cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Associative and motor learning in 12-month-old transgenic APP+PS1 mice.

Abstract Doubly transgenic 12-month-old amyloid precursor protein and presenilins 1 (APP + PS1) mice ( n = 14) and littermate control mice ( n = 17) were tested on eyeblink classical conditioning—a task impaired in humans with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Mice were also tested on a motor learning task (rotorod) and on sensory tasks (prepulse inhibition [PPI] and acoustic startle). Transgenic mice had impaired motor performance on rotorod. Overall, APP + PS1 mice performed similarly to controls on both 500 ms delay and 500 ms trace eyeblink conditioning as well as on prepulse inhibition (PPI) and acoustic startle. However, within the transgenic group, cortical amyloid burden correlated significantly with decreased trace eyeblink conditioning. Moreover, cortical amyloid burden and hippocampal microglia activation correlated significantly with decreased PPI. These data suggest that only those transgenic mice with the most severe amyloid pathology exhibited deficits in hippocampus-dependent tasks. Transgenic mouse models of amyloid deposition differ from Alzheimer patients not only by the absence of major neuronal loss, but also by the general absence of severe impairments in eyeblink conditioning, except for mice with the greatest amyloid pathology.
Pressure-assisted capillary electrophoresis coupling with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometric imaging for quantitative analysis of complex peptide mixtures.

Herein, we report a pressure-assisted capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometric imaging (PACE-MSI) platform for peptide analysis. This new platform has addressed the sample diffusion and peak splitting problems that appeared in our previous groove design, and it enables homogeneous deposition of the CE trace for high-throughput MALDI imaging. In the coupling of CE to MSI, individual peaks (m/z) can be visualized as discrete colored image regions and extracted from the MS imaging data, thus eliminating issues with peak overlapping and reducing reliance on an ultrahigh mass resolution mass spectrometer. Through a PACE separation, 46 tryptic peptides from bovine serum albumin and 150 putative neuropeptides from the pericardial organs of a model organism blue crab Callinectes sapidus were detected from the MALDI MS imaging traces, enabling a 4- to 6-fold increase of peptide coverage as compared with direct MALDI MS analysis. For the first time, quantitation with high accuracy was obtained using PACE-MSI fo...
Background and Radiation-induced 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine in γ-irradiated Escherichia Coli

The DNA base damage product, 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (7-hydro-8-oxo-2′-deoxyguanosine, or 8-OHdG) was measured in 2′-deoxyribonucleoside digests of DNA from irradiated E. coli or model DNA using HPLC separation and electrochemical detection (LCED). The LCED technique enabled the specific quantitation of 25 fmol of 8-OHdG (signal: noise ratio = 4:1) among a variety of DNA base lesions within the sample. A radiation dose-yield relationship for 8-OHdG was observable in cells that were rapidly lysed after irradiation using a chloroform-saturated, sarkosyl and EDTA solution at 4°C (Tilby and Loverock 1983). The observed yield of 8-OHdG was 7·05 ± 0·27 pmol J−1 and was against a background of 120 8-OHdG per E. coli genome. This yield translates to an average of 12 additional 8-OHdG lesions per genome at the mean lethal dose. The low radiochemical yield and high background suggests that factors other than the toxicity of 8-OHdG per se–such as its participation in clusters of base lesions (e.g. Ward 1985)–mus...
Experimental petrology of normal MORB near the Kane Fracture Zone: 22°–25° N, mid-Atlantic ridge

Melting experiments carried out at 1-atm and at 2 kbar on mid-ocean ridge basalts dredged from the mid-Atlantic ridge near the Kane Fracture Zone (KFZ, 22° to 25° N. latitude) provide a basis for evaluating the role of crystal fractionation in generating compositional variability observed in “normal” mid-ocean ridge basalt. The 1-atm olivine-plagioclase-clinopyroxene saturation boundary for KFZ lavas defines a path in mineral projection schemes and in oxide-oxide diagrams that is displaced from the same experimentally determined boundaries in FAMOUS (Grove and Bryan 1983) and Oceanographer Fracture Zone (Walker et al. 1979) basalts. The glass margins of sparsely phyric KFZ lavas record small amounts of near surface, low pressure fractional crystallization, and their glass and bulk rock compositions are similar. An important signature of low pressure differentiation is recorded in the quenched glass margins of moderately phyric KFZ lavas compared to their bulk rock compositions, and the glass has evolved along low-pressure fractionation paths that are similar to those produced in the 1-atm experiments. Many of the lavas have retained phenocrysts in equilibrium proportions, so that their bulk rock compositions represent liquid compositions. When the effects of near-surface differentiation and crystal accumulation are removed from the Kane data set, and only liquid compositions are considered, a suite of basalt magmas can be identified that forms a trend in mineral component projection schemes parallel to the 1-atm oliv-plag-cpx multiple saturation boundary, but displaced from it toward olivine. These basalts have only olivine and plagioclase as phenocrysts, and are well removed from clinopyroxene saturation at low pressure. The compositional variation can not be generated by mixing any primary liquid composition with a low pressure liquid that has evolved along the oliv-plag-cpx multiple saturation boundary. Major and trace element models of this trend using olivine, plagioclase and clinopyroxene as fractionating phases match the compositional variability. This compositional trend is generated by fractionation at pressures greater than 2 kbar, but within the plagioclase stability field. A review of the data for other normal MORB suites from this part of the mid-Atlantic ridge reveals a similar elevated pressure fractionation signature which persists when the effects of low pressure magma mixing are removed from the data set.
Producer‐Controlled Marketing Organizations, Self‐Regulation, and Economic Welfare: Minimum Quality Standards in Agricultural Markets

Many agricultural producer-controlled marketing organizations (PCMOs) have direct or indirect control over the amount or quality distribution of production marketed by the industry. We analyze the decision of these organizations whether to impose a minimum quality standard (MQS), and the impact of such standards on producer, consumer, and total welfare. An MQS can enhance net welfare because it may correct for deficient production of high-quality product by the industry in the absence of an MQS, even though an MQS causes the destruction or diversion of low-quality products. However, any MQS imposed voluntarily by a profit-maximizing PCMO decreases the welfare of all consumers of the product and is also highly likely to reduce net (producer plus consumer) welfare. De nombreux organismes de commercialisation controles des producteurs agricoles exercent un controle direct ou indirect sur la quantite ou la qualite de la production commercialisee par l’industrie. Nous avons analyse l’idee de ces organismes d’imposer ou non une norme de qualite minimale ainsi que les repercussions eventuelles de ce genre de norme sur les producteurs, les consommateurs et le bien-etre total. L’imposition d’une norme de qualite minimale peut contribuer a accroitre le bien-etre net puisqu’elle peut pallier la production insuffisante de produits de haute qualite par l’industrie en l’absence d’une norme de qualite minimale, bien qu’elle puisse entrainer la destruction ou le detournement de produits de qualite inferieure. Il n’en demeure pas moins que l’imposition volontaire d’une norme de qualite minimale par un organisme de commercialisation controle des producteurs agricoles qui vise la maximisation des profits diminue le bien-etre de tous les consommateurs du produit et risque aussi de diminuer le bien-etre net (soit celui des producteurs et des consommateurs).
An elementary proof of the theorem that absolute gauge integrability implies Lebesgue integrability

It is commonly known that absolute gauge integrability, or Henstock-Kurzweil (H-K) integrability implies Lebesgue integrability. In this article, we are going to present another proof of that fact which utilizes the basic definitions and properties of the Lebesgue and H-K integrals.
Blockade of 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion (MPP+) nigral toxicity in the rat by prior decortication or MK-801 treatment: a stereological estimate of neuronal loss.

1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine, (MPTP), produces a parkinsonian syndrome both in man and in experimental animals. Its toxicity is mediated by a metabolite, the 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion (MPP+). When injected into the striatum, MPP+ is accumulated by dopaminergic nerve terminals and retrogradely transported to the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) where it causes neuronal degeneration. MPP+ accumulates in mitochondria and blocks complex 1 of the electron transport chain. A proposed mechanism of neurotoxicity isexcitotoxic neuronal degeneration induced by this energy depletion. We examined whether either prior decortication or administration of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, (+)-5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[a,d]cyclohepten-5,10-imine maleate (MK-801) could prevent or diminish the selective nigral neuronal degeneration that follows unilateral intrastriatal injection of MPP+. We quantified the extent of neuronal death in the SNc ipsilateral and contralateral to the injections on Nissl-stained sections with unbiased stereological techniques. One week after injection of MPP+, approximately 75% of the SNc neurons were lost on the side of the injection. The loss was a consequence of the reduction in both SNc volume and neuronal density. Both prior decortication or the administration of MK-801 for 2 days nearly completely prevented MPP+-induced neuronal loss in the ipsilateral SNc. These results are consistent with an NMDA receptor mediated excitotoxic mechanism for MPP+-induced nigral toxicity.
Case-based reasoning in fixture design

Fixtures are designed to accurately locate and secure a part during machining operations such that the part can be manufactured to design specifications. To reduce the design costs associated with fixturing, various computer-aided fixture design (CAFD) methods have been developed through the years to assist the fixture designer. One approach is to use a case-based reasoning (CBR) approach where relevant design experience is retrieved from a design library, and adapted to provide a new fixture design solution. Indexing design cases is a critical issue in any CBR approach, and CBR systems can suffer from an inability to distinguish between cases if indexing is inadequate. This paper presents a CAFD methodology that adopts a rigorous approach to defining the indexing attributes in which Axiomatic Design "Functional Requirement" decomposition is adopted. Thus, a design requirement is decomposed in terms of functional requirements, physical solutions are retrieved and adapted for each individual requirement, and the design is then re-constituted to form a complete fixture design. Furthermore, adaptability is used as the basis by which designs are retrieved in place of the normal attribute similarity approach, which can sometimes return a case that is difficult or impossible to fix.© (2004) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Role of Sp1 and Sp3 in the Nutrient-regulated Expression of the Human Asparagine Synthetase Gene

The human asparagine synthetase (AS) gene responds to depletion of mammalian cells for either amino acids or carbohydrates. Five specific cis-elements have been implicated: three GC boxes (GC-I, GC-II and GC-III) and two nutrient-sensing response elements (NSRE-1, -2). This study shows that all three GC boxes are required to maintain basal transcription and to obtain maximal induction of the AS gene by amino acid limitation. However, there is not complete redundancy among the three GC boxes, and there is a hierarchy of importance with regard to transcription (GC-III > GC-II > GC-I). In vitro, two GC boxes formed protein-DNA complexes (GC-II and GC-III) with Sp1 and Sp3. Although transcription of the AS gene is elevated by nutrient limitation, the absolute amount of these protein-DNA complexes and the total pools of Sp1 and Sp3 did not increase. A small, but detectable portion of Sp1 was modified by phosphorylation following amino acid deprivation. In vivo, expression of Sp1 and Sp3 inDrosophila SL2 cells increased AS promoter activity. Sp1 expression increased basal transcription but did not cause a further increase when SL2 cells were amino acid-deprived. Sp3 expression enhanced both the basal and the starvation-induced transcription.
Speedup of a sparse system simulation

Optimistic and conservative simulation algorithms have been effective for speeding up the execution of many simulation programs. Event stepped techniques have also been shown to be effective for certain types of problems. This paper presents a conjecture that sparse systems are effectively simulated by conservative and optimistic techniques, where sparseness is characterised by the ratio of output generating states to non-output generating states. The speedup results for a representative sparse simulation are shown to support this conjecture.
Chinese policy toward the Third World and the superpowers in the UN General Assembly 1971–1977: a voting analysis

An analysis of 344 selected votes in the four major issue areas in the UN General Assembly from 1971 to 1977 examines the question whether China has fulfilled its promise to support the Third World and oppose the superpowers. The findings are: 1) China was much more favorable to the Third World than to the West in this period and more supportive of the developing nations than of the Communist bloc on all except colonial issues; 2) China voted with the Third World more often than with the Communist nations, even when colonial issues were included; 3) China was least friendly to the United States on the majority of issues and in all years; and 4) the Soviet Union was the most anti-China nation in the Communist world, and of the four permanent members of the Security Council, Soviet voting agreement with China was the third lowest on political and security issues in the overall period and was often the lowest on arms control and disarmament. Thus at least within the context of UN voting, China has succeeded in developing its pro-Third World and anti-superpower position, particularly on economic and security issues.
The Science and Fiction of Emerging Rickettsioses

As newly recognized rickettsial diseases and rickettsial pathogens increase in scope and magnitude, several elements related to the concept of emerging rickettsioses deserve consideration. Newly identified rickettsiae may be mildly pathogenic, or perhaps even nonpathogenic, and have little direct impact on human or animal health, yet nonetheless wield considerable influence on the epidemiology and ecology of historically recognized diseases. In this context "new" rickettsioses provide a lens through which "old" rickettsioses are more accurately represented. Predicting pathogen from nonpathogen is not an exact science, particularly as so few rickettsiae have been broadly accepted as nonpathogenic by contemporary rickettsiologists. However, various factors relating to specific physiologic requirements and molecular machinery of the particular rickettsia, as well as characteristics of its invertebrate host that either position or exclude the rickettsia from infecting a human host, must be considered. Close inspection of mild or atypical forms of historically recognized rickettsioses and a greater emphasis on culture- and molecular-based diagnostic techniques are the keys to identifying future rickettsial agents of disease.
Asymptotic and mean square stability conditions for hybrid jump linear systems with performance supervision

This paper addresses the asymptotic and mean square stability of a class of linear stochastic hybrid systems. The systems of interest are composed of a high-level supervisor that drives a closed-loop jump linear system using an external Markovian input and a performance measure of the closed-loop system. Two new testable sufficient conditions for the asymptotic and mean square stability of these so-called hybrid jump linear systems with performance map are introduced. The first condition is also sufficient to determine the asymptotic stability of a deterministic switched system under arbitrary switching. A new testable necessary condition for the asymptotic stability of switched systems is also introduced.
Effect of Common Over-the-Counter Medications on Blood Alcohol Levels

OBJECTIVE:T o assess the clinical and legal significance of the potential pharmacokinetic interaction between common over-the-counter (OTC) medications and alcohol that may result in increased blood alcohol levels (BALs).DATA SOURCES:A MEDLINE search (1966–February 2000) of English-language articles was performed using the terms aspirin, acetaminophen, histamine (H2)-receptor antagonist, ethanol, and blood alcohol level and then supplemented by a bibliographic review of relevant articles.STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION:Two H2-receptor antagonist studies using methodologies representative of other published trials and a meta-analysis of 24 H2-receptor antagonist trials were chosen for detailed review. All identified studies examining aspirin and acetaminophen were addressed.DATA SYNTHESIS:More than 30 studies have examined the potential interaction between OTC drugs and blood alcohol. Because this issue has important medical and legal implications for patients, prescribing physicians, and pharmaceutica...
Transition from Rolling to Firm Adhesion Can Be Mimicked by Extension of Integrin αLβ2 in an Intermediate Affinity State

AlphaLbeta2 affinity for intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) is regulated by the conformation of the alphaL I domain, which is in turn controlled by the conformation and orientation of other adjacent domains. Additionally, overall integrin conformation (bent versus straightened) influences the orientation of the I domain and access to its ligands, influencing adhesive efficiency. The open or high affinity I domain conformation supports strong adhesion, whereas the closed, low affinity conformation mediates weak interactions or rolling. We have previously suggested that alphaLbeta2 can also exist on the cell surface in an intermediate affinity state. Here we have studied the adhesive properties of integrin alphaLbeta2 containing mutant I domains with intermediate affinities for ICAM-1. In an overall bent conformation, the intermediate affinity state of alphaLbeta2 is hardly detected by conventional adhesion assays, but robust adhesion is seen when an extended conformation is induced by a small molecule alpha/beta I allosteric antagonist. Intermediate affinity alphaLbeta2 supports more stable rolling than wild-type alphaLbeta2 under shear conditions. Moreover, antagonist-induced extension transforms rolling adhesion into firm adhesion in a manner reminiscent of chemokine activation of integrin alphaLbeta2. These findings suggest the relevance of intermediate affinity states of alphaLbeta2 to the transition between inactive and active states and demonstrate the importance of both I domain affinity and overall integrin conformation for cell adhesion.
Frequency of Complete Cleft Sacra in a Native American Sample

Thepurposeofthispaperistocontributetothecurrentunderstandingofthevariabilityofcompletesacralcleftsin human populations by presenting new data on a large prehistoric and historic Native American skeletal sample (n=1943). Results are examined by age, sex, time period, and regional distribution and compared with reported frequencies of complete sacral clefts in other modern, historic, and ancient populations. In all, 1.6% of the sample exhibited complete sacral clefts, including 2.1% of males and 1.1% of females. Although males exhibit a frequency twice as high as females, this difference is not statistically significant. However, within the Alaskan sample, the sex difference was significant (p=0.002), with 3.4% of males and 0.5% of females exhibiting complete clefts; these differences may be related to mechanical influences during growth and develop- ment in males. Differences among age groups are not significant. Regional comparisons among Alaska, Eastern Woodlands, Great Basin/Northwest/California, Great Plains, and Southwest showed no significant differences overall, but Alaska (2.2%) and Great Plains (0.5%) do show a significant difference (p=0.024). No significant differences were found between prehistoric, protohistoric, and historic/recent samples, suggesting a lack of a secular trend in frequency of complete sacral clefts in Native American populations. One individual exhibited an enlarged canal, which may be indicative of a more severe condition. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
HIGH-DOSE THERAPY AND TRANSPLANTATION FOR LOW-GRADE LYMPHOMA

Because of the indolent natural history of low-grade lymphomas, long follow-up is needed to assess the overall success of high-dose therapy and autografting. Results to date suggest that patients with brief first or second remission with chemotherapy or those who attain only a partial remission with second-line or subsequent chemotherapy, but remain drug sensitive, may enjoy prolonged remissions relative to conventional treatment. The role of autografting in first remission is uncertain because the data from clinical trials are not mature. Furthermore, the risk of myelodysplasia after transplantation, the broad range of therapeutic alternatives available, and the option to give high-dose therapy upon relapse argue against autografting as primary treatment. Although purging the autograft of residual lymphoma as assessed by molecular methods has been associated with longer remission duration in one major center, the data from published series are remarkably similar, whether the graft was purged or not. Promising anecdotal data suggest that allogeneic transplantation for low-grade lymphoma deserves further study in prospective clinical trials.
Laboratory Functional Age

The results of several laboratory and pulmonary function tests from a group of healthy male veterans were entered into a regression equation. Forced expiratory volume, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and hemoglobin had Beta weights which, when combined with a constant, gave a laboratory functional age. This functional age was compared with the Ss' chronological age. It was found that some Ss were functionally older than their chronological age and several older Ss were considerably younger functionally than the majority whose values fell within ±2 SD of the mean of the group. Outlier Ss (functionally older or younger) from the psychology, sociology and anthropometry disciplines of the same study were compared with the laboratory functional age. Nearly all coincident outliers were older or younger in all disciplines, suggesting that perhaps aging occurs as a continuum in all phases rather than at very different rates in the various body systems.
Learning Complex Neural Network Policies with Trajectory Optimization

Direct policy search methods offer the promise of automatically learning controllers for complex, high-dimensional tasks. However, prior applications of policy search often required specialized, low-dimensional policy classes, limiting their generality. In this work, we introduce a policy search algorithm that can directly learn high-dimensional, general-purpose policies, represented by neural networks. We formulate the policy search problem as an optimization over trajectory distributions, alternating between optimizing the policy to match the trajectories, and optimizing the trajectories to match the policy and minimize expected cost. Our method can learn policies for complex tasks such as bipedal push recovery and walking on uneven terrain, while outperforming prior methods.
Long-term pharmacologic management of atrial fibrillation in the elderly.

The first decision to be made in treating atrial fibrillation in the elderly is to determine whether to pursue a treatment strategy of rate control or rhythm control. Both strategies require use of anticoagulation therapy with warfarin (target international normalized ratio, 2.5; range 2-3). If a decision is made for rhythm control, the critical therapy is almost always with an antiarrhythmic drug. Before selecting an antiarrhythmic drug for use, it is first necessary to determine the presence or absence of underlying structural heart disease, as that will affect the available options for antiarrhythmic drug use. If there is no underlying structural heart disease, any of the available antiarrhythmic drugs may be used, although a clinically reasoned approach is suggested. If there is underlying structural heart disease, not all antiarrhythmic drugs are appropriate for use. A clinically reasoned approach is suggested in the presence of coronary artery disease, left ventricular dysfunction /congestive heart failure, or hypertension based largely on the risk/benefit profile of the drugs.
Persistent Amyloidosis following Suppression of Aβ Production in a Transgenic Model of Alzheimer Disease

Background: The proteases (secretases) that cleave amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide from the amyloid precursor protein (APP) have been the focus of considerable investigation in the development of treatments for Alzheimer disease. The prediction has been that reducing Aβ production in the brain, even after the onset of clinical symptoms and the development of associated pathology, will facilitate the repair of damaged tissue and removal of amyloid lesions. However, no long-term studies using animal models of amyloid pathology have yet been performed to test this hypothesis. Methods and Findings: We have generated a transgenic mouse model that genetically mimics the arrest of Aβ production expected from treatment with secretase inhibitors. These mice overexpress mutant APP from a vector that can be regulated by doxycycline. Under normal conditions, high-level expression of APP quickly induces fulminant amyloid pathology. We show that doxycycline administration inhibits transgenic APP expression by greater than 95% and reduces Aβ production to levels found in nontransgenic mice. Suppression of transgenic Aβ synthesis in this model abruptly halts the progression of amyloid pathology. However, formation and disaggregation of amyloid deposits appear to be in disequilibrium as the plaques require far longer to disperse than to assemble. Mice in which APP synthesis was suppressed for as long as 6 mo after the formation of Aβ deposits retain a considerable amyloid load, with little sign of active clearance. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that amyloid lesions in transgenic mice are highly stable structures in vivo that are slow to disaggregate. Our findings suggest that arresting Aβ production in patients with Alzheimer disease should halt the progression of pathology, but that early treatment may be imperative, as it appears that amyloid deposits, once formed, will require additional intervention to clear.
Time-domain hybrid formulations for wave simulations in three-dimensional PML-truncated heterogeneous media

SUMMARY We are concerned with the numerical simulation of wave motion in arbitrarily heterogeneous, elastic, perfectly-matched-layer-(PML)-truncated media. We extend in three dimensions a recently developed twodimensional formulation, by treating the PML via an unsplit-field, but mixed-field, displacement-stress formulation, which is then coupled to a standard displacement-only formulation for the interior domain, thus leading to a computationally cost-efficient hybrid scheme. The hybrid treatment leads to, at most, third-order in time semi-discrete forms. The formulation is flexible enough to accommodate the standard PML, as well as the multi-axial PML. We discuss several time-marching schemes, which can be used a la carte, depending on the application: (a) an extended Newmark scheme for third-order in time, either unsymmetric or fully symmetric semi-discrete forms; (b) a standard implicit Newmark for the second-order, unsymmetric semi-discrete forms; and (c) an explicit Runge–Kutta scheme for a first-order in time unsymmetric system. The latter is well-suited for large-scale problems on parallel architectures, while the second-order treatment is particularly attractive for ready incorporation in existing codes written originally for finite domains. We compare the schemes and report numerical results demonstrating stability and efficacy of the proposed formulations. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Client-Provider relationship in comprehensive substance abuse treatment: Differences in residential and nonresidential settings

As the substance abuse service system shifts from primarily residential to primarily nonresidential settings, it becomes important to understand how substance abuse treatment processes and outcomes may vary across service setting. Research increasingly indicates that, along with specific treatment and service strategies, client–provider relationship is an important ingredient in effective substance abuse treatment. This study uses a moderator–mediator analysis of a comprehensive service model to examine how the relation between client– provider relationship and substance abuse treatment outcomes may differ in residential and nonresidential settings. The study used data collected for the National Treatment Improvement Evaluation Study, a prospective, cohort-based study of U.S. substance abuse treatment programs and their clients, with an analytic sample of 59 publicly funded service delivery units and 3,027 clients. Structural equation modeling is used to assess the structural relations and causal connections between treatment process and treatment outcome variables. Results indicate that for nonresidential settings, a better client–provider relationship is directly related to improved outcomes of treatment duration and reduced posttreatment substance use and is indirectly related to both outcomes through provision of services matched to client needs. In residential settings, the quality of the client–provider relationship is unrelated to process or outcome variables. The findings point to the importance of the client–provider relationship in all settings but particularly in outpatient settings where there are limited physical constraints
Teachers' Perceptions of Giftedness:

This investigation examined prospective and experienced teachers' perceptions of relatedness among abilities. Participants included 111 undergraduate education students without teaching experience and 79 graduate students who were experienced teachers. Students were required to indicate the resemblance among 20 different kinds of abilities, using sorting, similarity ratings, and/or trait ratings. These data were analyzed using clustering, multidimensional scaling, and factor analysis approaches. Both prospective and experienced teachers tended to agree on five categories of giftedness: analytic or cognitive ability, personality and social Skills, creative arts, motor skitts, and verbal ability. Although the findings resemble Gardner's (1983) "multiple intelligences" and suggest that teachers hold appropriate beliefs about relationships among abilities, further investigations are required to explore the extent to which their conceptions relate to their day-to-day interactions, judgments, and decisions in t...
Perusing The Headwaters Of Diversity Among University Presidents

Females and minorities are gaining clout in higher education as the numbers of graduates in each of these groups indicate. Diversity among university presidents is a reality. Indications are that the number of women receiving advanced degrees will continue to grow for some time. Low estimates of graduation rates among women and minorities from years ago do not hold. The impacts of this reality in higher education will continue to be felt for some time.
Performance model for characterizing AC modules and predicting their power

PV modules and their inverting electronics are becoming increasingly more integrated. When a PV module and microinverter are completely integrated a new class of PV system, the AC module, is created. Unfortunately, existing characterization and modeling techniques require separate characterization of PV and inverting components. Thus, existing methods are incapable of modeling AC modules. We have developed an empirical performance model capable of characterizing and modeling an AC module. The model is capable of predicting the active power from an AC module in a typical application with RMSE of approximately 1% of the reference power of the AC module. This paper describes the model form and presents the validation results in terms of model residuals.
SHORELINE AT JETTY DUE TO CYCLIC AND RANDOM WAVES

This paper examines the effects of random and deterministic cycling of wave direction on the updrift beach planform adjacent to a jetty. Results provided using a simplified numerical model cast in dimensionless form indicate the importance of the time series of wave direction in determining design jetty length for a given net sediment transport. Continuous cycling of • wave direction leads to the expected analytical solution. Simplications in the numerical model used restrict the applications to small wave angles, no diffraction, no reflection of waves off structure, no refraction, and no sand bypassing at jetty. The concept can be extended to more sophisticated numerical models.
Comparison of Disinfection Procedures on the Catheter Adapter-Transfer Set Junction

Peritonitis is a significant complication of peritoneal dialysis (PD), contributing to mortality and technique failure. Suboptimal disinfection and/or a loose connection at the catheter adapter-transfer set junction are forms of touch contamination that can compromise the integrity of the sterile fluid path and lead to peritonitis. Proper use of the right disinfectants for connections at the PD catheter adapter-transfer set interface can help eliminate bacteria at surface interfaces, secure connections, and prevent bacteria from entering into the sterile fluid pathway. Three studies were conducted to assess the antibacterial effects of various disinfecting agents and procedures, and ensuing security of the catheter adapter-transfer set junction. An open-soak disinfection procedure with 10% povidone iodine improves disinfection and tightness/security of catheter adapter-transfer set connection.
Image Plane Coding for Terahertz Imaging

Image plane coding is an alternative to focal plane arrays in terahertz imaging devices. A device for terahertz image plane coding is described. Analysis shows that line imaging devices are favored as opposed to two-dimensional imaging.
Direct Soft Prior Regularization in NIR Spectral Tomography from MRI-contrast and Distance-constraints, for Segmentation-free Reconstruction

Results of simulation and patient image reconstructions showed that a distance-constrained direct regularization can improve MRI guided near-infrared breast image quality in terms of less artifacts and higher HbT contrast of the tumor to normal tissue.
Behavioral Determinants of Skiers' Failure to Adjust Release Bindings

The authors undertook a study of the factors that determine whether a skier obtains proper adjustment of his or her release bindings. Skiers are more likely to have their bindings adjusted if they believe it will prevent injury and inadvertent release. Respected groups within the skiing community should vigorously promote proper binding care in order to encourage more skiers to have their bindings professionally adjusted.
Ductal Carcinoma In Situ

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is defined as abnormally proliferating malignant cells confined to the breast milk ducts by the basement membrane. The prognosis of DCIS with microinvasion (DCISM) is intermediate between those of DCIS and invasive ductal cancer. DCIS is diagnosed most commonly as a mammographic abnormality but can occasionally present as a palpable breast mass. Therapy for DCIS is personalized for each patient based on tumor-to-breast size ratio, mammographic appearance, margin width, and patient preference. The benefits and risks of breast-conserving surgery versus mastectomy should be discussed in detail. Overall survival after breast-conserving therapy is equivalent to mastectomy. Re-excision is recommended for positive margins and, although debated, pathologic margins less than 2 mm. For breast conservation therapy, radiation therapy is recommended to reduce the risk of local recurrence. Mastectomy is indicated in patients with persistently positive margins after attempts at breast conservation, a contraindication to radiation therapy, or diffuse, malignant-appearing calcifications or whose anxiety about local recurrence outweighs the impact of mastectomy on quality of life. Patients undergoing mastectomy for DCIS should have sentinel lymph node biopsy. Immediate breast reconstruction should be considered for patients undergoing mastectomy. Endocrine therapy such as tamoxifen is offered for 5 years to women with estrogen receptor-positive DCIS. Patients with DCIS should have annual clinical breast exams and annual mammographic imaging of all remaining breast tissue.
Improved Determination of Subnuclear Position Enabled by Three-Dimensional Membrane Reconstruction.

Many aspects of chromatin biology are influenced by the nuclear compartment in which a locus resides, from transcriptional regulation to DNA repair. Further, the dynamic and variable localization of a particular locus across cell populations and over time makes analysis of a large number of cells critical. As a consequence, robust and automatable methods to measure the position of individual loci within the nuclear volume in populations of cells are necessary to support quantitative analysis of nuclear position. Here, we describe a three-dimensional membrane reconstruction approach that uses fluorescently tagged nuclear envelope or endoplasmic reticulum membrane marker proteins to precisely map the nuclear volume. This approach is robust to a variety of nuclear shapes, providing greater biological accuracy than alternative methods that enforce nuclear circularity, while also describing nuclear position in all three dimensions. By combining this method with established approaches to reconstruct the position of diffraction-limited chromatin markers-in this case, lac Operator arrays bound by lacI-GFP-the distribution of loci positions within the nuclear volume with respect to the nuclear periphery can be quantitatively obtained. This stand-alone image analysis pipeline should be of broad practical utility for individuals interested in various aspects of chromatin biology, while also providing, to our knowledge, a new conceptual framework for investigators who study organelle shape.
A new window into the lung

The ability to image inside the body first became a reality in 1973 with the introduction of computed tomography, an X-ray technique that builds a three-dimensional picture from a series of "slices" through the body. Other techniques, such as positron-emission tomography, single-photon emission computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, have been developed since then, establishing medical imaging as a vital tool for diagnosing a range of medical conditions.
Multiple facets of overconfidence: Implications for driving safety

Abstract This study sought to advance understanding of overconfidence in driving, and its relationship to safety-relevant individual difference factors. We compared the traditional, general above average affect (AAE) in driving ability with an assessment of AAE in relation to compensation for impairments, such as intoxication, fatigue and distraction. General driving and driving impairment AAEs were found to be distinct with unique relationships to illusory control, driver stress, and self-reported unsafe driver behaviors (errors, violations, lapses). Illusory control was associated with driving impairment AAE but not with general driving AAE. Both AAEs were negatively related to dislike of driving but related differently to other criteria. Risk factors related to self-estimation (violations, thrill-seeking) were distinct from factors related to competence relative to peers (aggression). Men scored more highly than women did on both AAEs. Trivia and driving calibration tasks were used to discriminate three aspects of a recent Bayesian belief updating model of overconfidence: overestimation, overplacement (AAE), and overprecision. Findings indicated that overplacement in the calibration tasks was related to AAE, its conceptual equivalent. There was a significant gender difference in overplacement but no gender difference in overprecision. The unique relationships between various types and facets of overconfidence, and driving-relevant individual differences, support the need for tailoring safety interventions to drivers of differing psychological characteristics.
Direct Imaging of Liquid Domains by Cryotem in Submicron Vesicles

The distribution of lipids and proteins within the plasma membranes of living cells appears to be heterogeneous on short time and length scales. In model membranes containing ternary or quaternary mixtures of lipids, the presence of submicron domains has been inferred by indirect methods such as FRET, neutron diffraction, and NMR. In cases when the indirect methods rely on model-dependent assumptions, it is ideal to verify the results through direct microscopy. However, direct imaging of submicron membrane domains presents significant experimental challenges.
Successful Collaboration of Hospital Libraries and Schwartz Center Rounds

ABSTRACTMedical librarians have felt a need to prove the relevance of hospital libraries in an increasingly digital world and have endeavored to demonstrate the advantages of their service to patrons by joining in new collaborations. Adapting to new technologies and trying new forms of outreach have been successful innovations for medical libraries involved in partnerships active in three hospitals working with the Schwartz Center Rounds program. A contemporary focus on increasing compassion in all aspects of healthcare has been the basis of enthusiastic acceptance of supplementary resources and information provided by hospital librarians to assist clinical teams and co-workers in discussions about difficult challenges in healthcare.
Preschoolers: not just very young children

Pediatric neuropsychologists are keenly aware through their didactic education and experiential background that principles and procedures related to adult onset brain disease and disorder are often...
Navigating a poor performance evaluation.

IT WAS LATE FRIDAY afternoon. Mary was trying to tie up some loose ends before a planned weekend off work. A few minutes before Mary's shift ended, she received a high-priority e-mail from her nurse manager asking her to stop by the office before leaving to receive her annual performance evaluat
Revision arthroscopic rotator cuff repair: repair integrity and clinical outcome: surgical technique.

BACKGROUND: Literature regarding the outcomes of revision rotator cuff repair is limited. The purposes of the present study were to report the tendon repair integrity and clinical outcomes for a cohort of patients following revision arthroscopic rotator cuff repair and to examine factors related to tendon healing and the influence of healing on clinical outcomes. METHODS: Twenty-one of twenty-nine consecutive revision arthroscopic rotator cuff repairs with a minimum of two years of postoperative follow-up were retrospectively reviewed. Outcomes were evaluated on the basis of a visual analog pain scale, the range of motion of the shoulder, the Simple Shoulder Test, the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, and the Constant score. Ultrasonography was used to examine repair integrity at a minimum of one year following surgery. Ten shoulders underwent arthroscopic repair of a recurrent single-tendon posterior rotator cuff tear, whereas eleven shoulders had repair of both the supraspinatus and infraspinatus. RESULTS: The mean age of the twenty-one subjects was 55.6 years; thirteen subjects were male and eight were female. Complete preoperative and postoperative clinical data were available for nineteen subjects after an average duration of follow-up of thirty-three months. Significant improvements were seen in terms of postoperative pain (p < 0.05), the Simple Shoulder Test score (p < 0.05), the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons function (p < 0.05) and total scores (p < 0.05), active forward elevation (p < 0.05), and active external rotation (p < 0.05). Postoperative ultrasound data were available for all twenty-one shoulders after a mean duration of follow-up of twenty-five months. Ten (48%) of the twenty-one shoulders had an intact repair. Seven (70%) of the ten single-tendon repairs were intact, compared with three (27%) of the eleven supraspinatus/infraspinatus repairs (p = 0.05). Patient age (p < 0.05) and the number of torn tendons (p = 0.05) had significant effects on postoperative tendon repair integrity. Shoulders with an intact repair had better postoperative Constant scores (p < 0.05) and scapular plane elevation strength (p < 0.05) in comparison with those with a recurrent tear. CONCLUSIONS: Revision arthroscopic rotator cuff repair results in reliable pain relief and improvement in shoulder function in selected cases. Approximately half of the revision repairs can be expected to be intact at a minimum of one year following surgery. Patient age and the number of torn tendons are related to postoperative tendon integrity. The postoperative integrity of the rotator cuff can have a significant influence on shoulder abduction strength and the Constant score.
Dosing of Etelcalcetide and Cinacalcet for Secondary Hyperparathyroidism.

To the Editor In the study by Dr Block and colleagues,1 the effect of etelcalcetide on reducing serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels in patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism receiving hemodialysis was compared with cinacalcet. This 26-week randomized, double-blind, double-dummy controlled trial was designed to demonstrate noninferiority between 2 calcimimetics for the primary end point of the proportion of patients achieving more than a 30% reduction in PTH levels from baseline. Demonstration of superiority on PTH reduction was a secondary end point. The authors concluded noninferiority and superiority for etelcalcetide compared with cinacalcet. However, comparative claims require a fair comparison between treatments, and the dosing algorithm in this trial appeared to favor etelcalcetide.