cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Relationship between Central Auditory Processing, Language, and Cognition in Children Being Evaluated for Central Auditory Processing Disorder.

Background Pediatric central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) is frequently comorbid with other childhood disorders. However, few studies have examined the relationship between commonly used CAPD, language, and cognition tests within the same sample. Purpose The present study examined the relationship between diagnostic CAPD tests and "gold standard" measures of language and cognitive ability, the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (CELF) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC). Research design A retrospective study. Study sample Twenty-seven patients referred for CAPD testing who scored average or better on the CELF and low average or better on the WISC were initially included. Seven children who scored below the CELF and/or WISC inclusion criteria were then added to the dataset for a second analysis, yielding a sample size of 34. Data collection and analysis Participants were administered a CAPD battery that included at least the following three CAPD tests: Frequency Patterns (FP), Dichotic Digits (DD), and Competing Sentences (CS). In addition, they were administered the CELF and WISC. Relationships between scores on CAPD, language (CELF), and cognition (WISC) tests were examined using correlation analysis. Results DD and FP showed significant correlations with Full Scale Intelligence Quotient, and the DD left ear and the DD interaural difference measures both showed significant correlations with working memory. However, ∼80% or more of the variance in these CAPD tests was unexplained by language and cognition measures. Language and cognition measures were more strongly correlated with each other than were the CAPD tests with any CELF or WISC scale. Additional correlations with the CAPD tests were revealed when patients who scored in the mild-moderate deficit range on the CELF and/or in the borderline low intellectual functioning range on the WISC were included in the analysis. Conclusions While both the DD and FP tests showed significant correlations with one or more cognition measures, the majority of the variance in these CAPD measures went unexplained by cognition. Unlike DD and FP, the CS test was not correlated with cognition. Additionally, language measures were not significantly correlated with any of the CAPD tests. Our findings emphasize that the outcomes and interpretation of results vary as a function of the subject inclusion criteria that are applied for the CELF and WISC. Including participants with poorer cognition and/or language scores increased the number of significant correlations observed. For this reason, it is important that studies investigating the relationship between CAPD and other domains or disorders report the specific inclusion criteria used for all tests.
The Iraqi Heart of Darkness: A Visit to Abu Ghraib

The four of us—two other forensic psychiatrists and a senior enlisted mental health technician—gathered for the convoy on the outskirts of BIAP, the Baghdad International Airport. A line of Humvees, armored vehicles, and gunships gathered. The soldiers were smoking and joking, leaning on their vehicles. We were en route to Abu Ghraib, eight long miles through one of the most dangerous routes in Iraq. The main supply route we were to travel was “green,” but we still got the warning about explosive devices, roadside bombs, and instructions to point our weapons out the windows of the vehicle. I had my photo taken with the young female captain who would be driving, and joked to Todd that this might be the last photo with both my legs (Our Humvee was not armored.).
Life cycle monitoring of lithium-ion polymer batteries using cost-effective thermal infrared sensors with applications for lifetime prediction

Lithium-ion batteries have become indispensable parts of our lives for their high-energy density and long lifespan. However, failure due to from abusive usage conditions, flawed manufacturing processes, and aging and adversely affect battery performance and even endanger people and property. Therefore, battery cells that are failing or reaching their end-of-life need to be replaced. Traditionally, battery lifetime prediction is achieved by analyzing data from current, voltage and impedance sensors. However, such a prognostic system is expensive to implement and requires direct contact. In this study, low-cost thermal infrared sensors were used to acquire thermographic images throughout the entire lifetime of small scale lithium-ion polymer batteries (410 cycles). The infrared system (non-destructive) took temperature readings from multiple batteries during charging and discharging cycles of 1C. Thermal characteristics of the batteries were derived from the thermographic images. A time-dependent and spatially resolved temperature mapping was obtained and quantitatively analyzed. The developed model can predict cycle number using the first 10 minutes of surface temperature data acquired through infrared imaging at the beginning of the cycle, with an average error rate of less than 10%. This approach can be used to correlate thermal characteristics of the batteries with life cycles, and to propose cost-effective thermal infrared imaging applications in battery prognostic systems.
An Attempt to Describe a Relationship between Concrete Deterioration Quantities and Bridge Deck Condition Assessment Techniques

Abstract This paper presents a study of the performance of four techniques – visual inspection, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Ultrasonic Surface Wave (USW), and core control – that were used to assess condition of a concrete bridge deck. The bridge deck was then rehabilitated using hydrodemolition, and the concrete removed during hydrodemolition was assumed to be deteriorated. LiDAR measurements of concrete depth removal collected after hydrodemolition were used as ground truth. Comparisons of bridge deck condition assessment data and LiDAR concrete removal measurements were performed in this study. The comparisons attempt to find and describe a possible relationship between bridge deck assessment techniques and quantities of concrete deterioration.
Weight Loss Through Virtual Support Communities: A Role for Identity-based Motivation in Public Commitment

Abstract Individuals increasingly participate in virtual support communities (VSCs) where they conduct numerous aspects of their lives with others whom they may never encounter in person, and they interact within these communities to attain various goals. Research finds that individuals are more likely to achieve success with such goals when they make a public commitment to achieving them. Through our netnographic inquiry, we extend prior theorizing of VSC with an explanation of how public commitment manifests in VSC in support of goal attainment. More specifically, we find these online communities make salient a context relevant social identity which motivates behaviors that facilitate compliance to the public commitment, and hence, more effective goal pursuit. In addition, we create a typology of member roles within these VSC that further influence public commitment. Our findings contribute to theories of VSC and public commitment.
High Phenolic Beer Inhibits Protein Glycation in Vitro

Protein glycation is a nonenzymatic process in which amino residues of proteins react with sugar groups, causing protein cross-linking. This contributes to many complications associated with diabet...
CHAPTER 12 – Lipid–Protein Interactions

The chapter describes the importance of the interaction of lipids and proteins. The interactions of proteins and lipids involve at least three major classes: (1) membrane proteins, (2) lipid-metabolizing enzymes, and (3) lipid storage and transport proteins. Electron microscopy and digital image reconstruction are particularly useful in the study of membrane proteins. Two lipid-containing macromolecules have been examined and conformations were obtained by diffraction methods, more than 20 years ago. In the soluble lipoprotein area, Fenna and Matthews (1975) were able to determine the crystal structure of a protein containing seven chlorophyll molecules. In the membrane protein class, Henderson and colleagues (1990) obtained a low-resolution structure of bacteriorhodopsin, by electron microscopy (EM) and digital image reconstruction. Both structures were landmark achievements. The chapter discusses electron microscopy, electron diffraction, and membrane protein structure. The membrane protein structure by electron microscopy and X-ray methods are also discussed. The chapter concludes with a discussion on Lipid-metabolizing enzymes and lipid transporting and storage proteins.
The role of Pdia3-dependent 1α,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3 signaling on IgE-mediated mast cell activation

Active 1,25(OH)2 Vitamin D3 (1,25D3) is most commonly known for its role in the regulation of bone metabolism. However, research has now indicated it is a potent immune regulator beyond its calcemic effects. Vitamin D deficiency has been implicated in the pathogenesis of allergic diseases including asthma and atopic dermatitis. 1,25D3 is known to signal through the canonical Vitamin D receptor (VDR) facilitating its anti-inflammatory properties and regulating over 100 genes. However, protein disulfide isomerase family A, member 3 (Pdia3), was recently shown to mediate rapid-membrane responses to 1,25D3. In this study, we show that upon IgE-mediated activation, VDR knockout mast cells display enhanced cytokine production. Additionally, 1,25D3 suppresses cytokine production independently of VDR supporting the possibility of an alternative receptor facilitating the suppressive properties of Vitamin D on mast cells. Pdia3 protein and mRNA levels were upregulated in response to 1,25D3 in both WT and VDR KO mast cells. Upon blocking Pdia3 signaling, VDR KO mast cells lost their suppressive response to Vitamin D. Prostaglandin E 2 , which is released during Pdia3-dependent 1,25D3 signaling, mimicked Vitamin D effects on WT and VDR KO mast cells. Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 3 (SOCS3), which is known to be upregulated by PGE 2 , was induced by 1,25D3 in both WT and VDR KO mast cells. Interestingly, VDR KO mast cells showed an enhanced induction of SOCS3 in comparison to WT. Collectively, our data depict a novel signaling mechanism utilized by mast cells to respond to 1,25D3 that could be explored as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of allergic and inflammatory diseases.
In Situ TEM and AFM Investigation of Morphological Controls during the Growth of Single Crystal BaWO4

Barium tungstate (BaWO4) is a widely investigated inorganic optical material due to its attractive emission properties. Because those properties strongly depend on crystal structure and morphology, numerous approaches to controlling growth have been pursued. However, an understanding of the growth mechanisms that lead to the wide range of morphologies obtained to date is largely lacking, and most attempts to develop that understanding have been based on post-growth analyses. Significantly, such analyses have led to the conclusion that certain BaWO4 crystal morphologies result from a nonclassical growth process of oriented attachment. In this work, we systematically varied the morphology of BaWO4 crystals by adjusting the relative concentrations of solute, water, and ethanol. We then explored the growth mechanism leading to the observed range of morphologies through in situ TEM and in situ AFM. We find that even the most complex BaWO4 morphologies occur through purely classical growth mechanisms largely co...
Development of a low-inductance SiC trench MOSFET power module for high-frequency application

This paper deals with the development of a low-inductance multiple-chip power module with state-of-art 1200 V SiC Trench MOSFETs for high-frequency application. Specifically, a phase-leg power module package with integrated decoupling capacitance is fabricated based on P-cell/N-cell concept, and the packaging design is discussed in detail. Dedicated double pulse test is built, and a gate driver with cross-talk suppression function is designed to support the fast switching speed operation of SiC Trench MOSFETs. The parasitic inductance and current density distribution of the power module are simulated and extracted for the purpose of voltage spike limiting. The temperature dependent static and switching characteristics of the developed module are evaluated as well, and the key differences from traditional SiC double-diffused MOS (DMOS) are identified and discussed. Based on the turn-off switching characterization results, a lumped equivalent power-loop parasitic inductance of ∼ 6 nH is achieved for the designed power module.
Farm Workers’ Knowledge, Habits and Health Issues Associated with Pesticide Use

Although pesticides are used to mitigate crop losses by pests, farm workers’ poor knowledge and bad habits during application may cause serious health consequences. This study investigates the knowledge and habits of farm workers in the Sultanate of Oman and how these are related to the self-reported acute symptoms caused by pesticide exposure. A total of 153 pesticide workers in Al Batinah Region of Oman were interviewed face to face about their pesticide knowledge, habits and self-reported acute symptoms. About 57% of the farm workers either had no formal education or had only some primary school education, and 80% had no knowledge of warning labels and the names of banned pesticides. There was a significant difference (p <0.001) in self-reported symptoms among those 20 years or less and those 50 years or older. Among those that did not attend school, 85% reported pesticide related symptoms compared to 55% among those who completed secondary education. Self-medication was the commonly used treatment option (42%), followed by local pharmacy (35%), private clinic (14%) and government hospital (9%). Reduction in pesticide related health symptoms could be achieved by mandatory training of farm workers on the use of personal protection equipment, as well as the enforcement of legislation to restrict the availability of the most hazardous pesticides, and the promotion of non-chemical methods of pest control.
A Novel Electromagnetic Field Guided Interconnect for High-Performance Applications

A novel and high-performance interconnect structure is the core of this work. This patent-pending [1] structure is termed Guided Interconnect (GI), as its basic principle is to “guide” the electromagnetic (EM) wave of highspeed signaling in a tightly-coupled manner. It is shown that, from the research work, up to 20% higher I/O density and 40% Z-height reduction can be achieved without jeopardizing signal integrity performance. The application is not limited to semiconductor packaging, but also for printed circuit board (PCB) and flexible printed circuit (FPC).
The Impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid Expansion on Visit Rates for Diabetes in Safety Net Health Centers.

Objective: To (1) compare clinic-level uninsured, Medicaid-insured, and privately insured visit rates within and between expansion and nonexpansion states before and after the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion among the 3 cohorts of patient populations; and (2) assess whether there was a change in clinic-level overall, primary care visits, preventive care visits, and diabetes screening rates in expansion versus nonexpansion states from pre-ACA to post-ACA Medicaid expansion. Methods: Electronic health record data on nonpregnant patients aged 19 to 64 years, with ≥1 ambulatory visit between 01/01/2012 and 12/31/2015 (n = 483,912 in expansion states; n = 388,466 in nonexpansion states) from 198 primary care community health centers were analyzed. Using a difference-in-difference methodology, we assessed changes in visit rates pre-ACA versus post-ACA among a cohort of patients with diabetes, prediabetes, and no diabetes. Results: Rates of uninsured visits decreased for all cohorts in expansion and nonexpansion states. For all cohorts, Medicaid-insured visit rates increased significantly more in expansion compared with nonexpansion states, especially among prediabetic patients (+71%). In nonexpansion states, privately insured visit rates more than tripled for the prediabetes cohort and doubled for the diabetes and no diabetes cohorts. Rates for glycosylated hemoglobin screenings increased in all groups, with the largest changes among no diabetes (rate ratio, 2.26; 95% CI, 1.97–2.56) and prediabetes cohorts (rate ratio, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.80–2.19) in expansion states. Conclusion: The ACA reduced uninsurance and increased access to preventive care for vulnerable patients, especially those with prediabetes. These findings are important to consider when making decisions regarding altering the ACA.
Interventions to Improve Medication Adherence: A Review

Importance Among adults with chronic illness, 30% to 50% of medications are not taken as prescribed. In the United States, it is estimated that medication nonadherence is associated with 125 000 deaths, 10% of hospitalizations, and $100 billion in health care services annually. Observations PubMed was searched from January 1, 2000, to September 6, 2018, for English-language randomized clinical trials of interventions to improve medication adherence. Trials of patients younger than 18 years, trials that used self-report as the primary adherence outcome, and trials with follow-up periods less than 6 months were excluded; 49 trials were included. The most common methods of identifying patients at risk for nonadherence were patient self-report, electronic drug monitors (pill bottles), or pharmacy claims data to measure gaps in supply. Patient self-report is the most practical method of identifying nonadherent patients in the context of clinical care but may overestimate adherence compared with objective methods such as electronic drug monitors and pharmacy claims data. Six categories of interventions, and characteristics of successful interventions within each category, were identified: patient education (eg, recurrent and personalized telephone counseling sessions with health educators); medication regimen management (using combination pills to reduce the number of pills patients take daily); clinical pharmacist consultation for chronic disease co-management (including education, increased frequency of disease monitoring via telephone or in-person follow-up visits, and refill reminders); cognitive behavioral therapies (such as motivational interviewing by trained counselors); medication-taking reminders (such as refill reminder calls or use of electronic drug monitors for real-time monitoring and reminding); and incentives to promote adherence (such as reducing co-payments and paying patients and clinicians for achieving disease management goals). The choice of intervention to promote adherence will depend on feasibility and availability within a practice or health system. Successful interventions that are also clinically practical include using combination pills to reduce daily pill burden, clinical pharmacist consultation for disease co-management, and medication-taking reminders such as telephone calls to prompt refills (maximum observed absolute improvements in adherence of 10%, 15%, and 33%, respectively). Conclusions and Relevance Adherence can be assessed and improved within the context of usual clinical care, but more intensive and costly interventions that have demonstrated success will require additional investments by health systems.
Design, synthesis, and biomedical applications of synthetic sulphated polysaccharides.

Sulphated polysaccharides play important roles in a number of physiological and patho-physiological processes including the coagulation cascade, viral transmission, and antioxidation. In nature, sulphated polysaccharides are highly diverse, possessing variations in the carbohydrate backbone, location of the sulphate group(s), and degree of sulphation. These compositional attributes lead to varied sulphated polymers with different negative charge densities and resultant structure–property–activity relationships. Sulphating naturally occurring polysaccharides and their synthetic analogs is challenging, and traditionally requires harsh conditions and long reaction times, often causing non-selective sulphation at different and/or multiple hydroxyl positions. In this Review, we begin with a discussion of both established and novel methods and reagents for sulphation of these polymers, along with the advantages and disadvantages of these various approaches. Next, we describe characterization methods to confirm sulphation. Finally, we provide examples of synthetically sulphated natural polysaccharides and sulphated synthetic polysaccharides, and discuss the utility of these novel polymers in various biomedical applications. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of synthetic sulphated polysaccharides, their current uses, and highlights biomedical opportunities.
Deducing flow path mixing by storm-induced bulk chemistry and REE variations in two karst springs: with trends like these who needs anomalies?

Abstract Karst aquifers are dynamic hydrologic systems which can be sensitive to short-term recharge events (storms) and heterogeneous recharge characteristics (point recharge at sinks, irregular soil thicknesses). In this study, two adjacent karst springs, Tippery Spring and Near Tippery Spring, were monitored to better understand flow and source mixing characteristics in response to two storms in May and June 2017. Monitoring techniques included high-resolution discharge and temperature logging and collection of spring water using automatic samplers to analyze chemical parameters such as stable water isotopes and Mg/Ca ratios along with Ca/Zr ratios and rare earth elements (REEs) which have had limited testing in karst systems. The two springs exhibited behaviors which were both unique to each spring and shared depending on which parameter is considered. Spring-specific behaviors included discharge and isotopic response, with Tippery Spring having a flashier and faster conduit flow behavior relative to Near Tippery Spring’s delayed storm response. Absolute Mg/Ca values were spring-specific, owing to the relative fraction of limestone and dolostone in their respective recharge areas, although both springs showed similar Mg/Ca ratio shifts after storms. While Ca/Zr ratios changed in timing and intensity with storm intensity, both springs exhibited a decline in Ca/Zr ratios as calcium-rich carbonate matrix water was displaced by zirconium-rich storm recharge water from sinking streams off the clastic upland ridges. Flushing of recharged storm water resulted in an increase in total REE concentrations at both springs (from 1.0 ppb), with the timing and magnitude of concentration increases determined by the degree of surface connectivity intrinsic to each spring and the intensity of the recharge event. REEs and Ca/Zr ratios provided additional and complementary tracer techniques to better understand transient recharge and flow behaviors in karst springs.
Beyond “Red State, Blue State”: The Political Geography of Presidential Competition, 1828–2016

Since the 2000 election, both scholars and popular observers alike have become increasingly interested in the political geography of presidential voting. These discussions presume that this geography is structured into blue (Democratic) states and red (Republican) states. In this chapter, we employ spatial methods to move beyond this simple state-level dichotomy to identify how partisan voting has been structured geographically since the advent of mass voter participation in the 1828 presidential election. We find that partisan voting is not structured at the state level, but instead at much more localized levels that often bleed across state boundaries. Regimes of Democratic and Republican support are not election-specific, but instead have changed gradually over time and in understandable ways.
Calibration revisited

Calibration was first introduced in 2002 as a new concept to attack the F5 algorithm [3]. Since then, it became an essential part of many feature-based blind and targeted steganalyzers in JPEG as well as spatial domain. The purpose of this paper is to shed more light on how, why, and when calibration works. In particular, this paper challenges the thesis that the purpose of calibration is to estimate cover image features from the stego image. We classify calibration according to its internal mechanism into several canonical examples, including the case when calibration hurts the detection performance. All examples are demonstrated on specific steganographic schemes and steganalysis features. Furthermore, we propose a modified calibration procedure that improves practical steganalysis.
Experience with a Nonopioid Protocol in Ambulatory Breast Surgery: Opioids are Rarely Necessary and Use is Surgeon-Dependent.

CONTEXT Surgeons write 1.8% of all prescriptions and 9.8% of all opioid prescriptions. Even small doses prescribed for short-term use can lead to abuse; thus, surgeons are uniquely able to combat the opioid epidemic by changing prescribing practices. As part of a department wide quality improvement project, we initiated a nonopioid protocol for all patients undergoing ambulatory breast surgery. OBJECTIVE To determine the feasibility of a nonopioid protocol for patients undergoing ambulatory breast surgery and to determine if patient-related factors contribute to surgeon adherence to a nonopioid protocol in ambulatory breast surgery. DESIGN Retrospective chart review of a prospectively collected database, with χ2 analysis and a multiple logistic regression model with the surgeon as the random effect. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Protocol adherence. RESULTS A total of 180 patients, with a median age of 63 years (range = 18-95 years), were included. Of these, 127 (70.6%) did not receive opioids; in this group there were 2 hematomas (1.6%), and 3 patients required an opioid prescription (2.4%). Fifty-three (29.4%) were prescribed opioids against protocol; in this group, there was 1 hematoma (1.9%). The operating surgeon was the only variable independently correlated with protocol adherence (p < 0.0001). Age, race/ethnicity, surgery type, and history of long-term opioid use were not. CONCLUSION Ambulatory breast surgery patients tolerated a nonopioid pain regimen well. Surgeons' decisions, rather than patient characteristics, primarily drove the choice of pain management in our study. We believe our protocol can be improved with stricter implementation and education, which must be balanced with practitioner independence.
Electroencephalogram Microstate Abnormalities in Early-Course Psychosis.

Abstract Background Microstates are periods of characteristic electroencephalographic signal topography that are related to activity in brain networks. Previous work has identified abnormal microstate parameters in individuals with psychotic disorders. We combined microstate analysis with sample entropy analysis to study the dynamics of resting-state networks in patients with early-course psychosis. Methods We used microstate analysis to transform resting-state high-density electroencephalography data from 22 patients with early-course psychosis and 22 healthy control subjects into sequences of characteristic scalp topographies. Sample entropy was used to calculate the complexity of microstate sequences across a range of template lengths. Results Patients and control subjects produced similar sets of 4 microstates that agree with a widely reported canonical set (A, B, C, and D). Relative to control subjects, patients had decreased frequency of microstate A. In control subjects, sample entropy decreased as template length increased, suggesting that sequence of microstate transitions is self-similar across multiple transitions. In patients, sample entropy did not decrease, suggesting a lack of self-similarity in transition sequences. This finding was unrelated to data length or microstate topography. Entropy was elevated in unmedicated patients, and it decreased in patients who were administered medication. We identified patterns of transitions between microstates that were overrepresented in control data compared with representation in patient data. Conclusions Our findings suggest that patients with early-course psychosis have abnormally chaotic transitions between brain networks. This chaos may reflect an underlying abnormality in allocating neural resources and effecting appropriate transitions between distinct activity states in psychosis.
Factors Associated With Low and High Article Citations in the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Literature.

Purpose We assessed the factors in reported oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) studies associated with the number of citations. Materials and Methods We identified all primary research studies reported from 1998 to 2008 in the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Journal of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery (JOMS), British Journal of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery (BJOMS), and Journal of Craniomaxillofacial Surgery. Of the identified studies, 66 had obtained only 0 to 3 citations in the 10 years after publication. We compared these lowest cited reports with the 66 highest cited reports. The characteristics of the lowest and highest cited studies were compared using bivariate analysis. Logistic regression analysis using generalized estimating equations was conducted to examine the association between the selected article-, author-, and journal-level characteristics and high citations. Results On the initial bivariate analysis, highly cited studies were associated with greater abstract and manuscript word counts (P Conclusions Relatively few studies in the OMS literature failed to produce citations in the 10 years after publication, indicating that most studies accepted for publication provide meaningful contributions. Significant differences were found between the highest and lowest cited publications, suggesting that study design and article structure might influence the articles' audience and effect.
Interpreting Tafel behavior of consecutive electrochemical reactions through combined thermodynamic and steady state microkinetic approaches

Assessing the reaction pathway of multi-electron-transfer reactions is an essential yet difficult task for the rational design of electrocatalysts. In this work, we develop a heuristic approach that combines thermodynamic adsorption energetics calculated through density functional theory with microkinetic modeling using the steady state approximation to interpret the potential-dependent Tafel behavior of consecutive electrochemical reactions. In doing so, we introduce a kinetic framework for ab initio calculations that ensures self-consistent adsorption energetics based on kinetically limited adsorbate coverages. The approach is applied to experimental results on CoOx(OH)2−x single crystal electrocatalyst particles yielding coverage dependent mechanistic information and identification of the rate-limiting step with standard rate constants for the oxygen evolution reaction on the (110) surfaces of the β-Co(OH)2, β-CoOOH, and CoO2 bulk phases. This generalizable method enables catalyst benchmarking based on determining the active species involved and associated intrinsic reaction rate constants in consecutive multi-electron-transfer reactions.
Gauging Yang-Mills Symmetries in (1+1)-Dimensional Space-Time

We present a systematic and "from the ground up" analysis of the "minimal coupling" type of gauging of Yang–Mills symmetries in (2, 2)-supersymmetric (1+1)-dimensional space–time. Unlike in the familiar (3+1)-dimensional N=1 supersymmetric case, we find several distinct types of minimal coupling symmetry gauging, and so several distinct types of gauge (super)fields, some of which entirely novel. Also, we find that certain (quartoid) constrained superfields can couple to no gauge superfield at all, others (haploid ones) can couple only very selectively, while still others (nonminimal, i.e. linear ones) couple universally to all gauge superfields.
Pathogenesis and Management of Brain Tumor-Related Epilepsy

ABSTRACT Up to 50% of patients with brain tumors will initially present with seizures, while an additional 10–30% will develop seizures during the course of the disease. Gliomas are the most common primary intracranial tumors and are associated with a number of changes which are involved in the pathogenesis of epilepsy, including blood-brain barrier disruption, molecular changes, edema, and peritumoral environmental changes. Epilepsy is a source of significant morbidity and mortality for patients with gliomas. The two main treatments for patients with glioma-related epilepsy involve antiepileptic drugs as well as surgical resection of the mass and surrounding epileptogenic tissue, if feasible. Given the propensity for neighboring tissue to also be epileptogenic, intraoperative electrocorticography can be of benefit to define the seizure onset and spread areas. Surgical treatment of glioma-associated epilepsy can provide significant relief for affected patients. Unlike non-lesional epilepsy, which is primarily managed medically, glioma-related epilepsy frequently requires surgery because of its medically refractory nature.
An analysis of factors that lead WebCT users to either increase or decrease the use of WebCT GOLD at Iowa State University

This study examined the views and experiences of the instructors and administrators who used WebCT GOLD in the fall 2007 semester. An online survey using multiple-choice and open-ended questions was distributed to a convenience sample of the specified WebCT users at Iowa State University. Descriptive data were collected on demographics, reasons instructors changed their WebCT GOLD usage in the fall 2007 semester as compared to the previous semester, and reasons instructors used certain WebCT GOLD tools the most, while ignoring the rest. The response rate for the survey was almost 18%. The data indicated that a comparatively larger number of respondents increased their use of WebCT GOLD as compared to those who decreased or did not change the WebCT GOLD usage for the fall 2007 semester. Nevertheless, the comments received from the respondents strongly indicate major shortfalls in WebCT GOLD that need to be addressed in order to achieve effective education using WebCT. The statistical data analysis suggest that despite the availability of 20 tools in WebCT GOLD, only the tools such as grade book, announcements, assessments, discussion, and file manager that help reduce work load and increase efficiency were used the most, while instructors ignore the other tools. The findings of this study may help administrators and WebCT GOLD programmers support instructors’ effective use of WebCT GOLD, and researchers may learn issues with using WebCT GOLD that need further study.
Law Firm Risk Management in an Era of Breakups and Lawyer Mobility: Limitations and Opportunities

To say that law firms and lawyers are restricted by the norm of client choice does not mean they are not without options in structuring their relationships in ways that may affect their positions as opposing parties should litigation or disputes develop because of breakups and lawyer mobility. This article explores risk management opportunities with a particular emphasis on avoiding litigation or, if that is not possible, affecting the outcome of litigation. It discusses the role of the partnership agreement and limitations on law firm partnership agreements, including difficulties of negotiating and amending agreements, centralized management as an agreement substitute, past practices as agreement waivers, and challenges to enforcement of agreements. Particular attention is given to five issues that often are inadequately addressed in law firm partnership agreements; these include intellectual property rights, departure process, partner removals and dequitizations, winding up, and dispute resolution.
Reconstitution of the immunopurified 49-kDa sodium-dependent bile acid transport protein derived from hepatocyte sinusoidal plasma membranes.

Abstract Reconstitution, using phosphatidylcholine liposomes in conjugation with immunological purification procedures, has been used to establish directly the identity of the hepatocyte Na(+)-dependent bile acid transport protein. Octyl glucoside-solubilized sinusoidal plasma membranes were shown to form proteoliposomes exhibiting taurocholate transport properties which were similar to those of plasma membrane vesicles, namely, Na(+)-dependence and marked inhibition by 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid and by taurochenodeoxycholate. Proteoliposomes formed from plasma membrane proteins depleted of the putative 49-kDa bile acid transport protein by immunoprecipitation with monoclonal antibody 25D-1, which specifically recognizes this protein (Ananthanarayanan, M., von Dippe, P., and Levy, D. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 8338-8343), showed a 94% reduction in mediated transport capacity. Proteoliposomes containing total membrane protein also demonstrated Na(+)-dependent alanine transport. The addition of taurochenodeoxycholate or the removal of the 49-kDa protein by monoclonal antibody 25D-1 immunoprecipitation had no effect on the uptake of alanine, thus confirming the specificity of these procedures. When only the immunoprecipitated 48-kDa protein was used in the reconstitution system, a 2200% increase of taurocholate uptake was observed. These results definitively establish that this 49-kDa sinusoidal membrane protein is the sole essential component of the Na(+)-dependent bile acid transport system.
Student Privacy in the Wake of T.L.O.: An Appeal for an Individualized Suspicion Requirement for Valid Searches and Seizures in the Schools

New Jersey v. T.L.O. marks the United States Supreme Court's initial excursion into the intricacies of deciphering the fourth amendment consequences of searches by school officials of students and their property. In recognizing the applicability of the Fourth Amendment to school searches and seizures, T.L.O. advances the cause of constitutional protection of the rights of young people. At the same time, however, the Court's rejection of the traditional standard of probable cause in favor of a "reasonable suspicion," balancing of interests test casts doubt upon the extent of students' fourth amendment privacy protection, particularly since T.L.O. specifically leaves open the crucial question of whether "individualized suspicion" is an essential element of the applicable standard. This Article examines student privacy issues in light of T.L.O. and urges the judiciary to require a finding of individualized suspicion as a prerequisite to valid searches and seizures. As a prelude to the discussion of T.L.O. and the individualized suspicion issue, attention will be directed to jurisprudential concerns regarding the status of privacy interests within general theories of children's rights. This introductory discussion will illustrate that even though children are entitled to privacy protection under the fourth amendment, the potential scope of their protected privacy is, because of their status as children, narrower than that enjoyed by adults.
Beyond Cervical Length: A Pilot Study of Ultrasonic Attenuation for Early Detection of Preterm Birth Risk

The purpose of this study was to determine whether cervical ultrasonic attenuation could identify women at risk of spontaneous preterm birth. During pregnancy, women (n = 67) underwent from one to five transvaginal ultrasonic examinations to estimate cervical ultrasonic attenuation and cervical length. Ultrasonic data were obtained with a Zonare ultrasound system with a 5- to 9-MHz endovaginal transducer and processed offline. Cervical ultrasonic attenuation was lower at 17-21 wk of gestation in the SPTB group (1.02 dB/cm-MHz) than in the full-term birth groups (1.34 dB/cm-MHz) (p = 0.04). Cervical length was shorter (3.16 cm) at 22-26 wk in the SPTB group than in the women delivering full term (3.68 cm) (p = 0.004); cervical attenuation was not significantly different at this time point. These findings suggest that low attenuation may be an additional early cervical marker to identify women at risk for SPTB.
Chapter 2 Comparison of algorithms for wavelength selection

Publisher Summary This chapter compares several algorithms for wavelength selection for spectroscopic multicomponent analysis. Wavelengths are referenced by an absolute index rather than by their real wavelength value. Capitalized bold characters denote matrices and lower bold characters describe column vectors. A superscripted T symbolizes transposition of the corresponding matrix or vector. Superscripts −1 and + indicate the inverse and pseudo-inverse of a matrix, respectively. Quantitative spectroscopic multicomponent analysis is based on the direct proportionality between absorbance at a particular wavelength (a) and concentration of the chemical constituent (c). This relationship is known as the Beer–Lambert law. An alternative method would be to use complete spectra. Simulated annealing is based on the analogy between the process of arranging a cluster of particles in their ground state and minimization of a generic optimization function. Because of this analogy, a Boltzmann type probability function is employed to decide whether to accept detrimental configurations.
Back to the Bedside: Developing a Bedside Aid for Concussion and Brain Injury Decisions in the Emergency Department.

Context: Current information-rich electronic health record (EHR) interfaces require large, high-resolution screens running on desktop computers. This interface compromises the provider’s already limited time at the bedside by physically separating the patient from the doctor. The case study presented here describes a patient-centered clinical decision support (CDS) design process that aims to bring the physician back to the bedside by integrating a patient decision aid with CDS for shared use by the patient and provider on a touchscreen tablet computer for deciding whether or not to obtain a CT scan for minor head injury in the emergency department, a clinical scenario that could benefit from CDS but has failed previous implementation attempts. Case Description : This case study follows the user-centered design (UCD) approach to build a bedside aid that is useful and usable, and that promotes shared decision-making between patients and their providers using a tablet computer at the bedside. The patient-centered decision support design process focuses on the prototype build using agile software development , but also describes the following: (1) the requirement gathering phase including triangulated qualitative research (focus groups and cognitive task analysis) to understand current challenges, (2) features for patient education, the physician, and shared decision-making, (3) system architecture and technical requirements, and (4) future plans for formative usability testing and field testing. Lessons Learned : We share specific lessons learned and general recommendations from critical insights gained in the patient-centered decision support design process about early stakeholder engagement, EHR integration, external expert feedback, challenges to two users on a single device, project management, and accessibility. Conclusions: Successful implementation of this tool will require seamless integration into the provider’s workflow. This protocol can create an effective interface for shared decision-making and safe resource reduction at the bedside in the austere and dynamic clinical environment of the ED and is generalizable for these purposes in other clinical environments as well.
Stepping into iSMART: Understanding Science–Mathematics Integration for Middle School Science and Mathematics Teachers

This paper is based on an online graduate program for middle school science and mathematics teachers in Texas titled Integration of Science, Mathematics and Reflective Teaching (iSMART). Launching the program for its first cohort in fall 2010, the authors attempted to answer the following two questions in this paper: (a) How do the members of the iSMART design team and the first cohort of teacher participants define science and mathematics integration with similar and different emphases? and (b) How would these definitions and concerns impact the ongoing design of the program? The iSMART design team members and the participating cohort teachers had a shared view regarding the importance of integration and its possible impact on student motivation. The findings also revealed that the two groups showed some different points of emphasis in their definitions of integration. These issues will be addressed in the ongoing design of the program in the following three areas: (a) design of the second summer meeting activities, (b) greater emphasis on teacher as researcher and action research, and (c) administrative support for teacher collaboration.
The Potential Energy Surface and Equilibrium Geometry of Ar··PH3

Abstract The potential energy surface of the complex formed between Ar and PH 3 is investigated by ab initio methods. In the equilibrium geometry, the Ar atom lies 3.75 A from the P center; the Ar··P vector makes an angle of 75° with the C 3 symmetry axis of PH 3 . The SCF portion of the interaction energy is repulsive but is counteracted by an attractive MP2 contribution. The SCF term is more sensitive to the relative orientation of the two subunits and is hence responsible for the angular features of the equilibrium structure. The binding energy of Ar··PH 3 is calculated to be about 70 cm −1 at the correlated level after correction for basis set superposition error.
Geographic Differences in Physical Education and Adolescent BMI Have Legal Mandates Made a Difference

The school environment is an ideal setting for healthy weight programming with adolescents. The federal government has reinforced the importance of school-based health promotion. The current study examined the preliminary influence of the 2006 school wellness policy requirement of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act (CNWICRA) on adolescent Body Mass Index (BMI) and physical education participation. Nationally representative data from the 2003 and 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey (YRBSS) were used. The authors examined BMI percentile and physical education participation based on survey year and geographic region. Results suggest a slight decrease in BMI with no changes in physical education participation. A main effect for geographic region was found for both physical education participation and BMI percentile, while a geographic region-by-survey year interaction was discovered when analyzing BMI percentiles. Results suggest a need for continued investigation and may inform future healthy weight programming and geographically tailored wellness policies.
CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS OF NEW LEFT BUNDLE BRANCH BLOCK: SUB–ANALYSIS FROM THE PARTNER TRIAL

Cardiac conduction disturbances, including new–onset left bundle branch block (LBBB), occur frequently following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Recent studies have demonstrated a possible association between new LBBB and adverse clinical events, including death and permanent
Primary Structure and Functional Expression of a cDNA Encoding the Bile Canalicular, Purine-specific Na-Nucleoside Cotransporter

Abstract We previously characterized a purine-specific Na+-nucleoside cotransport system in bile canalicular membrane. The function of this transport system may be related to conserving nucleosides and preventing cholestasis. We report here the isolation of a cDNA encoding a Na+-dependent nucleoside transporter from rat liver using an expression cloning strategy. The substrate specificities and kinetic characteristics of the cloned cotransporter are consistent with the properties of the Na+-dependent, purine-selective nucleoside transporter in bile canalicular membranes. The nucleotide sequence predicts a protein of 659 amino acids (72 kDa) with 14 putative membrane-spanning domains. Northern blot analysis showed that the transcripts are present in liver and several other tissues. Data base searches indicate significant sequence similarity to the pyrimidine-selective nucleoside transporter (cNT1) of rat jejunum. Although these two subtypes of Na+-nucleoside cotransporter have different substrate specificities and tissue localizations, they are members of a single gene family.