cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distributed estimation of moving targets with unknown dynamics

In this paper, we propose a distributed estimation algorithm for the detection of the behaviors of a group of moving targets in the environment. We assume that there are only a limited number of sensors available for the measurement task. Each sensor can only observe the targets in its sensing range. Sensors can exchange measurement information with their neighboring sensors in their communication ranges. The problem we studied is how a distributed estimation algorithm can be designed such that each sensor can detect the behaviors of all targets in the environment. To solve this problem, we developed a distributed Kalman filtering algorithm which only requires limited information exchange among sensors in the network. We also designed a strategy to deal with the unpredictable change of communication connectivity. Simulation results verified the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
The metabolism of cardiac lactones by microorganisms.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the metabolism of cardiac lactones by microorganisms. The chapter explores that the enzymatic systems in fungi that attack the C 19 and C 21 steroids can metabolize other steroids of similar polarity in spite of differences in structure. It is important to know that enzymatic introduction of the hydroxyl group is accomplished with retention of the original configuration of the carbon. Hydroxyl entering at the 11 α position, for example, displaces only the 11 α -hydrogen. The mechanism of steroid hydroxylations is still obscure and much remains to be done. In addition, many of the hydroxylating systems are inducible. Whether it is the hydroxylating system itself that is induced or a permease governing access of the steroid to the cell is not known.
Time decay of Lp norms for solutions of the wave equation on exterior domains

We consider global estimates for the time dependence of spatial L p norms of solutions to the wave equation on the exterior of a smooth compact strictly convex obstacle in ℝn, n ≥ 2, with vanishing Dirichlet data on the boundary: $$ \square u = 0\,{\text{on}}\,\Omega \times \mathbb{R},\,u\left( 0 \right) = f_0 ,u_t \left( 0 \right) = f_1 ,u\left| {_{\partial \Omega \times \mathbb{R}} = 0} \right. $$ (1.1) .
Effects of Planting Date and Polymer-Coated Seed on Corn

Introduction This project was designed to study the effect that polymer-coated seed has on corn emergence and yield. The coating technology used is the Intellicoat Early Plant Seed Coating Technology. Intellicoat is derived from natural, biodegradable fatty acids that act as temperature-sensitive switches. Thus when soil temperatures warm above 55°F for several days, the polymer allows water to permeate the seed, which in turn allows germination to proceed.
Selectin-Dependent Leukocyte Interactions with Vascular Surfaces

Binding of selectins to cell-surface ligands mediates rolling of leukocytes on activated platelets and endothelial cells and on other leukocytes. These multicellular adhesive interactions contribute to immune surveillance and to responses to tissue injury and infection. The leukocyte mucin, P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1), mediates interactions with L-selectin on other leukocytes and with P-selectin on activated platelets and endothelial cells. Both molecular and cellular features affect selectin-dependent rolling under flow. One important cellular feature is the extrusion of long, thin membrane tethers, which reduce force on adhesive bonds and increase the probability of forming additional bonds along the tether. The kinetic and mechanical properties of selectin-ligand interactions also modulate rolling. At low force regimes, increasing wall shear stress prolongs the lifetimes of bonds between PSGL-1 and either P-selectin or L-selectin; these counter-intuitive interactions are called catch bonds. Further increases in wall shear stress shorten lifetimes; these interactions are called slip bonds. Stabilization of catch bonds may account for the shear threshold requirement for L-selectin-dependent rolling.
Research on Multi-agent Dynamic Epistemic Relevant Logic for Air Traffic Control System

Traditional interactive air traffic control systems can’t meet the needs of the increasing complexity of the air traffic network. In this paper, we propose a new generation of air traffic control system and establish a logic system called Three-dimensional multi-agent dynamic epistemic relevant logic (3DMDERL for short) to fulfill the needs. We also describe the detail about the application of the logic system that we have established in the air traffic control field. The logic system combining with the new generation air traffic control system prevents many failures caused by information exchanging errors and data sharing and helps to guarantee the safety and efficiency of air traffic.
Protonated Asparaginyl-Alanine Decomposition: a TCID, SORI-CID, and Computational Analysis

Deamidation of asparagine residues, one of the fastest known post-translational modifications in proteins, plays a significant role in various biological functions and degenerative, aging diseases. Here, we present a full description of deamidation (as well as other key dissociation processes) from protonated asparaginyl-alanine, H+(AsnAla), by studying its kinetic energy-dependent threshold collision-induced dissociation (TCID) with Xe using a guided ion beam tandem mass spectrometer. Relative thresholds compare favorably with those acquired by sustained off-resonance irradiation-CID of H+(AsnAla) with Ar in a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer. Absolute threshold energies from the TCID studies are compared to relative single point energies of major reaction species calculated at the B3LYP, B3LYP-GD3BJ, B3P86, MP2(full), and M06-2X levels of theory. Relative energies of key TSs and products allow for the characterization of the important rate-limiting steps involved in H+(AsnAla) decomposition. The influence of water solvation on key TSs is also explored computationally, where bridging the gap between gas-phase and solvated studies is an important aspect of the biological relevance of this analysis. The comprehensive results presented (in addition to complementary studies discussed herein) allow for an insightful comparison to previous deamidation studies such that effects of the C-terminal residue side chain can be elucidated. Graphical abstract ᅟ.
Sex estimation using sexually dimorphic amelogenin protein fragments in human enamel

Abstract Amelogenin genes are located on both X and Y sex chromosomes in humans and are a major focus of DNA-based sex estimation methods. Amelogenin proteins, AMELX_HUMAN and AMELY_HUMAN, are expressed in the tooth organ and play a major role in mineralization of enamel, the most taphonomically resistant, archaeologically persistent human tissue. We describe shotgun liquid chromatography mass spectrometry analysis of 40 enamel samples representing 25 individuals, including modern third molars and archaeological teeth from open-air contexts including permanent adult (400 to 7300 BP) and deciduous teeth (100 to 1000 BP). Peptides specific to the X-chromosome isoform of amelogenin were detected in all samples. Peptides specific to the sexually dimorphic Y-chromosome isoform were also detected in 26 samples from 13 individuals, across all time periods, including previously unsexed deciduous teeth from archaeological contexts. While the signal of each gene product can vary by more than an order of magnitude, we show close agreement between osteological and amelogenin-based sex estimation and thus demonstrate that the protein-based signal can be obtained reliably from open-air archaeological contexts dating to at least 7300 years ago. While samples with AMELY_HUMAN peptides are unambiguously male, samples with no AMELY_HUMAN signal may either be low signal male false negative samples or female samples. In order to estimate sex in these samples we developed a probability curve of female sex as a function of the logarithm of AMELX_HUMAN signal (p
In Defense of Discomfort: The Role of Challenging Emotions in the Growth Toward Self-Authorship on a Weekend Retreat

AbstractThis article explores the experiences of undergraduate students participating in a retreat providing guidance toward self-authorship. In post-retreat interviews, participants discussed thei...
Physical Activity Associated Proteomics of Skeletal Muscle: Being Physically Active in Daily Life May Protect Skeletal Muscle From Aging

Muscle strength declines with aging and increasing physical activity is the only intervention known to attenuate this decline. In order to adequately investigate both preventive and therapeutic interventions against sarcopenia, a better understanding of the biological changes that are induced by physical activity in skeletal muscle is required. To determine the effect of physical activity on the skeletal muscle proteome, we utilized liquid-chromatography mass spectrometry to obtain quantitative proteomics data on human skeletal muscle biopsies from 60 well-characterized healthy individuals (20-87 years) who reported heterogeneous levels of physical activity (not active, active, moderately active, and highly active). Over 4,000 proteins were quantified, and higher self-reported physical activity was associated with substantial overrepresentation of proteins associated with mitochondria, TCA cycle, structural and contractile muscle, and genome maintenance. Conversely, proteins related to the spliceosome, transcription regulation, immune function, and apoptosis, DNA damage, and senescence were underrepresented with higher self-reported activity. These differences in observed protein expression were related to different levels of physical activity in daily life and not intense competitive exercise. In most instances, differences in protein levels were directly opposite to those reported in the literature observed with aging. These data suggest that being physically active in daily life has strong and biologically detectable beneficial effects on muscle.
Effect of Intensive and Standard Clinic-Based Hypertension Management on the Concordance Between Clinic and Ambulatory Blood Pressure and Blood Pressure Variability in SPRINT.

Background Blood pressure (BP) varies over time within individual patients and across different BP measurement techniques. The effect of different BP targets on concordance between BP measurements ...
Self-sexualization in preadolescent girls: Associations with self-objectification, weight concerns, and parent’s academic expectations:

We investigated the relationship of self-sexualization to self-objectification, weight concerns, self-efficacy, academic outcomes, and career aspirations among preadolescent girls. Participants wer...
Effect of diabetes-specific nutrition formulas on satiety and hunger hormones in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes-specific nutritional formulas (DSNFs) are frequently used by patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) as part of nutrition therapy to improve glycemic control and reduce body weight. However, their effects on hunger and satiety hormones when compared to an isocaloric standardized breakfast are not fully understood. This study aims to evaluate the postprandial effects of two DSNFs—Glucerna (GL) and Ultra Glucose Control (UGC)—versus oatmeal on selected satiety and hunger hormones. After an overnight fast, 22 patients with T2D (mean age 62.3 ± 6.8 years, A1C 6.8 ± 0.7%, body weight 97.4 ± 21.3 kg, and BMI 33.2 ± 5.9 kg/m²) were given 200 kcal of each meal on three separate days. Blood samples for amylin, cholecystokinin (CCK), ghrelin, glucagon, leptin, and peptide-YY (PYY) were collected at baseline and 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, and 240 min after the start of each meal. Incremental area under the curve (iAUC0-240) for each hormone was calculated. iAUC0-240 for glucagon and PYY were significantly higher after GL and UGC than after oatmeal (p < 0.001 for both). No difference was observed between the three meals on postprandial amylin, CCK, ghrelin, and leptin hormones. Intake of DSNFs significantly increases secretion of PYY and glucagon, two important satiety hormones. While subjective satiety was not directly evaluated, the increased effect on satiety hormones may partially explain the mechanism of body weight loss associated with DSNF use.
Dyadic, Small Group, and Community-Level Behavioral Interventions for STD/HIV Prevention

105 STD/HIV prevention efforts, including education, information, and counseling, have frequently been used to motivate individuals to reduce their risk behaviors. Many of these prevention approaches are drawn from theories that link risk behavior to individual psychological processes such as cognition, beliefs, attitudes, self-efficacy, and perception of risk (1). Although these approaches can help individuals initiate risk-reduction steps and make short-term changes in their risk behaviors, most individual beliefs, attitudes, and, ultimately, behaviors are influenced by the larger environmental and community contexts within which they reside (2). Therefore, long-lasting maintenance of protective behaviors is likely only when peer group social norms, relationships, the environment, and public health policies support personal behavior change effort (2,3). Thus, prevention may also target the community, or special groups of individuals at higher risk for, or more vulnerable to STD/HIV (4). This chapter will focus on and provide examples of STD/HIV interventions that target couples, small groups, and communities.
Population Dynamics of Browsing and Grazing Ungulates in the Anthropocene

In this Chapter, we describe patterns of ungulate population dynamics, intrinsic and extrinsic causal factors underlying population growth, and consequences of variation in these causal factors in the face of anthropogenic change. We group ungulates as grazers and browsers, and review how each main functional feeding group copes with spatial and temporal variability of forage availability. Densities of browsers and grazers are highly variable in space and time, with the highest densities (top 10%) realized within specific body mass ranges. Among browsers, highest densities are usually found in smaller-bodied species (range: 20–233 kg, median: 45 kg), whereas highest densities for grazers are realized in larger species and within a wider body mass range (17–325 kg, median: 137.5 kg). A literature review of demographic processes (births, deaths, and movements) governing population dynamics suggests that direct effects of environmental variation on demographic rates, cohort effects, and indirect effects of perturbations on the age structure, all influence population growth rates. Additionally, the role of direct versus indirect effects can depend on life history strategies. Which specific demographic processes are most important to population growth rate are largely context dependent. Population growth rates of browsing and grazing ungulates are strongly influenced by environmental variation, with primary productivity—which varies strongly in space and time—the fundamental factor influencing the carrying capacity of a given area. Competition, direct and indirect effects of predation, and diseases can lower population densities below their resource-determined potential. Resource availability, predation, diseases, and perturbations of the environment (e.g. drought, fire, and land use change) interact synergistically in their regulation of herbivore populations to create indirect-, additive-, reciprocal-, and interaction-modifying relationships. In particular, human-caused perturbations (land use and climate change, introduction of livestock, and direct exploitation) may directly or indirectly affect both “bottom up” and “top down” regulation. A qualitative threat review indicates that obligate grazers in sub-tropical regions may be particularly threatened given the scale and diversity of anthropogenic perturbations projected to be influential.
Connecting the Dots: The Origins, Evolutions, and Implications of the Map that Changed Post-Katrina Recovery Planning in New Orleans

The map that would become known as the “green dot map” was published by the New Orleans Times-Picayune on January 11, 2006, and quickly came to hold a central place in the canonical account of post-Hurricane Katrina planning in New Orleans. The map and its swift public rejection became emblematic of the overreach of top-down planning in the immediate aftermath of Katrina’s devastation, taking on a sort of mythical power as a singular artifact whose catalytic power was taken for granted. To better understand how this episode shaped post-Katrina planning, this chapter traces the development of the map through early drafts produced by three different sets of actors. Through critical cartography-informed visual analysis of the maps themselves and their “para-map” materials, the chapter assesses how visual representations and spatial classifications shifted with each subsequent interpretation. The textual and visual framing of the proposal as put forward in the Times-Picayune’s final map reinforced preexisting suspicions that post-Katrina planning would be insufficiently equitable and politically illegitimate. Through interviews with planners, designers, and decision-makers, the chapter considers how the green dot map and its reception have shaped water planning in New Orleans in the years since. The chapter highlights the critical importance of representational politics in an era when visual representations are increasingly central to climate change adaptation and other arenas of urban planning.
A Haptic Continuum Interface for the Teleoperation of Extensible Continuum Manipulators

We describe a novel haptic interface designed specifically for the teleoperation of extensible continuum manipulators. The proposed device is based off of, and extends to the haptic domain, a kinematically similar input device for continuum manipulators called the MiniOct. This letter describes the physical design of the new device, the method of creating impedance-type haptic feedback to users, and some of the requirements for implementing this device in a bilateral teleoperation scheme for continuum robots. We report a series of initial experiments to validate the operation of the system, including simulated and real-time conditions. The experimental results show that a user can identify the direction of planar obstacles from the feedback for both virtual and physical environments. Finally, we discuss the challenges for providing feedback to an operator about the state of a teleoperated continuum manipulator.
LGBTQ Cultural Humility for the Urology Healthcare Provider

This chapter will present foundational information that a urology healthcare provider should know in order to provide care for LGBTQ patients with cultural humility. First, information about health disparities will be outlined to provide important context for caring for LGBTQ populations and individuals. Next, key concepts about cultural humility and providing safe, affirming, and inclusive environments for all patients will be presented. Then, we will provide an overview of a variety of urologic health issues experienced by LGBTQ patients. Finally, resources for diving deeper into the unique needs of LGBTQ populations and individuals will be provided.
Sleep-dependent offline performance gain in visual perceptual learning is consistent with a learning-dependent model

Summary Are the sleep-dependent offline performance gains of visual perceptual learning (VPL) consistent with a use-dependent or learning-dependent model? Here, we found that a use-dependent model is inconsistent with the offline performance gains in VPL. In two training conditions with matched visual usages, one generated VPL (learning condition), while the other did not (interference condition). The use-dependent model predicts that slow-wave activity (SWA) during posttraining NREM sleep in the trained region increases in both conditions, in correlation with offline performance gains. However, compared with those in the interference condition, sigma activity, not SWA, during NREM sleep and theta activity during REM sleep, source-localized to the trained early visual areas, increased in the learning condition. Sigma activity correlated with offline performance gain. These significant differences in spontaneous activity between the conditions suggest that there is a learning-dependent process during posttraining sleep for the offline performance gains in VPL.
Frequent neurologic manifestations and encephalopathy-associated morbidity in Covid-19 patients

OBJECTIVE Covid-19 can involve multiple organs including the nervous system. We sought to characterize the neurologic manifestations, their risk factors, and associated outcomes in hospitalized patients with Covid-19. METHODS We examined neurologic manifestations in 509 consecutive patients admitted with confirmed Covid-19 within a hospital network in Chicago, Illinois. We compared the severity of Covid-19 and outcomes in patients with and without neurologic manifestations. We also identified independent predictors of any neurologic manifestations, encephalopathy, and functional outcome using binary logistic regression. RESULTS Neurologic manifestations were present at Covid-19 onset in 215 (42.2%), at hospitalization in 319 (62.7%), and at any time during the disease course in 419 patients (82.3%). The most frequent neurologic manifestations were myalgias (44.8%), headaches (37.7%), encephalopathy (31.8%), dizziness (29.7%), dysgeusia (15.9%), and anosmia (11.4%). Strokes, movement disorders, motor and sensory deficits, ataxia, and seizures were uncommon (0.2 to 1.4% of patients each). Severe respiratory disease requiring mechanical ventilation occurred in 134 patients (26.3%). Independent risk factors for developing any neurologic manifestation were severe Covid-19 (OR 4.02; 95% CI 2.04-8.89; P < 0.001) and younger age (OR 0.982; 95% CI 0.968-0.996; P = 0.014). Of all patients, 362 (71.1%) had a favorable functional outcome at discharge (modified Rankin Scale 0-2). However, encephalopathy was independently associated with worse functional outcome (OR 0.22; 95% CI 0.11-0.42; P < 0.001) and higher mortality within 30 days of hospitalization (35 [21.7%] vs. 11 [3.2%] patients; P < 0.001). INTERPRETATION Neurologic manifestations occur in most hospitalized Covid-19 patients. Encephalopathy was associated with increased morbidity and mortality, independent of respiratory disease severity.
XMM-Newton observation of the drifting pulsar B0943+10

Radio pulsar subpulse drifting has been interpreted as rotation of sub-beams (sparks) of pair plasma produced by intermittent breakdowns of an inner vacuum gap above the pulsar polar cap. This model also predicts strong thermal X-ray emission from the polar cap caused by inflowing particles created in spark discharges. We have observed the best-studied drifting pulsar B0943+10 with XMM-Newton and detected a point source coincident with the radio pulsar position. Its spectrum could be fitted with a thermal blackbody model, although a power-law model is also acceptable. The thermal fit gives a bolometric luminosity L_bol ~ 5 x 10^{28} erg/s and a surface area A ~ 10^3 (T/3MK)^{-4} m^2, much smaller than the conventional polar cap area, 6 x 10^4 m^2. Such thermal radiation can be interpreted as emitted from footprints of sparks drifting in an inner gap of a height h ~ 0.1 - 0.2 r_pc, where r_pc is the polar cap radius. However, the original vacuum gap model by Ruderman and Sutherland requires some modification to reconcile the X-ray and radio data.
On (and off) ramps in intonational phonology: Rises, falls, and the Tonal Center of Gravity

Abstract Two conflicting views have been advanced of what defines ‘default’ high pitch accents in various West Germanic languages, including English: One equates these accents fundamentally with a rise to a high turning point, while the other focuses on the fall from it. Both views arise from the assumption within Autosegmental-Metrical theory that the phonological representations of intonational categories can be discerned more-or-less directly from the string of intentional-seeming changes of direction in the F0 curve, identified as production ‘targets’. Two perceptual experiments reveal that, at least in American English, this view critically oversimplifies how pitch accents containing High tones are defined and distinguished: instead, both the shape of the rise and the shape of the fall are seen to contribute to the alignment of the overall bulk of the high region, defined by the rise-fall shape, with the segmental string, and thus to its categorization by listeners as an early, mid or late rise-fall (H + !H*, L + H*, or L* + H). These findings are consistent with the view that the Tonal Center of Gravity (TCoG) of the rise-fall shape as a whole, rather than an F0 turning point per se, is what speakers align with segmental content to distinguish different pitch accent categories. Questioning the primacy of the turning points as the phonetic targets for these pitch accents, in turn, seriously problematizes standard assumptions about the nature of phonological representations of intonation and their relation to the signal.
Toward an ethics of global health (de)funding: Thoughts from a maternity hospital project in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Funding and defunding decisions in global health are often not subject to ethical scrutiny although they carry the potential for iatrogenic violence. The funding and defunding of a maternal health ...
Abundance of thymidine kinase 1 (TK1) message in melanoma cell lines appears better correlated with their doubling times than Ki67 and PCNA message levels

1423 Objectives Cancer cell-lines, established from either primary or metastatic sites of cancer patients, have contributed to understanding cancer biology, therapeutic drugs, and in selecting and validating imaging radiotracers. Cell lines with shorter doubling times (DT) typically have more aggressive behavior. From publicly available genomic databases, we assessed correlations between the DTs of melanoma cell lines and abundance of Ki67, PCNA, TK1, thymidylate synthase (TYMS), HK1, or transporters (SLC29A1-2) Methods A NCI 60 exon dataset (interrogating over 1 million exon clusters within the known and predicted transcribed regions of the entire genome) was selected from the NIH Gene Expression Omnibus which contains 178 chips including 10 melanoma cell lines with triplicates for each. Using Partek, commercial software, we obtained an average abundance of transcripts of interest above. Correlations between the abundance of genes and the NCI documented doubling times were determined (α=0.05 for a one-tailed test). Results The correlation coefficient r of TK1 (phosphorylating FLT) vs. DTs was -0.72 (p=0.009 Conclusions TK1 message abundance appears to have a better correlation to DTs of melanoma cancer cell lines than TYMS, transporters, and conventional proliferation marker Ki67 and PCNA. HK1 has a fair correlation to DTs. These correlations are negative, supporting a linkage between higher TK1 and HK1 abundance and shorter DTs. The conclusions help inform biologically the mechanisms of FLT and FDG in melanoma, but should be further evaluated at protein levels Research Support NIH T32 training grant
Random Matrix Theory Analysis of the Dominant Mode Rejection Beamformer White Noise Gain with Overestimated Rank

Adaptive beamformers (ABFs) can mitigate loud interferers and improve detection and estimation of low power sources given enough snapshots to estimate the sample covariance matrix. The dominant mode rejection (DMR) ABF splits the covariance spectrum into dominant and noise subspaces, improving performance in snapshot-limited scenarios. White noise gain (WNG) is a key performance metric that characterizes a beamformer’s robustness to array perturbations and other errors. The DMR ABF’s WNG is highest when the rank of the dominant subspace matches the number of interferers in the environment and decreases when the rank is overestimated. This paper introduces a model of DMR WNG, based on random matrix theory, that matches the Monte Carlo sample mean when the DMR rank is greater than or equal to the number of interferers.
Review of Use of Y90 as a Bridge to Liver Resection and Transplantation in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been rising, and 80% of HCCs are unresectable at the time of presentation. In recent years, Yttrium-90 (Y90) radioembolization has arisen as a potential tool to treat the primary HCC tumor while also inducing contralateral liver hypertrophy to increase future liver remnant volumes. The goal of this multidisciplinary review is to summarize the contemporary evidence on the safety, efficacy, and utility of Y90 as a bridge to liver resection and transplant in patients with HCC. A narrative review was conducted of the recent literature regarding the utilization of Y90 as a therapy prior to liver resection or transplant in patients with HCC. A specific emphasis was placed on articles published in the last 10 years. Y90 radioembolization has demonstrated a high safety profile and increasing utility in bridging and downstaging patients with HCC who subsequently undergo liver resection or transplant. The continuous advancements in treatment strategies and radiation dosimetry have paved the way for the incorporation of Y90 in all stages of HCC with different intents, including downstaging and bridging. Y90 radioembolization can be safely used in the HCC population to bridge patients to resection or transplantation, induce future liver remnant growth, and select for less aggressive tumor biology prior to surgery.
The Benefits of Culture Change in Nursing Homes-Obtaining Nationally Representative Evidence.

Abstract Objective Despite face validity and regulatory support, empirical evidence of the benefit of culture change practices in nursing homes (NHs) has been inconclusive. We used rigorous methods and large resident-level cohorts to determine whether NH increases in culture change practice adoption in the domains of environment, staff empowerment, and resident-centered care are associated with improved resident-level quality outcomes. Design We linked national panel 2009-2011 and 2016-2017 survey data to Minimum Data Set assessment data to test the impact of increases in each of the culture change domains on resident quality outcomes. Setting and Participants The sample included 1584 nationally representative US NHs that responded to both surveys, and more than 188,000 long-stay residents cared for in the pre- and/or postsurvey periods. Methods We used multivariable logistic regression with robust standard errors and a difference-in-differences methodology. Controlling for the endogeneity between increases in culture change adoption and NH characteristics that are also related to quality outcomes, we tested whether pre-post quality outcome differences (ie, improvements in outcomes) were greater for residents in NHs with culture change increases vs in those without such increases. Results NH performance on most quality indicators improved, but improvement was not significantly different by whether NHs increased or did not increase their culture change domain practices. Conclusions and Implications This study found that increases in an NH’s culture change domain practices were not significantly associated with improved resident-level quality. It describes a number of potential limitations that may have contributed to the null findings.
Nonlinear Analysis of Uniformly Loaded Hexagonal Shells

Current core design for Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactors (LMFBR) consists of a honey comb array of subassembly ducts containing fuel elements. The subassembly duct is typically a long prismatic thin-walled shell with a hexagonal cross section. Consider such an elastic prismatic shell with a hexagonal cross section subjected to a hydrostatic pressure from inside. Due to the symmetry it is sufficient to consider only one of the six plates. For the present purposes it is considered that the strain components and the angles of rotation are negligible when compared with unity while still allowing for nonlinear character of deformation-the so-called von Karman theory.
Dyadic Interchanges in Families with At-Risk Children

The study of between-group differences has a long history. In the search for explanations of behavioral differences, the emphasis has been on aggregates rather than on individuals. The focus has been on what is special about one group as compared to another, rather than on change and continuity over time within groups. Typically, the groups differ in that one represents a normative and the other a nonnormative condition. The nonnormative condition is usually one that may be characterized as “different” and/or “deficient” vis-a-vis the comparison group.
Black's Discounting Rule

Black (1988) suggested a two-step rule for discounting uncertain cash flows: (1) form the expectation of the flow conditional on zero excess returns to traded securities in periods before the flow, and (2) discount the conditional expected value as if it were the amount of a certain payment. This paper explores formally the scope of Black?s rule and its use as a bound in cases where it does not yield correct present values. The scope is quite broad. Assuming that it is possible for securities to earn zero excess returns ex post, the rule correctly values the cash flow stream from any dynamically managed portfolio of nonderivative securities. For cash flow streams not generated or exactly duplicated by a portfolio the rule yields correct present values if the cash flow stream and its "least squares duplicate" among managed portfolios have the same mean conditional on zero excess security returns. The generic properties of least squares duplicates make this condition a plausible assumption except in cases of explicitly nonlinear derivative cash flows. Even in these exceptional cases, however, Black?s rule may provide useful information. For cash flows that are convex functions of contemporaneous security returns, Black?s rule yields the highest distribution-free lower bound on the flow?s present value. The problematic part of Black?s rule ? formation of the conditional cash flow forecasts ? requires no more (and generally less) knowledge about cash flows than is required to correctly apply "risk adjusted discount rate" present value rules.
An introduction to photonic crystals

During the past five years, there has emerged a new class of materials called photonic band gap materials or, more simply, photonic crystals. The underlying concept behind these materials stems from early notions by Yablonovitch [1] and John [2]. In a nutshell, the basic idea is to design materials so they can effect the properties of photons in much the same way ordinary solids or crystals effect the properties of electrons. Now, the properties of electrons are governed by Schroedinger’s equation $$ \left\{ { - \frac{{{{\nabla }^{2}}}}{2} + V(r)} \right\}\psi (r) = E\psi (r) $$ (1) and properties of photons by Maxwell’s equations, which can be cast in a form very reminiscent of the Schroedinger equation, $$ \left\{ {\nabla \times \frac{1}{{\varepsilon (r)}}\nabla \times } \right\}H(r) = {{\omega }^{2}}H(r) $$ (2) .
Advanced CIM environment for manufacturing data analysis

An environment for performing complex analyses of semiconductor manufacturing processes and IC products is described. This innovative analysis toolset has increased the productivity of product engineering, process engineering and design organizations by providing a method for complex manufacturing data reduction without the need for exhaustive training. The interactive, forms-based interface utility has also provided significant reductions in the time required to isolate parameters and identify relationships that significantly influence manufacturing yields. The foundation of the system is the internally developed, Unix-based Manufacturing and Engineering Data Base (MEDB). MEDB is a fully automated system for collecting and loading in-line manufacturing parameters and sample probe, wafer probe, and package test data from a variety of equipment platforms. >
Parity Violating Measurements of Neutron Densities and Nuclear Structure

Parity violating electron nucleus scattering is a clean and powerful tool for measuring the spatial distributions of neutrons in nuclei with unprecedented accuracy. Parity violation arises from the interference of electromagnetic and weak neutral amplitudes, and the $Z^0$ of the Standard Model couples primarily to neutrons at low $Q^2$. Experiments are now feasible at existing facilities. We show that theoretical corrections are either small or well understood, which makes the interpretation clean. A neutron density measurement may have many implications for nuclear structure, atomic parity nonconservation experiments, and the structure of neutron stars.
Differential sensitivity of phosphoinositide and cyclic gmp responses to short-term regulation by a muscarinic agonist in mouse neuroblastoma cells. Correlation with down-regulation of cell surface receptors

Abstract Short-term agonist-induced loss of cell surface muscarinic receptors and desensitization of receptor-mediated cyclic GMP (cGMP) formation and phosphoinositide hydrolysis were examined in mouse neuroblastoma cells (clone N1E-115) in suspension. This treatment resulted in a time-dependent reduction of approximately 40% of the specific binding of the hydrophilic antagonist [3H]N-methyl-scopolamine ([3H]NMS) with a T 1 2 of down-regulation of 4.83 min. Scatchard analysis revealed that brief exposure to the agonist resulted in a significant reduction in the Bmax with no change in the Kd. Agonist-induced cGMP formation decreased in a similar time-dependent manner with an average T 1 2 of 4.79 min. However, desensitization of muscarinic receptor-stimulated accumulation of inositol phosphates demonstrated a much slower time-course and was accompanied by a reduction in the maximal response with no change in the EC50. In addition, there was rapid partial recovery of cell surface receptors and desensitized cGMP response, with no apparent resensitization of phosphoinositide hydrolysis. Thus, there was a differential rate of short-term desensitization and resensitization of these two muscarinic receptor-mediated responses. Moreover, desensitization of cGMP formation, but not phosphoinositide hydrolysis, closely paralleled loss of cell surface muscarinic receptors.
The Biosynthesis of Insulin

Insulin is synthesized in the pancreatic beta cell via a series of precursor proteins which include preproinsulin and proinsulin. Preproinsulin carries additional information to target the nascent protein chain into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) where, after cleavage of the signal peptide, it folds efficiently to assume the native proinsulin structure stabilized by three disulfide bonds. The beta-cell ER appears to be especially adapted to supporting these processes in the face of varying demands for the hormone. However, sustained high-level stimulation of insulin biosynthesis, as in diabetes, may result in beta-cell damage or death via ER stress mechanisms. Correctly folded proinsulin is transferred to the Golgi apparatus from which it is efficiently sorted into secretory vesicles of the regulated pathway, where it is converted to insulin and C-peptide. These peptides, along with others such as Islet Amyloid Polypeptide (IAPP/amylin) and various other granin family peptides, are all stored in highly organized mature secretory vesicles/granules, awaiting their regulated discharge into the bloodstream on demand. More information is needed on many aspects of insulin biosynthesis, particularly its regulatory mechanisms and the pathological processes that influence their function.
Dual Longitudinal Mode Nd:YAG Laser

We have obtained dual-longitudinal-mode operation of a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser by simultaneous injection-seeding at two frequencies to produce pulses with modulation frequency discretely tunable from 185 MHz to greater than 17 GHz.
KINASES OF STREPTOCOCCUS FAECALIS I. Enzyme Localization

Abstract Moore, L. Daneo (University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia) and D. J. O'Kane. Kinases of Streptococcus faecalis. I. Enzyme localization. J. Bacteriol. 86:766–772. 1963.—Cell-free extracts of Streptococcus faecalis 10C1 were found to contain a membrane-associated, particulate hexokinase with activity toward glucose, fructose, mannose, and, to a lesser extent, galactose, gluconate, and mannitol. In addition, the cell cytoplasm contained kinases specific for fructose, mannose, and galactose. No specific kinases were found for gluconate or mannitol, although in the presence of mannitol adenosine triphosphate was utilized by a cytoplasmic fraction. The possibility is discussed that the main pathways of gluconate and mannitol metabolism are oxidation followed by phosphorylation.
Exposure to atrazine affects the expression of key genes in metabolic pathways integral to energy homeostasis in Xenopus laevis tadpoles

Abstract In our laboratory, Xenopus laevis tadpoles exposed throughout development to 200 or 400 μg/L atrazine, concentrations reported to periodically occur in puddles, vernal ponds and runoff soon after application, were smaller and had smaller fat bodies (the tadpole's lipid storage organ) than controls. It was hypothesized that these changes were due to atrazine-related perturbations of energy homeostasis. To investigate this hypothesis, selected metabolic responses to exposure at the transcriptional and biochemical levels in atrazine-exposed tadpoles were measured. DNA microarray technology was used to determine which metabolic pathways were affected after developmental exposure to 400 μg/L atrazine. From these data, genes representative of the affected pathways were selected for assay using quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to measure changes in expression during a 2-week exposure to 400 μg/L. Finally, ATP levels were measured from tadpoles both early in and at termination of exposure to 200 and 400 μg/L. Microarray analysis revealed significant differential gene expression in metabolic pathways involved with energy homeostasis. Pathways with increased transcription were associated with the conversion of lipids and proteins into energy. Pathways with decreased transcription were associated with carbohydrate metabolism, fat storage, and protein synthesis. Using qRT-PCR, changes in gene expression indicative of an early stress response to atrazine were noted. Exposed tadpoles had significant decreases in acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (AD) and glucocorticoid receptor protein (GR) mRNA after 24 h of exposure, and near-significant (p = 0.07) increases in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor β (PPAR-β) mRNA by 72 h. Decreases in AD suggested decreases in fatty acid β-oxidation while decreases in GR may have been a receptor desensitization response to a glucocorticoid surge. Involvement of PPAR-β, an energy homeostasis regulatory molecule, also suggested changes in energy status. Despite, or possibly because of, these early gene changes, there were no differences in either absolute ATP levels or ADP:ATP ratios early in the exposure. However, livers from animals exposed to 200 μg/L atrazine had near-significant (p = 0.06) increases in ADP:ATP ratios at the end of exposure suggesting tadpoles may have had difficulty maintaining energy homeostasis. Perturbations in the expression of genes regulating energy metabolism by 24 h into exposure to 400 μg/L atrazine was noteworthy, especially since these tadpoles were significantly smaller than controls by 72 h of exposure.
Activation of PI3K–Akt–GSK3β pathway mediates hepatocyte growth factor inhibition of RANTES expression in renal tubular epithelial cells

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) was recently reported to ameliorate renal inflammation in a rat model of chronic renal failure. HGF exerted its action through suppression of RANTES expression in renal tubules. In the present study, we utilized an in vitro model of human kidney proximal tubule epithelial cells (HKC) to elucidate the mechanisms of RANTES suppression by HGF. HGF significantly suppressed basal and TNF-alpha-induced mRNA and protein expression of RANTES in a time and dose dependent fashion. HGF elicited PI3K-Akt activation and inhibited GSK3, a downstream transducer of PI3K-Akt, by inhibitory phosphorylation at Ser-9. When the PI3K-Akt pathway was blocked by wortmannin, HGF inhibition of RANTES was abrogated, demonstrating that the PI3K-Akt pathway is necessary for HGF action. In addition, specific inhibition of GSK3 activity by lithium ion suppressed basal and TNF-alpha-induced RANTES expression, reminiscent of the action of HGF. To further investigate the role of GSK3 in modulating RANTES expression, we examined the effect of forced expression of wild type GSK3beta or an uninhibitable mutant GSK3beta, in which the regulatory Ser-9 residue is changed to alanine (S9A-GSK3beta) in HKC. Overexpression of wild type GSK3beta did not alter the inhibitory action of HGF on RANTES. In contrast, expression of S9A-GSK3beta abolished HGF inhibition of basal and TNF-alpha stimulated RANTES expression. These findings suggest that PI3K-Akt activation and subsequent inhibitory phosphorylation of GSK3beta are required for HGF-induced suppression of RANTES in HKC.
Updates on methods to treat sudden hearing loss

Abstract Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is a devastating problem that affects 15,000 people annually worldwide. Controversies remain regarding causation and treatment since 32% to 70% of patients recover hearing spontaneously; a recurrence rate of up to 28% exists regardless of treatment. All patients, whether they recover hearing or not, must undergo retrocochlear workup, as up to 4% of patients with SSNHL will be found to have a vestibular schwannoma. The current ‘gold standard’ of treatment for SSNHL is systemic steroid therapy in the dosage equivalent to prednisone 1 mg per kg per day for 7 to 10 days. Other treatments have been advocated but not been proven effective. Intratympanic application of steroids is a relatively new modality that shows promise for targeted, effective therapy while avoiding systemic steroid side effects. This treatment and its techniques are described in detail. SSNHL is an otologic emergency. Important prognostic factors are: severity and pattern of hearing loss, presence of vertigo, age of patient, time after onset, and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Audiometric monitoring is essential.
Study of 208Pb(α, α′n) reaction

Abstract DWBA calculations for the reaction 208 Pb(α, α′n) are performed, under the assumption that the incident α-particle picks up a neutron from the target nucleus, forming an unstable intermediate 5 He system in the sharp p 3 2 resonant state. Encouraging agreement with experiments at 42 MeV and 65 MeV is found. Large cross sections are obtained, in contrast to results for the alternative knockout mechanism. The intermediate p-state causes a distinctive angular correlation pattern, initially found for plane waves, which tends to survive in DWBA.
How is membrane phospholipid biosynthesis controlled in neural tissues

Phospholipids are the major constituents of cell membranes, and have numerous structural and functional roles in the nervous system. Although the metabolic pathways responsible for the syntheses of the phosphatides phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho), phosphatidylethanolamine (PtdEtn), and phosphatidylserine (PtdSer) are well understood, the mechanisms controlling these pathways in neural tissue have not been fully characterized. Recent studies have suggested that the main factors controlling PtdCho and PtdEtn synthesis by the Kennedy cycle tend to be the intracellular levels of key substrates for the biosynthetic enzymes, or changes in the activities of the rate-limiting enzymes. Moreover, different control mechanisms may operate, depending upon the functional state of the tissue.