cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biomarker feedback intervention for smoking cessation among Alaska Native pregnant women: Randomized pilot study

Author(s): Patten, Christi A; Koller, Kathryn R; Flanagan, Christie A; Hiratsuka, Vanessa Y; Hughes, Christine A; Wolfe, Abbie W; Decker, Paul A; Fruth, Kristin; Brockman, Tabetha A; Korpela, Molly; Gamez, Diana; Bronars, Carrie; Murphy, Neil J; Hatsukami, Dorothy; Benowitz, Neal L; Thomas, Timothy K | Abstract: ObjectiveThere is some evidence for biomarker feedback when combined with cessation counseling for reducing smoking in pregnancy. This randomized controlled pilot study evaluated feasibility and potential efficacy of a social-cognitive theory (SCT)-based biomarker feedback intervention among pregnant Alaska Native (AN) smokers.MethodsParticipants were randomly assigned to receive three study calls (10-20 min each): (1) biomarker feedback intervention (n = 30) including personalized cotinine results and feedback on their baby's likely exposure to carcinogen metabolite NNAL, or (2) contact control usual care condition based on the 5As (n = 30). Assessments were conducted at baseline, post-treatment, and delivery.ResultsHigh rates of treatment compliance, study retention, and treatment acceptability were observed in both groups. 7-day point prevalence smoking abstinence rates at delivery verified with urinary cotinine were the same in both study groups (20% intent-to-treat analysis, 26% per-protocol). SCT-based measures did not change differentially from baseline by study group.ConclusionThis trial supports the feasibility and acceptability of providing biomarker feedback within the clinical care delivery system, but the intervention did not promote increased smoking cessation during pregnancy compared to usual care.Practice implicationsEfforts are needed to promote the usual care and to develop alternative biomarker feedback messaging for pregnant AN women.
Distal Radial Artery Access in the Anatomical Snuffbox for Neurointerventions: Case Report.

Background The distal transradial approach (dTRA) is being widely adopted by interventional cardiologists, primarily owing to reduced morbidity and mortality from access site complications. The distal radial artery has advantages over standard radial access in relation to procedural positioning and radial artery preservation, particularly in patients who may require multiple angiograms. One disadvantage is the smaller diameter of the artery with more challenging puncture of a smaller, weaker artery. We demonstrate the feasibility of dTRA in 2 patients who underwent successful diagnostic angiography and mechanical thrombectomy. Case Description Two patients underwent dTRA for neurointerventions. In patient 1, a 5-F Glidesheath Slender and a Sim2 catheter were used for a 6-vessel cerebral angiogram. In patient 2, an 0.88-inch sheathless guide catheter was used to perform a mechanical thrombectomy. Successful hemostasis in both cases was achieved with a Safeguard Radial Compression Device; no complications were observed. Conclusions Neurovascular access via dTRA is feasible, and further exploration is warranted.
Effect of Prolonged Ultraviolet Radiation Exposure on the Blast Response of Fiber Reinforced Composite Plates

An experimental study with corresponding numerical simulations was conducted to evaluate the blast response of composite plates after prolonged exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Two composite materials were used in this study, namely carbon fiber/epoxy and glass fiber/vinyl ester. The composite materials consisted of four unidirectional fiber plies oriented in a [± 45°]s layup. The plates were placed in a QUV Accelerated Weathering Tester for 500 h of exposure on each face, totaling 1000 h of ultraviolet radiation exposure, equivalent to 2.5 MJ/m2 of energy. The QUV Accelerated Weathering Tester was equipped with eight UVA-340 lamps to provide real service life exposure conditions. Material characterization experiments were performed on virgin specimens, as well as specimens exposed to ultraviolet radiation for 1000 h to determine its effect on the mechanical properties of the composites. Blast experiments were conducted on the composite plates to investigate the dynamic response before and after exposure to ultraviolet radiation. The plates were clamped on all edges and subjected to an air blast using a shock tube apparatus. Three-dimensional digital image correlation was coupled with high-speed photography to obtain full-field displacements of the specimens during blast loading. Furthermore, three piezoelectric pressure transducers were mounted on the shock tube apparatus and utilized to measure the pressure history of the shock wave loading. The quasi-static material characterization showed that the tensile modulus E1 had minimal change after exposure to ultraviolet radiation for 1000 h. However, matrix-dominated properties such as the in-plane shear modulus G12 increased after exposure to ultraviolet light for both the carbon and glass fiber composites, which resulted in lower out-of-plane displacements during blast loading. For the carbon fiber plates, the forced vibration frequency induced by the transverse blast load was higher in plates exposed to ultraviolet radiation when compared to virgin specimens. However, for the glass fiber plates exposed to ultraviolet radiation, the forced vibration frequency decreased when compared to virgin specimens. Finally, the finite element simulations were in good agreement with the experimental results. The simulations revealed that the glass fiber plates exposed to ultraviolet radiation had higher failure strains at the boundary than virgin specimens, despite having higher stiffness. A parametric study in which higher loading was simulated also showed that the glass fiber plates experienced more damage after 1000 h of ultraviolet radiation exposure.
Review of Fiber Optic Sensors for Structural Fire Engineering

Reliable and accurate measurements of temperature and strain in structures subjected to fire can be difficult to obtain using traditional sensing technologies based on electrical signals. Fiber optic sensors, which are based on light signals, solve many of the problems of monitoring structures in high temperature environments; however, they present their own challenges. This paper, which is intended for structural engineers new to fiber optic sensors, reviews various fiber optic sensors that have been used to make measurements in structure fires, including the sensing principles, fabrication, key characteristics, and recently-reported applications. Three categories of fiber optic sensors are reviewed: Grating-based sensors, interferometer sensors, and distributed sensors.
Changing seasonal predictability of Arctic summer sea ice area in a warming climate

AbstractWe use a large ensemble set of simulations and initialized model forecasts to assess changes in the initial-value seasonal predictability of summer Arctic sea ice area from the late-twentie...
Closed-loop Adaptive Transcutaneous Wireless Power Transfer System for Implantable Sensors

Even though inductively-coupled wireless power transfer system has been significantly developed in the past few decades for implantable sensors, the efficient and continuous transfer of power still remains as a challenge as the distance and alignment vary over time. A scheme for adaptively regulating the transferred power within a certain range instead of delivering a constant power is proposed in this paper. The proposed design is implemented using a standard $0.5\ \mu m$ CMOS process and it utilizes the Load-shift Keying (LSK) technique to sense the variations in the distance and alignment between the transponder and the receiver implant. In the proposed power regulation scheme, the DC voltage output of the rectifier is regulated within a threshold window by changing the supply voltage of the class-E power amplifier (PA) at the transmitter side. Based on the voltage regulation, the proposed adaptive system transmits 2.25 mW to 13.5 mW of power over a distance range of 1 to 8 mm. The simulation result of the proposed scheme shows a 14.89% efficiency improvement compared to the system without the adaptive control mechanism.
The ‘emancipation of media’: Latin American advocacy for a New International Information Order in the 1970s

Throughout the 1970s, journalists and leaders in the Global South organized around the concept of a New International Information Order (NIIO), premised upon the self-determination of news access and production. Though largely forgotten today, the NIIO constituted a key platform of the ‘Third World’ solidarity movement. Latin America was a prominent site for NIIO activism, and this article examines the regional and local meetings that frequently brought together governing officials, reporters, and academics. Focusing on the shifting expectations of exiled Latin Americans living in Mexico City, the article explores the domestic political factors that eventually attenuated enthusiasm for the NIIO. By the late 1970s, Latin American advocates argued that repressive governments could not be trusted to safeguard socially responsible information initiatives, such as regional wire services. Moreover, they underscored that national democratization was necessary before global inequities could be resolved.
Can We Prime the Pump for Developing Pediatric Physician-Scientists?

* Abbreviations: ABP — : American Board of Pediatrics DRSP — : Duke Pediatric Research Scientist Program NIH — : National Institutes of Health Who will become the next generation of pediatric physician-scientists? This question has provoked increasing calls of alarm because a robust cadre of well-trained, clinically knowledgeable pediatric physician-scientists is critical to fully capture the immense potential of scientific advancements to improve child health. The evidence, however, suggests that fewer, rather than more, young pediatricians are entering scientific careers.1–4 A number of factors are generally accepted as current problems for someone who is considering, and later succeeding, in a career as a physician-scientist. Factors considered to negatively influence those who are considering a career as physician-scientists include the following: lack of exposure to research as undergraduates, medical students, or residents; a paucity of mentors at all levels of education; a lack of a diverse scientific workforce; and exorbitant educational debt. Once a physician embarks on a research career, additional hurdles to becoming successful include excessive clinical demands, time constraints, lack of mentors, limited initial funding for salary and laboratory support, and the lengthy period to obtain independent funding. In this issue of Pediatrics , Hurst et al5 describe the … Address correspondence to F. Bruder Stapleton, MD, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, 818 Stewart St, Suite 603, Seattle, WA 98101. E-mail: bruder.stapleton{at}seattlechildrens.org
The influence of body-worn cameras, minority threat, and place on police activity

Police practices evolve and are often shaped by technological innovation, such as the adoption of body-worn cameras (BWCs). While initial research on their impact is evergrowing, researchers have neglected to examine if their use is influenced by neighborhood characteristics. This study examines the influence of a BWC implementation on police activity and enforcement practices across neighborhoods, using minority threat hypothesis and place theory to explain the relationship. We used pre- and postimplementation enforcement data to examine the influence of BWCs and community characteristics on the actions taken by Louisville Metro Police Department officers. Ten ordinary least squares models were used to analyze the enforcement changes including self-initiated activity, total enforcement, felony arrests, low-level arrests, and low-level citations. Our findings indicate BWCs implementation was associated with a decrease in low-level citations; however, self-initiated activity and felony and low-level arrests were unaffected. Also, concentrated disadvantage was associated with a decrease in self-initiated activity. We also examined the moderating effects between BWCs and neighborhood characteristics and found BWCs were correlated with a decrease in low-level citations. The implications of the findings are discussed.
Stimuli responsive Janus microgels with convertible hydrophilicity for controlled emulsion destabilization.

Although the utilization of rigid particles can afford stable emulsions, some applications require eventual emulsion destabilization to release contents captured in the particle-covered droplet. This destabilizing effect is achieved when using stabilizers that respond to controlled changes in environment. Microgels can be synthesized as stimuli responsive polymeric gel networks that adsorb to oil/water interfaces and stabilize emulsions. These particles are commonly hydrogels that swell and collapse in water in response to environmental changes. However, amphiphilic functionality is desired to enhance the adsorption abilities of these hydrogels while maintaining their stimuli responsivity. Microfluidic techniques are used to synthesize Janus microgels with two opposing stimuli responsive hemispheres. The particles have a temperature responsive domain connected to a pH responsive network where each side changes its hydrophilicity in response to a change in temperature or pH, respectively. The Janus microgels are amphiphilic in acidic conditions at 19 °C and alkaline conditions at 40 °C, while the opposite conditions cause a reduction of the amphiphilicity. By stabilizing emulsions with these dual responsive microgels, “smart” droplets that respond to environmental cues are formed. Emulsion droplets remain stable with smaller diameters when aqueous solution conditions favor amphiphilic particles yet, coalesce to larger droplets upon changing pH or temperature. These responsive Janus microgels represent the advancing technology of responsive droplets and demonstrate the applicability of microgels as emulsion stabilizers.
Grant Report on SCH: Personalized Depression Treatment Supported by Mobile Sensor Analytics †

We report on the newly started project “SCH: Personalized Depression Treatment Supported by Mobile Sensor Analytics”. The current best practice guidelines for treating depression call for close monitoring of patients, and periodically adjusting treatment as needed. This project will advance personalized depression treatment by developing a system, DepWatch, that leverages mobile health technologies and machine learning tools. The objective of DepWatch is to assist clinicians with their decision making process in the management of depression. The project comprises two studies. Phase I collects sensory data and other data, e.g., clinical data, ecological momentary assessments (EMA), tolerability and safety data from 250 adult participants with unstable depression symptomatology initiating depression treatment. The data thus collected will be used to develop and validate assessment and prediction models, which will be incorporated into DepWatch system. In Phase II, three clinicians will use DepWatch to support their clinical decision making process. A total of 128 participants under treatment by the three participating clinicians will be recruited for the study. A number of new machine learning techniques will be developed.
Trochleoplasty: Indications and Results

Trochleoplasty is a safe and effective surgical technique for addressing trochlear dysplasia in the setting of patellar instability. The following chapter discusses the strict clinical and radiographic indications for deepening trochleoplasty including a discussion of when other associated procedures should be performed simultaneously. This chapter also includes an up-to-date review of the available literature regarding outcomes of contemporary trochleoplasty techniques.
Influence of team composition on turnover and efficiency of total hip and knee arthroplasty

Aims Surgical costs are a major component of healthcare expenditures in the USA. Intraoperative communication is a key factor contributing to patient outcomes. However, the effectiveness of communi...
Wearing Pink in Fairy Town: The Heterosexualization of the Spanish Town Neighborhood and Carnival Parade in Baton Rouge

The Spanish Town parade is currently the largest Carnival parade in Baton Rouge, Louisiana with hundreds of thousands of attendees dressed in pink costuming, cross-dressing, and wearing pink flamingo paraphernalia. This chapter traces the queer origins of the Spanish Town parade to the racially integrated bohemian gayborhood of Spanish Town in the 1980s. Using interviews, archival research, and participant observation, I argue that current LGBTQ residents of Baton Rouge, even those who have never lived in Spanish Town, claim a vicarious citizenship to the neighborhood and parade through an understanding of the queer origins of the parade in the 1980s and the parade’s beginning in a gayborhood. This vicarious citizenship is tempered by the heterosexualization of the contemporary Spanish Town parade. Although LGBTQ residents still attend the parade in large numbers, there is more ambivalence about the homophobic imagery in the parade and the consumption of gay culture by heterosexual parade participants.
The adaptive aging brain.

Abstract The aging brain is shaped by many structural and functional alterations. Recent cross-disciplinary efforts have uncovered powerful and integrated adaptive mechanisms that promote brain health and prevent functional decline during aging. Here, we review some of the most robust adaptive mechanisms and how they can be engaged to protect, and restore the aging brain.
Nucleoside Analogs as Antiviral Agents

Neither 3-deaza- (7) nor 7-deazaadenosine (13) is very selective in its antiviral activity. 3-Deazaadenosine (c3- Ado) is moderately active against some viruses, vaccinia, vesicular stomatitis, parainfluenza type 3, and reo type 1 but at concentrations only 5- to 20-fold lower than the cytotoxic concentration (150 µM) (see Table 1). 7-Deazaadenosine (c7-Ado) is much more cytotoxic than the 3-deaza compound, causing disruption of cells at 1.5 µM. 7-Deazaadenosine inhibits some viruses, e.g., vesicular stomatitis and polio type 1 at concentrations (0.03 µM) that are 50-fold lower than its cytotoxic concentration, but for other viruses it is inhibitory only at concentrations approaching cytotoxicity. Certain substitutions at C-7 of c7-Ado reduce its cytotoxicity and increase its potency (see Table 1).
What is the risk of an umbilical artery catheter

In this issue of Pediatrics, Neal et al. report a 95% incidence of thrombosis with catheterization of an umbilical artery. Like the authors, I was surprised at this high rate of thrombus formation. It is, however, consistent with the experience of those who have studied the problem of deposition of thrombotic material on indwelling peripheral arterial catheters in children and adult patients. To some extent, the formation of a thrombus is dependent upon the composition of the catheter. Polyethylene, polyvinyl (from which the Argyle catheter is made), and polyurethane have rather rough surfaces and are quite thrombogenic. Nachmani et al. observed fibrin adhering to polyurethane catheters within 15 minutes of placement in an artery.
Temporally Segmented Speech and “Echoic” Storage

The argument I defend in this paper is that successive events tend to be integrated in perception, if the events are similar and follow each other rapidly, but that they are perceived as separate if the succession is more leisurely. The idea is far from being new — for example, one of the important papers that led to the development of Gestalt Psychology, Wertheimer’s (1912) study of the phiphenomenon (apparent movement) came to exactly this conclusion. Two lines, viewed sequentially in a tachisto-scope, were seen as simultaneous if separated by less than 30 msec, but successive if separated by 200 msec or more. At intermediate separations, a single moving line was often seen. Wertheimer’s results have been revised and expanded since, but the principle is clear. More recently, Stroud (1955) proposed that psychological time is not continuous, but occurs in discrete “moments.” Two events that occur within a single moment are integrated; they can only be perceived as separate if they occur in. separateseparatemoments. Stroud’s theory has been hard to sustain, most of the evidence pointing to a continuous, rather than a discrete, perceptual process. But the same principle is present: rapid succes-sion leads to integration, slower succession to separation.
Steroid-protein interactions. Fluorescence quenching of progesterone-binding globulin and alpha1-acid glycoprotein upon binding of steroids.

Abstract The influence of progesterone and four other steroids on the intrinsic fluorescence of progesterone-binding globulin was investigated. The corresponding effect of progesterone on α1-acid glycoprotein was also studied. The intrinsic fluorescence of the progesterone-binding globulin and of α1-acid glycoprotein was quenched by about 60 and 17%, respectively, upon forming stoichiometric complexes with progesterone. Graphical analysis of fluorescence quenching titrations with progesterone gave affinity constants at 23 °C of 2 × 109 m −1 for progesterone-binding globulin and 1 × 106 m −1 for α1-acid glycoprotein. With progesterone-binding globulin, affinity constants of 1 × 109 m −1 were determined for desoxycorticosterone, 1 × 108 m −1 for testosterone, and 2 × 106 m −1 for cortisol. The fluorescence quenching of PBG by 5-pregnen-3β-ol-20-one, 5α-pregnanedione, and 5β-pregnanedione, steroids lacking the Δ4-3-keto grouping, was too small to be evaluated; however, binding of the pregnanediones to progesterone-binding globulins was demonstrated when the progesterone-progesterone-binding globulin complex was “unquenched” as a result of competitive displacement of progesterone by addition of the pregnanediones. The quenching phenomenon is assumed to be mainly due to radiationless transfer from protein to the near uv (n → π∗) absorption band of steroids containing the Δ4-3-keto chromophore.
In the mood for [the right kind of] social marketing communication: How congruity between consumer mood and message framing influences intentions to recycle

Purpose – The effectiveness of social marketing communication should depend both on message features and on the psychological characteristics of message recipients. This premise was tested in an experiment focused on why consumers may respond differently to different types of pro-recycling advertisements. The message feature was the way in which the advertisements were framed. The psychological characteristic of the message recipient was the respondent's mood. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Hypotheses were tested in the context of an experiment focused on paper recycling. Findings – It was hypothesized that congruity between mood and the frame of the message would result in more favorable message evaluations and higher intentions to recycle than incongruity. Supporting the study's hypotheses, the data showed that participants in a negative mood had higher intentions to recycle paper and evaluated pro-recycling advertisements more favorably when the ads emphasized avo...
Voice Quality Changes in Depression

Voice spectra are utilised to track daily shifts in mood in eight acutely disturbed psychiatric patients. Two mood criteria, a self-description and an interviewer rating, were obtained. Multiple regression of voice spectra on to these two criterion measures, using a cross validation design, yielded moderately good prediction for some patients.
Urticaria and Angioedema

Urticaria and angioedema are common disorders affecting approximately 15-20% of the population at least once during their lifetime (Swinny, 1941; Sheldon et al., 1954; McKee, 1966). Urticarial lesions result from localized dilatation and transudation of fluid from small venules, and in their simplest form are thought to represent the same sort of wheal-and-flare reaction observed when histamine is injected into the skin. Clinically, one observes the presence of pruritic, erythematous cutaneous wheals that blanch with pressure, reflecting the underlying edema and dilated blood vessels. The histopathological features of urticaria are dilatation of cutaneous blood vessels and lymphatics in the superficial dermis, widening of dermal papillae, flattening of rete pegs, and swelling of collagen fibers.
Hawthorne on knowledge and practical reasoning

Evans, G. 1982. The Varieties of Reference. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Graham, P. J. 2000. Transferring knowledge. Noais 34: 131-52. Harman, G. 1968. Knowledge, inference, and explanation. American Philosophical Quarterly 5: 164-73. Hawthorne, J. 2004. Knowledge and Lotteries. Oxford: Oxford University Press. McDowell, J. 1993. Knowledge by hearsay. In Knowing from Words: Western and Indian Philosophical Analysis of Understanding and Testimony, ed. B. K. Matilal and A. Chakrabarti, 195-224. Dordrecht: Kluwer. McDowell, J. 1998. Meaning, Knowledge, and Reality. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. Ross, A. 1986. Why do we believe what we are told? Ratio 28: 69-88. Williamson, T. 1996. Knowing and asserting. Philosophical Review 105: 489-523. THOMAS M. CRISP
A simplified formulation of the gamma variate function

The gamma variate function has been often used to describe the dispersion of a bolus as it passes through a series of compartments. For this reason, it is frequently chosen to fit first-pass data in studies quantifying cardiac output and left-to-right cardiac shunts. Although the gamma variate is an appropriate function to model these situations, it has several undesirable mathematical properties. Changes in the alpha and beta parameters affect not only the rise and fall times of the function, but also change the location and magnitude of the function maximum. This makes it difficult to anticipate how the function will be altered by varying the parameters and often requires an additional renormalization step when the gamma variate is being used to fit a curve. A different but entirely equivalent form of the gamma variate is derived in which these problems are eliminated.
Effect of photosystem II reaction center closure on nanosecond fluorescence relaxation kinetics.

The fluorescence decay of chlorophyll in spinach thylakoids was measured as a function of the degree of closure of Photosystem II reaction centers, which was set for the flowed sample by varying either the preillumination by actinic light or the exposure of the sample to the exciting pulsed laser light. Three exponential kinetic components originating in Photosystem II were fitted to the decays; a fourth component arising from Photosystem I was determined to be negligible at the emission wavelength of 685 nm at which the fluorescence decays were measured. Both the lifetimes and the amplitudes of the components vary with reaction center closure. A fast (170–330 ps) component reflects the trapping kinetics of open Photosystem II reaction centers capable of reducing the plastoquinone pool; its amplitude decreases gradually with trap closure, which is incompatible with the concept of photosynthetic unit connectivity where excitation energy which encounters a closed trap can find a different, possibly open one. For a connected system, the amplitude of the fast fluorescence component is expected to remain constant. The slow component (1.7–3.0 ns) is virtually absent when the reaction centers are open, and its growth is attributable to the appearance of closed centers. The middle component (0.4–1.7 ns) with approximately constant amplitude may originate from centers that are not functionally linked to the plastoquinone pool. To explain the continuous increase in the lifetimes of all three components upon reaction center closure, we propose that the transmembrane electric field generated by photosynthetic turnover modulates the trapping kinetics in Photosystem II and thereby affects the excited state lifetime in the antenna in the trap-limited case.
Systems biology perspectives on the carcinogenic potential of radiation

This review focuses on recent experimental and modeling studies that attempt to define the physiological context in which high linear energy transfer (LET) radiation increases epithelial cancer risk and the efficiency with which it does so. Radiation carcinogenesis is a two-compartment problem: ionizing radiation can alter genomic sequence as a result of damage due to targeted effects (TE) from the interaction of energy and DNA; it can also alter phenotype and multicellular interactions that contribute to cancer by poorly understood non-targeted effects (NTE). Rather than being secondary to DNA damage and mutations that can initiate cancer, radiation NTE create the critical context in which to promote cancer. Systems biology modeling using comprehensive experimental data that integrates different levels of biological organization and time-scales is a means of identifying the key processes underlying the carcinogenic potential of high-LET radiation. We hypothesize that inflammation is a key process, and thus cancer susceptibility will depend on specific genetic predisposition to the type and duration of this response. Systems genetics using novel mouse models can be used to identify such determinants of susceptibility to cancer in radiation sensitive tissues following high-LET radiation. Improved understanding of radiation carcinogenesis achieved by defining the relative contribution of NTE carcinogenic effects and identifying the genetic determinants of the high-LET cancer susceptibility will help reduce uncertainties in radiation risk assessment.
Factors influencing disease recurrence after ileocolic resection in adult and pediatric onset Crohn's disease

Abstract Background Factors influencing recurrence of ileocecal Crohn's disease (CD) after surgical resection may differ between adolescents and adults. Methods CD patients who underwent ileocecectomy were retrospectively divided into pediatric onset (age at diagnosis ≤ 16 years, n = 34) and adult onset (>16, n = 108) patients to evaluate differences in risks of endoscopic and clinical recurrence. Results In 142 patients, rates of any recurrence, endoscopic recurrence, and clinical recurrence at 5 years were 78%, 88%, and 65%, respectively. Risks of recurrence were similar between groups. Younger patients were more likely to be on immunologics preoperatively and more likely to be started on immunoprophylaxis postoperatively. Immediate postoperative prophylaxis was predictive of delayed clinical recurrence only in the older group. Conclusions Despite increased preoperative and postoperative immunoprophylaxis in younger patients, recurrence rates of CD after ileocecectomy do not differ between these groups. Immediate postoperative prophylaxis was predictive of delayed clinical recurrence only in patients with adult onset CD.
Ab initio SCF MO results for the carborane isomers 3,5‐C2B6H8, 1, 7‐C2B7H9, and 1,2‐C2B7H9

We report the geometry-optimized total energies and bond distances for the closo-carborane isomers 3,5-C2B6H8, 1,7-C2B7H9, and 1,2-C2B7H9 calculated by the ab initio SCF MO method using the STO-3G basis set. Relative energies are compared with those of the other carborane isomers in the 8- and 9- atom classes. These results complete the set of calculations at the same level of theory for all deltahedral carborane isomers except for those of the 11-atom class.
Caveolin-1α and −1β Perform Nonredundant Roles in Early Vertebrate Development

Caveolins are integral membrane proteins that localize predominantly to lipid rafts, where they oligomerize to form flask-shaped organelles termed caveolae and play important roles in membrane trafficking, signal transduction, and other cellular processes. To investigate potential roles for caveolin-1 (cav-1) in development, cav-1alpha and -1beta cDNAs were functionally characterized in the zebrafish. Cav-1alpha and -1beta mRNAs exhibited overlapping but distinct expression patterns throughout embryogenesis. Targeted depletion of either Cav-1 isoform, using antisense morpholino oligomers, resulted in a substantial loss of caveolae and dramatic neural, eye, and somite defects by 12 hours after fertilization, the time at which mRNA levels of both isoforms substantially increased in wild-type animals. Morphant phenotypes were rescued by injection of homotypic (cav-1alpha/cav-1alpha) but not heterotypic (cav-1alpha/cav-1beta) zebrafish and human cav-1 cRNAs, revealing nonredundant and evolutionarily conserved functions for the individual Cav-1 isoforms. Mutation of a known Cav-1 phosphorylation site unique to Cav-1alpha (Y14-->F) resulted in a failure to rescue the cav-1alpha morphant phenotype, verifying an essential role for Cav-1alpha specifically and implicating this residue in early developmental functions. Cav-1alpha and -1beta morphants also exhibited disruption in the actin cytoskeleton. These results support important and previously unanticipated roles for the Caveolin-1 isoforms in vertebrate organogenesis.
The Textual Contents of Media Reports of Information Security Breaches and Profitable Short-Term Investment Opportunities

Information security-related incidents continue to make headlines. Interestingly, researchers have found mixed results when attempting to associate reports of information security breaches with changes in the affected firm's stock price. This research delves further into this puzzle by investigating the association between the textual contents of information security breach media reports and the stock price, as well as the trading volume reactions of the affected firm(s) around the breach announcement day. Our findings suggest that when the textual contents of breach reports provide more detailed information regarding the incidents, a more consistent belief is formed by the market about the negative impact of the reported security incident on the firm's business value. However, when there is a lack of specific information regarding the reported breach, the market does not seem to reach consensus on the impact of reported security incidents. We further demonstrate that different perceptions exist among gen...
Hyperplane reconstruction of the Tutte polynomial of a geometric lattice

An explicit construction is given which produces all the proper flats and the Tutte polynomial of a geometric lattice (or, more generally, a matroid) when only the hyperplanes are known. A further construction explicitly calculates the polychromate (a generalization of the Tutte polynomial) for a graph from its vertex-deleted subgraphs.
Structural Optimization of a Dual-Sensing Module for Temperature and Pressure Measurement in Injection Mold Cavity

This paper presents the design and optimization of a temperature-pressure sensing module that is structurally integrated into an injection mold. The sensor extracts energy from the polymer melt pressure differential during the injection molding process and uses ultrasonic pulses as the wireless information transmission carrier. The dimension of the piezo ceramic rings that scavenge energy from the mold pressure change is optimized to minimize the volume of the sensor while maintaining the minimum Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) required for reliable signal reception. An analytical expression of the optimal dimension is presented. Based on the optimized design, the sensor module package, together with the injection mold steel and the polymer melt that flows over the sensor into the mold cavity, was modeled using the finite element method. To quantify the behavior of polymer melt and its effect on sensors output, a coupled fluid-structure interaction analysis was performed to examine the mold-melt interface, by using the solution-looping and mesh-morphing techniques. A case study of the sensor design for a 40 mm thick injection mold was investigated by using the presented optimization method and FEA model. Results show that the volume of the piezo stack can be reduced to 0.7 cm3 while meeting the minimum SNR requirement. The minimum insulator thickness of 1 mm is presented by the FEA model to maintain the thermal induced error below 0.5%.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Analytical calculation of invariant distributions on strange attractors

Abstract We obtain analytically by an iterative procedure the equilibrium invariant distribution for a class of strange attractors found in two-dimensional perturbed twist maps. The zeroth order (phase-averaged) distribution is found by solving the appropriate Fokker-Planck equation. Repeated iterations over the map yield the higher order distributions that reveal successively finer structures. We develop a quantitative method to compare the maps thus obtained with the maps computed numerically. Using this method, the analytical theory has been verified for the dissipative Fermi, zaslavskii and quadratic Chirikov maps, to the order that the numerical results can be obtained.
Glutathione-S-transferase A4-4 modulates oxidative stress in endothelium: possible role in human atherosclerosis

Abstract The role of α-class mammalian glutathione S -transferases (GSTs) in the protection of many cell types, including vascular smooth muscle cells, against oxidant damage has been demonstrated, but the role of GSTs in the endothelial cell is not well studied. In order to examine the role of GSTs in the endothelial cell, a stable transfection of mouse pancreatic islet endothelial cells (MS1) with cDNA of mGSTA4 -4, mouse isozyme of GSTs with activity in vascular wall, was established. Transfected cells demonstrated significantly higher GSTs enzyme activity and expressed significantly increased resistance to the cytotoxicity of allylamine, acrolein, 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE), and H 2 O 2 ( P P 2 O 2 induced apoptosis by inhibiting phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinases (p-JNK) and consequent activation of p53 and Bax. In early human fibrous atherosclerotic plaques, immunohistochemical studies demonstrated marked induction of hGSTA4-4 in endothelial cells overlying plaque, and in proliferating plaque vascular smooth muscle cells. Our results indicate that endothelial cell mGSTA4 -4 can play a key role in protecting blood vessels against oxidative stress and, thus, is likely to be a critical defense mechanism against oxidants that act as atherogens.
Universal access to ICT and lifelong learning: Uganda's experience

Access to electronic information requires a well‐developed information infrastructure currently lacking in the developing countries. To compound the problem, prospects of achieving lifelong learning are increasingly dependent on access to information held across electronic networks. Uganda's population, similar to much of Sub‐Saharan Africa, never had the opportunity to attend formal school, rendering lifelong‐learning prospects as the last resort to meaningful integration into the knowledge society. To many in developing countries, universal access to ICT‐based information, as a social justice, is a feasible remedy to society's lifelong learning challenges. This paper reports on a case study of the school‐based telecenter (SBT) model to assess appropriateness of the school‐centered approach to universal access, currently under implementation by SchoolNet Uganda. The SBTs, established on a pilot basis, utilize VSAT‐based technology to connect schools and neighbouring communities to the internet. This paper documents the appropriateness of school‐based access points for neighbouring communities at two selected SchoolNet‐Uganda site schools. School‐based access has policy implications for developing countries' approach to universal access and lifelong learning in the emerging knowledge society.
Isolation and characterization of membranes from rat cerebral cortex

The subcellular fractionation of rat cerebral cortex has been extended to an examination of all fractions in the zones comprising synaptosomes (obtained from unlysed crude mitochondrial fractions [P2]) and synaptosomal membrances (from lysed P2), with emphasis on junctional complexes. The parameters investigated included: (a) ultrastructure, (b) marker enzymes, (c) analytical acrylamide-gel electropherograms for insoluble proteins, (d) rate of incorporation of labeled 3H-leucine into constituent proteins in slices, and (e) cytochemical localization of carbohydrate-containing molecules. The results of these studies have provided the first stage for an analysis of the structure and dynamic chemistry of synaptic systems in the rat brain.
Lessons from human genetic variants in the study of B-cell differentiation

Several human B-cell immunodeficiencies result from mutations in signal transducing molecules. The past year has seen significant advances in our understanding of how these molecules are integrated into B cell signaling pathways. The phenotypes of mice deficient in several of these genes have revealed species-specific differences in the requirements for early B cell development.
Quasi-Passive Reconfigurable optical node: First experimental demonstration

We propose a Quasi-Passive Reconfigurable (QPAR) node for optical access networks. QPARs provide flexible power/wavelength distribution, and improve networks' energy efficiency. An experimental QPAR is constructed and characterized to demonstrate these functions.
Synthesis of the hexahydronaphthalene moiety of (+)-mevinolin

Abstract The synthesis of the hexahydronaphthalene moiety ( 6b ) of (+)-mevinolin ( 1 ) has been achieved in 10 steps using an intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction of an alkenylallene to set up four of the chiral centers and the diene unit of ( 6b ).
The Economics of Caste and of the Rat Race and Other Woeful Tales

I. Introduction, 599.—II. Sharecropping, 601.—III. Work conditions: the rat race, 603.—IV. Statistical discrimination, 606.—V. Caste and group organizations, 608.—VI. Conclusions, 617.
Deformation behaviour of coextruded multilayer composites with polycarbonate and poly(styrene-acrylonitrile)

The tensile properties of coextruded multilayer composites comprised of predominantly 49 alternating layers of polycarbonate (PC) and polystyrene- acrylonitrile (SAN) were investigated in the bulk and microscopically. The bulk was characterized by three types of behaviour: brittle fracture at low strains, ductile yielding with fracture during neck formation, and formation of a stable neck followed by drawing to high extension. Optical microscopy was utilized to correlate deformation mechanisms within each phase to the observed modes of deformation in the bulk. Optical microscopy showed that in all cases the initial irreversible deformation event was the formation of cracks or crazes in the SAN layers. Good adhesion between the layers resulted in the subsequent initiation of shear bands in the polycarbonate layers at the craze tips. Interaction of crazes and shear bands produced an expanded damage zone ahead of the propagating crack which delocalized the stress and delayed fracture. The ultimate mode of fracture depended on the relative thickness of the SAN and PC layers, as determined by the composition, and the strain rate.
Human immunodeficiency virus facilitates infection/replication of hepatitis C virus in native human macrophages

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) was found to replicate in monocytes/macrophages particularly in patients with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. This study was undertaken to determine whether HIV facilitates HCV infection of native human macrophages in vitro. Monocytes/macrophages were collected from healthy donors, infected with HIV M-tropic molecular clone, and then exposed to HCV-positive sera. Presence of positive and negative HCV RNA strands was determined with a novel strand-specific quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Preceding as well as near-simultaneous infection with HIV made the macrophages more susceptible to infection with HCV; in particular, an HCV RNA-negative strand was detectable almost exclusively in the setting of concomitant HIV infection. Furthermore, HCV RNA load correlated with HIV replication level in the early stage of infection. The ratio of positive to negative strand in macrophages was lower than in control liver samples. HIV infection was also found to facilitate HCV replication in a Daudi B-cell line with engineered CD4 expression. It seems that HIV infection can facilitate replication of HCV in monocytes/macrophages either by rendering cells more susceptible to HCV infection or by increasing HCV replication. This could explain the presence of extrahepatic HCV replication in HIV-coinfected individuals.
Optical phonon induced 2s-2p splitting in shallow impurities

Abstract Electron-optical-phonon interaction splitsd 2s and 2p levels of a hydrogen-like shallow impurity in a Electron-optical-phonon interaction splits 2s and 2p levels of a hydrogen-like shallow impurity in a polar semiconductor. The splitting E 2p − E 2s = αE 2 B / 120 & omega; o , where α is the Frohlich coupling constant, EB is the binding energy of the ground state, and & omega;o is the optical phonon energy.
Platinum resistance: Laboratory findings and clinical implications

Platinum compounds are universally recognized as one of the most important classes of chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of cancer. Emergence of resistance to cisplatin has appeared, however, to be a major prognostic factor of adverse outcome in the otherwise most sensitive of malignancies: testicular and ovarian cancers. After a decade of testing both systemic and regional dose-intensification of cisplatin and its analog carboplatin--which is more amenable to dose escalation with cytokines and bone marrow progenitor cell support--a plateau is apparent even in sensitive tumor types beyond which additional dose escalations do not appreciably increase response. Laboratory work searching for causes of intrinsic and acquired resistance, providing early indication of drug sensitivity, and developing strategies for restoring or overcoming resistance is ongoing and is guiding clinical studies and drug development. Causes of cellular resistance to platinums are complex and include decreased drug accumulation, increased detoxification, increased repair of DNA-platinum adducts, and increased tolerance of DNA lesions. Clinical trials are already ongoing regarding strategies involving protection of specific toxicities, decreasing intracellular glutathione (by buthionine sulfoximine), decreasing DNA repair, and introducing new analogs that are able to overcome certain forms of platinum resistance.
Gray and white matter delineation in the human spinal cord using diffusion tensor imaging and fuzzy logic.

Rationale and Objectives Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has been used extensively in determining morphology and connectivity of the brain; however, similar analysis in the spinal cord has proven difficult. The objective of this study was to improve the delineation of gray and white matter in the spinal cord by applying signal processing techniques to the eigenvalues of the diffusion tensor. Our approach involved creating anisotropy indices based on the difference between eigenvalues and mean diffusivity then using a fuzzy inference system (FIS) to delineate between gray and white matter in the human cervical spinal cord. Materials and Methods DTI was performed on the cervical spinal cord in five neurologically intact subjects. Distributions were extracted for regions of gray and white matter through the use of a digitized histologic template. Fuzzy membership functions were created based on these distributions. Detectability index and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed on traditional DTI indices and FIS classified regions. Results A significantly higher contrast between gray and white matter was observed using fuzzy classification compared with traditionally used DTI indices based on the detectability index (P Conclusions Diffusion tensor imaging using an FIS for tissue classification provides high contrast between spinal gray and white matter compared with traditional DTI indices and may provide a noninvasive technique to quantify the integrity and morphology of the human spinal cord following injury.