cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Advances in antiarrhythmic drug therapy.

Publisher Summary Recently, electrophysiologic studies have suggested that the arrhythmias leading to sudden cardiac death may have a different mechanism and pathophysiology from those producing frequent premature ventricular contractions. This has led to the speculation that agents that affect the duration of the action potential and His-Purkinje and ventricular muscle refractoriness by blocking potassium channels may alter the sudden cardiac death syndrome. A number of new agents that are known to block potassium channels in these tissues have recently commenced basic and clinical studies. All evidence available at this time suggests the need for new antiarrhythmic compounds with improved or different mechanisms of action to combat the frequency of symptomatic cardiac arrhythmias, and the mortality that results from the more refractive forms. This chapter presents the pharmacology and chemistry of existing and new antiarrhythmic drugs, together with pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic actions of the drugs. Particular emphasis on the interaction of these antiarrhythmic drugs with other cardiac and noncardiac drugs and in disease states is made.
Organic Ionic Liquids: Ultimate Green Solvents in Organic Synthesis

Over the years, ionic liquids have gained significant attention in organic synthesis and other areas of chemistry as environmentally benign solvents. Unlike traditional solvents, ionic liquids offer several advantages such as being nonvolatile, noncorrosive, immiscible in organic solvents, easily stored and handled, producing less hazardous waste, and easily recovered in terms of materials during the reaction work-up. Their role in enhancing reaction rates and selectivity is well documented in the literature. Ionic liquids have proved to be an important alternative over traditional solvents in a variety of synthetic transformations. In this account, we highlight some of the advancements over the last decade in the development of ionic liquids as solvents in organic synthesis.
Revisiting the Energetic Efficiency Hypothesis: Body Mass, Metabolism, and Food Chain Length

Abstract There is a longstanding interest in describing the factors determining food chain length in ecological communities. Likewise, there has been considerable interest in explaining why food chain lengths differ in terrestrial and aquatic systems. The ‘energetic efficiency hypothesis' predicts endothermy and body size should be negatively correlated with food chain length. Using a large database of published food webs, we assessed the relationships between food chain length, endothermy, body size, and food-web structure. We utilized 77 published food webs spanning marine, freshwater, and terrestrial systems, ranging in species richness from 8–224 taxa. As expected, mean food chain lengths (MFCLs) in aquatic systems were significantly longer than those of terrestrial systems, even when comparing food webs of similar size and species richness. Endotherms were more numerous and occurred lower in terrestrial food chains compared to aquatic ones. Endotherms were also consumed by fewer predators and fed on ...
Vigabatrin in Refractory Complex Partial Seizures: The Evidence of its Therapeutic Value:

Vigabatrin (Sabril®) has recently been granted approval in the Unites States for the adjunctive treatment of complex-partial seizures in adults. The drug was first evaluated as a potential therapy for this population decades ago, and it has been available in other parts of the world for some time. Well controlled studies demonstrate that at doses up to 3 g/day, the drug is efficacious as add-on therapy for treatment resistant seizures. However, vigabatrin has been associated with significant side-effects limiting its use, and relegating it to a late therapeutic alternative. Specifically, vigabatrin has been implicated in the development of irreversible peripheral vision loss in a significant number of patients. For this reason, the approval of the drug in the United States was contingent upon the introduction of a rigorous monitoring protocol that must accompany its use. Additionally, the drug has been associated with a relatively high incidence of psychiatric disturbances, although there is disagreement about a direct correlation of these symptoms to the drug. Still, the drug remains a viable alternative for patients who have failed therapy with traditional anti-seizure medications.
Direct Measurements of Sediment Sound Speed and Attenuation in the Frequency Band of 2–8 kHz at the Target and Reverberation Experiment Site

The sediment acoustic-speed measurement system is designed to measure in situ sediment sound speed and attenuation within the surficial 3 m of sediments in the frequency band of 2–8 kHz. Measurements were carried out during the Target and Reverberation EXperiment 2013 (TREX13) off Panama City, FL, USA. During TREX13, nine deployments at five selected sites were made along the 20-m isobath, termed the main reverberation track. The sediment types at the five selected sites ranged from coarse sand to a mixture of soft mud over sand, and the measured results show a spread of 80 m/s in sediment sound speed among the different types of sediments for all frequencies. Between 2–8 kHz, about 3% dispersion was observed at the sandy sites, whereas little dispersion was observed at the sites with mud. Preliminary attenuation results show 0.5–3.3 dB/m at the sandy sites, and 0.5–1.0 dB/m at the sites with mud in the same frequency band.
Deep high dynamic range imaging of dynamic scenes

Producing a high dynamic range (HDR) image from a set of images with different exposures is a challenging process for dynamic scenes. A category of existing techniques first register the input images to a reference image and then merge the aligned images into an HDR image. However, the artifacts of the registration usually appear as ghosting and tearing in the final HDR images. In this paper, we propose a learning-based approach to address this problem for dynamic scenes. We use a convolutional neural network (CNN) as our learning model and present and compare three different system architectures to model the HDR merge process. Furthermore, we create a large dataset of input LDR images and their corresponding ground truth HDR images to train our system. We demonstrate the performance of our system by producing high-quality HDR images from a set of three LDR images. Experimental results show that our method consistently produces better results than several state-of-the-art approaches on challenging scenes.
When Do Professionals Aggressively Pursue Client Interests? The Influence of Identity

Professionals serve multiple competing interests, including those of their clients, the state, and the professional service firms for which they work. Using the lens of identity, we explore when patent lawyers are more likely to aggressively pursue securing broadly scoped patents on behalf of their clients by concealing known prior art during the patent application process. We find that patent lawyers are more likely to do so when representing clients with whom they are highly embedded and who are associated with the lawyers’ dominant market identities. Such an aggressive stance toward the interests of such clients is particularly pronounced when patent lawyers entered their legal careers through the regulatory ‘revolving door’; prior experience as government patent examiners provides lawyers tacit perspective from the other side of the fence that enables them to strongly pursue the interests of clients with whom they strongly identify. In contrast, we find that lawyers employed by high-status law firms t...
Cancer Prevention During Early Adulthood: Highlights From a Meeting of Experts

Using a life course approach, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Cancer Prevention and Control and the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors co-hosted a 2-day meeting with 15 multidisciplinary experts to consider evidence linking factors in early adulthood to subsequent cancer risk and strategies for putting that evidence into practice to reduce cancer incidence. This paper provides an overview of key themes from those meeting discussions, drawing attention to the influence that early adulthood can have on lifetime cancer risk and potential strategies for intervention during this phase of life. A number of social, behavioral, and environmental factors during early adulthood influence cancer risk, including dietary patterns, physical inactivity, medical conditions (e.g., obesity, diabetes, viral infections), circadian rhythm disruption, chronic stress, and targeted marketing of cancer-causing products (e.g., tobacco, alcohol). Suggestions for translating research into practice are framed in the context of the four strategic directions of the National Prevention Strategy: building healthy and safe community environments; expanding quality preventive services in clinical and community settings; empowering people to make healthy choices; and eliminating health disparities. Promising strategies for prevention among young adults include collaborating with a variety of community sectors as well as mobilizing young adults to serve as advocates for change. Young adults are a heterogeneous demographic group, and targeted efforts are needed to address the unique needs of population subgroups that are often underserved and under-represented in research studies.
Impact of forest-related conservation easements on contiguous and surrounding property values

Abstract We apply the hedonic pricing method to analyze the effects of conservation easements (CEs) on surrounding vacant land parcel prices within the Metropolitan Atlanta Statistical Area (MASA). First, we collected data on forest related CEs in 30 counties in MASA and randomly sampled 312 land parcels from these same counties for information related to land parcels. The distance between each property and the nearest CE, and between each pair of properties, are calculated and used to find spatial dependence. Results show that the total number of CEs in properties' surrounding areas enhances property values. In addition, the proximity to CE-protected open space after the CEs are established have positive price effects on the surrounding properties, and this effect diminishes with distance.
The role of prior causal theories in generalization

OCCAM is a program which organizes memories of events and learns by creating generalizations describing the reasons for the outcomes of the events. OCCAM integrates two sources of information when forming a generalization: • Correlational information which reveals perceived regularities in events. • Prior causal theories which explain regularities in events The former has been extensively studied in machine learning. Recently, there has been interest in explanation-based learning in which the latter source of information is utilized. In OCCAM, prior causal theories are preferred to correlational information when forming generalizations. This strategy is supported by a number of empirical investigations. Generalization rules are used to suggest causal and intentional relational relationships. In familiar domains, these relationships are confirmed or denied by prior causal theories which differentiate the relevant and irrelevant features. In unfamiliar domains, the postulated causal and intentional relationships serve as a basis for the construction of causal theories.
Novel Biomonitoring Techniques for Phenolics and Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons

A substrate recycling assay for phenolic compounds was developed using tyrosinase in excess NADH. The reaction of various phenols with the enzyme produced an o-quinone, which was then detected by recycling between reactions with the enzyme and NADH. Absorbance measurements of the NADH consumption rate enhanced the assay sensitivity for catechol 100-fold compared to non-recycling o-quinone detection, giving a detection limit of 240 nM. Fluorescence NADH monitoring permitted a further tenfold improvement over absorbance, with a detection limit of 23 nM. The procedure was useful for assaying catechol, several derivatives of catechols, including chloro and amine derivatives, phenols, and 4-chlorophenol, with relative sensitivity being related to substrate activity of the enzyme.
Data Clustering and Self-Organizing Maps in Biology

Abstract In his 1936 article, “The use of multiple measurements in taxonomic problems,” statistician and biologist Ronald Fisher published a data set that looked at 50 samples from each of three species of Iris flower: Iris setosa, Iris virginica, and Iris versicolor. Each sample consisted of the length and width of the flower sepal and the length and width of the petals, where all four measurement components are in centimeters. Fig. 11.1 is a collection of scatter plots that compares the data of the three species according to plots of the different measurement components. We can clearly see from the plots that the points seem to separate into three fairly distinct groups despite the overlap between I. versicolor and I. virginica. The existence of discriminating features between the three species allowed Fisher to develop a model capable of classifying measurement observations into the correct species of Iris flower.
Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes: Sex and sophistry in the Old Testament - A new English translation

Qohelet (Ecclesiastes). The two books slipped into the Jewish--and eventually Christian--Canon by a series of misrepresentations. The first, Song of Songs, is linguistically the latest book along the Biblical Hebrew dialect continuum, perhaps as late as 300-100 BC to judge by its language, which closely resembles Mishnaic Hebrew (2nd Cent. AD). The book is a lush, carnal poetic account of an illicit love affair, where lusty exchanges between the female beloved and her male lover are interspersed with rustic love songs. The ultimate provenance of the text may be older than the time it was recruited into the Canon, or the time suggested by its late dialect.The second book, Qohelet, is linguistically earlier on the Biblical Hebrew dialect continuum, though still following the return from the Babylonian exile (ca. 550 BC). Unlike Song of Songs, which is linguistically coherent and bears all the marks of having been produced by a native speaker (or speakers), Qohelet is replete with non-native lexical and grammatical usage, and was most likely produced by a speaker (or speakers) of Aramaic, the lingua franca of the Persian empire and the returning exiles. Multiple English translations of the two books exist. Nonetheless, in one way or another all previous translations suffer from two main drawbacks: First, their interpretation of the grammar – and on occasion also the vocabulary – of Biblical Hebrew is sometimes questionable. And second, the poetic quality of their English leaves much to be desired, paling in comparison with the stark beauty of the Hebrew original.This book attempts to do justice to both the contents and form of these two magnificent, deliciously subversive poetic works.
The effects of target contrast on Drosophila courtship

Many animals use visual cues such as object shape, color and motion to detect and pursue conspecific mates. Contrast is another possibly informative visual cue, but has not been studied in great detail. In this study, we presented male Drosophila melanogaster with small, fly-sized, moving objects painted either black, white or gray to test whether they use contrast cues to identify mates. We found that males frequently chased gray objects and rarely chased white or black objects. Although males started chasing black objects as often as gray objects, the resulting chases were much shorter. To test whether the attraction to gray objects was mediated via contrast, we fabricated black and gray behavioral chambers. However, wild-type males almost never chased any objects in these darkly colored chambers. To circumvent this limitation, we increased baseline levels of chasing by thermogenetically activating P1 neurons to promote courtship. Males with thermogenetically activated P1 neurons maintained a similar preference for gray objects despite elevated levels of courtship behavior. When placed in a black chamber, males with activated P1 neurons switched their preference and chased black objects more than gray objects. We also tested whether males use contrast cues to orient to particular parts of the female's body during courtship. When presented with moving objects painted two colors, males positioned themselves next to the gray half regardless of whether the other half was painted black or white. These results suggest that males can use contrast to recognize potential mates and to position themselves during courtship.
Skeletal Muscle mTORC1 Activation Increases Energy Expenditure and Reduces Longevity in Mice

The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTORC1) is a nutrient responsive protein kinase complex that helps co-ordinate anabolic processes across all tissues. There is evidence that signaling through mTORC1 in skeletal muscle may be a determinant of energy expenditure and aging and therefore components downstream of mTORC1 signaling may be potential targets for treating obesity and age-associated metabolic disease. Here, we generated mice with Ckmm-Cre driven ablation of Tsc1, which confers constitutive activation of mTORC1 in skeletal muscle and performed unbiased transcriptional analyses to identify pathways and candidate genes that may explain how skeletal muscle mTORC1 activity regulates energy balance and aging. Activation of skeletal muscle mTORC1 produced a striking resistance to diet- and age-induced obesity without inducing systemic insulin resistance. We found that increases in energy expenditure following a high fat diet were mTORC1-dependent and that elevated energy expenditure caused by ablation of Tsc1 coincided with the upregulation of skeletal muscle-specific thermogenic mechanisms that involve sarcolipin-driven futile cycling of Ca2+ through SERCA2. Additionally, we report that constitutive activation of mTORC1 in skeletal muscle reduces lifespan. These findings support the hypothesis that activation of mTORC1 and its downstream targets, specifically in skeletal muscle, may play a role in nutrient-dependent thermogenesis and aging.
Testing serial correlations in high-dimensional time series via extreme value theory

Abstract This paper proposes a simple test for detecting serial correlations in high-dimensional time series. The proposed test makes use of the robust properties of Spearman’s rank correlation and the theory of extreme values. Asymptotic properties of the test statistics are derived under some minor conditions as both the sample size and dimension go to infinity. The test is not sensitive to the underlying distribution of the time series so long as the data are continuously distributed. In particular, the existence of finite-order moments of the underlying distribution is not required, and asymptotic critical values of the test statistics are available in closed form. In finite samples, we correct biases of the sample autocorrelations and conduct simulations to study the performance of the proposed test statistics. Simulation results show that the proposed test statistics enjoy good properties of size and power in finite samples. We apply the proposed test to a 92-dimensional series of asset returns. Finally, a simple R code is available to obtain finite-sample critical values of the test statistics if needed.
Electromyographic monitoring for pedicle screw placements

Abstract The use of pedicle screws for spinal stabilization has become commonplace during different spinal surgical procedures. However despite the usage of surgical inspection and imaging techniques, the placement of these screws is largely performed blindly. The incidence of misplaced pedicle screws resulting in neurological impairment has been reported to be quite high even with experienced surgeons. New imaging techniques may help to reduce the incidence of misplaced hardware but they are still not free from error. As a result surgeons and clinical neurophysiologists have utilized electrophysiological monitoring techniques for assessing nerve root function and pedicle screw placement during surgery. Based on the published results of numerous investigators, the combined use of spontaneous and triggered myogenic activity for intraoperative monitoring during pedicle screw placement has been shown to be practical, cost effective, and improves surgical outcomes.
Nominal-to-Ordinal Conversion

A nominal variable is one that identifies a class membership, as opposed to having a numerical meaning. Nominal variables can have numeric values yet have no numeric meaning, no sense of quantity or order. The classic example is the month of the year. We may say that June has the value 6 and November has the value 11. Certainly 11 is greater than 6, but this does not mean that November is greater than June.
Benchmarking DNA methylation assays in a reef-building coral

Interrogation of chromatin modifications, such as DNA methylation, has the potential to improve forecasting and conservation of marine ecosystems. The standard method for assaying DNA methylation (whole genome bisulphite sequencing), however, is currently too costly to apply at the scales required for ecological research. Here, we evaluate different methods for measuring DNA methylation for ecological epigenetics. We compare whole genome bisulphite sequencing (WGBS) with methylated CpG binding domain sequencing (MBD-seq), and a modified version of MethylRAD we term methylation-dependent restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (mdRAD). We evaluate these three assays in measuring variation in methylation across the genome, between genotypes, and between polyp types in the reef-building coral Acropora millepora. We find that all three assays measure absolute methylation levels similarly for gene bodies (gbM), as well as exons and 1 Kb windows with a minimum Pearson correlation 0.66. Differential gbM estimates were less correlated, but still concurrent across assays. We conclude that MBD-seq and mdRAD are reliable and cost-effective alternatives to WGBS. The considerably lower sequencing effort required for mdRAD to produce comparable methylation estimates makes it particularly useful for ecological epigenetics.
Rapid removal of nitrate from liquid dairy manure by cationic poly (vinyl alcohol-co-ethylene) nanofiber membrane

Abstract Elevated levels of nitrate in surface water is a leading concern, which impacts human and animal health, and controlling it requires improved and sustainable methods capable of removing nitrate anions from source waste water to reduce nitrate anions transport to environment. In liquid dairy manure, nitrogen content can vary from 200 to 600 ppm and the transport of manure nitrogen into ambient water through hydrologic processes has a potential to exceed the maximum contaminant level limit (10 ppm) of nitrate nitrogen for regulated public water systems. Dairy manure is considered as a reservoir of nitrate. This research investigates on the determination of optimal designing of nanofiber membrane to remove nitrate anions from liquid dairy manure. A cationic poly (vinyl alcohol-co-ethylene) nanofiber membrane (EVOH) NFM was grafted via UV with 2-(methacryloyloxy) ethyl trimethylammonium chloride (DMAC) monomers. The adsorption efficiency of nitrate by the membrane was determined on liquid manure of dairy lagoons located in Central Valley of California. Initial nitrate concentrations in dairy manure varied from 75 to 100 ppm. Results showed that nitrate in dairy water was removed by 70% in 40 min. Tortuous structure and chemical stability of membrane resulted in nitrate dynamic binding capacity of 40 mg g−1. Furthermore, it exhibits efficient reusability without significant changes in its performance using 0.5 M sodium hydroxide solution for nitrate desorption. Results showed that change in pH, and multi-anion conditions had limited effects on nitrate removal efficiency, and EVOH NFM can be a viable option to remove nitrate of liquid manure. This could be used for mitigating transport of excess nitrate from manure to environment. Overall, the results suggest that EVOH-g-DMAC NFM is efficient, low-cost (13 USD/m3) and recyclable material for sustainable removal of nitrate from dairy manure wastewater without requiring any ionic strength or pH adjustment.
Initial Experience with Single-port Robotic-assisted Kidney Transplantation and Autotransplantation.

Abstract Background Compared with the standard open approach, multiport robotic-assisted kidney transplantation (RAKT) has emerged as a less morbid alternative. The use of a single-port robotic approach for kidney transplantation (KT) is presented in this study as having the potential for further reducing the morbidity of KT. Objective To present the technique and evaluate perioperative and short-term (≤1 yr) postoperative outcomes of single-port RAKT. Design, setting, and participants Prospective evaluation of peri- and postoperative outcomes in patients who underwent allograft KT (n = 6) or kidney autotransplantation (n = 3). The IDEAL model ( www.ideal-collaboration.net/framework ) for safe surgical innovation was used. Surgical procedure Kidney allografts from living or deceased donors were transplanted into six patients with end-stage renal disease. Single-port robotic surgery was performed through a 5-cm midline periumbilical abdominal incision with transperitoneal or extraperitoneal approaches. With similar incision and technique, the right or left kidney was removed and autotransplantation was performed in three patients. Measurements Intra- and postoperative variables, and outcomes were assessed with a descriptive analysis. Results and limitations Single-port RAKT procedures were completed successfully, with total operative and vascular anastomosis times ranging from 300 to 450 mins and from 52 to 92 mins, respectively. All six patients had excellent graft function with serum creatinine levels at the last follow-up (2 wk to 1 yr), ranging from 1.2 to 1.5 mg/dl. Renal autotransplantation was also completed successfully with a single-port robotic approach in three patients. The total operative and vascular anastomosis times ranged from 510 to 600 mins and from 65 to 83 mins, respectively. In all three cases, serum creatinine levels remained normal after the surgery and during follow-up, and all remained symptom-free at the time of this writing (4–8 mo after their surgeries). Conclusions In this initial experience, single-port RAKT is feasible with potential benefits such as offering true single-site minimally invasive surgery, extraperitoneal approach, less morbidity, and comparable short-term graft functional outcomes. Patient summary We presented the initial experience with the application of single-port robotic surgery for kidney transplantation and autotransplantation. This technique was found to be safe and effective, with promising postoperative outcomes and potentially with less morbidity.
Estimation of Heart Rate Variability Measures Using Apple Watch and Evaluating Their Accuracy: Estimation of Heart Rate Variability Measures Using Apple Watch

In a pandemic crisis such as the one that the world has been experiencing since January 2020, utilizing remote mobile health monitoring can help monitor the cardiac health of healthy individuals as well as chronically ill patients. Apple Watch is a fitness tracker that measures heart rate and can facilitate this need due to its availability worldwide and relative affordability. Hence, it has the potential of being useful in assessing and monitoring one's cardiac health. This paper reports the preliminary results from an ongoing study aimed at assessing the accuracy of the Apple Watch in measuring heart rate variability. To achieve the goal of the study, concurrent measurements of electrocardiogram (ECG), as a gold standard, and instantaneous Apple Watch heartrate values were made in six (4 male) age 26.4±3.2 years old volunteer healthy subjects. Both time and frequency domain measures of heartrate variability (HRV) were obtained from the recorded ECG and estimated from the Apple Watch instantaneous heartrate values. The results indicate that it may be possible to obtain a reasonable estimate of HRV time-domain and frequency-domain metrics using Apple Watch in healthy subjects.
Donald J. Trump v. Cyrus R. Vance

In the investigation by the Manhattan D.A. of President Trump’s financial dealings, subpoenas were issued calling for Trump’s federal income tax returns. Trump resisted on the grounds that he was immune from prosecution and compulsory judicial process. This chapter analyses the decisions of the district and circuit courts, and of the Supreme Court, all of which rejected Trump’s immunity claims.
Effects of melatonin and progesterone administered to ewes in spring and summer.

Melatonin (MEL) was evaluated for effects on LH, prolactin (PRL) and fertility in spring (Exp. 1, 2) and summer (Exp. 3 to 5). In Exp. 1, 17 ovariectomized ewes bearing estradiol implants were fed 3 mg MEL or vehicle for 44 d beginning May 1. Melatonin decreased (P less than .001) PRL levels but had no effect on LH secretion and response to GnRH. In Exp. 2, 12 ewes each received a 40-d MEL ear implant or a sham implant on March 31. Progesterone-releasing pessaries (CIDR) were applied for 12 d and were withdrawn concomitant with ram joining on May 7. Neither treatment stimulated follicular development or induced estrus or ovulation. Exp. 3 and 4 were contemporary 2 x 2 factorial trials with 24 ewes at each of two locations. Melatonin implants were administered on June 29 and CIDR on July 22. The CIDR were removed and rams (Exp. 3, vasectomized; Exp. 4, fertile) were joined on August 3. Days from introduction of rams to estrus were reduced (P less than .05) by CIDR but not by MEL. All ewes lambed in Exp. 4, and days to estrus and conception were reduced (P less than .001) by CIDR but not by MEL. Exp. 5 was designed like Exp. 4 except that MEL implants were inserted June 20 and rams were joined August 8. Intervals from introduction of rams to estrus were reduced (P less than .01) by both MEL and CIDR treatments.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
System Optimal Dynamic Assignment for Electronic Route Guidance in a Congested Traffic Network

This paper addresses the problem faced by a central controller seeking to optimize overall network performance through the provision of real-time routing information to suitably equipped motorists. Conceptual and mathematical formulations are presented for various scenarios that arise based on the amount of information available to the controller. Principal elements of a dynamic assignment formulation for electronic route guidance systems are discussed, and the associated difficulties for solution methodologies are illustrated. The ideal case of known time-dependent origin-destination flows over the whole planning horizon is formulated as a dynamic system-optimal assignment problem. Extensions and variants of the basic formulation are discussed for incomplete information availability to the central controller.
Association of systemic lupus erythematosus with uranium exposure in a community living near a uranium-processing plant: a nested case-control study.

Objective To explore the hypothesis that cases of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) would be found more frequently in community members with high prior uranium exposure in the Fernald Community Cohort (FCC). Methods A nested case–control study was performed using data from the FCC, a volunteer population of individuals who had resided near a uranium ore–processing plant in Fernald, Ohio during the years of plant operation; uranium plant workers were excluded. Members of the FCC were monitored for 18 years. SLE cases were identified using the American College of Rheumatology 1997 revised classification criteria, laboratory testing, and medical record review. Each case was matched to 4 controls by age, race, and sex. Sera from potential cases and controls were screened for autoantibodies. Cumulative exposure to uranium particulates was calculated using a dosimetry model. Logistic regression with covariates was used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for the probability of an association between uranium exposure and SLE. Results The FCC comprised 4,187 individuals with minimal levels of uranium exposure, 1,273 with moderate exposure, and 2,756 with high exposure. The diagnosis of SLE was confirmed in 23 of 31 individuals who had been assigned International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes for lupus, and was also confirmed in 2 of 43 individuals who had been prescribed hydroxychloroquine. The female to male ratio was 5.25:1. Of the 25 confirmed SLE cases, 12 were in the high exposure group. The presence of SLE was associated with higher levels of uranium exposure (OR 3.92, 95% CI 1.13–13.59; P = 0.031). Conclusion High uranium exposure is associated with SLE, as compared to matched controls, in this sample of uranium-exposed individuals. Potential explanations for this relationship include possible autoimmune or estrogen effects of uranium, somatic mutation, epigenetic effects, or effects of some other unidentified accompanying exposure.
Incremental formal verification of hardware

Formal verification is a reliable and fully automatic technique for proving correctness of hardware designs. Its main drawback is the high complexity of verification, and this problem is especially acute in regression verification, where a new version of the design, differing from the previous version very slightly, is verified with respect to the same or a very similar property. In this paper, we present an efficient algorithm for incremental verification, based on the ic3 algorithm, that uses stored information from the previous verification runs in order to improve the complexity of re-verifying similar designs on similar properties. Our algorithm applies both to the positive and to the negative results of verification (that is, both when there is a proof of correctness and when there is a counterexample). The algorithm is implemented and experimental results show improvement of up to two orders of magnitude in running time, compared to full verification.
Aphids in Corn Research

Introduction Corn, Zea mays L., is the most abundant field crop in Iowa, and there are many insect pests associated with this field crop. Although aphids are not typically economically important in corn, recent observations have indicated several aphid species developing heavy populations in northwest Iowa and southwest Minnesota. Historically, the corn leaf aphid, Rhopalosiphum maidis (Hemiptera: Aphididae), has been the most abundant aphid species in corn. However, the bird cherry oat aphid, R. padi (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and several other species also have been detected. Recent observations show a shift to populations peaking later in the summer. Damage to potential and management guidelines for aphids in corn are not well defined and this research is aimed at developing economic threshold and sampling protocols.
Partnering With Communities to Address the Mental Health Needs of Rural Veterans

Purpose: Many veterans who face mental illness and live in rural areas never obtain the mental health care they need. To address these needs, it is important to reach out to community stakeholders who are likely to have frequent interactions with veterans, particularly those returning from Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF). Methods: Three community stakeholder groups—clergy, postsecondary educators, and criminal justice personnel—are of particular importance for OEF/OIF veterans living in rural areas and may be more likely to come into contact with rural veterans struggling with mental illness or substance abuse than the formal health care system. This article briefly describes the conceptualization, development, initial implementation, and early evaluation of a Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center-based program designed to improve engagement in, and access to, mental health care for veterans returning to rural areas. Findings: One year since initial funding, 90 stakeholders have attended formal training workshops (criminal justice personnel = 36; educators = 31; clergy = 23). Two training formats (a 2-hour workshop and an intensive 2.5-day workshop) have been developed and provided to clergy in 1 rural county with another county scheduled for training. A veteran outreach initiative, which has received 32 referrals for various student services, has been established on 4 rural college campuses. A Veterans Treatment Court also has been established with 16 referrals for eligibility assessments. Conclusions: While this pilot program is in the early stages of evaluation, its success to date has encouraged program and VA clinical leadership to expand beyond the original sites.
Ca2+-activated K+ channels modulate basal and E2β-induced rises in uterine blood flow in ovine pregnancy

Uterine blood flow (UBF) increases >30-fold during ovine pregnancy. During the last trimester, this reflects vasodilation, which may be due to placentally derived estrogens. In nonpregnant ewes, es...
Nonlocal Variational Image Deblurring Models in the Presence of Gaussian or Impulse Noise

We wish to recover an image corrupted by blur and Gaussian or impulse noise, in a variational framework. We use two data-fidelity terms depending on the noise, and several local and nonlocal regularizers. Inspired by Buades-Coll-Morel, Gilboa-Osher, and other nonlocal models, we propose nonlocal versions of the Ambrosio-Tortorelli and Shah approximations to Mumford-Shah-like regularizing functionals, with applications to image deblurring in the presence of noise. In the case of impulse noise model, we propose a necessary preprocessing step for the computation of the weight function. Experimental results show that these nonlocal MS regularizers yield better results than the corresponding local ones (proposed for deblurring by Bar et al.) in both noise models; moreover, these perform better than the nonlocal total variation in the presence of impulse noise. Characterization of minimizers is also given.
Redefining Diaspora through a Phenomenology of Postmemory

This article seeks to intervene in the debates about the definition of diaspora by attending to the way in which it is a phenomenon , rooted in a particular kind of experience and consciousness. This approach seeks to move beyond ontological definitions based on categorical criteria toward a more phenomenological definition that can help us better understand the lived experience of diasporic subjects and the formation of diasporic communities. While these groups do not exist as entities that have some common essence or nature, I insist that they do exist phenomonologically . Rather than an objective, prescriptive definition of diaspora, this essay explores the subjective, descriptive quality of diaspora when approached from the inside , as an experience. A phenomenological approach, therefore, can rescue the term diaspora from its overextensions and case-specific limitations. A key consideration will be the role of memory in creating the phenomenon of diaspora. Diaspora must be understood as a phenomenon that emerges when displaced subjects who experience the loss of an "origin" (whether literal or symbolic) perpetuate identifications associated with those places of origin in subsequent generations through the mechanisms of postmemory.
Privatization and Government Size

A budget constraint view of government shows that privatization need not alter spending when it is implemented without a rule forbidding re-use of the funding backing newly-privatized programs. Only when these funds are eliminated from the budget process (e.g., tax rebates or permanent deficit reduction) can these funds not back new programs or expand existing programs. This is an important caveat since privatization proposals do not contain such rules. With such rules, privatization can increase allocational efficiency and lead to smaller government size.
Forward Prediction of Height-Averaged Capillary Pressure–Saturation Parameters Using the BC-vG Upscaler

There is ongoing interest in approaches for upscaling point (e.g., pixel or voxel scale) measurements of soil hydraulic properties to predict column-scale behavior in the laboratory, or even field-scale processes. We have developed the BC-vG Upscaler for estimating the height-averaged capillary pressure–saturation relationship, ![Graphic][1] , for a given porous medium based on equations used in the TrueCell program. Whereas TrueCell inversely estimates point Brooks and Corey (BC) equation parameters from ![Graphic][2] data, the BC-vG Upscaler uses point BC parameters as inputs for the forward prediction of height-averaged van Genuchten (vG) parameters. The BC-vG Upscaler was verified using previously published, independent point and height-averaged capillary pressure–saturation data sets for silica sand. The capability of the BC-vG Upscaler was demonstrated in three separate applications. The first showed how the program can be used to predict height-averaged vG equation parameters using three different relationships between n and m . The second explored the effects of varying column height on the predicted vG parameters for a hypothetical porous medium. The third used the BC-vG Upscaler to predict height-averaged vG parameters for a 50-cm-tall column based on previously published point BC parameters for a wide range of porous media. The BC-vG Upscaler is available free upon request. It should prove useful for converting point BC parameters into height-averaged vG parameters suitable for inclusion in numerical models for simulating variably saturated flow. The program could also be used to develop new scale-dependent relationships between the parameters of the BC and vG equations. [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif [2]: /embed/inline-graphic-2.gif
Dual-wavelength polarimetric glucose sensing in the presence of birefringence and motion artifact using anterior chamber of the eye phantoms

Noninvasive glucose monitoring is being investigated as a tool for effectively managing diabetes mellitus. Optical polarimetry has emerged as one such method, which can potentially be used to ascertain blood glucose levels by measuring the aqueous humor glucose levels in the anterior chamber of the eye. The key limitation for realizing this technique is the presence of sample noise due to corneal birefringence, which in the presence of motion artifact can confound the glucose signature in the aqueous humor of the eye. We present the development and characterization of a real-time, closed-loop, dual-wavelength polarimetric system for glucose monitoring using both a custom-built plastic eye phantom (in vitro) and isolated rabbit corneas (ex vivo) mounted in an artificial anterior chamber. The results show that the system can account for these noise sources and can monitor physiologic glucose levels accurately for a limited range of motion-induced birefringence. Using the dual-wavelength system in vitro and ex vivo, standard errors were 14.5 mg/dL and 22.4 mg/dL, respectively, in the presence of birefringence with motion. The results indicate that although dual-wavelength polarimetry has a limited range of compensation for motion-induced birefringence, when aligned correctly, it can minimize the effect of time-varying corneal birefringence for a range of motion larger than what has been reported in vivo.
Effects of feedingCuphea oil to three generations of CBA/2 and C57B1/6 mice

Three generations of CBA/2 and C57B1/6 mice were reared on semipurified diets containing either 17.2% beef tallow and 3.5% corn oil or 8.6% beef tallow, 8.6% crudeCuphea oil and 3.5% corn oil. TheCuphea oil contained 76% decanoic acid; therefore, health effects of long-term feeding of moderate amounts of medium-chain triacylglycerols were evaluated. The reproductive performance of both strains of mice varied little with diet but, compared with the F1 generation, survival of F2 and F3 pups was diminished. At several time points during 13 wk,Cuphea feeding suppressed body weights and food intakes of males of three generations of both strains. But during long-term feeding of males (5–12 mon),Cuphea did not suppress body weight or food intake. Mice of both strains developed fatty livers. Mice of the CBA/2 strain had hepatic nodular hyperplasia.Cuphea oil feeding caused no specific pathological changes. Although medium-chain triacylglycerols have been reported to be hypocholesterolemic, the substitution ofCuphea for half of the dietary beef tallow did not suppress serum cholesterol concentrations in males aged 4–13 mon. The effects of long-term substitution of medium-chain triacylglycerols for beef tallow do not differ from feeding the beef tallow diet. Long-term and multigenerational feeding of crudeCuphea oil does not cause any specific toxic effect in mice.
Generalized Query by Transduction for online active learning

Transductive inference has gained popularity in recent years as a means to develop pattern classification approaches that address the specific issue of predicting the class label of a given data point, instead of the more general problem of inferring the ideal classifier function. In this paper, we propose a Generalized Query by Transduction (GQBT) approach for active learning in the online setting. This approach is based on the theory of conformal predictions, which has recently been proposed based on principles of algorithmic randomness, transductive inference and hypothesis testing. The proposed GQBT approach can be used along with any existing pattern classification algorithm, and can also be used to combine multiple criteria in selecting an unlabeled example appropriately in the active learning process. The results of our experiments with different datasets from the UCI Machine Learning repository demonstrate high promise in the proposed approach, with significantly lower label complexities than other existing online active learning approaches. The GQBT approach was also evaluated on face recognition using videos from the VidTIMIT dataset, and the observed superior performance supports the potential of applicability of the proposed approach in real-world problems.
Self-efficacy, therapeutic alliance, and alcohol-use disorder treatment outcomes

Objective: High abstinence self-efficacy reliably predicts better treatment outcomes for patients with alcohol use disorders, but little is known about aspects of treatment that may be particularly beneficial for patients who enter treatment with low self-efficacy. This study examines whether the relationship between self-efficacy and treatment outcomes is influenced by the quality of the therapeutic alliance in Project MATCH (Matching Alcoholism Treatments to Client Heterogeneity), a multisite clinical trial of three treatments for alcohol use disorders. Method: Information on 785 patients in the outpatient sample of Project MATCH was used to test for an interaction between baseline self-efficacy and therapeutic alliance in relation to 1-year alcohol use outcomes. Results: A significant interaction was found between self-efficacy and the therapists& perception of the therapeutic alliance predicting 1-year drinking outcomes. Patients with low self-efficacy who established a strong treatment alliance, as j...
Temperature at six different locations in the fowl's body as affected by ambient temperature.

Abstract MOST investigators determine the body temperature of the fowl by inserting a thermometer or thermister probe into the rectum. However, Boone and Welter (1963) used thermocouples implanted in pectoral muscles. The object of this investigation was to determine the most representative location for temperature determinations. This was accomplished by determining how the various parts of the body respond to an increase in ambient temperature from 27.22°C. (81°F.) to over 32.22°C. (90°F.) in a period of 2 hours in Trial 1 and 2½ hours in Trial 2. Type “T” thermocouples were used to determine the body temperature of 4 adult White Plymouth Rock males by the method of Boone and Welter (1963). Immediately before the first trial, thermocouples were placed in the following six locations in each male: (1) between the pectoralis major (pectoralis superficient) and pectoralis minor (deep pectoral or subclavis); (2) subcutaneously adjacent to pectoralis major; (3) subcutaneously in . . .