cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CLINICAL ORAL PATHOLOGY CONSULTS IN A US DENTAL SCHOOL: A RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF UTILIZATION AND EFFICACY

Introduction Chairside clinical oral pathology consultations are frequently provided in most dental schools; however, the outcome and efficacy of those consults remains largely unanalyzed. We designed a retrospective study to assess the utilization of consults by Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology (OMP) providers at the UF College of Dentistry (UFCOD). Materials and Methods With IRB approval, the clinical record system (AxiUm) at the UFCOD was searched from January 1, 2011 until July 1, 2017 for oral pathology consultations. The following information was collected for these consults: year of consult, requesting clinic, reason/clinical impression, presumptive diagnosis, recommended plan of action, and outcome (follow up). Results A total of 418 consults were included in this study, of which 11 were repeat consults on the same lesion on different occasions. The most frequent clinics requesting consults were in decreasing order: undergraduate DMD clinics, followed by faculty practice, graduate prosthodontics, graduate periodontics clinic, with other clinics requesting consults infrequently. The most common reasons consults were requested in descending order were: white lesions, ulcerations, nodules, pigmented lesions, swellings/enlargements, and erythematous lesions. Radiographic consults were uncommon in our study as at UFCOD, these are usually assigned or re-assigned to oral radiology. The disposition of the consults resulted in the following recommendations: 35% for observation/re-evaluation (ORE) in original clinic, 24% referred for biopsy, 19% treatment in original clinic followed by ORE, 12% referral to specialty clinic for treatment, and 10% multiple recommendations/lesions. In terms of outcome, biopsy and referral compliance was relatively reasonable, however ORE remained problematic. Conclusions This study illustrates the scope and difficulties associated with clinical consults in dental school and identifies areas of potential improvement.
Reversible Aggregation of Covalently Cross-LinkedGold Nanocrystals by Linker Oxidation

Covalent cross-linking of colloidal gold nanocrystals (Au NCs) with dithiol molecules is normally considered to be an irreversible self-assembly process. Left unchecked, dithiol-mediated aggregatio...
Compliant interfaces and fretting corrosion of modular taper junctions in total hip implants: The micromechanics of contact

Abstract Fretting-corrosion tests using varying cantilever-shaped contact geometries (representing varying compliances) were performed using Ti-6Al-4V and CoCrMo alloys in combination. Fretting mechanics and fretting corrosion currents were used to determine fretting corrosion regime boundaries between stick, stick-slip, and slip for each interfacial compliance. Results showed a highly-correlated and material-dependent relationship between work of fretting (dissipated energy) and fretting current. A high interfacial compliance reduced relative fretting micromotion, induced stick and stick-slip conditions at lower loads, and were more robust against smaller displacements. Additional alloy-dependent effects were observed. Fretting corrosion maps were developed to characterize each interface's contact conditions over a range of forces and displacements. These results could be used in design-based solutions that encourage head-neck taper locking, minimizing mechanically-assisted corrosion in vivo.
Recursive Updates of Wildfire Perimeters Using Barrier Points and Ensemble Kalman Filtering

This paper shows how the wildfire simulation tool farsite is augmented with data assimilation capabilities that exploit the notion of barrier points and a constraint-point ensemble Kalman filtering to update wildfire perimeter predictions. Based on observations of the actual fire perimeter, stationary points on the fire perimeter are identified as barrier points and combined with a recursive update of the initial fire perimeter. It is shown that the combination of barrier point identification and using the barrier points as constraints in the ensemble Kalman filter gives a significant improvement in the forward prediction of the fire perimeter. The results are illustrated on the use case of the 2016 Sandfire that burned in the Angeles National Forest, east of the Santa Clarita Valley in Los Angeles County, California.
Under the radar: Everyday sadism predicts both passive-aggressive harms and beneficial actions after accounting for prosocial tendencies

Abstract Two studies examined the predictive value of everyday sadism in determining participants' choices to cause frustration to a hypothetical other, controlling for prosocial characteristics (cognitive and affective empathy, helpfulness). In Study 1 (n = 154), forward-stepwise multiple regression analyses indicated direct physical sadism levels predicted participants' assignment of easy and difficult math items after levels of prosocial characteristics were statistically controlled. In Study 2 (n = 110), forward-stepwise multiple regression analyses indicated participants' levels of direct physical sadism predicted the assignment of easy and difficult math items across two math tasks (a replication of study one and a second math task related to the first). Study 2 analyses also revealed both direct verbal and physical sadism predicted the assignment of moderately difficult math items. Additional analyses further suggest direct verbal sadism predicted choosing to frustrate others in a more common, everyday experience. These findings suggest levels of direct physical and verbal sadism are important independent predictors of individuals' decisions to inflict non-physical forms of frustration on others.
The First Year: Integrating Transactional Skills

This article provides a first-person account of the challenges and benefits of integrating transactional skills and practice into the first-year law school curriculum. It is based on a presentation given at Emory University School of Law’s Third Biennial Conference on Teaching Transactional Law and Skills in November 2012.
Association of the Affordable Care Act with access to highest-volume centers for patients with thyroid cancer.

Abstract Background Disparities exist in access to high-volume surgeons, who have better outcomes after thyroidectomy. The association of the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion with access to high-volume thyroid cancer surgery centers remains unclear. Methods The National Cancer Database was queried for all adult thyroid cancer patients diagnosed from 2010 to 2016. Hospital quartiles (Q1–4) defined by operative volume were generated. Clinicodemographics and adjusted odds ratios for treatment per quartile were analyzed by insurance status. An adjusted difference-in-differences analysis examined the association between implementation of the Affordable Care Act and changes in payer mix by hospital quartile. Results In total, 241,448 patients were included. Medicaid patients were most commonly treated at Q3–Q4 hospitals (Q3 odds ratios 1.05, P = .020, Q4 1.11, P Conclusions Medicaid expansion was associated with an increased proportion of Medicaid patients undergoing thyroidectomy for thyroid cancer in all quartiles, with increased Medicaid access to high-volume centers in expansion compared with nonexpansion states.
Hyperphosphatemia increases inflammation to exacerbate anemia and skeletal muscle wasting independently of FGF23-FGFR4 signaling

Elevations in plasma phosphate concentrations (hyperphosphatemia) occur in chronic kidney disease (CKD), in certain genetic disorders, and following the intake of a phosphate-rich diet. Whether hyperphosphatemia and/or associated changes in metabolic regulators, including elevations of fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) directly contribute to specific complications of CKD is uncertain. Here we report that similar to patients with CKD, mice with adenine-induced CKD develop inflammation, anemia and skeletal muscle wasting. These complications are also observed in mice fed high phosphate diet even without CKD. Ablation of pathologic FGF23- FGFR4 signaling did not protect mice on an increased phosphate diet or mice with adenine- induced CKD from these sequelae. However, low phosphate diet ameliorated anemia and skeletal muscle wasting in a genetic mouse model of CKD. Our mechanistic in vitro studies indicate that phosphate elevations induce inflammatory signaling and increase hepcidin expression in hepatocytes, a potential causative link between hyperphosphatemia, anemia and skeletal muscle dysfunction. Our study suggests that high phosphate intake, as caused by the consumption of processed food, may have harmful effects irrespective of pre-existing kidney injury, supporting not only the clinical utility of treating hyperphosphatemia in CKD patients but also arguing for limiting phosphate intake in healthy individuals.
Mating Is a Give-and-Take of Influence and Communication Between the Sexes

Reproductive interactions between males and females often involve exchanges of signals or stimulation between the sexes, as for example when male–female duetting is used in pair formation. Such exchanges may also be common during copulation. For instance, while males court the female during copulation, females often also touch the male or otherwise move in ways that seem easily perceived by the male. Such movements may offer feedback to males about how the female is reacting or going to react to his efforts. This may have important effects on the dynamics of mate choice and on its consequences for sexual selection and divergence; e.g., the feedback contained in female sexual response may allow males to adjust their behavior in adaptive ways. The presence of male displays and female preferences plus female feedback and male attentiveness may have important consequences for the patterns of assortative mating and fertilization that become established in a population. Here I highlight selected examples of various contexts in which male–female exchanges may occur, before and during copulation. My goal is to initiate a discussion about the sources of selection that may influence the evolution of female feedback to males and of male attentiveness to such feedback and to sketch out some potential consequences for the course of sexual selection.
A corpus of general and specific sentences from news

We present a corpus of sentences from news articles that are annotated as general or specific. We employed annotators on Amazon Mechanical Turk to mark sentences from three kinds of news articles―reports on events, finance news and science journalism. We introduce the resulting corpus, with focus on annotator agreement, proportion of general/specific sentences in the articles and results for automatic classification of the two sentence types.
Do Mail and Internet Surveys Produce Different Item Nonresponse Rates? An Experiment Using Random Mode Assignment

Do Mail and Internet Surveys Produce Different Item Nonresponse Rates? An Experiment Using Random Mode Assignment
Renal histological lesions and outcome in liver transplant recipients.

Tsapenko M, El-Zoghby ZM, Sethi S. Renal histological lesions and outcome in liver transplant recipients. Clin Transplant 2012: 26: E48–E54. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Abstract: Background: Chronic kidney disease in liver transplant (OLT) recipients is often attributed to calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) toxicity, but little is known about the spectrum of their renal histological lesions. Methods: Between 1988 and 2008, 1698 OLTs were performed in our center. We retrospectively analyzed clinical and histological data on 23 recipients (1.4%) referred for kidney biopsy (KB). Results: Median age at OLT was 50.2 yr, 65.2% were men, 30.4% had hepatitis C, and 95.7% were given CNI. KB was performed 6.9 yr (median) post-OLT. Median creatinine was 1 mg/dL pre-OLT and 2.2 mg/dL at KB. Main pathological diagnoses were focal segmental and global glomerulosclerosis (n = 8, 34.8%), glomerular diseases (7, 30.4%), CNI toxicity (2, 8.7%), and diabetic nephropathy (2, 8.7%). Moderate/severe interstitial fibrosis, tubular atrophy, arteriosclerosis, and hyalinosis were present in 47.8%, 43.5%, 60.9%, and 56.5%, respectively. Twelve patients (52.5%) reached end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and 17 (73.9%) died. Death was more common among those reaching ESRD, but the difference was not significant (83.3% vs. 63.6%, p = 0.37). Conclusion: Renal histology is variable and not limited to CNI toxicity in OLT recipients referred for KB. Whether management based on KB findings can directly improve outcomes remains unclear.
Separate vs. Integrated: The Disappearing Debate over the Organization of United States Government Publications in Depository Libraries.

Abstract This article reviews the debate over organization of government documents in libraries. Since Michael Waldo summarized the history of the debate (through 1975), dramatic changes have occurred due to the availability of GPO cataloging. New theories, studies, and experiments have appeared, and the formerly opposed viewpoints appear to be reconciled
EHL Traction in Traction Drives with high contact pressure

Traction Drives have been considered as smooth and efficient power transmitters and much effort has been carried out to investigate traction Traction theories proposed by Johnson and Tevaarwerk and by Bair and Winer seem to satisfy many tribologists and engineers. However, recent experimental results show some discrepancy from those previously reported. In this paper traction theories and experiments are briefly discussed and compared with the authors' traction results under high contact pressure, high speed and high temperature.
Ricci v. DeStefano: Procedural Activism(?)

This Essay analyzes the Supreme Court’s Ricci v. DeStefano decision. The majority Justices – Roberts, Alito, Scalia, Thomas and Kennedy – imposed a legal burden upon the City of New Haven which had never before been applied in Title VII cases, nor argued in the lower tribunals of the immediate case. Despite those circumstances, and the fact that the matter was before the Court on cross-motions for summary judgment, the majority refused to remand to the case to the trial court under that heightened standard, and held that the City violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act because it could not demonstrate its Civil Service Board had a “strong basis in evidence” to reject the firefighter examination results. In doing so, the majority justices, reputedly more aligned with the Bickelian philosophy of exhibiting passive virtues, threw judicial minimalism out the window. This Essay also examines Justice Alito’s concurrence and contends that it too betrays tenets of judicial minimalism. In his zeal to construct a narrative that the White firefighters were victims of unbridled African-American political power, Justice Alito builds his opinion upon foundations of hearsay, hearsay upon hearsay, opinion, and unverified statements – evidence that could neither properly be considered under summary judgment rules nor, in their established form, have reached a jury. This Essay concludes that the majority and concurring justices engaged in procedural activism by sidestepping remand doctrine and evidentiary rules, and ignored the import of affirmative candor as it regards principles of procedure.
Studies on the Mechanism of Fatty Acid Synthesis XVI. PREPARATION AND GENERAL PROPERTIES OF ACYL-MALONYL ACYL CARRIER PROTEIN-CONDENSING ENZYME FROM ESCHERICHIA COLI

Acyl-malonyl acyl carrier protein (ACP)-condensing enzyme, prepared from extracts of Escherichia coli, catalyzes the condensation of acetyl-ACP and malonyl-ACP to form acetoacetyl-ACP. It also catalyzes the condensation of various longer chain saturated acyl-ACP derivatives with malonyl-ACP to form the β-ketoacyl-ACP of the longer homologues. The enzyme is specific for the acyl-ACP derivatives and does not act on acyl coenzyme A derivatives (acetyl-CoA or malonyl-CoA). The enzyme has a functional —SH group and can be readily inhibited by —SH-binding reagents such as N-ethylmaleimide and iodoacetamide. Acetyl-ACP protects the enzyme against thiol-binding reagents, which indicates that an acetyl—S—enzyme complex may be an intermediate in the condensation of acyl-ACP and malonyl-ACP to form β-ketoacyl-ACP.
Motion profiles for deception detection using visual cues

We propose a data-driven, unobtrusive and covert method for automatic deception detection in interrogation interviews from visual cues only. Using skin blob analysis together with Active Shape Modeling, we continuously track and analyze the motion of the hands and head as a subject is responding to interview questions, as well as their facial micro expressions, thus extracting motion profiles, which we aggregate over each interview response. Our novelty lies in the representation of the motion profile distribution for each response. In particular, we use a kernel density estimator with uniform bins in log feature space. This scheme allows the representation of relatively over-controlled and relatively agitated behaviors of interviewed subjects, thus aiding in the discrimination of truthful and deceptive responses.
Policy mapping for establishing a national emergency health policy for Nigeria

The number of potential life years lost due to accidents and injuries though poorly studied has resulted in tremendous economic and social loss to Nigeria. Numerous socio-cultural, economic and political factors including the current epidemic of ethnic and religious conflicts act in concert in predisposing to and enabling the ongoing catastrophe of accident and injuries in Nigeria. Using the "policymaker", Microsoft-Windows® based software, the information generated on accidents and injuries and emergency health care in Nigeria from literature review, content analysis of relevant documents, expert interviewing and consensus opinion, a model National Emergency Health Policy was designed and analyzed. A major point of analysis for the policy is the current political feasibility of the policy including its opportunities and obstacles in the country. A model National Emergency Health Policy with policy goals, objectives, programs and evaluation benchmarks was generated. Critical analyses of potential policy problems, associated multiple players, diverging interests and implementation guidelines were developed. "Political health modeling" a term proposed here would be invaluable to policy makers and scholars in developing countries in assessing the political feasibility of policy managing. Political modeling applied to the development of a NEHP in Nigeria would empower policy makers and the policy making process and would ensure a sustainable emergency health policy in Nigeria.
Coordination of Performance Standards on Moisture Control in Buildings

Changing and expanding uses of consensus standards favor their organization in the format of clusters composed of concise specific documents covering different aspects of a broad subject. A framework for a cluster format on the control of water-induced damage in building constructions has been developed, and is hereby proposed for adoption. The framework defines distinctions among design strategies, construction requirements, material properties, and test methods to be covered by separate but interrelated documents. It permits easy identification of inadequate coverage in specific areas. It allows separation between condensation and surface water control strategies and technologies. It also provides an opportunity for redefinition of the critical applicable technical terms and effective coordination with other related documents. Clustered consensus standards are better protected against untimely obsolescence than those written in a comprehensive format.
Watermarking with dirty paper codes

Several researchers have begun to view watermarking as communication with side information at the transmitter. Theoretical work on this type of communication suggests it is best to use codes that represent each message with many, alternative codewords. Such codes are referred to here as dirty-paper codes, in reference to Costa's (1983) article. The present paper describes an experiment in which a correlation-based watermarking system is modified to employ dirty-paper codes. Test results show that, as the number of watermark patterns representing a given message increases from 1 (as in a conventional system) to 1024, the watermark can be embedded with increasing fidelity. This improvement in fidelity allows the use of low-frequency patterns, which are inherently more robust than white noise.
Role of the 25-, 27-, and 29-kilodalton flagellins in Caulobacter crescentus cell motility: method for construction of deletion and Tn5 insertion mutants by gene replacement.

Caulobacter crescentus incorporates two distinct, but related proteins into the polar flagellar filament: a 27-kilodalton (kDa) flagellin is assembled proximal to the hook and a 25-kDa flagellin forms the distal end of the filament. These two proteins and a third, related flagellin protein of 29 kDa are encoded by three tandem genes (alpha-flagellin cluster) in the flaEY gene cluster (S.A. Minnich and A. Newton, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 84: 1142-1146, 1987). Since point mutations in flagellin genes had not been isolated their requirement for flagellum function and fla gene expression was not known. To address these questions, we developed a gene replacement protocol that uses cloned flagellin genes mutagenized by either Tn5 transposons in vivo or the replacement of specific DNA fragments in vitro by the antibiotic resistance omega cassette. Analysis of gene replacement mutants constructed by this procedure led to several conclusions. (i) Mutations in any of the three flagellin genes do not cause complete loss of motility. (ii) Tn5 insertions in the 27-kDa flagellin gene and a deletion mutant of this gene do not synthesize the 27-kDa flagellin, but they do synthesize wild-type levels of the 25-kDa flagellin, which implies that the 27-kDa flagellin is not required for expression and assembly of the 25-kDa flagellin; these mutants show slightly impaired motility on swarm plates. (iii) Mutant PC7810, which is deleted for the three flagellin genes in the flaEY cluster, does not synthesize the 27- or 29-kDa flagellin, and it is significantly more impaired for motility on swarm plates than mutants with defects in only the 27-kDa flagellin gene. The synthesis of essentially normal levels of 25-kDa flagellin by strain PC7810 confirms that additional copies of the 25-kDa flagellin map outside the flaEY cluster (beta-flagellin cluster) and that these flagellin genes are active. Thus, while the 29- and 27-kDa flagellins are not absolutely essential for motility in C. crescentus, their assembly into the flagellar structure is necessary for normal flagellar function.
Block and Head Analysis

Analysis is a key component of engine design and development. While analysis is utilized in the design of many engine components, it is most prevalent and necessary for cylinder blocks and heads because of both their complex geometric structure and the compound loading mechanisms driving fatigue. Effective application of analysis is key to move the analysis process upstream to have a greater impact early in the design process. Affecting the design process earlier results in fewer prototype builds and less redesign during development. Proven analysis approaches have been developed to more effectively apply advanced computer-aided engineering (CAE) analysis to cylinder blocks and heads. This analysis includes both CFD to determine boundary conditions for cooling and thermal loading and FEA for fatigue evaluation of the structure. Results of cylinder block and head analysis should be tied to real component durability measures through mechanical development testing on rigs and engines and field performance through warranty databases and field test activities. Keywords: analysis; CFD; FEA; CAE; cylinder; head; block; process; thermal; structural; temperature; stress; EFR; relative; absolute
A decentralized adaptive ECN marking algorithm

Fair resource allocation in high-speed networks such as the Internet can be viewed as a constrained convex program. Kelly, Maulloo and Tan (see Journal of the Operational Research Society, vol.49, p.237-52, 1998) have shown that an unconstrained penalty function formulation of this problem can be used to design congestion controllers that are stable. We examine the question of providing feedback from the network such that the congestion controllers derived from the penalty function formulation lead to the solution of the original unconstrained problem. This can be viewed as the decentralized design of early congestion notification (ECN) marking rates at each node in the Internet to ensure global loss-free, socially-optimal operation of a fluid model of the network.
Developing Effective Knowledge-Based Systems: Overcoming Organizational and Individual Behavioral Barriers

This article deals with the situational theory of management and develops situational guidelines for managers planning knowledge-based system development and introduction within their organizations. It includes a discussion of two specific company situations and the different ways in which the general approaches to implementing knowledge-based systems are applied to meet the unique situational requirements of each company.
Imbrication of the external anal sphincter may yield similar functional results as overlapping repair in selected patients

Objective Overlapping external anal sphincter repair is the preferred procedure for incontinent patients with functional yet anatomically disrupted anterior external anal sphincter. When incomplete disruption, thinning or technically difficult mobilization of the external anal sphincter occurs, imbrication without division may be the more feasible surgical option. The aim of the study was to assess retrospectively the indications for external anal sphincter imbrication in patients who underwent either overlapping external anal sphincter repair or external anal sphincter imbrication, and to compare the success rates. Method Patients who had external anal sphincter repair and follow up of at least 3 months were studied. Fecal incontinence was measured using the validated Wexner fecal Incontinence Scoring system (0 = perfect continence, 20 = complete incontinence); postoperative scores 0–10 were interpreted as successful, and scores of 11–20 as failures. Results A total of 131 females who had anal sphincter repair between 1988 and 2000 were analysed. One hundred and twenty-one patients had overlapping external anal sphincter repair (group I), and 10 had external anal sphincter imbrication (group II). Indications for external anal sphincter imbrication were attenuation of the external anal sphincter without overt defect (n = 5), partial disruption of external anal sphincter with muscle fibres bridging the scar (n = 2), thick bulk of scar between the muscle edges (n = 2), and wide lateral retraction of the muscle edges (n = 1). There were no statistically significant differences between the groups relative to preoperative incontinence score (16.5 vs 16.5, P = 0.99), pudendal nerve terminal motor latency assessment (left 9.6%vs 0.0%, P = 0.19; right 13.4%vs 11.1%, P = 0.84), and extent of electromyography pathology (61%vs 47%, P = 0.30). The patients in group I were younger than those in group II (mean age 50.8 years vs. 61.7 years, respectively; P = 0.052) and the length of follow-up was significantly longer (32.3 months vs 14.3 months, respectively; P < 0.0001). Both procedures had similar success rates (59.5%vs 60%; P = 0.98). Conclusion Imbrication of the external anal sphincter may yield similar results as overlapping external anal sphincter repair in patients with incomplete external anal sphincter disruptions, external anal sphincter attenuation, and in patients presenting with wide lateral retraction of the muscle edges.
The isomers of cocaine and tropacocaine: effect on 3H-catecholamine uptake by rat brain synaptosomes.

Abstract Compared to (+)- pseudo cocaine, (−)-cocaine was 20 times more potent in inhibiting uptake of 3 H-norepinephrine ( 3 HNE) by cortical synaptosomes and 66 times more potent with respect to 3 H-dopamine ( 3 HDA) uptake by striatal synaptosomes. Although the tropacocaine isomers were equipotent as inhibitors of 3 HNE uptake in the cortex, tropacocaine was 3.9 times more potent as an inhibitor of 3 HDa uptake in the striatum than pseudo tropococaine. A major known cocaine metabolite, benzoylecgonine failed to inhibit the accumulation of 3 HNE and 3 HDA by synaptosomes from the cortex and striatum, respectively. The implications of these findings in relation to the motor stimulation seen with (−)-cocaine, (+)- pseudo cocaine and benzoylecgonine in rats are discussed.
Stratospheric hydrogen peroxide: The relationship of theory and observation

Current theory of stratospheric photochemistry indicates that the photochemical lifetime of hydrogen peroxide (H/sub 2/O/sub 2/) is short enough in the middle stratosphere (1 day) that the H/sub 2/O/sub 2/ abundance can be considered to be photochemically controlled. However, H/sub 2/O/sub 2/ should still be expected to show significant temporal and spatial variability through its sensitivity to transport-related fluctuations in O/sub 3/, NO/sub y/( = NO+NO/sub 2/+HNO/sub 3/+HNO/sub 4/), and H/sub 2/O. From the available observational data on short-term variability in these longer-lived species, H/sub 2/O/sub 2/ concentrations should vary temporally four- or fivefold at altitudes between 15 and 35 km. This concentration range about the model profile includes two recently reported upper limits for mid-stratospheric H/sub 2/O/sub 2/. The earlier tentative identification of stratospheric H/sub 2/O/sub 2/ by Waters et al. (1981) is somewhat larger than the expected upper limit of variation based on a one-dimensional transport-kinetics model. Several implications for stratospheric observation of H/sub 2/O/sub 2/ arise from its expected variability. Model-predicted H/sub 2/O/sub 2/ abundances are very sensitive to important kinetic parameters, but small sets of H/sub 2/O/sub 2/ measurements alone will not be useful to test model behavior. In concert with simultaneous measurements of O/sub 3/,more » H/sub 2/O, and NO/sub y/, H/sub 2/O/sub 2/ abundances could be use to closely verify model treatment of HO/sub x/( = HO+HO/sub 2/) photochemistry. Finally, the HO/sub x/ abundance and its partitioning between HO and HO/sub 2/ are quantities of great importance in the chemistry of the mid and lower stratosphere. Inference of these values from H/sub 2/O/sub 2/ and some other independent quantity related to HO/sub x/ involves knowledge of only a small set of photochemical parameters and could supplement direct observation of the radical species.« less
Present role and future potential of type I interferons in adjuvant therapy of high-risk operable melanoma

Few molecular therapeutic approaches have been so rigorously investigated in relation to the pathophysiology and outcome of human diseases as type I interferons. Historically, IFNs were discovered after the phenomenon of 'interference' was first described by Isaacs and Lindenmann in 1957, and for years IFNs (IFNalpha) were considered as potential "antiviral penicillins" until the broader spectrum of effects upon normal cell physiology, the natural and adaptive immune systems, and tumor growth and proliferation were described. Interferon beta (IFNbeta) was the second human gene after insulin to be cloned, and it codes for the first cytokine used to treat human malignancies. Despite the progress in understanding and treating cancer over the last 25 years, IFN alpha (IFNalpha) remains the most commonly used biologically active cytokine in the treatment of solid tumors, and for some like melanoma, the only successful agent. In this review we discuss the role of type I interferons in the pathophysiology and treatment of melanoma, with emphasis on the 22 years of work conducted at the University of Pittsburgh. We discuss potential mechanisms that partially explain the clinical benefit, and set the groundwork for building upon, the design of more effective treatments for this disease.
Reliability of motion detection by young infants measured with a new signal detection paradigm

Abstract The forced-choice preferential looking procedure (FPL: Teller, 1979) was modified to accommodate a yes/no signal detection task for measuring infants' detection of motion. Three experiments are reported that assessed the reliability of detectabilities derived from this new procedure, the sensitivity of the procedure to age differences in motion detectability, and the comparability of estimates of signal detectability produced by the new procedure and the standard, two-alternative, forced-choice procedure (2AFC). The stability of detectability over 1 week was moderately high ( r = .77), and consistency within a session was quite high ( r = .87). Six-week-olds were much less sensitive to motion than were 14-week-olds. The estimates of signal detectability produced by the yes/no procedure were comparable to those produced by the 2AFC procedure. The results demonstrate for the first time that a rigorous yes/no signal detection procedure can be used in infant visual psychophysics.
Experimental Study of the Solids Velocity Field in Gas-Solid Risers

Solids flow dynamics in gas−solid risers is inherently complex. Model refinement through experimental validation requires the acquisition of detailed nonintrusive measurements. In this study, noninvasive computer-automated radioactive particle tracking (CARPT) is employed to visualize and quantify in a three-dimensional domain the solids dynamics and mixing in gas−solid risers. This technique has the added advantage that, along with the derived Eulerian solids flow field (time-average velocity map and various turbulence parameters such as the Reynolds stresses, turbulent kinetic energy), it also provides directly the Lagrangian description of the solids motion. The solids velocity field data are obtained in two different risers at low and high solids fluxes at varying superficial gas velocity to span both the fast-fluidized (FF) and dilute phase transport (DPT) regimes. The effect of operating conditions on solids flow and mixing is studied. Comparative analysis of the results is presented to provide insi...
Cystinuria: mechanisms and management

Cystinuria is a relatively uncommon cause of pediatric stone disease, but has significant morbidity if not properly controlled because of its significant stone recurrence rate. Cystinuria is caused by the inability of the renal tubules to reabsorb filtered cystine, which is poorly soluble at a typical urine pH <7. Although many advances have been made in the understanding of the genetic and physiological basis of cystinuria, the cornerstones of treatment still involve stone prevention with dietary measures and pharmacological therapy, coupled with surgical interventions for stone removal. Pharmacological treatments can carry significant side effects that must be monitored and can limit therapy as well as impede compliance. Most patients will require surgical intervention for stone removal, although compliance with prevention strategies reduces the need for intervention.
SIMS depth profiling of polymer blends with protein based drugs

Abstract We report the results of the surface and in-depth characterization of two component blend films of poly( l -lactic acid) (PLLA) and Pluronic surfactant [poly(ethylene oxide) (A) poly(propylene oxide) (B) ABA block copolymer]. These blend systems are of particular importance for protein drug delivery, where it is expected that the Pluronic surfactant will retain the activity of the protein drug and enhance the biocompatibility of the device. Angle dependant X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) employing an SF5+ polyatomic primary ion source were both used for monitoring the surfactant's concentration as a function of depth. The results show an increased concentration of surfactant at the surface, where the surface segregation initially increases with increasing bulk concentration and then remains constant above 5% (w/w) Pluronic. This surface segregated region is immediately followed by a depletion region with a homogeneous mixture in the bulk of the film. These results suggest the selection of the surfactant bulk concentration of the thin film matrices for drugs/proteins delivery should achieve a relatively homogeneous distribution of stabilizer/protein in the PLLA matrix. Analysis of three component blends of PLLA, Pluronic and insulin are also investigated. In the three component blends, ToF-SIMS imaging shows the spatial distribution of surfactant/protein mixtures. These data are reported also as depth profiles.
Patient anxiety may influence the efficacy of ED pain management

Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of anxiety and rates of anxiety treatment in emergency department (ED) patients presenting with pain-related complaints. Methods We prospectively evaluated patients in an urban academic tertiary care hospital ED from 2000 through 2010. We enrolled a convenience sample of adult patients presenting with pain and recorded patient complaint, medication administration, satisfaction, and pain and anxiety scores throughout their stay. We stratified patients into 4 different groups according to anxiety score at presentation (0, none; 1-4, mild; 5-7, moderate; 8-10, severe). Results We enrolled 10 664 ED patients presenting with pain-related complaints. Patients reporting anxiety were as follows: 25.7%, none; 26.1%, mild; 23.7%, moderate; and 24.5%, severe. Although 48% of patients described moderate to severe anxiety at ED presentation and 60% were willing to take a medication for anxiety, only 1% received anxiety treatment. Thirty-five percent of patients still reported moderate/severe anxiety at discharge. Severe anxiety at ED presentation was associated with increased demand for pain medication (odds ratio [OR], 1.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10-1.79) and anxiety medication (OR, 4.34; 95% CI, 3.68-5.11) during the ED stay and decreased satisfaction with the treatment of pain ( β coefficient=−0.328; P Conclusion Anxiety may be underrecognized and undertreated in patients presenting with pain-related complaints. Patients reporting severe anxiety were less likely to report satisfaction with the treatment of their pain, despite higher rates of analgesic administration.
Review of the cost effectiveness of immunisation strategies for the control of epidemic meningococcal meningitis

Outbreaks of meningococcal disease have caused devastation worldwide. Effective vaccines have not been used routinely, due to perceived limitations of the duration of effectiveness as well as immunogenicity when administered during infancy. Given the sporadic nature of outbreaks, the optimal use of these vaccines to control both short-term epidemic and endemic meningococcal disease has been the subject of much debate. Seven economic studies on the use of polysaccharide vaccination strategies help to highlight the relevant epidemiological and economic issues surrounding the decisions for their use. Five of these studies were based in Africa, the region where annual incidence rates can be several orders of magnitude greater than the rest of the world. These studies demonstrated that vaccination against meningococcal disease during outbreak situations is suboptimal given the inability to rapidly immunise populations in a timely fashion in resource-poor areas. However, depending on the disease incidence and the ability to deliver vaccines, the polysaccharide vaccine can be cost effective for preventive strategies when given prior to the start of outbreaks, either through presumptive vaccination or through a modified routine delivery strategy. Economic analyses of mass immunisation campaigns and modelled routine vaccination suggest that routine use of meningococcal vaccines for preventive strategies could be within the range of cost-effective public health interventions in those regions of the world where meningococcal disease is endemic. This includes the meningococcal belt of Africa, the Sahelian region.
Reflectivity of a glass thin film with different nanostructures

We investigate the reflectivity of glass thin films with different nanostructures using electromagnetic theory. The Discrete Dipole Approximation (DDA) method is used in the calculations. The thickness of the film is varied from 50 to 200 nm. Films composed of semi-ellipsoid, cylinder, and prism particle arrays are examined in order to understand the structure dependence of the thin film reflectivity at nanoscale level. When the film thickness is 50 nm, films with effective dielectric constant gradient exhibit lower reflectivity than those with the uniform dielectric constant. At short wavelengths, the thin film nanostructure has a significant influence to its reflectivity. For longer ones, especially when the wavelength is much larger than the film thickness, the effect of the nanostructure becomes less important and the volume of the film evolves to be an important factor. We also explore the reflectivity of glass films including a 100 nm thick solid substrate layer and nanostructures of different heights. For a film with semi-ellipsoid arrays of the same thickness, its reflectivity drops with the increase of the semi-ellipsoid diameter. The simulation results can be of help in the design of thin film solar cell coating for the enhancement of solar energy conversion efficiency.
Dust at High Redshift: Infrared and Optical Polarimetry of an Ultra-Steep-Spectrum Radio Source at z = 2.572

We present four-color (R, J, H, and K) infrared and optical imaging polarimetry of the extended object associated with the high-redshift (z = 2.572) ultra-steep-spectrum radio source TX J083053.43+191315.6. This object has two optical/infrared subcomponents, OI1 and OI2, separated by about 3'' and aligned with the axis of the larger radio source. Aperture measurements of object OI2 and for the sum (OI1 + OI2) of the two objects' polarizations show that the polarization is a function of wavelength [%P(λ)], having a statistically significant (>99.73% confidence factor) minimum at ~4500 A in the rest frame and a statistically significant rotation in the position angle of the electric vector, P.A.(λ), with wavelength, that in general is not tangential to the radio axis. The K-band light from the OI2 object is highly polarized (45% ± 11%), and the polarized emission is spatially extended (~10 kpc). The infrared K-band light from this object, which is redward of the Balmer break in the rest frame, cannot be dominated by starlight. The multicolor polarimetry excludes electron scattering models for the alignment effect in this object. The observed minimum in %P(λ) is predicted in models of dust scattering of a central anisotropic source, and the polarization of TX 0830+191 is remarkably well characterized by a model with silicate-graphite grains in a Mathis-Rumpl-Nordsieck power-law distribution with a cutoff in the minimum grain size of approximately 0.08 μm. The absence of smaller grains may be explained by their greater susceptibility to evaporation caused by the strong ultraviolet flux of the active galactic nucleus.
Efficient Real Spherical Harmonic Representation of Head-Related Transfer Functions

Several methods have recently been proposed for modeling spatially continuous head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) using techniques based on finite-order spherical harmonic expansion. These techniques inherently impart some amount of spatial smoothing to the measured HRTFs. However, the effect this spatial smoothing has on the localization accuracy has not been analyzed. Consequently, the relationship between the order of a spherical harmonic representation for HRTFs and the maximum localization ability that can be achieved with that representation remains unknown. The present study investigates the effect that spatial smoothing has on virtual sound source localization by systematically reducing the order of a spherical-harmonic-based HRTF representation. Results of virtual localization tests indicate that accurate localization performance is retained with spherical harmonic representations as low as fourth-order, and several important physical HRTF cues are shown to be present even in a first-order representation. These results suggest that listeners do not rely on the fine details in an HRTF's spatial structure and imply that some of the theoretically-derived bounds for HRTF sampling may be exceeding perceptual requirements.
Prediction, scenarios and insight: The uses of an end-to-end model

Abstract A major function of ecosystem models is to provide extrapolations from observed data in terms of predictions or scenarios or insight. These models can be at various levels of taxonomic resolution such as total community production, abundance of functional groups, or species composition, depending on the data input as drivers. A 40-year dynamic simulation of end-to-end processes in the Georges Bank food web is used to illustrate the input/output relations and the insights gained at the three levels of food web aggregation. The focus is on the intermediate level and the longer term changes in three functional fish guilds – planktivores, benthivores and piscivores – in terms of three ecosystem-based metrics – nutrient input, relative productivity of plankton and benthos, and food intake by juvenile fish. These simulations can describe the long term constraints imposed on guild structure and productivity by energy fluxes over the 40 years but cannot explain concurrent switches in abundance of individual species within guilds. Comparing time series data for individual species with model output provides insights; but including the data in the model would confer only limited extra information. The advantages and limitations of the three levels of resolution of models in relation to ecosystem-based management are: (1) The correlations between primary production and total yield of fish imply a “bottom-up” constraint on end-to-end energy flow through the food web that can provide predictions of such yields. (2) Functionally defined metrics such as nutrient input, relative productivity of plankton and benthos and food intake by juvenile fish, represent bottom-up, mid-level and top-down forcing of the food web. Model scenarios using these metrics can demonstrate constraints on the productivity of these functionally defined guilds within the limits set by (1) . (3) Comparisons of guild simulations with time series of fish species provide insight into the switches in species dominance that accompany changes in guild productivity and can illuminate the top-down aspects of regime shifts.
The mathematical modeling of heuristics

Two models of heuristics have been suggested in previous studies of A* tree-searching. The models are used to determine what mathematical properties heuristics must have if A* is to have polynomial, versus exponential, average asymptotic time complexity. In the EC model polynomial A* complexity is associated with logarithmic heuristic error. In the NC model it is associated with a concentration ofh-values near a rapidly growing central function; logarithmic clustering is adequate but more deviation is allowed if the central function grows fast enough.