cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Single fiber electromyography in myasthenia gravis during pregnancy

We report the use of single fiber electromyography (SFEMG) to demonstrate changes in the physiologic abnormality of myasthenia gravis (MG) during pregnancy. A 23-year-old became pregnant 15 months after the onset of mild ocular weakness. On initial evaluation, SFEMG jitter measurements demonstrated a slight abnormality of neuromuscular transmission. There was no change in severity of clinical disease or jitter measurements until the third trimester, when she improved. Jitter measurements at that time were normal. Labor was normal and she delivered a normal male. Three days postpartum, myasthenic weakness recurred temporarily and jitter measurements showed worsening. At 16 days and 6 weeks postpartum, she had only minimal medial rectus weakness and jitter studies were normal. Three months postpartum, ocular symptoms recurred and jitter measurements were slightly abnormal. She continued to worsen, developing limb muscle and severe ocular muscle weakness at 4 months postpartum. She was treated with plasma exchange and thymectomy. Prednisone was added 2 months after thymectomy due to continued worsening and development of oropharyngeal weakness. Three years postpartum she was taking prednisone 10 mg every other day and had only slight weakness of neck flexors, and jitter studies were again normal.
Women's sexual experience during the menstrual cycle: Identification of the sexual phase by noninvasive measurement of luteinizing hormone

Imprecise measures of ovulation obscure the relationship between women's sexuality and the menstrual cycle, as does studying women with different contraceptive goals in different social contexts. H...
G Parity and the Interactions of Heavy Mesons

Some implications of the $G$ parity of heavy mesons are discussed. It is pointed out that the $G$ parity of a meson may determine whether it can contribute to a pole term in the nucleon-nucleon scattering amplitude. Since $G$ parity may not be conserved in the decays of some heavy mesons, $G$ must be determined indirectly. One method is to measure the charge parity of the decay products of a neutral meson, a quantity which determines $G$ is the isospin of the meson is known. Selection rules for the decay of neutral and charged mesons are given. Results are applied to the $\ensuremath{\zeta}$ and $\ensuremath{\eta}$ mesons.
THE PSYCHOPHYSICAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COLOR AND SALT CONCENTRATIONS IN CHICKEN FLAVORED BROTHS

Taste panelists evaluated the effect of color on salt perception in chicken flavored samples using magnitude estimation. Samples were colored to simulate commercial chicken broth. Five color intensities were added to 5 NaCl concentrations ranging from 0.34 to 0.66% (w/v). Color had no influence on salt perception. Panelists were able to perceive color differences among samples (P <0.001) and these were correlated with the objective color function cot−1 (a/b) calculated from the L,a,b values obtained from the Gardner XL-23. Overall flavor preference was evaluated by a taste panel using the technique of magnitude estimation. NaCl concentrations ranged from 0.52 to 0.80% (w/v). Overall flavor preference was unaffected by color. A reduction in NaCl concentration from 0.80% (w/v) to 0.52% (a 35% reduction) did not alter flavor preference. A 50 member consumer panel using a paired comparison test found no difference in flavor preference between an uncolored sample containing 0.80% (w/v) NaCl and a colored sample containing 0.72% (w/v) NaCl.
Paleosecular variation from Easter Island revisited: modern demagnetization of a 1970s data set

Abstract Sixty-two Brunhes age lava flows from Easter Island in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, collected and processed for paleomagnetic and secular variation studies in the 1970s, have been reprocessed to meet current standards of demagnetization. Alternating field demagnetization in 7–10 steps was performed on all samples previously undemagnetized and characteristic directions determined from principal component analysis. The final data set gives a mean direction of I=−46.1° and D=357.4° with α95=3.9° Eliminating sites with 95% confidence circles greater than 10.0° gave an angular dispersion of virtual geomagnetic poles (VGPs) of 14.1° with respect to the rotation axis. This value is slightly larger than that determined prior to detailed demagnetization, and agrees with values predicted for this latitude by Model G. There is no compelling evidence from this study supporting the existence of a secular variation low in the southeastern Pacific region.
Heat capacity studies of phase transitions in langbeinites. I. K2Mn2(SO4)3

Abstract Heat capacity measurements have been made on two samples of K 2 Mn 2 (SO 4 ) 3 . Both samples exhibit the phase change near 191 K which has been reported by other investigators as well as several additional heat capacity maxima. The temperatures and relative intensities of the peaks in each heat capacity curve depend significantly upon sample characteristics. One sample, which contained a small trace of water, exhibited peaks of approximately equal height at 182.9, 190.1 and 194.5 K, while the second sample, which also contained a small amount of water as well as some unreacted starting materials, had a very prominent first-order peak at 190.9 K and two minor peaks near 170 and 175 K. The possibility that these high precision heat capacity measurements reveal previously undiscovered phase transitions is being considered. Such transitions could indicate that K 2 Mn 2 (SO 4 ) 2 has been incorrectly classified as a Group II langbeinite rather than a Group I langbeinite. This conclusion is strengthened by the observation of multiple phase transitions in K 2 Mg 2 (SO 4 ) 2 as well.
E-type anaphora and three types of kes -construction in Korean

The overarching goal of this article is to account for why the Internally-Headed Relative Clause, the direct perception, and the factive constructions in Korean have an identical form involving the pronominal kes and the relativizer -un, despite the fact that one construction instantiates relativization and the other two instantiate complementation. I solve this puzzle by recasting Kim’s (2007) analysis of Internally-Headed relatives in a Kratzerian situation semantic framework (e.g., Kratzer 1989, 1998, 2002). The central claim is that the three kes-constructions have an identical form because they all instantiate situation subordination that is facilitated by an E-type pronoun and a relativization strategy. The proposed analysis shows that E-type pronouns and relativizers can have more flexible semantics than widely assumed. It also sheds new light on the connection between modification and complementation across languages. Furthermore, it provides an argument for Kratzerian situation semantic theory in dealing with the interpretations of complex clauses.
Selectivity in an Encapsulated Cycloaddition Reaction

A 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition takes place within a reversibly formed, self-assembled capsule. The reaction proceeds through an unsymmetrically loaded encapsulation complex with absolute regioselectivity.
ClosestNode.com: an open access, scalable, shared geocast service for distributed systems

ClosestNode.com is an accurate, scalable, and backwards-compatible service for mapping clients to a nearby server. It provides a DNS interface by which unmodified clients can look up a service name, and get the IP address of the closest server. A shared system for performing such a mapping amortizes the administration and implementation costs of proximity-based server selection. It is aimed at minimizing the amount of effort required for system developers to make new and existing infrastructure services proximity-aware.
Autoimmune Encephalitis and Its Relation to Infection

Encephalitis, an inflammatory condition of the brain that results in substantial morbidity and mortality, has numerous causes. Over the past decade, it has become increasingly recognized that autoimmune conditions contribute significantly to the spectrum of encephalitis causes. Clinical suspicion and early diagnosis of autoimmune etiologies are of particular importance due to the need for early institution of immune suppressive therapies to improve outcome. Emerging clinical observations suggest that the most commonly recognized cause of antibody-mediated autoimmune encephalitis, anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor encephalitis, may in some cases be triggered by herpes virus infection. Other conditions such as Rasmussen’s encephalitis (RE) and febrile infection-related epilepsy syndrome (FIRES) have also been posited to be autoimmune conditions triggered by infectious agents. This review focuses on emerging concepts in central nervous system autoimmunity and addresses clinical and mechanistic findings linking autoimmune encephalitis and infections. Particular consideration will be given to anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis and its relation to herpes simplex encephalitis.
Detection of blood oxygen level by noninvasive passive spectral imaging of skin

A compact optical hyperspectral imager that can detect both spectral and polarization signatures was used for passive noninvasive imaging of human skin. This vibration-insensitive imager uses an acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) as a spectral selection element and an electronically tunable liquid crystal variable retarder (LCVR) as a polarization device. Such an imager is ideally suited to provide both agile spectral and polarization signatures and can be readily used for real time in vivo medical imaging applications. Operation of this imager and image acquisition is fully computer controlled. This imager covers visible to near-infrared (VNIR) region from 400 to 800 nm with a 10 nm spectral resolution at 600 nm and uses a TeO2 AOTF with a 15×15 mm2 linear aperture and a 4.2° angular aperture. At each wavelength 640×480 images with two orthogonal polarization are captured and a total of 41 spectral images are collected to form an image cube. A commercial Si CCD camera was used along with off-the-shelf lenses, mirrors and irises. We carried out experiments with a human subject and controlled the blood perfusion in the individual arm and finger by using a pressure cuff and a rubber band, respectively. Images were captured by illuminating the subject with a white light lamp source and imaging it from a distance. When the hyperspectral image analysis was performed we could observe the effects of skin deoxygenation. In this paper we will described our instrument, the experimental setup, the images obtained and the analysis results.© (2008) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Adenylate cyclase activity and cyclic AMP production in the outer and inner zones of the adrenal cortex

Abstract It has been reported that cells isolated from the inner zone of the guinea pig adrenal cortex fail to have a steroidogenic response to ACTH. To further explore this, adenylate cyclase activity of membrane particles and cAMP production by cells prepared from the inner and outer adrenocortical zones were determined. The cAMP response to ACTH and forskolin was similar for cells from both zones. Basal adenylate cyclase activity was significantly higher in the inner zone; and while absolute responses to ACTH, GppNHp, GTP,NaF, and forskolin were greater for the inner zone, relative responses were similar for the two zones. These observations suggest that the inner zone of the guinea pig adrenal cortex may have a defect in ACTH action at a step(s) beyond cAMP formation.
Discovering ‘Language Myths and Truths’: A Summer Enrichment Course in Linguistics for High‐School Students

This article presents the rationale and curriculum for an intensive 3-week summer course in linguistics designed for students ages 13–16, and implemented within the Joseph Baldwin Academy, a residential program held annually on the campus of Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri, USA, which aims to provide young and motivated learners with opportunities for academic enrichment beyond those offered within their regular high-school curriculum.
Clinically important differences in the pharmacokinetics of the ten newer "atypical" antipsychotics: part 1.

The "atypical" antipsychotics are grouped together by what they are not (i.e., not dopamine-2 selective antagonists like haloperidol). While sharing that characteristic, these agents differ substantially in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. This column, the first in a series on these agents, reviews the bioavailability and half-life of the 10 newer "atypical" antipsychotics, including the most recently marketed members of this class (asenapine, iloperidone, and lurasidone). Drugs with high oral bioavailability are generally less susceptible to diet or drug-drug interactions affecting first pass metabolism. The converse is true for drugs with lower oral bioavailability (e.g., they may have a food effect in which oral bioavailability is decreased in the fasted versus fed state). The half-life of an antipsychotic agent in large measure determines whether it can be safely and effectively administered once a day, at least in an immediate release formulation. Pharmacokinetic differences among atypical antipsychotics can explain why some individuals may not respond to the usually effective dose of a drug, while others may be especially sensitive to its dose-dependent adverse effects. An understanding of pharmacokinetic differences among the atypical antipsychotics can help clinicians optimize drug selection and dose for specific patients under specific treatment conditions. Subsequent columns in this series on atypical antipsychotics will discuss their metabolism, including the principal enzyme(s) mediating each drug's clearance, effects of co-administration of substantial CYP enzyme inhibitors, effect of hepatic and renal impairment, and the substantial and clinically important pharmacodynamic differences among these agents.
An effect of cadmium on heterolysosome formation and function in mice

Abstract The effects of cadmium acetate injections on heterolysosome formation and on the digestion of 121I-labeled formaldehyde-treated bovine albumin in these particles from the kidneys and livers of mice have been studied. Cadmium inhibited proteolysis in liver particles 2 hr after intraperitoneal injections at LD 50 doses (4.3 mg Cd/kg), and the effect became progressively more pronounced up to 20 hr. At this time, kidney particles were also affected but to a lesser degree. Mice surviving the cadmium injections recovered their capacity to degrade intralysosomal protein. The most pronounced effect of cadmium was on the uptake of labeled protein into subcellular particles, particularly in the liver at 24 hr after injection. Cadmium ion also caused the disruption of subcellular osmotically active particles (heterolysosomes) containing injected protein when added to particulate suspensions centrifuged from kidney and liver homogenates. Injections of cadmium acetate inhibited proteolysis in isolated liver heterolysosomes prepared 1 hr after intravenous injections of a relatively large dose of nonradioactive formaldehyde-treated albumin. This suggested that the metal prevented recovery of the capacity for normal intralysosomal proteolysis, perhaps by interfering with primary lysosome formation.
Acoustic telemetry for the last decade and challenges for the next one

The review article [Kilfoyle and Baggeroer, IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, 25(1), 4-27 (2000)] surveyed the literature for underwater acoustic communication up to January 2000. This presentation attempts to update the literature review since then. Some themes for the next decade are also suggested. The emphasis is on the physical layer since there is ample room for performance improvements at this layer in the context of acoustic communication networks. Important components for the physical layer in acoustic communication systems include 1) models of the underwater acoustic channel, 2) transversal and time reversal equalizer, as well as equalizer training, 3) diversity, direct spread spectrum, OFDM, MIMO coding, vectors sensors, stealth, and 4) some perspectives on networks. A review of the last decades and perspectives for the next on these topics are considered.
The use of organometallic additives to promote graphitization of carbons derived from furfuryl alcohol resins

Abstract The promotion of graphitization of carbons derived from furfuryl alcohol resins and phenolic resins, which had been modified by the addition of various organometallic (OM) compounds, was investigated. Of 15 different OM additives evaluated, the most effective at promoting graphitization were those which contained Ti, V or Zr. Resins doped with these additives yielded carbons whose L c values were between 150 and 250 A, as compared to values of less than 30 A for control specimens. The OM compounds of Co, Fe, and Ni yielded carbons with L c values of approximately 80 A; the remaining additives had little, if any, effect. Because of the efficient dispersal of the dissolved OM compounds, additions representing as little as 0·1% metal in the precursor resin were usually sufficient to promote sample graphitization. Also investigated were mixtures containing OM-doped furfuryl alcohol resins and glassy carbon filler. Electron and optical microscopy revealed that reorganization of the amorphous filler particles takes place in preference to the moderately graphitic binder residue. The experimental data suggest that the promotion of graphitization is not the result of low-temperature structural modification to the precursor resins during crosslinking or carbonization, but that promotion occurs at higher temperatures and is consistent with the mechanism of catalytic graphitization of amorphous carbons by metals or metal carbides as proposed by Gillot et al . and Fitzer and Kegel.
Newborn Predictors of Infant Irritability

Objective: To identify newborn infant behaviors that may predict infant irritability, commonly referred to as colic. Design: A prospective, correlational design, with data collection occurring the first 4 days of life and again at 1 month of age. Setting: This study was conducted in a private hospital in a large metropolitan city in the Midwest. Participants: Sixty infants who were at low risk and full term and whose weight was appropriate for gestational age were recruited during their postpartum hospital stay. Infants with congenital anomalies, signs of illness, or high-risk factors were excluded from the study. Main Outcome Measures: During infants' 1–4-day hospital stays, their crying was assessed and reported by the nurses, and a Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale was completed on each infant. At 1 month of age, irritability was measured using the Fussiness Rating Scale. Results: Only two components of the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale were related to development of colic or infant irritability at 1 month of age. These were the cluster of variables representing motor activity and the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale supplemental item measuring the persistence necessary on the part of the examiner to get the infant to attend to stimuli presented. The infants who were classified by parents as irritable at 1 month of age were more active and more attentive to stimuli in the first few days of life. Conclusions: Of interest was that the newborn nursery nurses' cry ratings were not related to the later development of colic in these infants. Active infants who are sensitive to stimuli may be predisposed to infant irritability; however, further work is needed to understand the relationships of these infant characteristics to the human interactions and physical environments they encounter.
Quantitation of sodium hydrogensulfite in parenteral samples by a flow-injection method

Abstract Sodium hydrogen sulfite reacts with 5,5′-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) at pH 6.0 to produce a colored 2-nitrothiobenzoate ion with maximum absorbance at 410 nm. The absorbance varies linearly with concentration over the range of 1 ng-1 μg of sodium hydrogensulfite injected and the absolute detection limit is 0.3 ng. The relative standard deviation at 10 ng or greater is typically 1.5%. Matrix components in pharmaceutical parenteral solutions (e.g., amino acids, drugs, dextrose, buffers) do not interfere.
THE OBASUTE LEGEND: CAREGIVING INSIGHTS IN LITERATURE

The Japanese legend of OBASUTE and variations of the theme of abandonment of the elderly is an innovative instructional tool for expanding the intercultural perspectives of college students. Japan, as the world's most rapidly aging society, is compared with the United States, and a description of contemporary research on caregiving is provided. In order to examine cultural attitudes to aging in college students, 117 students from, the United States and Japan completed a research questionnaire on attitudes toward caregiving issues. A discussion of how the two cultures appear to regard caregiving responsibilities to older family members is presented.
3-step approach towards evaluation and elimination of acid use in pre-treatment for a brackish water reverse osmosis process.

To control carbonate scale formation on reverse osmosis (RO) membrane surfaces, it is common practice to add acid as a pre-treatment chemical. However, advancements in the formulation of proprietary scale inhibitors have resulted in a re-evaluation of the need to suppress the pH of RO feedwater. In this study, a 3-step approach was taken to eliminate sulfuric acid pre-treatment at a 4.5 MGD (17,000 m3/day) brackish water RO plant operating for over 7 years without previous membrane replacement. The 3-Step approach adopted in this study to evaluate and eliminate use of acid in pre-treatment process involved first pilot testing the plan to reduce the dependence on acid. Secondly, implementing the plan on the full-scale system with conservative pH increments and thirdly continuously screening for scale formation potential using a “canary” monitoring device. This 3-step approach resulted in the successful elimination of sulfuric acid pre-treatment at the brackish water RO plant, with an estimated $105,000 minimum annual cost savings.
Measuring the five-parameter grain-boundary distribution from observations of planar sections

A stereological method is described for estimating the distribution of grain-boundary types in polycrystalline materials on the basis of observations from a single planar section. The grain-boundary distribution is expressed in terms of five macroscopically observable parameters that include: three parameters that describe the lattice misorientation across the boundary and two parameters that describe the orientation of the grain-boundary plane normal. The grain-boundary distribution is derived from measurements of grain orientations and the orientations of the lines formed where grain boundaries intersect the plane of observation. Tests of the method on simulated observations illustrate that the distribution of boundaries in a material with cubic symmetry can be reliably determined with about 10° of resolution from the analysis of 5×104 or more line segments. Furthermore, grain-boundary distributions directly observed from serial sections of a SrTiO3 polycrystal are compared to those resulting from the stereological analysis of a single plane. The comparison shows that the stereological method provides a reasonable estimate of the measured distribution. The differences between the directly observed grain-boundary distribution and that derived from the stereological analysis are consistent with the results from the simulation.
Cartilage Degeneration, Subchondral Mineral and Meniscal Mineral Densities in Hartley and Strain 13 Guinea Pigs

Osteoarthritis is a joint disease involved in articular cartilage, subchondral bone, meniscus and synovial membrane. This study sought to examine cartilage degeneration, subchondral bone mineral density (BMD) and meniscal mineral density (MD) in male Hartley, female Hartley and female strain 13 guinea pigs to determine the association of cartilage degeneration with subchondral BMD and meniscal MD. Cartilage degeneration, subchondral BMD and meniscal MD in 12 months old guinea pigs were examined with histochemistry, X-ray densitometry and calcium analysis. We found that male Hartley guinea pigs had more severe cartilage degeneration, subchondral BMD and meniscal MD than female Hartley guinea pigs, but not female strain 13 guinea pigs. Female strain 13 guinea pigs had more severe cartilage degeneration and higher subchondral BMD, but not meniscal MD, than female Hartley guinea pigs. These findings indicate that higher subchondral BMD, not meniscal MD, is associated with more severe cartilage degeneration in the guinea pigs and suggest that abnormal subchondral BMD may be a therapeutic target for OA treatment. These findings also indicate that the pathogenesis of OA in the male guinea pigs and female guinea pigs are different. Female strain 13 guinea pig may be used to study female gender-specific pathogenesis of OA.
R-SHIM: deterministic concurrency with recursion and shared variables

Concurrent programming languages are good for embedded systems because they match the parallelism of their environments, but most concurrent languages are nondeterministic, making coding in them unwieldy. We present R-SHIM, the core of a language with concurrent recursive procedure calls and disciplined shared variables that remains deterministic - the behavior of a program is scheduling-independent.
Qualitative modeling in engineering applications

A framework for qualitative reasoning is discussed that can be applied to a wide variety of engineering tasks such as analysis, design, diagnosis, monitoring, and instruction. A combined component-based and process-theory approach is adopted as the basis for system modeling. This provides a suitable framework for deriving and explaining system behavior in terms of individual component functionality. The current prototype is applied to a space-station waste management system. Examples that deal with the vacuum pump component demonstrate that the methodology can be used to derive both normal and deviant behavior of the system. >
THE USE OF OUTLINES AND OTHER DEVICES IN THE TEACHING OF FRENCH GRAMMAR

AT THIS time when oral French is receiving so much attention, and when the direct method has received in this country a greater stimulus than ever before, the subject of this paper may seem untimely. "Cela sent son dix-neuvieme siecle" may be the verdict of those who read the title only. Yet what teacher of modern languages, be his method ever so direct, does not at times make use of paradigms or outlines? How long would it take to learn inductively all the forms of only one verb, or of the possessive adjective or pronoun? But if the conjugation is the logical way of learning the various verb forms, and the paradigm the best way of mastering the possessives, why not use similar methods for presenting other grammatical material? The outline is the most logical, concise and comprehensible method of presenting a series of related facts or rules. It is the greatest aid to visualization. As such the grammar outline should find its place in language teaching. The great majority of our modern language students are of an age to be able to reason fairly well at least. In fact they want to know the reason for things. That which is logical, or at least logically arranged, appeals to them more and is therefore more easily learned than that which appears to be illogical. Now grammar is for the greater part, at least, logical and therefore, after all, it is an aid and not a drawback to a student in the acquisition of a language. The direct method is based upon the claim that the best way to learn is by observing, drawing conclusions and then applying these conclusions. But the retention of a goodly share of the multitudinous facts learned by observation is possible only when these facts are logically arranged in the mind, unless, of course, one is able to pick up a language by hearing it spoken for several years. Herein lies the "raison d'etre" of the paradigm and of the conjugation and of outlines of other grammar material.
Assessing Organizational Readiness for a Participatory Occupational Health/Health Promotion Intervention in Skilled Nursing Facilities

The long-term care sector is characterized by high morbidity and employee turnover, along with associated costs. Effective health protection and health promotion are important to improve physical and psychosocial well-being of caregivers. Assessment of organizational readiness for change is an essential precursor to the successful implementation of workplace programs addressing work climate, structure of tasks and relationships, and other issues that may be perceived as challenging by some within the institution. This study qualitatively assessed readiness of five skilled nursing facilities for a participatory occupational health/health promotion intervention. Selection criteria were developed to screen for program feasibility and ability to conduct prospective evaluations, and information was collected from managers and employees (interviews and focus groups). Three centers were selected for the program, and the first year of formative evaluation and intervention experience was then reviewed to evaluate and modify our selection criteria after the fact. Lessons learned include adding assessment of communication and the structure of problem solving to our selection criteria, improving methods to assess management support in a concrete (potentially nonverbal) form, and obtaining a stated financial commitment and resources to enable the team to function. Assessment of organizational readiness for change is challenging, although necessary to implement effective and sustainable health promotion programs in specific organizations.
Gliadin-primed CD4+CD45RBlowCD25− T cells drive gluten-dependent small intestinal damage after adoptive transfer into lymphopenic mice

Background and aims: Coeliac disease is a common small intestinal inflammatory disorder that results from a breach of intestinal tolerance to dietary gluten proteins, driven by gluten-reactive effector T cells. We aimed to assess the pathogenic role of gluten-reactive T cells and to generate a model of gluten-induced enteropathy. Methods: CD4+CD25− T cell fractions were adoptively transferred into lymphopenic mice, leading to “baseline” small intestinal inflammation. Results: Rag1−/− recipients of gliadin-presensitised CD4+CD45RBlowCD25− T cells, but not CD4+CD45RBhigh naive T cells, gained less weight and suffered from more severe duodenitis when challenged with oral gluten than recipients on gluten-free diet, or recipients of control (ovalbumin)-presensitised T cells. This was accompanied by deterioration of mucosal histological features characteristic of coeliac disease, and increased Th1/Th17 cell polarisation in the duodenum and the periphery. Interestingly, reintroduction of a gluten-free diet led to weight gain, improvement of histological duodenitis, and a decrease in duodenal interferon γ and interleukin 17 transcripts. Moreover, B cell-competent nude recipients of gliadin-presensitised CD4+CD45RBlowCD25− T cells produced high levels of serum anti-gliadin immunoglobulin A (IgA) and IgG1/IgG2c only when challenged with oral gluten. Conclusions: CD4+ T cell immunity to gluten leads to a breach of oral gluten tolerance and small intestinal pathology in lymphopenic mice, similar to human coeliac disease. This model will be useful for the study of coeliac disease pathogenesis, and also for testing novel non-dietary therapies for coeliac disease.
Large‐Scale Modeling of Wordform Learning and Representation

The forms of words as they appear in text and speech are central to theories and models of lexical processing. Nonetheless, current methods for simulating their learning and representation fail to approach the scale and heterogeneity of real wordform lexicons. A connectionist architecture termed the sequence encoder is used to learn nearly 75,000 wordform representations through exposure to strings of stress-marked phonemes or letters. First, the mechanisms and efficacy of the sequence encoder are demonstrated and shown to overcome problems with traditional slot-based codes. Then, two large-scale simulations are reported that learned to represent lexicons of either phonological or orthographic wordforms. In doing so, the models learned the statistics of their lexicons as shown by better processing of well-formed pseudowords as opposed to ill-formed (scrambled) pseudowords, and by accounting for variance in well-formedness ratings. It is discussed how the sequence encoder may be integrated into broader models of lexical processing.
Grassland bird response to enhanced vegetation diversity in restoration plantings in the Spring Run Complex of northwestern Iowa

Loss of habitat is one of the primary factors affecting population declines of grassland birds, and recovery efforts have focused on increasing the amount of grassland habitat in the landscape. Assessing the value of habitat restorations for grassland birds is an essential component of grassland bird conservation. We compared grassland bird habitat use, reproductive success, nestling growth rates, nestling baseline corticosterone, and blood glucose levels among restored grasslands planted with seed mixes of varying plant species diversity. In addition, we tested the ability of a conspecific song playback system to attract Henslow’s sparrows to previously unoccupied restored habitat. We selected 4 grassland planting types, cool-season, warm-season (newly planted and mature), and high diversity for our study to encompass the range of planting mixtures typically available to land managers. The most common bird species we encountered were Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus), Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas), Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), and Sedge Wren (Cistothorus platensis). Bird densities overall were not consistently higher or lower in any one of the 4 planting types. Bobolink densities, however, were higher in Cool-season fields than in any of the other field types. Models of the relationships between bird density/bird species richness and habitat characteristics revealed that both vegetation characteristics and food resources were important in explaining grassland bird densities. Our habitat models showed that different species, even those within a species category, were influenced by different habitat characteristics. Given the importance of cool-season, nonnative grass plantings for Bobolinks in our study, consideration must be given to the impact that elimination of these plantings may have on the future of Bobolink populations. Redwinged Blackbird nest survival was influenced by year, visual obstruction, and variation in
NEIGHBORHOOD DISADVANTAGE AND POLICE NOTIFICATION BY VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE

This research uses data from the Area-Identified National Crime Victimization Survey to examine the influence of neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage on the likelihood of police notification by victims of violence. The results indicate that neighborhood disadvantage does not significantly affect the likelihood of police notification among robbery and aggravated assault victims. However, a significant curvilinear effect of neighborhood disadvantage is observed for simple assault victims. The implications of these results for community-level crime research and for theoretical perspectives on police notification are discussed.
Balloon profiles of stratospheric NO2 and HNO3 for testing the heterogeneous hydrolysis of N2O5 on sulfate aerosols

Simultaneous in situ measurements of stratospheric NO2, HNO3, HCl, and CH4 from 34 to 24 km were made in August 1992 from Palestine, Texas, using the Balloon-borne Laser In-Situ Sensor (BLISS) tunable diode laser spectrometer. Although the measurements of NO2, HNO3, and NO2/HNO3 agree well with gas-phase model calculations near 34 km where Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) 2 data show little sulfate aerosol, this is not true at the lower altitudes where SAGE 2 shows high aerosol loadings. At 24 km the BLISS NO2 and HNO3 measurements are 70% lower and 50% higher, respectively, than the gas phase model predictions, with a measured NO2/HNO3 ratio 5 times smaller. When the heterogeneous hydrolysis of N2O5 and ClONO2 on sulfate aerosol of surface area densities matching the SAGE 2 measurements is added to the model, good agreement with the BLISS measurements is found over the whole altitude range.
The epidemiology of falling-through-the-ice in Alaska, 1990–2010

Background Climate change has contributed to increasing temperatures, earlier snowmelts and thinning ice packs in the Arctic, where crossing frozen bodies of water is essential for transportation and subsistence living. In some Arctic communities, anecdotal reports indicate a growing belief that falling-through-the-ice (FTI) are increasing. The objective of this study was to describe the morbidity and mortality associated with unintentional FTIs in Alaska. Methods We searched newspaper reports to identify FTI events from 1990 to 2010. We also used data from a trauma registry, occupational health and law enforcement registries and vital statistics to supplement the newspaper reports. Morbidity and mortality rates were calculated for Alaska Native (AN) people and all Alaskans. Results During the 21-year period, we identified 307 events, affecting at least 449 people. Events ranged from no morbidity to fatalities of five people. More than half of the events involved transportation by snow machine. Mortality rates were markedly higher for AN people than that for all Alaskans. Conclusions We provide a numeric estimate of the importance of FTI events in Alaska. FTIs may represent an adverse health outcome related to climate changes in the Arctic, and may be particularly critical for vulnerable populations such as AN people.
An outbreak of Legionella micdadei pneumonia in transplant patients: evaluation, molecular epidemiology, and control

Abstract purpose: To describe a nosocomial outbreak of Legionella micdadei pneumonia in transplant patients and to characterize the source of the outbreak and the control measures utilized. subjects and methods: We performed retrospective Legionella micdadei serologic testing to enhance case finding in transplant patients with pneumonia that lacked a documented microbial etiology, as well as prospective environmental surveillance of water sites and testing for Legionella in clinical specimens. results: During a 3-month period, 12 cases of Legionella micdadei pneumonia were identified either by culture or serologic testing among 38 renal and cardiac transplant patients. Legionella micdadei isolates from hot water sources were found by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis to have a DNA banding pattern that was identical to the isolates from the first 3 culture-positive cases and from 2 cases that occurred 16 months later. conclusions: Hospitals caring for organ transplant recipients and other immunosuppressed patients must be aware of the possibility of environmental sources of outbreaks of Legionella infection. A first-line screen with the Legionella urine antigen test will identify Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1. However, specific cultures in outbreak situations should be considered to identify other Legionella pneumophila serotypes and the nonpneumophila Legionella species.
Clinically Relevant Changes in Family History of Cancer Over Time

and7.1%(95%CI,6.5%-7.6%);forbreastcancer,7.2%(95%CI,6.1%-8.4%)and11.4% (95%CI,10.0%-12.8%);andforprostatecancer,0.9%(95%CI,0.5%-1.4%)and2.0% (95%CI,1.4%-2.7%).Inprospectiveanalysis,thenumbersofparticipantswhonewlymet criteriaforhigh-riskscreeningbasedonfamilyhistoryper100personsfollowedupfor20 years were 2 (95% CI, 0-7) for colorectal cancer, 6 (95% CI, 2-13) for breast cancer, and 8(95%CI,3-16)forprostatecancer.Therateofchangeincancerfamilyhistorywassimilar for colorectal and breast cancer between the 2 analyses.
Endoscopic ablative therapies for malignant esophageal strictures

Endoscopic methods for palliating malignant dysphagia are designed to displace or ablate esophageal tumors. These methods include simple dilation, stent placement, thermal treatments with Nd:YAG laser, electrocautery, and argon plasma coagulation, as well as nonthermal methods including chemical injection and photodynamic therapy. All therapies can relieve dysphagia, although no method has been shown to prolong survival. Risk of complications is inherent in every palliative method. While some modalities are interchangeable, certain palliative methods may be more appropriate for some particular lesions than others. These procedure should only by performed by endoscopists familiar with the techniques and their potential complications.
Unified framework for single channel speech enhancement

In this paper we describe a generic architecture for single channel speech enhancement. We assume processing in frequency domain and suppression based speech enhancement methods. The framework consists of a two stage voice activity detector, noise variance estimator, a suppression rule, and an uncertain presence of the speech signal modifier. The evaluation corpus is a synthetic mixture of a clean speech (TIMIT database) and in-car recorded noises. Using the framework multiple speech enhancement algorithms are tuned for maximum performance. We propose a formalized procedure for automated tuning of these algorithms. The optimization criterion is a weighted sum of the mean opinion score (PESQ-MOS), signalto-noise-ratio (SNR), log-spectral distance (LSD), and mean square error (MSE). The proposed framework provides a complete speech enhancement chain and can be used for evaluation and tuning of other suppression rules and voice activity detector algorithms.
Stroke mimics and chameleons

The diagnosis of acute stroke remains a clinical diagnosis in the initial phases of patient evaluation. There is a differential diagnostic process to the abrupt onset of focal neurologic deficit that characterizes an acute stroke. "Is this a CNS event?" might be the initial question posed by the clinician. The stroke mimics of systemic problems such as hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, and other encephalopathies are considered. Certainly consideration of hypoglycemia, which is common, easily detectable, and correctable, should occur in every stroke patient encounter. Any witnesses that suggest a convulsive episode should raise suspicion of the presence of an ictal or postictal phenomena. Next, if a CNS event is believed to exist, the different stroke subtypes are considered along with other CNS events that may simulate stroke. The standard acute neuroimaging with noncontrast CT scanning uncovers some mass lesions mimicking stroke and confirm a stroke subtype in other patients. Ischemic stroke, like other common diseases, does have uncommon manifestations. Acute stroke is considered in neurologic syndromes in which abrupt onset of symptoms figure prominently, particularly in patients with cerebrovascular risk factors.
Photochemistry and DNA photocleavage by a new unsupported dirhodium(II,II) complex.

The new complex [Rh 2 (phen) 2 (CH 3 CN) 6 ](BF 4 ) 4 ( 1 ) was synthesized and characterized in solution and its crystal structure was determined. Irradiation of 1 with visible light ( λ irr >590 nm) in water results in the release of two equatorial CH 3 CN ligands, CH 3 CN eq , as well as in the formation of mononuclear radical Rh(II) fragments stemming from the homolytic photocleavage of the metal–metal bond. The photoproducts, identified by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, include [Rh(phen)(CH 3 CN)(OH)] + and [Rh(phen)(CH 3 CN)(H 2 O) 3 (BF 4 )] + . The quantum yield for the photochemical transformation of 1 in H 2 O exceeds unity ( Φ 550 nm =1.38) indicative of dark reactions following the initial photoprocess. DNA photocleavage was observed for 1 ( λ irr >590 nm), whereas the complex is unreactive in the dark. This feature makes 1 a promising photodynamic therapy agent that does not operate via the production of singlet oxygen, 1 O 2 .
Design of a prostate cancer patient navigation intervention for a Veterans Affairs hospital

Patient navigation programs have been launched nationwide in an attempt to reduce racial/ethnic and socio-demographic disparities in cancer care, but few have evaluated outcomes in the prostate cancer setting. The National Cancer Institute-funded Chicago Patient Navigation Research Program (C-PNRP) aims to implement and evaluate the efficacy of a patient navigation intervention for predominantly low-income minority patients with an abnormal prostate cancer screening test at a Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital in Chicago. From 2006 through 2010, C-PNRP implemented a quasi-experimental intervention whereby trained social worker and lay health navigators worked with veterans with an abnormal prostate screen to proactively identify and resolve personal and systems barriers to care. Men were enrolled at a VA urology clinic and were selected to receive navigated versus usual care based on clinic day. Patient navigators performed activities to facilitate timely follow-up such as appointment reminders, transportation coordination, cancer education, scheduling assistance, and social support as needed. Primary outcome measures included time (days) from abnormal screening to diagnosis and time from diagnosis to treatment initiation. Secondary outcomes included psychosocial and demographic predictors of non-compliance and patient satisfaction. Dates of screening, follow-up visits, and treatment were obtained through chart audit, and questionnaires were administered at baseline, after diagnosis, and after treatment initiation. At the VA, 546 patients were enrolled in the study (245 in the navigated arm, 245 in the records-based control arm, and 56 in a subsample of surveyed control subjects). Given increasing concerns about balancing better health outcomes with lower costs, careful examination of interventions aimed at reducing healthcare disparities attain critical importance. While analysis of the C-PNRP data is underway, the design of this patient navigation intervention will inform other patient navigation programs addressing strategies to improve prostate cancer outcomes among vulnerable populations.
Convex Hull of Randomly Chosen Points from A Polytope

Suppose we pick independently n random points X1, X2,..., Xn from a d dimensional polytope P. (i.e., Xi are independent identically distributed random variables each with density = 1/volume(P) in P and 0 outside.) Let E n be the convex hull of X1, X2,... X n . The following questions arise naturally: 1) What is the value of V n the expected ratio of the volume of P\E n to the volume of P? 2) What is the expected number of extreme points of the polytope E n ?