cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Plasma C-reactive protein is lower among marijuana using HIV-negative individuals but not among persons living with HIV.

The use of marijuana is highly prevalent among young men who have sex with men (YMSM). Past work has also shown that inflammation is elevated among YMSM, independent of HIV status. Here, we aim to examine the relationship between marijuana use and inflammation among this high-risk cohort, relative to use of other substances. Data were collected among YMSM aged 16–29 in Chicago. Multiplex cytokine and inflammatory biomarker assays were run on plasma from all persons living with HIV (PLWH) (n = 195) and a subset of HIV-negative participants (n = 489). Bivariate analyses and multivariable models assessed relationships between various substances and inflammatory biomarkers. Models were stratified by HIV status and adjusted for demographic characteristics. Most participants reported use of marijuana in the past 30 days (416, 60.8%). Mean blood C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were above the upper limit of normal (3.0 mg/L), indicative of increased risk for cardiovascular disease (mean CRP was 3.9 mg/L; SD = 8.5). In adjusted, stratified analyses, CRP was significantly lower among participants reporting frequent marijuana use (≥ 6 times per month), relative to those reporting never using marijuana, (β = − 0.38; 95% CI: − 0.73, − 0.03). However, this was entirely accounted for by an association among the HIV-negative participants and there was no significant association between marijuana use and blood CRP level among the PLWH. In summary, YMSM had markedly elevated marijuana use and blood CRP levels. Frequent marijuana use was associated with lower inflammation among only those not diagnosed with HIV. Further research is needed to explicate why there are differences between HIV-negative participants and PLWH and to leverage this information to characterize biological mechanisms by which marijuana decreases inflammation.
Self-Reported Vision Impairment and Psychological Distress in U.S. Adults.

Purpose: Examine the relationship between vision impairment and psychological distress in adults ≥18 years.Methods: Using the 2016–2017 cross-sectional, U.S. National Health Interview Survey, we an...
Heartbeat: health literacy for improving cardiac outcomes

The potential impact of patient education on improving outcomes in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) has received little attention. In a randomised clinical trial, McIntyre and colleagues1 found that waiting room video-based education about CVD risk reduction resulted in more patients being motivated to implement heart healthy behaviours (29.6% vs 18.7%, relative risk 1.63, 95% CI 1.04 to 2.55) and higher levels of satisfaction with the clinic visit. Participants who were also randomised to receive education about cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) reported greater confidence in performing CPR. Overall, at baseline 16% of patients reported optimal CVD risk factors which increased to 25% at 30 days but there was no difference in improvement between the intervention group and usual care (figure 1). Figure 1 Informational graphic summary of the While You’re Waiting study. In an editorial, White2 comments that ‘Health literacy is an underused resource for improving cardiac outcomes with patients being better able to understand their disease, understand modifications in …
Preparing Education Researchers: Identifying Necessary Competencies for Teachers, Administrators, and Student Affairs Professionals

This descriptive study aimed to answer two research questions: (a) what are the assessment, evaluation, and research (AER) competencies necessary for three educator types (teachers, K-12 administrators, and higher education student affairs professionals); and (b) what are the similarities and differences in competencies by educator type? Current professional standards for each educator type were identified and coded for alignment with AER topics, then reviewed for similarities and differences. Results suggest that teacher competency standards focus heavily on assessment; administrator competencies focus on ethical decision making and continuous improvement; and student affairs professional standards focus on advocacy and supporting institutional mission. These results imply that education preparation programs may need to adjust AER course curriculum and instruction to align with distinct educator needs.
Micropapillary urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder: Early surgery or neoadjuvant chemotherapy?

e16007 Background: Micropapillary bladder carcinoma is a rare variant of urothelial carcinoma (UC) of the urinary bladder. As a particularly aggressive variant, patients are often urged to undergo ...
A pilot investigation in constructing crisis communications: What leads to best practice?

Crisis communications can play an important role in mitigating, or exacerbating, the psychological and behavioral reactions to critical incidents and disasters. Effective crisis communications can serve to mitigate anxiogenesis and direct rapid and focused rescue, recovery, and rehabilitative operations. Ambiguous and/or deceptive communications can serve to worsen mental health reactions and delay operational response and recovery (Everly, Strouse, & Everly, 2010). It seems, therefore, that inquiry into the content of acute crisis communications would be warranted Said more simply, given limited time, cryptic messaging in social media, and the "sound bite" mentality that seems to govern news dissemination, it is important to identify the most important content to convey in the wake of critical incidents and disasters. This paper reports on a pilot investigation into "best practices" for the construction of acute crisis communications.
Forgotten Chinese Railroad Workers Remembered: Closing Commentary by an Historian

In the concluding essay for this volume, Sue Fawn Chung (Zhang Sufang) briefly traces the development of historical and archaeological research in Chinese American studies that shows the new direction of multidisciplinary approach and multiethnic considerations. She has highlighted the contributions of the authors in this journal issue.
In vivo metabolism of dihomo-γ-linolenic acid to bronchoactive products in the canine lung

We investigated the effects of dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA), the fatty acid precursor to the monoenoic prostaglandins, on pulmonary mechanics in the intact chest, artificially ventilated dog. Under conditions of normal airway tone, intravenously administered DGLA produced a modest, dose-related increase in lung resistance and decrease in dynamic lung compliance. These responses were approximately 30-100 times less than those produced by arachidonic acid. The bronchoconstrictive responses to DGLA were abolished by prior inhibition of the cyclooxygenase with indomethacin. PGD1 was equal in activity to PGF1 alpha in causing constriction of central and peripheral airways of the dog. PGE1 was without significant airway effects in these animals under conditions of resting airway tone. We conclude that DGLA is a moderately good substrate for the cyclooxygenase pathway enzymes of the canine lung, producing products having a predominantly bronchoconstrictive effect. This bronchoconstriction is most likely due to the synthesis of PGD1 and PGF1 alpha and is not due to the synthesis of lipoxygenase pathway products.
Genomic regulation of transposable elements in Drosophila

Transposable elements are a major source of genetic change, including the creation of novel genes, the alteration of gene expression in development, and the genesis of major genomic rearrangements. They are ubiquitous among contemporary organisms and probably as old as life itself. The long coexistence of transposable elements in the genome would be expected to be accompanied by host-element coevolution. Indeed, the important role of host factors in the regulation of transposable elements has been illuminated by recent studies of several systems in Drosophila. These include host factors that regulate the P element, a host mutation that renders the genome permissive for gypsy mobilization and infection, and newly induced mutations that affect the expression of transposon insertion mutations. The finding of a type of hybrid dysgenesis in D. virilis, in which multiple unrelated transposable elements are mobilized simultaneously, may also be relevant to host-factor regulation of transposition.
National Investment Planning and equity policy in developing countries: The challenge of decentralized administration

The impact of national economic planning in developing countries over the past three decades has been severely limited. Little evidence supports the contention that it has either directly improved investment decisions for stimulating economic growth or significantly affected development policymaking. Constraints on implementing national planning in Asia include weaknesses of political and administrative support for national plans, deficiencies in their content, difficulties of relating plan priorities to investment decisionmaking, ineffectiveness or inappropriateness of comprehensive planning methods and techniques, and inadequate administrative capacity to implement and evaluate multisectoral investment strategies. Changes in Asian development policy toward growth with equity imply the need for more decentralized methods and arrangements for planning, creation of a stronger relationship between policy planning and program implementation, and diffusion of administrative capacity among a wide variety of public and private institutions to generate, formulate and implement investment policies and projects.
Pulse mode characterization of high-power modified uni-traveling carrier photodiodes

We report modified uni-traveling carrier (MUTC) photodiodes with high power (22V peak RF amplitude and 18.7 dBm of 10 GHz RF power) and high phase linearity (AM-to-PM conversion factor of 0.3 [rad/(ΔP/P)]) in pulse mode operation.
Controlling the average residential electric water heater power demand using fuzzy logic

Abstract This paper describes a fuzzy logic-based control strategy for shifting the average power demand of residential electric water heaters. The proposed control strategy can shift the average power demand of residential electric water heaters from periods of high demand for electricity to off-peak periods. A minimum temperature for hot water, defined as customer comfort level, is used as a control variable. Water temperature is not allowed to fall below the minimum temperature set by the customer. Simulation results show that the proposed strategy can shift the average power demand of residential water heaters to improve the load factor of residential load profile.
Shedding light on the chloroplast protein import machinery.

Department of Biological Sciences Rutgers The State University of New Jersey Newark, New Jersey 07102 The complex architecture of the chloroplast presents an intriguing challenge for investigators interested in the mechanisms of protein targeting and organelle biogene- sis. Chloroplasts are subdivided by three noncontiguous membrane systems into at least six suborganellar com- partments that serve to segregate and organize a number of essential metabolic functions, most notably the reac- tions of photosynthesis. The development and mainte- nance of this structure require an elaborate sorting system to ensure proper targeting and integration of resident pro- teins. This complexity is compounded by the fact that the vast majority of chloroplast polypeptides are nu- clear-encoded and posttranslationally imported into the organelle from the cytosol. This cascade of targeting and assembly reactions is initiated by the recognition and translocation of precursor proteins at the double mem- brane of the chloroplast envelope. After years of studies that have contributed to our under- standing of the general pathway of import, recent investi- gations have begun to uncover the components that un- derlie the mechanism of targeting and translocation at the envelope. These studies support the existence of a single common mechanism of envelope transport for all cytosoli- tally synthesized precursors that are destined forthe inter- nal compartments of the chloroplast. In particular, exten- sive progress has been made in understanding the import apparatus in the outer membrane of the envelope. There is now convincing evidence that the initial stages of envelope translocation are mediated by a complex of outer envelope membrane proteins (OEPs) that includes two GTP-binding proteins, a putative channel component, and at least two membrane-associated molecular chaperones. Several candidates for components of the inner membrane trans- location machinery also have been identified, and their structures and specific functions are under investigation. These recent discoveries are especially satisfying be- cause they corroborate previous evidence supporting a single mechanism of envelope translocation. Moreover, the apparent activities of the components serve as the basis for the formulation of testable hypotheses that should greatly facilitate dissection of the mechanism of envelope translocation. This minireview will focuson these recent discoveries and their implications with respect to the mechanism of translocation in chloroplasts and other relevant systems. More detailed discussions of the import process can be found in recent review articles (Gray and Row, 1995; Keegstra et al., 1995). Identification of Envelope Translocation Components Chloroplast protein import can be divided into two distinct steps (reviewed by Keegstra et al., 1995). In the first step,
Ebola, Ethics, and Public Health: What Next?

Two U.S. aid workers with Ebola were evacuated to the United States and treated with an extremely scarce and untested therapy. This commentary discusses whether, given the hundreds of similarly str...
Title identification of web article pages using HTML and visual features

Extracting informative content from Web article pages has many applications such as printing and content reuse. Title is a very significant and unique component of an article. However, identifying the true title is not an easy problem even for human readers. In this paper, we present a title identification method that takes into account of several features including the title field of the HTML page and HTML tag of a DOM node as well as font size and horizontal alignment. We tested our method on a ground truth data set consisting of 1993 pages from 98 web sites and achieved 97.5% accuracy, about 20% above a baseline method based on only the font size.
Integrating host gene expression and the microbiome to explore disease pathogenesis

In a recent study, rich clinical assessment and longitudinal study design are combined with host gene expression and microbial sequencing analyses to develop a framework for exploring disease etiology and outcomes in the context of human inflammatory disease.
The Human γ-Globin TATA and CACCC Elements Have Key, Distinct Roles in Suppressing β-Globin Gene Expression in Embryonic/Fetal Development

Abstract The competition model of globin gene regulation states that the γ-globin gene precludes expression of the β-globin gene in early development by competing for the enhancing activity of the locus control region. The γ-globin gene with a −161 promoter is sufficient for suppressing β-globin gene expression, and the γ-globin TATA and CACCC elements are necessary for this effect. In this work, stable transfection and transgenic mouse assays have been performed with constructs containing HS3 and HS2 from the locus control region, the γ-globin gene with promoter mutation(s), and the β-globin gene. The data indicate that the γ-globin TATA and CACCC elements together have at least an additive effect on the β/γ-globin mRNA ratio in early erythroid cells, suggesting that the elements work coordinately to suppress β-globin gene expression. The TATA and CACCC are the major γ-globin promoter elements responsible for this effect. Transgenic mouse experiments indicate that the γ-globin TATA element plays a role in γ-globin expression and β-globin suppression in the embryo and fetus; in contrast, the CACCC element has a stage-specific effect in the fetus. The results suggest that, as is true for the erythroid Kruppel-like factor (EKLF) and the β-globin promoter CACCC, a protein(s) binds to the γ-globin CACCC element to coordinate stage-specific gene expression.
Alpha1‐Microglobulin Is Mitogenic for Guinea Pig Lymphocytes

Guinea pig alpha 1-microglobulin (alpha 1-m) was found to exert mitogenic effects on guinea pig lymphocytes, i.e. peritoneal exudate lymphocytes (PEL) or T lymphocytes from regional or mesenteric lymph nodes (LNL). On the other hand, spleen T lymphocytes did not respond to alpha 1-m. Stimulation of LNL required the presence of accessory cells. The stimulatory effect was strain-specific: alpha 1-m clearly induced proliferation of lymphocytes from Strain 2 guinea pigs, whereas Strain 13 lymphocytes responded poorly or not at all. Moreover, alpha 1-m inhibited antigen-driven proliferation of guinea pig lymphocytes. None of the effects described were species-specific, e.g. human alpha 1-m exerted similar effects on the guinea pig lymphocytes. These data indicate that alpha 1-m may be involved in the regulation of lymphocyte activation.
Power and Pluralism: A View from the Bottom

It is said we live in a pluralistic society, and indeed a glance at the social map of America reveals a vast agglomeration of regional, class, occupational, and ethnic associations all busily making claims upon state, local, and national governing agencies. If by pluralism we mean this multiplicity of public and private interests and identities, then America-like any modem society of size and complexity-is pluralistic. Used in this broad sense, the term is not particularly arresting for those political scientists interested in determining the extent to which power is democratically operative in America. However, if by "Pluralism" we mean that the opportunities and resources necessary for the exercise of power are inclusively rather than exclusively distributed and that neither the enjoyment of dominance nor the suffering of deprivation is the constant condition of any one group, then the question of whether ours is a pluralistic society is not so easily resolved. The protracted debate between "pluralists" and "anti-pluralists" is testimony to the difficulties we confront. After investigating "concrete decisions" at the community and national levels, the pluralists conclude that participation in decision making is enjoyed
Comparison of 5 and 10 mm thick HgI2 pixelated γ-ray spectrometers

Abstract HgI 2 detectors fabricated with pixelated anodes were tested as potential room temperature spectrometers. Spectra were obtained with 5 and 10 mm thick devices, and their results were compared. The 5 mm thick devices showed some effect of the anode weighting potential, while the 10 mm thick devices showed the effects of charge diffusion/sharing and electron trapping. A resolution near 1.4% FWHM using a 137 Cs source was achieved after correcting for the interaction depth within the detector. The resolution from individual depths was as low as approximately 1.1% FWHM.
The fortification of bread with lysine. II. The nutritional value of fortified bread.

Abstract The addition of increasing amounts of lysine to a diet of dried bread supplemented with fat, salts, and vitamins brought about significant growth responses in weanling rats. For example, a supplement of 0.5% dl -lysine·HCl, corresponding to 0.2% l -lysine, to a bread diet improved the average gain in weight after 5 weeks from 32% to about 75% of the average gain on the stock diet. An equal response is obtained from lysine added to flour before baking or from lysine added in corresponding amounts to the bread diet. At the end of 6 months the diet containing the supplement of 0.2% lysine had produced rats that were practically equal in weight to those receiving diets with larger additions of lysine. The animals on the basal bread diet did not attain weights comparable with those receiving the lysine supplements. If sufficient lysine was added to bring the total l -lysine content of the diet to about 0.8%, or more, a growth response similar to that obtained with the stock diet was observed. These results suggest that, so far as rat growth is concerned, the only important amino acid deficiency in commercial bread is lysine.
Floristic relationships between New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands

New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands are compared briefly as to location, size, climate, and other physical features. Possibly 585 seed-plant genera known from the Solomon-Santa Cruz groups are indigenous there, and 692 similarly may be indigenous in New Caledonia. Unknown from New Caledonia are 272 of the Solomons genera and unreported from the Solomons are 379 of the New Caledonian genera. Thus only 313 genera, or 32.5%, of the 964 total genera are common to both archipelagoes. It is suggested that the relatively smaller generic flora of the Solomons reflects the more limited botanical exploration of the Solomons as well as the greater variability of climate, substrate, and vegetation types of New Caledonia. Also New Caledonia is believed to have a much older, more relict flora than the Solomons, as indicated by the numerous conifers and primitive angiosperms (four genera of which are primitively vesselless). The far greater generic endemism (perhaps 94 genera or 13.5%) of New Caledonia as compared with the Solomons (5 genera or 0.86%) is explained by the much greater isolation in space and time of New Caledonia from other land masses. New Caledonia has its closest botanical relationships with coastal Queensland and New Guinea, with which it shares 474 and 482 genera respectively. Its floristic affinities are less with New Zealand and the Outer Melanesian Arc. The Solomons, on the other hand, have their closest botanical ties with New Guinea through New Britain and New Ireland. At least 572, or almost 98%, of the 585 genera recorded from the Solomons are represented also in New Guinea. As with the fauna, however, the Solomons flora is much attenuated, lacking many of the characteristic New Guinea genera, especially those of the montane and alpine regions. The break between the Solomon Islands and the Santa Cruz Islands is much greater than that between New Guinea and the Bismarcks and between the Bismarcks and the Solomons.
Factors inflencing tolerance to the effects of Δ9-THC on a conditioned avoidance response☆

Abstract Male, Fischer strain rats were resistant to the impairing effects of Δ9-THC (15–60 mg/kg, IG) on performance of a conditioned pole-climb avoidance response (CAR) after daily subacute pretreatment for 4 or 6 days. A single administration of 20 mg/kg Δ9-THC independent of the performance test did not attenuate the subsequent impairment caused by Δ9-THC when tested 1–6 days later; however, administration 2 hr before each test attenuated the effect on subsequent tests given at intervals of 1–5 weeks. Similarly, subacute treatment with 20 mg/kg Δ9-THC for 4 days independent of the performance test attenuated the impairment caused by Δ9-THC during tests given to separate groups of rats 1 or 6, but not 14 days later. However, when the tests for tolerance were conducted repeatedly in the same rats, the attenuation appeared to persist for intervals up to 5 weeks. The results are discussed in terms of metabolic, functional and compensatory (behavioral) tolerance.
Nonisentropic propagation of sound in uniform ducts using Euler equations

The problem of sound propagation in uniform ducts is examined using the Euler equations. First, a numerical spatial marching technique is examined for the case of no mean flow. The technique uses an initial value formulation. It is found that the scheme is stability limited, in agreement with previous results obtained using the Helmholtz equation. Also duct mode analysis is performed and the following is observed. When the mean flow in the duct is treated as isentropic, the solutions agree with existing solutions. However, this implies no pressure gradient for the mean flow in the streamwise direction. If a mean pressure gradient is imposed, it is found that the lowest mode attenuates as it propagates against the flow direction. It is also found that the same mode grows due to an instability, if it propagates downstream. This instability is related to combustion instability.
Accuracy of endoscopic optical coherence tomography in the detection of dysplasia in Barrett's esophagus: a prospective, double-blinded study.

Background Endoscopic optical coherence tomography (EOCT) is a high-resolution, cross-sectional tissue-imaging technique that provides microscopic morphologic information. EOCT should detect dysplasia in Barrett's epithelium, but this has not been established in a prospective blinded study. This study evaluated the accuracy of EOCT for the diagnosis and the exclusion of dysplasia in patients with Barrett's esophagus. Methods A 2.4-mm diameter EOCT probe was modified for use with a cap-fitted, two-channel endoscope. Pairs of EOCT image streams and jumbo biopsy specimens were obtained. Endoscopy/EOCT procedures were performed by 4 endoscopists who separately reviewed the EOCT digital images for the absence or the presence of dysplasia (low grade, high grade, or cancer) for each biopsy specimen obtained. The endoscopists were blinded to the interpretation of the pathology. An experienced pathologist blinded to the endoscopic/EOCT findings evaluated each biopsy for the absence or the presence of dysplasia. The setting of the study was a major academic medical center. Adult patients with documented Barrett's esophagus greater than 2 cm were included in the study. The main outcome measurement was the accuracy of EOCT in the detection of dysplasia in patients with Barrett's esophagus. Results A total of 314 usable EOCT image stream/biopsy pairs were obtained in 33 patients. By using histology as the standard, the performance of EOCT was sensitivity, 68%; specificity, 82%; positive predictive value, 53%; negative predictive value, 89%; and diagnostic accuracy, 78%. Diagnostic accuracy for the 4 endoscopists ranged from 56% to 98%. Limitations of the study were the variability in endoscopists' accuracy rates, difficulty in real-time interpretation, and the need for refined criteria of dysplasia by EOCT imaging. Conclusions The current EOCT system has an accuracy of 78% for the detection of dysplasia in patients with Barrett's esophagus. EOCT could be used to target biopsies to areas of Barrett's epithelium with a higher probability for the presence of dysplasia. However, further modifications, including increased resolution and identification of further potential OCT characteristics of dysplasia, are needed before EOCT can be used clinically.
Influence of transfer-in rates on quality of care and outcomes at receiving hospitals in patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Background Patients with non–ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) are frequently transferred to tertiary hospitals for angiography and/or revascularization from hospitals lacking such capabilities. Given that patients who undergo invasive cardiac procedures are younger and have fewer comorbidities compared with those managed medically, the relative proportion of transfer-in patients at tertiary hospitals may influence comparisons of quality and guidelines adherence. Methods We evaluated 142,092 NSTEMI patients treated at 396 revascularization-capable sites in the CRUSADE National Quality Improvement Initiative from 2001 to 2006. Transfer-in patients were included if they arrived at the receiving hospital after their first presentation to a different hospital. Hospitals were categorized into tertiles based upon their transfer-in rates (low, intermediate, and high) and adherence to practice guidelines recommendations for NSTEMI. In-hospital clinical outcomes were compared across hospital tertiles. Results Acute and discharge composite guidelines adherence scores improved at hospitals with an increasing proportion of transfer-in patients, both for transferred as well as for directly admitted patients. These better adherence scores were inversely associated with overall mortality, with the lowest mortality observed in patients at hospitals with the highest transfer-in rates. However, once adjusted for baseline confounders, the mortality rates for patients in the hospitals in the highest transfer-in tertile did not differ significantly compared with the sites in the lowest transfer-in tertile (odds ratio 1.02, 95% CI 0.90-1.16). Conclusions Our findings show that the proportion of NSTEMI patients transferred into revascularization-capable hospitals varies significantly. Hospitals with a higher proportion of transfer-in patients tend to provide higher overall quality of NSTE acute coronary syndrome care; they also have lower overall in-hospital mortality, which may, in part, be related to the lower-risk baseline characteristics of patients at these hospitals.
Shipboard acoustic profiling of upper ocean currents

Abstract The ability to map the oceanic velocity field from ships would greatly enhance our ability to describe the energetics of the oceanic eddy field, to describe the structure of narrow and intense currents, and to provide some reference field for dynamic calculations of geostrophic currents. One technique that contributes toward this goal is presented. The shipboard system consists of a microprocessor-controlled data logger that collects and formats data from a four-beam Ametek-Straza 300-kHz Doppler current profiler, heading from the ship's gyrocompass, and navigation information from a LORAN-C receiver and a satellite navigation unit. Data are recorded on magnetic tape and some real-time calculations are made. The system was used in a May 1981 cruise on R.V. Oceanus in the western North Atlantic and some 10-min, vector-averaged current profiles have been presented on a section across the Gulf Stream. Horizontal currents have been profiled to depths of 100 m. Time averaging is required to remove effects of ship motion. Errors in our ability to profile ocean currents while underway are estimated to be 5 to 10 cm s−1 for absolute currents and 1 to 2 cm s−1 for relative changes in a 10-min vector average.
Anthropic distribution for cosmological constant and primordial density perturbations

The Anthropic Principle has been proposed as an explanation for the observed value of the cosmological constant. Here we revisit this proposal by allowing for variation between universes in the amplitude of the scale-invariant primordial cosmological density perturbations. We derive a priori probability distributions for this amplitude from toy inflationary models in which the parameter of the inflaton potential is smoothly distributed over possible universes. We find that for such probability distributions, the likelihood that we live in a typical, anthropically-allowed universe is generally quite small.
Electrocardiographic Findings in Sertraline Depression Trials

In 4 studies involving 1048 patients with major depression, the effects of therapeutic doses of sertraline on the electrocardiogram (ECG) were compared with those of placebo and amitriptyline. ECG tracings before and at the end of 4 randomised double-blind clinical trials were evaluated without knowledge of the study medication to which patients had been assigned. In each treatment group, mean changes in heart rate and RR, PR, QRS and QT intervals were assessed, as was the incidence of changes in various ECG parameters from normal at baseline to abnormal at the final reading. The final ECG for each patient was defined as the last ECG recorded during or within 1 day after the period of double-blind therapy. There were no significant differences in any overall comparison between the sertraline and placebo groups, except for sinus arrhythmia, which was more common in the placebo group. Amitriptyline, compared with sertraline and placebo, significantly increased the heart rate and shortened the RR and QT intervals (p < 0.001). In addition, the incidence of conversion to sinus tachycardia was significantly greater in the amitriptyline group than in the placebo group. Except for conversions in rhythms (mainly from conversions in the sertraline and placebo groups to sinus bradycardia and in the amitriptyline group to sinus tachycardia), the incidence of conversions for all other ECG parameters and for all treatment groups was low and without clinical significance. ECG findings in the elderly were essentially like those noted in nonelderly patients. The results of these analyses show that sertraline has no significant effect on the clinical ECG.
Microstructure development of proton-conducting La-based metaphosphate during heat-treatment

Abstract We report a TEM microstructural and compositional study of proton-conducting (La,Ca)P3O9 (Al-free) and (La,Ca,Al)P3O9 (Al-containing) glass-ceramics, prepared by the crystallization of quenched glass melts. Bright-field Transmission Electron Microscopy imaging, annular dark-field Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy, and energy dispersive x-ray compositional analysis were used to characterize the structure and chemistry of the glass and crystalline phases of the samples that developed following the treatments at various temperatures, heating-rate and dwell-time. TEM chemical characterization revealed that the crystallized domains were mainly Ca-doped LaP3O9, while the remaining phase was a Ca-rich phosphate glass. Crystallization improved conductivity first (up to a conductivity of nearly 10− 4.5 S/cm at 550 °C in air). However, the conductivity dropped when the samples were treated at higher temperature or for longer dwell-times, due to a continued Ca-departure from the La-rich crystalline into glass phase. Possible proton transfer mechanisms and strategy to improve conductivity in this doped rare earth metaphosphate glass-ceramic are discussed.
Facilitating the implementation of customer‐based inter‐organizational systems: an empirical analysis of innovation and support factors

. Inter-organizational systems, which represent the majority of competitive information systems, have received increasing attention from researchers. This study focuses on the implementation of customer-based inter-organizational systems (CIOS). A model is constructed and tested, based on literature in IS implementation and organizational innovation. Data from 73 organizations who have implemented such systems are gathered through a questionnaire. Two classes of independent variables, innovation factors and support factors, are examined for their influence on CIOS implementation success. While no innovation factors emerge as important, support factors, such as customer training and top management support, are found to significantly facilitate successful implementation of such systems. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Towards personalizing haemophilia care: using the Haemophilia Severity Score to assess 178 patients in a single institution

The phenotypic variability in haemophilia is well documented; however, the biological basis beyond factor VIII and IX activities to explain the differing clinical pictures of the disease remains unclear. It has therefore been of interest to explore other modulators of the disease's variability. Furthermore, a scoring system that reflects the multiple facets of haemophilia symptoms would be useful to compare patients via a comprehensive assessment tool. To this end, Schulman et al., created a measure known as the Haemophilia Severity Score (HSS) as one way to compare phenotypic severity. The aim of this study was to document the differing symptomatology of haemophilia patients using the HSS. Clinical data for 178 haemophilia patients without inhibitors were reviewed and annual incidence of haemarthrosis, orthopaedic joint scores and annual factor usage calculated. Each parameter was then entered into the formula to create the HSS for haemophilia A and B patients with mild, moderate and severe factor deficiencies. Variability in the HSS for patients with the same baseline level of factor was observed for all three deficiency levels and both haemophilia types. In addition, we found that moderate and severe haemophilic B patients tended to have more morbidity based on the above calculations than the haemophilic A counterparts. The HSS is a comprehensive tool that allows for easy numerical comparison of haemophilic patients and elucidates the variable clinical presentation of the disease. The HSS could be used to stratify patients via other possible modulators of haemophilia and discover other aetiologies of the disease.
Resolution enhanced spectrum estimation via Toeplitz eigen system solvers

Two Toeplitz eigenvalue/eigenvector computation algorithms - the inverse power method and a recently developed Teoplitz eigen system solver are applied to compute high resolution spectrum estimates. It is shown that these methods can be regarded as resolution enhanced Maximum entropy spectrum estimates. Synthesized examples are provided for a prelimilary comparison.
Avoiding multipath to revive inbuilding WiFi localization

Despite of several years of innovative research, indoor localization is still not mainstream. Existing techniques either employ cumbersome fingerprinting, or rely upon the deployment of additional infrastructure. Towards a solution that is easier to adopt, we propose CUPID, which is free from these restrictions, yet is comparable in accuracy. While existing WiFi based solutions are highly susceptible to indoor multipath, CUPID utilizes physical layer (PHY) information to extract the signal strength and the angle of only the direct path, successfully avoiding the effect of multipath reflections. Our main observation is that natural human mobility, when combined with PHY layer information, can help in accurately estimating the angle and distance of a mobile device from an wireless access point (AP). Real-world indoor experiments using off-the-shelf wireless chipsets confirm the feasibility of CUPID. In addition, while previous approaches rely on multiple APs, CUPID is able to localize a device when only a single AP is present. When a few more APs are available, CUPID can improve the median localization error to 2.7m, which is comparable to schemes that rely on expensive fingerprinting or additional infrastructure.
Adolescent Morphine Exposure Affects Long-Term Microglial Function and Later-Life Relapse Liability in a Model of Addiction

Adolescence in humans represents a unique developmental time point associated with increased risk-taking behavior and experimentation with drugs of abuse. We hypothesized that exposure to drugs of abuse during adolescence may increase the risk of addiction in adulthood. To test this, rats were treated with a subchronic regimen of morphine or saline in adolescence, and their preference for morphine was examined using conditioned place preference (CPP) and drug-induced reinstatement in adulthood. The initial preference for morphine did not differ between groups; however, rats treated with morphine during adolescence showed robust reinstatement of morphine CPP after drug re-exposure in adulthood. This effect was not seen in rats pretreated with a subchronic regimen of morphine as adults, suggesting that exposure to morphine specifically during adolescence increases the risk of relapse to drug-seeking behavior in adulthood. We have previously established a role for microglia, the immune cells of the brain, and immune molecules in the risk of drug-induced reinstatement of morphine CPP. Thus, we examined the role of microglia within the nucleus accumbens of these rats and determined that rats exposed to morphine during adolescence had a significant increase in Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) mRNA and protein expression specifically on microglia. Morphine binds to TLR4 directly, and this increase in TLR4 was associated with exaggerated morphine-induced TLR4 signaling and microglial activation in rats previously exposed to morphine during adolescence. These data suggest that long-term changes in microglial function, caused by adolescent morphine exposure, alter the risk of drug-induced reinstatement in adulthood.
Avian exposure to organophosphorus and carbamate pesticides on a coastal South Carolina golf course

A field study was conducted to examine avian exposure to organophosphorus (OP) and carbamate (CA) pesticides applied to turf on a coastal South Carolina golf course. The number, distribution, and activity of birds on turfgrass were monitored from May 25 to August 27, 1993. Over 1,600 birds representing 23 species were counted on turfgrass during designated monitoring sessions and incidental observations. Most birds were observed during morning hours, on fairways, and on the back nine holes of the course. Foraging was the predominant behavior observed. Blood samples and footwashes were collected from red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus), common grackles (Quiscalus quiscula), and boat-tailed grackles (Quiscalus major) for measurement of plasma cholinesterase (ChE) activity and chemical residues, respectively. Reactivation of plasma ChE in 22 blood samples suggested CA exposure, but no overt signs of anti-ChE poisoning were observed in birds sampled. However, an incapacitated laughing gull discovered after an application of the CA bendiocarb (3.36 kg/ha) exhibited 87% depression of plasma ChE and displayed symptoms consistent with OP/CA intoxication. Pesticide exposure was confirmed by recovery of 50.33 μg bendiocarb in the footwash. Mole crickets (Scapteriscus spp.) that surfaced following the same chemical application contained bendiocarb residues and may have been ingested by foraging birds. Results of this study suggest a potential for avian exposure to OP and CA pesticides on the golf course, but few actual exposures and acute effects were observed.
Patterns of change in human mandibular arch width during jaw excursions

Abstract The purpose of this investigation was (1) to design a device that could record the dynamics of mandibular arch width change, and (2) to record the patterns of change associated with various movements of the mandible in man. A strip of beryllium copper, 6.5 mm wide and 0.21 mm thick was shaped to form a vertical arch, and two type A-18 strain gauges were cemented to it above and below the greatest curvature of the arch. The instrument was placed between the jaws of a micrometer caliper and coupled to a polygraph for calibration and testing. The magnitude of mandibular arch width changes could be calculated as mm polygraphic pen deflection × 0.028 (calibration factor) ±0.034. Compensation was determined for effects of temperature changes upon the apparatus and the reproducibility of instruments. The device was then used on 25 male dentists and dental students to record changes in arch width. The apparatus was affixed to right and left manibular first molars and coupled to a polygraph while the subject was instructed to perform various mandibular movements. Protraction, opening and lateral movements from rest position produced a decrease in arch width, protraction causing the greatest decrease and wide opening the second greatest. Maximum decrease was not maintained when the fully protracted or open positions were held for 6–10 sec. Force applied to the jaw to resist closure caused a decrease in arch width. Retraction caused an increase.
The adult childhood cancer survivor and the general internist: suggestions for patient and provider education.

In this issue, Henderson and colleagues surveyed U.S. internists caring for adult survivors of childhood cancer, highlighting some issues that compromise the care they provide to such patients. The...
Simple Yet Complicated: U.S. History Represented in South Korean History Textbooks

Framing history/social studies textbooks as a social construction designed to create a public memory of a national history and history of the Other, we investigated how U.S. history is represented in South Korea's social studies textbooks and what images and ideas of the United States are encouraged for South Korean students to take. To answer this question, we conducted a content analysis of the presentation of U.S. history in middle school social studies textbooks used in South Korean schools. Our findings show that (1) South Korea's textbook accounts of U.S. history predominantly portray the United States as a world leader in democracy and peace building; (2) the textbook accounts of U.S. history generally miss the events and figures that have historical significance for U.S. domestic contexts; and (3) the history of controversial U.S.–Korea relations as well as learning opportunities for historical thinking are also missing in the textbook accounts.
Doa estimation exploiting coprime arrays with sparse sensor spacing

In this paper, we propose effective coprime array configurations in which the minimum interelement spacing is much larger than the typical half-wavelength requirement. Such configurations are important in many applications where the half-wavelength requirement cannot be met due to the physical sensors size or to avoid spatial oversampling in wideband operations. The application of such coprime arrays in direction-of-arrival estimations is examined using different algorithms.
Use of Statistical Energy Analysis for Rotating Machinery, Part III: Experimental Verification With Machine on Foundation

Abstract A Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA) model of a journal bearing on an I-beam foundation is developed to predict the response of the components of the journal bearing. The SEA model consists of 16 subsystems that represent wave components in both the in-plane and out-of-plane directions. The coupling loss factors are estimated using experimentally measured mobility data at the junction locations of the subsystems. The internal loss factors of each of the substructures are measured using both a power injection method and a time decay method, with each substructure disassembled from the rest of the bearing. The mean square velocities on the surface of the bearing components, estimated using the SEA model, are compared with those directly measured. The agreement between the SEA estimated results and the experimentally measured results is good.
On the optimal value of α for the Hartree–Fock–Slater method

Abstract We have examined the performance of the analytic Hartree–Fock–Slater (HFS) method for various α values and empirically determined the optimal α value by minimizing the mean absolute error (MAE) in atomization energies of the G2 set of molecules. At the optimal α the HFS method’s performance is far superior with the MAE of 14 kcal/mol than that of the local density approximation (MAE ∼ 36 kcal/mol) and the Hartree–Fock theory (MAE ∼ 78 kcal/mol). The HFS exchange functional with α = 0.7091 performs significantly better than the Kohn–Sham exchange functional for equally weighted atoms H–Kr.
Uranium emission spectra with a low power microwave plasma source

Abstract This work presents the first report of uranium spectra generated by a low power microwave plasma source to conduct emission measurements. Distinct uranium peaks in the wavelength range examined from 320 to 430 nm have been successfully obtained with a 200 W plasma utilizing low gas flow rates. The influence of temperature on the uranium behavior in the plasma source is discussed, and the intensity of the spectral lines obtained with this low power source is systematically compared with the results reported in literature, in which high power plasma sources were employed. Concentration effects are studied and the calibration curves are made for some strong spectral lines. The detection limits of uranium are also estimated to be at the 0.4 ppm level, with linear dynamic range at least two and half orders of magnitude. This research establishes a method to effectively generate uranium atoms and ions at a low power and low gas flow rate, which should be useful for uranium fundamental characteristic studies and on-site uranium monitoring work.