cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mindful walking and cognition in older adults: A proof of concept study using in-lab and ambulatory cognitive measures.

Abstract Mindfulness practice and walking have been linked individually to sustain cognition in older adults. This early-phase study aimed to establish proof-of-concept by evaluating whether an intervention that integrates light-intensity walking with mindfulness practices shows promising signs of improving cognition in older adults. Participants (N = 25, Mage = 72.4 ± 6.45) were community-dwelling older adults who engaged in a supervised mindful walking program over one month (8 sessions total, 2 sessions per week, 30-minute slow walking containing mindfulness skills). They completed performance-based and subjective ratings of cognitive measures in field before and after two mindful walking bouts using a smartphone app. They also completed in-lab performance-based and self-report cognitive measures at baseline and after the entire program. Controlling for demographics, potential covariates, and time trends, short-term improvements in perceived cognition and processing speed were observed from pre- to post-mindful walking sessions (i.e., 30 min) across multiple ambulatory cognitive measures (Cohen’s ds range = 0.46–0.66). Longer-term improvements in processing speed and executive function were observed between baseline and end of the program (i.e., one month) across various performance-based cognitive measures (ds range = 0.43–1.28). No significant changes were observed for other cognitive domains. This early-phase study (Phase IIa) provides preliminary support that mindful walking activity is promising for sustaining cognition in older adults. Our promising findings form the building blocks of evidence needed to advance this intervention to a fully powered randomized controlled trial that examines program efficacy with a comparator. Favorable outcomes will inform the development of this lifestyle behavioral strategy for promoting healthy brain aging in late adulthood.
ADHD and Its Therapeutics

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic neurobehavioral disorder that is characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity along with a troubled functioning in family, social, occupational, and academic settings. A brief discussion of the management of ADHD including pharmacotherapy, behavioral interventions, multidisciplinary approach, and new advances in treatment is described. New developments in the management of ADHD including atypical drugs, neurostimulation, and druggable genomes. The outline of the article includes dynamic advances in the treatment of ADHD with an emphasis on a multidisciplinary approach.
Examining Parents Oral Hygiene Knowledge And Their Children’s Oral Hygiene Behaviors

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between a parent’s level of oral hygiene knowledge and the oral hygiene behaviors of their children ages 7 to 17 in the greater United States. The theoretical framework of Albert Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory and the Health Belief Model guided the study. Instruments included the Oral Health Surveys Basic Methods 5th Edition and the Fourth National Survey of China for data collection. Q Data analysis was performed utilizing the chi-square test of independence to determine the likelihood of a relationship between the parent’s oral hygiene knowledge and their child’s oral hygiene behaviors. Additionally, prevalence was performed to investigate characteristics of a parent’s hygiene knowledge and a child’s oral hygiene behaviors that occurred at a specified point of time. According to the data results, many of the parents displayed mostly positive oral hygiene knowledge. Emerging areas of concerns included the application of sealants to the teeth to prevent dental caries and what causes dental caries. Recommendations for future research suggest that parents are provided with the proper educational literature regarding the application of sealants to help prevent dental caries and what factors cause dental caries. Additionally, the researcher recommends integrating oral health education into school health programs to help parents with the reinforcement of proper oral health behaviors for their children (Simmer-Beck et al., 2015). The researcher also recommends that parents receive educational literature to inform them on the advantages of brushing properly to reduce the occurrence of dental caries.
Injections and Biomaterials

Injection-based therapies and biomaterials can be used for the management of a variety of urological disorders. Experimental data has shown their potential to provide minimally invasive solutions for prevalent conditions such as benign prostatic obstruction, erectile dysfunction, stress urinary incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse. Furthermore, acellular biomaterials and cell-seeded scaffolds were tested for the purpose of bladder augmentation or reconstruction in patients with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction who would otherwise destined to undergo bowel interposition and be exposed to its inherent morbidities. Biomaterials were also used for the treatment of complicated urethral strictures, in the context of tubularized or augmentation urethroplasty.
Future Trends in Antimicrobial Use

The rapidly expanding challenge of antibiotic resistance impacts patients across the globe. Antibiotic-resistant organisms are becoming a massive clinical challenge in the twenty-first century. As outlined in the preceding chapters, all medical practitioners must be aware of the implications of drug resistance when prescribing therapy, as it is becoming very difficult to eradicate infections caused by these antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Pharmaceutical companies do not have vast new drugs in the pipeline. In many ways, we have come to the point as frightening as the preantibiotic era: For patients with multidrug-resistant bacteria, there is no magic bullet.
Instructional Design And The Online Student: Do On-Line Students Learn More Than Face-To-Face Students? Some Suggestive Evidence

An asynchronous course in the foundations of economic analysis depends on mastery of content before students may progress to the next module. Each module is formulated with introduction, content, graded and non-graded assessment. Student success over four semesters is pronounced with little withdrawal and mostly grades of A being received. This presentation describes the instructional design, the testing environment and the degree of student and professor interaction that leads to these observed outcomes. The author and his colleague at the University of Akron are undertaking an experiment comparing the success rates of face -to-face to online courses. Two professors are offering the same undergraduate economics course and will measure the difference in pre-and post-test scores on a standardized exam to test whether students learn more in face-to-face or online courses. The study will control for the level of prior economic literacy, previous grades and academic characteristics, attitudes towards economics and the amount of effort expected and actually spent in studying and performing in this class. Previous research has shown that students in online courses do not do significantly worse than face-to-face students, but can not perform on as high a complex plane. Our study will directly test this as well.
Market structure: The specialist as dealer and broker

Abstract Models of a specialist's spread-setting behavior have focused on the specialist's role as a dealer and have generally not considered competition from limit orders. In this paper, a model of spread-setting behavior is described and used to study the competitive effect of public limit orders and the nature of the relationship between the specialist's dual functions as dealer and broker. The analysis indicates that public limit orders are an effective form of competition and that the dual functions of the specialist tend not to be complementary. An expression for the expected market spread is also derived and the impact on the market spread of the specialist's spread is discussed. These results have implications for the design of an improved market system.
The racing algorithm: model selection for lazy learners

Given a set of models and some training data, we would like to find the model that best describes the data. Finding the model with the lowest generalization error is a computationally expensive process, especially if the number of testing points is high or if the number of models is large. Optimization techniques such as hill climbing or genetic algorithms are helpful but can end up with a model that is arbitrarily worse than the best one or cannot be used because there is no distance metric on the space of discrete models. In this paper we develop a technique called ’’racing‘‘ that tests the set of models in parallel, quickly discards those models that are clearly inferior and concentrates the computational effort on differentiating among the better models. Racing is especially suitable for selecting among lazy learners since training requires negligible expense, and incremental testing using leave-one-out cross validation is efficient. We use racing to select among various lazy learning algorithms and to find relevant features in applications ranging from robot juggling to lesion detection in MRI scans.
Generalized wigner lattices and band motion effects

We review the theory leading to the generalized Wigner lattice picture for interacting electrons on a one-dimensional chain. The way in which this picture is modified by band motion effects is studied in a particular case. It is found that the generalized Wigner lattice correlations are little changed in the range (3/4)B<V<∞, where V is the nearest neighbor interaction and B the bandwidth.
Part-Level Regularized Semi-Nonnegative Coding for Semi-Supervised Learning

Graph-based semi-supervised learning method has been influential in the data mining and machine learning fields. The key is to construct an effective graph to capture the intrinsic data structure, which further benefits for propagating the unlabeled data over the graph. The existing methods have shown the effectiveness of a graph regularization term on measuring the similarities among samples, which further uncovers the data structure. However, all the existing graph-based methods are on the sample-level, i.e. calculate the similarity based on sample-level representation coefficients, inevitably overlooking the underlying part-level structure within sample. Inspired by the strong interpretability of Non-negative Matrix Factorization (NMF) method, we design a more robust and discriminative graph, by integrating low-rank factorization and graph regularizer into a unified framework. Specifically, a novel low-rank factorization through Semi-Non-negative Matrix Factorization (SNMF) is proposed to extract the semantically part-level representation. Moreover, instead of incorporating a graph regularization on sample-level, we propose a sparse graph regularization term built on the decomposed part-level representation. This practice results in a more accurate measurement among samples, generating a more discriminative graph for semi-supervised learning. As a non-trivial contribution, we also provide an optimization solution to the proposed method. Comprehensive experimental evaluations show that our proposed method is able to achieve superior performance compared with the state-of-the-art semi-supervised classification baselines in both transductive and inductive scenarios.
Degradation of polymers in high speed rotary homogenizers: A hydrodynamic interpretation

Dilute solutions of DNA in neutral phosphate buffer and of polystyrene in toluene are degraded to limiting molecular weights by high speed stirring in a Virtis homogenizer equipped with special thin, highly sharpened blades. Results are interpreted and justified in terms of the hydrodynamic theory of laminar boundary layers. Estimates of critical stress values for chain scission are obtained at various limiting molecular weights for the two polymer systems, and the treatment is used to rationalize the dependence of degradation upon homogenizer speed. The agreement between the hydrodynamic theory and experimental data implies that limiting molecular degradation occurs entirely in the boundary layer region extending a distance equal to approximately the molecular contour length from the leading edge of the blade tip and that laminar flow conditions prevail in this region. It therefore seems likely that polymer molecules subjected to a critical shearing stress are essentially completely extended in the streamlines of flow. The hydrodynamic theory is finally used to explain the peculiar kinetics of molecular degradation in high speed rotary homogenizers.
Enzymes of N-methylputrescine biosynthesis in relation to hyoscyamine formation in transformed root cultures of Datura stramonium and Atropa belladonna.

The activities of enzymes related to the biosynthesis of N-methylputrescine, a precursor of the alkaloid hyoscyamine, have been measured in root cultures of Datura stramonium L. and Atropa belladonna L. transformed with Agrobacterium rhizogenes. Ornithine δ-Nmethyltransferase and δ-N-methylornithine decafboxylase were undetectable, indicating that δ-N-methylornithine is an unlikely intermediate in the formation of N-methylputrescine. The activity of putrescine-N-methyltransferase (EC 2.1.1.53) was comparable to, or greater than, that of arginine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.19) or ornithine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.17). Radiolabel from dl-[5-14C]ornithine, l-[U-14C]arginine, [U-14C]agmaine and [1,4-14C]putrescine was incorporated into hyosyamine by Datura cultures. Hyoscyamine production by Datura cultures was substantially inhibited by the arginine-decarboxylase inhibitor, dl-α-difluoromethylarginine, but not by the corresponding ornithine-decarboxylase inhibitor, dl-α-difluoromethylornithine. Together with the demonstration that label was incorporated from [U-14C]agmatine, this indicates clearly that arginine is metabolised to hyoscyamine at least in part via decarboxylation to agmatine, even though a high activity of arginase (EC 3.5.3.1) was measurable under optimal conditions. The effect of unlabelled putrescine in diminishing the incorporation into hyoscyamine of label from dl-[ 5-14C] ornithine and l-[U-14C] arginine does not lend support to the theory that ornithine is metabolised via a bound, asymmetric putrescine intermediate.
Evidence Showing that Tetraspanins Inhibit HIV-1-Induced Cell-Cell Fusion at a Post-Hemifusion Stage

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) transmission takes place primarily through cell-cell contacts known as virological synapses. Formation of these transient adhesions between infected and uninfected cells can lead to transmission of viral particles followed by separation of the cells. Alternatively, the cells can fuse, thus forming a syncytium. Tetraspanins, small scaffolding proteins that are enriched in HIV-1 virions and actively recruited to viral assembly sites, have been found to negatively regulate HIV-1 Env-induced cell-cell fusion. How these transmembrane proteins inhibit membrane fusion, however, is currently not known. As a first step towards elucidating the mechanism of fusion repression by tetraspanins, e.g., CD9 and CD63, we sought to identify the stage of the fusion process during which they operate. Using a chemical epistasis approach, four fusion inhibitors were employed in tandem with CD9 overexpression. Cells overexpressing CD9 were found to be sensitized to inhibitors targeting the pre-hairpin and hemifusion intermediates, while they were desensitized to an inhibitor of the pore expansion stage. Together with the results of a microscopy-based dye transfer assay, which revealed CD9- and CD63-induced hemifusion arrest, our investigations strongly suggest that tetraspanins block HIV-1-induced cell-cell fusion at the transition from hemifusion to pore opening.
Smart Scheduling and Cost-Benefit Analysis of Grid-Enabled Electric Vehicles for Wind Power Integration

This paper proposes a stochastic framework to mitigate the effects of uncertainty and enhance the predictability of wind power using the vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capabilities of electric vehicles (EVs). An Auto Regressive Moving Average (ARMA) wind speed model forecasts the wind power output. Using Fuzzy C-Means (FCM) clustering, EVs are grouped into 6 fleets of similar daily driving patterns. A Genetic Algorithm (GA) is used in combination with a Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) to optimize charging and discharging of the EVs. The optimization scheme minimizes the sum of the penalty cost associated with wind power imbalances and V2G expenses associated with purchased energy, battery wear and capital costs. The proposed method provides a collaborative strategy between the wind participants and EV owners to increase their revenues and incentives. A cost-benefit analysis assesses the economic feasibility of V2G services for wind power integration. The coordinated charging/discharging scheme optimally utilizes the V2G capacities of EVs and compensates for power imbalances due to random variations of wind power.
Contactless Mass Determination of Arbitrarily Shaped Objects by Microwave Resonator Measurements

The basis is presented for using a microwave resonant cavity as an effective “contactless balance”, providing information about the mass of dielectric objects inserted into the cavity. An uncertainty analysis presented in the paper confirms that the mass of small dielectric objects can be determined by this technique with an accuracy better than 4%.
Short-term reproducibility of T wave alternans measurement.

T Wave Alternans Reproducibility.Introduction: Microvolt T wave alternans (TWA) has been proposed as a strong independent predictor of malignant ventricular tachyarrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. TWA reproducibility during bicycle stress test has not been previously investigated. We sought to assess the short-term reproducibility of TWA, as well as heart rate (HR) threshold for TWA, and its spatial distribution and magnitude. Methods and Results: The study enrolled 42 patients who were able to complete two bicycle stress tests with HR at peak exercise > 110 beats/min within 4 hours of each other and who had technically adequate recordings for TWA analysis during both tests. Concordant results for TWA determination were obtained in 39 (93%) of 42 cases. TWA was present during both tests in 23 patients and was absent during both tests in 16 patients. In the 23 patients with two positive tests, HR at the onset of TWA was not significantly different during the two tests. Further, the number of leads showing TWA and the magnitude of TWA were not significantly different between the two tests. Conclusion: TWA is characterized by satisfactory short-term reproducibility and, when present, by high temporal and spatial stability.
Inhibitors of FabI, an enzyme drug target in the bacterial fatty acid biosynthesis pathway.

The modern age of drug discovery, which had been slowly gathering momentum during the early part of the twentieth century, exploded into life in the 1940s with the isolation of penicillin and streptomycin. The immense success of these early drug discovery efforts prompted the general view that many infectious diseases would now be effectively controlled and even eradicated. However this initial optimism was misplaced, and pathogens such as multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus present a major current threat to human health. Drug resistance arises through the unrelenting pressure of natural selection, and there is thus a continuing need to identify novel drug targets and develop chemotherapeutics that circumvent existing drug resistance mechanisms. In this Account, we summarize current progress in developing inhibitors of FabI, the NADH-dependent enoyl reductase from the type II bacterial fatty acid biosynthesis pathway (FAS-II), a validated but curr...
Similar Sound Separation and Cumulative Introduction in Learning Letter-Sound Correspondences

AbstractThe instructional procedure of separating the similar sounds e and i from each other during instruction was evaluated in two experiments. In Experiment 1,42 first graders were assigned to a group in which e and i were introduced together or were separated by four other letters. Children in the similar-separated group made more correct responses to the two target letters during training, but the posttest scores were low and did not differ for the two groups. By measuring trials to criterion, Experiment II investigated the efficiency of separating similar sounds and of cumulatively introducing each sound. In the cumulative introduction procedure, children were brought to criterion on each group of sounds before a new sound was introduced. Thirty-five pre-schoolers completed training in one of three groups: similar-separated with cumulative introduction, similar-together with cumulative introduction, and similar-separated with simultaneous introduction. Children from the similar-separated group with ...
Assessment Literacy Overlooked: A Teacher Educator's Confession

This article presents reflections and guidance concerning assessment literacy in teacher education. Previous inadequacies in teacher training in educational assessment highlight the need for teachers to be assessment literate. Assessment literacy consists of an individual's understanding of the fundamental assessment concepts and procedures deemed likely to influence educational decisions. Due to the current focus on accountability assessments, it is in teachers' best interest, and also the students', that teachers develop a level of understanding in assessment. Assessment, when used appropriately, is also a powerful tool for learning. What is needed to facilitate assessment literacy in teacher education is more than a brief mention of assessment in a course. A course in assessment with an appropriate text is necessary to bring a more complete understanding of assessment to beginning teachers.
A model for initial state parton showers

We present a detailed model for exclusive properties of initial state parton showers. A numerically efficient algorithm is obtained by tracing the parton showers backwards, i.e. start with the hard scattering partons and then successively reconstruct preceding branchings in falling sequence of spacelike virtualities Q2 and rising sequence of parton energies. We show how the Altarelli-Parisi equations can be recast in a form suitable for this, and also discuss the kinematics of the branchings. The complete model is implemented in a Monte Carlo program, and some first results are presented.
Recommendations for anesthesia in raptors with comments on trumpeter swans

Raptors, like other birds, are effectively anesthetized with isoflurane. With good monitoring and ventilatory support, even prolonged anesthetic periods are possible and somewhat routine. Raptors do vary among species in regard to induction and maintenance requirements and the likelihood of developing apnea. Knowledge of these subtle differences will enhance the ability of practitioners to safely and effectively perform anesthesia in these birds.
Multisensory Integration of Visual, Tactile, and Olfactory Aesthetic Cues of Appearance:

Integration of olfactory, visual, and tactile aesthetic cues of appearance in the impression formation process was examined. Eighty-nine female college students, each responding to three fragrances, rated 30 fabric swatches on 7-point Likert-type scales as to the fabrics' likeliness to be worn by someone who prefers to wear a particular fragrance. Rank orders of fabrics for the two fragrances with similar olfactory structures were associated (p .05) according to Spearman correlations, suggesting multisensory integration of appearance cues. A priori visual and tactile aesthetic qualities of fabrics ranked high or low for each fragrance were examined for similarities. Similarities of visual and tactile qualities were found within each group of fabrics for each fragrance, suggesting multisensory integration of appearance cues on an aesthetic level.
Analysis and modeling of potassium sorbate diffusion through edible whey protein films

Abstract The mechanism of potassium sorbate release from edible whey protein films was investigated. Anomalous or non-Fickian diffusion mechanism with diffusional exponents ( n ) between 0.55 and 0.86 were found. A model describing the diffusion of potassium sorbate from whey protein films that swelled due to countercurrent diffusion of solvent was used to determine potassium sorbate and solvent diffusion coefficients. The diffusivities of potassium sorbate at 25°C ranged from 5.38 to 9.76×10 −11 m 2 /s, while those of the solvent from 1.29 to 7.43×10 −10 m 2 /s, depending on film composition.
Hypnotherapy in a case of adult nailbiting.

Abstract A middle-aged female nailbiter was treated in short-term hypnotherapy. Hypotheses and observations postulated in the literature for the dynamics of the symptom in children and young adults were shown to be valid in this case of more advanced age. Light-to-medium trance proved adequate for exploration and resolution of conflicts of which nailbiting was symptomatic.
Ethical issues in couple and family research

Federal regulations, ethical standards, and state laws governing ethics do not adequately address important issues in couple and family research. Including multiple family members, particularly dependent minors, in research requires the special application of fundamental ethical issues, such as confidentiality, privacy, and informed consent. The sensitive, commingled nature of couple and family information necessitates clear policies about data ownership and disclosure. Researchers need to have respect for the family as a unit and to evaluate benefits versus harms for the family as well as for individuals. This article highlights areas of potential concern and ambiguity related to abuse reporting and Certificates of Confidentiality and also addresses ethical issues with observational data, intervention studies, longitudinal designs, and computer-assisted research.
AAOS Guidelines for the Prevention of Symptomatic Pulmonary Embolism After Total Hip and Total Knee Arthroplasty: Advantages and Disadvantages

The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons has published a clinical guideline for the prevention of symptomatic pulmonary embolism in patients undergoing total hip and total knee arthroplasty. This guideline includes recommendations from a consensus process and a review and analysis of 42 publications since 1996. The end points for analysis were symptomatic and fatal pulmonary embolism rates, total death rates, and major bleeding complications. The guideline recommends preoperative risk stratification of all patients for “standard” and “high” risks of both pulmonary embolism and major bleeding complications. The use of regional anesthesia, mechanical prophylaxis, rapid mobilization, and patient education were consensus recommendations. The choice of a specific medication postoperatively by the surgeon should be based on an individual risk–benefit analysis of pulmonary embolism and major bleeding complications. The advantages of this guideline include a greater concern for bleeding and other local wound complications that could affect overall patient outcome, and the ability of the surgeon to treat each patient as an individual. The disadvantages of this guideline include placing hip and knee arthroplasty patients into a single group, the lower levels of evidence for the recommendations, and the relative lack of acceptance by other specialty groups and governmental agencies.
Utility of common bile duct measurements performed in right upper quadrant ultrasonography

Study objectives: The usefulness of emergency medicine ultrasonography to facilitate the diagnosis of right upper quadrant (RUQ) pathology has been demonstrated in the literature. The ability to locate and measure the common bile duct (CBD) in RUQ ultrasonography can be a time-consuming and difficult process. We determine whether these additional data are necessary in the diagnosis of RUQ pathology. Methods: A retrospective review of all clinically indicated RUQ emergency medicine ultrasonographic examinations performed between September 2000 and September 2003 was conducted. All studies were performed by emergency medicine residents or attending physicians at a Level I university hospital and were subsequently confirmed with radiology, ultrasonography, computed tomographic imaging, or hepatobiliary 99mTc-iminodiacetic acid scans. Results: During a 36-month period, 684 clinically indicated emergency medicine RUQ ultrasonographic examinations were performed, with 276 confirmatory studies. RUQ pathology (cholelithiasis, gallbladder wall thickening >3 mm, pericholecystic fluid, CBD dilation >7 mm, or ultrasonographic Murphy's sign) was present in 99 (36%) of the 276 studies. Emergency physicians detected 77 of 99 confirmed positive cases, producing a sensitivity of 78% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.71 to 0.84) and a specificity of 88% (95% CI 0.84 to 0.91). CBD dilation greater than 7 mm was confirmed in 12 (4%) of the 276 RUQ scans, leading to an incidence of 12% of all RUQ pathology. Emergency physicians correctly identified 5 of 12 (42%) dilated CBDs but recognized other RUQ pathology in 9 (75%) of these 12 cases. In the 12 cases of CBD dilation, 9 patients had elevations in liver function tests, total bilirubin, or gamma-glutamyl transferase. These values became more pronounced as the CBD increased in size. Furthermore, of the 276 clinically indicated studies, only 1 (0.03%) had isolated CBD dilatation (no stones, pericholecystic fluid, gallbladder wall thickening, or positive sonographic Murphy's sign), which was correctly recognized by the emergency physician. Review of this study showed that the RUQ scan was performed secondary to jaundice, and the patient was later revealed to have pancreatic cancer. Conclusion: Emergency physicians are quite accurate at diagnosing RUQ pathology by ultrasonography. The incidence of CBD dilatation is low in individuals with RUQ pathology. Furthermore, isolated CBD pathology is very rare, occurring 1 time in the 276 cases. Emergency medicine measurement of the CBD can be time consuming, difficult, and inaccurate. The diagnosis of RUQ pathology can be made frequently without the measurement of the CBD.
Recommending patents based on latent topics

The availability of large volumes of granted patents and applications, all publicly available on the Web, enables the use of sophisticated text mining and information retrieval methods to facilitate access and analysis of patents. In this paper we investigate techniques to automatically recommend patents given a query patent. This task is critical for a variety of patent-related analysis problems such as finding relevant citations, research of relevant prior art, and infringement analysis. We investigate the use of latent Dirichlet allocation and Dirichlet multinomial regression to represent patent documents and to compute similarity scores. We compare our methods with state-of-the-art document representations and retrieval techniques and demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach on a collection of US patent publications.
Metastatic melanoma to the lung: long-term results of surgical excision.

Summary The only long-term survivor of multiple bilateral pulmonary metastases from malignant melanoma after staged thoracotomies has been described, and a series of 18 patients who underwent pulmonary resection for metastatic malignant melanoma at one clinic have been reviewed. Median survival was 16.5 months and the 5 year survival rate was 11.1 percent. Forty-four percent of the patients had multiple metastases and 11.1 percent had bilateral metastases. There was no correlation between length of survival and disease-free interval, number of metastases, or the presence of unilateral versus bilateral tumor nodules. Twenty-seven percent of the patients had more metastases found intraoperatively than suspected preoperatively. Unfavorable results occurred when the extent of the disease required pneumonectomy. The current literature has also been reviewed and arguments have been made to support the surgical approach to carefully selected patients with metastatic melanoma to the lung.
Temporal trends in incidence and long-term case fatality of stroke among children from 1994 to 2007

Objective: To examine the trends in incidence and long-term case fatality of childhood stroke in New Jersey using a statewide administrative database for the years 1994–2007. Methods: We assessed demographic and clinical information for children with stroke using the Myocardial Infarction Data Acquisition System (MIDAS) database. We ascertained deaths by matching MIDAS records to New Jersey Death Registration Files at 30 days, 1 year, and 5 years from the index stroke. Results: During the 14-year study period, 715 children were hospitalized for a first time with stroke. Age-adjusted incidence of stroke demonstrated a significant quadratic trend in which the rates decreased from 1994 to a nadir at 1999–2001 and increased thereafter (overall p for trend = 0.06 with quadratic term p = 0.02). Better treatment of sickle cell disease with transfusion therapy after year 1998 ( p = 0.007) and improved diagnostic accuracy of MRI ( p = 0.009) may partially explain these trends. Thirty-day, 1-year, and 5-year case fatality rates were 12.3%, 15.7%, and 17.5%, respectively. At all time periods, adjusted survival from hemorrhagic stroke was significantly lower than that from ischemic stroke ( p = 0.0005). Conclusions: After an initial decrease, the incidence of pediatric stroke is rising. Children with hemorrhagic stroke had a 2 times higher risk of death than those with ischemic stroke. Whereas approximately 70% of all deaths occurred within the first month of hospitalization, an additional 5.2% of the initial study cohort died over the next 5 years.
Heparin stimulation of plasminogen activator secretion by macrophage‐like cell line raw264.7: Role of the scavenger receptor

Secretion of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) by RAW264.7 cells was stimulated by heparin in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Secretion of uPA was not detected when cells were exposed to heparin at 4 degrees C, indicating that heparin was not simply releasing receptor-bound uPA. Furthermore, prior removal of membrane-associated uPA did not influence heparin's ability to stimulate the release of uPA from the macrophage-like line. Low molecular weight and weakly anticoagulant heparins stimulated uPA secretion but less effectively than other heparin fractions. The observed stimulation in macrophage uPA secretion by heparin is similar to that previously reported for polyanions recognized by the scavenger receptor including fucoidan, polyinosinic acid, dextran sulfate, and acetyl-LDL (Falcone and Ferenc: J. Cell. Physiol., 135:387-396, 1988). Evidence that heparin's binding to RAW264.7 cells is mediated by the scavenger receptor is derived from experiments in which fucoidan blocked the specific binding of [3H]-heparin to RAW264.7 cells. However, heparin partially inhibited the stimulation of cholesteryl [3H]-oleate synthesis observed in these cells upon incubation with acetyl-LDL and weakly inhibited cellular binding of 125I-acetyl-LDL at 4 degrees C. These data indicate that heparin's binding to RAW264.7 cells is mediated, only in part, by the scavenger receptor. Nonetheless, neither heparin nor fucoidan was able to stimulate the release of plasminogen activator activity from monocyte-like U937 cells which are devoid of scavenger receptor activity.
Solid-state fermentation of sugars in sweet sorghum

Abstract The sugars in unsterilized sweet sorghum solids fermented readily during anaerobic solid-state fermentation (SSF). Products, based on 100 g hexose, were: 36.7 g volatiles (mass loss), 32.8 g ethanol, 2.8 g glycerol, 12.7 g lactic acid, 2.0 g acetic acid, 4.8 g dextrans, and 4.2 g mannitol, presumably from fermentation with naturally occurring heterolactic bacteria, such as Leuconostoc dextranicum , as well as wild yeasts. Inoculation of unsterilized sorghum solids with 0.007% to 0.20% Saccharomyces cerevisiae increased fermentation rate, gas evolution, and yields of ethanol, glycerol, and acetic acid, while other yields decreased. With 0.2% yeast, yields were 40.9 g ethanol, 4.8 g glycerol, and 45.5 g gases. The volatiles from all fermentations had a strong odor of acetaldehyde. Compared with yields expected from the Pasteur equation, the ratio of mass loss to ethanol yield was 17% greater and glycerol yield was 50% greater, which suggests that significant amounts of acetaldehyde evaporated with CO 2 during SSF and Neuberg's second form of fermentation occurred to a much larger extent during SSF than in liquid phase fermentations.
Economic aspects of alternatives to methyl bromide in the postharvest and quarantine treatment of selected fresh fruits

Abstract Methyl bromide is the most commonly used postharvest and quarantine treatment of temperate fruit worldwide. Low costs, short fumigation times, and consistent quarantine security are the main reasons for methyl bromide's dominance. Recent environmental issues and laws have created the need for an alternative to methyl bromide for postharvest and quarantine treatment of fresh fruits. The objective of this study was to analyze alternative treatment scenarios with capabilities equal to those achieved by methyl bromide for treatment of apples, sweet cherries, nectarines, peaches, and plums. Partial budget scenarios for each commodity were developed to determine the methyl bromide treatment costs which established a benchmark scenario to compare to the alternative treatment scenarios of each commodity. Irradiation was the only alternative identified that was available for all the fruits in this study. Cost increases for all fruit treated with irradiation ranged from two to 14 times methyl bromide costs. Controlled atmosphere storage for apples had cost increases of 122% over methyl bromide costs. Costs for regular cold storage for apples was 93% of the benchmark cost. However, the reduced costs of suppressing the pests resulted in a marketing window of only four months since there is an eight-month limit on regular cold storage and four months were required for suppressing the pests.
215. Placental expression of uncoupling protein-2 is reduced by glucocorticoid treatment in late pregnancy: implications for placental oxidative stress

Placental oxidative stress plays a key role in the pathophysiology of placenta-related disorders in humans, most notably in preeclampsia (PE) and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Protection from oxidative stress is provided by antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase-1 and 2 (SOD-1 and –2) and catalase (CAT), which convert reactive oxygen species (ROS) to inert products. It has also been proposed that uncoupling protein-2 (UCP2) may limit oxidative stress by reducing ROS production, but little is known of UCP2 expression in placenta. Here we measured placental UCP2, SOD-1, SOD-2 and CAT mRNA expression (by qRT–PCR) in normal gestation and after glucocorticoid-induced IUGR. The latter was included because glucocorticoids can increase oxidative stress in other tissues, and placental glucocorticoid exposure is elevated in both PE and IUGR. Placentas were collected on days 16 and 22 of normal pregnancy (term = day 23) and on day 22 after dexamethasone treatment (0.75 mg/mL in drinking water from day 13). The two morphologically-distinct regions of the placenta, the junctional (JZ) and labyrinth (LZ) zones, were analysed separately because effectively all growth occurs in the LZ over this period. Expression of UCP2 in LZ exceeded that in JZ (P < 0.001) and increased in both zones between days 16 and 22 (LZ: 2.0-fold; JZ: 3.2-fold). Dexamethasone treatment reduced UCP2 in LZ (44%; P < 0.05) but not in JZ. SOD1 and SOD2 increased with gestational age in LZ (P < 0.01) and JZ (P < 0.05), but neither were affected by dexamethasone. CAT expression was higher (2.4-fold, P < 0.001) in LZ compared with JZ but did not change with gestational age or dexamethasone. In summary, these data suggest that endogenous protection against oxidative stress increases in the rat placenta during late pregnancy. Moreover, this protection may be compromised by reduced placental UCP2 expression in a model of glucocorticoid-induced IUGR.
Patient Education Techniques Used at Burn Centers

Occupational therapists working in facilities with burn units were surveyed to obtain information on their use of education programs with burn patients. Respondents indicated that verbal instruction and written materials that focus on exercise, splint wearing, skin care, and scarring were used most often with patients and families. Almost all 75 respondents indicated that they felt responsible for providing this information to burn patients, and many replied that their patient education programs were generally effective, as determined by patient cooperation and participation in the rehabilitation process.
Improvements to the Tafkaa Atmospheric Correction Algorithm for Hyperspectral Ocean-Color Data

The Tafkaa atmospheric correction algorithm, used primarily for atmospheric correction of ocean color data, has been improved to include the ability to use the full view-geometry and solar geometry for each pixel of data.
Immobilization of the Influenza A M2 Transmembrane Peptide in Virus-Envelope Mimetic Lipid Membranes: A Solid-State NMR Investigation

The dynamic and structural properties of membrane proteins are intimately affected by the lipid bilayer. One property of membrane proteins is uniaxial rotational diffusion, which depends on the membrane viscosity and thickness. This rotational diffusion is readily manifested in solid-state NMR spectra as characteristic line shapes and temperature-dependent line narrowing or broadening. We show here that this whole-body uniaxial diffusion is suppressed in lipid bilayers mimicking the composition of eukaryotic cell membranes, which are rich in cholesterol and sphingomyelin. We demonstrate this membrane-induced immobilization on the transmembrane peptide of the influenza A M2 (AM2-TM) proton channel protein. At physiological temperature, AM2-TM undergoes uniaxial diffusion faster than approximately 10(5) s(-1) in DLPC, DMPC, and POPC bilayers, but the motion is slowed by 2 orders of magnitude, to <10(3) s(-1), in a cholesterol-rich virus envelope-mimetic membrane ("viral membrane"). The immobilization is manifested as near rigid-limit (2)H quadrupolar couplings and (13)C-(1)H, (15)N-(1)H, and (13)C-(15)N dipolar couplings for all labeled residues. The immobilization suppresses intermediate time scale broadening of the NMR spectra, thus allowing high-sensitivity and high-resolution spectra to be measured at physiological temperature. The conformation of the protein in the viral membrane is more homogeneous than in model PC membranes, as evidenced by the narrow (15)N lines. The immobilization of the M2 helical bundle by the membrane composition change indicates the importance of studying membrane proteins in environments as native as possible. It also suggests that eukaryote-mimetic lipid membranes may greatly facilitate structure determination of membrane proteins by solid-state NMR.
Hand carried echocardiography in the critical care setting

Miniaturized echocardiography units known as hand carried ultrasound (HCU) now exist with features similar to those used for standard echocardiography. The small size and low cost of these units may lead to increased availability of echocardiography to be performed by all physicians taking care of critically ill patients. Use of HCU by critical care physicians may allow for improved bedside diagnosis with improved accuracy over physical examination. Studies comparing HCU with standard echocardiography in the critical care setting have reported that HCU is limited by decreased image quality and that it may miss important diagnoses even when used by experienced sonographers and echocardiographers. Despite its limitations, however, HCU can often answer important clinical questions in the critically ill. This review explores the current literature on the use of HCU in the critical care setting, discusses the limitations of HCU, and examines the costs of implementing this new technology. (ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Volume 20, July 2003)
Effects of welding on the passive oxide film of electropolished 316L stainless steel

Abstract In semiconductor manufacture the corrosive fluid delivery systems are subjected to the same scrutiny as the chemicals and gases used, to prevent any contribution to contamination, corrosion, or particle generation. Electropolished 316L stainless steel has become the industry standard due to its superior corrosion resistance and the passive oxide layer formed by the electropolishing. However, welding of the tubing often leads to discoloration in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) leading to corrosion. In this study, specimens from various heat lots were welded under identical parameters, with varying concentrations of oxygen leaked into the argon purge gas during the welding. The chemical composition and thickness of the discoloration in the HAZ and a clean reference area were analyzed by Auger electron spectroscopy. The cause of the discoloration was due to iron diffusing through the chromium oxide layer in the HAZ in the sensitizing temperature range and forming an iron oxide layer, the thickness of which depended upon the concentration of oxygen available in the purge gas. The composition of the original steel was found to be only a minor contributor to the extent of the discoloration.
Long-term outcome in patients with pacemakers following the Fontan operation

Patients with pacemakers after Fontan surgery compared favorably with nonpaced patients with respect to survival. In patients with atrioventricular block, dual chamber pacing was superior to VVI pacing.
Unified Creep Plasticity Damage (UCPD) Model for SAC396 Solder.

A unified creep plasticity damage (UCPD) model for Sn-Pb and Pb-free solders was developed and implemented into finite element analysis codes. The new model will be described along with the relationship between the model’s damage evolution equation and an empirical Coffin-Manson relationship for solder fatigue. Next, developments needed to model crack initiation and growth in solder joints will be described. Finally, experimentally observed cracks in typical solder joints subjected to thermal mechanical fatigue are compared with model predictions. Finite element based modeling is particularly suited for predicting solder joint fatigue of advanced electronics packaging, e.g. package-on-package (PoP), because it allows for evaluation of a variety of package materials and geometries.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Novel automatic target recognition approach for multispectral data

Automating the detection and identification of significant threats using multispectral (MS) imagery is a critical issue in remote sensing. Unlike previous multispectral target recognition approaches, we utilize a three-stage process that not only takes into account the spectral content, but also the spatial information. The first stage applies a matched filter to the calibrated MS data. Here, the matched filter is tuned to the spectral components of a given target and produces an image intensity map of where the best matches occur. The second stage represents a novel detection algorithm, known as the focus of attention (FOA) stage. The FOA performs an initial screening of the data based on intensity and size checks on the matched filter output. Next, using the target's pure components, the third stage performs constrained linear unmixing on MS pixels within the FOA detected regions. Knowledge sources derived from this process are combined using a sequential probability ratio test (SPRT). The SPRT can fuse contaminated, uncertain and disparate information from multiple sources. We demonstrate our approach on identifying a specific target using actual data collected in ideal conditions and also use approximately 35 square kilometers of urban clutter as false alarm data.