cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sleep and epilepsy

The relationship of sleep and epilepsy demonstrates the delicate association of brain physiology and dysfunction. Sleep affects the distribution and frequency of epileptiform discharges in humans and influences the rate of kindling in animals. Epileptic discharges, on the other hand, alter sleep regulation and provoke sleep disruption. This effect on sleep appears to carry over to sleep complaints in patients with epilepsy. Individuals with epilepsy frequently complain of symptoms suggestive of disturbed sleep, such as excessive daytime sleepiness, insomnia, or with more subtle complaints such as an increase in seizure frequency. More commonly, these symptoms indicate an underlying sleep disorder rather than the effect of epilepsy or medication on sleep. Clinicians must be able to identify and differentiate between potential sleep disorders and sleep dysfunction related to epilepsy and direct therapy to improve the patient's symptoms. The reciprocal relationship of sleep and epilepsy and the management of sleep complaints in the patient with epilepsy will be reviewed.
Development needs of volunteer pharmacy practice preceptors.

Objective. To determine the training needs and interests of volunteer pharmacy preceptors.Methods. Volunteer preceptors (n=576) were surveyed on various aspects of precepting and their needs related to additional training.Results. Two hundred thirty-six preceptors (40.9%) responded. Preceptors were less confident about enforcing attendance policies, identifying and managing unmotivated or failing students, identifying dishonesty or plagiarism, and handling conflict. While only 29.5% of respondents agreed that having an APPE student decreased their overall workload, approximately half (48.1%) indicated that student pharmacists helped them complete their daily tasks and 67.8% agreed that APPE students extended patient care. Respondents who had received training were significantly more confident than preceptors who had not received training in their abilities to clarify expectations, evaluate a student's knowledge, and foster skills related to critical thinking and problem solving.Conclusions. Training progr...
Model-based document clustering with a collapsed gibbs sampler

Model-based algorithms are emerging as a preferred method for document clustering. As computing resources improve, methods such as Gibbs sampling have become more common for parameter estimation in these models. Gibbs sampling is well understood for many applications, but has not been extensively studied for use in document clustering. We explore the convergence rate, the possibility of label switching, and chain summarization methodologies for document clustering on a particular model, namely a mixture of multinomials model, and show that fairly simple methods can be employed, while still producing clusterings of superior quality compared to those produced with the EM algorithm.
How costly is “clean”? An analysis of the benefits and costs of Superfund site remediations

The cleanup of hazardous waste sites under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund program is governed by a number of legislative and regulatory constraints. Congress passed legislation in 1986 directing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to pursue permanent remedies that embodied stringent cleanup standards. The agency has chosen to use conservative assumptions in risk assessments at hazardous waste sites, including a presumption that on-site risks for hypothetical future residents should be calculated in the site remediation process. This article offers the first comprehensive assessment of the cost-effectiveness of these Superfund cleanups. Our results reveal that many EPA Superfund remediations fail a partial benefit-cost test. For a sample of the 150 Superfund sites, we find that at the majority of sites the expected number of cancers averted by remediation is less than 0.1 cases per site and that the cost per cancer case averted is over $100 million. The analysis demonstrates the importance of explicitly calculating the trade-offs embodied in environmental cleanup decisions. © 1998 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management
Making Strategic Human Capital Relevant: A Time-Sensitive Opportunity

The domain of strategic human capital is emerging at the intersection of strategy and strategic human resource management. Because it is still in the development phase, its core underlying assumptions have not yet solidified. This presents a unique and time-sensitive opportunity to explore and challenge these core assumptions and, specifically, to evaluate whether these assumptions mesh with the lived experiences of practicing managers. We argue that now is the time for the field to ground itself in practical phenomena so that its insights moving forward can be both academically rigorous and practically relevant. In this paper we illustrate the problems of theory for the sake of theory by systematically comparing the assumptions required in firm-specific human capital theory against the lived experiences of workers and managers. We then identify several phenomena that present new and useful opportunities to expand theory in the strategic human capital domain.
Value of rapid assessment cytology in the surgical management of head and neck tumors in a Nigerian mission hospital.

Background Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) or touch preparation with rapid assessment is a valuable diagnostic tool with a reported accuracy of diagnosis similar to intraoperative frozen section consultation. The Nigeria Christian Hospital partners with health care professionals from the United States to provide surgical care for rural residents of Aba, Nigeria. Frozen section diagnosis is impractical in this setting because of very limited resources. Therefore, intraoperative rapid assessment FNA or touch preparation to guide surgical management was performed on all mass lesions, and the results were evaluated. Methods FNA was performed just before surgery using a 22-gauge needle attached to a 10-mL syringe and/or an intraoperative touch preparation was performed on biopsies of lesions that failed to yield cellular aspirates. Smears were prepared and stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and an immediate diagnosis was rendered. Tissue samples from the same resected/biopsied cases were fixed in 10% formalin and later transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center Department of Pathology for processing. Cytologic and histologic correlations were then performed. Results and Conclusions More than 100 patients underwent surgery for head and/or neck masses during the 2-week periods between November 2002 and November 2003. Of these patients, 98 had either preoperative FNA and/or intraoperative touch preparation performed. Twenty-seven patients were male and 71 were female; the ages ranged from 2 months to 70 years. Sites sampled included the following: thyroid (n = 40); facial/jaw area (n = 19); parotid/submandibular gland (n = 13); scalp/skull region (n = 7); cervical lymph nodes (n = 5); neck (n = 5); other (n = 4); supraclavicular lymph nodes (n = 3); and oral cavity (n = 2). On cytologic analysis, there were 79 benign diagnoses, 17 malignant diagnoses, and 2 nondiagnostic samples. A benign versus malignant cytologic diagnosis was accurate in 97 of 98 cases. In conclusion, rapid assessment cytology was invaluable in the surgical treatment of many of the patients. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2008
Serum stimulation of phosphate uptake into 3T3 cells.

The stimulation by calf serum of phosphate uptake into 3T3 cells results from a change in maximum velocity of the transport process with no change in the Michaelis constant. Only arsenate among a series of inorganic structural analogs of phosphate inhibited phosphate uptake indicating a high specificity for the process. The arsenate inhibition was competitive in nature. Papaverine, theophylline, and protaglandin E1, drugs known to maintain high intracellular levels of cAMP, had little effect on serum stimulated phosphate uptake. The phosphate uptake stimulating factor(s) in serum could be distinguished from the 3T3 cell survival and migration factors by stability characteristics, but this factor(s) could not be completely separated from a uridine uptake stimulation activity or growth promoting activity using a variety of serum fractionation procedures. Only partial stimulation of the uptake process was achieved with any one serum fraction indicating a multiplicity of serum components is probably involved in this process. Because of the rapidity of serum activation of phosphate uptake and its apparent independence of intracellular cyclic nucleotide levels, it is suggested that serum factors may stimulate phosphate uptake by inducing structural changes in the phosphate carrier system.
Transcript mapping using [35S]DNA probes, trichloroacetate solvent and dideoxy sequencing ladders: a rapid method for identification of transcriptional start points.

Abstract A simple method for RNA transcript mapping has been developed that combines the use of 35 S-labeled M13 DNA probes and the presence of high concentrations of sodium trichloroacetate in the hybridization buffer. These hybridization conditions permit the use of M13 probes without purification from the template. The dideoxy sequencing ladders used for sizing the protected DNA fragments are obtained from the same M13 templates utilized to synthesize the DNA probes. The method was tested by analyzing the transcripts controlled by lac , ptr and trxA promoters. Comparison of the results with previously published data obtained with the conventional Sl nuclease mapping technique indicated that the present method is just as precise and at least 50 times more sensitive. Clones constructed for sequencing a gene of interest can be used directly to identify transcriptional start points.
Acrylic splint for intentional replantation

Abstract In the intentional replantation of a tooth, some means of stabilizing the replanted tooth is desirable. Use of the acrylic splint described here offers the following advantages: (1) maximum patient comfort, (2) good occlusion and mastication, (3) ease of insertion, (4) easy readjustment, if needed, and (5) maximum stability.
Provoked and Spontaneous High‐Frequency, Low‐Amplitude, Respirophasic Noise Transients in Patients with Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators

Respirophasic Noise Transients in ICD Patients. Introduction: Ventricular oversensing (OS) of respirophasic noise transients may cause spurious detections and therapies and pacing inhibition among patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). The incidence of OS and its relationship to clinical variables and ICD system design are unknown. Methods and Results: Three hundred twenty-nine patients performed provocative respiratory maneuvers at rest during intrinsic rhythm and continuous ventricular pacing. OS resulting in spurious ventricular detections was provoked in 3 (0.9%) of 329 patients during intrinsic rhythm and 34 (10.3%) of 329 during pacing. Noise transients not recognized and marked as sensed events, but visually evident on the local endocardial ventricular electrogram, were provoked in an additional 23 (7.0%) of 329 patients. Multivariate logistic regression identified history of spontaneous OS (P < 0.0005, odds ratio 9.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.9 to 50.0), automatic gain control device (P < 0.0005, odds ratio 5.3, 95% CI 2.6 to 10.8) or integrated bipolar lead (P = 0.05, odds ratio 2.6, 95% CI 1.0 to 7.25), and male gender (P = 0.008, odds ratio 3.7, 95% CI 1.2 to 11.1) as predictive of provocable OS. Spontaneous OS resulting in spurious ventricular detections and therapies occurred in 12 (3.6%) patients during follow-up. Eleven of 12 spontaneous episodes occurred in male patients during ventricular pacing; 11 of 12 patients had automatic gain control devices and integrated bipolar leads. Conclusion: OS is commonly provoked in ICD patients during ventricular pacing and may occur spontaneously, causing spurious tachyarrhythmia therapies and pacing inhibition. Differences in the incidence of spontaneous and provoked OS between ICD systems can be explained on the basis of unique features of automatic sensing systems and sensing lead design.
Structure at 1.6 A resolution of the protein from gene locus At3g22680 from Arabidopsis thaliana.

The gene product of At3g22680 from Arabidopsis thaliana codes for a protein of unknown function. The crystal structure of the At3g22680 gene product was determined by multiple-wavelength anomalous diffraction and refined to an R factor of 16.0% (R free = 18.4%) at 1.60 A resolution. The refined structure shows one monomer in the asymmetric unit, with one molecule of the non-denaturing detergent CHAPS {3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propane sulfon­ate} tightly bound. Protein At3g22680 shows no structural homology to any other known proteins and represents a new fold in protein conformation space.
Preferences in Context Micro Preferences, Macro Contexts, and the Demand for Social Policy

Political economists have increasingly looked to understand social welfare policy as a product of individual-level demand for social spending. This work hypothesizes that individuals with riskier j...
Development of some stationary phases for reversed-phase HPLC

Abstract The availability of a variety of stable organic stationary phases for columns has been a key factor in the development of HPLC as a major scientific tool. This paper explores the history and rationale used in the development of some important stationary phases and attempts to identify some of the strengths and limitations of these materials. Some of the author's experiences in stationary phase development illustrate approaches leading to present-day columns that exhibit a broad range of selectivity coupled with a high degree of reproducibility. Suggestions also are made for additional stationary phases that may be needed to complete column selectivity potential for HPLC separations.
Effects on rat rope-climbing of injection with blood plasma fractions from schizophrenics and normals

Abstract Fasting venous blood samples were taken from 61 schizophrenic patients drawn from two hospitals, and from 61 control donors. All donors were white adult males. A plasma protein fraction containing alpha-2, beta and gamma globulins was obtained from each blood sample, and injected intraperitoneally into rats which had been trained to climb a rope. The consequent increase in the animals' climbing time was measured by the method of Winter and Flataker. The results do not support the proposition that substances capable of modifying rats' rope-climbing time are present in systematically larger quantities in the blood of schizophrenic patients than in the blood of control donors. Possible sources of the conflict between these results and those of Bergen et al. are discussed.
The use of recombinant baculoviruses for sustained expression of human cytomegalovirus immediate early proteins in fibroblasts.

The isolation of viruses with mutations in essential genes requires that they be propagated in cells expressing the wild-type proteins. This has been a particularly challenging problem for studying mutations in the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) immediate early (IE) gene, IE2 86. In the past, we tried a number of approaches to derive human fibroblasts expressing wild-type IE2 86, but were unable to maintain expression of a fully functional protein. To overcome this obstacle, we developed a strategy whereby recombinant baculoviruses were used as vectors for the expression of HCMV IE proteins in primary human fibroblasts (FFs). The IE2 86 and IE1 72 cDNAs, as well as the genomic fragment of the UL122-123 region under the control of a chicken actin promoter, were introduced into the baculovirus genome by site-specific transposition in Escherichia coli. Recombinant "bacmid" DNAs were then transfected into Sf9 cells to generate recombinant baculoviruses. FFs infected at high m.o.i. with these baculoviruses expressed high levels of the HCMV protein for at least 1 week, as determined by immunofluorescence assays and Western blots. Moreover, the IE2 86 protein was found to be fully functional with respect to its ability to activate the HCMV UL112-113 early promoter. Recombinant baculoviruses expressing IE1 72 were also able to efficiently complement HCMV ie1 mutants. These data demonstrate the potential of using recombinant baculoviruses as vectors for the expression of toxic viral genes in human cells and for subsequent isolation of mutant HCMV lacking these essential genes.
Risk-stratified evaluation of amiodarone to prevent atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery.

Background Amiodarone prophylaxis (AMP) reduces the prevalence of postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) after cardiac surgery. We investigated the impact of AMP on the frequency and duration of POAF, the intensive care unit and hospital length of stay, and its cost-effectiveness in a risk-stratified cohort. Methods A retrospective, observational analysis of 509 patients who underwent cardiac surgery in 2003 was performed. Data sources included The Society of Thoracic Surgeons national database; medical and medication administration records; and the activity-based cost data from our institution. Risk stratification for POAF was determined using a validated risk index. Cost-effectiveness was determined from the hospital's perspective. Results The mean patient age was 63 years, 27% were female, 80% underwent coronary artery bypass grafting, and 29% underwent valve surgery. When a risk-stratified evaluation was made, 50% of patients were at an elevated risk for having POAF develop. When compared with nonprophylaxed patients, those receiving AMP (59%) experienced less POAF (31% vs 22%; p = 0.027) and shorter durations of POAF (4.7 vs 2.7 days; p = 0.025). In the elevated-risk group, AMP clinically (but not significantly) reduced length of stay in the intensive care unit (101 vs 68 hours; p > 0.05) and post-procedural hospital length of stay (9.7 vs. 7.9 days, p > 0.05). In the elevated-risk group, AMP was robustly cost-effective in reducing POAF. Conclusions Amiodarone prophylaxis reduced the prevalence and duration of POAF. Baseline risk for POAF was a major determinant of the overall cost-effectiveness of AMP. The greatest cost savings with AMP was seen in patients at an elevated risk for POAF. These findings suggest the need for risk stratification when prescribing AMP.
Improving teenage driver perceptions regarding the impact of distracted driving in the Pacific Northwest

ABSTRACTThe goal of this educational outreach project was to examine perceptions of driver distraction among teenagers in the Pacific Northwest. Specifically, to identify secondary tasks this group may consider distracting and determine their self-reported engagement in those same secondary tasks while driving. An interactive presentation was developed and administered to 1,400 teenage drivers. Teenagers from age 14 to 18 years were recruited from high schools in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon with an approximately equal sample in each State. Of these participants, 1,006 teenage drivers responded to a pre- and postknowledge survey administered immediately before and 2 weeks after the interactive presentation. The purpose of the survey was to measure the degree to which the interactive presentation improved teenage driver perspectives regarding the hazards of distracted driving. Results indicated that the interactive presentation positively influenced teenage driver perspectives, meaning that after the inte...
Effect of Clays on the Microbe Adsorption

Summary The non motile Gram-positive spore-forming bacteria are much more adsorbed on the bentonite than the motile Gram-negative rods. The motile bacteria adjance to clays in the phases of their rapid multiplication only. The dependence of the clay adsorption of motile microbes by the substrate and/or intermediate adsorption has been suggested.
Older adults and chronic kidney disease decision making by primary care physicians: a scholarly review and research agenda.

Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a growing public health concern that overwhelmingly affects older adults. National guidelines have called for earlier referral of CKD patients, but it is unclear how these should apply to older adults.
Spectroscopic CCD Surveys for Quasars at Large Redshift. V. The Palomar Scan Grism Survey Catalog

This paper reports the initial results of the Palomar Transit Grism Survey (PTGS). The PTGS was designed to produce a sample of z greater than 2.7 quasars that were identified by well-defined selection criteria. The survey consists of six narrow (approximately equal to 8.5 min wide) strips of sky; the total effective area is 61.47 sq deg. Low-resolution slitless spectra, covering the wavelength range from 4400 to 7500 A, were obtained for approximately 600 000 objects. The wavelength- and flux-calibrated spectra were searched for emission lines with an automatic software algorithm. A total to 1655 emission features in the grism data satisfied our signal-to-noise ratio and equivalent width selection criteria; subsequent slit spectroscopy of the candidates confirmed the existence of 1052 lines (928 different objects). Six groups of emission lines were detected in the survey: Lyman alpha + N V, C IV, C III1, Mg II, H Beta + (O III), and H alpha + (S II). More than two-thirds of the candidates are low-redshift (z less than 0.45) emission-line galaxies; ninety objects are high-redshift quasars (z greater than 2.7) detected via their Lyman alpha + N V emission lines. The survey contains three previously unknown quasars brighter than 17th magnitude; all three have redshifts of approximately equal to 1.3. In this paper we present the observational properties of the survey, the algorithms used to select the emission-line candidates, and the catalog of emission-line objects.
Mothers’ Differentiation and Depressive Symptoms among Adult Children

Parents' differentiation has been linked to negative psychological and behavioral outcomes in children, adolescents, and young adults. This line of research, however, has not been extended to families in later life. In this article, we use data from 671 mother-child dyads in 275 families in the greater Boston area to explore whether mothers' differentiation among their children is related to psychological well-being among offspring. We examined actual and perceived maternal differentiation in the domains of closeness, expectations for care, and conflict. We hypothesized that depressive symptoms would be higher when mothers differentiated among their children and when adult children perceived differentiation. Although the specific patterns varied somewhat by mothers' and children's reports, the findings indicated that, across all 3 domains, maternal differentiation was related to higher depression scores.
Microwave Curing of Composites.

A model was developed which describes the microwave curing process of continuous fiber reinforced organic matrix composites. On the basis of the model, a computer code was developed which provides ...
Globalization Of Knowledge Discovery And Information Retrieval In Teaching And Learning

Developments in communication and information technologies in the last decade have had a significant impact on instructional and learning activities. For many students and educators, the Internet became the significant medium for sharing instruction, learning and communication. Access to knowledge beyond boundaries and cultures has an impact on methods of teaching and learning, affecting professional education in corporations worldwide. The blending of science with commercial applications, new methods of conducting business, and access to published and preliminary research is not longer limited to leading educational institutions and the northern hemisphere. This paper discusses educational opportunities, reviewing the latest trends in information retrieval, along with new teaching methodologies related to availability and globalization of information. The good news is that the multicultural melding of various intelligences and the global linking of intelligent knowledge systems promises to lend a multicultural wisdom to the selection and provision of information. We hope that this may ultimately contribute to a lessening of the gap between educationally rich and poor nations. In this paper the “digital divide” is seen to be a less vexing problem for the future of globalized intelligent information systems. This system, called the “Global Brain,” ameliorates existing differences in national access to educational content repositories used for teaching and learning.
Effect of Unbalance on a Journal Bearing Undergoing Oil Whirl

SYNOPSIS A time-transient nonlinear analysis has been developed to examine the dynamical limit cycle motion of a plain journal bearing. The effect of unbalance and ambient pressure on the journal limit cycle motion below and above the linearized stability threshold speed is examined.The short bearing approximation is used, and the assumption of a 180° oil film has been relaxed. An arbitrary film extent based upon the instantaneous values of journal displacement, velocity, and ambient pressure is used.It has been found possible to optimize the unbalance to minimize the amplitude and the force transmitted for limit cycle operation above the stability threshold speed. Below this optimum value the whirl is fractional frequency and above this value it is synchronous.It has been found that when the journal is operating above the stability threshold speed, rotor unbalance may result in a smaller limit cycle than the balanced rotor. The effect of a non-zero ambient pressure at the optimum value of unbalance is to...
Heterogeneity of Pneumocystis Sterol Profiles of Samples from Different Sites in the Same Pair of Lungs Suggests Coinfection by Distinct Organism Populations

Sterol profiles of samples taken from different sites of a Pneumocystis-infected human lung showed large variations in pneumocysterol similar to those that occur among samples from different patients. Thus, the influence of diet or drugs on pneumocysterol accumulation was ruled out, suggesting distinct phenotypic populations as the basis for the heterogeneity.
Sinking behavior of gastropod larvae (Ilyanassa obsoleta) in turbulence

Larvae of coastal gastropods sink in turbulence and may use nearshore turbulence as an initial settlement cue. Our objective was to quantify the relationship between turbulence and the proportion of sinking larvae for competent mud snail veligers (Ilyanassa obsoleta). We exposed larvae to a range of field-relevant turbulence conditions ( «5 8.1 3 10 23 to 2.7 3 10 0 cm 2 s 23 ) in a grid-stirred tank, holding other factors constant. We used a video plankton recorder to record larval movements in still water and in turbulence. Larval trajectories and velocity measurements were extracted using video-image analysis. We also measured turbulent flow velocities independently, using laser Doppler velocimetry. To interpret empirical measurements in terms of larval behavior, we developed a threecomponent, normal mixture model for vertical velocity distributions of larvae in turbulence. The model was fitted to observed larval velocities by maximum likelihood, to estimate the proportions of sinking, hovering, and swimming larvae. Over the range of turbulence intensities found in typical coastal habitats, the proportion of sinking larvae increased exponentially (r 2 5 0.89) with the log of the turbulence dissipation rate. The net mean behavioral velocity of the larvae shifted from positive to negative when the dissipation rate reached ;10 21 cm 2 s 23 . By sinking when they enter turbulent, shallow water, competent larvae could improve their chances of settling in favorable coastal habitats. Very little is known about how larval behavior in the plankton affects patterns of larval supply and settlement of benthic invertebrates. Much work has been done to describe larval behavior during the exploration of substrates, when larvae can sometimes select settlement sites over small scales (millimeters to centimeters). Less progress has been made on understanding the behavioral contribution while larvae are transported through the water column to benthic habitats. Under some hydrodynamic conditions, larvae could settle more successfully if they responded to waterborne cues by sinking toward the benthos. If the swimming velocity and gravitational sinking velocity differ by a factor of two or more, behavioral changes can significantly affect larval sink1
THE DEMAND FOR FUNDS BY AMERICAN BUSINESS ENTERPRISES: RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT. II†

The year 1946 marked the end of the postwar reconversion and the beginning of the subsequent boom. In retrospect it is apparent that reconversion, in a physical sense, was effected much more smoothly and speedily than even the optimists had expected. The Federal Reserve index of physical volume of manufacturing and mining production reached an annual average of 235 in 1944 at the peak of the war effort, fell to 170 in 1946, but subsequently it made a good recovery to the current level of around 190. But meanwhile, trade, service, and other industrial divisions not included in the Federal Reserve index expanded rapidly to a point where employment in non-agricultural establishments exceeded the wartime peak by 1947.
Keyword search over key-value stores

Key-value stores (KVSs) are the most prevalent storage systems for large scale web services. As they do not have the structural complexities of RDBMSs, they are more efficient. In this paper, we introduce the problem of keyword search over KVSs and analyze its differences with keyword search over documents and relational databases. We propose a novel method called Keyword Search over Key-value stores (KSTORE) to solve the problem. Our user study using two real life data sets shows that KSTORE provides better ranking than the extended versions of document and relational database keyword search proposals and poses reasonable overheads.
Cultures in Conflict

Cet article analyse l'initiative d'une ecole secondaire en milieu urbain de creer un programme multiculturel pour les eleves d'origine africaine et hispanique. Il decrit les tensions intergroupe apparues lors de l'application de ce programme, tensions qui ne se sont pas manifestees dans l'enseignement traditionnel. La cause de ces tensions serait due au concepts des eleves sur les notions de culture et de race. L'A. fait des suggestions pedagogiques afin de creer des experiences positives pour les eleves de programmes d'education multiculturelle
Residual effects of head movement in fMRI

Relatively large (>3 mm) and stimulus-correlated head movement during blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) 'functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is known to produce regions of false activation. We investigated a possible difference in brain activation with weakly correlated through-plane and in-plane head movement in fourteen healthy volunteers. fMRI was performed on a 4 Tesla whole-body MRI scanner, using gradient-echo single-shot EPI. Regions of false activation occurred despite small movements (<1-mm-translations and <1/spl deg/-rotations) and motion correction. False activation was also observed when the motion was weakly correlated with the stimulus. Investigation of the extent of the residual effects of head movement and stimulus-correlated motion are required to increase the confidence that results reflect genuine activation rather than motion in film studies.
Synthesis rules for colored Petri nets and their applications to automated manufacturing systems

Synthesis methods for colored Petri nets are presented. The final net constructed by these methods always guarantees liveness and boundedness. The methods are the extended version of the authors' previous transformation methods for generalized Petri nets (1990, 1991). Some restrictions for incidence functions and color sets are given to apply the previous theorems to colored Petri nets. Using these restrictions, and defining a live-and-bounded circuit (LB-circuit) for colored Petri nets, it is shown that the union of two LB-circuits is live and bounded if the two LB-circuits are fused along two types of common directed paths. Then, a method is presented for synthesis of a new live and bounded net by fusing an LB-circuit to a live and bounded net while preserving the properties. Using this bottom-up approach a complex colored Petri net can be constructed. These synthesis methods are illustrated for modeling automated manufacturing systems by means by two examples. >
Valve-sparing repair of aortic root aneurysms: an update on the Florida sleeve

Aortic valve-sparing reimplantation remains an effective technique for repair of aortic root aneurysms. Studies indicate that the Florida Sleeve procedure is dimensionally stable and durable in the early postoperative period; however, our technique has evolved. We describe a 10-year institutional experience and the technical update of the Florida Sleeve repair for root aneurysms.
Cytochrome P450 17α Hydroxylase/17,20 Lyase (CYP17) Function in Cholesterol Biosynthesis: Identification of Squalene Monooxygenase (Epoxidase) Activity Associated with CYP17 in Leydig Cells

Cytochrome P450 17alpha-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase (CYP17) is a microsomal enzyme catalyzing two distinct activities, 17alpha-hydroxylase and 17,20-lyase, essential for the biosynthesis of adrenal and gonadal steroids. CYP17 is a potent oxidant, it is present in liver and nonsteroidogenic tissues, and it has been suggested to have catalytic properties distinct to its function in steroid metabolism. To identify CYP17 functions distinct of its 17alpha-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase activity, we used MA-10 mouse tumor Leydig cells known to be defective in 17alpha-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase activity. A CYP17 knocked down MA-10 clone (MA-10(CYP17KD)) was generated by homologous recombination and its steroidogenic capacity was compared with wild-type cells (MA-10(wt)). Although no differences in cell morphology and proliferation rates were observed between these cells, the human chorionic gonadotropin-induced progesterone formation and de novo synthesis of steroids were dramatically reduced in MA-10(CYP17KD) cells; their steroidogenic ability could be rescued in part by transfecting CYP17 DNA into the cells. Knocking down CYP17 mRNA by RNA interference yielded similar results. However, no significant difference was observed in the steroidogenic ability of cells treated with 22R-hydroxycholesterol, which suggested a defect in cholesterol biosynthesis. Incubation of MA-10(CYP17KD) cells with (14)C-labeled squalene resulted in the formation of reduced amounts of radiolabeled cholesterol compared with MA-10(wt) cells. In addition, treatment of MA-10(CYP17KD) cells with various cholesterol substrates indicated that unlike squalene, addition of squalene epoxide, lanosterol, zymosterol, and desmosterol could rescue the hormone-induced progesterone formation. Further in vitro studies demonstrated that expression of mouse CYP17 in bacteria resulted in the expression of squalene monooxygenase activity. In conclusion, these studies suggest that CYP17, in addition to its 17alpha-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase activity, critical in androgen formation, also expresses a secondary activity, squalene monooxygenase (epoxidase), of a well-established enzyme involved in cholesterol biosynthesis, which may become critical under certain conditions.
Smoking Cessation: The State of the Science

(1) Smoking remains the most significant modifiable risk factor for the leading causes of death in the United States. The most frequently used theoretical model used to guide interventions directed toward smoking cessation has been the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1983 [24]), although the effectiveness and efficacy of the model's use in guiding smoking cessation interventions has not been fully evaluated. A non-statistical meta-analytic approach was used to examine reports of the use of the TTM in smoking cessation interventions. Three elements were considered for inclusion in this integrated review: the clear specification of the use of a theoretical framework, a specified intervention directed towards changing smoking behavior, and a specified outcome of smoking behavior change. From 1,500 research articles, 16 reports fit these criteria. The assessment of the research reviewed indicates that the TTM has not been fully tested in smoking cessation interventions, nor have process mediators been used to determine the mechanism of smoking behavior change.
Liraglutide, leptin and their combined effects on feeding: additive intake reduction through common intracellular signalling mechanisms

Aim To investigate the behavioural and intracellular mechanisms by which the glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, liraglutide, and leptin in combination enhance the food intake inhibitory and weight loss effects of either treatment alone. Methods We examined the effects of liraglutide (a long-acting GLP-1 analogue) and leptin co-treatment, delivered in low or moderate doses subcutaneously (s.c.) or to the third ventricle, respectively, on cumulative intake, meal patterns and hypothalamic expression of intracellular signalling proteins [phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (pSTAT3) and protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B (PTP1B)] in lean rats. Results A low-dose combination of liraglutide (25 µg/kg) and leptin (0.75 µg) additively reduced cumulative food intake and body weight, a result mediated predominantly through a significant reduction in meal frequency that was not present with either drug alone. Liraglutide treatment alone also reduced meal size; an effect not enhanced with leptin co-administration. Moderate doses of liraglutide (75 µg/kg) and leptin (4 µg), examined separately, each reduced meal frequency, cumulative food intake and body weight; only liraglutide reduced meal size. In combination these doses did not further enhance the anorexigenic effects of either treatment alone. Ex vivo immunoblot analysis showed elevated pSTAT3 in the hypothalamic tissue after liraglutide-leptin co-treatment, an effect which was greater than that of leptin treatment alone. In addition, s.c. liraglutide reduced the expression of PTP1B (a negative regulator of leptin receptor signalling), revealing a potential mechanism for the enhanced pSTAT3 response after liraglutide-leptin co-administration. Conclusions Collectively, these results show novel behavioural and molecular mechanisms underlying the additive reduction in food intake and body weight after liraglutide-leptin combination treatment.
EVALUATION OF FINITE ELEMENT SYSTEM ARCHITECTURES

Abstract The finite element method is a powerful engineering analysis tool. However, the scope and size of the problems solved are limited by the capabilities and costs of computers currently used. New computer architectures with parallel processing capabilities can exploit the parallelism in the finite element method. Because of the large number of alternative hardware and software configurations and the high costs incurred in the development of such systems, a methodology is needed to compare proposed finite element systems without implementing either hardware or software. This paper presents such a methodology. System architectures are evaluated by simulating the execution of the finite element software on the hardware. Hardware is represented as a set of processors and resources, while the software is modeled as a set of computational tasks organized into an acyclic directed graph. The simulation is performed by scheduling routines. The result of the scheduling routines is a schedule consisting of task-processor assignments and task starting and finishing times. Also, processor and resource utilization levels are generated. These results provide a means of comparing proposed finite element systems.
Recent developments in laser treatment of diabetic retinopathy.

Laser photocoagulation has been the mainstay of diabetic retinopathy treatment since its development in mid-20 th century. With the advent of antivascular endothelial growth factor therapy, the role of laser therapy appeared to be diminished, however many advances in laser technology have been developed since. This review will describe recent advances in laser treatment of diabetic retinopathy including pattern scan laser, short-pulse duration and a reduced fluence laser, and navigated laser system for proliferative diabetic retinopathy and macular edema.
Sleep Behaviors and Sleep Quality in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

measurements and results : The CSHQ, sleep diaries, and 10 nights of actigraphy using the Sadeh algorithm of children with ASD and TD control subjects were compared. CSHQ showed 66.1% of parents of children with ASD (62.5% autism, 76.2% PDD-NOS, 58.3% Asperger disorder) and 45% of parents of the control subjects reported that their children had sleep problems. Actigraphic data showed that 66.7% of children with ASD (75% autism, 52.4% PDD-NOS, 75% Asperger disorder) and 45.9% of the control subjects had disturbed sleep. Conclusions : The prevalence estimate of 45% for mild sleep disturbances in the TD cohort highlights pediatric sleep debt as a public health problem of concern. The prevalence estimate of 66% for moderate sleep disturbances in the ASD cohort underscores the significant sleep problems that the families of these children face. The predominant sleep disorders in the ASD cohort were behavioral insomnia sleep-onset type and insomnia due to PDD.
Simultaneous Quantitation of Cocaine, Opiates, and Their Metabolites in Human Hair by Positive Ion Chemical Ionization Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

A sensitive method is developed for the combined extraction of cocaine (COC), cocaethylene (CE), benzoylecgonine (BE), ecgonine methyl ester (EME), norcocaine (NORCOC), 6-acetylmorphine (6-MAM), codeine (COD), norcodeine (NORCOD), morphine (MOR), and normorphine (NORMOR) from human head hair using an enzyme-based digestion technique (Protease VIII/DTT/Tris-buffer pH 6.5 at 22 degrees C). After pH adjustment to 5.5, the digests are extracted with a solid-phase extraction procedure using Bond-Elut Certify columns. The extract residues are evaporated at 40 degrees C, reconstituted in 20 microL of ethyl acetate, and derivatized with the reagents N-methyl-N-trimethylsilylheptafluorobutyramide (MSHFBA), N-methyl-bis-heptafluorobutyramide (MBHFBA), and N-trimethylsilylimidazole (TMSIM). Analyses are performed by positive ion chemical ionization gas chromatography-mass spectrometry using a DB-1 capillary column. Two injections are performed on each extract to optimize sensitivity for all analytes. The assay is capable of reliably quantitating 500 pg/mg of all compounds and is linear to 50 ng/mg, except for BE, which is linear to 25.0 ng/mg. The method was used to analyze human hair samples obtained from cocaine and heroin users. COC, BE, and EME are detectable in all samples, whereas NORCOC, CE, COD, 6-MAM, and MOR are detected in only some samples. Norcodeine and normorphine are not detected. The assay is currently being used to analyze hair samples from a study investigating the mechanisms of drug disposition in hair.
Molecular Cloning Of A Plasma Membrane Calcium Pump From Human Osteoblasts

The osteoblast plays a critical role in bone formation, bone remodelling, bone matrix formation, and matrix calcification. To better understand the process of osteoblast-controlled bone formation, we determined the structure and isoform types of the plasma membrane calcium pump from normal human osteoblasts. A complementary DNA library from normal human osteoblasts was screened for plasma membrane calcium pump clones. Sequencing and analysis of cDNA clones revealed the presence of a 3986 base pair cDNA that encoded a 1220 amino acid protein that was similar to the human plasma membrane calcium pump isoform 1. Polyadenylated RNA from human osteoblast cells contains bands of RNA approximately 5050 and 6750 bases long. Reverse transcription of polyadenylated RNA from human osteoblasts followed by amplification of the RNA-DNA duplex with calcium pump isoform-specific primers revealed the presence of isoforms 1 and 2 of the calcium pump. Isoform 4 was not detected. We conclude that normal adult human osteoblasts contain a plasma membrane calcium pump that is similar to the human plasma membrane calcium pump isoform 1. It is likely that this pump plays an important role in the cell biology of the human osteoblast.
The choice of optimal distance measure in genome-wide datasets

Motivation: Many types of genomic data are naturally represented as binary vectors. Numerous tasks in computational biology can be cast as analysis of relationships between these vectors, and the first step is, frequently, to compute their pairwise distance matrix. Many distance measures have been proposed in the literature, but there is no theory justifying the choice of distance measure. Results: We examine the approaches to measuring distances between binary vectors and study the characteristic properties of various distance measures and their performance in several tasks of genome analysis. Most distance measures between binary vectors turn out to belong to a single parametric family, namely generalized average-based distance with different exponents. We show that descriptive statistics of distance distribution, such as skewness and kurtosis, can guide the appropriate choice of the exponent. On the contrary, the more familiar distance properties, such as metric and additivity, appear to have much less effect on the performance of distances. Availability: R code GADIST and Supplementary material are available at http://research.stowers-institute.org/bioinfo/ Contact: gvg@stowers-institute.org
Incorporating positive interactions in aquatic restoration and conservation

The role of positive interactions in structuring biological communities is recognized throughout the field of ecology, but has yet to be well integrated into the restoration and conservation of aquatic systems. Here, we use examples of success in terrestrial restoration to (1) describe how a broader perspective on the scale and nature of positive interactions is necessary if we are to take full advantage of their conservation potential and (2) explain why and when positive interactions should be considered in restoration and conservation of marine, estuarine, and freshwater habitats. Such goals can be accomplished without considering positive interactions, and situations certainly exist in which positive interactions should play a minor role in restoration plans. However, a more explicit recognition of these interactions will make restoration and conservation more successful. In some cases, restoration activities may fail if these interactions are not included.
The Regulation of Exploitation

AbstractFeminist scholarship on exploitation in assisted reproduction focuses primarily on structural inequalities in society and, particularly, within the medical system. This approach most often determines that these technologies are universally oppressive toward women. This discourse, while valuable, overlooks the interaction between universal structural forces and local conditions that, together, shape exploitation within fertility medicine. This project provides an analysis of the local conditions that shape exploitation in surrogacy arrangements in Israel and the United States. The comparison focuses on the selection and compensation of surrogates to analyze the impact of local forces that define certain practices and regulations as exploitative. By providing a context-specific account, this project identifies the need to address exploitation through an analysis of the local experience of exploitation that occurs within an oppressive universalistic system. Thus, it introduces a framework that can be...