Method of differential prognostication of pertussis morbidity

The authors present a method of differential prognostication of pertussis morbidity permitting to consider in prognostication the tendencies of individual subsets of the dynamic series which could be conditioned by individual causes. The general picture of the phenomenon to be prognosticated is obtained by superimposition of the values prognosticated by each of the segregated subsets.     

High school psychology: A history and some observations.

Psychology has been in the secondary curriculum by title since at least 1895. 390 questionnaires were sent to superintendents and principals in 46 states. "Returns were received from 39 states which represented 64% of the original mailing." A table indicating dates for the introduction of psychology into the curriculum ranged from 1895 to 1959 discloses "a gradual increase in the number of schools introducing the course up to the modal year 1948." Once in the curriculum it tends to remain. Schools indicate 3 major reasons why psychology is not being offered and why others drop it: (a) an already crowded curriculum; (b) lack of trained teachers; (c) since "the trend of today is toward a more intense development of science, psychology cannot be offered." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Three-dimensional facial morphometry and conventional cephalometrics: a correlation study

Analysis of genomic sequences is necessarily an ongoing process. Initial gene assignments tend (wisely) to be on the conservative side (Venter, 1996). The analysis of the genome then grows in an iterative fashion as additional data and more sophisticated algorithms are brought to bear on the data. The present report is an emendation of the original gene list of Methanococcus jannaschii (Bult et al., 1996). By using a somewhat more updated database and more relaxed (and operator-intensive) pattern matching methods, we were able to add significantly to, and in a few cases amend, the gene identification table originally published by Bult et al. (1996).     

Stability and improvement of health after nursing home admission

This prospective study investigated stability of residents' mental status, function (activities of daily living), and mood during the first and second week following nursing home admission. New residents (N = 647) in eight urban nursing homes were assessed three times. Mental status was measured using the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire, function was measured using Scaled Outcome Criteria, and mood was measured using the Mood Adjective Checklist. A repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance, controlling for admission from hospital and readmission to the nursing home, documented stable mental status during the first and second week of nursing home residence. Hygiene, grooming, dressing, and transferring improved, whereas feeding, ambulation, urination, and defecation were stable. Tired and depressed mood adjectives improved, and angry, cheerful, afraid, lonely, and alert mood adjectives were stable. Residents admitted from a hospital had lower mental status and function scores, and readmitted residents had lower urination scores.     

Determination of macromineral requirements for preweaned dairy calves in tropical conditions

International committees that have published nutrient requirements for dairy cattle have used data from mineral studies conducted in the 1920s to 1970s, and no study has reported data from animals less than 100 kg; therefore, there is a need to update mineral requirements for preweaned dairy calves. Thus, a meta-analysis was performed to estimate the mineral requirements of Ca, P, K, Mg, and Na for Holstein and Holstein × Gyr crossbred preweaned dairy calves using data from 5 studies developed at the Universidade Federal de Viçosa (Viçosa, MG, Brazil). A total of 210 calves were separated into 2 breeds: purebred Holstein calves (animals with a Holstein pedigree higher than 87.5%) and Holstein × Gyr crossbred calves (animals with a Holstein pedigree lower than 87.5%). The comparative slaughter technique was used to estimate animal body composition and empty body weight (EBW). Mineral requirements for maintenance were estimated by the regression between retained mineral and mineral intake, whereas mineral requirements for gain were obtained from the first derivative of the mineral content in the animal's body. In addition, breed effect was tested on the intercept and slope of the models. The effect of breed was not observed for all analyzed variables. Thus, net requirements for maintenance were 12.73, 11.81, 20.28, 3.50, and 6.37 mg/kg of EBW per day for Ca, P, K, Mg, and Na, respectively. Retention coefficients were 73.18, 65.20, 13.16, 29.55, and 24.28% for Ca, P, K, Mg, and Na, respectively. The following equations were determined to estimate net requirements for gain (NRG, g/d): NRG for Ca = 14.402 × EBW^?0.139 × empty body gain (EBG); NRG for P = 5.849 × EBW^?0.027 × EBG; NRG for K = 1.140 × EBW^?0.048 × EBG; NRG for Mg = 0.603 × EBW^?0.036 × EBG; and NRG for Na = 1.508 × EBW^?0.045 × EBG. Due to the high variation between the data found in this study and in the available literature, we suggest that further studies should be conducted to evaluate the estimates of this study.     

Size‐Optimized Ultrasmall Porous Silica Nanoparticles Depict Vasculature‐Based Differential Targeting in Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Rapid sequestration and prolonged retention of intravenously injected nanoparticles by the liver and spleen (reticuloendothelial system (RES)) presents a major barrier to effective delivery to the target site and hampers clinical translation of nanomedicine. Inspired by biological macromolecular drugs, synthesis of ultrasmall (diameter ≈12–15 nm) porous silica nanoparticles (UPSNs), capable of prolonged plasma half‐life, attenuated RES sequestration, and accelerated hepatobiliary clearance, is reported. The study further investigates the effect of tumor vascularization on uptake and retention of UPSNs in two mouse models of triple negative breast cancer with distinctly different microenvironments. A semimechanistic mathematical model is developed to gain mechanistic insights into the interactions between the UPSNs and the biological entities of interest, specifically the RES. Despite similar systemic pharmacokinetic profiles, UPSNs demonstrate strikingly different tumor responses in the two models. Histopathology confirms the differences in vasculature and stromal status of the two models, and corresponding differences in the microscopic distribution of UPSNs within the tumors. The studies demonstrate the successful application of multidisciplinary and complementary approaches, based on laboratory experimentation and mathematical modeling, to concurrently design optimized nanomaterials, and investigate their complex biological interactions, in order to drive innovation and translation.     

The influence of pitch-binder coke content on the properties and irradiation behavior of molded graphite

A series of needle-coke graphites were prepared with various fractions of pitch-binder coke in the range 5.5–14.2 wt-%. The specimens were irradiated to 9.70 × 10²¹n/cm² (E > 0.18 MeV) at 1225°C. Apparent bulk density and apparent crystallite size L_c were dependent on the binder-coke content. Crystallite orientation and thermal expansivities were not affected. Dimensional and volumetric changes were sensitive to binder-coke content; specimens deficient in binder-coke showed volumetric turnaround at lower fluences and higher expansion rates at high fluences. Specimens of 5.5 wt-% binder coke expanded 20 vol-%, whereas those of 11.7 wt-% binder coke expanded only 4 vol-%. Thermal expansivity increases closely followed the volume changes and were large in specimens deficient in binder coke. Unbonded coke particles expanded at three times the rate of coke particles bonded with pitch. The needle-coke particles were restrained by the binder coke during expansion at high fluences. Large cracks formed between filler particles during expansion and were responsible for the large volume expansions.     

Spread Footing Foundation for Highway Bridge Applications

Shallow spread footings on soil are becoming an attractive choice for supporting highway bridge structures. However, to encourage their utilization, well-documented, comprehensive case histories must be established and made accessible to practicing bridge and geotechnical engineers. In addition, performance prediction methods for spread footing foundations must be verified further using carefully compiled field data. This paper is the writers' attempt toward achieving these goals, presenting details of a recently completed research project on 30 bridge spread footings in Ohio. The project data show that spread footings can be used successfully to support highway bridge structures on both cohesionless and cohesive soils, provided that the subsoil conditions are suitable and that the existing performance prediction methods are accurate.