cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fine Specificity of TCR Complementarity-Determining Region Residues and Lipid Antigen Hydrophilic Moieties in the Recognition of a CD1-Lipid Complex

alphabeta TCR can recognize peptides presented by MHC molecules or lipids and glycolipids presented by CD1 proteins. Whereas the structural basis for peptide/MHC recognition is now clearly understood, it is not known how the TCR can interact with such disparate molecules as lipids. Recently, we demonstrated that the alphabeta TCR confers specificity for both the lipid Ag and CD1 isoform restriction, indicating that the TCR is likely to recognize a lipid/CD1 complex. We hypothesized that lipids may bind to CD1 via their hydrophobic alkyl and acyl chains, exposing the hydrophilic sugar, phosphate, and other polar functions for interaction with the TCR complementarity-determining regions (CDRs). To test this model, we mutated the residues in the CDR3 region of the DN1 TCR beta-chain that were predicted to project between the CD1b alpha helices in a model of the TCR/CD1 complex. In addition, we tested the requirement for the negatively charged and polar functions of mycolic acid for Ag recognition. Our findings indicate that the CDR loops of the TCR form the Ag recognition domain of CD1-restricted TCRs and suggest that the hydrophilic domains of a lipid Ag can form a combinatorial epitope recognized by the TCR.
Emergency physicians' knowledge and provision of child passenger safety information

Objectives: While physicians provide discharge instructions to patients and families following emergency department (ED) visits, injury prevention information may not be routinely included in these instructions. This study assessed emergency physicians' knowledge and provision of child passenger safety (CPS) information to patients following motor vehicle crashes (MVCs). Methods: This study was both a survey of emergency physician knowledge and provision of CPS information and an examination of frequency of CPS information in discharge instructions at a single institution. Members of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Section on Emergency Medicine were invited to participate in the survey. Respondents were asked about their provision of CPS information to patients and knowledge of national AAP CPS recommendations. The institutional ED medical record chart review assessed the frequency of written CPS information for patients of MVC-related visits who were discharged home. Results: There were 317 survey respondents from 1,024 eligible physicians, of whom 43 began but did not complete the survey. The data analyzed are from the 274 who completed the survey. While 85% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 81% to 89%) of physicians believed that CPS information should be included in discharge instructions, only 36% (95% CI = 31% to 42%) correctly answered all knowledge questions. Of the 51 self-identified division/department chiefs, 15 (29.4%; 95% CI = 16.9% to 41.9%) reported that their EDs routinely provide CPS information in discharge instructions for pediatric passengers in MVCs. For the medical record review, of the 152 randomly selected MVC visits, 13 (8.6%; 95% CI = 4.1% to 13.0%) had documented CPS information in the discharge instructions. Patients with documented CPS information were younger, but there were no significant differences in race, sex, or maximum abbreviated injury scale score between patients with versus without CPS information. Conclusions: While emergency physicians value the use of CPS information in discharge instructions following MVCs, they do not have adequate knowledge of, nor do they regularly disseminate, this information. Language: en
A classifier system for author recognition using synonym-based features

The writing style of an author is a phenomenon that computer scientists and stylometrists have modeled in the past with some success. However, due to the complexity and variability of writing styles, simple models often break down when faced with real world data. Thus, current trends in stylometry often employ hundreds of features in building classifier systems. In this paper, we present a novel set of synonym-based features for author recognition. We outline a basic model of how synonyms relate to an author's identify and then build an additional two models refined to meet real world needs. Experiments show strong correlation between the presented metric and the writing style of four authors with the second of the three models outperforming the others. As modern stylometric classifier systems demand increasingly larger feature sets, this new set of synonym-based features will serve to fill this ever-increasing need.
Shamans, Sorcerers, and Saints: A Prehistory of Religion

Shamans, Sorcerers, and Saints:. Prehistory of Religion By Brian Hayden. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Books, 2003. 258 pp. $60.00 (hardback). ISBN 1-58834-168-2
The epidemiology of Lyme disease in the United States 1987-1988.

Lyme disease is the leading vectorborne disease in the United States. The 4,572 cases reported in 1988 represent a ninefold increase since 1982, when national surveillance was established, and a doubling of cases over the previous year (2,368 cases were reported in 1987). Lyme disease has spread from its original geographic focus in the northeast to include 43 states, with marked regional differences in incidence rates. New York state alone reported 56% of all the cases in 1988. Six northeastern states (New York, New jersey, Connecticut, Pemisylvania, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts) accounted for 80% of the nation's cases in 1987 and 1988. These states in addition to Wisconsin, Minnesota, and California, collectively account for 95% of cases reported in 1987-1988. A preliminary analysis indicates that cases in the Pacific states, primarily California, occur over a broader range of months and represent a different age distribution than cases in other regions. Differences in tick vector species, their rates of infection, and ecology may be reflected in regional differences in risk and epidemiologic patterns of Lyme disease.
PRIME: passive realization of interconnect models from measured data

A methodology is presented for synthesis of passive, broadband equivalent circuits for interconnect multi-ports from measured scattering-parameter data. In addition to the mathematical details of the synthesis process, results from its application to the synthesis of equivalent circuits for multi-GHz bandwidth connectors are used to demonstrate the validity and accuracy of the proposed methodology.
Optimum Experimental Designs

After some introductory remarks, we discuss certain basic considerations such as the nonoptimality of the classical symmetric (balanced) designs for hypothesis testing, the optimality of designs invariant under an appropriate group of transformations, etc. In section 3 we discuss complete classes of designs, while in section 4 we consider methods for verifying that designs satisfy certain specific optimality criteria, or for computing designs which satisfy such criteria. Some of the results are new, while part of the paper reviews pertinent results of the author and others.
E-commerce Propagation in The Middle East Economies: an Application of a Revised Technology Acceptance Model

E-commerce is the technology of conducting commercial transactions via electronic media. The Internet has provided this media to the extent that commerce is being increasingly made through it. However, another side of commerce, which included the (heavy lifting) of physical goods are still traversing the distribution channels and employing the traditional transportation infrastructure with varying efficiency and cost. This paper examines the employment and adoption of this technology within the Middle East businesses, and what are the barriers that hinder this adoption. The famous Technology Acceptance Model, TAM is implemented with some variations to identify the difficulties associated with implementing e-business models through a survey of key stakeholders in this industry, namely procurement professional and logistics managers. One hundred forty five participants filled the survey questionnaire aimed at measuring their responses to perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), attitudes towards usage (ATU) and behavioral intention to use (BIU) the e-business system The results shows that the main factors holding the propagation of e-commerce in these countries, and in spite of growing interests and belief in implementing e-commerce, are related to the inertia of the legacy operating systems, the lack of compatible infrastructure, the security of information, and the level of business ethics. A conceptual mathematical probability model is developed to estimate a new TAM as an MTAM where the acceptance is computed as an average probability of six interaction factors. Several conclusions were arrived at including the need for the development and installation of a legal framework for safeguarding against abuse and illegal schemes of defrauding consumers.
Mechanical circulatory support pathways that maximize post-heart transplant survival.

Background Heart transplant (HTx) recipients reach transplantation through increasing numbers of support pathways, including transition from one pathway to another. Outcomes of patients successfully bridged with various support pathways are unknown. We sought to identify mechanical circulatory support pathways that maximize survival after HTx. Methods A supplemented United Network Organ Sharing Dataset tracked status 1 HTx outcomes from 2000 to 2010. Recipients were grouped based on support pathway before HTx, including those transitioning from one pathway to another. Multivariable factors for time-related death were sought using Cox proportional hazard regression models. Results We identified 13,250 status 1 HTx recipients. Initial support pathways were inotropes (n = 7,607), left ventricular assist device (LVAD [n = 4,034]), intraaortic balloon pump (n = 729), biventricular assist device (n = 521), extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO [n = 316]), and right ventricular assist device (n = 43). Multivariable analysis demonstrated that LVAD use conferred a survival advantage (hazard ratio [HR] 0.71; p Conclusions The LVAD supported HTx recipients have better posttransplant survival than patients after all other mechanical support pathways. Survival after HTx is optimized when ECMO or biventricular assist device support can be transitioned to LVAD-only support. Our findings should aid clinical decision making and inform organ allocation policy development intended to maximize societal benefits of HTx.
Relationship of Credit Attitude and Debt to Self-Esteem and Locus of Control in College-Age Consumers

College-age consumers are one of the groups most highly targeted by credit card marketers. While some college students use their credit cards wisely, others are unable to control their spending. The objective of this study was to investigate differences in attitude toward credit cards and the psychological factors of self-esteem and locus of control among college students who possess one or more credit cards. Attitude was operationalized to include three underlying components: cognitive, affective, and behavioral. We separated credit users into subcategories based on amount of installment debt. Convenience users were defined as those consumers who paid the credit-card balance in full each month. Installment users were classified as consumers who carried a balance month-to-month. Convenience users were compared to mild and heavy installment users to assess significance of differences in attitudinal and psychological factors. There were no significant differences in the psychological factors across the credit-card user groups. In addition, there was a statistically significant difference on each of the attitude components (knowledge/beliefs, affect, and behavior) across user groups; convenience users, mild installment, and heavy installment users.
Towards Arbitrary Accuracy Inviscid Surface Boundary Conditions

Inviscid nonlinear surface boundary conditions are currently limited to third order accuracy in time for non-moving surfaces and actually reduce to first order in time when the surfaces move. For steady-state calculations it may be possible to achieve higher accuracy in space, but high accuracy in time is required for efficient simulation of multiscale unsteady phenomena. A surprisingly simple technique is shown here that can be used to correct the normal pressure derivatives of the flow at a surface on a Cartesian grid so that arbitrarily high order time accuracy is achieved in idealized cases. This work demonstrates that nonlinear high order time accuracy at a solid surface is possible and desirable, but it also shows that the current practice of only correcting the pressure is inadequate.
Microsatellite inheritance and multiple paternity in the deep‐sea octopus Graneledone boreopacifica (Mollusca: Cephalopoda)

Abstract. Octopodids are a globally distributed group of marine molluscs. Despite this, our knowledge of their reproductive biology rests heavily on inference, as all phases of copulation, beginning with sperm transfer, occur within the mantle cavity. Male octopuses insert a spermatophore into the female's oviduct, which is predicted to release a sperm-filled sac that either bursts to release sperm for storage or to itself be stored in a gland in the middle of the oviduct. To test whether female octopuses use sperm from multiple males to fertilize their eggs, as may be predicted from anatomy and anecdotal accounts, we apply microsatellite analysis to a partial clutch of Graneledone boreopacifica collected at 1600-m depth to test for multiple paternity. At least two genetically distinct sires contributed sperm to the hatchlings analyzed, demonstrating for the first time multiple paternity in octopodids.
Sulfate particle formation by heteromolecular nucleation and condensation in cavities

Abstract The theory of heteromolecular nucleation of water—sulfuric acid solutions in cavities is developed. The time required to form sulfuric acid droplets by cavity nucleation followed by heteromolecular condensation is evaluated. Application to liquid phase SO 2 oxidation is discussed.
Group theoretical origin of CP violation

Abstract We propose the complex group theoretical Clebsch–Gordon coefficients as a novel origin of CP violation. This is manifest in our model based on SU ( 5 ) combined with the T ′ group as the family symmetry. The complex CG coefficients in T ′ lead to explicit CP violation which is thus geometrical in origin. The predicted CP violation measures in the quark sector are consistent with the current experimental data. The corrections due to leptonic Dirac CP violating phase gives the experimental best fit value for the solar mixing angle, and we also gets the right amount of the baryonic asymmetry.
Voters polled on greenhouse

Most voters in the United States believe global warming is a serious threat and want the nation to lead efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, even without an international agreement, according to a new poll. A majority also support use of increased energy efficiency and renewable energy resources rather than fossil fuels, which are seen as the primary cause of warming, and nuclear energy.
Characterization of Cr(VI) binding and reduction to Cr(III) by the agricultural byproducts of Avena monida (Oat) biomass

Abstract Chromium contamination of the environment has become an important issue due to the potential health threat it poses. Conventional technologies to clean up heavy metal ions from contaminated waters have been utilized, but these technologies are not cost-effective. However, the use of agricultural waste byproducts for the removal of Cr(VI) from contaminated waters may be a new cost-effective alternative. Oat byproducts from the Juarez Valley in Mexico were studied for the ability to bind Cr(VI) under different temperature and time conditions. The metal binding ability of oat byproducts was calculated from experimental data collected at temperatures of 8, 26, and 54°C, and time exposures of 1, 6, 24, 48, and 72 h at each temperature. These results showed that the binding of Cr(VI) to oat biomass increased as time and temperature increased. The bound chromium was recovered from the oat biomass by treatment with 0.2 M HCl. Through the use of X-ray absorption spectroscopy, the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) was determined to occur by the oat byproducts. These results indicate that the use of agricultural waste byproducts could be a better alternative for the removal and subsequent reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) from contaminated waters.
Design may be counterproductive for optimizing flexion after TKR.

Pain-free flexion of as much as 155° with stability is the ultimate goal of total knee replacement (TKR). Achieving this amount of flexion depends on implant design, surgical technique, preoperative range of motion (ROM), and patient cooperation. Current design trends are focusing on shortening the radii of curvature; such shortening, in turn, thickens the posterior femoral condyle and increases the height of the posterior-stabilized box, both of which require removal of more bone. The end results may be excessive wear, increased patellofemoral complications, and difficult revisions. Several studies have indicated preoperative ROM is more predictive of postoperative ROM than any other criteria, including implant design. Based on currently available information, if full or almost full preoperative ROM is required for the high flex total knee design, few patients would qualify for the high flex TKA.
Heat capacity and other thermodynamic properties of Na2SO4(aq) in hydrothermal solutions and the solubilities of sodium sulfate minerals in the system Na-Cl-SO4-OH-H2O to 300°C

Abstract Heat capacities of Na 2 SO 4 (aq) solutions have been measured from 140°–300°C at 200 bars using a flowcalorimeter over the molality range of 0.05–1.5 mol·kg −1 . Using the ion-interaction or virial coefficient approach developed by Pitzer (1973, 1979, 1987) and coworkers, and approximating the pressure-dependencies of the various Na 2 SO 4 (aq) thermodynamic quantities with those of NaCl(aq) calculated from the equations of Rogers and Pitzer (1982), our measured heat capacities were combined with literature values on heat capacities, enthalpies, and osmotic coefficients at temperatures to 225°C and at pressures mostly at 1 bar or vapor-saturation pressure to yield a comprehensive set of equations for the thermodynamic properties of Na 2 SO 4 (aq) at temperatures 25°–300°C, pressure to at least 200 bars, and molalities to 3.0 mol·kg −1 . Standard state chemical potentials and activity and osmotic coefficients of Na 2 SO 4 (aq) derived from our model, together with standard state properties of the solids available in the literature, permit the calculation of sodium sulfate solubilities in water and in electrolyte mixtures to 300°C. Good agreement between experimental and predicted solubilities in water indicate that the ion-interaction model can be used successfully to predict mineral-solution equilibria to 300°C without an explicit accounting for ion-pairs, and demonstrates that heat capacity measurements can be used to obtain reliable high-temperature and high-pressure activity properties of electrolyte solutions. The binary and ternary mixing parameters θ u and Ψ uk are required by the ion-interaction model for calculations for multicomponent mixtures. It was found sufficient to adopt previously determined values for θ u at 25°C without temperature dependence and, from the solubility data, to determine temperature-dependent Ψ uk functions.
Kala-Azar: Experience from a Non-endemic Area in India

Resurgence of Kala-Azar in India has posed many problems. Apart from patients from endemic areas, cases are being reported from non-endemic areas also. In the present series, four out of 26 patients were from non-endemic areas. Other than diagnostic difficulties, resistance to stibogluconate and relapse are common problems which were seen in eight patients. The clinical profile of cases, their management, and how the problem of resistance was tackled are described.
Affective Dispositions of Teachers in Training toward Examples of Supervisory Behavior

AbstractThe affective dispositions of men and women secondary student teachers toward the credibility and utility of supervisors depicted in recorded examples of supervisory sessions were measured using semantic differential techniques. The examples differed in approach used by the supervisor (directive and nondirective) and in supervisor gender. Factor analytic techniques were used to identify those bipolar scales that succeeded in indexing the subjects’ dispositions toward the target concepts. Composite scores of the identified scales were submitted to three-way ANOV A resulting in a significant main effect for supervisory approach favoring directive supervision and two significant interaction effects, supervisor sex x subject sex and supervisory approach x subject sex. Implications for supervisory behavior with student teachers are discussed.
A hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin method for the compressible euler and Navier-Stokes equations

In this paper, we present a Hybridizable Discontinuous Galerkin (HDG) method for the solution of the compressible Euler and Navier-Stokes equations. The method is devised by using the discontinuous Galerkin approximation with a special choice of the numerical fluxes and weakly imposing the continuity of the normal component of the numerical fluxes across the element interfaces. This allows the approximate conserved variables defining the discontinuous Galerkin solution to be locally condensed, thereby resulting in a reduced system which involves only the degrees of freedom of the approximate traces of the solution. The HDG method inherits the geometric flexibility and arbitrary high order accuracy of Discontinuous Galerkin methods, but offers a significant reduction in the computational cost as well as improved accuracy and convergence properties. In particular, we show that HDG produces optimal converges rates for both the conserved quantities as well as the viscous stresses and the heat fluxes. We present some numerical results to demonstrate the accuracy and convergence properties of the method.
Very high-speed ultraviolet photodetectors fabricated on GaN

We report on the temporal and the frequency response of both metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) and p-i-n ultraviolet photodetectors fabricated on single-crystal GaN. The best MSM devices show a fast 10–90% rise-time of ∼28 psec under comparatively low ultraviolet excitation of ∼0.1 W/cm2 averagerirradiance. The fast-Fourier transform (FFT) of the pulse response data indicates a bandwidth, f3dB, of ∼3.8 GHz at a reverse bias of 25 V. This agrees well with the direct frequency response measurement value of ∼3.5 GHz. For the p-i-n devices, we measured a rise-time of ∼43 psec at 15 V reverse bias for a 60 µm diameter mesa with 1 µm thick intrinsic region. The FFT of the p-i-n pulse response obtains f3dB ≈1.4 GHz. Analysis in terms of reverse bias and geometric scaling indicates that the MSM photodetectors are transit-time limited. The p-i-n devices also show evidence of transit-time limited effects based on trends with respect to reverse bias and intrinsic region thickness. However, our larger area p-i-n devices show clear evidence of RC-limited behavior. Modeling of the temporal behavior indicates that a slow component in the time and frequency response data is a consequence of the hole drift velocity. We have also found preliminary evidence of microplasmic effects in the p-i-n devices.
Terminal Cancer and Suicide: The Health Care Professional's Dilemma.

This study was designed to test the hypothesis that health care professionals would differ in their evaluations of a patient contemplating suicide, in their acceptance of suicide for the patient, and in their projected behavioral response to the patient, as a function of their belief that the patient has cancer, a terminal illness, or terminal cancer, and as a function of the degree of their death anxiety. Health care professionals (N = 138) across a variety of disciplines completed Templer's Death Anxiety Scale, read one of four randomly distributed written introductions, then viewed taped segments of counseling sessions with a woman who was contemplating suicide. Results demonstrated that health care professionals' evaluations, acceptance, and behavior in the case of a patient contemplating suicide are affected by their belief that the patient has cancer and/or is dying, and by the degree of death anxiety experienced by the practitioner. The importance of awareness regarding personal feelings about suic...
Bodies, Transfigurations, and Bloodlust in Edie Fake’s Graphic Novel Gaylord Phoenix

This essay studies Edie Fake’s award-winning graphic novel Gaylord Phoenix from the perspective of Queer Theory and Transgender Studies. Nikki Sullivan’s use of the term transmogrification from her work on somatechnics provides a critical lens through which to examine Fake’s exploration of the transgender body in his narrative. Fake includes multiple images of bodies undergoing radical transformations through a combination of magic and surgery, blurring the distinction between modern science and the occult. The essay also explores Fake’s status as an innovator in the world of comic books and graphic novels as he creates an idiosyncratic verbal and visual vocabulary largely unprecedented in the world of sequential art.
Erythropoietin mRNA and Protein are Present in the Mid-Trimester Human Kidney, but do not Increase with Hypoxia † 1385

Erythropoietin mRNA and Protein are Present in the Mid-Trimester Human Kidney, but do not Increase with Hypoxia † 1385
Taxol induces microtubule assembly at low temperature

Dissociated bovine brain microtubule protein has been shown to reassemble at 0 degrees C in the presence of the drug taxol. Tubulin polymerization was monitored both by electron microscopy of the polymeric structures and by incorporation of tritiated GTP into filterable polymeric structures. Most of the labeled guanine nucleotide uptake into tubulin polymeric structures occurred in the first 30 minutes of incubation with the drug. The initial polymerization event results in the formation of protofilamentous tubulin ribbons. The first microtubules were noted after 1 hour of incubation with the drug. After 20 hours of incubation at 0 degrees C with taxol, the bulk of the polymerized tubulin appeared to be in the form of microtubules. Cold-stable tubulin rings with a mean diameter of 34 nm were present in the reaction mixture before the addition of taxol and throughout the 20-hour incubation. Most of the rings were apparently not involved in the taxol-induced microtubule assembly. The results are consistent with a model whereby taxol induces an initial formation of protofilamentous ribbon structures, mostly from free tubulin dimers, and a slower subsequent folding of the ribbon structures into microtubules.
Emerging Approaches for Cardiovascular Stem Cell Imaging

Stem cell therapies offer potential therapeutic alternatives for coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, and heart failure. To a lesser extent, stem cell transplantations are used for experimental treatment of congenital heart conditions, atherosclerotic peripheral arterial disease, and other cardiovascular pathologies. The efficacy of stem cell transplants on the aforementioned diseases has been inconsistent, and the specific regenerative mechanisms by which stem cells work are not well understood. Thus, a reliable and efficient method of cell tracking and monitoring would be beneficial. The different imaging strategies and modalities for cell tracking, as well as the latest approaches to cell labeling in this field, are reviewed in the hope that this will foster a better understanding of the best methods to treat cardiovascular diseases with cellular therapeutics.
The effect of lipids on the subculture of differentiated cells from primary cultures of grasshopper embryonic tissues

Cells from mechanically dissociated postblastokinetic embryos of the rangeland grasshopper,Melanoplus sanguinipes, were seeded in Falcon Primaria culture dishes and monitored for attachment, growth, and differentiation. Various sonicated nutrient phospholipid combinations, including both natural complexes and specific synthetic lipid types, were tested on these embryonic tissues as supplements in combination with three serum-containing basal media. The combined use of Primaria culture vessels and lipid supplementation supported the growth of various epithelioid as well as fibroblastoid and other cell types. Some cells became tightly associated into partially differentiated tissuelike growths that included networks of ducted tracheolarlike cells, ducted granular epithelioid cells, and networks and sheets of slowly contracting muscle cells. The tissue-associated cell types and two individually growing cell types (a plasmatocytoid or hemocytic cell and a peculiar blak granule-containing cell) were serially subcultured from three to nine times in Primaria vessels. Tissues subcultured in standard plastic culture vessels were selected by this growth surface for fibroblastoid cell types or expressed a fibroblastoid morphology, or both, within 1 to 3 passages. The growth of cells bearing neuritelike and glialike processes was stimulated in the primary cultures by certain medium and lipid combinations, but these cell types were not subcultivable.
Subpicosecond Fluorescence Measurements - Applications In Chemistry.

We have recently constructed an apparatus capable of measuring time resolved emission on a subpicosecond timescale following ultraviolet excitation. Using this equipment, it is possible to study many fundamental chemical processes in fluid solution. We have studied two aspects of the chemistry of polar solutions : microscopic solvation dynamics about polar dye molecules and fast intramolecular electron transfer. Microscopic solvation relaxation appears to be the rate limiting step in the intramolecular transfer reaction of the excited state of 9,9'-bianthryl.
Understanding spin turbulence in solution magnetic resonance through phase space dynamics and instability

The joint action of two feedback fields in solution magnetic resonance (MR), radiation damping and the distant dipolar field, are known to give rise to nonlinear evolution of the magnetization at high fields. The different stages of the resulting complex dynamics are explored here, and standard tools and terminology adopted from the theory of nonlinear dynamics are introduced to analyze the underlying dynamics. The nonlinear spin dynamics are shown to generate unexpected artifacts in routine MR experiments involving bulk solvents. Approaches to curtail the effects of the joint feedback fields are discussed, as well as applications exploiting these fields as new contrast enhancement mechanisms for MR imaging. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson Part A 28A: 410–421, 2006
Asthma Prevalence among US Elderly by Age Groups: Age Still Matters

Objective. For over three decades, the greatest burden of asthma deaths has occurred among persons aged 65 years and older. This study analyzed the association between increasing age and asthma prevalence among age groups within the US elderly population. Methods. We analyzed aggregated data on 54,485 civilian, noninstitutionalized US adults aged 65 years and older from the 2001–2010 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). We estimated the prevalence of current asthma, lifetime asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among US elderly by 5-year age groups and age stages (“young elderly” aged 65–84 years and “oldest old” aged ≥85 years). We calculated adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) to identify asthma prevalence patterns among elderly populations. Results. From 2001 to 2010, the estimated average annual prevalence of current asthma among US elderly was 7.0%. Estimates of lifetime asthma, COPD, and co-occurring current asthma and COPD were 9.9%, 9.7%, and 3.0%, ...
CARNEY COMPLEX : CONFIRMATION OF THE CHROMOSOME 2p16 LOCUS, EXCLUSION OF THE hMSH-2, -6 , & CALNB1 GENES AND CONSTRUCTION OF A GENETIC AND PHYSICAL MAP OF THE REGION. • 584

Carney complex (CC) is a familial multiple neoplasia and lentiginosis syndrome, transmitted in an autosomal dominant manner. It is the only familial form of cardiac and skin myxomas known, and is associated with endocrine neoplasms causing Cushing syndrome and acromegaly. We recently mapped the gene(s) responsible for CC on the short arm of chromosome 2 by linkage analysis of 11 North American kindreds (Stratakis et al. J.Clin. Invest. 97 (2): 1-7, 1996). Two additional kindreds (7 affected individuals) were recently recruited. Blood and tumor samples from patients and their family members were obtained. Patient-derived lymphoblastoid and tumor cell lines were established. Linkage analysis with microsatellite markers from the short arm of chromosome 2 (band 2p16) showed co-segregation with the disease locus with no new recombination events in one of the new families. Multipoint linkage analysis defined a region of approximately 4 cM, bordered by markers CA2 and D2S378, that is likely to contain the gene(s) associated with CC. Candidate genes in the proximity included the microsatellite stability-maintaining hMSH2 and hMSH6 genes, which, however, were excluded. The gene that codes for calcineurin (CALNB1) was also recently mapped to 2p16. After determining the intron-exon junctions of this gene, SSCP analysis and direct sequencing of its 5 exons did not reveal any abnormalities in 5 patients with CC from different families. Chromosome and microsatellite analysis of 9 tumors and tumor-derived cell lines indicated significant genomic, but not microsatellite instability, which was mostly present in telomeric regions. Since these and other tumors demonstrated genomic instability, and the hMSH2, hMSH6 and CALNB1 genes were excluded, we hypothesize that other, as yet unknown genes in this region are responsible for CC, whose function may be related to the preservation of chromosomal integrity and growth of dividing human cells. In order to identify the CC and other genes, we are constructing a detailed physical map of chromosome 2p16 employing YAC, BAC, PAC and P1 libraries. New CC families are collected for further refinement of the locus.
Thermal Effect of Cooling the Cathode Grid Tabs of a Lithium-Ion Pouch Cell

Infrared thermography shows that the joint between the cathode grid stack and the cell tab is a source of Joule heating within a lithium-ion pouch cell. This can exacerbate thermal gradients within the cell core if the C-rate is sufficiently high. This paper studies the heat generated at the cathode tab joint of a 14Ah lithium iron phosphate (LFP) pouch cell. The heat generation was quantified by using an energy balance equation and the average heat transfer coefficient was calculated by modeling the cell as an isothermal vertical plate in natural convection. The influence of this heat on the cell’s thermal gradients was studied during a 3C and 8C rate of discharge. It has been found that removal of this heat at its source can appreciably lower the overall average surface temperature of the cell. However, at a 3C rate discharge, the removal of this heat can induce a greater thermal gradient within the cell core. At an 8C rate of discharge, there is a minimal improvement in the temperature gradient. As a result, a thermal management system which incorporates cathode tab heat removal would most likely be an ineffective design feature. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by ECS. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 License (CC BY-NC-ND, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is not changed in any way and is properly cited. For permission for commercial reuse, please email: oa@electrochem.org. [DOI: 10.1149/2.0731414jes] All rights reserved.
The biomechanical effect of pedicle screw hubbing on pullout resistance in the thoracic spine

Abstract Background context The biomechanical fixation strength afforded by pedicle screws has been strongly correlated with bone mineral density. It has been postulated that “hubbing” the head of the pedicle screw against the dorsal laminar cortex provides a load-sharing effect, thereby limiting cephalocaudad toggling and improving the pullout resistance of the pedicle screw. Purpose To evaluate the pullout strength (POS) of monoaxial hubbed pedicle screws versus standard fixation in the thoracic spine. Study design Biomechanical investigation. Methods Twenty-two human cadaveric thoracic vertebrae were acquired and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scanned. Osteoporotic (n=16) and normal (n=6) specimens were instrumented with a 5.0×35-mm pedicle screw on one side in a standard fashion. In the contralateral pedicle, 5.0×30-mm screw was inserted with hubbing of the screw into the dorsal lamina. A difference in screw length was used to achieve equivalent depth of insertion. After 2,000 cycles of cephalocaudad toggling, screws were pulled out with the tensile force oriented to the midline of the spine and peak POS measured in newtons (N). Four additional specimens were subjected to microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) analysis to evaluate internal pedicle architecture after screw insertion. Results Hubbed screws resulted in significantly lower POS (290.5±142.4 N) compared with standard pedicle screws (511.5±242.8 N; p=.00). This finding was evident in both normal and osteoporotic vertebrae based on independent subgroup post hoc analyses (p Conclusions Hubbing pedicle screws results in significantly decreased POS compared with conventional pedicle screws. Hubbing predisposes toward iatrogenic fracture of the dorsal lamina, transverse process, or SAF during insertion.
An extraordinary isotope effect in a carbene rearrangement

Abstract The kinetic isotope effect for the 1,2∼H/1,2∼D shift in neopentylfluorocarbenes 2a–2c is about 5.
Interactions and intersections of plant signaling pathways.

Plant signal transduction is a rapidly expanding field of research, and during the last decade a wealth of insight into how plants perceive and transmit signals as part of normal development and in response to environmental cues has been and is continuing to be unraveled. Although ?signaling cascades are often viewed as linear chains of events it is now becoming increasingly apparent, through the use of cell biological, molecular and genetic approaches, that plant signal transduction involves extensive cross-talk between different pathways. The numerous interactions and intersections which take place are potentially important to modulate and balance the various inputs from different signaling cascades so that plants can integrate all this information to execute the proper developmental responses.
Effects of Layer Thickness on the Vibration Response of a Plate-Fluid Layer System

Abstract Dynamic interaction between the bending vibrations of a plate and a fluid layer is investigated by using analytical and experimental methods. The frequency response behavior of the coupled plate-fluid layer system is studied, with emphasis on the influence of the layer thickness. The effects of compressibility, viscosity and inertia of the fluid are included in the analytical model. A critical layer thickness is introduced and utilized in the illustration of linear dynamic regimes of a fluid layer. A detailed analysis is carried out for the wave modes of the system, the free wave number of the fluid layer and for the mode shapes of the plate. The use of a powerful transfer matrix method is demonstrated in the formulation of the coupled plate-fluid layer system response. The drive-point mobility, the power flow and the resonance behavior of a physical system are analyzed at different layer thicknesses. Detailed experiments are conducted to confirm the predicted frequency response behavior of a particular plate-air layer system. The attenuation and frequency shift of the plate's resonances are demonstrated with experimental results. Air layer attenuation is found to be very effective in damping the low frequency flexural vibrations of the plate.
Compressive sensing with adaptive pixel domain reconstruction for block-based video coding

This paper presents a new look at image/video compression from the compressive sensing's perspective. Quantization in video compression can be regarded as a subsampling process where the signal is mapped into predefined levels. We view the problem of signal reconstruction from its quantized signal vector as a compressive sensing recovery problem where the quantized coefficients are subsampled measurements. Based on this observation, we propose a novel method of image/video coding that employs an adaptive Total-Variation (TV) minimization in the pixel domain to recover the gradient-sparse image blocks from their quantized transform coefficients. We further increase the coding efficiency by encoding only a subset of the transform coefficients and discard the remaining ones. Experiment results show that the proposed framework is efficient with gradient-sparse video signals and outperform the video compression standard H.264/AVC by up to 7% of bitrate reduction.
1116 GLUCOSE TURNOVER IN ADOLESCENTS: EFFECT OF OBESITY AND DIET ON RATES OF GLUCOSE PRODUCTION (Ra), CLEARANCE (C1) AND OXIDATION (OX)

1116 GLUCOSE TURNOVER IN ADOLESCENTS: EFFECT OF OBESITY AND DIET ON RATES OF GLUCOSE PRODUCTION (Ra), CLEARANCE (C1) AND OXIDATION (OX)
Gene therapy in mental retardation: Ethical considerations

This article discusses resources in ethics for investigators who will pursue gene therapy for disorders that cause mental retardation: literature on the ethical principles that ought to guide clinical research, norms and practices of human experimentation, paradigm cases for human gene therapy, and professional integrity. I review major ethical considerations in the process of planning and conducting experiments, including benefits to subjects, the safety of subjects, voluntary informed assent of soem children and the permission of parents of children with retardation, as well as concerns for fairness in the selection of subjects. From a perspective of social justice, I criticize the potential of proposals for interventions to enhance mental abilities and argue for restraint and long-range openness toward human germ-line therapy to prevent genetic disorders. Depending on technical developments, gene therapy may provide humans with great benefits, including the prevention of the mental retardation caused by some genetic disorders. It is the responsibility of scientists and public review bodies to implement and monitor guidelines and safeguards so that human gene therapy can be fully tested and its benefits fairly distributed to those whose need and opportunity to benefit are greatest. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Phonological awareness and types of sound errors in preschoolers with speech sound disorders.

Purpose Some children with speech sound disorders (SSD) have difficulty with literacy-related skills, particularly phonological awareness (PA). This study investigates the PA skills of preschoolers...
N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor in human prostate cancer

Expression of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAr) and its involvement in cellular proliferation is well-known in tumors of neuronal tissue, such as glioma and neuroblastoma. We have investigated NMDAr expression in the normal, hyperplastic and neoplastic human prostate by immunohistochemistry. Low stromal NMDAr immunostaining was observed in 2 of 12 (17%) normal prostate specimens, but epithelial NMDAr staining was not seen. Of 18 benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) specimens, none had stromal NMDAr staining, but 2 had low and 1 had high epithelial NMDAr immunoreactivity. Moderate to high NMDAr immunostaining was observed in the stroma of 60 of 145 (41%) prostate cancer (PCa) specimens. Epithelial NMDAr staining was low in 26 (18%) and moderate to high in 36 (25%) of 145 PCa specimens. We have also examined the effects of the NMDAr antagonist memantine on the growth of ten human cancer cell lines: four prostate, two breast and four colon. The NMDAr antagonist memantine inhibited in-vitro growth of all ten cell lines, with half-maximal growth-inhibition at 5 to 20 μg/ml (23 to 92 μM) memantine. An NMDA agonist, L-cysteinesulfinic acid, stimulated cellular proliferation of all ten cell lines, with maximal growth-stimulation (30% to 75%, depending on the cell line) observed between doses of 33 to 66 μM. Our data provide evidence for the expression and activity of NMDAr in prostate cancer.
Exploring insideness in urban children’s sense of place

This study, informed by phenomenology and ethnography, explores urban children's relationship with their urban environment: In what ways do urban children exhibit "insideness" in their sense of place? This study proposes "insideness" as a conceptual construct to understand urban children's sense of place in its ecological and dynamic nature. Employing qualitative research methods, the study explores place stories of urban children who live in low-income, immigrant neighborhoods in New York City. The study finds that as children cultivate their sense of place, they construct "insideness" in their sense of place including 1) environmental understanding (i.e., contextualized, comprehensive, and critical understanding of a place), 2) environmental competence (i.e., knowing how to navigate and engage in a place), and 3) diverse, strong affective relationships with a place. Using "insideness" as a conceptual tool, this study discusses children's emplaced understanding and active and dialogical positionality in the development of their sense of place.
What is profitable for (examining) cognitive development: Commentary on the child's construction of economics

Abstract In their treatment of children's developing economic understandings, Berti and Bombi combine Piagetian classifications (e.g., concrete, formal reasoning) with an emphasis on the particularities of children's daily experiences in a money economy. They argue that the reasoning which children need to employ (concrete, formal) to achieve a particular concept (e.g., profit) depends on whether children use only direct experience or need to integrate direct and indirect experience. We discuss two issues: First, Berti and Bombi's approach does not seem compatible with traditional Piagetian theory that rests strictly on structural treatments of reasoning without a consideration of children's particular experiential histories; second, Berti and Bombi's distinction between direct and indirect experience does not adequately capture how children's particular sociocultural experiences are interwoven with their developing economic understandings.