cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Traumatic Brain Injury and School Readiness Among Preschool-Aged Children in the United States

Abstract Background The aim of this study is to examine the association between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and school readiness using a nationally representative sample of preschool-aged children in the United States. Methods Using data on 15,402 preschool-aged children (ages three to five years) from the 2016 to 2018 cohorts of the National Survey of Children’s Health, this study investigates the association between lifetime measure of TBI in children and four domains of school readiness: early learning skills, self-regulation, social-emotional development, and physical health/motor development. Results Among this sample of preschool-aged children, 252 (1.64%) had experienced a TBI during their lifetime. Within school readiness domains, TBI was associated with a 62% to 99% increase in the rate of needs support/at-risk items and a 129% to 322% increase in the rate of at-risk items, contingent on the exact domain examined. Additional analyses reveal that, net of covariates, TBI reduced the predicted probability of being on-track across all four domains from approximately 0.424 for children with no history of TBI to 0.224 for children with a history of TBI. Conclusions A history of TBI was associated with reductions in school readiness within and across domains. Facilitating better communication between parents, pediatricians, and schools about both TBI and responses to TBI may result in the implementation of services and individualized, tailored instructional approaches that can improve educational outcomes.
Force Measurement with Piezo Electric Sensors in Advanced Packaging

AI, 5G, IoT, ADAS, AR/VR and other new applications is giving the semiconductor industry plenty of growth opportunities. With the adoption of these technologies the pressure is on, to increase performance. The industry is using the power advantages of lower technology nodes and Advanced Packaging to put increased functionality on a single small form-factor which makes production processes even more challenging. This advancements in semiconductor technology and added device complexity put additional pressure on monitoring and controlling Semiconductor packaging processes. The optimization of processes is a precondition for high reliability which is achieved by selecting appropriate materials and controlling critical process parameters. Currently Chip test, monitoring and control of packaging processes is widely done via optical-, displacement Sensors and Electrical Testing. Improved methods for process monitoring and failure identification are needed to maintain or improve the quality and yield of a packaging process. The physical force quantity causing a device failure may not be accessible to conventional measuring methods but is equally important to control and monitor production processes such as bonding, pick and place and encapsulation. Piezo dynamic force measurement technology allows force to be monitored and controlled with high resolution even at low forces. As a result, deviations can be detected early, errors avoided, and Semiconductor Advanced Packaging Equipment builders can achieve higher and more accurate machine performance. Semiconductor Manufacturing-Packing companies in the semiconductor industry benefit from higher process visibility, performance, lower quality cost and traceability of process data.
Monitoring the mean with least-squares support vector data description

Abstract: Multivariate control charts are essential tools in multivariate statistical process control (MSPC). “Shewhart-type” charts are control charts using rational subgroupings which are effective in the detection of large shifts. Recently, the one-class classification problem has attracted a lot of interest. Three methods are typically used to solve this type of classification problem. These methods include the k−center method, the nearest neighbor method, one-class support vector machine (OCSVM), and the support vector data description (SVDD). In industrial applications, like statistical process control (SPC), practitioners successfully used SVDD to detect anomalies or outliers in the process. In this paper, we reformulate the standard support vector data description and derive a least squares version of the method. This least-squares support vector data description (LS-SVDD) is used to design a control chart for monitoring the mean vector of processes. We compare the performance of the LS-SVDD chart with the SVDD and T2 chart using out-of-control Average Run Length (ARL) as the performance metric. The experimental results indicate that the proposed control chart has very good performance.
The effect of the Colonial Pipeline shutdown on gasoline prices

Abstract On May 7, 2021, the Colonial Pipeline system was shut down for 6 days in response to a cyberattack. Using daily regular gasoline price data at the city level and employing a difference-in-differences approach to address potential demand-side confounding factors, we find that the shutdown led to a 4 cents-per-gallon increase in average gasoline prices in affected areas, with the estimated impact varying across locations based on their access to alternative means of fuel supply. Although the overall effect was initially slow, it persisted even after the reopening of the pipeline.
Adult children’s goals as predictors of communication satisfaction with their parent: The moderating roles of inferences of the parent’s goals and future time perspective of the parent:

Adult children (N = 245, MAge = 50.55 years, 62.0% women, 80.0% European American) reported on their own prosocial goals during typical interactions with their parent, inferences of their parent’s ...
Evaluation of Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy: From Angiography to Intravascular Ultrasound and Beyond

Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality after heart transplantation and results from complex mechanisms ultimately leading to diffuse intimal hyperplasia throughout the coronary vasculature. Available treatment options, at best slow the progression of disease and if diagnosed late, outcomes remain poor. Early diagnosis of CAV is of critical importance as timely and aggressive treatments can be associated with improved long-term outcomes.
Carbon Source-Mediated Catabolite Repression

Catabolite repression is a regulatory mechanism by which the cell (i) coordinates metabolism of carbon a n d energy sources to maximize efficiency and (ii) regulates other metabolic processes as well. The objective of this review is to examine what is known about the molecular mechanisms by which catabolite repression operates in gram-positive bacteria, especially Bacillus subtilis. In this chapter, the author uses the term catabolite repression to refer specifically to carbon source-mediated regulation and not to regulation by nitrogen or other nutrient sources. The phenomenon of catabolite repression has been best characterized in Escherichia coli. The chapter briefly reviews the basic mechanism by which E. coli accomplishes the type of global regulation. Catabolite repression in E. coli is interference with a positive regulatory mechanism in which the catabolite repressor protein (CRP or CAP) in complex with the cyclic nucleotide cyclic AMP (cAMP) binds to a specific site in the promoter region of catabolite repression-sensitive genes or operons. In the three genera of gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus, Streptomyces spp, and B. subtilis), the molecular mechanism by which catabolite repression functions appears to be fundamentally different from that in E. coli. To date, few studies have been directed at elucidating the molecular mechanism by which carbon source-mediated catabolite repression operates. The mechanism by which B. subtilis monitors its environment for the presence of readily metabolized carbohydrates and translates that information into regulatory signals is unknown.
Global analytics in the face of bandwidth and regulatory constraints

Global-scale organizations produce large volumes of data across geographically distributed data centers. Querying and analyzing such data as a whole introduces new research issues at the intersection of networks and databases. Today systems that compute SQL analytics over geographically distributed data operate by pulling all data to a central location. This is problematic at large data scales due to expensive transoceanic links, and may be rendered impossible by emerging regulatory constraints. The new problem of Wide-Area Big Data (WABD) consists in orchestrating query execution across data centers to minimize bandwidth while respecting regulatory constaints. WABD combines classical query planning with novel network-centric mechanisms designed for a wide-area setting such as pseudodistributed execution, joint query optimization, and deltas on cached subquery results. Our prototype, Geode, builds upon Hive and uses 250× less bandwidth than centralized analytics in a Microsoft production workload and up to 360× less on popular analytics benchmarks including TPC-CH and Berkeley Big Data. Geode supports all SQL operators, including Joins, across global data.
Cloning, characterization, and nucleotide sequence analysis of a Zymomonas mobilis phosphoglucose isomerase gene that is subject to carbon source-dependent regulation.

Abstract The Zymomonas mobilis gene encoding phosphoglucose isomerase (pgi) was cloned by genetic complementation of an Escherichia coli pgi mutant. An enzyme assay and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis confirmed the presence of excess amounts of phosphoglucose isomerase in E. coli clones carrying the Z. mobilis pgi gene. The pgi gene is present in only one copy on the Z. mobilis genome. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the pgi region revealed an open reading frame of 1,524 bp preceded by a strong Shine-Dalgarno sequence. The pgi gene encodes a 507-amino-acid protein with a predicted molecular weight of 55,398. Z. mobilis phosphoglucose isomerase is between 38 and 43% identical to the enzyme from other species. Northern (RNA) blot analysis showed that the pgi transcript is 1.8 kb in length. The level of the pgi transcript was found to be influenced by the phase of growth and by the carbon and energy sources. Transcript levels increased with respect to total RNA during logarithmic growth and were threefold higher when grown on fructose than on glucose. These changes in transcript levels paralleled phosphoglucose isomerase activities in the cultures. Differential mRNA stability was not a factor, since the half-life of the pgi transcript was 6.3 min in glucose-grown cells and 6.0 min in fructose-grown cells. Thus, an increase in the rate of transcription appears to be at least partially responsible for the increased levels of phosphoglucose isomerase observed for Z. mobilis grown on fructose.
10 The Future of Personal Computing in Chemistry

Publisher Summary The chapter presents a discussion on the future of personal computing in chemistry. In the first five years of personal computing significant changes in computational resources, graphic capabilities, languages and operating systems, all led to increased applicability to chemical problems for personal computers (PCs). Until recently, most utilization of PCs in advanced chemical computation has been isolated from applications designed for high-level workstation computers, venerable departmental VAX systems, or mainframes. This results largely from the differing basic characteristics of these computer systems and is exemplified, which compares typical PC and workstation computers in the period 1987–1988. By this time the workstation computer achieved most of the characteristics of a large VAX system, with added high-speed color graphics and multi-window multi-processing operating system, most usually a version of UNIX. With unification of our computing environments by the mid-l990s, achievement of extraordinary flexibility and power to interpret and understand complex problems is expected. This will be possible without giving up traditional computing, as the 1992–93 PC will support efficient PC-DOS program execution under UNIX. The chapter discusses characteristics that large scientific programs utilize computing resources in a way that makes difficult adaption to current PC systems. The chapter also discusses nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and personal computing. The chapter also discusses the aspects of NMR spectroscopy and molecular calculations that make these two application areas representative of future large scale chemical computations.
Self-Determination and Cultural Empowerment: Reader Histories Reveal Learning and Adaptation Strategies

This article explores the issues of cultural transmission and discontinuity, as well as the implications of culturally based assumptions and attitudes and their potential influence in schools. Through interviews based upon questions specifically related to literacy and literacy acquisition conducted with five seventh-grade students and one eighth-grade student who were perceived to have achieved various levels of success or failure in school-related tasks, insights about student learning and adaptation strategies are revealed which may have pedagogical implications for educators. Arguments are made that adjustments in culturally based assumptions and attitudes by members of the community and the school may influence the academic success or failure of our children.
Developing Partnerships Between Social Work Programs and the Professional Community

ABSTRACT This paper reports the results of a national survey of Field Directors with regard to the extent and use they make of Field Advisory Groups. Forty percent (119) of respondents (294) reported using Field Advisory Groups with the need for input from the practice community and preparation for accreditation/reaccreditation identified as the primary reasons for advisory groups being established. Field Advisory Groups concerned themselves most frequently with development, evaluation and revision of field curriculum, evaluation of field students and accreditation/reaccreditation. All Field Directors who assessed their experiences found field advisory groups useful noting their role in supporting the field program and helping social work educators fulfill CSWE's mandate of remaining attuned to the realities of social work practice. At the same time, a few respondents also found field advisory groups perfunctory on occasion.
Complications caused by difficult removal of laminaria tents.

PIP: 2 cases of difficulty in removing laminaria tents which resulted in complications are presented. The first case involved a 15-year-old girl undergoing a therapeutic abortion. The laminaria tent was properly placed into the cervical canal without difficulty but could only be removed during hysterotomy. Only slivers could be recovered with instruments before hysterotomy. The second case involved a 38-year-old woman, gravida 5, para 4, in whome the laminaria tent was also inserted easily. Attempts at removing the tent under direct visualization resulted in the disintegration of the distal end of the tent. The cervix was dilated and the tent was finally caught into a large loop curette and retrieved. Suction curettage was then carried out. The patient had to return to the hospital because of infection due to unrecovered fragments of the contaminated laminaria tent. The difficulty of removal of the tent in both cases was due to an "hourglass" effect which was created. The distal and proximal ends of the tent expanded to a larger diameter than the central portion, which was compressed by the cervical canal.
Transition of the R Factor R12 in Proteus mirabilis

When Proteus mirabilis harboring the R factor R12 (a round of replication mutant of the R factor NR1) is cultured in medium containing streptomycin there can be an amplification in the number of copies of r-determinants per cell and the formation of enlarged polygenic R factors containing repeated sequences of r-determinants as well as polygenic molecules consisting of repeated sequences of r-determinants. This phenomenon has been referred to as the "transition." When transitioned cells are then cultured in drug-free medium, within a few generations two distinct density species of R factor deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) are observed in a CsCl density gradient: a 1.712 g/ml band of covalently closed circular R factor DNA consisting of one transfer factor (RTF-TC) plus one r-determinant and a 1.718 g/ml band consisting of repeated sequences of r-determinants. The RTF-TC component of the R factor appears to control the replication of all the R factor DNA which is attached to it. In the autonomous state, however, polygenic sequences of r-determinants do not appear to replicate under the same control mechanism as when they are attached to an RTF-TC.
Wirkungsweise der Kälteanlage

Das Wesen der Kalteerzeugung unter Verwendung von Gasen als Kaltetrager beruht auf der Tatsache, das durch Expansion von Presluft eine Arbeit nach ausen abgegeben wird, die durch Umwandlung des inneren Warmevorrates des Stoffes hervorgeht. Mit dem Druck sinkt daher auch die Temperatur. Hat das gespannte Gas vor Beginn der Ausdehnung die Temperatur der Umgebung angenommen, so ist die Abkuhlung gegen das Ende der Expansion derart vorgeschritten, das das Gas zur kraftigen Kaltewirkung befahigt ist.
Coxsackievirus B3-Induced Myocarditis : Perforin Exacerbates Disease, But Plays No Detectable Role in Virus Clearance

Viral myocarditis is remarkably common, being detected in approximately 1% of unselected asymptomatic individuals. Many cases are attributable to enteroviral infection, and in particular to coxsackievirus B3. The underlying pathogenesis is controversial, but most studies admit the important immunopathological role of infiltrating CD8 + (cytotoxic) T lymphocytes (CTLs). We have previously shown that CTLs play conflicting roles in coxsackievirus B (CVB) myocarditis; they assist in controlling virus replication, but also are instrumental in causing the extensive inflammatory disease, which often results in severe myocardial scarring. A role for perforin, the major CTL cytolytic protein, in CVB myocarditis has been suggested, but never proven. In the present study we use perforin knockout (PKO) mice to show that perforin plays a major role in CVB infection; in broad terms, perforin is important in immunopathology, but not in CVB clearance. For example, PKO mice are better able to withstand a normally lethal dose of CVB (100% survival of PKO mice compared with 90% death in +/+ littermates). In addition, PKO mice given a nonlethal dose of CVB develop only a mild myocarditis, whereas their perforin + littermates have extensive myocardial lesions. The myocarditis in PKO mice resolves more quickly, and these mice show minimal histological sequelae; in contrast, late in disease the perforin + mice develop severe myocardial fibrosis. PKO mice, despite lacking this major CTL effector function, can control the infection and eradicate the virus; growth kinetics and peak CVB titers are indistinguishable in PKO and perforin + mice. Therefore, the immunopathological and antiviral effects of CTLs can be uncoupled by ablation of perforin; this offers a promising target for therapy of myocarditis. Furthermore, we evaluate the possible roles of apoptosis, and of chemokine expression, in CVB infection. In perforin + mice, apoptotic cells are detected within the inflammatory infiltrate, whereas in their PKO counterparts, apoptotic myocyte nuclei are seen. Chemokine expression in both PKO and perforin + mice precedes and parallels the course of myocarditis. Several chemokines are detectable earlier in PKO mice than in perforin + mice, but PKO mice show reduced peak levels, and chemokine expression decays sooner. In particular, MIP-1α expression is barely detectable at any time point in PKO mice, but it is readily identified in perforin + animals, peaking just before the time of maximal myocarditis; this is particularly interesting, given that MIP-1α knockout mice are resistant to CVB myocarditis, but remain able to control viral infection. Thus, the chemokine pathway offers a second route of intervention to diminish myocarditis and its sequelae, while permitting the host to eradicate the virus.
Primary neuroendocrine tumors of the ear, nose and throat: A report of three cases and a review of the literature

The aim of the present study was to review all cases of neuroendocrine tumors of the ear, nose and throat in a tertiary care center, as well as the data published in the literature. The study presents all the cases of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) in the Hotel Dieu De France Hospital (Beirut, Lebanon) between January 2004 and January 2014. The data reported in the English and French literature is also reviewed with regard to the typical clinical presentation and management of these tumors. Three cases of NETs presented to the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery during the study period. One case was of an atypical carcinoid (AC) tumor of the larynx, one case was of a typical carcinoid tumor in the middle ear and the third case was, to the best of our knowledge, the first reported case of an AC tumor of the nasopharynx. Overall, NETs are rare in the head and neck. The clinical presentation can mimic any other tumor in the same localization in the absence of a carcinoid syndrome. Management of these tumors remains controversial, but a complete excision of the tumor is crucial, followed by possible adjuvant treatment.
The importance of seizure-inducing factors in youth

Of over forty known epileptogenic mechanisms, some eight involve transient conditions, the regulation of which necessarily involves the understanding cooperation of the patient/parents. Tension states, alterations of the wake-sleep cycle, fatigue and sleep deprivation, CNS stimulation by sensory or drug means, and shifts of the water and acid-base balances constitute the bulk of such seizure-inducing factors. The relative lack of CNS homeostatic control, due to immature development of the blood-brain barrier and cerebral maturation, serve to exaggerate these problems in childhood. In a referred group of 150 refractory epileptic children, the seizure-inducing mechanisms were found to be important (50% reduction of seizure incidence) in 20% and to be of "crucial" importance (complete control) in an additional 14%. These results indicate the importance of such mechanisms in selected children with epilepsy, who were only marginally or inadequately controlled by drug therapy. Reviews of the literature have suggested that this more comprehensive approach to the therapeutic management of epilepsy has not been adequately exploited.
Adsorption of metal ions onto goethite: single-adsorbate and competitive systems

Adsorption of anthropogenically released toxic metals such as Ni and Zn to goethite effects their mobility and bioavailability in aquatic environments. In this research sorption studies were conducted to understand competitive adsorption of environmentally important metals such as Ni, Zn, and Ca onto the goethite surface. Adsorption edges conducted as a function of ionic strength suggest that these metals are chemisorbed to the goethite surface. Furthermore, the adsorption affinity follows the order of the inverse of the hydrated radii multiplied by the number of waters in the primary solvation shell: Zn>Ni>Ca. Isotherm studies revealed a linear relation between the amount of metal adsorbed and the aqueous bulk phase concentrations, where site saturation was obtained by reducing the goethite concentration to 0.1 g l−1. Accordingly the single-site Langmuir model provided a good fit; equilibrium constants were found to be independent of pH indicative of one type of adsorption reaction. The equilibrium constants for both transition metals (Ni and Zn) were greater than that of Ca, suggesting that transition metals have a greater affinity for the surface. Analyses of site densities revealed two types of sites on the surface of goethite: high affinity ones to which transition metals bind, and low affinity sites that comprise 100× that of the high affinity ones. From the isotherm studies, it appears that only the alkaline earth metals such as Ca adsorb to this lower affinity site. The single-site Langmuir model was able to accurately describe adsorption competition between Ni and Zn for the goethite surface. In contrast, no competitive effects were observed in Ni–Ca and Zn–Ca binary systems.
Statin desensitization in a patient with probable familial hypercholesterolemia

Problem Overview With cardiovascular disease being the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States, cholesterol-lowering medications have become a prominent focus of medical management and cardiovascular risk reduction, including the use of statins making them the most widely prescribed class of medications in the United States and are the cornerstone of management of hyperlipidemia. This case report describes a 29-year-old female with probable familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) who had allergic reactions to statin therapy on two separate occasions. She required statin therapy based on her elevated carotid intima media thickness test, historic LDL-C ≥190mg/dL, elevated Lp(a), and family history significant for premature coronary heart disease. In this report, we document a case of successful oral desensitization to rosuvastatin and propose a replicable statin desensitization protocol. Major Management The patient was admitted for rosuvastatin desensitization following predetermined protocols, utilizing an interdisciplinary team, and monitored for 24 hours following completion of administration prior to discharge. She successfully completed desensitization to rosuvastatin 10mg by mouth daily without anaphylactic reaction. She continued to tolerate rosuvastatin 10mg daily through most recent follow-up, and with this addition, significant improvement in lipid levels was achieved. Conclusion This case report presented a patient with probable FH who was previously intolerant to other statin therapies that underwent successful desensitization to rosuvastatin with subsequent achievement of therapy goals.
Sonographic measurement of the normal suprascapular nerve and omohyoid muscle

The aim of this study was to obtain normative ultrasonography (US) data on the suprascapular nerve (SSN) and omohyoid muscle (OM) in the lateral cervical region. The SSN and OM are known to be related throughout the nerve's course, yet little imaging data exists on these structures at areas more proximal than the suprascapular foramen. US data from a convenience sample of 33 asymptomatic subjects between 21 and 42 years of age were collected. Cross sectional area (CSA) of the SSN, distances from the OM to the SSN, and long-axis diameter of the OM at three reference points were obtained. The mean CSA of the SSN at both its origin and over the first rib was 1.9 mm2 and at the distal clavicle was 2.0 mm2. The mean distance of the OM to the SSN at these locations was 7.6 mm, 4.2 mm and 2.8 mm respectively. The mean long axis diameter of the OM was 2.4 mm at the SSN origin, 3.4 mm at the first rib, and 4.1 mm at the distal clavicle. We present US data from asymptomatic subjects on the SSN and OM. Our results show that the SSN nerve CSA is consistent throughout the nerves proximal course. Furthermore, the OM and SSN tend to approximate as they course distally. Future studies with larger samples will better characterize the normal sonoanatomy of these structures between genders and across different ages.
Efficient evaluations of edge connectivity and width uniformity

We present three simple and efficient methods for the evaluation of edge connectivity and width uniformity in the images processed by certain edge detection and/or edge linking operations. Quantitative measurements of the edge merits are derived first from an analysis of the edge and pixel patterns in the images, and then extended to two more simplified forms. The main purpose of the evaluation methods is to provide an objective assessment of the qualities of the edge images in terms of their easiness to the successive image processing and vision tasks. The evaluation methods are moderate in terms of the accuracy and sensitivity of the measurements as well as the computational complexity of the related algorithms. No prior knowledge about the true edge positions is needed for deriving the measurement values. The evaluation methods are therefore applicable to the real edge images in practical applications, not only to the synthetic testing images.
Value of pharyngography in patients without suprasternal symptoms.

SUMMARY The purpose of the present paper was to determine if pharyngeal or cervical oesophageal lesions may present with distal symptoms. All patients presenting for barium swallow underwent examination of the pharynx and oesophagus. The pharyngeal examination included spot films of the pharynx as well as views of the pharyngo-oesophageal segment filmed at three frames per second. During the 18-month period of the present study interrogations were carried out to identify patients without symptoms in the cervical or suprasternal region. One hundred and twelve patients were identified; 58 were male and 54 were female. The age range was 18–84 years. Examinations revealed abnormalities within the pharynx in 42 patients (38%); of this group of 42, 34 also had an oesophageal abnormality. The majority of the pharyngeal findings were minor. There were, however, three patients who each had a pharyngeal abnormality (pharyngeal carcinoma, obstructive cricopharyngeal narrowing, pharyngo-oesophageal junction stricture) as well as an oesophageal lesion (hiatal hernia, achalasia, reflux oesophagitis), either of which may have been the source of the symptoms. The remaining eight patients (7%) of this group of 42 with detected pharyngeal abnormality had normal oesophageal examinations. Most of these were again minor changes and were unlikely to be significant. There was, however, one patient in whom the only abnormality was an infiltrative cancer of the posterior wall of the pharyngo-oesophageal junction. In conclusion, the identification of patients in the present study with pharyngeal lesions and without distal abnormal findings indicates that a proximal lesion may present with downstream symptoms. Furthermore, there were also patients in whom the examination found abnormalities in multiple segments of the pharynx and oesophagus. We suggest that examination of the pharynx is warranted as part of the barium swallow in patients without cervical or suprasternal symptoms.
Determination of critical anthropometric parameters for design of respirators

The objectives of this study were 1) to collect useful anthropometric data from 243 workers fit-tested in a continuing respirator fit-test program; and 2) to determine correlation between anthropometric data and Protection Factor obtained from quantitative fit-testing for half-mask respirators. Anthropometric data were collected from two direct facial measurements [nasal root breadth (NRB), and face-length (FL)] and five indirect facial measurements [nose length, nose protrusion, chin length, mouth width (MW), and face width (FW)] from front-and side-view slides of test subjects. For quantitative analysis, the anthropometric data collected in this study were normalized with relevant respirator dimensions (for four different brands and ten sizes). Results of linear regression analysis indicated that correlation coefficients between Protection Factor and anthropometric data (FL, MW, FW and NRB) were respectively-0.04,0.22,0.30 and 0.04. These correlation coefficients are for white males without facial hair....
MRI using a concentric rings trajectory.

The concentric rings two-dimensional (2D) k-space trajectory provides an alternative way to sample polar data. By collecting 2D k-space data in a series of rings, many unique properties are observed. The concentric rings are inherently centric-ordered, provide a smooth weighting in k-space, and enable shorter total scan times. Due to these properties, the concentric rings are well-suited as a readout trajectory for magnetization-prepared studies. When non-Cartesian trajectories are used for MRI, off-resonance effects can cause blurring and degrade the image quality. For the concentric rings, off-resonance blur can be corrected by retracing rings near the center of k-space to obtain a field map with no extra excitations, and then employing multifrequency reconstruction. Simulations show that the concentric rings exhibit minimal effects due to T modulation, enable shorter scan times for a Nyquist-sampled dataset than projection-reconstruction imaging or Cartesian 2D Fourier transform (2DFT) imaging, and have more spatially distributed flow and motion properties than Cartesian sampling. Experimental results show that off-resonance blurring can be successfully corrected to obtain high-resolution images. Results also show that concentric rings effectively capture the intended contrast in a magnetization-prepared sequence. Magn Reson Med, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Racial and ethnic identity in nursing research

Abstract Nurse researchers need to be able to identify the race and ethnicity of participants in their studies for several reasons including addressing health disparities, ensuring adequate representation from under-represented minorities, and making sure other nurses can understand how findings may or may not pertain to their own patient population. However, obtaining accurate information about race and ethnicity requires careful attention to norms of study participants. Race and ethnicity are not always viewed as 2 separate constructs and the definition of both changes over time. In fact, a random sample of 100 patients in 1 hospital found an 11% discrepancy between patients’ self-identification of race using 2 different methodologies of self-identification. To optimize accuracy of self-identification of race and ethnicity, this paper discusses techniques learned in practice and in the literature for improving self-identification of these 2 constructs.
A twist of cell fate.

Individuals carrying deleterious BRCA1 mutations typically develop basal-like rather than luminal breast cancers. In this issue of Cell Stem Cell, Proia et al. (2011) study breast tissue from women with heterozygous BRCA1 mutations and identify molecular mechanisms that regulate mammary progenitor cell differentiation and bias toward subsequent basal-like tumor formation.
Clinopyroxene-bearing Glass Spherules Associated with North American Microtektites

Crystallite-bearing glass spherules (<200 µm diam) are associated with North American microtektites in a Caribbean deep-sea core (RC9–58). X-ray and chemical data indicate that the crystalline phase is clinopyroxene (probably augite). The clinopyroxene-bearing spherules are similar in composition to bottle-green, high-magnesium microtektites. It appears that the clinopyroxene-bearing spherules were formed by the same event that produced the North American tektite strewnfield ∼35 m.y. ago.
0.7 structure in long quantum wires

Abstract While quantized conductance steps in short quantum wires are understood through a single electron picture, additional structure often observed in high-quality one-dimensional systems near g=0.7×(2e2/h) is commonly interpreted as arising due to many-body interactions. Most studies of conductance structure below 2e2/h use short one-dimensional wires where transport is known to be ballistic. We report transport measurements for both short (0.5 μm) and long (5 μm) quantum wires, and use both conductance and nonlinear transport to explore the behavior of one-dimensional wires.
Immune Modulating Effect by a Phosphoprotein-deleted Rabies Virus Vaccine Vector Expressing Two Copies of the Rabies Virus Glycoprotein Gene

Abstract The type of immune response induced by a vaccine is a critical factor that determines its effectiveness in preventing infection or disease. Inactivated and live rabies virus (RV) vaccine strains elicit an IgG1-biased and IgG1/IgG2a-balanced antibody response, respectively. However, IgG2a antibodies are potent inducers of anti-viral effector functions, and therefore, a viral vaccine vector that can elicit an IgG2a-biased antibody response may be more effective against RV infection. Here we describe the humoral immune response of a live replication-deficient phosphoprotein (P)-deleted RV vector (SPBN-ΔP), or a recombinant P-deleted virus that expresses two copies of the RV glycoprotein (G) gene (SPBN-ΔP-RVG), and compare it to a UV-inactivated RV. Mice inoculated with UV-inactivated RV induced predominantly an IgG1-specific antibody response, while live recombinant SPBN-ΔP exhibited a mixed IgG1/IgG2a antibody response, which is consistent with the isotype profiles from the replication-competent parental viruses. Survivorship in mice after pathogenic RV challenge indicates a 10-fold higher efficiency of live SPBN-ΔP compared to UV-inactivated SPBN-ΔP. In addition, SPBN-ΔP-RVG induced a more rapid and robust IgG2a response that protected mice more effectively than SPBN-ΔP. Of note, 10 3 ffu of SPBN-ΔP-RVG-induced anti-RV antibodies that were 100% protective in mice against pathogenic RV challenge. The increased immune response was directed not only against RV G but also against the ribonucleoprotein (RNP), indicating that the expression of two RV G genes from SPBN-ΔP-RVG enhances the immune response to other RV antigens as well. In addition, Rag2 mice inoculated intramuscularly with 10 5 ffu/mouse of SPBN-ΔP showed no clinical signs of rabies, and no viral RNA was detected in the spinal cord or brain of inoculated mice. Therefore, the safety of the P-deleted vectors along with the onset and magnitude of the IgG2a-induced immune response by SPBN-ΔP-RVG indicate that this vector holds great promise as either a therapeutic or preventative vaccine against RV or other infectious diseases.
Supplemental Thyroid Hormones and Hatchability of Turkey Eggs

Fertile turkey eggs were injected with thyroid hormones to test the effects of exogenous hormones on hatchability. Physiological doses of thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) of 50 and 25 ng, respectively, injected at setting, depressed hatchability. Conversely, injections of T4 and T3 at 25 days of incubation significantly (P less than .05) improved hatchability. Injections with thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) or tyrosine had no significant effect on hatchability when injected at setting or at 25 days of incubation. Injections of thyroid-releasing hormone (TRH) had no effect on hatchability when injected at setting but significantly (P less than .05) improved hatchability when injected at 25 days of incubation. Because T4 and T3 significantly (P less than .05) depressed hatchability when injected whereas TSH and TRH had no effect on hatchability when injected at setting, these data suggest classic negative feedback mechanisms function very early in the embryonic turkey. The improvement in hatchability observed when thyroid hormones were injected at 25 days of incubation offers further evidence that hypothyroidism may be a cause of poor hatchability among turkey eggs.
Primary mediastinal leiorayoma

An elderly woman was seen with a left mediastinal mass in the region of the aortic arch on chest roentgenography. Further imaging with computed tomography, angiography, and magnetic resonance demonstrated a highly vascular neoplasm adjacent to the aortic arch. Pathological analysis of the resected specimen showed a leiomyoma. A brief review of the 10 previous reported cases of primary mediastinal leiomyoma is provided.
A technique for determining the spectral refractive indices, size, and number density of soot particles from light scattering and spectral extinction measurements in flames

Abstract A technique is presented that allows the spectral refractive indices, size, and number density of soot particles in flames to be inferred from a combination of single-wavelength light scattering and multiwavelength extinction measurements. In contrast to previous schemes for inferring optical properties, the present approach does not require the introduction of a model for the spectral dispersion of the refractive index; it employs Kramers-Kronig theory instead. When applied to spherical particles, the only approximations involved are the usual ones associated with using Kramers-Kronig theory to analyze actual data, that is, for those spectral regions where experimental data are not obtainable, extrapolations and interpolations must be made. The particles, however, may be of any size, including Rayleigh-size (for which it is particularly difficult to simultaneously infer particle size, concentration, and complex refractive index). The approach requires a combination of static (elastic) and dynamic (quasielastic) laser light scattering measurements plus measurements of the spectral transmittance. Closure is achieved in data analysis by the introduction of an exact (model-independent) Kramers-Kronig dispersion theory for scattering amplitude functions. The influence of various spectral extrapolation schemes (required because of the finite spectral width of the transmittance data) is thoroughly investigated.
Pentachlorophenol and Other Chlorinated Phenols Are Substrates for Human Hydroxysteroid Sulfotransferase hSULT2A1

Pentachlorophenol (PCP) is a persistent chemical contaminant that has been extensively investigated in terms of its toxicology and metabolism. Similar to PCP, other chlorinated phenol derivatives are also widely present in the environment from various sources. Even though some of the chlorine-substituted phenols, and particularly PCP, are well-known inhibitors of phenol sulfotransferases (SULTs), these compounds have been shown to undergo sulfation in humans. To investigate the enzymatic basis for sulfation of PCP in humans, we have studied the potential for PCP as well as the mono-, di-, tri-, and tetra-chlorinated phenols to serve as substrates for human hydroxysteroid sulfotransferase, hSULT2A1. Our results show that all of these compounds are substrates for this isoform of sulfotransferase, and the highest rates of sulfation are obtained with PCP, trichlorophenols, and tetrachlorophenols. Much lower rates of sulfation were obtained with isomers of monochlorophenol and dichlorophenol as substrates for hSULT2A1. Thus, the sulfation of polychlorinated phenols catalyzed by hSULT2A1 may be a significant component of their metabolism in humans.
The Hispanic Absence in the North American Literary Canon

I recently completed a book of interviews ( Latina Self-Portraits: Interviews with Contemporary Women Writers , co-edited with Juanita Heredia, University of New Mexico Press, 2000) with ten of the most prominent Latina writers in the US; Julia Alvarez, Denise Chavez, Sandra Cisneros, Rosario Ferre, Cristina Garcia, Nicholasa Mohr, Cherrie Moraga, Judith Ortiz Cofer, Esmeralda Santiago and Helena Maria Viramontes. These women, Cuban, Dominican, Mexican and Puerto Rican Americans, raised issues that ranged from the craft of writing to the inherent problems of national identities. The themes generated in our conversations with these women – their doubled ethnic identities, their complicated relationship to their communities, their difficulties in representing their communities and, finally, their work as part of the larger American canon – revealed a powerful discourse about what it means to be Latina American in the United States. After spending two years talking with these women, it is evident to me that Latina literature is a vital part of American literature and should be included in any study of comparative American literatures.
Comparison of imaging properties of technetium 99m Q12 and technetium 99m Q3 in humans.

Abstract Background. This study was a direct comparison of the imaging characteristics of 99m Tc-labeled Q12 ( 99m Tc-Q12) and 99m Tc-labeled Q3 ( 99m Tc-Q3) in the same patients. Methods and Results. In 10 patients with known angiographic coronary artery anatomy, 99m Tc-Q12 and 99m Tc-Q3 myocardial imaging were performed. Tomographic myocardial imaging was started 15 minutes after tracer injection at rest and with treadmill exercise. Ratios of heart-to-lung and heart-to-liver activity were calculated from the anterior plane projections of the tomograms at 20 minutes after tracer injection. The presence or absence of angiographic coronary artery disease was correctly determined from 99m Tc-Q12 images in 10 of 10 patients with 99m Tc-Q12 and in 9 of 10 patients with 99m Tc-Q3. The presence or absence of a greater than 50% stenosis in an individual coronary vessel was correctly predicted for 26 of 30 vessels with 99m Tc-Q12 (87%) and in 27 of 30 vessels with 99m Tc-Q3 (90%, p =NS vs 99m Tc-Q12). Mean heart-to-lung activity ratio at rest was 1.50 for 99m Tc-Q12 and 1.93 for 99m Tc-Q3 ( p 99m Tc-Q12 was 0.78, versus 0.54 for 99m Tc-Q3 ( p Conclusions. In 10 patients with chest pain and angiographically defined coronary anatomy, 99m Tc-Q12 and 99m Tc-Q3 provided similar detection of coronary artery stenoses. At 20 minutes after tracer injection, heart-to-liver activity ratios were more favorable for 99m Tc-Q12 than for 99m Tc-Q3, but 99m Tc-Q3 resulted in a more favorable ratio of heart-to-lung activity.
Elastic moduli of multi-walled carbon nanotubes and the effect of van der Waals forces

Abstract This paper reports a study of the elastic behavior of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The nested individual layers of an MWCNT are treated as single-walled frame-like structures and simulated by the molecular structural mechanics method. The interlayer van der Waals forces are represented by Lennard–Jones potential and simulated by a nonlinear truss rod model. The computational results show that the Young's moduli and shear moduli of MWCNTs are in the ranges of 1.05±0.05 and 0.40±0.05 TPa, respectively. Results indicate that the tube diameter, tube chirality and number of tube layers have some noticeable effects on the elastic properties of MWCNTs. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that the inner layers of an MWCNT can be effectively deformed only through the direct application of tensile or shear forces, not through van der Waals interactions.
Mining quantitative association rules in large relational tables

We introduce the problem of mining association rules in large relational tables containing both quantitative and categorical attributes. An example of such an association might be "10% of married people between age 50 and 60 have at least 2 cars". We deal with quantitative attributes by fine-partitioning the values of the attribute and then combining adjacent partitions as necessary. We introduce measures of partial completeness which quantify the information lost due to partitioning. A direct application of this technique can generate too many similar rules. We tackle this problem by using a "greater-than-expected-value" interest measure to identify the interesting rules in the output. We give an algorithm for mining such quantitative association rules. Finally, we describe the results of using this approach on a real-life dataset.