cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Early vs Late Diagnosis of HIV-Infected Patients in South Carolina.

Objectives It is anticipated that early diagnosis, linkage to care, initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART), and retention in care would lead to reduced opportunistic infections, reduction in human immunodeficiency virus-related morbidity and mortality and reduced rates of HIV transmission. This would be expected to lead to a reduction in the lifetime cost of care (LCC). This study analyzed existing data to determine to what extent early-versus-late HIV diagnosis affects LCC. Methods The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control electronic HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome reporting system data were used for this study. The first CD4 and viral load reported to the Enhanced HIV/AIDS Reporting System of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are considered the initial CD4 and viral load. Late HIV diagnosis was based on a CD4 count ≤200 at diagnosis. A previously validated simulation model developed by the John Snow Institute for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control was used to determine the discounted LCC. Comparisons were made between late and early HIV diagnosis. Results From 2013 through 2015, 2138 individuals were diagnosed as having HIV in South Carolina; 180 individuals were excluded from further analysis because an initial CD4 count was missing. Final analysis was based on 1958 individuals. Late HIV diagnosis occurred in 509 individuals (26%). When stratified based on CD4 count at diagnosis, the discounted LCC per person in those with an initial CD4 count ≤200 was $262,374 and in those with an initial CD4 count >500 was $416,766. Those with lower CD4 counts at diagnosis had more lost quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs; 7.95 QALYs lost per person with an initial CD4 count ≤200 compared with 4.45 QALYs lost per person with an initial CD4 count >500), more lifetime HIV transmissions (1.4 per person with an initial CD4 count ≤200 compared with 0.72 per person with an initial CD4 count >500), and lower additional life expectancy (30.73 additional years with an initial CD4 count ≤200 compared with 38.08 additional years with an initial CD4 count >500). Conclusions Although individuals with lower CD4 counts at diagnosis had a lower discounted LCC, they had more lost QALYs, more lifetime HIV transmissions, and lower additional life expectancy.
Comparison between Optimum Tack Coat Application Rates as Obtained from Tension-And Torsional Shear-Type Tests

With the increased usage of HMA overlays in pavement rehabilitation, research on interface bonding between adjacent layers of HMA pavement has gained considerable attention. Pavement layers constructed with insufficient bonding can result in a number of pavement failure modes including slippage cracking, top-down cracking, premature fatigue cracking, and delamination. Despite the significance of interface bonding on pavement performance, selection of tack coat type and application rate is still based on experience and engineering judgment. Until now, most of the studies conducted to evaluate the bonding between different layers of HMA pavement have been based on shear-type interface tests. Considering that pavement interface failure can be attributed to both shear and tension modes, tension-type tests are also needed to truly optimize the process of selecting and designing the tack coat system. Recent studies have shown that the optimum tack coat rate determined by shear-type interface tests may be lower than the optimum tack coat rate determined through testing in tension. The purpose of this study is to make a comparison between optimum tack coat application rates as obtained from Torque Bond Test and a new tension-type interface test called the Interface Bond Test (IBT). The variables considered in this study include: test mode, tack coat type, and tack coat application rate. For the mixtures and bonding materials evaluated herein, the optimum tack coat application rate was found to be approximately twice as high for maximizing tensile bond fracture energy as compared to torsional shear. Implications and recommendations for further study are discussed.
CELLULAR BASIS OF THE REGULATION OF PRODUCTION OF ANTI-TNP ANTIBODIES CARRYING MOPC460 IDIOTYPE

ABSTRACT An idiotype of the DNP- and TNP-binding myeloma protein MOPC460 is expressed on a small but significant proportion of anti-TNP antibodies after in vivo immunization of BALB/c mice with three T-independent TNP-antigens. In vitro experiments show that the fraction of anti-TNP-antibody secreting cells expressed the idiotype of MOPC460 (460 Id) is regulated by 460 Id suppressor T cells. These suppressor T cells are removed by dishes coated with MOPC460 myeloma protein. The suppressor activity was ablated by treatment of T cells with anti Lyt 2.2 and anti Qal sera and C. Finally, the 460 Id specific T cells were detected only in IgC H a mice, independently of their genetic background suggesting that the development of these suppressors may be indirectly controlled by Ig genes.
Photoreceptor Sensory Cilia and Inherited Retinal Degeneration

The outer segments of photoreceptor cells are specialized sensory cilia, and share many features with other primary and sensory cilia. Like other cilia, photoreceptor sensory cilium (PSC) comprises a membrane domain of outer segment and its cytoskeleton. We have recently identified the protein components of mouse PSCs, and found that the list of PSC proteins, called the PSC proteome, contains many novel cilia proteins. Studies have shown that many of the identified retinal degeneration disease genes encode proteins which are part of the PSC. Furthermore, mutations in genes encoding proteins expressed both in photoreceptors and other cilia result in systemic diseases, such as Usher syndrome, Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS), and Senior-Loken syndrome that involve retinal degeneration along with other disorders consequent to cilia dysfunction such as deafness and polycystic kidney disease. Based on these findings, we hypothesize that genes that encode proteins required for formation of PSCs are good candidate retinal degeneration disease genes. This chapter will summarize our studies on identifying novel PSC proteins from the PSC proteome. As an example of these studies, we demonstrated that tetratricopeptide the repeat domain 21B (TTC21B) protein is a novel PSC protein and is required for normal cilia formation in primary and photoreceptor sensory cilia.
Dynamic analysis of materials processing with 5-kW single-mode fiber laser

A high power single-mode fiber laser has received a lot of attention in various materials processing fields. In order to carry out processing under proper conditions with single-mode fiber laser, the dynamic flows of fluids inside the materials should be precisely understood. We carried out the numerical analysis of materials processing using a 5-kW single-mode fiber laser. The dynamic flows of the copper fluid during the bead-on-plate tests are calculated and the results agree well with the experimental results. The processing with the different scan speed and spot size, and at the output power of 10 kW are numerically calculated as well. The proper processing conditions with less spatters and dross for each materials can be determined by the dynamic analysis.
Intense rehabilitation therapy produces very large gains in chronic stroke

Stroke is among the top three causes of disability in our species. Motor deficits are the most common problem after stroke and a major contributor to this disability. Activity-based training (e.g., physical therapy or occupational therapy) can improve behavioural outcomes, with meta-analysis suggesting that higher doses of activity-based therapy targeting the motor system improve behavioural outcomes after stroke.1 However, many patients do not receive high doses of rehabilitation therapy after stroke, for reasons that include economic factors, access, and a paucity of data to guide decision-making regarding therapy intensity. In this context, Ward et al2 examined whether providing patients with a very large dose of rehabilitation therapy produces enduring gains in motor function, with critically important results. These authors …
Fractional 0–1 programs: links between mixed-integer linear and conic quadratic formulations

This paper focuses on methods that improve the performance of solution approaches for multiple-ratio fractional 0–1 programs (FPs) in their general structure. In particular, we explore the links between equivalent mixed-integer linear programming and conic quadratic programming reformulations of FPs. Thereby, we show that integrating the ideas behind these two types of reformulations of FPs allows us to push further the limits of the current state-of-the-art results and tackle larger-size problems. We perform extensive computational experiments to compare the proposed approaches against the current reformulations from the literature.
Emergency department utilization among pediatric spina bifida patients.

PURPOSE There is a gap in knowledge regarding the use of emergency services by pediatric spina bifida patients. The goal of this study was to describe Emergency Department utilization patterns in this population. METHODS Through a retrospective observational study, patients with spina bifida who visited the emergency department during a four-year period were identified; medical and demographic information was obtained though the Centers for Disease Control National Spina Bifida Patient Registry. Chief complaints and final diagnoses of visits were classified and related to medical needs of spina bifida to determine the appropriate care level. RESULTS Among 303 children within the registry, 161 patients (53%) accounted for 579 visits. 70% of visits were for spina bifida-related complaints. Approximately half (51.7%) had a shunt-related chief complaint, although final diagnosis was largely unrelated to the shunt. Admission rate was 39%, higher than institutional baseline, and largely represented by genitourinary (GU) complaints. CONCLUSION Pediatric patients with spina bifida presenting to a single center emergency department were most likely to present with shunt and urinary concerns; these patients were most likely to be admitted. This potentially suggests that improving outpatient care for bladder management may decrease emergency department use among this population.
Unified Protocol for the Transdiagnostic Prevention of Emotional Disorders: Evaluation of a Brief, Online Course for College Freshmen

The transition to college represents a period of increased risk for developing a range of mental health conditions, highlighting the need for effective preventive interventions delivered in this setting. The purpose of the present study was to explore the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of a preventive version of the unified protocol for college students; this intervention, called emotions 101 was provided in a very brief, online course format. Unselected students (N = 243) were randomized to either the course (n = 120) or wait-list (n = 123) condition, and all participants were asked to complete self-report measures of stress, negative affectivity, and quality of life at baseline, 1-month, 6-month, and 8-month follow-up time points. Despite recruitment challenges, once participants enrolled in the course, they were likely to complete it and provide favorable satisfaction ratings and qualitative feedback. With regard to efficacy, there were no significant differences on our primary (emotional) outcomes (i.e., stress, negative affectivity, quality of life) as a function of condition, though individuals randomized to receive the course demonstrated significantly higher grade point averages at the end of their first college semester than those in the wait-list condition. Taken together, the findings from the present study suggest that a very brief, online prevention program for emotional disorders administered in a healthy sample does not significantly impact mental health variables.
Cooperating RPN's Improve Few-Shot Object Detection

Learning to detect an object in an image from very few training examples - few-shot object detection - is challenging, because the classifier that sees proposal boxes has very little training data. A particularly challenging training regime occurs when there are one or two training examples. In this case, if the region proposal network (RPN) misses even one high intersection-over-union (IOU) training box, the classifier's model of how object appearance varies can be severely impacted. We use multiple distinct yet cooperating RPN's. Our RPN's are trained to be different, but not too different; doing so yields significant performance improvements over state of the art for COCO and PASCAL VOC in the very few-shot setting. This effect appears to be independent of the choice of classifier or dataset.
Cushing Syndrome in a Pediatric Patient With a KCNJ5 Variant and Successful Treatment With Low-dose Ketoconazole.

Context Pathogenic variants in KCNJ5, encoding the GIRK4 (Kir3.4) potassium channel, have been implicated in the pahogenesis of familial hyperaldosteronism (FH) type-III (FH-III) and sporadic primary hyperaldosteronism (PA). In addition to aldosterone, glucocorticoids (GCs) are often found in PA in association with KCNJ5 pathogenic variants, albeit at subclinical levels. However, to date no GIRK4 defects have been linked to Cushing syndrome (CS). Patient We present the case of a 10-year-old child who presented with CS at an early age due to bilateral adrenocortical hyperplasia (BAH). The patient was placed on low-dose ketoconazole (KZL), which controlled hypercortisolemia and CS-related signs. Discontinuation of KZL for even 6 weeks led to recurrent CS. Results Screening for known genes causing cortisol-producing BAHs (PRKAR1A, PRKACA, PRKACB, PDE11A, PDE8B, ARMC5) failed to identify any gene defects. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) showed a novel KCNJ5 pathogenic variant (c.506T>C, p.L169S) inherited from her father. In vitro studies showed that the p.L169S variant affects conductance of the Kir3.4 channel without affecting its expression or membrane localization. Although there were no effects on steroidogenesis in vitro, there were modest changes in protein kinase A activity. In silico analysis of the mutant channel proposed mechanisms for the altered conductance. Conclusions We present a pediatric patient with CS due to BAH and a germline defect in KCNJ5. Molecular investigations of this KCNJ5 variant failed to show a definite cause of her CS. However, this KCNJ5 variant differed in its function from KCNJ5 defects leading to PA. We speculate that GIRK4 (Kir3.4) may play a role in early human adrenocortical development and zonation and participate in the pathogenesis of pediatric BAH.
A Novel Methodology For Crowdsourcing AI Models in an Enterprise.

The evolution of AI is advancing rapidly, creating both challenges and opportunities for industry-community collaboration. In this work, we present a novel methodology aiming to facilitate this collaboration through crowdsourcing of AI models. Concretely, we have implemented a system and a process that any organization can easily adopt to host AI competitions. The system allows them to automatically harvest and evaluate the submitted models against in-house proprietary data and also to incorporate them as reusable services in a product.
Comment on “Phonemic Diversity Supports a Serial Founder Effect Model of Language Expansion from Africa”

Atkinson (Reports, 15 April 2011, p. 346) argues that the phonological complexity of languages reflects the loss of phonemic distinctions due to successive founder events during human migration (the serial founder hypothesis). Statistical simulations show that the type I error rate of Atkinson’s analysis is hugely inflated. The data at best support only a weak interpretation of the serial founder hypothesis.
Modeling the Contribution of Agriculture Towards Soil Nitrogen Surplus in Iowa

The Midwest state of Iowa in the US is one of the major producers of corn, soybean, ethanol, and animal products, and has long been known as a significant contributor of nitrogen loads to the Mississippi river basin, supplying the nutrient-rich water to the Gulf of Mexico. Nitrogen is the principal contributor to the formation of the hypoxic zone in the northern Gulf of Mexico with a significant detrimental environmental impact. Agriculture, animal agriculture, and ethanol production are deeply connected to Iowa’s economy. Thus, with increasing ethanol production, high yield agriculture practices, growing animal agriculture, and the related economy, there is a need to understand the interrelationship of Iowa’s food-energy-water system to alleviate its impact on the environment and economy through improved policy and decision making. In this work, the Iowa food-energy-water (IFEW) system model is proposed that describes its interrelationship. Further, a macro-scale nitrogen export model of the agriculture and animal agriculture systems is developed. Global sensitivity analysis of the nitrogen export model reveals that the commercial nitrogen-based fertilizer application rate for corn production and corn yield are the two most influential factors affecting the surplus nitrogen in the soil.
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Frequency and Phase Correction Using Convolutional Neural Networks

We introduce DeepSPEC, a novel convolutional neural network (CNN) -based approach for frequency-and-phase correction (FPC) of MRS spectra to achieve fast and accurate FPC of single-voxel PRESS MRS and MEGA-PRESS data. In DeepSPEC, two neural networks, including one for frequency correction and one for phase correction were trained and validated using published simulated and in vivo PRESS and MEGA-PRESS MRS dataset with wide-range artificial frequency and phase offsets applied. DeepSPEC was subsequently tested and compared to the current deep learning solution - a ''vanilla'' neural network approach using multilayer perceptrons (MLP). Furthermore, random noise was added to the original simulated dataset to further investigate the model performance with noise at varied signal-to-noise (SNR) levels (i.e., 6 dB, 3 dB, and 1.5 dB). The testing showed that DeepSPEC is more robust to noise compared to the MLP-based approach due to having a smaller absolute error in both frequency and phase offset prediction. The DeepSPEC framework was capable of correcting frequency offset with 0.01{+/-}0.01 Hz and phase offset with 0.12{+/-}0.09{degrees} absolute errors on average for unseen simulated data at a high SNR (12 dB) and correcting frequency offset with 0.01{+/-}0.02 Hz and phase offset within -0.07{+/-}0.44{degrees} absolute errors on average at very low SNR (1.5 dB). Furthermore, additional frequency and phase offsets (i.e., small, moderate, large) were applied to the in vivo dataset, and DeepSPEC demonstrated better performance for FPC when compared to the MLP-based approach. Results also show DeepSPEC has superior performance than the model-based SR implementation (mSR) in FPC by having higher accuracy in a wider range of additional offsets. These results represent a proof of concept for the use of CNNs for preprocessing MRS data and demonstrate that DeepSPEC accurately predicts frequency and phase offsets at varying noise levels with state-of-the-art performance.
La educación en el corazón de las humanidades

As schools of education are currently organized, philosophers of education lead a marginal and furtive existence. As education comes more and more to be understood as social scientific research into “what works” in the schools, philosophers seem like a poor lot indeed. Even our role in teacher education, once secured by the metaphor of foundations, is now questionable. Debates in teacher education are lively enough: Do teachers need more coursework or more clinical experience? And if they need more coursework, do they need more classes in curriculum and instruction or more background in their “content area”? Notice, though, that the kind of experience educational philosophers are best suited to provide for teachers is not even in the picture. What is this experience? In a word, it is liberal learning about and for education. If education is a space of humanistic questions, philosophy a love of these questions in their openness, and educational philosophy the craft of keeping alive the texts and conversation that helps us re-open such questions, then philosophical teacher education is an invitation to teachers to be humane intellectuals of their field. It is an invitation to join a conversation of millennial interest. Under the conception I have advanced, educational philosophy is far from marginal. It stands to remind how each positive program of research into what works begs key questions. And it stands to remind the university that, to paraphrase the famous essay by Sartre, education is a humanism. When education and the humanities are reconnected their place at the center of the university becomes clear.
Sex differences in adipose development in a hunter-gatherer population.

OBJECTIVE Humans are unusually sexually dimorphic in body composition, with adult females having on average nearly twice the fat mass as males. The development of adipose sex differences has been well characterized for children growing up in food-abundant environments, with less known about cross-cultural variation, particularly in populations without exposure to market foods, mechanized technologies, schooling, vaccination, or other medical interventions. METHODS To add to the existing cross-cultural data, we fit multiple growth curves to body composition and anthropometric data to describe adipose development for the Savanna Pume, South American hunter-gatherers. RESULTS (1) Little evidence is found for an adiposity 'rebound' at the end of early childhood among either Savanna Pume girls or boys. (2) Rather, fat deposition fluctuates during childhood, from age ~4 to ~9 years, with no appreciable accumulation until the onset of puberty, a pattern also observed among Congo Baka hunter-gatherers. (3) Body fat fluctuations are more pronounced for girls than boys. (4) The age of peak skeletal, weight, and adipose gains are staggered to a much greater extent among the Savanna Pume compared to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) reference, suggesting this is an important developmental strategy in lean populations. CONCLUSION Documenting growth patterns under diverse preindustrial energetic conditions provides an important baseline for understanding sex differences in body fat emerging today under food abundance.
Conformational Properties of Unfolded Proteins

Originally published in: Protein Folding Handbook. Part I. Edited by Johannes Buchner and Thomas Kiefhaber. Copyright © 2005 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA Weinheim. Print ISBN: 3-527-30784-2 The sections in this article are Introduction Unfolded vs. Denatured Proteins Early History The Random Coil The Random Coil–Theory The Random Coil Model Prompts Three Questions The Folding Funnel Transition State Theory Other Examples Implicit Assumptions from the Random Coil Model The Random Coil–Experiment Intrinsic Viscosity SAXS and SANS Questions about the Random Coil Model Questions from Theory The Flory Isolated-pair Hypothesis Structure vs. Energy Duality The “Rediscovery” of Polyproline II Conformation PII in Unfolded Peptides and Proteins Questions from Experiment Residual Structure in Denatured Proteins and Peptides The Reconciliation Problem Organization in the Unfolded State – the Entropic Conjecture Steric Restrictions beyond the Dipeptide Future Directions Acknowledgments Keywords: protein unfolding; random coil; polyproline; residual structure
Sobolev spaces with weights in domains and boundary value problems for degenerate elliptic equations

A family of Banach spaces is introduced to control the interior smoothness and boundary behavior of functions in a general domain. In- terpolation, embedding, and other properties of the spaces are studied. As an application, a certain degenerate second-order elliptic partial dierential equation is considered.
Pharmacokinetics of enteric-coated cysteamine bitartrate in healthy adults: a pilot study

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT • Cysteamine bitartrate is taken lifelong, every 6 h and for the treatment of cystinosis. Recent studies using cysteamine for for other diseases such as neurodegenerative disorders adopt the same dosing regimen for cysteamine. Regular cysteamine bitartrate (Cystagon) may cause upper gastrointestinal symptoms in some patients. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS • This is the only study that provides pharmacokinetic data for cysteamine delivered in an enteric-release preparation in normal subjects. EC-cysteamine is very well tolerated and does not cause increased gastrin concentrations, even at relatively high doses. • EC-cysteamine at the higher dose results in better drug uptake as measured by Cmax and AUC and is more likely to be effective. AIMS Cysteamine bitartrate (Cystagon®) is the approved treatment for cystinosis. Poor compliance and patient outcome may occur because the drug needs to be taken every 6 h and in some patients causes gastrointestinal symptoms due to hypergastrinaemia. A formulation of cysteamine requiring twice daily ingestion would improve the quality of life for these patients. This study compares the pharmacokinetics and gastrin production following cysteamine bitartrate non-enteric-coated and cysteamine bitartrate enteric-coated in normal healthy subjects. METHODS Enteric-coated cysteamine was prepared. Following single doses of cysteamine bitartrate non-enteric-coated 450 mg and cysteamine bitartrate enteric-coated 450 mg and 900 mg, serial plasma cysteamine and gastrin concentrations were measured. Two subjects also received cysteamine bitartrate non-enteric-coated 900 mg. Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms were recorded. RESULTS Six healthy adults (mean age 20.7 years, range 18–24 years; mean weight 59.3 kg) received drug. All post-dose gastrin concentrations were within the normal range (<100 pg ml–1). The tmax following cysteamine bitartrate non-enteric-coated (mean and SD is 75 ± 19 min) was shorter than cysteamine bitartrate enteric-coated (220 ± 74 min) (P= 0.001), but only the Cmax and AUC estimates following 900 mg cysteamine bitartrate enteric-coated were significantly greater than any of the other preparations or doses (P < 0.05). One patient had GI symptoms following both 900 mg cysteamine bitartrate non-enteric-coated and cysteamine bitartrate enteric-coated. CONCLUSION Although patient numbers were low, single high doses of cysteamine bitartrate enteric-coated were better tolerated than similar doses of cysteamine bitartrate non-enteric-coated in the healthy subjects and all had normal gastrin concentrations. The delayed tmax following cysteamine bitartrate enteric-coated suggested that the cysteamine was released enterically.
NEUTRONICS ANALYSIS OF A SELF-COOLED BLANKET FOR A LASER FUSION PLANT WITH MAGNETIC DIVERSION

A blanket concept made of the low electrical conductivity SiC/SiC composite and utilizing Li 17 Pb 83 as coolant and tritium breeder has been developed and integrated with the magnetic diversion system. Neutronics issues related to tritium breeding adequacy particularly with the area lost to the dump plates at the ring and point cusps were addressed. Radiation damage and lifetime considerations for the SiC/SiC structural material were also addressed. Another issue of concern is providing adequate shielding for the superconducting cusp magnets. Detailed neutronics analyses show that tritium self-sufficiency can be achieved. A 0.5 m thick water-cooled steel shield that doubles as the vacuum vessel is a reweldable lifetime component and will provide adequate shielding for the magnets.
Cardiovascular PET/MR: Potential Role and Challenges.

Recently combined PET/MR hybrid systems have been introduced for human imaging. The technology is based on the premise that combining the relative strengths of the two approaches (Table) will result in improved patient management either through better performance of current clinical applications or perhaps the introduction of new applications. In depth summaries on the technical aspects of these systems have been reviewed elsewhere (1,2). However in these challenging medical economics times, legitimate questions arise as to whether there is a cardiovascular (CV) role for PET/MR and if so, what is pathway to clinical implementation? Described below are a few thoughts in support of such a role for CV PET/MR and on the challenges in performing it and moving it the clinic.
The Future of Parole Release: A Ten-Point Reform Plan

This article lays out a 10-point program for the improvement of discretionary parole release systems in America. Taken together, our recommendations coalesce into an ambitious model that has never before existed in the US. Even if adopted separately, our recommendations would work substantial incremental improvements in the current practices of all paroling systems.The article is written by three authors who have taken sharply different views on the fundamental question of whether contemporary determinate or indeterminate sentencing systems have been the more successful systems across American states. Likewise, the authors have given different advice to jurisdictions on whether parole release should be retained, abolished, or reinstituted (Rhine 2012; Petersilia 2003; Reitz 2004). Nonetheless, the authors agree that discretionary parole-release is an important feature of U.S. sentencing and corrections that will not disappear in the foreseeable future — and all three share a common interest in improving those systems as much as possible. Indeed, regardless of one’s views on the “determinacy/indeterminacy” debate, it would be irresponsible not to give assistance to the majority of states that continue to vest meaningful authority over prison sentence length in paroling agencies.
The Critical Reception of James Baldwin, 1963-2010: "An Honest Man and a Good Writer"

James Baldwin is a widely taught and anthologized author. His short story "Sonny's Blues" remains a perennial favorite in literature anthologies, and all of his essay collections and novels are still in print. His first essay collection, Notes of a Native Son, is a seminal work that led a new generation of African American writers from beneath the shadow of Richard Wright. The Fire Next Time is widely held as one of the most profound and accurate articulations of black consciousness during the Civil Rights movement. It is difficult to imagine teaching a survey of African American literature or considering the development of black intellectual thought in the twentieth century without mentioning Baldwin. For more than half a century, readers and critics alike have agreed that Baldwin is a major African American writer. What they do not agree on is why. Because of his artistic and intellectual complexity, his work resists easy categorization, and Baldwin scholarship, consequently, spans the critical horizon. Conseula Francis's book examines the major divisions in Baldwin criticism, paying particular attention to the way each critical period defines Baldwin and his work for its own purposes. Conseula Francis is Associate Professor of English and Director of African American Studies at the College of Charleston.
Using parent questionnaires to assess neurodevelopment in former preterm infants: a validation study

Background Former preterm and very low birth weight (VLBW) infants require close neurodevelopmental surveillance after hospital discharge, but in-person professional testing is resource-intensive and inconvenient for families. A standardised developmental questionnaire completed by parents offers an alternative to in-person testing, but few such questionnaires have been validated. Our aim was to validate the Motor and Social Development (MSD) scale in a sample of former preterm infants.
Toward Mastering the Discourses of Reasoning: Use of Grammatical Metaphor at Advanced Levels of Foreign Language Acquisition.

Situated within the framework of the systemic–functional linguistics ( Halliday, 1994 ) and language-based theory of learning ( Halliday, 1993 ), this article examines a shift toward a more objectified and “scientific” representation of reality in texts written by foreign language (FL) learners at various levels of acquisition. It argues that linguistic variation in style impacting communicative effectiveness of written texts created by learners representing different levels of FL acquisition can be partly captured by means of grammatical metaphor, as a phenomenon of transcategorization, whereby processes (typically realized by verbs), attributes (typically realized by adjectives), or whole propositions (typically realized by sentences) are encoded as nouns. Based on a study conducted on 55 book reviews written by advanced American learners of German and 30 texts written by native speakers in the same genre, the article identifies various types of grammatical metaphors or approximations toward it as characteristic of various acquisition levels. It also demonstrates the role and functions of grammatical metaphor in enhancing the ability of writers to construct a logical argument or a persuasive evaluation. Comparisons to the use of grammatical metaphor in the texts produced by native writers of German show it to be a prominent feature of adult language use in literate and academic contexts, by native or nonnative language users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Multistatic tracking for continous active sonar using Doppler-bearing measurements

Unlike conventional Pulsed Active Sonar (PAS) which listens for echoes in between short-burst transmissions, Continuous Active Sonar (CAS) attempts to detect echoes amidst the continual interference from source(s) transmitting with nearly 100% duty cycle. The potential advantage of CAS is an increased number of continuous detection opportunities, leading to improved target detection, localization, tracking, and classification. The challenge is detecting the target echoes in the presence of continuous interference. CAS transmission waveforms may be of several types, i.e., frequency modulated waveforms (FMs) which provide good range measurements, continuous waveforms (CWs) which provide good Doppler measurements, or sophisticated broadband waveforms which attempt to provide both good range and Doppler measurements simultaneously. In order to mitigate against the multi-source mutual interference problem, it may be preferred to only use continuous CW transmissions, rather than continuously repeating broadband waveforms. This paper develops a tracking approach based on the Gaussian Mixture Probability Hypothesis Density (GMPHD) filter for multistatic sonar configurations using Doppler-bearing measurements from continuous CW transmissions. From a single fixed source-receiver node, such measurements do not enable precise target state estimates. However, when data fusion and target tracking is performed amongst multiple source-receiver nodes, it is shown that good localization estimates and target tracking may be obtained.
The Language of Medicine

For the first year, I felt that I hadn't so much enrolled in medical school as foreign language immersion. As an unabashed logophile, I cherished the lecturers who delved, however briefly, into the...
Magnetic glyco-nanoparticles: a unique tool for rapid pathogen detection, decontamination, and strain differentiation.

Many pathogens use mammalian cell surface carbohydrates as anchors for attachments, which subsequently results in infection. The unique combination of magnetic nanoparticles and diverse carbohydrate bioactivities prompts us to develop a magnetic glyco-nanoparticle (MGNP)-based system to rapidly detect Escherichia coli (E. coli) in just 5 min. High capture efficiencies up to 88% were achieved. Moreover, to accurately differentiate three E. coli strains, response patterns of MGNPs were utilized to decipher the pathogen identity. This appealing approach may have clinical applications since the virulence of many pathogens can be correlated with carbohydrate binding specificity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that MGNPs have been used to detect, quantify, and differentiate E. coli cells, which can provide an exciting new avenue for decontamination and diagnostic applications.
Antidepressant-induced regulation of 5-HT(1b) mRNA in rat dorsal raphe nucleus reverses rapidly after drug discontinuation.

Serotonin release from dorsal raphe projections in the forebrain is regulated by terminal 5-HT(1B) autoreceptors; dysregulation of these receptors may be involved in the pathophysiology of clinical depression. Using in situ hybridization, we have previously reported that fluoxetine reduces 5-HT(1B) mRNA in rat dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) in a time-dependent and reversible manner. In this study we examined longer term treatment (8 weeks) with several different serotonin-selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or a tricyclic antidepressant on 5-HT(1B) mRNA regulation in DRN and hippocampus, and evaluated the stability of these drugs' effects after drug discontinuation. Fluoxetine (5 mg/kg/d), paroxetine (5 mg/kg/d), sertraline (10 mg/kg/d) or nortriptyline (10 mg/kg/d) was administered to rats via subcutaneous osmotic minipumps. Paroxetine and fluoxetine reduced DRN 5-HT(1B) mRNA by 36% and 27%, respectively whereas sertraline had a no significant effect. After 3-14 days of drug washout, DRN 5-HT(1B) mRNA levels in SSRI treated rats were no longer different from control. 5-HT(1B) mRNA levels in hippocampus were not affected by SSRI drugs at any timepoint. Nortriptyline had no significant effect on 5-HT(1B) mRNA in either DRN or hippocampus. These results confirm that SSRI antidepressants reduce presynaptic 5-HT(1B) mRNA selectively, and that this effect is maintained for at least 8 weeks of antidepressant treatment but reverses rapidly after discontinuation. Furthermore, it is possible that washout after chronic antidepressant treatment, that is routinely used in functional assays of autoreceptor action in animal models, may lead to more rapid reversal of biological effects than has previously been thought.
Biochemical evidence for an endocytically inactive population of lysosomes.

Abstract The peroxidase dependent, diaminobenzidine (DAB) density shift procedure was applied to the characterization of lysosomes from Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Peroxidase activity was localized in lysosomes by a 15–18 h internalization period. After treatment with DAB, the distribution of peroxidase activity in Percoll gradients was shifted, as a population, to a higher density. A bimodal distribution which included a low density population was observed for the native lysosomal enzyme β-hexosaminidase after DAB treatment. A second lysosomal enzyme, α-fucosidase, was strongly inhibited by DAB treatment with the residual activity corresponding in distribution to the light β-hexosaminidase population. The occurrence of a low density lysosomal population after the DAB procedure suggests the existence of an endocytically inactive lysosomal population in fibroblasts. Probable physiological candidates for such a population are discussed.
Microsatellite loci in the Lahontan tui chub, Gila bicolor obesa, and their utilization in other chub species

Primers were developed for 17 microsatellite loci from an enriched (GATA)n library from DNA from Gila bicolor obesa. These primers were tested for cross-species amplification in Gila bicolor snyderi, Gila orcutti and Gila coerulea.
A 104 kDa Aedes aegypti aminopeptidase N is a putative receptor for the Cry11Aa toxin from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis.

Abstract The Cry11Aa protein produced in Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis , a bacterial strain used worldwide for the control of Aedes aegypti larvae, binds midgut brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) with an apparent K d of 29.8 nM. Previously an aminopeptidase N (APN), named AaeAPN2, was identified as a putative Cry11Aa toxin binding protein by pull-down assays using biotinylated Cry11Aa toxin (Chen et al., 2009. Insect Biochem. Mol. Biol. 39, 688–696). Here we show this protein localizes to the apical membrane of epithelial cells in proximal and distal regions of larval caeca. The AaeAPN2 protein binds Cry11Aa with high affinity, 8.6 nM. The full-length and fragments of AaeAPN2 were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli . The toxin-binding region was identified and further competitive assays demonstrated that Cry11Aa binding to BBMV was efficiently competed by the full-length AaeAPN2 and the fragments of AaeAPN2b and AaeAPN2e. In bioassays against Ae. aegypti larvae, the presence of full-length and a partial fragment (AaeAPN2b) of AaeAPN2 enhanced Cry11Aa larval mortality. Taken together, we conclude that AaeAPN2 is a binding protein and plays a role in Cry11Aa toxicity.
Radicalism of the Hopeless: Refugee Flows and Transnational Terrorism

We examine whether refugee flows increase transnational terrorism in states to which refugees flee. Recent studies find that refugee flows contribute to the spread of interstate and civil war, but to a far lesser extent have studies examined how refugee flows could lead to other forms of political violence. We discuss two ways in which refugee flows can lead to transnational terrorism: how conditions in camps contribute to the radicalization of refugees; and how poorly host states treat refugees. We then conduct empirical tests using data on worldwide international refugee flows and transnational terrorism. Specifically, we model the effect of refugee flows on transnational terror attacks within a directed dyad framework to account for characteristics of origin and host states. Using a rare-events logit model, along with count models to check robustness, we find that refugee flows significantly increase the likelihood and counts of transnational terrorist attacks that occur in the host country, even when ...
Refraction problems after refractive surgery.

Abstract While refractive surgery such as radial keratotomy, epikeratophakia, and corneal relaxing incisions offer many potential benefits to patients, they can also generate optical problems such as overcorrection or undercorrection of the prior refractive error and variable vision. The authors offer suggestions for avoiding problems through proper patient selection; candid preoperative communication with the patient about possible difficulties and limitations; under-standing of the physiological changes that may occur; and optical techniques for alleviating postoperative vision problems.
Communal education in Israel

This article is based on research on Israeli social structure as it affects education, and was done with the cooperation of the Israeli Ministry of Education and Culture and educational authorities of the Israeli kibbutzim (communal settlements).
The production of nitrogen-13 by neutron capture in boron compounds

Abstract The 10 B(α,n) 13 N reaction is studied as an activation process in a variety of solid boron-containing neutron shielding materials. The source of α-particles is the neutron capture reaction 10 B(n,α) 7 Li. Samples of boron carbide, boron oxide, and boron nitride are irradiated with thermal neutrons and the rate of 13 N production is determined. 13 N promptly decays, emitting a positron. This positron efficiently annihilates with electrons in the material and the resultant 511 keV gamma ray is detected. For each of the above-mentioned materials, the rate of 13 N production is (1–2) × 10 −10 per captured neutron.
Electromyography with acrylic plug surface electrodes after delivery.

Pelvic floor neuromuscular function was evaluated with surface electromyography using acrylic plug electrodes and interactions between neuromuscular function and factors pertinent to the delivery process were explored. Fifty-two women who were primiparas participated in this prospective cohort study. Circumvaginal and circumrectal muscles were assessed. Corrected vaginal-rectal flicks and holds were calculated. The results were compared by delivery route, birthweight, race, lactational status, and delivery anesthetic and to a group of nulliparous subjects. The mean interval from delivery was 46.3 days. Birthweight, race, lactational status, and anesthetic technique were not associated with statistically significant changes in electrical activity, although our ability to detect such differences was low due to the small number of subjects. Women who delivered vaginally had lower vaginal flick voltage than those delivering abdominally. Women who delivered vaginally had lower vaginal flick and hold voltages and rectal flick voltage when compared with nulliparous women studied earlier. Abdominally delivered women had values similar to the nulliparous group. Women delivering vaginally had less surface electromyographic activity in the circumvaginal muscles, implying that vaginal delivery impairs the neuromuscular function of the pelvic floor
EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration combined with flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry in the diagnosis of lymphoma

Abstract Background: Limited information is available regarding the use of EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) in the diagnosis of lymphoproliferative disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the yield of this technique in the primary diagnosis of lymphoma. Methods: The records were reviewed of 38 consecutive patients with GI lesions and/or enlarged lymph nodes identified on imaging studies that raised a suspicion of lymphoma who underwent EUS-FNA of lymph nodes or the gut wall. Final diagnosis was based on clinical follow-up, imaging studies, or surgical findings. Results: Twenty-three patients with lymphoma and 15 patients with benign disease or reactive lymphadenopathy were identified. The overall sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of EUS-FNA cytology with flow cytometry/immunocytochemistry (FC/IC) for the diagnosis of lymphoma were, respectively, 74%, 93%, and 81%. When comparing patients who had EUS-FNA with FC/IC versus those who had EUS-FNA without FC/IC, sensitivity was 86% versus 44% ( p = 0.04), specificity was 100% versus 90% (not significant), and accuracy was 89% versus 68% (not significant). Conclusion: EUS-FNA can provide cytology specimens diagnostic for lymphoma. Selective use of FC/IC in patients with suspected lymphoma improves the yield of EUS-FNA and may guide diagnostic evaluation and treatment decisions. (Gastrointest Endosc 2001;53:485-91.)
Histology of the gonads and observations on the social behavior of the Caribbean angelfish Holacanthus tricolor

Male and female specimens of Holacanthus tricolor were collected in May 1981 and September 1982 off the Island of St. Croix. U.S. Virgin Islands, and their gonads were examined histologically. All testes examined showed vasa deferentia which were characteristic of secondary males, suggesting protogynous sex change. A transitional individual supported this interpretation. Ovarian histology and size-specific egg counts revealed seasonal differences in spawning frequency and clutch size. Females appeared to spawn every day in May. The timing of final maturation and hydration of the oocytes indicated that spawning occurred in the late afternoon or early evening. Not all females spawned every day in September, and clutch sizes were smaller than those of May. Behavioral observations of H. tricolor in the field revealed that males defended harems of two to four smaller females. Within each harem, females of different sizes had overlapping home ranges, while the home ranges of females of similar size did not overlap. Besides size dimorphism between the sexes, H. tricolor exhibited a previously unreported sexual dichromatism.