cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The infant at risk.

The opportunity in early infancy for joining the developmental processes of infants with the energy in the parents for bringing the infants to their best potential has been out of proportion to our expectations. By visualizing the capacity of babies to organize around the positive experiences of interaction with a nurturing adult in our neonatal assessments, we have better understood normal recovery processes from labor and delivery and plasticity for recovery from CNS insults in the neonate. As we observed and identified with them to produce best behavior in the infants, their parents were able to believe in our methods and to work toward their infants' optimal recovery. Hence, our assessments of premature and normal infants became a window for us and for parents into organization and ongoing development. In later infancy, the face-to-face procedure served a similar purpose. In other words, within the observational assessment of a small baby is contained not only the organizational capacities of his or her present status, but also an opportunity to see what he will do to his parents and what they will have to do to organize him. By sharing this observation with them, we share these processes and give them an opportunity to identify the baby's positive potential in addition to his or her deficits. As such, parents can utilize the forces for nurturance in their relationship to produce the baby's optimal recovery. Serial observations over time provide an opportunity to observe the baby's capacity to organize himself as he recovers from a known set of experiences surrounding labor, delivery, and a new environment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
11 DFT and experimental studies of C-C and C-O bond cleavage in ethanol and ethylene glycol on Pt catalysts

Abstract Density functional theory (DFT) studies of ethanol decomposition were conducted on Pt(111) slabs to investigate the structure and energetics of dehydrogenated ethanol species and transition states for cleavage of C-C and C-O bonds. The ketenyl (CHCO) species has the lowest energy transition state for C-C bond scission, and the energy required to form this species (plus adsorbed H-atoms) from gaseous ethanol is 4 kJ/mol. The lowest energy transition state for C-O bond scission is the 1-hydroxyethylidene (CH 3 COH) species, and the energy required to form this species from gaseous ethanol is 42 kJ/mol. In contrast, the lowest energy transition state for C-C bond serssion in ethane is the adsorbed ethylidene (CH 3 CH) species, and the energy required to form this species from gaseous ethane is 125 kJ/mol. Thus cleavage of the C-C bond in adsorbed species derived from ethanol on Pt(111) should be faster than cleavage of the C-O bond, and cleavage of the C-C bond in ethanol should also be faster than cleavage of the C-C bond in ethane over Pt(111). Reaction kinetics studies were conducted for aqueous-phase reforming of ethylene glycol over Pt/SiO 2 at temperatures of 483 and 498 K and at a total pressure of 22 bar. This catalyst exhibited high activity and selectivity for production of H 2 , with low rates of alkane production. It appears that catalysts based on Pt may be promising materials for the selective production of hydrogen by aqueous phase reforming of oxygenated hydrocarbons, such as ethylene glycol.
Deep Self-Organizing Maps for Visual Data Mining

Visual data mining facilitates the involvement of domain experts in the data mining processes. The effectiveness of visual data mining is especially dominant when paired with unsupervised methods due to the abundance of unlabeled data. Deep Self-Organizing Maps (DSOMs) are unsupervised learning architectures capable of high level feature abstraction. In this paper, we analyze the effectiveness of using DSOMs for visual data mining. DSOM's visual data mining capability was evaluated using the following visual data explorations methodologies: 1) U-Matrix, 2) hit maps and 3) data histograms. In comparison with traditional single layered SOM architectures, experimental results showed that DSOMs produced more accurate visual representations of the underlying data distributions. Therefore, DSOM is a viable method for generating easily understandable visual representations of high-dimensional complex datasets. These visual representations can be powerful tools in the real world, leading to better understanding of systems and thus enabling the design of better algorithms for control and monitoring.
Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium adhesion to spinach leaf surfaces: Sensitivity to water chemistry and nutrient availability.

Abstract This study investigated the effects of solution chemistry and growth conditions on bacterial deposition on spinach leaf surfaces using a parallel plate flow cell. Two food safety pathogens of concern and two non-pathogen bacterial surrogates (environmental E. coli isolates) were grown in ideal (LB media) and nutrient-restricted (M9 media) conditions. Bacterial attachment was quantified as mass transfer rate coefficients for cells suspended in 10 mM KCl, CaCl2 and artificial groundwater, and cell and leaf surfaces were extensively characterized (zeta potential, hydrophobicity, extracellular polymer (EPS) composition). Between the pathogens, E. coli O157:H7 attachment was greater than that of Salmonella Typhimurium, attributed to measurable variability in cell surface charge and hydrophobicity. When grown in M9 media, both pathogens were significantly more adhesive to spinach surfaces (p
A microbial metabolite, Lithocholic acid, suppresses IFN-γ and AhR expression by human cord blood CD4 T cells

Abstract Vitamin D is a well-known micronutrient that modulates immune responses by epigenetic and transcriptional regulation of target genes, such as inflammatory cytokines. Our group recently demonstrated that the most active form of vitamin D, calcitriol, reduces expression of a transcription factor known as the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and inhibits differentiation of a pro-inflammatory T cell subset, Th9. Lithocholic acid (LCA), a secondary bile acid produced by commensal bacteria, is known to bind to and activate the vitamin D receptor (VDR) in a manner comparable to calcitriol. In this study, Naive CD4 T cells were isolated from healthy human umbilical mononuclear cells and were stimulated in the presence or absence of LCA. We determined the effect of LCA on human cord blood T cell activation by measuring IFN-γ production and protein expression of IFN-γ receptor-mediated signaling molecules. We found that LCA reduces production of IFN-γ and decreases phosphorylation of STAT1 as well as expression of AhR, STAT1, and IRF1 by activated human cord blood CD4 T cells. LCA inhibits expression of IFN-γ and reduces its receptor signaling molecules. Highlights Lithocholic acid suppresses IFNγ production by CD4 T cells. Lithocholic acid suppresses STAT1 and IRF1 expression by activated CD4 T cells. Lithocholic acid suppresses AhR in a comparable manner to calcitriol.
A Scalable, One-Pot Synthesis of 1,2,3,4,5-Pentacarbomethoxycyclopentadiene.

1,2,3,4,5-Pentacarbomethoxycyclopentadiene (PCCP) is a strong organic acid and a precursor to useful organocatalysts, including chiral Bronsted acids and silicon-based Lewis acids. The synthetic route to PCCP, first reported in 1942, is inconvenient for a number of reasons. The two-step synthesis requires the purification of intermediates from intractable side-products, high reaction temperatures, and extensive labor (3 days). We have developed an improved procedure that delivers PCCP efficiently in 24 hours in one pot at ambient temperature and without isolation.
Magnetic Circular Dichroism Spectroscopy as a Probe of Ferric Cytochrome P-450 and its Ligand Complexes

In order to identify the ligand trans to cysteinate in resting ferric cytochrome P-450 and to investigate the roles of both ligands in the reaction cycle of the enzyme, we have examined numerous ferric P-450 ligand complexes by UV-visible absorption and magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy. The sixth ligand to the native enzyme has been found to be an oxygen donor such as an endogenous alcohol-containing amino acid, or possibly water; this ligand may play an important role in the catalytic mechanism. Comparison of the properties of P-450 and myoglobin ligand complexes suggests that the heme iron of P-450 is measurably more electron-rich, presumably due to its cysteinate fifth ligand. This ligand may aid in the formation and subsequent stabilization of reactive metal-bound oxygen intermediates that occur in P-450 catalyzed transformations.
Film review: On earth as it is in hell

Two recent films, Broken Vessels and Bringing Out the Dead , portray the lives of those who work for the emergency medical services in urban America. Or at least they claim to. Broken Vessels tells the story of Tom (Jason London), an emergency medical technician who arrives in Los Angeles while trying to escape his past in Altoona, Pennsylvania. He lands a job as an ambulance driver and is teamed up with Jimmy (Todd Field), a senior Los Angeles paramedic whose best skill seems to be snatching his sunglasses off his face and trying to look cool. More about drug addiction than paramedics Ten minutes into the movie the two are drinking alcohol, picking up women, having sex, buying heroin on the street corner, and getting high. All of this happens while they are on duty, mostly in the ambulance. Then they start stealing from their patients to support their drug habits. …
Online Learning for Proactive Obstacle Avoidance with Powered Transfemoral Prostheses

Avoiding obstacles poses a significant challenge for amputees using mechanically-passive transfemoral prosthetic limbs due to their lack of direct knee control. In contrast, powered prostheses can potentially improve obstacle avoidance via their ability to add energy to the system. In past work, researchers have proposed stumble recovery systems for powered prosthetic limbs that provide assistance in the event of a trip. However, these systems only aid recovery after an obstacle has disrupted the user’s gait and do not proactively help the amputee avoid obstacles. To address this problem, we designed an adaptive system that learns online to use kinematic data from the prosthetic limb to detect the user’s obstacle avoidance intent in early swing. When the system detects an obstacle, it alters the planned swing trajectory to help avoid trips. Additionally, the system uses a regression model to predict the required knee flexion angle for the trip response. We validated the system by comparing obstacle avoidance success rates with and without the obstacle avoidance system. For a non-amputee subject wearing the prosthesis through an adapter, the trip avoidance system improved the obstacle negotiation success rate from 37% to 89%, while an amputee subject improved his success rate from 35% to 71% when compared to utilizing minimum jerk trajectories for the knee and ankle joints.
Three-Dimensional Vortex-Induced Reaction Hot Spots at Flow Intersections.

We show the emergence of reaction hot spots induced by three-dimensional (3D) vortices with a simple A+B→C reaction. We conduct microfluidics experiments to visualize the spatial map of the reaction rate with a chemiluminescence reaction and cross validate the results with direct numerical simulations. 3D vortices form at spiral-saddle-type stagnation points, and the 3D vortex flow topology is essential for initiating reaction hot spots. The effect of vortices on mixing and reaction becomes more vigorous for rough-walled channels, and our findings are valid over wide ranges of channel dimensions and Damkohler numbers.
Human genetics of life-threatening influenza pneumonitis

Influenza viruses infect millions of people around the globe annually, usually causing self-limited upper respiratory tract infections. However, a small but non-negligible proportion of patients suffer from life-threatening pulmonary disease. Those affected include otherwise healthy individuals, and children with primary infections in particular. Much effort has been devoted to virological studies of influenza and vaccine development. By contrast, the enormous interindividual variability in susceptibility to influenza has received very little attention. One interesting hypothesis is that interindividual variability is driven largely by the genetic makeup of the infected patients. Unbiased genomic approaches have been used to search for genetic lesions in children with life-threatening pulmonary influenza. Four monogenic causes of severe influenza pneumonitis-deficiencies of GATA2, IRF7, IRF9, and TLR3-have provided evidence that severe influenza pneumonitis can be genetic and often in patients with no other severe infections. These deficiencies highlight the importance of human type I and III IFN-mediated immunity for host defense against influenza. Clinical penetrance is incomplete, and the underlying mechanisms are not yet understood. However, human genetic studies have clearly revealed that seemingly sporadic and isolated life-threatening influenza pneumonitis in otherwise healthy individuals can be genetic.
Air quality impacts from oil and natural gas development in Colorado

The rise of hydraulic fracturing techniques has fostered rapid growth of oil and natural gas (O&NG) extraction in areas across the United States. In the Denver-Julesburg Basin (DJB), which mostly overlaps with Weld County in the Northern Colorado Front Range (NCFR) north of the City of Denver Metropolitan Area (DMA), the well drilling has increasingly approached, and in many instances moved into urban residential areas. During the same time, the region has also experienced steady population growth. The DMA – NCFR has been in exceedance of the ozone U.S. National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) and was designated a non-attainment area of the standard in 2007. Despite State efforts to curb precursors, ozone has consistently remained above the standard. A growing number of atmospheric studies has provided an ever increasing body of literature for assessing influences from O&NG industry emissions on air quality in the DMA-NCFR. This paper provides 1. An overview of available literature on O&NG influences on the regional air quality, 2. A summary of the pertinent findings presented in these works, 3. An assessment of the most important pollutants and air quality impacts, 4. Identification of knowledge and monitoring gaps, and 5. Recommendations for future research and policy.
Is screenen zinvol

In steeds meer huisartspraktijken hebben praktijkondersteuners een rol in de begeleiding van vrouwen met een verhoogd risico op fracturen. Meestal zijn dit vrouwen die eerder een fractuur hebben meegemaakt. Het is nog niet duidelijk of screening van de bevolking effectief is. In dit artikel lees je de resultaten van een groot onderzoek in ons land.
The Association Between Mindfulness Facets and Body Checking in Individuals with High and Low Eating Disorder Pathology

Higher trait mindfulness (i.e., bringing one’s attention to the present moment with an attitude of acceptance and non-judgment) is associated with lower eating disorder (ED) psychopathology. However, it is not yet clear how mindfulness results in lower ED psychopathology. One possibility is that mindfulness may decrease body checking, particularly in individuals who are high in ED psychopathology. The current study tests the relationships between mindfulness facets and body checking, and the extent to which these relationships are moderated by ED psychopathology. College students (N = 805, 76.7% female, mean age = 20.0) completed the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, the Body Checking Questionnaire, and the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire electronically. Higher acting with awareness, non-judging, and non-reactivity were uniquely associated with lower body checking, whereas higher observing was uniquely associated with higher body checking. The relation between non-judging and body checking was stronger for individuals who were higher in ED psychopathology. All mindfulness facets, except describing, show potential as processes that can be altered to reduce body checking, particularly for individuals higher in ED psychopathology.
Cognitive Assessment At Medicare's Annual Wellness Visit In Fee-For-Service And Medicare Advantage Plans.

The Medicare annual wellness visit—a preventive care visit free to Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Part B—requires detection of cognitive impairment. We surveyed an internet panel of adults ages...
Abstract 12692: Overexpression of Myocardial Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase Exacerbates Cardiac Dysfunction and Beta-Adrenergic Desensitization in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Mice

Background: Recent evidence links impaired nitric oxide (NO) signaling pathway in the pathogenesis of diabetes-induced cardiac dysfunction. However, the different nitric oxide synthases (NOS) isofo...
Echoes of Protest: Barbauld’s Anti-War Afterlife

This essay examines Anna Barbauld’s public protest through her antiwar afterlife and her contemporaneous reception, including accounts of her support for the French Revolution in the Belfast News-L...
The Appearance of Solidity: Legal Implementation of the Human Right to Water in the United States

While pundits square off in primetime for cachet in future elections, less fortunate and/or invisible members of society languish in the distance, denied rights that are critical to sustaining life. Today, this phenomenon is manifest in the vexing problem of how to provide an adequate supply of fresh water to people in developed and developing countries. Although water is unquestionably vital to sustain life, it remains unsettled how to provide this critical natural resource to the millions of people around the world who suffer and die from lack of water and poor sanitation. Recent estimates indicate that global water consumption may double during the next 20 years. The United Nations anticipates that by 2040, the demand for water will exceed the world’s supply by more than 30 percent. By 2050, over half of the entire world’s population will face severe water shortages. Consequently, the global water shortage has raised concerns that the next natural resource wars “will be fought not over oil but over water.” In light of this growing crisis, it is not enough simply to declare a need exists without taking affirmative steps to ensure the need is met for all, particularly those members of society who are disenfranchised, discriminated against, and economically disadvantaged. In addition, the root causes for depriving American citizens of water must be assessed to craft progressive changes and remedy the situation. To progressively realize the human right to water, the United States’ water laws and policies should exemplify the existing stratagem for maximum state and federal accord. As the analysis herein will demonstrate, applying the Interstate Compact Clause would enhance the ability of the state and federal governments to rely on synergistic relationships to respond to environmental stresses in an era of political discord. As set forth herein, the progressive realization of the human right to water that is consistent with the normative content will not arise in the United States unless these or similar measures overcome the stagnation caused by polarized political ideologies on issues bridging law and morality.
ST6GAL1 and α2-6 Sialylation Regulates IL-6 Expression and Secretion in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a systemic disease strongly associated with cigarette smoking, airway inflammation, and acute disease exacerbations. Changes in terminal sialylation and fucosylation of asparagine (N)-linked glycans have been documented in COPD, but the role that glycosyltransferases may play in the regulation of N-linked glycans in COPD has not been fully elucidated. Recent studies suggest that modulation of ST6GAL1 (ST6 beta-galactoside alpha-2,6-sialyltransferase-1), which catalyzes terminal α2-6 sialylation of cellular proteins, may regulate inflammation and contribute to COPD phenotype(s). Interestingly, it has been previously demonstrated that ST6GAL1, a Golgi resident protein, can be proteolytically processed by BACE1 (beta-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme-1) to a circulating form that retains activity. In this study, we showed that loss of ST6GAL1 expression increased interleukin (IL)-6 expression and secretion in human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs). Furthermore, exposure to cigarette smoke medium/extract (CSE) or BACE1 inhibition resulted in decreased ST6GAL1 secretion, reduced α2-6 sialylation, and increased IL-6 production in HBECs. Analysis of plasma ST6GAL1 levels in a small COPD patient cohort demonstrated an inverse association with prospective acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD), while IL-6 was positively associated. Altogether, these results suggest that reduced ST6GAL1 and α2-6 sialylation augments IL-6 expression/secretion in HBECs and is associated with poor clinical outcomes in COPD.
Low-Dose Radiotherapy Versus Moderate-Dose Radiotherapy for the Treatment of Indolent Orbital Adnexal Lymphomas.

Purpose Radiation therapy (RT) with doses ranging from 24 Gray (Gy) to 40 Gy is a proven treatment modality for indolent orbital adnexal lymphoma (IOAL), but recently the use of low dose RT (LDRT, defined as 2 Gy x 2 fractions) has become a notable alternative. However, limited data exists comparing outcomes following LDRT to moderate-dose RT (MDRT, RT dose 4 - 36 Gy). We present a single institution retrospective analysis comparing outcomes of patients with IOALs following LDRT or MDRT. Methods A total of 36 patients treated with 38 consecutive courses of RT were identified; LDRT was delivered for 14 courses and MDRT for 24 courses. Overall response rates (ORR) were recorded according to Deauville or RECIST criteria with a response characterized as a complete response (CR) or partial response. Local control (LC), orbital control (OC), and overall survival (OS) rates were estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method. RT toxicity was graded per CTCAEv5 and compared with the Fisher's exact test. Results Median follow-up time was 29 months (m) (range, 4-129m), and median MDRT dose used was 24 Gy (range 21-36 Gy). Overall response rates (ORR) were 100% (CR 50%) and 87.5% (CR 58.3%) following LDRT and MDRT, respectively. OS at 2 years was 100% and 95% for the LDRT and MDRT groups, respectively (p=0.36). LC rates at 2 years was 100% for both LDRT and MDRT groups and at 4 years was 100% and 89% for the LDRT and MDRT groups, respectively (p=0.56). The 4-year OC rate (including both ipsilateral and contralateral relapses) was 80% and 85% for the LDRT and MDRT groups, respectively (p=0.79). No patient required treatment with RT to a previously irradiated orbit. Acute toxicities were reported following 6 LDRT courses compared to 20 MDRT courses (p=.014). No Grade 3 or higher acute toxicities occurred in either group. Late toxicities were reported following 2 LDRT courses compared to 10 MDRT courses (p=0.147). Conclusions LDRT produced similar ORR, LC, OC, and OS rates compared to MDRT with fewer acute and minimal late toxicities reported. Future multi-center studies with larger patient numbers are warranted to show significant associations.
A Better Police Force: Lessons from the Classroom

A proposal inspired by the opportunity to present at Valparaiso University's Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration and Seminar: Race and the Law. The purpose of this proposal is to inspire a greater dialogue about what is needed in order to create harmony between the community and law enforcement agencies throughout the country. The proposal begins with a question: What makes a better police force? The question is answered by sharing the experiences of a former educator and the challenges she faced in creating a better classroom. Although comparing a classroom to the police force is highly discouraged, readers are encouraged to consider the fact that both are groups of individuals who can be shaped and molded into their full potential. The proposal then provides the seven techniques that made a better classroom and goes even further to express how these same techniques may be used and applied to the police force to create a better, stronger, and more thorough law enforcement agency. The full version of the proposal is available at Amazon.com.
[The So-called Hell and Sinners in the Odyssey and Homeric Cosmology, Corrigendum to “The So-called Hell and Sinners in the Odyssey and Homeric Cosmology” [ Numen 56 (2009) 185–197]]

[, It will be argued in this paper that Odysseus does not descend into Hades even though he witnesses the punishment of certain sinners and that the latter are envisaged in the sky as constellations. This hypothesis explains the phrase “meadow of asphodels” and the repetitive action of the sinners. It will also be argued that the origin of this cosmology is Egyptian. The Homeric cosmos is divided into a diurnal and nocturnal world: a human habitation and one which lies beyond the sun's orbit and contains the heroes and the dead.]
On Time Delivery: The Dog Team Mail Carriers

Today’s Iditarod and Yukon Quest sled dog races are reminders of a vast overland trail system in Alaska on which dog team mail carriers once transported mail and supplies. For nearly half a century...
Novel Antifouling Coatings: A Multiconceptual Approach

The development of novel antifouling and foul release coatings must be considered in the context of business, government, and academic research. Existing antifouling technology is based upon the use of broad-spectrum biocides. Foul release technology is partially developed, has incompletely understood mechanisms and unknown long term fates and effects. Business is structured to register, generate, deliver, apply, and remove antifouling coatings based upon broad-spectrum biocides. Business is weak in biology and study of fates and effects beyond those required for registration. Government is structured to regulate, respond to, and support basic research. Government is not proactive or cooperative. Academics are highly competitive, still relatively isolated from reality, strong in basic research, and not well versed in business or government. Rapid progress in novel coatings technology is unlikely in this environment. Business responses to regulations and awareness of environmental responsibility will drive the process.
Polarization-Dependent Loss in Polarization Modulated Photonic Links: Model and Experiment

We investigate the effect of a discrete source of polarization-dependent loss in polarization-modulated optical links, using a Jones- and Stokes-vector description. We derive an expression for the output photocurrent in terms of the launch state and the link characteristics. We verify the theoretical description with an experimental investigation of a photonic link into which controlled polarization-dependent losses are introduced. The experimental results confirm a surprising theoretical conclusion: the distortion caused by polarization-dependent loss is equivalent to a simple system phase shift.
An integrated hardware and software design of a mobile robot

Presents a prototype of a mobile robot that is mainly characterized by it's real time operation based in the environment of Matlab/Simulink. The whole necessary task for an autonomous navigation and mobile robot control is done in a hierarchical and easy reprogramming way. The paper describes simulation results based on the robot's kinematic model and practical results of real time navigation related to control, localization, path planning in a known environment.
Affinity foam fractionation of Trichoderma cellulase.

Cellulase could not be selectively collected from fermentation broth by simple foam fractionation, because of the presence of other more surface-active compounds. A new approach of affinity foam fractionation was investigated for improvement. A hardwood hydrolysate (containing cellulose oligomers, substrates to cellulase) and two substrate analogs, i.e., carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and xylan hydrolysate, were added before the foaming process. The substrates and substrate analogs were indeed found to bind the cellulase selectively and form more hydrophobic complexes that partition more readily onto bubble surfaces. In this study, the effects of the type and concentration of substrate/analog as well as the presence of cells at different growth stages were examined. The foam fractionation properties evaluated included foaming speed, foam stability, foamate volume, and enrichment of filter paper unit (FPU) and individual cellulase components (i.e., endoglucanases, exoglucanases, and β-glucosidases). Depending on the broth and substrate/analog employed, the foamate FPU could be more than fourfold higher than the starting broth FPU. Addition of substrate/analog also deterred the enrichment of other extracellular proteins, resulting in the desired cellulase purification in the foamate. The value of E/P (enzyme activity-FPU/g/L of proteins) in the foamate reached as high as 18, from a lactose-based fermentation broth with original E/P of 5.6. Among cellulase components, exoglucanases were enriched the most and β-glucosidases the least. The study with CMC of different molecular weights (MW) and degrees of substitution (DS) indicated that the CMC with low DS and high MW performed better in cellulase foam fractionation.
Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor therapy in children with Alport syndrome: effect on urinary albumin, TGF-β, and nitrite excretion

Background Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors are routinely prescribed to patients with chronic kidney disease because of their known renoprotective effects. We evaluated the effect of short-term therapy with the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, enalapril, in early Alport syndrome, defined as disease duration less than 10 years and a normal glomerular filtration rate.
Graph-based word alignment for clinical language evaluation

Among the more recent applications for natural language processing algorithms has been the analysis of spoken language data for diagnostic and remedial purposes, fueled by the demand for simple, objective, and unobtrusive screening tools for neurological disorders such as dementia. The automated analysis of narrative retellings in particular shows potential as a component of such a screening tool since the ability to produce accurate and meaningful narratives is noticeably impaired in individuals with dementia and its frequent precursor, mild cognitive impairment, as well as other neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders. In this article, we present a method for extracting narrative recall scores automatically and highly accurately from a word-level alignment between a retelling and the source narrative. We propose improvements to existing machine translation-based systems for word alignment, including a novel method of word alignment relying on random walks on a graph that achieves alignment accuracy superior to that of standard expectation maximization-based techniques for word alignment in a fraction of the time required for expectation maximization. In addition, the narrative recall score features extracted from these high-quality word alignments yield diagnostic classification accuracy comparable to that achieved using manually assigned scores and significantly higher than that achieved with summary-level text similarity metrics used in other areas of NLP. These methods can be trivially adapted to spontaneous language samples elicited with non-linguistic stimuli, thereby demonstrating the flexibility and generalizability of these methods.
Rupture of the Posterior Tibial Tendon. Evaluation of Injury of the Spring Ligament and Clinical Assessment of Tendon Transfer and Ligament Repair

Eighteen of twenty-two patients who were having a tendon transfer to treat rupture of the posterior tibial tendon had evidence of injury to the spring ligament. The injury consisted of a longitudinal tear in the ligament in seven patients, a lax ligament without a gross tear in seven, and a complete rupture of the ligament in four. The ruptured posterior tibial tendon was treated with transfer of the flexor digitorum longus in twenty of the twenty-two patients. A variety of methods were used to repair the ligament. It is essential to determine the status of the spring ligament when patients are managed for rupture of the posterior tibial tendon. Patients who have a torn or lax spring ligament in addition to the ruptured posterior tibial tendon may have more severe abnormalities of the hindfoot than those who have only a ruptured tendon.
GLYCYRRHETINIC ACID—A TRITERPENE WITH ANTI‐OESTROGENIC AND ANTI‐INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY*

Glycyrrhetinic acid was found to resemble the Δ4-3-ketosteroids in antagonising uterine growth response to exogenous oestrogen in doses which did not interfere with somatic growth or the oestrogenic effect on pituitary trophic hormones. The anti-oestrogenic effect was not mediated through gonadal inhibition, adrenal stimulation or potentiation of endogenous adrenal corticoids. Glycyrrhetinic acid is neither androgenic, oestrogenic nor anti-androgenic. However, it does resemble the glucocorticoids in depressing granuloma tissue formation in adrenalectomised rats.
Rhesus macaques (macaca mulatta) monitor uncertainty during numerosity judgments.

Two rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) judged arrays of dots on a computer screen as having more or fewer dots than a center value that was never presented in trials. After learning a center value, monkeys were given an uncertainty response that let them decline to make the numerosity judgment on that trial. Across center values (3-7), errors occurred most often for sets adjacent in numerosity to the center value. The monkeys also used the uncertainty response most frequently on these difficult trials. A 2nd experiment showed that monkeys' responses reflected numerical magnitude and not the surface-area illumination of the displays. This research shows that monkeys' uncertainty-monitoring capacity extends to the domain of numerical cognition. It also shows monkeys' use of the purest uncertainty response possible, uncontaminated by any secondary motivator.
Significance of the disorder induced by neutron irradiation for electrical relaxation in SiO2

Abstract The assumption that, implicitly or explicitly, the non-ideal electrical relaxation in glasses inherently arises from the disorder in structure has been experimentally examined by determining the effect of neutron irradiation of a high purity quartz crystal on its electrical conductance and capacitance. A dose of 1 × 1019 high energy neutrons/cm2, which is known to create appreciable disorder in quartz, enhances the non-ideality of the electrical relaxation. As a result of irradiation, a new second plateau in frequency-dependent conductivity is observed at high frequencies. The peak in the imaginary part of the electric modulus shows an unusual broadening at low frequencies. Both observations cannot be described by the Kohlrausch decay function.
Passive Ground-Based Electro-Optical Detection of Artificial Earth Satellites

M.I.T. Lincoln Laboratory is supporting the Electronic Systems Division (ESD) of the Air Force Systems Command (AFSC) in the development of the Ground-based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance (GEODSS) system. As part of this program, an Experimental Test Site (ETS) has been established in the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, to serve as a test-bed for the system. After a brief description of the GEODSS network, the ETS and its role are defined and illustrated. Next, the matter of sensor selection for the ETS is discussed. This is followed by the consideration of the general problem of point-source detection. Experimental data are discussed which indicate the point-source response of the ETS sensors. Then, a semi-empirical model for the point-source detection capabilities of these background-limited sensors is presented. Short dicussions of the satellite population and the peculiar problems associated with the passive detection of space objects by reflected sunlight are followed by conclusions based upon brightness measurements made at the ETS during approximately two years of operation.
The 18 mm $^{2}$ Laboratory: Teaching MEMS Development With the SUMMiT Foundry Process

This paper describes the goals, pedagogical system, and educational outcomes of a three-semester curriculum in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). The sequence takes engineering students with no formal MEMS training and gives them the skills to participate in cutting-edge MEMS research and development. The evolution of the curriculum from in-house fabrication facilities to an industry-standard foundry process affords an opportunity to examine the pedagogical benefits of the latter approach. Outcomes that are assessed include the number of students taking the classes, the quality of work produced by students, and the research that has emanated from class projects. Three key elements of the curriculum are identified: 1) extensive use of virtual design and process simulation software tools; 2) fabrication of student-designed devices for physical characterization and testing; and 3) integration of a student design competition. This work strongly leveraged the university outreach activities of Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and the SNL SUMMiT MEMS design and fabrication system. SNL provides state-of-the-art design tools and device fabrication and hosts a yearly nationwide student design competition. Student MEMS designs developed using computer-aided design (CAD) and finite element analysis (FEA) software are fabricated at SNL and returned on 18-mm die modules for characterization and testing. One such module may contain a dozen innovative student projects. Important outcomes include an increase in enrollment in the introductory MEMS class, external research funding and archival journal publications arising from student designs, and consistently high finishes in the SNL competition. Since the SNL offerings are available to any US college or university, this curriculum is transportable in its current form.
Measurement of intercept distances in thin section

Use of a low-pitched thread on the main screw of the mechanical stage of the point counter and substitution of an electric, ten-key adding machine for the cumulative counter used in modal analysis permits rapid measurement of grain intercept distances in thin section. Distribution of individual measurements is badly skewed and sometimes J-shaped, with a preponderance of short runs and a scarcity of long ones, but random sampling experiments show that even in extreme cases means of samples of ten are essentially normal. The measuring technique and some results are described.
Betula seedling establishment in response to forest decline induced canopy degeneration

High mortality of dominant tree species, especially red spruce (Picea rubens) in the transition and lower montane coniferous zones on Camels Hump, Vermont, USA, has resulted in changes in the microclimate of the forest floor. Regeneration of tree seedlings (2 em dbh) was measured within one-meter-square quadrats and compared with results from the same forest zones in 1965. Yellow birch (Betula allegbaniensis) and heart-leaved paper birch (B. papyrifera var. cordifolia) show large increases in seedling density, particularly in the zones where canopy decline and light intensity changes have been highest. The effects that increased birch establishment will have on the luture structure and composition of these forests are unknown.
Role of within‐lake processes and hydrobiogeochemical changes over 16 years in a watershed in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State, USA

Hydrological and biogeochemical relationships were evaluated for the Arbutus Watershed in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State. Wet-only precipitation inputs (weekly) and discharge losses were evaluated from 1983 to 1998. Precipitation from 1983-98 had significant (p 80% of the discharge in the inlet and outlet of Arbutus Lake and >78% of the flux of all solutes. For 1995-98 the mass balances of discharge losses from the catchment draining into Arbutus Lake inlet versus precipitation inputs suggest that internal watershed processes resulted in net generation of Ca 2- (-1342 mol c ha -1 year -1 ). Mg 2+ (-313 mol c ha 1 year -1 ), K + (-35 mol c ha -1 year -1 ), SO 4 2- (-635 mol c ha 1 year -1 ) and Cl (-45 mol c ha -1 year -1 ) and net retention of inorganic N solutcs (NO 3 - + NH 4 + ; 204 mol c ha -1 year -1 ) and H - (424 mol c ha -1 year -1 ). Concentrations and fluxes of Ca 2+ , H + , NO 3 - , SO 4 2- and Al were lower at the lake outlet compared with the inlet. A comparison of mass balances at the Arbutus Lake inlet and outlet suggested that these decreases may have been due to within-lake biotic processes and/or dilution from other water sources to the lake.
ESP: SOME ATTITUDINAL FACTORS RELATING TO ABILITY.

(1964). ESP: Some Attitudinal Factors Relating to Ability. The Journal of Psychology: Vol. 57, No. 1, pp. 65-69.
Discontinuities in the DNA synthesized in an Excision-defective strain of Escherichia coli following ultraviolet irradiation

Although Escherichia coli K12 uvrA6 is defective in the excision of pyrimidine dimers from its DNA, 37% of cells survive a dose of ultraviolet light which is equivalent to about 50 pyrimidine dimers per 107 nucleotides. The amount of tritiated thymidine incorporated into the DNA of irradiated cells indicates that pyrimidine dimers in the DNA inhibit DNA synthesis but are not permanent blocks. Zone sedimentation of single-strand DNA was performed in alkaline sucrose gradients. To minimize degradation by shearing, the DNA was released from spheroplasts layered on top of the gradients. Newly synthesized, denatured DNA from unirradiated cells sediments with a molecular weight of greater than 100 × 106, whereas the newly synthesized, denatured DNA from cells irradiated with 60 ergs/mm2 has a molecular weight of about 14 × 106. During subsequent incubation of the irradiated cells, the sedimentation rate of the DNA synthesized immediately after irradiation increases and approaches that of normal DNA. However, at any time during this incubation period, the incorporation of tritiated thymidine into fast-sedimenting DNA is minimal, suggesting that the daughter-strand DNA synthesized after ultraviolet-irradiation contains gaps, or alkalilabile bonds. These dicontinuities disappear during further incubation, as a higher rate of sedimentation is found. The number of these daughter-strand defects is similar to the number of pyrimidine dimers in an equivalent length of parental DNA.
A feasibility study of 1-h paclitaxel infusion in patients with solid tumors.

The optimal schedule for paclitaxel administration has not yet been determined. This phase I/II study was carried out to evaluate the safety of paclitaxel administration by 1-h infusion in the outpatient setting. A total of 43 patients with advanced pretreated malignancies (18 breast, 18 ovarian, and 7 non-small-cell lung cancers) received at least 2 cycles of paclitaxel given at 175 mg/m2 in a single dose by 1-h i. v. infusion. This protocol was repeated every 21 days. All patients were premedicated as follows: promethazine given i. m. at 50 mg, dexamethasone given at 16 mg in 250 ml normal saline by i. v. infusion for 20 min and ranitidine given i. v. at 50 mg in 250 ml normal saline over 15 min, all premedication being carried out 1 h before the paclitaxel infusion. In a total of 156 cycles, only 1 patient presented with a hypersensitivity reaction (grade 2 urticaria in 1 cycle) and another patient developed transient facial flushing (in 1 cycle; this was resolved by slowing of the infusion rate) on this schedule of paclitaxel administration. Other adverse side effects were usually mild and well tolerated. Alopecia was universal; myelosuppression was uncommon because our patients were supported with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF, lenograstim) given at 34 IU/day in the presence of a neutrophil count of <500 μl; neutropenia was seen in 50/156 (32%) cycles and was mild. Neurotoxicity was the most serious adverse effect, and all patients experienced mild to severe neuromuscular toxicity, mainly in the form of peripheral sensorimotor neuropathy and myalgias. In conclusion, 1-h paclitaxel administration is safe and reduces the duration of treatment, making its use more convenient and easy in the outpatient setting. A prospective comparison of 1-h versus 3-h paclitaxel infusion in terms of efficacy and toxicity is the subject of our current randomized study.
Correlation of tensile strength with fracture modes of KAOWOOL- and SAFFIL-reinforced 339 aluminum

The tensile strengths of composites of 339 aluminum reinforced with either SAFFIL or KAOWOOL fibers are compared over the temperature range of 20°C to 300°C. For this type of composite, in which the discontinuous fibers are randomly oriented, the fibers perpendicular to the applied stress play a critical role, which in turn creates a dependence upon the interfacial bond strength. The KAOWOOL fibers form a strong interfacial bond so that tensile failure occurs either in the matrix at 300 °C or by fiber cleavage at 20°C. In the T5 condition, the SAFFIL interface is weaker than the matrix alloy so that failure occurs by delamination of the transverse fibers. Thus, although the SAFFIL fibers are 40 pct stronger than the KAOWOOL fibers, the T5 composites have the same ultimate tensile strengths. A T6 heat treatment promotes an interfacial reaction with magnesium. This strengthens the SAFFIL interface so that failure occurs primarily in the matrix, producing higher composite strengths. The reaction with the KAOWOOL fibers is so extensive that the matrix, and therefore the composite strength, is drastically decreased. When account is taken of the different fracture modes, together with the matrix strengths as determined by nanoindentation, the calculated values of composite strength are in good agreement with experiment.
Outcomes of Scheduled vs For-Cause Biopsy Regimens for Prostate Cancer Active Surveillance

Purpose: Active surveillance is a first line treatment option for patients with low risk prostate cancer but standardized regimens are lacking, including uniform protocols for surveillance prostate biopsy. We compared the outcomes of 2 active surveillance regimens that differ in whether a scheduled biopsy was performed in the absence of clinical progression.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 313 consecutive patients with prostate cancer at a NCCN® (National Comprehensive Cancer Network®) institution who were assigned prospectively to 1 of 2 active surveillance biopsy regimens. A total of 149 patients underwent biopsy only for clinical concern (for-cause only) while 164 underwent for-cause biopsy plus scheduled annual or biannual biopsy. Times to biopsy, clinical progression, pathological reclassification and treatment were compared using Kaplan-Meier methodology.Results: The for-cause only and scheduled plus for-cause biopsy groups were similar in NCCN risk category at activ...