cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Myths and Realities of Prison Violence: A Review of the Evidence

In order to distinguish prison myth from reality, the authors examine both official and unofficial estimates of the violence and disorder in prison, as well the dual issues of whether drug abuse and gang activity in prison can be directly linked to the level of violence and disorder in correctional institutions. Based on this review, current responses to prison violence and disorder are examined; the authors argue that the key to reducing the current level of prison violence and disorder is to determine the appropriate tipping point between formal and informal social control mechanisms. The authors conclude by highlighting three distinct strategies for reducing violent incidents in prisons: (1) demand transparency, (2) require evidence-based practice, and (3) implement innovative measures of prison performance and quality.
Hindbrain lactostasis regulates hypothalamic AMPK activity and metabolic neurotransmitter mRNA and protein responses to hypoglycemia

Nerve cell metabolic activity is monitored in multiple brain regions, including the hypothalamus and hindbrain dorsal vagal complex (DVC), but it is unclear if individual metabolosensory loci operate autonomously or interact to coordinate central nervous system (CNS) reactivity to energy imbalance. This research addressed the hypothesis that hypoglycemia-associated DVC lactoprivation stimulates hypothalamic AMPK activity and metabolic neurotransmitter expression. As DVC catecholaminergic neurons express biomarkers for metabolic monitoring, we investigated whether these cells are a source of lactate deficit signaling to the hypothalamus. Caudal fourth ventricle (CV4) infusion of the glucose metabolite l-lactate during insulin-induced hypoglycemia reversed changes in DVC A2 noradrenergic, arcuate neuropeptide Y (NPY) and pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), and lateral hypothalamic orexin-A (ORX) neuronal AMPK activity, coincident with exacerbation of hypoglycemia. Hindbrain lactate repletion also blunted hypoglycemic upregulation of arcuate NPY mRNA and protein. This treatment did not alter hypoglycemic paraventricular oxytocin (OT) and lateral hypothalamic ORX mRNA profiles, but exacerbated or reversed adjustments in OT and ORX neuropeptide synthesis, respectively. CV4 delivery of the monocarboxylate transporter inhibitor, 4-CIN, increased A2 phosphoAMPK (pAMPK), elevated circulating glucose, and stimulated feeding, responses that were attenuated by 6-hydroxydopamine pretreatment. 4-CIN-infused rats exhibited increased (NPY, ORX neurons) or decreased (POMC neurons) pAMPK concurrent with hyperglycemia. These data show that hindbrain lactoprivic signaling regulates hypothalamic AMPK and key effector neurotransmitter responses to hypoglycemia. Evidence that A2 AMPK activity is lactate-dependent, and that DVC catecholamine cells are critical for lactoprivic control of glucose, feeding, and hypothalamic AMPK, implies A2 derivation of this metabolic regulatory stimulus.
Management and Organizational Communication Measurement A Call for Review and Evaluation

This article is a discussion of the Research Instrument Section of McQ. It traces the history of instrumentation within the organizational communication literature and includes a guide for the preparation of manuscripts. While this article reflects an organizational communication perspective, the editors of McQ intend for the Research Instrument Section to become a forum for discussion of instruments related to managerial writing, managerial presentations, interpersonal communication in organizations, organizational communication, or external communication.
Pseudoadolescent Munchausen syndrome

Munchausen syndrome has not been reported in adolescents. We report two cases in young adults who, because they feigned adolescence, were first seen by pediatricians and then treated on a locked adolescent psychiatric ward. Their presentations resembled Munchausen syndrome, but included prominent factitious psychological symptoms as well as factitious physical symptoms. These cases are discussed in relation to the syndrome's classification, natural history, and associated character pathology.
Some Requirements for Mobile Distributed Telecomputing Architecture

This paper introduces components (Participants, Communications. Events, Relationships, Summaries) and services of Joint Activities in Mobile Distributed Telecomputing Architecture. Services of Presentation/Interaction management. Meeting/Encounter management. Discourse management, Organizational Relationship management. Project/Task management, and Process management, are identified. In particular, it is shown how Electronic Organization and Joint Activities can improve the rapidity of response and the robustness of the distributed cooperative system. A rich bibliography on philosophical, methodological and DAI aspects of this topic is provided.
Statistical Study on the Schottky Barrier Reduction of Tunneling Contacts to CVD Synthesized MoS2

Creating high-quality, low-resistance contacts is essential for the development of electronic applications using two-dimensional (2D) layered materials. Many previously reported methods for lowering the contact resistance rely on volatile chemistry that either oxidize or degrade in ambient air. Nearly all reported efforts have been conducted on only a few devices with mechanically exfoliated flakes which is not amenable to large scale manufacturing. In this work, Schottky barrier heights of metal-MoS2 contacts to devices fabricated from CVD synthesized MoS2 films were reduced by inserting a thin tunneling Ta2O5 layer between MoS2 and metal contacts. Schottky barrier height reductions directly correlate with exponential reductions in contact resistance. Over two hundred devices were tested and contact resistances extracted for large scale statistical analysis. As compared to metal-MoS2 Schottky contacts without an insulator layer, the specific contact resistivity has been lowered by up to 3 orders of magni...
Cumulative HOM Excitation and Transition Effects in LCLS-II

Abstract LCLS-II is a proposed upgrade of the most powerful X-ray laser in the world built at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. When complete, multiple free electron laser (FEL) sections will be powered by a continuous wave superconducting radio frequency (SRF) electron linac. The vital parameters for FEL radiation quality are beam emittance and beam transverse position stability. Excitation of high order modes (HOM) in SRF niobium cavities leads to additional beam power dissipation through incoherent and coherent losses. Energy stored in HOM may cause cumulative effects — transverse and longitudinal position displacement of the center of bunches, which leads to transverse and longitudinal emittance dilution. Cumulative effects due to dipole HOM excitation in LCLS-II are analyzed. Transition HOM effects are caused by sudden changes (periodic or single case) in the beam bunch structure. Bunch center position disturbance due to transition HOM effects is estimated.
A Computational Model for Membrane Protein Flux across the Bacterial Periplasm

Outer membrane protein (OMP) biogenesis is critical to bacterial physiology including pathogenesis and antibiotic resistance. The process of OMP biogenesis has been thoroughly studied in vivo and each of its components have been studied in isolation in vitro. This work integrates parameters and observations from both in vivo and in vitro experiments into an integrated model. We utilize this model to computationally assess OMP biogenesis in a global manner. Using deterministic and stochastic methods we are able to simulate OMP biogenesis under several genetic conditions, each of which successfully replicates experimental observations. We observe that unfolded OMP has a prolonged lifetime in the periplasm where it makes, on average, hundreds of short-lived interactions with chaperones before folding into its native state. We find that some periplasmic chaperones function primarily as quality control factors, which complements the folding catalysis function of other chaperones. Mechanistic hypotheses proposed in the literature include either a physical bridge between the inner and outer membranes or parallel folding pathways catalyzed by different chaperones. The implementation of these mechanisms is not required to reproduce experimental results. Finally, we find a finely tuned balance between thermodynamic and kinetic parameters maximizes OMP folding flux and minimizes aggregation and unnecessary degradation. This work provides a holistic interpretation of OMP biogenesis that provides unique insight into this essential pathway.
Data Security and Backup in Hospital Information System

It states the data security problems in hospital information system, emphasizes on analyzing factors that theaten data security ,and points out the contents and methods of data backup.
Optimism and Hope After Multiple Disasters: Relationships to Health-Related Quality of Life

ABSTRACTNatural and technological disasters are devastating events for individuals and communities. The authors examined the role of optimism and hope in predicting health indicators in a sample of disaster survivors who were exposed to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. Participants were noncoastal residents, current coastal residents, and current coastal fishers who were also economically impacted by the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. All participants completed measures of optimism, hope, and the SF-36 Health Survey, which provides summary scores for mental and physical health. Logistic regressions indicated that optimism and hope were independently and positively associated with better mental health (OR = 1.21; 95% CI: 1.10, 1.32 and OR = 1.11; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.17 respectively). Neither optimism nor hope were significantly associated with physical health when considered alone. However, optimism interacted with prior lifetime trauma, where optimism only significantly predicted physical health for...
DNA Polymerases Divide the Labor of Genome Replication

DNA polymerases synthesize DNA in only one direction, but large genomes require RNA priming and bidirectional replication from internal origins. We review here the physical, chemical, and evolutionary constraints underlying these requirements. We then consider the roles of the major eukaryotic replicases, DNA polymerases α, δ, and ɛ, in replicating the nuclear genome. Pol α has long been known to extend RNA primers at origins and on Okazaki fragments that give rise to the nascent lagging strand. Taken together, more recent results of mutation and ribonucleotide incorporation mapping, electron microscopy, and immunoprecipitation of nascent DNA now lead to a model wherein Pol ɛ and Pol δ, respectively, synthesize the majority of the nascent leading and lagging strands of undamaged DNA.
The Bergman Metric

Poincare’s theorem (see [KRA1, KRA9] for discussion) that the ball and polydisc are biholomorphically inequivalent shows that there is no Riemann mapping theorem (at least in the traditional sense) in several complex variables. More recent results of Burns, Shnider, and Wells [BSW] and of Greene and Krantz [GRK1, GRK2] confirm how truly dismal the situation is. First, we need a definition.
Analyzing and evaluating business process by the distance reachable matrix

The Authors present a new approach of finding out unreasonable activity loops. The approach was named as DRM (Distance reachable matrix) which introduced distances into reachable matrix and could show activity loops and distances directly in elements of the matrix. The definition, operating rules of DRM and others related to DRM were described in this paper. At the end, the approach was applied to a practical process, the loops and distances were found out quickly. The approach provided a new resolution to the BPR (business process reengineering).
Feasibility of a clinic-based central line care teach-back program for pediatric oncology families.

183Background: Pediatric oncology (PO) patients with central lines (CLs) are at high risk for CL associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI), which increase morbidity, mortality, and costs. A large portion of ambulatory CL care in the home is provided by families who often have limited opportunities to develop the needed skills and adhere to best practice line care. Methods: A pilot quality improvement initiative was undertaken from 5/2015-6/2016 to develop a coaching program for families to demonstrate external CL care with a nurse during a routine clinic visit (teach-back), either on a simulation model or the patient. Tests of change were implemented to add teach-backs during routine clinic visits and ensure teach-back documentation in the medical record. Initial steps included assessing family interest in teach-backs by conducting surveys about CL care at home and unstructured incorporation into routine care by existing clinic nursing staff. After assessment of the pilot phase, targeted interventions st...
State Aid Special Report — Part 2: Legitimate Expectations

In this report, the second in a series of reports on EU state aid, Mason evaluates the claims Treasury’ made in its White Paper that recovery in the recent tax ruling cases would violate taxpayers’ legitimate expectations that those rulings did not constitute state aid.
Organizational design and ethics: The effects of rigid hierarchy on moral reasoning

This study investigates the relationship between organizational design and ethics. It argues that an organization designed in a rigidly hierarchical structure restricts the moral development of its members and ultimately adversely affects their ethical behavior. Prior research suggests members of organizations structured in a rigid hierarchy exhibit less autonomous behavior when compared to less rigid organizations. As autonomous behavior is also a sine qua non for higher levels of moral development, then the study hypothesizes a negative relationship between rigid hierarchy and moral development. To empirically test this hypothesis, the study compared the moral development of individuals from a rigid hierarchy with individuals from society-at-large and from less-rigid organizations. The study used Kohlberg’s six-stage moral development framework to operationalize different levels of moral judgment, and employed Rest’s Defining Issues Test (DIT) as a measurement instrument. The DIT was administered to a cross-section of 480 members of the U.S.
Toward the oxidative deconstruction of lignin: oxidation of β-1 and β-5 linkages

There have been numerous reports on methods for the oxidative cleavage of β-O-4 linkages in lignin model compounds, but relatively few reports of how those methods affect other linkages that are present in lignin. We have investigated the effect of several of these oxidation methods on the β-1 and the β-5 lignin linkages, using four β-1 and β-5 model compounds. We observed that direct oxidative cleavage of C-C bonds occurs in metal-catalyzed TEMPO oxidation systems and with iron porphyrin oxidations, neither of which had we observed in similar oxidations on β-O-4 models. The β-5 linkage proved to be largely resistant to all of these oxidative systems, but the dihydrofuran ring in the β-5 model 3 was opened when treated with KMnO4 at elevated temperature. Most promising was the oxidation of 2 with DDQ, which produced the benzylic ketone in high yield (84%), as it does in reactions with β-O-4 models. This reaction exhibits selectivity for the benzylic position as well as compatibility with phenols, characteristics that are highly desirable for a two-step, benzylic oxidation/Baeyer-Villiger route for cleavage of lignin.
Soft Alignment and the Indo-American Security Relationship

This paper develops an understanding of the growing security partnership between India and United States based on common concerns regarding the growth of Chinese power in the region.
Three Novels of John Habwe: Social Criticism through “New Enlightenment”?

John Habwe is one of the most established and prolific writers in modern Kenyan literature in Swahili language, whose writing career now spans for more than two decades 1 . Despite his productivity and fame in the literary and reading circles, Habwe so far seems to have gained a rather timid attention from the critics. His first three novels were reviewed, among others, by Kyallo Wadi Wamitila in his survey of Kenyan novel in the new edition of Outline of Swahili Literature (Bertoncini et al., 2009). In that survey Wamitila noticed, along with other traits, Habwe’s tangible inclination towards “Enlightenment-type” didacticism. Thus, before we start the analysis of the texts chosen for this study, it would be advisable to provide a brief outline of the main traits of Enlightenment and its literature. Key words : Habwe, enlightenment, Swahili, literature, Kenya
Automatic multiorgan segmentation in thorax CT images using U-net-GAN.

Purpose Accurate and timely organs-at-risk (OARs) segmentation is key to efficient and high-quality radiation therapy planning. The purpose of this work is to develop a deep learning-based method to automatically segment multiple thoracic OARs on chest computed tomography (CT) for radiotherapy treatment planning. Methods We propose an adversarial training strategy to train deep neural networks for the segmentation of multiple organs on thoracic CT images. The proposed design of adversarial networks, called U-Net-generative adversarial network (U-Net-GAN), jointly trains a set of U-Nets as generators and fully convolutional networks (FCNs) as discriminators. Specifically, the generator, composed of U-Net, produces an image segmentation map of multiple organs by an end-to-end mapping learned from CT image to multiorgan-segmented OARs. The discriminator, structured as an FCN, discriminates between the ground truth and segmented OARs produced by the generator. The generator and discriminator compete against each other in an adversarial learning process to produce the optimal segmentation map of multiple organs. Our segmentation results were compared with manually segmented OARs (ground truth) for quantitative evaluations in geometric difference, as well as dosimetric performance by investigating the dose-volume histogram in 20 stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) lung plans. Results This segmentation technique was applied to delineate the left and right lungs, spinal cord, esophagus, and heart using 35 patients' chest CTs. The averaged dice similarity coefficient for the above five OARs are 0.97, 0.97, 0.90, 0.75, and 0.87, respectively. The mean surface distance of the five OARs obtained with proposed method ranges between 0.4 and 1.5 mm on average among all 35 patients. The mean dose differences on the 20 SBRT lung plans are -0.001 to 0.155 Gy for the five OARs. Conclusion We have investigated a novel deep learning-based approach with a GAN strategy to segment multiple OARs in the thorax using chest CT images and demonstrated its feasibility and reliability. This is a potentially valuable method for improving the efficiency of chest radiotherapy treatment planning.
Race, Gender, and Disability and the Risk for Juvenile Justice Contact.

Exclusionary school discipline has received national attention due to its association with juvenile justice contact. Research has demonstrated support for links between exclusionary discipline and ...
El valor de las acciones producto de una OPA en el sector financiero

La presente investigacion se propone, analizar la variacion del valor de las acciones pertenecientes a empresas del sector bancario chileno, que cotizan en bolsa, producto de la oferta publica de acciones, desde el ano 2004. Describe las caracteristicas de las ofertas publicas, de acuerdo a la informacion entregada por la Superintendencia de Valores y Seguros, realizadas a partir del ano 2004, en el sector bancario chileno. Correlaciona el valor de cierre historico de las acciones del sector bancario, durante el periodo en que se genera la OPA (el periodo antes y despues) y explica, mediante la evidencia obtenida, las variaciones experimentadas en las acciones cotizadas en el mercado bursatil, que se han generado producto del lanzamiento de una OPA. Se concluye que la hipotesis planteada y el objeto e investigacion ponen de manifiesto que existe una variacion anormal en el mercado bursatil, ante la realizacion de una OPA, pero esta variacion anormal, no es significativa para el rango de variacion dado por la investigacion (5%)
Abstract P3039: Altered Maternal and Fetal Vasopressin Receptors in Response to Hypertensive Stress in Pregnancy

Children born to women with hypertensive disorders in pregnancy have an elevated risk of developing hypertensive disorders later in life. The mechanisms for this fetal programming are unclear. Beca...
Web-Based Self-Directed Exercise Program Is Cost-Effective Compared to Formal Physical Therapy After Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty

Abstract Background Web-based physical therapy (WBPT) is a potential means to reduce costs following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Although outcomes data support the use of self-directed therapy after TKA, there is a paucity of literature evaluating its cost-effectiveness. This study aimed to determine utilization trends of either outpatient physical therapy (OPPT) or WBPT after TKA, assess the outcomes of patients based on their use of WBPT, OPPT, or both, and evaluate OPPT costs based on the amount of WBPT used. Methods A retrospective review of 701 patients (731 TKAs) was performed. Patients were given a prescription for OPPT and access to a self-directed WBPT program. Functional scores were obtained preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively, and the rate of manipulation under anesthesia (MUA), range of motion, and PT costs were recorded. Results About 49.8% of patients utilized WBPT, 34.7% of patients utilized WBPT and OPPT, and 23% of patients utilized neither source of therapy. Patients that utilized both WBPT and OPPT demonstrated the lowest rates of MUA. There were no differences in postoperative outcomes based on the number of WBPT logins. Overall, PT cost was 3.4× higher for those that underwent MUA. Subgroup analysis of patients that utilized WBPT revealed that the cost and number of PT visits decreased as the number of logins increased. Patients younger than 65 utilized more WBPT and OPPT while demonstrating worse outcomes (lower Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score for Joint Replacement postoperative scores and more MUAs). Conclusion WBPT can be an effective option to offset costs associated with OPPT, without compromising outcomes.
Challenging claims of cultural deprivation as a career-long goal

This paper presents an overview of some of Michael Cole’s work, starting with his pioneering research in Liberia with the Kpelle (and later, with Sylvia Scribner, studies of literacy with the Vai, ...
Automated Partial Versus Complete Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta for the Management of Hemorrhagic Shock in a Pig Model of Polytrauma: a Randomized Controlled Pilot Study.

INTRODUCTION Endovascular variable aortic control (EVAC) is an automated partial resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) platform designed to mitigate the deleterious effects of complete REBOA. Long-term experiments are needed to assess potential benefits. The feasibility of a 24-hour experiment in a complex large animal trauma model remains unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS Anesthetized swine were subjected to controlled hemorrhage, blunt thoracic trauma, and tibial fractures. Animals were then randomized (N = 3/group) to control (No balloon support), 90 minutes of complete supraceliac REBOA, or 10 minutes of supraceliac REBOA followed by 80 minutes of EVAC. One hundred ten minutes after injury, animals were resuscitated with shed blood, the REBOA catheter was removed. Automated critical care under general anesthesia was maintained for 24 hours. RESULTS Animals in the control and EVAC groups survived to the end of the experiment. Animals in the REBOA group survived for 120, 130, and 660 minutes, respectively. Animals in the EVAC group displayed similar mean arterial pressure and plasma lactate concentration as the control group by the end of the experiment. Histologic analysis suggested myocardial injury in the REBOA group when compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates the feasibility of intermediate-term experiments in a complex swine model of polytrauma with 90 minutes of REBOA. EVAC may be associated with improved survival at 24 hours when compared with complete REBOA. EVAC resulted in normalized physiology after 24 hours, suggesting that prolonged partial occlusion is possible. Longer studies evaluating partial REBOA strategies are needed.
Abstract PO-206: Influence of social determinants of health on timeliness to treatment for metastatic HCC and the impact of Affordable Care Act

Background While we strive for progress in treatment and outcomes, it is imperative that disparities driven by socioeconomic factors are also recognized and addressed. We hypothesized that social determinants of health may predict delay in systemic therapy for metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma patients (HCC) and sought to examine the impact of Affordable Care Act (ACA). Methods National Cancer Database (NCDB) was queried for patients with metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosed from 2004-2015 and considered for first line systemic therapy within 6 months (180 days) of diagnosis. Time to initiation (TTI) was defined as time in days(d) from diagnosis of cancer to initiation of systemic therapy. Survival was measured in months(m) from the day of diagnosis. Multivariate analyses was performed using 2010 as cut-off between pre- and post-ACA for analysis. Results 630 patients meeting the eligibility criteria. Median TTI in the group was 57d. Only factor associated with delayed TTI (defined as forth quartile of TTI) in a multivariate logistic regression was non-Hispanic Black (NHB) race Odds Ratio OR 1.94(95%CI 1.0–3.3), p-value=0.052. The OR showed improvement with implementation of ACA – OR3.6(95%CI 1.4-9.4),p- value 0.008 during pre-ACA vs. 1.3(0.5-3.1),p-value=0.6 post-ACA. There were non- significant trend towards higher mortality among NHB vs. NHW (HR 1.2, 95% CI 1.0- 1.6) and lower mortality for those insured vs. uninsured (HR 0.8, 95% CI 0.5-1.1. Conclusion Race appears to impact timeliness to therapy in metastatic HCC patients and was positively impacted by ACA. Continued research to monitor disparities in care and identify underlying mechanisms to mitigate them are warranted. Citation Format: Thejus Jayakrishnan, Veli Bakalov, Gene Finley, Dulabh Monga, Rodney Wegner. Influence of social determinants of health on timeliness to treatment for metastatic HCC and the impact of Affordable Care Act [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Conference: Thirteenth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2020 Oct 2-4. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(12 Suppl):Abstract nr PO-206.
Effect of rumen-protected methionine supplementation to beef cows during the periconception period on performance of cows, calves, and subsequent offspring.

Abstract Maternal nutrition affects the development of the fetus and postnatal performance of the calf. Methionine may play a critical role in developmental programming and is likely deficient in beef cows fed low-quality forage. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of metabolizable methionine supply to lactating beef cows during the periconception period on performance of cows, calves, and subsequent offspring. This project involved two consecutive production cycles commencing at calving in which dietary treatments were fed to cows during the periconception period along with measurements on cows and initial calves in Production Cycle 1, and measurements on subsequent calves in Production Cycle 2. Brangus-Angus crossbred lactating beef cows (N = 108; age = 6.4 (2.8) year) were stratified by previous calving date and assigned to one of three supplements: (1) control, molasses plus urea at 2.72 kg/day as fed, (2) fishmeal, 2.27 kg/day molasses plus urea plus 0.33 kg/day as fed of fishmeal, and (3) methionine, 2.72 kg/day of molasses plus urea plus 9.5 g/day of 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio)-butanoic acid. Cows were fed supplements and low-quality limpograss (Hemarthria altissima) hay while grazing dormant bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flugge) pastures during the 115-day periconception period from December 2014 to April 2015 in Production Cycle 1 only. Body weight change and milk yield of cows were measured during the periconception period in Production Cycle 1. Body weight of calves was measured at birth and weaning in both production cycles. Following weaning in Production Cycle 2, eight subsequent steer calves per treatment were individually housed for a 42-day metabolism experiment. Treatment did not affect (P > 0.10) BW change of cows, but cows fed methionine tended (P = 0.09) to produce more energy-corrected milk than control and fishmeal. Treatment did not affect (P > 0.10) 205-day adjusted weaning weight of calves in either production cycle. During the metabolism experiment, subsequent calves from dams fed fishmeal and methionine gained faster (P
Structure and Properties of Murine and Human Dentin

Mice are commonly considered the model mammal for many biomedical studies. In this work, mouse and human dentin were compared to specify structural and mechanical differences to establish a baseline for comparison of dental tissues between these species. Atomic force microscopy revealed tubules of about 1.0 to 1.6 μm in diameter as the main structural feature in dentin of both species. Nanoindentation yielded the elastic modulus about 15% lower in murine intertubular dentin while the hardness was almost equal. Dynamic stiffness mapping confirmed the lower elastic properties and also revealed that the peritubular region of increased mineralization around tubules is drastically reduced or maybe absent in murine dentin of this age. This study suggests that structural and mechanical differences need to be considered when murine dentin is used as a model system.
Systematic Review and Meta-analysis: Effectiveness of Wraparound Care Coordination for Children and Adolescents.

Objective Wraparound is a common method for coordinating care for children and adolescents with serious emotional disorders (SED), with nearly 100,000 youths served annually in the United States. The current systematic review and meta-analysis estimated effects on youth outcomes (symptoms, functioning, school, juvenile justice, and residential placement) and costs. Method A literature search identified 17 peer-reviewed and gray literature studies meeting criteria, which were coded on characteristics of sample, design, implementation, and outcomes. Random effects modeling was conducted using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Version 3.0. Effect sizes were calculated using Hedges g. Homogeneity of effects were assessed using Q statistics. Results Medium-sized effects favored Wraparound-enrolled youths for costs (g = 0.391, CI = 0.282−0.500, p Conclusion Results indicate positive effects for Wraparound, especially for maintaining youths with SED in the home and community. However, many studies showed methodological weaknesses, and fidelity measurement was largely absent, suggesting a need for additional research. Nonetheless, the results should aid decisions around resource allocation, referral practices, and system partnerships among child psychiatrists and other behavioral health professionals.
Spontaneous and instructed emotion regulation in dysphoria: Effects on emotion experience and use of other emotion regulation strategies

Compared to healthy individuals, individuals with depressive symptoms are likely to respond to negative events by overusing maladaptive emotion regulation (ER) strategies, which are associated with greater negative emotional intensity and intolerance. Research suggests that during negative event recall, self-distancing, a putatively adaptive ER strategy, is associated with decreases in maladaptive ER strategies (e.g., rumination), negative affect, and emotional intensity. However, less is known about the effects of self-distancing as a sad evocative event unfolds. Given that the experience of frequent and prolonged periods of sad emotion is characteristic of depressive syndromes, identifying a useful strategy to regulate emotion during sad events could help de-intensify and shorten those periods, which may ultimately reduce depression vulnerability. The present study examined spontaneous ER, instructed self-distancing, and their effects on emotion intensity and intolerance in dysphoric and nondysphoric individuals. Participants viewed sadness-inducing film clips, regulating emotions without specific instructions in one condition, and engaging in instructed self-distancing in the other. After each film, participants reported the intensity and intolerance of their emotions, and ER strategy use. The dysphoric group reported significantly greater intensity and intolerance of emotion than the nondysphoric group. Instructed self-distancing reduced emotional intensity more than spontaneous ER irrespective of group status, however it decreased rumination use only for the nondysphoric group. Decreased rumination use was associated with decreased emotion intensity and intolerance. Thus, promoting and monitoring the effectiveness of self-distancing may enhance ER. Pairing self-distancing with 2 other evidence-supported anti-rumination strategies may be needed to help reduce depression vulnerability more robustly.
AutoTag 'n Search My Photos: Leveraging the Social Graph for Photo Tagging

Personal photo collections are large and growing rapidly. Today, it is difficult to search such a photo collection for people who occur in them since it is tedious to manually associate face tags in photos. The key idea is to learn face models for friends and family of the user using tagged photos in a social graph such as Facebook as training examples. These face models are then used to automatically tag photos in the collection, thereby making it more searchable and easier to organize. To illustrate this idea we have developed a Windows app called AutoTag 'n Search My Photos. In this demo paper we describe the architecture, user interaction and controls, and our initial learnings from deploying the app.
Age and prevalence of sickle-cell trait in a large ambulatory population.

We performed hemoglobin electrophoresis in 30,400 apparently healthy black individuals in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area, who were participating in a community based sickle-cell screening program during the period 1978-1985. The overall prevalence of sickle-cell trait was 6.7%. The frequency of sickle-cell trait in various age groups, which included young children, adults, and individuals over 65 years of age, ranged from 6.4 to 7.4%. There were no statistically significant differences in the prevalence of sickle-cell trait among the various age groups, nor did we detect a significant trend for increasing or decreasing sickle cell frequency with advancing age (P = 0.418). Thus, in this population sickle-cell trait appears to have no effect on longevity. If the various complications of sickle-cell trait reported in the literature are not fortuitous, their frequency and/or severity must be too low to affect prevalence figures.
Evidence for an anomalous current–phase relation in topological insulator Josephson junctions

Josephson junctions with topological insulator weak links can host low-energy Andreev-bound states giving rise to a current-phase relation that deviates from sinusoidal behaviour. Of particular interest are zero-energy Majorana-bound states that form at a phase difference of π. Here we report on interferometry studies of Josephson junctions and superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) incorporating topological insulator weak links. We find that the nodes in single-junction diffraction patterns and SQUID oscillations are lifted and independent of chemical potential. At high temperatures, the SQUID oscillations revert to conventional behaviour, ruling out asymmetry. The node-lifting of the SQUID oscillations is consistent with low-energy Andreev-bound states exhibiting a nonsinusoidal current-phase relation, co-existing with states possessing a conventional sinusoidal current-phase relation. However, the finite nodal currents in the single-junction diffraction pattern suggest an anomalous contribution to the supercurrent possibly carried by Majorana-bound states, although we also consider the possibility of inhomogeneity.
A Review of “The Living Spirit of the Crone”: Sally Palmer Thomason. (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2006). x + 154 pp. Paperback, $18.00, ISBN-13: 978-0-8006-3799-6

Author Sally Thomason seeks in this compact volume to confront Western culture's disparagement of the elderly, in particular, elderly women. Not just a treatise against ageism, The Living Spirit of...
Effect of WBC reduction and storage temperature on PLTs frozen with 6 percent DMSO for as long as 3 years.

BACKGROUND PLTs frozen with 6 percent DMSO can be stored at -80 degrees C for 2 years, while those frozen with 5 percent DMSO at -150 degrees C can be stored for at least 3 years. The more rapid deterioration seen in PLTs frozen at -80 degrees C may be due to the presence of granulocytes. The effects of storage temperature and WBC reduction on PLTs frozen with DMSO and the breakage of the PVC plastic bags stored at -80 and -135 degrees C were assessed. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Apheresed PLT-rich plasma (PRP) was either divided into two equal volumes where one volume was WBC-reduced and the other volume was not or filtered or not and then divided into two equal volumes. PLTs frozen with 6 percent DMSO were stored in PVC plastic bags at either -80 or -135 degrees C for as long as 3 years. RESULTS After 2 years of storage at -80 degrees C, the PLTs exhibited satisfactory freeze-thaw-wash values regardless of whether or not they were WBC-reduced, but after 2 to 3 years of storage at -80 degrees C, the PLTs had significantly reduced freeze-thaw-wash values. Freeze-thaw-wash values were not reduced in PLTs stored at -135 degrees C for up to 3 years. CONCLUSIONS WBC reduction did not improve freeze-thaw-wash recovery values in PLTs stored at -80 or -135 degrees C for up to 3 years, but reducing the storage temperature from -80 to -135 degrees C did. Breakage of PVC plastic bags stored at -135 degrees C was excessive.
The seizure as a manifestation of intracranial tumor in childhood.

The records of 291 children treated over a 10-year period for intracranial tumor were examined, with particular attention to patients with seizures. Seizures occurred in 17% of the total group—in 25% of patients with supratentorial tumors and in 12% of those with infratentorial tumors. They were the initial symptoms in 15% of patients with supratentorial tumors and in 1% of those with infratentorial tumors. The average age at onset was 4.9 years in the supratentorial group and 4.8 years in the infratentorial group. The diagnosis of supratentorial tumors was delayed for an average of 2 years, whereas infratentorial tumors were diagnosed within an average time of 3 months of the initial seizure. Eight patients continued to have seizures for periods between 3 and 8 years before a tumor was suspected. The pattern of the initial seizure was of localizing value in 75% of patients with supratentorial tumors that involved the cerebral cortex and in 16% of patients with infratentorial tumors. In patients with seizures the electroencephalogram was of localizing value in 92% of tumors that involved the cerebral cortex, and abnormalities maximal in the occipital areas were compatible with the localization of 44% of infratentorial tumors. Spike, sharp wave, or spike and wave seizure discharges were present in 32% of patients with supratentorial tumors.
Estimadores splines calibrados: estimativas de taxas detalhadas de fecundidade a partir de dados agrupados por idade

I develop and explain a new method for interpolating detailed fertility schedules from agegroup data. The method allows estimation of fertility rates over any fine grid of ages, from either standard or non-standard age groups. The new method, called the calibrated spline (CS) estimator, expands an abridged fertility schedule by finding the smooth curve that minimizes a squared error penalty. The penalty is based both on fit to the available age-group data, and on similarity to patterns of 1fx schedules observed in the Human Fertility Database (HFD) and in the US Census International Database (IDB). I compare the CS estimator to a very good alternative method that requires more computation: Beers interpolation. The results show that CS replicates known 1fx schedules from 5fx data better, and its interpolated schedules are also smoother. The conclusion is that the CS method is an easily computed, flexible, and accurate method for interpolating detailed fertility schedules from age-group data. Users can calculate detailed schedules directly from the input data, using only elementary arithmetic.
Role of neural activity during synaptogenesis in Drosophila

This article reveals a novel aspect in the regulation of synaptic connectivity in Drosophila. Reducing neural activity genetically or pharmacologically disrupts the normally precise embryonic and larval neuromuscular connections. In third instar larvae with mutations that affect sodium channel function or expression such as no action potential, temperature-induced paralysis E, or seizure1, foreign neuromuscular synapses, arising from inappropriate nerve sources, are observed on muscle fibers throughout the abdominal body wall. Their frequencies increase as neural activity is further reduced in double mutant combinations. These foreign connections are first observed during late embryogenesis as filopodial-like contacts, but critical period analysis suggests that neural activity must be reduced during both late embryogenesis and the first larval instar to promote the differentiation of these embryonic contacts into foreign motor synapses. In addition, the loss of electrical activity in the motoneuron, as opposed to the loss of postsynaptic potentials in the muscle fibers, appears to be responsible for these changes in connectivity. Our experiments suggest that neural activity may function during development by preventing inappropriate connections and thereby maintaining the precise connectivity achieved during nerve outgrowth and target selection.
DoD/industry studies related to CALS R&M

The results of three DoD/industry studies related to CAE R&M (computer-aided engineering reliability and maintainability) strongly imply that new approaches are necessary for the DoD acquisition process. The recommended approaches are consistent with computer-aided acquisition and logistic support (CALS) objectives and with many other ongoing DoD strategies such as total quality management, streamlining and could-cost. The issues of design-decision support, contractor motivation, and source selection are discussed. >
SYNTHESIS OF YNAMIDES BY N-ALKYNYLATION OF AMINE DERIVATIVES. PREPARATION OF N-ALLYL-N-(METHOXYCARBONYL)-1,3-DECADIYNYLAMINE.

Allylamine Methyl chloroformate N-(Methoxycarbonyl)-2-propenylamine 1,3-Decadiyne N-Bromosuccinimide Potassium hexamethyldisilazide Copper(I) iodide Keywords: ynamides; N-alkynylation; copper-promoted reactions; alkynyl bromides; alkynyl iodides; room temperature procedure; waste disposal
Recent advances in barley transformation

Barley, an important member of the cereals, has been successfully transformed through various methods such as particle bombardment, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, DNA uptake, and electroporation. Initially, the transformation in barley concentrated on developing protocols using marker genes such as gus, bar, and hpt. Immature embryos and callus derived from immature embryos were targeted for transformation. Subsequently, genes of agronomic and malting importance have been deployed in barley. Particle bombardment appears to be the preferred choice for barley transformation in the majority of the reports, although Agrobacterium-mediated transformation is being used more often. The current review focuses on the challenges encountered in barley transformation such as somaclonal variation, development of transformation systems for commercial cultivars, gene expression, stability and inheritance, and gene flow. Newer markers such as the green fluorescent protein (gfp), firefly luciferase, and phosphomannose isomerase were found to be useful in the selection of transgenic plants. Tissue-specific promoters such as those for B1-hordein and D-hordein genes, and spike-specific promoters, are increasingly used to drive gene expression. The review also describes recent research on gene-tagging through transformation, insertion of disease resistance, and abiotic stress resistance genes, transformation with genes for improved malting quality, nutrient content, feed quality, and the production of feed enzymes and pharmaceutical compounds.
Feasibility of wireless power transfer for electrification of transportation: Techno-economics and life cycle assessment

Integration of wireless power transfer (WPT) systems in roadways and vehicles represents a promising alternative to traditional internal combustion transportation systems. The economic feasibility and environmental impact of WPT applied to the transportation system is evaluated through the development of engineering system models. For a 20% penetration of the WPT technology in vehicles, results show a 20% reduction in air pollutants, 10% reduction in energy use and CO 2 emissions and a societal level payback (defined as total cost of ownership savings compared to a traditional vehicle equal to roadway infrastructure) of 3 years. The modeled system covers 86% of all traffic in the US, impacts 40% of all roadways and shifts $180 billion per year from oil production to jobs in local power generation and development, construction, and maintenance of electrified roadways and new electric vehicles. Results on model sensitivity to energy prices, payback as a function of penetration, and trucking vs light duty use are presented.
Epidemiologic and Environmental Risk Factors of Rift Valley Fever in Southern Africa from 2008 to 2011.

Abstract Background: Rift Valley fever (RVF) outbreaks have been associated with periods of widespread and above-normal rainfall over several months. Knowledge on the environmental factors influencing disease transmission dynamics has provided the basis for developing models to predict RVF outbreaks in Africa. From 2008 to 2011, South Africa experienced the worst wave of RVF outbreaks in almost 40 years. We investigated rainfall-associated environmental factors in southern Africa preceding these outbreaks. Methods: RVF epizootic records obtained from the World Animal Health Information Database (WAHID), documenting livestock species affected, location, and time, were analyzed. Environmental variables including rainfall and satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data were collected and assessed in outbreak regions to understand the underlying drivers of the outbreaks. Results: The predominant domestic vertebrate species affected in 2008 and 2009 were cattle, when outbreaks were con...
Simple synthesis of new carbon-11-labeled 1,2,4-triazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one derivatives for PET imaging of A3 adenosine receptor

The reference standards 4a-b, 6a-b, 7a-c, and desmethylated precursors 9a-b, 10a-b, 8a-c were synthesized from 4-methoxyaniline, ethyl 2-chloro-acetoacetate and substituted benzene-1,2-diamines with 3, 5, 6 steps in 61-67%, 34-41%, 23-31%, and with 4, 6, 7 steps in 49-57%, 28-35%, 20-27% overall chemical yield, respectively. The target tracers [(11)C]4a-b, [(11)C]6a-b, [(11)C]7a-c were synthesized from their corresponding precursors with [(11)C]CH3OTf through O-[(11)C]methylation and isolated by simplified SPE in 40-60% decay corrected radiochemical yields at EOB, with 185-370 GBq/μmol specific activity at EOS.