cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gesundheitsbezogene Lebensqualität nach herzchirurgischen Eingriffen

Die eingeschrankte Lebensqualitat und die Krankheitssymptome wecken in den Patienten die Hoffnung, der geplante chirurgische Eingriff werde die Lebensqualitat verbessern. Der vom Patienten wahrgenommene Erfolg einer Operation bzw. die subjektive Belastung seines Gesundheitszustands durch eine bestimmte Erkrankung wird mithilfe von patientenzentrierten Beurteilungsinstrumenten bewertet. Traditionell umfassen Risikomodelle zur Beurteilung einer chirurgischen Intervention „harte“ Erfolgsparameter wie Morbiditat und Mortalitat, wahrend dem subjektiv vom Patienten wahrgenommenen Erfolg eines Eingriffs haufig weniger Aufmerksamkeit beigemessen wurde. Dass den Erfolgsparametern der gesundheitsbezogenen Lebensqualitat (health-related quality of life, HRQOL) bisher weniger Beachtung geschenkt wurde, konnte zum Teil daran liegen, dass es sich hierbei um „weiche“ Parameter handelt; ein weiterer Grund konnten die bisher weniger erforschten Messgrosen der Lebensqualitat sein bzw. die Unsicherheit daruber, welche statistischen Ansatze sich auf dem Gebiet der Lebensqualitat am besten zur Datenanalyse eignen. Manche Autoren betonen, dass die traditionellen Messgrosen der Morbiditat und Mortalitat keine umfassenden Informationen liefern und dass die HRQOL-bezogenen Messinstrumente die Arzte in die Lage versetzen, sich bei der Therapie mehr auf den Patienten zu konzentrieren als auf die Erkrankung. Auf dem Gebiet der Herzchirurgie bieten die HRQOL-Parameter eine messbare Beurteilung des Patientennutzen im Hinblick auf die Wiederherstellung der Lebensqualitat nach herzchirurgischen Eingriffen. Des Weiteren konnen diese Instrumente die Prognosegenauigkeit verbessern, indem sie die traditionellen Modelle der Risikobeurteilung hinsichtlich der Morbiditats- und Mortalitatsergebnisse nach dem Eingriff erganzen.
Photographic Communication in Esthetic Dentistry

In order to plan and execute our esthetic vision for our patients predictably, photography is an absolutely indispensable tool. Nowadays, the clinician must be comfortable with the basics of digital dental photography to properly communicate with our laboratory technicians, our patients, and our multidisciplinary team. Rather than focusing on artistic dental photography which has been widely popularized recently, this chapter will provide an overview of practical photography armamentarium and protocols for day-to-day, effective, dentist–ceramist–patient communication. Topics covered include fundamental principles of photography as they pertain to dentistry, specific camera settings and flash positions, and the author’s personal photo protocols for diagnostics and shade communication.
Structural Deformation Controls Charge Losses in MAPbI3: Unsupervised Machine Learning of Nonadiabatic Molecular Dynamics

High efficiencies of perovskite solar cells motivate massive experimental and theoretical efforts aimed at understanding and enhancing the performance. We apply machine learning to nonadiabatic mol...
How Older Adults Remember the World Depends On How They See It

Age-related changes in visual exploration and memory have typically been studied separately. However, recent evidence suggests that mnemonic processes both affect, and are affected by, eye movements (EMs). Thus, by relating older adults' memory deficits to age-specific visual exploration patterns, we can improve upon models of cognitive aging.
I. Antidepressants and sexual behavior: Weekly ketamine injections increase sexual behavior initially in female and male rats.

Abstract The present study characterized the effects of weekly ketamine injections on sexual behavior and anxiety in female and male rats, using a dosing protocol that mimics human therapeutic treatment for depression. In Experiment 1A, ketamine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) or saline was injected once per week for four consecutive weeks. The partner preference paradigm was used to measure sexual motivation 30 min after each weekly injection. Briefly, subjects were first given a 10-min test during which they could choose to spend time in the vicinity of a sexually receptive female stimulus or a sexually experienced male stimulus, however physical contact was restricted (no-contact). Immediately after, subjects were given unrestricted access to the stimulus animals (contact). After a washout period, subjects received four additional weekly injections of ketamine or saline, and then were tested for anxiety-like behavior on the elevated plus maze (EPM) after the last injection (Experiment 1B). For Experiment 2, similar procedures were used to test the effects of weekly ketamine injections on sexual motivation (Experiment 2A) and anxiety (Experiment 2B) in male subjects. In female subjects, ketamine increased sexual motivation as measured by greater time spent with the male stimulus, decreased likelihood of leaving after receiving mounts, and shorter return latencies after receiving intromissions, when compared to saline controls. In male subjects, ketamine shortened latency to first mount and first intromission, as well as increased time spent with the female stimulus. Very little anxiety was observed in either group (ketamine or saline) of female or male subjects when tested on the EPM. In conclusion, even after four weeks of ketamine exposure, sexual dysfunction did not emerge in either females or males. In contrast, ketamine increased sexual motivation in both females and males, with an initial robust response. However, as both groups gained sexual experience, the impact of ketamine diminished.
Does Hand-Dominance Matter in Non-Standard Visuomotor Transformations?

Previous nonstandard visuomotor transformation studies using variations of eye-hand coupling and decoupling tasks focused on dominant hand use. The present study expanded this work by including the...
In Vivo Transplantation of Human Intestinal Organoids Enhances Select Tight Junction Gene Expression

Abstract Background Short bowel syndrome is a potentially fatal condition with inadequate management options. Tissue-engineered small intestine (TESI) is a promising solution, but confirmation of TESI function will be crucial before human application. We sought to define intestinal epithelial barrier function in human intestinal organoid (HIO)-derived TESI. Materials and methods HIOs were generated in vitro from human embryonic stem cells. After 1 mo, HIOs were collected for analysis or transplanted into the kidney capsule of immunocompromised mice. Transplanted HIOs (tHIOs) were harvested for analysis at 4 or 8 wk. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescent staining were performed for tight junction components: claudin 3 (CLDN3), claudin 15 (CLDN15), occludin (OCLN), and zonula occludens-1, or tight junction protein-1 (TJP1/ZO-1). Results Four-week-old tHIOs demonstrated significantly (P Conclusions In vitro HIOs have lower levels of tight junction mRNA, and tight junction proteins appear morphologically immature. Transplantation facilitates maturation of the HIOs and enhances select tight junction gene expression.
Intimate Partner Violence in the Healthcare Setting

Healthcare providers are uniquely positioned to interact with those who may be suffering from intimate partner violence (IPV). We are often asked to be stewards of closely guarded information regarding matters of health, substance use, and sexuality. Making inquiries into such delicate matters has long been understood to be a solemn privilege of healthcare professionals. However, many patients may be hesitant to extend this privilege to issues regarding love or domestic behavior. It is the duty of healthcare providers to explore this exceedingly sensitive topic. Perpetrators of abuse often keep their victim shrouded in isolation, subjection, and coercion. A doctor’s visit may be the only opportunity for a victim to speak privately and candidly.
Distinctive functional regime of endogenous lncRNAs in dark regions of human genome

Eukaryotic genomes gradually gain noncoding regions when advancing evolution and human genome actively transcribes >90% of its noncoding regions, suggesting their criticality in evolutionary human genome. Yet
Antipsychotic medication adherence and preventive diabetes screening in Medicaid enrollees with serious mental illness: an analysis of real-world administrative data.

There is excess amenable mortality risk and evidence of healthcare quality deficits for persons with serious mental illness (SMI). We sought to identify sociodemographic and clinical characteristics associated with variations in two 2015 Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) measures, antipsychotic medication adherence and preventive diabetes screening, among Medicaid enrollees with serious mental illness (SMI). We retrospectively analyzed claims data from September 2014 to December 2015 from enrollees in a Medicaid specialty health plan in Florida. All plan enrollees had SMI; analyses included continuously enrolled adults with antipsychotic medication prescriptions and schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Associations were identified using mixed effects logistic regression models. Data for 5502 enrollees were analyzed. Substance use disorders, depression, and having both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder diagnoses were associated with both HEDIS measures but the direction of the associations differed; each was significantly associated with antipsychotic medication non-adherence (a marker of suboptimal care quality) but an increased likelihood of diabetes screening (a marker of quality care). Compared to whites, blacks and Hispanics had a significantly greater risk of medication non-adherence. Increasing age was significantly associated with increasing medication adherence, but the association between age and diabetes screening varied by sex. Other characteristics significantly associated with quality variations according to one or both measures were education (associated with antipsychotic medication adherence), urbanization (relative to urban locales, residing in suburban areas was associated with both adherence and diabetes screening), obesity (associated with both adherence and diabetes screening), language (non-English speakers had a greater likelihood of diabetes screening), and anxiety, asthma, and hypertension (each positively associated with diabetes screening). The characteristics associated with variations in the quality of care provided to Medicaid enrollees with SMI as gauged by two HEDIS measures often differed, and at times associations were directionally opposite. The variations in the quality of healthcare received by persons with SMI that were identified in this study can guide quality improvement and delivery system reform efforts; however, given the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics’ differing associations with different measures of care quality, multidimensional approaches are warranted.
Neutropenia in adult acute myeloid leukemia patients represents a powerful risk factor for COVID-19 related mortality.

Patients with hematological malignancies are at risk for poor outcomes when diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It remains unclear whether cytopenias and specific leukemia subtypes play a role in the clinical course of COVID-19 infection. Here, we report outcomes and their clinical/laboratory predictors for 65 patients with acute and chronic leukemias diagnosed with COVID-19 between 8 March 2020 and 19 May 2020 at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. Most patients had CLL (38%) or AML (26%). A total of 14 (22%) patients required high flow nasal cannula or were intubated for mechanical ventilation and 11 patients (17%) died. A diagnosis of AML (OR 4.7, p=.028), active treatment within the last 3 months (OR 5.22, p=.047), neutropenia within seven days prior and up to 28 days after SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis (11.75, p=.001) and ≥3 comorbidities (OR 6.55, p=.019) were associated with increased odds of death.
Outcomes of eyes with retinal vein occlusion that are lost to follow-up after antivascular endothelial growth factor therapy.

BACKGROUND/AIMS To evaluate the outcomes of eyes with macular oedema due to retinal vein occlusion (RVO) that are lost to follow-up (LTFU) after antivascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections. METHOD A retrospective, single-centre, consecutive case series of RVO patients receiving injections who were LTFU >6 months was conducted. Data were collected from the visit before LTFU; return visit; 3 months, 6 months and 12 months after return; and the final visit. RESULTS Ninety eyes of 83 patients were included. Fifty (55.5%) eyes had branch RVO and 40 (44.5%) had central RVO. Mean LTFU duration was 277.8 days with additional mean follow-up for 748.1 days after return. Mean logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution visual acuity (VA) (Snellen) at the visit before LTFU was 0.72 (20/105) which worsened on return [1.04 (20/219), p<0.001) and remained worse at all timepoints after return: 0.92 (20/166) at 3 months (p<0.001), 0.97 (20/187) at 6 months (p<0.001), 0.94 (20/174) at 12 months (p<0.001) and 1.01 (20/205) at final visit (p<0.001). Mean central foveal thickness (CFT) increased from 252 µm at the visit before LTFU to 396 µm at the return visit (p<0.001). No difference in CFT was noted by 3 months (258 µm, p=0.71), 6 months (241 µm, p=0.54) or 12 months after return (250 µm, p=0.95). CFT was thinner at the final visit (215 µm, p=0.018). CONCLUSION RVO patients receiving anti-VEGF injections who were LTFU experienced a decline in VA that did not return to the levels seen before LTFU despite improvement in CFT after restarting therapy, underscoring the importance of ongoing treatment.
Global solutions for the stochastic reaction-diffusion equation with super-linear multiplicative noise and strong dissipativity

A condition is identified that implies that solutions to the stochastic reaction-diffusion equation $\frac{\partial u}{\partial t} = \mathcal{A} u + f(u) + \sigma(u) \dot{W}$ on a bounded spatial domain never explode. We consider the case where $\sigma$ grows polynomially and $f$ is polynomially dissipative, meaning that $f$ strongly forces solutions toward finite values. This result demonstrates the role that the deterministic forcing term $f$ plays in preventing explosion.
Opinion and Special Article: Next Steps in Palliative Care Education for Neurology Residents.

Many neurologic diseases are life limiting and markedly impair patients' quality of life. Growing recommendations in the field recommend that neurologists have primary skills in palliative medicine that will allow them to manage symptoms and discuss end of life decisions with patients and families. Previous work has shown that formal palliative care training in neurology residencies is very limited. In this paper we briefly describe a national survey of neurology residents where we assess both the quantity and quality of the teaching they receive in end-of-life care as compared to a common and an uncommon neurologic condition. Based on the gaps we identified, as well as previous studies and recommendations in neuropalliative care, we provide nine recommendations to help neurology residency programs improve their teaching of primary neuropalliative care skills.
SLE – Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for systemic lupus erythematosus

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation was first reported for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus in 1997. The procedure has since been performed worldwide including in Europe, in Brazil, and in China. A National Institutes of Health-funded phase III clinical trial of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for refractory systemic lupus erythematosus is anticipated to begin in 2003. Encouraging responses are raising new hope about the role of adult hematopoietic stem cells in systemic lupus erythematosus.
The effect of magnesium on some physical properties of yeast enolase.

Abstract It is shown by sedimentation velocity and polarization of fluorescence measurements that yeast enolase in solution becomes more compact on addition of magnesium. This is associated with changes in absorption, fluorescence emission, and fluorescence-polarization spectra, as well as in the thermal stability of the enzyme. Evidence is presented that this structural change is produced by the binding of 1 mole of metal per mole of protein. The dissociation constant, as determined by fluorimetric titrations, is 1.8 ± 0.5 x 10-6 m.
Towards Optical Biopsies with an Integrated Fibered Confocal Fluorescence Microscope

This paper presents an integrated endoscope-compatible Fibered Confocal Fluorescence Microscope (FCFM) for medical imaging, the F-400. In situ high resolution images can be obtained thanks to a set of flexible miniaturized optical probes of 0.5 to 1.5 mm diameter that can be inserted through the working channel of an endoscope. We briefly present in this paper the FCFM system, with a particular focus on the image formation and the design of a dedicated image processing software allowing for drastically reduce the inherent artifacts occurring when imaging through an image bundle. The goal of the FCFM is to perform optical biopsy (i.e. in vivo and in situ observations of thin sections of biological tissues at the cellular level). As a first step towards this goal, we present here results of a clinical trial assessing the ability of the F-400 to perform rapid morphologic examination in the endoscopy room of medical specimens (polypectomy).
Empirical Game Theoretic Models: Computational Issues

This paper discusses computational issues raised by a generic solution and estimation methodology applicable to a broad range of empirical game theoretic models with incomplete information. By combining the use of Monte Carlo simulation techniques with that of smooth kernel estimation of empirical distribution functions, the authors develop a numerical algorithm of unparalleled performance and flexibility applicable, in particular, to models for which no operational solutions currently exist. An illustration to a set of procurement data from the French aerospace industry is used to illustrate the operation of this algorithm.
PORT IMPROVEMENT DESIGN CRITERIA FOR TEXAS COAST

Navigation facilities must be designed for good control and safe maneuvering of ships. Channel dimensions for safe navigation were calculated on the basis of existing knowledge, and are presented for vessels of 100,000, 150,000, and 250,000 deadweight tons.
Perceptual indicators of environmental health, future land use, and stewardship.

There are important linkages between the health of humans and theenvironment, restoration of degraded lands, and long-term stewardship of public lands, yet most environmental indicators deal only with assessing the physical and biological aspects ofecosystems. In this article, we examine the ratings of perceptionsof several environmental problems for their utility as indicatorsof environmental quality, and examine perceptions of future land use by people interviewed in Santa Fe, New Mexico, near the Department of Energy's (DOE) Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Overall, people with lower incomes rated environmental problems as more severe than others, were more willing to spend federal funds to solve them, and were consistent in their ratingsof severity of environmental problems and their willingness to spend federal funds. Cleaning up LANL and other Department of Energy sites, received the highest rating for expenditure of federal funds. The highest rated future uses for DOE sites were for recreation and for National Environmental Research Parks. People with less education generally gave higher ratings to mostfuture land uses for DOE than did those with more education. However, those with higher education gave higher ratings to nuclear reprocessing, and nuclear material storage. Where there were differences, the people interviewed at Santa Fe rated all environmental problems (except pesticides) as more severe than did those previously interviewed in Albuquerque (located fartherfrom the LANL site), and they were more willing to spend federalfunds on these problems. Ratings for all future land uses did notdiffer between the Santa Fe and Albuquerque respondents. These perception-based indicators show general agreement among peopleliving close and farther away from LANL with respect to cleaningup LANL and the future land uses for the site. These indicators should be considered by regulators, site personnel, and policy makers in future management and land use decisions.
Novel Relations: The Transformation of Kinship in English Literature and Culture, 1748-1818

Introduction 1. The great disinheritance 2. Fathers and daughters 3. Sister-right and the bonds of consanguinity 4. Brotherly love in life literature 5. Privatized marriage and property relations 6. Sexualized marriage and property in the person 7. Farming fiction: Arthur Young and the problem of representation 8. The importance of aunts 9. Family feeling.
Fixed points in boundaries of negatively curved groups

An important feature of the natural action of a negatively curved (= word hyperbolic) group on its boundary is that the fixed points of hyperbolic (= infinite order) elements form a dense subset of the boundary. Gromov states this in his influential treatise Hyperbolic Groups [4, 8.2 D] and his explanation involves Stalling's theorem on groups with infinitely many ends. This short note provides an elementary proof of this fact. The proof relies on a simple enhancement of the Pumping Lemma from the theory of finite state automata and on the fact that the geodesic words with respect to a fixed generating set for a negatively curved group form a regular language. For background material on negatively curved groups see [1] and on automata and regular languages on groups see [2]. For a different proof see [5].
Public-key encryption based on Chebyshev maps

We propose a public-key encryption algorithm based on Chebyshev maps, which is secure, practical, and can be used for both encryption and digital signature. Software implementation and properties of the algorithm are discussed in detail.
Long-term functional outcomes following non-radiated urethrovaginal fistula repair.

To review long-term functional outcomes after urethrovaginal fistula (UVF) repair. Following IRB approval, women who underwent transvaginal non-irradiated UVF repair with minimum 6-month follow-up were reviewed. Surgical outcomes were assessed by validated questionnaires: UDI-6, IIQ-7, FSFI and visual analogue scale for QoL. Two groups were compared: (1) synthetic sling-related versus (2) non-sling-related UVF. Descriptive statistics were applied with p < 0.05 for significance. From 1996 to 2013, 18 patients underwent UVF repair, with a mean age of 46 years (range 20–66), BMI 29 (range 21–42) and mean follow-up at 52 months (range 9–142). Overall repair success rate was 95 %. Prior failed UVF repair was recorded in 11 women (61 %). Statistical differences noted for Q4: 1.9 versus 0.8 (p = 0.03) and Q5: 1.3 versus 0 (p = 0.02) and VAS between the two groups, favoring the non-sling group; 1.5 (0.6) versus 5 (4) (p = 0.05). No differences in IIQ-7 were noted between the two groups (p = 0.09). Of the 18 patients, 5 remained sexually active and of those, 2 responded to FSFI (40 %) with low scores. Reoperation rate was 33 % (6 women) with 3 requiring periurethral-bulking agent for recurrent SUI, 2 transurethral laser for residual urethral sling mesh strands and 1 urethral dilation. This large contemporary series of non-radiated UVF indicates a satisfactory outcome in UVF closure repair at a mean 4- to 5-year long-term follow-up, with the synthetic sling-related group performing worse.
Quick Test Alternate-Form reliability for rural mountain children and youth with learning problems.

Summary.-This study investigated the reliability of the Quick Test Forms 1 and 3 for children and youth who exhibited learning problems; 40 subjects (28 males and 12 females) from rural mountain areas of North Carolina and Tennessee. Pearson's product-moment correlations were computed for raw scores and estimated 1Qs. Alternative-form reliability ss determined by rs was .91 (p < .01), with a correlation of .76 (p < .01) between forms. Higher correlations were found for older children (.88) than for younger children (.68). Implications for testing rural children with the Quick Test are discussed. In screening, often short forms of various measures of ability and intelligence are administered; based on such results, complete evaluation may or may nor be necessary. One useful screening device for individual intellectual functioning is the Quick Test (Ammons & Ammons, 1962), a verbal-perceptual test for both children and adults. There are published three forms (each containing 50 items) which can be rapidly administered (3 to 5 min. each) and scored. While alternate-form reliability coefficients in the manual range from .60 to .96 for normal subjects, and later research by Maloney, Ward, Schneck, and Braucht (1971) and Sawyer and Whicten (1972) indicates reliabilities in the .70 and .90 range for mentally retarded subjeas, few data are available for rural mountain children with learning problems. The present study determined the alternate-form reliability for such mountain children who were suspected of having learning problems. The sample of 40 subjects (28 males and 12 females) resided in rural mountain areas of North Carolina and Virginia. All were enrolled in public school systems and had been referred for psychological assessment for possible placement in learning disabilities classrooms. The sample included about 85% white and 15% black children. Children with sensory impairment were excluded. In addition, 34 of the subjects were classified as learning disabled and the remaining six 'as slow learners by the placement committees of the individual schools. Ages ranged from 8 to 14 yr., with a mean of 11-5. The tests were administered as part of a psychological battery with Form 1 administered first and Form 3 five days later. The instruments were administered by a certified school psychologist with two years of experience. Guessing was controlled according to the suggestions provided in the manual (Ammons & Ammons, 1962). Pearson's product-moment coefficients were computed for both raw scores and estimated
Hybrid process for the conversion of lignocellulosic materials.

Because of the recalcitrant nature of lignocellulosic materials, it is important to pretreat the biomass in order to obtain a suitable material for the bioconversion. In this study, two different types of pretreatments were performed. The first experiment used a 2-gal Parr reactor operated at 140, 150,160, and 170‡C with sulfuric acid concentrations varying from 0.5 to 2%. A second pretreatment was performed with a two-stage low-temperature process. The first-stage pretreatment was performed at 100 or 120‡C with sulfuric acid concentrations of 0.5, 2, and 5% followed by a secondstage pretreatment at 120‡C with 2% acid concentration. The best residues for enzymatic hydrolysis and simultaneous saccharification and fermentations (SSF) came from the higher temperature pretreatment with the Parr reactor. However, a large portion of the xylose fraction was degraded to furfural and glucose was degraded to HMF. On the contrary, the two-stage low temperature pretreatment resulted in a very low percentage of xylose degradation, and no glucose degradation. The residues from this two-stage pretreatment performed satisfactorily toward the production of ethanol by SSFs. This study discusses the results obtained from these experiments.
Inexpensive, quickly producable X-ray mask for LIGA

The capability to produce X-ray masks inexpensively and rapidly is expected to greatly enhance the commercial appeal of the LIGA process. This paper presents a process to fabricate X-ray masks both inexpensively (under $1000) and rapidly (within a few days). The process involves one UV lithography step and eliminates the need for an intermediate X-ray mask. The X-ray mask produced by this process consists of a 125 μm thick graphite membrane that supports a gold-on-nickel absorber pattern. The thickness of the absorber structures is great enough to supply sufficient contrast even when radiation sources with high characteristic photon energies up to 40 keV are utilized and/or when deep exposures are desired.
A note on the diffraction coefficients for elastodynamic diffraction by sharp edges

Abstract The three dimensional elastodynamic problem of diffraction of waves by a semi-infinite crack is reexamined. The application of Fourier transforms leads to a Wiener–Hopf matrix equation for its solution. An improved product factorization of this matrix due to Abrahams [ 1] is used to obtain relatively simple expressions for the various diffraction coefficients for incidence of plane and Rayleigh waves. This product factorization does not suffer from the technical difficulty of their inverses having a pole in the wrong half of the complex plane of the transform variable – a difficulty which has been encountered in previous works. For plane or Rayleigh wave incidence it is shown that the diffraction coefficients for body waves can be written in terms of the dynamic stress-intensity factors.
Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention as Standard Practice: Working with the American Indian/Native Alaskan Populations

Alcohol use and the resulting problems associated with high-risk drinking in the American Indian/Native Alaskan (AI/NA) population are well-documented, as alcohol misuse has taken an incredible toll on many AI/NA communities. Presently, both overall health issues and alcohol use occur disproportionately within this population. This article provides an updated overview of the impact of alcohol use in the United States and within AI/NA communities specifically. It also provides recommendations for an alcohol-related screening and brief intervention instrument that social workers can begin using in their practice and can be utilized within the AI/NA community.
Masculinity Ideology: Its Impact on Adolescent Males' Heterosexual Relationships

Masculinity ideology or acceptance of culturally define standards for male behavior has an impact not only on the sexual and contraceptive behavior of adolescent males but also on the quality of close relationships. The importance of this social construct was revealed through an analysis of data from the US National Survey of Adolescent Males conducted in 1988 among 1880 never-married aged 15-19 years. 676 subjects were black and 386 were Hispanic. Subjects with a more traditional conception of manhood (as measured by the Male Role Attitudes Scale) reported significantly more sexual partners in the year preceding the interview had a less intimate relationship with their recent sexual partner viewed relationships between men and woman as more adversarial viewed condoms negatively as inhibiting male pleasure and used condoms less consistently with their current sexual partner regardless of her request that they be used than their counterparts with less traditional views of masculinity. They further viewed making a girl pregnant as a means of validating their masculinity. The inclusion of racial or ethnic interactions did not produce a significant increase in the variance explained for any of these outcomes. Moreover the associations persisted when more global gender role attitudes (assessed by response to the statement "It is much better for everyone if the man earns the money and the woman takes care of the home and family") were controlled. Further analysis suggested that the relationship between masculinity ideology and consistency of condom use may be mediated by 3 attitudes about condoms: interference with pleasure value of partner desire for condom use and belief in the males contraceptive responsibility. These findings raise concern that culturally defined concepts of masculinity are contributing to an increase is unwanted pregnancy as well as sexually transmitted diseases among heterosexual adolescent males.
The Notion of Giftedness and Student Expectations about Writing

Research reported by Daly, Miller, and their colleagues suggests that writing apprehension is related to a number of factors we do not yet fully understand. This study suggests that included among ...
Transoral robotic-assisted thyroidectomy with central neck dissection: preclinical cadaver feasibility study and proposed surgical technique

Recently, a transoral robotic-assisted technique to access the thyroid gland has been introduced. Despite the advantages this approach may have over other minimally invasive and robotic-assisted techniques, we found that the placement of the camera through the floor of mouth led to restricted freedom of movement. We describe our modification to this technique to overcome this problem. In a study using two fresh human cadavers, the camera port of the da Vinci robot was placed in the midline oral vestibule instead of the floor of the mouth. A transoral thyroidectomy and central neck dissection was successfully performed. Our modification led to an unfettered view of the central neck and allowed for a total thyroidectomy and central neck dissection. Our modification of transoral robotic-assisted thyroidectomy provides superior access to the central compartment of the neck over other robotic-assisted thyroidectomy techniques.
Dissipative Waves Excited by Gravity-Wave Encounters with the Stably Stratified Planetary Boundary Layer

Abstract We suggest that the strata of strong echo returns frequently revealed by remote-sensor records of the stably stratified planetary bound layer (PBL) represent the wavefronts of dissipative waves (viscous and thermal-conduction waves) excited by gravity-wave encounters with the PBL and the earth's surface. The viscous waves appear to be more strongly forced and should therefore dominate the observations. This simple picture accounts for the following observed properties of the strata: 1) their nearly ubiquitous presence within the stably stratified PBL, 2) their nearly horizontal orientation, 3) the small spacing (some tens of meters, typically) separating the strata, 4) variability in that spacing in both height and time, and 5) the high shears and temperature gradients associated with the strata. Preliminary calculations of the energy fluxes and stresses associated with the wave motions, also presented here, suggest strongly that such waves are not mere curiosities of the PBL but reveal important...
TIMEX2: A modified C-language timer for PC AT class machines

Emerson (1988) provided a simple C-language timing routine for use with PC AT class machines. Unfortunately, this version of the timing routine makes use of nonstandard functions that are not available in all C-language packages. A modified version of this timing routine that does not make use of one of these nonstandard functions is provided. This version of TIMEX runs under the widely available Microsoft C 5.1. The need and availability of the remaining four nonstandard C functions is discussed. Constants needed to convert the timing routine units into seconds and milliseconds are also provided.
The nucleon as a holographic Cheshire cat

Abstract The Cheshire cat principle emerges naturally from the holographic approach of the nucleon in terms of a bulk instanton. The cat hides in the holographic direction. I briefly review the one-nucleon problem in the holographic limit.
Limitations to compacting a parallel-plate Blumlein pulse-forming line

For the applications of compact pulsed-power systems, we propose a model for optimizing the pulse-forming line (PFL) with respect to the optimum pulse generation. There are multiple parameters that play important and conflicting roles in the design of a PFL. The original notion that a pulse, of a desired duration, can be created and the length of the line shortened by using a dielectric with sufficiently high permittivity, is shown here to be overly simplified, and that it can lead to a deformed pulse instead. In this work, new criteria for successful pulse formation are proposed and their validity demonstrated. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE, 2008.
Corticotropin-Releasing Factor: Pharmacokinetics in Man

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)a 41-amino acid peptide isolated and sequenced from ovine hypothalami, has potential clinical application as a provocative test of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. To define its pharmacokinetic parameters in man, we measured the MCR and plasma half-life of immunoreactive CRF (IR-CRF) by the pulse injection and continuous infusion methods. Synthetic ovine CRF was given to 12 normal men as a bolus injection (1 µg/kg; n = 6) or as a continuous infusion (0.51 ± 0.05 µg/kg-h; n = 6) over 8 h. The disappearance curve of IR-CRF from plasma was biexponential. The plasma half-life of IR-CRF was 11.6 ± 1.5 min (mean ± SE) for the fast component and 73 ± 8 min for the slow component. The MCR using the pulse injection technique was 95 ± 11 liters/m2 -day, and the volume of distribution was 6.2 ± 0.5 liters. Continuous infusion of CRF gave approximately the same MCR (88 ± 7 liters/m2 day). A small percentage of IR-CRF (∼0.03%) was found in the urine at the end of the continu...
Wildlife as Hosts for Ticks (Acari) in Antigua, West Indies

A survey was conducted to determine the status of wild mammals and birds as hosts for Amblyomma variegatum (F.) and other tick species in Antigua. Surveys of wild mammals and birds were conducted periodically from September 1988 through May 1991. Wild mammals surveyed included the small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus Hodgson), Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus Berkenhout), and house mouse (Mus musculus L.), but only mongooses were surveyed intensively. Larvae and nymphs of A. variegatum, larvae of Boophilus microplus (Canestrini), and larvae of Ornithodoros puertoricensis (Fox) were recovered. The mean prevalences of infestation of mongooses by A. variegatum larvae and nymphs were 4.7 and 1.3%, respectively; maximums were 16.1 and 5.0%, respectively. The mean prevalence of infestation of mongooses by B. microplus was 3.2%. O. puertoricensis is reported from Antigua for the first time. The mean prevalence of infestation of mongooses by O. puertoricensis larvae was 41.2%, but seasonal prevalences ranged from 27.8 to 55.0%. Of 610 birds representing 16 species, three Carib grackles (Quiscalus lugubris Swainson) were each infested with one larva of A. variegatum.
Guest Editors' Introduction: Distributed Data Mining--Framework and Implementations

It is now possible to gather and store incredible volumes of data, creating opportunities for large-scale data-driven knowledge discovery. Data mining technology has emerged as a means of performing this discovery, and the added dimension of distributed data mining increases this process's complexity.
Chorismate mutase: an alternatively spliced parasitism gene and a diagnostic marker for three important Globodera nematode species

The chorismate mutase gene is widely distributed in both cyst and root-knot nematode species and believed to play a critical role in nematode parasitism. In this study, we cloned a new chorismate mutase gene (Gt-cm-1) from Globodera tabacum and further characterized the gene structure in both G. tabacum and G. pallida, a closely related species of G. rostochiensis. The genomic clones of chorismate mutase genes from these two species were found to contain three introns with the second intron having unusual 5’ and 3’ splice sites. A previous study revealed that the chorismate mutase gene from G. rostochiensis is subject to alternative splicing through retention of intron 2, a process that allows for the generation of multiple mRNA transcripts from a single gene. As expected, we discovered that alternative splicing of the chorismate mutase gene is a conserved event in three Globodera species, supporting an important role of alternative splicing in regulating chorismate mutase gene function in plant parasitism by these nematodes. In addition to the potential suboptimal 5’ and 3’ splice sites and the small size of intron 2, detailed sequence analysis also identified candidate cis-acting elements that might be responsible for regulating intron retention of Globodera chorismate mutase genes. Based on genomic sequence variations observed, we developed TaqMan qPCR assays that provided a highly specific and sensitive identification of each Globodera species, revealing a new application of using the chorismate mutase gene as a valuable diagnostic marker for plant-parasitic nematodes.
Chemistry of the silica surface: reaction with phosphorus pentachloride.

Solid-state 31P and 29Si NMR experiments, with Magic-Angle Spinning (MAS), were used to elucidate the chemistry that occurs when silica gel is treated with phosphorus pentachloride. A low-loading regime (in which the molar ratio of initial PCl5 to surface silanols sites is ≪1) and a high-loading regime (in which this ratio is ∼1) were examined. For each regime, the results for limited and intentional exposure to moisture are presented. The occurrence of phosphorus bridging between two adjacent silanols sites is observed. Bridging structures based on Si−O−P−O−P−O−Si linkages are also indicated.
Refraction–diffraction model for linear surface water waves

Based on the parabolic approximation, a refraction—diffraction model for linear water waves is developed. With the assumption that the water depth (refraction index) is slowly varying, the model equation describes the forward-scattered wavefield. Two examples are considered in particular: (i) wave diffraction by a long thin barrier on a uniform slope, and (ii) wave convergence over a semicircular step shoal. For the former problem, a similarity solution in terms of Fresnel integrals is obtained for the wavefield in the neighbourhood of the shadow boundary. For the latter problem, the resulting Schrodinger equation is solved numerically. The wavefield near the caustics as well as in the shadow region is obtained and compared with experimental data.
Functionalized Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Self-Assembled Supramolecular Rectangles

The synthesis of six new, functionalized 180° pyridyl donor ligands and their coordination-driven self-assembly into supramolecular rectangles is reported. Three of the new donors have been functionalized with hydrophobic straight chain alkane units (C6, C12, and C18) while the remaining three have been functionalized with derivatized di-, tetra-, and hexaethylene glycol hydrophilic units (DEG, TEG, and HEG, respectively). The resulting self-assembled hydrophobic and hydrophilic supramolecular rectangles have been fully characterized by multinuclear NMR and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Molecular force field modeling suggests that the functionalized rectangles range in size from roughly 3.0 × 2.9 to 3.0 × 6.0 nm2 in size.
Rapid postadsorptive changes in fibrinogen adsorbed from plasma to segmented polyurethanes

Fibrinogen adsorbed to biomaterials plays a key role in mediating platelet interactions that can lead to blood clotting so its behavior on surfaces is of fundamental interest. In previous work showing that fibrinogen adsorbed to surfaces quickly becomes non-displaceable upon exposure to blood plasma, the fibrinogen was adsorbed from buffer, so we performed new studies in which the displaceability of fibrinogen adsorbed from plasma was characterized. Fibrinogen was adsorbed from 1% plasma to seven different surfaces for 1-64 min and then transferred to 100% plasma lacking radiolabeled fibrinogen and the amount adsorbed before and after transfer measured. The surfaces were glass, Silicone rubber, and five different polyurethanes. As adsorption time increased, the fibrinogen became increasingly resistant to displacement during the 100% plasma step, but the rate of increase in resistance varied greatly with surface type. Fibrinogen adsorbed from 1% plasma evidently undergoes rapid, surface dependent transitio...
Focusing Mechanisms in the Texas Hill Country Flash Floods of 1978

Abstract During the early morning of 2 August 1978, a stationary thunderstorm complex drenched the Balcones Escarpment of Texas and unleashed flash floods in the Hill Country which killed 27 people and produced extensive damage. After the storm, an unofficial 24 h total of at 1east 79 cm of rain was observed near the town of Bluff (about 90 km northwest of San Antonio). Five distinct mechanisms or meteorological features interacted to focus and anchor the storm complex: 1) a east-west oriented mesohigh outflow boundary was situated just south of the storm area; 2) a rapidly moving ribbon of extremely moist boundary-layer air was flowing toward the storm are from the southeast 3) an elevated warm, dry layer of air extended over the area east of the Hill Country and capped the southeasterly low level inflow; 4) a deep vertical motion field associated with a midtropospheric short-wave trough was advancing toward the Hill Country from Mexico; and 5) the diurnal heating cycle with its associated production of ...
Simulation of broadband propagation and scattering in a waveguide

Using a SIMD-optimized broadband parabolic equation propagation model in a range- dependent waveguide, the extended boundary condition model for object scattering, and a new method for coupling the two models, broadband basin-scale active acoustic simulations are possible. Preliminary results and reference solutions generated using a finite difference time domain method are presented.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The bacterial response to DNA damage

Abstract Bacteria respond to DNA damage by switching on the SOS system, which promotes DNA repair, mutagenesis and other cellular functions. The basic structure of the system is a set of subordinate genes that are repressed under normal conditions by a single repressor ( lexA protein) and are derepressed by a second regulator ( recA protein) in response to DNA damage. In addition, fine controls and feedback loops may operate to modify the intensity and duration of the SOS response and to permit the differential expression of the subordinate genes.
A Functional Link between Glucokinase Binding to Insulin Granules and Conformational Alterations in Response to Glucose and Insulin

Glucokinase (GK) activity is essential for the physiological regulation of insulin secretion by glucose. Because the enzyme exerts nearly total control over glucose metabolism in the β-cell, even small changes in GK activity exert effects on glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and, consequently, the blood glucose concentration. Using quantitative imaging of multicolor fluorescent proteins fused to GK, we found that the association of GK with insulin granules is regulated by glucose in the β-cell. Glucose stimulation increased the rate of fluorescence recovery after photobleaching of GK to insulin granules, indicating that GK is released into the cytoplasm after glucose stimulation. Changes in fluorescence resonance energy transfer between two different fluorescent protein variants inserted on opposing ends of GK were observed after glucose stimulation and correlated with increased enzyme activity. Furthermore, glucose-stimulated changes in GK regulation were blocked by two inhibitors of insulin secretion. Insulin treatment restored GK regulation in inhibited cells and stimulated GK translocation and activation by itself. Together, these data support a model for post-translational regulation of GK whereby insulin regulates both the association of GK with secretory granules and the activity of the enzyme within the pancreatic β-cell.
A systematic review of the results of surgery and radiotherapy on tumor control for pediatric craniopharyngioma

Objective Craniopharyngiomas are rare tumors with bimodal incidence in the pediatric and adult age groups. Treatment strategies range from aggressive resection to planned limited resection combined with adjuvant therapies. Currently there is no consensus for standard of care for pediatric craniopharyngioma.