cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessing the Effect of Clinical Inertia on Diabetes Outcomes: a Modeling Approach.

There are an increasing number of newer and better therapeutic options in the management of diabetes. However, a large proportion of diabetes patients still experience delays in intensification of treatment to achieve appropriate blood glucose targets—a phenomenon called clinical inertia. Despite the high prevalence of clinical inertia, previous research has not examined its long-term effects on diabetes-related health outcomes and mortality. We sought to examine the impact of clinical inertia on the incidence of diabetes-related complications and death. We also examined how the impact of clinical inertia would vary by the length of treatment delay and population characteristics. We developed an agent-based model of diabetes and its complications. The model was parameterized and validated by data from health surveys, cohort studies, and trials. We studied a simulated cohort of patients with diabetes in San Antonio, TX. We examined 25-year incidences of diabetes-related complications, including retinopathy, neuropathy, nephropathy, and cardiovascular disease. One-year clinical inertia could increase the cumulative incidences of retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy by 7%, 8%, and 18%, respectively. The effects of clinical inertia could be worse for populations who have a longer treatment delay, are aged 65 years or older, or are non-Hispanic whites. Clinical inertia could result in a substantial increase in the incidence of diabetes-related complications and mortality. A validated agent-based model can be used to study the long-term effect of clinical inertia and, thus, inform clinicians and policymakers to design effective interventions.
Recommendation for Accurate Experimental Determination of Reactivity Ratios in Chain Copolymerization

A set of copolymerization data at prescribed reactivity ratios was numerically generated and then fit using common methods of data analysis including the copolymer equation, Fineman–Ross, Kelen–Tud...
Is TANF Truly Accessible and Helpful? Victims’ Experiences With Domestic Violence Screening Under the Family Violence Option:

This study explores the experiences of domestic violence victims with their Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) applications and the subsequent assessment processes in the state of Georg...
SLC22 family of organic cation and anion transporters (version 2019.4) in the IUPHAR/BPS Guide to Pharmacology Database

The SLC22 family of transporters is mostly composed of non-selective transporters, which are expressed highly in liver, kidney and intestine, playing a major role in drug disposition. The family may be divided into three subfamilies based on the nature of the substrate transported: organic cations (OCTs), organic anions (OATs) and organic zwiterrion/cations (OCTN). Membrane topology is predicted to contain 12 TM domains with intracellular termini, and an extended extracellular loop at TM 1/2.
Effects of Spaceflight on the Mouse Submandibular Gland

Abstract Objective This study was conducted to determine if the morphology and biochemistry of the mouse submandibular gland is affected by microgravity and the spaceflight environment. Design Tissues from female mice flown on the US space shuttle missions Space Transportation System (STS)-131 and STS-135 for 15 and 13 d, respectively, and from male mice flown on the 30 d Russian Bion-M1 biosatellite, were examined using transmission electron microscopy and light and electron microscopic immunohistochemistry. Results In contrast to the parotid gland, morphologic changes were not apparent in the submandibular gland. No significant changes in protein expression, as assessed by quantitative immunogold labeling, occurred in female mice flown for 13–15 d. In male mice, however, increased labeling for salivary androgen binding protein alpha (in acinar cell secretory granules), and epidermal growth factor and nerve growth factor (in granular convoluted duct cell granules) was seen after 30 d in space. Conclusion These results indicate that spaceflight alters secretory protein expression in the submandibular gland and suggest that the sex of the animals and the length of the flight may affect the response. These findings also show that individual salivary glands respond differently to spaceflight. Saliva contains proteins secreted from salivary glands and is easily collected, therefore is a useful biofluid for general medical analyses and in particular for monitoring the physiology and health of astronauts.
Kinematics and muscle activity when running in partial minimalist, traditional, and maximalist shoes.

Abstract While several studies have examined kinematic and kinetic differences between maximalist (MAX), traditional (TRAD), or partial minimalist (PMIN) shoes, to date it is unknown how MAX shoes influence muscle activity. This study compared lower extremity kinematics and muscle activity when running in PMIN, TRAD, and MAX shoes. Thirteen participants ran in each shoe while whole body kinematics were recorded using motion capture and electromyography was recorded from seven leg muscles. Differences in kinematics and root mean square amplitudes (RMS) were compared between shoe conditions. There were small differences in sagittal and frontal plane ankle kinematics between shoe conditions, with the MAX shoes resulting in less dorsiflexion at foot strike (p = .002) and less peak dorsiflexion (p
Modal Analysis of a Parallel-Plate Waveguide Containing an Internal Perforated Sheet

This article considers a structure consisting of a planar metal sheet with periodic square perforations lying between two metal plates. Generalized sheet transition conditions (GSTCs) are used to model the perforated sheet, and standard representations of the fields in the two regions of the structure lead to expressions for determining the propagation constants of the guided waves. Waveguide modes of surface wave type are found to exist on this structure, and their propagation constants are calculated. Agreement between the results of the analytical approach and the finite-element simulations is shown for various values of the perforated screen parameters, showing the analytical method to be both accurate and efficient for design.
The Early Management of Cerebrovascular Disease: A Neurologist's Perspective

Publisher Summary This chapter presents an approach to the assessment and management of the patient with acute stroke. It discusses the differential diagnosis, medical complications, stroke in progression, and available therapeutic modalities. The chapter also describes the physiologic objectives of therapy along with the types of edema seen in cerebral infarction. The management of acute stroke is often a difficult problem. There are several basic principles that govern the initial assessment and treatment of the patient with an acute stroke. First, the etiology of the underlying disorder must be established. Second, the primary medical problems or their complications must be identified and treated. Particular emphasis must be placed on the prevention of pulmonary aspiration. Third, the progression of the neurological deficit must be determined. Therapeutic intervention with pharmacological agents must be initiated when indicated.
52 – Mind-Body Interactions

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the use of skin conductance response (SCR) in neurological patients with brain damage, to study processes such as nonconscious memory, nonconscious learning, and emotional processing. The SCR is considered to be a part of the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), although the neural mechanisms for the higher-level control skin conductance are complex and not well understood. Because SCRs are relatively easy to measure and provide reliable indexes of a wide variety of psychological states and processes, SCRs have been the most popular aspect of ANS activity used to study human cognition and emotion. Using SCRs, it was discovered that patients with prosopagnosia, despite their profound inability to recognize familiar faces, could still discriminate those faces nonconsciously. The phenomenon of nonconscious recognition of familiar stimuli has been revealed in the auditory modality. In the experiment discussed in the chapter, the patient produced discriminatory SCRs to the target stimuli. This outcome suggests that there is a preserved route from sensory input to ANS effectors—such as the amygdala—probably again through the ventromedial prefrontal cortex.
Specificity and Mechanism of Pepsin Action

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the specificity and mechanism of pepsin action. The chapter presents an experiment in which synthetic substrates whose structure could be varied systematically, whose solubility in aqueous media in the pH range 1–5 was sufficiently great to obviate the need to add organic solvents, and whose rate of hydrolysis by pepsin was considerably greater than that of the acyl dipeptide substrates. The presence of carboxyl groups in substrates was also avoided, because the pKa of these groups falls in the pH range of pepsin activity. The first substrate that met these criteria was Z-His-Phe-Phe-OEt; the presence of the charged imidazolium group confers moderate solubility on this compound in aqueous buffered solutions over the pH range 1–5, and this group is almost entirely protonated at these pH values.
Strategi dan Model Pembinaan Rohani untuk Pendewasaan Iman Jemaat

This research is base on the problem of the pastor’s inability the church to implement an effective community development program. Moreover, if this judged based on implementation of the chuch’s vision and mision, many churches are not accurate incarrying out spiritual formation properly. Another problem is the lack of time the congregation participates in a coaching program implemented in the church will affect the congregation’s lack of knowledge and understanding of God’s word, this will affect the spiritual quality of the congregation. The research method used in this paper is a descriptive qualitative study of literature by examining various literatures relating to subject matter discussed. Through in-depth study and analysis, it is hoped that the pastors will provide concrete steps in planning and conducting effective coaching of church members. The result of this reseach to provide strategic steps and models of spiritual formation that are accurate and measurable and are able to increase the understanding of God’s word and make the spiritually mature as measured by changes in behaviour. Penelitian ini dilatarbelakangi masalah ketidakmampuan pendeta atau gembala dalam menyelenggarakan program pembinaan warga jemaat secara efektif. Apalagi jika hal ini dinilai berdasarkan implementasi visi dan misi gereja, banyak gereja tidak akurat melaksanakan pembinaan iman dengan baik. Masalah lain minimnya waktu jemaat mengikuti program pembinaan yang dilaksanakan di gereja akan berpengaruh pada rendahnya pengetahuan dan pemahaman jemaat akan firman Tuhan, hal ini akan mempengaruhi kualitas kerohanian jemaat. Metode penelitian yang digunakan dalam tulisan ini studi kualitatif deskriptif kepustakaan dengan menelaah berbagai literatur yang berkaitan dengan pokok masalah yang dibahas. Melalui kajian dan analisis yang mendalam diharapkan memberikan langkah-langkah konkrit bagi pendeta dalam merencanakan dan melakukan pembinaan warga gereja dengan efektif. Hasil penelitian ini memberikan langkah-langkah stategis dan model pembinaan rohani yang akurat dan terukur serta mampu meningkatkan pemahaman firman Tuhan serta menjadikan jemaat dewasa rohani yang diukur dari perubahan perilaku.
Treatment of Benign Lesions of the Maxillary Sinus

Summary The surgical management of benign lesions of the maxillary sinus depends on the size, location, and biologic activity of each lesion. In this article, the surgical treatment of several benign cysts and tumors of particular interest to the oral and maxillofacial surgeon has been described. The treatments described for each lesion have been based on current literature and clinical experience. It is beyond the scope of this article to describe every lesion and procedure involving the maxillary sinus. Readers are referred to pathology texts and surgical atlases for a more detailed review of these topics.
An Ecocritical Metaphorology

The field of French and Francophone studies should lead the way in the development of an ecocritical metaphorology, that is, a science of the metaphors used to describe human involvement in environ...
Estimation of body mass in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) using cross-sectional geometry of the metapodial

Abstract Zooarchaeologists have developed and used several techniques for estimating the body mass of individual prey animals. Many of these are based on skeletal variables such as minimum number of individuals, weight of remains, or linear dimensions of long bone articular ends. All of these techniques fail to account for individual variability in body mass across the lifespan driven by the primary productivity of the landscape, sex, ontogeny, and season of individual death. Because skeletons are weight-bearing, they constantly remodel in response to changes in body mass, making long bone cross-sectional properties an ideal metric for predicting body mass. Cross-sectional geometric properties of distal limb bones and body mass of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) were measured in a sample of 64 recently harvested individuals. Best-fit regressions between cross-sectional skeletal dimensions and dressed body weight produce higher R-squared values and lower standard errors of the estimate than regressions between dressed body weight and linear dimensions of long bone articular ends. Cross-sectional geometry can provide new useful line of evidence for estimating body mass of prey animals, when available.
Streamlet: An Absurdly Simple, Textbook Blockchain Protocol

Numerous works in the past have focused on constructing simple and understandable distributed consensus protocols. In this talk, I will present an absurdly simple consensus protocol called Streamlet. The entire protocol is: every epoch, a leader proposes a block extending the longest chain it has seen so far. Everyone votes for (i.e., signs) the first block proposed by the leader if it extends from one of the longest notarized chains they have seen so far. When a block collects votes from 2/3 of the nodes, it becomes notarized. Notarized does not mean final. Finality is decided with the following rule: for any chain in which all blocks are notarized and moreover, the last three blocks have consecutive epoch numbers, the entire chain except the first block is final. Streamlet is inspired by the community's past five years of work on consensus motivated by decentralized blockchains. To the best of our knowledge, it is the simplest embodiment known thus far, and it subsumes classical landmark protocols such as PBFT/Paxos and their numerous variants. It is a great fit for pedagogy. Streamlet has been incorporated into courses at universities such as Stanford and CMU. Streamlet is also part of my new distributed consensus textbook available at http://distributedconsensus.net/ This is joint work with Benjamin Chan.
Pasteurella Vaccination with Metaphylaxis for Calf Health

The objective of the study was to determine the benefit of simultaneous Pasteurella/Mannheimia vaccination as an addition to metaphylaxis for the prevention of bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC).
Modeling the mind: Assessment of if … then … profiles as a window to shared psychological processes and individual differences

Abstract People’s behavior is characterized by stable if … then … profiles, or if in x situation then behavior a, but if in y situation then behavior b. But how do researchers conceptualize and measure if … then … profiles? Drawing from Cognitive-Affective Processing System (CAPS) theory, we discuss recent developments in assessing if … then … profiles, and how such profiles can provide a window for elucidating key aspects of the underlying personality system. Specifically, the Highly-Repeated Within-Person (HRWP) approach assesses how a behavior varies as a function of key features in a situation, and operationalizes if … then … profiles as regression betas. We illustrate how the HRWP approach can be applied to data from often-used social cognitive tasks, wherein an individual is exposed to a large number of situations that differ on a dimension that has been experimentally-manipulated by the researcher, and their behaviors to the situations are tracked. The HRWP approach allows researchers to more precisely assess a given individual’s if … then … pattern, make stronger causal inferences about a given individual’s personality system, and empirically investigate, rather than simply assume, if there are meaningful differences between individuals in the causal processes.
Candida Endophthalmitis

While Candida causes only 6 % of all culture-positive endophthalmitis cases, the visual consequences of delayed or inappropriate treatment can be devastating. Most cases are endogenous, arising from hematogenous spread during candidemia. These cases manifest either as chorioretinitis alone or also with vitritis. Early infection may be asymptomatic so all candidemic patients should be screened with a dilated funduscopic examination. Among inpatients, major risk factors include an indwelling central venous catheter and an immunocompromising condition. Among outpatients, intravenous drug abuse is the major risk factor. Systemic antifungals are effective for treating most cases of chorioretinitis, but cases with vitritis also require an intravitreal injection of an antifungal agent and may require surgical vitrectomy. Rarely, Candida endophthalmitis occurs exogenously, after eye surgery, trauma, or extension of corneal infection. Treatment must include intravitreal injection of an antifungal agent; vitrectomy is necessary in some cases, and adjunctive systemic azole therapy is given in most cases.
Anatomy of the Lindbergh Kidnapping

The kidnapping and death of American aviator hero Charles Lindbergh's young son in 1932 was labeled the “Crime of the Century.” A hand-made wooden ladder left at the scene provided some of the most critical evidence connecting Bruno Richard Hauptmann to the crime. The information was supplied by Arthur Koehler, wood technologist for the U.S. Forest Service who, with remarkable tenacity and by meticulously detailed studies, was able to provide three lines of plant anatomical evidence crucial to Hauptmann's conviction and subsequent execution. Koehler traced part of the ladder's wood from its mill source to a lumberyard near the kidnapper's home through faint machine planing marks even before the suspect was known. After Hauptmann's arrest, Koehler demonstrated by wood anatomical comparisons that one of the side rails of the ladder previously had been part of a floorboard in Hauptmann's attic. Finally, he established that Hauptmann's hand plane had been used to dress the edges of several ladder parts. Koehler's testimony in this important trial was a turning point in the acceptance of botanical evidence as expert scientific evidence in the courts. In spite of the direct connection to Hauptmann indicated by the wood anatomical structure and markings from the ladder, Hauptmann maintained his innocence until the end. The case has been reexamined in recent years by several groups and individuals. Although some believe in Hauptmann's innocence, the wood anatomical evidence remains unchallenged in incontrovertibly linking Hauptmann to the crime.
Policy Science in the Land-Grant Complex: A Perspective on Natural Resource Economics

Natural resource economics has long been identified as a policy science. Its chief concerns—problems attributable to “market failures” of various kinds (e.g., Castle 1965) and the special difficulties that arise in intertemporal and intergenerational resource allocation (e.g., Solow)—inherently require some kind of public solution, whether it be by reaffirmation or redefinition of property rights, regulation, taxation policy, or public enterprise. In a time of some general disenchantment with government and selective retrenchment of public sector activity, resource economists (and many other social and economic scientists) are receiving mixed signals. Mostly we tend to work in or for the public sector, the political stock of which is not exactly booming.
The Morphology of Chinese: Defining the word in Chinese

What is a ‘word’?: different views For speakers of some languages, the ‘word’ is a robustly intuitive notion. But it seems that no matter what the language, we have a hard time providing an exact definition that encompasses all and only those entities that our intuition tells us are words (see, e.g., Anderson 1985b: 153–4). This means that the concept ‘word’ is nothing if not elusive, and suggests that perhaps there is no concept of word that is universally applicable. Indeed, if there is no cross-linguistic, or universal psycholinguistic evidence for the existence of the word, then we may well doubt the validity of the word as a primitive natural language construct. It could a priori be the case that there is really no such thing in absolute terms as the ‘word’, and that it is just an artifactual linguistic construct that happens to coincide with salient units intermediate between morphemes and phrases that happen to appear in many of the world's languages. There is another reason why the possibility that the ‘word’ is a derived rather than primitive construct may occur to us: words are definable using several disparate linguistic criteria. For some of these criteria considered in isolation, the label ‘word’ seems strangely inappropriate, since words so defined seem overly abstract, with nothing very ‘word-like’ about them. Let us take a look at these criteria to see if any of them are closer than others in providing an accurate portrayal of ‘word’.
Aggregation of Colloidal Silica

Spherical colloidal silica particles of ~ 7nm diameter may easily be induced to aggregate into “large” (≳5µm) structures even in dilute solution, by the addition of sufficient salt. The resulting aggregates appear to be fractal, scale invariant objects, as determined by classical light scattering. Studies carried out in 0.5M NaCl show that the fractal exponent characterizing the clusters is 2.08±0.04 over a wide range of pH, and that the aggregation kinetics are slow and exponential in time. Studies in 1M NaCl reveal a transition to very rapid aggregation at high pH or very low particle concentration. This rapid aggregation regime results in a fractal dimension of either 2.08 or 1.77 depending upon conditions.
A Communication-free Behavior for Docking Mobile Robots

Physical cooperation between robotic agents frequently requires the ability to dock. This paper reports on a reactive docking behavior which uses a vision algorithm that grows linearly with image pixels. The docking behavior was implemented on a marsupial team of robots, where a daughter micro-rover had to re-enter the mother robot from an approach zone with a 2 meter radius and 140° angular width. Experiments showed that the docking behavior had a similar success rate and was faster than 22 teleoperators.
THE ROOTS OF MODERN ‘SOCIAL COST OF GAMBLING’ ESTIMATES

We discuss some critical issues in social cost of gambling methodologies which suggest that many social cost estimates are arbitrary. Rather than using monetary estimates of costs and benefits, we argue policy-makers should focus on fundamental issues: consumer sovereignty, property rights and the role of government in free societies.
Effects of Participation in Decision Making on Performance and Employee Attitudes: A Quality Circles Meta-analysis

This study explores the effects of a participative technique, quality circles (QCs), on several employee attitudes and performance. The sample included 36 studies with 42 independent samples. Mean effect sizes were small for employee attitudes and moderate for job performance suggesting QCs affected job performance to a greater degree than employee attitudes. For organizations involved in quality management these results seem to suggest that quality interventions have a stronger impact on job performance than on employee attitudes. The study conclusions provide a positive outlook on the effects of total quality management interventions on productivity.
Methods of Morpheme Quantification: Their Effect on the Interpretation of Second Language Data

Production of English grammatical morphemes has provided a fruitful data base for language acquisition research. However, questions have been raised as to how these data can best be analyzed to represent subjects' actual use of morphemes (Andersen 1977, Hakuta 1976, Hatch and Wagner-Gough 1976, Lightbown, Spada, and Wallace 1980, Stauble 1981). In the following study, application of different methods of morpheme quantification to the spontaneous speech data of 18 adults acquiring English as a second language led to conflicting interpretations regarding their morpheme production.Application of two alternative methods of morpheme quantification—one by suppliance in obligatory contexts, the other by target-like use—resulted in substantially different percentages of accuracy for subjects' production of the morphemes progressive -ing, progressive auxiliary, and past irregular. Another set of methods, used to analyze plural -s—quantification by noun tokens and by noun types—yielded contradictory findings regarding subjects' production of this morpheme.Results of this study demonstrate that data can be described in various ways depending on how morphemes are quantified. As a consequence of applying different analyses to the same data base, conflicting interpretations about subjects' interlanguage can occur.
Organische Phosphorverbindungen XV. Eine neue Methode zur Darstellung von Aminophosphinen und einige ihrer Reaktionen

The reaction of (CH3)2NPCl2, [(CH3)2N]2PCl, Et2NPCl2 and C6H5(CH3)NPCl2 with organoaluminum compounds, (CH3)3Al, Et3A1, Et2AlCl, EtAlC12 and iso-Bu3Al, has been studied. The preparation of dialkylamino-dialkylphosphines, R2PNK′R″ (R CH3, Et, i-Bu; R′R″ CH3, Et; R′ CH3; R″ C6H5), and bis-dialkylamino-alkyl-phosphines, RP(NR′2)2 (R Et, i-Bu, R′ CH3), and their reaction with alcohols and PC13 is described. The preparation of some unsymmetrical tertiary phosphine oxides, R2R′PO (R CH3, Et; R′ C12H25) is also reported. In addition, results on the reaction of PC13 with Et3A1 and CH3AlCl2 are presented.
Automated methodology for determination of stress distribution in human abdominal aortic aneurysm

Knowledge of impending abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) rupture can help in surgical planning. Typically, aneurysm diameter is used as the indicator of rupture, but recent studies have hypothesized that pressure-induced biomechanical stress may be a better predictor Verification of this hypothesis on a large study population with ruptured and unruptured AAA is vital if stress is to be reliably used as a clinical prognosticator for AAA rupture risk. We have developed an automated algorithm to calculate the peak stress in patient-specific AAA models. The algorithm contains a mesh refinement module, finite element analysis module, and a postprocessing visualization module. Several aspects of the methodology used are an improvement over past reported approaches. The entire analysis may be run from a single command and is completed in less than 1 h with the peak wall stress recorded for statistical analysis. We have used our algorithm for stress analysis of numerous ruptured and unruptured AAA models and report some of our results here. By current estimates, peak stress in the aortic wall appears to be a better predictor of rupture than AAA diameter. Further use of our algorithm is ongoing on larger study populations to convincingly verify these findings.
AcK-knowledge Reversible Acetylation

In 1966, the histone was identified as the first protein subject to reversible acetylation. The ensuing 30 years of research on histone acetylation has been critical for elucidating how gene transcription and chromatin remodeling are regulated at the molecular level. This central focus on histones, however, has also restricted our understanding of reversible acetylation, and therefore the enzymes that catalyze this reaction, to cellular processes predominantly associated with chromatin. The study of reversible acetylation has become more or less synonymous with histone acetylation. Recent developments-including increased ability to detect acetylated proteins, the characterization of novel acetyltransferases and deacetylases, and the identification of specific inhibitors for these enzymes-have revealed that this histone-central paradigm probably reflects only a fraction of the cellular processes regulated by reversible acetylation. New studies have uncovered unexpected roles for reversible acetylation in many diverse areas, thereby establishing protein acetylation as a highly versatile signaling modification that has functions beyond gene transcription and chromatin remodeling.
Platelet Damage Accumulation and Recovery due to Hemodynamic Shear Stresses: An In Vitro Study

It is well established that shear stress exposure activates platelets, and it has been shown that this flow-induced activation contributes significantly to thromboembolic complications in mechanical heart valves (MHVs) [1]. In addition, the platelet activation state (PAS) assay has been demonstrated to be an efficient technique to measure procoagulant activity [2]. However, there is a lack of reliable models to predict platelet damage accumulation. Such a tool allows thrombogenicity optimization of implanted prosthetic devices. Prior to developing this tool, certain aspects of platelet behavior in response to shear stress must be elucidated. Of special importance for developing accountable damage accumulation models is the recovery potential of platelets during repeated passages through devices, when not exposed to the elevated stresses characterizing blood flow in these devices. To accomplish this, PAS measurements were conducted in a Hemodynamic Shearing Device (HSD), where platelets were exposed to prescribed waveforms with alternating periods of high and low shear stresses.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Detection of the Climate Response to the Solar Cycle

Abstract Optimal space–time signal processing is used to infer the amplitude of the large-scale, near-surface temperature response to the, “11 year” solar cycle. The estimation procedure involves the following stops. 1) By correlating 14 years of monthly total solar irradiance measurements made by the Nimbus-7 satellite and monthly Wolf sunspot numbers, a monthly solar irradiance forcing function is constructed for the years 1894–1993. 2) Using this forcing function, a space-time waveform of the climate response for the same 100 years is generated from an energy balance climate model. 3) The space-time covariance statistics in the frequency band (16.67 yr)−1–(7.14 yr)−1 are calculated using control runs from two different coupled ocean-atmosphere global climate models. 4) Using the results from the last two stops, an optimal filter is constructed and applied to observed surface temperature data for the years 1894–1993. 5) An estimate of the ratio of the real climate response, contained in the observed dat...
Psychosocial Treatment of Youth Suicide: A Systematic Review of the Research

This article systematically reviews evidence for treatment of adolescent suicidality. In all, 10 empirical studies intended to reduce suicidal behaviors (e.g., suicide attempts) or suicidal ideation were reviewed. Each study's intervention was described and evaluated using two sets of independent criteria to assess the degree to which it was successful in reducing suicidality and the level of its empirical support (well established or probably efficacious). Most of the interventions were successful in reducing suicidality. However, no treatment met the criteria of well established and only two were probably efficacious. Most studies had important methodological limitations. Features of the promising interventions were summarized and methodological limitations highlighted. The number of interventions has increased in the past 10 years, but the research evidence remains weak. Recommendations are offered to strengthen the research, and the role of social workers in using these findings and advancing the rese...
Congressional Practice and Procedure: A Reference, Research, and Legislative Guide

Tiefer has brought under one cover the contributions of many political writers, and practicing senators and representatives. His 12-page introduction reveals the extent of his reliance on their works. The subtitle summarizes the totality of his coverage of the subject. . . . Tiefer's experiences in various positions serving senators and representatives as well as in his present positions at Georgetown University Law Center and as deputy general counsel of the House of Representatives have enabled him to examine thoroughly the procedures and practices in the detailed complexity of everyday life in the US Congress. "Choice" Tiefer's Congressional Practice and Procedure is the most current, complete, and scholarly treatise on the subject . . . a comprehensive, detailed, well-organized, and thoroughly researched guide. . . . Its thirteen heavily footnoted chapters are full of anecdotes and historical examples, some of them as current as Vice President Quayle, which weave together the formal, the historical, and the political aspects of congressional rules and functioning. . . . Advanced students thirsting for a sophisticated guide through the complexity and detail of congressional procedure will find it rewarding. "RQ" In national decisions on crucial issues such as taxing and spending, health, economic regulation, defense, civil rights, and many other policy areas Congress occupies a commanding position. And, while many observers know generally how Congress proceeds, only a few insiders understand the complexities of the process. Congressional Practice and Procedure systematically examines Congressional procedure beginning with a perspective on how procedure and power play off each other. Tiefer explains how Congress structures itself, including the vital processes of appointing members, and referring bills, to choice committees and follows the progress of bills through various committee and subcommittee processes. Tiefer discusses House floor procedure, the roles of the Speaker and other leaders, the intricacies of the complex special rules, and focuses on the strategies of majority and opposition floor managers. The book describes the delicate balance between the Senate leadership and powerful individual Senators, leadership perogatives and unanimous consent agreements, and discusses at length the revolution in filibusters and cloture in the 1970s and the 1980s. The author also discusses conference committees and the all-important budget-appropriations process. Meticulously documented with two thousand detailed textual footnotes to official, journalistic, and academic sources and an extensive bibliography, this authoritative and scholarly reference will be of immediate value to practicing attorneys, lobbyists, trade associations, and government relations specialists. Libraries, academicians and political science researchers will find it immensely useful as a major source of material on Congress.
Should management of pneumonia be an indicator of quality of care

Many regulatory bodies and payers measure the quality of care provided to patients admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. Some pneumonia quality measures were not based on high-level evidence, and there is also concern that public reporting of performance could drive excessive use of diagnostic testing and antibiotic treatment. There have been significant increases in the performance rate of several process of care recommended for patients hospitalized with pneumonia, accompanied by a decrease in 30-day mortality. To maximize the potential for improved patient outcomes, physicians and regulators must remain vigilant to detect unintended negative consequences related to performance measurement.
Courtship Learning: Scent of a Woman

Learning to predict an outcome based on previous experience is of considerable selective advantage. Getting it wrong can be costly. In a complex environment, however, using the appropriate predictor is not necessarily a trivial task.
Expression of insulin-like growth factor-I and its receptor by SV40-transformed rat granulosa cells

Cellular proliferation is a dominant aspect of ovarian follicular development in the rat, and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) has been proposed as a mediator of cellular growth and differentiation in the ovary. An SV40-transformed rat granulosa cell line (RGA-41S) has been established as a model for studies on dividing cells of granulosa origin. Granulosa cells from the ovaries of immature diethylstilbestrol-treated rats were infected with the tsA255 mutant of SV40, followed by cloning in serum-free medium to select transformed cell lines which were serum independent. At the permissive temperature (33 C), RGA-41S cells exhibited a transformed phenotype and rapidly formed high density multilayers of compact cells that readily overgrew nontransformed cells. At the nonpermissive temperature (40 C) cell replication declined and division ceased after 4 days. Furthermore, at 40 C the cells grew as a monolayer and assumed a tetrahedral shape with a high cytoplasm-to-nucleus ratio, and displayed reduced abil...
Asymmetric dispersal allows an upstream region to control population structure throughout a species’ range

In a single well-mixed population, equally abundant neutral alleles are equally likely to persist. However, in spatially complex populations structured by an asymmetric dispersal mechanism, such as a coastal population where larvae are predominantly moved downstream by currents, the eventual frequency of neutral haplotypes will depend on their initial spatial location. In our study of the progression of two spatially separate, genetically distinct introductions of the European green crab (Carcinus maenas) along the coast of eastern North America, we captured this process in action. We documented the shift of the genetic cline in this species over 8 y, and here we detail how the upstream haplotypes are beginning to dominate the system. This quantification of an evolving genetic boundary in a coastal system demonstrates that novel genetic alleles or haplotypes that arise or are introduced into upstream retention zones (regions whose export of larvae is not balanced by import from elsewhere) will increase in frequency in the entire system. This phenomenon should be widespread when there is asymmetrical dispersal, in the oceans or on land, suggesting that the upstream edge of a species’ range can influence genetic diversity throughout its distribution. Efforts to protect the upstream edge of an asymmetrically dispersing species’ range are vital to conserving genetic diversity in the species.
Use of Physiologic Reasoning to Diagnose and Manage Shock States

Shock states are defined by stereotypic changes in well-known physiologic parameters. While these well-known changes provide a convenient entry point into further evaluation of patients in shock or at risk for shock, use of such physiologic evaluation is not commonly seen in clinical medicine. A formal description of physiologic reasoning in the diagnosis of shock states is presented in this paper. Included with this conceptual framework is a discussion of key tests or findings that can be used to differentiate between possible diagnoses, and the pairing of treatment strategies to distinct classes of physiologic abnormalities. It is hoped that the methodology presented here will demonstrate the primacy of physiologic reasoning in the diagnosis and treatment of hemodynamic instability. Advantages of this method are speed and accuracy, efficient use of resources, and mitigation against sources of medical errors.
Cathepsin B-like proteolysis and MARCKS degradation in sub-lethal NMDA-induced collapse of dendritic spines

Sub-lethal excitotoxic injury to dendrites can elicit loss or shrinkage of dendritic spines. Here, we used a cell culture model of sub-lethal NMDA-induced injury to investigate a role for proteolysis in spine collapse. Transient incubation with NMDA-induced spine collapse and spine F-actin loss within 10 min, an effect not mimicked by the actin assembly inhibitor latrunculin A. NMDA-induced spine collapse was significantly attenuated by preincubation with broad-spectrum cysteine protease inhibitors. Results obtained using several class-specific protease inhibitors suggested that this protective effect was due to specific blockade of cathepsin B/L type protease activity, since selective inhibitors of only these proteases significantly attenuated spine loss. Cathepsin B-like immunoreactivity was observed at synaptic sites, but lysosomes were not. Immunoblot analysis showed that MARCKS (myristoylated-alanine-rich C-kinase substrate), a known substrate of cathepsin B, was specifically degraded in response to intense NMDA receptor stimulation. This effect was blocked by preincubation with a cathepsin B-selective inhibitor. Together these data suggest a model in which NMDA-induced spine collapse involves cathepsin B-like proteolysis of MARCKS, and possibly other proteins that regulate the actin-based cytoskeleton.
Molecular analysis of the AGL gene: identification of 25 novel mutations and evidence of genetic heterogeneity in patients with Glycogen Storage Disease Type III.

Purpose: Glycogen Storage Disease Type III (limit dextrinosis; Cori or Forbes disease) is an autosomal recessive disorder of glycogen metabolism caused by deficient activity of glycogen debranching enzyme in liver and muscle (Glycogen Storage Disease Type IIIa) or liver only (Glycogen Storage Disease Type IIIb). These two clinically distinct phenotypes are caused by mutations in the same gene (amylo-1,6-glucosidase or AGL). Although most patients with Glycogen Storage Disease Type III have private mutations, common mutations have been identified in some populations, and two specific mutations in exon 3, c.18_19delGA (p.Gln6HisfsX20) and c.16C>T (p.Gln6X), are associated with the Glycogen Storage Disease Type IIIb phenotype. Methods: To further examine the heterogeneity found in Glycogen Storage Disease Type III patients, we have sequenced the AGL gene in 34 patients with a clinically and/or biochemically confirmed diagnosis of Glycogen Storage Disease Type III. Results: We have identified 38 different mutations (25 novel and 13 previously reported) and have compiled a list of all mutations previously reported in the literature. Discussion: We conclude that Glycogen Storage Disease Type III is a highly heterogeneous disorder usually requiring full gene sequencing to identify both pathogenic mutations. The finding of at least one of the two exon 3 mutations in all of the Glycogen Storage Disease Type IIIb patients tested allows for diagnosis of this subtype without the need for a muscle biopsy.
Radiation-stagnation flow model aluminized solid rocket motor internal insulator heat transfer

A diffusion radiation stagnation flow model of heat transfer to the forward dome internal insulator in aluminized solid rockets is presented. The dominant mode of heat transfer to the insulator surface is shown to be thermal radiation. Dimensionless heat flux is shown to be a function of three nondimensional parameters (in order of increasing sensitivity): wall-to-bulk fluid temperature ratio, conduction-radiation parameter, and boundary-layer optical thickness. The effect of anisotropic scattering by molten aluminum oxide particles on heat transfer is also investigated using the Monte Carlo method. Strong forward single scattering increases the net heat flux to the insulator surface over that for isotropic scattering. A method for converting anisotropic Mie scattering properties to effective isotropic properties that are equivalent for heat-transfer purposes is also presented.
A stress-relieved resin-bonded fixed partial denture

Abstract Reports of bonding failures with resin-bonded fixed partial dentures (commonly called the "Maryland Bridge") are common. Failures are due to individual tooth mobility as much as they are to bonding inadequacy. The incorporation of stress relievers in the design of resin-bonded fixed partial dentures has created a dramatic reversal in bonding failures.
Demographics and treatment trends in sinonasal mucosal melanoma.

Objectives/Hypothesis: To evaluate the population characteristics of mucosal melanoma of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses and determine the impact of the new staging classification. Study Design: Analysis of a national database. Methods: Patients were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results tumor registry data with mucosal melanoma of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses between 2000 and 2007. Tumors were classified using the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 6th edition site-specific staging as well as 7th edition staging for head and neck mucosal melanoma (HNMM). Incidence rates and descriptive statistics were calculated, and multivariate analysis was performed to examine the impact of demographic factors and staging on survival. Results: A total of 304 patients were identified. The incidence rate was 0.05 per 100,000. Fifty-six percent were female, 92% were >50 years old, and more than 90% were Caucasian; 81.6% of patients were treated with surgery, and 38.5% of patients received postoperative radiation. Overall, the 5-year survival rate was 24.2%. Significant differences in survival were observed for surgery with radiation (P = .005) and surgery alone (P = .04) compared with radiation alone. TNM staging using the AJCC 6th and 7th edition classification schemes yielded similar survival curves. However, the new classification for HNMM allows for better delineation of stage IV disease, revealing slightly improved survival for stage IVA disease. Conclusions: HNMM is a rare disease with a poor prognosis. Surgery remains the treatment of choice, with some role for adjuvant therapy. The new staging classification for HNMM appears to more efficiently stage this disease. Demographics and therapeutic findings are discussed.
Design, structure and stability of a hyperthermophilic protein variant.

Here we report the use of an objective computer algorithm in the design of a hyperstable variant of the Streptococcal protein Gβ1 domain (Gβ1). The designed seven-fold mutant, Gβ1-c3b4, has a melting temperature in excess of 100 degrees C and an enhancement in thermodynamic stability of 4.3 kcal mol^(-1) at 50 degrees C over the wild-type protein. Gβ1-c3b4 maintains the Gβ1 fold, as determined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and also retains a significant level of binding to human IgG in qualitative comparisons with wild type. The basis of the stability enhancement appears to have multiple components including optimized core packing, increased burial of hydrophobic surface area, more favorable helix dipole interactions, and improvement of secondary structure propensity. The design algorithm is able to model such complex contributions simultaneously using empirical physical/chemical potential functions and a combinatorial optimization algorithm based on the dead-end elimination theorem. Because the design methodology is based on general principles, there is the potential of applying the methodology to the stabilization of other unrelated protein folds.