cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A National Survey of Guided Reading Practices: What We Can Learn from Primary Teachers

This study presents the results of a national survey of 1500 K–2 teachers describing understandings and practices related to guided reading. Results focused on five questions: What is the purpose of guided reading groups? What grouping techniques should be used? What texts should be used? How is instruction planned with and away from the teacher? And how are learners assessed during guided reading? Responses indicated confusion about the purposes of guided reading, variability in grouping techniques, static membership in groups, over reliance on narrative texts, inconsistent use of instructional level texts, extensive use of centers and independent seat work to engage learners away from the teacher, and frequent use of informal assessments. Implications for providing professional development to teachers implementing guided reading are discussed.
Scalability port: a coherent interface for shared memory multiprocessors

The scalability port (SP) is a point-to-point cache consistent interface to build scalable shared memory multiprocessors. The SP interface consists of three layers of abstraction: the physical layer, the link layer and the protocol layer. The physical layer uses pin-efficient simultaneous bi-directional signaling and operates at 800 MHz in each direction. The link layer supports virtual channels and provides flow control and reliable transmission. The protocol layer implements cache consistency, TLB consistency, synchronization, and interrupt delivery functions among others. The first implementation of the SP interface is in the Intel/sup /spl reg// E8870 and E9870 chipset for the Intel Itanium/sup /spl reg//2 processor and future generations of the Itanium processor family.
The Control of Breathing during Weaning from Mechanical Ventilation

Using the recruitment threshold technique, we measured the CO 2 responsiveness of the unloaded respiratory pump in 14 mechanically ventilated patients prior to weaning. The CO 2 recruitment threshold (CO 2 RT) was compared with the arterial CO 2 tension during unassisted breathing (CO 2 SB) and with the PaCO 2 during mechanical ventilation (CO 2 MV) at machine settings determined by the primary physician. Based on these comparisons, we tested the hypotheses that (1) patients without weaning-induced respiratory distress (group 1) maintain CO 2 SB near CO 2 RT, (2) patients with weaning-induced respiratory distress (group 2) retain CO 2 SB above CO 2 RT, thereby manifesting incomplete load compensation, and (3) CO 2 MV is ventilator setting dependent and provides insufficient information about the ventilatory requirement during weaning. Respiratory distress was prospectively defined as sustained tachypnea (rate≥30) or intense dyspnea (Borg scale rating) and limited weaning in nine of 14 patients. The average CO 2 RT was 40 mm Hg in both groups. All patients in group 1 maintained CO 2 SB near CO 2 RT (p=0.1). Seven of nine patients in group 2 retained CO 2 by ≥3 mm Hg above CO 2 RT (p 2 MV and CO 2 SB in either group. We conclude that CO 2 RT provides a better reference of the adequacy of ventilatory load compensation during weather than CO 2 MV. ( Chest 1991; 100:754-61)
Calcium fortification of food can add unneeded dietary phosphorus

Abstract This study reports the amount of unneeded phosphorus that can be added to a diet when calcium phosphate compounds are used for calcium fortification of foods. Calcium fortified orange juice concentrate, vegetable juice, butter substitute, and dry mix for beverage were obtained from grocery stores, prepared according to instructions, and analyzed for calcium and phosphate. Single servings of these food items fortified with calcium phosphate compounds could add 400 mg of phosphorus to a diet that already provides as much as twice the recommended intake for phosphorus. Calcium compounds free of phosphate such as the gluconate, lactate, sulfate, citrate, acetate, and carbonate salts should be used to fortify foods to increase calcium intake relative to an adequate phosphorus intake to promote optimal bone health.
Shear stress and VEGF activate IKK via the Flk-1/Cbl/Akt signaling pathway.

Vascular endothelial cells are continuously exposed to mechanical (e.g., shear stress) and chemical (e.g., growth factors) stimuli. It is important to elucidate the mechanisms by which cells percei...
Rationale and strategies for implementing community-based transfer protocols for primary percutaneous coronary intervention for acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

The focus for the initial approach to the treatment of acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) has shifted toward extending the benefits of mechanical reperfusion with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to patients who present to community hospitals that have no interventional capabilities. Several randomized clinical trials have shown that transferring STEMI patients to tertiary centers for primary PCI leads to better outcomes than when fibrinolytic therapy is administered at community hospitals. Furthermore, potent pharmacologic reperfusion regimens that enhance early reperfusion of the infarct vessel before primary PCI may enhance the positive result of the transfer approach. Despite these promising findings, several obstacles have hindered the adoption of patient-transfer strategies in the U.S., including greater distances between community and tertiary hospitals, a lack of integrated emergency medical services, and the medical community's limited experience with centralized acute myocardial infarction (AMI) care networks. Nonetheless, the implementation of system-wide changes in the care of STEMI patients analogous to the creation of trauma networks could facilitate the creation and ongoing evaluation of dedicated patient transfer strategies and better early invasive care in the U.S. Within this context, a systematic, stepwise approach to the creation of AMI care networks and to the development of standard nomenclature and performance indicators is necessary to guide quality assurance monitoring and future research efforts as the care of STEMI patients is redefined. Consequently, this current evolution of reperfusion strategies has the potential to further reduce morbidity and mortality for patients presenting with STEMI.
NORMATIVE AND INSTRUMENTAL PERSPECTIVES ON PUBLIC PARTICIPATION Citizen Summits in Washington, D.C.

A normative literature in political science and public administration calls for enhanced citizen partici- pation in public decisions. However, this approach overlooks the environment that shapes administra- tive behavior, an oversight likely to hamper reform efforts targeted at achieving the normative goals of participation. The administrative perspective is important because public managers shape participa- tion forums and determine whether public input has an impact on decisions. In organizing participation, administrators are likely to be guided by an instrumental view of relative costs and benefits. Washington, D.C.'s Citizen Summit illustrates the primacy of the instrumental perspective but demonstrates condi- tions of compatibility with normative goals. In this case, public managers perceived administrative costs to be low relative to instrumental benefits, such as the quality of public input and a need to increase gov- ernmental legitimacy. They also applied innovative participation technologies to reduce administrative costs and raise instrumental benefits, reinvigorating the frequently criticized public hearing.
Use of Methylphenidate in Traumatic Brain Injury

OBJECTIVETo review literature regarding the effectiveness of methylphenidate in the management of the cognitive and behavioral changes observed following traumatic brain injury (TBI).DATA SOURCESA literature search was conducted using the following databases: MEDLINE (1966–June 2004); Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, fourth quarter 2004 (1988–June 2004); and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970–June 2004). Methylphenidate and brain injury were the key search terms used. Limits were set to include clinical trial publications, human subjects, and English language.DATA SYNTHESISTen clinical trials evaluating the efficacy and safety of methylphenidate in pediatric and adult patients with TBI are reviewed. Improvements in different aspects of cognition and behavior were evaluated before, during, and after treatment with methylphenidate. The results demonstrated that methylphenidate is likely to improve memory, attention, concentration, and mental processing, but its effects on behavior h...
RNA Interference and Heterochromatin Assembly

In most eukaryotes, histone and DNA modifications are responsible for the silencing of genes integrated in heterochromatic sequences, as well as the silencing of pericentromeric repeats and transposable elements themselves. But the mechanisms that guide these modifications to heterochromatin during the cell cycle have been elusive. RNA interference takes advantage of heterochromatic transcription to process small RNAs and recruit enzymes required for both histone and DNA modifications, and is one such mechanism that has been identified. The processes are best understood in fission yeast and plants, but recent work in mammalian cells, especially in the germline, suggests these mechanisms may be highly conserved.
On-chip spiral inductor in flip-chip technology

Performance comparison is made between on-chip spiral inductor in flip-chip versus wirebond package technology. Full-wave electromagnetic simulation and on-strip measurement techniques were used to study the performance fluctuations of inductor within flip-chip environment. Results show that the performance of a flipped silicon-based spiral inductor is affected by the radio frequency (RF) current return path differences. The RF current return path for flip-chip is concentrated on the surface of silicon layer exclusively because back side ground under silicon is floating in flip-chip technology. In addition, the bump proximity effect is also considered. On-chip inductors in flip-chip environment must be optimized by reducing the eddy current in the silicon substrate and parasitic affects by adjusting design parameters. The equivalent circuit model of the flipped on-chip spiral inductor is verified with measured results over broadband frequencies. Also, the RF flip-chip characterization technique using on-strip measurement method is presented.
Prospective, randomized, blinded study of a new wound closure film versus cutaneous suture for surgical wound closure.

BACKGROUND Wound closure devices include sutures, tissue adhesives, adhesive strips, and staples. Recent studies suggest no differences between various tissue adhesives and sutures for dehiscence, infection, and satisfaction when assessed by patients or surgeons. To date, no studies have investigated ClozeX (Clozex Medical LLC, Wellesley, MA, USA), a novel adhesive strip, for closure of surgical incisions. OBJECTIVE To compare surgical wounds repaired with ClozeX versus suture. METHODS A prospective, randomized study was conducted, in which 15 patients with surgical incisions were allocated to closure with ClozeX on half of the wound and monofilament suture on the other half. Physician satisfaction with blinded assessment, patient satisfaction, complication rates, and closure times were recorded. RESULTS Application with ClozeX was faster than with suture (p=.007). There were no complications in either group. Sixty-nine percent of the patients gave ClozeX a higher satisfaction score (p=.02). More physicians were satisfied with the ClozeX half than with the suture half (p=.007). CONCLUSIONS This pilot study demonstrates ClozeX to be a safe and effective closure device. The cosmetic outcome seems to be at least as good as simple running suture. Physicians and patients were generally more satisfied with ClozeX. No difference was found in the rate of dehiscence or infection between the groups.
HMM Based Spectral Frequency Line Tracking: Improvements and New Results

This paper considers the application of Hidden Markov Models to the problem of tracking frequency lines in spectrograms of strongly non-stationary signals such as encountered in aero-acoustics and sonar where tracking difficulties arise from low SNR and large variances associated with spectral estimates. In the proposed method, we introduce a novel method to determine the observation (measurement) likelihoods by interpolation between local maxima. We also show that use of low variance Auto Regressive Multi Taper (ARMT) spectral estimates results in improved tracking. The frequency line is tracked using the Forward-Backward algorithm.
Coaxial Bandpass Filter Design

A technique is described for synthesis of coaxial bandpass filters based on an improved design of impedance inverters. This technique is applicable to filters having bandwidths between approximately 1 percent and 20 percent of the center frequency. The inverter used to realize the filters is a section of either low-Z/sub 0/ line or high-Z/sub 0/ line and is synthesized as a distributed element rather than as a lumped shunt capacitance or lumped series inductance, respectively. Three methods of accommodating the discontinuity capacitance associated with an abrupt change in the characteristic impedance are reviewed. The first two methods are most useful for filters with a fractional bandwidth/spl gsim/ 10 percent and the third for a fractional bandwidths /spl lsim/10 percent. Numerical and experimental verification of the design procedure is provided.
A simple boundary element method for problems of potential in non-homogeneous media

A simple boundary element method for solving potential problems in non-homogeneous media is presented. A physical parameter (e.g. heat conductivity, permeability, permittivity, resistivity, magnetic permeability) has a spatial distribution that varies with one or more co-ordinates. For certain classes of material variations the non-homogeneous problem can be transformed to known homogeneous problems such as those governed by the Laplace, Helmholtz and modified Helmholtz equations. A three-dimensional Galerkin boundary element method implementation is presented for these cases. However, the present development is not restricted to Galerkin schemes and can be readily extended to other boundary integral methods such as standard collocation. A few test examples are given to verify the proposed formulation. The paper is supplemented by an Appendix, which presents an ABAQUS user-subroutine for graded finite elements. The results from the finite element simulations are used for comparison with the present boundary element solutions.
Path loss and delay spread for the stairwell channel at 5 GHz

SUMMARY Measured channel characterization results are provided for six stairwells in the 5-GHz band, for two distinct stairwell types and two antenna polarizations. The stairwell channel is of interest for several applications, including Wi-Fi and public safety. Although other authors have reported stairwell path loss for other frequency bands (900 MHz, 2.4, 5.8 GHz), to our knowledge, ours is the first work at 5 GHz. More significantly, we report on floor attenuation factors and delay spread, which prior work has not thoroughly addressed. We measured power delay profiles and from these estimated propagation path loss and root-mean square delay spread (RMS-DS). Path loss exponents were between 5.5 and 8.3, and vertically polarized monopoles yield larger path loss and path loss exponents than horizontal polarization. Mean RMS-DS values ranged from 15 to 57 ns for link distances covering up to three flights of stairs. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dissolution of Political Parties by the Constitutional Court in Turkey Judicial Delimitation of the Political Domain

In this article the author examines the constitutional court cases that led to the dissolution of two political parties in Turkey: Halkin Emek Partisi (People's Labor Party) a leftist, pro-Kurdish party and Refah (Well-Being/Welfare Party) a center-right Islamist party. These two decisions set constitutional milestones that not only affected later similar cases, but more generally also shaped the constitutional trajectory of Turkey. The author examines these cases along three main axes: procedural foundations, substantive constructions of `threats', and the international context. She offers an analytic approach that treats the constitution not merely as text but as a hub of multiple themes, multiple venues for action, deployed by multiple actors for multiple ends. She shows how various venues of action and interpretation respond to a larger framework consisting of an unstable thematic assortment of Kemalist ideology, international treaties and the legacy of the 1980 military intervention. By following the...
How big is the myelinating orchestra? Cellular diversity within the oligodendrocyte lineage: facts and hypotheses

Since monumental studies from scientists like His, Ramon y Cajal, Lorente de No and many others have put down roots for modern neuroscience, the scientific community has spent a considerable amount of time, and money, investigating any possible aspect of the evolution, development and function of neurons. Today, the complexity and diversity of myriads of neuronal populations, and their progenitors, is still focus of extensive studies in hundreds of laboratories around the world. However, our prevalent neuron-centric perspective has dampened the efforts in understanding glial cells, even though their active participation in the brain physiology and pathophysiology has been increasingly recognized over the years. Among all glial cells of the central nervous system (CNS), oligodendrocytes (OLs) are a particularly specialized type of cells that provide fundamental support to neuronal activity by producing the myelin sheath. Despite their functional relevance, the developmental mechanisms regulating the generation of OLs are still poorly understood. In particular, it is still not known whether these cells share the same degree of heterogeneity of their neuronal companions and whether multiple subtypes exist within the lineage. Here, we will review and discuss current knowledge about OL development and function in the brain and spinal cord. We will try to address some specific questions: do multiple OL subtypes exist in the CNS? What is the evidence for their existence and those against them? What are the functional features that define an oligodendrocyte? We will end our journey by reviewing recent advances in human pluripotent stem cell differentiation towards OLs. This exciting field is still at its earliest days, but it is quickly evolving with improved protocols to generate functional OLs from different spatial origins. As stem cells constitute now an unprecedented source of human OLs, we believe that they will become an increasingly valuable tool for deciphering the complexity of human OL identity.
Patient Response to Acute Episodes of Coronary Heart Disease

Of 382 patients with acute symptoms of coronary heart disease, 160 were hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction, 68 were hospitalized with acute coronary insufficiency, sixteen were hospitalized with acute congestive heart failure, and 138 died before admission to the hospital. Self-treatment with prescribed medications or household remedies was noted in 74% of the entire group, changes in physical activity in 88%, and attention to social proprieties and continuing social obligations in one third. Some forms of activity and self-treatment were potentially harmful. The spectrum of activities was similar for those hospitalized as compared to those who died before hospital arrival.
Arm‐waving Mathematics: Sound, if Not Rigorous

Summary This article suggestes some teachniques, herein referred to as ‘arm-waving’, which utilise analogies, graphs and examples to illustrate the contribution of mathematisc to statistical concepts without a rigorous treatment of the mathematics used.
Tiered Authentication of Multicast Traffic in Wireless Ad-Hoc Networks

Multicast streams are the dominant application traffic pattern in many mission critical ad-hoc networks. The limited computation and communication resources, the large scale deployment and the unguaranteed connectivity to trusted authorities make known security solutions for wired and singlehop wireless networks inappropriate for such application environment. This paper promotes a novel Tiered Authentication scheme for Multicast traffic (TAM) for large scale dense ad-hoc networks. Nodes are grouped into clusters. Multicast traffic within the same cluster employs one-way chains in order to authenticate the message source. Cross-cluster multicast traffic includes a message authentication codes (MACs) that are based on a set of keys. Each cluster uses a unique subset of keys to look for its distinct combination of valid MACs in the message in order to authenticate the source. TAM thus combines the advantages of the secret information asymmetry and the time asymmetry paradigms and exploits network clustering to reduce overhead and ensure scalability. The numerical and analytical results demonstrate the performance advantage of TAM.
Phospholipase C beta 4 in mouse hepatocytes: rhythmic expression and cellular distribution.

Background Circadian regulated physiological processes have been well documented in the mammalian liver. Phospholipases are important mediators of both cytoplasmic and nuclear signaling mechanisms in hepatocytes, and despite a potentially critical role for these enzymes in regulating the temporal aspect of hepatic physiology, their involvement in the circadian liver clock has not been the subject of much investigation. The phospholipase C β4 (PLCβ4) enzyme is of particular interest as it has been linked to circadian clock function. In general, there is no knowledge of the role of the PLCβ4 isozyme in mammalian hepatocytes as this is the first report of its expression in the mammalian liver.
Light-saturated CO2 assimilation rates of corn and velvetleaf in response to leaf nitrogen and development stage

Abstract Single-leaf CO2 assimilation rate under saturating light (CA) varies as a function of leaf nitrogen content per unit leaf area (NL). Measured CA for many crop species also declines with developmental stage. Because these relationships may have strong implications for crop–weed competition, a field experiment was conducted to quantify corn and velvetleaf CA as influenced by leaf NL and stage of development. Crop and weed CA were measured on the most recent fully expanded leaves of plants grown in four nitrogen (N) application treatments. Both corn and velvetleaf CA increased with increasing NL, up to about 1.5 g N m−2. Corn and velvetleaf NL values were rarely less than 0.75 g N m−2, indicating that both species may restrict leaf growth in order to maintain constant NL under conditions of limited soil N. Corn CA declined to half its maximum by physiological maturity, whereas velvetleaf CA only declined 18%. Although velvetleaf CA was considerably lower than that of corn, the difference decreased a...
Visual and Somatosensory Processes

The hamster is an animal not specialized for vision that curiously has captured the attention of numerous specialists in vision. Although the initial choice of the hamster for Schneider’s (1969) germinal paper was guided principally by the experimental convenience of the hamster’s insatiable appetite for sunflower seeds and the ease of the neurosurgical approach to the midbrain, unforeseen advantages have emerged in studying hamsters. The analysis of hamster vision has forced a clearer understanding of the different reasons why comparative analyses of visual systems are useful. A researcher might choose to investigate hamster vision because the goal is to understand human vision. Since the hamster visual system is less elaborate than ours, one might hope to see the fundamental organization of mammalian vision somehow laid bare in the hamster. This is decidedly the context in which most work in rodent (principally rat) vision has been done to date. Alternatively, a researcher might be interested in the general design of sensory systems and in how the visual system is evolutionarily modified to fit the requirements of particular niches. By chance, it has turned out that the hamster is markedly less trainable than the rat, former principal representative of the “simple” mammalian visual system. The rat can usually be induced to perform simple versions of primate puzzles, whereas visuomotor tasks asked of the hamster must reflect its natural behavior more directly, and have included such things as recognition of seeds, crickets and other hamsters, and the ability to find holes and avoid barriers and threats. The resulting compilation of the natural visual capacities of a granivorous, predated-upon mammal primarily active at twilight makes a new sort of comparison possible to those of other well-studied vertebrates in different visual niches, such as frogs, monkeys, and cats. Basic design features of the vertebrate visual system versus niche specific adaptations are contrasted by these two approaches.
Parent-reported and clinician-observed autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): implications for practice under DSM-5

Children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often present with social difficulties, though the extent to which these clearly overlap with symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is not well understood. We explored parent-reported and directly-observed ASD symptoms on the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) in children referred to ASD-specialty clinics who received diagnoses of either ADHD (n = 48) or ASD (n = 164). Of the ADHD sample, 21 % met ASD cut-offs on the ADOS and 30 % met ASD cut-offs on all domains of the ADI-R. Four social communication ADOS items (Quality of Social Overtures, Unusual Eye Contact, Facial Expressions Directed to Examiner, and Amount of Reciprocal Social Communication) adequately differentiated the groups while none of the items on the ADI-R met the criteria for adequate discrimination. Results of this work highlight the challenges that clinicians and researchers face when distinguishing ASD from other disorders in verbally fluent, school-age children.
Have the Affordable Housing Goals been a Shield against Subprime? Regulatory Incentives and the Extension of Mortgage Credit

While the subprime mortgage loan product clearly expands access to credit, concerns have been raised about its costs, particularly to lower-income and minority populations. This paper examines whether GSE loan purchase activities might serve as an effective vehicle for mitigating these costs. The empirical evidence shows that measured in terms of market shares, increases in GSE purchase activity are associated with declines in subprime mortgage activity. Moreover, the effects tend to be stronger in neighborhoods with significant minority populations, precisely the neighborhoods where subprime lending has been concentrated and growing the fastest. A rough calculation shows that a ten percent increase in GSE market share could lead to 20,000 borrowers using prime instead of subprime loans, at a cost savings of about $100 million.
Political Experience and the Intersection of Race and Gender

This study investigates whether the influence of prior experience varies depending on the racial and gender background of political candidates. To explore this topic, we employ two experiments with a 2 (Race: White and Black) X 2 (Gender: Male and Female) X 2 (Experience: Experienced and Inexperienced) factorial design. The second experiment presents the faux-candidates as having more experience than in the first experiment. Lastly, the analysis evaluates whether the influence of experience on candidate evaluations varies depending on the negative racial and gender attitudes of participants. Ultimately, the results reveal that citizens are more inclined to distinguish between white male candidates across different levels of political experience, while they evaluate black and/or female candidates similarly, regardless of experience. The evidence also suggests that participants with negative gender attitudes are less likely to evaluate female candidates differently across levels of political experience.
Establishing Cost-Effective Allocation of Proton Therapy for Breast Irradiation.

Purpose Cardiac toxicity due to conventional breast radiation therapy (RT) has been extensively reported, and it affects both the life expectancy and quality of life of affected women. Given the favorable oncologic outcomes in most women irradiated for breast cancer, it is increasingly paramount to minimize treatment side effects and improve survivorship for these patients. Proton RT offers promise in limiting heart dose, but the modality is costly and access is limited. Using cost-effectiveness analysis, we provide a decision-making tool to help determine which breast cancer patients may benefit from proton RT referral. Methods and Materials A Markov cohort model was constructed to compare the cost-effectiveness of proton versus photon RT for breast cancer management. The model was analyzed for different strata of women based on age (40 years, 50 years, and 60 years) and the presence or lack of cardiac risk factors (CRFs). Model entrants could have 1 of 3 health states: healthy, alive with coronary heart disease (CHD), or dead. Base-case analysis assumed CHD was managed medically. No difference in tumor control was assumed between arms. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis was performed to test model robustness and the influence of including catheterization as a downstream possibility within the health state of CHD. Results Proton RT was not cost-effective in women without CRFs or a mean heart dose (MHD) Conclusions Despite the cost of treatment, scenarios do exist whereby proton therapy is cost-effective. Referral for proton therapy may be cost-effective for patients with ≥1 CRF in cases for which photon plans are unable to achieve an MHD
Secondary structure of corona proteins determines the cell surface receptors used by nanoparticles.

Nanoparticles used for biological and biomedical applications encounter a host of extracellular proteins. These proteins rapidly adsorb onto the nanoparticle surface, creating a protein corona. Poly(ethylene glycol) can reduce, but not eliminate, the nonspecific adsorption of proteins. As a result, the adsorbed proteins, rather than the nanoparticle itself, determine the cellular receptors used for binding, the internalization mechanism, the intracellular transport pathway, and the subsequent immune response. Using fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry, we first characterize a set of polystyrene nanoparticles in which the same adsorbed protein, bovine serum albumin, leads to binding to two different cell surface receptors: native albumin receptors and scavenger receptors. Using a combination of circular dichroism spectroscopy, isothermal titration calorimetry, and fluorescence spectroscopy, we demonstrate that the secondary structure of the adsorbed bovine serum albumin protein controls the cellular ...
72 THE EPIDEMIOLOGY, HERITABILITY, AND GENETIC LINKAGE OF C-REACTIVE PROTEIN IN THE JACKSON HEART STUDY.

Purpose There is limited information on CRP9s reference ranges, heritability, and relation to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and disease in African Americans. Methods The study consists of participants who underwent Exam 1 of the Jackson Heart Study (2001-2004). The distribution and correlates of CRP were analyzed for the entire study cohort. Heritability was estimated for the family cohort nested within the larger JHS (235 families, n = 1,364). The relations between CRP and traditional CVD risk factors were tested with multivariable stepwise regression analyses. Heritability was estimated using mixed-model regression analysis. QTL linkage analysis was performed using the multipoint variance components approach in SOLAR package. Results The study cohort consisted of 5,202 participants (55 ± 13 years, 64% female). The median CRP was 2.7 mg/L. In stepwise models traditional risk factors explained 23% of the variability of CRP, with BMI (partial R2 = 12.9%) explaining 57% of the variability of CRP due to traditional risk factors. The heritability for the age-, sex-, and BMI-adjusted CRP residual after winsorizing was 0.37, with a standard error (SE) of 0.06, and the heritability for the log transformed CRP residual was 0.45, with a SE of 0.06. The strongest evidence for linkage to CRP was observed on chromosome 3 (maximum LOD score of 2.92) near marker 295YC9P and chromosome 12 (maximum LOD score of 2.01) near marker D12S297. Conclusion In this large population-based cohort of African Americans, CRP concentrations were heritable and associated with several traditional cardiovascular risk factors, particularly with elevated BMI. Given the relationship between inflammation and CVD, further research into the genetic and environmental determinants of CRP is merited.
FIT: A Distributed Database Performance Tradeoff.

Designing distributed database systems is an inherently complex process, involving many choices and tradeoffs that must be considered. It is impossible to build a distributed database that has all the features that users intuitively desire. In this article, we discuss the three-way relationship between three such desirable features — fairness, isolation, and throughput (FIT) — and argue that only two out of the three of them can be achieved simultaneously.
SU-F-J-125: Effects of Couch Position Variability On Dosimetric Accuracy with An MRI-Guided Co-60 Radiation Therapy Machine

Purpose: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guidance in radiation therapy brings real-time imaging and adaptive planning into the treatment vault where it can account for interfraction and intrafraction movement of soft tissue. The only commercially-available MRI-guided radiation therapy device is a three-head 60Co and MRI system with an integrated treatment planning system (TPS). An up to 20% attenuation of the beam by the couch is well modeled in the TPS. However, variations in the patient's day-to-day position introduce discrepancies in the actual couch position relative its location as modeled in the treatment plan. For this reason, our institution avoids plans with beams that pass through or near the couch edges. This study looks at plans without restriction on beam angles and investigates the effects of couch shift by simulating shifts of the couch relative to the patient, in order to determine whether couch edge avoidance restrictions can be lifted. Methods: A total of 27 plans from 23 patients were investigated. Couch shifts of 1 and 2 cm were introduced in combinations of lateral and vertical direction to simulate variations in patient positioning on the couch giving 16 shifted plans per reference plan. The shift values of 1 and 2 cm were based on shifts recorded in 320 treatment fractions. Results: Measured couch attenuation versus TPS modeled agreed within 2.1%. Planning Target Volume (PTV) D95 changed less than 1% for 1 and 2 cm couch shifts in only the x-direction and less than 3% for all directions. Conclusion: The dosimetry of all plans with shifts up to ±2 cm was within reasonable clinical tolerances. Robustness of a plan to couch shifts can be tested in the TPS. Inclusion of beams traversing the couch edges should be considered if an improvement in plan quality or delivery time can be achieved.
Preliminary Oligomerization in a Glycolic Acid-Glycine Mixture: A Free Energy Map.

Glycolic acid and glycine can potentially self-oligomerize or co-oligomerize in solution by forming ester and amide bonds. Using density functional theory with implicit solvent, we have mapped a baseline free energy landscape to compare the relative stabilities of monomers, dimers, and trimers in solution. We find that amide bond formation is favored over ester bond formation both kinetically and thermodynamically, although the differences decrease when zwitterionic species are taken into account. The replacement of ester linkages by amide bonds is favored over lengthening the oligomer, suggesting that one route to oligopeptide formation is utilizing oligoesters as a starting point. We also find that diketopiperazine, the cyclic dimer of glycine, is favored over the linear dimer; however, the linear trimers are favored over their cyclic counterparts. Because glycolic acid and glycine are dominant products from a Strecker synthesis starting from formaldehyde and HCN, this study sheds light on potential pat...
Predictive control of residential HVAC and its impact on the grid. Part I: simulation framework and models

This paper presents and discusses the methodology used in a numerical investigation of the aggregated effect of model predictive control (MPC) strategies implemented in hundreds of residential buildings on demand reduction in the electricity distribution feeder. This approach includes reduced order models for the homes and heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems, a model for typical group of buildings served by a distribution feeder, and a simple model for the description of real and reactive power flows. The methodology is demonstrated with a simple MPC example. This paper is intended to serve as the basis of a study, presented in the companion paper, on the effect of using residential predictive control strategies to complement the integration of renewable energy technologies in the grid.
Modifying electron transfer at the silicon-molecule interface using atomic tethers

Modifying the electrical properties of the silicon interface is of prime interest for next generation electronics. Scaling of conventional electronics is increasing the importance of electronic contributions from the near surface region while bulk contributions are becoming less important. Molecules have been used to engineer electronic properties of interfaces for bulk devices, as demonstrated in organic field effect transistors, where a monolayer has been used to lower the operating voltage.[1–3] Moreover organic monolayers have been used to add functionality to semiconductor surfaces in applications including molecular electronics, bio-electronics, CHEMFets, and sensors. In order to take electrical advantage of the organic-semiconductor system, a detailed understanding of the properties at the interface is needed.
Reconsidering Teenage Pregnancy and Parenthood

This paper looks back at the findings reported in Destinies of the Disadvantaged: The Politics of Teenage Parenthood, a decade after its publication in light of recent research. Increasingly, the most methodologically sophisticated research has minimized the “causal impact” of early childbearing on later life events consistent with the findings of the Baltimore Study. I argue in the paper that we must see early childbearing primarily as a marker rather than a cause of economic disadvantage. As such, reducing early childbearing will have a minimal impact on the lives of highly disadvantaged teens unless those teens use the delay in childbearing to improve their education and labor market prospects.
Environmental Influences on Adult Neurogenesis

Environmental factors play a key role in refining neuronal circuitry in adulthood. Numerous experiences modulate the number of new neurons in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, suggesting that adult neurogenesis is an important substrate for experience-dependent change. The influences of stress and the environment on adult neurogenesis, the functional consequences of this process, and its therapeutic potential are discussed in this article.
A pseudoproxy assessment of data assimilation for reconstructing the atmosphere-ocean dynamics of hydroclimate extremes

Abstract. Because of the relatively brief observational record, the climate dynamics that drive multiyear to centennial hydroclimate variability are not adequately characterized and understood. Paleoclimate reconstructions based on data assimilation (DA) optimally fuse paleoclimate proxies with the dynamical constraints of climate models, thus providing a coherent dynamical picture of the past. DA is therefore an important new tool for elucidating the mechanisms of hydroclimate variability over the last several millennia. But DA has so far remained untested for global hydroclimate reconstructions. Here we explore whether or not DA can be used to skillfully reconstruct global hydroclimate variability along with the driving climate dynamics. Through a set of idealized pseudoproxy experiments, we find that an established DA reconstruction approach can in principle be used to reconstruct hydroclimate at both annual and seasonal timescales. We find that the skill of such reconstructions is generally highest near the proxy sites. This set of reconstruction experiments is specifically designed to estimate a realistic upper bound for the skill of this DA approach. Importantly, this experimental framework allows us to see where and for what variables the reconstruction approach may never achieve high skill. In particular for tree rings, we find that hydroclimate reconstructions depend critically on moisture-sensitive trees, while temperature reconstructions depend critically on temperature-sensitive trees. Real-world DA-based reconstructions will therefore likely require a spatial mixture of temperature- and moisture-sensitive trees to reconstruct both temperature and hydroclimate variables. Additionally, we illustrate how DA can be used to elucidate the dynamical mechanisms of drought with two examples: tropical drivers of multiyear droughts in the North American Southwest and in equatorial East Africa. This work thus provides a foundation for future DA-based hydroclimate reconstructions using real-proxy networks while also highlighting the utility of this important tool for hydroclimate research.
Moving-Horizon Control of Systems with Independent and Jump Stochastic-Parameters

Abstract Stabilizing control a lgorithms are considered for linear discrete time systems with both jump-Markov and independent noise parameters. First explicit conditions for these systems which are both necessary and sufficient for mean square stabilizability are presented. Then, the moving-horizon control policy is introduced and the equivalence of stabilizability conditions for moving and infinite borizon controllers is established. The results of this paper will allow a rapid method of cheching the stabilizability for this class of systems and the use of moving-horizon controllers which possess computational simplicity instead of infinite-horizon ones .
Influence of the capillary pressure in nanobubbles on their adherence to particles during froth flotation: Part 5. Spreading curves of nanobubbles on the surface with different wettability

To increase the accuracy of results, two methods for investigating wetting and spreading processes on a solid substrate are studied. In the first method, liquid drops are used; in the second method, bubbles are used. The shapes of drops and bubbles vary upon spreading, and this fact can be evaluated quantitatively only by means of the Laplace equation, but the equation is applied only in the case of bubbles (the second method). In the case of the first method, this circumstance excludes the purity control of the spreading drop surface. The influence of microcontaminations on the results is considered based on precision calculations performed for both methods. Spreading curves of nanobubbles with initial diameters of 20 and 10 nm on the substrates with various wettabilities are calculated, and wettability is evaluated not by the numerical value of the wetting angle but by the corresponding easily implemented examples of such substrate Γ, Φ, and H x , where x is the surface fraction under a bubble coated by ionogenic collector molecules: 0.8, 0.6, 0.4, and 0.2. Spreading curves clearly illustrate the range of possible nanobubble spreading from the limiting one on the Γ substrate to the almost zero one on the Φ substrate, as well as the sources of energy provision of spreading and their depletion causes. The informativity of spreading curves is caused by the fact that more than ten bubble and substrate parameters are applied in their calculation. When using the reagents, the flotation activation can spread to larger bubbles.
Lifetime and 12-Month Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders in 8,169 Male Vietnam War Era Veterans

ABSTRACT Objective: This study reports the prevalence of psychiatric disorders among a nationally distributed sample of Vietnam Era veterans assessed using standardized psychiatric interviewing methods. Methods: In 1992, the National Institute of Mental Health Diagnostic Interview Schedule was administered by telephone to 8,169 middle-aged males who served in the military during the Vietnam era (1965–1975). Results: Approximately 72% of respondents reported a lifetime history and 36% reported a 12-month history of at least one psychiatric disorder. The most prevalent psychiatric disorders included alcohol abuse and/or dependence (54% lifetime, 17% 12 month), nicotine dependence (48% lifetime, 22% 12 month), and posttraumatic stress disorder (10% lifetime, 4.5% 12 month). Conclusions: Because of possible participation bias, these results likely represent conservative estimates of psychiatric disorder prevalences among the more than eight million Vietnam Era veterans and reinforces the major public health c...
The Effects of Ethanol on Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Composition

In this chapter, we will attempt to review the literature with regard to the effects of alcohol exposure upon the levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in various mammalian tissues. Our focus will be upon arachidonic (20:4n6) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n3), in particular, as these represent the two principal endpoints of n-6 and n-3 fatty acid metabolism, respectively, as well as the two principal long-chain polyunsaturates found in mammalian tissues. Data from our own studies of the effects of ethanol inhalation upon lipid composition will also be presented in an effort to define some of the variables that must be controlled if consistent results are to be obtained in this regard.
Myocardial Slices: an Intermediate Complexity Platform for Translational Cardiovascular Research.

Myocardial slices, also known as “cardiac tissue slices” or “organotypic heart slices,” are ultrathin (100–400 μm) slices of living adult ventricular myocardium prepared using a high-precision vibratome. They are a model of intermediate complexity as they retain the native multicellularity, architecture, and physiology of the heart, while their thinness ensures adequate oxygen and metabolic substrate diffusion in vitro. Myocardial slices can be produced from a variety of animal models and human biopsies, thus providing a representative human in vitro platform for translational cardiovascular research. In this review, we compare myocardial slices to other in vitro models and highlight some of the unique advantages provided by this platform. Additionally, we discuss the work performed in our laboratory to optimize myocardial slice preparation methodology, which resulted in highly viable myocardial slices from both large and small mammalian hearts with only 2–3% cardiomyocyte damage and preserved structure and function. Applications of myocardial slices span both basic and translational cardiovascular science. Our laboratory has utilized myocardial slices for the investigation of cardiac multicellularity, visualizing 3D collagen distribution and micro/macrovascular networks using tissue clearing protocols and investigating the effects of novel conductive biomaterials on cardiac physiology. Myocardial slices have been widely used for pharmacological testing. Finally, the current challenges and future directions for the technology are discussed.