cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Primate Brain Evolution in Phylogenetic Context

The order Primates is the group of mammals that includes the hominoids (apes and humans), Old World monkeys, New World monkeys, tarsiers, lemurs, lorises, and bush babies. Enormous progress has been made over the past three decades in understanding the relationships of primates to other mammals, the relationships among primate groups, and the adaptive origins of primates and of primate subgroups. Several lines of evidence indicate that primates belong to a higher-order grouping of mammals, the Archonta, that includes at least tree shrews and flying lemurs. Primates probably originated as a group of small, nocturnally active animals, evolving grasping extremities and close-set, forward-facing eyes to locomote and feed in the fine terminal branches of tree. The origin of anthropoid primates (New World monkeys, Old World monkeys, and hominoids) was marked by a shift to diurnality and the evolution of a retinal fovea for enhanced visual acuity, followed by increased body size and the advent of more complex forms of social organization Primate brain evolution was marked by changes at many levels of structural organization. Brain size increased early in primate evolution, with expansion of the neocortex and the addition of numerous new cortical sensory areas and new systems of interconnections between areas. Also, primates evolved new areas in higher-order cortical regions such as posterior parietal, superior temporal sulcal, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and a new thalamic nucleus, the dorsal (medial) pulvinar, which has extensive connections with the higher-order cortex. The evolution of anthropoid primates was accompanied by further increases in brain size, and the appearance of new areas, especially in higher-order and limbic regions, although it is not clear that the addition of new areas accounts for the increased encephalization of anthropoids. Evolutionary changes in primate brain organization were by no means limited to changes in the complement of areas and extrinsic connectivity: numerous changes in the internal laminar and modular organization of cortical areas have been documented, and there is increasing evidence of changes in the morphological and biochemical phenotypes of brain cells.
Is there a role for salvage re-irradiation in pediatric patients with locoregional recurrent rhabdomyosarcoma? Clinical outcomes from a multi-institutional cohort.

Abstract Background and purpose Limited data exist detailing the role of salvage reirradiation following local-regional recurrence (LR) in previously irradiated pediatric patients with rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). Materials and methods We evaluated outcomes and prognostic factors in a multi-institutional cohort of 23 patients with LR-only (N = 19) or LR with distant failure (N = 4) RMS managed with (N = 12) or without (N = 11) re-irradiation who were treated from 1996 to 2012. Results At a median follow-up of 4.6 years from LR, 7 (30%) patients were alive and 5 (22%) had no evidence of disease. Median OS and PFS from LR were 19.3 and 16.9 months, respectively. LFFS and DFFS at 3 years from relapse were 54% and 56%, respectively. Salvage re-irradiation occurred in 12 (52%) patients, with 9 (75%) receiving resection before re-irradiation. Patients classified as low-risk at diagnosis with favorable primary tumor location had improved 3-year PFS 80% (95% CI 51.6–100%) vs. 47.1% (95% CI 27.3–81.2%), p = 0.066], and OS 80% [(95% CI 22.4–100%) vs. 47.1% (95% CI 27.3–81.3%), p = 0.051] following LR. Median LFFS and OS in unirradiated vs. re-irradiated patients was 12.4 vs. 19.6 (p = 0.1) and 18.8 vs. 26.1 months (p = 0.46). No patients experienced ≥grade 4 acute toxicity from re-irradiation. LR failure was a component of cancer-related death in 60% vs. 40% of the unirradiated and re-irradiated group (p = 0.02). Conclusion Salvage re-irradiation appears tolerable with acceptable morbidity and may reduce the risk of subsequent LR as a component of death in patients with LR RMS.
Quantifying the Effect of Air Conditioning Dynamics on Power System Transient Stability Limits

Dynamic load characteristics are becoming an increasingly important consideration for power systems with a large penetration of residential air conditioning. Residential air conditioner stalling in response to faults plays a large role in Fault-Induced Delayed Voltage Recovery events. To further study this connection, this work seeks to tie load parameter variations directly to changes in assessed transient stability limits. This connection is first considered at an area-wide level, before a bus-level locational sensitivity metric is introduced. Test results allow for validation of common assumptions about the effects of air conditioner motor stalling, as well as identification of which busses are most critical to the system response near a stability limit.
Introduction of Douglas W. Maynard for the Cooley-Mead Award:

On the occasion of Douglas Maynard’s selection as recipient of the 2018 Cooley-Mead Award, this essay provides a brief overview of his scholarly career. His diverse and expansive contributions to s...
Elements of Undergraduate Education Related to Students’ Academic Performance in the First Year of Dental School

The aim of this study was to improve understanding of predictors of student success in dental school. A total of 178 student records from the Classes of 2015 and 2016 at a U.S. dental school were reviewed for this retrospective study. The records assessed included admissions files with such elements as scores on the Dental Admission Test (DAT), participation in a pipeline program, and undergraduate transcripts; academic records from the first term of dental school (class rank, course remediation, and withdrawal/dismissal from dental school); and National Board Dental Examination (NBDE) Part I results. The results showed that the DAT Perceptual Ability Test was positively related to performance in the first term of dental school (p=0.030). The DAT Academic Average (p<0.0001) and participation in a pipeline program (p=0.006) were found to be predictors of performance in the lower 25% of the class by end of first term rank. Taking organic chemistry in a summer term during undergraduate study was identified as a predictor variable for dismissal, withdrawal, or entry into a decompressed curriculum (p=0.025). Although this analysis found that traditional predictors of academic success in dental school were associated with strong academic performance in the study sample, it also provided a more complex assessment of factors that may be associated with students who struggle in the first year. As the vast majority of students in this sample successfully completed dental school, the results were not sought to inform admissions criteria, but rather to help academic and student affairs officers identify at-risk students in order to offer timely intervention.
The Blood Antiquities Convention as a Paradigm for Cultural Property Crime Reduction

In 2017 the Council of Europe opened for signature the first ever international treaty aimed at policing cultural property. As more attention has been paid to the damage done by the theft, looting, and illicit trafficking of cultural objects, the Council of Europe has met this challenge with an ambitious convention which aims to fill gaps in the current criminal laws. These gaps have too often been exploited by individuals in the illicit antiquities trade. The author had an opportunity to present his analysis of a draft version of the Council of Europe's Convention at a meeting held in Lucca, Italy in 2017. The meeting of that group of experts revealed a document that had the benefit of grand ambitions and tough talk on the policing of illicit antiquities. Yet there was pessimism expressed by many experts that the Convention would accomplish the goals which it set out to achieve. The essay which follows is an expansion of the remarks given at that meeting. It argues that the cultural property trade badly needs to be properly regulated. This includes not simply seizure and forfeiture of objects, but also the prosecution of persistent bad actors. The Nicosia Convention opens up new possibilities for prosecution at all levels of the illicit trade. Although the Convention is the first of its kind, it has been met with surprisingly little attention in the cultural heritage law academy. This essay introduces the main reforms offered by the Convention and argues that it points the way forward for future policing of the illicit trade in cultural property.
PKCζ and JNK signaling regulate radiation-induced compensatory proliferation in parotid salivary glands

Radiotherapy is a common treatment option for head and neck cancer patients; however, the surrounding healthy salivary glands are often incidentally irradiated during the process. As a result, patients often experience persistent xerostomia and hyposalivation, which deceases their quality of life. Clinically, there is currently no standard of care available to restore salivary function. Repair of epithelial wounds involves cellular proliferation and establishment of polarity in order to regenerate the tissue. This process is partially mediated by protein kinase C zeta (PKCζ), an apical polarity regulator; however, its role following radiation damage is not completely understood. Using an in vivo radiation model, we show a significant decrease in active PKCζ in irradiated murine parotid glands, which correlates with increased proliferation that is sustained through 30 days post-irradiation. Additionally, salivary glands in PKCζ null mice show increased basal proliferation which radiation treatment did not further potentiate. Radiation damage also activates Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), a proliferation-inducing mitogen-activated protein kinase normally inhibited by PKCζ. In both a PKCζ null mouse model and in primary salivary gland cell cultures treated with a PKCζ inhibitor, there was increased JNK activity and production of downstream proliferative transcripts. Collectively, these findings provide a potential molecular link by which PKCζ suppression following radiation damage promotes JNK activation and radiation-induced compensatory proliferation in the salivary gland.
CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL BAMBINO GESù (OPBG): PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF THE “THE 5 MILLION LIVES CAMPAIGN”

Objective OPBG is involved in the Project “The 5 Million Lives Campaign”, launched by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). The objective of this work is to promote awareness in hospital health care personnel about the control of hospital infections. Methods the project was launched in the first half of 2006, with the formation of three working multidisciplinary groups for each of the three selected interventions: prevention of surgical site infections, prevention of central line infections, and prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia. Each group has designed a card with two functions: reporting correct activities and creating a check-list as a reminder of procedures to be implemented. Results Between May 2006–December 2007 4393 procedures were carried out relating to 736 mechanical ventilations, 2034 CVC and 1623 surgical wounds, detected on 3108 patients. In the first 6 months adherence to the project showed an upward trend, reaching a maximum value of 89.42% in 8 months. In the subsequent 12 months there has been a substantial plateau with an average value of roughly 77%. The percentage of infections associated with procedures has shown a significant reduction between the first and second quarter (rates decreased from 12.82% to 4.39%). In the following periods data showed a steady trend between 5% and 7%. Differences observed over time in rates of infection are statistically significant. Conclusion The study demonstrates that a few EBP may have a high clinical impact, as highlighted by a reduction in infections associated with the procedures.
Clinical Legal Education and the Replication of Hierarchy

Clinical legal education is now a significant and widely touted feature of every law schools’ curriculum. The 2008 recession, which resulted in fewer law jobs and fewer applicants, spurred law schools to beef up their experiential offerings, both in response to the call for “practice ready” graduates and to enhance law schools’ appeal to potential applicants. This essay explores two aspects of collateral damage that have resulted from the growth and institutionalization of clinical education. They both stem from the replication of hierarchies that have long existed in law school faculties and in the legal profession in general. First, the expansion of clinical offerings has not resulted in more clinical tenure-track positions—their number has steadily decreased. Instead, hiring has been largely through short-term fellowship, visitor or staff attorney appointments, or at best long-term contract eligible positions, without voting rights on the issues that shape the future of the institution—appointments and tenure. Thus, instead of increased integration of clinical education into the academy, a new underclass has been created within faculties, without job security or long-term academic prospects. Second, the growth of clinical education has not been consistent with its original programmatic goals of serving under-represented groups with critical legal needs. Instead, clinical education has succumbed to the popular demand for more “glamourous” practices settings, as seen by the huge growth of start-up, entrepreneurial and intellectual property clinics and the reduction in housing, government benefits and family law offerings. Thus, clinical education is replicating the legal practice hierarchies that leave poverty law at the bottom. This essay ends with recommendations to ensure that clinics are staffed in a non- exploitative manner that respects the career aspirations of junior colleagues and that clinical curricular decisions keep as a priority instilling the social justice values that have been the hallmark of clinical education.
Collaboration with countries with rapidly growing research: supporting proactive development of international research collaboration

The academic world is developing rapidly with many new countries becoming significant contributors to research. One important strategic issue is to ensure that the collaboration network develops at least in the same pace as the academic world is developing. This study proposes a new method to compare countries’ growth in research, thus highlighting that Indonesia, Iran and Pakistan are the countries with the highest growth among all countries with more than 10,000 Scopus publications in 2018. A new indicator for collaboration intensity is also proposed, which makes it easy to check to what extent the collaboration pattern incorporates countries with rapid growth. Using Sweden and Indonesia as examples, the study shows differences on national level as well as between different scientific disciplines. Whereas Sweden’s collaboration is very much focusing on other mature research countries with low growth, Indonesia’s collaboration is including other countries with rapid growth. In terms of policy, the study and the proposed methodology support better-informed strategy decisions as regards the prioritisation of countries for research collaboration. It argues that there is a need for strategies and policy support at different levels, if a more balanced mix of research collaboration is to be obtained. To manage rapid changes, it might be necessary to shift from a mainly reactive development of the collaborations to a more proactive one that fosters links to the rapidly developing research countries.
Developmental stages and estimated prevalence of coexisting mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions and service use in youth with intellectual disabilities, 2011-2012.

BACKGROUND Few studies exist on mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions and service use among youth with intellectual disabilities (IDs), which makes it difficult to develop interventions for this population. The objective of the study is to (1) estimate and compare the prevalence of mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions in youth with and without ID across three developmental stages and (2) estimate and compare mental health service use in youth with and without ID across three developmental stages. METHODS We conducted secondary data analysis using cross-sectional data collected from caregivers completing the 2011-2012 National Survey of Children's Health. The data set represents a nationally representative sample of youth (0-17 years) in the USA with one child from each household being randomly selected. Data were collected from caregivers in 50 states, Washington D.C. and the US Virgin Islands. We restricted the sample to parents of youth between 3-17 years (N = 81 510). RESULTS Compared with youth without ID, youth ages 3-17 with ID had a statistically significantly higher prevalence of (1) mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions and (2) mental health care use and medication use for mental health and neurodevelopmental issues (other than attention deficit disorder/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Clinically significant differences in coexisting conditions and service use were also found across developmental stages. CONCLUSIONS Youth with ID are at greater risk of having coexisting mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions than youth without ID and are more likely to receive treatment. Therefore, clinicians should consider mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions and the unique needs of youth by developmental stage when tailoring interventions for youth with ID.
Honoring Student Cultural Capital: Social Media and Popular Culture as Tools for Teaching Theory

To a growing student population for whom smartphone and Internet use started in their early childhood, social media and popular culture can be effective tools to mitigate potential anxiety and alie...
Spatiotemporal control of calcium carbonate nucleation using mechanical deformations of elastic surfaces

Biological systems generate crystalline materials with properties and morphologies that cannot be duplicated using synthetic procedures. Developing strategies that mimic the control mechanisms found in nature would enhance the range of functional materials available for numerous technological applications. Herein, a biomimetic approach based on the mechano-dynamic chemistry of silicone surfaces was used to control the rate of heterogeneous CaCO3 nucleation. Specifically, stretching the silicone surface redistributed functional groups, tuning interfacial energy and thus the rate of CaCO3 crystal formation, as predicted by classical nucleation rate laws. We extended this procedure using microrelief patterns to program surface strain fields to spatially control the location of nucleation. The strategies presented herein represent a fundamental departure from traditional bottom-up crystal engineering, where surfaces are chemically static, to them being active participants in the nucleation process controlling the outcome both spatially and temporally.
Median-Unbiasedness and the Gauss-Markov Property in Finite Population Survey Sampling

In this paper, we identify and characterize a family of sampling designs such that, under these designs, the sample median is a median-unbiased estimator of the population median. We first consider the simple random sampling case. A simple random sampling design has the median-unbiasedness property. Moreover, upon deleting samples from the simple random sampling case and imposing a uniform probability distribution on the remaining samples, the sample median is a median-unbiased estimator provided that the support meets a minimum threshold. However, there are other sampling designs, such as those based on balanced incomplete block designs, that do not need to meet the minimum threshold requirement to have the sample median be a median-unbiased estimator. We construct non-uniformly distributed sampling designs that have the median-unbiasedness property as well. In fact, the sample median is a best linear unbiased estimator within the class of linear median unbiased estimators. We show the sample median follows the Gauss-Markov Property under a simple random sampling design.
The Pathology of Acute and Acute on Chronic Liver Failure

Acute liver failure (ALF) and acute on chronic liver failure (ACLF) are rare, life-threatening conditions of varied etiologies. Literature on the pathologic findings of these entities is limited, and there is no consensus for a pathologic classification of either ALF or ACLF. Recent review articles and the few published studies that describe the histologic features of ALF and ACLF are summarized herein. The utility and limitations of liver biopsy examination for these entities is also discussed.
Identification of Nasal Gammaproteobacteria with Potent Activity against Staphylococcus aureus: Novel Insights into the "Noncarrier" State.

Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage provides the bacterial reservoir for opportunistic infection. In comparing the nasal microbiomes of culture-defined persistent S. aureus carriers versus noncarriers, we detected S. aureus DNA in all noses, including those with an established history of S. aureus negativity based on culture. Colonization with Gammaproteobacteria, including Klebsiella aerogenes, Citrobacter koseri, Moraxella lincolnii, and select Acinetobacter spp., was associated with S. aureus noncarriage. We next developed physiological competition assays for testing anti-S. aureus activity of isolated nasal species, utilizing medium modeling the nutrient-limited fluid of the nasal mucosa, polarized primary nasal epithelia, and nasal secretions. K. aerogenes from the nose of an S. aureus noncarrier demonstrated >99% inhibition of S. aureus recovery in all assays, even when S. aureus was coincubated in 9-fold excess. Secreted S. aureus inhibitory proteins from K. aerogenes and M. lincolnii were heat-stable and <30 kDa, fitting the profile of antimicrobial peptides. C. koseri, Acinetobacter haemolyticus, Acinetobacter junii, and Acinetobacter schindleri inhibited S. aureus recovery on nasal epithelia in a contact-dependent manner, while several other species either had no effect or promoted S. aureus growth. Collectively, this project is one of the first to identify resident nasal microbial species that impede S. aureus survival, and it implies that detectable nasal S. aureus results from shifts in microbial community composition.IMPORTANCE Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus is a risk factor for infection, but it is not yet understood why some individuals carry nasal S. aureus persistently, intermittently, or seemingly not at all when tested via culture methods. This study compared the nasal microbiomes of established S. aureus carriers and noncarriers, identified species associated with noncarriage, and tested them for anti-S. aureus activity using assays developed to model the nutrient-limited nasal mucosa. We determined that all nostril swabs contain S. aureus DNA, even swabs from hosts considered to be long-term noncarriers. Select members of the Gammaproteobacteria class were more prevalent in noncarrier than carrier nostrils and demonstrated potent activity against multiple strains of S. aureus The results described here provide a better understanding of how the nasal microbiome controls S. aureus growth and viability and may be useful in the design of improved S. aureus decolonization strategies.
Evaluation of transverse maxillary growth on cone-beam computed tomography images.

This study aimed at quantifying the annual transverse growth of the maxilla using skeletal landmarks in three different regions on cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans. CBCT scans taken before and after orthodontic treatment of 100 child and adolescent patients (50 male, 50 female) without maxillary transverse deficiencies were used to determine the transverse linear distances between the greater palatine foramina (GPFd), the lateral walls of the nasal cavity (NCd), and the infraorbital foramina (IOFd). We found that all distances increased significantly with growth in both genders (p 0.05) correlations between patient age and the annual changes in GPFd, NCd, and IOFd. These results suggest that the positions of the greater palatine foramina, the lateral walls of the nasal cavity, and the infraorbital foramina change consistently with maxillary transverse growth. Clinicians can use the growth rates as population averages to more confidently estimate the amount of skeletal transverse deficiency or evaluate the long-term effects of maxillary expansion treatment.
Incidence of Myopericarditis and Myocardial Injury in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccinated Subjects.

Several recent publications have described myopericarditis cases after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination. However, it is uncertain if these cases occurred secondary to the vaccination or more common etiologies of myopericarditis. To help determine whether a correlation exists between COVID-19 vaccination and myopericarditis, the present study compared the gender-specific cumulative incidence of myopericarditis and myocardial injury in a cohort of COVID-19 vaccinated patients at a tertiary care center in 2021 with the cumulative incidence of these conditions in the same subjects exactly 2 years earlier. We found that the age-adjusted incidence rate of myopericarditis in men was higher in the vaccinated than the control population, rate ratio 9.7 (p = 0.04). However, the age-adjusted incidence rate of myopericarditis in women was no different between the vaccinated and control populations, rate ratio 1.28 (p = 0.71). We further found that the rate of myocardial injury was higher in both men and women in 2021 than in 2019 both before and after vaccination, suggesting that some of the apparent increase in the diagnosis of myopericarditis after vaccination may be attributable to factors unrelated to the COVID-19 vaccinations. In conclusion, our study reaffirms the apparent increase in the diagnosis of myopericarditis after COVID-19 vaccination in men but not in women, although this finding may be confounded by increased rates of myocardial injury in 2021. The benefits of COVID-19 vaccination to individual and public health clearly outweigh the small potential increased risk of myopericarditis after vaccination.
Prince William Sound

Prince William Sound, a semicircular basin, lies between 59°55′ and 60°58′N and 145°30′ and 148°45′W. It is bordered in the north by the Chugach Mountains and in the east by the Kenai Mountains (Fig. 6-1). The principal large basin covers an area of 3595 km2. Numerous fjords, bays and inlets extend northward from the main basin. A list of the principal water bodies is given in Table 6-1. The water characteristics in these semi-isolated elongated fjords, inlets, and bays are partly controlled by the water in Prince William Sound. Such inlets and fjords are also areas where intense mixing of sediment laden runoff and sea water occurs, and these mixed waters ultimately flow into Prince William Sound.
From GWAS to Next-Generation Sequencing on Human Complex Diseases: The Implications for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics

Because the genetic architecture of human complex disease remains elusive, the clinical application of current genetic knowledge remains a formidable challenge. The field of translational genomics is rapidly progressing with the development of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies. NGS is poised to produce a sea change in clinical practice by providing new insights into our understanding of complex human diseases. In this review, we will discuss a broad range of issues on how NGS will transform current genetic research especially in the areas of cancer and mental health.
THE EFFECT OF PREGNANCY AND OF ENOVID ON THE RABBIT VASCULATURE.

T H E observation has been made1 and confirmed29 3 that pregnancy is associated with significant changes in the connective tissue of the human cervix. It has been suggested that probably all connective tissue structures of the body, and not only the cervix, undergo alteration and loss of tensile strength during pregnancy.4 This paper is concerned only with the vasculature, and is a preliminary study designed to determine whether specific gestational changes can be demonstrated by histological techniques. The literature dealing with such changes is not large, but an interesting and suggestive thread runs through it. In his excellent review of the contribution of vascular accidents to maternal mortality, Bryan9 reports between 10 and 20 per cent of all maternal
Stimulus sampling theory for a continuum of responses

The aim of the present investigation is to extend stimulus-sampling theory to situations involving a continuum of possible responses. The theory for a finite number of responses stems from the basic paper by Estes (1950); the present formulation will resemble most closely that given for the finite case in Suppes and Atkinson (1959). In a previous study (Suppes, 1959b) I was concerned with a corresponding extension of linear learning models, and several results of that study are, as we shall see, closely related to the present one.
Improving Student Performance Outcomes and Graduation Rates through Institutional Partnerships.

This chapter explores a grant-sponsored program and examines the role of departmental and institutional collaborations in advancing student performance outcomes. It provides a theoretical framework and a description of best practices for ensuring the success of first-generation urban community college students.
DELIMITING SPECIES USING MULTILOCUS DATA: DIAGNOSING CRYPTIC DIVERSITY IN THE SOUTHERN CAVEFISH, TYPHLICHTHYS SUBTERRANEUS (TELEOSTEI: AMBLYOPSIDAE)

A major challenge facing biodiversity conservation and management is that a significant portion of species diversity remains undiscovered or undescribed. This is particularly evident in subterranean animals in which species delimitation based on morphology is difficult because differentiation is often obscured by phenotypic convergence. Multilocus genetic data constitute a valuable source of information for species delimitation in such organisms, but until recently, few methods were available to objectively test species delimitation hypotheses using genetic data. Here, we use recently developed methods for discovering and testing species boundaries and relationships using a multilocus dataset in a widely distributed subterranean teleost fish, Typhlichthys subterraneus, endemic to Eastern North America. We provide evidence that species diversity in T. subterraneus is currently underestimated and that the picture of a single, widely distributed species is not supported. Rather, several morphologically cryptic lineages comprise the diversity in this clade, including support for the recognition of T. eigenmanni. The high number of cryptic species in Typhlichthys highlights the utility of multilocus genetic data in delimiting species, particularly in lineages that exhibit slight morphological disparity, such as subterranean organisms. However, results depend on sampling of individuals and loci; this issue needs further study.
Priority of test locations for automated perimetry in glaucoma

Purpose: Static threshold automated perimetry is a demanding test which can be tiring for some patients. The authors investigate how to optimize early stages of the test which can shorten examination time and improve performance. The effectiveness of measuring every point twice to improve diagnostic precision (proportion of eyes correctly diagnosed as normal or glaucomatous) also was evaluated. Methods: The authors evaluated the relative contributions of individual test locations to the sensitivity and specificity of static threshold perimetry. One hundred visual fields (Octopus Program G1) of 100 patients with open-angle glaucoma and early glaucomatous defects were used to rank the most frequently defective test locations. This sequence was modified so that highly correlated points were not ranked together. The sensitivities and specificities of the defined sequence of test presentations were then measured in a separate database of 70 normal controls and 70 patients with early glaucomatous visual field defects. Results: Sensitivity and specificity were, respectively, 80% and 80% after 12 locations, 89% and 89% after 26 locations, and 97% and 99% after all 59 test locations. The information obtained with the first phase alone approximates that of both phases. Conclusion: Staging of locations tested with automated perimetry in glaucoma may be a valuable method to reduce examination time, minimize fatigue effects, and optimize diagnostic information. Retesting every point does not improve diagnostic precision.
Infrastructural Development, Spill-Over Effects and the Strategic Adoption of New Technologies in the LDCs

Firms in the LDCs need to adopt and indigenize transferred technology before usage. The adoption costs depend on the state of the infrastructure and on the localized spillover effects generated by a rival firm. In this context, the paper examines the timing of such technological adoption. It shows that strategic decisions regarding time may result in a "waiting game" where, in equilibrium, the efficient firm prefers to adopt after its less efficient rival, thus delaying the speed of technology transfer. The paper also shows that under certain conditions, technology transfer may not take place within the planning horizon. [01, LI, Fl ]
The butadiene metabolite, 1,2:3,4‐diepoxybutane, induces micronuclei but is only weakly mutagenic at lacI in the Big Blue® Rat2 lacI transgenic cell line

1,3-Butadiene (BD) is a genotoxic carcinogen that is bioactivated to at least two mutagenic metabolites, 1,2-epoxybutene (EB) and 1,2:3,4-diepoxybutane (DEB). We investigated the mutagenicity and induction of micronuclei by DEB in vitro in Rat2 lambda/lacI transgenic fibroblasts (Big Blue Rat2 cells, Stratagene, LaJolla, CA). Assays for mutagenicity and micronuclei induction were carried out at concentrations of 0, 2, 5, or 10 microM DEB for 24 hours. Exposure of cells to these concentrations of DEB resulted in approximately 100, 50, and 10% survival, respectively, compared with media controls. In independent replicate experiments, no statistically significant increase in lacI mutant frequency was observed in Rat2 cells at any of the DEB exposure concentrations when compared to media or solvent controls. However, regression analyses indicated a trend toward increasing mutant frequency with increasing DEB exposure concentration. Experiments to examine the induction of micronuclei by DEB revealed a concentration-dependent increase in micronuclei in Rat2 cells following exposure to DEB. These results indicate that DEB induces micronuclei in the absence of detectable gene mutation at lacI in Big Blue Rat2 cells. The induction of micronuclei but only weak mutagenicity at the lacI transgene is likely due to the poor recovery of deletions using this lambda shuttle vector system, demonstrating the need to investigate multiple endpoints of genotoxicity when considering the mutational activity of a compound.
Geometric phase shifts in chemical oscillators.

ONE of the most remarkable developments in quantum mechanics in recent years has been the discovery that when a system is moved adiabatically around a closed loop in parameter space there occurs, besides the familiar dynamical phase shift, an additional phase shift (sometimes referred to as 'Berry's phase) that is purely geometric in nature1–3. The dynamical phase shift, which results from the variation of the period of the oscillatory system with the change in parameters, is relatively easily understood and is proportional to the time over which the parameter change occurs. The geometric phase shift, on the other hand, is less intuitive and depends on the curvature of the surface in parameter space bounded by the closed path, but is independent of the time taken to traverse the circuit. Here we present evidence for time-independent geometric phase shifts in numerical solutions for a model of an oscillating chemical reaction. The conditions for the occurrence of such shifts seem to be sufficiently general that geometric phase effects should be experimentally observable in essentially all chemical oscillators as well as in biological networks such as the brain and the central nervous system, where phase control is of vital importance4.
The modular retrofit experiment: design, scorekeeping and evaluation

Abstract The Modular Retrofit Experiment (MRE) was a collaboration between five gas utilities and Princeton designed to provide well documented measurements of energy savings associated with house retrofits. Two retrofit strategies were evaluated — a one-day visit by “house doctors”, using instrumented energy analysis, and the same house-doctor treatment followed by additional, major retrofits. The 138 houses in this experiment included a group of control houses that received no treatment. All three groups showed significant energy savings, measured using the Princeton Scorekeeping Method (PRISM). Median percent savings (± standard errors) for the control, house-doctor, and major-retrofit houses were 9.8 (±1.4), 15.3 (±1.9), and 21.9 (±1.2), respectively. The savings in the control group closely agree with the average gas savings in the utility service areas over the same period of time. Our analysis indicates that the full potential of the one-day house-doctor visit was not realized in the MRE. Nevertheless, estimates of costs and savings reveal that house doctoring was more cost-effective than the more conventional measures installed in the subsequent contractor retrofits.
The University of Texas Houston Stroke Registry (UTHSR): implementation of enhanced data quality assurance procedures improves data quality.

Limited information has been published regarding standard quality assurance (QA) procedures for stroke registries. We share our experience regarding the establishment of enhanced QA procedures for the University of Texas Houston Stroke Registry (UTHSR) and evaluate whether these QA procedures have improved data quality in UTHSR. All 5093 patient records that were abstracted and entered in UTHSR, between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2011, were considered in this study. We conducted reliability and validity studies. For reliability and validity of data captured by abstractors, a random subset of 30 records was used for re-abstraction of select key variables by two abstractors. These 30 records were re-abstracted by a team of experts that included a vascular neurologist clinician as the “gold standard”. We assessed inter-rater reliability (IRR) between the two abstractors as well as validity of each abstractor with the “gold standard”. Depending on the scale of variables, IRR was assessed with Kappa or intra-class correlations (ICC) using a 2-way, random effects ANOVA. For assessment of validity of data in UTHSR we re-abstracted another set of 85 patient records for which all discrepant entries were adjudicated by a vascular neurology fellow clinician and added to the set of our “gold standard”. We assessed level of agreement between the registry data and the “gold standard” as well as sensitivity and specificity. We used logistic regression to compare error rates for different years to assess whether a significant improvement in data quality has been achieved during 2008–2011. The error rate dropped significantly, from 4.8% in 2008 to 2.2% in 2011 (P < 0.001). The two abstractors had an excellent IRR (Kappa or ICC ≥ 0.75) on almost all key variables checked. Agreement between data in UTHSR and the “gold standard” was excellent for almost all categorical and continuous variables. Establishment of a rigorous data quality assurance for our UTHSR has helped to improve the validity of data. We observed an excellent IRR between the two abstractors. We recommend training of chart abstractors and systematic assessment of IRR between abstractors and validity of the abstracted data in stroke registries.
Fixed-Point Theorems for Multivalued Noncompact Inward Maps

In this paper we present some extensions of the fixed-point theorems for multivalued inward mappings of Browder [3], Ky Fan [IO], Halpern [7], and others. In particular, our results will include the earlier fixed-point theorems of Ky Fan [9], Glicksberg [5], and Bohnenblust and Karlin [l]. In his thesis [6], Halpern initiated the study of fixed-point theorems for continuous single-valued mappings T: D C X--+ X which are inward, in the sense that (i) for each x E D,
The C1q-Binding Cell Membrane Proteins cC1q-R and gC1q-R Are Released from Activated Cells: Subcellular Distribution and Immunochemical Characterization☆☆☆

Abstract Two types of widely coexpressed cell surface C1q-binding proteins (C1q-R): a 60-kDa calreticulin-homolog which binds to the collagen-like “stalk” of C1q and a 33-kDa protein with affinity for the globular “heads” of the molecule, have been described. In this report, we show that the two molecules are also secreted by Raji cells and peripheral blood lymphocytes and can be isolated in soluble form from serum-free culture supernatant by HPLC purification using a Mono-Q column. The two purified soluble proteins had immunochemical and physical characteristics similar to their membrane counterparts in that both bound to intact C1q and to their respective C1q ligands, cC1q and gC1q. In addition, N-terminal amino acid sequence analyses of the soluble cC1q-R and gC1q-R were found to be identical to the reported sequences of the respective membrane-isolated proteins. Ligand blot analyses using biotinylated membrane or soluble cC1q-R and gC1q-R showed that both bind to the denatured and nondenatured A-chain and moderately to the C-chain of C1q. Moreover, like their membrane counterparts, the soluble proteins were found to inhibit serum C1q hemolytic activity. Although cC1q-R was released when both peripheral blood lymphocytes and Raji cells were incubated in phosphate-buffered saline for 1 hr under tissue culture conditions, gC1q-R was releasable only from Raji cells, suggesting that perhaps activation or transformation leading to immortalization is required for gC1q-R release. Subcellular fractionation of Raji cells and analyses by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blotting showed that the two molecules are present in the cytosolic fractions as well as on the membrane. The data suggest that soluble forms of both C1q-binding molecules are released from cells and that these molecules may play important roles in vivo as regulators of complement activation.
On the energy budget in the current disruption region

This study investigates the energy budget in the current disruption region of the magnetotail, coincident with a pre-onset thin current sheet, around substorm onset time using published observational data and theoretical estimates. We find that the current disruption/dipolarization process typically requires energy inflow into the primary disruption region. The disruption dipolarization process is therefore endoenergetic, i.e., requires energy input to operate. Therefore we argue that some other simultaneously operating process, possibly a large scale magnetotail instability, is required to provide the necessary energy input into the current disruption region.
Modeling chemical vapor deposition of silicon with local equilibrium consideration at the substrate

The purpose of this article is to present a general purpose mathematical model for describing the transport phenomena and the resulting rate of deposition in chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactors. The model employs a finite difference scheme to solve the governing partial differential equations in order to predict the velocity field, temperature distribution, and concentration profiles of various gas species in a CVD reactor. The model predicts the rate of deposition for CVD reaction whose rate is mass transport controlled, for example, silicon deposition by the reaction of silicon tetrachloride and hydrogen at temperatures above 1050 °C. Silicon deposition by reaction of SiCl4 and H2 in a vertical CVD reactor with a rotating substrate is studied to compare the predicted and the experimental deposition rates. The effects of inlet gas composition, reactor pressure, and speed of substrate rotation on the rate of silicon deposition have been studied to verify the model's predictions. Local equilibrium and flux balance concepts have been used to determine the partial pressures of species at the substrate as well as the consequent deposition rate of silicon. The effects of thermal diffusion, grid size, and etching by HC1 on the deposition rate have also been studied. The results show that implementation of the local equilibrium concept and the flux balance principle, use of sufficiently small grid size above the substrate, thermal diffusion of SiCl4 away from the substrate, and etching of deposited silicon by HC1 are all very important in evaluating the rate of silicon deposition in the mass transport-controlled regime. With all of the above-mentioned effects taken into consideration, model predictions agree well with the experimental data over a wide range of operating conditions for the system considered. Finally, use of the optimized design of a flow control device (FCD) in the reactor shows that once properly validated, the model can be used as a tool in computer-aided process optimization.
HIV-1 and IL-1β regulate astrocytic CD38 through mitogen-activated protein kinases and nuclear factor-κB signaling mechanisms

Background Infection with human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV)-1 leads to some form of HIV-1-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) in approximately half of the cases. The mechanisms by which astrocytes contribute to HIV-1-associated dementia (HAD), the most severe form of HAND, still remain unresolved. HIV-1-encephalitis (HIVE), a pathological correlate of HAD, affects an estimated 9-11% of the HIV-1-infected population. Our laboratory has previously demonstrated that HIVE brain tissues show significant upregulation of CD38, an enzyme involved in calcium signaling, in astrocytes. We also reported an increase in CD38 expression in interleukin (IL)-1β-activated astrocytes. In the present investigation, we studied regulatory mechanisms of CD38 gene expression in astrocytes activated with HIV-1-relevant stimuli. We also investigated the role of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and nuclear factor (NF)-κB in astrocyte CD38 regulation.
Review of NASA's Hypersonic Research Engine Project

The goals of the NASA Hypersonic Research Engine (HRE) Project, which began in 1964, were to design, develop, and construct a hypersonic research ramjet/scramjet engine for high performance and to flight-test the developed concept over the speed range from Mach 3 to 8. The project was planned to be accomplished in three phases: project definition, research engine development, and flight test using the X-15A-2 research aircraft, which was modified to carry hydrogen fuel for the research engine. The project goal of an engine flight test was eliminated when the X-15 program was canceled in 1968. Ground tests of engine models then became the focus of the project. Two axisymmetric full-scale engine models having 18-inch-diameter cowls were fabricated and tested: a structural model and a combustion/propulsion model. A brief historical review of the project with salient features, typical data results, and lessons learned is presented.