cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Meta-Analytic Procedures for Estimation of Effect Sizes in Experiments Using Complex Analysis of Variance

This paper presents techniques for use in meta-analytic research to estimate effect sizes when studies involve complex ANOVA, ANOVA with repeated measures, and complex ANOVA with repeated measures. Real examples are also provided to show the application of the techniques.
Recidivism Comparisons Across Groups: Methods of Estimation and Tests of Significance for Recidivism Rates and Asymptotes

This paper presents a general solution for the estimation of the recidivism rate and the proportion of persons who will ultimately recidivate (assuming that some persons will never recidivate) based on the model proposed by Maltz and McCleary (1977). In addi tion, tests of significance for these estimates are presented. These tehniques are illustrated using data from a follow-up study of former drug abuse treatment clients.
Effort profiles in multi-agent resource allocation

Multi-agent systems are particularly appropriate for resource allocation, but configuring them for efficient operation requires understanding their dynamics. Concepts from statistical physics, such as phase transitions, can help. In decision problems such as constraint satisfaction, such transitions exhibit an easy-hard-easy effort profile, so that highly overconstrained problems are easier to solve than those near the transition. The conventional wisdom is that the profile in optimization problems such as resource allocation is monotonic, becoming more difficult as constraints increase. Contrary to this lore, we exhibit an easy-hard-easy profile in a multi-agent resource allocation problem. We compare problems that exhibit such a profile with others that do not and offer insights as to when such behavior can be expected and why it is desirable from a practical perspective.
Mitochondria are targets of photodynamic therapy.

Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) is an evolving cancer treatment that depends on three known and variable components: photosensitizer, light and oxygen. Optimization of these variables yields reactive oxygen species, mainly singlet oxygen, that damage cellular components leading to cytotoxicity. Our research has demonstrated that porphyrin sensitizers, in particular, significantly inhibit the inner mitochondrial membrane enzymes cytochrome c oxidase and F 0 F 1 ATP synthase. These results were obtained from an in vivo-in vitro experimental protocol that exposes sensitizers to metabolic and pharmacokinetic events. The resulting inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation was expected to reduce ATP levels, which were quantitated in cells and were confirmed by 31P-NMR spectroscopy of tumors in situ in animals treated with PDT. Based on these findings, and more recent investigations of apoptosis, there is little doubt that mitochondria are critical targets in the actions of PDT.
Functionalization of glass substrates: mechanistic insights into the surface reaction of trialkoxysilanes

Modification of substrates by trialkoxysilane reagents is the most common method employed for surface functionalization. Classically, the mechanism for surface reactivity in trialkoxysilanes is described as proceeding through a trisilanol intermediate. Here, we present data that contradict this mechanism and propose an alternative mechanism, in which trialkoxysilanes react directly with surface hydroxyl groupsvia an addition–elimination type mechanism.
TRAPP stably associates with the Golgi and is required for vesicle docking

Bet3p, a component of a large novel complex called TRAPP, acts upstream of endoplasmic reticulum (ER)–Golgi SNAREs. Unlike the SNAREs, which reside on multiple compartments, Bet3p is localized exclusively to Golgi membranes. While other proteins recycle from the Golgi to the ER, Bet3p and other TRAPP subunits remain associated with this membrane under conditions that block anterograde traffic. We propose that the persistent localization of TRAPP to the Golgi may be important for its role in docking vesicles to this membrane. Consistent with this proposal, we find that transport vesicles fail to bind to Golgi membranes in vitro in the absence of Bet3p. Binding is restored by the addition of cytosol containing Bet3p. These findings indicate that TRAPP stably associates with the Golgi and is required for vesicle docking.
Inhibition of bacterial motility with human antiflagellar monoclonal antibodies attenuates Pseudomonas aeruginosa-induced pneumonia in the immunocompetent rat.

Abstract Two human monoclonal antibodies, directed against the type a and type b flagellar proteins of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, inhibited bacterial motility in vitro specifically and in a concentration-dependent manner. In order to determine if this decreased bacterial motility was associated with a decreased pathogenicity, the ability of these human antiflagellar monoclonal antibodies to attenuate P. aeruginosa-induced pneumonia in the rat was assessed. Incubation of P. aeruginosa with a 1:1 mixture of the human antiflagellar monoclonal antibodies prior to pulmonary instillation significantly (P < 0.05) ameliorated the bacterium-induced decrease in arterial blood oxygen pressure, blunted the increase in respiratory rate, and markedly reduced the area of pulmonary inflammation. Similarly, intravenous administration of the human antiflagellar monoclonal antibodies 1 h after pulmonary instillation of the bacteria also reduced the in vivo pathogenicity of P. aeruginosa. Therefore, human antiflagellar monoclonal antibodies can decrease the in vitro motility of P. aeruginosa and can reduce its in vivo pathogenicity when administered either before or after bacterial challenge.
Integrating functional genomic information into the Saccharomyces Genome Database

The Saccharomyces Genome Database (SGD) stores and organizes information about the nearly 6200 genes in the yeast genome. The information is organized around the ‘locus page’ and directs users to the detailed information they seek. SGD is endeavoring to integrate the existing information about yeast genes with the large volume of data generated by functional analyses that are beginning to appear in the literature and on web sites. New features will include searches of systematic analyses and Gene Summary Paragraphs that succinctly review the literature for each gene. In addition to current information, such as gene product and phenotype descriptions, the new locus page will also describe a gene product’s cellular process, function and localization using a controlled vocabulary developed in collaboration with two other model organism databases. We describe these developments in SGD through the newly reorganized locus page. The SGD is accessible via the WWW at http://genome-www. stanford. edu/Saccharomyces/
Electronic Medical Records Use An Examination of Resident Physician Intentions

Between 1992 and 2002, overall health care spending rose from $827 billion to about $1.6 trillion; it is projected to nearly double to $3.1 trillion in the following decade. This price tag results, in part, from advances in expensive medical technology, including new drug therapies, and the increased use of high-cost services and procedures. Many policymakers, industry experts, and medical practitioners contend that the U.S. health care system-in both the public and private sectors-is in crisis. Efforts are underway to convert all medical records from paper to electronic. This manuscript uses the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology as a lens to interpret the responses of physicians completing their residency in family medicine regarding use and adoption of electronic medical record systems (EMR).
Robust Indirect Adaptive Control of Linear Time-Varying Systems

An indirect adaptive controller is derived for a class of linear time-varying discrete-time systems with unmodeled dynamics. System parameters are estimated using a modified recursive least squares algorithm with a variable forgetting factor. An adaptive controller is then constructed which results in a globally asymptotically stable closed-loop system when the rate of variation of plant parameters is sufficiently small.
A comprehensive analytical subthreshold swing (S) model for double-gate MOSFETs

A general analytical subthreshold swing (S) model for symmetric DG MOSFETs is derived using evanescent-mode analysis. Through a concept of effective conducting path, it explains a unique doping concentration (N/sub A/) dependence of S, providing a unified understanding of previous S models and leading to a new improved S model for undoped DG MOSFETs. Compact, explicit expressions of a scale length are derived, which expedite projections of scalability of DG MOSFETs and its requirement.
High levels of genetic variability in the haploid moss Plagiomnium ciliare

Horizontal starch-gel electrophoresis was used to measure variability at 14 enzyme loci from 13 natural populations of the dioecious moss Plagiomniwn ciliare. Overall levels of genetic polymorphism were unexpectedly high for a haploid organism. Using a 1% frequency criterion, 71% of the loci surveyed were polymorphic for the species as a whole. The number of alleles per polymorphic locus for the species as a whole was 2.82 ± 0.34 (mean ± standard error), and mean gene diversity per locus was 0.078 ± 0.035. While total gene diversity (//T = 0.178) was similar to that observed for highly outcrossed diploid plants such as pines, the variance within (/fs = 0.098 ± 0.027) and among (DST = 0.080 ± 0.033) populations was more evenly distributed than that reported for populations of conifers. Genetic distances between populations ranged from 0.0002 to 0.2064, with mosses from the Piedmont region of the southeastern United States showing less differentiation among populations than did mosses from the Appalachian Mountains. Gene di- versity was much reduced in populations from disturbed, secondary forests in the Piedmont (0.058 ± 0.018) relative to those from minimally disturbed, primary forests in the mountains (0.146 ± 0.048). Intensive sampling within populations revealed heterogeneity even within small (5x5 cm) clumps. The discovery of high levels of genetic variability in a plant with a dominant haploid life cycle challenges the traditional view of bryophytes as a genetically depauperate group. Multiple- niche selection is proposed as a possible explanation for this anomaly, but the data are also consistent with the view that allozyme polymorphisms are selectively neutral.
Laser-Based Single Particle Counters For In Situ Particulate Diagnostics

Optical techniques for particulate analysis have inherent and significant advantages over those conventional methods which involve batch sampling and subsequent analysis. Optical particle diagnostic techniques can be divided into three broad categories: ensemble methods which analyze the integrated optical properties of an assembly of particles; single particle counters (SPC) which analyze individual particles; and, finally, imaging techniques based on photography or holography. This paper is primarily concerned with laser-based single particle counters applicable to in situ sizing of particles and droplets in the diameter range 0.1 um to 1 mm. Theoretical principles of the various single particle counter designs are discussed with emphasis on comparing performance characteristics and relative advantages. The effects of size-dependent sample space, nonspherical particles, unknown particle composition, and applicable size ranges are considered.
VLSI design of a neural network based image processor

The design of a neural network based image processor is presented. The processor can be programmed for different image processing applications. Mixed-mode signals are used to enhance the performance of the processor. High throughput with small die area is achieved by careful design of the architecture and the multiplying D/A converter. >
Minimally Invasive Versus Open Esophagectomy for Esophageal Cancer: A Comparison of Early Surgical Outcomes From The Society of Thoracic Surgeons National Database.

Background Open esophagectomy results in significant morbidity and mortality. Minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) has become increasingly popular at specialized centers with the aim of improving perioperative outcomes. Numerous single-institution studies suggest MIE may offer lower short-term morbidity. The two approaches are compared using a large, multiinstitutional database. Methods The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) National Database (v2.081) was queried for all resections performed for esophageal cancer between 2008 and 2011 (n = 3,780). Minimally invasive approaches included both transhiatal (n = 214) and Ivor Lewis (n = 600), and these were compared directly with open transhiatal (n = 1,065) and Ivor Lewis (n = 1,291) procedures, respectively. Thirty-day outcomes were examined using nonparametric statistical testing. Results Both open and MIE groups were similar in terms of preoperative risk factors. Morbidity and all-cause mortality were equivalent at 62.2% and 3.8%. MIE was associated with longer median procedure times (443.0 versus 312.0 minutes; p p p p p p = 0.002), and ileus (4.5% versus 2.2%; p = 0.002). Propensity score-matched analysis confirmed these findings. High- and low-volume centers had similar outcomes. Conclusions Early results from the STS National Database indicate that MIE is safe, with comparable rates of morbidity and mortality as open technique. Longer procedure times and a higher rate of reoperation following MIE may reflect a learning curve.
The Oklahoma Historical Records Survey

In Oklahoma, there is no systematic approach to the management of local records. Problems with access exist because of decentralization, and because the Works Progress Administration conducted the last extensive survey of local records about fifty years ago. In order to help remedy this situation, the Oklahoma Historical Records Survey of 1989 produced, for the first time in one source, a listing of most early-day county and municipal records, using questionnaires with follow-up telephone contacts distributed to 722 governmental offices throughout Oklahoma. The project produced a Guide to the Historical Records of Oklahoma. The author discusses all aspects of the project including the development of a survey instrument, conduct of the survey, findings, response patterns, publication of the results, and implications for future historical records surveys.
Boob Laws: An Analysis of Social Deviance within Gender, Families, or the Home (Etudes 2)

State power is abused when municipalities classify male and female public indecency differently. This paper makes three different constitutional arguments to prove that municipalities that prohibit some females from exposing their nipples should be challenged on constitutional grounds. These arguments are 1) laws that prohibit some women from exposing their nipples but not men are unconstitutional under an equal protection analysis; 2) laws that allow women to breastfeed in public, but do not allow women who are not breastfeeding to bare their nipples impermissibly violate the right to privacy; and 3) laws that generalize the female nipple as the communicator of an erotic message may infringe on the First Amendment. All powers not reserved by the federal government are given to the states and/or the people. The power to regulate and enforce morality has traditionally been a state power. When a state’s use of power infringes on any constitutional rights or federal power, the state’s law must be stricken or revised to eliminate this conflict. All constitutional rights granted by the federal government are available to the people and the residents of the states; these rights include equal protection, the right to privacy, and the right to free speech.
Non-vitamin-K oral anticoagulants reduce mortality, stroke and intracranial haemorrhage when compared with warfarin in randomised trials of patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation

Commentary on: Ruff CT, Giugliano RP, Braunwald E, et al. Comparison of the efficacy and safety of new oral anticoagulants with warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation: a meta-analysis of randomised trials. Lancet 2014;383:955–62.[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3][Web of Science][4] Historically, the standard medication for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF) has been a vitamin-K antagonist (warfarin). However, several non-vitamin-K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) have been developed and shown to be at least as effective as dose-adjusted warfarin in their respective phase-3 clinical trials.1–4 These include the direct thrombin inhibitor dabigatran and the factor Xa inhibitors rivaroxaban, apixaban and edoxaban. Yet, despite these large trials, there remains limited power to examine certain end points and treatment effects in subgroups. In a prespecified meta-analysis, the authors pooled trial-level data from the four existing phase-3 randomised clinical trials comparing a NOAC … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DLancet%26rft.volume%253D383%26rft.spage%253D955%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1016%252FS0140-6736%252813%252962343-0%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F24315724%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1016/S0140-6736(13)62343-0&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=24315724&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmed%2F19%2F5%2F182.atom [4]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000333520700026&link_type=ISI
Flame Stabilization on a Porous Plate

The position and stability of the flame in a boundary layer with uniform mixture inject ion from a porous flat plate parallel to a uniform air s tream were determined experimentally. Propane-air flames were observed over a free stream velocity range of 10 to 42 fps and a range of mass equivalence ratios for the injected mixture from 1.09 to 4.76. Both the average and t i m e variant distances from the leading edge to the beginning of the flame were measured at various free stream air mass fluxes, inject ion mass fluxes and injected mixture composi t ions . A correlation of nondimens ional flameholding distance with mixture composit ion was obtained.
National Security Advice to U.S. Presidents: Some Lessons from Thirty Years

Since 1947 the major formal institution for channeling national security advice to Presidents has been the National Security Council. The Council has operated (1) as a forum where senior officials meet with the President; (2) as a focal point for formal policy planning and decision processes; and (3) as an umbrella for establishment of a Presidential foreign policy staff. The first was the goal of its proponents; the last is what it has most importantly become. But the N.S.C. has reflected the relationships among each administration's top officials more than it has shaped them; hence the need to think of broader advisory “systems” combining the formal and the informal. Among the variables shaping such systems are; a President's particular organizational sense; his attitude toward formality and regularity; whether he has (and wants) strong Cabinet officials; how his key advisers work out their role relationships and jurisdictional boundaries; how widely he casts his net for advce; how broad a range of substantive issue involvement he seeks; how much he seeks operational involvement; and his attitude toward divided counsel and interpersonal conflict.Prescriptions about foreign policy advisory systems tend to stress the President's role as decision maker; they should focus also on the oft-competing role of effective Presidential leadership in getting policies and decisions executed. The importance of execution argues for giving the Secretary of State primacy over other advisers; the need to protect the President's decision authority argues for a White House assistant independent of the Secretary, though perhaps with reduced rank. Presidents also need better advice on the domestic politics of U.S. foreign policy, and each could profit from a “mid-term system review” after his institutions and advisory relationships have taken shape.
Epidemiology of Lyme Disease

Investigation of the epidemiology of Lyme disease depends upon information generated from several sources. Human disease surveillance can be conducted by both passive and active means involving physicians, public health agencies and laboratories. Passive and active tick surveillance programs can document the extent of tick-borne activity, identify the geographic range of potential vector species, and determine the relative risk of exposure to Lyme disease in specific areas. Standardized laboratory services can play an important role in providing data. Epidemiologists can gain a better understanding of Lyme disease through the collection of data from such programs. The interpretation of data and provision of information to the medical and general communities are important functions of public health agencies.
Soft Shape-Memory Materials

Shape-memory systems represent an exciting class of “smart” materials that possess the unique capability to change from a temporary distorted structure back to a memorized permanent shape upon application of an external stimulus. Though metallic shape-memory alloys have gained traction as solid-state alternatives to conventional actuators in the automotive and robotics industry, shape-memory polymers (SMPs) are a cheap and efficient alternative with a diverse number of applications in the biomedical sector. Building on a variety of polymeric SMPs that offer one-way control over material geometry, exciting new research in reversible shape-memory systems has dramatically expanded the complexity over which researchers can dictate dynamic material properties. Such spatiotemporal control over material geometry will prove invaluable in the promising fields of drug delivery, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. In this chapter, we examine a variety of soft SMP and supramolecular biomaterial systems from the viewpoint of materials nanoarchitectonics.
Crisis and Differentiation among Small-Scale Sugar Cane Growers in Nkomazi, South Africa

Against a context of declining sugar output in South Africa as a whole, the sugar industry in the Nkomazi Municipality of Mpumalanga Province has increased its share of the South African market. It has achieved this over a period of significant change in ownership, with the transfer of at least 25 per cent of land growing sugar cane into black community ownership through South Africa’s land reform programme. The industry now claims that the majority of land used for sugar cane in Nkomazi is owned by the beneficiaries of land reform. This paper examines the historical and contemporary trajectories of sugar cane production in Nkomazi, focusing particularly on the changing status of production on black-owned land. Among small-scale growers, a crisis in operation and maintenance of irrigation has prompted on the one hand a process of land concentration and ‘accumulation from below’, visible in the emergence of medium-scale growers, and, on the other hand, a move by the sugar milling company to take more direc...
Development and application of human breast phantoms in microwave diagnostic and therapeutic technologies

We highlight recent progress in the development of high-fidelity numerical and physical breast phantoms. These phantoms mimic the anatomical structure and physical properties that are relevant to accurately portraying microwave interactions with the human breast. The phantoms are currently being used in numerous laboratory studies of microwave diagnostic and therapeutic technologies for a variety of potential clinical applications in breast health and disease management.
Multisensory Conflict Resolution: Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Swift action is often required in the face of indeterminate sensory evidence. In this issue of Neuron, Song et al. (2017) describe an inhibitory circuit in the posterior parietal cortex that evaluates conflicting auditory and visual cues and supports resolute perceptual decision making.
Social Origins of Scientific Deviance: Examining Creationism and Global Warming Skepticism:

Scientific communities maintain respected authority on matters related to the natural world; however, there are instances where significant portions of the population hold beliefs contrary to the scientific consensus. These beliefs have generally been studied as the product of scientific illiteracy. This project reframes the issue as one of social deviance from the consensus of scientific communities. Using young-earth creationism and global warming skepticism as case studies, I suggest that consensus perception in light of public scientific deviance is a valuable dialectical framework, and demonstrate its utility using logistic regression analyses of the 2006 Pew Religion and Public Life Survey. Believing there is no scientific consensus is one of the most important factors in predicting scientifically deviant beliefs, along with political and religious effects, eclipsing education. The inability of consensus perception to explain all variation in scientific deviance lends further credence to the framewo...
How Should Clinicians Counsel a Woman with a Strong Family History of Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease about Her Pregnancy?

Pregnant women at high risk for heritable diseases, such as early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, need support and nondirective genetic counseling.
Experimental Fracture Analysis of Individual Sand Particles at High Loading Rates

High strain rate loading conditions such as blast, impact, or projectile penetration cause major damages to infrastructure and soils. Sand particles will likely fracture if they are exposed to such loading conditions. Modeling the constitutive behavior of sand deposits when they are subjected to dynamic loading requires a high-fidelity particle-scale analysis, calibration, and validation using experimental measurements. In this paper, natural sand particles with complex morphology, mineralogy, and grain size were randomly selected from the bulk material and were separated based on particle size and mineralogy. Intact particles were first imaged using a desktop X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanner to calculate morphology and provide further input to the mineralogy and internal structure. Each particle was placed between incident and transmitter bars of a Kolsky bar setup, and two optical images (side and top views) were collected to visualize the loading geometry and direction. Each particle was then dynamically loaded to failure, at which load and compressive displacement were measured. Some of recovered particle fragments were imaged using synchrotron microcomputed tomography (SMT) to determine the fracture mode and fracture surface. Weibull statistical analyses were performed and multivariable nonlinear regression was implemented, using particle characteristics as predictors. The paper discusses the influence of morphology, mineralogy, internal structure, and size of particles on dynamic particle failure strength.
Clonal Circulating Cells Are Common in Plasma Cell Proliferative Disorders: A Comparison of Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance, Smoldering Multiple Myeloma, and Active Myeloma

The blood of most patients with active multiple myeloma (MM) contains cells related to the bone marrow tumor. However, identifying clonal cells in the blood of patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) has been difficult. In this study, we analyzed blood mononuclear cells (BMNCs) from 16 patients with MGUS, 2 with amyloidosis, 8 with smoldering MM (SMM), 2 with indolent MM (IMM), and 15 with active MM using three different methods to detect and quantitate clonal cells, ie, immunofluorescence microscopy (IM) for monoclonal plasma cells, three-color flow cytometry (FC) for CD38(+)CD45- CD45(dim) cells, and the allele-specific oligonucleotide polymerase chain reaction (ASO-PCR). Using ASO-PCR, we were able to detect clonal cells in the blood in 13 of 16 patients with MGUS, 2 of 2 with amyloid, 6 of 8 with SMM, 2 of 2 with IMM, and 13 of 15 with MM. In 9 of the 13 patients with MGUS with blood involvement, the number of clonal cells was very small ( < 0.04% of the BMNCs). The median percentage of clonal cells as determined by ASO-PCR was 0.02 for MGUS, 0.02 for SMM, and 0.24 for MM. Clonal plasma cells or CD38+CD45- CD45(dim) cells were identified by IM or FC in 6 of 16 MGUS patients, 4 of 8 with SMM, and 11 of 15 with MM. In all cases in which IM or FC detected clonal cells, the ASO-PCR was positive. This study shows that, by using ASO-PCR, clonal cells can be found at very low levels in the blood in most patients with MGUS. However, the number of clonal cells in the blood of MGUS patients is less than those with overt MM (P = .006). In contrast to MGUS, patients with active MM are more likely to have identifiable clonal circulating plasma cells (P = .05).
Neurochemistry of Parkinson's disease.

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the neurochemical changes in Parkinson's disease (PD). PD is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder. The neurochemical changes noted in the basal ganglia (BG) is summarized. Some of the changes include (1) the profound loss of dopamine and its consequences observed, not just in the striatum, but also in both segments of GP and the subthalamic nucleus (STN), dominate the neurochemical pathology in the BG. Loss of >50% 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HT) in the striatum adds to the clinical spectrum of PD in the later stages of the disease; (2) the melanized dopaminergic neurons of substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) are selectively more vulnerable to neurodegeneration than the dopaminergic neurons of other areas of the brain, and (3) dopamine denervation and chronic levodopa administration affect the indirect and the direct path ways differently. The neurochemical changes in PD are mostly, but not exclusively, in the BG. Even though dopamine denervation in the BG is the predominant feature of PD, it is emphasized that the decreased levels of monoamines in the cerebral cortex, hypothalamus, brainstem and spinal cord could play an equally formidable role in PD.
Echocardiographic Observations on Systolic Closure of the Aortic Valve in Mitral Incompetence

Systolic closure of the aortic valve has been described in patients with IHSS, discrete membranous subaortic stenosis and right coronary sinus of Valsalva fistula. We observed abnormal aortic valve motion on the echocardiogram in four patients with mitral incompetence. Two types of abnormality were noted. The first pattern consisted of partial closure of the right coronary cusp in mid systole followed by reopening later in systole. The second pattern observed was partial closure of the right coronary cusp shortly after its opening with little or no reopening in late systole. The possible mechanism of production of this abnormality is discussed. Mitral regurgitation should be included in the differential diagnosis of conditions producing systolic closure of the aortic valve on the echocardiogram.
Laser Effects on the Skin

An important organ for investigative studies of the laser is the easily accessible skin. This organ provides opportunities not only for direct investigative studies on the effect of the laser on living tissue, but provides also living tissue for research on treatment. It is for these reasons that dermatologists have been interested in the laser.
Electro-Mechanical Response of Polymer Bonded Surrogate Energetic Materials with Carbon Nanotube Sensing Networks for Structural Health Monitoring Applications

The addition of carbon nanotubes throughout the binder phase of energetic particulate composites is investigated in an effort to develop real-time embedded sensing networks for detection of small-scale damage in polymer bonded explosives undergoing mechanical load. The experimental effort herein focuses on the exploration of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) concentration in energetic composite material; the fabrication of such specimen include the substitution of sugar as a mock energetic for the crystal particulate Ammonium Perchlorate (AP), an oxidizer most often used in solid rocket propellants. Further explored was the particulate embedded into a binder of PDMS, a polymeric silicone, as well as the addition of aluminum powder, a common combustive fuel in solid propellants, in the particulate. Electrical and mechanical properties of neat (no MWCNTs) energetics and MWCNT hybrid energetics were quantitatively evaluated under monotonic compression, and tension to failure. Noteworthy electro-mechanical response was obtained for these MWCNT AP hybrid energetics, justifying further study of CNT binder network formation for real-time electro-mechanical sensing in an effort for structural health monitoring (SHM) in energetics.
Evaluation of removable partial denture frameworks fabricated using 3 different techniques.

Abstract Statement of problem Rapid advancements in computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) have opened new pathways in the fabrication of removable partial dentures (RPDs) through additive and subtractive processes. Questions remain whether the digital pathway is an acceptable one compared with conventional analog or combined analog and digital pathways. Purpose The purpose of this clinical study was to determine the quality of RPD frameworks fabricated using 3 different fabrication methods: analog, combined analog-digital, and digital. Material and methods Three RPD frameworks were fabricated for each of the 9 participants using each of the 3 techniques. Of the 9 participants enrolled, 4 were of Kennedy class I, 3 were of Kennedy class II, and 2 were of Kennedy class III. The first technique was completely analog: a physical impression was made using polyvinyl siloxane, stone casts were made, a survey was performed, and a laboratory technician waxed and cast the RPD framework. The combined analog-digital workflow had the analog steps, but the stone cast was scanned with a laboratory scanner to generate a digital cast. The 3Shape CAD software was then used to design a digital RPD, which was fabricated from a cobalt-chroumum alloy by selective laser melting. The third technique was completely digital: an intraoral digital scanner was used to make a definitive scan, which was sent to the 3Shape software for digitally designing the RPD framework and subsequent selective laser melting for fabrication. For all frameworks in the same participant, the same design was used for consistency. The evaluation consisted of a yes/no survey with 7 framework-related parameters and was completed by 5 clinicians. For statistics, an overall P value was calculated using a chi-squared test to determine any difference among the groups (α=.05). Results Seven of the 9 participants received the framework fabricated using the digital pathway as their definitive prosthesis. The completely digital method was significantly better than the traditional method of analog fabrication (P Conclusions Within the limitations of this clinical study, it was concluded that the combined analog-digital pathway of RPD fabrication was the least clinically acceptable one as determined by 5 calibrated clinicians using a yes/no questionnaire, whereas the completely digital method of fabrication was found to be the best.
Regiospecific, diastereospecific and enantiospecific nucleophilic additions to chiral monosubstituted alkene complexes of the formula [(η5-C5H5)Re(NO)(PPh3)(H2CCHR)]+ BF4−

Abstract Monosubstituted alkene complexes [(η5-C5H5)Re(NO)(PPh3)(H2CCHR)]+ BF4− and (CH3)2 CuLi react to give β-branched alkyl complexes (η5-C5H5)Re(NO)(PPh3)(CH2CH(CH3)R) as described in the title. The methyl group adds to the alkene face anti to the rhenium.
One versus two-handed lifting and lowering: lumbar spine loads and recommended one-handed limits protecting the lower back.

AbstractThe objectives of this study were to quantify loads imposed upon the lumbar spine while lifting/lowering with one versus two hands and to create guidelines for one-handed lifting/lowering t...
Exploring the links between crystal chemistry, cesium retention, thermochemistry and chemical durability in single-phase (Ba,Cs)1.33(Fe,Ti)8O16 hollandite

A series of single-phase Fe-substituted hollandite (Ba,Cs)1.33(Fe,Ti)8O16 compositions with the chemical formula Ba1.33−xCsxFe2.66−xTi5.34+xO16 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.667, and 1.33) were systematically investigated using both experimental and computational methods to establish possible links between crystal chemistry, Cs retention, thermochemistry and chemical durability. A phase transition from monoclinic to tetragonal was observed as a function of both Cs content and temperature. Elemental analysis revealed that Cs retention was significantly improved for the hollandite with higher Cs content. High-temperature melt solution calorimetry and sublattice-based thermodynamic simulations confirmed a high degree of thermodynamic stability in the Fe-substituted compounds which was enhanced in compositions with higher Cs content. This trend can be primarily attributed to two factors: (1) a decreasing ratio of the average ionic radii of B-site cations to that of A-site cations and (2) an increasing tolerance factor. Based on a reoptimized sublattice model, a pseudo-ternary phase diagram was generated to predict the optimal composition possessing the highest Cs content and A-site occupancy, which had not been experimentally explored. Leaching tests further verified that high Cs-containing compositions have significant chemical durability.
Optical diffraction tomography with deep-field match optimization (Conference Presentation)

As a label-free and quantitative imaging technique, optical diffraction tomography has been widely used in biological imaging. However, it is typically limited to weakly-scattering objects. To overcome this limitation, optimization algorithms based on minimizing field differences at the exit/observation plane, including total variation regularization, have been proposed and demonstrated. We propose a novel optimization algorithm to generalize field discrepancies from one plane to multiple planes throughout the scattering area. We numerically demonstrate that minimizing the field discrepancies at multiple planes instead of only one plane improves the robustness and accuracy of reconstructing multiply-scattering objects, without sacrificing the computational efficiency.
Choosing Between a Rock and the Pot Place

In the evolving field of medicinal cannabis, there are many questions and concerns broached by patients to which health care providers cannot respond with anything other than anecdotal evidence. Ma...
Perspectives on Working with Immigrants Held in Detention Using Photovoice.

Those who work with immigrants in detention centers may be at increased risk of secondary trauma. This study used Photovoice to capture reflections on how the lives of volunteers are affected by their work on behalf of immigrant family detainees. Participants were recruited over a two-month period in 2018 from amongst the volunteers of a non-governmental organization that provides legal services to the detainees at one immigration detention center. Participants submitted photos and captions that explored their experiences with their work. Thirteen volunteers consented to participate and submitted 44 photos with captions to the project. Major themes included emotional challenges of the work, frustrations with the U.S. government, comparison of their experiences to those of their clients’, and finding uplifting moments. Our findings regarding the significant emotional challenges of this work are of particular importance given the increasing coverage of immigration detention in the media and the increased interest in volunteer opportunities to support this population.
Graded heterogeneity of metabotropic signaling underlies a continuum of cell-intrinsic temporal responses

Many neuron types consist of populations with continuously varying molecular properties. Here we show a continuum of postsynaptic molecular properties in three types of neurons and assess the functional consequences in cerebellar unipolar brush cells (UBCs). While UBCs are thought to form discrete functional subtypes, with mossy fiber (MF) activation increasing firing in ON-UBC and suppressing firing in OFF-UBC. We find instead a continuum of response profiles that reflect the graded and inversely correlated expression of excitatory mGluR1 and inhibitory mGluR2/3 pathways. MFs coactivate mGluR2/3 and mGluR1 in many UBCs, leading to sequential inhibition-excitation because mGluR2/3-currents are faster. Additionally, we show that DAG kinase controls mGluR1 response duration, and that graded DAG kinase levels account for systematic variation of response duration over two orders of magnitude. These results demonstrate that continuous variations in metabotropic signaling can generate a stable cell-autonomous basis for temporal integration and learning over multiple time scales.
Urethane methacrylate reactive diluents for UV-curable polyester powder coatings

Three urethane methacrylates, one monofunctional derivative and two di-functional derivatives with different chain lengths were used as reactive diluents in UV-curable polyester powder coatings. Each reactive diluent was formulated with a methacrylated polyester oligomer using conventional melt extrusion techniques. The effect of these compounds on zero-shear melt viscosity was investigated. Incorporation of 10 wt% reactive diluent effectively reduced the viscosity by an order of magnitude. After UV-curing, the viscoelastic, thermal, and mechanical properties of the films were characterized using dynamic mechanical analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and tensile tests. The type and concentration of reactive diluent that was used directly influenced the glass transition temperature, modulus, % elongation-at-break, and crosslink density. Of the two di-functional reactive diluents that were used, the derivative that contained a shorter methylene spacer group resulted in more heterogeneous crosslinked networks.
Hα AND FREE-FREE EMISSION FROM THE WARM IONIZED MEDIUM

Recent observations have found the ratio of Hα to free-free radio continuum to be surprisingly high in the diffuse ionized interstellar medium (the so-called warm ionized medium), corresponding to an electron temperature of only ~3000 K. Such low temperatures were unexpected in gas that was presumed to be photoionized. We consider a three-component model for the observed diffuse emission, consisting of a mix of (1) photoionized gas, (2) gas that is recombining and cooling, and (3) cool H I gas. This model can successfully reproduce the observed intensities of free-free continuum, Hα, and collisionally excited lines such as [N II]6583. To reproduce the low observed value of free-free to Hα, the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon abundance in the photoionized regions must be lowered by a factor ~3, and ~20% of the diffuse Hα must be reflected from dust grains, as suggested by Wood & Reynolds.
Language Skills as Predictors of Social Skills and Behaviors in Preschool Children

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether language skills can predict teacher reports of social skills (empathy and assertion) and social behavior (prosocialness, aggression, and victimization) in preschool children. Relationships among social skills and behaviors were also examined. Ninety-eight preschool children were administered standardized language measures and nine classroom teachers completed portions of social skill rating scales. Correlational and regression analyses examined relationships among social and language variables. Results indicate positive associations among both language and social skills and prosocial behavior but negative associations between language abilities and victimization. However, measured language skills were not significant predictors for reported prosocial behavior, aggression, or victimization. Based on current findings, we cannot expect language skills alone to predict engagement in negative social behaviors in preschool classrooms. While correlations among several variables exist, social skill competence, particularly empathy and assertion, better predicted engagement in perceived appropriate social interactions than language abilities. The relationship between language and social skills warrants continued investigation, especially as the complex interplay of language and social skill development unfolds in preschool classrooms. Early childhood education teams should continue to support contexts for facilitated language and social growth to aid positive social behaviors.
Enhancing the Referral-Making Process to 12-Step Programs: Strategies for Social Workers

Objectives:This study examines three preparatory strategies that can be used during treatment sessions to bridge the gap between clinician recommendations for client participation in 12-step progra...
The Bridegroom Messiah and the People of God: Marriage in the Fourth Gospel

1. Allusions to biblical texts about marriage 2. Echoes of scripture, representative figures, and messianic exegesis 3. The revelation of the bridegroom-Messiah allusions to Jeremiah 33:10-11 and Genesis 29:1-20 4. The glorification of the bridegroom-Messiah allusions to Song of Songs 1:12 and Song of Songs 3:1-4 5. The bridegroom-Messiah of Psalm 45 in the Song of Songs, Jeremiah 33:11 and Genesis 29:1-20 6. Hearing the echoes 7. Conclusion.
Endogenous Stabilization and Macroeconomic Ideology

In an ideal economy, the first theorem of welfare economics applies; at the market equilibrium there is no way that everyone can be better off. But, if some people have incorrect expectations about the future paths of prices, their forecasting errors will cause them to make suboptimal plans. The outcome is inefficient because these misinformed people could have been better off. An unpredicted macroeconomic shock is an example of such suboptimality. But perhaps the inequity that recessionary losses are concentrated on the unemployed is more important in the minds of the voters than business cycle inefficiencies.
Amyloids: Friend or foe?

Amyloidogenesis is the aggregation of soluble proteins into structurally conserved fibers. Amyloid fibers are distinguished by their resistance to proteinase K, tinctorial properties and beta-sheet-rich secondary structure. Amyloid formation is a hallmark of many human diseases including Alzheimer's, Huntington's and the prion diseases. Therefore, understanding amyloidogenesis will provide insights into the development of therapeutics that target these debilitating diseases. A new class of ;functional' amyloids promises a unique glimpse at how nature has harnessed the amyloid fiber to accomplish important physiological tasks. Functional amyloids are produced by organisms spanning all aspects of cellular life. Herein we review amyloidogenesis, with special attention focused on the similarities and differences between the best characterized disease-associated amyloidogenic protein amyloid-beta and the formation of several functional amyloids. The implications of studying functional amyloidogenesis and the strategies organisms employ to limit exposure to toxic intermediates will also be discussed.