans and the parameter values employed. It is recommended that agencies responsible for archiving atmospheric and other excitation data consider distributing “bare bones,” parameter-free time series. A possible inconsistency in all formulations to date is the role of the degree 2 solid earth Love number. If the Chandler wobble takes place with a (near) absence of core-mantle coupling, then prior estimates of the Love number have in reality been measuring its mantle-only component. By implication the mantle may be much more anelastic at a 14-month period than had previously been recognized.
Initiating a capitated program for HMO patients

In 1986, our hospitals were selected by a large Massachusetts independent practice HMO to administer a capitated program for psychiatric inpatients residing in Boston and in neighboring northern cities and towns. Administering this program necessitated designing new systems of accounting, utilization review, physician reimbursement, staff education, orientation, and management control as well as contracting with other hospitals for locked psychiatric beds. It also included developing day treatment, crisis intervention, and visiting nurse services. Psychiatrists had to adapt to a new reimbursement system which paid by the admission or which withheld 30% of payment until program performance was evaluated. Those who valued intrapsychic change found it hard to value crisis intervention and symptom reduction to the same degree. Although there was considerable variation in each hospital's performance, there was over a 25% decrease in patient days and an overall reduction in readmission rate during the first year of the program.
Water quality and waste production in a recirculating trout-culture system with feeding of a higher-energy or a lower-energy diet

Higher-energy fish feeds can reduce waste discharges and might also improve water quality in recirculating fish-culture systems. A higher-energy diet, Zeigler Salmon High Energy feed (HE; 45% protein, 20% fat, 17.4 MJ digestible energy kg-1) and a lower-energy diet, Zeigler Hi-Fat Trout Grower (LE; 38% protein, 12% fat, 14.6 MJ digestible energy kg -1) were fed ad libitum at different times to rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), in a semi-closed recirculating culture system by means of demand feeders. The system contained two 10-m3 fish-culture tanks, each with a downstream microscreen (80 μn) filter. Feeding rates per day and per unit biomass were not significantly different between diets. In general, use of HE was associated with higher levels of total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) and NO2-N, lower BOD5 and total suspended solids (TSS), and lower effluent releases of suspended solids per unit feed, NO3-N per unit feed, and dissolved phosphorus per unit feed. Although total effluent P per unit feed or P fed did not differ significantly between diets, HE had significantly more of the total effluent P in the settleable solids, 85% vs. 76%. Differences in water quality in the system were probably not of great importance with respect to fish health.
Case series on the use of aripiprazole for Tourette syndrome.

Characterized by multiple motor and phonic tics, Tourette syndrome (TS) is also associated with a constellation of comorbid disorders, including obsessive–compulsive symptoms that occur in 40–60% of patients. The pathophysiology of tics has been linked by many studies to specific cortical and basal ganglia changes and hypothesized to relate to dysregulation of dopamine responsive/dependent circuits (Jordan et al., 2004). Aripiprazole, a recently released atypical antipsychotic noted for its partial D2 agonist activity along with a low propensity for extrapyramidal effects, has been shown to be efficacious in reducing symptoms of schizophrenia in adults. The value of aripiprazole for treating neuropsychiatric disorders in children has not previously been reported. We present results of a retrospective chart review of six youth with TS and comorbid obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) who were treated for 12 wk with aripiprazole.
Equivalence of Chinese and US-English versions of the SF-36 health survey.

This study evaluated the equivalence of Chinese and US–English versions of the SF-36 Health Survey in a convenience sample of 309 Chinese nationals bilingual in Chinese and English living in a US city. Snowball sampling was used to generate sufficient sample size. Internal consistency, test–retest, and equivalent-forms reliability were estimated. Patients were randomized to one of four groups: (1) English version completed first, followed by Chinese version (same occasion); (2) Chinese version completed first, followed by English version (same occasion); (3) English version completed once and then again 1-week later; (4) Chinese version completed once and then again 1-week later. Internal consistency reliability estimates for the Chinese and US–English versions of the SF-36 scales ranged from 0.60 to 0.88; test–retest reliability estimates (1 week time interval) ranged from 0.67 to 0.90. Reliability estimates for corresponding Chinese and US–English SF-36 scales tended to be similar and not significantly different. Equivalent-forms reliability estimates (product–moment correlations) ranged from 0.81 to 0.98. Mean SF-36 scale scores were comparable for both versions of the instrument. This study provides support for the equivalence of the Chinese and US–English versions of the SF-36.
Analysis of the nerve-blocking action of mercurochrome, a fluorescent thiol reagent.

Abstract Giant axons isolated from the circumesophageal connectives of the lobster were used to determine the effects of the thiol reagent, mercurochrome, on the excitability of the axonal membrane. Intracellular microelectrode recordings demonstrated that mercurochrome depolarized the resting membrane potential only slightly but completely blocked conduction of the propagated action potential. Partial conduction block was markedly potentiated by repeated electrical stimulation. To investigate whether mercurochrome produced a specific shift in membrane ion selectivity, the compound was tested in low Na + and high K + media. Calculation of transference numbers demonstrated that mercurochrome lacked any marked Na or K ion channel specificity. Thiol group protection experiments suggest that some of the effects of mercurochrome may not necessarily involve thiols. Treatment of the axons with a disulphide reducing agent prior to the application abolished the potentiating effects of electrical stimulation, but decreased the sensitivity of the nerve fibres to mercurochrome possibly through the involvement of non-specific disulphide groups.
Assessment of Risk Using Bridge Element Condition Ratings

AbstractIn this paper, a methodology for quantifying lifetime risk of bridge superstructures is presented. The risk is quantified in terms of the expected direct and indirect losses. A scenario-based approach, which uses the Pontis element condition rating system, is used for identifying the expected losses. The deterioration process of bridge components regarding the transition between the condition states is modeled as a Markov process. In addition, a reliability-based approach is used to compute the probabilities of component and system failure, given the condition states. The methodology is illustrated on an existing bridge in Wisconsin. The expected losses associated with the flexural failure of girders are quantified in time. Furthermore, the time-variant risk-based robustness index is assessed.
Dissociating stimulus-set and response-set in the context of task-set switching

The primary aim of the present research was to determine how stimulus-set and response-set components of task-set contribute to switch costs and conflict processing. Three experiments are described wherein participants completed an explicitly cued task-switching procedure. Experiment 1 established that task switches requiring a reconfiguration of both stimulus- and response-set incurred larger residual switch costs than task switches requiring the reconfiguration of stimulus-set alone. Between-task interference was also drastically reduced for response-set conflict compared with stimulus-set conflict. A second experiment replicated these findings and demonstrated that stimulus- and response-conflict have dissociable effects on the "decision time" and "motor time" components of total response time. Finally, a third experiment replicated Experiment 2 and demonstrated that the stimulus- and response- components of task switching and conflict processing elicit dissociable neural activity as evidence by event-related brain potentials.
A comparative study of pyruvate holocarboxylase synthesis in rat liver and kidney preparations

Abstract 1. 1. Using partially purified enzyme preparations from biotin-deficient rat liver and kidney mitochondria, the ATP-dependent formation of pyruvate holocarboxylase from the apoprotein and biotin was demonstrated. 2. 2. Only UTP effectively replaced ATP for the liver and the kidney system. 3. 3. Acetyl CoA inhibited pyruvate holocarboxylase synthesis in liver and kidney; CoA or aspartate had no adverse effect. 4. 4. Both AMP and ADP inhibited the holoenzyme synthesis and 14C-biotin binding to protein in liver and kidney. 5. 5. Cytosolic preparations from rat liver, kidney, and chicken liver stimulated rat liver and kidney mitochondrial pyruvate holocarboxylase synthesis.
Decision-Making for Enteral Feeding Administration: The Why Behind Where and How

Enteral nutrition has become the preferred route of nutrient administration. Because of vigorous attempts to deliver nutrient enterally in expanded patient groups, many different locations for enteral access have been advocated along with a variety of methods related to rate and pattern of delivery. Because all modes of delivery are not compatible with all sites of access and both need to be tailored to specific subsets of patients, confusion can develop regarding where and how enteral nutrients are best delivered and why. In an era when such a high priority has been placed on feeding through the enteral route, a review of the methods and rationale behind the ever-expanding choices of enteral access is timely.
Features and consequences of untreated type 1 autoimmune hepatitis.

Background/Aim: The existence of a mild form of autoimmune hepatitis that does not require treatment remains controversial. The aim of this study was to determine the existence, characteristics and outcome of this form. Methods: Untreated patients with type 1 autoimmune hepatitis who did not satisfy pre-established criteria for severe disease were identified retrospectively and compared with treated patients. Results: Twenty-one of 282 patients (7%) who were evaluated during a 32-year period did not receive corticosteroid treatment. These asymptomatic patients constituted 15% of 137 patients who satisfied similar criteria for mild disease. Untreated patients with mild disease were indistinguishable from 116 treated patients with mild disease, and they differed from 145 treated patients with severe disease only by the pre-established features that defined disease severity. The eight untreated patients with follow-up assessments satisfied remission criteria less commonly than treated patients with mild or severe disease during 77±31 months of observation (12 vs 63%, P=0.006), and they had a lower 10-year survival (67 vs 98%, P=0.01). Four patients did improve spontaneously albeit short of remission criteria and remained well for 28±15 months (range, 5–73 months). Four patients worsened during 125±51 months of observation (range, 32–239 months), including two of three patients with cirrhosis who died of liver failure. Conclusions: Mild type 1 autoimmune hepatitis does exist, and it may be as frequent as severe disease. Untreated patients with mild disease can improve spontaneously, but there are no confident indices by which to identify this subgroup and justify withholding treatment.
Simulated annealing and the topology of the potential energy surface of Lennard-Jones clusters

Low-energy configurations of atomic clusters held together by Lennard-Jones (LJ) interactions are determined by simulated annealing. Using a combination of quenches and annealings at various cooling rates the topology of the potential energy surface is elucidated and the probability of convergence to the global minimum is analyzed. An understanding of this phenomenon is relevant to glass formation, protein folding, and other problems with competing minima.
Nanocomposites: polymer-wrapped nanotubes.

The hoped-for enhancement of the properties of polymer–nanotube composites have remained elusive, owing in part to the difficulties in obtaining well-dispersed mixtures. A chemical modification of the nanotube surface offers a new handle for controlling the dispersion.
The relationship of tangential stress to wear particle formation mechanisms

Abstract Experimental results and observations by scanning electron microscopy have demonstrated that the process of wear particle formation under lubricated sliding conditions is greatly affected by the tangential stress. In these experiments, the normal load was kept constant and the tangential stress was varied by changing the friction coefficient using different friction-reducing additives in the base oil. The predominant wear mechanism is related to the magnitude of friction coefficient attained by the friction modifier. The wear rate and the level of surface damage are greatly reduced if the friction coefficient is lower than a specific threshold value. Under these conditions wear particles are formed from deformation of surface asperities. At higher friction coefficients more wear was observed to occur by the process of plowing and delamination (i.e. subsurface microvoid and crack formation). Under severe wear conditions and lubrication failure, extremely large amounts of wear and severe surface damage result from the adhesive wear mechanism (i.e. material transfer across the contact surface).
A single affinity column step method for the purification of ricin toxin from castor beans (Ricinus communis)

A rapid method for purifying ricin toxin from castor beans is presented which uses a single affinity column step to obtain pure toxin from a crude extract of castor beans. A galactosyl-Sepharose affinity matrix was used to bind ricin toxin and its associated agglutinin, which both bind specifically to galactose, from a crude extract. The selective elution of ricin toxin and agglutinin was then achieved by eluting the affinity column with a galactose gradient, which sequentially elutes the two proteins due to a difference in binding avidity to the matrix.
Geographies of Gender and Migration: Spatializing Social Difference†

This article provides a review of the contributions that the discipline of geography is making to gender and migration research. In geographic analyses of migration, gender differences are examined most centrally in relation to specific spatialities of power. In particular, feminist geographers have developed insight into the gender dimensions of the social construction of scale, the politics of interlinkages between place and identity, and the socio-spatial production of borders. Supplementing recent reviews of the gender and migration literature in geography, this article examines the potential for continued cross-fertilization between feminist geography and migration research in other disciplines. The advances made by feminist geographers to migration studies are illustrated through analysis of the findings and debates tied to the subfield's central recent conceptual interventions.
The impact of property tax revaluation of wealth-based state aid to schools — a case study of tompkins county, New York☆

Abstract Comprehensive revaluation of real property-assessment rolls is often a controversial process. One aspect of the controversy is the potential impact on wealth-based aid formulas. Using a case study, this article analyzes the issues involved. It is found that both jurisdictional fragmentation and time lags inherent in the equalization process can lead to abrupt changes in state-measured full value following revaluation. The time-lag problem is one that states should seek to minimize by utilizing the most current information available.
Surface enhanced Raman scattering as a probe of adsorbate substrate charge-transfer excitations

Abstract The chemical mechanism of surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is used as a probe of adsorbate–substrate charge-transfer excitations on atomically smooth, single crystal copper surfaces in ultra-high vacuum. It is demonstrated that SERS and charge-transfer excitations are supported on atomically smooth surfaces in contradiction to earlier consensus. The combination of SERS with electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) provides a great deal of insight into the nature of these excitations. It is found that these excitations are sensitive probes of local electronic structure at metal surfaces. The spatial extent, transition moment, and excited state potential energy surfaces of these excitations are probed using SERS, EELS and molecular spectroscopy simulations.
The role of alternative medical providers for the outpatient treatment of insured patients with back pain

Study Design. Analysis of health insurance claims from 2 large Washington State companies. Objective. To evaluate the prevalence and cost of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) provider use for back pain treatment. Summary of Background Data. Washington State requires all commercial insurance to cover licensed CAM providers. Methods. Outpatient claims for the treatment of back pain were analyzed by the International Classification of Disease-9 codes and provider type. The number of visits and expenditures associated with different forms of treatments were calculated. Results. Back pain accounted for 15% of all outpatient visits, and these companies spent more than $52 million on 652,593 claims submitted by 104,358 adults. Most people used only CAM (43%) or only conventional providers (45%) for back pain treatment, with merely 12% using both. Patients who saw only CAM providers had fewer comorbidities than the other 2 groups and made approximately twice as many visits as “conventional only” users (median 4 vs. 2). Average amount allowed per outpatient low back pain claim was lower for CAM visits (mean $50, SD $28) than for conventional visits (mean $128, SD $173). Total outpatient costs for the treatment of back pain were highest for the group using both CAM and conventional care (mean $1079, SD $1185), and lowest for the group using CAM only (mean $342, SD $429). Conclusion. Many people with back pain use only CAM for their treatment. Although less expensive, this group also appears to be less severely ill. Because of the high prevalence of this condition, cost-effectiveness studies that include CAM therapies are still warranted.
Microfluidic Studies of Adsorption and Desorption of Polyethylene Glycol during Copper Electrodeposition

A previously described microfluidic electrochemical cell [M. J. Willey and A. C. West, Electrochem. Solid-State Lett., 9, El 7 (2006)] has been used to characterize the rates of adsorption and desorption of polyethylene glycol (PEG) onto copper (Cu) during electrodeposition. Galvanostatic and potentiostatic response to the introduction or removal of PEG from the bulk solution is measured. Adsorption time constants are ∼ 0.5 s or less for bulk PEG concentrations greater than 50 ppm. For lower concentrations, adsorption is mass-transfer controlled for the conditions prevailing within the microfluidic cell, where the average diffusion layer thickness is ∼2 μm. PEG desorption rates are much slower, typically between 10 and 100 s. For most conditions, the electrochemical signal during desorption consists of two regions, where the first stage shows a slow linear variation and the second stage a fast exponential-type transition. In the first stage, it is hypothesized that the PEG layer blankets the electrode surface. Once the polymer-layer thins sufficiently, the layer becomes patchy, and the second desorption stage commences.
Possible role for intracellular cholesteryl ester transfer protein in adipocyte lipid metabolism and storage.

Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) transfers cholesteryl ester (CE) and triglyceride (TG) between lipoproteins in plasma. However, short term suppression of CETP biosynthesis in cells alters cellular cholesterol homeostasis, demonstrating an intracellular role for CETP as well. The consequences of chronic CETP deficiency in lipid-storing cells normally expressing CETP have not been reported. Here, SW872 adipocytes stably expressing antisense CETP cDNA and synthesizing 20% of normal CETP were created. CETP-deficient cells had 4-fold more CE but an ∼3-fold decrease in cholesterol biosynthesis. This phenotype of cholesterol overload is consistent with the observed 45% reduction in low density lipoprotein receptor and 2.5-fold increase in ABCA1 levels. However, cholesterol mass in CETP-deficient adipocytes was actually reduced. Strikingly, CETP-deficient adipocytes stored 50%, although hydrolase/lipase activity was increased 3-fold. Notably, the incorporation of recently synthesized CE and TG into lipid storage droplets in CETP-deficient cells was just 40% of control, suggesting that these lipids are inefficiently transported to droplets where the hydrolase/lipase resides. The capacity of cellular CETP to transport CE and TG into storage droplets was directly demonstrated in vitro. Overall, chronic CETP deficiency disrupts lipid homeostasis and compromises the TG storage function of adipocytes. Inefficient CETP-mediated translocation of CE and TG from the endoplasmic reticulum to their site of storage may partially explain these defects. These studies in adipocytic cells strongly support a novel role for CETP in intracellular lipid transport and storage.
Extending students’ mathematical thinking during whole-group discussions

Studies show that extending students’ mathematical thinking during whole-group discussions is a challenging undertaking. To better understand what extending student thinking looks like and how teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) supports teachers in their efforts to extend student thinking, the teaching of six experienced elementary school teachers was explored. During group discussions, all six teachers created opportunities for extending student thinking about important mathematical ideas and solution methods. Findings on the nature of these episodes include identification of individual instructional actions and the ways in which teachers’ MKT was connected to these actions.
Effect of Wear on Pivot Thrust Bearings

Theoretical and experimental studies of pivot thrust bearings are presented, with special emphasis on the effect of wear on design parameters. Carbon on steel unlubricated wear tests supported the theory. Theoretical equations are presented for several pivot geometries based on the Archard Wear Law. Contributed by the ASLE Committee on Lubricant Fundamentals and presented at the Annual Meeting of American Society of Lubrication Engineers, held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, May 3–5, 1966.
Improved carrier tracking of space telemetry signals using cascaded phase locked loops

This paper describes a carrier aiding technique which employs cascaded phase-locked loops. This scheme can be useful when two unequal antennas are required to coherently demodulate the received signal, but due to an extremely weak signal-to-ratio (SNR) level and high Doppler rates, the smaller antenna is unable to lock on the carrier on its own. In order to determine the performance for a bank of (L-1) antennas when each one of them is aided by a single larger antenna, the joint pdf of the two cascaded phase error processes for these (L-1) pairs must be determined. These joint pdfs as well as the carrier loop SNRs of the aided antennas are derived based on Fokker-Planck techniques. The tracking and acquisition results are verified by simulation for the case L=2.
Effect of Hydraulic Jump on Hydrodynamics and Heat Transfer in a Thin Liquid Film Flowing Over a Rotating Disk Analyzed by Integral Method

Flow and heat transfer in a liquid film flowing over the surface of a rotating disk was analyzed by integral technique. The integral analysis includes the prediction of the hydraulic jump and its effects on heat transfer. The results of this analysis are compared to the earlier results that did not include this effect. At low inlet Reynolds numbers and high Rossby numbers, corresponding to low film inertia and low rotation rates, respectively, a hydraulic jump appears on the disk surface. The location of the jump and the liquid film height at this location are predicted. A scaling analysis of the equations governing the film thickness provided a semi-empirical expression for these quantities that was found to be in very good agreement with numerical results. Heat transfer analysis shows that the Nusselt numbers for both constant disk surface temperature and constant disk surface heat flux boundary conditions are lowered in the vicinity of the hydraulic jump due to the thickened liquid film. This effect can be more pronounced for the constant heat flux case depending on the location of the hydraulic jump. The Nusselt number exhibits a turning point at the jump location and can have higher values downstream of the hydraulic jump compared to those obtained from the analysis that does not include the gravitational effects. fDOI: 10.1115/1.2712854 g
Age-based disparity in outcomes of intestinal transplants in pediatric patients.

Outcomes of intestinal transplants (ITx; n = 977) for pediatric patients are examined using the United Network for Organ Sharing data from 1987 to 2009. Recipients were divided into four age groups: (1) 2 with intestinal failure but is not advantageous in patients <2 years.
Subrings of Artinian and Noetherian rings

1. Main Results It is well known that if R C S are rings (rings in this paper have units but need not be commutative) such that S is finitely generated as a left R-module, then S is Noetherian or Artinian if R is. The converses of these statements are false [1; Example 1.0]. In this paper we give a short homological proof that the converse statements do hold under slightly stronger hypotheses: Theorem 1. Let R C S be rings such that S is finitely generated as an R-module by elements which centralize R.
Myositis Ossificans of the Temporalis Muscle: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Myositis ossificans, also known as traumatic myositis ossificans or myositis ossificans circumscripta, is the product of an unusual reactive process of mesenchymal stem cells within the muscle produced secondary to a traumatic insult or inflammatory process. In approximately 75% of cases, the process has a direct correlation with a single or repetitive, traumatic, penetrating, or crushing injury to the muscle. However, in up to 25% of cases, there is no recollection of a traumatic event. The most commonly accepted mechanism of traumatic etiology includes the embedment and lysis of bone fragments within the soft tissue causing subsequent exposure of bone morphogenic proteins to extraosseous cells. This environment stimulates osteoblasts to form true bone, dystrophic calcifications, or a calcified chondroid matrix. A concomitant mechanism that occurs involves the overproduction of bone morphogenic protein-4 produced by the muscle cells or the muscle fascia.
Purification and Properties of Phosphatidylserine Decarboxylase from Escherichia coli

Phosphatidylserine decarboxylase, a membrane-bound enzyme of Escherichia coli, catalyzes the final step in the biosynthesis of phosphatidylethanolamine, the principal phospholipid of that organism. The enzyme has now been extracted from the membranes with the nonionic detergent Triton X-100 and has been purified about 3600-fold to near homogeneity. The detergent was present throughout the purification, which includes steps of solvent fractionation, ion exchange chromatography, gel filtration, and gradient centrifugation. Electrophoresis on disc gels in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate revealed the presence of a single polypeptide estimated to be of molecular weight 35,000. The amino acid composition of this purified membrane protein is not strikingly different from that of the total protein of E. coli. The enzyme is completely dependent for activity on added detergent in the test system and is highly sensitive to inhibition by reagents that attack carbonyl groups. Other properties of the enzyme are described.
Rapid high-specificity microRNA detection using a two-stage isotachophoresis assay.

Focusing in on the small: A two-stage microRNA detection assay uses electrokinetic focusing to speed up hybridization and a functionalized hydrogel for affinity purification. This method detects microRNAs in 15 minutes with single-nucleotide specificity, and processes only 5 ng of total RNA.
Fabrication and characterization of gelatin-based test materials for verification of trace contraband vapor detectors

This work describes a method to produce inexpensive and field deployable test materials that can be used to verify the performance of trace contraband vapor detection systems such as ion mobility spectrometers (IMS) currently deployed worldwide for explosives, narcotics, and chemical warfare agent (CWA) detection. Requirements for such field deployable test materials include long shelf life, portability, and low manufacturing costs. Reported here is a method for fabricating these test materials using encapsulation of high vapor pressure compounds, such as methyl salicylate (MS), into a gelatin matrix. Gelatin serves as a diffusion barrier allowing for controlled and sustained release of test vapors. Test materials were prepared by incorporating serial dilutions of MS into gelatin, which provide controlled analyte vapor release over 3 to 4 orders of magnitude of instrument response. The test materials are simple to prepare and have been shown to be stable for at least one year under controlled laboratory conditions.
Sliding mode brushless DC motor current and torque control algorithms

The unique attributes of the brushless DC motor make sliding mode control suitable and favored by many control designers. The essence of controller design for brushless DC motors is in fact the switching logic for the three-phase input voltages. Starting from the idea of sliding mode, three algorithms for current and torque control are developed from different approaches to the same problem. The first takes an analytical approach that computes the equivalent controls for each phase voltage and converts them to suitable DC values. The second deals with physical phenomena and generates a proper switching sequence directly without the need of a conversion process. The third further assumes no knowledge about the system parameters; by using current feedback and rotor position information, a lookup table is constructed to achieve the desired performance. The proposed algorithms are well suited for microprocessor control applications. >
OpenMP-centric performance analysis of hybrid applications

Several performance analysis tools support hybrid applications. Most originated as MPI profiling or tracing tools and OpenMP capabilities were added to extend the performance analysis capabilities for the hybrid parallelization case. In this paper we describe our experience with the other path to support both programming paradigms. Our starting point is a profiling tool for OpenMP called ompP that was extended to handle MPI related data. The measured data and the method of presentation follow our focus on the OpenMP side of the performance optimization cycle. For example, the existing overhead classification scheme of ompP was extended to cover time in MPI calls as a new type of overhead.
The rate monotonic scheduling algorithm: exact characterization and average case behavior

An exact characterization of the ability of the rate monotonic scheduling algorithm to meet the deadlines of a periodic task set is represented. In addition, a stochastic analysis which gives the probability distribution of the breakdown utilization of randomly generated task sets is presented. It is shown that as the task set size increases, the task computation times become of little importance, and the breakdown utilization converges to a constant determined by the task periods. For uniformly distributed tasks, a breakdown utilization of 88% is a reasonable characterization. A case is shown in which the average-case breakdown utilization reaches the worst-case lower bound of C.L. Liu and J.W. Layland (1973). >
Symposium: The Economics of Information: Informational Aspects of Market Structure: An Introduction

Types of signaling mechanisms, 593.—Contingent contracts, 593.—Exogenously costly signals, 595.—Conclusions, 597.
Encephalitis Virus Persistence in California Birds: Preliminary Studies with House Finches

Field-collected house finches of mixed sex and age were infected experimentally with either western equine encephalomyelitis (WEE) or St. Louis encephalitis (SLE) viruses during the summer or fall of 1998 and maintained over the winter under ambient conditions. To detect natural relapse during the spring, 32 birds were bled weekly from February through June 1999, and then necropsied 1 yr after infection to detect chronic infections using a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). After 10 mo, 13/14 surviving birds previously infected with WEE were antibody positive by enzyme immunoassay (EIA), and 11/14 had plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) antibody titers >1:20, whereas only of 8/13 birds previously infected with SLE were positive by EIA and all had PRNT titers 1:40 at this time. To determine if immunosuppression would cause a chronic infection to relapse, eight birds initially infected with either WEE or SLE were treated with cyclophosphamide and then tested repeatedly for viremia; all samples were negative for virus by plaque assay. Collectively, our results indicated that a low percentage of birds experimentally infected with WEE or SLE developed chronic infections in the spleen or lung that could be detected by RT-PCR, but not by plaque assay. Birds did not appear to relapse naturally or after immunosuppression. The rapid decay of SLE, but not WEE, antibody may allow the relapse of chronic infections of SLE, but not WEE, to produce viremias sufficiently elevated to infect mosquitoes.
Meaningful Peer Review

The purpose of peer review is to uphold the integrity of the publishing journal, improve upon research activities and papers, and to further advance knowledge within the field of health education and promotion. This article provides an overview of peer review, some guidelines for accepting review assignments, and guidelines for conducting a thorough review that will serve the journal while assisting authors in making new knowledge accessible.