cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Premature Termination of Clinical Trials—Lessons Learned

Controlled clinical trials in cardiovascular disease are the cornerstone for therapeutic advances in this field of medicine. Since the introduction of the concept of controlled clinical trials there has been substantial progress in the design, conduct, and analysis of such studies. A growing awareness of ethical issues emerging from such trials has heightened public awareness, increased investigator scrutiny, and reinforced the need for interim data analysis. A benefit of such interim analyses is that either an entire clinical trial or a specific treatment limb can be stopped if the observed findings argue for premature termination. For example, highly positive findings, as were noted in the HOPE Study (Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation), led to its being stopped after 4.5 years of treatment, which was 1 year early. Alternatively, the doxazosin treatment limb of the ALLHAT (Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial) and the amlodipine treatment limb of AASK (African American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension) were stopped early because of negative findings with each respectively. Finally, economic considerations can enter into the decision to close a study early as was the case in the CONVINCE (Controlled Onset Verapamil Investigation of Cardiovascular End Points) trial. Most such decisions rely heavily on information obtained from independent data and safety monitoring boards. Such boards ensure patient safety by providing an unbiased ongoing review of data, which would otherwise be unavailable until a study's completion. Early termination of a clinical trial can have important clinical implications and, in particular, can redirect patterns of clinical practice.
Robot minds and human ethics: the need for a comprehensive model of moral decision making

Building artificial moral agents (AMAs) underscores the fragmentary character of presently available models of human ethical behavior. It is a distinctly different enterprise from either the attempt by moral philosophers to illuminate the "ought" of ethics or the research by cognitive scientists directed at revealing the mechanisms that influence moral psychology, and yet it draws on both. Philosophers and cognitive scientists have tended to stress the importance of particular cognitive mechanisms, e.g., reasoning, moral sentiments, heuristics, intuitions, or a moral grammar, in the making of moral decisions. However, assembling a system from the bottom-up which is capable of accommodating moral considerations draws attention to the importance of a much wider array of mechanisms in honing moral intelligence. Moral machines need not emulate human cognitive faculties in order to function satisfactorily in responding to morally significant situations. But working through methods for building AMAs will have a profound effect in deepening an appreciation for the many mechanisms that contribute to a moral acumen, and the manner in which these mechanisms work together. Building AMAs highlights the need for a comprehensive model of how humans arrive at satisfactory moral judgments.
Strategies for Success: Evidence-Based Instructional Practices for Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

The number of students with special needs, including those with emotional and behavioral disorder (EBD) who are being served in the early elementary classroom, is increasing rapidly. The actual number of students with EBD in Grades K-3 is frequently underreported, as the formal process of identifying students for special education services has either not yet begun or is delayed for developmental considerations. Only 17% of children with EBD are identified by 9 years of age (M. Conroy & C. Davis, 2000). Thus, many primary grade (i.e., K-3) teachers work with EBD students whose needs exceed those of the typical student. Traditional teacher education training focuses on preparing teachers to work with groups of students across content domains with less attention given to individual differences or special needs. This article presents research on evidenced-based instructional practices and behavioral and student self-management strategies that teachers of Grades K-3 can use when working with students with EBD.
POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF STRONG INTERACTIONS IN THE FEINBERG-PAIS THEORY OF WEAK INTERACTIONS

It is shown that, in the simplest model where strong interaction effects are included in the baryon vertices and propagators only, the peratization of the nuclear vector BETA decay coupling strength is no longer equal to the corresponding peratization of the mu -decay coupling strength. This might suggest a vastly different role of strong interactions in the weak interaction (peratization) theory of Feinberg and Pais, in order to conform with the observed equality of nuclear vector BETA -decay and mu -decay strengths. (auth)
Limbic Activation to Novel versus Familiar Food cues Predicts Food Preference and Alcohol Intake

Expectation of salient rewards and novelty seeking are processes implicated in substance use disorders but the neurobiological substrates underlying these associations are not well understood. To better understand the regional circuitry of novelty and reward preference, rats were conditioned to pair unique cues with bacon, an initially novel food, or chow, a familiar food. In the same animals, after training, cue-induced brain activity was measured, and the relationships between activity and preference for three rewards, the conditioned foods and ethanol (EtOH), were separately determined. Activity in response to the food paired cues was measured using brain glucose metabolism (BGluM). Rats favoring bacon-paired (BAP) cues had increased BGluM in mesocorticolimbic brain regions after exposure to these cues, while rats favoring chow-paired (CHP) cues showed relative deactivation in these regions. Rats exhibiting BAP cue-induced activation in prefrontal cortex (PFC) also consumed more EtOH while rats with cortical activation in response to CHP cues showed lower EtOH consumption. Additionally, long-term stable expression levels of PFC Grin2a, a subunit of the NMDA receptor, correlated with individual differences in EtOH preference insomuch that rats with high EtOH preference had enduringly low PFC Grin2a mRNA expression. No other glutamatergic, dopaminergic or endocannabinoid genes studied showed this relationship. Overall, these results suggest that natural variation in mesocorticolimbic sensitivity to reward-paired cues underlies behavioral preferences for and vulnerability to alcohol abuse, and support the notion of common neuronal circuits involved in food- and drug-seeking behavior. The findings also provide evidence that PFC NMDA-mediated glutamate signaling may modulate these associations.
Stimulated Emission and Laser Action from the Organic Ligand of Gadolinium Chelates

Stimulated emission and laser action from liquid solutions of gadolinium organic chelates at room temperatures
Practice Guidelines for the Patient with Suspected Ocular Nonretinal Genetic Disorder

(1995). Practice Guidelines for the Patient with Suspected Ocular Nonretinal Genetic Disorder. Seminars in Ophthalmology: Vol. 10, No. 4, pp. 318-322.
Detection of trace phosphorus in steel using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy combined with laser-induced fluorescence

Monitoring of light-element concentration in steel is very important for quality assurance in the steel industry. In this work, detection in open air of trace phosphorus (P) in steel using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) combined with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) has been investigated. An optical parametric oscillator wavelength-tunable laser was used to resonantly excite the P atoms within plasma plumes generated by a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. A set of steel samples with P concentrations from 3.9 to 720 parts in 106(ppm) were analyzed using LIBS-LIF at wavelengths of 253.40 and 253.56 nm for resonant excitation of P atoms and fluorescence lines at wavelengths of 213.55 and 213.62 nm. The calibration curves were measured to determine the limit of detection for P in steel, which is estimated to be around 0.7 ppm. The results demonstrate the potential of LIBS-LIF to meet the requirements for on-line analyses in open air in the steel industry.
Assessment of cardiac risk in noncardiac surgery

Surgical techniques have been refined so that complications directly resulting from surgical procedures are relatively small. However, with the high prevalence of coronary artery disease in the United States, many surgical patients have concomitant coronary artery disease. Anesthesia as well as the surgical procedure induce stresses on the heart and circulatory system which could result in perioperative cardiac morbidity and mortality. Assessing patients prior to surgical procedures by history, physical examination, laboratory data, and newer cardiovascular diagnostic procedures can stratify the cardiac risk and help to predict the incidence of perioperative cardiac morbidity and mortality. If great risk exists, an alternative therapy or cancellation of the surgical procedure may be considered. In certain subgroups of patients, coronary artery revascularization, valvular heart surgery, or beginning medical therapy of the underlying cardiac pathology could be performed prior to the surgical procedure. If this cannot be arranged for the high-risk patients, more intensive and invasive hemodynamic monitoring and optimal medical management perioperatively might reduce cardiac complications.
Seismic Measurements of Ground Displacements Caused by Trains and Quarry Blasts at the Superconducting Super Collider Site in Texas

Ground vibrations caused by cultural noise sources such as road traffic, trains, and quarry blasts can significantly affect sensitive scientific experiments and manufacturing processes. When constructing a facility that requires ultra-stable ground conditions it is prudent to first measure the level of background noise at the proposed site. In this study, seismic measurements are used to measure near-surface ground vibrations at the superconducting super collider (SSC) site in the state of Texas. The SSC is an oval shaped ring, which is 85km in circumference. A design limit of the SSC is that the ground vibrations should be less than 12.7μm (5.0×10−4inches) in amplitude. Seismic measurements of ground velocity were made, both at the surface and within boreholes, at several sites around the proposed SSC ring. Through a series of data processing steps the ground velocity measurements were transformed into ground displacements. Ground displacements caused by quarry blasts were sufficiently small at the SSC r...
Solvents for the formation and quantitative chromatography of trimethylsilyl derivatives of monosaccharides

Abstract The use of dimethylformamide or dimethylsulfoxide as the reaction solvent for forming trimethylsilyl ether derivatives with hexamethyldisilazane and trimethylchlorosilane resulted in the formation of a secondary upper phase of hexamethyldisiloxane. The trimethylsilyl ethers of monosaccharides exhibited a high partition for this phase and could thereby be concentrated and removed from the primary reaction solvent. Due to its shorter retention time and less solvent trail, hexamethyldisiloxane was a superior solvent to either dimethylformamide, dimethylsulfoxide or pyridine for gas-liquid chromatography. Additionally, partition into the hexamethyldisiloxane phase afforded specificity for monosaccharide derivatives. Variables such as trimethylsilylation reagent volume, water content of the primary solvents and monosaccharide concentration and proportions were studied and found to be sufficiently definable and reproducible to permit quantitative chromatography of the hexamethyldisiloxane phase.
Altered neutrophil function in the neonate protects against sepsis-induced lung injury

Abstract Background/Purpose: Neutrophils (PMNs) are well known effectors of lung injury after sepsis. The accumulation of PMNs into the lung is dependent on a complex cascade of events that includes the local production of chemokines. Interestingly, neonates are protected from lung injury after zymosan-induced sepsis. The authors hypothesized that this protection was caused by either altered PMN function or diminished lung chemokine production compared with the adult. Methods: Sepsis was induced in neonatal and adult rats by an intraperitoneal injection of zymosan. Animals were killed 24 hours later and lungs examined for PMN accumulation and function, chemokine production, and lung injury. Results: Septic neonates (SN) were protected from pulmonary edema when compared with septic adults (SA). Lung PMN number and chemokine (MIP-2) production increased in both septic neonates and adults when compared with vehicle (V) treated animals. Conversely, PMN function was decreased significantly in neonates when compared with adults. Conclusions: Despite equivalent lung PMN accumulation and chemotactic protein production, PMN function and lung injury in septic neonates was diminished when compared with that of adults. These findings suggest that neonates may be relatively protected from sepsis-induced lung injury caused by immature PMN function. J Pediatr Surg 37:1042-1047. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.
A difusão do Orçamento Participativo brasileiro: "boas práticas" devem ser promovidas?

A "terceira onda" de democratizacao foi acompanhada pela proliferacao de novas instituicoes, que permitem aos cidadaos deliberar e decidir sobre o resultado das politicas adotadas. Organizacoes internacionais de prestigio, como o Banco Mundial e as Nacoes Unidas, disseminaram programas de "boas praticas", associados a esforcos de reformar politicas apoiadas na ideia de "boa governanca". Um dos programas mais conhecidos, o Orcamento Participativo (OP), foi adotado pela primeira vez pelo Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT) no Brasil em 1989, como forma de promover justica social, responsabilidade e transparencia. A adocao do orcamento participativo no Brasil se ampliou, capitaneada pelo partido. Nao obstante seu pioneirismo, por volta de 2001, quase a metade dos programas de OP haviam sido adotados por governos de outros partidos. O que pode explicar por que governos municipais no Brasil, em especial governos de outros partidos, adotaram programas de OP? Este artigo procura avaliar a probabilidade de que um municipio adote o OP, recorrendo a analise de regressao logistica para testar um modelo que inclua variaveis eleitorais, economicas, regionais e de redes de politicas publicas. Na conclusao, avalia-se concisamente se os governos que adotam o OP sao capazes de produzir resultados similares aos resultados iniciais que inspiraram a designacao de "boa pratica", o que leva a enfrentar a questao: sob que condicoes a eventual adocao de programas de "boas praticas" deveria ser promovida?
Two-dimensional chromosomes and their application to computer vision

Genetic algorithms have been used for many diverse applications. In these applications, possible solutions are represented by linear strings. In many other applications, however, strings cannot adequately model the solutions. A very large class of such problems is in the area of computer vision and image processing. Here the images are 2D and the objects present in them are either 2D or 3D. Hence the strings and the associated genetic operators are not applicable directly. It is necessary to allow the genetic algorithm to operate directly on images or 2D arrays since the underlying processes that are responsible for the formation of the solutions are inherently 2D in nature, e.g. rotation, translation, etc. We have extended the concepts defined for linear strings to 2D chromosomes. Several new concepts have also been developed to describe genetic operators on 2D chromosomes. The traditional genetic operators are also extended and some new geometric operators are also introduced for the 2D chromosomes. A typical computer vision problem is used to demonstrate the use of the operators. A prototype parallel implementation on a CM-2 (SIMD) has been implemented and a CM-5 (MIMD) version is currently being explored.
Problems associated with the identification of brain stem neurons responsible for sympathetic nerve discharge

A study of the role of lower brain stem neurons generating sympathetic nerve discharge and reactions. A discussion of the problem and requirements for its resolution is followed by a description of approaches made and discussion of reported findings as well as new observations. There is a discussion of the possible origin of respiratory linked rhythms in sympathetic nerve discharge. Spike-triggered averaging was used to relate medullary neuron and inferior cardiac sympathetic nerve discharge under varying external and internal circumstance. Data obtained indicate that it is possible to identify and distinguish reticular neurons which govern sympathetic nerve discharge from other functional types.
On the maximizing behavior of a monopoly planner

The model developed here leads to some useful conclusions. If we consider an economy without trade where the supply of inputs varies in response to the level of current real consumption paid to inputs, then the relevant social input constraint for the planners is not a single production possibilities locus, but the planners feasibility constraint developed here. This constraint traces the locus of points on a family of production possibility surfaces that would be generated by each alternative quantity of inputs. The rate of product transformation along the planners' feasibility function will differ from the rate of product transformation along the production possibilities locus by an amount that reflects the marginal input supply.
Mobile Access Coordinated Wireless Sensor Networks - Topology Design and Throughput Analysis

In this paper, we propose a novel mobile access coordinated wireless sensor network (MC-WSN) architecture for reliable and efficient information exchange. In conventional sensor networks with mobile access points (SENMA), the mobile access points (MAs) traverse the network to collect information directly from individual sensors. While simplifying the routing process, a major limitation with SENMA is that a transmission is made only if an MA visits the corresponding source node; thus, data transmission is limited by the physical speed of the MAs and the length of their trajectory, resulting in low throughput and huge delay. The proposed MC-WSN architecture resolves this problem and provides an efficient solution for time-sensitive information exchange. In MC-WSN, the delay is effectively managed through hop number control. We analyze the throughput of the network, and show that the throughput of the MC-WSN is independent of the physical speed or the trajectory length of the mobile access point. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated through simulations.
Creatine kinase increases the solubility and enzymatic activity of pyruvate kinase by means of diazymatic coupling

Five separate methods, paper chromatography, ethanol solubility, pH dependence, enzymatic activity, and NMR saturation transfer, were used to study the coupling of pyruvate kinase (PK) and creatine kinase (CK). Each method demonstrated specific coupling of the two proteins. The coupling with CK showed that PK had increased ethanol solubility, enzymatic activity, pH-dependent aqueous solubility, and ability to receive ATP directly from CK even at very high (1.2 M) ionic strength at equilibrium conditions. The robustness of the coupling between two enzymes with highin vivo concentrations indicates the necessity for considering kinetic schemes utilizing high enzyme concentrations, as opposed to the dilute properties of Michaelis — Menten kinetics. The direct transfer of ATP from PK to CK constitutes a net transfer of the glycolytically produced high-energy phosphate onto creatine, maintaining a high ADP and low ATP concentration in the vicinity of the glycolytic complex, conditions suited to maintaining a high glycolytic flux. The demonstration of the physical and functional coupling of two soluble enzymes, termed diazymes, suggests that glycolysis may be regulated by diazymatic coupling and that other cellular processes could be regulated similarly.
Robust discrete nonlinear feedback control for robotic manipulators

Nonlinear feedback control algorithms for manipulators utilize a complete (coupled and nonlinear) dynamic robot model to decouple the robot joints. In the companion article1 we outlined the practical problems introduced by modeling inaccuracies, unmodeled dynamics and parameter errors. We then introduced the α-computed-torque nonlinear feedback control algorithm which is robust in the presence of the aforementioned error sources. In this article, we apply the insight gained from the α-computed-torque algorithm to design a robust discrete-time (accelerometer-free) computed-torque robot-control algorithm founded upon our discrete dynamic robot model.2 Numerical experiments with the cylindrical robot confirm both the robust disturbance rejection characteristics and the practical applicability of our discrete-time computer-torque control algorithm.
Meteoric versus burial control on porosity evolution of the Smackover Formation

Whole-rock 13C, 18O, and Sr compositions of the uppermost ooid grainstones of the Smackover Formation at Black Creek field in Mississippi reveal characteristics of a meteoric system in this area. The trend in 13C signatures indicates that meteoric water acquired its low carbon values at a soil zone and was buffered completely with the host rock before entering the meteoric lens. Identical 18O data suggest that allochems stabilized at the same temperatures in waters of similar 18O compositions during early meteoric diagenesis; that is, calcitization continued to completion before the onset of burial. Sr concentrations reveal differential transformation mechanisms. Low Sr values in the phreatic zones are attributed to slow stabilization by exchange with the bulk solution. High Sr compositions in the vadose zone resulted from rapid, incremental transformation.Meteoric cementation was sparse; therefore, grainstones entered the burial realm with all of their porosity intact. Modification of porosity was a burial process and was directly related to the intensity of chemical compaction, which itself was controlled by three factors: (1) the degree of early cementation, (2) grain type, and (3) grain size. Early-cemented intervals experienced low to moderate compaction regardless of grain size or grain type. In the absence of early cementation, grain type and grain size were the dominant factors of porosity control. Coarse-grained intervals that were composed of micritic grains experienced less compaction than fine-grained, oolitic intervals.Average volumetric percentages of cements as determined by point counting of 63 samples are as follows: (1) marine and meteoric cements = 1.5%, (2) prebitumen calcite = 6.5%, (3) saddle dolomite = 1%, (4) postbitumen calcite = 4.3%, (5) pyrobitumen = 1%. Total cement (sum of 1–5), total burial cement (sum of 2–5), and total burial carbonate cement volumes (sum of 2–4) average 14, 13, and 12%, respectively. Out of an original porosity of 40%, 13 porosity units were lost by cementation, and 27 porosity units were reduced by compaction (mechanical and chemical).Present-day intergranular porosity of these grainstones is zero, whether they belonged to the vadose zone or the phreatic interval. Burial cementation and compaction destroyed all intergranular porosity, regardless of early diagenetic overprint or textural variables. The reservoir became compartmentalized during burial. Some intervals were active producers of calcium carbonate; others were passive recipients.
Evaluation of Intraocular Reactivity to Metallic and Ethylene Oxide Contaminants of Medical Devices in a Rabbit Model

Objective To evaluate the intraocular reactivity to metallic and ethylene oxide (EO) contaminants of ophthalmic devices in rabbits. Design Two experimental animal studies. Participants Thirty-five New Zealand white rabbits. Methods A metallic exposure study and an EO exposure study were performed. In the first study, both eyes of 25 rabbits were equally allocated to intracameral injections of alumina 0.2 μg, alumina 20 μg, copper sulfate 0.4 μg, copper sulfate 20 μg, or an aqueous control. In the second study, 10 rabbits were allocated (5 per group) to receive intracamerally an ophthalmic viscosurgical device (OVD) exposed to EO or not exposed to EO (control). All eyes were examined by slit lamp at baseline and 3, 6, 9, 24, 48, and 72 hours after exposure, with dilated indirect ophthalmoscopy being performed at 24 and 72 hours. Tonometry was performed only in the first study. Main Outcome Measures Grade of corneal clouding, anterior chamber (AC) flare, AC cells, AC fibrin, iridal hyperemia, cell and fibrin on the lens surface, vitreous haze and cells, lens opacities, intraocular pressure, and onset time. Results For metallic compounds at the study's low doses, mean inflammatory grades were 0.2 or less above the control for all responses at all time points. For the high-dose alumina, mean inflammatory grades peaked at 6 to 9 hours at 0.5 to 0.7 above the control responses for conjunctival congestion, iris hyperemia, AC cells, flare, and fibrin and declined over the remaining time points. For the high-dose copper sulfate, mean inflammatory grades peaked between 3 and 24 hours at 1.2 to 1.8 above the control responses for conjunctival congestion, iris hyperemia, AC cells, flare, fibrin, and corneal clouding, then subsequently declined. The intraocular pressure changes appeared significant for only high-dose copper sulfate, with mean declines of 4.3 to 7.5 mmHg at 6 to 72 hours. No clinically meaningful differences in ocular inflammation were observed between the OVD exposed to EO and the OVD not exposed to EO. Conclusions Alumina and copper sulfate did not cause clinically meaningful ocular inflammation at the low study levels (levels expected with ophthalmic devices). Ethylene oxide exposure of an OVD was not associated with inflammation. Financial Disclosure(s) The authors have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
Optomechancial design for realtime image processing

Single and multi-sensor imaging systems are being improved every day through the use of image processing, but there are limits to what software can do alone. The capabilities of image processing software can be improved by careful design of the optical and mechanical components of the imaging system. This paper explores the interaction between opto-mechanical design and real-time image processing for airborne imaging systems. We discuss the design of components for multiple imager systems to support both visual and assisted target recognition applications. Critical concepts include boresight alignment, low distortion optics, and pixel matching across multiple imagers for both image fusion and multi-spectral target detection. Incorporation of these concepts into our latest designs has enhanced both image quality and the effectiveness of our imaging systems. In this paper, we discuss opto-mechanical design considerations for individual cameras and look at the tradeoffs between mechanical and software design for providing effective imagery from multiple cameras.
A note on the determination of A-optimal type block designs under fixed and mixed effects models

In this paper, we consider the problem of estimating a selected set of contrasts between v treatments using a block design consisting of b blocks of size k. Traditionally, the construction of A-optimal block designs for such situations has been carried out assuming a fixed effects model. In this paper, we show that A-optimal designs constructed under a fixed effects model are robust in the sense that these designs have maximal minimal efficiency when considered among all available designs and under all possible mixed effects models.
Effects of varying air trajectories on spatial and temporal precipitation chemistry patterns

This study was designed to determine if judicious use of synoptic data and an operational trajectory model could identify probable source regions of anthropogenic pollutants in northeastern United States precipitation and thus relate receptor measurements to emissions data without consideration of the complex intervening meteorological and chemical processes. The storm event of April 8 to 10, 1979, was selected for intensive study. Precipitation chemistry data were obtained from event samples at six MAP3S sampling sites and from hourly samples at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Concentrations of hydrogen, sulfate, nitrate and ammonium ions were used as receptor data. Some emissions data for SOx and NOx were obtained from the MAP3S emissions inventory. Surface and upper air meteorological data were analyzed. Backward trajectories ending at each of the sampling sites during the precipitation period were computed with the Hefner Interactive-Terminal Transport Model using selected transport layers.
Comparison of [3H]baclofen binding to GABAB receptors in spontaneously hypertensive and normotensive rats.

Abstract Baclofen-sensitive GABA B receptor binding to various brain regions was compared in age-matched spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rat. The specific [ 3 H]baclofen binding was significantly higher in SHR cerebellum, hippocampus and nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS), but lower in medulla, when compared with WKY. Scatchard analysis of the binding isotherms indicated a higher B max of the high affinity sites in SHR cerebellum and hippocampus and a lower B max of the same sites in SHR medulla. Guanyl nucleotide (GTP) decreased [ 3 H]baclofen binding in brain regions of SHR and WKY, although the percentage inhibition of binding did not differ between SHR and WKY. The basal adenylate cyclic activity in SHR cerebellum was lower, in contrast to higher [ 3 H]baclofen binding, whereas lower baclofen binding in SHR medulla was accompanied with higher adenylate cycase activity. (±)Baclofen inhibited adenylate cyclase activity in both SHR and WKY rat brain. Among various regions, the percentage inhibition of cyclase activity in SHR cerebellum was significant lower, as compared to WKY cerebellum. These results suggest that activity of GABA B ergic mechanisms may be different in SHR and WKY rat brain.
Minimal subschemes of the group association schemes of Mathieu groups

Minimal subschemes of the group association schemes of Mathieu groupsM n (n = 11, 12, 22, 23, 24) are determined. It is proved that for eachM n (n = 11, 12, 22, 23, 24), there is a unique minimal subscheme of . The class numbers of these minimal subschemes are 7, 11, 9, 11 and 20 respectively. A general computer program to determine subschemes of group association schemes of relatively small class numbers is discussd.
DESIGN OF HIGHLY CO2-SOLUBLE CHELATING AGENTS FOR CARBON DIOXIDE EXTRACTION OF HEAVY METALS

Carbon dioxide is an attractive organic solvent in today’s chemical process environment, in that it is nonflammable, inexpensive, and exhibits low toxicity. Further, materials solubilized in carbon dioxide are easily and completely recovered/concentrated from solution via a simple pressure quench. Despite these favorable properties, CO2 is nonpolar and therefore is a very poor solvent for materials such as conventional metal chelating agents, thus blocking application of carbon dioxide in metal extraction/recovery. Consequently, we are exploring the molecular design of materials which are highly CO2 phillic, that is, they exhibit solubilities in carbon dioxide which are significantly greater than alkanes with the same number of main-chain atoms. By functionalizing chelating moieties with CO2-phillic oligomers, we have generated materials that both effectively extract metals from solid matrices and that dissolve in carbon dioxide in significant quantities. The application of such chelating agents is not limited to soil cleaning operations. In fact, these chelates make the use of CO2 possible in many applications where precision cleanup/recovery of metal ions are required. For example, CO2 has been promoted as a replacement for CFC’s in cleaning processes in the electronics industry. Use of these chelates would allow the removal of metals, along with other impurities in a CO2 cleanup procedure.
Fatty acids of the alkane diol diesters of vernix caseosa.

The fatty acid monoenes esterified to the alkane diol diesters of vernix caseosa lipid form two patterns of homologues starting from either C16Δ9 or C16Δ6 and adding (or subtracting) an integral number of C2 units at the carboxyl group. Although components of the Δ6 pattern are the predominant monoenes of sebaceous gland ester lipid classes, for these diol diesters Δ9 pattern components are preferentially used.
Monte Carlo and discrete-event simulations in C and R

The Monte Carlo and discrete-event simulation code associated with the Simulation 101 pre-conference workshop (offered at the 2006, 2007, and 2008 Winter Simulation Conferences) is available in both C and R. This paper begins with general instructions for downloading, compiling, and executing the software. This is followed by detailed explanations of two programs that are representative of the software suite: craps uses Monte Carlo simulation to estimate the probability of winning the dice game Craps, and ssq2 uses discrete-event simulation to estimate several measures of performance associated with a single-server queue.
Charter Schools: Hope or Hype?

Charter Schools: Hope or Hype? By Jack Buckley and Mark Schneider. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2007. 376p. $35.00. The contribution of political science to an analysis of the effectiveness of recent reform efforts in American education has not been without its share of controversy. Balanced against the conclusions of a group of careful, theoretically grounded, and objective studies of school reforms have been questions about the role of ideology, lack of evidentiary support, and overly optimistic pronouncements raised against other studies in the field. It is against the backdrop of this sometimes tendentious literature that Jack Buckley and Mark Schneider examine the possibilities of one of America's larger and more controversial school reform initiatives in their recent book, Charter Schools.
Stochastic Power Allocation with Outage-Expectation Constraints in Lognormal Fading Wireless Channels

This paper concerns stochastic power allocation in lognormal fading wireless channels. We consider an outage-based quality of service (QoS) specification which requires that, for each channel, the outage expectation (i.e., the average probability/time that a transmitter/receiver pair experiences any outage due to fading) is kept below a given level. The problem of finding an optimal power allocation to achieve this QoS goal over lognormal fading wireless channels (with statistically independent fadings) can be posed as a specific type of stochastic posynomial programming with lognormally distributed random coefficients. We show that this expectation-based stochastic posynomial program (with lognormal variations) can be reformulated as a conventional (i.e., deterministic) posynomial program, which can be furthered solved by the very efficient interior-point method.
Acyclovir- and Ganciclovir-Induced Neurotoxicity:

With increasing use of acyclovir and ganciclovir, primarily due to the increased number of AIDS and transplant patients, further cases of neurologic toxicity will undoubtedly be encountered. Discontinuation or dosage reduction of acyclovir and ganciclovir is necessary to manage neurologic toxicity that is directly attributed to either agent. Renal dysfunction is a known risk factor for acyclovir neurotoxicity, and case reports indicate that renal dysfunction may also be a risk factor for ganciclovir neurotoxicity. Since ganciclovir is structurally related to acyclovir, clinicians should monitor for signs and symptoms of neurotoxicity as they would with acyclovir until the risk factors are more clearly defined. Dosage reduction for both agents and increased monitoring should occur when renal dysfunction is present, to minimize the risk of neurotoxicity and other serious adverse effects. Tables 1 and 2 summarize the recommended dosages of acyclovir and ganciclovir, respectively, in the presence of renal dysfunction. However, as a few case reports describe, neurotoxicity from these agents has also occurred in patients with normal renal function. Therefore, clinicians should always remain vigilant in monitoring for signs of neurotoxicity when acyclovir or ganciclovir is administered, and have a high index of suspicion for these agents if neurotoxicity is encountered during therapy.
Role of rhomboid proteases in bacteria.

Abstract The first member of the rhomboid family of intramembrane serine proteases in bacteria was discovered almost 20 years ago. It is now known that rhomboid proteins are widely distributed in bacteria, with some bacteria containing multiple rhomboids. At the present time, only a single rhomboid-dependent function in bacteria has been identified, which is the cleavage of TatA in Providencia stuartii . Mutational analysis has shown that loss of the GlpG rhomboid in Escherichia coli alters cefotaxime resistance, loss of the YqgP (GluP) rhomboid in Bacillus subtilis alters cell division and glucose uptake, and loss of the MSMEG_5036 and MSMEG_4904 genes in Mycobacterium smegmatis results in altered colony morphology, biofilm formation and antibiotic susceptibilities. However, the cellular substrates for these proteins have not been identified. In addition, analysis of the rhombosortases, together with their possible Gly-Gly CTERM substrates, may shed new light on the role of these proteases in bacteria. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Intramembrane Proteases.
Endometrial and myometrial changes, including fibromyomatous nodules, induced in the uterus of the guinea pig by the prolonged administration of oestrogenic hormone†

The effects of estrogens on the endometrium and myometrium were investigated in female guinea pigs. Injection of estradiol benzoate (EB) for 2-10 months led to the development of cystic glandular hyperplasia in the uterine cornua and metaplastic downgrowths from the cervical epithelium. More extensive treatment produced adenomatous hyperplasia of the endometrium accompanied by spontaneous vaginal bleeding a marked increase in glandular metaplastic changes and the appearance of multiple subperitoneal fibromyomatous growths of various sizes. Administration of progestins reportedly can correct the cystic glandular hyperplasia but has little effect on metaplasia and adenomatous hyperplasia.
Dynamic performance of accommodating intraocular lenses in a negative feedback control system: A simulation-based study

A dynamic model of ocular accommodation is used to simulate the stability and dynamic performance of accommodating intraocular lenses (A-IOLs) that replace the hardened natural ocular lens that is unable to change focus. Accommodation simulations of an older eye with A-IOL materials having biomechanical properties of a younger eye illustrate overshoots and oscillations resulting from decreased visco-elasticity of the A-IOL. Stable dynamics of an A-IOL are restored by adaptation of phasic and tonic neural-control properties of accommodation. Simulations indicate that neural control must be recalibrated to avoid unstable dynamic accommodation with A-IOLs. An interactive web-model of A-IOL illustrating these properties is available at http://schorlab.berkeley.edu.
Self-Control and Optimal Goals: A Theoretical Analysis

Consumers set goals to achieve a variety of objectives such as losing weight, saving for retirement, and achieving better health. A large body of literature in psychology and consumer behavior shows that goals can help consumers achieve these objectives. However, there is almost no research that examines how we should set optimal goals. The purpose of this paper is to develop a parsimonious framework that examines how goals can help performance and how we should set optimal goals. We use the literature on hyperbolic discounting to model these issues. Our results show that goals can often increase performance but can also sometimes encourage procrastination. We show that some goals are worse than having no goals, even when the goals are achieved and the consumer exerts more effort because of the goal. We also find that the presence of goals can lead to myopic consumers behaving as if they were hyperopic. Our results also show that the most difficult goals should be assigned to consumers with moderate levels of motivation and self-control problems. We also find that it is sometimes optimal to set goals that are never achieved.
Becoming a Patient-Centered Medical Home: A 9-Year Transition for a Network of Federally Qualified Health Centers

PURPOSE The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model has great potential for optimizing the care of chronically ill patients, yet there is much to be learned about various implementations of this model and their impact on patient care processes and outcomes. METHODS We examined changes in patterns of health care use in a network of Federally Qualifi ed Health Centers throughout a 9-year period of practice trans- formation that included recognition of all centers by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) as Level 3 PCMH practices. We analyzed deidentifi ed data from electronic health records for the period 2003 to 2011 to identify pat- terns of service use for all 4,595 patients with diabetes. We also examined a sub- sample of 545 patients who were in care throughout the study period to track improvement in glycated hemoglobin levels as a clinical measure over time. RESULTS Through the transition to a PCMH, the mean number of encounters with outreach, diabetes educators, and psychosocial services increased for all diabetic patients; virtually all patients had visits with a primary care clinician, but the mean number of visits decreased slightly. Among patients in the subsample, mean annual levels of glycated hemoglobin decreased steadily during the 9-year study period, mainly driven by a reduction in patients having baseline levels exceeding 9%. CONCLUSIONS This retrospective study conducted in a real-world setting using electronic health record data demonstrates a shift in resource use by diabetic patients from the primary care clinician to other members of the care team. The fi ndings suggest that PCMH implementation has the potential to alter processes of care and improve outcomes of care, especially among those with higher dis- ease burden.
A Review of Long- and Short-Term Production Scheduling at Lkab’s Kiruna Mine

LKAB’s Kiruna Mine, located in northern Sweden, produces about 24 million tons of iron ore yearly using an underground mining method known as sublevel caving. To aid in its ore mining and processing system, Kiruna has adopted the use of several types of multi-period production scheduling models that have some distinguishing characteristics, for example: (i) specific rules governing the way in which the ore is extracted from the mine; (ii) lack of an inventory holding policy; and (iii) decisions that are not explicitly cost-based. In this chapter, we review two models in use at Kiruna and three techniques we have employed to expedite solution time, support the efficacy of these techniques with numerical results, and provide a corresponding discussion.
DEVELOPING SOCIAL CAPITAL THROUGH PARTICIPATION IN ORGANIZED YOUTH PROGRAMS: QUALITATIVE INSIGHTS FROM THREE PROGRAMS

Organized youth programs can serve as a context in which youth are connected to resource-bearing adults in the community who promote the development of social capital. This article explores the process of how this happens and what types of resources are gained by youth. Qualitative interviews were conducted with adolescents in three youth programs over a three- to four-month period. Two key findings emerged. First, relationships with community adults were found to develop in stages, with youth moving from a stage of suspicion and distrust, to a stage of facilitated contact, to a stage of meaningful connection. Second, these relationships provided youth with access to adult resources, such as information, assistance, exposure to adult worlds, support, and encouragement. The three programs facilitated this process of social capital development by linking youth to suitable adults, structuring youth–adult activities around common goals, and coaching youth on these interactions. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comm Psychol 33: 41–55, 2005.
Health in urban Ghana: the case of Accra 1900-1940 [1].

Abstract Accra, the capital of the British colony of the Gold Coast, experienced rapid growth during the first four decades of this century. Urbanization caused serious public health problems which were addressed with varying degrees of success by the colonial government. Among the subjects described are water supplies, sewage, rubbish disposal, housing schemes, mosquito control, and curative services. Data from the censuses and vital statistics returns on births, and causes of death are used to assess the impact of disease control measures. The major contribution was clearly a safe piped water supply. Outbreaks of plague, louse-bourne relapsing fever, and smallpox were succcessfully contained. The problem of disposal of human wastes was never solved and most other measures, including insect control, had limited impact on health. Tuberculosis, pneumonia and malaria were usually the major causes of death. Death rates were low enough, however, to allow natural increase to make a substantial contribution to the city's demographic growth. Some comparisons are made between Accra and three other Ghanaian cities: Kumasi, Sekondi, and Cape Coast. Despite appalling problems of poverty and crowding and the special vulnerability of cities to introduced infections as transportation improvements encouraged faster and more extensive human mobility. Ghana's towns have not been demographic parasites on the countryside. In contrast to the experience of Europe through most of the nineteenth century, births have exceeded deaths in most Ghanaian towns since early in this century, so natural increase played a significant role in the early growth of urban populations.
Cervical Ectopy in Adolescent Girls with and without Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

The objective of this study was to examine factors, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, associated with ectopy among adolescent girls aged 12‐20 years who were participating in an ongoing study of HIV infection in adolescents. Samples for detection of bacterial vaginosis, Chlamydia trachomatis, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae and a high-resolution photograph of the cervix for ectopy measurement were collected. Ectopy data for 189 and 92 HIV-positive and -negative adolescents, respectively, were examined. Although univariate analysis found HIV infection and oral contraceptive use to be associated with the amount of ectopy, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that only number of lifetime sex partners was a significant predictor, with more partners associated with less ectopy (odds ratio, 0.47; 95% confidence interval, 0.22‐1.00; ). In summary, adolescent girls with greater P p .05 numbers of lifetime sex partners were more likely to have mature cervixes (less ectopy). HIV infection was not independently associated with ectopy. “Ectopy” refers to the area of the ectocervix lined by columnar epithelium. Columnar epithelium lines the endocervix and, in many women, extends onto the proximal portion of the cervix immediately adjacent to the multilayer squamous epithelium, forming a visible squamocolumnar junction. Because of its thin, vascularized epithelium, the area of ectopy is fragile, and blood vessels lie in close contact with the vaginal environment [1]. This creates easy access to blood and lymphatic systems, possibly diminishing mucosal barriers to sexually transmitted infections. Several studies have shown that the area of cervical ectopy, or cervical immaturity, is associated with increased risk for human