cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A first look at women's perspectives on noninvasive prenatal testing to detect sex chromosome aneuploidies and microdeletion syndromes

Objective The aim of this study is to explore women's opinions about the use of noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) to assess the risk of sex chromosome aneuploidies and microdeletion syndromes. Methods Focus groups were conducted with women who were currently pregnant or had recently delivered. Qualitative analysis using interpretive description was used to generate study findings. Results Thirty-one women (mean age 32.4 years) participated in the focus groups. Participants were unfamiliar with sex chromosome aneuploidies but expressed support for the use of NIPT to detect these conditions. Participants were uncertain about the utility and actionability of receiving information about microdeletion syndromes with variable or unknown phenotypic expression. Participants voiced their desire to be informed of all conditions assessed by NIPT prior to testing. They considered clinicians to be the key provider of such information, although stated that patients have a responsibility to be knowledgeable prior to testing in order to support informed decision making. Conclusions The use of NIPT to identify sex chromosome aneuploidies and microdeletion syndromes will introduce new challenges for clinicians to ensure pregnant women have the information and resources to make informed choices about NIPT when used for these conditions. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Inactivation and Degradation of O6-Alkylguanine-DNA Alkyltransferase after Reaction with Nitric Oxide

O(6)-Alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) plays a critical role in protection from the carcinogenic effects of simple alkylating agents by repairing O(6)-alkylguanine adducts via a direct transfer reaction. Nitric oxide (NO) or species derived from it are known to be able to initiate neoplastic growth and cannot only damage DNA, either directly or via the formation of intermediates such as nitrosamines, but can also inhibit some DNA repair processes. We have studied the inactivation of AGT by NO in detail in vitro and in vivo using wild-type human AGT (hAGT) and mutants at key residues. Our results show that hAGT is readily but reversibly inactivated by the formation of S-nitrosylcysteine at Cys-145, which is the alkyl acceptor site. The facile reaction of this cysteine residue with NO is attributable to its interaction with other residues in hAGT including His-146 and Glu-172 that activate the sulfhydryl group of Cys-145 to allow its nucleophilic attack on DNA adducts. Although the S-nitrosylcysteine adduct in hAGT is readily reversible by reaction with other cellular thiols, the formation of S-nitrosocysteine at Cys-145 was found to lead to the rapid degradation of the hAGT protein in vivo. This degradation is brought about by the ubiquitin/proteasomal system. The formation of an S-nitrosylcysteine at Cys-145 in hAGT in response to NO led to a large increase in the ubiquitination of the protein. This NO-mediated increase did not occur with the C145S or C145A mutants. A conformational change in hAGT, which involves opening of an asparagine hinge, normally occurs after alkylation of the protein in its role in DNA repair and causes degradation of the alkylated hAGT. Our results indicate that a similar effect occurs after reaction of the protein with NO. Thus, exposure to NO causes an irreversible loss of DNA repair capacity for alkylation adducts. This may contribute toward the potential development of tumors in cells upon chronic exposure to NO because of inflammation or infection. This may be of particular importance because such exposure may also lead to the formation of N-nitroso compounds that can act as alkylating agents.
Social Studies Special Issue: Another Look at Civic Literacy in a Digital Age

Young children are immersed in a high tech world. However, as their functional technological capabilities evolve, they also need to develop skills for interactive and participatory engagement in online environments. Challenges exist as digital spaces transform the role of traditional mechanisms of adult oversight and supervision in guiding children as citizens within global mediums. This special issue contributes to the growing body of literature on new literacies needed in this technological age. Although the technology can be transformative, it is important to create linkages between our historical understanding of pedagogy and the development of children’s decision-making capacities in novel contexts. Adaptation and application of this knowledge base frames our understanding of effective practices to promote a generation of children with the dispositions and skills to function as technologically fluent and engaged citizens who constructively contribute to our digitally mediated ways of being and learning.
A catalytic role for heparin. Evidence for a ternary complex of heparin cofactor thrombin and heparin.

Abstract The interaction of heparin with chemically modified thrombin and heparin cofactor is studied. Amidinated heparin cofactor does not bind to heparin-agarose and the reaction rate of the amidinated inhibitor with unmodified thrombin is not affected by heparin. Likewise, thrombin modified with 1,2-cyclohexanedione does not bind to heparin agarose and the reaction rate of the modified enzyme with unmodified inhibitor is not affected by heparin. In the absence of heparin, the modified and unmodified proteins react at the same rate in all possible combinations. Affinity chromatography of diisopropylphosphoryl thrombin on heparin cofactor coupled to Sephadex G-50 is used to study the binding of heparin cofactor and thrombin to heparin. The thrombin for all experiments is tritium-labeled and then inactivated with diispropyl-fluorophosphate. Thrombin is not bound to heparin cofactor-Sephadex columns. However, after treatment of the columns with a heparin solution, thrombin binds tightly, and is eluted at high ionic strength. Bound thrombin can also be eluted with either excess non-radioactive thrombin or excess free heparin. Heparin-dependent binding of thrombin does not occur if the heparin cofactor-Sephadex is heat-denatured. The ability of heparin to couple solution-phase thrombin to solid-phase heparin cofactor indicates that a ternary complex is formed. Analysis of the binding of the proteins to heparin by a dye displacement method suggests that at least one site on heparin binds to thrombin but not to heparin cofactor. Further support for a catalytic role for heparin derives from the ability of catalytic concentrations of heparin to enhance the rate of hydrolysis of prothrombin by thrombin, another protein pair which bind mutually to heparin.
Dynamic Programming with Hermite Interpolation

Numerical dynamic programming algorithms typically use Lagrange data to approximate value functions. This paper uses Hermite data obtained from the optimization step and applies Hermite interpolation to construct approximate value functions. Several examples show that Hermite interpolation significantly improves the accuracy of value function iteration with very little extra cost.
Elastic constants of As2S3.

We have used Brillouin scattering to measure ten of the thirteen independent elastic constants of crystalline ${\mathrm{As}}_{2}$${\mathrm{S}}_{3}$. We find that the phonon propagation within the layer plane is largely controlled by the orthorhombic symmetry of the layer rather than the monoclinic symmetry of the crystal. The stiffness within the plane displays a large anisotropy, and the smaller of the stiffnesses within the plane is less than that along the axis perpendicular to the plane, an unexpected result for a layered crystal. For phonons propagating near the [001] direction the two branches of the velocity show a ``mode repulsion'' and exchange their polarizations. In this direction the velocity of the shear wave is larger than that of the compressional wave.
Computer Simulation of the Effect of Free Surface Reflection on Shock Wave Propagation in Water

A computer simulation is used to study the behavior of a fluid which has been set into motion by a point explosion below a bounding free surface. Of particular interest is the interaction between the incident shock wave and the reflected rarefaction signal which, under certain conditions, can overtake the shock front. Onset criteria for the envelope which separates the region of irregular from that of regular rarefaction, the nonspherical shape of the shock front, and the pulse profile for several depths of burst covering both strong and weak shock interactions with the surface will be discussed.
The 1776–1777 Northern Campaigns of the American War for Independence and Their Sequels: Contemporary Maps of Mainly German Origin. By Thomas M. Barker and Paul R. Huey

The authors of this attractive book have rendered a great service to scholars of the northernmost theatre of the American War of Independence. During 1776 and 1777 British forces recovered Canada f...
The effect of the Mt. Pinatubo aerosol on the HNO3 column over Mauna Loa, Hawaii

A very high resolution infrared solar spectrometer system for the Network for Detection of Stratospheric Change has been routinely operated at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii since November, 1991. Solar absorption spectra are normally taken one day a week at sunrise. We report the analysis of these spectra for the vertical column amount of nitric acid (HNO3) vapor. The observations began four months after the arrival of volcanic aerosols from Mt. Pinatubo over the site. Although quite variable, total HNO3 columns were initially about 7 x 10(exp 15) molecules/sq cm and have decreased about 30% in the following two years.
Emiocytosis of B granules from saurian pancreatic islets perifused in vitro.

Splenic islets of Anolis carolinensis incubated in an in vitro perifusion system with media containing a non-stimulatory concentration of glucose had the same ultrastructural appearance as islets removed from an intact animal. When horseradish peroxidase was included in this medium, no profiles suggestive of emiocytotic release of B granules were observed despite basal insulin secretion. With cytochalasin B and a high concentration of glucose, the B cells exhibited margination of their secretory granules and moderate degranulation, but rarely were profiles suggestive of emiocytosis seen. In the presence of cytochalasin B, glucose and the other insulin secretagogues used, the B cells were more degranulated than with only cytochalasin B and glucose present, but profiles indicative of emiocytosis were infrequently encountered. Emiocytosis of the B granules was demostrated convincingly with the inclusion of peroxidase and the above agents. Virtually all the B cells had at least one secretory granule fused with the limiting membrane and surrounded by the peroxidase, and some B cells exhibited multiple release of granules. From these observations it is concluded that emiocytosis plays a major role in the secretion of insulin from B cells of Anolis. The B cells from control perifusions, as well as from intact animals, did not contain a microfilamentous cell web. Granular or filamentous masses were not demonstrated in B cells from splenic islets perifused with cytochalasin B. The mechanism of emiocytotic release of insulin from the B cells of Anolis is discussed with reference to these observations.
Epidural analgesia for cephalic version: a randomized trial.

Objective: To determine if epidural analgesia improves the success rate of external cephalic version. Methods: Women with singleton fetuses in breech or transverse presentation of at least 37 weeks’ gestation were offered enrollment in a randomized trial. Inclusion criteria included maternal age of 18 years or older, nonvertex presentation confirmed by ultrasound, intact membranes, reactive fetal nonstress test, and estimated fetal weight (EFW) between 2000 and 4000 g. Women in the epidural group had lumbar epidural catheters inserted, through which 2% lidocaine and 100 μg of fentanyl were infused. External cephalic version attempts were done with ultrasound guidance in a standard fashion for both groups. The primary outcome variable was the successful version of the fetus to a cephalic presentation. Results: There were no statistically significant differences between groups in gestation at time of procedure, placental location, fetal lie, gravity, parity, EFW, or amniotic fluid index. External cephalic version was successful in 32 of 54 women (59%) with epidural anesthesia compared with 18 of 54 (33%) with no anesthesia (relative risk [RR] 1.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2, 2.8, P < .05). Vaginal delivery occurred in 29 of 54 women (54%) in the epidural group and 16 of 54 women (30%) in the control group (RR 1.9, 95% CI 1.2, 2.9, P < .05). Conclusion: Epidural analgesia increased the success rate of external cephalic version and the likelihood of subsequent vaginal delivery. (Obstet Gynecol 2000;95:648–51.)
Defective receptor expression and dendritic cell differentiation of monocytes in glioblastomas.

Objective Better characterization of the changes that occur in the circulating monocytes of patients with glioblastoma has become more important recently as monocyte-derived dendritic cells are used as adjuvants in the development of glioma vaccines. This study seeks to develop understanding of the phenotypic changes that occur in circulating monocytes of patients with intracranial cancer and to assess the ability of these cells to differentiate into mature dendritic cells. Methods Monocyte expression levels of HLA-ABC, HLA-DR, CD86, ICAM-1, TNFRII, and GMCSFR were compared between three cohorts: patients with intracranial glioblastoma (n = 15), patients with intracranial metastases (n = 9), and a group of healthy controls (n = 10). Monocytes were then tested for their ability to differentiate into mature dentritic cells based on morphology, CD83 expression and high levels of co-stimulatory molecules. Results Comprehensive analysis of monocyte receptor expression demonstrated significantly reduced HLA-ABC, HLA-DR, CD86, ICAM-1, and TNFRII in patients with glioblastoma but not in patients with intracranial metastases compared with a group of healthy controls. GMCSFR expression was significantly reduced in both patients with glioblastoma and intracranial metastases. Additionally, the monocytes of patients with glioblastoma showed a reduced capacity to differentiate into mature dendritic cells as identified by CD83 expression, receptor expression, and morphology. Conclusion Peripheral monocytes are phenotypically altered in the setting of glioblastoma and display a reduced functional capacity to differentiate into mature dendritic cells.
Molecular dynamics simulations of solid state recrystallization I: Observation of grain growth in annealed iron nanoparticles

Abstract Molecular dynamics simulations of solid state recrystallization and grain growth in iron nanoparticles containing 1436 atoms were carried out. During the period of relaxation of supercooled liquid drops and during thermal annealing of the solids they froze to, changes in disorder were followed by monitoring changes in energy and the migration of grain boundaries. All 27 polycrystalline nanoparticles, which were generated with different grain boundaries, were observed to recystallize into single crystals during annealing. Larger grains consumed the smaller ones. In particular, two sets of solid particles, designated as A and B, each with two grains, were treated to generate 18 members of each set with different thermal histories. This provided small ensembles (of 18 members each) from which rates at which the larger grain engulfed the smaller one, could be determined. The rate was higher, the smaller the degree of misorientation between the grains, a result contrary to the general rule based on published experiments, but the reason was clear. Crystal A, which happened to have a somewhat lower angle of misorientation, also had a higher population of defects, as confirmed by its higher energy. Accordingly, its driving force to recrystallize was greater. Although the mechanism of recrystallization is commonly called nucleation, our results, which probe the system on an atomic scale, were not able to identify nuclei unequivocally. By contrast, our technique can and does reveal nuclei in the freezing of liquids and in transformations from one solid phase to another. An alternative rationale for a nucleation-like process in our results is proposed.
Resonant oscillations of a weakly coupled, nonlinear layered system

We analyze standing wave oscillations of a periodic system of infinite spatial extent composed of layers with cubic material nonlinearities that are coupled by weak linear stiffnesses. We show that nonlinear modal interactions in this system are unavoidable due to the existence of an infinite degenerate set of internal resonances. Considering only the dominant 1∶3 resonances, the standing wave problem is formulated in terms of a bi-infinite set of coupled nonlinear difference equations that govern the layer modal amplitudes. In the limit of weak coupling between layers this set of difference equations is analyzed by (i) direct perturbation analysis, and (ii) matched asymptotic expansions of the differential equations resulting from a continuum approximation. Strongly and weakly localized, as well as spatially extended (non-localized) solutions are computed. In addition, composite solutions derived by matching in-phase and out of phase segments of the aforementioned solutions can also be constructed. In the limit of weak coupling between layers and/or strong material nonlinearities, the solutions develop sensitive dependence on initial conditions, and the possibility of spatial chaos in the system exists.
Sulfur budget of a power plant plume

As part of the Midwest Interstate Sulfur Transformation and Transport (MISTT) study, the summer sulfur budget of the plume of the 2400 MW coal-fired Labadie power plant near St. Louis, Missouri is assessed via aircraft data, ground monitoring network data and a two-box model. The paniculate sulfur (Sp) formation rate is obtained from three-dimensional plume mapping combined with a high time-resolution Sp sampling technique. During noon hours the SO2 conversion rate is found to be 1–4% per hour, compared to night rates below 0.5% per hour. Plume excess light scattering coefficient (bscat) and excess Sp correlated well (r = 0.87), indicating most Sp is formed in the light-scattering size range. During daytime the well-mixed plume is transported at 5ms−1 on the average; at night the July average wind speed at plume height is 12ms−1 due to the low-level jet The nocturnal plume is less than 100 m thick at 400 m above ground and is decoupled from the surface until morning. Ground monitoring data from the Regional Air Pollution Study (RAPS) show that plume entrainment into the rising mixing layer is completed by 1000 Central Daylight Time (CDT). Due to daytime vertical mixing and nocturnal decoupling, the dry removal rate for the elevated plume is highest near noon. In a daily cycle, the plume sequentially passes through a reservoir regime, dissociated from delivery to the ground and then enters the mixing-removal regime. A two-box model representing the two regimes, with diurnally periodic rate constants for transformation and removal, is employed to estimate plume sulfur budgets. Ignoring wet removal, 30–45% of the SO2 is estimated to be converted to Sp, half within the first day. Particulate sulfur is formed unevenly: the afternoon plume contributes more than its share because it rises so high that it has more time to react before removal begins. In short: transformation and removal occur mainly during the daytime, while transport is fastest at night. After a hard day of convection, reaction and deposition, the lower atmosphere relaxes at dusk while the midwestern plume takes off overnight on a jetstream and begins the next day's work 300–400 km from the stack.
Explanatory Typologies in Qualitative Studies of International Politics

Explanatory typologies are powerful tools in the qualitative study of international politics. They are likely to be most valuable when scholars systematically apply shared techniques. This article provides an account of analytic steps used in working with typologies, and an accessible vocabulary to describe them. These analytic steps are illustrated with concrete examples drawn from prominent versions of offensive structural, defensive structural, and neoclassical realism. Five forms of cell compression—rescaling and indexing, as well as logical, empirical, and pragmatic compression—are considered, along with the drawbacks associated with each. The expansion of a partial typology and the rediscovery of deleted cells are also discussed. Finally, the article considers the potential drawbacks of a typological approach, and argues that scholars must be mindful of the risks of reification and of relabeling anomalies.I am especially grateful to David Collier for extensive critiques of several drafts of this article. Stephen G. Walker, Miriam Fendius Elman, James Mahoney, Gary Goertz, Reilly O'Neal, John Gerring, Bear Braumoeller, Lisa Martin, two anonymous reviewers, and the participants at the January 2004 Institute for Qualitative Research Methods at Arizona State University provided valuable comments. An earlier version of this article was presented at the 2004 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association. Ryan Davis, Michael Jensen and Mallory Hutchison provided greatly appreciated research assistance. Templates for dichotomous and trichotomous four-variable property spaces are available from colin.elman@asu.edu.
Is process or architecture the solution

The call for papers for this workshop starts with the observation that software still has bugs, despite considerable investment and improvement in software development process. Software has always had bugs, and as far as I can tell, it will always have bugs. Software, however, need not be fragile, so a single bug can bring down an entire system. Building robust software requires deep, fundamental changes in the architecture of the entire software stack, to introduce isolation between components, to introduce hard interfaces, and to specify and verify many more aspects of systems behavior.
Increased risk of chronic liver failure in adults with heterozygous alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency.

Controversy exists whether patients who are genetically heterozygous for 1-antitrypsin deficiency (1ATD), carrying a single PI*Z allele, are at increased risk of developing chronic liver disease. In these investigations, we determined the prevalence of heterozygous 1AT phenotypes (PI MZ, PI SZ) in a well-characterized cohort of patients presenting with chronic liver failure before orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). We analyzed data collected from all adult patients (n = 641) who underwent OLT at our tertiary referral center between March 1985 and December 1996. Study patients entered a prospective protocol designed to test for all known etiologies of liver disease. Complete testing including 1AT phenotyping was successfully performed in 599 adults. We compared the overall number of heterozygous PI*Z carriers in our OLT cohort with established prevalence figures for general and regional American populations, and examined their distribution among various liver disease subgroups. Fifty-one patients were found to be heterozygous carriers of a single PI*Z allele for 1AT. The predominant phenotype in our transplantation cohort was PI MZ, identified in 49 patients (8.2%), which is a significantly higher prevalence than that reported from previous American population studies (2%-4%). Additionally, a significantly greater number of PI MZ carriers existed in patients with cryptogenic cirrhosis compared with other liver disease categories (26.9%; P < .001). These data suggest that individuals carrying a single PI*Z allele for 1AT may be at increased risk of developing cirrhosis and liver failure, even in the absence of an identifiable coexisting liver disease.
Zoledronic Acid Prevents Bone Mineral Density Loss at the Hip, but not at the Knee, in Persons with Acute Spinal Cord Injury

Percentage with renal insufficiency < 30 egfr (mL/min/m2) 5% (3) Dysphagia 63% (40) CONCLUSION: The low rate of therapy for osteoporosis was most unexpected. The Rheumatology faculty gives annual educational lectures related to management and screening for Osteoporosis and fracture prevention targeted to health providers in the long term care unit. We have initiated a survey of health care providers at our VA to determine feedback of perceived limitations in osteoporosis screening and management to further determine future optimal interventions. 1. Paniagua MA, Malphurs JE, Samos LF. BMI and low bone mass in an elderly male nursing home population. Clinical interventions in aging 2006:1 (3) 283-287. 2. Parikh S, Mogun H, Avorn J, Solomon DH. Osteoporosis Medication Use in Nursing Home Patients with Fractures in 1 US State. Arch Intern Med. 2008; 168 (10):1111-1115.
The effect of hydroxylamine on transport ATPase.

Abstract When pig brain microsomes or NaI-treated microsomes are preincubated with ATP and NH 2 OH, phosphorylation from [γ- 32 P]ATP in the presence of Mg 2+ plus Na + is inhibited by 80% or more, whereas hydrolysis is only slightly reduced. This shows that NH 2 OH is capable of reacting with the native enzyme, and various explanations for these findings are discussed.
Nephrotoxicity Induced by the R- and S-Enantiomers of N-(3,5-Dichlorophenyl)-2-hydroxysuccinimide (NDHS) and Their Sulfate Conjugates in Male Fischer 344 Rats

Abstract The agricultural fungicide N -(3,5-dichlorophenyl)succinimide (NDPS) induces nephrotoxicity characterized as polyuric renal failure and mediated via metabolites arising from oxidation of the succinimide ring. Recent findings have suggested that the stereochemical nature of NDPS metabolites may be an important factor in NDPS metabolite-induced nephrotoxicity. The purpose of the present study was to determine the role of stereochemistry in the in vivo nephrotoxicity induced by R -(+)- and S -(−)- N -(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-2-hydroxysuccinimide ( R - and S -NDHS) and the in vitro nephrotoxicity induced by their enantiomeric sulfate conjugates, R -(−)- and S -(+)- N -(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-2-hydroxysuccinimide- O -sulfate ( R - and S -NSC). Male Fischer 344 rats (four rats/group) were administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) an enantiomer of NDHS (0.05, 0.1 or 0.2 mmol/kg) or vehicle, and renal function monitored for 48 h. R -NDHS (0.1 or 0.2 mmol/kg) had little effect on renal function. In contrast, S -NDHS (0.1 mmol/kg) induced marked nephrotoxicity. The nephrotoxic potential of R - and S -NSC (0.5, 0.75 or 1.0 mM) was determined using freshly isolated rat renal cortical cells (IRCC, 3–4 × 10 6 cells/ml). Cytotoxicity was determined by measuring the release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) at the end of a 1 h incubation period. The LDH release observed in these studies was similar between R - and S -NSC. These results indicate that stereochemistry is an important factor for NDPS metabolite nephrotoxicity and that the role of stereochemistry, at least for NSC, occurs at extra-renal sites.
Analysis Of Target Coverage For An Unstabilized 35 mm Panoramic Strike Camera

Several methods are available for mounting cameras on strike aircraft for bomb strike damage assessment. A comparative analysis of each method may be made by relating ground coverage in mathematical form to various conditions of flight. Flight paths and bomb trajectories are also expressed mathematically. Comparison of methods is obtained by synthe sis of these mathematical relations. The A-10 aircraft is used as a model for examples in this paper. The general comparison method developed uses a simple paper and pencil analysis to obtain the mathematical relations, and transparent plastic overlays to perform the synthesis. A graphic solution results where conditions can be easily altered to determine their effects on the final result. The method was developed to obtain fast estimates of results for a variety of given conditions, but it could also be used as the basis for a more sophisticated computer-based analytical package for predicting target coverage.© (1981) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Selective antegrade cerebral perfusion via right axillary artery cannulation reduces morbidity and mortality after proximal aortic surgery

Introduction Selective antegrade cerebral perfusion is a well-described neuroprotective technique used in proximal aortic surgery. This study investigated whether selective antegrade cerebral perfusion is associated with improved outcomes in both emergency and elective settings compared with deep hypothermic circulatory arrest alone. Methods Retrospective review was performed for all cases of proximal aortic surgery between January 2004 and May 2007. Of these 271 patients, 105 had emergency and 166 had elective operation. Selection bias was controlled using propensity scoring methods. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to model adverse outcomes as a function of selective antegrade cerebral perfusion, emergency status, and their interaction, adjusted for the propensity score. Adjusted odds ratios were formulated with 95% confidence intervals. Results Operative mortality occurred in 12.1% (33/271) of patients: 8.8% (18/205) in patients with selective antegrade cerebral perfusion versus 22.7% (15/66) in those with deep hypothermic circulatory arrest alone ( P = .003). Temporary neurologic dysfunction occurred in 5.9% (15/255) of patients: 4.5% (9/198) in selective antegrade cerebral perfusion versus 10.5% (6/57) in deep hypothermic circulatory arrest alone ( P = .09). Stroke occurred in 4.3% (11/255) of patients with no difference between groups. In the elective setting, selective antegrade cerebral perfusion was associated with a significant decrease in operative mortality compared with deep hypothermic circulatory arrest alone. Overall, selective antegrade cerebral perfusion was associated with shorter intensive care unit and ventilator times and fewer renal and pulmonary complications. Significant multivariable predictors of operative mortality were emergency status, previous coronary surgery, and cardiopulmonary bypass time. Conclusions Use of selective antegrade cerebral perfusion confers a survival advantage during proximal aortic surgery that is most apparent in the elective setting. Improved resource utilization and fewer pulmonary and renal complications were observed in patients with selective antegrade cerebral perfusion.
Analyzing conversations using rich phrase patterns

Individual words are not powerful enough for many complex language classification problems. N-gram features include word context information, but are limited to contiguous word sequences. In this paper, we propose to use phrase patterns to extend n-grams for analyzing conversations, using a discriminative approach to learning patterns with a combination of words and word classes to address data sparsity issues. Improvements in performance are reported for two conversation analysis tasks: speaker role recognition and alignment classification.
Structure and properties of polypropylene fibers during thermal bonding

The role of fiber morphology in a thermal point-bonding operation was investigated. Polypropylene fibers were spun to produce fibers with a wide range of structure, keeping the diameter same. The fibers were characterized for their structure and properties before and after bonding by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), thermo-mechanical analysis (TMA), birefringence measurement and tensile testing. The results show that the fiber samples with different morphology vary in their bonding behavior, which in turn determine the fabric properties. Significant changes were observed in fiber structure during thermal bonding. The extent of change taking place during the process was dependent on the initial morphology of the fibers.
Psychologic stress, reduced NK cell activity, and cytokine dysregulation in women experiencing diagnostic breast biopsy

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a woman's psychological and immunological response to breast biopsy before and after the procedure. Women were enrolled into the study when notified of the need for breast biopsy. Psychological and immunological assessments were made at enrollment, on the day of breast biopsy, as well as 1 month and 4 months after notification of biopsy results. Psychological assessments demonstrated that perceived stress, anxiety, and mood disturbance were heightened before biopsy and remained elevated after biopsy regardless of the diagnosis. Immunologically, the women exhibited reduced natural killer cell activity and INF gamma production before biopsy with reductions significant 1 month after the procedure. In contrast, IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10 production were increased before and after the procedure with most significant increases prior to the procedure and continuing 1 month after the procedure. These results demonstrate that undergoing biopsy of the breast for cancer diagnosis is an emotional experience, characterized by increased perceived stress, anxiety, and mood disturbance. This emotional distress is accompanied by reduced NK cell activity and cytokine dysregulation. The psychological and immunological impact of breast biopsy is not transient, but persists well beyond the actual experience of the biopsy procedure. Noteworthy is the observation that women with benign or malignant biopsy results experienced similar psycho-immune consequences. Hence, these observations are of relevance not only to women diagnosed with malignancy, who face the challenges of cancer treatment and adaptation to illness, but also to women with benign biopsy findings.
Diversity in adjustment to a leg amputation: Case illustrations of common themes

Purpose: To provide in-depth case descriptions that illustrate the common themes in the research literature on psychological adjustment to a lower-extremity amputation as well as capture the unique...
Identity and Family Relations in Early Adolescence

The focus of this paper is on elements of the family system that influence and are influenced by work on identity in early adolescence. The argument is made for the need to study the family from a bidirectional and systems perspective. Yet, studies on both the process of development and the content of adolescent and parental identity lack either approach. A consideration of the interactive and multiplicative effects of each parent-adolescent dyad, the marital relationship, and family rules on identity development of each family member is suggested. Family response to the child's efforts to express individuality is discussed and clarified through the specific case of the reciprocal influences of authority relations and individuation.
Comparison of swelling and irradiation creep behavior of fcc-austenitic and bcc-ferritic/martensitic alloys at high neutron exposure

It is well-known that ferritic and ferritic/martensitic steels develop much less swelling than austenitic steels during neutron or charged particle irradiation. The prevailing assumption is usually that the steady-state swelling rate of bcc steels is inherently much lower than that of fcc steels, at least a factor of ten or more. It is shown in this paper that this perception is incorrect, with bcc steels having steady-state swelling rates perhaps only a factor two to four lower. It is thought to be significant that the creep compliance of the two types of alloys also differs only by a factor of about two. The lower swelling observed in bcc steels relative to fcc steels is shown in this paper to be primarily a consequence of much longer transient regimes prior to the onset of steady-state swelling. Several other commonly held perceptions concerning the swelling of both bcc and fcc steels are examined in this paper and also shown to require revision. These involve the effect of cold-work on swelling, the extent of the temperature regime of swelling, and the possibility that swelling might saturate eventually. It also appears that the use of well-controlled in-reactor materials tests that employ active temperature control tend to yield significantly lower values of void swelling compared to that obtained under more representative conditions typical of actual reactor operation. The role of previously ignored differences in displacement rate to determine the duration of the transient regime of void swelling is also shown to require reevaluation, especially for bcc steels.
Environmental Unpredictability and the Value of Social Information for Foraging Starlings

Environmental and behavioral cues are useful sources of information that allow group foraging individuals to improve their foraging success. Few studies to date, however, have examined how varying degrees of environmental unpredictability may affect when and how individuals use the social information they obtain in foraging groups. In this experiment, European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) were tested to determine in which type of environment, predictable or unpredictable, social information would be the most valuable. Subjects were placed under one of four conditions: an unpredictable environment with either (1) an informing demonstrator bird or (2) an uninforming demonstrator; or a predictable environment with either (3) an informing demonstrator or (4) an uninforming demonstrator. Environmental predictability was manipulated by altering the meaning of available color cues. Subjects in the unpredictable environment that had an informing demonstrator performed significantly better than subjects in an unpredictable environment with an uninforming demonstrator, although only on the second day of testing. Subjects in both the predictable conditions performed similarly to each other. The results suggest that social information is more valuable to individuals in an unpredictable environment than it is in a predictable environment; however, there appears to be a time lag in the ability of the birds to recognize the value of this information.
Adhesion to Plasma-Modified LaRC-TPI II. Effect of Plasma Treatment on Peel Strength

Abstract LaRC-TPI, an aromatic thermoplastic polyimide, was exposed to oxygen, argon and ammonia plasmas as pretreatments for adhesive bonding. A 180[ddot] peel test with an acrylate-based pressure sensitive adhesive tape as an adherend was utilized to study the interactions of the plasma-treated polyimide surface with another polymeric material. The peel strengths of the pressure sensitive adhesive tape on the plasma-treated LaRC-TPI fell below the level of the non-treated controls, regardless of the plasma treatment used. Failure surface analysis by XPS revealed the presence of polyimide on the pressure sensitive adhesive failure surface, indicating failure in the plane of a weak boundary layer created by plasma treatment. The removal of the weak boundary layer by a solvent rinse restored the peel strength to the level of the control. Comparison with tape adhesion peel strengths of oxygen plasma-treated high density polyethylene showed that the physical condition of a polymer surface following plasma tr...
Transcription of Bacillis subtilis plasmid pBD64 and expression of bacteriophage SPO1 genes cloned therein.

Abstract Plasmid pBD64, a vector which is useful for cloning inBacillis subtilis ( T. J. Gryczan, A. G. Shivakumar, and D. Dubnau (1980) ,J. Bacteriol.141, 246–253), has at least three substantial transcription units. Two of these include the singleEcoRl,XbaI, andBamHI sites, while the other includes the singleBglII site. Each of these transcripts was synthesized in the counter-clockwise direction, relative to the pBD64 restriction map. No transcripts were detected in the opposite direction. Infection by bacteriophage SPO1 caused a substantial decrease in each of these transcripts. No new pBD64 transcripts were detected during SPOT infection. Various SPO1 genes, cloned at several of these pBD64 sites, were tested for expression by observing their capacity to complement SPO1 mutants. Several middle and late genes were expressed substantially, regardless of the orientation in which the fragments were inserted. Since transcription from the vector could cause expression only in one orientation, this argues that the necessary transcription originated at SPO1 promoters, and, thus, that SPO1 middle and late promoters can be active in thymine-containing DNA.
Fraudulent Excuse Making among College Students

We investigated the incidence of self-reported excuse making by undergraduates, including the extent of legitimate and fraudulent excuses, the nature of these excuses, causes and consequences of excuse making, and emotional reactions to having given fraudulent excuses. Fraudulent excuse making was reported by 68% of the 261 students who completed questionnaires. Issues involved in discriminating fraudulent from legitimate excuses are discussed along with ways to reduce the frequency of fraudulent excuses.
Children with LD as Emergent Readers Bridging the Gap to Conventional Reading

This article provides an overview of how an emergent literacy perspective may serve as a framework for better understanding the reading and writing behaviors of preschool children and young elementary-age children with LD. For children who are at risk for reading failure, teachers can facilitate the exploration of emergent literacy elements, including the sounds of language (phonological awareness), an awareness of print and book conventions (print awareness), narrative development, and early writing skills. Specific intervention techniques are given to help teachers provide rich, meaningful emergent literacy opportunities in the classroom.
Pixelless infrared-imaging device concept

We present a new concept for infrared imaging using a pixel- less up-conversion device together with a CCD. The concept is applicable to wavelengths longer than the CCD response range. A specific implementation using quantum well infrared photodetectors integrated with light emitting diodes is discussed in detail.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Impact of prenatal exposure to serotonin reuptake inhibitors or maternal major depressive disorder on infant developmental outcomes.

Objective To examine the impact of prenatal exposure to both serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs; during any trimester) and maternal major depressive disorder (MDD; by DSM-IV criteria) on infant functioning. We hypothesized that infants with prenatal exposure to SRIs or MDD would have lower psychomotor, mental, and behavioral scores compared with nonexposed infants. Method This longitudinal study included 166 mother-infant dyads: 68 with prenatal MDD/SRI (n = 41) or MDD/no SRI exposure (n = 27) and 98 nonexposed controls. Maternal depression and SRI exposure assessments were completed at or as near to 20, 30, and 36 prenatal weeks and 12, 26, 52, and 78 weeks postpartum as feasible. Infants were evaluated with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Second Edition, including the psychomotor (Psychomotor Development Index; PDI), cognitive (Mental Development Index; MDI), and behavioral (Behavioral Rating Scale; BRS) components. Study assessments occurred between 2003 and 2009. Results Neither prenatal exposure to MDD/SRI nor MDD/no SRI significantly impacted overall PDI, MDI, or BRS scores. However, we observed a significant SRI exposure by time interaction for the PDI (P = .038). MDD/SRI exposure was associated with lower PDI scores at 26 (mean = 97.0) and 52 weeks (mean = 92.9) compared with nonexposed infants (mean = 101.4 and 100.5). This difference was no longer significant at the 78-week assessment. Conclusions Consistent with previous studies, we found no impact of prenatal MDD/SRI exposure on MDI scores. Less favorable PDI scores were observed in the first year; notably, these scores remained well within the normative range. The effects of prenatal MDD/SRI exposure on motor functioning may be transitory. A longitudinal pattern of poor developmental outcomes has not been established. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00279370.
Computer systems in addiction treatment programs: Availability and implications for program evaluation

Abstract Addiction treatment programs have been slow to adopt computerized information systems. Little systematic data exist on programs' technological infrastructures and use of electronic databases to store and analyze client information. Likewise, there is little information available on counselors' access to and use of the Internet for learning about new treatment techniques. Drawing upon data obtained in 2002–2003 from nationally-representative samples of publicly- and privately-funded addiction treatment centers and their counselors, this article describes the current state of the field in terms of data system availability and Internet usage. The availability of client-level databases is variable but continues to evolve. Programs maintaining electronic client data appear to be at an advantage for implementing outcomes monitoring activities. While counselors' access to computers is high, their use of the Internet and the NIDA website is low. The implications of these findings, and directions for future research, are discussed.
Periurethral Pseudocyst Following Cystoscopic Collagen Injection

Periurethral injection of collagen is widely used for treatment of stress urinary incontinence. It has been shown to be an effective, low risk, minimally invasive surgical procedure to treat carefully selected patients with intrinsic sphincter deficiency. Adverse reactions and complications from this technique are rare. We report an unusual complication following cystoscopic injection of collagen.
Equalization/neutralization modeling An application to fluoride removal

Abstract The chemistry of a fluoride removal system (gas scrubbing to capture hydrogen fluoride and subsequent precipitation of calcium fluoride with lime) was studied, with particular emphasis on the effects of and on pH. Carbonate, when present, was found to interfere with the precipitation in the pH range 7–11 but little carbonate was in the system studied because of the low pH and high gas/liquid exchange in the scrubber. A general approach to modeling equalization/neutralization problems, using mass balances on conservative substances and a charge balance to determine pH, was presented and illustrated via application to the fluoride removal system.
11/30 (Finding Large Independent Sets in Connected Triangle-Free 3-Regular Graphs)

Staton proved that every 3-regular triangle-free graph has independence ratio at least 5/14 and displayed a graph on 14 vertices which achieved exactly this ratio. We show that the independence ratio for connected 3-regular triangle-free graphs must be at least 11/30 - 2/15n, where n is the number of vertices in the graph. This is strictly larger than 5/14 for n > 14. Furthermore, there is an infinite family of connected 3-regular triangle-free graphs with independence ratio 11/30-1/15n, limiting much further improvement. The proof will yield a polynomial-time algorithm to find an independent set of cardinality at least (11n-4)/30.
The potential of the SSI program to reduce poverty among the elderly.

Abstract Is it more effective to reduce poverty among the elderly by increasing the benefits paid by the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program or by increasing eligibility for the program? This paper answers that question from a policymaker's perspective. At given program cost levels, we compare the potential reduction in poverty from increasing benefit levels to the potential reduction associated with a variety of policy proposals that would increase eligibility for the program. This paper employs a microsimulation model containing an eligibility and benefits calculator, a participation model, and an optimization algorithm. The data are from the Survey of Income and Program Participation supplemented by the administrative records of the SSI program. The results show that increasing eligibility by relaxing the restrictions of the means tests can be more effective in reducing poverty than raising benefit levels.