cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Estrogen and Progesterone Receptors: An Overview From the Year 2000

Our current understanding of the steroid/thyroid superfamily of ligand-dependent nuclear transcription factors now involves specific domains for steroid ligand binding, receptor homo- and heterodimer formation, the association of transcription mediators or adaptors that activate, repress, or integrate competing influences, interaction with the hormone response element, transcription modulation based on the components of the transcriptional complex, and intracellular trafficking. Various ligands, including selective hormone receptor modulators, interact with transcriptional mediators in both ligand- and tissue-specific manners, thus multiplying the variety and complexity of interactions substantially. Transcriptional mediators, selective hormone receptor modulators, and varying isoforms of nuclear receptors and their tissue-specific interactions will be a major focus of research in the future. This symposium assembles many of the investigators presently elucidating our understanding of nuclear receptors as we move into the next millennium.
Evaluation and treatment of pulsatile tinnitus associated with sigmoid sinus wall anomalies.

Objective Describe clinical and radiographic features of sigmoid sinus wall anomalies (SSWA) associated with pulsatile tinnitus (PT) and determine factors predictive of response to surgery. Methods Preoperative diagnostic imaging and treatment response were reviewed after surgical repair of 40 ears among 38 consecutive patients presenting with PT associated with SSWA who underwent transtemporal sinus wall reconstruction. Results Twenty-three ears had isolated sigmoid sinus dehiscence, and 17 had diverticulum. The rates of transverse sinus stenosis (TSS) and empty sella, 66% and 32% respectively, were significantly higher than in historical controls (P = 0.02 and 0.001). Thirty-six out of 40 subjects (90%) had complete resolution of their PT following surgery, including all those with a diverticulum. For subjects with dehiscence alone without diverticulum, a favorable response to surgery was strongly associated with the presence of TSS (P = 0.01) and empty sella (P = 0.02). Conclusion Sigmoid sinus diverticulum and dehiscence are a clinically important cause of PT. Women of childbearing age with an elevated body mass index (BMI) are commonly affected, and there is a high rate of associated TSS and empty sella. Transtemporal sinus wall reconstruction has a high rate of success in appropriately selected patients. Patients with isolated sinus wall dehiscence without diverticulum, TSS, or empty sella are less likely to respond to transtemporal sinus wall reconstruction. These data imply a multifactorial cause of PT in at least some patients with SSWA. Level of evidence 4 Laryngoscope, 128:S1-S13, 2018.
Nerve Grafting at Radical Retropubic Prostatectomy: Rationale, Technique, and Results

While cavernous nerve preservation is ideal for optimal recovery of erectile function after radical prostatectomy, unilateral or bilateral nerve resection may be necessary in a given individual at increased risk for extracapsular extension in order to achieve a negative surgical margin. In such patients cavernous nerve grafting with autogenous sural or genitofemoral nerve may improve recovery of erectile function. While pilot studies demonstrated efficacy in over 40% of men undergoing bilateral nerve grafting, more recent data have been more sobering with only 11% of men undergoing bilateral nerve grafting able to consistently obtain adequate erections. A randomized trial of unilateral nerve grafting has demonstrated no significant improvement in potency with unilateral sural nerve grafting. Ultimately, a randomized trial of bilateral nerve grafting will be necessary to determine its role in the management of men needing bilateral nerve resection at the time of radical prostatectomy.
SNR-weighted regularization of ADC estimates from double-echo in steady-state (DESS).

Purpose To improve the homogeneity and consistency of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) estimates in cartilage from the double-echo in steady-state (DESS) sequence by applying SNR-weighted regularization during post-processing. Methods An estimation method that linearizes ADC estimates from DESS is used in conjunction with a smoothness constraint to suppress noise-induced variation in ADC estimates. Simulations, phantom scans, and in vivo scans are used to demonstrate how the method reduces ADC variability. Conventional diffusion-weighted echo-planar imaging (DW EPI) maps are acquired for comparison of mean and standard deviation (SD) of the ADC estimate. Results Simulations and phantom scans demonstrated that the SNR-weighted regularization can produce homogenous ADC maps at varying levels of SNR, whereas non-regularized maps only estimate ADC accurately at high SNR levels. The in vivo maps showed that the SNR-weighted regularization produced ADC maps with similar heterogeneity to maps produced with standard DW EPI, but without the distortion of such reference scans. Conclusion A linear approximation of a simplified model of the relationship between DESS signals allows for fast SNR-weighted regularization of ADC maps that reduces estimation error in relatively short T2 tissue such as cartilage.
Experimental observations of bands of suspended colloidal particles subject to shear flow and steady electric field

Manipulating suspended colloidal particles flowing through a microchannel is of interest in microfluidics and nanotechnology. However, the flow itself can affect the dynamics of these suspended particles via wall-normal “lift” forces. The near-wall dynamics of particles suspended in shear flow and subject to a dc electric field was quantified in combined Poiseuille and EO flow through a ~ 30 μm deep channel. When the two flows are in opposite directions, the particles are attracted to the wall. They then assemble into very high aspect ratio structures, or concentrated streamwise “bands,” above a minimum electric field magnitude, and, it appears, a minimum near-wall shear rate. These bands only exist over the few micrometers next to the wall and are roughly periodic in the cross-stream direction, although there are no external forces along this direction. Experimental observations and dimensional analysis of the time for the first band to form and the number of bands over a field of view of ~ 200 μm are presented for dilute suspensions of polystyrene particles over a range of particle radii, concentrations, and zeta potentials. To our knowledge, there is no theoretical explanation for band assembly, but the results presented here demonstrate that it occurs over a wide range of different particle and flow parameters.
MESOSPHERE | Polar Summer Mesopause

Synopsis The summer polar mesosphere is one of the most fascinating regions of the atmosphere. In full sunlight, the temperature reaches as low as 100 K, far colder than all but a few regions in the solar system. Even though the upper atmosphere is freeze dried, enough water still remains to allow ice crystals to form around meteoric dust particles, leading to the formation of the highest clouds on earth (near 85 km), which form beautiful structures seen in the polar twilight. Interestingly, these clouds were never reported until the end of the nineteenth century and have increased throughout the twentieth century. Many researchers relate this phenomenon to atmospheric change since, as the lower atmosphere heats up, the upper atmosphere cools. In addition, since methane is the main cause of hydrogen in mesospheric water vapor, its increase is a factor in the formation of these clouds. Increased interest in this region was due in part to the huge radar target this region exhibits, 10 000 000 times as large as elsewhere outside of the polar summer. Explanation of these signals has led to a new understanding of the role of dust in a plasma.
Handbook of item response theory: volume two, statistical tools: edited by Wim J. van der Linden, Boca Raton, FL, CRC Press, 2016, 427 + xxv pp., $136.49 (paperback), ISBN: 978-1-4665-1432-4

There are three volumes in the series on this topic: item response theory (IRT). What is it? Based on scores in a battery of questions in Psychometrics, IRT is a paradigm for designing, analyzing, ...
Conceptual Models for the Input and Partitioning of Organic Compounds in Seedling-Microbe-Soil Systems and Physicochemical Properties of Organic Compounds with an Emphasis on Phenolic Acids

This chapter describes conceptual models for system sources (inputs) and partitioning (sinks) of hydrophilic, hydrophobic and volatile organic compounds for seedling-microbe-soil systems. Describes physicochemical properties of organic compounds with an emphasis on phenolic acids that may be useful in understanding and quantifying the behavior of individual organic compounds, actually molecules, in seedling-microbe-soil systems.
Targeted disruption of the endogenous zebrafish rhodopsin locus as models of rapid rod photoreceptor degeneration

Purpose Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a collection of genetic disorders that results in the degeneration of light-sensitive photoreceptor cells, leading to blindness. RP is associated with more than 70 loci that may display dominant or recessive modes of inheritance, but mutations in the gene encoding the visual pigment rhodopsin (RHO) are the most frequent cause. In an effort to develop precise mutations in zebrafish as novel models of photoreceptor degeneration, we describe the generation and germline transmission of a series of novel clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9-induced insertion and deletion (indel) mutations in the major zebrafish rho locus, rh1-1. Methods One- or two-cell staged zebrafish embryos were microinjected with in vitro transcribed mRNA encoding Cas9 and a single guide RNA (gRNA). Mutations were detected by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and DNA sequence analyses in injected embryos and offspring. Immunolabeling with rod- and cone-specific antibodies was used to test for histological and cellular changes. Results Using gRNAs that targeted highly conserved regions of rh1-1, a series of dominant and recessive alleles were recovered that resulted in the rapid degeneration of rod photoreceptors. No effect on cones was observed. Targeting the 5'-coding sequence of rh1-1 led to the recovery of several indels similar to disease-associated alleles. A frame shift mutation leading to a premature stop codon (T17*) resulted in rod degeneration when brought to homozygosity. Immunoblot and fluorescence labeling with a Rho-specific antibody suggest that this is indeed a null allele, illustrating that the Rho expression is essential for rod survival. Two in-frame mutations were recovered that disrupted the highly conserved N-linked glycosylation consensus sequence at N15. Larvae heterozygous for either of the alleles demonstrated rapid rod degeneration. Targeting of the 3'-coding region of rh1-1 resulted in the recovery of an allele encoding a premature stop codon (S347*) upstream of the conserved VSPA sorting sequence and a second in-frame allele that disrupted the putative phosphorylation site at S339. Both alleles resulted in rod death in a dominant inheritance pattern. Following the loss of the targeting sequence, immunolabeling for Rho was no longer restricted to the rod outer segment, but it was also localized to the plasma membrane. Conclusions The efficiency of CRISPR/Cas9 for gene targeting, coupled with the large number of mutations associated with RP, provided a backdrop for the rapid isolation of novel alleles in zebrafish that phenocopy disease. These novel lines will provide much needed in-vivo models for high throughput screens of compounds or genes that protect from photoreceptor degeneration.
The optimal way of folding a bond notebook page into a bookmark

The article explores a simple yet interesting geometric problem: how to fold a notebook page so it is the most visible when the notebook is closed (i.e., as a bookmark). We start with a square page, then proceed to the rectangular page. When an additional constraint is added to limit the vertical extent of the rectangular page, the problem shows the first-order phase transition: the optimal way of folding changes drastically when the aspect ratio of the page exceeds the critical value of about $1.20711$.
Advancing performance of passive downdraft cooling: results from built prototypes of single stage and hybrid downdraft cooling towers

This research aims to advance performance of the single stage passive downdraft evaporative cooling tower (PDECT) and expand its applicability beyond the hot dry conditions where it is typically fo...
Controlled trial of lovastatin combined with an open-label treatment of a parent-implemented language intervention in youth with fragile X syndrome

The purpose of this study was to conduct a 20-week controlled trial of lovastatin (10 to 40 mg/day) in youth with fragile X syndrome (FXS) ages 10 to 17 years, combined with an open-label treatment of a parent-implemented language intervention (PILI), delivered via distance video teleconferencing to both treatment groups, lovastatin and placebo. A randomized, double-blind trial was conducted at one site in the Sacramento, California, metropolitan area. Fourteen participants were assigned to the lovastatin group; two participants terminated early from the study. Sixteen participants were assigned to the placebo group. Lovastatin or placebo was administered orally in a capsule form, starting at 10 mg and increasing weekly or as tolerated by 10 mg increments, up to a maximum dose of 40 mg daily. A PILI was delivered to both groups for 12 weeks, with 4 activities per week, through video teleconferencing by an American Speech-Language Association-certified Speech-Language Pathologist, in collaboration with a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst. Parents were taught to use a set of language facilitation strategies while interacting with their children during a shared storytelling activity. The main outcome measures included absolute change from baseline to final visit in the means for youth total number of story-related utterances, youth number of different word roots, and parent total number of story-related utterances. Significant increases in all primary outcome measures were observed in both treatment groups. Significant improvements were also observed in parent reports of the severity of spoken language and social impairments in both treatment groups. In all cases, the amount of change observed did not differ across the two treatment groups. Although gains in parental use of the PILI-targeted intervention strategies were observed in both treatment groups, parental use of the PILI strategies was correlated with youth gains in the placebo group and not in the lovastatin group. Participants in both groups demonstrated significant changes in the primary outcome measures. The magnitude of change observed across the two groups was comparable, providing additional support for the efficacy of the use of PILI in youth with FXS. US National Institutes of Health (ClinicalTrials.gov), NCT02642653. Registered 12/30/2015.
Capacity Allocation in Queuing Systems with Preferred Service Completion Times

Retailers use a variety of mechanisms to enable sales and delivery. A relatively new offering by companies is curbside pickup where customers purchase goods online, schedule a pickup time, and come to a pickup facility to receive their orders. To model this new service structure, we consider a queuing system where each arriving job has a preferred service completion time. Unlike most queuing systems, we make a strategic decision for when to serve each job based on their requested times and the associated costs. We assume that all jobs must be served before or on their requested time period, and the jobs are outsourced when the capacity is insufficient. Costs are incurred for jobs that are outsourced or served early. For small systems, we show that optimal capacity allocation policies are of threshold type. For general systems, we devise heuristic policies based on similar threshold structures. Our numerical study investigates the performance of the heuristics developed and shows the robustness of them with respect to several service parameters. Our results provide insights on how the optimal long-run average costs change based on the capacity of the system, the length of the planning horizon, cost parameters and the order pattern.
Safety of Axicabtagene Ciloleucel for the Treatment of Relapsed or Refractory Large B-Cell Lymphoma.

Abstract Background Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Recent advances in immunotherapy have resulted in the development of chimeric antigen receptor–modified T-cell (CAR-T) therapy, such as axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel). However, axi-cel administration is not without risks of toxicity. Patients and Methods This retrospective study of 37 patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma evaluated the incidence and severity of common and severe safety events after axi-cel treatment in a real-world setting. Ninety percent of patients had received 3 or more prior lines of therapy (median prior therapies 3, range 2-7) before receiving CAR-T therapy, and 32.4% had relapsed after prior stem-cell transplantation. Results All but one patient experienced cytokine release syndrome (CRS) of any grade (97.3%). Of those 36 patients, 83.3% experienced maximum CRS grade of 1 or 2, occurring after a median of 27 hours and persisting for a median of 6 days. Twenty-seven patients (73.0%) experienced neurotoxicity of any grade. Of those 27 patients, 96.3% experienced maximum neurotoxicity grade of 2 or higher, occurring after a median of 145 hours (6 days) and persisting for a median of 7 days. All 10 patients aged 65 or older had neurotoxicity of grade 2 or higher, compared to 59.3% (11/27) under age 65 (P = .02). Patients with baseline Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status score of 2 were significantly more likely to have shorter time to neurotoxicity compared to patients with performance status of 0 (P = .01). Conclusion With more real-life experience and data, we will be able to define and refine management of toxicities unique to CAR-T therapy.
Increased Association of Deamidated αA-N101D with Lens membrane of transgenic αAN101D vs. wild type αA mice: potential effects on intracellular ionic imbalance and membrane disorganization.

We have generated two mouse models, in one by inserting the human lens αAN101D transgene in CRYαAN101D mice, and in the other by inserting human wild-type αA-transgene in CRYαAWT mice. The CRYαAN101D mice developed cortical cataract at about 7-months of age relative to CRYαAWT mice. The objective of the study was to determine the following relative changes in the lenses of CRYαAN101D- vs. CRYαAWT mice: age-related changes with specific emphasis on protein insolubilization, relative membrane-association of αAN101D vs. WTαA proteins, and changes in intracellular ionic imbalance and membrane organization. Lenses of varying ages from CRYαAWT and CRYαAN101D mice were compared for an age-related protein insolubilization. The relative lens membrane-association of the αAN101D- and WTαA proteins in the two types of mice was determined by immunohistochemical-, immunogold-labeling-, and western blot analyses. The relative levels of membrane-binding of recombinant αAN101D- and WTαA proteins was determined by an in vitro assay, and the levels of intracellular Ca2+ uptake and Na, K-ATPase mRNA were determined in the cultured epithelial cells from lenses of the two types of mice. Compared to the lenses of CRYαAWT, the lenses of CRYαAN101D mice exhibited: (A) An increase in age-related protein insolubilization beginning at about 4-months of age. (B) A greater lens membrane-association of αAN101D- relative to WTαA protein during immunogold-labeling- and western blot analyses, including relatively a greater membrane swelling in the CRYαAN101D lenses. (C) During in vitro assay, the greater levels of binding αAN101D- relative to WTαA protein to membranes was observed. (D) The 75% lower level of Na, K-ATPase mRNA but 1.5X greater Ca2+ uptake were observed in cultured lens epithelial cells of CRYαAN101D- than those of CRYαAWT mice. The results show that an increased lens membrane association of αAN101D-−relative WTαA protein in CRYαAN101D mice than CRYαAWT mice occurs, which causes intracellular ionic imbalance, and in turn, membrane swelling that potentially leads to cortical opacity.
What's In It for the Learners? Evidence from a Randomized Field Experiment on Learnersourcing Questions in a MOOC

Question generation as a form of learnersourcing is both a metacognitive learning activity for students that encourages the development of higher-order thinking skills and a method for producing question banks and assessments. To better understand the motivations for learners who engage in learnersourcing and its impacts on student learning, we conducted an experiment that measured the effects of Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) generation in an introductory data science MOOC. We compared two approaches to question generation: (i) as a required activity, and (ii) as an optional activity. In both cases, the learnersourcing activity was part of the student summative evaluation. We found that learners value creating questions more, and create higher quality questions when they choose to do so compared to when it is required. At the same time there is a significant reduction in instructor evaluation workload in large-scale courses when learners engage by choice due to self-selection. Thus, we propose choice-based learnersourcing as a new form of scalable personalized learning design for MOOCs in particular. In addition, we contribute an exploration of the factors that influence learner choice to create (or not create) an MCQ, which can help contextualize the propensity of learners to engage in such learnersourcing activities.
Genetic Knowledge and Communication Among Mexican Farmworkers and Non-farmworkers in North Carolina.

It is important to understand genetics within the context of health. This paper assesses (a) genetic knowledge among Mexican-born farmworker and non-farmworker adults; (b) their interpersonal and device sources of genetic knowledge; and (c) the association between their genetic knowledge and the sources of this genetic knowledge. Interviews were conducted with Mexican-born farmworkers (100) and non-farmworkers (100) in North Carolina. Participants answered 15 questions to assess genetic knowledge, and sources from which they had seen or heard about genes and genetics. Results show limited knowledge of genetics, with farmworkers and non-farmworkers providing a similar level of correct responses (6.6 versus 7.3), but with farmworkers providing more incorrect responses (4.0 versus 2.7). Important sources of genetic information for farmworkers were promotoras (47%), compared to teachers (49%) for non-farmworkers. This study demonstrates a need for increased dissemination of genetic information to Mexican-origin farmworkers and non-farmworkers.
Drug repurposing of dextromethorphan as a cellular target for the management of influenza.

BACKGROUND Influenza viruses are responsible for seasonal epidemics and sporadic pandemics of varying severity in humans, and additional treatment options are needed. High-throughput siRNA screens and a pre-clinical research model demonstrated that dextromethorphan (DM) has anti-viral activity as a cellular target for treatment of influenza. This study examined DM usage and hospitalization rates among patients with laboratory-confirmed influenza in a national cohort of United States veterans. We aimed to evaluate the potential drug repurposing of DM as a cellular target for the management of influenza utilizing a large, national claims and electronic health record database. METHODS This retrospective drug-disease association cohort study was conducted using data from the Veterans Affairs Informatics and Computing Infrastructure (VINCI). We used a cohort with laboratory-confirmed diagnosis of influenza and international classification of disease (ICD)-9/10 diagnosis codes of fever, cough, influenza, or acute upper respiratory infection in an outpatient setting. The study outcome is inpatient hospitalization (all-cause and respiratory) within 30 days of influenza diagnosis. We estimated the relative risk for all-cause and respiratory hospitalizations using Poisson generalized linear model (GLM) and a greedy nearest neighbor propensity score 1:1 matched sub-analysis for both hospitalization models. FINDINGS A total of 18,677 patients met the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were evaluated in our study. The cohorts consisted of 2801 patients dispensed DM and 15,876 untreated patients (no DM). The Poisson GLM adjusted for covariates demonstrated a relative risk reduction of 34% for all-cause hospitalizations (Relative Risk (RR) 0.66, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.525-0.832) and 40% for respiratory hospitalizations (RR 0.597, 95% CI 0.423-0.843) in patients with influenza treated with DM. CONCLUSION Influenza viruses continue to emerge and cause infection (including pandemics) in humans, so there remains a critical need to advance the understanding of influenza treatment. Our results demonstrated reduced hospitalization rates for influenza patients treated with DM. Further research on cellular targets and/or DM is warranted for the treatment of influenza.
Testing for Intermediate Outputs in Dynamic DEA Models: Accounting for Soil Capital in Rotational Crop Production and Productivity Measures

Inagricultural production, a stylized fact known as the rotationeffect says crop rotations generate higher yields or productivitythan identical crops grown in isolated monocultures. This paperdevelops a dynamic data envelopment analysis (DEA) model of cropproduction that accounts for the rotation effect. The model isapplied to data from an experimental farm in Pennsylvania toinvestigate the role soil capital plays in observed productivitygrowth and the rotation effect.
Towards Automated Game Design

Game generation systems perform automated, intelligent design of games (i.e.videogames, boardgames), reasoning about both the abstract rule system of the game and the visual realization of these rules. Although, as an instance of the problem of creative design, game generation shares some common research themes with other creative AI systems such as story and art generators, game generation extends such work by having to reason about dynamic, playableartifacts. Like AI work on creativity in other domains, work on game generation sheds light on the human game design process, offering opportunities to make explicit the tacit knowledge involved in game design and test game design theories. Finally, game generation enables new game genres which are radically customized to specific players or situations; notable examples are cell phone games customized for particular users and newsgames providing commentary on current events. We describe an approach to formalizing game mechanics and generating games using those mechanics, using WordNet and ConceptNet to assist in performing common-sense reasoning about game verbs and nouns. Finally, we demonstrate and describe in detail a prototype that designs micro-games in the style of Nintendo's WarioWareseries.
Empirical Study of a 3D Visualization for Information Retrieval Tasks

There are many challenges to visualizing information including choosing between 2D and 3D interfaces, navigation and interaction methods, and selecting an appropriate level of detail. Visualizing information retrieval (IR) search results, including Web search engine results, poses additional challenges, notably the determination of appropriate relative locations for terms and document in a visual display. Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) and related techniques offer approaches to visualizing relations among terms and documents. In this work, “information space” is presented as a framework for discussing relations among terms and documents, and a technique related to LSI is utilized to generate information spaces from IR search results. This paper provides an overview of more than three decades of work on information visualization, identifying several trends and some relatively unexplored areas. An experimental evaluation of a prototype interface for visualizing IR results is described. Results indicate that the 3D navigation interface for IR search results was usable, but that subjects had difficulty with some aspects. Further study and development of 2D and 3D methods for interacting with retrieval search results is suggested.
Using the World Wide Web for teaching control systems design

The chemical engineering laboratories at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga have been made available for students to use via the World Wide Web. Students can conduct lab experiments from remote sites. This paper describes the hardware and software that is used for this facility and discusses strengths and "opportunities for improvement" that have been observed in this development.
CP Violation in Hyperon Decays

In this talk we review the status of the theoretical estimates for CP violating asymmetries in non-leptonic hyperon decays.
Degradation and metal composition of hepatic isometallothioneins in rats.

Abstract Recently, our laboratory demonstrated that metallothionein-1 (MT-1) is degraded faster than metallothionein-2 (MT-2) in liver of Zn-treated adult rats; however, it is not clear whether this phenomenon is unique to Zn treatment or the age of the animal. Furthermore, many investigators maintain that the degradation of MT is regulated by its metal composition. The objective of this study was twofold: (1) to determine if MT-1 is more susceptible than MT-2 to proteolytic breakdown regardless of age or chemical pretreatment and (2) to examine the hypothesis that the amount and type of metals bound to MT influences its resistance to degradation. Pulse-labeling experiments were conducted to determine the half-lives of MT-1 and MT-2 in liver of adult rats (75-day-old), immature rats (1-day-old), and mature rats treated with single dosages of Zn (1 mmol/kg, sc), Cd (10 μmol/kg, sc), or ethanol (109 mmol/kg, po). Atomic absorption spectrometry was utilized to measure the Zn, Cu, and Cd contents of MT-1 and MT-2 obtained in selected experimental groups. MT-1 had a shorter half-life than MT-2 in Zn-treated adults (21 vs 33 hr) and in nontreated immature rats (49 vs 73 hr). In contrast, the half-life values of MT-1 and MT-2 were identical in nontreated adults (4 hr) and ethanol-treated adults (9 hr) and nearly identical in Cd-treated adults (58 and 61 hr, respectively). Both isoforms obtained from immature rats and adults treated with Zn or ethanol contained approximately 6.0 g atoms Zn/mol MT, trace levels of Cu, and nondetectable quantities of Cd. In Cd-treated rats, both isoforms contained approximately equal amounts of Zn and Cd (3.2 g atoms metal/mol MT) and trace levels of Cu. These results indicate that MT-1 is either as susceptible or more susceptible than MT-2 to intracellular degradation depending on age or chemical pretreatment. Furthermore, factors unrelated to the metal composition of MT appear to regulate the degradation of MT-1 and MT-2.
Definitions of periprocedural myocardial infarction as surrogates for catheterization laboratory quality or clinical trial end points.

A consensus on what constitutes a clinically meaningful periprocedural myocardial infarction (PMI) remains highly debated. We evaluated the accuracy of 2 PMI definitions currently implemented for quality outcome assessment and clinical trial end points. Patients who underwent elective percutaneous coronary intervention with normal baseline troponin-I and creatine kinase-MB were included. PMI was defined according to either the 2007 Task Force (National Cardiovascular Database Registry [NCDR] CathPCI Registry) definition or the updated 2012 Task Force definition. Multivariate analysis was performed for the end point of 1-year all-cause death or myocardial infarction (MI). Of the 7,333 patients included, 31.9% and 2.1% were identified as having a PMI by NCDR or 2012 definition, respectively. Mean age was 66 ± 11 years; 66.8% were men, 1.4 ± 0.9 stents implanted per patient, 84.5% bivalirudin use, and 29.7 type C lesions. Death or MI occurred in 5.6% of NCDR and 6.6% of 2012 defined patients. Neither biomarker was independently associated with death or MI for either definition (NCDR odds ratio 1.1, 95% confidence interval 0.9 to 1.5, p = 0.34; 2012 Task Force odds ratio 1.4, 95% confidence interval 0.7 to 3.0, p = 0.38). Only a modest correlation exists for either definition to predict death or MI, which did not improve for the 2012 definition. In conclusion, PMI definitions currently used for catheterization lab quality metrics and those used for clinical trial end points have poor discrimination for adverse events. Although the 2012 definition drastically reduced the number of PMIs defined, it did not decrease the predictive accuracy over the NCDR definition.
Acquisition impairments following rapid eye movement sleep deprivation in rats.

Abstract Rats were deprived of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep for up to five days by confinement to a small platform surrounded by water. Acquisition of three tasks—passive avoidance, active avoidance, and an appetitive alternation discrimination—was slower following REM sleep deprivation than after normal (home cage) or stress control (immersed in cold water) treatments. Sleep loss controls, who had reduced non-REM sleep, performed as well as normals and better than the REM sleep deprived rats on the two shock avoidance tasks—the alternation test was not employed. Thus, five days of REM sleep deprivation in the rat produced marked acquisition deficits which were not task specific and which did not appear to be due to nonspecific stress, non-REM sleep loss, or changes in activity levels.
A solution to the indeterminate factorial resolution of thurstone and Degan's study of the supreme court

In this paper, the use of factor psychology in examining the decisionmaking process is illustrated by applying factor psychology and factor analytic methods in the study of political attitudes and behavior. Building on previous studies, the author develops a theory of the voting behavior of U.S. Supreme Court justices, and describes a method of testing this theory.
Development of catalytically enhanced sodium aluminum hydride as a hydrogen-storage material

The dehydriding of sodium aluminum hydride, NaAlH4, is kinetically enhanced and rendered reversible in the solid state upon doping with selected titanium compounds. Following the initial reports of this catalytic effect, further kinetic improvement and stabilization of the cyclable hydrogen capacity have been achieved upon variation in the method of the introduction of titanium and particle-size reduction. Rapid evolution of 4.0-wt % hydrogen at 100 °C has been consistently achieved for several dehydriding/rehydriding cycles. An improved, 4.8-wt % cyclable capacity has been observed in the material doped with a combination of Ti and Zr alkoxide complexes. Doping the hydride with Ti(OBun)4 and Fe(OEt)2 also produces a synergistic effect, resulting in materials that can be rehydrided to 4 wt % at 104 °C and 87 atm of hydrogen within 17 h. The improved kinetics allowed us to carry out constant-temperature, equilibrium-pressure studies of NaAlH4 that extended to temperatures well below the melting point of the hydride. The 37-kJ/mol value determined for enthalpy of the dehydriding of NaAlH4(s) to Na3AlH6 and Al and the hydrogen plateau pressure of 7 atm at 80 °C are in line with the predictions of earlier studies. The nature of the active catalyst and the mechanism of catalytic action are unknown. The catalytically enhanced hydrides appear to be strong candidates for development as hydrogen carriers for onboard proton exchange membran (PEM) fuel cells. However, further research and development in the areas of rehydriding catalysts, large-scale, long-term cycling, safety and adjustment of the plateau hydrogen pressure associated with dehydriding of AlH6- are required before these materials can be utilized in commercial onboard hydrogen-storage systems.
Cortisol and cortisone excretion from infancy to adult life

Abstract Cortisol and cortisone excretion rates were determined simultaneously in 43 healthy infants, children and young adults. The results are compared to similar studies in 10 adults. A range of normal values is given. In terms of body weight, young people as compared with adults excrete significantly less free cortisol, but similar amounts of cortisone.
Transperitoneal robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy and inguinal herniorrhaphy

Patients undergoing radical prostatectomy are at increased risk of development of post-operative inguinal hernias (IH). We present the largest series of transperitoneal combined robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) and IH. After IRB approval, data from patients undergoing RALP at two centers were prospectively entered into a database and analyzed. IH were repaired robotically via a transperitoneal route with mesh. Between June 2002 and May 2007, 837 RALPs were performed, 80 of which included combined IH repair (9.6%), by two surgeons, T.A. and D.S. Forty-two patients (52.5%) had IH on pre-operative exam. Twenty-four hernias were left, 32 right, and 24 bilateral. Twenty-two patients had prior ipsilateral or contralateral herniorrhaphy. After dissection of the hernia sac, a swatch of flat Marlex mesh (n = 22), a polypropylene mesh plug (n = 19), an Ultrapro hernia system (n = 7), a Proceed coated mesh (n = 19), a 3D-Max (n = 37), a combination of both umbrella and flat mesh (n = 3), or suture alone (n = 2) was used. Inguinal herniorrhaphy added approximately 15 min of operative time in all cases. There was one hernia recurrence over an average follow-up period of 12.5 months (0.2–52 months). There was one complication attributable to IH repair—a urine leak which was attributed to anastomotic stretch due to reperitonealization. Urological surgeons should perform a thorough inguinal exam during preoperative evaluation and intraoperatively to detect subclinical inguinal hernias. Inguinal herniorrhaphy at the time of RALP is safe and should be routinely performed.
Discrete frequency-versus-radius reticle trackers

This paper presents a general expression for the transmission function of the discrete frequency-versus-radius reticle and compares such a reticle to the more common continuous reticle. A discrete form of the frequency-versus-radius reticle has an integer number of chopping cycles on a single radius. The discrete form limits the resolution of the reticle in the radial direction, but this limit is not severe for small target images. However, since no phase reversal occurs, electronic processing is simplified. Also, a tracker is presented that utilizes two discrete frequency-versus-radius reticles that can track large objects and eliminates target cancellation.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A SIBTEST Approach to Testing DIF Hypotheses Using Experimentally Designed Test Items

This paper considers a modification of the DIF procedure SIBTEST for investigating the causes of differential item functioning (DIF). One way in which factors believed to be responsible for DIF can be investigated is by systematically manipulating them across multiple versions of an item using a randomized DIF study (Schmitt, Holland, & Dorans, 1993). In this paper: it is shown that the additivity of the index used for testing DIF in SIBTEST motivates a new extension of the method for statistically testing the effects of DIF factors. Because an important consideration is whether or not a studied DIF factor is consistent in its effects across items, a methodology for testing item x factor interactions is also presented. Using data from the mathematical sections of the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT), the effects of two potential DIF factors—item format (multiple-choice versus open-ended) and problem type (abstract versus concrete)—are investigated for gender Results suggest a small but statistically significant and consistent effect of item format (favoring males for multiple-choice items) across items, and a larger but less consistent effect due to problem type.
Two-Dimensional Discrete Gaussian Markov Random Field Models for Image Processing

This paper is concerned with a systematic exposition of the usefulness of two-dimensional (2-D) discrete Gaussian Markov random field (GMRF) models for image processing applications. Specifically, we discuss the following topics; notion of Markovianity on a plane, statistical inference in GMRF models, and their applications in several image related problems such as, image synthesis, texture classification, segmentation and image restoration.
The effect of powder and process variables on the properties of sintered aluminum products

Abstract We developed a fabrication process for SAP billets. Upon subsequent extrusion this material has uniform properties with strength greater than commercial SAP with equivalent oxide concentration. The optimum method of introducing the Al 2 O 3 dispersoid is ball-milling atomized aluminum powder to flake shape with stearic acid used as a surfactant. The optimum route for producing an extrusion billet is vacuum hot pressing of the milled powder followed by vacuum heat treatment of the billet immediately before extrusion. The heat treatment converts the low-temperature hydrates of alumina to a mixture of eta and chi forms of Al 2 O 3 , which are stable at the expected service temperature of SAP. Removal of the water and hydrogen before extrusion is necessary for thermal stability of the alloy. Inclusions of iron up to 3 wt.% and carbon up to 2 wt.% in the form of Al 4 C 3 had no significant effect on the mechanical properties of extruded rods. We examined commercial SAP 895 to establish base-line mechanical property data and testing techniques.
Planning Tire Production

An outline of the tire production process is given. A planning model is discussed and an application is made to the planning of tire production both long and short term. Planning for finished tires, green tires and for components is included as the model is developed. A multi-item production planning program is presented for finished tires and this is expanded to an assembly model with precedences for green tires and for components.
Laser-Induced Blistering of Thin SiO2 on Si

Compressive SiO2 films on Si substrates irradiated with sub-nanosecond laser pulses at fluences above 0.65 J/cm2 delaminate from the substrate. The volume of the blister created during the laser processing, determined through volume measurements of AFM and cross-sectional SEM data, is ∼0.1 μ3. Ion bombardment of the film prior to laser processing enhances the delamination, permitting the creation of blisters with volumes on the order of 0.3 μm3 for ion doses from 7.5 × 1012 to 3.0 × 1013 ions/cm2.
A laboratory examination of substrate, water depth, and light use at two water velocity levels by individual juvenile pallid (Scaphirhynchus albus) and shovelnose (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus) sturgeon

Summary We investigated the influence of substrate type, water depth, light, and relative water velocity on microhabitat selection in juvenile pallid (Scaphirhynchus albus) and shovelnose (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus) sturgeon. Individual sturgeon were placed in an 18 927 L elliptical flume, and their location was recorded after a 2-h period. Data were analyzed using exact chi-square goodness of fit tests and exact tests of independence. Both sturgeon species used substrate, depth, and light in similar proportions. (all comparisons; P > 0.05). Specifically, pallid and shovelnose sturgeon did not use substrate in proportion to its availability (pallid: P = 0.0026; shovelnose: P = 0.0199). Each species used sand substrate more and gravel substrate less than expected based on availability. Additionally, neither species used woody structure. Both species used deep areas in greater proportion than availability while shallow areas were used less than expected based on availability (pallid; P 0.05; shovelnose, all comparisons P > 0.05). This study is the first investigation of juvenile pallid and shovelnose sturgeon habitat selection in a large-scale artificial stream system. Field studies of microhabitat selection by juvenile pallid and shovelnose sturgeon should be carried out to substantiate the results of this study, and to identify critical habitat for recovery and management of sturgeon species. Due to the extensive range, longevity, and migratory behavior of these fishes, proper management likely requires river improvements that provide sturgeon with access to a broad range of habitat conditions over time, including system-wide habitat diversity; natural variation in flow, velocity, temperature, and turbidity; high water quality; a broad prey base; free-flowing river sections which provide suitable spawning and rearing sites, as well as protection from recreational and commercial harvesting.
Mathematical modeling of environmental data

Environmental pollution studies conducted to monitor ambient levels and to quantify the concentration of various pollutants entering a given environmental area are of great interest for possible adverse-health effects. Of particular importance in environmental data analysis is to select appropriate probability models. The previous studies indicate that none of the probability models, including the classical log-normal, has been identified to be superior to others in a general sense. To address this problem, the purpose of this paper is twofold. First, we introduce a generalized log-logistics distribution as a general model in fitting environmental pollutant data. The family of the generalized log-logistics distribution includes several well-known distributions in modelling data of environmental pollutant concentrations, such as log-normal, Weibull, and gamma as special cases. Second, by applying the proposed model to some environmental data sets, we explore the possibilities of using this model as a general probability model for fitting environmental-quality data.
Dimensional stability of Hexoloy SA silicon carbide and Zerodur glass using hydroxide-catalysis bonding for optical systems in space

Optical systems made for space-based interferometric missions like LISA or SIM must be made of materials that can endure significant accelerations and temperature fluctuations while staying dimensionally stable. Temperature-induced effects can be reduced with thermal shielding techniques and estimated using the thermal expansion coefficient. However, the stability is often limited by virtually unquantified material internal relaxation processes. In this paper we describe the experimental layout and present the status of our experiments to measure the dimensional stability of Zerodur and Hexoloy SA ® silicon carbide using hydroxide-bonding and discuss its feasibility for the LISA mission.
The Two-Part Film Technique: Empowering Dissociative Clients to Alter Cognitive Distortions and Maladaptive Behaviors

This paper describes and illustrates the two-part film (TPF) technique, an intervention characteristic of the Collective Heart model (Krakauer, 2001), a phase-oriented approach to treating dissociative disorders. Emphasis is on the technique's value in interdicting maladaptive interpersonal and intrapersonal patterns which perpetuate depression, anxiety, dissociation, and self-defeating behaviors. The approach is compared with similar internal screen techniques appearing in the hypnotic literature, and distinctive features of the TPF are noted. These include the minimally directive role of the therapist, reliance on the inner wisdom of the client, present and future orientation, and amplification of desired affective and somatic experiences. A verbatim clinical illustration is presented and discussed, with emphasis on the empowering impact of the TPF.