cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of Adaptive Care Plans for Children with Developmental Disabilities During Outpatient Clinic Appointments

Children with developmental disabilities require more medical experiences than typically-developing children and struggle to cooperate with healthcare encounters. Adaptive care plans, delivered by child life specialists, are individualized patient-centered plans created to address the challenges that children with developmental disabilities experience. The current study evaluated if adaptive care plans affect the psychosocial outcomes of children with ASD compared to those with other developmental disabilities. One-hundred and sixty children between 3 and 18 years of age (child’s Mage = 8.10, SD = 3.75) participated. Although children with developmental disabilities who had adaptive care plans did not generally experience less psychosocial distress; children with ASD who had adaptive care plans experienced fewer challenges with anxiety and coping compared to children with ASD who did not have adaptive care plans.
SmArt Spaces: Restructuring Art Galleries as Interactive Portals

Continued oscillation between digital environments and physical realities has created a demand for hyper-interactive community spaces. Because the overall cost of prototyping extended reality (XR) experiences can require large initial investments of time and money, current art spaces could be used for prototyping digital environments with physical spaces. Integrating an art gallery with digital sensors, cameras, and projectors could allow for rapid prototyping of XR development, solving rudimentary problems found with spatial navigation, sensory exposure, and psychological ramifications in a more cost efficient manner.
Coherent Laser Radar

Coherent laser radar, operating at 10.6 um wavelength, utilizes a CO2 laser oscilla tor and amplifier as well as an infrared isolator, mechanical duplexer, and a heterodyne mercury-cadmium-telluride detector. Although limited to clear weather conditions, the high Doppler sensitivity, 2 kHz/cm/sec, and narrow beamwidth, 10 microradians, result in extremely precise velocity and angle measurements. An operating system is described with application to lleasurements on the retroreflector-equipped satellite, GEOS-C.© (1975) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Supporting Patient-centered Communication on Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health-Perspectives to Build an Appointment Planning Tool.

Abstract Study Objective: Input from adolescents and healthcare providers is needed to develop electronic tools that can support patient-centered sexual and reproductive (SRH) care. This study explores facilitators and barriers to patient-centered communication in the context of developing an electronic appointment planning tool to promote SRH communication in clinic settings. Design: In-depth interviews were conducted to explore what constitutes adolescent-friendly SRH care and communication, as well as on the design of the appointment planning tool. Interviews were coded iteratively, and analyzed using the software Atlas.TI v8. Setting: An adolescent primary care clinic, and a pediatric and adolescent gynecology clinic. Participants: Adolescent girls (N=32; ages 14-18) and providers who care for adolescent girls (N=10). Main Outcome Measures: Thematic analyses explored facilitators/barriers to SRH communication and care and preferences for the tool. Results: Facilitators identified by adolescents and providers included: direct patient/provider communication; adolescent-driven decision-making regarding care and contraceptive choice; supplementing clinic visits with electronic resources; and holistic care addressing physical, mental, and social needs. Barriers identified by participants included: limited time for appointments; limited adolescent autonomy in appointments; and poor continuity of care when adolescents cannot see the same provider. Given the complexity of issues raised, adolescents and providers were interested in developing an appointment planning tool to guide communication during appointments, and contributed input on its design. The resulting Appointment Planning Tool app pilot is in progress. Conclusions: Qualitative interviews with adolescents and providers offer critical insights for the development and implementation of mobile health (mHealth) tools that can foster patient-centered care.
Where did the specialty behavioral health workforce grow between 2011 and 2019? Evidence from census data

Abstract Importance Given that mental health and substance use conditions are ongoing major public health problems in the United States, it is important for researchers to understand the behavioral health treatment workforce landscape and to assess whether increases in treatment capacity exist in areas with public health needs. Objectives This study quantified national and county-level changes in specialty behavioral health (SBH) workforce outcomes and assessed associations between these measures and age-adjusted drug mortality rate. Design Using a novel longitudinal dataset from the U.S. Census Bureau, this study described SBH workforce outcomes in 3130 U.S. counties between 2011 and 2019. The study stratified workforce outcomes, including the number of establishments, likelihood of having establishments, mean number of workers, and average wage of workers per county, by service settings: outpatient, residential, and hospital. The study fitted outcome data at the county level to ordinary least squares regression models as a function of the country's previous year age-adjusted drug mortality rate and county sociodemographic characteristics. Results The number of SBH establishments, their workforce, and their wages have increased steadily between 2011 and 2019, with the largest increases occurring in the following settings: outpatient (number of establishments and employment) and residential (average wage). County-level growth of residential SBH establishments was positively and significantly associated with the county's previous year county age-adjusted drug mortality rate. We did not observe a similar positive association between either employment or wages and the mortality rate. Conclusions The increase in the number of SBH establishments in recent years may indicate that the SBH workforce is responding to increased need for treatment; however, more work needs to be done to close behavioral health workforce gaps in areas with an elevated drug overdose mortality rate.
Incidence of immune checkpoint inhibitor-mediated diarrhea and colitis (imDC) in patients with cancer and preexisting inflammatory bowel disease: a propensity score-matched retrospective study

Background and aims The risk of use of immune-mediated diarrhea and colitis (imDC) in patients with preexisting inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is not fully understood. We report the incidence of imDC in these patients, and compare with a matched cohort of patients with cancer and without IBD. Methods Patients with IBD from a tertiary center cancer registry who underwent immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy from 2011 to 2019 were identified. A 1:5 matched cohort of patients with and without a history of IBD was created, based on age, ICI therapy, and cancer type. Demographic data, clinical history of IBD, cancer, ICI agent, imDC events after ICI therapy, and overall survival were analyzed. Overall survival and time-to-imDC (TTimDC) were estimated by Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox proportional-hazards models. Results From a retrospective cohort of 3900 patients who received ICI therapy, 30 patients with IBD were matched with 150 patients without a history of IBD. Most patients received PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor monotherapy (154/180, 85.6%). Individuals with preexisting IBD showed significantly shorter TTimDC than those in the non-IBD group (1-year imDC-free rate 67% vs 93%; HR 7.59, 95% CI 3.00 to 19.15, p Conclusion Patients with preexisting IBD had worse time-to-imDC than non-IBD matched controls, yet did not exhibit worse overall survival. While close monitoring of patients with preexisting IBD is warranted while on immunotherapy, this comorbidity should not preclude ICI therapy if clinically required.
Physical frailty and cognitive impairment in older nursing home residents: a latent class analysis.

Background Little is known about the heterogeneous clinical profile of physical frailty and its association with cognitive impairment in older U.S. nursing home (NH) residents. Methods Minimum Data Set 3.0 at admission was used to identify older adults newly-admitted to nursing homes with life expectancy ≥6 months and length of stay ≥100 days (n = 871,801). Latent class analysis was used to identify physical frailty subgroups, using FRAIL-NH items as indicators. The association between the identified physical frailty subgroups and cognitive impairment (measured by Brief Interview for Mental Status/Cognitive Performance Scale: none/mild; moderate; severe), adjusting for demographic and clinical characteristics, was estimated by multinomial logistic regression and presented in adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results In older nursing home residents at admission, three physical frailty subgroups were identified: "mild physical frailty" (prevalence: 7.6%), "moderate physical frailty" (44.5%) and "severe physical frailty" (47.9%). Those in "moderate physical frailty" or "severe physical frailty" had high probabilities of needing assistance in transferring between locations and inability to walk in a room. Residents in "severe physical frailty" also had greater probability of bowel incontinence. Compared to those with none/mild cognitive impairment, older residents with moderate or severe impairment had slightly higher odds of belonging to "moderate physical frailty" [aOR (95%CI)moderate cognitive impairment: 1.01 (0.99-1.03); aOR (95%CI)severe cognitive impairment: 1.03 (1.01-1.05)] and much higher odds to the "severe physical frailty" subgroup [aOR (95%CI)moderate cognitive impairment: 2.41 (2.35-2.47); aOR (95%CI)severe cognitive impairment: 5.74 (5.58-5.90)]. Conclusions Findings indicate the heterogeneous presentations of physical frailty in older nursing home residents and additional evidence on the interrelationship between physical frailty and cognitive impairment.
In vivo levels of chlorinated hydroquinones in a pentachlorophenol-degrading bacterium

Sphingomonas chlorophenolica RA-2 is a soil microorganism that can grow on pentachlorophenol (PCP) as a sole carbon source. In this microorganism, PCP is converted to tetrachlorohydroquinone (TCHQ), trichlorohydroquinone, and 2,6-dichlorohydroquinone. The remainder of the pathway has not yet been defined. The ability to grow on PCP as a sole carbon source is remarkable because of the toxicity of PCP and its chlorinated hydroquinone metabolites. Experiments in which the levels of PCP and chlorinated hydroquinones were measured in cells metabolizing [U-14C]PCP revealed that the levels of chlorinated hydroquinones in the cytoplasm are in the low micromolar range. The toxicity of chlorinated hydroquinones was evaluated by exposure of Escherichia coli cells that had been treated with EDTA (to remove the outer membrane) to TCHQ. Significant toxicity due to TCHQ was not apparent until concentrations of 500 microM and higher. Thus, an important part of the explanation for why S. chlorophenolica RA-2 is able to grow on PCP as a sole carbon source is undoubtedly that it can process sufficient carbon for growth without accumulating high levels of toxic intermediates.
Gatekeeping through Termination of Unsuitable Social Work Students: Legal Issues and Guidelines.

Social work educators are responsible for graduating professionals who are academically, behaviorally, and ethically suitable to practice as social workers. Studies have indicated that few students are terminated from undergraduate and graduate social work programs, a fact which might be due to fear of possible legal ramifications. In this legal study, the authors analyze relevant court cases related to academic and disciplinary dismissals of students, including those who are substance abusers. Termination guidelines are then provided to assist educators as they develop behavioral and ethical criteria and make the difficult decisions regarding student suitability.
HAS PSYCHOLOGIC MALNUTRITION TAKEN THE PLACE OF RICKETS AND SCURVY IN CONTEMPORARY PEDIATRIC PRACTICE? Borden Award Address

WHILE MEDICAL HISTORIANS cannot provide us with accurate statistics concerning the incidence of rickets and scurvy in centuries past, they leave little room for doubt about the high prevalence of these disorders prior to the advent of modern scientific medicine. Thus, Castiglione has written that in the sixteenth century scurvy raged throughout northern Europe, in Scandinavia, on the shores of the Baltic, and in the interior of Germany. It is interesting to note, however, that Jacques Cartier, whose sailors had been ravaged by scurvy, learned in 1536 from the Indians that the malady could be cured by juices of the almeda tree. This was 200 years before James Lind demonstrated the curative effects of lemon juice in his treatise on scurvy published in 1753 and almost 400 years before ascorbic acid, which was isolated by Szent-Gyorgi in 1928, was recognized to be vitamin C by Waugh and King in 1932. Rickets, likewise, was occurring in a large portion of children prior to the discovery of the existence of vitamin D by Hess, Steinbock, and Windaus in 1918, of its therapeutic value by Mellanby in 1919, of the equivalent role of sunlight by Hess in 1921, and of the chemical composition of the vitamins by Windaus in 1922. But 200 years earlier Friedrick Hoffman had the answer to the control of this disease almost in hand. He attached much importance to climatic conditions as a factor in rickets, noting that if anything is specially powerful in producing this affliction, it is a surrounding atmosphere of cold foggy air. He cited as striking evidence of this the famous emporium of England, London, which he found to be specially apt to produce and foster this disease.
Industry Competition, Winner's Advantage, and Cash Holdings

We examine the strategic role of cash in industries with significant R&D, and the variation of cash holdings and R&D intensity across such industries. Firms compete to innovate but must also finance to bring innovations to the market. The first successful launcher of a new product enjoys an advantage. Outside financing takes time. Cash holdings, R&D intensity, and industry concentration are determined endogenously in equilibrium. Both cash holdings and R&D intensity increase with the winner's advantage and time delay in outside financing, and decrease with entry costs. Empirical patterns of industry cash holdings and R&D intensity support the model predictions.
Quality of Life and Tamoxifen in a Breast Cancer Prevention Trial

This report contains a brief summary of the health-related quality of life findings for 11,064 women taking part in the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project's P-1 trial. Women taking part in this trial of tamoxifen versus placebo for breast cancer prevention were > or = 35 years old and predominantly white, well educated, and middle class, with a strong professional and technical orientation. Key findings included a lack of difference between the tamoxifen and placebo arms with regard to depression, overall physical or mental quality of life, and weight gain. The tamoxifen arm did show consistent increases in vasomotor (hot flashes) and gynecological (vaginal discharge) symptoms, as well as difficulties in certain domains of sexual functioning. It is concluded that an informed discussion with a woman considering tamoxifen therapy should include these points in the risk-benefit discussion.
ANTIGENIC MODULATION LOSS OF TL ANTIGEN FROM CELLS EXPOSED TO TL ANTIBODY. STUDY OF THE PHENOMENON IN VITRO

Antigenic modulation (the loss of TL antigens from TL+ cells exposed to TL antibody in the absence of lytic complement) has been demonstrated in vitro. An ascites leukemia, phenotype TL.1,2,3, which modulates rapidly and completely when incubated with TL antiserum in vitro, was selected for further study of the phenomenon. Over a wide range of TL antibody concentrations modulation at 37°C was detectable within 10 min and was complete within approximately 1 hr. The cells were initially sensitized to C' by their contact with antibody, thereafter losing this sensitivity to C' lysis together with their sensitivity to TL antibody and C' in the cytotoxic test. The capacity of the cells to undergo modulation was abolished by actinomycin D and by iodoacetamide, and by reducing the temperature of incubation to 0°C. Thus modulation apparently is an active cellular process. Antigens TL. 1,2, and 3 are all modulated by anti-TL.1,3 serum and by anti-TL.3 serum. This modulation affects all three TL components together, even when antibody to one or two of them is lacking. aAnti-TL.2 serum does not induce modulation and in fact impairs modulation by the other TL antibodies. The influence of the TL phenotype of cells upon the demonstrable content of H-2 (D region) isoantigen, first shown in cells modulated in vivo, has been observed with cells modulated in vitro. Cells undergoing modulation show a progressive increase in H-2 (D region) antigen over a period of 4 hr, with no change in H-2 antigens of the K region. Restoration of the TL+ phenotype of modulated cells after removal of antibody is less rapid than TL+ → TL- modulation and may require several cell divisions.
Long jumps in one-dimensional surface self-diffusion: Rebound transitions

The diffusivity as well as the distribution of displacements of tungsten atoms have been examined on the W(211) plane. An Arrhenius plot of the diffusivity does not indicate long jumps, but the distributions of displacements at $T\ensuremath{\geqslant}300\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$ show both double transitions between sites two spacings apart, as well as single jumps; double jumps have a high activation energy, ${E}_{\ensuremath{\beta}}=1.44\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.13\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{eV}$. At temperatures $Tg320\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$, atom motion over the surface is entirely by longer transitions. Most interesting is the fact that the sum of all measured jump rates does not agree with expectations, indicating for the first time that rebound transitions, in which jumping atoms immediately return to the origin, are significant.
Rheology of a magnetically stabilized bed consisting of mixtures of magnetic and non-magnetic particles

Abstract Hydrodynamic fluidization characteristics of an admixture bed consisting of 10 mass % iron (1416 μm) and 90 mass % copper (935 μm) are investigated under the influence of an external uniform magnetic field collinear with the gas velocity vector. The experiments are conducted at ambient conditions for superficial air velocity (Ug) varying in the range 0–4.0 m/s, and for ten values of the magnetic-field intensity (H) in the range 4000-22 000 A/m. The magnetic field is created by a Helmholtz electromagnet and its spatial uniformity is established by detailed direct measurements. Bed-pressure-drop is measured as a function of increasing and decreasing Ug, over a range of H values. These data are employed to determine the minimum fluidization (Umf) and bubbling (Umb) velocities as a function of H; and for the calculation of gross bed voidage (ϵ) as a function of Ug. ϵ is found to increase from approximately 0.4 to 0.8 as Ug is increased but does not exhibit any pronounced dependence on H. Umf is independent of H, but Umb is a weak function of H and increases with increase in H. Of particular interest is the observed bed fluidization behavior and its structural changes as Ug is increased at a given H, and the changes in the nature of bed response as H is increased. At low H (5400 A/m) and Ug values, iron particles form stalagmites at the bed surface but these become unstable as Ug is increased. Increase in H increases stalagmite stability, number and penetration in the bed. Iron particles gravitate toward the central region, channels are formed in the bed, and iron clusters are formed in the outer bed region at larger Ug values. At H = 9000 A/m, stalagmites are replaced with clusters of constant size, and at still greater H values larger stalagmites appear; the majority of iron particles are consumed in this structure with copper particles contributing to major agitation. The stability of the stalagmites increases with H, and at 22 000 A/m stalagmite formation wobbles in the bed and fountain type bubbling occurs from the central bed region.
Design Considerations for Detecting Bicycles with Inductive Loop Detectors

Inductive loop detectors are widely used for vehicle detection. Historically, these loop detectors have been installed by saw cutting 2-m-by-2-m octagons into the top 8 cm of a pavement. New construction practices often replace the octagon loop with a preformed circular shape and place this circular loop approximately 30 cm below the paved surface. Although such installation procedures provide acceptable detection for trucks and automobiles, their performance with bicycles is less clear. This paper develops a model of loop detector-bicycle interaction, verifies the model with field measurement, and provides plots documenting the location of bicycle detection zone hot spots adjacent to loop detectors. On the basis of the model, it is concluded that the performance of circular loops in detecting bicycles is almost identical to that of similarly wound octagon loops. However, when those loops are installed under the pavement, their ability to detect bicycles is significantly degraded. Because pave-over instal...
The 2'-Trifluoromethyl Analogue of Indomethacin Is a Potent and Selective COX-2 Inhibitor.

Indomethacin is a potent, time-dependent, nonselective inhibitor of the cyclooxygenase enzymes (COX-1 and COX-2). Deletion of the 2′-methyl group of indomethacin produces a weak, reversible COX inhibitor, leading us to explore functionality at that position. Here, we report that substitution of the 2′-methyl group of indomethacin with trifluoromethyl produces CF3–indomethacin, a tight-binding inhibitor with kinetic properties similar to those of indomethacin and unexpected COX-2 selectivity (IC50 mCOX-2 = 267 nM; IC50 oCOX-1 > 100 μM). Studies with site-directed mutants reveal that COX-2 selectivity results from insertion of the CF3 group into a small hydrophobic pocket formed by Ala-527, Val-349, Ser-530, and Leu-531 and projection of the methoxy group toward a side pocket bordered by Val-523. CF3–indomethacin inhibited COX-2 activity in human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells and exhibited in vivo anti-inflammatory activity in the carrageenan-induced rat paw edema model with similar potency to...
Understanding gender differences in distributive and procedural justice

Gender differences in treatment and in judgments of distributive and procedural justice were examined. Three hundred nine litigants who had been involved in arbitrated auto negligence lawsuits responded to exit surveys. Two mechanisms by which gender might influence justice perceptions were explored. First, we examined whether a “chivalry bias” might be operating, in which the procedures systematically favor women over men. If such biases occur, women might feel they had been treated more fairly because of egocentric biases. Results provided only modest support for the chivalry bias. While women received slightly better awards and perceived somewhat more control than men, these differences had no effect on perceptions of distributive or procedural justice. Second, we examined whether men and women differ systematically in the factors they use as indicators of distributive and procedural justice. On the basis of group-value theory we predicted that women might place more emphasis on standing or on outcome favorability. The study revealed that men and women did differ in how they defined distributive justice, with women placing more emphasis on their perceived standing and on their perceptions of the favorability of their outcomes. There were no substantial gender differences in how procedural justice was defined. Results are interpreted in terms of how women might be responding to insecurity about facing a justice system historically dominated by men.
Crossing the chorion: Amniocentesis

“The death of a human fetus with erythroblastosis fetalis may have been preventedby intrauterine blood transfused into the fetal peritoneum around the 30th week of pregnancy.” News item, The Medical Tribune, World Wide Report, Rochester, N. Y., March 27, 1964.
A comparison of collaborative and traditional instruction in higher education

Although collaborative instructional techniques have become popular in college courses, it is unclear whether collaborative techniques can replace more traditional instructional methods. We examined the efficacy of collaborative courses (in-class, collaborative activities with no lectures) compared to traditional lecture courses (in-class, instructor-led presentations) in four sections of introductory psychology. Most other aspects of the courses remained constant, including the professor, assignments, and exams. The collaborative learning condition resulted in significantly lower quiz and exam scores in addition to lower self-reported satisfaction with the course and the instructor than the traditional lecture condition. Moreover, students were no more likely to be satisfied with the social environment in the collaborative condition. Our results suggest that collaborative techniques may be a way to enhance professorial lectures but should not be used to replace them entirely. Further research should explore the ratio of collaborative to traditional techniques that is most beneficial for college student learning.
Comparative Studies of Protoveratrine A and Protoveratrine B Intravenously in Hypertensive Man

Comparative studies of intravenously administered protoveratrine A and protoveratrine B in hypertensive man indicate that the alkaloids have qualitatively similar hypotensive, bradycrotic, and emetic actions, but quantitatively different hypotensive and emetic potency. The relative hypotensive potencies of the two substances were determined by analyses of logarithmic dose-response curves in the same patients. On a weight basis protoveratrine B was slightly less potent than protoveratrine A. A favorable dissociation between hypotensive and emetic activity was found. Tolerance ratios were determined in which the largest doses of protoveratrine B given without nausea were compared with the doses of protoveratrine A producing nausea. These ratios were adjusted for the differences in hypotensive potency of the alkaloids. Protoveratrine B was better tolerated than protoveratrine A (p <.001). Indeed, protoveratrine B had little emetic activity when given intravenously in doses producing normotension. Protoveratr...
FRONTIER: fully enabling geometric constraints for feature-based modeling and assembly

In the full paper [1], we discuss the functionality and implementation challenges of the Frontier geometric constraint engine, designed to address the main reasons for the underutilization of geometric constraints in today's 3D design and assembly systems. Here, we motivate the full paper by outlining the advantages of Frontier. Frontier fully enables both (a) the use of complex, cyclic, spatial constraint structures as well as (b) feature-based design. To deal with Issue (a), Frontier relies on the efficient generation of a close-to-optimal decomposition and recombination (DR) plan for completely general variational constraint systems (see Figure 1). A serious bouleneck in constraint solving is the exponential time dependence on the size of the largest system that is simultaneously solved by the algebraic-numeric solver. In most naturally occurring cases, Frontier's DR-plan is guaranteed in minimize this size (to within a small constant factor). To deal with Issue (b), Frontier's DR-plan admits the independent and local manipulation of features and sub-assemblies in one or more underlying feature hierarchies that are input (Figures 1 and 2). A DR-plan satisfying the above requirements is generated by the new Frontsier vertex Algorithm (FA): the DR problem and its significance as well as FA and its performance with respect to several relevant and newly formalized abstract measures are described in [2, 3]. Frontier employs a crucial representation of the DR-plan's subsystems or clusters, their hierarchy and their interaction This representation merges network flow information, as well as other geometric and combinatorial information in a natural manner. Some of this information is obtained from an efficient flow-based algorithm for detecting small rigid sub-systems presented in [4]. The clarity of this representation is crucial in the concrete realization of FA's formal performance. More significantly, this representation allows Frontier to take advantage of its DR-plan in surprising and unsuspected ways listed below.
A client-server view-dependent isosurfacing approach with support for local view changes

A new approach for view-dependent isosurfacing on volumetric data is described. The approach is designed for client-server environments where the client's computational capabilities are much more limited than those of the server and where the network between the two features bandwidth limits, for example 802.11b wireless. Regions of the dataset that contain no visible part of the isosurface are determined on the server, using an approximate isosurface silhouette and octree-driven processing. The visible regions of interest in the dataset are then transferred to the client for isosurfacing. The approach also enables fast generation of renderings when the viewpoint changes via minimal additional data transfer to the client. Experimental results for application of the approach to volumetric data are also presented here.
In situ composites based on blends of a polyetherimide and thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers subjected to shearfree deformations

The effects of shearfree elongational flows on the morphology and mechanical properties of blends of a polyetherimide (PEI) with thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers (TLCP) have been investigated. Extruded sheets and injection molded plaques of PEI/Vectra A and PEI/HX1000 blends, with a TLCP concentration of ≤30 wt%, were subjected to uniaxial elongation, planar and biaxial deformations at 240°C, above the glass transition temperature of the PEI, and at 265°C, which is below the melting point of the TLCPs, Experimental results revealed that each particular mode of shearfree deformation had a distinct effect on the morphology and properties of the blends. For instance, TLCP droplets were deformed into elongated fibrils by application of uniaxial elongation, deformed into elongated ribbon-like structures after planar deformation, and deformed into a disc-like shape by application of equibiaxial flow. Regarding mechanical properties, it was observed that the tensile modulus and strength of molded plaques of PEI/HX1000 80/20 wt% increased to about twice their initial values (from 5.13 to 10.40 GPa and from 105 to 198 MPa, respectively) after a strain of 0.75 was applied in a direction parallel to the initial direction of the TLCP fibers. In addition, samples exhibiting equal values of flow and transverse direction tensile modulus of ∼5.0 GPa were obtained when molded plaques of PEI/HX1000 80/20 wt% were subjected to planar stretching in a direction transverse to the initial direction of the fibers. Thus, by subjecting injection molded plaques to planar stretching, it was possible to obtain a sample exhibiting balanced flow and transverse direction mechanical properties and, consequently, reduced anisotropy.
Temsirolimus, an inhibitor of mammalian target of rapamycin.

Temsirolimus (Torisel, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals) is an inhibitor of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), a molecule implicated in multiple tumor-promoting intracellular signaling pathways. Temsirolimus recently became the first Food and Drug Administration–approved mTOR-targeted agent based on a
Divergence of solutions of polynomial finite-difference equations

A theorem is proven for kth-order polynomial finite-difference equations that guarantees the divergence of solutions. A ‘basin of divergence’ is characterized and an order of divergence is provided. The basin of divergence is shown to depend on k independent parameters. An unconventional compactification method is used. Applications include the multi-step method in the numerical integration of ordinary differential equations, quadratic equations and the Henon map.
"Dissed" by dating violence.

PROBLEM. This study describes the impact of the experience of dating violence on the daily lives of college women. METHODS. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze transcribed responses from an open-ended question about the impact of dating violence. FINDINGS. Eight thematic categories emerged: emotional distress, distrust and using extra precautions, disconnected and distant in relationships, self-discontentment, disclaiming the experience, feeling disenfranchised, life disruption, and turning a situation from disempowering to empowering. CONCLUSIONS. Understanding the perspective of dating violence victims assists the advanced practice psychiatric nurse (APPN) with planning effective care. Routine screening about past and present experiences of violence must occur with all young women. Providers must be knowledgeable about available resources for victims. (Abstract Adapted from Source: Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 2005. Copyright © 2005 by the Adult and Geropsychiatric-Mental Health Nurses; Blackwell Publishing) Dating Violence Victim Dating Violence Effects Female Victim Adult Female Adult Victim Violence Against Women Partner Violence Psychological Victimization Effects College Student Research 02-06
Liver-specific glucose-6-phosphatase is not present in human placenta.

Type I glycogen storage disease (McKusick 23220), an inherited absence or deficiency of glucose-6-phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.9) activity in the liver, kidney and intestine, is associated with the accumulation of glycogen in those organs. Previous reports have shown that glucose-6-phosphatase exists in human placenta and that detection of a heterozygote for this disorder from placenta might be possible. Our finding of a normal glucose-6-phosphatase activity in a placenta from a patient at risk for type Ia glycogen storage disease prompted us to examine in more detail placental glucose-6-phosphatase. Unexpectedly, we found the properties of the placental enzyme differed from that in normal liver, and the placental enzyme hydrolyzed glucose-6-phosphate, mannose-6-phosphate, β-glycerol phosphate and glucose-1-phosphate equally well. Our data suggest the enzyme deficient in type I glycogen storage disease cannot be detected in placenta.
Dreams, hallucinogenic drug states, and schizophrenia: A psychological and biological comparison.

Many observers have noted similarities between dreams, hallucinogenic drug states, and schizophrenia. In the present article, certain fundamental areas of convergence between the three states are described. Consideration is given to the hallucinogenic drug model of psychosis: the reasons for its initial attractiveness, and the reasons for its current disfavor. The concept of ego boundaries is defined, examined, and applied to the three states. In these states, the ego's capacity to average or synthesize various self-representations into a continuous, coherent self is compromised--leading to an impairment of the reality-oriented secondary process, and the emergence of the florid attributes of the primary process. This can account for many of the familiar characteristics of the three states. Current neurophysiological theories of dream and hallucinogenic drug states are presented, with emphasis upon serotonin neurotransmission. Serotonin appears to play a prominent role in the regulation of these states. The analogy contained in the present article suggests that serotonin may play a role in regulating schizophrenic states as well. Language: en
Covariation between homeodomain transcription factors and the shape of their DNA binding sites

Protein-DNA recognition is a critical component of gene regulatory processes but the underlying molecular mechanisms are not yet completely understood. Whereas the DNA binding preferences of transcription factors (TFs) are commonly described using nucleotide sequences, the 3D DNA structure is recognized by proteins and is crucial for achieving binding specificity. However, the ability to analyze DNA shape in a high-throughput manner made it only recently feasible to integrate structural information into studies of protein-DNA binding. Here we focused on the homeodomain family of TFs and analyzed the DNA shape of thousands of their DNA binding sites, investigating the covariation between the protein sequence and the sequence and shape of their DNA targets. We found distinct homeodomain regions that were more correlated with either the nucleotide sequence or the DNA shape of their preferred binding sites, demonstrating different readout mechanisms through which homeodomains attain DNA binding specificity. We identified specific homeodomain residues that likely play key roles in DNA recognition via shape readout. Finally, we showed that adding DNA shape information when characterizing binding sites improved the prediction accuracy of homeodomain binding specificities. Taken together, our findings indicate that DNA shape information can generally provide new mechanistic insights into TF binding.
A Longitudinal Study of Human Age-Related Chromosomal Analysis in Skin Fibroblasts

Previous chromosomal analyses related to human aging used mainly cross-sectional data on metaphase chromosomes. However, it is difficult to directly relate the cross-sectional results to the specific type(s) of chromosomal mutations possibly occurring within a specific individual with advancing age, because the unique genetic endowment of each individual for longevity might be a modulating factor. We therefore have performed, for the first time, a longitudinal study of both numerical and structural chromosome analyses of skin fibroblasts at interphase and at metaphase derived from eight donors participating in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study. We have used the FISH method with chromosome-specific DNA probes and the data on total aneuploidy of 17 different chromosomes in each of the 16 cell cultures (2 from each of eight individuals) indicate that significantly higher percentages of aneuploid cells are detected at interphase than at metaphase. Mostly, the levels of chromosome-specific aneuploidy increase with the donor's advancing age and, in most individuals, chromosomes 1, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 15 show significantly higher frequencies of aneuploidy at interphase than those of the 11 other chromosomes studied. Although the significance of relatively higher levels of aneuploidy of certain chromosomes with aging remains unclear, it is intriguing to note that some of these chromosomes, such as 1, 4, and 6, have already been assigned to harbor senescence genes and chromosome 8 is known to house the gene for Werner Syndrome (progeroid syndrome), which shows very limited proliferative capacity of fibroblasts. It is conceivable that the degree and/or type of chromosome-specific aneuploidy might have some gene dosage effects in the control of cellular proliferation and selection during aging. We also show that a combination of both interphase and metaphase aneuploidy analyses provides more comprehensive and insightful information on intraindividual cellular dynamics and chromosomal aneuploidy as a function of age. Occasionally, very small proportions of cells in two individuals showed age-related structural chromosome aberrations, such as an acentric fragment derived from an X chromosome and an achromatic gap in chromosome 7. Thus, a comparative analysis of both intra- and interindividual longitudinal studies is very useful in detecting the pattern(s) of chromosome-specific alterations with increasing age.
Numerical integration of hybrid dynamical systems via domain relaxation

Though hybrid dynamical systems are a powerful modeling tool, it has proven difficult to accurately simulate their trajectories. In this paper, we develop a provably convergent numerical integration scheme for approximating trajectories of hybrid dynamical systems. This is accomplished by first relaxing hybrid systems whose continuous states reside on manifolds by attaching epsilon-sized strips to portions of the boundary and then extending the dynamic and distance metric onto these strips. On this space we develop a numerical integration scheme and prove that discrete approximations converge to trajectories of the hybrid system. An example is included to illustrate the approach.
Modeling distributed software defect removal effectiveness in the presence of code churn

Two types of discrete defect removal models that consider the dynamics of code churn behavior during software testing phases under distributed software development environment are proposed. The first model is based on a sequential debugging process, while the second model is based on an iterative debugging process during each testing phase. The mathematical relationship between the number of defects detected during a testing phase and the total estimated remaining defects at the end of the same testing phase for both models are elaborated in detail. The defect detection ratio is identified to have the greatest contribution to the variance of the estimated number of remaining defects based on the sensitivity analysis using Monte-Carlo simulation. Using the proposed models, we quantitatively show how to estimate the number of defects by varying the defect detection ratio, defect correction ratio, the percentage of added code, and the percentage of deleted code.
Technology: Autonomous or neutral

Abstract Two conflicting visions of technology nevertheless agree that scientists and engineers bear little moral responsibility for their inventions. According to one vision, technology is largely autonomous,” that is, self‐determinative operating according to its own blind laws independently of human will. According to the other, technology is fully controllable, but control rests solely with ‘end‐users’ as technology is, in itself, value‐neutral. After a brief characterization of the domain of technology, each vision of technology is criticized in turn. Despite the many penetrating insights offered by the best exemplar of the first approach— Jacques Ellul—it is shown that his approach rests on unacceptable metaphysical and epis‐temological assumptions: because it seemingly explains so much, it explains nothing; and it anthropomorphizes technology. Champions of the value neutrality thesis fail to sustain their argument because they overlook the ways in which various technologies embody the values of par...
HYDRAULIC CEMENT FROM FLY ASH AND PHOSPHORIC ACID

Reaction products by fly ash-phosphoric acid mixtures of two fly ashes were studied by x-ray diffraction measurements. Fly ash was used to produce a cement for studying compressive strength of mortars prepared with Ottawa sand.
Use of tracer microspheres to measure bone blood flow in conscious dogs

Blood flow was measured in mature and immature dogs by means of tracer microspheres. Microspheres of 15 µm were found to be the most suitable size in the dog. Total body nonentrapment in the awake, standing dog is likely to be less than 10%. Cortical bone flood flow, devoid of periosteum and marrow, is 2.5 ml/100 g/min in mature dogs and 7.0 ml/100 g/min in immature dogs,P<0.005. Blood flow in cancellous bone is greater than that in cortical bone in mature (P<0.001) and immature (P<0.02) dogs. Flow is different in different regions of a long bone because of different proportions of cortical and cancellous bone, probably because of interrelationships of function (surfaces undergoing remodeling) and, therefore, of energy metabolism and blood flow.
Pharmacokinetics of rifapentine in children

Rifapentine (RIF) is a rifamycin antibiotic approved for the treatment of pulmonary infections caused by M. tuberculosis that has potential therapeutic advantages over existing rifamycins. This study was designed to characterize the pharmacokinetics of RIF in children. Methods 24 children (7.1± 3.3 yr; 27.9± 11.9 kg) were enrolled in this open label study. Children received a single oral dose of RIF (150 or 300 mg) followed by repeated blood sampling (n=11) over 32 hr and quantitation of RIF and 25-desacetyl rifapentine (DRF) by HPLC. Pharmacokinetic parameters were determined using a model independent approach. Results Due to a large degree of intersubject variability, no relationship was observed between weight-normalized dose and exposure. A weak, albeit significant, relationship was observed between age and dose-normalized AUC0-n and AUC0-∞ (r2=0.22, p=0.02). Similarly, age appeared to account, in part, for the extent of DRF formation (r2=0.27, p=0.01). In contrast, no correlation was observed between age and dose-normalized Cmax or Vd/F. Adverse events related to the administration of RIF were mild and included stomach ache (n=1) and vomiting (n=2). Conclusions RIF appears to be well tolerated in children 2–12 yr. Given a comparable weight normalized dose, RIF exposure estimates are slightly lower in children than reported for adults. However, putative pharmacodynamic targets for highly susceptible isolates appear to be achieved in the majority of children receiving a RIF dose of 5–10 mg/kg. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2005) 77, P30–P30; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2004.12.008
Error checking with client-driven pointer analysis

This paper presents a new client-driven pointer analysis algorithm that automatically adjusts its precision in response to the needs of client analyses. Using five significant error detection problems as clients, we evaluate our algorithm on 18 real C programs. We compare the accuracy and performance of our algorithm against several commonly used fixed-precision algorithms. We find that the client-driven approach effectively balances cost and precision, often producing results as accurate as fixed-precision algorithms that are many times more costly. Our algorithm works because many client problems only need a small amount of extra precision applied to selected portions of each input program.
Empirical evidence equilibria in stochastic games

The framework of empirical evidence equilibrium (EEE) for stochastic games is developed in this paper. In a stochastic game, agents collectively influence the dynamic of the environment. In standard equilibria, each agent's strategy is optimal with respect to its opponents' strategies. Therefore, each strategy is the solution to a partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP). The following considerations motivate the notion of EEE. First, solutions to a POMDP can be prohibitively complex to compute and implement. Second, agents might not fully understand the environment's dynamic. Third, standard equilibria do not accommodate different levels of bounded rationality among agents. Finally, reaching equilibrium in stochastic games has not been adequately addressed. In the EEE framework, each agent formulates a simple model of its opponents' effects. It neglects that agents are mutually dependent through the environment and computes an optimal strategy associated with its model. The agents play their strategies against each other and make some observations. Agents are in EEE when the models are consistent with these empirical observations. In this paper, the notion of EEE is formalized and an existence result is established in a general setting. Relations with other equilibria, including mean field equilibria, are also presented. Finally, the learning of EEEs by simple adaptive processes is illustrated through simulation.