cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The use of micrografts and minigrafts in the aesthetic reconstruction of the face and scalp

Hair transplantation by use of micrografts (one- to two-hair follicular unit grafts) and minigrafts (three- to four-hair follicular unit grafts) used in large numbers (>1000 grafts) in a single session was initially described for the treatment of male pattern baldness. More recently, the author has found many other applications, particularly in facial and scalp reconstruction. The most common causes for aesthetic hair restoration of those areas in the author's experience include hair loss resulting from aesthetic facial rejuvenation surgery, revision of unsatisfactory results from previous hair transplantation, burn alopecia, congenital reasons, and hair loss after oncologic resections. The basic technique is described in detail, with variations given for each of the challenging anatomic areas, including the sideburns and temporal hairline, eyebrows, eyelashes, mustache, beard, and remaining scalp. Special attention is given to the direction of hair growth, hair texture, aesthetic planning, and absence of detectable scars, in order to mimic nature and to result in a minimal number of procedures. The use of micrografts and minigrafts in the aesthetic reconstruction of the face and scalp has been found to be safe and predictable, and has provided a high level of patient satisfaction.
Effect of triamcinolone on parathyroid hormone-stimulated second messenger systems and phosphate transport in opossum kidney cells.

Although PTH is known to stimulate both the adenylate cyclase/protein kinase-A system and the phospholipase-C/protein kinase-C second messenger systems, the relative roles of these second messenger pathways remain unclear. The present studies were designed to examine the effect of triamcinolone on PTH-stimulated second messenger systems and phosphate transport in confluent cultures of opossum kidney cells. Triamcinolone was added to these cultures at a concentration of 10 nM for 24-48 h. Neither cell number nor protein content was changed by this treatment. The addition of triamcinolone did not alter PTH receptor binding or competitive displacement radioligand binding assay curves. PTH-stimulated cAMP generation and activation of protein kinase-A were not altered by triamcinolone. The glucocorticoid, however, increased basal phosphate uptake from 1.0 +/- 0.1 to 1.28 +/- 0.1 pmol/5 min.culture (P < 0.01). Phosphate transport was significantly decreased by PTH (0.01 nM) in the triamcinolone-treated cultures...
Prostate histopathology and the chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome : a prospective biopsy study

Purpose:: The chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome is a common clinical syndrome characterized by lower genitourinary tract symptoms, particularly pain in the perineum or genitalia, voiding symptoms, such as dysuria or frequency, and sexual dysfunction in the absence of uropathogens in the urine or prostatic secretions. The term prostatitis is based on the presumption that prostatic inflammation is important in the pathophysiology of this syndrome. To our knowledge there has been no systematic characterization of the degree and nature of inflammation in the prostate in symptomatic cases.Materials and Methods:: Prostate histopathology in 368 biopsies from 97 patients with the chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome was characterized.Results:: Prostatic inflammation was detected in only 33% of patients, including 29% with mild (less than 10 leukocytes per 1 mm. field) and 4% with moderate (between 10 and 200) or severe (more than 200) infiltrate. Of the 3 patients with moderate inflamma...
Fluorescence properties of labeled proteins near silver colloid surfaces.

The fluorescence properties of a monolayer of labeled avidin molecules were studied near silver island films. We first adsorbed a monolayer of biotinylated-BSA as a base that was used to capture labeled avidin molecules. For labeled avidin on silver island films, we observed an increase of the fluorescence intensity of between 18 and 80 with one-photon excitation and up to several hundredfold or larger with two-photon excitation. The probes were moderately more photostable in the presence of silver islands. There was also a dramatic decrease in the lifetimes with the amplitude-weighted values decreasing from 7- to 35-fold. The data suggest that these spectral changes are due to both increased rates of excitation near the metallic particles and increases in the rates of radiative decay. Because these silver island surfaces are very heterogeneous, we are hopeful that larger increases in intensity and photostability can be obtained for probes situated at an optimal distance from the ideal island surfaces.
Quality of life after bilateral thoracoscopic splanchnicectomy: long-term evaluation in patients with chronic pancreatitis.

We prospectively evaluated quality of life and visual analogue scale pain scores after bilateral thoracoscopic splanchnicectomy in 55 patients with small-duct chronic pancreatitis and abdominal pain. The perioperative morbidity rate was 11% and there were no perioperative deaths. Four late deaths occurred (7%), and three patients were lost to follow-up. Patients were divided into those who had prior operative or endoscopic interventions (N=38) and those who did not (N=17). Preoperatively there were no significant differences between the two groups with regard to age, sex, etiology, pain score, or narcotic use. Pain score, narcotic use, and symptoms scales improved significantly in both groups at 3 and 6 months postoperatively (P<0.0001). The group with no prior surgical or endoscopic intervention did significantlybetter initially (P< 0.007), and the improvements in their quality-of-life and pain scores continued for the remainder of the study. In contrast, quality-of-life and pain scores in patients who had undergone prior surgical or endoscopic intervention returned to baseline by 12 months postoperatively and remained poor throughout the remainder of the study. Bilateral thoracoscopic splanchnicectomy appears to work best in patients who have had no prior operative or endoscopic interventions.
Scaling Up Professional Development in an Era of Common State Standards

We describe the process and outcomes of a project aimed at bringing together a set of diverse experts to generate a set of design recommendations for what should be considered when creating, sustaining, and assessing professional development systems to support the Common Core State Standards in mathematics. Although the recommendations were generated in mathematics, the underlying guiding principles for professional development are generalizable to other disciplines. As such, we discuss implications for professional development more broadly.
Synthesis, functional modification, and characterization of polysilane copolymers for enhanced photosensitivity and photobleaching

Hydropolysilane copolymers have been synthesized by the Wurtz- type reductive coupling of mono and diorganodichlorosilane comonomers with sodium dispersion in a refluxing toluene medium. Post-synthetic modifications of the copolymers have been carried out to improve their photosensitivity to UV/Vis energy, by the substitution of electron-withdrawing groups such as acetate (from mercuric acetate), p-nitrophenol, p-cyanophenol, and p- chlorocinnamic acid. The modified and unmodified copolymers, have been extensively characterized by various spectroscopic techniques such as GPC, FTIR, H-NMR, C-NMR, UV/VIS, etc. The results reveal that, the properties as well as the reactivities of hydropolysilanes are strongly dependent on the types of substituent groups on the Si-Si main chains.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A Trade-Off Between Natural and Acquired Antibody Production in a Reptile: Implications for Long-Term Resistance to Disease

Summary Vertebrate immune systems are understood to be complex and dynamic, with trade-offs among different physiological components (e.g., innate and adaptive immunity) within individuals and among taxonomic lineages. Desert tortoises ( Gopherus agassizii ) immunised with ovalbumin (OVA) showed a clear trade-off between levels of natural antibodies (NAbs; innate immune function) and the production of acquired antibodies (adaptive immune function). Once initiated, acquired antibody responses included a long-term elevation in antibodies persisting for more than one year. The occurrence of either (a) high levels of NAbs or (b) long-term elevations of acquired antibodies in individual tortoises suggests that long-term humoral resistance to pathogens may be especially important in this species, as well as in other vertebrates with slow metabolic rates, concomitantly slow primary adaptive immune responses, and long life-spans.
A Timing False Lock Detector for M-ary Partial-Response CPM

We consider a timing false lock detector for continuous phase modulation (CPM), which is needed for M-ary partial-response CPM schemes. Our approach maintains a running count of successive, simple, short-term false lock decisions, rather than conducting a single, long-term decision. Using a Markov chain model, we show that our scheme can provide accurate and rapid synchronization for capacity-approaching CPMs that operate at very low signal-to-noise ratios.
Precision measuring of velocities via the relativistic Doppler effect

Just as the ordinary Doppler effect serves as a tool to measure radial velocities of celestial objects, so can the relativistic Doppler effect be implemented to measure a combination of radial and transverse velocities by using recent improvements in observing techniques. A key element that makes a further use of this combination feasible is the periodicity in changes of the orbital velocity direction for the source. Two cases are considered: (i) a binary star; and (ii) a solitary star with the planetary companion. It is shown that, in case (i), several precision Doppler measurements employing the gas absorption cell technique would determine both the total orbital velocity and the inclination angle of the binary orbit disentangled from the peculiar velocity of the system. The necessary condition for that is the measured, at least with a modest precision, proper motion and distance to the system.
Remote Sensing Image Visualization Using Double Layers

Remote sensing imagery has relatively low spatial resolution. Since different materials/objects may be present in the area covered by a pixel, the pixel reflectance can be considered as the linear mixture of reflectance of these materials/objects (i.e., endmembers). Thus in remote sensing image processing we deal with mixed pixels instead of pure pixels as in traditional digital image processing. A multi-spectral or hyper-spectral image has tens to hundreds of spectral bands. How to display the plentiful information contained in such a 3D image cube is a challenging problem. In this paper, we will propose a visualization technique that employs two layers to integrate the mixture information (i.e., endmembers and their functional abundances) in each pixel With user-friendly interactive tools, images can be displayed at any desired level of details.
Assessing the effectiveness of an introductory engineering course for freshmen

A new "Introduction to Engineering" (E10) course for freshmen was introduced in the College of Engineering at San Jose State University in the fall semester of 1998. The course was designed to give students a taste of engineering through hands-on design projects, case studies in engineering failures and ethics, and problem-solving using computers. Students learn about the various aspects of the engineering profession and acquire a variety of technical and nontechnical skills. The highlight of the course is a semi-annual, industry-sponsored, design competition. The paper discusses the content and the goals of the course, as well as some of the methods used in delivering the content. Moreover, the paper assesses the effectiveness of the course in meeting its goals based on (a) how much knowledge students gain in each component of the course, and (b) how much the course is changing students' attitudes towards engineering, both measured from the students' perspective.
The Many Meanings/Aspects of Emotion: Definitions, Functions, Activation, and Regulation

Many psychological scientists and behavioral neuroscientists affirm that “emotion” influences thinking, decision-making, actions, social relationships, well-being, and physical and mental health. Yet there is no consensus on a definition of the word “emotion,” and the present data suggest that it cannot be defined as a unitary concept. Theorists and researchers attribute quite different yet heuristic meanings to “emotion.” They show considerable agreement about emotion activation, functions, and regulation. The central goal of this article is to alert researchers, students, and other consumers of “emotion” research to the multiple meanings or aspects that distinguished scientists attribute to ”emotion,” increase appreciation of its interesting and challenging complexity, and sharpen perspectives on “emotion” and the associated body of literature that is of critical significance to science and society.
Control of large flexible structures-an experiment on the NASA Mini-Mast facility

The output variance constraint controller design procedure is integrated with model reduction by modal cost analysis. A procedure is given for tuning MIMO controller designs to find the maximal RMS performance of the actual system. Controller designs based on a finite element model of the system are compared with controller designs based on an identified model (obtained using the Q-Markov cover algorithm). The identified model and the finite-element model led to similar closed-loop performance, when tested in the Mini-Mast facility at Langley Research Center, The linear controllers designed tolerated significant Coulomb friction in the joints of the structure, even though robustness with respect to parameter variations was not included in the design. >
PTIP, a novel BRCT domain-containing protein interacts with Pax2 and is associated with active chromatin

The Pax gene family encodes transcription factors essential for organ and tissue development in higher eukaryotes. Pax proteins are modular with an N-terminal DNA binding domain, a C-terminal transcription activation domain, and a transcription repression domain called the octapeptide. How these domains interact with the cellular machinery remains unclear. In this report, we describe the isolation and characterization of a novel gene and its encoded protein, PTIP, which binds to the activation domain of Pax2 and other Pax proteins. PTIP binds to Pax2 in vitro, in the yeast two-hybrid assay and in tissue culture cells. The binding of PTIP to Pax2 is inhibited by the octapeptide repression domain. The PTIP protein contains five BRCT domains, first identified in BRCA1 and other nuclear proteins involved in DNA repair/recombination or cell cycle control. Pax2 and PTIP co-localize in the cell nucleus to actively expressed chromatin and the nuclear matrix fraction. For the first time, these results point to a link between Pax transcription factors and active chromatin.
Brucella Modulates Secretory Trafficking via Multiple Type IV Secretion Effector Proteins

The intracellular pathogenic bacterium Brucella generates a replicative vacuole (rBCV) derived from the endoplasmic reticulum via subversion of the host cell secretory pathway. rBCV biogenesis requires the expression of the Type IV secretion system (T4SS) VirB, which is thought to translocate effector proteins that modulate membrane trafficking along the endocytic and secretory pathways. To date, only a few T4SS substrates have been identified, whose molecular functions remain unknown. Here, we used an in silico screen to identify putative T4SS effector candidate proteins using criteria such as limited homology in other bacterial genera, the presence of features similar to known VirB T4SS effectors, GC content and presence of eukaryotic-like motifs. Using β-lactamase and CyaA adenylate cyclase reporter assays, we identified eleven proteins translocated into host cells by Brucella, five in a VirB T4SS-dependent manner, namely BAB1_0678 (BspA), BAB1_0712 (BspB), BAB1_0847 (BspC), BAB1_1671 (BspE) and BAB1_1948 (BspF). A subset of the translocated proteins targeted secretory pathway compartments when ectopically expressed in HeLa cells, and the VirB effectors BspA, BspB and BspF inhibited protein secretion. Brucella infection also impaired host protein secretion in a process requiring BspA, BspB and BspF. Single or combined deletions of bspA, bspB and bspF affected Brucella ability to replicate in macrophages and persist in the liver of infected mice. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that Brucella modulates secretory trafficking via multiple T4SS effector proteins that likely act coordinately to promote Brucella pathogenesis.
Muscle pathology and clinical measures of disability in children with cerebral palsy

We performed a histologic and morphometric study of spastic muscle from 10 children with diplegic cerebral palsy, comparing muscle structure with the gait parameters of energy expenditure index and dynamic electromyography. Variations in fiber area within and between fiber types were increased significantly in children with cerebral palsy. In each of the control subjects, the combined coefficient of variation for type-1 and type-2 fiber area was less than 25% and the average was 17%; in the subjects with cerebral palsy, the combined coefficient of variation was more than 25% and the average was 36% (p < or = 0.004). The average difference between the mean area of type-1 and type-2 fibers was 26.7 +/- 18.9% for subjects with cerebral palsy and 4.2 +/- 2.4% for control subjects (p < or = 0.004). There was a 67% predominance of one fiber type in the subjects with cerebral palsy compared with a 55% predominance in the control subjects (p < or = 0.03). The difference between the total area of type-1 and type-2 fibers was 57% in the subjects with cerebral palsy and 17% in the control subjects (p < or = 0.002). There was a significant correlation between the combined coefficient of variation of fiber area and the energy expenditure index (r = 0.77, p < or = 0.03). The difference between the mean area of type-1 and type-2 fibers correlated with prolongation of electromyographic activity (r = 0.69, p < or = 0.05). No abnormalities in fiber ultrastructure were found in the subjects with cerebral palsy. Children with cerebral palsy had abnormal variation in the size of muscle fibers and altered distribution of fiber types. The values for variation in fiber area correlated with the energy expenditure index and with prolongation of electromyographic activity during walking.
Evaluation of a Family-Centered Early Childhood Special Education Preservice Model by Program Graduates:

This qualitative study evaluated the impact on program graduates of two personnel preparation projects founded on a family-centered preservice model and funded by the Office of Special Education Programs. Three cohorts totaling 22 participants were interviewed to (a) determine their attitudes and skill level in working with a diverse group of families and (b) identify pedagogical practices that reinforced the use of family-centered practices on the job. Results revealed that participants' perceptions were similar, indicating that confidence in utilizing family-centered practices was the result of the multiple opportunities their preservice program provided them to interact with families. Family involvement in content-based and field-based coursework, as well as parent-members in the cohorts, positively affected utilization of family-centered practices in their careers.
On the role of protein phosphorylation in the ATP‐dependent permeabilization of transformed cells

Incubation of transformed mouse fibroblasts with external ATP in alkaline medium low in divalent cations causes an increase in the permeability of the plasma membrane to nucleotides and other small molecules. Previous suggestions that the phosphorylation of a 44,000 dalton membrane protein is involved in this permeabilization process have been pursued. Fractionation of cells that had been incubated with [gamma-32P]ATP revealed that the labeled 44K phosphoprotein was found in both the membrane and mitochondrial fractions. Incubation of fractions isolated from unlabeled cells with [gamma-32P]ATP resulted in substantial formation of 32P-44K in the mitochondrial fraction and less incorporation in the membrane fraction. The 44,000 dalton protein was identified as the alpha-subunit of mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase by partial proteolytic mapping and immunological cross-reactivity with antibodies prepared against bovine pyruvate dehydrogenase. The phosphorylation of this protein in whole cells by externally added ATP is suppressed by inclusion in the incubation medium of carboxyatractyloside (CAT) and EDTA. These substances have no effect on ATP-dependent permeabilization, indicating that the phosphorylation of pyruvate dehydrogenase is not involved in this process.
Particulate carbon and nitrogen fluxes and compositions in the central equatorial Pacific

Mass, carbon, and nitrogen #uxes and carbon and nitrogen compositions were determined for particulate samples from plankton net tows, shallow #oating sediment traps, intermediate and deep moored sediment traps, and sediment cores collected along 1403W in the central equatorial Paci"c Ocean during the US JGOFS EqPac program. Mass, particulate organic carbon (POC), and particulate inorganic carbon (PIC) #uxes measured by the #oating sediment traps during the Survey I (El Nin o) and Survey II (non-El Nin o) cruises follow essentially the same pattern as primary production: high near the equator and decreasing poleward. POC #uxes caught in free-#oating traps were compared with alternative estimates of export#uxes, including Th models, new production, and other sediment trap studies, resulting in widely di!ering estimates. Applying Th corrections to the trap-based #uxes yielded more consistent results relative to primary production and new production. Despite factors of "ve di!erences in measured #uxes between di!erent trap types, POC :Th ratios of trap material were generally within a factor of two and provided a robust means of converting modeled Th export #uxes to POC export #uxes. All measured #uxes
Emotion socialisation, attachment, and patterns of adult emotional traits

Abstract The emotional organisation of adults was studied within the framework of differential emotions theory and its assumptions concerning the formative role of early emotion experiences. Specifically, we explored how early attachment experiences and parental rearing styles as recalled by subjects, related to adult emotion traits and emotion decoding biases. A total of 129 subjects (60 males, 69 females, mean age 25 years) completed measures of attachment style, a maternal discipline questionnaire based on social learning theory, an emotion trait measure, and an emotion decoding task. We found that particular kinds of parental disciplinary style and attachment style were associated with different patterns of emotion traits as well as performance on the decoding task. There were gender differences throughout, but in general parental use of reasoning (matter-of-fact induction) was associated with a balanced emotional profile and low decoding biases, whereas physical punishment was associated with pattern...
Toward scalable real-time messaging

Conventional messaging technologies have been designed for large transactional systems, making the prediction and calibration of their delay impractical. In this paper, we present a minimal messaging system, implemented in Java™, that is designed to enable the analysis, modeling, and calibration of the expected performance of these technologies. We describe the algorithms and protocols that underlie this messaging system, show how an analysis can be performed, and give the actual measured performance figures. We show that the system achieves a throughput of more than 100,000 messages per second with less than 120-millisecond maximum latency, in the test environment. At 10,000 messages per second, a maximum latency of 5 milliseconds is measured. The algorithms make use of lock-free data structures, which allow the throughput to scale on multi-core systems.
Application of a continuous wave radar for human gait recognition

A continuous wave (CW) radar has been used for the detection and classification of people based on the Doppler signatures they produce when walking. When humans walk, the motion of various components of the body including the torso, arms, and legs produce a very characteristic Doppler signature. Fourier transform techniques were used to analyze these signatures and key features were identified that are very representative of the human walking motion. Data was collected on a number of human subjects and a simple classifier was developed to recognize people walking. The results of this study could have a wide range of security and perimeter protection applications involving the use of low-cost CW radars as remote sensors.
Limits of predictability in the North Pacific sector of a comprehensive climate model

[1] We study limits of interannual to decadal predictability of sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Pacific sector of the Community Climate System Model version 3 (CCSM3). Using a set of low-frequency and intermittent spatiotemporal SST modes acquired through nonlinear Laplacian spectral analysis (a nonlinear data manifold generalization of singular spectrum analysis), we build a hierarchy of regression models with external factors to determine which modes govern the dynamic evolution and predictability of prominent large-scale patterns, namely the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and North Pacific Gyre Oscillation (NPGO). Retaining key triple correlations between prognostic variables and external factors, as well as the seasonality of the data, we find that the PDO and NPGO modes of CCSM3 can be described with remarkably high fidelity as an outcome of forcing by the intermittent modes (with phase demodulation by the seasonal cycle) and cubic interactions between the low-frequency modes. Our results differ from the classical picture of ENSO-driven autoregressive models for North Pacific SST variability, providing evidence that intermittent processes, such as variability of the Kuroshio current, limit long-range predictability in this climate model.
Age-Related Changes in the Thickness of Cortical Zones in Humans

Structural neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that all regions of the cortex are not affected equally by aging, with frontal regions appearing especially susceptible to atrophy. The “last in, first out” hypothesis posits that aging is, in a sense, the inverse of development: late-maturing regions of the brain are preferentially vulnerable to age-related loss of structural integrity. We tested this hypothesis by analyzing age-related changes in regional cortical thickness via three methods: (1) an exploratory linear regression of cortical thickness and age across the entire cortical mantle (2) an analysis of age-related differences in the thickness of zones of cortex defined by functional/cytoarchitectural affiliation (including primary sensory/motor, unimodal association, heteromodal association, and paralimbic zones), and (3) an analysis of age-related differences in the thickness of regions of cortex defined by surface area expansion in the period between birth and early adulthood. Subjects were grouped as young (aged 18–29, n = 138), middle-aged (aged 30–59, n = 80), young-old (aged 60–79, n = 60), and old–old (aged 80+, n = 38). Thinning of the cortex between young and middle-aged adults was greatest in heteromodal association cortex and regions of high postnatal surface area expansion. In contrast, thinning in old–old age was greatest in primary sensory/motor cortices and regions of low postnatal surface area expansion. In sum, these results lead us to propose a sequential “developmental-sensory” model of aging, in which developmental factors influence cortical vulnerability relatively early in the aging process, whereas later—in more advanced stages of aging—factors specific to primary sensory and motor cortices confer vulnerability. This model offers explicitly testable hypotheses and suggests the possibility that normal aging may potentially allow for multiple opportunities for intervention to promote the structural integrity of the cerebral cortex.
Food insecurity is associated with iron deficiency anemia in US adolescents

Background: Food insecurity, a condition of low or very low food security, is associated with decreased nutrient intake and poor health, which can lead to nutrient deficiency in children, including iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia. Objective: The purpose of this study was to formally investigate the current relation of iron status and food security status among children aged 3‐19 y (n = 11,247). Design: Participants of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999‐2004 were classified for food security status by using the US Children’s Food Security Scale and the US Household Food Security Scale. Iron deficiency was defined as 2 abnormal values for transferrin saturation, serum ferritin, and erythrocyte protoporphyrin, with the addition of abnormal hemoglobin to classify iron deficiency anemia. Results: The odds of iron deficiency anemia among children aged 12‐15 y were 2.95 times (95% CI: 1.18, 7.37; P = 0.02) those for children in households with food insecurity among children compared with children in households with food security among children. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate a continuing need for successful interventions to reduce iron deficiency anemia among food-insecure children and to improve food security among children. Am J Clin Nutr 2009;90:1358‐71.
Motor mechanisms of a vocal mimic: implications for birdsong production

The diverse vocal performances of oscine songbirds are produced by the independent but coordinated patterns of activity in muscles controlling separate sound generators on the left and right sides of their duplex vocal organ, the syrinx. Species with different song styles use the two sides of their syrinx in different ways to produce their species-typical songs. Understanding how a vocal mimic copies another species' song may provide an insight into whether there are alternative motor mechanisms for generating the model's song and what parts of his song are most difficult to produce. We show here that when a vocal mimic, the northern mockingbird, accurately copies the song of another species it also uses the vocal motor pattern employed by the model species. Deviations from the model's production mechanism result in predictable differences in the mockingbird's song. Species-specific acoustic features of the model seem most difficult to copy, suggesting that they have been exposed to the strongest selective pressure to maximize their performance.
Putting “development” back into community leadership (development) programs

Much has been written about the content of Community Leadership Programs (CLPs) and the positive effect they have on local communities. Concern has been raised that some programs emphasize participant networking at the expense of leader development. This exploratory study investigates 86 CLPs in the state of Ohio, revealing that this tendency is more likely to occur in independent and Chamber of Commerce programs than those conducted by academic institutions. Such program content choices are made by people within the CLP that are inclined to operate the program internally, resulting in decisions based on member desires and abilities rather than accepted leadership instructional norms. Additional findings on the age, cost, size, and participant composition of programs are also presented. Increased influence on the part of the academic community in program content and delivery is suggested as a method of improving leadership development.
Current Best Practices for Respiratory Virus Testing

Diagnostic testing for respiratory viruses has been revolutionized by recent advances that have made rapid and highly accurate tests accessible to clinical laboratories, and it is important that these improved methods be utilized. Accurate detection of respiratory viruses is important in patient care, as it guides both therapy and infection control measures. On a larger scale, the CDC and its collaborating laboratories collect both data and isolates from clinical laboratories for national surveillance, and the use of high-quality tests in clinical laboratories can improve the quality of these data. In the past decade, there has been a marked improvement in the availability of laboratory and point-of-care tests for the diagnosis of respiratory virus infections. Commercial manufacturers have introduced new rapid respiratory virus culture methods, pooled antibody reagents, rapid antigen direct tests (RADTs), and improved specimen collection devices. Most important among these is the development of commercial, Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved, and laboratory-developed nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs). The
Robust penetrating microelectrodes for neural interfaces realized by titanium micromachining

Neural prosthetic interfaces based upon penetrating microelectrode devices have broadened our understanding of the brain and have shown promise for restoring neurological functions lost to disease, stroke, or injury. However, the eventual viability of such devices for use in the treatment of neurological dysfunction may be ultimately constrained by the intrinsic brittleness of silicon, the material most commonly used for manufacture of penetrating microelectrodes. This brittleness creates predisposition for catastrophic fracture, which may adversely affect the reliability and safety of such devices, due to potential for fragmentation within the brain. Herein, we report the development of titanium-based penetrating microelectrodes that seek to address this potential future limitation. Titanium provides advantage relative to silicon due to its superior fracture toughness, which affords potential for creation of robust devices that are resistant to catastrophic failure. Realization of these devices is enabled by recently developed techniques which provide opportunity for fabrication of high-aspect-ratio micromechanical structures in bulk titanium substrates. Details are presented regarding the design, fabrication, mechanical testing, in vitro functional characterization, and preliminary in vivo testing of devices intended for acute recording in rat auditory cortex and thalamus, both independently and simultaneously.
The impact of health insurance status on the survival of patients with head and neck cancer

BACKGROUND: In 2006, it was estimated that 47 million people in the United States are without insurance. Studies have shown that patients who are uninsured or are insured by Medicaid are more likely to present with more advanced cancer. The objective of this study was to examine whether cancer recurrence and mortality of patients diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck are associated with insurance status, after adjusting for known cancer risk factors. The main outcome measures were overall survival and relapse-free survival. METHODS: Retrospective cohort of patients with a biopsy-proven primary squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, pharynx, or larynx diagnosed or treated at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center between 1998 and 2007. Patients were stratified by their insurance status, including private insurance, uninsured/Medicaid, Medicare disability (Medicare under age 65), and Medicare 65 years + . Covariates included age, gender, race, smoking status, alcohol consumption, anatomic tumor site, treatment, stage at diagnosis, and occupational prestige score. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate the effect of insurance status on overall survival, relapse-free survival, tumor stage, and lymph node involvement. RESULTS: A total of 1231 patients were included in the analysis. Patients with Medicaid/uninsured (hazard ratio [HR], 1.50; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07-2.11) and Medicare disability (HR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.16-2.48) had significantly lower overall survival compared with patients with private insurance; the result was independent of variables known to affect outcome, such as alcohol and tobacco use. For all squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) cancer sites, Medicaid and uninsured patients were significantly more likely to present with an advanced stage tumor at diagnosis (odds ratio [OR] = 2.94; 95% CI, 1.72-5.01) and to present with at least 1 positive lymph node (OR = 1.84; 95% CI, 1.16-2.90) compared with patients with private insurance. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with Medicaid/uninsured and Medicare disability were at increased risk of death after a diagnosis of SCCHN when compared with patients with private insurance, after adjustment for age, gender, race, smoking, alcohol use, site, socioeconomic status, treatment, and cancer stage. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Importance of TIMI 3 Flow

Since the advent of reperfusion therapy for acute ST elevation myocardial infarction, the “open artery hypothesis” proposed that benefit is achieved from early reperfusion of the occluded coronary artery, which limits the size of infarction, reduces the degree of left ventricular dysfunction, and improves survival.1 After numerous studies confirmed the benefit of a patent infarct-related artery, more careful examination of the degree of reperfusion was performed using the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow grading system devised in the TIMI 1 trial.2 When differentiating apparently normal TIMI grade 3 flow from more delayed TIMI grade 2 flow in patent arteries, greater myocardial salvage and improved survival were observed in patients who achieved TIMI grade 3 flow.3,4 There is a nearly linear correlation between higher rates of early TIMI grade 3 flow and improved survival, regardless of whether reperfusion is achieved with thrombolysis or primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).4 See p 636 The open artery hypothesis became the “open artery theory”5 after the results of the Global Utilization of Streptokinase and Tissue Plasminogen Activator for Occluded Coronary Arteries (GUSTO) I trial.6,7 This trial demonstrated that a more aggressive thrombolytic regimen (using tissue plasminogen activator [t-PA]) that could improve the achievement of early TIMI grade 3 flow could also reduce mortality.6,7 Thus, an active treatment that increased TIMI grade 3 flow led to improved survival. The importance of time to achieving reperfusion has also been emphasized by several types of studies, including observational studies of time to treatment versus mortality.4,8 Trials of prehospital thrombolysis, which saved between 30 and 120 minutes, demonstrated a 19% reduction in mortality.9 In GUSTO I, treatment with t-PA resulted in higher rates of TIMI grade 3 flow at 60 and 90 minutes compared with streptokinase, but by 180 …
CMOS enabled silicon photonics for data center packet switching

A low-power high data rate optical packet switch integrating hybrid silicon Mach-Zehnder Interfer-ometer (MZI) based optical switch and 0.13µm CMOS IC for data center switching application is described. A novel truly differential transimpedance amplifier (TIA), with high-bandwidth power supply rejection ratio (PSRR), that serves as the front-end for a 2Gbps packet-header receiver is presented. The TIA achieves 55.7dB and 1.97GHz f 3dB while consuming 3.3mW from 1.2V supply excluding 50Ω output driver. We also demonstrate a low-power optical switch driver enabled by a compact supply-regulated driver that features variable output voltage and power-boost for fast rise times. The CMOS driver chip is wirebonded to photonic IC, achieving≤5ns switching time while consuming 250µW.
A Comparatist View

Modern semiotics rests on the basic assumption that all human societies have developed complex systems of both verbal and nonverbal sign systems and that these sign systems are continually evolving as members of any given society continually reassess their future goals and values and attempt to reinterpret existing codes of rules and values to meet current changing needs and wants.
Stay-out premiums, penalties, and multi- year regulatory rate plans

Multi-year regulatory rate plans are becoming more common. An agreement to "stay out" of the rate revision process removes an option for the utility company or regulatory commission to request a modification to tariff rates in response to changes in interest rates. This paper develops an objective approach to adjust the utility’s required cost of equity to account for these lost options. The paper also shows how to account for the ability of the utility to pay a fixed monetary penalty to request a rate review prior to the end of the stay-out period.
Glycogen synthase kinase-3 mediated phosphorylation of serine 73 targets sterol response element binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c) for proteasomal degradation

Sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c) is a key transcription factor that regulates genes involved in the de novo lipid synthesis and glycolysis pathways. The structure, turnover and transactivation potential of SREBP-1c are regulated by macronutrients and hormones via a cascade of signalling kinases. Using MS, we have identified serine 73 as a novel glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) phosphorylation site in the rat SREBP-1c purified from McA-RH7777 hepatoma cells. Our site-specific mutagenesis strategy revealed that the turnover of SREBP-1c, containing wild type, phospho-null (serine to alanine) or phospho-mimetic (serine to aspartic acid) substitutions, was differentially regulated. We show that the S73D mutant of pSREBP-1c, that mimicked a state of constitutive phosphorylation, dissociated from the SREBP-1c–SCAP complex more readily and underwent GSK-3-dependent proteasomal degradation via SCFFbw7 ubiquitin ligase pathway. Pharmacologic inhibition of GSK-3 or knockdown of GSK-3 by siRNA prevented accelerated degradation of SREBP-1c. As demonstrated by MS, SREBP-1c was phosphorylated in vitro by GSK-3β at serine 73. Phosphorylation of serine 73 also occurs in the intact liver. We propose that GSK-3-mediated phosphorylation of serine 73 in the rat SREBP-1c and its concomitant destabilization represents a novel mechanism involved in the inhibition of de novo lipid synthesis in the liver.
Determination of Mean Size of Effective Scatterers in Turbid Media from Reflectance Spectra Using a Small Optical Probe

A thin fiber optic probe is used to deliver and collect reflected light from turbid media. Spectral shape of the optical reflectance curves is used to determine average size of effective scatterers.
Effects of ultraviolet-absorbing greenhouse plastic films on flight behavior of Bemisia argentifolii (Homoptera : Aleyrodidae) and Frankliniella occidentalis (Thysanoptera : Thripidae)

Several clear polyethylene film products, developed specifically for greenhouse use, have high UV-absorbing abilities, while allowing high transmission of visible light. We examined the effects of these plastics on insect flight behavior. Four high UV-blocking products from 2 manufacturers were compared with their respective standard plastics. Insect species tested were the whitefly, Bemisia argentifolii Bellows & Perring, and the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande). In choice experiments, when insects were released from a black box at the center of 2 tunnels, sticky traps caught 85–94% of released whiteflies and 90–98% of released thrips inside standard tunnels when compared with UV-blocking tunnels. This indicates a distinct preference of both whiteflies and thrips to enter tunnels that transmit higher levels of UV light. In no-choice experiments, when insects were released at one end of a single tunnel covered with 1 type of plastic, there was no significant difference among types of plastic in the number of whiteflies or thrips caught, indicating that there was no obvious negative effect of UV-blocking plastic on the ability of insects to fly. These results indicate that greenhouse plastics may have significant influence on the initial attraction of insects into greenhouses. It will be important to study these effects in more detail to understand the mechanisms underlying UV-light taxis and the application of this phenomenon to management of insect pests in greenhouse crops.
Observation of the Effect of Domperidone on Infants with Pneumonia Related with Gastro Esophageal Reflux

Objective:To observe the effect and safety of domperidone in treatment of infants with pneumonia related with gastro esophageal reflux. Methods: Forty-five infants with pneumonia related with gastro esophageal reflux were divided into two groups randomly. The control group were treated with anti-infective, respiratory management, diet and body position, the treatment group were treated with domperidone (0.2 mg/kg, 4 dose every day) in addition to those of the control group. Results: The clinical symptoms and signs of the infants in the treatment group disappeared earlier than those in the control group. The total effective rate was 91.6% in the treatment group and 63.2% in the control group (χ2=5.83, P0.05). The mean days of hospitalization in the treatment group were shorter than that in the control group (t=3.99, P0.05). Two cases were found diarrhea in the treatment group. Conclusions: Domperidone is effective and safe in treatment of infants with pneumonia related with gastro esophageal reflux.
Numerical Simulation Analysis of Safe Cover Thickness of Underground Cavity

With the finite element method of material description,the rock mass in underground and opencast united mining engineering was simulated and analyzed.Calculating the maximum tensions in rock mass in different top thickness and different span of cavities,the reasonable thickness between opencast bottom and underground cavity was ascertained according to the critical tension strength of rock mass,and a regressive equation was obtained between the safe thickness of mining roof and cave span.
Imipenem inhibition zone and KPC type carbapenemase in Klebsiella pneumoniae

Objective:To analyze the relationship between imipenem inhibition zone and KPC type Carbapenemase in Klebsiella pneumoniae.Methods:K.pneumoniae strains were separated in two groups according to ESBLs.Imipenem inhibition zone were measured with disc dilution method,while KPC gene was detected by PCR.Results:Imipenem inhibition zone in 81 ESBLs positive and 101 ESBLs negative strains were 27.92±0.18 cm and 28.28±0.11 cm,respectively,according to statistical method.But there was no significant discrepancy between the two groups(P0.05).KPC gene were detected in 2 ESBLs positive strains with the inhibition zone of 20 cm and 19.5 cm respectively.Conclusion:KPC type Carbapenemase may contribute to imipenem resistant in K.pneumoniae with the inhibition zone = 20 cm.
Application of Phase-locked Loop Circuit CD4046 in Power Quality Analyzer

A typical application of Phase-locked Loop circuit CD4046 is explaied in power quality analyzer,give the calculation method for the circuit parameters,and linear test for VCO.This circuit is able to achieve fast dynamic response to the grid frequency,and has some strong points like simple circuits and reliability etc.