cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Standardization of the Capute Scales: Methods and Results

The Capute Scales is a 100-item developmental assessment tool to quantitatively measure expressive and receptive language and nonverbal problem-solving skills in infants from birth to 3 years of age. The present multisite study standardized the instrument on a population of 1055 typically developing children balanced for age, sex, and race and generated normative tables to document the instrument's utility. There were no significant performance differences by race or sex. The achieved age levels for individual test items and for total scores were accurately predicted by the age levels assigned to the test items. The conversion of age levels to standard scores was found to be unnecessary because the developmental quotients derived from age ratios did not differ significantly from the derived scores. (J Child Neurol 2004;19:967—972).
STATISTICAL METHODS FOR LINKAGE ANALYSIS OF COMPLEX TRAITS FROM HIGH-RESOLUTION MAPS OF IDENTITY BY DESCENT

A multilocus model for complex traits is described that generalizes the additive and multiplicative models and hence allows simultaneously for both heterogeneity and gene interaction (epistasis). Statistical methods of linkage analysis are discussed under the assumption that identity by descent data from a dense set of polymorphic markers are available. Three methods, single locus search, simultaneous search and conditional search, are described and compared.
Manejo quirúrgico del angiofibroma nasofaríngeo juvenil

Objetivos: Describir el manejo quirurgico del angiofibroma nasofaringeo juvenil, tanto en el abordaje como en la anestesia, evidenciar el grado de compromiso y estadio de los casos intervenidos y determinar las complicaciones y recurrencias del angiofibroma juvenil usando un abordaje Le Fort I. Diseno: Estudio descriptivo retrospectivo. Lugar: Servicio de Cirugia de Cabeza y Cuello, Hospital Dos de Mayo, hospital docente. Participantes: Pacientes con resultado anatomopatologico de angiofibroma juvenil. Intervenciones: Se reviso los casos de intervencion quirurgica de angiofibroma juvenil, confirmado por anatomia patologica entre enero de 1993 hasta diciembre de 2006. Principales medidas de resultados: Resultados quirurgicos, perdida sanguinea, complicaciones. Resultados: Se intervino 29 casos en el periodo en estudio, todos varones, con un promedio de edad de 19,2 anos y rango de edad entre 13 y 27 anos. Procedian principalmente de Lima (34%) y Cajamarca (17%). Presentamos 90% de casos catalogados como Chandler III, 7% como Chandler IV y 3% como Chandler II. Todos fueron sometidos a tratamiento quirurgico, con intubacion submentoniana; en 28 pacientes se realizo un abordaje Le Fort I, con osteosintesis con miniplacas y tornillos de titanio. Se realizo una embolizacion preoperatorio, al optar por un abordaje transpalatino. El valor promedio de hemoglobina preoperatorio fue 13,6 g% y en el postoperatorio, 10,5 g%. El promedio de perdida sanguinea fue 1 019 mL, en un rango de entre 300 y 4 500 mL. Se transfundio en promedio 2,3 paquetes globulares por paciente; tres pacientes no requirieron transfusion alguna. No se presentaron complicaciones en el periodo postoperatorio. Conclusiones: El tratamiento quirurgico es de eleccion para el tratamiento del angiofibroma juvenil en todos sus estadios. Debido al amplio campo quirurgico del abordaje Le Fort I y la escasa recurrencia presentada, postulamos este abordaje como el mas indicado para todos los estadios de Chandler, en especial para estadios III y IV. La realizacion del abordaje Le Fort I y la intubacion submentoniana engloban diversos conceptos y tecnicas que definen su complejidad, como osteotomias del tercio medio facial, tecnicas de osteosintesis, concepto y restauracion del plano oclusal del paciente.
Immature integration and segregation of emotion-related brain circuitry in young children

The human brain undergoes protracted development, with dramatic changes in expression and regulation of emotion from childhood to adulthood. The amygdala is a brain structure that plays a pivotal role in emotion-related functions. Investigating developmental characteristics of the amygdala and associated functional circuits in children is important for understanding how emotion processing matures in the developing brain. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) and centromedial amygdala (CMA) are two major amygdalar nuclei that contribute to distinct functions via their unique pattern of interactions with cortical and subcortical regions. Almost nothing is currently known about the maturation of functional circuits associated with these amygdala nuclei in the developing brain. Using intrinsic connectivity analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging data, we investigated developmental changes in functional connectivity of the BLA and CMA in twenty-four 7- to 9-y-old typically developing children compared with twenty-four 19- to 22-y-old healthy adults. Children showed significantly weaker intrinsic functional connectivity of the amygdala with subcortical, paralimbic, and limbic structures, polymodal association, and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Importantly, target networks associated with the BLA and CMA exhibited greater overlap and weaker dissociation in children. In line with this finding, children showed greater intraamygdala connectivity between the BLA and CMA. Critically, these developmental differences were reproducibly identified in a second independent cohort of adults and children. Taken together, our findings point toward weak integration and segregation of amygdala circuits in young children. These immature patterns of amygdala connectivity have important implications for understanding typical and atypical development of emotion-related brain circuitry.
COMPARISON OF PLASTIC WORK OF FATIGUE CRACK PROPAGATION IN LOW CARBON STEEL MEASURED BY STRAIN‐GAGES AND ELECTRON CHANNELING

— The plastic work to propagate a fatigue crack by a unit area, U, measured by the foil strain gage technique requires an extrapolation to estimate the contribution closer than 100 μm to the crack tip. This is due to the size of the strain-gages used, 200 × 210 μm. Conversely, the electron channeling technique for determining U is useful mainly close to the crack tip where subgrains form. In the present work U was measured by both techniques in the same low carbon steel at ΔK= 8 MN/m3/2. The contribution to U from closer than 100 μm of the crack tip was determined to be 1·7 × 106 J/m2 using electron channeling and 2·0 × 106 J/m2 by extrapolation. The measured contribution to U from further than 100 μm from the crack tip was 3·6 × 106 J/m2 giving 5·3 × 106 J/m2 for U. Thus, a large amount of energy is absorbed outside the region where sub-grains form. The non-hysteretic plastic work was found to be about four orders of magnitude smaller than the hysteretic plastic work, and may be neglected. A map of the plastic zone results from the strain-gage measurement. Rice's theory predicts the measured plastic zone sizeif the proper material's strength is employed in the formula.
Integrated metal forming and vibration analysis of sheet metal parts

Modern software programs are routinely used by industries to study the characteristics of and to reduce the cost of sheet metal parts that are used in automotive and other applications. Virtual simulations that are based on complex math models and state-of-the-art computational tools play a very important role in reducing the high costs associated with prototypes and the time to market the product. Formability studies of a sheet metal part determine if a part is formable by changing the factors that affect its formability. Vibration (or modal) analysis is performed to determine the frequency and mode shapes of the component or the assemblies. A gauge optimization study is performed to determine the optimum gage thickness assigned to components of an assembly while constraining the frequency of specified modes to a desired level. Usually these studies are done separately by different engineering departments in a typical automotive industry. In this paper, a single component from an instrument panel (IP) reinforcement assembly is analyzed by integrating the three different studies mentioned above. It was found that the thickness of the bracket and the coefficient of friction in the stamping process should be kept as low as possible to reduce the chance of splits occurring in the bracket. An optimum thickness for the same bracket as part of an assembly can also be determined using a gauge optimization study so that the assembly was stiff enough while minimizing its mass. Thus, an integrated analysis using simulation tools helps in better design of the parts and subassemblies, which ultimately helps stay in competition to produce quality products.
The lithium dip and δ Scuti variables: observational evidence, main-sequence mass loss and blue stragglers

The implications of observational evidence on the recent suggestion that the lithium dip seen in older galactic clusters is due to substantial main-sequence mass loss from δ Sct stars are analyzed. Examination of evidence for such mass loss in δ Sct stars, the relative locations of the instability strip and the lithium dip, and the implied mass-loss rates for a δ Sct star to evolve down the main sequence to the lithium dip are all inconsistent with these pulsational variables being the progenitors of lithium dips. The lithium abundance determinations in blue stragglers and δ Sct stars are still too few to make definitive statements as to the validity of the mass-loss hypothesis, but at present do not appear to favour this specific scenario
Purification and Molecular Cloning of Plx1, a Cdc25-Regulatory Kinase from Xenopus Egg Extracts

Cdc2, the cyclin-dependent kinase that controls mitosis, is negatively regulated by phosphorylation on its threonine-14 and tyrosine-15 residues. Cdc25, the phosphatase that dephosphorylates both of these residues, undergoes activation and phosphorylation by multiple kinases at mitosis. Plx1, a kinase that associates with and phosphorylates the amino-terminal domain of Cdc25, was purified extensively from Xenopus egg extracts. Cloning of its complementary DNA revealed that Plx1 is related to the Polo family of protein kinases. Recombinant Plx1 phosphorylated Cdc25 and stimulated its activity in a purified system. Cdc25 phosphorylated by Plx1 reacted strongly with MPM-2, a monoclonal antibody to mitotic phosphoproteins. These studies indicate that Plx1 may participate in control of mitotic progression.
Partial purification of a 2-oxo-glutarate:glyoxylate carboligase from rat liver mitochondria.

Abstract Glyoxylic acid is rapidly metabolized by mitochondria ( Nakada & Sund, 1958 ). These authors reported the oxidative decar☐ylation of glyoxylic acid with formation of N-formyl-glutamate by extracts of rat liver mitochondria. Crawhall & Watts (1962) showed that glyoxylate and 2-oxo-glutarate are decar☐ylated synergistically by intact mitochondria. Recently Okuyama et al. (1965) reported the occurrence of a 2-oxo-glutarate dependent oxidation of glyoxylate in Rhodopseudomonasspheroides . This communication describes the partial purification of a new carboligase type enzyme from rat liver mitochondria catalyzing the following reaction:
Trait hostility: the breadth and specificity of schema effects

This study examined the limits of information processing biases associated with trait hostility. Ninety-eight participants processed information to evaluate its descriptiveness of themselves, and of actual antagonists and friends whom they knew well. For both self- and other-referent information, dependent measures included evaluations, response latencies, and memory. Results were consistent with the interpretation that trait hostility is associated with cognitive schemata that produce negative biases in the processing of information about others in general, both antagonists and friends. Specifically, hostile individuals evaluated others more harshly, made favorable judgments more slowly, and recalled less favorable information. By contrast, when evaluating hostile and friendly information for self-descriptiveness, hostile individuals did not exhibit biased processing, suggesting that the operation of hostility-related schemata may be limited to the processing of other-referent information. However, hostile individuals did generally tend to respond more slowly when making self-descriptiveness judgments of both clearly hostile and clearly friendly trait adjectives, perhaps reflecting less clarity in their self-concepts with respect to this dimension of personality.
A dominant mutant of inner centromere protein (INCENP), a chromosomal protein, disrupts prometaphase congression and cytokinesis.

INCENP is a tightly bound chromosomal protein that transfers to the spindle midzone at the metaphase/anaphase transition. Here, we show that an INCENP truncation mutant (INCENP382–839) associates with microtubules but does not bind to chromosomes, and coats the entire spindle throughout mitosis. Furthermore, an INCENP truncation mutant (INCENP43–839) previously shown not to transfer to the spindle at anaphase (Mackay, A.M., D.M. Eckley, C. Chue, and W.C. Earnshaw. 1993. J. Cell Biol. 123:373–385), is shown here to bind chromosomes, but is unable to target to the centromere. Thus, association with the chromosomes, and specifically with centromeres, appears to be essential for INCENP targeting to the correct spindle subdomain at anaphase. An INCENP truncation mutant (INCENP1–405) that targets to centromeres but lacks the microtubule association region acquires strong dominant-negative characteristics. INCENP1–405 interferes with both prometaphase chromosome alignment and the completion of cytokinesis. INCENP1–405 apparently exerts its effect by displacing the endogenous protein from centromeres. These experiments provide evidence of an unexpected link between this chromosomal protein and cytokinesis, and suggest that one function of INCENP may be to integrate the chromosomal and cytoskeletal events of mitosis.
Reconsidering Peer Influences on Delinquency: Do Less Proximate Contacts Matter?

Much research on adolescent delinquency pivots on the notion of peer influence. The peer effect that is typically employed emphasizes the transmission of behaviors and attitudes between adolescents who are directly linked. In this paper, we argue that to rely solely on those direct social ties to capture peer influence oversimplifies the realities of adolescent society. We use data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to show that indirect peer relations can exercise independent influences on adolescent delinquency. Adolescents actively draw on the examples of friends of friends, and even more distal peers, as they develop their repertoires of action and identity. We argue, however, that this behavior actually reflects adolescents’ ongoing struggle to impress their closest friends and to preserve their social circle. Indeed, the extent to which adolescents are willing to model the behavior of indirect contacts seems to decline as that behavior becomes more dissimilar from that of their close friends. Our findings dovetail with an account of the adolescent as a rational actor who struggles for social acceptance in a complex peer environment which offers conflicting behavioral models.
Diffusion chambers for inducing immunity to Trichinella spiralis in mice.

Abstract Mice exposed for 7 days to Trichinella spiralis larvae in diffusion chambers, were found to be immune to challenge infections. Immunity was reflected by a significant reduction of muscle larvae and adults. Immunity persisted for at least 6 months after removal of the diffusion chambers. Diffusion chambers allow the investigator to control length of host exposure to the parasite. Furthermore, for experimental purposes, immunization is carried out without the pathological effects that occur when live infections are used to stimulate resistance. Finally, the diffusion-chamber technique permits the host to come into direct contact with the living parasites, thereby exposing it to a great variety of antigenic stimuli.
Age, Growth, and Reproduction of Spotted Seatrout in Barataria Bay, Louisiana

Abstract Spotted seatrout Cynoscion nebulosus (604 males, 1,453 females) were collected from Barataria Bay, Louisiana, from January 1994 to November 1995 for analyses of age, growth, and reproduction. It was confirmed that opaque annuli in sagittal otoliths accrete once a year during the period from November to April. Age among both sexes varied from 0 to 5 years; females dominated the population at age 2 but had disappeared from it at age 5. Females were significantly larger than males at all ages. Instantaneous mortality, annual mortality, and survival were, respectively, 1.40, 0.75, and 0.25 for females and 0.60, 0.45, and 0.55 for males. Spotted seatrout spawn over a 6-month period beginning in April and continuing through September, as indicated by elevated gonadosomatic index values and the recrudescence of oocyte maturation. Essentially all male and female spotted seatrout become reproductively mature the first summer after hatching. The presence of multiple oocyte maturation stages during the spaw...
Transmission electron microscopy of critical point dried tissue after observation in the scanning electron microscope.

Embryonic and adult rodent tissues were fixed and prepared for scanning electron microscopy by dehydration in ethanol followed by critical point drying with liquid carbon dioxide or Freon 13 (E. I. du Pont de Nemours, Inc.). After coating the dried specimens with evaporated metal, the tissues were studied by scanning microscopy. The same tissues were subsequently embedded in Epon-Araldite, thin sectioned and examined by transmission electron microscopy. The cytological details in these specimens were comparable to tissues embedded directly, without drying or metal-coating. With this technique it is possible to identify with greater certainty the structures responsible for surface contours revealed by the scanning electron microscope.
Some applications for Kramer's generalized sampling theorem

Kramer's generalization of Shannon's sampling theorem takes us from a signal represented by a finite Fourier transform to a signal represented by another and more general finite integral transform. In this paper we will attempt to show that the already obtained results for Kramer's theorem are of use in the field of finite integral transforms. Also by introducing such transforms one can treat some communications problems. An example is the case of representing a signal which is the output of time variant filter.
Optimizing background email sync on smartphones

Email is a key application used on smartphones. Even when the phone is in stand-by mode, users expect the phone to continue syncing with an email server to receive new mes-sages. Each such sync operation wakes up the smartphone for data reception and processing. In this paper, we show that this "cost of email sync" in stand-by mode constitutes a significant source of energy consumption, and thus reduces battery life. We quantify the power performance of different existing email clients on two smartphone platforms, An-droid and Windows Phone, and study the impact of system parameters such as email size, inbox size, and pull vs. push. Our results show that existing email clients do not handle email sync in an energy efficient way. This is because the underlying protocols and architectures are not designed for the specific needs of operating in stand-by mode. Based on our findings, we derive general design principles for energy-efficient event handling on smartphones, and apply these principles to the case of email sync and implement our techniques on commercial smartphones. Experimental results show that our techniques are able to significantly reduce energy cost of email sync by 49.9% on average with our experiment settings.
Sports and performing arts medicine: 5. Special populations.

Objective This self-directed learning module highlights common conditions associated with specific populations. It is part of the study guide on sports and performing arts medicine in the Self-Directed Physiatric Education Program for practitioners and trainees in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Using a case vignette format, this article specifically focuses on the osteoarthritis and cardiac safety in the senior athlete, hip problems in the pediatric athlete, classification of athletes with disabilities, and the female triad and exercise during pregnancy in female athletes. The goal of this article is to assist the learner in developing an understanding of issues related to specific athletic populations.
Motility responses of dog and monkey isolated perfused intestine to morphine, 5-hydroxytryptamine and cholinergic stimulants*

Abstract 1. Vascularly-perfused segments of small intestine from dogs and rhesus monkeys were injected with morphine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, bethanechol, and dimethylphenylpiperazinium. 2. All four drugs caused contractions in the intestinal segments of both species. 3. Morphine and 5-hydroxytryptamine produced biphasic contractions consisting of initial tonic contractions and secondary phasic contractions. 4. Especially in monkey intestine, the ganglionic stimulant dimethylphenylpiperazinium caused inhibition as well as stimulation.
Pacifism as a moral ideal

In conclusion I would like to forestall one potential misunderstanding. As I have described it the pacifist ideal may seem so difficult to attain that it may seem closed off from the aspirations of ordinary human beings; and there is no doubt that few people are likely to attain this ideal to any great degree. This accords with our intuition that “true,” by which I think we mean “paradigm” pacifists, are rare indeed. But ideals can be sought, as well as attained, to greater or lesser degrees. So there are many ordinary people who regard themselves as pacifists because they avoid violence more scrupulously than most. On my analysis their claim might well be true.
Inhibitors of the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor

The inhibitors of VEGF-mediated signaling continue to wind their way through extensive preclinical and clinical development paths. Whereas the first phase III trial did not meet its endpoints, one hopes that the others will. As we learn more about the VEGF pathways in the laboratory and the clinic, we can interpret with greater certainty what role these drugs or their successors will have in the treatment of human cancers.
Medication Errors: Experience of the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) MEDMARX Reporting System

Medication errors are pervasive in America's health care system. MEDMARX is an Internet-accessible, anonymous medication error reporting program designed for hospitals and health systems to systematically collect, analyze, and report medication errors. This study examined 154,816 medication error reports that were submitted to MEDMARX between January 1, 1999, and December 31, 2001. Data fields analyzed were error category (based on the National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention's Error Category Index), type(s) of error, cause(s) of error, contributing factor(s), and product(s) involved. Approximately two-thirds of the errors reported reached the patient, with relatively few causing harm. Death was reported in 19 occurrences. Errors of omission and improper dose/quantity were the most commonly reported. Performance deficit and procedure/protocol not followed were consistently identified as causes of error. Distractions and workload increase were often cited as contributing factors. There was a similar pattern of products reported in each of the years. Implications for quality assurance, clinical practice, and health policy are presented.
Dictyostelium transiently expresses eight distinct G-protein α-subunits during its developmental program

Summary Guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G-proteins) play important roles in signal transduction and in controlling the developmental program of Dictyostelium discoideum. While five G-protein α-subunits have been identified in this organism, several lines of evidence suggest that additional G-proteins exist. Using the polymerase chain reaction technique, we have isolated three novel G-protein α-subunit genes. The predicted amino acid sequences of these PCR fragments are very similar to other Dictyostelium G-protein α-subunits in the conserved regions and share little homology outside of those regions. Northern blot analyses indicate that each of these genes has very distinct pattern of expression during development. The possible roles of these G-protein α-subunits are discussed.
A structured methodology for developing production systems

Abstract Issues such as project management, documentation, and maintenance, typically associated with large traditional sofware development projects have recently become important concerns in the development of expert systems. We describe a structured methodology for the development of production rule-based expert systems. The methodology prescribes a procedure to help knowledge engineers manage the complexity of a knowledge base by viewing rule and parameter dependencies at successive levels of abstraction. Parameters are clustered into modules, in manner analogous to functional decomposition in structured design. The modularization thus obtained provides three significant benefits: ease of subsequent knowledge base maintenance, enhancement of code reusability, and support for knowledge base verification. The visual tools used by the methodology facilitate communication between knowledge engineers and experts and provide ongoing documentation of the system.
Studies on acrosomal proteinase of rabbit spermatozoa

Abstract Kinetic data were obtained to further characterize the acrosomal proteinase of epididymal, ejaculated, and capacitated rabbit spermatozoa. The studies demonstrated that the properties examined were not altered during capacitation, and there is no evidence for a direct involvement of these enzymes in capacitation. Marked differences were noted, however, between the inhibitory effects of lima bean trypsin inhibitor and p -aminobenzamidine on acrosomal proteinase and bovine pancreatic trypsin (EC 3.4.4.4). Lima bean trypsin inhibitor displayed partial specificity for pancreatic trypsin, while p -aminobenzamidine showed partial specificity for acrosomal proteinase.
Towards robust agent-based dialogue systems

Summary form only given. There has been several decades of work in AI in defining conversational agents that based on agency, that model dialog in terms of reasoning about goals, plans, and intentions. While theoretically powerful, these projects have not resulted in dialogue systems with the level of robustness attained using statistical information extraction approaches. Because it uses deeper understanding of language and can involve reasoning processes, however, the agent-based approach has the potential for handling much richer applications than the statistical approaches. For the past decade we have been working to develop models that find a good balance between generality and robustness. I would describe these efforts and propose some ideas on further bridging the gap between the two technologies
International factor mobility and national advantage

Abstract In this paper we prove rigorously V.K. Ramaswami's proposition that in bilateral trade between two countries sharing the same technology represented by a strictly concave production function with positive marginal productivities of capital and labor, the policy-active country can gain more by importing monopsonistically the relatively scarce factor than by placing monopolistic restrictions on the export of the relatively abundant one. We show that what matters is not the location, but the constraints within which maximization takes place, hence the monopsonistic results can be replicated by appropriate export arrangements. The analysis is extended to consider the welfare implications to the policy-passive country.
Authentic and artifactual detection of the E. coli lacZ gene product in the rat brain by histochemical methods

Abstract The accurate detection of a marker gene is fundamental to the assessment of any gene delivery protocol. The use of E. coli lacZ as such a marker gene has become common in studies on gene transfer to the central nervous system. The straightforward histochemical assay that is available to detect the gene product, β-galactosidase, has made it an attractive system. However, using standard protocols, we have found dramatic non-E. coli lacZ staining in cells with neuronal, glial and endothelial morphology in the normal, adult rat brain. This false staining is primarily in the brainstem, but is evident in cortical and subcortical regions as well. This endogenous reactivity is independent of substrate concentration within the range tested, but is exquisitely sensitive to even small fluctuations in pH. In light of these findings, one must carefully examine any findings of E. coli lacZ gene expression in the rat brain based solely on histochemical analysis of tissue sections.
Interferon-gamma coordinates CCL3-mediated neutrophil recruitment in vivo.

We have shown previously that acute infection with the respiratory pathogen, pneumonia virus of mice (PVM), results in local production of the proinflammatory chemokine, CCL3, and that neutrophil recruitment in response to PVM infection is reduced dramatically in CCL3 -/- mice. In this work, we demonstrate that CCL3-mediated neutrophil recruitment is coordinated by interferon-gamma (IFNγ). Neutrophil recruitment in response to PVM infection was diminished five-fold in IFNγ receptor gene-deleted mice, although neutrophils from IFNγR -/- mice expressed transcripts for the CCL3 receptor, CCR1 and responded functionally to CCL3 ex vivo. Similarly, in the absence of PVM infection, CCL3 overexpression alone could not elicit neutrophil recruitment in the absence of IFNγ. Interestingly, although supplemental IFNγ restored neutrophil recruitment and resulted in a sustained weight loss among CCL3-overexpressing IFNγ -/- mice, CCL3-mediated neutrophil recruitment alone did not result in the pulmonary edema or respiratory failure characteristic of severe viral infection, suggesting that CCL3 and IFN-γ together are sufficient to promote neutrophil recruitment but not pathologic activation. Our findings reveal a heretofore unrecognized hierarchical interaction between the IFNγ and CCL3, which demonstrate that IFNγ is crucial for CCL3-mediated neutrophil recruitment in vivo.
Epigenetic mechanisms and the development of asthma

Asthma is heritable, influenced by the environment, and modified by in utero exposures and aging; all of these features are also common to epigenetic regulation. Furthermore, the transcription factors that are involved in the development of mature T cells that are critical to the TH2 immune phenotype in asthmatic patients are regulated by epigenetic mechanisms. Epigenetic marks (DNA methylation, modifications of histone tails, and noncoding RNAs) work in concert with other components of the cellular regulatory machinery to control the spatial and temporal levels of expressed genes. Technology to measure epigenetic marks on a genomic scale and comprehensive approaches to data analysis have recently emerged and continue to improve. Alterations in epigenetic marks have been associated with exposures relevant to asthma, particularly air pollution and tobacco smoke, as well as asthma phenotypes, in a few population-based studies. On the other hand, animal studies have begun to decipher the role of epigenetic regulation of gene expression associated with the development of allergic airway disease. Epigenetic mechanisms represent a promising line of inquiry that might, in part, explain the inheritance and immunobiology of asthma.
Pain and anatomical locations of radiofrequency ablation as predictors of esophageal temperature rise during pulmonary vein isolation.

Introduction: Esophageal temperature rise (ETR) during ablation inside left atrium has been reported as a marker for esophageal thermal injury. We sought to investigate the possible relationships between chest pain and ETR during radiofrequency (RF) ablation, and ETR and locations of RF application, in patients undergoing pulmonary vein (PV) isolation under moderate sedation. Methods and Results: We analyzed anatomical locations of each RF application and its association with esophageal temperature and presence/absence of pain. Data from 40 consecutive patients (mean age: 56 ± 10 years) were analyzed. There were a total of 4,071 RF applications resulting in 291 episodes of pain (7.1%) and 223 ETRs (5.5%). Thirty-five patients (87.5%) experienced at least one pain episode and 32 (80.0%) had at least one ETR. While 77.4% of posterior wall applications that caused pain also corresponded to an ETR (P < 0.0001), only 0.8% of pain-free posterior wall applications were associated with ETRs (P < 0.0001). The sensitivity and specificity of pain during ablation for ETR were 94% and 98%, respectively. No ETRs were observed during anterior wall applications. ETRs occurred more frequently during ablation on the left (86.1%) versus the right (13.9%), and in inferior (70.4%) versus superior (29.6%) segments. Conclusion: In patients undergoing PV isolation, ETR was encountered when ablating in the posterior left atrium with the distribution left > right and inferior > superior. Pain during ablation was associated with ETR, and lack of pain was strongly associated with absence of ETR. Pain during RF ablation may thus serve as a predictor of esophageal heating and potential injury.
Synthesis of nickel nanoparticles by hydrazine reduction: mechanistic study and continuous flow synthesis

The continuous synthesis of nickel nanoparticles (NiNPs) in a static microchannel T-mixer by the reduction of NiCl2·6H2O in the presence of ethylene glycol without a stabilizing/capping agent was investigated. The nanoparticles were formed in accordance with the modified polyol process with hydrazine used as a reducing agent and NaOH as a catalyst for nanoparticle formation. The reaction mechanism for NiNP formation was investigated in batch with the help of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. Parameters were found for reducing reaction times from 60 to 1 min. The effects of temperature (60–120 °C) and NaOH concentration (0.1 and 0.5 M) on batch-processed particle characteristics were also studied using XRD, transmission electron microscope and electron microprobe analysis. Average particle size was reduced from 9.2 ± 2.9 to 5.4 ± 0.9 nm at higher temperature and NaOH concentration. Adaptation of this chemistry to a static microchannel T-mixer for continuous synthesis resulted in smooth, spherical particles. Increases in the reaction temperature from 120 to 130 °C resulted in a narrow size distribution of 5.3 ± 1 nm and also resulted in magnetic properties of 5.1 emu/g (saturation magnetization), 1.1 emu/g (remanent magnetization), and 62 Oe (coercivity).
The harem fantasy in nineteenth-century Orientalist paintings

This article examines Orientalist cultural production through an overview of the literature on Orientalist paintings produced by European artists in the nineteenth century. There is a particular emphasis on gender and sexuality, and the use of depictions of gender and sexuality to undergird the political project of colonialism. Furthermore, these historical depictions continue to provide the symbolic vernacular for contemporary representations of Muslims that have their own political uses in the era of the War on Terror. This overview illuminates the emergence of representations of Muslims in fine art for European audiences beginning in the twelfth century, and the changes those depictions undergo later on in the nineteenth century as the political relationship between “East” and “West” shifts. The piece also takes into account gender in relationship to the act of authoring these representations.
MO‐D‐352‐01: Overview of ACR Acreditation in Nuclear Medicine and PET

The American College of Radiology's (ACR) Nuclear Medicine and PET Accreditation Programs evaluate qualifications of personnel, equipment, image quality, and quality control measures. It is believed that these are primary factors that impact the quality of patient imaging. The ACR accreditation allows facilities to critique and improve their practices as part of their preparation for the accreditation evaluation process. The goals of the ACR Nuclear Medicine and PET Accreditation Programs are improvement in the quality of imaging, provision of educational information by raising awareness of imaging issues, and the recognition of imaging facilities which meet program objectives. This presentation will outline the program requirements, highlighting some of the common pitfalls that may cause deficiencies in both the clinical and phantom submissions. Educational Objectives: 1. General information describing the ACR Accreditation Programs. 2. Information about the Diagnostic Modality Accreditation Programs. 3. Specific information about the ACR Nuclear Medicine and PET Accreditation Program, to include the application process, clinical images submission and quality control requirements.
Effect of choice set size on choice probabilities: An extended logit model

Abstract The multinomial logit model in the context of the Luce choice axiom implies that the logarithm of the ratio of choice probabilities (the log odds ratio) of two objects depends only on the attributes of the two objects and not on the attributes of other objects in the choice set. Noting this weakness of the Luce choice axiom and the conventional logit model, Batsell and Polking (1985) prove the existence of a unique set of additive numbers that equate to the log odds ratio and that depend on the objects in the choice set. They observed that the Luce model spawned multiattribute extensions and applications and call for such extensions and applications of their generalization of the Luce model. We provide such an extension here and show analytically that it is possible to stay within the multinomial logit family while avoiding the IIA restriction.
Interaction of water with single-walled carbon nanotubes: reaction and adsorption.

The interaction of water vapor with carbon nanotubes at room temperature has been investigated using Fourier transform (FT) IR spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. FTIR data indicate that water molecules adsorb on single-walled carbon nanotubes at room temperature. Comparison to previous studies suggests that the water forms hydrogen-bonded structures inside the nanotubes. Analysis of the FTIR data demonstrates that a small number of water molecules react with the nanotubes, forming C−O bonds, whereas a majority of the water molecules adsorb intact. The DFT calculations show that cleavage of an O−H bond upon adsorption to form adsorbed −H and −OH groups is energetically favorable at defect sites on nanotubes.
Monitoring banking sector fragility : a multivariate logit approach

This article explores how a multivariate logit model of the probability of a banking crisis can be used to monitor banking sector fragility. The proposed approach relies on readily available data, and the fragility assessment has a clear interpretation based on in sample statistics. The model has better in-sample performance than currently available alternatives, and the monitoring system can be tailored to fit the preferences of decision makers regarding type I and type II errors. The framework can be useful as a preliminary screen to economize on precautionary costs.
Relationship between Self-Actualization and Self-Reported Health Practices

To compare the reported health practices of high self-actualizing individuals with those of low self-actualizing individuals, 453 students enrolled in personal hygiene classes at a large southern university completed the Personal Orientation Inventory, a measure of self-actualization. The fifty highest scorers were identified as the high self-actualizing group and the 50 lowest scorers were identified as the low self-actualizing group. The two groups were administered the Health Practices Inventory. The high self-actualizing group reported using better health practices.
B5 and B15 associated with progressive Marek's disease, Rous sarcoma, and avian leukosis virus-induced tumors in inbred 15I4 chickens.

Abstract RPRL 15I4 inbred chickens are nearly histocompatible except for the B5 and B15 haplotypes that determine the major transplantation antigens. B5B5 and B15B15 15I4 chickens were equally and highly susceptible to tumors induced by Marek's disease, Rous sarcoma, or avian leukosis viruses (ALV), suggesting both of these haplotypes may determine a general influence leading to tumor development. The 15I4 birds were highly susceptible to erythroblastosis, and most developed immunological tolerance to the virus after ALV infection.
Linking particle backscattering and particle-induced X-ray emission: the case for an integrated system

Abstract The many benefits of a fixed system which allows for simultaneous data acquisition for elastically backscattered ions and particle-induced X rays are discussed. We show that linked observation of X rays and scattering (LINXS) provides a particularly simple means of measuring non-Rutherford proton scattering cross sections and X-ray production cross sections. In the materials analysis context, LINXS generates with relative ease the non-Rutherford cross sections which are precisely appropriate to the researcher's system in terms of scattering angle, detector resolution and accelerator energy calibration and beam spread. In PIXE application, it allows comparable accuracies to be attained using L X rays as using K X rays. The method is self-calibrating in that it does not require knowledge of the total projectile number, the target atom density or of the solid angles of the individual detectors, or the use of any additional reference elements.
Drilling predation and taphonomy in modern mollusk death assemblages, San Salvador Island, Bahamas

Abstract Studies of modern mollusk death assemblages provide an important framework for evaluating the fossil record. An analysis of 1951 shells from two beaches, Sandy Point and Haitian Boat Beach, on the isolated carbonate platform of San Salvador Island, Bahamas, has yielded significantly different frequencies of predation in bivalve-dominated assemblages. At Sandy Point Beach, bivalves and gastropods had a drilling frequency of 0.11 and 0.07, respectively. At Haitian Boat Beach, bivalves and gastropods showed a higher drilling frequency of 0.37 and 0.22, respectively. The prevalence of beveled drill holes suggests that the dominant predator was a naticid gastropod at both sites. Some ecological and environmental differences between the beaches could account for these disparate signals of predation: at Haitian Boat Beach, there is a higher abundance of the naticid Polinices sp. and it is a lower energy setting than Sandy Point Beach. Furthermore, radiocarbon dating of 17 shells at both beaches yielded a maximum age of > 6000 years before present, suggesting that these assemblages record a complex and long taphonomic history. These results imply that future large-scale coupling of predation studies with age dating of assemblages may provide important insights into the temporal structure of predation as well as the role of taphonomic loss of drilled shells.
Inertial cavitation produced by pulsed ultrasound in controlled host media

The purpose of this work is to provide measurements in well‐characterized media in order to better understand inertial (transient) cavitation phenomena. Focused transducers with megahertz center frequencies (2.5 MHz, 4.3 MHz) and a clinical diagnostic ultrasound system (4.0 MHz) were used to generate pulsed ultrasound to induce cavitation. An improved active cavitation detector which utilizes a highly focused transducer with much higher center frequency (30 MHz) was used to measure the threshold of inertial cavitation. In order to study the effect of the concentration of nucleation agents on cavitation thresholds, experiments were conducted in distilled water seeded with polystyrene particles. Inertial cavitation thresholds were measured for various concentrations of polystyrene particles. It was observed that the threshold decreased from 2.5 MPa at concentration of about 106 particles/ml to 1.6 MPa at a concentration of about 109 particles/ml. The effect of the concentration is not significant for smaller changes of the concentration. Measurements of the cavitation thresholds were then made in specially developed phantom materials to study the effect of viscosity on the cavitation threshold when surface tension and other mechanical properties of the materials are kept relatively constant. Experimental results show that the threshold increases with increasing viscosity, consistent with theoretical predictions. Cavitation was also detected in water seeded with polystyrene particles using a clinical ultrasound system at an acoustic pressure of 3.84 MPa. Results are comparable with those obtained in the laboratory using a 4.3‐MHz focused transducer.
Professor Arlette Darfeuille-Michaud: The Discovery of Adherent- invasive Escherichia coli

Dr Arlette Darfeuille-Michaud’s research career began in the laboratory of Dr Bernard Joly at Auvergne University in Clermont-Ferrand, France, where she earned a PhD in 1987. Until her promotion to professor of microbiology and molecular biology at Auvergne University in 1994, she studied the pathogenesis of Escherichia coli strains associated with diarrhoeal diseases and Klebsiella pneumoniae strains involved in nosocomial infections. These studies provided important epidemiological information and identified novel pathogenic components, which could potentially be targeted for preventing or curing diseases caused by these pathogens. She was involved in the discovery of a number of bacterial adhesive factors such as the colonisation factor antigen CFA/III,1 antigen 2230,2 nonfimbrial adhesin A (NfaA),3,4 and F17c fimbria5 in diarrhoea-associated E. coli strains, and CF29K6,7 and KPF-288 in K. pneumoniae strains. She helped identify a new extended-spectrum β-lactamase CTX-1 (in view of its strong activity against cefotaxime), which confers multiple-antibiotic resistance to K. pneumoniae strains.9 As part of these studies, she demonstrated that the human colon carcinoma cell line Caco-2 was suitable for detecting enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) strain adhesion, establishing the first cell line model system to study ETEC adhesion to enterocytes.10 This model was subsequently utilised to show that a Lactobacillus acidophilus strain isolated from human stools effectively inhibited ETEC adhesion to intestinal epithelial cells (IEC).11 Building on her vast expertise in intestinal diseases and E. coli , Dr Darfeuille-Michaud became interested in the role of bacteria in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Although numerous lines of evidence gathered from human studies and preclinical models indicated that bacteria played an important role in the development and perpetuation …
Validity of Eye Movement Methods and Indices for Capturing Semantic (Associative) Priming Effects

Purpose The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the usefulness of eye movement methods and indices as a tool for studying priming effects by verifying whether eye movement indices capture...
Towards a theory of the semi-Quark Gluon Plasma

I give a general overview of the theory of the Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP) about the temperature for deconfinement, where the theory is only partially deconfined. I review three topics relevant to study of such a “semi”-QGP. The first is the semi-classical computation of the spatial 't Hooft loop. This is equivalent to computing the interface tension between two Z ( N ) domains, and indicates how the confined phase is approached from high temperature. The second topic is effective matrix models of Polyakov loops. The last topic is the computation of hard thermal loops in the presence of a spatial 't Hooft loop, as a way of probing the real time properties of the semi-QGP.