cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recent advances in stroke recovery and rehabilitation.

Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, but remains a leading cause of disability. As more stroke victims survive with advanced acute care, effective strategies and interventions are required to optimize poststroke outcomes. In recent years, knowledge with respect to stroke recovery has expanded greatly through completion of preclinical and clinical trials. Emerging technology may provide further treatment options beyond the standard therapy and practices. In this article, the authors review recent advances in stroke recovery and rehabilitation, including the major determinants of poststroke recovery, challenges in translational stroke recovery research, and several emerging rehabilitation modalities such as noninvasive brain stimulation, brain–computer interface, biotherapeutics, and pharmacologic agents. Potential future directions in research are also addressed.
Synthesis, X-ray crystal structure and photophysical properties of tris(dibenzoylmethanido)(1,10-phenanthroline)samarium(III)

Abstract Herein we report for the first time the complete characterization and photophysical properties of tris(dibenzoylmethanido)(1,10-phenanthroline)samarium(III) (Sm(DBM)3phen) in the absence of a polymer matrix. The solid state structure of Sm(DBM)3phen has been determined by single-crystal X-ray crystallography and shows the geometry of the local coordination environment around the samarium(III) ion to be a slightly distorted square antiprism. The absolute quantum yield and luminescence lifetime were measured as 0.86 ± 0.40% and 41 ± 2 μs, respectively.
On the dendritic growth of voids in heavy-ion irradiated pure nickel

Some observations of dendritic voids in pure nickel, induced during nickel and nitrogen ion irradiations are presented, and their implications are discussed.
Food Insecurity and Senior Participation in the Commodity Supplemental Food Program

The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) provides supplemental food for pregnant and postpartum women, children under age 6, and seniors 60 years and older. This is the first formal evaluation of CSFP and examines whether participation in the program helps alleviate food insecurity among low-income seniors. A questionnaire was administered to seniors who live in housing that receives CSFP services and those living in housing that does not receive CSFP services. A total of 193 seniors completed the survey: 144 in CSFP sites and 49 in non-CSFP sites. The majority of respondents had no (n = 87; 45.1%) or little (n =49; 25.4%) food insecurity, whereas a small number (n = 18; 9.3%) indicated severe food insecurity. Seniors at CSFP sites had the same food security level as did seniors at non-CSFP sites. CSFP may substitute for other programs in helping seniors cope with food insecurity.
Cross-sectional echocardiographic detection of aortic valve prolapse.

Abstract To determine the potential for cross-sectional echocardiography to define aortic valve prolapse, 14 controls with a mean age of 51 ± 10 years (SD) with normal cardiac catheterization were studied by cross-sectional echocardiographic left ventricular longitudinal and short axis views to define normal aortic valve morphology and motion characteristics. Similarly, 112 patients with cross-sectional echocardiographic mitral valve morphology and motion characteristics. In all 14 controls the left ventricular longitudinal view revealed the aortic valve as a faint echo reflector with symmetrical cusps whose closure point as well as the cusp tissue itself did not display any downward (or prolapsing) motion toward the left ventricular outflow tract. In the group of 112 patients with mitral valve prolapse, the aortic valve was successfully imaged for detailed analysis in 77. Sixty of these 77 (78%) had a mean age of 38 ± 18 years (SD) and revealed aortic valve morphology motion characteristics similar to controls. All of the remaining 17 patients (mean age 36 ± 21 years, 11 female) revealed a downward displacement (or prolapse) of the aortic valve during diastole. There was an increased echo reflection from the cusp tissue in 16 of 17 and in six of 17, cusp size was asymmetric, producing eccentricity of the coaptation point. All six of these had three aortic cusps seen on the short axis view. The aortic root size was normal in all controls in the 60 patients with mitral valve prolapse without aortic valve prolapse, whereas six of 17 patients with aortic valve prolapse had aortic rood enlargement. When comparing the group with (N = 17) and without (N = 60) aortic valve prolapse, the tricuspid valve was prolapsed in 16 of 17 compared to 31 of 60 (p = NS), and aortic insufficiency was present in four of 17 compared to none of 60 (p ≤ 0.01). In conclusion, cross-sectional echocardiography can identify a subset of patients with mitral valve prolapse who have aortic valve prolapse in which aortic root dilatation and aortic regurgitation may be encountered. Such patients may reflect a more diffuse myxomatous degeneration of the cardiac skeleton.
How to be a singular scientist of words, worlds, and other (possibly) wonderful things: An obituary for James D. McCawley (1934–1999)

Abstract This obituary tries to represent the total vision of Jim McCawley's philosophy of practice, philosophy of language, linguistic theory, ‘syntactic’ theory, linguistic analyses and scientific practices, in all of which his individualism, relativism and critical rationalism were consistently manifested.
Impact of Aortic Valve Replacement for Aortic Stenosis on Dynamic Mitral Annular Motion and Geometry

The impact of aortic valve replacement (AVR) on the dynamic geometry and motion of the mitral annulus remains unknown. We analyzed the effects of AVR on the dynamic geometry and motion of the mitral annulus. We used 3-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography to analyze 39 consecutive patients undergoing elective surgical AVR for aortic stenosis. Intraoperative 3-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography was performed immediately before and after AVR. Volumetric data sets were analyzed using a software package capable of dynamically tracking the mitral annulus and leaflets during the entire systolic ejection phase. After AVR, there were significant decreases (p 3 ). Vertical mitral annular displacement was also reduced (6.2 ± 3.1 vs 4.3 ± 2.2 mm). Mitral annular nonplanarity angle (154 ± 1.5° vs 161 ± 1.6°) and aorto-mitral angle (133 ± 3.3° vs 142 ± 2.0°) were both increased after AVR, suggesting reduced nonplanar shape of the mitral annulus and reduced aorto-mitral flexion. In conclusion, these data demonstrate that mitral annular size is reduced immediately after AVR and that the dynamic motion of the mitral annulus is restricted. These findings may have important clinical implications for patients undergoing AVR with concurrent mitral regurgitation.
The relationship among the transtheoretical model of behavioral change, psychological distress, and diet attitudes in obesity: Implications for primary care intervention

Obesity is prevalent but undertreated in primary care. Family practice volunteer outpatients (N=454) were administered the Stage of Change for Weight (URICA), the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), and the Diet Readiness Test (DRT) to assess the relationship between these variables and obesity. The body mass index (BMI) was used to classify obesity revealing 197 patients with elevated BMI's. There was no significant difference between the obese and the nonobese on any of the psychological measures. The obese reported significantly more difficulty setting diet goals and less control over their eating, ate more to emotional situations, and exercised less than the nonobese. The obese sample (46.7%) reported being in the Action stage of change for weight management. Implications for intervention in primary care include targeting attitudes (DRT) and dispelling physician attitudes that obese individuals have increased levels of psychological distress. Addressing Stage of Change for weight management can facilitate tailoring the appropriate intervention when used in concert with the DRT variables.
The frequency of peptic ulcer as a cause of upper-GI bleeding is exaggerated.

Abstract Background Peptic ulcer disease is considered the cause of upper-GI bleeding in 50% of cases. A recent decline in the proportion of cases of upper-GI bleeding because of a peptic ulcer was noted by us. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the frequency of peptic ulcer in patients with upper-GI bleeding and the proportion of bleeding peptic ulcers with a non-bleeding visible vessel. Methods Patients with upper-GI bleeding seen from December 1999 until April 2001 at a tertiary, university-affiliated medical center were studied prospectively. The Clinical Outcome Research Initiative (CORI) database was used to correlate the single institution data with nationwide data. Endoscopic data in the CORI database for patients who had endoscopy for upper-GI bleeding between December 1999 and July 2001 were retrieved and analyzed. Results A total of 126 patients were included in the prospective study. The endoscopic findings were: peptic ulcer in 31.8%: 95% confidence interval (CI) [23.7%, 40.6%] of patients; a non-bleeding visible vessel was present in 10%: 95% CI[2.8%, 23.7%] of these peptic ulcers. From the nationwide CORI database, data for 7822 patients with upper-GI bleeding were obtained. The endoscopic findings were: peptic ulcer in 20.6%:95% CI[19.7%, 21.5%] of patients with upper-GI bleeding; a non-bleeding visible vessel was present in 7.3%: 95% CI[6.1%, 8.6%] of the ulcers. Conclusions The frequency of peptic ulcer in patients with upper-GI bleeding and the proportion of bleeding ulcers with a non-bleeding visible vessel are less than previously reported.
The impact of fuel taxes on public transport — an empirical assessment for Germany

Abstract An increase in fuel taxes is often connected with the hypothesis of a triple dividend: Apart from the modal-shift-effect, which relieves the environment as well as the infrastructure, and the fiscal effect, which should increase the public revenue, the movement of passengers to public transport systems should decrease its deficit. However, this calculation fails because higher fuel prices increase peak-hour transit use but not leisure or off-peak transit. But the typical attribute of peak traffic is above-average marginal costs and below average revenues. Therefore, higher fuel taxes will increase public transport's deficit rather than decrease it. The fiscal lucrativeness of higher fuel taxes will be significantly lower than is often expected.
Genetic Inactivation of the Sry Gene in Argali Wild and Romney Domestic Sheep with CRISPR/Cas and TALEN Systems for Producing Sex-Reversed Female Animals

The Tibetan Argali (Ovis ammon hodgsoni), a wild sheep of the subfamily Caprinae (Bovidae), primarily found in the Tibetan Plateau, is categorized as near threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. For the conservation of this species, we have achieved the cloning of a full-term live Argali lamb (died shortly after birth) from a male Argali cell line that has been cryopreserved for more than 20 years. While working towards the goal of cloning a live Argali, we also recognised the need to establish a reproductive herd of animals by producing both fertile males and females. However, as in the case of Argali, it is difficult, and in some cases impossible, to obtain male and female cell lines from an endangered mammalian species. Therefore, for demonstrating a proof of concept of using an assisted reproduction technology (ART) for the conservation of endangered species or reviving extinct species, we used the Argali as an experimental model to produce both fertile males and females through ART. The Sry gene plays a central role in mammalian sex determination: mutations in the Sry gene result in the development of XY females; in mice, Sry knockout (KO) results in fertile XY females. Therefore, we created sex-reversed Argali cell lines through the KO of the Sry gene. In parallel, for potentially comparing the fertility of sex-reversed XY females between the Argali and domestic sheep [Romney (Ovis aries)], we also knocked out the Sry gene in the domestic sheep. Specifically, we used the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas system to introduce mutations to the high-mobility group (HMG) box of the Sry gene. Skin fibroblasts from either adult Argali or Romney sheep were cultured in DMEM (HyClone) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS). Cells were harvested at 100% confluence with 0.25% trypsin-EDTA and transfected with the CRISPR/Cas DNA constructs by using the Amaxa Nucleofector system. For each experiment, 106 cells were transfected with 5 μg of CRISPR/Cas DNA constructs. After 72 hours post-transfection, cells were harvested, with half being used for genomic DNA isolation (for examining KO efficiency) and the other half for limited dilution for obtaining single-cell-derived colonies. With the Surveyor assay and a restriction enzyme digestion assay (successfully knocked-out cells lose the Dde I site in the HMG box of the Sry gene, rendering resistance to Dde I digestion), we demonstrated that the Sry KO efficiency was about 10% both in Argali and Romney sheep. By screening single-cell-derived colonies from the transfected Romney sheep cells, an Sry-KO cell line harboring a 2-nucleotide deletion in the HMG box was successfully established. Multiple vials of cells from this Sry-KO cell line have been cryopreserved and will be used for animal cloning via somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) in the sheep-breeding season this fall.
La paradoja de la obesidad, es hora de adoptar una perspectiva nueva sobre un paradigma antiguo

Desde que se publicara la primera descripcion de la relacion entre el aumento del indice de masa corporal (IMC) y la insuficiencia cardiaca (IC) en 2001, el IMC se ha utilizado en numerosos estudios como definicion de la obesidad y ha adquirido la reputacion de ser un buen indicador pronostico de la evolucion clinica de los pacientes con IC. Aproximadamente, dos terceras partes de los pacientes con IC presentan sobrepeso u obesidad (IMC 25). En ese primer estudio, en 1.203 pacientes con IC grave, Horwich et al indicaron que los pacientes con IC que tenian sobrepeso u obesidad (IMC > 27,8) presentaban una reduccion de la razon de riesgos de mortalidad a 5 anos ajustada segun el riesgo. Curtis et al, en 7.767 individuos con IC estable, observaron que los pacientes con IMC 30 habia mejor supervivencia. Gustafsson et al, en 4.700 pacientes con IC tanto sistolica como diastolica, observaron que a medida que aumentaba el valor del IMC en los cuatro grupos de estudio definidos segun este parametro (peso insuficiente, IMC 30), aumentaba tambien la probabilidad de supervivencia. En un metaanalisis de nueve estudios observacionales que sumaban mas de 28.000 pacientes con IC, se demostro que el IMC correspondiente al sobrepeso (25-29,9) y el correspondiente a la obesidad ( 30) se asociaban a una disminucion del riesgo de mortalidad del 16 y el 12% (ajustado respecto al riesgo), respectivamente, en comparacion con el IMC normal (20-24,9). Por otro lado, en un estudio de 1.929 pacientes con IC incluidos en un ensayo clinico, Anker et al definieron la caquexia como una perdida de mas del 6% del peso corporal de los individuos respecto a la situacion basal y, aplicando esa definicion, demostraron que la caquexia era el mas potente factor independiente de riesgo de mortalidad. En el estudio clinico mas amplio de su clase realizado en Espana en pacientes con IC y diagnostico de obesidad o de desnutricion, Zapatero et al evaluaron el impacto en la mortalidad de los individuos que presumiblemente se encontraban en ambos
Observation of the room-temperature 125Te Mössbauer effect in Mg3TeO6: Linewidth, recoil-free fraction, and isomer shift.

Fifty-eight-day $^{125}\mathrm{Te}^{\mathit{m}}$ in a ${\mathrm{Mg}}_{3}$${\mathrm{TeO}}_{6}$ host provides an easily produced, rugged, high recoil-free fraction and narrow-emission-linewidth source for $^{125}\mathrm{Te}$ M\"ossbauer spectroscopy. The high f factor of this source opens the possibility of precision T-dependent M\"ossbauer-spectroscopy measurements in Te-bearing compounds with the source kept at room temperature. Using such a source at 300 K, we have measured the T dependence of the f factor for both ${\mathrm{Mg}}_{3}$${\mathrm{TeO}}_{6}$ and cubic ZnTe absorbers and find Debye temperatures ${\mathit{FTHETA}}_{\mathit{D}}$ of 390(2) K and 188(2) K, respectively. At 300 K, the f factor of ${\mathrm{Mg}}_{3}$${\mathrm{TeO}}_{6}$ (0.46) is found to be an order of magnitude larger than in cubic ZnTe (0.040) thus making feasible room-temperature observation of the M\"ossbauer effect with the oxide source. Both emission and absorption linewidths of the oxide matrix have been examined and display a 14(3)% line broadening over the natural width (${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}}_{\mathit{n}}$), a result that is thought to be intrinsic to the oxide host. The isomer shift of Te metal (78 K) and cubic ZnTe (78 K) relative to ${\mathrm{Mg}}_{3}$${\mathrm{TeO}}_{6}$ at 300 K is +1.86(9) and +1.21(3) mm/s, respectively. ${\mathrm{Mg}}_{3}$${\mathrm{TeO}}_{6}$ is easily prepared in a pure form and yields reproducible crystal structure and M\"ossbauer-effect parameters. ${\mathrm{Mg}}_{3}$${\mathrm{TeO}}_{6}$ provides a suitable standard matrix for $^{125}\mathrm{Te}$ isomer shift and f-factor measurements.
In vivo calcium imaging to illuminate neurocircuit activity dynamics underlying naturalistic behavior.

In vivo Calcium Imaging to Illuminate Neurocircuit Activity Dynamics Underlying Naturalistic Behavior
IT resources, organizational capabilities, and value creation in public-sector organizations: a public-value management perspective

What value does information technology (IT) create in governments and how does it do so? While business value of IT has been extensively studied in the information systems field, this has not been the case for public value. This is in part due to a lack of theoretical bases for investigating IT value in the public sector. To address this issue, we present a conceptual model on the mechanism by which IT resources contribute to value creation in the public-sector organizations. We propose that the relationship between IT resources and organizational performance in governments is mediated by organizational capabilities and develop a theoretical model that delineates the paths from IT resources to organizational performance, drawing upon public-value management theory. This theory asserts that public managers, on behalf of the public, should actively strive to generate greater public value, as managers in the private sector seek to achieve greater private business value. On the basis of the review of public-value management literature, we suggest that the following five organizational capabilities mediate the relationship between IT resources and public value – public service delivery capability, public engagement capability, co-production capability, resource-building capability, and public-sector innovation capability. We argue that IT resources in public organizations can enable public managers to advance public-value frontiers by cultivating these five organizational capabilities and to overcome conflicts among competing values.
An application of vector GARCH model in semiconductor demand planning

Demand planning has been the key to supply chain management in semiconductor industry. With an appropriate weight assignment scheme, the planning accuracy resulting from combinational forecasts can be improved by merging several individual candidate methods. In this paper we discuss the applicability of vector generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH) model to determine the optimal combinational weights of component forecasts, where the conditional variances and correlations of forecast errors from candidate methods are represented and estimated by a maximum-likelihood procedure. The asymptotical properties of parameter estimators for GARCH model are investigated by simulation experiments. An example of the proposed method to real time series of electronic products demonstrates that this weight-varying combinational method produces less prediction errors, compared to other commonly used forecasting approaches that are based on single model selection criteria or fixed weights.
A note on the critical values used in stepwise tests for multiplicative components of interaction

A result is presented concerning the null distribution of a statistic used to determine the number of multiplicative components in a fixed two-way model. This result suggests critical values which are compared with previously suggested critical values.
Preliminary treatment planning and dosimetry for a clinical trial of neutron capture therapy using a fission converter epithermal neutron beam.

Abstract A Phase I/II clinical trial of neutron capture therapy (NCT) was conducted at Harvard–MIT using a fission converter epithermal neutron beam. This epithermal neutron beam has nearly ideal performance characteristics (high intensity and purity) and is well-suited for clinical use. Six glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients were treated with NCT by infusion of the tumor-selective amino acid boronophenylalanine-fructose (BPA-F) at a dose of 14.0 g/m 2 body surface area over 90 min followed by irradiation with epithermal neutrons. Treatments were planned using NCTPlan and an accelerated version of the Monte Carlo radiation transport code MCNP 4B. Treatments were delivered in two fractions with two or three fields. Field order was reversed between fractions to equalize the average blood boron concentration between fields. The initial dose in the dose escalation study was 7.0 RBE Gy, prescribed as the mean dose to the whole brain volume. This prescription dose was increased by 10% to 7.7 RBE Gy in the second cohort of patients. A pharmacokinetic model was used to predict the blood boron concentration for determination of the required beam monitor units with good accuracy; differences between prescribed and delivered doses were 1.5% or less. Estimates of average tumor doses ranged from 33.7 to 83.4 RBE Gy (median 57.8 RBE Gy), a substantial improvement over our previous trial where the median value of the average tumor dose was 25.8 RBE Gy.
Shadow speckle metrology.

A computer-based method is developed to measure the out-of-plane motion of a surface which might arise, for example, from the deflection of a structural component or as a result of contouring a 3-D surface with respect to a reference plane. Artificial speckles are projected onto the test surface using an ordinary 35-mm projector equipped with a clear glass slide sprayed with black paint. Speckle patterns are digitally recorded as the surface changes its shape, and the apparent in-plane movements of the projected speckle are computed over the full field by numerically correlating small subsets extracted from each pattern. These shifts are related to the deflection of the surface with respect to its initial location.
Elastic stability and buckling loads of multi-span nonuniform beams, shafts and frames on rigid or elastic supports by finite element method using planar uniform line elements

Abstract A numerical computer method using planar flexural finite line element for the determination of buckling loads of beams, shafts and frames supported by rigid or elastic bearings is presented. Buckling loads and the corresponding mode vectors are determined by the solution of a linear set of eigenvalue equations of elastic stability. The elastic stability matrix is determined as the product of the bifurcation sidesway flexibility matrix and the second order bifurcation sidesway stiffness matrix which is formed using the element bifurcation sidesway stiffness matrices. The bifurcation sidesway flexibility matrix is determined by partitioning the inverse of the global external stiffness matrix of the system which is formed from the element data using the element stiffness matrices. The method is directly applicable to the determination of the buckling loads of beams and frames partially or fully supported by elastic foundations where the foundation stiffness is approximated by a discrete set of springs. The method of the article provides means to consider complex boundary conditions in buckling problems with ease. Four numerical examples are included to illustrate the industrial applications of the contents of the article.
Aptamer-Functionalized Microgel Particles for Protein Detection

Highly sensitive and multiplexed detection of clinically relevant proteins in biologically complex samples is crucial for the advancement of clinical proteomics. In recent years, aptamers have emerged as useful tools for protein analysis due to their specificity and affinity for protein targets as well as their compatibility with particle-based detection systems. In this study, we demonstrate the highly sensitive detection of human α-thrombin on encoded hydrogel microparticles functionalized with an aptamer capture sequence. We use static imaging and microfluidic flow-through analysis techniques to evaluate the detection capabilities of the microgels in sandwich-assay formats that utilize both aptamers and antibodies for the reporting of target-binding events. Buffers and reagent concentrations were optimized to provide maximum reaction efficiency while still maintaining an assay with a simple workflow that can be easily adapted to the multiplexed detection of other clinically relevant proteins. The three...
Sensitive, real-time PCR detects low-levels of contamination by Legionella pneumophila in commercial reagents.

Abstract In a real-time PCR assay of Legionella pneumophila (targeting the L. pneumophila -specific mip gene and using SYBR Green dye for DNA detection in conjunction with the iCycler system) we detected as few as 1.3 copies of a mip gene in a 50-μl reaction from serially diluted L. pneumophila genomic DNA. However, cycle threshold (C T ) were yielded and DNA product detected in our no-template negative controls and the phenomenon persisted when two separate batches of PCR reagents and water from two different biochemical companies were tested. Since L. pneumophila can be widespread in municipal water supplies, the commercial reagents, especially the reagent water (80% of the reaction volume), could be the source of contamination. To test this hypothesis, we treated Millipore Milli-Q water by filtering through a 0.2 μm-pore-size polycarbonate filter to remove bacteria prior to autoclaving. Real-time PCR using this water had no contamination. Our finding is indirect evidence that commercially available purified water can harbor low level contamination by L. pneumophila DNA that has escaped purification processes. This presents a challenge when developing a sensitive DNA-based bacterial detection method if the target organism or its DNA is a common contaminant of necessary reagents.
Impacts of technological change on factor substitution between energy and other inputs within US agriculture, 1950-79.

Abstract Past efforts to estimate elasticities of substitution between inputs both in and out of agriculture have usually made use of a single data set to provide the elasticities between the input pairs, and have led to highly conflicting results, particularly with respect to the substitution between capital or machinery and energy. This study reveals that the elasticity of substitution between a number of input pairs in agriculture can vary by substantial amounts depending on the time period used for the estimation. Energy in agriculture, which was a complement for machinery in the 1950s, was a substitute by the 1970s.
Evaluation of fetal lungs and stomach in the determination of amniotic sac infection.

This study evaluated neutrophils in fetal lung/stomach, in association with chorioamnionitis. Reports/slides from fetuses 13–24 weeks with a confirmed histologic diagnosis of placental chorioamnionitis were reviewed. There were 94 cases with no neutrophils in the lungs or stomach, and 106 with neutrophils in lungs, stomach, or both (53%). Thirteen percent showed neutrophils in the lungs only. Fetuses with no neutrophils were older than those with neutrophils in the stomach only (p = 0.008). Neutrophils in fetal lungs/stomach are common, and may confirm chorioamnionitis when the placenta is not available. Submission of gastric sections increases identification of chorioamnionitis.
Unselfish genes? The quest to uncover genomic influences on prosocial behavior

In the current commentary, we discuss Stoltenberg and colleagues’ finding (reported in this issue) that variation in the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) is associated with prosocial behavior via effects on anxiety in social situations. We note how their results are consistent with evidence from the psychopharmacological literature and illustrate how a mediational framework can inform understanding of genetic and psychological associations, and we suggest that future studies that manipulate social context could further elucidate the relationship between genes involved in serotonin regulation and prosocial behavior.
The increasing onset of type 1 diabetes in children.

Objective To identify trends in the recent onset of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in Colorado youth seen at the Barbara Davis Center (BDC) and compare these changes over time. Study design A retrospective chart review was performed of patients ages 0-20 years at diagnosis of T1D and type 2 diabetes who were seen at the BDC, were living within Colorado at diagnosis, and were seen within 1 month of diagnosis between 1996 and 2010. The review included age of onset, sex, month and season of onset, islet autoantibodies, diabetes type, hemoglobin A1c level, and body mass index. Results Newly diagnosed youth with diabetes (n = 2841) were seen at the BDC between 1996 and 2010. Of these, 2686 (94.4%) had T1D. The number of newly diagnosed youth increased over the 15 years by 5.71% per year when adjusted for population (P Conclusion T1D in youth increased significantly from the late 1990s-2005 and has increased at a lesser rate more recently. Data suggests that even though T1D has increased in all age groups, the greatest increase was in the 5-9 year age category.
Between Secularist Ideology and Desecularizing Reality: The Birth and Growth of Religious Research in Communist China

Under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party, the scholarship of religious research in China has changed from virtual nonexistence in the first thirty years (1949-1979) to flourishing in the reform era (1979-present). Moreover, the predominant view on religion has moved away from militant atheism to a more scientific, objective and consequently more balanced approach to religion. This paper attempts to trace this intellectual history in China and to examine the role of academia in the religious scene. There are three distinct periods in this development: the domination of atheism from 1949 to 1979, the birth of religious research in the 1980s, and the growth of the scholarship in the 1990s, despite political restrictions. Religious research was intended by the government to serve atheist propaganda, but it grew into an independent academic discipline responsive to the desesularizing reality. [I was] overwhelmed by the total secularisation of a society and culture that once placed high value on religious shrines, festivals and symbols. During our visit [to China in 1972] we saw almost no evidence of surviving religious practice.... We saw no functioning Buddhist temples. Some of those we visited had been converted to use as tea houses, hostels or assembly halls; others were maintained as museums.... Some Chinese with whom we talked were curious about religion. They were amazed to learn that educated persons in the West continue to believe and practice religion. For them, they said, the study of scientific materialism had exposed the logical fallacies and absurdities of religion
Poor interrater reliability of MECTA EEG seizure duration measurement during ECT

Abstract Seizure duration assessed from the MECTA EEG (mEEG) tape was not found to be a reliable measurement across five independent examiners. Although all examiners agreed that an electrical seizure was demonstrated on the mEEG, the examiners were markedly different in their duration assessments (p
Urgency-driven, plug-in electric vehicle charging

In this work, we propose a strategy for managing the charging of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) that simultaneously avoids overloads and provides demand-based allocation of power distribution resources. The strategy leverages (1) a `power packet' approach which allocates charging for finite lengths of time and (2) a locally defined automaton where a user's `urgency' sets the request rate for charging. The charge management strategy requires very little communications between the PEV charger and the power distribution system. Furthermore, the system's charge manager is blind to which PEV is making the request thereby ensuring fairness and privacy. The work details possible implementations of the approach and illustrates the methodology through simulations.
Special relativistic Newtonian gravity

Newtonian gravity is modified minimally to obtain a Lorentz covariant theory of gravity in a background flat space. Gravity is assumed to appear as a potential. Constraint Hamiltonian dynamics is used to determine particle trajectories in a manifestly covariant fashion. The resulting theory is significantly different from the general theory of relativity. However, all known experimental results (precession of planetary orbits, bending of the path of light near the sun, and gravitational spectral shift) are still explained by this theory.
Assessment of aliphatic–aromatic copolyester biodegradable mulch films. Part I: Field study

The objective of this work was to study the use of new biodegradable films in agriculture under open field conditions. Three biodegradable mulch films made from modified biodegradable polyester of different thicknesses and colors (black and white) and a conventional low density polyethylene (LDPE) mulch film were used to cover the beds of tomato plants. Changes in physical appearance of the films were recorded as well as changes in their mechanical, optical, and physical properties. Once tomato harvest was completed, the conventional LDPE mulch film was removed and all the tomato plants were cut using a mower. The biodegradable mulch films were plowed into the soil. The change in the appearance of the film was recorded and samples of each film after plowing were characterized according to the properties mentioned above. After the biodegradable films photodegraded, cross-link formation occurred within the films which promoted brittleness. Titanium dioxide, an additive used to produce white color in the films, catalyzed the photodegradation, while carbon black used for black color stabilized the photodegradation. The white films started to degrade after two weeks while it took about eight weeks for the black films to significantly degrade. The black biodegradable film seems to be a more promising alternative as a mulch film because of the comparable yields and weed suppression ability to conventional mulch film.
The diffusion of hydrogen in silicon and mechanisms for “unintentional” hydrogenation during ion beam processing

Experiments are described in which hydrogen is injected into silicon by various techniques and detected by the neutralization of boron acceptor sites. Wet chemical etching is shown to inject protons several microns in a few seconds; this experiment is used to set a lower limit on the diffusivity of hydrogen of ⋍2⊠10−11 cm2/s at 300 K, a number in reasonable agreement with prior estimates deduced by Van Wieririgen and Warmholtz from high-temperature permeation measurements. A number of experiments are reported to elucidate the mechanism for “unintentional” hydrogenation occurring during argon ion bombardment. The data suggest that this effect is caused by bombardment-induced injection of hydrogen from surface H2O/hydrocarbon contaminants.
Free tram flap breast reconstruction after skin-sparing mastectomy

Skin-sparing mastectomy offers many advantages to the patient who is undergoing mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction. Breast skin that is not involved with tumor is preserved for use in the reconstruction, not only providing coverage but also helping to correctly shape and position the breast. Visible scarring and skin replacement are reduced, improving the cosmetic outcome. Subcutaneous fat preservation also reduces the amount of tissue required for adequate breast mound reconstruction, a factor that can be important in thin patients who are undergoing bilateral reconstruction with TRAM flaps. The free TRAM flap, with splitting and partial preservation of the muscle, is my preferred technique of reconstruction for most patients because it combines well-vascularized autologous tissue with acceptable (and minimal) donor site morbidity. For patients who do not need more than 65% of the TRAM flap to reconstruct an adequate breast mound, however, the DIEP flap can be a good alternative.
COMPLEX INTERACTIONS IN A STREAMSIDE PLANT COMMUNITY

Ecologists are increasingly finding that complex combinations of competitive and facilitative interactions influence the distribution and abundance of plants. I conducted a two-year field experiment to explore these processes in a streamside community lining the South Fork Eel River in northern California. Specifically, I tested the hypothesis that the sedge Carex nudata provides critical stable substrate for other plants during winter floods and protection from herbivores over the growing season. In addition to these facil- itative effects, Carex is also hypothesized to compete with the associated species, and thus limit their size and reproduction. To evaluate these hypotheses, I followed the performance of transplanted individuals of Mimulus guttatus, M. cardinalis, Juncus covillei, Conocephalum conicum, and Brach- ythecium frigidum and naturally occurring individuals of Epipactis gigantea on Carex tussocks with dense, thinned, pinned back, or completely clipped Carex stems. The five transplanted species were also planted directly onto the emergent streambed. Though stream- bed transplants grew as well as those on tussocks over the summer, they experienced significantly greater winter mortality, up to 100%, supporting the hypothesis that tussocks provide a critical stable substrate. In contrast, growing season competition by Carex reduced biomass by over 50% for five of the six species and reduced reproductive performance by over 60%. Also, over the growing season, Carex protected M. guttatus and Epipactis from insect larvae and deer, respectively, reducing herbivory by >75%. Additional results from a deer exclosure treatment showed that the positive effects of this "associational defense" were equal in magnitude to the negative effects of Carex competition on Epipactis biomass. The mechanisms underlying these associational defenses and the implications of my results for the relationship between disturbance and facilitation are discussed. I suggest that re- garding plant interactions as combinations of facilitative and competitive components may enhance our understanding of natural communities.
An Architecture for Network Operations and Management Based on State and Services

This paper describes an architecture for network management that bridges the domains of operations support systems (OSS) and network monitoring systems (NMS) by means of information grid concepts and web services practices. Central to this architecture are the expanded definition and use of system state and the expanded reliance on semantic reasoning. The recent availability of open and collaborative tools will accelerate the development of the system described herein, known as State-Based Network Management.
Absolute and relative growth of the rat craniofacial skeleton

Abstract Growth of the craniofacial region involves a mosaic of intramembranous and endochondral growth sites that grow at varying rates and mature at different times. Objective: The goal of this study was to compare absolute and relative growth of the craniofacial skeleton in wild-type Lewis rats to measures of somatic growth. Design: Lateral and dorsoventral X-rays of the head as well as the hindlimb were obtained weekly from 4 to 9 weeks of age. The X-rays were scanned, digitized, and selected linear distances were measured between points. Multilevel statistical models were used to generate absolute growth curves. Results: Although most growth curves were linear, several were quadratic (exhibiting a deceleration with age), and one displayed a third-order curve. Considerable variation in relative maturity was evident at the first time interval, ranging from 42% of mature (9 week) size (weight) to 97% of mature size (cranial width). Tibial length and body weight were less mature than most, but not all, craniofacial measures. With one exception (bizygomatic width), width measures were relatively more mature than vertical or depth measures. Vertical measures tended to be among the least mature of the craniofacial dimensions. Among the depth (length) measurements, there was a trend of higher maturity for cranial vault/cranial base measures and lower maturity for facial measures. Conclusions: The wide spectrum of relative and absolute growth potentials demonstrated in this study indicate that the rodent craniofacial complex is amenable to testing the hypothesis that a component’s response potential is related to its growth potential.
Band theory for order-disorder phase transformations: CuAu

We present a band theory for the internal energy of binary alloys which undergo order-disorder transformations. The general method involves the self-consistent solution of a tight-binding Hartree Hamiltonian in the presence of both long- and short-range-order correlations through the use of an extended cluster-Bethe-lattice method. A complete scheme for the derivation of the alloy thermodynamics is obtained by coupling the electronic theory to the cluster-variation combinatorial theory for the alloy configurational entropy. The theory is applied to the study of the CuAu order-disorder transition and comparisons are made to existing data and Ising models.
Style Grammars for Interactive Visualization of Architecture

Interactive visualization of architecture provides a way to quickly visualize existing or novel buildings and structures. Such applications require both fast rendering and an effortless input regimen for creating and changing architecture using high-level editing operations that automatically fill in the necessary details. Procedural modeling and synthesis is a powerful paradigm that yields high data amplification and can be coupled with fast-rendering techniques to quickly generate plausible details of a scene without much or any user interaction. Previously, forward generating procedural methods have been proposed where a procedure is explicitly created to generate particular content. In this paper, we present our work in inverse procedural modeling of buildings and describe how to use an extracted repertoire of building grammars to facilitate the visualization and quick modification of architectural structures and buildings. We demonstrate an interactive application where the user draws simple building blocks and, using our system, can automatically complete the building "in the style of other buildings using view-dependent texture mapping or nonphotorealistic rendering techniques. Our system supports an arbitrary number of building grammars created from user subdivided building models and captured photographs. Using only edit, copy, and paste metaphors, the entire building styles can be altered and transferred from one building to another in a few operations, enhancing the ability to modify an existing architectural structure or to visualize a novel building in the style of the others.
Haloenol Lactone Is a New Isozyme-selective and Active Site-directed Inactivator of Glutathione S-Transferase

Abstract A haloenol lactone derivative has been synthesized and found to be an isozyme-selective and active site-directed inactivator of glutathione S-transferase (GST). Preincubation of the haloenol lactone (100 μM) with murine Alpha, Mu, or Pi GST isozyme (1.0 μM) at pH 6.5, 37°C resulted in time-dependent loss of enzyme activity with highly selective inhibition of the Pi isozyme (t1/2, ∼ 2 min). In a separate experiment, a 10-fold excess of the lactone was incubated with GST-Pi isozyme at 37°C for 3 h, followed by dialysis against Nanopure water. GST activity lost upon incubation with the lactone could not be restored by exhaustive dialysis, and only 8% of enzyme activity for the modified GST remained relative to the control that was treated identically except the lactone was omitted from the incubation. Both control and modified GST were characterized using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. No native GST (23,478 Da) was observed in the spectrum of modified GST. Instead, protein incubated with the lactone exhibited an increase in molecular mass of 230 Da relative to control GST. The lactone (100 μM) was incubated with GST Pi isozyme (1.0 μM) in the presence of the competitive inhibitor S-hexylglutathione (10 μM), which suppressed time-dependent inhibition of GST by the lactone. The results suggest that this haloenol lactone is an irreversible and active site-directed inhibitor of GST that appears to inhibit the enzyme through two consecutive steps of nucleophilic attack.
The Contributions of Neuromarketing in Marketing Research

Significant advances in neuroscience in the last couple of decades are finally bringing us closer to a place we have never been before inside the human mind. Research is able to measure brain movement and emotions to see how brain works. Conventional marketing tools have proven to be limited when testing human subjects and have frequently been criticized for their inability to assess consumers’ motivations. Although neuromarketing is gaining popularity among professionals and academicians, there are still reservations when it comes to the function of neuromarketing and its level of information accuracy. The emerging field of emotions as a physiological state in marketing has established itself as an important source for marketers and academic research. This article reviews the history of neuromarketing, describes its applications, depicts the challenges in its implementation, and hence explores potential elucidation to ensure effective uses that remain underexplored.
Metabolizable Energy of Supplemental Fat as Related to Dietary Fat Level and Methods of Estimation

Abstract White Leghorn laying hens were fed practical diets containing 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30% yellow grease. The nitrogen-corrected metabolizable energy (ME) of yellow grease was estimated from apparent digestibility data and from ME’s of the diet determined experimentally. The ME’s of yellow grease were consistently higher when dietary ME data were used in the calculations than when lipid digestibility data were used (8380, 8770, 8567, 9050, 8408, and 8473 kcal/kg vs. 8360, 8344, 8278, 8456, 8212, and 8540 kcal/kg for diets containing 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30% fat, respectively). A comparison also is presented of ME values for yellow grease obtained by conventional calculation or by use of regression analysis. Regardless of the method of calculation, the ME data indicated that supplemental yellow grease exerted an extrametabolic effect on dietary ME, although the magnitude of this effect varied with the mathematical approach used.