cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multilocus and SSU rRNA gene phylogenetic analyses of available cyanobacterial genomes, and their relation to the current taxonomic system

Despite the global significance of cyanobacteria, their taxonomy is still heavily lagging behind the progress in genome sequencing. Besides nomenclatural issues and difficulties in species identification, this problem is largely a consequence of missing reference strains and sequences for many cyanobacterial taxa. In this study, a robust multilocus phylogenetic tree based on 23 conserved proteins from the current set of available genomes is presented and compared to a respective 16S rRNA gene tree. To facilitate further progress in achieving a stable system of monophyletic taxa, the phylogenetic status of eight cyanobacterial orders recently proposed in the botanical system was evaluated. While several orders addressed by previous studies (Gloeobacterales, Spirulinales, Chroococcidiopsidales, Nostocales) retain their monophyly, the remaining big groups (Synechococcales, Pleurocapsales, Chroococcales, Oscillatoriales) are polyphyletic and require thorough revision. Comparison of the 16S rRNA tree to the multilocus tree supports the careful use of this gene in distinguishing cyanobacterial genera, whereas its application at other taxonomic levels is limited.
Configuration Space of a Rigid Object

In Chapter 1 we introduced configuration space as a space in which the robot maps to a point. The mathematical structure of this space, however, is not completely straightforward, and deserves some specific consideration. The purpose of this chapter and the next one is to provide the reader with a general understanding of this structure when the robot is a rigid object not constrained by any kinematic or dynamic constraint. This chapter mainly focuses on topological and differential properties of the configuration space. More detailed algebraic and geometric properties related to the mapping of the obstacles into configuration space will be investigated in Chapter 3.
Psychosocial Aspects of Physical Differences in Children and Youth

This article reviews research examining the psychosocial impact of physical and chronic health impairments in children and youth. Disability is best understood, assisted, and investigated within an interactionist model. Adaptation to physical differences is a process of evolving mastery occurring over the life span. A developmental approach to guidance is reviewed for practice.
A quantitative XPS examination of UV induced surface modification of TiO2 sorbents for the increased saturation capacity of sulfur heterocycles

Abstract UV pretreatment has proven effective in enhancing the sulfur heterocycle specificity and saturation capacity of TiO2 adsorbents. Previous efforts in our laboratory have shown this effect to persist for over two weeks and were attributed to increased densities of surface hydroxyl groups as assessed by XPS and FTIR evaluations. This paper presents further evidence of the previous assertion by tracking the UV-induced conversion of adsorbed water and lattice oxygen into surface hydroxyls as monitored by XPS. Two different commercial TiO2 adsorbents (@ 163 and 70 m2/g) were investigated at various hydration levels as determined by TGA. Deconvolution of the XPS spectra demonstrated both the qualitative nature and quantitative conversion of adsorbed water and lattice oxygen according to the following stoichiometry, where one lattice oxygen is converted into two surface hydroxyls. O (lattice) 2 - + H 2 O (ads) → UV 2OH - Eight different reaction cases were examined using the 163 and 70 m2/g supports at four different hydration levels each. The measured stoichiometry for the above-noted conversion varied from 1.83 to 2.15 with an average value of 1.98 and a standard deviation of 0.10. Samples removed from the XPS chamber and stored in laboratory conditions showed that photo-generated surface hydroxyls could persist for over two weeks with or without handling.
Abstract TP463: Enhancing Access to Stroke Neurology Care for Patients With Sickle Cell Disease

Introduction: Patients with chronic illness have demonstrated non-adherence rates to clinic appointments ranging between 20-40%, however, few studies have documented non-adherence rates in patients...
Identifying Smoking Status and Smoking Cessation Using a Data Linkage Between the Kentucky Cancer Registry and Health Claims Data.

PURPOSELinkage of cancer registry data with complementary data sources can be an informative way to expand what is known about patients and their treatment and improve delivery of care. The purpose...
MiRNA-210 induces microglial activation and regulates microglia-mediated neuroinflammation in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy

Neuroinflammation is a major contributor to secondary neuronal injury that accounts for a significant proportion of final brain cell loss in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). However, the immunological mechanisms that underlie HIE remain unclear. MicroRNA-210 (miR-210) is the master “hypoxamir” and plays a key role in hypoxic-ischemic tissue damage. Herein, we report in an animal model of neonatal rats that HIE significantly upregulated miR-210 expression in microglia in the neonatal brain and strongly induced activated microglia. Intracerebroventricular administration of miR-210 antagomir effectively suppressed microglia-mediated neuroinflammation and significantly reduced brain injury caused by HIE. We demonstrated that miR-210 induced microglial M1 activation partly by targeting SIRT1, thereby reducing the deacetylation of the NF-κB subunit p65 and increasing NF-κB signaling activity. Thus, our study identified miR-210 as a novel regulator of microglial activation in neonatal HIE, highlighting a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of infants with hypoxic-ischemic brain injury.
Operationalizing the neighborhood effects of the built environment on travel behavior

Abstract Evidence of a connection between the built environment and individual travel behavior is substantiated by multidisciplinary research. In general, compact development patterns exhibiting high concentrations of activity locations and a traditional street design support sustainable travel. However, uncertainty in the magnitude of this connection remains due to how the built environment has been operationalized, usually at a geographic boundary chosen out of convenience. This Portland, Oregon study uses household travel survey data to systematically examine variation in the magnitude of this association when measuring land development pattern, urban design, and transportation system features at various scales. Specifically, this study measures 57 built environment features describing an individual's trip origin and destination at 12 combinations of zonal systems and spatial extents, and assesses their effect on home-based mode choice. First, correlations between individual- and household-level walking behaviors and each combination of indicator and geographic boundary were measured to examine scaling and zoning effects associated with the modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP). These sensitivity test results informed the specification of home-based work and non-work multinomial logit models estimating the effect of sociodemographic, economic, and built environment features on mode choice. Our study findings offer new insight into the MAUP's scaling effect on measuring smart growth indicators and their connection to sustainable travel behavior.
Effect of Physician Gender and Race on Simulated Patients' Ratings and Confidence in Their Physicians: A Randomized Trial.

Importance Women and black physicians encounter workplace challenges because of their gender and race. It is unclear whether these individuals are assessed with lower patient satisfaction or confidence ratings compared with white male physicians. Objective To examine whether physician gender and race affect participant ratings in scenarios in which physician competence is challenged. Design, Setting, and Participants This randomized trial enrolled a geographically diverse sample of 3592 online respondents in the United States who were recruited from 2 crowdsourcing platforms: Amazon Mechanical Turk (n = 1741) and Lucid (n = 1851). A 2 × 2 factorial design for the gender and race of simulated physicians was conducted between March 9 and July 25, 2018. Participants were excluded before intervention if they were younger than 18 years, were pregnant, or had a history of cancer or abdominal surgical procedures. Interventions A clinical vignette was presented to the participant with a picture of the emergency department physician. Participants were randomly assigned to physicians with different gender and race, with 823 assigned to black women, 791 to black men, 828 to white women, and 835 to white men. A contradictory diagnosis from an online symptom checker introduced doubt about the clinical diagnosis. Main Outcomes and Measures A composite outcome (range, 0-100, with 0 representing low patient confidence and satisfaction and 100 representing the maximum on the composite scale) measured participant (1) confidence in the physician, (2) satisfaction with care, (3) likelihood to recommend the physician, (4) trust in the physician’s diagnosis, and (5) likelihood to request additional tests. Results Among 3277 adult participants, complete data were available for 3215 (median age, 49 years [range, 18-89 years]; 1667 [52%] female; 2433 [76%] white). No significant differences were observed in participant satisfaction and physician confidence for the white male physician control physicians (mean composite score, 66.13 [95% CI, 64.76-67.51]) compared with white female (mean composite score, 66.50 [95% CI, 65.19-67.82]), black female (mean composite score, 67.36 [95% CI, 66.03-68.69]), and black male (mean composite score, 66.96 [95% CI, 65.55-68.36]) physicians. Machine learning with bayesian additive regression trees revealed no evidence of treatment effect heterogeneity as a function of participants’ race, gender, racial prejudice, or sexism. Conclusions and Relevance No significant differences were observed for simulated patients’ evaluations of female or black physicians, suggesting that bias in favor of white male physicians is negligible in survey-based measures of patient satisfaction. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:NCT04190901
Low-Loss D-Shape Silicon Nitride Waveguides using a Dielectric Lift-Off Fabrication Process

D-shape Si 3 N 4 waveguides are fabricated by dielectric lift-off process. We measure ultra-low loss for a 90nm-thick core of 2.42 dB/m at 1550 nm and a loaded Q-factor of 1.12×106 for a 0.8 mm radius resonator.
A Prospective Randomized Investigation Comparing Functional Outcomes of Syndesmotic Suture-Button Fixation to Screws

AIM : To compare functional outcomes and adverse events of surgically treated syndesmotic injuries with either screws(s) or a suture-button device(s). It was hypothesized that suture-button fixation would provide equal clinical results with fewer adverse events. MATERIALS AND METHODS : Multi-center, randomized clinical study. Sixty-five subjects with confirmed acute syndesmotic injury requiring surgical intervention were enrolled. Subjects were randomized and treated with either suture-button or screw fixation. Foot and Function Index pain, disability, and activity scores, American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society, and the Visual Analogue Scale for pain were reported up until 12-months. The adverse events were also collected. The forty subjects with complete data up to one year (n=40; suture-button =18 and screw=22) were included in analysis. Single or multiple screws or suture-button implants were based on surgeon preference and patients’ characteristics. RESULTS : There was statistically significant improvement in Foot and Function Index and American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society scores with both techniques (p 0.05). Syndesmotic screws had higher adverse events compared to suture-button (32 % versus 6%), which approached statistical significance (p = 0.054). CONCLUSION : One-year clinical data suggests that acute syndesmotic injuries can be effectively treated with either technique. An important benefit of suture-button fixation is a lower occurrence of adverse clinical events.
David Oliver: Why polarise healthcare opinions?

Dogma and rigid ideology are rarely helpful in public policy or pragmatic approaches to running health services. The covid-19 pandemic has highlighted a growing tendency in public discourse to polarise opinions on healthcare and policy, into warring sides with seemingly irreconcilable views. Many issues have nuance and truth on both sides, and it should be possible to hold two (or more) positions at once. But social media, populist politics, and hyperbole can make life hard for people who embrace moderation and balance. Firstly, face masks—in shops, enclosed meeting spaces, and public transport. The government’s decision in July1 to make them compulsory in England led to acres of newsprint, hours of radio phone-ins, and endless Twitter exchanges. Surely, the “anti-maskers” are right to question rushed legislation with little consultation, a contested evidence base for effectiveness, …
Community-Based Cultural Tailoring of Virtual Agents

Culturally informed design for virtual agents has been shown to positively impact health outcomes when tailored to target audiences. We present a participatory design methodology for culturally tailoring virtual agents. Investigators worked with key informants from our target population, members of predominantly Black church communities, to design culturally-relevant and sensitive virtual agent health promotion interventions. In the first participatory session, key informants designed agents to assist them with different aspects of their lives, providing input on agent appearance and agent functionality. In a second design session, participants re-wrote the content of a health conversation with an agent, to include personally-relevant content related to their community (e.g., religious and scriptural references). We report design principles for religious tailoring derived from these studies. We conducted a validation study to assess the effects of applying these principles to agents that promoted two health behaviors, finding that participants responded very positively to the tailored agents.
3' UTR-truncated HMGA2 overexpression induces non-malignant in vivo expansion of hematopoietic stem cells in non-human primates.

Vector-mediated mutagenesis remains a major safety concern for many gene therapy clinical protocols. Indeed, lentiviral-based gene therapy treatments of hematologic disease can result in oligoclonal blood reconstitution in the transduced cell graft. Specifically, clonal expansion of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) highly expressing HMGA2, a chromatin architectural factor found in many human cancers, is reported in patients undergoing gene therapy for hematologic diseases, raising concerns about the safety of these integrations. Here, we show for the first time in vivo multilineage and multiclonal expansion of non-human primate HSCs expressing a 3' UTR-truncated version of HMGA2 without evidence of any hematologic malignancy >7 years post-transplantation, which is significantly longer than most non-human gene therapy pre-clinical studies. This expansion is accompanied by an increase in HSC survival, cell cycle activation of downstream progenitors, and changes in gene expression led by the upregulation of IGF2BP2, a mRNA binding regulator of survival and proliferation. Thus, we conclude that prolonged ectopic expression of HMGA2 in hematopoietic progenitors is not sufficient to drive hematologic malignancy and is not an acute safety concern in lentiviral-based gene therapy clinical protocols.
Carbonyl-Olefin Metathesis.

This Review describes the development of strategies for carbonyl-olefin metathesis reactions relying on stepwise, stoichiometric, or catalytic approaches. A comprehensive overview of currently available methods is provided starting with Paterno-Buchi cycloadditions between carbonyls and alkenes, followed by fragmentation of the resulting oxetanes, metal alkylidene-mediated strategies, [3 + 2]-cycloaddition approaches with strained hydrazines as organocatalysts, Lewis acid-mediated and Lewis acid-catalyzed strategies relying on the formation of intermediate oxetanes, and protocols based on initial carbon-carbon bond formation between carbonyls and alkenes and subsequent Grob-fragmentations. The Review concludes with an overview of applications of these currently available methods for carbonyl-olefin metathesis in complex molecule synthesis. Over the past eight years, the field of carbonyl-olefin metathesis has grown significantly and expanded from stoichiometric reaction protocols to efficient catalytic strategies for ring-closing, ring-opening, and cross carbonyl-olefin metathesis. The aim of this Review is to capture the status quo of the field and is expected to contribute to further advancements in carbonyl-olefin metathesis in the coming years.
SPIKE-TRIGGERED INTRASPINAL MICROSTIMULATION IMPROVES MOTOR PERFORANCE IN AN AMBULATORY RAT MODEL OF SPINAL CORD INJURY

The purpose of this study was to determine if spike-triggered intraspinal microstimulation (ISMS) results in improved motor performance in an ambulatory rat model of spinal cord injury (SCI). Experiments were carried out in adult male Sprague Dawley rats with 175 kdyn moderate T8 contusion injury. Rats were randomly assigned to one of two groups: Control or Activity Dependent Stimulation (ADS) therapy. Four weeks post-SCI, all rats were implanted with a recording electrode in the left hindlimb motor cortex and a fine-wire, custom-made stimulating electrode in the contralateral lumbar spinal cord. Intracortical and intraspinal microstimulation were used to find sites of similar hip representation areas, which were paired together for ADS therapy. In the ADS therapy group, spike-stimulus conditioning was administered for 4 hours/day, 4 days/week, for 4 weeks via a tethered cable in a testing chamber. During therapy sessions, single-unit spikes were discriminated in real time in the hindlimb motor cortex and used to trigger stimulation in the spinal cord ventral horn. The optimal stimulus intensity (50% ISMS movement threshold) and spike-stimulus delay (10ms) determined in preliminary anesthetized preparations were used during ADS. Control rats were similarly implanted with electrodes but did not receive stimulation therapy. Motor performances of each rat were evaluated before SCI contusion, once a week post-SCI for four weeks (prior to electrode implantation), and once a week post-conditioning for four weeks. Behavioral testing included BBB scoring, Ledged Beam walking, Horizontal Ladder walking, treadmill kinematics via the DigiGait and TreadScan system, and open field walking using OptiTrack kinematic analysis. BBB scores were significantly improved in ADS rats compared to Control rats after 1 week of therapy. In the ADS therapy rats, BBB scores were significantly improved after two weeks of ADS therapy when compared to pre-therapy. Foot fault scores on the Horizontal Ladder were significantly lower in ADS rats compared to pre-therapy ADS and Control rats after 1 week of therapy and returned to pre-injury measures after three weeks of ADS therapy. The Ledged Beam test and kinematic analysis using the DigiGait and TreadScan system showed deficits after SCI in both ADS and Control rats but there were no significant differences between groups after 4 weeks of ADS therapy. These results show that activity dependent stimulation after spinal cord injury using spike-triggered ISMS enhances behavioral recovery of locomotor function as measured by the BBB score and the Horizontal Ladder task.
Life satisfaction among older adults with impairment in activities of daily living

BACKGROUND Many older adults experience decline in function, but maintain high levels of life satisfaction. The factors associated with high life satisfaction among those with functional impairment are not well understood. OBJECTIVE Examine the proportion of older adults with functional impairment reporting high life satisfaction and the predictors of high life satisfaction. DESIGN Cross-sectional cohort study. SETTING Health and Retirement Study. SUBJECTS A total of 7,287 community-dwelling participants, 65 years or older, who completed the leave-behind questionnaire in 2014 or 2016. METHODS The main predictor was having difficulty or needing help in performing Activities of Daily Living (ADL). The primary outcome was reporting high life satisfaction, defined using a three-item Diener scale. Significant factors were identified using modified Poisson regression models adjusted for demographic characteristics. RESULTS Those with no ADL impairment were more likely to report high levels of life satisfaction than those with ADL difficulty or ADL dependence (54.4 vs 38.6 vs 27.6%, P < 0.001). Among those with ADL dependence, we identified several factors associated with high life satisfaction, including: not being lonely (38.2 vs 23.2%, ARR = 1.6 (1.2, 2.2)), satisfied with family life (35.1 vs 12.8%, ARR = 2.7 (1.6, 4.4)), and satisfied with financial situation (40.8 vs 16.6%, ARR = 2.5 (1.8, 3.6)). Similar associations were present among those with ADL difficulty. CONCLUSIONS A substantial proportion of older adults with ADL impairment report high life satisfaction, and it is associated with social and economic well-being. Understanding the factors associated with high life satisfaction can lead to clinical practices and policy guidelines that promote life satisfaction in older adults.
Effects of water activity, ammonia, and Corynebacterium urealyticum on the survival of Salmonella Typhimurium in sterile poultry litter.

AIMS This study examined the effects of water activity (aw ), ammonia, and Corynebacterium urealyticum on the survival of Salmonella Typhimurium in sterile poultry litter. METHODS AND RESULTS Sterile poultry litter inoculated with S. Typhimurium was adjusted to pH 9.0, various aw levels (0.84, 0.92, and 0.96), and total ammonia nitrogen levels were increased either by the addition of ammonium sulfate or C. urealyticum inoculation with 1% urea added. All litter treatments were incubated at 30°C and sampled daily for five days. Similar results were observed at each aw level in both experiments. At 0.84 and 0.92 aw , S. Typhimurium populations in litter fell below 1 log CFU g-1 within 5 days, with no significant differences between the controls and increased ammonia treatments. At 0.96 aw , Salmonella populations treated with increased ammonia levels were significantly lower than control treatments on days 1 to 5. CONCLUSIONS This study showed that C. urealyticum can produce ammonia in litter at higher aw levels with sufficient available urea and that the antimicrobial efficacy of ammonia is dependent on high aw (~ 0.96) in litter. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY These results provide insights into the production of ammonia in litter, its antimicrobial efficacy in litter, and the importance of aw in this interaction.
Reactions between water‐soluble organic acids and nitrates in atmospheric aerosols: Recycling of nitric acid and formation of organic salts

Atmospheric particles often include a complex mixture of nitrate and secondary organic materials accumulated within the same individual particles. Nitrate as an important inorganic component can be chemically formed in the atmosphere. For instance, formation of sodium nitrate (NaNO3) and calcium nitrate Ca(NO3)2 when nitrogen oxide and nitric acid (HNO3) species react with sea salt and calcite, respectively. Organic acids contribute a significant fraction of photochemically formed secondary organics that can condense on the preexisting nitrate-containing particles. Here, we present a systematic microanalysis study on chemical composition of laboratory generated particles composed of water soluble organic acids and nitrates (i.e. NaNO3 and Ca(NO3)2) investigated using computer controlled scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive analysis of X-rays (CCSEM/EDX) and Fourier transform infrared micro-spectroscopy (micro-FTIR). The results show that water-soluble organic acids can react with nitrates releasing gaseous HNO3 during dehydration process. These reactions are attributed to acid displacement of nitrate with weak organic acids driven by the evaporation of HNO3 into gas phase due to its relatively high volatility. The reactions result in significant nitrate depletion and formation of organic salts in mixed organic acids/nitrate particles that in turn may affect their physical and chemical properties relevant to atmospheric environment andmore » climate. Airborne nitrate concentrations are estimated by thermodynamic calculations corresponding to various nitrate depletions in selected organic acids of atmospheric relevance. The results indicate a potential mechanism of HNO3 recycling, which may further affect concentrations of gas- and aerosol-phase species in the atmosphere and the heterogeneous reaction chemistry between them.« less
Bipedalism and sex

Bipedalism qualitatively changed the course of human sexuality. The loss of ovulatory cues, nocturnal copulation, and ventral − ventral sex are byproducts of bipedalism. Keywords: bipedalism; ovulatory cues; sexual posturing; sperm retention
The association of fetuin-A with cardiovascular disease mortality in older community-dwelling adults: the Rancho Bernardo study.

Objectives The goal of this study was to evaluate the prospective association of fetuin-A levels with cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. Background Fetuin-A is a circulating inhibitor of calcium deposition in the vasculature and of insulin action in muscle and fat, and may be involved in the pathogenesis of CVD. Methods This is a population-based prospective study of 633 men and 1,025 women (median age = 73 years) who had fetuin-A levels and CVD risk factors evaluated in 1992 to 1996 and were followed for vital status through 2010. Results Plasma fetuin-A (g/l ± SD) was highest in women using oral estrogens (0.55 ± 0.12), intermediate for women not using oral estrogens (0.51 ± 0.10), and lowest for men (0.50 ± 0.10), p Conclusions Low fetuin-A levels predicted greater risk for CVD mortality in older adults without diabetes, but were associated with reduced risk of CVD death in those with diabetes. Fetuin-A may provide novel insight into mechanisms leading to CVD death in those with versus without diabetes.
Transcriptional Regulation of T4 Bacteriophage-Specific Enzymes Synthesized In Vitro

In contrast to dihydrofolate reductase and four other phage-specific enzymes, the initiation of deoxynucleotide kinase is essentially prevented if rifampin is added to a culture of Escherichia coli B cells within 1.5 min after infection with T4. Deoxynucleotide kinase thus belongs to a group of so-called delayed-early enzymes that is not initiated from an immediate-early promoter site. We prepared crude extracts from infected cells in a manner designed to maintain the integrity of the complexes of native, endogenous T4 DNA with bacterial structural and enzymatic units concerned with RNA synthesis. The initiation of the synthesis of the mRNA for dihydrofolate reductase, an example of an immediate-early enzyme, and deoxynucleotide kinase, a special type of delayed-early enzyme, was studied with these extracts prepared from cells infected in the absence or presence of chloramphenicol. Initiation of transcription of the dihydrofolate reductase gene is immediate when programmed by extracts made either from cells treated with chloramphenicol prior to infection (CM extracts) or from cells 3 min into the normal infection cycle (3-min extracts). However, initiation of transcription of the deoxynucleotide kinase gene programmed by CM extracts is delayed 2 min relative to the immediate initiation of transcription of the deoxynucleotide kinase gene programmed by 3-min extracts. These experiments duplicated in vitro effects of the antibiotics on the synthesis of phage-specific mRNA previously noted only in vivo.
THE PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN A Guide to Interpretation of Growth-charts and Development Assessments; and a Commentary on Contemporary and Future Problems

In the title of this essay the traditional partner of development—growth—is missing. We have been taught that growth refers to the multiplication of cells and size changes, while development concerns the maturation of such structures and their concomitant functions. Today we realize that the whole process—call it what you will—is extremely complex and a mass of processes interacting upon each other. Because, in addition, there is no dividing line between the two terms, it seems desirable to drop an unnecessary and rather false division and use but one of the two good words. PART I. A GUIDE TO THE INTERPRETATION OF GROWTH-CHARTS AND DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENTS The pediatrician is confronted today with many aspects of development. Are babies who are fed two different regimens growing comparably? Is a patient receiving steroids being stunted? Or does an anabolic hormone hasten epiphysial closure to the extent that it causes premature arrest of growth? Before interest can be taken in such questions, and in the problems of identifying true disturbances in developmental patterns, the basic principles of human development, of present methods, and the resources available must be critically reviewed. The pediatrician and his ancillary colleagues may well be overwhelmed by the quantity of data, charts and grids concerning growth that have appeared in the last 20 years. This is not surprising and not the fault of physicians. It is perhaps an irritating fact that development and its allied problems cannot be discussed without a basic, simple knowledge of biometiy. The reader can be assured that the knowledge he requires is not complicated and will stand him in good stead in many branches of his scientific art.
School Choice, Racial Segregation, and Poverty Concentration: Evidence From Pennsylvania Charter School Transfers:

This article examines how student movements between traditional public schools (TPSs) and charters—both brick and mortar and cyber—may be associated with both racial isolation and poverty concentration. Using student-level data from the universe of Pennsylvania public schools, this study builds upon previous research by specifically examining student transfers into charter schools, disaggregating findings by geography. We find that, on average, the transfers of African American and Latino students from TPSs to charter schools were segregative. White students transferring within urban areas transferred to more racially segregated schools. Students from all three racial groups attended urban charters with lower poverty concentration.
Physician Consultation, Multidisciplinary Care, and 1-Year Mortality in Medicare Recipients Hospitalized with Hip and Lower Extremity Injuries

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether routine surgeon consultation with medicine specialists and multidisciplinary care conferences—potentially modifiable hospital characteristics—are associated with lower 1-year mortality in older adults with hip and lower extremity injuries. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Oregon hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: Two thousand five hundred thirty-eight Medicare recipients aged 67 and older hospitalized in Oregon hospitals in 2002 with hip or lower extremity injuries. MEASUREMENTS: Demographic, injury, comorbidity, and survival information were gathered from Medicare records for 2000 to 2003. All Oregon hospitals with a qualifying case were surveyed using a structured telephone interview to collect information about routine surgeon consultations and multidisciplinary care conferences for older adult orthopedic patients. Multivariable generalized estimating equation models were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations between hospital characteristics and mortality. RESULTS: After adjusting for age, injury severity, comorbid conditions, trauma center status, and hospital annual volume of patients with hip fracture, the relative odds of dying in the year after injury for inpatients treated in settings with routine surgeon consultation with medical staff was 0.69 (95% CI 0.57–0.83) compared with patients not treated in such settings. Inpatient treatment in settings with routine multidisciplinary care conferences did not significantly affect the relative odds of dying in the year after injury (OR=1.06, 95% CI=0.89–1.26). CONCLUSION: Routine consultation by attending orthopedic surgeons with medicine or primary care specialists for Medicare inpatients is associated with better survival 1 year after injury.
Electrostatic Actuators with Intrinsic Stress Gradient II. Performance and Modeling

Electrostatic actuators are used as voltage-controlled oscillators or resonators in high frequency applications. The change in deflection of a cantilever beam due to an applied voltage leads to change in capacitance between the plates of the beam. However, the range of operation of these devices is limited due to the nonlinear nature of the applied electrostatic forces as the cantilever beam moves. The pull-down instability of the beam limits the travel distance of elastically suspended parallel-plate electrostatic actuators to about one-third of the initial gap distance. The movement of curved actuators under application of an electrostatic force is investigated. The initial curvature of the movable electrode was established by using a built-in stress gradient in the metallic cantilever-beam. A two-dimensional, semi-analytical, finite difference model was used to simulate the behavior of the devices. Three-dimensional modeling was also performed to understand the movement of the cantilever beams. The pull-down voltage of the beams was studied as a function of initial tip deflection, shape of the movable electrode, and anchor type. The stable range of operation of these cantilever beams before pull-down was found to be smaller than one third of the tip deflection. After pull-down, the movable electrode was found to uncurl upon further application of voltage. This was attributed to the higher order curvature of the movable electrode with large built-in stress gradient.
DIFFERENCES IN DEPREDATION BY SMALL PREDATORS LIMIT THE USE OF PLASTICINE AND ZEBRA FINCH EGGS IN ARTIFICIAL-NEST STUDIES

Abstract Small mammals, such as mice and voles, have been implicated as major egg predators of Neotropical migrant passerines by field studies using soft plasticine eggs or the very small eggs of Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata). Nevertheless, the effort required to depredate these commonly used egg surrogates may be less than that required to depredate the larger, thicker-shelled eggs of most passerine species. To compare the depredation of these surrogates to that of the eggs of a mid-sized passerine by a ubiquitous small predator, we exposed dissimilar pairs of plasticine, Zebra Finch, and House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) eggs to captive white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus). Plasticine eggs were marked by mice more than either kind of real egg, and Zebra Finch eggs were breached more often than House Sparrow eggs. We conclude that the use of either plasticine or Zebra Finch eggs may lead to overestimation of the ability or proclivity of small mammals to actually depredate the eggs of most passerines.
Activation of Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinases, NF-κB, and Cyclic Adenosine 5′-Monophosphate Response Element-Binding Protein in Lung Neutrophils Occurs by Differing Mechanisms After Hemorrhage or Endotoxemia

Acute lung injury is frequently associated with sepsis or blood loss and is characterized by a proinflammatory response and infiltration of activated neutrophils into the lungs. Hemorrhage or endotoxemia result in activation of cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) and NF-κB in lung neutrophils as well as increased expression of proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α and macrophage-inflammatory peptide-2, by these cells. Activation of the extracellular regulated kinase (ERK) pathway occurs in stress responses and is involved in CREB activation. In the present experiments, hemorrhage or endotoxemia produced increased activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK)1/2 and ERK2 (p42), but not of ERK1 (p44), in lung neutrophils. ERK1, ERK2, and MEK1/2 were not activated in peripheral blood neutrophils after hemorrhage or endotoxemia. Inhibition of xanthine oxidase led to further increase in the activation of MEK1/2 and ERK2 in lung neutrophils after hemorrhage, but not after endotoxemia. α-Adrenergic blockade before hemorrhage resulted in increased activation in lung neutrophils of MEK1/2, ERK1, ERK2, and CREB, but decreased activation of NF-κB. In contrast, α-adrenergic blockade before endotoxemia was associated with decreased activation of MEK1/2, ERK2, and CREB, but increased activation of NF-κB. β-Adrenergic blockade before hemorrhage did not alter MEK1/2 or ERK1 activation in lung neutrophils, but decreased activation of ERK2 and CREB, while increasing activation of NF-κB. β-Adrenergic inhibition before endotoxemia did not affect activation of MEK1/2, ERK1, ERK2, CREB, or NF-κB. These data indicate that the pathways leading to lung neutrophil activation after hemorrhage are different from those induced by endotoxemia.
Gaussian Mixture Model for Human Skin Color and Its Applications in Image and Video Databases

This paper is concerned with estimating a probability density function of human skin color, using a finite Gaussian mixture model, whose parameters are estimated through the EM algorithm. Hawkins' statistical test on the normality and homoscedasticity (common covariance matrix) of the estimated Gaussian mixture models is performed and McLachlan's bootstrap method is used to test the number of components in a mixture. Experimental results show that the estimated Gaussian mixture model fits skin images from a large database. Applications of the estimated density function in image and video databases are presented.
Impingement Heat Transfer: Correlations and Numerical Modeling

Uses of impinging jet devices for heat transfer are described, with a focus on cooling applications within turbine systems. Numerical simulation techniques and results are described, and the relative strengths and drawbacks of the κ-e, κ-ω, Reynolds stress model, algebraic stress models, shear stress transport, and ν2f turbulence models for impinging jet flow and heat transfer are compared.
Hox11-family genes XHox11 and XHox11L2 in xenopus: XHox11L2 expression is restricted to a subset of the primary sensory neurons.

The mouse genome contains a small family of homeobox genes related to Hox11, but relatively little is known about the expression of these genes during early development. Hox11 itself is expressed in the embryonic spleen, among other tissues, and is required for its formation. No description of Hox11L2 expression has been presented previously. We have isolated the Xenopus orthologs of Hox11 and Hox11L2 and have carefully compared their expression patterns during embryogenesis. The localization of Xhox11 transcripts in the branchial arches, cranial sensory ganglia and spinal cord is similar, but not identical, to that of mouse Hox11. Xhox11 expression is not detected in the developing spleen. XHox11L2 is expressed exclusively in a portion of the primary sensory system in the frog embryo, including the cranial sensory ganglia and the Rohon-Beard sensory neurons. There is significant overlap in the patterns of Xhox11 and XHox11L2 expression in the spinal cord and cranial sensory ganglia during early development, suggesting that they may function redundantly in these tissues. The timing of Xhox11 and Xhox11L2 expression indicates that Hox11-family members may participate in the final stages of the differentiation process. Dev Dyn 1999;214:34–43. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Subcellular localization of thyroxine and reverse triiodothyronine outer ring monodeiodinating activities.

In order to examine the subcellular localization of outer ring T4- and rT3-monodeiodinating activities, nuclear, mitochondrial, microsomal, cytosol, and plasma membrane fractions of rat liver homogenate were incubated with either T4 or rT3 in phosphate buffer (pH 7.35) in the presence of 2 mM dithiothreitol for 15 min at 37 C, and the amount of product (T3 in the case of T4 and 3,3′-diiodothyronine in the case of rT3) was measured by specific RIA. The various tissue fractions were also examined for the relative concentration of various marker enzymes. T4 and rT3 monodeiodinating activities correlated better with enzyme markers of plasma membranes than of any other subcellular fraction in most tissue fractions. A fraction could be isolated, however, in which the monodeiodinating activities correlated better with the enzyme markers of microsomes than of plasma membranes. The various data suggest that plasma membranes and microsomes are two main sites of T4- and rT3- monodeiodinating activities. The location...
Welcome to cultural competency: surgery's efforts to acknowledge diversity in residency training.

Background Although cultural competency is not a new concept in healthcare, it has only recently been formally embraced as important in the field of surgery. All physicians, including and especially surgeons, must acknowledge the potential influence of culture in order to provide effective and equitable care for patients of all backgrounds. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) recognizes cultural competency as a component of "patient care," "professionalism," and "interpersonal and communication skills." Methods A systematic literature search was conducted using the MEDLINE, EBSCOhost, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. All publications focusing on surgical residents and the assessment of patient care, professionalism, interpersonal and communication skills, or specifically cultural competency and/or were considered. This initial search resulted in 12 articles. To further refine the review, publications discussing curricula in residencies other than surgery, the assessment of technical, or clinical skills and/or without any explicit focus on cultural competency were excluded. Results Based on the specified inclusion and exclusion criteria, 5 articles were selected. These studies utilized various methods to improve surgical residents' cultural competency, including lectures, Objective Structural Clinical Examinations (OSCE), and written exercises and evaluations. Conclusions A number of surgical residency programs have made promising strides in training culturally competent surgeons. Ultimately, in order to maximize our collective efforts to improve the quality of health care, the development of cultural competency curricula must be made a priority and such training should be a requirement for all trainees in surgical residency programs.
Autonomy, coordination, and stimulation, in relation to scientific achievement

In recent years an increasing amount of literature has discussed the relationship between organizational freedom and individual achievement. Analyzing data from research and development organizations, the authors were puzzled by the fact that having great autonomy increased the performance of engineers but not of Ph.D's. The authors of this article search for clues to the solution of the puzzle.
A Bayes approach to reliability prediction utilizing data from accelerated life tests and field failure observations

A Bayes approach is proposed to improve product reliability prediction by integrating failure information from both the field performance data and the accelerated life testing data. It is found that a product's field failure characteristic may not be directly extrapolated from the accelerated life testing results because of the variation of field use condition that cannot be replicated in the lab-test environment. A calibration factor is introduced to model the effect of uncertainty of field stress on product lifetime. It is useful when the field performance of a new product needs to be inferred from its accelerated life test results and this product will be used in the same environment where the field failure data of older products are available. The proposed Bayes approach provides a proper mechanism of fusing information from various sources. The statistical inference procedure is carried out through the Markov chain Monte Carlo method. An example of an electronic device is provided to illustrate the use of the proposed method. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Do protection orders affect the likelihood of future partner violence and injury

Abstract Background Approximately 20% of U.S. women who experience intimate partner violence (IPV) annually obtain a civil protection order (CPO). The effect of these orders on future abuse has been estimated in only a few studies, with mixed results. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of a CPO on the risk of future self-reported IPV and injury. Methods In this prospective cohort study of 448 adult female Seattle WA residents with IPV between October 1997 and December 1998, interviews were conducted at baseline, 5 months, and 9 months after the index incident. Odds ratios (ORs) estimated risks of contact; unwelcome calls or visits; threats; weapon threats; psychological, sexual, or physical abuse or injury; and abuse-related medical care among women who obtained a CPO after the index incident, compared with those who did not. Results Women who obtained a CPO following the index IPV incident had significantly decreased risk of contact by the abuser (OR=0.4); weapon threats (OR=0.03); injury (OR=0.3); and abuse-related medical care (OR=0.2) between the first and second follow-up interviews. Stronger decreases in risk were seen among women who had maintained the CPO throughout follow-up, which were significant for contact by the abuser (OR=0.2); weapon threats (OR=0.02); psychological abuse (OR=0.4); sexual abuse (OR=0.2); physical abuse (OR=0.3); injury (OR=0.1); and abuse-related medical care (OR=0.1) between first and second follow-up interviews. Conclusions CPOs are associated with decreased likelihood of subsequent physical and nonphysical IPV.
Is that what I said?: witnesses' responses to interviewer modifications.

Modifications occur when interviewers contradict statements made by witnesses or imply that witnesses provided information that they (interviewers) did not provide. Because of their suggestive nature, modifications threaten the reliability of investigative interviews. This study investigated developmental differences in witnesses' responses to modifications during interviews as well as in inclusion of modified misinformation in subsequent answers. Preschool, elementary school, and college students were interviewed about a video presentation. In the experimental conditions, the interviewer contradicted information about the video provided by the participants. Participants then answered two sets of follow-up questions: one immediately following the interview and another 6–8 days later. Results indicated that participants were more likely to ignore modifications than to correct or agree with them. Adult participants were most likely to disagree with modifications. Preschoolers were most likely to incorporate modified misinformation into subsequent answers. Implications of these findings for investigative interviews are discussed.