cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Affective expression among preterm infants of varying levels of biological risk

Abstract This investigation examines the association between risk status and the quality of emotional arousal and regulation among preterm infants in the second year of life. The behavior of 55 preterm infants stratified into three risk groups by severity and chronicity of respiratory illness was recorded during the procedures of the Strange Situation. Measures of emotional responsiveness included temporal and intensity features of facial and vocal expressions as well as concurrent activity with toys. Significant relationships between neonatal risk status and these expressive and regulatory features were observed. Infants in the High-Risk group ( N = 16) differed from healthy Low-Risk infants ( N = 23) and from those in the Moderate-Risk group ( N = 16). The High-Risk infants showed a greater sensitivity to distress arousal at low levels of stress and less ability to modulate distress once aroused. High-Risk infants also demonstrated significantly less adaptive play with toys than the other preterm infants. In short, this study suggests that, when placed under stress, High-Risk preterm infants in their second year of life become more distressed and demonstrate less ability to recover from this distress and effectively re-engage their environment than preterm infants born at lower risk.
The Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean (HICO) and Environmental Characterization of the Coastal Zone from the International Space Station

The Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean (HICO) operating on the International Space Station is the first demonstration of environmental characterization of the coastal ocean using hyperspectral imagery from space.
Authoring Systems: Some Instructional Implications.

The strengths and weaknesses of our four authoring systems are described in terms of their power, ease of use, and productivity. Productivity aids for graphics and logic, tern plating functions, lesson testing, including menu and icon structures are discussed.
Pharmacodynamic models for agents that alter production of natural cells with various distributions of lifespans.

Indirect pharmacodynamic response (IDR) models were developed for agents which alter the generation of cell populations with arbitrary lifespan distributions. These models extend lifespan based IDR models introduced previously [J. Pharmacokinet. Biopharm. 27: 467, 1999] for cell populations with the same lifespan (“delta” distribution). Considered are cell populations exhibiting time-invariant lifespan distributions described by the probability density function l(τ). It is assumed that cell response (R) is produced at a zero-order rate (k in(t)) and is eliminated from the population when the cell lifespan expires. The cell loss rate is calculated as k in*l(t), where ‘*’ denotes the convolution operator. Therapeutic agents can stimulate or inhibit production rates according to the Hill function: 1 ± H(C(t)) where H(C(t)) contains the capacity (S max) and potency (SC 50) parameters and C(t) is a pharmacokinetic function. The production rate is k in(t)=k in· [ 1±H(C(t))]. The operational model is dR/dt = k in(t)−k in*l(t) with the baseline condition R 0 = k in· T R , where T R is the mean lifespan. Single populations as well as populations with precursors were examined by simulation to establish the role of lifespan distribution parameters (mean and standard deviation) in controlling the response vs. time profile. Estimability of parameters was assessed. Numerical techniques of solving differential equations with the convolution integral were proposed. In addition, the models were applied to literature data to describe the stimulatory effects of single doses of recombinant human erythropoietin on reticulocytes in blood. The estimates of S max and SC 50 for these agents were obtained along with means and standard deviations for reticulocyte lifespan distributions. The proposed models can be used to analyze the pharmacodynamics of agents which alter natural cell production yielding parameters describing their efficacy and potency as well as means and standard deviations for cell lifespan distributions.
Meta-SWOT: introducing a new strategic planning tool

Purpose – SWOT analysis is defective as a tool for guiding strategic planning because of its subjective, unsystematic, and non‐quantitative nature that lacks predictive power. This paper aims to present an alternative tool that overcomes these defects and is grounded in the resource‐based view of the firm. Meta‐SWOT does not take markets and other factors in the competitive environment as given but invites planners to start from resources and capabilities in determining competitive advantage.Design/methodology/approach – Based on a critique of SWOT analysis, an alternative decision‐support method is presented. Meta‐SWOT is based on the inside‐out approach typical of the resource‐based view of the firm. The method is implemented in a workbook programmed in Microsoft Excel that guides decision‐makers in a systematic step‐by‐step process of questions and answers from an initial brainstorming to a prioritized list of action steps. Input decisions generate a competitive map and a strategy map that assist effec...
Plant Transposable Elements. A Hard Act to Follow

The discovery and genetic characterization of plant transposable elements (TEs) led to a revolution in our understanding of the composition and dynamic potential of the genetic material in virtually all organisms. Most of these breakthroughs occurred between 30 and 50 years ago. It was during this
Direct measurement of lubricant relaxation on a disk surface

This paper presents a novel method for studying the relaxation characteristics of a molecularly thin lubricant film. The thickness dependent diffusion constant is measured by monitoring the temporal decay of a lubricant film thickness with a well-controlled initial sinusoidal thickness modulation. The lubricant film thickness can also be modulated by flying a slider in seek mode, creating a 2D "mogul" pattern. Using the previously measured diffusion coefficients, the relaxation of these moguls is simulated and compared with the experimental relaxation images obtained with an Optical Surface Analyzer.
The effect of glucose on ethanol withdrawal symtomatology

Abstract Rats were gavaged with ethanol and ethanol plus glucose at 3 hr intervals seven times daily. Ethanol dosages were administered according to behavioral criteria of inebriation. rats that received glucose plus ethanol were able to tolerate higher ethanol dosages than rats that received ethanol alone (9. 76 vs 7.30 g/kg/day). Glucose plus ethanol rats absorbed ethanol at a significantly slower rate (first order absorption rate constant=0.855 hr −1 ) than the ethanol only rats (first order absorption rate constant=1.888 hr −1 ). Glucose appears to enhance the metabolism of orally administered ethanol by both the gastrointestinal mucosa and the liver, "first-pass" effects, resulting in a decreased area under the blood ethanol concentration-time curve. Glucose administration during the induction of ethanol dependence did not reduce the tremors during ethanol withdrawal when the dose of ethanol was based on behavioral criteria of inebriation. 3-Hydroxybutyrate was able to suppress the tremorous component of the ethanol withdrawal syndrome in rats that received glucose plus ethanol just as was previously shown in rats that received ethanol alone.
Appreciation of holistic nursing.

The author’s appreciation for holistic nursing has stemmed from working as a nurse for several years and coming to the realization that although patients may have the same illness or symptoms, thei...
Gaussian sampling by local perturbations

We present a technique for exact simulation of Gaussian Markov random fields (GMRFs), which can be interpreted as locally injecting noise to each Gaussian factor independently, followed by computing the mean/mode of the perturbed GMRF. Coupled with standard iterative techniques for the solution of symmetric positive definite systems, this yields a very efficient sampling algorithm with essentially linear complexity in terms of speed and memory requirements, well suited to extremely large scale probabilistic models. Apart from synthesizing data under a Gaussian model, the proposed technique directly leads to an efficient unbiased estimator of marginal variances. Beyond Gaussian models, the proposed algorithm is also very useful for handling highly non-Gaussian continuously-valued MRFs such as those arising in statistical image modeling or in the first layer of deep belief networks describing real-valued data, where the non-quadratic potentials coupling different sites can be represented as finite or infinite mixtures of Gaussians with the help of local or distributed latent mixture assignment variables. The Bayesian treatment of such models most naturally involves a block Gibbs sampler which alternately draws samples of the conditionally independent latent mixture assignments and the conditionally multivariate Gaussian continuous vector and we show that it can directly benefit from the proposed methods.
New Manganese Oxides by Hydrothermal Reaction of Permanganates

The mild hydrothermal decomposition of aqueous permanganate solutions has been found to lead to new layered manganes oxides. In the case of alkali permanganates, AMnO4, layered birnessite-type compounds are formed with the general formula - AxMnO2•nH2O. These compounds have R 3 m rhombohedral structures analogous to the layered disulfides. The water is reversibly lost on heating, and the compounds readily intercalate lithium ions in a reversible manner. In the case of the hydrothermal decomposition of tetramethylammonium permanganate in the presence of nickel, the new compound NiMnO3 is formed that has a novel structure. This compound also has interesting magnetic properties, being a paramagnet above 111K and a ferromagnetic below that temperature.
There are many potential medical therapies for atraumatic osteonecrosis

Atraumatic osteonecrosis is a common complication of SLE and is seen in other connective tissue diseases, in patients treated with high doses of CSs, in HIV-infected patients and in alcoholic patients. Standard care is confined to analgesia, core decompression if the condition is early and affects the femoral head and joint replacement. However, consideration of the underlying biological mechanisms leads to the recognition of many potential therapies that might either prevent progression or, even, reverse the process if it is not yet too far advanced. These potential therapies merit detailed consideration. Critical points are that (i) histopathological evidence shows that the initial cellular event is apoptosis of osteocytes; and (ii) another requisite, as homeostasis requires that death and rebirth of osteocytes be balanced, is an accompanying inadequate proliferative capacity of osteoblasts. Thus, a logical approach to treatment includes measures that (i) reduce apoptosis of osteocytes and (ii) enhance proliferation of osteoblasts/pre-osteoblasts. Measures to reduce the ongoing apoptosis of osteocytes require reinforcing the effects of members of the Bcl-2 family (Bcl-2 itself and Mcl-1), the Wnt/catenin pathways (using an available sclerostin antibody) and HSPs (by application of local heat using US, deep wave diathermy or infrared), as well as administration of bisphosphonates and nitrates. Measures to enhance proliferation of osteoblasts/pre-osteoblasts include the use of stem cells, extracorporeal shock wave therapy, aspirin, the proteosome inhibitor bortezomib, melatonin and application of local heat. Use of VEGF would encourage proliferation of blood vessels and osteogenesis. Certain drugs that inhibit osteoblast proliferation should be avoided, including NSAIDs, serotonin reuptake inhibitors and thiazolidinediones.
Meßverfahren und Meßeinrichtungen für Dehnungsmessungen

Die planmasige Erforschung der mechanischen Werkstoffeigenschaften wurde erst moglich, nachdem es gelungen war, die Formanderungen genau zu messen und die Gesetzmasigkeiten festzustellen, die zwischen den Formanderungen und den sie bewirkenden auseren Kraften bestehen.
ODEPACK++: refactoring the LSODE Fortran library for use in the CCA high performance component software architecture

We present a case study of the alternatives and design trade-offs encountered when adapting an established numerical library into a form compatible with modern component-software implementation practices. Our study will help scientific software users, authors, and maintainers develop their own roadmaps for shifting to component-oriented software. The primary library studied, LSODE, and the issues involved in the adaptation are typical of many commonly used numerical libraries. We examine the adaptation of a related library, CVODE, and compare the impact on applications of the two different designs. The LSODE-derived components solve models composed with CCA components developed independently at the Argonne and Oak Ridge National Laboratories. The resulting applications run in the Ccaffeine framework implementation of the common component architecture specification. We provide CCA-style interface specifications appropriate to linear equations, ordinary differential equations (ODE), and differential algebraic equations (DAE) solvers.
The role of policy in requirements definition

Three significant challenges facing the discipline of software engineering are understanding how software designers reason about policy, understanding how they define requirements based on this reasoning, and providing machine-based intelligent tools that support reasoning about policy. The authors are developing the concept of a policy workbench: knowledge-based tools that support reasoning about such properties of policies as consistency, completeness, and correctness, and the implications of policy for the behavior of a system. They discuss how such a workbench might help software designers reason about the relationships between policies and requirements. >
Thermoelastic damping in fine-grained polysilicon flexural beam resonators

The design and fabrication of polysilicon flexural beam resonators with very high mechanical quality factors (Q) is essential for many MEMS applications. Based on an extension of the well-established theory of thermoelastic damping in homogeneous beams, we present closed-form expressions to estimate an upper bound on the attainable quality factors of polycrystalline beam resonators with thickness (h) much larger than the average grain size (d). Associated with each of these length scales is an independent damping mechanism; we refer to them as Zener and intracrystalline thermoelastic damping, respectively. For representative polysilicon beam resonators (h = 2 /spl mu/m; d = 0.1 /spl mu/m) at 300 K, the predicted critical frequencies for these two mechanisms are /spl sim/7 MHz and /spl sim/14 GHz, respectively. The model is consistent with data from the literature in the sense that the measured values approach, but do not exceed, the calculated thermoelastic limit. From the viewpoint of the maximum attainable Q, our model suggests that single-crystal silicon, rather than fine-grained polysilicon, is the material of choice for the fabrication of flexural beam resonators for applications in the gigahertz frequency range.
Design of a hypertext power supply design guide

Quality Function Deployment (QFD) is used to drive user needs into a power supply design guide. These needs are met with a hypertext but are not met with a printed guide. Features, such as launching computer programs and semi-automatic documentation of the design, expand the concept of a design guide. >
Systematics of the Abrocoma Cinerea Species Complex (Rodentia: Abrocomidae), with a Description of a New Species of Abrocoma

The genus Abrocoma (family Abrocomidae) is distributed from southern Peru and northern Chile to Bolivia and then southward to the west-central region of Mendoza Province, Argentina. The systematics of the genus is poorly known. Ten taxa were originally described but later synonymized into 2 species. Five taxa were included in Abrocoma cinerea and 5 in A. bennetti. A 3rd species, A. boliviensis, was described in 1990, and a new genus and species, Cuscomys ashaninka, were described in 1999. We reevaluate the systematics of the A. cinerea species complex, with emphasis on Argentine specimens, using cranial, dental, and external morphology. A new species of Abrocoma from Mendoza Province, Argentina, is described. Karyotypic information is presented. Behavior, habitat, and natural history are also discussed.
Composition of Superconducting La2CuO4+δ a Superconductor Doped by excess Oxygen Defects

We have studied mixed-phase samples of bulk La z CuO 4 using neutron powder diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and resistivity measurements. Samples fired at 950°C and slowly cooled form in the K 2 NiF 4 structure with CuO impurities for z 2 O 3 impurities for z>2. Neither La-vacancies nor stacking defects were found. The bulk resistivity of the samples show semiconducting behavior which is shorted at 38K by small amounts of superconducting material. The superconductivity is due to the presence of an oxygen-rich phase with stoichiometry La 2 CuO 4.08 . The occurrence of superconductivity in pure La 2 CuO 4.08 with the same T c as observed in the doped La 1.85 Sr 0.15 CuO 4 indicates that the excess oxygen provides the same level of doping as metal-ion substitution.
Solar PV Residential Grid-Tie System for Optimizing Installation and Performance

With the greening of the US power grid most of the available landscape and resource investment lays with residential home owners. Historically homes were not built with green technology in mind. Roof faces do not always face south, nor are they always at optimum angles. Existing homes are often shaded by old growth trees. This paper covers decision-making tools for cost, performance, layout, and labor optimization. It also includes a case study from a residential solar PV system in suburbia Detroit, Michigan; and goes further into possible improvements to the system after initial installation and their cost effectiveness.
A comprehensive analytical power loss model of an induction motor drive system with loss minimization control

This paper proposes a novel analytical loss model of an induction motor drive system and a model-based loss minimization technique (LMT). Although various models of individual motors and inverters are found in the literature, a comprehensive model of the inverter-fed drive system is lacking which impedes the optimization of the system-level efficiency. The proposed model contains a novel dynamic induction machine model including copper and core losses, and an analytical inverter model including conduction and switching losses. A parabolic curve fitting, instead of the commonly used linear curve fitting, is applied to the switch and diode conduction characteristics for low inverter currents. A loss minimization control of the system is designed based on indirect field oriented control (IFOC) to provide the optimal value of the d-axis rotor flux linkage (λdr∗) as the control variable. Detailed mathematical derivation and simulation validation of the drive loss model are presented.
A Castilian agreement and two English briefs: writing in revolt in thirteenth-century Castile and England

This article compares the Barons’ War against Henry III of England (1258–1265) and the revolt of the Castilian nobles against Alfonso X of Castile (1271–1273) and analyzes the ways the rebels opposed their kings in writing. It argues that the English barons and Castilian nobles viewed written authority and past custom as sufficient justification for their grievances and that they were aware of the political ramifications of their written statements. The English briefs submitted to Louis IX of France for arbitration in 1264 outlined the barons’ grievances with Henry III. They appealed to past documents, such as Magna Carta and the Provisions of Oxford, and general consuetudines (customs) to support these grievances. They rarely attacked Henry III directly and forbore from naming themselves as they were still Henry's vassals. Similarly, the purported agreement between the Castilian nobles and Alfonso X, presented to Enrique I of Navarre in 1273, contained the nobles’ demands of Alfonso. It emphasized the au...
"Pressured to prescribe" The impact of economic and regulatory factors on South-Eastern ED physicians when managing the drug seeking patient.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to elicit the opinions of Emergency Department (ED) physicians, currently practicing in the United States, regarding the impact of economic and regulatory factors on their management of patients exhibiting “drug seeking” behavior. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study, utilizing a convenience sample of ED physicians located in Florida and Georgia was conducted for a period of 2 months. The inclusion criteria specified that any ED physician, currently practicing within the United States, could participate. Results: Of the ED physicians surveyed (n = 141), 71% reported a perceived pressure to prescribe opioid analgesics to avoid administrative and regulatory criticism and 98% related patient satisfaction scores as being too highly emphasized by reimbursement entities as a means of evaluating their patient management. Rising patient volumes and changes in the healthcare climate were cited by ED physicians as impacting their management of patients exhibiting “drug seeking” behavior. Conclusions: The ED physician faces unique challenges in changing healthcare and economic climates. Requirements to address pain as the “fifth vital sign,” patient satisfaction based reimbursement metrics and an economically driven rise in ED patient volume, may have inadvertently created an environment conducive to exploitation by prescription opioid abusers. There is an identified need for the development of continuing medical education and standardized regulatory and legislative protocols to assist ED physicians in the appropriate management of patients exhibiting “drug seeking” behavior.
Radical Cation Intermediates in Propane Dehydrogenation and Propene Hydrogenation over H-[Fe] Zeolites

This report investigates the mechanistic relationship between the monomolecular propane dehydrogenation reaction and the reverse reaction, the propene hydrogenation, over H-[Fe]ZSM-5 catalysts. It is shown that the difference in the apparent activation energies of the forward and reverse reactions is equal to the reaction enthalpy (∼130 kJ mol–1) and that the rate constants of the reactions have an isokinetic relationship. The ratios of the rate constants of the forward to the reverse reactions are equal to the equilibrium constant (e.g., KP ≈ 0.033 bar at 773 K) even if the reactions occur separately, away from equilibrium. The results are consistent with the principle of microscopic reversibility and indicate that both forward and reverse reactions are structurally related and proceed through the same elementary steps and reaction intermediates. The pattern of selectivity, the activation energy, and the estimated enthalpy and entropy of formation of the transition states in H-[Fe]ZSM-5 are very differen...
Nanometer-scale measurements of iron oxidation states of cronstedtite from primitive meteorites

We report the first nanometer-scale measurements of the iron (III) to total iron (Fe 3 + /ΣFe) ratios from primitive meteorites. These ratios from the matrices and fine-grained rims (FGRs) of the Murchison, Murray, and Cold Bokkeveld CM chondrites fall within a tight range, from 0.45 to 0.54 (′0.02). The measurements were made using electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) on cronstedtite, which is a product of aqueous alteration early in the history of the solar system. The results indicate that the alteration of these meteorites, which display a broad range of alteration intensity, occurred under similar redox conditions and, further, that alteration likely occurred in situ on asteroidal bodies rather than in the solar nebula.
The Use and Relevance of the Hippocratic Oath in 2015 – A survey of US Medical Schools

Abstract Aim To determine the extent and context in which the Hippocratic Oath and related oaths are used in medical education at accredited medical schools in the United States. Methodology An online survey (SurveyMonkey) was sent to officials at every allopathic medical school in the US. Results Based on responses from 67 out of 141 contacted medical schools (48%), 67 (100%) had medical students recite an oath at some point during the four-year medical education period. Fifty-nine schools (88%) had students swear an oath more than once during their training and 30 (45%) used more than one oath. Responses show that 29 (43%) medical schools used the classic Hippocratic Oath or a modified version of it, 29 (43%) used oaths authored by students and/or faculty, and 28 (42%) used some other kind of oath. All reporting (67, 100%) medical institutions incorporated an oath into a ceremonial event such as a White Coat Ceremony (61, 91%) or Commencement (62, 93%). Conclusions Data collected by our study shows that oaths play a significant role in medical school ceremonies with an unknown impact on shaping the medical ethics of student physicians. The surge in the popularity of student-crafted oaths mirrors the rise of selfie culture that defines the millennial generation as one that values personalization, individualism, and openness to nontraditional change.
Robust NaO2 Electrochemistry in Aprotic Na–O2 Batteries Employing Ethereal Electrolytes with a Protic Additive

Aprotic metal–oxygen batteries, such as Li–O2 and Na–O2 batteries, are of topical research interest as high specific energy alternatives to state-of-the-art Li-ion batteries. In particular, Na–O2 batteries with NaO2 as the discharge product offer higher practical specific energy with better rechargeability and round-trip energy efficiency when compared to Li–O2 batteries. In this work, we show that the electrochemical deposition and dissolution of NaO2 in Na–O2 batteries is unperturbed by trace water impurities in Na–O2 battery electrolytes, which is desirable for practical battery applications. We find no evidence for the formation of other discharge products such as Na2O2·H2O. Furthermore, the electrochemical efficiency during charge remains near ideal in the presence of trace water in electrolytes. Although sodium anodes react with trace water leading to the formation of a high-impedance solid electrolyte interphase, the increase in discharge overpotential is only ∼100 mV when compared to cells employi...
Personalized medicine in cystic fibrosis: Genistein supplementation as a treatment option for patients with a rare S1045Y-CFTR mutation

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a life-shortening disease caused by the mutations that generate nonfunctional CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein. A rare serine-to-tyrosine (S1045Y) CFTR mutation was earlier reported to result in CF-associated fatality. We identified an African-American patient with the S1045Y mutation in CFTR, as well as a stop-codon mutation, who has a mild CF phenotype. The underlying mechanism of CF caused by S1045Y-CFTR has not been elucidated. In this study, we determined that S1045Y-CFTR exhibits twofold attenuated function compared with wild-type (WT)-CFTR. We report that serine-to-tyrosine mutation leads to increased tyrosine phosphorylation of S1045Y-CFTR, followed by recruitment and binding of E3-ubiquitin ligase c-cbl, resulting in enhanced ubiquitination and passage of S1045Y-CFTR in the endosome/lysosome degradative compartments. We demonstrate that inhibition of tyrosine phosphorylation partially rescues S1045Y-CFTR surface expression and function. Based on our findings, it could be suggested that consuming genistein (a tyrosine phosphorylation inhibitor) would likely ameliorate CF symptoms in individuals with S1045Y-CFTR, providing a unique personalized therapy for this rare CF mutation.
The Relationship Between Changes in Importance of Store Attributes and Employment Status of Female Heads of Household: An Empirical Investigation

The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of changing economic conditions on female consumers’ store selection and patronage orientations. Specifically, primary emphasis is to consider employment status of the female head (or wife) of the household in explaining the relationship between the changes in the economic situation in the past few years and their effects on female shoppers’ store selection behavior.
A Neural Network Approach to Pattern Recognition in Marketing Data Analysis: An Analysis of Both the Positive and Negative Aspects of System Performance

Neural network research in artificial intelligence, although reported mainly in computer science literature, is being pursued by scientists in a variety of disciplines throughout the world (Hopfield 1987). A neural network is an artificial intelligence approach to computing that is characterized by interconnected, parallel functioning neurons with an operating design philosophy based on the biological brain. With newly available software, this type of network can be trained to accept independent variable values as input, and by determining its own heuristic for their relationship, estimate dependent variable values as output. Common terminology used to indicate this type of neural network processing include: adaptive systems, parallel distributed processors, neurocomputers, and natural intelligence (Stanley 1989). Particularly, where prediction is the main objective, neural analysis is finding marketing applications in place of, or in addition to, multivariate techniques such as multiple regression, discriminant analysis, and logistic regression. This is not to suggest that statistical analysis is in danger of becoming obsolete. Neural analysis can only be expected to provide limited insight into data, and will only be appropriate in a small subset of applications.
Moving the needle: Optimizing classification for glioma

Genomic markers provide unbiased information that is increasingly being used to enhance traditional histopathology approaches for classification of cancer samples.
Extraction of a nn from the reaction π − d → γ nn

Extraction of a value for the neutron-neutron scattering length by an analysis of the reaction ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}+d\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\gamma}+n+n$ necessitates making assumptions about the reaction amplitude. We have studied the sensitivity of the extracted value of ${a}_{\mathrm{nn}}$ to such an analysis by performing a series of theoretical experiments in which a standard set of assumptions is used to analyze data generated by variations in one or more of these assumptions. For kinematically complete experiments the major sources of uncertainty lie in the energy dependence of the short-range characterization of the $n\ensuremath{-}n$ final-state wave function and to a lesser extent the treatment of the pion wave function in the initial state. We conclude that a value of ${a}_{\mathrm{nn}}$ can be extracted from this experiment with a theoretical uncertainty of less than 0.3 fm.NUCLEAR REACTIONS ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}(d, nn)\ensuremath{\gamma}$, scattering length extraction, deuteron wave function, $\mathrm{nn}$ wave function neutron time-of-flight spectra.
VEGETABLE PROTEIN FOODS–A REVIEW

Vegetable protein foods have become economically important to food processors in the past decade and are gaining wide consumer acceptance. Being a “manufactured” food product, they can be tailored organoleptically and nutritionally to satisfy a wide variety of tastes and needs. Most of the vegetable protein foods use soybeans as a protein source, but other plant proteins are also being incorporated into these foods. By-products resulting from the production of animal protein are being developed into sources of protein concentrates which may be used as protein supplements.
Is lumbar facet fusion biomechanically equivalent to lumbar posterolateral onlay fusion

OBJECTIVE This study was designed with the following research objectives: 1) to determine the efficacy of facet fusion with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) on an absorbable collagen sponge (ACS) in an ovine lumbar facet fusion model; 2) to radiographically and histologically compare the efficacy of lumbar facet fusion with rhBMP-2/ACS to facet fusion with an iliac crest bone graft (ICBG); and 3) to biomechanically compare lumbar facet fusion with rhBMP-2/ACS to lumbar posterolateral fusion (PLF) with ICBG. METHODS The efficacies of the 3 treatments to induce fusion were evaluated in an instrumented ovine lumbar fusion model. Eight sheep had 10 cm3/side ICBG placed as an onlay graft for PLF at L2-3. At the adjacent L3-4 level, 0.5 cm3/side ICBG was placed for facet fusion. Finally, 0.5 cm3/side rhBMP-2/ACS (0.43 mg/ml) was placed for facet fusion at L4-5. CT scans were obtained at 2, 4, and 6 months postoperatively with 2 reviewers conducting an evaluation of the 6-month results for all treated spinal levels. All 8 sheep were killed at 6 months, and all posterolateral instrumentation was removed at this time. The spines were then sectioned through L3-4 to allow for nondestructive unconstrained biomechanical testing of the L2-3 and L4-5 segments. All treated spinal levels were analyzed using undecalcified histology with corresponding microradiography. Statistical comparisons were made between the treatment groups. RESULTS The PLF with ICBG (ICBG PLF group) and the rhBMP-2 facet fusion (rhBMP-2 Facet group) treatment groups demonstrated similar levels of stiffness, with the rhBMP-2 Facet group having on average slightly higher stiffness in all 6 loading directions. All 8 levels in the autograft facet fusion treatment group demonstrated CT radiographic and histological fusion. All 8 levels in the rhBMP-2 Facet group showed bilateral CT radiographic and histological fusion. Six of 16 rhBMP-2/ACS-treated facet defects demonstrated small intraosseous hematomas or seromas. Four of the 8 levels (50%) in the ICBG PLF treatment group demonstrated bilateral histological fusion. Three of 8 levels in the ICBG PLF treatment group showed unilateral fusion. One of the 8 levels in the ICBG PLF treatment group demonstrated bilateral histological nonfusion. CONCLUSIONS Both rhBMP-2/ACS and autograft demonstrated 100% efficacy when used for facet fusion in the instrumented ovine model. However, the ICBG PLF treatment group only demonstrated a 50% bilateral fusion rate. Biomechanically, the ICBG PLF and rhBMP-2 Facet groups demonstrated similar stiffness in all 6 loading directions, with the rhBMP-2 Facet group having on average slightly higher stiffness in all directions.
Gender, race and the presentation of acute coronary syndrome and serious cardiopulmonary diagnoses in ED patients with chest pain

Objective To assess the relationship between reported chest pain symptoms and a diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and serious cardiopulmonary diagnoses (SCPD) in black males, white males, black females and white females. Methods This was a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study of 4162 ED patients with chest pain enrolled between 1999 and 2008. We used logistic regression, adjusting for age and cardiovascular comorbidities to test the association between 24 chest pain symptoms and 30-day ACS for the primary outcome and SCPD as the secondary outcome. Result In black males, diaphoresis was associated with ACS (OR 1.47; 95% CI 1.02 to 2.13), while in white males, left arm radiation, pressure/tightness and substernal pain were associated with ACS (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.16 to 2.59; OR 1.65, 95% CI 1.16 to 2.59; OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.07 to 2.11, respectively). In black females, diaphoresis, palpitations and left arm radiation were associated with ACS (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.17 to 2.35; 1.66, 95% CI 1.13 to 2.45; 1.44, 95% CI 1.02 to 2.03, respectively) while pleuritic pain, and left anterior chest pain lowered ACS risk (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.5 to 0.96; 0.54, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.84). No symptoms predicted ACS or SCPD in white females. Fewer but similar symptoms predicted SCPD in white males and black females. No symptoms predicted SCPD in black males. Conclusion Chest pain symptoms are important predictors of ACS and SCPD in certain combinations of race and gender but less so in others. These differences might explain difficulties using symptoms to identify patients at higher or lower risk of ACS and SCPD in practice.
Ocular Manifestations of Familial Transthyretin Amyloidosis

Purpose Among patients with familial amyloidosis, mutation in the transthyretin (TTR) protein is the most common type. Patients with TTR amyloidosis have been noted to have ocular, especially vitreous, involvement. In this report, an analysis of the types and frequency of ocular manifestations in TTR amyloidosis is presented. Design Observational case series. Methods Two hundred and sixty-three patients who presented to Mayo Clinic with TTR amyloidosis between January 1, 1970, and November 1, 2014, consented to be included in the Mayo Clinic amyloidosis database maintained by the Department of Hematology. Fifty-four patients had ocular examinations at a mean of 4.25 ± 3.93 months after systemic symptoms. Results Of 108 examined eyes in 54 patients with TTR amyloidosis, there were 26 eyes (24%) in 13 patients with ocular involvement. Patients with ocular involvement were more likely to be women than those without ocular involvement (46% vs 15%, respectively, P = .008) and have significantly worse visual acuity (VA) at presentation (logMAR 0.24 [Snellen equivalent 20/30] vs logMAR 0.00 [Snellen equivalent 20/20], P = .017). The ophthalmic findings included vitreous amyloid (26/26, 100%), neurotrophic keratitis (2/26, 8%), glaucoma (5/26, 19%), and tortuous retinal vessels (4/26, 15%). The glaucoma was classified as open-angle (2/26), exfoliative (2/26), and neovascular following central retinal vein occlusion from amyloidosis (1/26). Ten patients underwent vitrectomy for visually significant vitreous amyloidosis, which significantly improved VA from a baseline of logMAR 0.70 (Snellen equivalent 20/100) to logMAR 0.05 (Snellen equivalent ∼20/20), P = .003. Three TTR mutations, Glu89Lys, Gly47Arg, and homozygous Gly6Ser, not previously described, were associated with vitreous amyloid. Conclusion In this large cohort of patients with TTR amyloidosis, female sex and decreased VA were associated with ocular amyloid. Three mutations that have not been previously reported to have vitreous involvement were described: Glu89Lys, Gly47Arg, and homozygous Gly6Ser.
Basal ganglia mechanisms in action selection, plasticity, and dystonia

Basal ganglia circuits are organized to selected desired actions and to inhibit potentially competing unwanted actions. This is accomplished through a complex circuitry that is modified through development and learning. Mechanisms of neural plasticity underlying these modifications are increasingly understood, but new mechanisms continue to be discovered. Dystonia, a movement disorder characterized by involuntary muscle contractions that cause abnormal postures and movements. Emerging evidence points to important links between mechanisms of plasticity and the manifestations of dystonia. Investigation of these mechanisms has improved understanding of the action of currently used medication and is informing the development of new treatments.
Differentiation and Interaction of Clonal Cell Lines of Nerve and Muscle

Since some of the basic problems in neurobiology are ultimately biochemical in nature, it follows that clonal populations of neuronal cells will be required to define the underlying mechanisms. Initial progress in this direction was made by Harrison, who was able to maintain primary explants of nervous tissue for a limited time in vitro (Harrison, 1907). With the introduction of more sophisticated tissue culture technology, it became possible to observe nervous tissue in vitro for extended periods of time and to demonstrate functional interaction between individual cells within the population (Crain et al., 1968). Although the viability of these cultures was adequate, the problem of cell heterogeneity was yet to be overcome; two independent directions were taken in search of a solution. One was the fractionation of cell populations from whole brain (Roots and Johnston, 1964; Varon and Raiborn, 1968), and the other consisted of the use of neoplastic tissue as a relatively pure source of nerve cells (Murray and Stout, 1947). These approaches were, however, faced with the common difficulty that the neuronal cells in the population did not divide, and the various fractionation schemes were unable to yield homogeneous collections of cells. Since the requirement for homogeneous or clonal populations of cells necessarily demands cell division, methods which yield dividing nerve cells are clearly required. This problem is not unique to the nervous system but is common to the study of most differentiated functions in cell culture, for the maximally differentiated end cell usually does not divide in vivo (Grobstein, 1959). Perhaps the only way of circumventing this situation at present is by adapting neoplasms of differentiated cells or their immediate developmental precursors to continuous cell culture. Subsequent cloning then yields homogeneous populations of cells. This approach was successfully applied to the study of endocrine (Sato and Yasumura, 1966), hepatic (Thompson et al., 1966), and endoreticular (Cohn, 1967) cell function and has since been extended to many other cell types. Among these is a mouse neoplasm, C1300, of apparently neuronal origin which has been established in continuous cell culture and characterized as a neuroblastoma (Augusti-Tocco and Sato, 1969; Schubert et al., 1969). In addition to the above lines, Yaffe (1968) has established clonal myogenic cells, and it has recently been possible to induce and establish in clonal culture several more nerve cell lines (Carlisle et al., 1973). The availability of clonal neural and myogenic cell lines thus presents a unique opportunity to study the two major classes of electrically excitable cells.
The First Plant Genome Sequence—Arabidopsis thaliana

Abstract The Arabidopsis thaliana genome was the first plant genome to be sequenced. The substrates for sequencing consisted of a minimum tiling path of BAC, P1, YAC, TAC and cosmid clones, anchored to the genetic map. Using these substrates, 10 contigs were developed from 1569 clones. Annotation at the time the sequence was finished identified 25,498 protein-coding genes. With the continued development of software trained on Arabidopsis genes, along with the availability of large numbers of ESTs and additional plant genome sequences, the number of annotated genes has increased. The final TAIR (TAIR10) genome annotation release contains 27,202 nuclear protein-coding genes, 4827 pseudogenes and transposable element genes and 1359 noncoding RNAs. Gene density (kb/gene) is 4.35, with 5.89 exons/gene, an average exon length of 296 nt and an average intron length of 165 nt. Gene density decreases and transposon density increases near the centromeres. Multiple splice variants have been identified for > 60% of intron-containing genes. Arabidopsis has experienced a genome triplication and two duplication events during its evolution, giving rise to multiple segmental duplications. These polyploidizations, along with tandem and dispersed single-gene duplications, have contributed to the expansion of gene families and provided raw material for functional divergence.
Equity Issues and Returns: Managerial Timing, Reaction, or Both?

We run a horse race between two competing hypotheses about the relationship between market returns and managers' decisions to issue or retire equity: that managers are successfully forecasting (timing) subsequent market returns versus reacting to prior market returns. Our empirical framework allows the timing and reaction stories compete for explanatory power in our tests. We show that managers react to prior equity market returns in deciding when to transact equity, but they cannot successfully forecast subsequent equity market returns. Evidence from equity issues, filings, and repurchases all supports these conclusions. In industry level tests, we find that managers consistently react to industry level returns, and what little timing ability they may have is confined to the narrowest industry classifications.
Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy: A Prostate Surgeon’s Perspective

The availability and promulgation of robotic technology has resulted in a paradigm shift for radical prostatectomy. Historically radical prostatectomy was performed using an open approach, usually the retropubic approach and rarely using a laparoscopic approach.
The effects of parental divorce on individuals’ commitment to same-sex relationships

Research on the intergenerational transmission of divorce has demonstrated that individuals who come from divorced families have reduced commitment to the institution of marriage, which may translate to reduced commitment to one’s current relationship. We tested the association between two components of relationship commitment (dedication and constraint) and parental divorce in a sample of 251 adults in same-sex relationships. Results demonstrated that parental divorce was significantly associated with lower dedication commitment among women, but not men. Parental divorce was not associated with constraint commitment for either gender. These findings suggest that, consistent with research on individuals in different-sex relationships, women in same-sex relationships who come from divorced families may feel less dedicated to their own relationships, putting them at greater risk for relationship instability and divorce.
Abstract 076: All Cause Mortality is Higher for Patients Who Have Bigger Blood Pressure Drops on Antihypertensive Therapy

Objectives: In the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) patients were randomized to the intensive blood pressure group targeting systolic blood pressure (SBP) less than 120 mm Hg or ...
Conclusion: What academia can contribute to refugee policy:

This conclusion to the special issue highlights the role of scholars in advancing the public discussion about forced migration. As countries around the world are adopting increasing restrictions on...