cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reporter enzyme fluorescence (REF) imaging and quantification of tuberculosis in live animals

The slow growth rate of Mycobacterium tuberculosis hinders research progress, since estimating the bacterial numbers present in all experiments normally relies on determination of colony forming units on agar plates. M. tuberculosis colonies can take as long as four to six weeks to become visible. Whole animal imaging is an emerging technology that has broad applications in all areas of biological sciences, including monitoring infections. Imaging allows bacterial numbers to be determined in real-time for each infected animal, individually, which allows inter-animal variability to be observed and controlled for. Reporter enzyme fluorescence (REF) utilizes custom substrates that allow production of a fluorescent product after cleavage by a bacterial enzyme. In our recently published studies, we demonstrate that the enzyme β-lactamase, a naturally occurring enzyme expressed by M. tuberculosis, can be used for REF. The resulting imaging system is the first that allows non-invasive detection of natural M. tuberculosis strains directly in pulmonary infected living animals. Use of REF for M. tuberculosis infected mice allows detection of ~10⁴ CFU in the lungs, which is very sensitive. This system also displays promise for allowing rapid evaluation of differences in virulence strains and efficacy of therapeutics and vaccines. This system could be developed into a diagnostic tool for tuberculosis through the use of REF to identify infected tissues or other diagnostic specimens.
Low-energy ion distribution functions on a magnetically quiet day at geostationary altitude (L = 7)

Ion energy and pitch angle distribution functions are examined for a magnetically quiet day using averaged data from ATS 6. For both field-aligned and perpendicular fluxes, the populations have a mixture of characteristic energies, and the distribution functions can be fairly well approximated by Maxwellian distributions over three different energy bands in the range 3-600 eV. Pitch angle distributions varying with local time, and energy distributions are used to compute total ion density. Pitch angle scattering mechanisms responsible for the observed transformation of pitch angle distribution are examined, and it is found that a magnetic noise of a certain power spectral density belonging to the electromagnetic ion cyclotron mode near the ion cyclotron frequency can be effective in trapping the field aligned fluxes by pitch angle scattering.
TiGenerator: Object-based training image generator

A plug-in, TiGenerator, is written for the open source software SGeMS to generate 3D, categorical training images. It provides a graphical user interface to generate various parametric as well as non-parametric shapes using unconditional Boolean simulation with interaction between the objects. The code design allows new shapes and features to be added easily without altering the main algorithm.
Indirect electrochemical reduction of perchlorate and nitrate in dilute aqueous solutions at the Ti–water interface

Perchlorate and nitrate are contemporary contaminants in drinking water. In most perchlorate containing surface or ground waters, nitrate was also present at significant concentrations. The present study investigated the removal of perchlorate and nitrate at the Ti–water interface by indirect electrochemical reduction process. Results indicated that perchlorate and nitrate could be reduced readily at the surface of a Ti anode simultaneously. Upon the application of an anodic current at the Ti electrode, Ti species such as Ti(III) or Ti(II) were generated. These multivalent Ti species are strong reducing agent that can reduce perchlorate and nitrate ion. The dominant end product of the indirect electrochemical reduction was chloride or nitrite. However, when these two anions were co-existing, the nitrite concentration was negligible. The reduction for both anions followed typical Langmuir–Hinshelwood kinetics; zero-order and first-order reaction at high and low concentrations, respectively. The first-order reaction rate constant was in the range of 10−5 s−1. Perchlorate and nitrate at initial concentration of 200 and 1000 ppm individually were reduced to final concentration of <20 and <200 ppb, respectively, over a short reaction time of 6–8 h. The reaction mechanism was studied with the aid of surface analysis of the solid end products (e.g., TiO2 particles) remaining on the Ti electrode using XPS and SEM/EDX. It was observed that doping of chlorine and nitrogen atoms onto the solid TiO2 particles contributed partially to imbalance of the total Cl and N mass in the system. Additionally, formation of volatile chlorine and hypochlorite species brought mass imbalance to total chlorine.
Effects of sensation seeking, instruction set, and alcohol/placebo administration on aggressive behavior

Abstract Sixty-three male college students were assessed on the number of aversive sound blasts they administered in response to their fictitious task partner’s blasts in a variation of the Taylor aggression paradigm. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of three alcohol dosing conditions (placebo, placebo/expect alcohol, and alcohol) and one of three instruction conditions (aggression—told the noise blasts were meant to disrupt task performance; altruism—told the noise blasts were meant to improve concentration; ambiguous—either aggression or altruism). A significant three-way interaction of dosing condition by instruction by subjects’ sensation seeking was found, such that high sensation seekers in the alcohol condition, compared to low sensation seekers, delivered more noise blasts in the aggression instruction condition, whereas they administered fewer blasts in the altruism condition. High sensation seekers in the placebo condition yielded an opposite pattern of results. The results were interpreted in terms of the effects of “alcohol myopia” on the disinhibition of socially disapproved behaviors and in terms of the moderating effects of personality and situational factors.
Inclusion is the Key to Diversity Management, but What is Inclusion?

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.–Universal Declaration of H...
Retrieval of Atmospheric Temperature Profiles from Satellite Measurements for Dynamical Forecasting

Abstract The method of real-time retrieval of atmospheric temperature profiles from Nimbus IV Satellite Infrared Spectrometer observations currently used in dynamical weather analysis-forecast operation is described. Each vertical temperature profile is determined by its deviation from a “guess” profile. The deviation is expressed as a linear combination of differences between the measured radiances and those computed from the guess profile. The coefficients are estimated, by matrix inversion, from the weighting functions (i.e., derivatives of atmospheric transmittance functions), which are regularized by the ratio of the expected variance of the measurement errors to the expected variance of the errors in the guess profile. The deviations are iterated until the variance of the radiance residuals is less than the expected variance of the measurement errors. For weather analysis-forecast operation the dynamical forecast is used as the first guess; therefore, the calculated profiles should differ from the f...
Representation of Elderly Persons and Women in Published Randomized Trials of Acute Coronary Syndromes

ContextElderly persons and women were underrepresented in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) prior to 1990. Since then, efforts have been made to correct these biases, but their effect is unclear.ObjectiveTo determine whether the percentage of elderly persons and women in published clinical trials of acute coronary syndromes has increased and how this enrollment compared with disease prevalence.Data SourcesThe MEDLINE and Cochrane databases were searched for English-language articles from January 1966 to March 2000 regarding myocardial infarction, unstable angina, or acute coronary syndromes. Additional data sources included meta-analyses, review articles, and cardiology textbooks. Estimates of community-based myocardial infarction rates came from the National Registry of Myocardial Infarction and the Worcester Heart Study.Study SelectionPublished RCTs of acute coronary syndrome patients were included and trials enrolling 50 patients or fewer, those without clinical end points, papers published in a language other than English, and unpublished manuscripts were excluded. Of 7645 studies identified, 593 RCTs were selected for review.Data ExtractionThe RCTs were abstracted by 2 of the authors for year of publication, source of support (ie, funding), pharmacotherapy, study phase, number of study sites, trial location, number of patients, mean age of the study population, and any age exclusion criteria for enrollment.Data SynthesisThe number of published RCTs with explicit age exclusions has declined from 58% during 1966-1990 to 40% during 1991-2000. Trial enrollment of patients aged 75 years or older increased from 2% for studies published during 1966-1990 to 9% during 1991-2000, but remains well below their representation among all patients with myocardial infarction (37%) in the United States. Enrollment of women has risen from 20% for studies published between 1966-1990 to 25% during 1991-2000, but remains well below their proportion of all patients with myocardial infarction (43%) in the United States.ConclusionsAttempts at making cardiovascular RCTs more inclusive appear to have had limited success; thus, women and elderly persons remain underrepresented in published trial literature relative to their disease prevalence. Because safety and efficacy can vary as a function of sex and age, these enrollment biases undermine efforts to provide evidence-based care to all cardiac patients.
Thermal and Hydrodynamic Characteristics of Single-Phase Flow and Flow Boiling in a Staggered Micro-Pin-Fin Array

This study concerns thermal and hydrodynamic characteristics of water single-phase flow and flow boiling in a micro-pin-fin array. An array of 1950 staggered square micro-pin-fins with a 200×200 μm2 cross-section by a 670 μm height were fabricated into a copper heat sink test section. Two inlet temperatures of 30 °C and 60 °C, and six maximum mass velocities for each inlet temperature, ranging from 183 to 420 kg/m2 s, were tested. The corresponding inlet Reynolds number ranged from 45.9 to 179.6. General characteristics of single-phase flow and flow boiling were described. Predictive tools were proposed for single-phase heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop. Unique features of flow boiling heat transfer in the micro-pin-fin array were identified. The classic Lockhart-Martinelli correlation incorporating a single-phase micro-pin-fin friction factor correlation and the laminar liquid–laminar vapor combination assumption was used to predict two-phase pressure drop in the micro-pin-fin array. The predictions agreed well with the experimental data.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Spontaneous congenital limb malformations in nonhuman primates: a review of the literature.

Occurrence of split hand and foot anomaly in two male Macacamulatta at the Regional Primate Research Center, University of Washington, prompted a survey of the literature pertinent to limb abnormalities among nonhuman primates. In some primate populations the incidence of limb abnormalities is significantly higher than in human populations. The etiology of the abnormalities is uncertain and genetic and nongenetic factors may be responsible. Differential mortality and fertility rates are inconclusive; population and pedigreestudies are needed to determine their etiology and possible significance for understanding primate evolution.
White-light reconstruction of holographic images using the Lippmann-Bragg diffraction effect☆

Abstract An extension of the 1962 Denisyuk method to record reflection holograms in Lippmann emulsions has permitted us to reconstruct monochromatic images with white light (e.g. sun) and demonstrate possibilities of simulating three-dimensional gratings for crystallographic studies.
Abstract 1076: Ids act as downstream effectors in the transforming growth factor-β pathway in prostate cancer cells

Transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) regulates proliferation, differentiation and differentiated function in a wide variety in cells. In prostate cancer cells, TGFβ inhibits proliferation in the earlier stages; however the cancer cells become refractory to growth inhibitory effects in advanced stages where TGFβ promotes cancer progression and metastasis. Intracellular mechanisms involved in these varied effects of TGFβ on prostate cancer cells are poorly understood. Inhibitor of Differentiation (Id) family of closely related proteins (Id1, Id2, Id3, Id4) inhibit binding of bHLH transcription factors to DNA and inhibit their effects on cell proliferation and differentiation. In the present study, we have investigated the involvement of Id1 and Id3 proteins in the effects of TGFβ on prostate cancer cells. Id1 and Id3 isoforms of protein are expressed in DU145 cells, which have previously been shown to be responsive to growth inhibitory effects of TGFβ. TGFβ caused a significant increase of protein levels of Id1 and Id3 as determined by Western blot analyses. This early induction was followed by a late downregulation of Id1, while Id3 induction remained stable. However in PC3 cells, this early induction of Id1 and Id3 proteins remained stable. Proliferation marker p21 was also induced in DU145 cells, while p21 protein was undetected in PC3 cells upon TGFβ1 treatment. Since previous studies have revealed that the loss of Id1 or Id3 is indicative of loss of proliferation in prostate cancer, Id1 effects were further studied between DU145 and PC3 cell lines. Id1 knockdown in DU145 cells resulted in enhanced inhibitory effects of TGFβ on cell proliferation. However, Id1 knockdown in PC3 did not influence TGFβ effects on proliferation. These results indicate that Id1 downregulation by TGFβ may be required for its effects on proliferation in DU145 cancer cells. We next investigated TGFβ effects on migration in PC3 cells, which TGFβ stimulation has been shown to increase its migration properties. Both Id1 and Id3 knockdown in PC3 cells decreased migratory response to TGFβ. This indicated that both Id1 and Id3 are necessary for TGFβ migratory properties of PC3 cells. Taken together, these results show that Id1 and Id3 act as necessary proteins in the TGFβ pathway on both proliferation and migration. Grant support: NIH 1P20MD002285-02 and RCMI G12RR03602 Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1076. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-1076
Molecular-genetic mapping of zebrafish mutants with variable phenotypic penetrance.

Forward genetic screens in vertebrates are powerful tools to generate models relevant to human diseases, including neuropsychiatric disorders. Variability in phenotypic penetrance and expressivity is common in these disorders and behavioral mutant models, making their molecular-genetic mapping a formidable task. Using a ‘phenotyping by segregation’ strategy, we molecularly map the hypersensitive zebrafish houdini mutant despite its variable phenotypic penetrance, providing a generally applicable strategy to map zebrafish mutants with subtle phenotypes.
When Sibling Becomes Competitor: A Qualitative Investigation of Same-Sex Sibling Competition in Elite Sport

Over the past several years, sibling competition in sport has received ever-increasing attention in the popular press (Haugh, 2004; Lewis, 2004). Since researchers have yet to examine this phenomenon, the purpose of the current study was to examine the psychological factors associated with on-field competition against a sibling. Using semi-structured interviews, a sample of ten elite athletes shared their experiences and perceptions regarding the similarities and/or differences between sibling and non-sibling competition. Eight participants indicated that competition against a sibling was different from competition against unrelated opponents. These differences manifested themselves in three themes (i.e., affective responses to sibling competition, level of emotional involvement, sibling cooperation), and are discussed in relation to the scientific and applied literature in family dynamics and sport psychology. Participant responses offer valuable insight into the unique experiences of sibling competitors...
Diffusion in scale-free networks with annealed disorder

The scale-free (SF) networks that have been studied so far contained quenched disorder generated by random dilution which does not vary with the time. In practice, if a SF network is to represent, for example, the worldwide web, then the links between its various nodes may temporarily be lost and reestablished again later on. This gives rise to SF networks with annealed disorder. Even if the disorder is quenched, it may be more realistic to generate it by a dynamical process that is happening in the network. In this paper, we study diffusion in SF networks with annealed disorder generated by various scenarios, as well as in SF networks with quenched disorder which, however, is generated by the diffusion process itself. Several quantities of the diffusion process are computed, including the mean number of distinct sites visited, the mean number of returns to the origin, and the mean number of connected nodes that are accessible to the random walkers at any given time. The results, including (1) greatly reduced growth with the time of the mean number of distinct sites visited, (2) blocking of the random walkers, (3) the existence of a phase diagram that separates the region in which diffusion is possible from one in which diffusion is impossible, and (4) a transition in the structure of the networks at which the mean number of distinct sites visited vanishes, indicate completely different behavior for the computed quantities than those in SF networks with quenched disorder generated by simple random dilution.
Age-Related Differences in Strategy Knowledge Updating: Blocked Testing Produces Greater Improvements in Metacognitive Accuracy for Younger than Older Adults

Age-related differences in updating knowledge about strategy effectiveness after task experience have not been consistently found, perhaps because the magnitude of observed knowledge updating has been rather meager for both age groups. We examined whether creating homogeneous blocks of recall tests based on two strategies used at encoding (imagery and repetition) would enhance people’s learning about strategy effects on recall. Younger and older adults demonstrated greater knowledge updating (as measured by questionnaire ratings of strategy effectiveness and by global judgments of performance) with blocked (vs. random) testing. The benefit of blocked testing for absolute accuracy of global predictions was smaller for older than younger adults. However, individual differences in correlations of strategy effectiveness ratings and postdictions showed similar upgrades for both age groups. Older adults learn about imagery’s superior effectiveness but do not accurately estimate the magnitude of its benefit, even after blocked testing.
Moment problems and their applications to the stability of queueing models

Abstract This paper deals with the following question: “Will the proposed deterministic queueing model yield a satisfactory approximation to the real queueing system under consideration and if so, within which limits?” At first, we analyze the degree of approximation of the random real model by a deterministic one. This is achieved by estimating the Prokhorov distance between the output sequences of both models. The right-hand sides of the obtained estimates depend on the Prokhorov or Ky Fan distances between the inputs of the underlined models. To estimate the latter distances we evaluate the Ky Fan radius of a set of probability measures satisfying basic moment conditions involving linear combinations of {t,t2} or {cos t, sin t}. In particular, the last results lead to quantitative criteria for the weak convergence of probability measures to a point mass.
The reduction of verbal repetitions by response cost controlled by a sibling

Abstract The verbal behavior of a 15-yr-old mildly retarded boy was modified through the application of a response cost contingency. The modification program was designed and carried out primarily by the subject's 19-yr-old sister in the home. The advantages of using family members as therapists in an in vivo setting and of the use of a response cost procedure over other punishment techniques are discussed.
Genetically modified insects as used in SIT should not require regulation

Thomas Albert Miller was born in Pennsylvania andmoved to California, where he was educated andreceived a B.A. degree in physics (1962) and a Ph.D.in entomology (1967), both from the University ofCalifornia, Riverside (UCR). In the graduate ento-mology program, Dr. Miller invented a transducer torecord heartbeat of the American cockroach, Peripla-neta americana and using this discovered the myo-genic nature of the cockroach heartbeat. This wasfollowed by pioneering neurophysiological methodsto determine the function of cardiac neurons in thecockroach heart while a postdoctoral fellow at theUniversity of Illinois and a NATO PostdoctoralFellow at the University of Glasgow. Miller joinedthe staff of UCR in 1969 and for 15 years usedneurophysiology to determine the mode of action ofcyclodienes and later DDTand pyrethroid insecticideson houseflies, work supported by the NationalInstitutes of Health. Because synthetic pyrethroidswere a brand new chemistry, Dr. Miller wanted todocument the development of resistance to them infield populations of cotton pests and started a programof research in support of the California cotton industry.He invented methods of measuring resistance toinsecticides with a modified pheromone trap andbeginning of diapause (dormancy) in pink bollwormwith an antibody method, both taking 24 h and bothapplied in commercial cotton fields. Dr. Miller thendeveloped a genetically modified pink bollworm foruse in the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) program. Thistook 10 years and led to the Gregor Mendel GoldMedal for research in the biological sciences, an awardconferred by the Czech Academy of Sciences in 2003.While continuing an interest in SIT, Dr. Miller hashelped develop the concept of symbiotic control withpioneering groups at Yale and elsewhere.Dr. Miller was plenary speaker at the PlantProtection Congress, International Symbiosis SocietyCongress and International Congress of Insect Biotech-nology and Industry. He founded the Springer Series ofExperimental Entomology and Contemporary Topics inEntomological Research for Chapman & Hall and later
Elastolytic activity in the lungs of rats exposed to cadmium aerosolization.

Abstract Rats were exposed for 1 hr per day for up to 35 days to an aerosol of 0.1% cadmium chloride. At periodic intervals, animals were sacrificed and their lungs lavaged. The lung lavage fluid was examined for polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) and alveolar macrophages (AM). A portion of the cells of the lavage fluid was lysed, and the remainder of the cells were cultured. The lavage fluids, cell lysates, and conditioned media were assayed for elastolytic activity in the presence and absence of a peptide chloromethyl ketone and EDTA. Exposure to cadmium evoked a biphasic cellular response characterized by an initial influx (1–3 days) of PMN followed by a gradual increase in AM. This biphasic cellular response was accompanied by a shift in the type of elastolytic activity which was present in the lung lavage and its cellular components. The initial PMN phase was accompanied by the enhanced production of an elastase inhibited only by the peptide chloromethyl ketone, while the subsequent AM phase was associated with an elastase activity which was inhibited only by EDTA. The possible implication of these results with respect to the pathogenesis of emphysema is considered.
ESTIMATING RESIDUAL STRENGTH OF DETERIORATED 96" INTERCEPTOR AND STRENGTH ENHANCEMENT PROVIDED BY LINING METHODS USING COMPUTER MODELING AND FORENSIC INVESTIGATION TOOLS

In 1985¸ the Trinity River Authority of Texas (TRA) completed the construction of Elm Fork Relief Interceptor Segment 1-Aconsisting of 17,200 linear ft of a 96-in. diameter reinforced concrete pipe. A 1999 investigation revealed significant wall losses triggering the installation of a parallel 104-in. pipeline of similar capacity in 2007. In 2008 Espey Consultants were retained by TRA to evaluate different avenues for restoring the structural integrity and functionality of the original pipeline. Their investigation revealed that up to 30% of the wall thickness had been lost to corrosion for the majority of the length of the pipeline, and in some limited sections even greater wall loss, mainly in the crown region. The severe degree of corrosion demonstrated partially deteriorated and limited fully deteriorated pipe condition; however, completely neglecting the contribution of the host pipe resulted in a wall thickness that was likely to compromise the required hydraulic capacity. In an attempt to estimate the remaining structural capacity of the pipe, an extensive forensic engineering investigation was undertaken consisting of mechanical and chemical testing of physical cores taken from the pipe in 1999. Information from laboratory testsalong with information from a laser profiler study of the pipe's inner geometrygeotechnical information, ground and surface water loads, and data regarding original design parameters were used to construct a detailed 3-D finite element (FE) model of the in-situ pipe. Structural enhancement provided by two common rehabilitation methods, CIPP and GIPP, was superimposed on the FE model. An extensive parametric study was undertaken to gain insight as to possible contribution of the host pipe in resisting the various external loads and the anticipated structural capacity of the rehabilitated structure.
CLARREO: cornerstone of the climate observing system measuring decadal change through accurate emitted infrared and reflected solar spectra and radio occultation

The CLARREO mission addresses the need to provide accurate, broadly acknowledged climate records that can be used to validate long-term climate projections that become the foundation for informed decisions on mitigation and adaptation policies. The CLARREO mission accomplishes this critical objective through rigorous SI traceable decadal change observations that will reduce the key uncertainties in current climate model projections. These same uncertainties also lead to uncertainty in attribution of climate change to anthropogenic forcing. CLARREO will make highly accurate and SI-traceable global, decadal change observations sensitive to the most critical, but least understood climate forcing, responses, and feedbacks. The CLARREO breakthrough is to achieve the required levels of accuracy and traceability to SI standards for a set of observations sensitive to a wide range of key decadal change variables. The required accuracy levels are determined so that climate trend signals can be detected against a background of naturally occurring variability. The accuracy for decadal change traceability to SI standards includes uncertainties associated with instrument calibration, satellite orbit sampling, and analysis methods. Unlike most space missions, the CLARREO requirements are driven not by the instantaneous accuracy of the measurements, but by accuracy in the large time/space scale averages that are necessary to understand global, decadal climate changes.
Genetic parentage assessment in the crayfish Orconectes placidus, a high‐fecundity invertebrate with extended maternal brood care

Microsatellite data have recently been introduced in the context of genetic maternity and paternity assignments in high-fecundity fish species with single-parent-tended broods. Here we extend such analyses to an aquatic invertebrate, the crayfish Orconectes placidus, in which gravid females carry large numbers of offspring. Genetic parentage analyses of more than 900 progeny from 15 wild crayfish broods revealed that gravid females were invariably the exclusive dams of the offspring they tended (i.e. there was no allomaternal care), and that most of the females had mated with multiple (usually two) males who contributed sometimes highly skewed numbers of offspring to a brood. Within any multiply sired brood, the unhatched eggs (or the hatched juveniles) from different fathers were randomly distributed across the mother's brood space. All of these genetic findings are discussed in the light of observations on the mating behaviours and reproductive biology of crayfish.
Achromatic diffraction from polarization gratings with high efficiency.

We demonstrate a broadband, thin-film, polarizing beam splitter based on an anisotropic diffraction grating composed of reactive mesogens (polymerizable liquid crystals). This achromatic polarization grating (PG) manifests high diffraction efficiency (~100%) and high extinction ratio (⩾1000:1) in both theory and experiment. We show an operational bandwidth Δλ/λ0~56% (roughly spanning visible wavelength range) that represents more than a fourfold increase of bandwidth over conventional PGs (and significantly larger than any other grating). The diffraction angle and operational region (visible, near-infrared, midwave infrared, and ultraviolet wavelengths) may be easily tailored during fabrication. The essence of the achromatic design is a stack of two chiral PGs with an opposite twist sense and employs the principle of retardation compensation. We fully characterize its optical properties and derive the theoretical diffraction behavior.
Issues of Ethics and Care in Psychiatric Home Care: Multidisciplinary Perspectives Revealed Through Ethnographic Research

This article focuses specifically on the ethically related issues that members of a multidisciplinary team at a home health care agency faced in providing care to clients with mental illness. This ...
Using Developmental and Behavioral Screening Tests

1. Chris P. Johnson, MEd, MD* 1. 2. *Department of Pediatrics University of Texas Health Sciences Center San Antonio, TX The typical primary care pediatrician (PCP) encounters a developmental or behavioral problem in one of every four patient visits. This relative increase in developmental and behavioral concerns over the past 2 decades is due to a number of factors. First, immunizations and antibiotics have decreased the frequency and severity of acute illnesses due to infectious diseases and their complications. Second, because of the lay press, parents are much more aware of and concerned about their children’s development and behavior. Finally, free public developmental programs (ie, early intervention programs) are available for referral when a developmental delay is found. When parents express a concern about their child’s behavior or development, the pediatrician should listen to and value these concerns. Recent studies have revealed that parents are very accurate in their concerns. They usually can estimate their child’s developmental age within a few months of that found on comprehensive testing. …
Improving Programs and Outcomes: Implementation Frameworks and Organization Change.

This article presents recent refinements to implementation constructs and frameworks. It updates and clarifies the frequently cited study conducted by the National Implementation Research Network that introduced these frameworks for application in diverse endeavors. As such, it may serve as a historical marker in the rapidly developing science and language of implementation. Within this presentation, two studies alternate as examples of how these frameworks can be used as a practical guide for more effective implementation of human service programs.
Mismatch and flicker noise characterization of tantalum nitride thin film resistors for wireless applications

A new tantalum nitride thin film resistor (TFR) technology for application in analog and mixed signal Si-IC technologies has been characterized for mismatch and noise behavior. Due to excellent matching properties, an optimal matching methodology and algorithms had to be developed to evaluate mismatch accurately. This analysis is performed for different layout configurations and temperatures. Based on these mismatch variations, an optimum layout set has been generated for design applications. Using this set, different models have been implemented and evaluated. In contrast to the TFR, other resistors such as polysilicon are found to exhibit a much higher mismatch and flicker noise. Correlation between thin film resistor mismatch and its crystal structure is therefore being investigated. Flicker noise measured on the TFR resistor confirms this hypothesis by showing a very low level of noise similar to metal resistors.
Teaching Community Telenursing with Simulation

Nurse educators may use homecare simulation experiences to enhance the learning of nurs- ing students and help fill the need for community clinical practice. Simulation experience gives students a safe opportunity to expand the skills and critical thinking needed for community health nursing, in ad- dition to increasing self-confidence. This article presents a two-part scenario that adds telenursing tech- nology to a homecare simulation experience in order for students to become comfortable with the technology. By understanding telenursing, students may learn that telenursing is a way to provide appro- priate care to a large number of clients, potentially inspiring community nursing as a career option. Cite this article:
Lactate‐induced anxiety after imipramine and diazepam treatment

To examine the effect of treatment on lactate-induced anxiety in a controlled study, we infused 44 panic disorder patients with lactate and placebo before and after eight weeks of double-blind treatment with imipramine, diazepam, or placebo. During treatment, both imipramine and diazepam groups improved more than the placebo group. After treatment, patients in both the imipramine and diazepam groups had significantly less anxiety than the placebo patients when reinfused with lactate. In addition, imipramine decreased posttreatment panic attack frequency and diazepam decreased the perceived severity of posttreatment lactate-induced panic attacks. This study demonstrates that diazepam, like imipramine, is an effective treatment for panic disorder, and that both imipramine and diazepam blunt lactate-induced anxiety in a placebo controlled study.
Outcomes of Patients with Surgically Treated Bilateral Renal Masses and a Minimum of 10 Years of Followup

Purpose: Nephron sparing surgery has been advocated for patients with bilateral renal masses but long-term functional and oncological outcomes are lacking. We report the outcomes of patients with bilateral renal masses and a minimum 10-year followup.Materials and Methods: Patients with bilateral renal masses evaluated at our institution who were treated with initial surgery at least 10 years ago and underwent interventions on each renal unit were included in the analysis. Collected data included demographics, hereditary diagnosis, number of renal interventions, renal function and mortality status. Overall and renal cell carcinoma specific survival was assessed. Comparisons were made of renal function and overall survival between groups with 2 renal units and a surgically solitary kidney.Results: A total of 128 patients met study inclusion criteria. Median followup in our cohort was 16 years (mean 17, range 10 to 49). The median number of surgical interventions was 3 (range 2 to 10). Of the patients 87 (68...
Detection of left atrial appendage thrombus by cardiac computed tomography in patients with atrial fibrillation: a meta-analysis.

Background— Transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) is considered the gold standard modality in detecting left atrial/LA appendage (LA/LAA) thrombi. However, this is a semi-invasive procedure with rare but potential life-threatening complications. Cardiac computed tomography has been proposed as an alternative method. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of cardiac computed tomography assessing LA/LAA thrombi in comparison with TEE. Methods and Results— A systematic review of Medline, Cochrane, and Embase to look for clinical trials assessing detection of LA/LAA thrombi by cardiac computed tomography when compared with TEE in patients with a history of atrial fibrillation before electric cardioversion/pulmonary vein isolation or after cardioembolic cerebrovascular accident was performed using standard approach and bivariate analysis. Nineteen studies with 2955 patients (men, 71%; mean age, 61±4 years) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Most studies (85%, 16 studies) used 64-slide multidetector computed tomography and 15 studies (79%) were electrocardiographic-gated. The incidence of LA/LAA thrombi was 8.9% (SD, ±7). The mean sensitivity and specificity were 96% and 92%, whereas the positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 41% and 99%, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy was 94%. In a subanalysis of studies in which delayed imaging was performed, the diagnostic accuracy significantly improved to a mean weighted sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 99%, respectively, whereas the positive predictive value and negative predictive value increased to 92% and 100%, respectively. The accuracy for this technique was 99%. Conclusions— Cardiac computed tomography, particularly when delayed imaging is performed, is a reliable alternative to TEE for the detection of LA/LAA thrombi/clot, avoiding the discomfort and risks associated with TEE.
Evaluation of the role of electrostatic residues in human epidermal growth factor by site-directed mutagenesis and chemical modification.

Four residues in the carboxy-termianl domain of human epidermal growth factor (hEGF), glutamate 40, glutamine 43, arginine 45, and aspartate 46 were targeted for site-directed mutagenesis to evaluate their potential role in epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor-ligand interaction. One or more mutations were generated at each of these sites and the altered recombinant hEGF gene products were purified and evaluated by radioreceptor competition binding assay. Charge-conservative replacement of glutamate 40 with asparate resulted in a decrease in receptor binding affinity to 30% relative to wild-type hEGF. On the other hand, removal of the electrostatic charge by substitution of glutamate 40 with glutamine or alanine resulted in only a slightly greater decrease in receptor binding to 25% relative receptor affinity. The introduction of a positive charge upon substitution of glutamine 43 with lysine had no effect on receptor binding. The substitutiono of arginine 45 with lysine also showed no effect on receptor binding, unlike the absolute requirement observed for the arginine side-chain at position 41 [Engler DA, Campion SR, Hauser MR, Cook JS, Niyogi, SK: J Biol Chem 267:2274–2281, 1992]. Subsequent elimination of the positive charge of lysine 45 by reaction with potassium cyanate showed that the electrostatic property of the residue at this site, as well as that at lysine 28 and lysine 48, was not required for receptor-ligand association. The most highly conserved of the four residues studied in this report, aspartate 46, was replaced with alanine, tyrosine, and arginine, resulting in a decrease in relative receptor affinity to 23, 14, and 4 percent, respectively, and suggests the importance of an acidic group at this site of EGF. The ability to generate sufficient yields of mutant recombinant EGF protein was sensitive to the type of side-chain substitutions generated at the sites described in this report and may indicate a role for these residues in the formation of the EGF structure apparently required for productive yields of EGF proteins in the expression system used in this study. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Twinning rates in admixed Costa Rican populations

The frequency of twinning in two admixed Costa Rican groups of women from the Limon province was investigated. One group was self-classified as Black, and the other group was self-classified as White. The twinning rate for each group was computed as the number of twin maternities divided by the total number of confinements multiplied by 1,000. Both groups have virtually identical twinning rates, even though Black subjects were expected to have higher rates than White women. The twinning rate of both groups is higher than that in other New World admixed Black groups. This is particularly surprising for White females, whose European ancestral population is largely from Spain, the European country with the lowest twinning rate. The virtually identical twinning rate is probably a result of the highly frequent gene flow between Blacks and Whites in the population. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Some Legal Words and Phrases We Can Do Without

Part of becoming a lawyer is mastering legal vocabulary, be it archaic, fancy, or Latin. It's an important part of what law students and novice legal writers have to learn. But part of becoming an expert legal writer is shedding the archaic, the fancy, and the Latin. Too often, those legal words do nothing but make the text sound like a lawyer wrote it. Always, there are effective alternatives.
Automated Specimen Handling: Bar Codes and Robotics

Bar codes have received wide acceptance and have permeated many industries since their early days in the railroad industry. They offer a simple, cost-effective approach to a variety of operational situations. Clinical laboratories are especially well suited for this technology. Rush-Presbyterian-St Luke’s Medical Center, Chicago, Ill, has developed a system utilizing handheld scanners, information in bar codes, a data network, and a unique robotic specimen handling and sorting station. This article will explain how bar coding and automation can solve many of the logistical and operational problems encountered in the clinical laboratory.
Size and Temperature Dependence of Band-Edge Excitons in PbSe Nanowires

We report the attenuance and temperature-dependent photoluminescence spectra of PbSe nanowires with diameters between 5.6 and 26.4 nm (12−23% relative standard deviation) and lengths greater than 1...
Excimer Laser Applications: Polymer Etching and Metal Deposition

Excimer laser induced ablative decomposition of polyimide and poly(methylmethacrylate) at high fluences (> 1 J/cm2) is discussed. It is shown that 0.4 µm sized features can be imaged in polyimide using ArF laser pulses. Preliminary results from experiments in which copper particles (<1 µm in size) have been deposited by exposing thin films of a copper formate and glycerol paste to KrF laser radiation are presented.
A Mathematical Model and Computer Simulation Approach to Reendothelialization: Post Drug-Eluting Stent

Implantation of the drug-eluting stent, following a myocardial infarction, can be a very invasive surgery. Mechanical injury to the coronary artery causes partial or full denudation of the endothelial cell monolayer. Antimitogenic drugs released from the stent inhibit the regrowth of endothelial cells, possibly resulting in stent thrombosis caused by migration and proliferation of smooth muscle cells into the lumen. Our goal was to model and simulate endothelial cell regrowth around a drug-eluting stent in efforts to determine factors that may reduce or possibly prevent stent thrombosis. A mathematical model was implemented to simulate the arterial drug concentration over time and establish a gradient of drug concentrations surrounding the stent due to fluid flow. Computer simulations with varying parameters were used to visualize endothelial cell interaction with the antimitogenic drug gradients and concentrations. The development of this mathematical model will help to identifying ideal drug release patterns from stents and test hypotheses for overcoming the deadly potential of late stent thrombosis associated with current generation drug-eluting stents.
Global Trends in Organic Agriculture

Organic agriculture (OA) advocates against the application of chemical and genetically modified (GM) materials on farms except those approved by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) which consists of a voluntary team of 15 advisors selected by the secretary of the United States of Agriculture. Globally, OA has grown approximately by 20 % yearly as consumers and growers make healthier food choices and show more concern about the impacts of our actions on the environment. OA attempts to increase the level of food security and create a more sustainable environment for future generations. Nevertheless, OA is not without its challenges. In this chapter, we take a look at the history, the present, and the future of OA. Our focus is on outlining briefly the status of OA on various continents, their certification processes, global challenges, benefits and impacts, the way forward, the position of the government, policies and the institutions, and consumer behavior toward OA.
The vasorelaxation of cerebral arteries by carbon monoxide.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is known to increase cerebral blood flow, but the effect of CO on the vascular tone of large cerebral arteries is uncertain. We tested whether CO affects cerebral artery tone by measuring tension generated by ex vivo segments of dog basilar artery upon exposure to CO. In cerebral artery segments contracted with either KCI or prostaglandin F2a, CO caused a concentration-related relaxation beginning with a concentration of 57 μM. Relaxation did not occur if CO was administered in the presence of bubbling carboxygen (95% 02:5% CO2), which reduces greater than 99% of CO from the solution. Furthermore, the CO-induced relaxation of cerebral artery segments was reduced in the presence of the guanylyl cyclase inhibitor 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ, 10 μM)or the potassium channel blocker tetraethylammonium (TEA, 1 mM). Neither ODQ nor TEA completely eliminated the relaxation caused by CO and there was no additive effect if ODQ and TEA were administered together. These resul...
Continuously Emancipating the Mind is the key to Develop Socialism with Chinese Characteristics

Continuously emancipating the mind is in line with the basic principles of historical materialism of Marxism.At present,unswervingly emancipating the mind is of greater significance for cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.Standing at a new historical starting point,in the face of the new situ- ation and new tasks,we must continue to emancipate the mind in the whole Party and expand the prospects of socialism with Chinese characteristics.