cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using Social Comparison Procedures in Educating Behaviorally Disordered Pupils.

Social comparison is an applied behavior analysis evaluation procedure that may help educators evaluate whether or not an improvement in classroom functioning has practical value to the treated pupil. This paper describes how to use the social comparison procedure. As an illustration, a case is presented in which the effects of a reading program on the performance of a behaviorally disordered pupil was evaluated through social comparison. Practical implications are offered pertaining to the use of social comparison in education programs for such pupils. With the passage of P.L. 94-142 educators and clinicians have had to renew efforts in providing and evaluating appropriate educational programs for behaviorally disordered pupils. Among its many mandates P.L. 94-142 requires teachers to address some funda mental educational questions. Among the most challenging are those focusing on identify ing which target behaviors warrant intervention, developing reasonable objectives for individual educational programs, determining when improvement is sufficient enough to be of value to the child whose behavior changes, and determining when reintegration into regular education is probably appropriate and likely to succeed. While there are no easy answers to these questions, an applied behavior analysis assessment procedure referred to as social comparison (Kazdin, 1977; Wolf, 1978) may be highly useful in establishing and evaluating educational interventions for children with behavioral disorders.
Capturing abnormal personality with normal personality inventories: An item response theory approach.

Correlational and factor-analytic methods indicate that abnormal and normal personality constructs may be tapping the same underlying latent trait. However, they do not systematically demonstrate that measures of abnormal personality capture more extreme ranges of the latent trait than measures of normal range personality. Item Response Theory (IRT) methods, in contrast, do provide this information. In the present study, we use IRT methods to evaluate the range of the latent trait assessed with a normal personality measure and a measure of psychopathy as one example of an abnormal personality construct. Contrary to the expectation that the measure of psychopathy would be more extreme than the measure of normal personality traits, the measures overlapped substantially in terms of the regions of the latent trait for which they provide information. Moreover, both types of inventories were limited in terms of measurement bandwidth, such that they did not provide information across the entire latent trait continuum. Implications and future directions are discussed.
Identification of AbrB-regulated genes involved in biofilm formation by Bacillus subtilis

Bacillus subtilis is a ubiquitous soil bacterium that forms biofilms in a process that is negatively controlled by the transcription factor AbrB. To identify the AbrB-regulated genes required for biofilm formation by B. subtilis, genome-wide expression profiling studies of biofilms formed by spo0A abrB and sigH abrB mutant strains were performed. These data, in concert with previously published DNA microarray analysis of spo0A and sigH mutant strains, led to the identification of 39 operons that appear to be repressed by AbrB. Eight of these operons had previously been shown to be repressed by AbrB, and we confirmed AbrB repression for a further six operons by reverse transcription-PCR. The AbrB-repressed genes identified in this study are involved in processes known to be regulated by AbrB, such as extracellular degradative enzyme production and amino acid metabolism, and processes not previously known to be regulated by AbrB, such as membrane bioenergetics and cell wall functions. To determine whether any of these AbrB-regulated genes had a role in biofilm formation, we tested 23 mutants, each with a disruption in a different AbrB-regulated operon, for the ability to form biofilms. Two mutants had a greater than twofold defect in biofilm formation. A yoaW mutant exhibited a biofilm structure with reduced depth, and a sipW mutant exhibited only surface-attached cells and did not form a mature biofilm. YoaW is a putative secreted protein, and SipW is a signal peptidase. This is the first evidence that secreted proteins have a role in biofilm formation by Bacillus subtilis.
On some criteria for the formulation and testing of economic growth models

This paper presents a methodology for the formulation and testing of economic growth models. The model selected includes two production sectors with physical and human capital accumulation. These capital stocks are associated with spillover effects in the production of the physical good and in the accumulation of both factors.
Spectral image decolorization

We propose a novelmethod for decolorizing a color image to grayscale, which preserves the chromatic contrast to be lost if using a simple luminance mapping. Unlike previous work, the conversion performs in spectral domain after applying Fourier transforms on luminance and chromatic channels, and the resultant intensity is recovered froman inverse transform. Frequency spectra inherently provide the magnitude of changes (i.e. contrast) among the channels, in all spatial scales. Consequently, only simple arithmetic operations are needed to add chromatic differences to the final grayscale intensity, leading to realtime computational speed. Moreover, users can flexibly control the decolorization effects by interactively adjusting visually-intuitive parameters, in addition to our predefined values. The method has great potential to be incorporated in commercial software and printer drivers due to its simplicity, speed and repeatability.
Partial plasma exchange using albumin replacement: removal and recovery of normal plasma constituents

Using albumin and crystalloid as the only replacement fluids, the effect of partial plasma exchange on the removal and recovery of normal plasma constituents was studied. The results of 30 procedures on 10 individuals were evaluated. Four patterns of removal are described: reduction in the concentration of fibrinogen and C3 were greater than would be expected based upon the extent of the exchange, while IgG, IgM, cholesterol, alkaline phosphatase and SGPT were removed as expected. Reduction of serum glutamicoxalacetic transaminase (SGOT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), amylase, and creatine phosphokinase (CPK) averaged 17% less, and uric acid, calcium and K+ averaged 53% less than expected. Concentrations of HCO-3 and glucose did not change. The mean recovery for all constituents except fibrinogen, C3, cholesterol. IgG and IgM was near 100% at 48-72 hr postpheresis. The 72-hr recovery of fibrinogen and complement was 66% and 60%, respectively. Cholesterol recovery was also slow, requiring a minimum of 1 wk to reach prepheresis levels. Measured at a time when quantitative IgM levels were still reduced, alloantibody agglutinating activity (anti-A and anti-B) in a postpheresis sample exceeded prepheresis agglutinating activity. These data demonstrated that, depending upon quantity and frequency of pheresis, partial plasma exchange using albumin replacement may cause progressive marked reduction in concentrations of immunoglobulin, complement, fibrinogen, and cholesterol. Furthermore, newly synthesized antibody may have increased biologic activity.
Inability to perform paced step-test and self-reported physical activity are useful measures of functional capacity among patients with COPD

Background: Functional capacity among patients with COPD is traditionally assessed with walking tests. Step-tests and measures of physical activity (PA) offer alternative methods. Objectives: To examine the relationships between an externally paced step-test (PST), self-reported PA, health-related quality of life, and 6-minute walking (6MW) distance. Methods: Analysis of baseline data from patients enrolled in a clinical trial. A three minute PST was performed at 22 steps/minute. PA was assessed with the rapid assessment of PA (RAPA) questionnaire categorized as active, intermediate, or low. Other measures were Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire (CRQ), SF-12, and 6MW. Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for factors independently associated with completion of the PST. Results: Of 325 patients mean age (SD) was 69 (10) years, 51% female, 92% white. The PST was administered to 84% and only 24% were able to complete entire 3 minutes. There were multiple clinically and statistically significant differences between the completers (C) and non-completers (NC) (Table). Inability to complete the PST was lower among active/intermediate vs. low PA (OR 0.7, CI 0.5-0.9) adjusting for age, gender, BMI, smoking status, GOLD stage, BODE index, and CRQ. Conclusions: These results suggest that the PST and RAPA offer feasible and clinically relevant measures among patients with COPD. Funding: NIH R18 HL092955.
Postoperative complications after thoracic surgery for lung cancer.

Abstract Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Several surgical techniques are currently used as part of the standard of care for early-stage lung cancer. Differentiating normal postoperative changes from complications is essential in the management of these patients. This article will review the various surgical approaches used, ranging from wedge resection to pneumonectomy, and will outline their expected postsurgical changes. Early and late postsurgical complications will be described, some of which are unique to the type of surgery performed. In addition, local tumor recurrence is a form of postoperative complication and must be distinguished from typical postoperative or postradiation change. Knowledge of both common and uncommon postoperative complications is crucial in the follow-up of lung cancer patients. Summary Statement Familiarity with the appearance of postoperative complications in lung cancer patients is vital to distinguish it from the normal postoperative or postradiation appearance in follow-up imaging.
Dialogue Management Based on Entities and Constraints

This paper introduces a new dialogue management framework for goal-directed conversations. A declarative specification defines the domain-specific elements and guides the dialogue manager, which communicates with the knowledge sources to complete the specified goal. The user is viewed as another knowledge source. The dialogue manager finds the next action by a mixture of rule-based reasoning and a simple statistical model. Implementation in the flight-reservation domain demonstrates that the framework enables the developer to easily build a conversational dialogue system.
Initial testing of a reflex triode vircator with adjustable A-K gap and cavity reflector

Virtual cathode oscillators (vircators) can be easily tuned by altering the current density of the electron beam. This can be accomplished by changing the voltage applied to the a-k gap, or by physically changing the gap separation. Previous results with an adjustable a-k gap vircator achieved discrete tuning at frequencies of 1.5 GHz, 2.1 GHz, 4.1 GHz, 4.6 GHz, and 5.9 GHz. To achieve better tunability an adjustable cavity reflector was incorporated into the vircator design. Initial testing of the new vircator design has shown increased output power, as well as the ability to greatly increase the number of frequencies that can be tuned. Sweeping the A-K gap with the cavity reflector in two positions yielded 10 different frequencies of operation. Also sweeping the cavity reflector with the a-k gap set at 8.0mm yielded another unique frequency. Currently 11 unique frequencies have been identified, and the peak field measured from this vircator increased from ∼40 kV/m to ∼69 kV/m (> 70% increase in field). This paper illustrates the design of the vircator and presents some of the microwave data obtained. Additionally, a summary of all of the frequencies obtained and the peak field measured are included.
Inflorescence Bud Initiation, Development, and Bloom in Two Southern Highbush Blueberry Cultivars

ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS. floral development, floral initiation, growing degree days, reproductive buds, Vaccinium corymbosum ABSTRACT. Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) production is increasing worldwide, particularly in subtropical growing regions,butinformationontimingandextentofinflorescence buddevelopmentduringsummerandfallandeffectson bloom the next season are limited. The objectives of this study were to determine time of inflorescence bud initiation, describe internal inflorescence bud development, and determine the relationship between internal inflorescence bud development and bloom period the next spring in two southern highbush blueberry (SHB (Vaccinium corymbosum interspecific hybrids)) cultivars. 'Emerald' and 'Jewel' SHB buds were collected beginning in late summer until shoot growth cessation in late fall for dissection and identification of organ development. Inflorescence bud frequency and number, vegetative and inflorescence bud length and width throughout development, and bloom were also assessed. Inflorescencebud initiation occurred earlier in'Emerald' compared with'Jewel'.Fivestages ofinternal inflorescence bud development were defined throughout fall in both cultivars, ranging from a vegetative meristem to early expansion of the inflorescence bud in late fall. 'Emerald' inflorescence buds were larger and bloomed earlier, reflecting the earlier inflorescence bud initiation and development. Although inflorescence bud initiation occurred earlierin'Emerald'comparedwith'Jewel',thepatternofdevelopmentwasnotdifferent.Timingofinflorescencebud initiation influenced timing of bloom with earlier initiation resulting in earlier bloom.
The C. elegans Snail homolog CES-1 can activate gene expression in vivo and share targets with bHLH transcription factors

Snail-type transcription factors (TFs) are found in numerous metazoan organisms and function in a plethora of cellular and developmental processes including mesoderm and neuronal development, apoptosis and cancer. So far, Snail-type TFs are exclusively known as transcriptional repressors. They repress gene expression by recruiting transcriptional co-repressors and/or by preventing DNA binding of activators from the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) family of TFs to CAGGTG E-box sequences. Here we report that the Caenorhabditis elegans Snail-type TF CES-1 can activate transcription in vivo. Moreover, we provide results that suggest that CES-1 can share its binding site with bHLH TFs, in different tissues, rather than only occluding bHLH DNA binding. Together, our data indicate that there are at least two types of CES-1 target genes and, therefore, that the molecular function of Snail-type TFs is more plastic than previously appreciated.
Formation of a molybdenum silicon suboxide: Growth of SiO2 pegs

Etude experimentale de l'oxydation de Fe-4,5 Cr-14 Ni-1,5 Si-4,4 Mo, a 800°C, pendant 1000 h. La discussion porte sur le processus d'oxydation a l'interface metal-oxyde
Alpha-haloethers: a new type of alkylating carcinogen.

(1968). Alpha-Haloethers: A New Type of Alkylating Carcinogen. Archives of Environmental Health: An International Journal: Vol. 16, No. 4, pp. 472-476.
Synthesis and Characterization of Amphiphilic Reduced Graphene Oxide with Epoxidized Methyl Oleate

Amphiphilic reduced graphene oxide is obtained by oleo-functionalization with epoxidized methyl oleate (renewable feedstock) using a green process. The excellent diverse solvent-dispersivity of the oleo-reduced amphiphilic graphene and its reduction chemistry are confirmed in this study. Oleo-reduction of amphiphilic graphene is amenable to industrially viable processes to produce future graphene-based polymer composites and systems.
G protein-coupled receptor signaling in human ductal pancreatic cancer cells: neurotensin responsiveness and mitogenic stimulation.

Neuropeptides and their corresponding G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs) are increasingly implicated in the autocrine/paracrine stimulation of growth of human cancers. We report that neurotensin induced rapid Ca2+ mobilization from intracellular stores followed by Ca2+ influx in five human ductal pancreatic cancer cell lines: HPAF-II, Capan-1, Capan-2, PANC-1, and MIA PaCa-2. In addition, most cell lines exhibited Ca2+ responses to multiple neuropeptides including bombesin, bradykinin, cholecystokinin, and vasopressin and to bioactive lipids, including lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), that also act via GPCRs. The well-differentiated line HPAF-II responded to at least seven independent GPCR agonists. The concentrations of neurotensin required to induce half-maximal effects (EC50) in HPAF-II and PANC-1 cells were 5 and 8 nM, respectively. Digital fluorescence image analysis to measure Ca2+ responses in single cells revealed that 90% or more of HPAF-II and PANC-1 cells responded to 10 nM neurotensin. Addition of neurotensin to PANC-1 cells also induced rapid and dose-dependent extracellular-regulated protein kinase (ERK-1 and ERK-2) activation and subsequently, stimulated DNA synthesis. The signaling complexity of GPCRs uncovered by these studies reveals a new aspect in the biology of human pancreatic cancer and could offer the basis for new approaches to the treatment of this disease. J. Cell. Physiol. 186:53–64, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Outcomes of minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) for high-grade dysplasia of the esophagus.

Objective: The management of high-grade dysplasia (HGD) of the esophagus is controversial with some clinicians advocating nonoperative ablation or surveillance. Minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) allows re-section of the esophagus and may minimize morbidity. This report summarizes our experience with MIE for HGD. Methods: A retrospective review of 28 patients who underwent MIE for a pre-operative diagnosis of HGD. MIE initially involved a laparoscopic transhiatal approach ðn ¼ 1Þ, but subsequently evolved to laparoscopy with VATS mobilization ðn ¼ 27Þ of the esophagus. Results: From August 1996 to March 2001, 28 patients underwent MIE. There were 23 males and five females; median age was 61 (40‐78) years. Median hospital stay was 5 (3‐20) days and ICU stay was 1 (1‐20) day. One patient required conversion to laparotomy because of dense adhesions. There were ten other patients who had successful MIE despite prior laparotomy. Median operating time was 8 (5.8‐13) h. One death occurred from sepsis, pneumonia and multi-system organ failure. Complications occurred in 15 patients. In addition to the patient who died, five re-operations were required for: small bowel perforation ðn ¼ 1Þ, jejunostomy leak ðn ¼ 1Þ, pyloric dilation for gastric outlet obstruction ðn ¼ 1Þ, cholecystectomy ðn ¼ 1Þ, incision and drainage of an abdominal abscess ðn ¼ 1Þ. Final pathologies were HGD ðn ¼ 17Þ, in situ cancer ðn ¼ 6Þ and invasive cancer ðn ¼ 5Þ .A t a median follow-up of 13 (2‐41) months all hospital survivors are alive and free of disease. Conclusions: This report confirms the risk of occult cancer in patients with HGD (39% in this series) supporting the recommendation for esophagectomy. MIE can be performed with acceptable results and may minimize morbidity compared to previous reports of open esophagectomy for HGD. q 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Crystal structures of rat anionic trypsin complexed with the protein inhibitors APPI and BPTI.

Abstract The crystal structure of rat anionic trypsin D189G/G226D has been determined in complexes with each of the protein inhibitors APPI (amyloid β-protein precursor inhibitor domain) and BPTI (bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor) at resolutions of 2·5 A and 2·1 A, respectively. Comparisons with the structure of the bovine trypsin-BPTI complex show that the enzyme-inhibitor interactions in rat trypsin are dominated to a much greater degree by attractive and repulsive electrostatic forces. Decreased structural complementarity in the flanking regions of the interface formed with BPTI is reflected in significantly weaker inhibition relative to bovine trypsin. The primary active site loop of BPTI adopts slightly different conformations when bound to rat and cow trypsins, reflecting a broader entrance to the binding pocket in the former. Tight complementarity of each loop conformer to the respective active sites then gives rise to significantly different overall orientations of the inhibitor when bound to the two enzymes. The crystal structures of trypsin bound to these protein inhibitors are excellent models of the Michaelis complexes, which permit visualization of substrate interactions both N and C-terminal to the cleaved bond, while maintaining identical reaction chemistry. They will be uniquely useful to the structure-function analysis of variant rat trypsin enzymes.
Hematopoiesis and stem cells: plasticity versus developmental heterogeneity

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) provide for blood formation throughout the life of the individual. Studies of HSCs form a conceptual framework for the analysis of stem cells of other organ systems. We review here the origin of HSCs during embryological development, the relationship between hematopoiesis and vascular development and the potential plasticity of HSCs and other tissue stem cells. Recent experiments in the mouse have been widely interpreted as evidence for unprecedented transdifferentiation of tissue stem cells. The use of enriched, but impure, cell populations allows for alternative interpretation. In considering these findings, we draw a distinction here between the plasticity of adult stem cells and the heterogeneity of stem cell types that pre-exist within tissues.
Heavy Metal Remediation Using Functionalized Mesoporous Silicas with Controlled Macrostructure

A synthesis procedure is described for making functionalized mesoporous silica macrostructures that can serve as self-supporting adsorbents for environmental remediation and other separations applications. The material, whose mesopores were functionalized with 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane ligands, can be made into spheres, irregular particles, and truncated cones having diameters from 1 to 15 mm through a one-step emulsion synthesis procedure. Other shapes such as pellets can be formed by molding the precursor gel. The macro- and mesomorphology of the materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and 29Si MAS NMR. Physisorption properties were investigated using nitrogen adsorption measurements. The surface area of these materials determined via the BET method ranged from 864 to 1184 m2 g-1. The materials are extremely effective in the removal of mercury and silver ions from aqueous solutions. The amount of mercury adsorbed ranged fr...
Quantitative variation in ecological and hormonal variables correlates with spatial organization of pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) males

Whereas variation in pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) spatial organization is well documented, underlying ecological or physiological explanations are not well understood. This study quantitatively describes spacing systems of pronghorn males and correlates of their spatial organization. I collected behavioral data from two populations in South Dakota (Wind Cave) and Montana (Bar Diamond) to determine if males differed in space use, response to intruders, and behavior patterns indicative of area defense. I measured sex ratio and population density, and I examined characteristics of food resources, including forb species diversity, richness, coverage, biomass, and nitrogen content, and how they changed during the growing season. I also collected and analyzed fecal samples to determine if males differed in testosterone concentrations. Pronghorn males at Wind Cave were more territorial than males at Bar Diamond, although males at Bar Diamond became more territorial during the second year. The forb community at Wind Cave was more diverse, contained greater amounts of forbs later in summer, and had a higher nitrogen content later in summer. Population density was lower at Wind Cave, although density dropped at Bar Diamond during the second year, and sex ratios were skewed toward males at Bar Diamond. Finally, males at Wind Cave had higher testosterone concentrations than did Bar Diamond males, although differences were not statistically significant. With lower population density and higher forb abundance and quality, food resources were more economically defensible at Wind Cave, and males were more territorial there. Analyses using these and other pronghorn populations revealed that population density and sex ratio correlated weakly with spatial organization, whereas precipitation correlated most strongly, which suggests plant productivity has a powerful role in determining pronghorn territoriality.
The total-absorption model of high-energy scattering

A model of high energy hadron-hadron scattering is considered where each hadron is a fully absorbing scatterer with a radius that increases with energy. The energy dependence of the radius is chosen such that the total cross section has the energy behavior of the Froissart bound. The scattering of two equal-mass spinless, isoscalar, nonidentical particles and the case of identical particles are considered. The scattering amplitudes and differential and total cross sections peak are found. (JFP)
An approximate König's theorem for edge-coloring weighted bipartite graphs

We consider a generalization of edge coloring bipartite graphs in which every edge has a weight in [0,1] and the coloring of the edges must satisfy that the sum of the weights of the edges incident to a vertex v of any color must be at most 1. For unit weights, Konig's theorem says that the number of colors needed is exactly the maximum degree. For this generalization, we show that 2. 557 n + o(n) colors are sufficient where n is the maximum total weight adjacent to any vertex, improving the previously best bound of 2. 833n+O(1) due to Du et al. This question is motivated by the question of the rearrangeability of 3-stage Clos networks. In that context, the corresponding parameter n of interest in the edge coloring problem is the maximum over all vertices of the number of unit-sized bins needed to pack the weights of the incident edges. In that setting, we are able to improve the bound to 2. 5480 n + o(n), also improving a bound of 2. 5625n+O(1) of Du et al. Our analysis is interesting in its own and involves a novel decomposition result for bipartite graphs and the introduction of an associated continuous one-dimensional bin packing instance which we can prove allows perfect packing.
Manipulating the Fragmentation Patterns of Phosphopeptides via Gas-Phase Boron Derivatization: Determining Phosphorylation Sites in Peptides with Multiple Serines

Trivalent boron species readily react with protonated phosphopeptides to give addition products with the loss of boron ligands. In the present study, trimethoxyborane (TMB), diisopropoxymethylborane (DIPM), and diethylmethoxyborane (DEMB) were allowed to react with four phosphopeptides, VsSF, LSsF, LsGASA, and VSGAsA (lower-case s indicates phosphoserine). Each of the phosphopeptides contains one serine that is phosphorylated and one that is not. Under collision-activated dissociation (CAD) conditions, the boron-derivatized peptides give fragmentation patterns that differ significantly from that of the protonated phosphopeptide. The patterns vary, depending on the number of labile (i.e., alkoxy) ligands on the boron. In general, boron derivatization increases the yield of phosphate-containing sequence ions, but dramatic effects are only seen with certain reagent/peptide combinations. However, the suite of reagents provides a means of altering and increasing the information content of phosphopeptide CAD spectra.
Xerostomia is Associated With Old Age and Poor Appetite in Patients on Chronic Hemodialysis

Objective The objective of this study was to assess variables associated with xerostomia in patients on chronic hemodialysis (HD). Design and Methods This was a cross-sectional study of 75 HD patients at an outpatient HD service. Demographic, clinical (renal disease, HD regimen/duration, Charlson comorbidity index, activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living [IADL], body mass index), and laboratory (hemoglobin, albumin, interleukin-6 [IL-6], and parathyroid hormone) parameters were recorded. We assessed the appetite through the Hemodialysis Study Appetite questionnaire and xerostomia through the Xerostomia Inventory (XI). A single question ("How often does your mouth feel dry?"; never = Class 1, almost never = Class 2, occasionally = Class 3, often = Class 4, very often = Class 5) was also included in the study questionnaire. Main Outcome Measure The main outcome measure was factors correlated with XI. Results The median XI score was 18 (min-max = 11-33 ). Forty patients had an XI score of 18 or less (Group 1) and between 18 and 35 (Group 2). In Group 2, age, Charlson comorbidity index score, and number of patients with poor/very poor appetite were significantly higher. At the univariate analysis, the score of the XI was significantly associated with age, appetite, IADL, Charlson comorbidity index, and serum IL-6 levels. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the XI was independently associated with age and appetite. Thirty-one patients were in Class 1 to 2, 23 were in Class 3, and 21 were in Class 4 to 5. In Classes 4 to 5, age and the number of patients with poor/very poor appetite were higher ( P = .012 and .09, respectively). Conclusion Xerostomia is associated with old age and poor appetite in patients on chronic HD.
Tanzanian Students' Attitudes Toward English

Although much research has been conducted on language policy and its effects in Tanzania, few studies have focused directly on the attitudes and opinions of Tanzanian students and teachers. For this project, 153 secondary students and 28 secondary school teachers from three secondary schools in Dar es Salaam were surveyed. Overall, both students and teachers had positive attitudes about learning and teaching English in the school system and recognized English as an important tool for advancement in their careers and future studies. However, they also recognized the necessity for more English language education and training if English continues to be the medium of instruction for both secondary and postsecondary education. The article suggests that if Tanzania cannot dedicate more resources to developing an appropriate foundation in the English language for both students and teachers and improving teacher training, either using Kiswahili as the medium of instruction or changing to a bilingual model may be more a viable option for the education system. However, these changes would also necessitate both a shift in the general populations' perceptions of English language instruction and a change in the economic benefits of English, making this a complicated and difficult issue to address.
Religion Periodical Indexes: A Basic List

What follows is not intended to be an exhaustive bibliography of indexes to the vast and varied literature of religion, but is one reference librarian's selection of the significant titles among the currently‐published religion periodical indexes. Brief descriptions are included to suggest how these tools might be useful. Publishing patterns and prices indicated were current for 1980 or 1981, but are subject to change. Descriptions of religion indexes not included here may be found in:
Improving Herpes Zoster Vaccination Rates Through Use of a Clinical Pharmacist and a Personal Health Record

Abstract Background Preventative health services, including herpes zoster vaccination rates, remain low despite known benefits. A new care model to improve preventative health services is warranted. The objective of this study is to investigate whether the functions of an electronic medical record, in combination with a pharmacist as part of the care team, can improve the herpes zoster vaccination rate. Methods This study was a 6-month, randomized controlled trial at a General Internal Medicine clinic at The Ohio State University. The 2589 patients aged 60 years and older without documented herpes zoster vaccination in the electronic medical record were stratified on the basis of activated personal health record status, an online tool used to share health information between patient and provider. Of the 674 personal health record users, 250 were randomized to receive information regarding the herpes zoster vaccination via an electronic message and 424 were randomized to standard of care. Likewise, of the 1915 nonpersonal health record users, 250 were randomized to receive the same information via the US Postal Service and 1665 were randomized to standard of care. After pharmacist chart review, eligible patients were mailed a herpes zoster vaccine prescription. Herpes zoster vaccination rates were compared by chi-square tests. Results Intervention recipients had significantly higher vaccination rates than controls in both personal health record (relative risk, 2.7; P = .0007) and nonpersonal health record (relative risk, 2.9; P = .0001) patient populations. Conclusions Communication outside of face-to-face office visits, by both personal health record electronic message and information by mail, can improve preventative health intervention rates compared with standard care.
Facial asymmetry in the newborn infant; its relation to congenital cranial osteoporosis (craniotabes) and infant's birth order.

Summary This study supplementing an earlier investigation presents additional observations on such facial asymmetry in the newborn infant as manifests the juxtaposition of shoulder and jaw in utero; also on the relationship of such facial asymmetry to congenital craniotabes. This study now comprises a total of 1,425 nonselected, apparently full-term newborn infants of Los Angeles and Mexico City. It confirms the relationship of facial asymmetry in the newborn infant to congenital craniotabes, or clinically demonstrable congenital cranial osteoporosis, and establishes a relationship to the infant's birth order. No published reports were found concerning the relationship of facial asymmetry to either of these factors. This study supports a broader clinical concept of facial asymmetry and of congenital craniotabes, and provides a new basis for investigating their etiological relationship to certain postnatally acquired head and facial asymmetries or dentofacial deformities. The systematic search for craniotabes is urged as part of the routine physical examination of all newborn infants, and particularly of those with facial asymmetry. A diagnostic and therapeutic routine for the newborn infant with both facial asymmetry and craniotabes, or craniotabes alone, is outlined.
All-Electron Path Integral Monte Carlo Simulations of Warm Dense Matter: Application to Water and Carbon Plasmas

We develop an all-electron path integral Monte Carlo method with free-particle nodes for warm dense matter and apply it to water and carbon plasmas. We thereby extend path integral Monte Carlo studies beyond hydrogen and helium to elements with core electrons. Path integral Monte Carlo results for pressures, internal energies, and pair-correlation functions compare well with density functional theory molecular dynamics calculations at temperatures of $(2.5--7.5)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{5}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{K}$, and both methods together form a coherent equation of state over a density-temperature range of $3--12\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{g}/{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$ and ${10}^{4}--{10}^{9}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{K}$.
Influence of osmotic and nutritional stress on physiology of Penicillium fellutanum in removal of phosphocholine and modification of phospho-1-O-[N-peptidyl-(2-aminoethanol)] phosphodiesters of peptidophosphogalactomannan species.

Addition of 3 M NaCl to 72-h cultures of Penicillium fellutanum in 2 mM phosphate resulted in an increase in percentage of extracellular peptidophosphogalactomannan III (pPxGMiii) and a decrease in that of pPxGMii. The magnitude of 31P nuclear magnetic resonance signals at 1.47 and 1.33 ppm of phospho-1-O-[N-peptidyl-(2-aminoethanol)] phosphodiesters pPxGMii and pPxGMiii decreased compared with controls. The data suggest that serine, glycine, and threonine residues from the 3-kDa peptide and from galactofuranosyl-6-O-phospho-1′-O-[N-peptidyl-(2-aminoethanol)] residues were the precursors of the needed choline-derived osmolytes.
Using BRAF(V600E) as a marker of autophagy dependence in pediatric brain tumors.

Autophagy inhibition is a potential therapeutic strategy in central nervous system (CNS) tumors. The BRAFV600E mutation is known to affect autophagy. Our studies indicate CNS tumor cells with BRAFV600E mutant cells (but not wild type) display high rates of induced autophagy, are sensitive to autophagy inhibition, and display synergy when chloroquine is combined with the RAF kinase inhibitor vemurafenib or standard chemotherapeutics. Our studies also indicate chloroquine can improve vemurafenib sensitivity in intrinsically resistant cells and in a patient with induced-vemurafenib resistance. These findings suggest CNS tumors with BRAFV600E are autophagy-dependent and that identification of BRAFV600E may be a marker to identify pediatric patients with the best potential response to autophagy inhibition.
UNIT ROOT TESTS WITH INFINITE VARIANCE ERRORS

This paper considers the asymptotic properties of some unit root test statistics with the errors belonging to the domain of attraction of a symmetric α-stable law with 0 < α < 2. The results obtained can be viewed as a parallel extension of the asymptotic results for the finite-variance case. The test statistics considered are the Dickey-Fuller, the Lagrange multiplier, the Durbin-Watson and Phillips-type modified. Their asymptotic distributions are expressed as functionals of a standard symmetric α-stable Levy motion. Percentiles of these test statistics are obtained by computer simulation. Asymptotic distributions of sample moments that are part of the test statistics are found to have explicit densities. A small Monte Carlo simulation study is performed to assess small-sample performance of these test statistics for heavy-tailed errors.
Cell surface oligosaccharide modulation during differentiation: V. Partial characterization of the regulated surface during substrate adhesion and spreading.

In previous studies with IMR-90 human fetal lung fibroblasts, it was shown that modulation of a small finite number of unique cell surface oligosaccharide structural specificities (as defined by reaction with specific lectins and monoclonal antibodies) define the cellular senescence phenotype. The cell surface oligosaccharide display can be characterized by assessing the epitope density and conformational arrangement of three or four individual carbohydrate specificities. Development of the senescence morphological phenotype was preceded by specific alterations in the cell surface oligosaccharide display. The senescence-dependent changes in these displays are primarily related to the binding affinity (the Kij of the Scatchard analyses) rather than the epitope density (the binding capacity, Rij of the Scatchard analyses). These alterations involve rearrangements within specific carbohydrate classes. In the course of these studies, the observation was made that low-density and contact-inhibited growth-retarded Phase II cells showed similar surface modulation of the oligosaccharide display. This suggests a broader significance for the date in growth regulation. These data suggest a structural/functional relationship between cellular senescence mechanisms and growth control in general. In this study we have investigated the possible role of cell surface oligosaccharide regulation in substrate interactions. Trypsinized cells were studied during substrate adherence, spreading and initiation of growth on control and poly-l-ornithine-treated polystyrene substrate.
The nature of the liquid expanded/liquid condensed phase change in insoluble monolayers at the air/water interface

Abstract While we are not in disagreement concerning the possible metastability of the liquid-condensed state within defined temperature ranges, we do not accept the Jalal and Zografi (1) arguments in favor of this. It should also be pointed out that, provided compressional/decompressional time scales are short compared to any long-term transitions of film to bulk phase, it is acceptable to apply a thermodynamic treatment to resultant film transitions.
Anatomically constrained neural network models for the categorization of facial expression

The ability to recognize facial expression in humans is performed with the amygdala which uses parallel processing streams to identify the expressions quickly and accurately. Additionally, it is possible that a feedback mechanism may play a role in this process as well. Implementing a model with similar parallel structure and feedback mechanisms could be used to improve current facial recognition algorithms for which varied expressions are a source for error. An anatomically constrained artificial neural-network model was created that uses this parallel processing architecture and feedback to categorize facial expressions. The presence of a feedback mechanism was not found to significantly improve performance for models with parallel architecture. However the use of parallel processing streams significantly improved accuracy over a similar network that did not have parallel architecture. Further investigation is necessary to determine the benefits of using parallel streams and feedback mechanisms in more advanced object recognition tasks.
Holmium Laser Approaches to Symptomatic Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

The holmium laser is a well-established instrument in the treatment of a variety of urologic conditions. Treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) with the holmium laser has grown steadily over the past decade, with multiple studies demonstrating its role as an effective alternative to other transurethral and open surgical treatments of BPH. This review describes current surgical techniques that employ the holmium laser and surveys recent literature comparing holmium-based treatments with traditional transurethral techniques, with particular attention paid to holmium laser enucleation of the prostate. Recent studies continue to support the short- and long-term efficacy of holmium laser enucleation of the prostate and other holmium-based treatments, providing evidence for the laser’s growing use in the treatment of benign obstruction. Transurethral surgery with the holmium laser endures as an effectual treatment for BPH that offers excellent, lasting functional outcomes with favorable short- and long-term morbidity when compared with conventional transurethral techniques.
The influence of reorientational collisions on coherent optical processes

Abstract Numerical calculations of pulse transmission in SF 6 are performed to appraise the role of reorientational collisions. No support is found for the recent postutate calling for thermally equilibrated magnetic sublevels in self-induced transparency.
Musculoskeletal injuries in Thoroughbred racehorses: a study of three large training yards in Newmarket, UK (2005-2007).

Abstract Musculoskeletal injury is the most common cause of lost training days in the young Thoroughbred horse in flat race training. To date, there has been little investigation of the regional patterns of injury frequently observed by clinicians in racehorse practice. The present study was conducted to determine incidence of musculoskeletal injuries in Thoroughbreds in training in Newmarket, United Kingdom. Veterinary records for all horses resident in three large (>100 horse) training yards were assessed for occurrence of significant musculoskeletal injury. A total of 248 injuries were recorded in 217 individual horses, from a total population of 616 individual horses; fractures of the tibia (20.7%) and proximal phalanx (14.5%) were the most common. Overall injury rates were similar between yards (23–26%/year), with seasonal patterns noted for some injury types. Incidence of certain injuries (P1, metacarpal/metatarsal condylar, pelvic fractures, and superficial digital flexor tendonitis) varied between yards. The majority of carpal, P1 fracture and SDF tendonitis cases were right-sided.
Functional MR angiography using phase contrast imaging technique at 3T MRI

Abstract Purpose: Phase contrast magnetic resonance angiography (PC MRA) is an important, non-invasive method for obtaining quantitative information on blood flow. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the dynamic cerebral arterial response in humans to visual stimulation by quantitative velocity analysis using PC MRA. Methods: Functional PC MRA (fPCA) images at 3 Tesla MRI were acquired with a total acquisition time of 10 m 18 s for 2 rest and 1 visual stimulation sessions using a flashing checker board. Twelve healthy subjects participated in this study. Circular regions of interest (ROIs) consisting of 21 pixels were analyzed to determine the velocity changes due to visual stimulation in selected vessel segments supplying the visual cortex. Time-of-flight (TOF) MRA and PC MRA reference volume images were then compared to measure the signal intensity and quantitative blood velocity changes in the cerebral vessels. Results: The mean velocity changes measured by PC MRA between rest and stimulation were 0.64 and 0.42 cm/s within the peak ROI and distal ROIs of the selected blood vessels, which corresponds to a 42.9% and 30.1% increase, respectively. Both TOF MRA and PC MRA reference volume images also exhibited an increase in the signal intensity of the target vessels during stimulation. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that fPCA could play a role in the quantitative analysis of the functional cerebral vascular response by measuring dynamic vascular changes in intensity and velocity in small arteries.
Trialkylarsine oxides: Donor properties toward iodine

Abstract Equilibrium quotients and extinction coefficients have been measured in carbon tetrachloride solutions, at 25, 35 and 45°, for charge-transfer complexes which form between iodine and tris( n -octyl)arsine oxide, or tris(cyclohexyl)arsine oxide. These molecules, using the equilibrium constants as a criterion, possess a donor strength toward iodine considerably greater than that of triphenylarsine oxide, triphenylarsine or the trialkylphosphine oxides.
BLAP75, an essential component of Bloom's syndrome protein complexes that maintain genome integrity

Bloom's syndrome (BS) is a rare human genetic disorder characterized by dwarfism, immunodeficiency, genomic instability and cancer predisposition. We have previously purified three complexes containing BLM, the helicase mutated in this disease. Here we demonstrate that BLAP75, a novel protein containing a putative OB-fold nucleic acid binding domain, is an integral component of BLM complexes, and is essential for their stability in vivo. Consistent with a role in BLM-mediated processes, BLAP75 colocalizes with BLM in subnuclear foci in response to DNA damage, and its depletion impairs the recruitment of BLM to these foci. Depletion of BLAP75 by siRNA also results in deficient phosphorylation of BLM during mitosis, as well as defective cell proliferation. Moreover, cells depleted of BLAP75 display an increased level of sister-chromatid exchange, similar to cells depleted of BLM by siRNA. Thus, BLAP75 is an essential component of the BLM-associated cellular machinery that maintains genome integrity.