cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
N-aralkylpolyamine complexes[1]—IX: Some complexes of copper(II) and nickel(II) with N,N′-dibenzyl-N,N′-dimethylethylenediamine

Abstract The preparation and characterization of CuMe 2 DBEnX 2 (X = Cl,Br,NO 3 ; Me 2 DBEn = N,N′-dimethyl-N,N′-dibenzylethylenediamine); CuMe 2 DBEn(H 2 O) 2 SO 4 ; [CuMe 2 DBEn(OH)] 2 (ClO 4 ) 2 and NiMe 2 DBEn(NO 3 ) 2 are reported. Reflectance spectra, magnetic susceptibilities, IR spectra, X-ray powder patterns and molar conductivities in DMF and 1,2-dichloroethane were used to deduce their structures. It is established from the IR spectra that, unlike tetrabenzylethylenediamine, Me 2 DBEn remained undegraded. All the complexes except [CuMe 2 DBEn(OH)] 2 (ClO 4 ) 2 are magnetically dilute, high-spin complexes. From its antiferromagnetic behavior and spectra, a binuclear hydroxy bridged structure is assigned to [CuMe 2 DBEn(OH)] 2 (ClO 4 ) 2 .
Interleukin-6 in bone metastasis and cancer progression

The bone and bone marrow are among the most frequent sites of cancer metastasis. It is estimated that 350,000 patients die with bone metastases annually in the United States. The ability of tumor cells to colonize the bone marrow and invade the bone is the result of close interactions between tumor cells and the bone marrow microenvironment. In this article, we review the contribution of interleukin-6 (IL-6) produced in the bone marrow microenvironment to bone metastasis. This cytokine has a strong pro-tumorigenic activity due to its multiple effects on bone metabolism, tumor cell proliferation and survival, angiogenesis, and inflammation. These effects are mediated by several signaling pathways, in particular the Janus kinase/signal transducer and transcription activator (JAK/STAT-3), Ras/mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK), and phosphoinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)-protein kinase B/Akt (PkB/Akt), which are activated by IL-6 and amplified in the presence of soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R). Supporting the role of IL-6 in human cancer is the observation of elevated serum levels of IL-6 and sIL-6R in patients with bone metastasis and their association with a poor clinical outcome. Over the last decade several large (monoclonal antibodies) and small (inhibitors of IL-6 mediated signaling) molecules that inhibit IL-6 activity in preclinical models have been developed. Several of these inhibitors are now undergoing phases I and II clinical trials, which will determine their inclusion in the list of effective targeted agents in the fight against cancer.
A Preliminary Analysis of Small Spacecraft Finite-Thrust Aeroassisted Orbital Transfer

The problem of finite-thrust small spacecraft minimum-fuel heat rateconstrained aeroassisted orbital transfer between two low-Earth orbits with inclination change is considered. The trajectory design for a vehicle of small mass and moderate thrust is described in detail and the aeroassisted orbital transfer is posed as a nonlinear optimal control problem. The optimal control problem is solved using a previously developed open-source pseudospectral optimal control software. It is found for heating rate-unconstrained cases that the fuel consumption is insensitive to the number of atmospheric passes, whereas for heating rate-constrained cases the fuel consumption decreases as a function of the number of atmospheric passes. The key features of the optimal trajectories are identified. The result of this research demonstrates the efficiency of an aeroassisted orbital transfer as compared with an all-propulsive transfer and show the more realistic results obtained when compared with an aeroassisted orbital transfer where it is assumed that the thrust is impulsive.
A randomized trial of air cleaners and a health coach to improve indoor air quality for inner-city children with asthma and secondhand smoke exposure.

Objective: To test an air cleaner and health coach intervention to reduce secondhand smoke exposure compared with air cleaners alone or no air cleaners in reducing particulate matter (PM), air nicotine, and urine cotinine concentrations and increasing symptom-free days in children with asthma residing with a smoker. Design: Randomized controlled trial, with randomization embedded in study database. Settings: The Johns Hopkins Hospital Children’s Center and homes of children. Participants: Children with asthma, residing with a smoker, randomly assigned to interventions consisting of air cleaners only (n=41), air cleaners plus a health coach (n=41), or delayed air cleaner (control) (n=44). Main Outcome Measures: Changes in PM, air nico
Low-Cost Compact Instrumentation, Control, and Aerial Surveillance Payload Support for Small UAVs

*† ‡ § Applications of aerial surveillance include homeland security, law enforcement, environmental monitoring, and damage inspection after natural disasters. This paper discusses the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) as low cost and easy to operate solutions for aerial reconnaissance. Currently, the use of UAVs is limited by the cost of the systems and the need for skilled operators of the equipment. A new flight control system was developed which will reduce the cost of autonomous UAV platforms. The emphasis of the flight controller design was to reduce the cost of implementing an unmanned aerial surveillance system. The costs were reduced two ways. First, the weight and volume of the flight control and payload hardware was reduced so that smaller UAVs could be used. Second, the cost of the hardware was decreased by using standard commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components to build the hardware. This paper will cover the requirements of the autonomous flight control and payload system for aerial surveillance, the work done to reduce the weight of the system, and the selection of COTS hardware for the flight controller. Flight control for the aerial surveillance platform is divided into four parts: instrumentation, control, communication, and power. The UAV control system designed supports autonomous flight including takeoff and landing which eliminates the need for a skilled RC pilot to operate the system. The system is designed specifically for applications with shorter flights within three to five miles of the ground station. GPS and inertial measurement sensors localize the UAV and are inputs in the flight control algorithm. A wireless communication link between the UAV and the ground station receives flight commands and waypoints from the mission planner and transmits status monitoring information. A safety pilot can manually override the autonomous flight controller with an RC communication link. Aerial surveillance payloads include a system to collect and wirelessly transmit video. Many also have a pan-tilt-zoom unit to position the camera to get video from different orientations. Several applications also require analog sensors and/or other digital I/O. Lowering the flight controller and payload weight to use smaller UAVs and using COTS parts in the design reduced the cost of implementing an aerial surveillance system. Using smaller UAVs reduced the vehicle platform costs by a factor of three to five. Integrating the flight control hardware and the payload support hardware was the primary way the weight was reduced. Many of the components in one system were duplicated in the other. Eliminating the duplicate parts and subsystems lowered the component weight and volume (thus reducing the packaging weight). This also helps decrease the hardware costs without sacrificing the function of the flight controller or aerial surveillance payload. All of the components are standard COTS parts with the exception of the printed circuit boards.
Redoing gender through divorce

Much theoretical and empirical scholarship suggests that in heterosexual marriage, norms for work and love are differentiated by gender. Grounded in an inductive analysis of archival interview data from the 1980s, this article suggests that gendered processes, relatively unrecognized as married people enact them day to day, are identified and revised in retrospective accounts of divorced people. I describe four areas of gender differentiation institutionalized in marriage — breadwinning, housework, parenting, and emotional expression — and offer the concept of “redoing” gender to capture the process of repudiating previous forms of gender accountability. If marriage is a site for “doing” gender, for some people, divorce generates “redoing” in the sense that they change their expectations for masculine and feminine behavior in families.
Comprehensive de novo structure prediction in a systems-biology context for the archaea Halobacterium sp. NRC-1

Background: Large fractions of all fully sequenced genomes code for proteins of unknown function. Annotating these proteins of unknown function remains a critical bottleneck for systems biology and is crucial to understanding the biological relevance of genome-wide changes in mRNA and protein expression, protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions. The work reported here demonstrates that de novo structure prediction is now a viable option for providing general function information for many proteins of unknown function. Results: We have used Rosetta de novo structure prediction to predict three-dimensional structures for 1,185 proteins and protein domains (<150 residues in length) found in Halobacterium NRC-1, a widely studied halophilic archaeon. Predicted structures were searched against the Protein Data Bank to identify fold similarities and extrapolate putative functions. They were analyzed in the context of a predicted association network composed of several sources of functional associations such as: predicted protein interactions, predicted operons, phylogenetic profile similarity and domain fusion. To illustrate this approach, we highlight three cases where our combined procedure has provided novel insights into our understanding of chemotaxis, possible prophage remnants in Halobacterium NRC-1 and archaeal transcriptional regulators. Conclusions: Simultaneous analysis of the association network, coordinated mRNA level changes in microarray experiments and genome-wide structure prediction has allowed us to glean significant biological insights into the roles of several Halobacterium NRC-1 proteins of previously unknown function, and significantly reduce the number of proteins encoded in the genome of this haloarchaeon for which no annotation is available.
Relationship of Protamine Dosing with Postoperative Complications of Carotid Endarterectomy

Protamine sulfate (PS) neutralization of heparin (HEP) given during carotid endarterectomy (CEA) has been previously associated with an increased postoperative stroke rate. Dosing regimens of PS have varied in previous studies. The accuracy of PS dosing and its effect on postoperative complications was analyzed. The medical records of all patients undergoing elective CEAs from January 1993 to June 1996 in our institution were reviewed. A hematoma was defined as either an event requiring return to the operating room or when repeatedly identified in the medical record. The accuracy of dosing PS was determined utilizing a formula calculating the logarithmic exponential decay of HEP, which determined the residual HEP at the time of PS dosing. An ideal PS dose was then calculated and compared to the dose given. Statistical analyses was performed using a Fisher's exact test as well as the Student's t-test. Four hundred-seven CEAs were performed in 365 patients. There were 10/407 (2.5%) postoperative strokes (STROKE) and 11/407 (2.7%) hematomas, 3 of which required reoperation. Results indicate that (1) the administration of PS significantly reduced the incidence of postoperative hematoma; (2) there appears to be an association between the administration of PS and STROKE; (3) the inaccuracy in dosing PS appears to be based on a decision to dose PS to the total HEP given rather than the residual HEP on board at the time of neutralization. The effect of PS overdosing is unclear, but it may play a role in STROKE.
Social Disorganization in New Latino Destinations

Rural industrial restructuring, including growth in meat processing and other nondurable manufacturing, has generated employment opportunities that have attracted Latino in-migrants to new nonmetropolitan destinations. Long-time residents, however, are not always receptive. While some observers point to economic and social benefits of a Latino influx, others believe that the newcomers drain local resources, raise poverty and crime rates, and diminish the quality of life in their communities. We evaluate the influence of rapid population growth on emerging Latino destinations—new boomtowns. We use data from the U.S. census and other sources to measure changes in local economic circumstances and quality of life in nonmetropolitan boom counties experiencing high rates of Latino growth between 1990 and 2000. Our findings indicate that large influxes of Latinos had surprisingly few negative economic consequences for local populations. Furthermore, the quality of life in new destinations did not deteriorate in comparison to other nonmetropolitan counties, especially with regard to crime. Mounting pressure to educate students with limited English proficiency is nevertheless apparent. Our conclusion highlights relevant national policy debates and underscores the need for commitment on the part of firms responsible for Latino growth.
Outcome of tracheobronchial injuries: a long-term perspective.

BACKGROUND: Tracheobronchial injuries are relatively uncommon, and few data are available on the long-term effects of their treatment. METHODS: All injuries involving the larynx and trachea, trachea alone, and mainstem bronchus (MSB) treated by one surgeon were followed if they survived 48 hours. RESULTS: Sixty patients were treated from 1976 to 2001 for blunt and penetrating injuries: 6 laryngotracheal injuries, 27 tracheal wounds, and 27 injuries to the mainstem bronchus. Follow-up ranged from 1 to 26 years. One of six laryngotracheal wounds had a good result. One required tracheal resection and one required permanent tracheostomy. Patients who survived tracheal resection and end-to-end anastomosis had good outcomes; two had granulomata caused by permanent suture use. One patient treated by primary repair developed stenosis requiring resection. Fourteen patients with MSB injury were treated by pneumonectomy, eight of whom survived. Three developed stump leak/empyema and three had cor pulmonale on long-term follow-up. Ten patients had repair of blunt MSB injuries; two developed bronchial stenosis requiring pneumonectomy. CONCLUSION: Laryngotracheal and MSB injuries often had less than optimal outcomes on long-term observation. Tracheal injuries treated by resection and end-to-end repairs had excellent outcomes. The data should be useful in counseling patients/families and planning follow-up strategies for patients with tracheobronchial injuries. Language: en
FPV: fast protein visualization using Java 3D™

We have developed a protein visualization system based on Java 3D™. Java 3D provides compatibility among different systems and enables applications to be run remotely through web browsers. However, using Java 3D for visualization has some performance issues with it. The primary concerns about molecular visualization tools based on Java 3D are in their being slow in terms of interaction speed and in their inability to load large molecules. This behavior is especially apparent when the number of atoms to be displayed is huge, or when several proteins are to be displayed simultaneously for comparison. In this paper we present techniques for organizing a Java 3D scene graph to tackle these problems. We demonstrate the effectiveness of these techniques by comparing the visualization component of our system with two other Java 3D based molecular visualization tools. In particular, for van der Waals display mode, with the efficient organization of the scene graph, we could achieve up to eight times improvement in rendering speed and could load molecules three times as large as the previous systems could.
Magnetic resonance imaging volumetric findings in children with Asperger syndrome, nonverbal learning disability, or healthy controls

Background: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate selected regions of interest in children and adolescents with nonverbal learning disabilities (NVLD), Asperger syndrome (AS), and age-matched healthy controls using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). It was hypothesized that children with AS would show larger volumes of the amygdala and hippocampal regions than the other groups. It was also hypothesized that both clinical groups would show differences in the caudate and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Method: There were a total of 89 children in the final sample (31 controls, 29 NVLD, 29 AS). Each child completed a MRI scan as well as basic cognitive screening measures. High-resolution T1-weighted MR volumetric images were acquired. The volume of gray matter, white matter, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), amygdala, hippocampus, and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) was obtained. Results: The hypothesis that the AS group would show larger hippocampal and amygdala volumes than the other groups was confirm...
Evaluating quality of telehealth advice nursing.

Despite an increased interest in advice nursing, the quality of care has not been addressed. This article examines the quality of the nursing process (including problem identification, care planning, intervention, and evaluation) and its relationship to patient (consumer) outcomes. A sample of 157 nonredundant telephone calls from adults with medical-surgical problems were audiotaped, with providers’ and callers’ consent, and were rated through an implicit review method by registered nurse raters. The quality of the nursing process was found to be the best in the area of intervention. Patient (consumer) satisfaction was high with 95.4% of the consumers rating the calls as completely or at least somewhat satisfying, and 93.2% stating the advice was very or somewhat helpful. This study pioneers a way to rate the quality of advice nursing and lays the groundwork for further investigations of health care provider behavior and consumer outcomes.
Striping Artifact Reduction in Lunar Orbiter Mosaic Images

Photographic images of the moon from the 1960s Lunar Orbiter missions are being processed into maps for visual use. The analog nature of the images has produced numerous artifacts, the chief of which causes a vertical striping pattern in mosaic images formed from a series of filmstrips. Previous methods of stripe removal tended to introduce ringing and aliasing problems in the image data. This paper describes a recently developed alternative approach that succeeds at greatly reducing the striping artifacts while avoiding the creation of ringing and aliasing artifacts. The algorithm uses a one dimensional frequency domain step to deal with the periodic component of the striping artifact and a spatial domain step to handle the aperiodic residue. Several variations of the algorithm have been explored. Results, strengths, and remaining challenges are presented
Transient Thermoelastic Response of Nanofilms Under Radiation Heating From Pulsed Laser-Induced Plasma

Measuring transient surface temperatures of substrates excited by nanosecond impulsive-type thermal sources is a nontrivial problem due to limited response times of many current sensors and the thinness of thermal skin at the nanosecond-time scale. An indirect transient surface temperature measurement technique for nanofilms subjected to a nanosecond dynamic loading is presented and demonstrated. The intensity profile calibrated based on the plasma radiation energy measurements is used as a boundary condition for finite-element analysis to estimate the transient surface temperature and the stress tensor induced in a 100-nm chromium film bonded to a quartz substrate due to the thermal radiation heating of the laser-induced plasma. The current approach is useful for predicting the damage threshold of nanofilms in laser-induced plasma (LIP) particle cleaning, as the direct and indirect transient temperature measurements currently available are unreliable for nanosecond impulsive thermal excitations. Particle cleaning techniques based on LIP have been under development for damage-free removal of sub-100-nm particles. The plasma core formed in this cleaning approach is a source of nanosecond-range impulsive radiation and subsequent thermomechanical excitation of the substrate and, consequently, possible substrate damage. The transient temperature measurements are used to estimate the peak surface temperature and the thermomechanical stresses induced in the substrate.
Analyzing Melatiah Nash and The Ladies and Gentlemen's Diary

Journals have long been a staple in the history of the spread of mathematical ideas. This paper analyzes one the first attempts at such a journal in the United States: The Ladies and Gentlemen’s Diary, and traces the evolution of the journal through its author and editor Melatiah Nash. The contributors and mathematics of the journal are also considered and the journal is compared to several of its contemporaries. Synthesizing all of this information reveals that Nash’s publication contained a wide range of mathematics, reached a diverse group of people, and was relatively successful in how it was received and in reaching the editor’s goals for the journal. Acknowledgements Editor's Note: Dr. Sloan E. Despeaux, Mathematics and Computer Science Department, Western Carolina University, served as the faculty mentor for this work. Dr. Dominic Klyve, Department of Mathematics, Central Washington University, served as guest editor for this article. This other is available in International Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities: http://commons.pacificu.edu/ ijurca/vol7/iss1/2
Quantitative Computed Tomography

Computed tomography (CT) scanners, which are primarily designed for imaging the human body, can be used to provide quantitative information regarding the composition of body tissues. Cross-sectional (transverse) images of the body tissues are produced. The quantitative data are the radiation attenuation coefficients of various tissues. CT scanning allows the separate determination of the attenuation coefficient values for trabecular bone and compact bone.
Electron microscopy of drawn polypropylene

Extremely thin polypropylene films formed by evaporation of dilute solutions floating on water, thin films deposited on Mylar or on carbon-coated Mylar, and bulk samples were deformed; after etching with aqua regia or chromic acid, the surfaces were studied by electron microscopy of surface replicas. At small draw ratio, microfibrils with lateral dimensions of about 200 A, originating in micronecks at crack boundaries of the original crystal lamellae, were obtained in isolated areas exhibiting maximum local strain separated by large regions of much less deformed material. With increasing draw ratio the necked regions grow, the old structure gradually being reduced to smaller and smaller islands until it disappears completely. The inhomogeneity of strain in adjacent bundles of microfibrils creates a great many longitudinal voids with more or less disoriented microfibrils bridging the gaps. The regular arrangement of crystalline blocks of rather uniform length and width can be occasionally seen on surface replicas of drawn samples, and much better on dark-field electron micrographs of drawn and annealed thin membranes. In the latter case the blocks are very uniform and have similar dimensions along and perpendicular to the axis of the microfibril. The evidence from the electron micrographs, together with previous small-angle x-ray scattering data, supports Peterlin's molecular model for plastic deformation of crystalline polymers.
A common ragweed population resistant to cloransulam-methyl

Abstract A population of common ragweed not controlled by an acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicide, cloransulam-methyl, was sampled near Dunkirk, IN, the first year of the herbicide's commercialization in 1998. Resistance in the Dunkirk population was confirmed by treating greenhouse-grown seedlings with cloransulam-methyl. ALS activity assays and DNA sequencing were used to identify the resistance mechanism. ALS isolated from plants of the Dunkirk population exhibited an R/S ratio for cloransulam-methyl of >5,000 when compared to ALS activity of populations from Claire City, SD, and V & J Seed Farms. R/S ratios of 4,100 and 110 were observed for two other ALS-inhibiting herbicides, chlorimuron and imazaquin, respectively. DNA sequencing revealed that an inferred leucine for tryptophan substitution at amino acid position 574 in ALS was responsible for the observed herbicide resistance. Additionally, DNA sequencing revealed significant variability among common ragweed ALS alleles. Two fragments ...
The Effect of Length of Run on Measured Demand Elasticities

for use, its effect on the demand for stocks is not as widely recognized. The following analysis considers the effect of length of run on both of these components of the total demand for a commodity and then brings these results together to evaluate their joint effect on measured demand elasticities. Demand for use is shown to be more elastic in the long run when the relationship between commodities is either one of substitutability or complementarity. Also, conditions are presented under which the demand for a commodity for storage is more elastic in the short run. Finally, the condition necessary for the total elasticity of demand to have a "U" shape with respect to length of adjustment period is specified. IT IS generally accepted that the demand for most commodities is likely to vary for different lengths of adjustment period. This implies variation in the elasticity of demand associated with time.1 Although the elasticity of demand is often considered to vary directly with time, empirical results obtained by Tomek and Pasour provide an example in which demand appears to be more elastic for a shorter length of run. Tomek estimated the price elasticity of demand for fresh apples at the farm level using annual data for the period 1947-1962. This estimate was -.46.2 Pasour, using data for a similar period of time, divided the marketing year into three periods and computed seasonal elasticities at the farm level. Although a satisfactory relationship was not obtained in one of the periods, the coefficients of price elasticity of demand in the other two periods were -.75 and -1.33, both apparently higher than the estimate obtained by Tomek.3 Shepherd, in considering the effect of time, states that there are two opposing forces affecting the elasticity of demand.4 On the one hand, short-time elasticities (e.g., day, week, or month) are likely to be greater than longer-time elasticities (e.g., year) since a larger proportion of the * Published with the approval of the director of research as Paper No. 1971 of the Journal Series. The authors wish to acknowledge helpful comments from Paul R. Johnson and T. D. Wallace. The authors alone, however, are responsible for any errors.
Immunoassay of P-component in amyloidotic sera.

To date, all human amylodotic spleens studied by us have yielded a protein which is not detectable in normal or non-amyloidotic tissue. This protein has been identified by immunoelectrophoresis in the blood of normal individuals and for this reason has been called the P (plasma)—component of amyloid(1,2). We have recently measured the plasma level of P-component in patients with amyloidosis in order to determine whether its presence has any diagnostic significance and whether any data relevant to the genesis of amyloid might be obtained. Sera from patients with rheumatoid arthritis were studied as “pathologic” controls and also because this condition is not infrequently complicated by amyloidosis.Materials and Methods. A total of 35 pathologic sera were tested; 21 were derived from patients with biopsy proven amyloidosis, the remaining 14 from patients with classical rheumatoid arthritis. As controls, sera from 25 young and presumably healthy blood donors and cord blood from 9 new-born infants were tested...
Rapid Number Naming and Quantitative Eye Movements May Reflect Contact Sport Exposure in a Collegiate Ice Hockey Cohort (P4.276)

Objective: We determined the relation of rapid number naming time scores on the King-Devick (K-D) test to video-oculographic eye movement performance during pre-season baseline assessments in a collegiate ice hockey team cohort. Background: The K-D test is a reliable visual performance measure that is a sensitive sideline indicator of concussion when time scores worsen (lengthen) from pre-season baseline. Methods: Athletes from collegiate ice hockey team received pre-season baseline testing as part of an ongoing study of rapid sideline/ rinkside performance measures for concussion. These included the K-D test (spiral bound cards and tablet computer versions). Participants also performed a laboratory-based version of the K-D test with simultaneous infrared-based video-oculographic recordings using EyeLink 1000+. This allowed measurement of temporal and spatial characteristics of eye movements, including saccade velocity, duration and inter-saccadic intervals. Results: Among 13 male athletes, aged 18 to 23 years (mean 20.5±1.6 years), prolongation of the inter-saccadic interval (ISI, a combined measure of saccade latency and fixation duration) was the eye movement measure most associated with slower baseline KD scores (mean 38.2±6.2 seconds, r=0.88, p=0.0001). Older age was a predictor of longer (worse) K-D baseline time performance (r=0.57-0.70, p=0.008-0.04) as well as prolonged ISI (r=0.62, p=0.02) in this collegiate cohort. Slower baseline K-D times were not associated with greater numbers of reported prior concussions. Conclusions: Rapid number naming performance at pre-season baseline is best correlated with ISI when eye movements are recorded. Baseline K-D scores notably worsened with increasing age but not with number of prior concussions in this small cohort. These findings suggest that duration of contact sport exposure, rather than concussion history, may influence pre-season baseline rapid number naming performance. Disclosure: Dr. Hasanaj has nothing to disclose. Dr. Webb has nothing to disclose. Dr. Birkemeier has nothing to disclose. Dr. Serrano has nothing to disclose. Dr. Nolan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Raynowska has nothing to disclose. Dr. Souza-Filho has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hudson has nothing to disclose. Dr. Rizzo has nothing to disclose. Dr. Dai has nothing to disclose. Dr. Rucker has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for AAN Continuum. Dr. Galetta has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec and Genzyme as a consultant. Dr. Balcer has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec and Genzyme as a consultant.
Updates in vaccination: Recommendations for adult inflammatory bowel disease patients

Treatment regimens for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) incorporate the use of a variety of immunosuppressive agents that increase the risk of infections. Prevention of many of these infections can be achieved by the timely and judicious use of vaccinations. IBD patients tend to be under-immunized. Some of the contributing factors are lack of awareness regarding the significance of vaccinating IBD patients, misperception about safety of vaccinations in immunocompromised patients, ambiguity about the perceived role of the gastroenterologist in contrast to the primary care physician and unavailability of vaccination guidelines focused on IBD population. In general, immunocompetent IBD patients can be vaccinated using standard vaccination recommendations. However there are special considerations for IBD patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy, IBD travelers and pregnant women with IBD. This review discusses current vaccination recommendations with updates for adult IBD patients. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2013 vaccination guidelines with 2014 updates and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations have been highlighted as a primary source of recommendations.
The Early Years of Radio Liberty, 1953–60

One of the differences between British and American propaganda efforts was the centrality of private-public partnerships to US propaganda operations. Among the most famous of these were the Congress of Cultural Freedom, Radio Free Europe (RFE), and Radio Liberation/Radio Liberty (RL), all of which were part the CIA’s “liberal conspiracy” launched by the Office of Policy Coordination (OPC) under the leadership of Frank Wisner.1 As noted in Chapter 2, Britain’s Cultural Relations Department (CRD) and the IRD did foster public-private anti-Communist organizations but these operations were never central to British propaganda strategy. In the US an entire division of the CIA, the International Organization Division (IOD), which was formed after OPC propaganda operations were brought under the control of the CIA in 1952, was devoted to gray propaganda operations. These operations were designed to influence European intelligentsia on both sides of the Iron Curtain.2
Modeling and Self-Efficacy: A Test of Bandura's Model

Female undergraduate students (N - 39) were assigned to one of three conditions: aided participant modeling (APM), unaided participant modeling (UPM), or a control group followed by practice trials of a gymnastic skill. Subjects in both modeling groups reported higher self-efficacy expectations and lower anxiety ratings than the control group following treatment. The aided participant modeling group scored higher on the performance measure than did the unaided participant modeling group, and both modeling groups scored higher than the control group. Path analytic techniques were employed to test the fit of the data to Bandura's (1977a) self-efficacy model and an anxiety reduction model. Self-efficacy was a significant predictor of skill performance, but the anxiety-performance path was nonsignificant. Although Bandura's model did not fully explain the fit of the data to the fully recursive model, it proved to be a more parsimonious explanation of behavior change than was the anxiety reduction model. Despi...
Synthesis of Single-Layer Graphene on Nickel Using a Droplet CVD Process

A liquid metal “droplet” chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process is developed for the synthesis of single-layer graphene flakes utilizing molten nickel droplets (nominal diameter from 0.5 to 1 µm) as the catalysts. Ultrathin nickel films melt and form nickel droplets at around 1000 °C, providing liquid-phase, single-grain catalytic sites for the nucleation of graphene flakes via carbon precipitation process. Experimentally, both single and double-layer graphene flakes with low defects have been synthesized by using nickel thin films of either less or more than 100 nm (up to 130 nm) in thickness, respectively. Furthermore, the synthesized graphene flakes are hybridized by the nickel orbitals as suggested by a density function analysis and experimentally observed blue shifts in Raman spectra tests. When the original nickel thin film is 75 nm in thickness, the resulting nickel droplets are physically and electrically isolated, while the graphene flakes are found to be electrically connected probably due to the outgrowth of graphene from the separated nickel droplets. These electrically connected graphene sheets could be readily available for device applications without the need of transfer processes. This work demonstrates the direct generation of photocurrents (up to 0.53 µA mm−2 W−1) due to the photothermal effect based on as-fabricated graphene sheets under a visible light source.
A mediation model of sexual assault among Latter-Day Saints

ABSTRACTSocialization that occurs within some conservative Christian contexts might facilitate development of attitudes and beliefs that increase women’s risk for sexual assault. Patriarchal community structure and rigid gender role adherence place women in subordinate roles and maintain gender inequality. Within conservative, dogmatic contexts, comprehensive sex education and education about assault might be minimal, and rape myths are hypothesized to be more prevalent. This study assessed sexual assault experiences (victimization and perpetration) in a sample of 208 male and female college students affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS). Women reported victimization of all forms of sexual coercion at higher rates than men reported perpetration. In addition, traditional gender role adherence mediated the link between dogmatic, religiously fundamentalist beliefs and acceptance of rape mythology for both men and women. Traditional gender role adherence also mediated the link ...
ADAMTS-13 Deficiency in Children with Septic Shock.

Von Willebrand factor (VWF) is synthesized and released from endothelial cells and megakaryocytes/platelets in a form that is ultra-large (UL) in size and hyper-reactive in functions, capable of spontaneously activating and aggregating platelets. Upon its release, ULVWF is cleaved by the metalloprotease ADAMTS-13 at a single peptide bond of Tyr842 and Met843 in the A2 domain of VWF, converting this hyper-reactive ULVWF to smaller and less active form. If it is left uncleaved, ULVWF could activate and aggregate platelets, leading to systemic thrombosis, as often found in patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. However, defects in ULVWF proteolysis may also occur in other conditions where ADAMTS-13 activity may be suppressed and ULVWF release from endothelial cells is systemic and persistent. To test this hypothesis, we have measured changes in ADAMTS-13 activity and ULVWF proteolysis in pediatric patients with severe sepsis with one or more organ failure, an extremely severe form of systemic inflammation that is likely to trigger the release of a large amount of ULVWF. Ten patients (and 6 matching controls) were recruited and followed for a period of 7 to 28 days in a pediatric intensive care unit. We found that the mean ADAMTS-13 activity in patients on admission as determined by a flow assay was 60.1±30.4%, significantly lower than 97.7±1.5% found control subjects. Among these patients, 70% presented severe to moderate thrombocytopenia (22,000–150,000/ml) on admission. Three patients (30%) had ADAMTS-13 activity less than 30%, below the threshold level of deficiency predetermined for this assay. Two of these three patients also presented severe thrombocytopenia (platelet counts of 22,000 and 66,000/ml, respectively). During the follow-up period, changes in ADAMTS-13 activity correlated approximately with changes in platelet counts. Patients with little or no improvement in ADAMTS-13 activity often showed persistent thrombocytopenia, whereas improvement in the enzyme activity associated with increase in platelet counts. We have also measured plasma levels of four inflammatory cytokines and found that IL-6 and TNF-α were 98.7±10.8 and 516.2±66.0 pM in patients with severe ADAMTS-13 deficiency (
Genomic heterogeneity of circulating tumor cells in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) revealed by single-cell sequencing.

5030 Background: Circulating tumor cells (CTC) provide an opportunity to sample multiple metastatic tumor sites through a single blood draw – a ”fluid biopsy.” NextGen DNA sequencing provides the m...
Reactivity of heat treated chars

Reactivities of a number of chars produced from American coals varying in rank from lignite to anthracite have been measured in air, CO/sub 2/, steam and H/sub 2/. The variables chosen for the study were: rank of the parent coal, inorganic matter content, particle size, reaction temperature and pressure as well as heat treatment conditions used during char preparation. In all gasification atmospheres studied, reactivity plots for different chars are essentially of the same general shape and have three distinct regions. The reaction rate first increases slowly with time. The plot then goes through a maximum in slope, followed by a lengthy region of decreasing slope as burn-off approaches 100 percent. The shape of the burn-off curves can be explained on the basis of what is known about the development of porosity and surface area in microporous chars as they undergo gasification. Using an adjustable time parameter, equations have been developed which successfully correlate the reactivity data. Char reactivity decreases, in general, with increase in rank of the parent coal. Reactivities of chars in air, CO/sub 2/ and steam increase over 150-fold in going from a low volatile bituminous to a lignite parent coal; the spread in char reactivities inmore » H/sub 2/ is only 30-fold. Removal of inorganic matter from coal precursors prior to their charring or from chars produced from the raw coals has a marked effect on char reactivity and surface area. Removal of inorganic matter (by acid washing) decreases, in general, reactivity of chars produced from lower rank coals, whereas reactivities of chars derived from higher rank coals increase.« less
Associations of plasma interleukin-6 with plasma and cerebrospinal fluid monoamine biosynthetic pathway metabolites in treatment-resistant depression

Abstract Background Current research suggests that depression is associated with several changes in the immune system, including alterations in inflammatory cytokines, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and downstream effects on neurotransmitters. Specifically, plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6) is elevated in depressed individuals compared to non-depressed controls, and these same inflammatory processes may be implicated in treatment resistant depression (TR-MDD). IL-6 has also been theorized to affect central monoamine pathway metabolites. Few studies have assessed the relationship of IL-6 and plasma/CSF monoamine biosynthetic pathway metabolites and symptomatic correlates of depression. Methods We analyzed plasma IL-6 levels in an outpatient treatment-resistant depressed cohort (n = 67) and healthy control cohort (n = 40). We also assessed relationship of plasma IL-6 with plasma/CSF monoamine pathway metabolites and symptomatic correlates of depression. Results Higher levels of plasma IL-6 were found in the TR-MDD cohort compared to the control cohort. Plasma IL-6 correlated with plasma serotonin levels among all participants, although there was no association of plasma IL-6 and plasma serotonin in the TR-MDD cohort on subgroup analysis. No correlations were found between plasma IL-6 and plasma/CSF monoamine breakdown products, depressive symptomatology, or suicidality. Limitations Our analysis was a post-hoc analysis and we were not able to exhaustively control for confounds of IL-6 levels, such as sleep or stress. Conclusion The findings of the current study extend current evidence that plasma IL-6 levels are elevated in TR-MDD, after adjusting for body mass index. Additionally, plasma IL-6 and serotonin regulation may vary between healthy and TR-MDD populations. Lastly, our study finds no association between plasma IL-6 and CSF monoamine pathway metabolites, suggesting that further research is needed to elucidate the association of IL-6 and depression.
Organic Chemistry Applications of Fluorescence Spectroscopy

The fluorescence of organic molecules consists of the emission of light by molecules, which have previously absorbed visible or ultraviolet radiation. The measurement of fluorescence often permits very low analyte detection limits and is widely employed in quantitative analysis, especially as a detection and quantitation method in liquid chromatography. This article deals with the nature of organic molecular fluorescence, its dependence on molecular structure, reactivity and interactions with the environment and its utility in the trace analysis of organic compounds.
Do Institutional Investors Have Market Timing Skills? Evidence from ETFs

Using quarterly institutional holdings and a large proprietary database of institutional trades in exchange-traded funds (ETFs), we investigate whether institutional investors have market and sector timing skills. The question of whether institutional investors have superior market timing skills has been intensely debated ever since Treynor and Mazuy’s (1966) seminal study. Studies that use non-linear regressions to investigate market timing generally find little evidence of skill. Furthermore, recent literature is often critical of this regression framework. We add to this literature by using an innovative approach to directly measure the ex-post performance of institutional investors’ market timing strategies. That is, we test whether institutional investors exhibit superior market or sector timing skills based on their holdings and trades of ETFs. In contrast to the return-based measures, our ETF-based measures do not suffer from biases induced by passive timing effect or by funds following dynamic trading strategies. ETFs offer institutional investors unique opportunities to instantly establish, increase, or decrease exposure to broad or a segment of equity markets. Unlike index mutual funds, ETFs are exempt from short-sale constraints and are traded continuously during market hours. The proliferation of ETFs over the last decade has also led to excellent liquidity. According to the Investment Company Institute, the total net assets of the U.S. ETF market exceed $600 billion at the end of 2007, making it possible for institutional managers to take sizable positions. Indeed, ETFs have become a preferred investment vehicle by which portfolio managers implement directional bets on broad market movements. If institutional investors are able to time the market, we expect to observe a positive correlation between changes in institutional holdings (or trades) of ETFs and the subsequent performance of ETFs that track market indexes. We investigate this relation in both univariate and multivariate settings. We conduct statistical inferences using a bootstrap approach. In addition to market return, we also test whether changes in ETF holdings predict subsequent ETF volatility. Market volatility influences performance measures such as Sharpe ratio. Therefore, portfolio managers can improve risk-adjusted performance by timing market volatility.
Coarse-to-Fine Classification and Scene Labeling

The semantic interpretation of natural scenes, so effortless for humans, is perhaps the main challenge of artificial vision, having largely resisted any satisfying solution, at least in searching for multiple objects in real, cluttered scenes with arbitrary illumination. This problem is the motivation for the work in this chapter. Specifically, the models and algorithms presented here result from making computational efficiency the organizing principle for vision, a proposal recently explored in both theory [8, 2] and practice [1, 3, 4]; see also [9] and [6] for related examples of efficient visual search. “Theory” refers to analyzing the efficiency of coarse-to-fine (CTF) search under various statistical models and cost structures; summarized here are the general mathematical framework, including an abstract formulation of CTF classification based on multiresolution “tests,” and some results about optimal testing strategies. “Practice” refers to designing computer algorithms for detecting objects in natural scenes; several such experiments on face detection are included together with a brief description of how the tests are realized as image functionals.