cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Language and Reading Progress of Young Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children

We examined the language and reading progress of 336 young DHH children in kindergarten, first and second grades. Trained assessors tested children's language, reading, and spoken and fingerspelled phonological awareness in the fall and spring of the school year. Children were divided into groups based on their auditory access and classroom communication: a spoken-only group (n = 101), a sign-only group (n = 131), and a bimodal group (n = 104). Overall, children showed delays in language and reading compared to norms established for hearing children. For language, vocabulary standard scores were higher than for English syntax. Although delayed in language, children made expected gains based on hearing norms from kindergarten to second grade. Reading scores declined from kindergarten to second grade. Spoken-only and bimodal children had similar word reading and reading comprehension abilities and higher scores than sign-only children. Spoken-only children had better spoken phonological awareness and nonword reading skills than the other two groups. The sign-only and bimodal groups made similar and significant gains in ASL syntax and fingerspelling phonological awareness.
Characterizing the Key Predictors of Renewable Energy Penetration for Sustainable and Resilient Communities

AbstractWith a mean annual growth rate of roughly 50%, the solar industry has experienced unprecedented growth in the last decade, largely owing to the steadily falling prices of solar installation...
Emerging medical treatments for hidradenitis suppurativa.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting intertriginous skin areas, and it is characterized by recurrent painful episodes of inflammatory drainage. Although the pathophysiology of HS is not fully understood, recent research points to an imbalance of cytokines as a contributing factor to the associated symptoms of purulent drainage and sinus tract formation. HS lesions are often characterized by a superimposed pathogenic/commensal bacterial infection that can improve with targeted antibiotic therapy. New medical treatments have emerged in recent years, many of which specifically work against a variety of proinflammatory mediators associated with HS. These newer, specified treatment options, in conjunction with surgery and lasers, are thought to provide positive outcomes and an overall improvement in quality of life in patients with HS.
Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine Toxicity

Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine have been used for decades as antimalarials and also as immunomodulating therapies for rheumatic diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. They also have antiviral properties and are currently used empirically for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Retinal toxicity is a potential complication of these medications. Current ophthalmic screening and dosing recommendations aim to decrease the risk of developing retinopathy or prevent its progression. Baseline fundus examination is not currently recommended before initiating chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 due to presumed very low risk of retinal toxicity. However, doses of the drugs used for the treatment of COVID-19 exceed the recommended doses, and patients often have additional risk factors. Research in the future is warranted to confirm the risk and incidence of toxicity with this novel use.
Reducing Tobacco Use in Oregon Through Multisector Collaboration: Aligning Medicaid and Public Health Programs.

Introduction Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States. Oregon's coordinated care model for Medicaid provides an opportunity to consider novel ways to reduce tobacco use. Purpose and objectives We sought to evaluate the changes in tobacco cessation benefits, patient access to cessation interventions, and cigarette smoking prevalence before and after introduction of the statewide Coordinated Care Organization (CCO) cigarette smoking incentive metric for Medicaid members. Intervention approach Medicaid and public health collaborated to develop a novel population-level opportunity to reduce tobacco use. In 2016, an incentive metric for cigarette smoking was incorporated into Oregon's CCO Quality Incentive Program, which holds Oregon's CCOs accountable for providing comprehensive cessation benefits and for reducing tobacco use prevalence among members. Evaluation methods We evaluated the changes in tobacco cessation benefits, patient-provider discussions of smoking cessation, and cigarette smoking prevalence before and after the introduction of the statewide CCO cigarette smoking incentive metric. Results All 15 CCOs now cover cessation counseling (telephone, individual, and group) and pharmacotherapy (all 7 FDA-approved medications). The number of CCOs requiring prior authorization for at least 1 FDA-approved pharmacotherapy decreased substantially. From 2016 through 2018, the percentage of Medicaid members who reported that their health care providers recommended cessation assistance increased above baseline. The incentive metric and aligned interventions were associated with a reduction in cigarette smoking prevalence among Medicaid members, as indicated by the electronic health record metric. Thirteen of 15 CCOs demonstrated a reduction in smoking prevalence with the statewide prevalence rate decreased from 29.3% to 26.6%. Implications for public health Since incentive metric implementation, progress has been made to reduce tobacco use among CCO members. Cross-agency partnerships between Medicaid and public health contributed to these successes.
Managerial Assessments of E-business Investment Opportunities: A Field Study

Managers charged with assessing investment opportunities for information technologies such as e-business projects face considerable uncertainty in their decision-making processes. Contemporary theories of the firm and the normative prescriptions thereof emphasize the potential for such investments to augment firm-level knowledge and relational capabilities. However, prior research has not examined the relative emphases that managers place on the knowledge and relational capability-augmenting characteristics of the e-business investments. In this paper, we develop a model to assess whether managerial evaluations of e-business investment opportunities are consistent with these normative and theoretical prescriptions. A test of the model using survey data on 485 project assessments by e-business managers suggests that managerial assessment and choice are guided by the criteria suggested by the knowledge and relational theories in evaluating potential e-business initiatives. Our results demonstrate that the ability of firms to exploit their intangible assets through such investments explicitly enter managerial calculus and provide new insights into the relative importance ascribed to these factors. The overarching insight is that managers ascribe relatively more weight to knowledge-based considerations than to relational considerations.
Development of a Data Analysis Tool to Determine the Measurement Variability of Consensus Mass Spectra

The success of nontargeted analysis often depends on libraries containing reference mass spectra of known chemical compounds; the mass spectra of unknown compounds are compared to these reference mass spectra, leading to a probable compound identity. Typical calculations include the mean measured values for each ion m/z and intensity with no estimation of the variability of the measurement. This study presents a novel tool for the calculation of the variability of a measured mass spectrum, including the various data parameters that can impact the measured variability. Using perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) as the model compound, the variability of measured data-dependent fragmentation mass spectra (ddMS2) was calculated within replicate measurements of a simple solution of PFOA and a complex mixture (house dust extract) containing PFOA. The variability of the measured ddMS2 for PFOA in the solution and house dust extract were similar, with standard deviations about the measured m/z value ranging from m/z 0.00003 to 0.00015 and the standard deviations about the measured relative intensity ranging from 0.0077 to 0.0211 relative intensity units. In addition, the selected parameters for the extraction of ddMS2 from a single analytical run varied between the sample types due to the increased presence of background ions in the house dust extract. Finally, the variability of the ddMS2 spectra for PFOA in both samples was used to calculate a more robust similarity factor, informing the confidence of the identification of unknown compounds.
Probing quantum materials with ultrafast terahertz spectroscopy

Low energy excitations can shed light on the interplay between different degrees of freedom in complex materials. Ultrashort terahertz (THz) pulses can be used to both drive and probe these excitations. This is particularly useful in quantum materials, since these materials exhibit novel magnetic and lattice excitations that can potentially be used to control their properties. Here, the use of ultrafast THz spectroscopy to understand the dynamic properties of Weyl semimetals, probe a graphene nanoribbon-based metasurface, and study conductivity dynamics in superconducting heterostructures will be discussed.
Supercurrents in a topological antiferromagnet.

The non-collinear spin structure and nontrivial Berry curvature of Mn3Ge give rise to a long-range supercurrent in superconductor–Mn3Ge–superconductor lateral Josephson junctions.
Discussion on the evaluation method of current unbalance compensation effect of three-phase unbalanced load adjusting device in distribution network

Three-phase load imbalance in low-voltage distribution network is inevitable and exists for a long time. And a lot of devices are developed to solve the problems. However, in the current national standards and trade standards, there are only clear provisions on three-phase voltage imbalance, the provisions and test methods of three-phase current imbalance are relatively vague, and the compensation effect of the above devices cannot be effectively judged. From the perspective above, this paper establishes a 400V true low-voltage distribution network test platform, analyzes and determines the key parameters influencing the unbalanced current compensation ability in three-phase unbalanced load compensation device, and through reasonable settings for three-phase unbalanced working conditions, making the performance test verification of the current unbalance compensation effect of the products of several different manufacturers. The results show that the method can effectively evaluate the current imbalance compensation effect of the three-phase unbalanced load adjusting device, and is of guiding significance for standard revision and similar testing.
Examining the Impact of Social Video Game Tournaments on Gamers’ Mental Well-Being

We examine the impact that gaming on a social tournament platform while playing multiplayer games has on the mental well-being of college students. In this early-stage study, we used the Scale of Positive and Negative Experiences and the Player Experience and Need Satisfaction Scale to measure well-being, gaming motivation, and enjoyment. We complement these survey tools with facial expression analysis of students during gameplay for a more holistic understanding of their emotional states and the impact of social gaming.
Emergence of the Flavin-Containing Monooxygenase Gene Family: Molecular Biology, Structure, and Function

The mammalian flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMOs) comprise an important family of “phase I” xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes. Although not as catalytically or structurally diverse as the cytochrome P450 super-family, the FMOs do metabolize a variety of exogenous compounds, including numerous drugs, pesticides, and other xenobiotics. The FMOs catalyze the oxidation of nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorous atoms, but cannot carryout the oxidation of carbon (Ziegler, 1980). Like cytochrome P450, the FMOs utilize molecular oxygen as a substrate, NADPH as a source of electrons, produce water as one product, and are localized primarily to the endoplasmic reticulum of cells in a variety of tissues.
The Human purH Gene Product, 5-Aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide Ribonucleotide Formyltransferase/IMP Cyclohydrolase CLONING, SEQUENCING, EXPRESSION, PURIFICATION, KINETIC ANALYSIS, AND DOMAIN MAPPING

We report here the cloning and sequencing of the cDNA, purification, steady state kinetic analysis, and truncation mapping studies of the human 5-aminoimidazole- 4-carboxamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase/IMP cyclohydrolase (AICARFT/IMPCHase). These steps of de novo purine biosynthesis, respectively. In all species of both prokaryotes and eukaryotes studied, these two activities are present on a single bifunctional polypeptide encoded on the purH gene. The human purH cDNA is 1776 base pairs in length encoding for a 591-amino acid polypeptic (Mr = 64,425). The human and avian purH cDNAs are 75 and 81% similar on the nucleotide and amino acid sequence level, respectively. The Km values for AICAR and (6R,6S)10-formyltetrahydrofolate are 16.8 microM +/- 1.5 and 60.2 microM +/- 5.0, respectively, for the cloned, purified human enzyme. A 10-amino acid sequence within the COOH-terminal portion of human AICARFT/IMPCHase has some degree of homology to a previously noted "folate binding site." Site directed mutagenesis studies indicate that this sequence plays no role in enzymatic activity. We have constructed truncation mutants which demonstrate that each of the two enzyme activities can be expressed independent of the other. IMPCHase and AICARFT activities are located within the NH2-terminal 223 and COOH-terminal 406 amino acids, respectively. The truncation mutant possessing AICARFT activity displays steady state kinetic parameters identical to those of the holoenzyme.
Inhibition of angiogenesis by interleukin-12 is mediated by the interferon-inducible protein 10

Interleukin 12 (IL-12), a multifunctional cytokine produced by macrophages and B-cell lines, induces interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) production, stimulates growth of both T and natural killer cells, promotes Th1-type helper T-cell responses, and inhibits neovascularization. Because the human interferon-inducible protein 10 (IP-10) can also inhibit neovascularization, we tested whether IP-10, induced by IL-12 through the intermediate IFN-gamma, might be a mediator of IL-12 angiogenesis inhibition. We report here that murine IL-12 profoundly inhibited basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)-induced Matrigel neovascularization in vivo, and that this effect of IL-12 was neutralized by systemic administration of antibodies to either murine IFN-gamma or IP-10. Murine IL-12 induced murine IP-10 expression in mouse splenocytes, and human IFN-gamma induced human IP-10 expression in purified human endothelial cells, suggesting that IL-12 can induce IP-10 expression in certain cells. These results document the important role of IP-10 as a mediator of angiogenesis inhibition by IL-12, and raise the possibility that IP-10 may also contribute to the antitumor effect of IL-12.
Neural network based adaptive control of a flexible link manipulator

This paper presents a design methodology for an on-line self-tuning adaptive control (OLSTAC) of a single flexible link manipulator (FLM) using backpropagation neural networks (BPNN). The particular problem discussed is the on-line system identification of a FLM using BPNN and the OLSTAC of a FLM using a separate neural network as a controller. A finite-element model of a FLM is obtained using ANSYS. The pseudo-link concepts developed in (2) are used to determine on-line angular displacement of the end effector of the FLM. The illustrative simulation results are promising and show that the OLSTAC technique can be applied to flexible structures such as a FEM resulting reduced error and increased robustness. >
cDNA and deduced primary structure of rat protein B23, a nucleolar protein containing highly conserved sequences.

Protein B23 (Mr/pI = 38,000/5.1) is a major RNA-associated nucleolar phosphoprotein which contains highly acidic segments and has a high affinity for silver ions. Using synthetic oligonucleotides as probes cloned cDNAs encoding protein B23 were isolated and characterized. One of the cDNAs, obtained from a rat brain library, contained an insert of 1232 base pairs of DNA encoding a polypeptide of 292 amino acid residues. Segments of the protein sequence were confirmed by partial sequencing of CNBr fragments from rat hepatoma protein B23. The protein contains a methionine-rich amino-terminal sequence and two highly acidic segments in the center of the sequence. The first acidic segment, in which 11 of the 13 residues are acidic, begins at residue 120 and contains a major phosphorylation site. In the second segment (residues 159-187) there are four copies of the sequence Asp-Asp-Glu, and all but two of the 29 residues have acidic side chains. When the sequence of the rat protein was compared with available sequences from other species a high degree of conservation was found; the 77-residue carboxyl-terminal sequence is identical with that of human protein B23 (Chan, P. K., Chan, W.-Y., Yung, B. Y. M., Cook, R. G., Aldrich, M. B., Ku, D., Goldknopf, I. L., and Busch, H. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 14335-24341), and about 63% of the residues are identical when the rat B23 sequence is compared with protein N038 from Xenopus laevis (Schmidt-Zachmann, M. S., Hugle-Dorr, B., and Franke, W. (1987) EMBO J. 6, 1881-1890). Except for the presence of highly acidic regions no significant similarities were found with protein C23 (nucleolin), the other major nucleolar protein.
Human Computer Interaction Issues in Clinical Trials Management Systems

Clinical trials increasingly rely upon web-based Clinical Trials Management Systems (CTMS). As with clinical care systems, Human Computer Interaction (HCI) issues can greatly affect the usefulness of such systems. Evaluation of the user interface of one web-based CTMS revealed a number of potential human-computer interaction problems, in particular, increased workflow complexity associated with a web application delivery model and potential usability problems resulting from the use of ambiguous icons. Because these design features are shared by a large fraction of current CTMS, the implications extend beyond this individual system.
A New Category for Semantics

Domain theory for denotational semantics is over thirty years old. There are many variations on the idea and many interesting constructs that have been proposed by many people for realizing a wide variety of types as domains. Generally, the effort has been to create categories of domains that are cartesian closed (that is, have products and function spaces interpreting typed lambda-calculus) and permit solutions to domain equations (that is, interpret recursive domain definitions and perhaps untyped lambda-calculus).
Centrosomes as command centres for cellular control.

For almost a century, our understanding of the tiny structure at the centre of the cell called the centrosome was limited to its ability to organize mitotic spindles and other microtubule arrays. However, recent studies have indicated new roles for centrosomes in cytokinesis and cell-cycle progression.
WC1 Is a Hybrid γδ TCR Coreceptor and Pattern Recognition Receptor for Pathogenic Bacteria

WC1 proteins are uniquely expressed on γδ T cells and belong to the scavenger receptor cysteine-rich (SRCR) superfamily. While present in variable, and sometimes high, numbers in the genomes of mammals and birds, in cattle there are 13 distinct genes (WC1-1 to WC1-13). All bovine WC1 proteins can serve as coreceptors for the TCR in a tyrosine phosphorylation dependent manner, and some are required for the γδ T cell response to Leptospira. We hypothesized that individual WC1 receptors encode Ag specificity via coligation of bacteria with the γδ TCR. SRCR domain binding was directly correlated with γδ T cell response, as WC1-3 SRCR domains from Leptospira-responsive cells, but not WC1-4 SRCR domains from Leptospira-nonresponsive cells, bound to multiple serovars of two Leptospira species, L. borgpetersenii, and L. interrogans. Three to five of eleven WC1-3 SRCR domains, but none of the eleven WC1-4 SRCR domains, interacted with Leptospira spp. and Borrelia burgdorferi, but not with Escherichia coli or Staphylococcus aureus. Mutational analysis indicated that the active site for bacterial binding in one of the SRCR domains is composed of amino acids in three discontinuous regions. Recombinant WC1 SRCR domains with the ability to bind leptospires inhibited Leptospira growth. Our data suggest that WC1 gene arrays play a multifaceted role in the γδ T cell response to bacteria, including acting as hybrid pattern recognition receptors and TCR coreceptors, and they may function as antimicrobials.
Tight Junction Protein Expression and Junction Development During Differentiation of Normal Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells

Normal human bronchial epithelial cells (NHBE) possessing a basal cell phenotype (p63+, KRT5/6a+) were differentiated on Transwell polyester membranes under air-liquid interface (ALI) conditions. After 24 days of differentiation, NHBE cells had developed sufficient transepithelial resistance (TER) to perform voltage clamp experiments and expressed mRNAs associated with airway surface cells (Muc5b, FOXJ1). Additionally, mRNA transcripts for ENaC, CFTR and ATP1A1 all increased during differentiation and the corresponding proteins were appropriately locatized as confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Transcripts associated with epithelial adhesions (adherens and tight junctions) were also measured. Upregulation of Cldn3, Cldn8, and Cldn10 correlated with high TER, while ZO1/2, Jam1 did not exhibit differentiation-dependent increases in mRNA expression. Examination of paracellular ionic permeability demonstrated sodium selectivity over chloride (PCl/PNa ∼ 83%). Furthermore, comparison of NHBE mRNA to an immortali...
A New Online Strategy in Teaching Racial and Ethnic Health and Health Disparities to Public Health Professionals.

In the fall 2010, East Carolina University's Department of Public Health in the Brody School of Medicine introduced a new graduate certificate online program to its curriculum—the Ethnic and Rural Health Disparities (ERHD) program. By the spring 2014, the Ethnic and Rural Health Disparities (ERHD) program graduated 20 public health professionals with expertise in ethnic and rural health disparities. In order to examine its effectiveness, we conducted a qualitative and quantitative study of our graduates. The major objectives of our ERHD alumni study were: (1) to evaluate the effectiveness of the ERHD program, and (2) to assess new strategies for improving our ERHD program. Quantitative and qualitative results from our small sample of alumni indicate that the ERHD program is fulfilling its objectives. The ERHD program has developed a new online strategy in teaching racial and ethnic health and health disparities for public health professionals who are ready to not only address health disparities in a different approach but also ready to develop new culturally competent public health programs for increasing diverse racial, ethnic, and rural populations in the U.S.A.
An ab initio study of some structural features and the rotational barriers in performic acid, formic acid and hydrogen peroxide

Abstract Calculations on performic acid at the 4-31G level, with and without bond functions with complete geometry optimization, and at the (9, 5) level, with and without polarization functions and rigid rotation, all give no sign of a well in the potential energy curve for rotation about the O/O bond axis in the region of 50° – 90° ; and all but the unaugmented 4-31G basis set find the cis - cis planar conformer to be the most stable form. Calculations at the (9,5) level with rigid rotation find the energies of the other planar conformers, relative to the cis - cis conformer, to be 0.94, 1.50 and 14.80 kcal mol −1 for the trans - trans , cis - trans and trans - cis structures respectively. These energies and also that for the barrier separating the cis - cis and cis - trans conformers, 1–2 kcal mol −1 , are discussed in relation to corresponding data for formic acid, hydrogen peroxide and several planar four heavy-atom molecules. Dipole moment calculations using the same basis sets would seem to favor a skew conformation as the most stable for performic acid, but comparisons between calculated and experimental values for formic acid and for hydrogen peroxide cast doubt on the validity of such results.
Review: Pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation:

Tobacco dependence is a chronic relapsing disease that needs continuous treatment. In combination with behavioural support, pharmacotherapy is a proven key component for supporting smoking cessation. Effective drugs are available and recommended: nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), bupropion and varenicline. Much research into new pharmacological approaches is ongoing, combining 'old' and 'new' drugs and personalizing a pharmacological treatment for a single smoker/patient; other new medications and vaccines are in development. Overall, pharmacotherapy seems to have efficacy and cost-effectiveness in real life, thus physicians should become familiar with these medicines. Further efforts should be aimed at optimizing treatment management and increasing smoking cessation rates in the general population.
Insulin Receptor Expression and Activity in the Brains of Nondiabetic Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease Cases

We investigated the contents of the insulin receptor-beta subunit (IRβ) and [Tyr1162/1163]-phosphorylated IRβ as surrogate indices of total IR content and IR activation in postmortem hippocampal formation brain specimens from nondiabetic sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD) cases. We found no significant changes in the brain contents of total IRβ or [Tyr1162/1163]-phosphorylated IRβ, suggesting normal IR content and activation in the brains of nondiabetic sporadic AD cases. Moreover, total IRβ and [Tyr1162/1163]-phosphorylated IRβ levels in the hippocampal formation are not correlated with the severity of amyloid or tau-neuropathology. Exploring the regulation of glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) α/β, key IR-signaling components, we observed significantly lower levels of total GSK3 α/β in brain specimens from nondiabetic AD cases, suggesting that impaired IR signaling mechanisms might contribute to the onset and/or progression of AD dementia. Outcomes from our study support the development of insulin-sensitizing therapeutic strategies to stimulate downstream IR signaling in nondiabetic AD cases.
Remote sensing based continuous hydrologic modeling

Abstract There are two principal ways in which remote sensing can be used with continuous hydrological models: (1) by providing a cost effective way for obtaining input data and (2) by providing synoptic measurements of various state variables. This paper discusses existing hydrologic models and the modifications required to adapt them for using remotely sensed data that may significantly improve their simulation performance. Microwave and thermal infrared measurements show promise for use in hydrologic models because they can measure certain physical properties of the watershed (emissivity and temperature) from which a hydrologic condition can be inferred. Additional applications of remote sensing data include the use of spatial data, mechanisms for extrapolating point data and direct measurement of several hydrologic state variables such as soil moisture, surface temperature, snow water equivalent, frozen soils, and rainfall distribution. Results are presented from several aircraft flights where thermal infrared and microwave data were collected over a small research basin. These results are discussed with respect to their application in continuous hydrologic simulation models.
Hardware accelerated real time charcoal rendering

In this paper, we present simple rendering techniques implemented using traditional graphics hardware to achieve the effects of charcoal drawing. The effects include characteristics of charcoal drawings like broad grainy strokes and smooth tonal variations that are achieved by smudging the charcoal by hand. Further, we also generate the closure effect that is used by artists at times to avoid hard silhouette edges. All these effects are achieved using contrast enhancement operators on textures and/or colors of the 3D model.Our contribution lies in unifying the methods to achieve these effects under the common framework of contrast enhancement operators. Further, since the effects have been implemented using traditional graphics hardware, a single rendering pass is sufficient to create different effects. Hence, we can render highly complex models with large number of triangles at interactive rates. Thus, our method is especially suited for applications like scientific visualization and preliminary sketches/animations.
Intravascular ultrasound-guided angioplasty of hemodialysis loop graft in a patient with contrast allergy.

Purpose A surveillance duplex scan detected a stenosis within a left groin hemodialysis loop graft in a 57-year-old woman who was allergic to both iohexol and gadolinium contrast agents. This precluded the use of standard angioplasty treatment techniques. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) uses a catheter mounted with a miniaturized ultrasound probe to produce detailed cross-sectional vessel images. Clinically, it has been used in the assessment of coronary artery disease but has also supplemented standard angiography techniques in the assessment of peripheral vascular and hemodialysis access lesions. Methods IVUS was utilized as the solitary imaging modality to identify the graft stenosis and guide the placement of a 6 mm diameter angioplasty balloon. Two areas of stenosis were successfully dilated and subsequent IVUS re-examination showed abolition of the stenosis. Results Twelve-month follow-up surveillance scan showed that the graft remained functional with good flow rates. Conclusions In the setting of contrast allergy, IVUS may provide a valid and safe tool in the localization and treatment of peripheral vessel stenosis, including arteriovenous fistula angioplasty. To our knowledge this is the first reported use of IVUS for hemodialysis graft salvage adopting a completely 'contrast-free' technique. More studies are required to establish the true role of IVUS in the management of hemodialysis access angioplasty, but this successful case contributes valuable information to the literature on its clinical application.
INTER‐SENSORY PERCEPTUAL SET

A set to perceive words representing a given category, more specifically animal names, was induced by visual presentation of some other words drawn from the same class. Measures were taken to prevent vocalization of these visual stimuli. Under these conditions, the facilitatory effect of a set was found to be no less marked than it is when auditory material is used both for establishing and for testing the set. In either instance, the effect of set was demonstrated by comparison with correct report of the same words, when heard scattered among other words, or as a continuous list but without previous indication of their selective composition. The finding is presented in support of a central theory of mental set, for neither events in the receptor or in the effector areas could account for it without some intervening process in the brain.
Impact of JIT on inventory to sales ratios

Just‐In‐Time (JIT) production has received a great deal of attention, worldwide, since its introduction in Japan a few decades ago. It has been well documented that some of the main benefits of JIT implementation are reduction of inventories, lead‐time reduction, and cost savings. Most of the previous research on the impact of JIT on firm performance has either been anecdotal (one‐firm studies), or cross‐sectional (comparing JIT firms with non‐JIT firms at one point in time) in nature. This paper focuses on studying the impact of JIT on inventories to sales ratios prior‐ and post‐adoption based on actual performance of 74 firms as reported in COMPUSTAT data. Results show that the total inventory to sales ratio and raw material inventory to sales ratio decreased post‐implementation; however, there has not been any statistically significant change in work‐in‐process inventory to sales ratio and finished goods inventory to sales ratio post‐implementation.
The Reproductive Biology of the Common Thresher Shark in the Western North Atlantic Ocean

Abstract Reproductive organs from 130 male and 256 female Common Thresher Sharks Alopias vulpinus were examined to describe the reproductive characteristics and determine size at maturity and reproductive seasonality for the species in the western North Atlantic Ocean. Males ranged in size from 78 to 237 cm FL and females ranged from 62 to 263 cm FL. The onset of maturity in males was best described by an inflection in the relationship of clasper length to FL in combination with the degree of clasper calcification. Males matured between 181 and 198 cm FL, and estimated median size at maturity was 188 cm FL. In females, changes in the relationship between ovary and uterus length and width with FL were used to estimate the size at maturity. Females matured between 208 and 224 cm FL; the estimated median size at maturity was 216 cm FL. Litter sizes averaged 3.7 young. The period of parturition is protracted, spanning late spring to late summer (May–August). As in other Lamniformes, young are nourished throug...
Radiation-induced defects as illustrated by the 81Rb-81mKr target system

Abstract The preparation of cyclotron-produced radionuclides for incorporation into clinically useful diagnostic agents requires special attention to quality control determinations. Of particular concern is the paucity of data on the toxicity of those chemical contaminants produced within the target during the bombardment and subsequent radiation cooling as well as those arising from materials used in the handling and construction of targets. At Mount Sinai Cyclotron Facility, a krypton-rubidium targetry system has been in use for five years. Consequently we shall use this targetry and generator system as an illustration of the problems created when such unexpected chemical moieties are encountered. The chemical species apparently formed by radiolytic processes as well as their effects on the chemical processing of the diagnostic agent are presented.
The Path to Perdition Is Paved with Protons

Recent studies are beginning to shed light on the mechanism of ribosome-catalyzed peptide bond formation.
EFFECT OF HYPOXIA ON BRAINSTEM BIOGENIC AMINES

Prolonged severe hypoxia results in reduced concentration of brainstem biogenic amines (J. Neurochem. 21:783, 1973). To test whether this effect is found in shorter, less severe hypoxia we subjected 3 d/o and 21 d/o rabbits to 10% O2 in thermal jacketed chambers. The rabbits were confined for 6h breathing 21% O2 (RA) (grp I), 10m 10% O2 every .5h (grp II) for 6h, 2h 10% O2 followed by 4h RA (grp III), 4h RA followed by 2h 10% O2 (grp IV). Using sensitive radioenzymatic assays, we determined the level of dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE) and serotonin (5HT) in specific brainstem nuclear groups. The nuclei (dorsal raphe, DR; locus coeruleus, LC; substantia nigra SN) were removed by micropunch technique. In general, DA was not affected by hypoxia and there were inconsistent changes in NE. The data for 5HT is presented below (%Δ from control): The 5HT findings demonstrate that acute hypoxia decreases specific central neurotransmitters in young animals. The Grp III findings imply failure to recover from these effects. 5HT influences central control of cardiopulmonary function; suggesting a mechanism to explain the increased susceptibility of newborns to the effects of hypoxia.
Generalized quadrangles associated with G2(q)

Abstract If q ≡ 2 (mod 3), a generalized quadrangle with parameters q, q2 is constructed from the generalized hexagon associated with the group G2(q).
Evaluation of the efficiency of energy resource recovery systems

Abstract The energy recovery potential of a resource recovery system is often represented by a single numerical value described as an energy efficiency. This paper details how various numerical values of efficiency can be provided for the same conversion process. To overcome such ambiguity, and to provide a method for comparing systems, a systematic method for evaluating the efficiency of recovery processes is developed which provides a single value for each conversion process. The method is applicable only as long as the conversion processes being compared produce the same energy products.
Cartoons as a Site for the Construction of Palestinian Refugee Identity: An Exploratory Study of Cartoonist Naji al-Ali

This study suggests that cartoons are important sites for the construction of the identity of the self and other. Using techniques culled from social psychology, cognition, and anthropology, in conjunction with the cartoon code, this study examines the way cartoonist Naji al-Ali constructed Palestinian refugee and Arab identity. This study illustrates the power of the cartoon as a mode of political expression in the Arab world and discusses the ways cartoons have been utilized in the Middle East and abroad. This study argues that because cartoons provide a stream of social and political commentary and yet are artistic works, they demand a layered interpretation that gets at the symbolism that may lurk in the artistry of the image, in the captions, or in the relationship between the cartoonist and his or her interpretive community.
Anti-fungal activity of maize silk proteins and role of chitinases in Aspergillus flavus resistance

Studies were conducted to identify proteins in maize silks that may be contributing to Aspergillus flavus resistance. We first performed bioassays using silk extracts collected from two A. flavus-resistant inbred lines and two susceptible inbred lines. Fungal biomass was quantified by measuring fluorescence of a green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged A. flavus and by measuring ergosterol levels. The silk extracts from resistant inbreds had greater anti-fungal activity compared to susceptible inbreds. Comparative proteomic analysis of the two resistant and susceptible inbreds led to the identification of several anti-fungal proteins. One of the anti-fungal proteins that we further investigated was chitinase. There were three chitinases that were differentially expressed in the resistant lines (PRm3 chitinase, chitinase I, and chitinase A). We conducted chitinase assays on silk proteins from extracts of resistant and susceptible inbred lines. Silk extracts from resistant inbred lines showed significantly hi...
Normal mode analysis of macromolecular motions in a database framework: developing mode concentration as a useful classifying statistic.

We investigated protein motions using normal modes within a database framework, determining on a large sample the degree to which normal modes anticipate the direction of the observed motion and were useful for motions classification. As a starting point for our analysis, we identified a large number of examples of protein flexibility from a comprehensive set of structural alignments of the proteins in the PDB. Each example consisted of a pair of proteins that were considerably different in structure given their sequence similarity. On each pair, we performed geometric comparisons and adiabatic-mapping interpolations in a high-throughput pipeline, arriving at a final list of 3,814 putative motions and standardized statistics for each. We then computed the normal modes of each motion in this list, determining the linear combination of modes that best approximated the direction of the observed motion. We integrated our new motions and normal mode calculations in the Macromolecular Motions Database, through a new ranking interface at http://molmovdb.org. Based on the normal mode calculations and the interpolations, we identified a new statistic, mode concentration, related to the mathematical concept of information content, which describes the degree to which the direction of the observed motion can be summarized by a few modes. Using this statistic, we were able to determine the fraction of the 3,814 motions where one could anticipate the direction of the actual motion from only a few modes. We also investigated mode concentration in comparison to related statistics on combinations of normal modes and correlated it with quantities characterizing protein flexibility (e.g., maximum backbone displacement or number of mobile atoms). Finally, we evaluated the ability of mode concentration to automatically classify motions into a variety of simple categories (e.g., whether or not they are "fragment-like"), in comparison to motion statistics. This involved the application of decision trees and feature selection (particular machine-learning techniques) to training and testing sets derived from merging the "list" of motions with manually classified ones.
A framework for enhancing and assessing cultural competency training.

The globalization of medical practice using accepted evidence-based approaches is matched by a growing trend for shared curricula in medicine and other health professions across international boundaries. Interest in the common challenges of curricular design, delivery and assessment is expressed in conferences and dialogues focused on topics such as teaching of professionalism, humanism, integrative medicine, bioethics and cultural competence. The spirit of collaboration, sharing, acknowledgment and mutual respect is a guiding principle in cross-cultural teaching. This paper uses the Tool for Assessing Cultural Competency Training to explore methods for designing and implementing cultural competency curricula. The intent is to identify elements shared across institutional, national and cross-cultural borders and derive common principles for the assessment of learners and the curricula. Two examples of integrating new content into existing clerkships are provided to guide educators interested in an integrated and learner-centered approach to assimilate cultural competency teaching into existing required courses, clerkships and elective experiences. The paper follows an overarching principle that ”every patient-doctor encounter is a cross-cultural encounter”, whether based on ethnicity, age, socioeconomic status, sex, religious values, disability, sexual orientation or other differences; and whether the differences are explicit or implicit.
Solution-cast metal oxide thin film electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution.

Water oxidation is a critical step in water splitting to make hydrogen fuel. We report the solution synthesis, structural/compositional characterization, and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalytic properties of ∼2–3 nm thick films of NiOx, CoOx, NiyCo1–yOx, Ni0.9Fe0.1Ox, IrOx, MnOx, and FeOx. The thin-film geometry enables the use of quartz crystal microgravimetry, voltammetry, and steady-state Tafel measurements to study the electrocatalytic activity and electrochemical properties of the oxides. Ni0.9Fe0.1Ox was found to be the most active water oxidation catalyst in basic media, passing 10 mA cm–2 at an overpotential of 336 mV with a Tafel slope of 30 mV dec–1 with oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity roughly an order of magnitude higher than IrOx control films and similar to the best known OER catalysts in basic media. The high activity is attributed to the in situ formation of layered Ni0.9Fe0.1OOH oxyhydroxide species with nearly every Ni atom electrochemically active. In contrast to pr...
Impact of school sense of community within a faith-based university: administrative and academic staff perceptions on institutional mission and values

Academic staff (n = 305) and administrative staff (n = 595) at a large urban, Catholic, and religious order teaching university completed on-line school sense of community, social desirability, and mission-identity plus mission-driven activity measures. Partial correlates (controlling for social desirability) indicated that for both faculty and staff a sense of community with co-workers and with administrators were significantly related to mission-identity characteristics of the university. Moreover, regression analyses found that for faculty and staff significant predictors of school sense of community variables were perceptions that the university was innovative and inclusive of pragmatic and risk-taking ideas. For staff but not for faculty, a feeling of Catholic pluralism on campus was a significant predictor of a sense of community with co-workers. These outcomes suggest that employees at faith-based universities may strengthen their school sense of community by institutional practices and programs that foster creating a setting for innovative, inclusive, pragmatic, and risk-taking policies, but not necessarily religious practices on campus.
Diffusion coefficients of internal states for the calculation of thermal conductivity

In studies of vibrational relaxation of nitrous oxide and of carbon dioxide, diffusion coefficients of the vibrationally excited species (D0) have been measured as functions of temperature. These results are used here to estimate diffusion coefficients for rotational (Drot) and vibrational energy (Dvib). The diffusivity of internal states (Dint), frequently applied in the calculation of thermal conductivity as a weighted, hyperbolic mean of Drot and Dvib, is compared with the same quantity inferred from experimental thermal conductivities. The mean value is accurate to at least 400 K for N2O and 800 K for CO2. For other gases we use experimental thermal conductivities, along with Drot and Dvib for a correlation of D0. This permits evaluation of internal diffusivities of nonpolar, polyatomic gases for which a collision diameter is available. The potential well depth is not part of the estimate, and it appears that excited-state diffusivity is predominantly influenced by long-range forces.
A role for caspase 2 and PIDD in the process of p53-mediated apoptosis.

When treated with some DNA-damaging agents, human tumor-derived H1299 cells expressing inducible versions of wild-type or mutant p53 with inactive transactivation domain I (p53Q22/S23) undergo apoptosis as evidenced by cytochrome c release, nuclear fragmentation, and sub-G1 DNA content. Apoptosis induced by p53Q22/S23 is relatively slow, however, and key downstream effector caspases are not activated. Nevertheless, with either version of p53, caspase 2 activation is required for release of cytochrome c and cell death. Remarkably, although p53Q22/S23 is known to be defective in transcriptional activation of numerous p53 target genes, it can induce expression of proapoptotic targets including PIDD and AIP1 at least to the same extent as wild-type p53. Furthermore, RNAi silencing of PIDD, previously shown to be required for caspase 2 activation, suppresses apoptosis by both wild-type p53 and p53Q22/S23. Thus, the initial stage of DNA damage-facilitated, p53-mediated apoptosis occurs by a PIDD- and caspase 2-dependent mechanism, and p53's full transcriptional regulatory functions may be required only for events that are downstream of cytochrome c release.
Nutrient Sensing, Metabolism, and Cell Growth Control

Cell growth is regulated by coordination of both extracellular nutrients and intracellular metabolite concentrations. AMP-activated kinase and mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 serve as key molecules that sense cellular energy and nutrients levels, respectively. In addition, the members of the dioxygenase family, including prolylhydroxylase, lysine demethylase, and DNA demethylase, have emerged as possible sensors of intracellular metabolic status. The interplay among nutrients, metabolites, gene expression, and protein modification are involved in the coordination of cell growth with extracellular and intracellular conditions.